Bound: First Person Special Edition

A Faery Story, Book 1

Published by DLZ Entertainment LLC

Copyright 2025 DLZ Entertainment LLC

ISBN: 978-1-963890-40-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

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Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Author’s Note

Beast

About Lexi Blake

Other Books by Lexi Blake

Chapter One

Meg

Once upon a time, in a land closer than you would think…

I’m having the weirdest dream. I try to take in the scene around me. I call it a scene because this isn’t real. This can’t be real. I wasn’t taken by some guy—demon—and transported to…

I’m in some sort of luxurious tent. There’s lush carpet on the floor, but on the outer edges of the space I see grass and patches of loamy earth. Odd lanterns illuminate the space. I call them odd because there doesn’t seem to be a flame. The light is strong, but it’s almost like it’s moving inside the opaque glass.

Like fireflies flickering.

“Are you okay?”

I turn to the sound of a feminine voice, looking through the metal bars of the cage I find myself in. Bile rises. Cage. I’m in a cage. What is my fucked up brain trying to tell me? I mean, honestly the cage totally makes sense. I’m feeling trapped by work and the place in life I find myself, so I understand the setting of this dream. The gorgeous, slender blonde chick in the cage across from me I don’t understand at all.

“I get the cage,” I explain to the blonde. She’s naked, but then everyone in the cages are naked, including myself. “I even get the nudity. I’ve got a meeting with my regional manager next week, and I’m not ready for it. Nudity is a sure sign of anxiety. The cage is because I hate my job and my life, and I can’t seem to find a way out. Hence the luxury of the cage, though I think my subconscious is wrong about that. I mean my paycheck is good enough to keep a roof over my head, but nothing like this.”

The bed I’d “woken” on is the most comfortable I’ve ever been on. The silk sheets are soft and lush. It’s why I thought at first this was going to be some sort of erotic dream, or maybe I’m so tired my dream is being kept in a cage like a beloved pet. I might need therapy because at first I was cool with all of it. Some short chick had brought me lunch, and it was delicious. It was when I requested coffee and the small serving lady asked me what coffee was that I realized I was dreaming.

And it might be a nightmare.

I can still see his face. It had been too long, too skeletal. Something inside me had known. Something had feared that thing in the alley.

The blonde’s head turns as though seeing me from a different angle might help her understand. “You speak too fast. I understand some of your plane’s words, but not all. I am fresh from the old plane.”

Yeah, a gorgeous blonde who doesn’t speak my language and flies on old planes. I have no idea how to interpret that one.

A withered hand reached out to me and when that hand touched my arm, the world had gone cold.

What a find you are, my dear. I think I know just where to take you.

I shake my head, forcing the vision back. That had been a dream, too. A prelude to whatever this nighttime vision is supposed to teach me. It hits me suddenly what all of this is about. I decided a few weeks ago I’m going to take a step that could change my life.

“I’m going to a munch,” I explain to the only woman in the tent who seems interested in me. “That’s a safe way to meet people in the lifestyle. I’m going to see if this is for me, and no anxiety dream is going to make me change my mind. That’s why you’re here. You’re the inner symbol of my insecurity. I’m fairly certain I’ll be the worst-looking potential sub at that munch. Yeah, that’s what this is about.”

The woman merely shakes her head and turns to the equally stunning woman in the cage next to hers. They begin a conversation in a language I don’t understand, and I sit back. Even in my dreams I’m easy to ignore.

I take a deep breath and tell myself I’ll forget all of this when I wake up in my own bed, tangled in crappy scratchy sheets. This will be a blur in the early morning light, an echo of some dream life.

“Miss Meg, I need you to come with me. I know our ways seem strange to you, but one day you’ll see what a great honor all of this is.” The small woman who’d greeted me with pastries and claims she doesn’t know what coffee is stands at the door of the cage. She’s dressed like she’s participating in a Renaissance fair. And she’s seriously tiny. Like the smallest human I’ve ever seen who wasn’t a kid. She’s absolutely a full-ass adult with the body of a woman, but she’s maybe four feet tall. Maybe.

I stand, pulling the sheet around me because while the Swedish supermodels might be cool showing the world what their mommas gave them, I am not. I tuck the sheet under my shoulders, forming something of a dress. “I’m sure being put in a cage is a great honor.”

Cara—she’d called herself Cara—holds a circle of keys in her small hand. “You’ll be saving a life and maybe a whole kingdom if you are what we think you are. Please come with me. Miss, if you try to run, you should understand that there is nowhere to go.”

Cara enunciates each word carefully, as though she has to think about each one.

“Well, naturally there’s nowhere to go. I think that’s what this whole dream thing is about.” I move to the door of the cage as Cara opens it.

I don’t even think about running because all that will do is morph the dream into something terrible. All my anxieties will likely chase after me and honestly, the running is part of a nightmare, too.

I think back to all my psych classes. Shouldn’t I try to take control of the dream? Try to wake myself up? If I take charge, I’ll likely find my way out sooner.

My gut rolls as I see that thing again in my head, the one who wrapped spindly fingers around my wrist and pulled me close, and I swear I could smell sulphur on it. I shove the image down. It’s not memory. It’s got to be something else.

Had I been drinking? Or maybe someone spiked my drink.

Except I hadn’t been out partying. I’d been walking home from a movie.

Still, I step out, clutching my sheet like the queen I am determined to be in this dream space. I’m about to explain to Cara that I want coffee and a TV brought to my room because I’m going to clear off my watch list in this dream. Hey, it’s my weird fantasy.

I stop as I realize this fantasy just took a turn.

Two large men step out from the shadows, and before I can pull away, each has a wrist in his grasp. Men? I study them, not wanting to believe my eyes. I’m not sure these are men at all. They’re humanoid, but the skin covering their muscled bodies isn’t a color that comes from human DNA.

Green. It’s a brackish green, and their heads are covered with scraggly hair.

Fear snakes along my spine as they drag my hands up over my head and the sheet drops away, leaving me naked and so vulnerable. Cold metal presses against my palms, and suddenly I’m tethered to something above my head.

This is the part where the dream goes bad. So fucking bad.

I don’t want to be here. I want to be home. I know I complain about it often, how boring it is, how I don’t belong, how I have no one, but fear makes cowards of us all, and I want to be home in my bed.

A bright light sweeps through the tent, a tidal wave crashing over my overwrought senses. Someone’s coming. The green dudes step back. It seems like they’re not the ones who are going to gut me or rape me or wherever this is leading. I can’t see them. They’ve moved behind me, but Cara says something and she sounds further away.

A massive shadow blocks the sunlight that streams in from the hole in the roof of the tent, and I shrink back in fear. Well, I shrink back as far as the chains allow me to. Something is playing in the back of mind. Some instinct telling me this isn’t a dream and I’m in trouble.

That shadow is a man. He becomes clear as he steps inside the space they’d made private. The sun is behind him, so at first all I see is the outline of his body. Strong shoulders that seem to go on for days, big arms. He’s muscular and masculine, and I’m naked in front of him.

I swallow down my fear. Something about him…calms me.

He turns slightly, though his eyes don’t leave my body. His deep voice calls out, saying something in a lilting language I don’t understand. He’s got a lovely accent. A familiar one. Suddenly, the curtain to the tent drops, and I can clearly see again. Yes, the shadow is a man, a beautiful, terrifying man, but at least he seems human.

Maybe what I saw before was just…the dream. Yeah. I don’t have good instincts. I’m back to dreaming.

“She does not speak Gaelic, Your Highness,” said the small man who’d greeted me and explained a bunch of rules I hadn’t listened to because…well, I was busy freaking out. He’s standing beside the big guy. He’s only a few inches taller than Cara.

The man with the pitch-black hair grimaces, his sensual lips curving down as he switches to English. “I have no title here, Reeve. Speak to me as you would any other customer.”

He looks at me straight in the eyes for the first time, and I swear I can feel something rolling off him. A thrill of excitement flashes through me. Not excitement. Fear. The racing of my heart has to be fear, right? I can’t be looking at him like he’s a treat and I’ve been starving.

I should be very afraid because I know suddenly that the man standing in front of me can make me do the one thing I’ve sworn never to do again—feel. I like my cocoon of numbness. He could pull me out of it, make me want to really live again.

And isn’t that the cruelest dream of all?

I need to wake up and now. I don’t want to know where this dream is going.

“What’s your name then?” His voice rolls over my skin, even from across the tent.

And just like that I know where we’re going. I can play along. I want it over with. I always wake up before the truly bad stuff begins. When I have dreams about being killed, I wake up right before the first blow. So all I have to do is push through and it can be over, and I swear I’ll stop listening to true crime podcasts before I go to sleep.

He’d hit me, that thing that had taken me. He’d reached out with his emaciated arm and struck me into darkness. I hadn’t imagined he would be so strong, but then he hadn’t been a man at all. He’d been a shadow stalking me on my way home, following me into the alley, and then I’d woken up somewhere else.

“Are you all right then?” The man in front drew me away from those dark, confused thoughts. “Come on. Don’t be afraid. Tell me your name.”

Maybe I’m sick and this is some kind of fever dream. I’d been stuffy the last couple of days.

“My name is Twenty to Life because that’s the time you’ll do for kidnapping me, you son of a bitch.” A little anger flares through me, and I can’t help but push.

I steel myself, waiting for the broad man to strike, then I’ll wake up and go about my dull life.

Then maybe I can forget those red eyes and how cold his hands felt. I can forget how those eyes burned into me as he chuckled, and right before I lost consciousness, I’d been certain he was taking me to Hell.

I’d gotten out of that nightmare. I can get out of this one.

I should have known it wasn’t a pleasant dream and that these weirdos with their soft beds and good-smelling food would eventually turn into monsters. It’s how my damn brain works since the divorce. Sure enough, someone is going to smack me, rape me, and then potentially gut me. It looks like it’s the big, hot guy’s job. I wait, ready to feel the terrible blow that will likely signal the end of this dream, but the man with the long black hair simply smiles, showing even, white teeth.

Despite the terror, or maybe because of it, his expression takes me totally off guard. When he smiles, he’s devastating. An unwelcome attraction sparks through me, and once again I am forced to reconsider all of my life choices.

“All right then, Twenty,” the man says in his lilting accent. Irish. He sounds Irish. “My name is Beckett, but you can call me Beck. And my mother was actually quite nice. I would prefer you didn’t curse her. Yell at me all you like, but let’s leave my mother out of it. Tell me, why should I purchase you instead of these other lovely women?”

What the actual hell does he mean? “I’m being sold? Someone is selling me like a piece of fucking meat?”

Beck shakes his head. “Language there, darlin’. You’re in a market, trussed up like a pretty, plump pigeon. Did you think you were just hanging on the chains for show?”

“Your… I apologize, sir. The girl is rather ignorant,” says the small man named Reeve, reminding me he’s still here. My stupid eyes won’t leave Beck. Reeve barely comes to Beck’s waist. Compared to Beck, he looks like a boy. A boy with a bushy beard and a pointy red cap. It seems to be a uniform of sort. All the jailers wear them.

“I am not ignorant.” I hate feeling small, and that’s where I am now. Trapped. I’m trapped and I can’t find my way out. Anger starts to flare through me. I’m always trapped, aren’t I?

“I did not mean it that way.” Reeve’s fists clench in obvious frustration. I noticed that he tried to maintain a soft tone when speaking to me or any of the other women. He’s polite, even when I curse him. “The lady is obviously intelligent, though lacking in any kind of manners. She is from the Earth plane.”

Beck turns from the smaller man and back to me, his mouth hanging slightly open. He stares at me, as though he’s having trouble processing what Reeve just told him. It gives me a chance to study him.

He’s tall. He has to be at least six foot four. I’m only five foot five, and a rather round one at that. The god in front of me doesn’t have an ounce of fat on him. He’s broad-shouldered, his arms thick with muscle, though he doesn’t look like some steroid-crazy gym guy. He’s earned his muscles. I would bet he hasn’t earned them pumping iron. He works, and at hard, most likely physical, labor. His skin is bronzed from the sun.

If his body is heavenly, then I don’t know how to describe his face. It’s all sharp planes and harsh angles that come together to form something truly beautiful. His jaw looks like it was carved out of granite. But his eyes are like soft, gray stones in his face. He is, without a doubt, the loveliest man I have ever seen.

It’s too bad he’s a dream, and not one I would have thought to have. I’ve never gone for his type before. Beck looks like an escapee from a Renaissance fair, with his open-necked, linen shirt under a leather vest. His trousers appear to be made from some sort of animal skin, as are the boots that come to his knees. A sword peeks from behind his shoulder, held by a scabbard across his back.

