Bonded Nightmare (Bonded Series Book 1)

by E.M. Rinaldi

The hunters wouldn’t look twice at it. At least, they wouldn’t have if I hadn’t lost control today and broke into the mind of a human.

Now, every hunter in the country would zero in on this town to win the trophy kill of the century—the last nightmares.

“They took him,” she whispered, the words scratchy as if she hadn’t spoken for a while. Or had been screaming. I quickly scanned the room again, heart squeezing for the one thing I’d missed the first time. My father. I looked back at my mother with a trembling chin. “Who took him?” I needed her to say it. A slow blink. “The tribunal.”

Bonded couples had a connection like no other. Their very souls were joined. Emotions, energy, pain…It could all be shared and felt, like the opposite ends of a lifeline.

I’d almost killed my parents. Holy shit. I’d almost killed my parents. “I need you to keep it together, little nightmare.” His arms were still wrapped tightly around my mother, but he stood closer now. I took a shuddering breath, held it, and then let it out slowly. When I nodded, he smiled at me with pride. “That’s my girl.”

“They found your bond.” All sound ceased to exist as my racing heart drowned out the rest of his explanation. I only heard bits and pieces over the one word cycling through my head. Bond. “The oracles announced it.” Bond. “He’s the heir to the witch faction.”

That’s when I noticed him. He was easily the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. A strong jaw and symmetrical lines, full lips. His hair was three different shades of blond swirled together, with the strands swooping low over one eye in a style that appeared effortless but must have taken at least an hour to accomplish. And those eyes, a strange turquoise to match the ocean.

My backpack held all I needed for class, with almost all my textbooks being in digital format that I could read on my used kindle.

Shes a kindle girly

“Jumpy one, aren’t you?” The curvy redhead wore a smile that I tried hard to return. “I’m Rani,” she said. “Marine Bio major.” I stared hard at the hand she offered for a few awkward seconds before gently shaking it. “Eryn,” I told her. “Veterinary Medicine.”

“Well, I have plenty of everything. My parents are worriers, so help yourself to whatever you need.” She grabbed my arm and dragged me to her closet, which was filled to the brim with lotions and makeup, shampoos, and body wash. Scents of flowers, sugar, and citrus permeated the air as she pointed out her favorite products and why I just had to try them. By the time she was done, the top shelf of my own closet bore more self-care products and spare towels than I’d ever need, and I’d somehow accepted her invitation to lunch.

This tugged at my heart strings. A lil eye watering

“Are you coming?” Rani popped her head back in, interrupting my thoughts. A small, but very real smile took control of my lips. I’d never been invited anywhere. Maybe this college thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Kaiden She’s here.

Stomach flipped

Humans weren’t attuned to the subtle dip in pressure that her kind instigated. It was an unconscious side effect of the strength and nature of her power. The mental vulnerability caused by the presence of a nightmare resulted in the uncontrollable urge by the potential victim—in this case, humans—to grow restless.

I scanned the room, looking for the girl with a head of dark curls and eyes of absolute fire. The emerald in her gaze glowed when she was pissed; a fact I couldn’t tell from the varied portraits I’d collected of her. Finding my little wayward bond was my sole focus these past two years, and I was nothing if not thorough.

Fuck okay daddy. SLAY. Collecting portraits of her AND being possessive already is goals

My dick was only interested in our bond, and it refused to rise for even the most tempting of distractions, much to my cousin’s amusement.

YES PAPÍ

I took my time checking out my little bond. Petite but not too short, legs I wanted wrapped around my waist, and those curls that fascinated me at first glance. They were tied off behind her head now, but this morning they’d cradled her face the way my hands itched too.

Hehehehehe im kicking my lil feet

I already knew all I possibly could about this girl. Her favorite color: purple—based on the amount of pictures with her wearing it. Athletic according to her yearbooks and a love for animals. That one was obvious. She had no social media, so it was hard to gain insight into her inner thoughts, but I easily hacked her school records and read all the essays and written projects she had submitted so far. What I learned was that my bond was a passionate, caring, intelligent woman.

