I winnowed us into the camp and landed directly outside of my family's house. I was still distracted by Feyre and the hunger I felt was nowhere near satisfied by the few days we had had together in the cabin. I wanted her.

Now.

I was shaken from my thoughts by a familiar voice, the deep tone unmistakably male.

"Well, it's about time." Cassian drawled from behind us.

Something primal buried deep inside of me surged and I spun to face him, snarling savagely. Feyre gripped my arm as if in warning but I struggled to bury the instincts which arose within me. I was fixated on Cassian but my entire world revolved around the woman beside me and I fought the urge to attack my brother for looking at her. Being in her presence.

I needed to calm down.

Cassian laughed and I remained frozen, afraid that if I moved I really would go for him. The mating bond – I knew it was intense but I hadn't realised how all consuming the urge to have Feyre all to myself was.

"Hard ride?" Cassian commented wryly, his eyes lit with amusement. I remained focused on Feyre's steady presence at my side, her scent and warmth enveloping me. However, it did not soothe me as it normally did but reminded me of my overwhelming need to defend our bond from the smirking male in front of me.

"When he bashes your teeth in, Cassian, don't come crying to me." snapped Feyre. I could feel my body responding to her voice, my attention fixed intently on her.

"Mating bond chafing a bit, Rhys?" Cass continued to goad, crossing his arms. I realised then, what he was doing – he thought I needed to brawl to vent my frustration that I couldn't have some time alone with my mate.

I appreciated the gesture but I wasn't that bad. I tried to relax the fighting stance I had taken in front of Feyre and drag myself away before I did any damage. Cassian seemed to notice this and the mischief in his eyes became an evil glint. I tensed again, my muscles coiling and becoming unbearably tense.

"Feyre doesn't look too tired. Maybe she could give me a ride-"

That did it.

The leash I held on my temper snapped and I lunged for him, knocking him into the dirt. We rolled, teeth snapping and fists flying before Cass threw me off him with a kick to the chest.

Walking away was no longer an option. The bastard knew that the suggestion he had his eye on Feyre, the thought of him pursuing her would tip me over the edge. I wanted to fight now – not a calculated battle, not a display of my powers but raw, primal brawling to release my frustration. I needed to show the world – in the most visceral way possible – that I would defend my mate and our bond.

I threw a punch at Cassian's jaw, blood spraying as I hit him square on the jaw. The prick just laughed and slugged one straight back, knocking my head to the side. Normally I would have blocked the blow but I wanted to feel the exhilaration that came with the pain, to show that I was strong enough to withstand it.

We lunged for each other again and again, trading blows and knocking each other into the dirt. I punched Cass squarely in the chest, sending him staggering, but he ducked to avoid my next blow and swept my legs out from beneath me. We snarled and snapped as we rolled over the muddy ground, entangled in the oldest show of dominance of our kind.

Over an hour later, we finally broke apart after the thrill of the fight began to dull. I watched him, still weary, as I spat blood onto the ground and arose. I offered him a hand and pulled him to his feet. Cass gave me a cocky smirk in return and I snarled again – brother or no, Feyre was my mate and it would take a while before my instincts adjusted and I stopped wanting to kill him for his irreverent banter.

He just grinned wider and I groaned internally – this was too good an opportunity for him to pass up and I had no doubts that he would use it to his advantage whenever he felt like a fight.

Together, covered in mud and blood, we trudged back towards the house where our family – my mate – awaited us.