Bound

  the women they had grown up with. Meg wouldn’t want to be a

  perfect little princess on a shiny throne. She needed to work. She

  needed to contribute. She needed to be valued for all the things that

  made her unique.

  “T à mo chroì istigh ionat,” he whispered. My heart is within you…

  He was just about to kiss his sleeping princess when he heard a

  knock at the door. Curious, Cian gently rolled away from his wife. He

  reached for a shirt and walked to the front of the house.

  A small brown woman was gingerly opening the door. She was

  dressed simply in a dark, threadbare skirt and linen shirt, with a

  colorful shawl around her thin shoulders. Her big feet were bare. Her

  head was a mass of scraggly, wiry hair and her own thick skin. Her

  eyes were huge in her small face and black as a moonless night. She

  was beautiful to him. Flanna was a brownie. The brownies had been

  domestic help on his home plane.

  “Beckett.” She squinted, turning her elderly eyes up at him. He

  immediately got to one knee so she could inspect him. She had been

  his nanny throughout his childhood. It hadn’t taken him long to get

  taller than the brownie who took care of him, but he always showed

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  her proper respect. His throat closed up at the thought that he hadn’t

  really seen her for years. She walked up to him with a smile that

  showed her gaping teeth. “I am glad you changed your mind, son. It’s

  a mistake to leave your wife alone right now.”

  “She isn’t alone, Flanna,” Cian said, emotion welling in his heart.

  “She has me.”

  Flanna’s jaw dropped, and she looked at him with wonder.

  “Cian?”

  “Yes, little mother,” Cian said. “I assure you, it’s me. How long

  was I gone?”

  Huge tears welled in her black eyes. “Years, Cian,” she confirmed

  as she drew him into her motherly embrace. “I thought you would die

  soon.”

  “I did, too.” He hugged her gently, taking great care with her

  fragile body. “I am so sorry, little mother. I got lost.”

  Tears coursed over her cheeks. “Where is she? Where is the

  Queen?”

  Cian smiled broadly and wondered if anyone had even mentioned

  that part to Meg yet. He doubted she knew she had become the true

  Queen of the Seelie Fae. “She’s asleep. The bonding was hard on her.

  From what I can tell, everything’s been hard on my Meg, including

  Beck. You should know, little mother, I intend to thrash him soundly

  when he returns.”

  Her foot started tapping. “That will be the day, Cian. I think

  you’ve forgotten which twin you are if you think to fight your

  brother.”

  Cian let his face split into a slightly shady grin. “Well, I didn’t

  intend to inform him of my plans to beat him. I assure you, I can have

  him unconscious and tied up in no time at all. He always

  underestimates me.”

  Flanna gave him “the stare.” It was the one that let Cian know he

  was in trouble. “Now is not the time to be feuding with your brother.”

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  Cian frowned. “You don’t know how he treated her. He’s been

  selfish and rude. He formed a bond with her, but from what I can tell,

  he didn’t actually offer himself. He surely didn’t open to her. She was

  shocked by the full bond. She hadn’t felt it before.”

  Cian got to his feet, a new purpose humming through his brain.

  He’d hidden something, and now he hoped it had survived the years.

  Flanna followed him into the kitchen. “Don’t be so hard on your

  brother. He’s only done what he had to do to survive. Your father was

  very hard on him.”

  “And he has a lot of responsibility, blah, blah, blah,” Cian said

  with a frown. He studied the drawers in the hutch. He had built it with

  his own hands, and he had put a hidey-hole in it. “You think I haven’t

  heard this all my life, little mother? ‘Allowances must be made for the

  warrior king.’ All I had to do was think and learn, but Beck had to

  fight. Father was particularly hard on Beck, so we should let him be a

  cold bastard? I won’t let him ruin my relationship with our wife.

  She’s everything I could want in a woman. If he’s too stupid to see

  that, then he’s welcome to keep to the Liadans of this plane.”

  There was something about Liadan. There was something about

  the blonde woman his brother had taken as his mistress that nagged at

  the back of his brain. He couldn’t quite grasp it. It didn’t matter. He

  needed to worry about Meg now. Cian pulled the left drawer out and

  carefully pushed his hand inside. He felt for the trap door at the back.

  It sprang free, and Cian felt his treasure.

  “You can’t kick your brother out of your marital bed,” Flanna was

  insisting. “You know that the three of you will never form a triad if

  you don’t open yourselves to each other.”

  Cian pulled his hand free and opened the small bag he had

  retrieved. “The triad is a myth. I’m not going to develop mystical

  powers from sleeping with my wife. I feel wonderful, I do, and I’m

  definitely looking forward to consummating my marriage. I promise

  I’ll work my hardest to ensure you have some babies to take care of

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  next year, but I won’t become a Green Man, and Beck won’t be a

  Storm Lord.”