When the oracles made their announcement about Eryn, I couldn’t wait to meet her. Then they dropped the bomb that she was a nightmare; a faction all but extinct and feared for their power. I didn’t care. A part of me awakened when I heard her name, and nothing else mattered but finding her. Meeting her. Well, we met, and it changed nothing.

He wove her

Eryn Montalli was mine, and it was about time she learned it.

She acted like I wasn’t here when I knew she felt me. I gave a gentle strum to that connection between us, and she stiffened.

She was looking for me. For the source of that ache in her chest. Those green beauties finally landed on me, and they widened. It was about damn time.

My little bond narrowed her eyes and deliberately turned her back to me.

They were offered clemency, but maybe she didn’t believe it. A future chained up in a room with only her bonded keeping her alive—that was probably what she saw. I didn’t blame her for those fears. I was hurt but understanding when she disappeared. Angry when she was later discovered hiding out in some shithole, completing online classes rather than living in the comfort and luxury afforded to her new station once we completed the bond. But now, I was enraged.

I wanted to shut down every dream she had about living a quiet life among the humans until she only had me left to turn to. Until she was forced to beg me for forgiveness and take her rightful place at my side. Maybe that was the anger talking, but I didn’t shy away from it. I let it simmer and grow until it was a shield protecting my heart from the only girl in the world who could break it. And she didn’t even care. Ready or not, princess. Here I come.

My mother glanced down at the large ring dominating the index finger on her right hand, our family crest staring back at her. “My displeasure at you choosing that…mongrel as your second is a known fact,” she sniffed. “My brother should have dealt with him as a baby, as our rules demand.”

Bitch

“I did nothing wrong!” she shouted and pushed me. Actually pushed me. “He followed me up there and wouldn’t let go, even when I told him to stop. But I was asking for it, right?” Wait, what? That asshole assaulted her? I stepped back and took a good look at her for the first time. Smeared makeup, a tear in the strap of her top, and fuck, there was a bruise on her forearm. She wasn’t feeding off him. She was defending herself.

Her eyes were rimmed with tears, and I couldn’t help but reach out to wipe them away. Another jolt went through me when we touched.

For the second time tonight, she derailed my thoughts. Was she still trying to deny us? I saw no deception in her gaze. This wasn’t a game; she was truly pissed. Almost as if she didn’t know who I was. I brought up both hands to cup her cheeks and watched her reaction. While it felt like a mild form of lightning ran beneath my skin, aside from an initial jolt, she was unaffected. Holy shit. Worse than that, there was no recognition whatsoever.

I wanted her to want to belong to me, as much as I now belonged to her.

His eyes appeared more green than blue today, almost aquamarine as they stared at me. Like he knew my thoughts, the corner of his mouth curled in a sensual smile that sent heat zinging down my spine. I crossed and uncrossed my legs, shifting in my seat from the unfamiliar feeling coursing through me. This was more than attraction. That domineering asshole was turning me on, with just a look.

There was never any doubt that the djinn knew who I was on sight. Kaiden Einar Winmore Alantes, heir to the witch faction and bond to the last of the nightmares. Two things my enemies couldn’t stand: I was powerful, and that power was only going to increase.

If she knew who that asshole was—the one that dared to try and assault her—she’d know that he was no longer enrolled here. That he’d just up and left the next morning with no warning or explanation to the university.

She’d been very irresponsible that night, not to say that the pervert's actions were her fault, but her lack of awareness hadn’t helped the situation. Drinking without a tolerance, slipping off into a dark hallway alone with no regard for her safety—I still had the urge to spank that luscious ass red when I thought about it.

“What are you doing?” I asked when I couldn’t pry her fingers off her face. “I’m avoiding eye contact.” “I can see that.” I tried again, but I didn’t want to hurt her and gave up. “Why?” “Because you’re yelling at me, and I’m tired of seeing it.”

“Put me down, you weird fetish bastard!” Another shriek. “You’re not going within five feet of my bed!” “These delusions of yours worry me,” Ez tsked, unbothered by her violent squirming. “We can discuss them once I’m sure this ass is nice and toasty and tucked in the bed that I’m now considering climbing into with you.”

