Page 52 of Bound

Meg

It’s the horrible sound of the rooster crowing thatwakes me the next morning. It sounds like the damn thing is right outside mydoor. I try to burrow under the pillow to escape the dreadful racket, butthere’s something attached to my pillow, and it won’t move an inch. An armwraps itself more tightly around my waist and pulls me closer.

“Damn it,” I curse as I try to get out of bed. I’m tangledin a quilt, and it’s difficult to orient myself. I’m definitely not where Ishould be. Where the hell am I? Oh, yes. A bit of the evening before comesback. I’m on the little cot in the barn, but I quickly find myself on my ass inthe middle of the cold, dirt floor.

“It’s too early, lover.” Cian’s Irish brogue is even thickerwhen he’s drowsy. His hand comes out seeking me once more, but he doesn’t openhis eyes. “Get back in bed. We’ll eat the rooster for dinner tonight, Ipromise.”

This is exactly what I’ve been trying to avoid. “You aren’tsupposed to be in my bed, damn it!”

I give my clothes a once-over, grateful I appear to haveretained enough I’m fairly certain I didn’t do anything I shouldn’t have. Theprincess gown I’d worn to the party is draped over the lone chair in the cornerof the room. I have on the thin shift that went beneath it, and my undies areright where they’re supposed to be.

All good signs.

Still, I’m not sure how I ended up in bed with Cian when Ipromised myself I wouldn’t. And there’s a gold band on my left ring finger thatwasn’t there the day before.

Cian rubs his eyes, yawns, and stretches his big body. He,on the other hand, doesn’t appear to be wearing anything. His glorious frame ison full display. “You told me you refused to sleep in the big bed. You told meyou needed independence, and the only way you could have that was to live inabject poverty, with not a single comfort to your name.”

“I doubt I put it quite like that,” I complain.

I remember last night, up to a point. There had been dancingand singing. I met Flanna’s family and all the rest of the brownies. I laughedand said that we eat brownies on the human plane. And then I spent the betterpart of an hour explaining that I won’t be coming after Flanna’s grandchildren.Sweets might not be a big part of Fae life, but ale sure is. It was the alethat did it. It had been slightly sweet and had a hell of a kick. Every time Ifinished a mug, someone put another in my hands.

Cian scratches his belly. It shouldn’t be sexy, but it is.His gray eyes open fully for the first time. “No. You took a lot longer toexplain it. It was quite the lecture. There was something about making your ownway and roaring because you’re a woman. I didn’t understand it at all, and Iconsider myself a smart man. The only part I really got was when you told me wehad to live here.”

Cian shows no ill effects from the enormous amount of ale hedowned. He had to have doubled my intake. The boy can drink.

“No, I said I needed to live here,” I correct. NowI remember that I kissed Cian. I was slightly drunk, and everyone urged us tokiss. I meant to placate them with a little peck, but Cian dipped my back overhis arm and overwhelmed me. His tongue slipped into my mouth and had its waywith mine. He rubbed his body against me, and I felt every inch of his intent.He got me so hot I might have done him right there.

I need to stay away from him. He’s always touching me. Thenight before, he held my hand or had his arm around my waist all of the time.There hadn’t been a single moment I wasn’t aware of him.

Cian’s face is sweet as he sits up and crosses his legs. Hepays no mind to his nudity or to his morning friend. “I know. You think livinghere will prove something to Beck. I don’t think so, but I’m willing to goalong with what you want. Can we get a bigger bed, though? It was cramped lastnight. I have no idea how we’re going to fuck on that.”

He didn’t hear a word I said last night. “We’re not. Cian,we need to talk.”

“I can do that,” he promises with a sober look on his face.

I can’t take my eyes off his enormous erection. It laysalmost flat against his belly. “How do you expect me to hold a seriousconversation with you like that?”

He shrugs. “You’re my wife. It’s my permanent state aroundyou. It would probably go away if you jumped on top of me and bounced aroundfor a while. Well, it wouldn’t go away for long.”

Getting to my feet, I turn away from the too-tempting sight.My second husband is proving even more troublesome than the first. I need toget properly dressed and get my day started. Perhaps then I’ll be betterequipped to handle Cian. My day clothes are still in the cottage. I’ll takesome time to collect myself and then see to the farm.

“I’m going to get dressed. You… I don’t know. Just take careof that,” I say, avoiding the delicious sight of him as I stumble out of theroom.

I expect to step out into the leftover destruction from thenight before, but the yard is pristine once more, without a sign of what wenton. The gathering was huge, with everyone in the village showing up to danceand drink. I was introduced to sidhe, brownies, trolls, gnomes, andsome dwarves down from the mountains. They toasted Cian’s health and the twins’marriage. Everyone spoke of Beck with great fondness, and I learned a lot aboutmy wayward husband. He saved many of the people of the village at great cost tohimself. For years after the civil war, he worked hard to build a sanctuary forthe refugees from his home plane.

It would have been easy for the king to settle on theVampire plane. The Dellacourts are a wealthy family who would have taken inBeck and Cian. He could have lived in luxury, and no one would have blamed him.Instead, at seventeen, he decided to establish a village on a safe plane togive his people a home.

Beck is their protector. Without him, the Fae would havedispersed and more than likely had trouble surviving on their own. Cian gavehis brother all the credit for founding their own small kingdom. He explainedthat he simply followed his brother’s lead. Beck was the one to take charge inthose dark years after losing their parents. Hearing the love and admirationfor Beck did nothing to ease the ache in my heart that he can’t love me.

I walk slowly, not minding the early morning chill. It’sreally beautiful here. A gentle mist comes up from the pond, giving the worldsome softness. The cows contentedly eat grass in the distance. The sky is asoft watercolor of blues, pinks, and oranges. It’s similar to my plane, but itfeels so different. Even the air here is gauzy and sweet. The whole world seemsquiet and still. A wistful thought steals over me.

I could be happy here.

I take a deep breath and continue on toward the cottage.

I will be happy here. Happiness is a state ofbeing. It is something I can choose.

I open the cottage door and decide to start by gettingdressed and fixing breakfast. I’ll battle the judgmental chickens again, andthis time I’ll try frying the eggs.