“Is she truly from the Earth plane?” Beck asks.

“Yes, sir. You can see why I called you.” They both stare at me like I’m some rare, exotic creature at a zoo.

Suspicion tickles at my consciousness. Why exactly am I here? A million scenarios toss through my brain. I’ve read articles about human trafficking. Had they led to this particular nightmare? Maybe there’s another way out. I’m willing to try anything at this point. I bite my lower lip and look at the five other girls in the tent with me. They’re all caged in the same fashion, though these women keep their heads lowered and comply with their jailers’ requests. “You shouldn’t buy me. I’m not very pretty. The other women are prettier. They’re thinner, too.”

The other women are all blondes. They look like something out of a Swedish high-fashion magazine. I do not fit with them. I carry around an extra five or ten pounds that never seem to go away. I’m an overblown hourglass in a world where svelte is worshipped.

Beck frowns. It does nothing to mar the perfection of his face. “Are you cruel then, love? Funny, I wouldn’t have thought that of you. It’s mean to point out their flaws. They can’t help that they don’t get enough to eat. Why do you think they’re here selling themselves?”

“You don’t want her, Your Highness,” a soft voice says. I look over to see the blonde nearest me staring at Beck through the bars of her cell. “She doesn’t understand a thing about our world. She yelled at Cara for not having all the foods she wanted. I believe she is cruel. I would be thrilled to belong to you.”

Way to throw a sister under a bus. “Yeah, fuck you, too.”

Beck shakes his head and looks slightly disappointed in me. The spark of shame that goes through me is unexpected.

He walks over to the young, waifish blonde. “She is not from this plane. She is frightened. Allowances must be made. I hope you all find kind mates today. I hope your mates value you all for the precious gift you give them, but I must find a bondmate.”

Beck gives Reeve a hand gesture that sends the smaller man into action. Within seconds, drapes are drawn, and I find myself in a private room with only Beck inside. Sunlight pours in through a hole in the top of the elaborate tent that seems to function as some sort of skylight. Now that we’re alone, it feels like a spotlight. I’m painfully aware of my unclothed state. I can feel my nipples puckering under his steely gaze.

“It is not kind to flaunt your beauty to less fortunate women.” Beck’s voice is deep and allows no room for disrespect.

I’m not sure why, but I need to know where this is going. I’m here, and he moves me in a way I thought I might never feel again. Maybe there’s more to this than I thought.

If this is some kind of bondage fantasy my libido is playing out, I’m here for it. “I don’t understand. I wasn’t trying to be mean. I wanted you to buy one of the others. I’ve decided you might be difficult to get away from. I thought you would do it because they’re prettier than me.”

Beck’s handsome face bunches up as he seems to mull my words. “On what plane are they prettier than you?” He laughs. “Sorry, love. I do remember hearing stories of where you come from. Food there is plentiful, yet the women starve because the men won’t take care of them.”

I try to relax. He’s the gorgeous god of a man who happens to adore fluffy women. Now I know the real culprit. Romance novels. I’ve been reading too many of them. “It’s not like that. That woman you talked to, she would be considered a great beauty where I’m from.”

Which, according to these people, is the Earth plane. I don’t think they’re talking about a jet.

I also don’t understand why the world seems softer now. I can’t see the cages now. All I can see is him, and I’m not afraid of him.

Which just proves what an idiot I can be.

“I would have to feed her for a month before I’d even consider bedding her,” Beck mutters. “I don’t understand humans. Do human males not like breasts?”

He asks the last bit with a distinct huskiness to his voice. His hand comes out, and heat flashes through my system as he palms one breast, his thumb rasping over my nipple. I’m practically hanging from a hook naked with the most glorious man I’ve ever seen, and I can’t think straight.

This doesn’t feel like a dream. It feels real. So real.

That caress shoots from my breast to my pussy like lightning. “Oh, please, don’t.”

That is what I’m supposed to say, right? I’m not supposed to let a stranger touch me like this.

Even if it feels like heaven. All the fear in my system seems to turn to arousal, flooding me with need.

It’s been so long since anyone touched me like this, since I felt wanted.

Beck moves in, his big body crowding me as his other hand reaches up. The sunlight hits his face. His gray eyes are heating up, and he runs his tongue over his lips to wet them. He looks like a man about to enjoy a good meal. His hands caress my breasts and he sighs.

He breathes deeply, his nose at the top of my head. “And why not? How will I know if we’re compatible if I don’t touch you? If I’m going to pay this much for a woman, then I have to be sure I’m getting what we need.”

The “we” part barely registers in my head because Beck’s warm hands trail a path across my skin as he looks me over. His fingertips brush my nipples before closing over them. He rolls them between his fingers, pinching down on just the right side of pain. This. This is what I need. This is why my brain came to this place.

For comfort before my dull existence steals another day from me.

My nipples peak, already sensitized to his touch.

I’ve been so lonely. I’ve been fooling myself, saying everything is fine and it’ll all get better. I’m stuck, and I need to find a way out.

He finally seems satisfied with his exploration of my breasts and moves around to my exposed back. He traces the length of my spine with a single finger, causing me to shudder with desire under his touch as his finger lightly delves into the valley of my cheeks.

This is what I’ve craved for a long time. A dominant man in my sexual life. A man I can trust with my body.

His mouth is mere centimeters from my ear. “You’re gorgeous. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I saw a woman as fuckable as you? And as to your earlier statement about being worried I might be hard to get away from, I promise you, you won’t get away from me. Not ever.”

“Please.” My whole body is hot with wanting, and I no longer want to wake up from this fantasy. The thought scares me. I can’t let this man seduce me. I have a life back home. It isn’t much, but it is mine. I can’t allow this man to seduce me. I can’t let myself be sold at some marketplace to the highest bidder. I hadn’t realized how dark I’ve become. “I want to go home.”

I can barely breathe, and the words don’t pulse with passion. They’re flat, rote, like something I’ve been trained to say all my life.

I want to go home. Home. I don’t know where home is anymore. It’s a word that basically holds no real meaning for me. It’s a phantom, haunting me, forcing me to question if it was ever real in the first place.

But something feels real. The hard ridge of his erection gently brushes my backside. The impulse to beg him to use it on me is almost impossible to deny. I’ve never wanted a man’s touch so much.

Then he’s gone, and I nearly cry out at the absence of his warmth. He circles around me and seems satisfied he’s seen what he needs to. Beck’s gray eyes are kind as he stares down. His sensual lips are close, so close I can feel the heat coming off his body. His face is barely an inch from mine.

He kisses my forehead gently.

“Sorry. I’m your home now.” He leans over, and his mouth covers mine.

All thoughts flee. I can do nothing but concentrate on his lips and the feel of his hands. When his tongue brushes my lips, I soften under his dominance, letting him inside my mouth. His hands tighten and wind around my waist. I feel delicate against him, a sensation I so rarely have. I’ve always felt ungainly and awkward during sex. I never know how to please the man I’m with. I’ve been too shy to ask for what I want. The result has been a short series of disappointing encounters. My own husband left me, telling me I don’t know how to truly please a man.

But I can feel Beck’s desire. It practically rolls off him, the sensation almost a hum on my skin. Like we’re connected in some odd fashion. He’s not playing a game. He takes what he wants, and it does something for me. I’ve read about Dominance and submission and the fine art of BDSM, but putting the theory to the test is something different. The chains suddenly feel sensual rather than menacing. They hold me still for his pleasure.

“You’re so beautiful.” Beck sighs in my ear when he breaks the kiss, moving to press his lips to my neck. His hands trace a path from my waist to the cheeks of my ass. He presses his body against mine, warming me all over. “I have to know for sure, though. Please understand, I have to know…”

His fingers find my clitoris and he rubs sweet, firm circles. I can’t get enough breath into my body.

This is insane. My pussy is wet and pulsing for him. It’s getting out of hand, and I start to feel things I didn’t think I ever would. Oh, I want this. I want this so badly. “Don’t stop.”

“Oh, I won’t stop.” Beck groans between clenched teeth. “Come for me, a stóirín.”

I have no idea what he said, but I can feel the intent behind the endearment. His hands are perfect on my body. Never before has anyone played me like a finely tuned instrument, but Beck is my musician.

He gently forces two fingers high inside me, keeping the pressure on my clit with his thumb. An amazing sensation sweeps through me as he fucks me with his fingers. In and out. In and out. It is better than any previous cock I’ve had. Something’s happening. Some odd and yet familiar connection seems to open between us, but before I can process it, I fall over the precipice and can’t think any more. I come, sobbing against his shoulder. The orgasm strums neatly through my body, making me languid and submissive.

At the instant of my orgasm, I could have sworn I could feel myself as though I were Beck. I’d felt his fingers pressed high into my heat as though for the slightest moment I could feel what he was feeling—warmth, sweet wetness, and a rigid hardness begging to be set loose. It had been odd. It was almost as if I’d been inside Beck. I shared what his body experienced as he brought me to orgasm. A connection had opened between us. It was an intimacy like nothing I’ve felt before.

I float down from the crazy high he’s given me, suddenly aware that Beck has pulled his fingers from my pussy and wrapped both arms around me. Tenderness. I need this, too. He hugs me to his hard body. This has to be the best wet dream ever. I let my head rest against his shoulder. I’ve never come so fast and so hard.

It’s a sweet dream, and I want to hold on to it. Any minute the alarm will go off, and I’ll have to face another day at the Software 4 U store. Being Beck’s love slave is much more interesting.

Beck kisses me one last time, his mouth playing sweetly against mine. He seems as satisfied as I am, though he can’t possibly be. His hands play with my breasts for a moment, and I can feel my own juice on my skin. He brings his right hand up to his mouth and sucks his fingers in, licking my cream and sending another thrill of longing through me. He finally places an almost chaste kiss on the tip of my nose and steps back.

“Aye, love, you’ll do.” With that, he starts for the door.

Okay, that was a perfectly unimpressive bit of wooing. My subconscious needs to work harder. I’m utterly overwhelmed by what we shared, and he tells me I’ll do?

Damn it, even the men in my dreams are unromantic.

“Seriously, that’s what I get? You’ll do?” I’m feeling saucy after our encounter. Apparently there’s nothing like a great orgasm to get me feisty. I don’t feel like taking this from him. I feel like trying again. “Send in the next guy. We’ll see if he can do better.”

The next guy might be even hotter. He’ll be French or maybe Italian.

Beck turns around, and I find myself shrinking back again. His gray eyes are as hard as stones, and his demeanor changes from lazy to menacing in a heartbeat. “What did you say?”

The question is a challenge. The chill in his voice almost makes me shiver.

“Nothing.” A healthy sense of self-preservation kicks into full throttle now as Beck stalks back toward me.

“Excellent. Best you say nothing right now if you can’t say something sweet.” Beck’s entire body is rigid, every muscle screaming his frustration. “I’m exhausted. I rode all night to get here before the tournament. I’ve eaten very little, and now I’m horny as hell. I am not in a good mood. You have no idea the trouble you’re going to cause me.”

I hold my head up. The last thing I need is to be told how much trouble I am. I know. I’ve been told my whole life by a mother and father who hadn’t really wanted me and a husband who felt the same. I might be in chains, but I hold on to my pride. Sometimes I think it’s all I really have. “I wouldn’t want to cause you any trouble. Please feel free to not purchase me.”

Beck sighs, and I can sense the weariness in him. That connection I’d felt during sex seems like it’s still open. His emotions are almost palpable. His tiredness goes far past the physical. That weariness invades his soul. His shoulders slump slightly forward. The sudden desire to wrap my arms around him almost overwhelms me. I want to lend him my strength.

“I’ve waited years for this day,” he explains in an emotionless voice. “You cannot understand the joy I should feel at finding you. If there was any other choice, I would walk away. I can offer you nothing. I’m going to spend the last of my gold entering the tournament. I won’t even have the money to feed you. If I had an ounce of pride left, I would let you go, but my brother is dying. I can’t allow that to happen. You’re the only one who can save him. I swear on everything I am that I will find a way to take care of you.”

He turns to leave. Tears well in my eyes. I don’t understand everything he’s said, but I know he means every word of it. Even in chains and terrified for my life, I feel safe with this man. Somehow, I’d formed a strange connection with him in those moments his hands had been on my body. “Stop.”

Beck turns, his stance wary. He’s waiting for me to yell at him again. I can feel that, too. I can’t blame him. I’ve been a bit difficult.

“My name is Meg,” I say softly.

He rewards me with a slight curling of his lips. His pitch-black hair is gathered in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. I wonder how it would feel flowing all around me. “I like that, Meg. I’ll call you my own sweet Meggie.”

