Bonded Nightmare (Bonded Series Book 1)

by E.M. Rinaldi

My little bond narrowed her eyes and deliberately turned her back to me. She moved toward the damn salad bar like she hadn’t seen me. She was ignoring me. What the actual fuck? Who did this girl think she was? Back straight and stubborn chin up, she marched right past me with the attitude of slighted royalty. This princess had no idea who she was fucking with.

I thought I wanted to get to know my bond. I planned to use my resources to help her get this useless degree before going home and beginning our lives together. If she wanted to fix animals in her free time, so be it if it made her happy. The tribunal families had pets, too. But now, I wanted to destroy that fairytale. 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.

I knew which room was hers already because I’d planned to force her to leave with me. But now, I wanted to see if she’d come willingly. I wanted to woo her and see those eyes light up with a different fire. Yeah. I wanted her to want to belong to me, as much as I now belonged to her.

My fingers reached back into her hair and tugged, anchoring her for the storm I was about to unleash. She gasped and arched into my hold but didn’t close her eyes. She was daring me; meeting me head-on. Good girl. “I should have done this earlier,” I said, our lips almost touching. “I’ll never forgive myself if I miss another opportunity.” This wasn’t a gentle kiss, like the ones I’d planned to woo her with. It was a barely suppressed need with a hint of obsession. Her lips were soft and full and so warm as I touched them to my own with a soft slide that had both of us moaning. Despite the urge to devour her, I kissed her slowly, a gentle nip, an easy friction that sent her wiggling against me.

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

“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.”

He said nothing as he buttoned my pants and smoothed my hair. My body still shook hard enough to make even those little tasks difficult. Our eyes met, and I was satisfied to see he was just as affected. “Never again doubt that I want you.” He reached beside me to open the door, crowding me until I stepped back into the hall. “But until I think you’re ready, this won’t happen again.” The door shut in my face.

“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 never wanted you to be unhappy, Eryn,” he swore. “I only ever wanted a life with you.”

“Will you stop running?” he called out. I spun to face him, tears of frustration clouding my vision. “I’m not! Where in the world would I go where you couldn’t find me anyway?” He nodded, determination hardening his face as his long stride ate up the distance to me. “It’s true,” he admitted. “I will always come for you. Always.”

“Because you’re absolutely everything I’ve ever wanted and didn’t know I needed.”

“This mouth. Gods, this mouth. It doesn’t know when to shut up.”

“You are spirited and fierce—my equal in every way. I don’t need the bond to see your loyalty and kind heart, or to know that I would cease to exist if anything ever happened to you.”

Kaiden froze, one hand hovering over the bowl. He straightened in his seat, back going stiff before he turned and gave me his full attention. Those blue eyes speared me with the lust I knew was right beneath the surface as his lips split into a devilish smile. “Princess,” he purred, drawing the word out. “Are you telling me you’ve never touched yourself before?”

She shyly glanced down, the bed sheets twisting in her little fists. “Never mind.” That wouldn’t do. My girl was missing out on the joys of her own body, and I couldn’t stand it. “No, no, princess. We’re going to solve this problem right here, right now.” Her head snapped up as I stood and walked over to the end of the bed. “We?” She swallowed. Her legs lightly trembled at the idea, and I smiled. Perfect. “I’m going to teach you,” I swore, and took a little edge off by feeling on her soft thighs as I pulled at her denim shorts.

“Can you admit it?” He asked after what I was sure was a close monitor of my emotions. I nodded. “I need the words, Eryn.” “It means something,” I admitted. He grabbed my hair and wrapped it around his fist. The grip was tight enough to sting as my curls were pulled at the roots, and I cried out as he tipped my head back. His cock sat right in front of me, the tip rubbing around my lips. “Then open up, princess. Show me what you can do.”

I felt him smile down the bond and tentatively opened my side enough to allow the barest of touches. I didn’t know what bullshit I tried to convince myself of before. This definitely meant something. It meant everything.

So little faith, he teased. As if I’d let anything happen to you, not after finally being able to call you mine.

My magick flowed from me in a continuous stream. I gave it full reign and emptied every drop from my reserves trying to strengthen the cloud I enveloped us in. The fear in Eryn’s eyes before she fell was mirrored in my very soul. She didn’t think we were going to make it. I tried to flood our bond with as much love and confidence as I could muster, determined that if these were, in fact, our final moments, she wouldn’t feel a thing besides the happiness our bond filled me with, and the peace within me at finally being able to say mine.