Chapter Seven - Four Bonded

The bond slams sideways into me, and again my wrist sears. Rhett roars in fury, and Matteo jerks like a live wire just ran through him.

I feel him. His fury. His disgust. His fight against it. It crawls under my skin as raw as Rhett’s rage and as sharp as Cassian’s control.

“Congratulations,” Cassian says smoothly, eyes flicking between us. “Now you’re all invested.”

 My body’s splitting three ways, and I can't do anything about it.

“Stop,” I grit out, but nothing stops.

Rhett yanks the chain as his rage only grows at the prospect of more men to compete with. The collar flashes white as he drags a breath in and spits out a word.

“Mate.”

It hits me hard. My pulse stutters and heat spikes through me. My body tips toward Rhett without my permission. I catch myself on the table, nails digging uselessly into the steel as I try to ground myself.

Matteo feels it too. I can see it as the bond yanks through him, and his jaw locks like he’s choking on a snarl.

“Do you feel that? She feels it. I feel it. That’s the fucking problem.”

Cassian smirks again, as he drags blood from his own wrist and lets it drip onto the page. The runes flare brighter.

“It’s not a problem, it's recognition. Pure, unfilrered instinct.”

Matteo bares his teeth.

“Don’t you dare downplay this.”

“You can call it whatever you want,” Cassian says mildly, “but it’s doing exactly what I intended.”

Rhett lurches a step forward, and the collar smokes where it bites him, light bleeding at the edges. His eyes never leave me.

“Mine.”

The bond rips through all of us simultaneously. My skin hums with it. Matteo stumbles half a step like it hit him in the gut, and I slam my hip into the table to stay upright. I don’t look away.

Cassian watches, that patient curve at his mouth like he had scripted every second of this.

“Undo it,” Matteo snaps. “End the binding.”

“No.” Cassian’s voice stays level.

Matteo raises his blade. “Then I end it.”

Cassian tips his chin, as cool as ice.

“No, you won’t. Not unless she begs you to, and she hasn’t.”

The bond jerks through Matteo again. His grip flexes on the blade, knuckles white, but he doesn’t move.

The pressure crawls over my skin like fingers, and I grit my teeth.

“Both of you need to shut the fuck up.”

Matteo's gaze flashes to me.

“Say the word and I’ll burn it out. It’ll hurt like hell, but it won’t eat you alive.”

Cassian rolls his shoulders with a soft laugh.

“She’s not burning anything. She’s staying right there while I turn this into perfect control.”

Heat spikes under my ribs as my eyes drop to my wrist.

“So I’m stuck with this bullshit either way..."

Matteo shakes his head hard.

“No, you’re not stuck with anything. I can cut it out cleanly before it digs deeper.”

I laugh once, sharp and bitter.

“Cut it cleanly? Nothing about this is clean. Not him. Not me. Not you. Not this room.”

Rhett jerks the chain, pillar groaning. His focus doesn’t budge from my face.

“Don’t,” I warn him. “Relax already, I can't help you, and I don't want this."

Liar, my body screams at me.

Cassian doesn’t look away from me.

“Let me explain how this works," HE begins slowly, "If you move, he moves. If you breathe, he breathes. Try to run, and your body will refuse to cooperate."

“I don’t obey anyone on a simple fucking word,” I snarl.

“Maybe not before, but now you will,” he answers calmly before snapping, “Head down.”

My chin dips before I can stop it, and humiliated rage explodes through me. I yank it back up and glare at him.

“Don’t you fucking dare do that to me again.”

He notes it, amused.

“Noted. Until you’re about to die.”

Matteo cuts back in, his voice sharp.

“You’re proving my point. She’s not safe here. None of us is.”

“I’m not safe anywhere now, am I?! I fire back furiously. “I’m in real shit now."

Matteo doesn’t argue.

“Then let me cut it.”

“No,” Cassian says. “We work with it.”

“That’s not her decision,” Matteo spits. “That’s yours.”

“Enough,” I growl. “I’m not your asset, Cassian, and I'm not your exorcism case or whatever the fuck it is that you priests do. I’m me.”

Rhett rips at the chain, dragging himself closer.

My body takes a step before I can stop it. Matteo jerks too, like the same hook caught him. Cassian sees both of us, and his patience sharpens into something dangerous.

“Try to run,” he says softly, "Test my theory..."

I do. Matteo does. But neither of us moves. The bond locks our legs and holds. Shame and fury crash through me.

“See?” Cassian murmurs. “Perfect obedience.”

“No, it's coerced compulsion,” I grind out. “It's not the same.”

Rhett’s chest heaves, and he makes a sound that isn’t human, but the bond shoves it straight through me, and my stomach flips.

“Stop,” I force out, this time with his name. “Please, Rhett.”

His jaw clenches, and the chain holds.

“I want the door open,” I say. “I want one fucking minute where nobody orders me to breathe.”

Rhett stares like he heard it all. The collar burns deeper into his neck, and he yanks at it again, slow and steady. The pillar groans as his eyes stay fixed on me.

“Don’t,” I tell him, but he doesn’t listen.

Matteo raises his blade a fraction,

“If you can't control him, Cassian, I will end this."

“You won’t touch her,” Cassian says, coldly, "Because if she dies, we all die.".

“Rhett,” I repeat warningly, “Don’t come any closer.”

His ruined throat works as his voice drags out raw and clear.

“Mate. Mine. Now.”