“If I help you with your brother, will you let me go home?”

The smile dies, and I wish I hadn’t asked the question. “I told you, I’m your home now, me and Cian. There’s no way back. Even if there was, I wouldn’t let you take it.”

So this dream is going to continue. I have to admit, I’m intrigued. Somewhere in the middle of our intimacy, I’d even forgotten I’m dreaming. “Are you going to buy me now?”

Beck shakes his head. “It’s not like that. This is a tourney. The gnomes make more money this way. Every male who wants to purchase you buys into the tourney. We then fight until there’s only one left standing. That man will be your master.”

“But what if you don’t win?” The thought horrifies me. There are other men? How bad will they be? At least Beck has proven he can be somewhat kind.

A slow, intensely confident smile splits his gorgeous face. “Don’t go worrying. I always win.”

He strides out of the tent, letting the heavy curtain fall back into place, and I’m alone again.

What is happening and why does it seem so damn real? What if this isn’t a weird dream? What if that creature I caught glimpses of took me to some strange place? The people seem to speak English, but there had been that strange lilting language as well. Gaelic, Reeve had said.

Maybe I’m in Ireland or Scotland. I’m pretty sure I hit my head when I was kidnapped.

My stomach churns. Have I been kidnapped?

I force my head up as a petite woman enters the room with a pitcher and washcloths. It’s weird but I’m getting used to being bathed by too short women. They grow them small here. If she’s like the others, the little woman will be professional and gentle. I should be happy she’s here, humming as she goes about her work. Beck left the evidence of my orgasm all over my thighs and pussy. It would be rather embarrassing for someone else to come in and find me covered in my own juices.

The short, blonde woman smiles up as she washes away my reaction to Beck. “Don’t worry, miss. His Highness will be kind to you.”

“His Highness?” I ask, but the woman has finished her work. With a mysterious smile, she walks out. “And what the hell did he mean by gnomes?”

Chapter Two

Beck

Sometimes it’s hard to believe I was once the heir to the Seelie Fae throne, all of the White Palace to be mine and my brother’s one day. But that was a long time ago.

I sink into the too-small chair in the gnome’s tiny but well-appointed office. Everything seems too small right now. My trousers certainly are. Touching Meg has me hard enough to pound nails with my cock.

She’s the one. I know it deep in my soul. I was able to feel what was happening to her at the moment of her orgasm. She can bond. She can stop Cian’s slow descent into madness. It took everything I had not to form the bond with her, but now is not the time, and certainly not the place. Forming a bond with one’s soulmate is a sacred thing, and I won’t do it here. I’m going to have to put her through far too much to force that on her as well.

Reeve of the Gentle Hills walks in and places a large platter of food on the desk between us. “I thought Your Highness might join me in the noon meal.”

My stomach rumbles at the sight and smell of so much good food. Gnomes know how to cook. I nod shortly, trying not to betray my excitement at the thought of being full for once. “I would be honored. I thank you for your hospitality, but you have to get out of the habit of calling me by titles that no longer have any meaning.”

I pick up two slices of dark bread and make a huge sandwich of venison and a pleasant-smelling cheese.

Reeve pours water into two mugs. “You’re giving up, then? You’re content to allow your Uncle Torin to remain on your father’s throne? The very throne he slew your father on?”

The food turns to sawdust in my mouth. I can still see my father sometimes. I see him slumped on the ground in front of the throne he loved.

I take a long drink and force myself to continue eating. I’ll need the energy for the battle to come. Control. It is everything in life. I have to stay in control or I could lose everything.

“There is nothing of contentment in my life. There hasn’t been for the past thirteen years.” Naturally this talk sends my brain back to the terrible night when I lost both my parents and my sister. The guilt still gnaws at me, like a rat chewing and chewing. I had only been able to save my twin, Cian. I force the thoughts back. I choose, as I have since that day when I was seventeen, to look to the future. “It is not that I don’t dream of taking back what rightfully belongs to me. It is simply a matter of practicality. My loyalists are gone.”

Reeve’s bearded head shakes vigorously. “That is untrue, Your Highness. There are many here, and many more on the home plane. Tír na nÒg is full of Fae longing for Your Highness.”

I sigh because I’m going to have to put this to the gnome in blunt words. It will likely ruin the man’s illusions of me, but then, I no longer have use for illusions. “Peasants. You’re talking about peasants. While I am thrilled to have the love of the people, money is needed to wage war, and I have none. I am barely able to buy my way into this tourney. I have no idea how I’m going to clothe my mate after I’ve won her. She’ll be roaming the forests in one of my beat-up old shirts. If I can’t even take care of my mate, I’ve got no idea how I should go about fighting a war.”

Reeve leans forward. “The loyalists heard that Cian is fading. They know that if Cian dies, you will be half a man. Symbiotic twins are very powerful, my liege, but everyone knows that if your intellectual half fades, you will not be fit to rule.”

“Hence my long ride through that bloody forest to get here,” I admit. “Cian is fading because we have no woman. We’re long past the age when a suitable bondmate would have been found and our triad formed. He has lost hope. He’s dying. Your summons could not have come at a better time, old friend. We’re desperate.”

I polish off my second sandwich and give serious consideration to making a third. But I stop myself. It seems rude to eat the majority of the meal.

Reeve pushes the plate toward me. “Please, Your Highness. I’m not the richest man but allow me to aid you. Our food is plentiful. My wife will make sure your mate has suitable clothing. My son has ensured that your steed is stabled and well-fed. You will find your saddle bags filled with everything you need for the journey. I’m pleased to serve my king.”

A deep sense of gratitude fills me. Reeve’s family had once served the King of the Seelie Fae, and Reeve and his family had preferred exile to serving Torin, the Pretender. “I don’t know how to thank you, old friend. If you ever have need of a sword, I trust you will call on me.”

The gnome grins. “I know who to call, but no one bothers us. The deal we made with the Planeswalker clan protects us.”

I know the deal well. The Planeswalkers come from a plane many call Hell. They’re a demonic clan and quite mercenary, but easily controlled with an ironclad contract. Demons can access all planes and are great believers in contracts. Reeve and his tribe of ex-patriots serve as salesmen for the demons’ wares. The demon tribe travel and gather items of interest. Reeve sells them and takes a cut. It’s a partnership that works well for both sides.

I finish the last of the food and take a deep breath. It feels good to be full. Now I can use a nap. The tourney isn’t set for another several hours. A nap and food will make me sharp and ready. I just have to be sure of a couple of things before I find a corner to curl up in. “I want my mate covered.”

I can’t stand the thought of her beautiful body on display. She’s mine. I should be the only one to enjoy her loveliness.

Reeve frowns. “You know I cannot, Your Highness. The female must be properly displayed. If the Planeswalker discovered I was treating you differently, he would accuse me of breaking our contract.”

I don’t like the answer, but I suppose I’ll have to accept it. I’ve been forced to accept many unsavory truths since the day the world fell apart. “Do the vamps know she’s here?”

“Yes,” comes the quiet reply. “I had to inform the Vampire Governments as well. I gave them short notice, but fifteen have already shown up. You know they can move very quickly when they want to. You were the first to see her. I have to open her to public view soon. I must have at least ten warriors in the tourney to see a profit.”

“Well, you’ll have that if fifteen vampires are here. They’ll all fight for her.” It’s a sad coincidence of fate that bondmates are so alluring to vampires. Since my uncle closed the Seelie homelands to all outsiders, it’s become difficult to find a bondmate, and the practice of vampires wooing faery bondmates has disappeared. Luckily it’s not all vampires, just the ones of royal blood who require a woman like Meg as a mate. I asked a vampire once why they need Fae bondmates to procreate. I was told that there was something about their blood that strengthens the vampire. They call the women “consorts.” A vampire of royal blood can form a psychic bond with the woman, much as I intend to form with Meg. “The vampires will all fight and they will all lose.”

Reeve nods his head. “Yes, sire, they will. I’ll make you a deal. I will personally ensure that no one else is allowed physical access to the bondmate. The other suitors will only be allowed to view her. I will tell the other Fae that we’ve had an expert prove her ability to bond. You are certain she can form the bond? The demon seemed sure. He said she glows to him, and that is how he knew.”

“I’m certain.” I felt her response to my every touch. She was open and vulnerable. She didn’t hold anything back. “The vampires say our bondmates glow, as well. I can’t see it, but I feel her. She’s perfect.”

“Perfect enough to form a true triad?” Reeve asks speculatively. “You know what the legends say.”

I laugh long and hard at the thought. Legends. They’re ridiculous. They’re stories to tell children at bedtime. The legend Reeve is referring to claims that one day, a pair of symbiotic twins will be born of royal blood. They will form a triad with a mysterious bondmate, and she will allow their true powers to flow. The intellectual half, who the people call the philosopher king, will become a Green Man, bringing prosperity to the tribes. The warrior king will gain the strength of a Storm Lord. The threesome will usher in a time of great joy for the Fae. It’s a nice story, but I stopped believing in legends a long time ago.

“Don’t pin your hopes on that, my friend. Meggie is a bondmate. Nothing more. Nothing less. She’s beautiful and suits my purposes. She will save my brother and balance us. I’m not immune to the effects of not bonding at a proper age. I feel it, too. Meg can reverse those.” I hope not everyone is as prone to believing old stories as the gnome. “You mentioned a deal? What is my end of this bargain?”

Reeve is every bit the savvy businessman. “Please stay out of sight of the others until the tourney. If they realize you are fighting for the female…”

“They’ll turn tail and walk off.”

“But, if they pay their money first, we have a strict no refund policy, Your Highness,” Reeve explains.

“Fine,” I say, covering a yawn. “I’ll stay out of sight. I need a nap, anyway.”

Reeve stands and gestures to the room at the back of his office. “I had a pallet made out for just such an occasion.” I stand as the gnome frowns. “Your Highness, would you like for me to find a female for you? To take care of your needs?”

I bite back a growl. I’m still hard as a rock. “No. I can’t now. I’ve seen her, touched her. She’s mine, and that makes me hers. I’ll be fine.”

I push through the curtains and gratefully sink onto the down mattress on the floor. The curtains close and I’m alone. I hear Reeve exit the main section of the tent. I tug my boots off, thinking of what my mother told me about the bonding. Meg is mine, and the thought of another woman is now repugnant to me. I lay back and loosen my trousers. I might not want another woman, but Goddess how I want her. 

I close my hand around my swollen cock. Slowly pumping up and down, I think of her luscious tits and that pretty mouth of hers. She can spew some shrewish waste out of that mouth, but she can also kiss like a goddess. Whenever she says something I don’t like, I’ll simply have to kiss her until she forgets she was ever angry with me.

My cock lengthens further as I brush my thumb across the swollen head. The small slit in the head of my dick is weeping. I use the cream to facilitate every stroke. I move from the base to the head and back, taking my time. I’m not in a hurry. While my hand works my cock, Meg plays through my head. I want to get those breasts in my hands again. I’ll palm them and gently pinch her nipples until they’re ready for my mouth. I’ll suck those ripe berries until she begs me to move lower. I will, but in my own sweet time. I’m going to learn her body. Once I have her gorgeous body between me and Cian, she’ll know the true meaning of pleasure.

But I will always make sure I am in control. It’s a vow that runs through my head all the time. Control is everything for a man like me. My father taught me. Meg is small, and I don’t want to hurt her. She won’t be able to handle my demanding nature, but I can please her all the same. Cian is going to love her. It’s been almost a year since we shared a woman. I’ve been fucking a local woman from our village. She’s lovely, but Cian can’t stand her. He refuses to have anything to do with Liadan. She’s not perfect by any means. Liadan is a bit cold. She’s a demure and perfect Fae lady. That has never done it for Cian. Cian likes a woman who gives him a bit of hell. There’s no way he’ll refuse their own sweet Meg. Cian is going to lose his mind when he sees her.

My balls squeeze, and I pick up the pace, breath laboring in and out of my chest. I squeeze my cock as it starts to swell. She’s going to taste so good. That little snack I’d had will be nothing compared to making a full meal of her. I’ll love eating that sweet pussy. I’m going to get my mouth on her, and I won’t let up until she begs and pleads that she can’t take another orgasm. A flush of sensation hits me and I know I’m close. I pound away at my cock. She’s going to taste me, too, I promise myself, and sooner than she can imagine.

But I have to remember to treat her with the gentle care a bondmate requires.

I come hard, envisioning myself shoved halfway down her throat. I come in hot spurts, covering my belly. I don’t care. For the first time in a long time, I find it easy to fall asleep.

Chapter Three

Meg

I shake slightly as the gnome—and now I’m pretty damn sure it really is a gnome—removes the collar from around my neck.