  “Just because you don’t have faith doesn’t mean others don’t,”

  Flanna said with a superior look in her eyes. “Tell me something,

  Your Highness, what does this mean for the rest of us?”

  Cian pulled out a small gold ring. There was a sun on the signet. It

  was the symbol of the Queen. Bronwyn had pressed it into his hand as

  she lay dying. His sister had died trying to retrieve the ring from their

  mother’s rooms. It was all he had left of their mother, and now it

  belonged to the rightful Queen, his wife. “It means we have some

  decisions to make. I’m sure even now our aunt is trying to convince

  her daughter to start funneling money our way. We’ll need it if we’re

  going to bribe the Unseelie to back us.”

  Cian didn’t want to talk politics. He had more important things to

  do. He turned the bag over. The rest of the contents tumbled to the

  table, making a delightful clinking sound. He did a quick count and

  was well-pleased. Flanna reached out and slapped his hands.

  “You’ve been keeping money from your brother,” she accused.

  Cian shrugged. There was no point in denying it. “He would have

  spent it on something boring, like food. This was my drinking stash.

  Now, it’s my get-my-wife-dressed-properly stash. Do you think you

  can come up with something nice for this?”

  Flanna seemed placated that he was using the cash on Meg instead

  of at the tavern. “I happen to know that the dressmaker in the village

  is almost done with a beautiful gown for Liadan. I believe she was

  planning on wearing it to Beltain. It would have to be shortened from

  what I understand, but I’m sure she would alter it for he
r queen.”

  Cian smiled. If it pissed off Liadan, then so much the better.

  “Excellent. I’ll take it. Tell the seamstress to let out the bodice as

  well. My Meg’s got a lovely set of breasts on her. And Flanna, we

  should prepare the village for the influx of Fae coming to pay their

  respects to my Queen.”

  “But, Ci, Beck told me to keep her presence here quiet.”

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  Cian’s eyes narrowed as he formed a plan. “Beck wouldn’t be

  able to contain the rumors. He either bought her or he fought for her.”

  “It was an open tourney,” Flanna confirmed.

  “Then the vampires know about it, too. They’ll think there’s

  something wrong with her. They’ll think that the king is ashamed he

  had to take a human wife if he doesn’t demand proper respect be

  paid.”

  “That isn’t why he’s keeping it quiet,” Flanna corrected him.

  “Beck is worried about your uncle’s agents. The pretender closed Tir

  na nÒg because he’s worried Beck will steal onto the plane and

  assassinate him. He has been waiting for the two of you to fade. After

  you’re gone, he’ll be able to open the homelands and reestablish trade

  and contact. You can’t think Torin wants the borders closed. He’ll be

  furious when he discovers you’ve married. The queen is now a

  target.”

  Cian shook his head. “She’ll be a target no matter what. I’m sure

  Torin knows about her even now. I have no illusions on that. He has

  his spies as we have ours. It doesn’t change the fact that she will have

  a hard time being taken seriously if we don’t treat her that way. The

  people will accept my queen, or I’ll cease being their king. Well, I’ll

  cease being half their king, anyway.”

  Flanna patted his hand, seemingly giving up the fight. “I will go

  and get things started. The village will feast tonight, my son.”

  “Yes.” Cian looked at his mother’s ring with satisfaction. “We

  will feast and dance and drink.” And then he would set about

  seducing his lovely, brave bride.

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  Chapter Twelve

  Beck stood looking out the window on the hundred and second

  floor of the Dellacorp building. This was the penthouse his aunt lived

  in, and it always made him nervous to be so high in a non-natural

  structure. Below, the neon lights of the city gave the night an ethereal

  quality. It was an odd sight, and one he wished he could share with

  his wife. Meg would be fascinated by this world. She would likely

  enjoy the ridiculous lights and soaring heights the vampires lived in.

  It gave Beck a stomachache, but it might be worth it if Meg liked it.

  He couldn’t risk it. He couldn’t risk that she could run here and

  probably find someone to hide her. Probably? He shook his head

  ruefully. She would have no end of handsome vampires willing to

  save her from her marriage. She was a beautiful bondmate, and they

  would consider her a perfect consort. She would have vampires

  fighting over the privilege of who got to save her from her husband.

  “You are brooding, Beck.” His aunt’s voice cut through his

  thoughts and pulled him into the present. He turned and looked at his

  mother’s sister. She was graceful and lovely, just as his mother had

  been. Her perfectly black hair was in a neat knot at the nape of her

  neck. “I think sometimes you forget which half you are. You are a

  man of action. Leave the brooding to Cian.” Alana Dellacorp’s face

  fell as she remembered. “I am so sorry. I should not have said that.”

  Beck smiled tightly at his aunt. “It’s all right. I wasn’t brooding.

