Free The Bonded: The Allseer Trilogy Book I by Kaitlyn Rouhier

winning.”
    Irena, his bond mate, glared at him out of the corner of her icy blue eyes. She was stunningly beautiful, with peachy skin and hair the color of honey, but her demeanor left much to be desired. She spoke little, but when she did, it was terse and spiteful. She seemed to view the rest of the Bonded the way Herzin did, as if they were all beneath her.
    Garild found it amusing that she’d been bonded with someone like Tegan. Having grown up with him, Garild knew Tegan was more interested in playing in the dirt and goofing off then he was at taking anything or anyone seriously. He was carefree and friendly where Irena was cold and distant. Garild almost felt sorry for him. He could only hope Irena wouldn’t crush the kindness right out of him.
    “Lying isn't becoming of you, Tegan. Why not tell them the truth? That you haven't been able to even use your powers yet.”
    The rest of the table shifted uncomfortably while Tegan just stared at the table, his cheeks tinged with red. “We need to leave. Harkin will be upset if we’re late and I’m not going to disappoint him for your sake.” She stood quietly, ignoring the rest of the Bonded as she stepped out of the room, head held high. Tegan stood quickly, trailing after her as he wiped at his eyes. “I’ll see you all later,” he sniffled, following after his bond mate.
    “She’s a tough one,” Ian grunted.
    “Ah, but her beauty is unquestionable,” said Burk, smile on his face as he watched them leave. Burk was tall and muscular, easily the biggest of the boys and often times the most amusing. He was laid back, almost to the point of being lazy, but he was quick of wit and his jokes often had them all laughing.
    His bond mate, Abby, rolled her eyes. “Beautiful and an absolute terror. I’m pretty sure she’d strike us all down if given the chance.”
    “Jealous,” he chided, earning himself a punch in the arm. Abby wasn’t exactly scrawny and her punch left Burk rubbing his arm, grimacing as he tried to make the pain stop. “Ow!”
    “Oh, hush! You deserved that and you know it,” she smirked. She was a perfect complement to Burk; kind, upbeat, and filled with enough wit to match Burk any day. It was easy to see why the two of them had been bonded.
    “Let’s go find Grant. I’ve an abuse to report,” Burk chided, tugging on her braid as he walked by. She frowned in annoyance, chased after him and landed another punch on his arm.
    “Make that two!”
    “As much as I hate to admit it, we should probably get going too,” Garild said, pushing himself up from his seat. The rest of the group nodded in agreement and slowly, the room cleared of people, Garild and Kirheen trailing behind. She was unusually quiet, watching the others ahead of them with inquisitive eyes.
    “Everything okay,” he asked gently, nudging her with his elbow.
    “Oh. Yeah. I’m fine,” she said, smiling sheepishly. “Feeling a tad sluggish.”
    “Might have something to do with all that food you just ate.”
    Warmth crept to her cheeks. “Can we just forget that happened? I don’t know what came over me just then. Whatever Trista gave me really had some horrible side effects.”
    Garild chuckled. “It did. But at least you’re feeling better. You don’t look half as green as you did yesterday!”
    “Well, that’s a start.”
    “Are you feeling ready for training today?”
    The smile slipped off her face as if he'd insulted her. Her brows furrowed and she shook her head. “I…don’t know, Garild. After what happened, I just don’t know if I’m willing to go through that again.”
    Garild frowned. “It’s not going to be like that, you know? You really think Tomias and Fenir would do that to you?”
    “Of course I don’t. And I know that. I just…”
    “I understand, Kirheen. You don’t have to explain. Just promise me you’ll try.”
    She met his eyes and he could see an overwhelming fear lurking in her gaze, an apprehension that words couldn’t