I know the first thing I should do is punch her in the face and run as fast as I can, but…I find myself frozen in place.

I might be dead. I might be dead, and this is some weird waystation on my way to heaven or hell.

Or as Shakespeare said, there might be more to heaven and earth.

“Is that…?” I find it difficult to form words. The question I’m going to ask is ridiculous. It’s stupid. It might be real. “Are those men vampires?”

If they’re vampires, Meg, then they’re not men, dummy.

My subconscious is picking up that this is real, and I’ve wasted a shit ton of time.

She’s annoyed. I’m super sorry I don’t know the proper grammar I should use when describing mythical creatures.

The last few hours of my life have caused me to realize this isn’t a dream and I might be in trouble.

Beck said he wanted a wife. I’m not sure what the vampires want, but it might be a nice dinner, and I’m definitely on the menu.

Beck really does seem like my best bet.

I don’t know the area. I have zero idea what’s outside this tent, so running seems like a bad idea. I need to figure this place out before I run.

Or you could hang out with Beck and see what happens. I mean it’s not like you have a lot going back in Texas.

Inner me is also slightly insane.

Cara laughs gently. Her light blonde hair shakes. She looks at her husband, the gnome named Reeve, and says something in that other language before turning back to me. “Aye, mistress, they are vampires, but don’t worry none. We won’t let them bite you. They only want to see what they will be fighting for.”

She puts a hand on her hip and says something to her husband.

Reeve rolls his eyes. “Fine then, woman. Meg, my wife wants to unchain you. We’re taking you to the arena where the tournament will occur. You can watch one of two ways. I can keep you bound and naked like that, or I can give you a robe and let you sit with us in the stands.”

“I think I’ll take the robe.” I’m not going to let this chance get by. If I can get a lay of the land, then running might be back on the table. The gnomes are small. One well-placed kick and I might be on my way.

I don’t think about the fact that Cara’s been kind to me. That’s the Stockholm Syndrome talking.

Reeve considers me as though he can hear my thoughts. “If you run, you should know that one of them vampires will be on you before you can think to shout. They’ll play by the rules as long as you do, but the minute you run, they’ll chase you down. It’ll be a free for all.”

Gosh I hope they can’t hear my damn thoughts.

His words make me think about fangs and the looks of hunger in the vampires’ eyes. It sends a shiver through me, and I’m back to wondering where Beck is. “I’ll stay close.”

At least I’ll be out of the chains and clothed. What if Beck changed his mind? He hasn’t been back to see me, and it’s been hours. No one else was allowed to touch me. When they tried, the gnomes explained that if they did not follow protocol, they wouldn’t be allowed to fight. I didn’t asked why Beck was special. I didn’t have to.

According to the other women, Beck was a king.

Reeve allows his wife to unchain me.

“Where am I?” If this is my reality for the time being, I need to figure a few things out.

I’m obviously in denial. Something took me and my brain hasn’t found a way to deal with it.

It’s time to start dealing.

“You truly don’t know?” Cara asks, a look of sympathy on her face.

I shake my head. For the first time, I try to look at these beings as something other than figments of my imagination. If this is real and I’m going to save myself, I need them. If this is really happening, I have to get away. I can’t run if I don’t know where I am.

I’m beginning to accept that strange creature who kidnapped me brought me somewhere…else.

Cara brings over a gossamer robe and hands it to me. I pull it over my head, the soft fabric caressing my skin. Though it’s practically sheer, it feels warm against me.

The dress-like robe cuts a deep V at the neck, showing off my breasts. I try to tug it closed, but it doesn’t work. Cara moves in behind me and expertly ties it in the back. The garment molds to my curves. It’s utterly unlike the shapeless clothes I prefer to wear at home. The ones I’ve told myself help me blend in so no one notices I’m not enough. Those boring black pants and shapeless shirts didn’t stopped my ex-husband, Michael, from always telling me I need to lose twenty pounds and bleach my hair blonde. Blonde is lovely but not for me. My auburn hair is the only thing I truly like about my looks. I’ve tried to lose the weight. It didn’t work.

Beck didn’t seem to mind my weight.

“Bloody hell. You’re gorgeous, sweetheart. Seriously, you are one fucking beautiful consort. Look at that glow.” The words came from behind where I stand, peppering out in quick order. “Are those tits real? No one has real tits where I come from. Fucking plastic surgeons screw up everything. Pretty soon we’ll all have plastic dicks, and what fun will that be? Let me tell you something, babe, the day they come for my cock and fangs is the day I leave my home plane forever.”

The man is one slick-looking vampire. Perfectly white fangs peek from behind sensual lips, so there’s no denying what he is. He’s a vampire.

And I’m not home anymore.

The truth washes over me but I manage to stay some sort of calm. This is the most ridiculous situation I could ever be in. Dateline didn’t prepare me for this shit.

I’m apparently going to be forced to be some kind of bondmate or consort to a man I don’t even know.

So why do I want to see him again? Why am I not fighting my way out?

“Oh, no, Mr. Dellacourt,” Reeve says with a shake of his red cap. “The tourney is about to begin. Her viewing is over. If you wish to buy an entry, there is still time. However, her viewing is done.”

The vampire named Dellacourt shakes his head. Strangely, the vampires are the closest thing to a normal human I’ve seen so far, if one forgives the fangs. This particular vampire’s skin is light, almost alabaster, and his green eyes are like emeralds. Like his fellow vampires, he’s dressed in an elegant approximation of a business suit. They seem to wear somber, deeply colored jackets. The blacks and grays and navys seem almost luminous. Dellacourt wears black from head to toe. A sleekly cut jacket reaches his knees and a matching vest completes the look. The only color he has on is a ruby red shirt that peeks out from under the vest. His trousers and loafers are midnight-colored as well. Unlike Beck, the gnomes, and the other men who came to “view” me, the vampires seem to have left the feudal era behind.

“Yes,” Dellacourt says slowly. “We need to talk about that. What would you say if I told you I could triple your business on this sweet thing?”

Reeve sighs, and I decide that he and Dellacourt probably have a long history, and not a lot of it good. “I would say that the day I start listening to a slick vampire salesman is the day my wife should carve me up with a piece of wrought iron.”

Cara nods somberly. “I have it all ready, too. The minute he goes soft, I’m taking him out.”

Cara holds out her small hand, and I take it. There are a million and one reasons I’m not fighting my way out, the chief being I have no idea how to fight. Back home I carry a little canister of pepper spray with me. Not that it did me a ton of good since I’d been overwhelmed by the… What had they called it? Planeswalker. Someone had mentioned the Planeswalkers brought the gnomes goods to sell.

I have no idea how to get home. It’s time for me to play along until I can figure a way out.

If I even want one.

The little gnome starts to lead me out of the tent into the sunlight. It’s warm on my skin and the daylight seems to caress me. I cannot deny that it is beautiful here.

Dellacourt doesn’t miss a beat.

“Seriously, I can make this a very profitable venture for you, Reeve.” Dellacourt follows us into the sunshine, and I hear a small whirring sound. I watch in shock as sunglasses form around the vampire’s eyes. Dellacourt grins down at me. “Nanites, babe. Those are tiny computers, to the less technologically advanced. All of our clothes and accessories have nanite tech in them. They are intensely useful little fuckers. Of course, every now and then they band together and try to take over the world. Hey, what’s progress without the occasional apocalypse?” He turns to Reeve again. “Back to my point. I only need a few hours. I’ll give you a half million in gold, and all you have to do is delay this tournament until, say, eight o’clock.”

“That ain’t happening.” Reeve continues walking.

I study my surroundings as Cara leads me into what looks like a small marketplace. There are stalls with vendors hawking their wares in odd languages. I’ve calmed down from initial rage and terror. Now I can concentrate on my surroundings.

The gnome mentioned that I don’t speak Gaelic. I’m almost certain this is the language spoken all around me now. It makes sense, in a weird way. The creatures around me appear to be straight out of Northern European lore. Gaelic was an ancient language of both Ireland and Scotland. I took courses in lore in college, and I’ve been thinking about what Beck could be. It’s obvious he doesn’t think of himself as human. After watching the way the gnomes treat him, I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s a faery of some kind. From the looks of him, he’s more than likely a sidhe. They’re the human-looking faeries and the ruling class. If my lore is correct, he will belong to one of two tribes, the Seelie and the Unseelie. The Seelie are the blessed, shining ones, while the Unseelie hold all the monsters the Fae have to offer. I would bet he’s a Seelie, though I haven’t gotten a look at his ears. According to some lore, they should be slightly pointed. Of course, not all myths prove true in this strange place. The vampire more than makes that case since he’s walking around in the daylight.

“Hey, vampire guy, shouldn’t you be all crispy and fried by now?” I ask bluntly because he seems like a blunt kind of man. Vampire. Dude. I don’t know.

Dellacourt stops in his tracks and laughs. “Damn, she really is from the Earth plane. Darling, the vampires there are idiots who got lost and can’t find their way back. I read all the DLs on the subject. Horrifying stuff, really. You see, your sun is different. It has a bad effect on my kind. It puts us into a weird fugue state during the daylight hours, and if we get caught in it, we sort of explode.”

Reeve presses on, ignoring Dante’s explanation. “Don’t go filling her head with nonsense. Don’t believe a word he says. Vampires like to make themselves seem more important than they really are. The Earth plane is one of the inner planes. It’s why it’s protected the way it is. Everyone knows we all came from there originally. There was a heavenly plane and the place where the demons come from, and there was Earth.”

See, this is information I’m interested in. Also, vampires are real on Earth, but they’re not like the vamp in front of me?

Dante shakes his head. “We’ll have to agree to disagree, but I for one am thrilled I’m not an earthbound vamp.” A shudder goes through him. “Apparently, the animals there aren’t fit for consumption, so they end up eating a diet made up entirely of human blood. Though I’ve heard your kind tastes spectacular, sweetheart. I’ve often thought that if I could get a trade route onto the human plane, I could make a ton of money selling human blood.”

Reeve frowns at the vampire. “Don’t go scaring the poor girl.”

“Mr. Dellacourt doesn’t scare me, exactly, though I find him slightly repugnant,” I admit, eliciting a snort of agreement from Cara. “I do want to know more about these planes thingees. Like how does one travel between them?”

The vampire utterly ignores my very reasonable question. “Oh, no, that won’t do. The name’s Dante, sweetheart. Please, all the beautiful women call me Dante. And I’ll have you know I am considered extremely good-looking.”

I shrug and walk on. I suppose he’s attractive. He’s tall and lanky but seems strong. His hair is a thick reddish gold and cut in a stylish fashion. It’s long and spiky and probably requires a lot of upkeep to look that messy. I noted his eyes are green before they were covered by his sunglasses. “You sound like a used car salesman.”

“His sister runs one of the biggest corporations on the vamp plane, but Dellacourt here is only allowed to oversee the family’s computer chain. They rebuild old machines,” Reeve pipes up, seemingly eager to pile on to Dante.

“Yep,” I say with a satisfied smile. “Used car salesman.”

We’re getting close to what appears to be a massive arena. It’s circular and constructed from a combination of wood and stone. There are several arches that appear to be entryways. A roar of approval rings from the arena, nearly shaking the ground around me.

Dante pulls on Reeve’s arm, getting down to one knee. All previous sarcasm has fled, and in its place is an earnest desperation. “I am begging you. Give me half an hour. You can delay half an hour. Look, Beckett Finn is in the woods somewhere hunting. I’ll pay his fee to enter the tournament. His brother is dying. He needs her. Don’t you owe your king something?”

The vampire knows Beck? I hate that my heart does a weird flip flop when I hear his name.

I am not this girl. I am not this girl. I am not this girl.

“Reeve of the Gentle Hills is forever loyal, Dante,” a soft voice says and my whole body reacts.

When I turn, Beck stands mere feet away. He’s removed his vest and changed into dark pants and a different shirt. He holds that long, ornate sword in one fist as he moves toward the arena.

“Excellent.” Sarcasm pours out of the vampire. “I just spent the better part of the day running around a freaking forest searching for you, and here you are, looking fresh as a daisy. Cian said you had gone hunting. I went to your brugh when I heard about the tournament.”

“I told Cian I was hunting because I didn’t want to get his hopes up.” Beck speaks to the vampire, but his eyes don’t leave mine.

He’s gazing at me like a predator preparing to pounce. His gray eyes blaze through me, and I know exactly what he wants. He wants to take me away from here. He wants to go somewhere private where he can lay me down and spread my thighs.

And I might let him. Might. Probably.

