Page 33 of Bound

A sad sigh comes from the figure on the bed. “And you soundlike you couldn’t care less. I suppose I understand. I haven’t been much use toanyone lately. Well, did you have any luck on your hunting trip? Did you catchanything?”

Cian is turned away, so I know he can’t see my sly smile. “Ididn’t catch anything to eat, if that’s what you’re asking.”

I don’t mention that I actually ate Meg’s sweet pussy quitea bit the night before. I don’t think I’ll ever get my fill of that sweettreat.

“Oh, well,” comes the ho-hum reply. “I wasn’t hungry,anyway.”

It’s time to get my brother moving. I can’t leave Meggiealone for too long. She gets into trouble. “I didn’t really go hunting. I wentto market and got us a wife.”

Cian sits straight up in bed. Yes, that got his attention.

“Yeah, I thought that might get you moving, you lazybastard.”

Cian appears more animated than I’ve seen him in months. Hishand goes back to smooth down his hair. “There’s a girl here?”

“Meggie’s a woman,” I correct. “She’s all woman, not agirl.”

“Meggie.” Cian rolls the name around on his tongue as ifhe’s tasting it. He seems to like the flavor. “How did she escape from Tír nanÒg ? Do you think Torin is hunting her?”

“No, you don’t understand.” I put a single hand on my twin’sshoulder, a silent request to calm down. “She’s not Fae.”

Cian slumps back down. “Oh, I thought you found us abondmate. I guess I was being fanciful. Well, I hope she brings you somepleasure in our last days.”

“She’s a human from the Earth plane, and she is mostdefinitely a proper bondmate. She’s also the most beautiful thing in all of theplanes,” I say with confidence. “I already bonded with her and feelspectacular, but if you’re not interested, I’ll keep her for myself.”

Cian is on his feet before I can finish the offer. “I needto change clothes.”

He needs far more than clean clothes. I can smell him fromhere. “You need a bath before I’ll let you anywhere near my own sweet Meggie.”

Cian’s face turns stubborn. “Our own sweet Meggie.”

“Fine, then.” It’s good to see my brother up and about. I’mnot worried about sharing Meg with him. I’ve expected it all of my life. I’veshared everything with Cian. I want to share a life, a real life, with Cian andMeg. I walk to the dresser and pull out clean clothes and a bar of soap. “But Ishould warn you, she slept with me last night. She might not want you.”

Cian huffs. “Well, if she’s only had you for company, she’llneed a little intelligent conversation. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, butmostly you grunt.”

“She doesn’t seem to mind the noises I make, if you knowwhat I mean.” She seems to have forgiven me for my brutish behavior before. Shewas a sweet bundle of soft femininity in my arms while we traveled home. Ifound the ride a bit rough since I was hard the whole time, but I wouldn’t havechanged it. I like holding her. After nearly losing her, I find it calms me tohave her close.

Cian tosses off the pants he’s been wearing. “I can’tbelieve you bonded without me.”

It wasn’t what we planned. It wasn’t anything close to thetraditional ceremony we should have had—nor had it concluded in a full bonding.The guilt of that weighs heavily on me, but I won’t be able to open myselffully to her. She will never be able to handle some of the things I’ve done. Ihave to keep part of my soul to myself. The dark parts. “You would have donethe same, little brother. Trust me. Once you’ve seen her, you’ll understand.”

Holding the items in one hand, Cian walks through thebedroom to the rear door of the cottage. He looks back, the slightest hint ofuncertainty in his eyes. “She’s a proper bondmate, then?”

I cock an eyebrow questioningly. “The bond works. I know. Itwill work with you, too.”

“That’s not what I meant, brother,” Cian says. “I was askingif she’s like the other bondmates. Is she anything like Maris?”

I remember well how Cian felt about our intended. He couldbarely stand the sight of her. Maris had made her preferences clear. She wantedto be queen. She would have preferred to only be married to the warrior half ofthe king. “Not in the way you mean. Meg is sweet, and she’s got quite the mouthon her. She wasn’t raised to be a highborn lady, but she deserves no lessrespect. She’s a little scared, too.”

Cian’s spine straightens. “We’ll make sure she’s got nothingto be afraid of, then.”

“Go, make yourself presentable for our wife. I’ll find ussomething for dinner.” I’m grinning as I change the sheets on the bed andstraighten up the room we’ll share with our wife. Out of the back window, I seeCian hurrying down the path to the pond. It’s been a long, long while since Isaw my brother move so quickly.

As happy as I am, getting married also brings about a rangeof problems. I’m going to have to figure out a way to bring in some steadyincome because I don’t want Meg to feel she has to keep the house. She’s abondmate, not a housewife. I’ve made up my mind to talk to Dante about thesituation. Susan Dellacourt told me she’s always interested in my services. Thevampire companies have long-reaching arms and always have some strange securityproblem clogging up the roads of trade. I might be able to make decent moneythat way.

In the back of my mind, I know once word gets out that Cianand I have bonded, the loyalists will come calling. They’ll offer me a lot tolead the attempt to reclaim Tír na nÒg. They will come, and the pressure willbe on. I’ll have a decision to make, and now it doesn’t seem like a clear one.

Once I would have done anything to get the chance to avengemy father. Am I willing to risk Meg? For the first time since I was seventeen,it seems that I might have a future. It will be a very different one than I wasraised for, but it’s mine. I can have a good life with Meg and Cian, andeventually our children. All of that could be lost if I gamble our lives ontaking back the crown.