Page 112 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“Can I ask you something?” Luka interrupted.
Eliza blinked in surprise, wiping her fingers on a napkin. “What is it?”
“Razik said you didn’t want the bond right away,” he started.
“She told the Shifter Beta in our world to come to my room when we stayed there. Tried to offer me up on a silver platter,” Razik said, taking another bite of his food.
“I did not!” Eliza cried in outrage. “That is not what happened that day, and you know it.”
“Did you not tell Arianna my room could be in her wing?” he challenged.
“That is not the same as telling her to come calling for a fuck,” Eliza argued.
“Who said anything about fucking? Although, since that’s where your mind went, it proves what I said was correct.”
“It proves shit, Razik Greybane,” she retorted, smoke drifting from her palms where they were now flat on the countertop.
And Luka saw it then. The smallest twitch of his brother’s lips. Eliza saw it too, her eyes narrowing.
“She is very possessive,” Razik continued in a mock whisper, reaching for an apple, but Eliza’s hand shot out, snatching it up before he could. Then she whipped the fruit at him, hitting him in the temple. The male was unfazed, picking up his water glass instead. “And extremely violent.”
“Oh my gods,” Eliza gritted out.
“Anyway,” Luka interjected, gaze bouncing back and forth between the two of them as she seethed and Razik continued to eat his food. “You tried to reject it at first, right?”
“Yes,” Eliza gritted out.
“Why?”
She looked down at her plate, pulling her hands into her shirt sleeves and fisting her fingers around the ends. “I had my own misgivings and past to deal with. It wasn’t him. At least not entirely.”
“Every bond will have its own trials.”
They all turned at the voice, finding Xan in the doorway at the base of the steps. The last Luka had known, he’d been outside getting some air. The collar was still stark against his skin, a constant reminder of how much they were failing. Although Xan, oddly enough, didn’t seem phased or anxious about it.
“Now you’re eavesdropping?” Razik muttered.
“Raz,” Eliza hissed, nudging him with her knee.
“Not eavesdropping,” Xan replied, coming deeper into the space. “Just returning to the inside. You are all talking in the open. It stands to reason you will be overheard in public spaces.”
This time it was Eliza trying to hide her smirk while Razik narrowed his eyes on his father.
“All I am offering is that you cannot compare your potential bond to theirs, Luka,” Xan continued, ignoring his son’s obviousdispleasure with his presence. “Each pairing is unique, and up to the two of you. No one can make the choice for you. No one can guide you. It’s your own path, with or without her.”
“Are you speaking from experience?” Luka asked, not even thinking about the question. He was just so lost to his own inner turmoil that he’d spoken without thought. It took him a few minutes to notice the sudden silence that had fallen among them.
Eliza had her food halfway to her mouth. Razik had sat back in his chair, fully invested in the conversation now, and Xan was frozen, if not a little stunned.
But then their father sighed, pulling out a stool and taking a seat at the island. He left one stool between him and Eliza, folding his arms atop the counter.
“I shouldn’t be surprised. I assumed this conversation would happen eventually,” Xan said, angling himself so he could look between Luka and Razik. “Yes, Aiyana and I share an inevitable bond. We faced trials of our own. Had choices laid before us.” His sapphire eyes flicked to Razik. “Forced to make sacrifices that nearly broke us.”
Razik said nothing, but he stiffened. Eliza immediately reached over, resting a hand on his arm. All of their earlier bickering was gone as she leaned closer, giving her strength to her bonded. Luka was sure she was speaking down their bond, and something in him stirred. Something he acutely recognized. Something he’d often feel watching Theon with Tessa in the beginning.
“We didn’t accept the inevitable bond until after Razik was born. Until after we’d had to leave him with my brother,” Xan continued.
“Is that what we’re calling it?” Razik cut in, each word dripping with venom. “Because I call it abandonment.”