“Are you going to make big puppy eyes at the woman for the rest of the day, or are you going to go kick some ass?” Dante asks.

Beck shakes his head and walks straight up to me. “You’ll have to forgive my cousin. He’s a bit of a pain. You’ll get used to him. He can’t help it. He’s a vampire.” He leans over and brushes his lips against mine. He sets his forehead on mine and seems to breathe me in for a long moment. I can’t help but feel drugged simply by being this close to him. I wonder what magic he works because I don’t push him away. My hands move to his waist, and I’m not sure why, but it feels right to be with him. “I know you’re scared but remember my promise. We’re in this together now. I won’t let you down. And, love, please remember anything I do, I do to protect you.”

This is when I should pull away from him, demand he never touch me again. I simply stand there, letting the moment lengthen between us until he sighs, kisses my forehead like I’m something precious, and steps back.

And I watch him.

As he walks toward the gates of the arena, he shouts back to Reeve. “What did he promise you to try to get you to put off the tournament?”

“Half a million in gold, Your Highness.”

Beck stops in his tracks and turns to look at his cousin, an expression of shocked awe on his face. “You broke bastard. You didn’t have half a million even before your sister cut you off.”

Dante Dellacourt shrugs elegantly. “If I’m going to lie, I’m going big. There’s no use in doing something halfway.”

Beck shakes his head and turns back. “Take care of her, cos.”

The vampire smiles down at me and gallantly offers his arm. “Well, we have our orders, my lady. Come along. Let’s find a good seat and pray Beck doesn’t get himself killed.”

I allow the vampire—the flipping, freaking vampire—to escort me into the arena. My heart pounds, but I put one foot in front of the other. Whatever happens in here will change my life forever.

Chapter Four

Meg

As we enter the arena I feel like every eye is on me. Of course I’m staring right back because…it’s a lot. During my “viewing” I’d only seen Fae like Beck and vampires like Dante and the gnomes, but now all manner of creatures watch me as I force myself to climb the stone steps to the chaise Reeve and Cara are motioning me toward. I try my hardest not to stare, but I’m pretty sure the dude to the left of me is an enormous troll. It’s at least six feet tall, and that’s its sitting height. I don’t want to think about it standing up. It’s also extremely hairy. Behind the troll looks to be a group of what I can only term goblins. They’re small and muscular, with leathery skin and wild tufts of hair sticking out in odd places.

Somewhere in the back of my head, I can hear the cantina music from Star Wars playing.

“Never been off the Earth plane, huh?” Dante has a dumbass smile on his face.

“Do those fangs ever go away?”

The vampire seems to take it all in stride. “Certainly not when I am in the company of a half-naked female with a heart-shaped ass. Sorry, they pop out when I’m hungry or horny. Can’t help it. And as I recently dined on a first-grade meal pill, courtesy of Dellacorp, I think we have to assume it’s your fault. What do you say we ditch His Highness, go somewhere private, and make some baby fangs?”

“Pay him no heed, miss.” Cara looks at the vampire, shaking her head as we enter what looks to be a private booth. It’s like a living room from medieval times. The chaise I’m offered is plush and covered with a tent of ornate fabric that keeps the fierce late-afternoon sun off our skin. “Vampires are not known for their manners.”

“Is that blood?” I hope it isn’t. There are pockets of red dotting the arena floor. Groups of gnomes work hurriedly to shovel out the offending sand.

“Damn.” Dante sinks down beside me. “They already got rid of the chopped-off limbs. That’s my favorite part.”

“They’re really going to fight?” It’s ridiculous, but I feel such a strong connection to Beck. I can’t stand the thought of him getting hurt, much less dying. Stockholm syndrome. Or maybe it is because he gave me the first honest-to-goodness, real live, no-double-A-batteries-involved orgasm I’ve ever had.

“Yes, miss,” Reeve answers, taking a seat next to his wife. “Your tournament is the last of the day. It is also the largest. The rest of these females are simple mates. You are very rare.”

And I’m super confused again. I rein in a sigh of frustration. At least now I have someone to ask who I don’t think will gloss things over. The vampire seems to be an upfront guy. He wouldn’t have a problem telling me the painful truth. “Why? Why do all these men want me?”

His sunglasses recede, sliding away now that he’s out of the direct sunlight. His green eyes sparkle in the shade. “The vamps or the Fae?”

“Both.”

His manner takes on a distinctly academic tone. “The Fae are interested in you as a bondmate. Certain Fae have psychic abilities that are greatly enhanced in the presence of a female whose brain is tuned to theirs. In Beck’s case, it’s more urgent. Beck was born with a symbiotic twin, Cian. Think of them as halves of a whole. Beck is the practical half. He’s the warrior. Cian is the intellectual half. When symbiotic twins turn twenty-five years old, a bondmate is found for them, if they aren’t already contracted. The female forms a triad with the males. She bridges their minds through hers, and they’re able to function together. It makes all three stronger. When Beck’s uncle took over Tír na nÒg, he closed the plane. He did this for several reasons, but no doubt one was to keep his nephews from finding a bondmate. They’ve been forced to look elsewhere.”

“So Beck is twenty-five.” He seems older, but perhaps it’s his regal authority that makes him seem that way.

“My cousin turned thirty nearly three months ago,” Dante replies, all teasing gone from his attitude. “Cian is fading. The intellectual half is in desperate need of the bond. It is killing him to go without. If Cian fades, all that will be left is the warrior with nothing to balance him. Beck will likely go mad. If that happens, he’ll have to be put down.”

I don’t understand completely, but I hate the idea of someone putting Beck down like he was a rabid animal. “That’s horrible. But how can he be sure I’m this bond thingy?”

A slow smile curls the vampire’s lips. “There’s only one way to know for sure. Tell me, sister, was it good for you?”

Embarrassment flashes through me as I realize what he means. The scene in the tent was Beck’s way of telling if we’re compatible. He even told me what he was doing, but the thought of everyone knowing what he’d done makes my skin turn hot pink. The vampire throws back his head and laughs.

“You are so rude.” How long will this take? When will they start?

Dante shrugs, but the grin doesn’t leave his face. “I don’t see what’s rude about it. It’s a simple fact of life. We all like to get fucked, sweetheart, and from what I’ve heard, old Beck there knows how to do it right. Of course, it would be slightly different with a bondmate. Even without the full bond, during sex, you would have a connection with him.”

“I would feel what he felt.” I can’t help but think about that odd, erotic moment when I’d been able to feel his hard-on, feel my pussy gripping his fingers as I came.

“Congratulations,” Dante says almost sweetly. “You’re a bondmate. I’ve heard it’s the most intimate connection a being can have.”

I’m not here to fall in love. I shouldn’t be here at all. When I have the chance, I’m going to get away, and no intimate bond is going to stop me. “Okay, that explains the Fae. How about the vampires?”

Dante leans in, fangs showing beneath his wide smirk. “Darling, the vampires are here because you taste really fucking good.”

Cara leans over my lap and slaps the vampire. Dante takes it with good grace, merely leaning back as though he’s slapped by females on a regular basis. “Stop teasing the girl. Miss, the vampires are looking for what they call a consort. You have to understand there are two types of vampires, the peasant and those of royal blood.”

“Don’t call them peasants.” Dante whistles under his breath. “Them’s fighting words. One day you call them peasants, and the next day they unionize.”

Cara ignores him. “The royals are the vampires with ancient blood. They are pure vampire. If they can find a proper consort, their lives are greatly elongated by taking his or her blood. The consort also receives a much longer life by taking the vampire’s blood into his or her body. The consort’s blood makes the vampire stronger than he or she would normally be. I heard your sister recently married her consort, Mr. Dellacourt.”

Dante’s nose wrinkles in distaste. “Yes. Now our house is filled with love and roses every day. I’m not having any of it. What’s the point in an extra couple of hundred years if you can’t party? Susie and Colin. They walk around like lovestruck teens. It’s disgusting. See, the bad part about finding a superhot piece of tail like you is the inevitable, long decline into idiocy.”

“He’s trying to say that vampires fall deeply in love with their consorts,” Cara says primly.

“You say potato, I say potahto,” Dante sings.

“You, miss, could serve as either a bondmate or a consort,” Reeve interjects over the increasingly impatient crowd. “The psychic connection goes hand in hand with the differences in the blood. Normally, there would be plenty of suitable men and women. It is a common thing in Fae creatures. It’s why our poor king is related to that one. Mr. Dellacourt’s father took the king’s aunt as his consort. The Fae and Vampire planes are closely linked.”

“Well, they were until that bastard Torin took over,” Dante says.

“Why does everyone speak English?” I’m still trying to understand this strange place I find myself in. “I don’t get it. Dante sounds like every half-assed player prowling the bars on a Saturday night.”

Dante touches his chest and looks horribly offended. “Now who’s rude? For your information, I speak English because my people created it a long time ago. You can’t possibly think your ancestors were intelligent enough to come up with such a convoluted and ridiculous language. At some point in time, my people found the door to your plane and taught you a thing or two. It probably happened around the time your people started standing upright. By the way, fire? Also a vampire discovery. You have us to thank for that, I’m sure. As to my speech patterns reminding you of your home plane, I can only say, ick. I don’t mean to sound like some human. It’s an unfortunate truth that our planes are closely connected. If our research on the subject is correct, there are a lot of similarities between the two. Think of it like this—our planes started out on the same track, but humans took over your plane, and vampires were the evolutionary winners on mine. There are bound to be many, many similarities.”

“Like the potato song,” I muse.

“You have that, too? Funny how that happens sometimes. I’ve heard you can run into yourself on planes like that. The Vampire plane and the human plane are parallel. I wonder if there’s another me on the human plane. I bet I’m getting an enormous amount of tail there.”

“Hush,” Reeve says. “It’s starting.”

My heart threatens to stop as a line of men walk out from the far side of the arena. A masculine voice booms throughout the space, announcing each as they walk through. It’s easy to tell the Fae males from the vampires. The Fae wear only pants and boots. Their chests are bare, and their long hair is pulled back and knotted behind their heads. The vampires have on long sleeves and gloves on their hands. They wear sunglasses like Dante’s, and their shirts come with a hood covering their heads.

“We burn easily,” Dante explains when he notices me staring. “Our skin is delicate. The sun on our plane isn’t as strong as the others. We don’t have a lot of ultraviolet light. Dellacorp is currently working on a cream that will protect the skin.”

“Yes, it’s called sunscreen. It blocks UV rays.” Finally something my plane did better. “We piddling humans came up with it long ago.”

“Seriously? You don’t happen to have any of that on you? I could make a killing with that.” Dante’s business sense is quickly shelved as a vampire walks into the arena. Dante stands and strides to the railing, his sunglasses flowing as he moves into the light. “Well, if it isn’t Kinsey Palgrave, you stupid ass. You suck, Palgrave! And your profits were down ten percent last quarter! Yeah, everyone saw it, you pathetic chump. Your stock’s going to take a nosedive.”

The other vampire shoots Dante the bird and bares his fangs. “Why don’t you get down here, Dellacourt? Or do you need your sister’s permission?”

“My sister would never allow me to fight in this tournament,” Dante shoots back.

The big vampire, who looks like he might be taking steroids, laughs. So do all his friends. They seem to be having a laugh at Dante’s expense. “Big sister doesn’t want baby brother to get a boo-boo?”

“Big sister knows it’s stupid to fight the warrior half of symbiotic twins.” Dante’s face twists into a smirk. “Besides, I would never fight my cousin.”

It seems like the entire arena suddenly falls silent. The vampire named Palgrave goes even paler than before as he stares up at his rival.

“Beckett Finn is here?”

Dante points toward the back of the arena, and there’s Beck. There’s confidence in his easy gait as he strides into the arena. The rest of the males sink into the sand, but Beck seems to almost glide above it. He’s graceful. He is a shark, and suddenly everyone else looks a little like guppies.

“They’re scared of him.” I can sense the anticipation in the crowd. The minute Beck steps out, the crowd falls silent and the whispering begins. Every eye in the arena is on the big, dark-haired man with the stormy gray eyes.

“He’s the greatest warrior of his generation.” Dante sits back down. He opens his jacket and pulls out what looks like a tablet computer. He pushes the screen a few times and then touches his ear. I hadn’t noticed it before, but there’s a small device there. “Yeah, give me my sister. Hey, Susie, you gotta dump all the stock we have with the Palgrave funds. No, I am not out drinking. Listen to me. Kinsey Palgrave is about to fight Beck. Yes, that’s what I said. Even if Beck lets him live, he’ll be out of commission for weeks. His even dumber brother will be acting CEO. Dump it now before the price goes down. You’re welcome.” He smiles smugly my way. “That will teach them to call me a screwup.”