My skin felt too sensitive—like one more scratch of her nails on my scalp would send us both up in flames. I pressed as close as physically possible, my dick so fucking hard it was ready to bust with only a couple of thrusts against her soft belly. Then she whined, and I couldn’t deny that plea. Hooking my hands under her thighs, I lifted her and pushed her against the wall, deepening the kiss and languidly thrusting my tongue in imitation of that final act. Her heat encompassed me, even through our layers of clothes, and I answered with a hard roll of my hips that pushed her up the wall with a squeal. I dragged her mouth back to mine and used it to cover my own groan.

“Fuck! You don’t understand what you do to me, princess.” Another moan escaped her, this one a little more desperate than the last. “Make that sound again,” I demanded and reached between us.

“Princess,” I breathed, gently bumping my nose against hers. “Tell me.” Her eyes fluttered open and met mine. “I trust you.”

“Look at you,” I crooned as her inner muscles tensed. “Fuck my fingers, princess. Soak my hand like a good girl.”

She couldn’t recognize the bond yet, so its hold on her waned now that I no longer touched her, but I remembered with too much clarity how slippery she felt against my fingers. I wanted more. Without breaking eye contact, I lifted my hand to my mouth. The musky scent grew stronger as I tasted the finger I had deep inside her.

“If you don’t run up those stairs right now and lock your door, I’m going to fuck you all over this room. On the stairs, against the wall again, with your ass in the air and bent over the railing until each of my thrusts make you feel like you’re going to fall. But you won’t because I’d never let you go; not once I bury myself inside you.”

“Did you think I changed my mind about wanting you? You have no idea the thoughts that keep me up at night.” I tilted my head. He chuckled at the invitation, and I snapped my head back straight. “I almost lost control, princess, and you’re not ready for the things I want from you.”

I looked up at my savior and locked eyes with a familiar aquamarine gaze. Alantes. My bond. Or, as I knew him, Kai.

“I could take you right here, like this.” My thighs tightened at his absolute confidence. “I could slide my cock so deep inside you, you wouldn’t be able to climb off. I could lean you back and slow-fuck you until your eyes roll back, and your voice goes hoarse from screaming, until your juices drip between us to soak the ground, until our bond snaps into place so hard you’d never even think of leaving me again. Because guess what?” Both his hands moved down to grab my ass, squeezing and kneading me closer as he increased the strength of his thrusts. “You didn’t reject the bond.”

I was a panting mess, my forehead damp and chest heaving as we stopped in the courtyard. Kaiden looked up at my open window, down at my pathetic mess of a self, complete with throbbing ankle, and growled. He swung me into his arms before I could protest and carried me the rest of the way in silence.

“You have two choices, princess. The first, you can take your punishment like a good girl and keep your freedom. I’ll go easy on you since you seem to be new to the concept of discipline.” He smirked at that and moved on. “Option number two is, deny the punishment you’ve earned, but move in with me where I can keep a better eye on you.”

“I fully intend for you to finish your degree, with the knowledge that it will give us at least another four years to figure…us…out.” I side-eyed him, hard. “You’re going to let me become a veterinarian?” “I never wanted you to be unhappy, Eryn,” he swore. “I only ever wanted a life with you.”

She thought I was doing this for a reward? I didn’t care if she denied the bond for the rest of our lives, I’d still protect her. The very thought of anything happening to her made me sick. I couldn’t imagine a world without her in it, even if it was nowhere near me, not after meeting her.

“Hold up!” the guy called out. “Aren’t you going to finish your juice?” I frowned. Was he into saving the earth or something? Maybe he wanted to recycle the bottle. I chugged the rest of it and tossed him the plastic.

Drugged bro

“Stop,” I called out. “Stop the cart.” Rani slowed and leaned over to see what I needed just as I dipped my head over the side to hurl. Cool hands gathered my hair at the base of my neck, and I didn’t need the tingles on my skin to tell me it was Kaiden.