  Well, maybe I was. I was thinking about my wife.”

  He held himself still, watching for her reaction. He had asked

  Dante to keep his mouth shut. He wanted to tell his aunt himself.

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  Her elegant face became a mask of well-bred horror. “Tell me you

  haven’t married that Liadan person. Oh, Beck. You cannot give up

  hope. Annul the marriage. I will find a way to smuggle a bondmate

  out of Tir na nÒg . Your Uncle Alex and Susie already have feelers

  out looking for the best way to do it. We have confirmation that

  Torin, the bastard, is making deals with other vampire families to sell

  them consorts. Obviously he would never make a deal with the

  Dellacourts, but we have plans.”

  Beck took his aunt’s hand. She was a slave to fashion, as always,

  and her nails were painted an emerald green with small jewels on the

  tips. It was the fashion for consorts. “Tell them to stop. I’m not about

  to…what was the term Meg used…divorce my wife, though she

  might beat me when I return home. As for Cian, I spoke to him not

  thirty minutes ago on that contraption your son left with our wife.

  He’s perfectly clear-headed and more like himself than he has been in

  years. He’s just as pissed with me as Meg must be, though he’s trying

  to hide it, the tricky bastard. I’ll have to watch my step when I get

  home or he’ll jump me.”

  Alana gasped as she understood the implications. Before she

  could say a thing, a bundle of feminine energy burst into the room and

  ran straight for Beck. Beck braced himself for impact and wasn’t

  disappointed. Susan Dellacourt threw herself into his arms with a

  resounding thud.

  “Beck! I can’t believe it.” His cousin looked up at him with joyful

  tears in her eyes. “You bonded! We all thought we were going to lose

  you. It’s fate. I know it is.”

  “You’ll have to excuse my wife, Your Highness,” Colin

  O’Donnell Dellacourt said with an indulgent smile. He bowed

  formally to his king. Beckett recognized the sidhe. He had been one

  of the many refugees to make it out of Tir na nÒg before the plane

  was closed. Unlike most of the Fae, Colin had settled on the Vampire

  plane and quickly found himself in the enviable position of consort.

  “She’s been worried about you and Cian for a very long time. She

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  talks about you all the time. I’ve heard more stories about your

  childhood than I can imagine.”

  Colin was dressed in typical vampire attire. He was casual but

  elegant in slacks and a pearl-gray dress shirt. He had come a long way

  from a farm in Tir na nÒg.

  “Well, I remember when she was just a wee thing, and I used to

  pull her pigtails,” Beck said, giving his cousin a squeeze. He often

  didn’t understand his vampire relatives, but he loved them.

  Susan shook her head and planted a kiss on her cousin’s cheek as

  she noted her brother walking into the room. “That was Ci, dear. You

  were always too serious to play.” She squeezed his hand. “Why didn’t

  you bring your new wife and Ci with you? Everyone will be dying to

  meet her, and I would love to talk to 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 loony when I

  left. Bonkers. It’s funny now, of course, but at the time, I was

 
concerned.” Dante shrugged Beck’s 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 older sister. I gotta have

  something on her.”

  “How can you consider me your boss?” Susan asked with a roll of

  her emerald eyes. Beck heard Colin snort and realized this was a well-

  worn argument. Even Alana sighed. “You never show up for work.

  You’re always out gallivanting around. Sometimes I wonder if the

  tabloids would have anything to do if Dante Dellacourt wasn’t around

  to give them a headline every day.”

  Dante’s eyes narrowed. “Well, we can’t all be perfect CEOs and

  perfect spouses and perfect daughters. Some of us prefer to have a

  life.”

  “How can you call that a life?” Susan mocked her baby brother.

  “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 your fangs have been, brother.”

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  “Susan!” Alexander Dellacourt’s voice boomed through the great

  room as he entered. Beck tried to hide his smile. His uncle was a bit

  larger than life. “Give your brother a break. He is a young man

  finding his blood. So what if he’s a little wild? He’ll fall in love and

  settle down one of these days. You have to be patient with him.”

  Dante’s green eyes were suspiciously innocent as he poured

  himself a Scotch. Vampires might not eat the way the Fae did, but

  they could drink. “Father is right, Susie. I drown myself in booze and

  loose women to hide the pain in my heart from not finding true love.

  It could be that my tale ends tragically, sister. I fell madly in love with a beautiful consort, and Beck stole her from me. I suppose I will 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.”

  Alex rolled his eyes and readjusted his Stetson. “Don’t push it,

  son. I’m not a fool. I started with next to nothing.”

  Dante’s eyes glazed over. His mouth moved in time with his

  father’s. He had obviously heard the tale about a million times, but

  then, so had Beck.

  “Just a hundred head of cattle and a dream,” Alex was saying as