“How many does he have to fight?” This is really happening. These men are going to fight. The one left standing will expect me to go home with him.

“Stop panicking.” Dante leans back negligently. “It’s all going to be fine. You’ll love Beck, and you’ll be crazy about Cian. No woman can resist Cian when he’s on his game. They’ll treat you like a princess. This is going to be a piece of cake for him. There’s only twenty-five, no, there they go…fifteen to fight. Wow, they must be desperate. I was sure we’d get it down under ten.”

A group of men shake their heads in disgust or fear and walk out of the arena.

“They don’t want to fight the great Beckett Finn,” Reeve explains. “He’s a legend across the planes. The vampires will stay because of pride. If the word got out that they paid for an entry and then wasted the money by walking away, they would bring their families shame.”

Dante nods, agreeing with the gnome. “Vamps are damn serious about corporate funds. The Fae can walk away because there’s no shame in surrendering to the king.”

“King?” I heard Beck referred to that way, but now it seems serious.

Dante’s arrogance is gone, and in its place is an earnestness that makes him almost angelically attractive. “Yes, Beckett Finn is the rightful King of the Seelie Fae. A pretender sits on his throne and has since Beck was seventeen years old. Beck lost his mother, father, sister, home, and kingdom all in one day. He’s been on the run ever since. He’s been forced to live as a peasant, barely getting by. He sells his sword to put food on the table. All he has in the world is his brother.” Dante sits forward, placing his hand on mine. It’s slightly cool to the touch. “You can change that for him. You can make his life worth living. I love my cousin. He’s more like a brother to me. If Cian makes a comeback, it is entirely possible I can get my sister to back them financially. Once the money starts flowing, Beck’s loyalists will come back.”

Well, I knew there was more to this than simple lust-at-first-sight. Beck has ambitions, and I figure into them. “He wants to take back his throne?”

“Yes,” Dante replies, as though it should be blatantly obvious. “He wants to overthrow his murdering uncle. I know that you intend to run at the first opportunity. Don’t try to deny it. I would do the same thing in your place, but I’m asking you to give him a chance. Is there anything you could do on your home plane as important as freeing an entire population from tyranny?”

Well, put like that, getting home so my TBR doesn’t fill up seems self-absorbed. What do I have to go back to? When I don’t show up at work, the district manager will fire me and put another in my place. I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I’m a dime a dozen. There are overeducated morons everywhere who need a job. My parents divorced years ago and started new families. It will be months before they even realized I’m gone.

This is not my problem.

I didn’t ask to be brought here. Just because my life is dull doesn’t mean it’s inconsequential. I have friends. Well, I had Michael’s friends, and they had all taken his side in the divorce, but I’m going to make friends one day. I can’t do that if I don’t get home. Cara’s small hand patting me in a comforting way doesn’t count as friendship. The little gnome is my jailer.

No. No matter what that vampire says, I’m leaving as soon as I can.

A loud horn sounds, and the crowd leans forward expectantly. The battle is beginning. My breath catches as I watch Beck scan the crowd. Somehow I know who he’s looking for. Our eyes meet, and he bows formally my way.

I can feel his pull as though we’re already connected on some intimate level I can’t deny.

Yes, I’ll leave. Even though he makes my heart pound, I can’t stay.

Can I?

Chapter Five

Beck

I have to force myself to look away from her. It’s as if I’m already caught by the thread of psychological bonding that will tether us to our own sweet Meg forever.

That bond is the thing that will save me and my brother, but right now it’s a distraction. The fact that she’s out there makes me…antsy. I can’t protect her yet, and that anxiety sits in my gut.

I have to tamp it down. I can’t afford to get emotional now. Cian isn’t the only one feeling our lack of a bondmate. He’s simply far more dramatic about it. He always has been. My hold on my temper has been slowly dissolving over the last few years. My rage seems to build after a fight rather than dissipate as it should.

I’ve become brutal when I don’t need to be.

Just weeks ago, I was hired to clean out a group of bandits plaguing the road to the marketplace. When I was surrounded by them, I went a little crazy. I killed all thirty, and only barely managed to hold off killing the females traveling with them. My rages are getting worse.

Cian might fade from existence like a candle being slowly snuffed out, but I fear I’ll go out in a blaze of blood and death. Dante is under strict instructions to use vampire technology to kill me if necessary, but I doubt my cousin will be able to do it.

Meg is the answer to all my problems. I bow formally to the woman I intend to wed. At least she isn’t trying to run. Yet. I’m sure I’ll have to deal with that eventually. I felt a small piece of her soul when I touched her. She’s a stubborn young woman. She’s also a lonely woman. I don’t need to see into her soul to know how alone she is. Lonely and scared.

What did she leave behind on the Earth plane? Has she left behind a husband, or worse, children? She’s of an age to have children. My conscience hurts at the thought of leaving a baby without a mother, but there’s nothing I can do about it. She will learn there is no way back to her plane. Only a Planeswalker can take her, and she won’t like the cost of the trip.

I shake off thoughts of her and try to concentrate on the battle ahead. I take a deep breath and feel the sand beneath my feet. I let the warmth of the sun stroke my skin, centering myself. I trained in an arena like this one back when I had loyalists who thought they could get me back on the throne. Fighting in a place like this is second nature. The vampires will struggle in the beginning because they train in far more modern settings. It won’t take them long to adjust. I never underestimate the vampires. They may seem soft because their true passion is business, but they are fierce predators. When the fight begins, they will be in touch with their primal natures.

“Your Highness,” a young Fae says, not quite meeting my eyes as he walks toward the exit.

He’s the first of ten men who walk past me. Their disappointment hangs around me like an albatross. They paid their money and laid their hopes on the line, too. I can’t afford the guilt I feel. I have to do whatever it takes to save my brother.

“Bastard,” one of the vampires spits as he walks up. His fangs are out, a sure sign of his rage. “Don’t even try to pull that shit on me, Finn. You aren’t a late entrant. Those fucking gnomes kept you out of sight until it was too late. None of us would even have tried, knowing you were going to be here.”

I go still, though I watch every move the vampire makes. He looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t place the name. “I paid my money like the rest of you. I’m not responsible for the list of competitors.”

The vampire sneers, and now he has others backing him up. The sidhe are all gone, but the vampires are still standing against me. “Right. You don’t have any sway with the gnomes.” His voice is filled with sarcasm. “They still see you as their king. Are you taking a cut?”

Anger thrums through me, a familiar but dangerous friend. A few of the smarter vampires take a step back. “I only want the woman. I’m not getting anything out of this except her.”

Meg is watching. I should have forbidden it, but I don’t have the right yet. I can’t lose control or she’ll be terrified of me. She probably still will be.

“We’ll see about that.” The vampire’s fangs are already long in his mouth as the referee enters.

The vamps retreat. They talk amongst themselves as the gnome needlessly explains the rules.

Everyone knows them. No technology is allowed. Ancient weapons are the only ones permitted. The vampires are able to use their fangs and claws. If Cian was here, I would be allowed to use our psychic connection. Other than that, there are very few rules. Mercy must be given if asked for. If a combatant requests quarter, the warrior fighting him must give it. The fallen fighter will leave, and the battle will resume. If no quarter is asked, then death is an acceptable outcome.

I focus on the weapon in my hand. It’s my sword, once my father’s. It is one of the few things I managed to save as we fled Tír na nÒg. It has been said that my uncle mourns its loss. The sword in my hand is the traditional weapon of the Seelie King. No amount of money or power can replace what it means to my culture. Some claim that as long as I still carry the sword, there is hope.

I’m not sure about that. A large part of me simply wants to live out my life in some form of comfort. The idea of being king is nothing more than a vague dream. I only want to save my brother and find a stable life. Winning Meggie is the first step.

A roar goes through the crowd as the referee holds up a small black flag. A battle horn sounds, and the tournament begins.

There isn’t a burst of fighting. The vampires have used their time well, plotting and planning how to take me out. The vampires stalk me, attempting to distract me while some of their brethren work their way around to my back. I can read this game plan. They intend to surround me. They will work together to take me out, and then they’ll fight each other.

They don’t understand how I fight. I very much prefer it this way. Chaos is the true enemy. If I know they’re all coming after me, I know exactly who to kill—every blasted one of them. Adrenaline begins to course through my body like an old familiar drug in my system. I hold my sword calmly at my side, patiently waiting for them to get into position.

“Fucking idiots! He loves the pack rotation,” my cousin is shouting. It shouldn’t surprise me that even in a crowd of peasants watching a fight, Dante stands out as obnoxious.

The term he used is a technical term for this type of fight. The vampires are circling me like a pack of wolves. I happen to be particularly talented when it comes to defending against a pack rotation, but Dante doesn’t need to point that out.

I make the mistake of glancing my cousin’s way. Dante has left his seat and stands at the edge of the railing. The problem is he’s not alone. Meg is right beside him, her face sheet-white as she watches the men surrounding me.

She feels the connection. I just know it. A surge of hope spills over my rage. I expected the connection. I opened myself to it slightly, but if Meg felt it, too, it must be strong. It’s the only explanation for why she’s standing there, looking like her world is about to fall apart. She knows we belong together. She might not be willing to admit it, even to herself, but the bond is already being formed.

This can work. If I treat her gently, she might be happy with me.

And then all thought flees and instinct takes over. Something comes at me from my left, fast. I have a bare second before the vampire is on me. I lean over, trying to time it perfectly and get the right angle. The vampire hits my back, and I shove up with everything I have. The motion sends the vamp flying through the air, knocking down a rival on the other side of the circle. I swing up on my feet, because they’re going to attack from the other side next.

Vampires are fast. They talk fast and move even faster when they need to. When battling a vampire, it’s more important to rely on my instincts than my eyes. Sometimes a vamp can move faster than the eye can track. It comes down to anticipating the next move. Vampires are immensely logical creatures. They train extensively and tend to do everything by the book. It’s why Dante has trouble fitting in. Dante thinks more creatively than the majority of his brethern.

In this case, the vampires’ slavish devotion to the method is about to come in handy.

In my mind, I number them one through fifteen. Eight tumbles straight into Two across the ring the vampires have formed. Both are struggling to get back to their feet. It gives me a chance to concentrate on the next assault, which will come from Twelve and Five.

I thrust out with my sword, catching Twelve in the belly as I kick out in perfect precision, shoving Five back. I twist slightly to take out Ten and Three in the same fashion.

Instinct takes over as my sword becomes bloodied. I am no longer thinking about Meg or Dante or even Cian. The sword and I move in perfect harmony. The blade becomes an extension of my being. In so many ways, I enjoy this place. I relax, letting my hearing confirm the order in which they will attack. I dance as they play out the scenario, my sword finding purchase in their strong bodies.

Every time I sink the sword into another body, my hunger grows. This. This is my curse. This is the payment for avoiding the bond. I want to kill. I need to kill.

The horn blares, calling an end to this round of fighting. It’s an intrusive sound. An unwelcome sound.

I breathe deeply, fighting the instinct to attack the gnomes as they run onto the field to pull off the injured competitors who have called for quarter. They wouldn’t come out at all if they knew what was going through my rage-addled brain. I want to skewer the little ones. They would look so good on my blade. A dark voice in my head whispers to me. It’s their fault. They’re on my killing field. They should expect death. They’re dragging off my prey before I even have a chance to finish them. It’s my fucking right. The voice is so strong, I turn to raise my sword and take care of the interlopers when the sight of Meg’s face stops me.

She stands, her fingers gripping the railing and her face pale. I can feel her worry. She’s worried for me. She shouldn’t be worried for me. She should be scared of me.

It’s enough to pull me out of the impending rage. Meg will never come to me if she sees what an animal I can be. I can’t allow that to happen. I swallow down my rage as the horn blares, and the battle begins anew.

The remaining vampires don’t wait this time. All eight rush me immediately. I’m knocked back by the unexpected charge. Though my back hits the sand, a fierce joy takes over. I do love a good fight. Up until now, the battle has been rote. Now, I’m thrown a bit off balance, and it sets me free.

A big vamp, with fangs and claws out, leaps on top of me. Sharp claws sink into my left shoulder, pain flaring. The blood starts to flow, and it’ll make the vamps a little crazy. I fear chaos, and now I’m going to get it. Shoving my foot upward, I launch the vamp up and over as I swing my sword in time to skewer the next vampire who jumps on me.

Gravity is my friend, pulling the vamp down, and my aim is perfect. As the vampire sinks onto the sword, the iron of the ancient weapon tears through his heart, one of two sure ways to kill a vampire. The race is tough as nails but vulnerable when it comes to their hearts. Even a minor injury to the heart usually kills a vampire. The only other sure way is decapitation. I roll away as fast as I can, knowing what will come next. Vampires don’t die quietly. They sort of explode.

