Page 14 of Burdened Bonds

“She disappeared in the midst of the battle,” Rhianna’s friend, Winnie, explains.

“You let her disappear?!” I hiss at Azlan, stalking towards him. “Why weren’t you watching her, guarding her, protecting her?”

Azlan squares up to me. He’s lost his dinner jacket, his shirt is ripped, and he’s covered in cuts, bruises and soot.

“You want to explain to me, Tristan, why you all of a sudden have an interest in the welfare of my mate?”

I stare right into his dark, angry eyes. “Because she’s my mate too.”

“Yeah,” he says, “your mate too. Something you never thought to tell me.” He takes a menacing step closer to me.

“Azlan,” Ellie gasps.

“Does your father know?”

“No,” I say, not backing away.

Azlan glares at me. “You’ve treated her like shit.” He turns his head and glares at Spencer. “You’ve both treated her like shit. I should beat you both to a fucking pulp!”

“You weren’t exactly the perfect gentleman yourself,” the professor says quietly from behind him.

Azlan glares at me harder still. “What happened to you? You used to be a nice kid. Then you grew up into this stuck-up asshole.”

“Me, the asshole? You’re the one who turned his back on his family. Who left his own sister all on her own to endure the shit our fathers hand out.”

“Tristan,” Ellie gasps.

“I look out for Ellie,” Azlan says. “And I’ve been looking out for Rhianna. Which is more than you can say.”

“Oh really? Because I seem to remember it was me that just took that fucking curse for her. Who saved her.”

“But how about all the other bullshit you put her through? You think I’ve forgotten how you spoke about her to me?”

“I’ve been trying to put things right,” I mutter. “I’ve been trying to make things up to her.”

“Huh,” someone snorts, and both Azlan and I turn our heads to stare at Rhianna’s friend, her arms crossed, an extremely unimpressed expression hovering on her face. “And doing a pretty pathetic job of it,” she says. “Honestly, both of you should have been groveling at her feet, begging her forgiveness and pledging your undying love to her. She is amazing and you,” she points at us both, then points atSpencer and Stone too, “allof you have been giant, massive, humongous, unbelievable dickheads.” I go to protest but she shoots me a warning look and I clamp my mouth shut. “Too busy with your own self-importance to realize just how amazing and wonderful that girl is.”

Winnie’s boyfriend scratches his cheek then nods his head. “Rhi really is awesome.”

“I know that,” Azlan snaps.

“Then what the hell are you doing standing around bickering? Why aren’t we out searching for Rhi right now?”

“We?” the professor asks.

“If you think I’m going to stand back while my best friend is missing, you are sorely deluded, Professor Stone.”

“I like her,” Ellie says.

“Because she’s also awesome,” Trent says. Winnie nods with defiance.

“So what’s the plan?”

“I’m going to go out looking for her,” Azlan says, already turning towards the door. “Are you coming, Phoenix?”

“Don’t you dare,” Winnie says, wagging her finger in his direction.

He turns, slow and sinister. “Don’t I dare what?” he says with a face full of thunder.