Page 49 of Bound

Colin is dressed in typical vampire attire. He is casual butelegant in slacks and a pearl-gray dress shirt. He came a long way from a farmin Tír na nÒg.

“Well, I remember when she was just a wee thing, and I usedto pull her pigtails,” I say, giving my cousin a squeeze. I often didn’tunderstand my vampire relatives, but I love them.

Susan shakes her head and plants a kiss on my cheek as shenotes her brother walking into the room. “That was Ci, dear. You were alwaystoo serious to play.” She squeezes my hand. “Why didn’t you bring your new wifeand Ci with you? Everyone will be dying to meet her, and I would love to talkto Cian when I don’t have to remind him who I am every five minutes.”

“You aren’t the only one, sis. He was completely out of itwhen I left. It’s funny now, of course, but at the time, I was concerned.”Dante shrugs my way. “Well, you told me to keep my mouth shut around Mother.You said nothing at all about Susan. Come on, man. She’s my boss and my oldersister. I gotta have something on her.”

“How can you consider me your boss?” Susan asks with a rollof her emerald eyes. I hear Colin snort and realize this is a well-wornargument. Even Alana sighs as Susan continues her tirade. “You never show upfor work. You’re always out gallivanting around. Sometimes I wonder if thetabloids would have anything to do if Dante Dellacourt wasn’t here to give thema headline every day.”

Dante’s eyes narrow. “Well, we can’t all be perfect CEOs andperfect spouses and perfect daughters. Some of us prefer to have a life.”

“How can you call that a life?” Susan mocks her babybrother. “You drink and go out with a new model every night. That isn’t a life.It’s a blood disease waiting to happen. I don’t even want to know where yourfangs have been, brother.”

“Susan!” Donald Dellacourt’s voice booms through the greatroom as he enters. I try to hide my smile. My uncle is a bit larger than life.“Give your brother a break. He’s a young man finding his blood. So what if he’sa little wild? He’ll fall in love and settle down one of these days. You haveto be patient with him.”

Dante’s green eyes are suspiciously innocent as he pourshimself a Scotch. Vampires might not eat the way the Fae do, but they love todrink. “Father is right, Susie. I drown myself in booze and loose women to hidethe pain in my heart from not finding true love. It could be that my tale endstragically. I fell madly in love with a beautiful consort, and Beck stole herfrom me. I suppose I’ll have to find something that will make me feel better.Perhaps a Ferrari. It won’t fill the hole in my heart, but I have to make do.”

My uncle rolls his eyes and readjusts his Stetson. “Don’tpush it, son. I’m not a fool. I started with next to nothing.”

Dante’s eyes glaze over. His mouth moves in time with hisfather’s. He’s obviously heard the tale about a million times, but then, sohave I.

“All I had was a hundred head of cattle and a dream,” Donsays as he pours himself a Scotch, too. “A dream to refine their blood into aneasy-to-swallow nutritional pill that made storage problems a thing of thepast.”

Susie is mouthing the familiar conversation as well. Myuncle continues his story of building Dellacorp into a giant of the industry.Alana slides her arm around my shoulders as her husband lectures their childrenabout how easy they have it.

“Come along. He’ll be at it for hours now.” Aunt Alana leadsme onto the balcony. The air is cool and the night calm, though in a city aslarge as Dallas, it’s never quiet. “Tell me about your bride. How did she makeit out of Tír na nÒg?”

“She didn’t.” I look out over the city, feeling the distancebetween me and Meg. It weighs heavily on me. Did I do the right thing? Should Ihave brought her with me? “She’s from the Earth plane.”

Alana steps up to the railing. She doesn’t seem to have thesame problem with heights that I have. “I heard rumors the Planeswalkers weretaking advantage of Torin closing Tír na nÒg. Humans are closely related to theFae. Some historians believe we originated on their plane, after all. Itfollows that some would be suitable as bondmates, though I’ve heard that onlyhuman females have the ability to bond, and only a small percentage. She musthave been terrified.”

“To say the least.” A vision of tears running down herpretty face when I left her at the cottage haunts me. She will never understandall the reasons I left. I could have put off this business trip for a few daysuntil she settles in, but I fear what I would have done if I was alone withher. The night before was a close call. It’s sad that the one woman I will everlove is the one I can’t trust myself around. “Do you think she can ever behappy so far from her home?”

My aunt smiles brilliantly. “Of course she can. She’llsettle in. I was overwhelmed when I first came to this plane. Still, I loveyour uncle. I wouldn’t have it any other way. And your bride has two devotedmen to make sure she’s happy.” A cloud passes over Alana’s face. “You can loveher? I know some bondings come without it, but if you can’t love her, it wouldbe better if you let Don and Susie try their plan.”

“No.” My voice is harsh, the answer quick enough to put asmile on my aunt’s face. “I don’t want anyone else.”

“Good,” Alana says. “I’m glad you’re happy with her.”

I wish my mother was alive so I could talk to her. My auntis the next best thing. “I wish she was happy with me.”

“Give her time. She wasn’t prepared for this life. You haveto make allowances.”

I feel my jaw firm as a part of me tries to stop theconversation right here and now. It should be easy. I should simply keepeverything inside as I always have. But since bonding with Meg, I’ve discoverednothing is simple anymore. “I can’t control myself around her.”

Alana puts an affectionate hand on mine. “Of course youcan’t. She’s yours. When I said you had to make allowances, I was talking aboutyou, too. You have to change your mindset. I’ve read about the humans. I findthem intriguing. They’re a passionate people. Sometimes not so smart, butpassionate. You might discover she wants a different relationship than what youexpect from a bondmate.”

I shake my head. “She is trying to please me. I’m herhusband, her king. She’s saying what she thinks I want to hear. Women will sayanything to placate their king.”

With a short burst of laughter, my aunt puts her hands on myshoulders, turning me gently so I look her in the eyes. “Perhaps some would, ifthe prize were big enough. But, Beckett Finn, you are the king of a refugeeplane. You don’t offer her enough to debase herself. Whatever she’s offeredyou, she’s offered because she wants it. I’m speaking to you plainly, as yourown mother would have. Don’t deny yourself and your wife. Your father treatedmy sister like a porcelain doll. It made her crazy.”

“Mother was happy with Father,” I argue.

“You saw what you wanted to see,” my aunt insists. “Yourfather trained you to be a great king. He didn’t train you to be a goodhusband. Let your wife tell you what she wants. I assure you, if you don’t,Cian will. If you aren’t careful, you’ll find yourself out in the cold.” Alanapats me and moves back toward the doors. “Come inside. I’m sure dinner isalmost ready. Go easy on Colin. He’s nervous about dining with his king.”

I nod but continue to stare out into the night. I wish I washome getting ready to go to bed. It will be quiet there. Cian will have enjoyedhis first day of peace in a long while. I imagine sitting in front of the firewith Meg on my lap. After a pleasant evening, Cian and I would lead her to thebig bed and slowly undress her. We would make love to her together, bondingeven further. I would be gentle and make sure she’s satisfied before taking mypleasure. I would then, graciously, turn her over to my brother. I would sitback and enjoy watching Cian please our wife. Watching Cian fuck our lovelybride would get me hot and bothered again, but I would survive. Meg would betired. She would sleep peacefully between us.

Instead, I’ll spend the evening dodging questions about whenI will attempt to take back my throne. I turn to the penthouse doors and sigh.Politics. I hate politics, even when discussing them with family. At least Megis safe from politics. She’s safe and protected on our little farm.