The rest of the vamps take a quick step back as their fallen compatriot comes apart. I narrowly manage to avoid being covered in gore, but my senses fill with the smell and scent of blood. It does nothing to calm my inner beast. The warrior soul inside me glories in the death of an opponent.

They deserve death. The female is mine. They’re attempting to take what is rightfully mine. Mine and Cian’s.

I move out of the way of the next assault. Two vampires throw themselves down, one catching me while I’m still blinded by the bits of dead vamp covering my eyes. A roar goes through me as I feel the vampire sink his fangs into the vulnerable flesh between my neck and shoulder. Luckily, I squirm enough so the bastard doesn’t get my jugular.

I hear—no, feel—Meggie’s scream. It spurs me to action. I take a single, strong punch from a second attacking vamp. Several more step forward to take a shot, too. The vamp on my neck pushes at me, trying to get a better angle. I reach up and pull him off my back, tossing him into the vampires attacking my front. The place where the vamp’s fangs sank in aches. The fucker has gotten away with a hunk of my flesh.

It doesn’t matter. I heal quickly.

I move even faster. I skewer the vamp who took a chunk out of me, and my aim is perfect. The vamp explodes, even as I pull my sword out and move on to the next.

The blood and gore is having an effect on the vamps as well. Two of the vampires have turned on each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight as they scream, fangs and claws out. The pair attacks each other viciously. They sink their claws into each other’s bellies, and the high-pitched sound of their pain riles me up even faster. The two quickly drop to the ground. They roll in the sand, each desperate to gut the other. Vampires, for all their claims to civilization, are as brutal as the rest of the planes.

There are only six left, and two are doing their damnedest to kill each other. A fierce joy races through me as I bring the hilt of my sword down on a vamp I trip as he attempts to run away. Silly creature. There’s nowhere to run. I raise the sword to bring it down on the vamp’s throat. I’m swinging it in an arc toward my unconscious rival’s body when I’m tackled from the side.

Rage pours through me as I hit the sand. How fucking dare…

“Quarter!” the vampire yells as he scrambles to get his knife properly in hand. “He’s out, Beck. You can’t kill a man who’s already gone down.”

It’s the same vampire who drew Dante’s ire before the battle. He’s covered in sweat and blood. His hood has fallen back, and his pale skin is already burning. “Give it a rest, Beck. It’s over. The female is yours. We surrender.”

I don’t properly process the words the vampire speaks. I hear them but what I feel is anger and a need to kill until none of them are left. Only then will I be able to properly protect Meggie. They’ll come after her. They won’t stop. The vampire offers me a hand up because I’m on my back in a submissive position. I am not fucking submissive. This is never acceptable. I can hear my father telling me to shove this part of my personality down, that it’s evil. But I don’t care at this point. With a single hand, I toss the vampire away like he’s a child’s toy. Somewhere in the back of my rage-addled head, I see that the gnomes have taken to the floor. They’re trying to help out the injured combatants.

It no longer matters. My rage requires blood.

“He’s gone insane!” Palgrave shouts, trying to get the referee’s attention. “You have to put him down.” The vampire backs up as I growl low in my throat and begin to stalk him. He tosses down his knife and shows me his empty hands. He retracts his claws, but the fangs remain. “I concede, Beck. We all concede.”

A horn blares but it’s a distant, meaningless thing compared to the roar in my ears. There are still bodies twitching. My work can’t possibly be finished. My senses open, and everywhere I smell glorious death. The vamp is forced against back the arena wall. He tries to shrink back as though he can force the stone walls to pull him in.

“I am asking for mercy, Your Highness.” There’s a hitch in the vampire’s voice that sparks my predatory instincts. He pulls away as though trying to disappear inside himself.

It won’t stop me.

I smell the fear on him. I raised my sword as the crowd begins to scream, but it’s a single voice that stays my hand.

“He asked for mercy, Beck,” a soft feminine voice says. “There’s no reason to kill him.”

Meggie. She’s here. The vamp takes the opportunity to run. I’m too shook by Meg’s presence to do anything about it. Dante stands at her side.

Dante was tasked with protecting her. Dante is the reason she is in the middle of a deadly battle. “Get her out of here. How dare you allow her on the battlefield!”

Dante has the good sense to back up. “The battle is done, cos. It’s time for you to come down now.”

“Not until I’m finished,” I promise, my voice rough with dark emotion. Jealousy threatens to take over. What was my cousin doing all this time he was sitting beside my woman? Has Dante been courting her? Dante has no consort. Does he think he can steal Meggie? “You should never have walked out here. Are you challenging me?”

Dante’s eyes go wide, but Meg moves between us. “Beck, Dante is not challenging you. No one is challenging you anymore. They’re all running away. You scared the crap out of them.”

I bare my teeth when I realize she’s correct. They’re running. They’re getting away. I take a step and make to follow when her soft hand finds the middle of my chest. She doesn’t seem to notice I’m covered in blood.

“Meg, he’s too far gone,” Dante says in a soft tone. “You’ll have to…”

“I heard you in the stands.” Meg places her other hand on my chest and stands very close. So close her delicate scent washes over me. She smells sweet, nothing like death. Meg smells of flowers and some womanly scent I can’t name. She smells of life. “Beck, I’m yours. Are you going to leave me alone to chase after the others? Shouldn’t you take care of me?”

“Not going to work.” Dante continues to back up. “Meg, if you can’t handle it, then I need for you to run. Run to the stands. I’ll distract him.”

“Shut up,” I yell at the vampire. Jealousy is a roiling pain in my gut. “You don’t talk to my mate.”

Meg huffs Dante’s way. “Fine, but you better be right. If I find out this was a stupid joke, I’ll stake you myself.”

I try to move her out of the way. She doesn’t understand that they could still harm her.

She throws her arms around me, going on her tiptoes to press her mouth against mine. “Please, Your Highness, I am yours. You have to take care of me.”

My sword falls to the side as another type of need blazes through my body.

I worry she’s awakened the darkest beast inside me, and I pray I don’t hurt her.

Chapter Six

Meg

Terror sparks through me as the second horn blows and the vampires charge Beck. “They didn’t get in a circle.”

I hate the fact that he’s out there and so completely outnumbered. I can’t see any possible way he wins.

“No, they seem to have figured out that won’t go well for them.” Dante’s sunglasses cover his eyes, but there’s concern in his tone that wasn’t there moments before.

“Is he in trouble?” A stupid question. He’s one man versus a whole bunch of vampires. Panic threatens to take over, and it doesn’t make a lick of sense. I barely know the man.

And if he dies, you’ll get sent off with one of those vampires. Wouldn’t it be better to end up with the man you feel something for?

“No, not from the vampires,” Dante says, not taking his eyes off the fight.

Beck seems buried under the group of vamps.

“It looks like he’s in trouble to me.” The thought sends a wave of nausea through me. Will I have to watch the gnomes take his big, gorgeous body away? Will they drag him across the sand and declare one of the vampires the winner?

Dante finally turns my way. “Yes, he’s in trouble, but not in the way you think. You remember I explained about the symbiotic twins thing?”

I nod. “Yes, he needs a bondmate because his brother is dying.”

“It’s beyond that. Beck is the warrior half of unbonded symbiotic twins. He needs Cian to balance him,” Dante explains, leaning in so I can hear. “Cian gets lost in his thoughts. He’s the intellectual half of the man. Beck gets lost in something else.”

My stomach turns as there’s suddenly blood all over the sand. Not Beck’s. He’s knee deep in bodies and blood, but he seems to simply keep going. Almost as though he’s enjoying it. I suddenly understand the danger he’s in.

“He can’t control his rage.” He was so controlled with me only hours before. He took what he needed and nothing for himself. I would have let him have me in that moment, but he walked away.

Now there is no mercy or kindness in the man who might be king.

One of the vampires tosses down his weapon and seems to be trying to talk to Beck. “Isn’t this the part where he backs down?”

It’s easy to see the vampire is trying to surrender, but Beck isn’t listening.

“Shit.” Dante looks down at the railing, seeming to be judge the distance to the floor of the arena. He looks back and takes my shoulders in his hands. “Okay, sweetheart, I’ve got two choices here. I can pray that Beck gets his shit under control or I can ask you to take one for the team. Actually, there are three, but I can’t accept choice number three.”

The crowd roars around us. Beck begins to prowl toward the vampire who keeps pleading. The gnomes start to creep out, and they have weapons in their hands.

“They’re going to go after Beck, aren’t they?” I ask the question despite the fact that I know the answer.

“They’ll try to contain him, but they’ll fail.” Dante’s mouth turns down. “They’ll die, too, and I’ll have to put Beck down. It’s stupid but I actually carry around something that will do the trick. That’s how serious this is. If he starts, he won’t stop until he’s dead, and then all is lost. Look, I owe my cousin everything. I’m going to beg you to help him.”

“Me? I can’t fight…” The connection. I’m the bridge. “How can it work if his brother isn’t here?”

“He is nothing but instinct right now,” Dante explains. “His instinct is to kill, but there are other instincts. You are very important to him. You have to get him to see you, to need you. He’ll want to protect you, but beyond that he’s going to want to claim you.”

“I thought that was what this whole thing is about. He has to win and then he gets to…” Does he mean what I think he means? “Are you talking claiming in a biblical sense?”

“I don’t know what that means,” Dante admits. “I’m talking about sex. There’s a ritual. Beck has to prove he can physically claim a mate or he can’t take you with him. Women and men who can form the bond are highly prized. If he doesn’t have at least a shot at making babies with you, you’ll be given to someone who does.”

“I’m a human being, you know.” I feel like I have to point out a few of this plane’s inequities.

“Yes,” Dante agrees. “It wouldn’t work if you weren’t. What’s it going to be? Because we’re minutes away from me having to take out my cousin. I’m begging you. You’re the only one who can save him.”

I look back to the arena, and Beck has the vampire against the wall. He’s going to do it. He’s going to kill the vampire who’s begging for his life.

But he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to be this man, this rolling ball of pain and rage that will someday suck everyone into his hell.

I’m not sure how I know, but this isn’t Beck. He isn’t a killing machine. He’s a man trying to save his brother, and I’m the key.

Again, I feel his pull, and I have to follow the call. Dante goes first, gracefully jumping over the wall and then turning to offer assistance. I’m not so graceful, but there isn’t time for me to do anything beyond get over that railing by any means necessary. The vampire Beck is about to kill has nowhere else to run and is seconds away from being skewered.

Beck will never be able to forgive himself. Not if he kills someone like this.

“He asked for mercy, Beck. There’s no reason to kill him.” Strangely it feels right to be here. In the back of my mind I know I should be scared, but suddenly I’m certain I can handle him. Dante’s right. I’m the only one who can handle him.

For the first time since I woke up here, I realize I’m not without some power.

Beck stares at me long enough for the vampire to get away.

He shakes his head as though he has to force himself to look anywhere else. He turns to Dante, his mouth a flat line. He’s splattered with blood and points back toward the seats. “Get her out of here. How dare you allow her on the battlefield!”

Dante puts both his hands up as though trying to show Beck he doesn’t have any weapons. He also moves back a good five feet. “The battle is done, cos. It’s time for you to come down now.”

“Not until I’m finished.” Beck’s voice is rough, and his eyes narrow on Dante. “You should never have walked out here. Are you challenging me?”

I really am going to have to save them all. “Beck, Dante is not challenging you. No one is challenging you anymore. They’re all running away. You scared the crap out of them.”

Beck looks around, and I can plainly see that he’s angry the others are getting away. It’s time to step up my game or he’ll chase them all down. I move in and place my hand on his chest, his skin under my palm.

Dante stays where he is, but he holds a hand out as if to ask her to come to him. “Meg, he’s too far gone. You’ll have to…”

“I heard you in the stands.” It would be a terrible mistake to try to walk away now. I’m not afraid for myself. If Beck thinks for a second Dante is trying to take me away from him, things might take a bad turn. I soften my voice, trying to sound vulnerable even as I weirdly feel empowered. “Beck, I’m yours. Are you going to leave me alone to chase after the others? Shouldn’t you take care of me?”

Dante shakes his head. “Not going to work. Meg, if you can’t handle it, then I need for you to run. Run to the stands. I’ll distract him.”

“Shut up,” Beck barks in a deep voice. “You don’t talk to my mate.”

Oh, he’s going to be such fun. If he wasn’t so hot and I couldn’t feel how emotional he is, I would walk away. But something compels me to stay even though I know I’m about to join the exhibitionism club. Well, I wanted to explore my sexuality. “Fine, but you better be right. If I find out this is a stupid joke, I’ll stake you myself.” I throw my arms around his neck and mold my body to his. The minute I touch him my whole body comes to life. It’s easy to go up on my toes and brush my lips over his. The sword he holds falls out of his hand. “Please, Your Highness, I am yours. You have to take care of me.”

I take a deep breath and pray that damn vampire is right. I breathe deeply so my breasts swell against his chest. Finally, I have his full attention.

He towers over me. His gray eyes were filled with anger before, but now they gleam down, a mixture of the rage he’s fighting and something else entirely.

“You shouldn’t have come out here.” He growls as he takes my face between his hands. He shifts them slightly until they tangle in my hair. He looks righteously masculine, and I feel my heart speed up.

It takes me a moment to form the words. “I had to come.”

He’s so close. His neck and shoulder are injured, the wounds seeping blood. There’s a part of me that wants to shrink back, but seeing this piece of him is important. He’s a warrior, and not the kind who drops a bomb from above or pushes a button from miles away. He fights in close quarters. His life is always on the line. He’s a knight, and I feel like his lady. He was intent on destruction, but I stayed his hand.

It’s a heady feeling.

A low growl comes from his throat, and then his mouth is on mine. The world falls away. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know that others are watching us. I can hear the announcer call the battle in favor of Beck. The crowd cheers, and then the announcer says something about a public display of sexual compatibility, but Beck’s tongue sweeps inside my mouth and I don’t care. He holds my head in his hands, and I’m deliciously powerless against his assault. My skin tingles everywhere it meets his. He hauls me tightly against his frame, allowing me to feel his desire. His erection presses long and thick against my belly. His body moves against mine, and I find myself rubbing helplessly against him.

Even as his body prods mine, I feel his mind playing at the edges of my consciousness. It’s almost as if there are gates to my mind, and like the marauder he is, Beck wants in. This is the connection I felt before, the one that could be addictive. The one I want more than my next breath. I relax and let go of any thought of keeping him out.

And then I’m completely overwhelmed.

Insanity. It threatens to take me over. No. Not me. This is Beck. So much rage, and it suddenly has a place to go. It pours into my brain. For a second, I’m suffused with it, but some long-buried instinct takes over. It’s odd. I can push it out of my own mind. Like I’m a filter for him. The rage sweeps over me, but I can hold my soul apart from it. There’s so much anger inside him, a volcano that almost overflowed. This is what Dante is afraid of. This is why he worried they would be forced to put Beck down.

Beck kisses me as his rage moves from his mind into mine, and then like a faucet that’s been turned from cold to hot, anger is replaced with desire. It races through my body like a wildfire, and this time, I don’t try to filter it. I want this feeling. It’s completely different than anything I’ve experienced before. This isn’t the sweet, slow arousal I normally experience that typically leads to nowhere. This is a blazing aggression that I know will end with a dominant, overwhelming pleasure.

This need will not be denied, and it’s something I can share with him. Something deep and intimate. Something I’ve never felt before.

I sigh and give over to Beck when I realize that what I’m feeling is his arousal. He wants me, needs me. It’s a desperate thing. He’s starving for me, and everything feminine inside me needs to feed him.

I tighten my arms around him, reveling in the hard feel of his muscles. His hand slips inside the gossamer bodice of my robe and closes over my breast. His thumb brushes the nipple, and I cry out against his mouth. He’s hot to the touch.

“You feel so good.” Beck’s voice is a low growl, and there’s an almost drugged quality to it.

My hands go to the front of my robe. I can feel how much it would please him to see me. He wants to look at my breasts and see my pussy. He wants to lay me bare and fuck me until I can’t remember a time he wasn’t inside me. I can’t hear actual words, but I can fill the intent. I start to pull off my robe, but his hand comes out and stops me. His face is filled with a savage possessiveness. The fine edge of his madness is still present, still trying to take over.

“No,” he bites out, the word grinding between his teeth. “That is mine. It is not for their eyes. On your knees, bondmate. They need a show before I can claim you, but they will not see you.”

He pushes me down by my shoulders. My knees hit the sand, sinking in slightly. The entire episode feels like a hazy, utterly erotic dream. I’m drugged with lust. I know exactly what he wants. I can see a picture of it in my mind and know that Beck is putting it there. He wants me on my knees, his cock in my mouth. Even through the haze of lust he’s hitting me with, I can hear my ex-husband telling me I’m not good at oral. I’m not good at anything when it comes to pleasing a man. Something deep inside tells me it will be different with Beck. If I listen carefully, he’ll show me what he wants.

With shaky hands, Beck unties the fastenings on his pants and roughly pushes them down to his knees. His cock springs forward, erect and enormous. It’s thick and long, red at the base but gradually giving way to a gorgeous plum color at the head. It pulses in his hand as he strokes himself. There’s a bead of milky white moisture glistening on the tip.

He moves forward and presses the head of his dick against my lips. “Take me.”

Tentatively, I reach out and brush the tip of my tongue across him, gathering the arousal on the head. He tastes salty and masculine. Another drop weeps out of the slit, and I swipe my tongue across it again. His cock jumps, and pleasure curls in my womb. I’m getting soft and wet thinking about taking him in my mouth.

His hands curl in my hair. I can feel the full force of his will like a drug pulsing through my veins. His voice is dark with need as he pulls my head forward. He leaves no room to argue or for me to think about what I’m doing. I only know that I want him. I want this.

“Open.”

I obediently open my lips, groaning at the feel of his cock pressing into my mouth. I only have the head of his dick inside my lips, but I’m already struggling. He fills my mouth. I whirl my tongue around the head of his cock, though the fit is tight. I explore the velvety smooth skin. Such soft, silky flesh covers his raging hardness. A wave of warmth infuses me, and I know what Beck is feeling. His head is thrown back as he feeds me his dick.

“More.” He seems capable of only one-syllable phrases now.

When I look up, his eyes are dark and filled with unmistakable satisfaction as he watches his flesh disappear into my mouth. His hands tug at my hair, urging me on. He presses forward. He’s so big, I’m not sure I can take more, but I have to. It feels so good. Beck’s pleasure coats me in need. I whirl my tongue around his thickness as much as I can. It’s almost more than I can take.

Almost, but I can feel what he’s feeling so I don’t care. I can feel the softness of my tongue and the heat of my mouth. I can feel how much he wants my hands on him, so I lift one hand to gently caress his balls.

“Yes.” Beck groans as he thrusts his hips forward, forcing in another inch.

I relax and try to ignore my gag reflex. I swallow around his cock. It seems to break something in the big Fae warrior. He growls, and I’m almost overcome with his need to dominate me.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I know that I should be gagging. I should be fighting him off, but the sensation of sharing the experience with him is far more powerful than any physical reaction. His fierce bliss as he fucks my mouth is beyond anything I’ve ever felt. He’s ruthless. He shoves himself inside, all caution gone. My pussy is soaking wet, and I’m sure if I touch my clit I will go off like a rocket. I’m giving him such pleasure, and it arouses me. I can see myself through his eyes. I’m sexy and hot. I’m a goddess, and he’s going to tame me. He’s going to fuck me until I promise never to leave him. Because he can’t lose me now that he’s found me. I’m perfect for him. I’m going to be everything to him.

Beck fucks his way to the back of my throat. He shoves his cock in, even as he pulls my head forward. The twin sensations call to me. He’s so deep, I can feel his balls hit my chin with each thrust. He’s close. I feel as though I’m in his body. An almost painful anticipation courses through him. His balls squeeze. A warning prickle tickles at the base of my spine. It’s coming from him. He’s so close. Instinctively I swallow around him. Beck throws his head back and roars as he comes.

I’m suddenly full. My mouth is filled with his essence, and I’m suffused with his orgasm. It rolls across me like a powerful wave, bashing against my senses. Only Beck’s strong hands keep me from falling over. The entire experience is exquisite and completely draining.

“Lick me clean,” he orders, keeping his hands tangled in my hair.

I obediently lick his softening cock, running my tongue along his skin. I try not to miss a drop. It feels so good. The orgasm itself was massive. It was like a high-powered locomotive barreling into me. This pleasure is softer, sweeter. It feels like tenderness and caring.

And then it’s gone. The connection is cut abruptly, and I feel cold at its loss.

“What am I doing?” Beck asks in a rough voice. He lets go of me.

I fall to the sand, completely exhausted.

I watch through languid eyes as he tucks himself back in and refastens his trousers. A peaceful lethargy overtakes me. Now he’ll tell me how pleased he is. He’ll kiss me and hold me. He’ll see to my pleasure. It’s going to feel so good to make love with him.

Except he doesn’t look pleased as he reaches down and hauls me up into his arms.

“Cover yourself,” he orders harshly.

My robe has come open. My breasts are bare, the nipples puckered and wanting.

That hard command forces me out of my pleasure-induced haze. Seconds before, I didn’t care if the whole world saw me. I only cared about pleasing Beck, but now a flush of shame rushes through me. What seemed so loving before now seems perverse without his kindness.

What did I do? I was connected to him. I know how pleased he was, but the moment that door slammed shut, all my insecurities crawled back into place.

I pull the sides of my robe together so I don’t offend him again. As he carries me out of the arena, I keep my hands at my sides, sensing that he doesn’t want my touch.

I’m alone again.

Chapter Seven

Beck

She won’t touch me.

I try to keep my face painfully passive as I march back to the tent Reeve put together for the compatibility ritual. If everything went as it should have, I would have taken Meg back to this tent and very gently, respectfully made love to her in front of two witnesses. Reeve would have been one, and the vampires would have selected one. It’s a simple ritual to prove I can take care of her sexually.

Instead, I proved I’m an animal.

Now she won’t look at me, and I don’t blame her. I have to hold her tight because she refuses to put her arms around my neck.

All in all, not how I thought my wedding day would go.

Cara is at the door to the tent and holds it open as she eyes us. She looks at the pale female in my arms. Damn it. She’s looking with pity on the woman I just married. I treated her like a whore. I sigh inwardly, avoiding Cara’s eyes. The truth of the matter is I would never treat a whore the way I treated Meg.

I lay her down as gently as I can on the bed prepared for us. It’s covered with thick, soft blankets and pillows. Flowers have been strewn—marigolds, St. John’s Wort, and shamrocks. It’s a lovely setting and would have made a beautiful bridal bed. Instead, I shoved her to her knees in the middle of a bloody arena and throat-fucked her in front of a crowd.

I try not to think about how soft and sweet she looks lying on the bed. There’s nothing I want more than to climb into bed beside her and attempt in some fashion to make up for the way I treated her. I want to kiss her and hold her. I want to tell her how much she already means to me. I want to beg her forgiveness and promise to never, ever treat her that way again.

She won’t believe me. I’m obviously a man of no honor. I proved it in the arena today. If I had a shred of honor, I would walk away from her now. I can provide her with nothing but a dying brother and a ramshackle brugh on a meaningless plane of existence. I should allow Dante to take her to his plane. At least there she’ll be fed, clothed, and taken care of.

The thought sends a rush of rage through me. It’s still there. The fight. It’s still coursing through me, though now it’s tempered with self-loathing. For the briefest moments I felt peace. When Meggie took all my rage into her own sweet soul.

Yeah, I feel like shit about that, too.

“Clean up.” I don’t mean for the words to come out as harshly as they do, but I can’t take them back. I need space, but I don’t have time. The situation with Cian is serious. “We leave in an hour.”

“Sire,” Cara blurts, a startled expression on her face. “Surely you cannot expect your bondmate to travel this evening.”

I stare down at the gnome. I was raised to be a king, and though I am no longer that man, there are times I expect to be obeyed without question. It is bred into my character. A king never explains his actions, even when they are wrong. I’m sure Cian would have knelt and explained himself to the small woman, but then Cian would never be in this mess in the first place. Cian would never screw up so badly with a woman that she couldn’t stand to look at him.

“If you have a problem with it, I’ll take her now,” I say softly.

The gnome holds her ground, but I can see it costs her. “No, Sire. I will make sure she is ready for the long and arduous journey.”

I stride to the door. I need a bath, but I won’t disturb Meg’s. If things went as planned, I would have cleaned her up myself. I would have shown her how tender I can be. I would have eased into the hot tub with her, kissed her, and washed her hair. I would have bonded with her.

“If she runs, I’ll hold you and yours personally responsible,” I growl. I’m somewhat satisfied by her nervous nod.

I know I’m being what my cousin would call an asshole, but I can’t help it.

The waning sunlight is still hot on my skin. That will change. By nightfall the forest will be cold. If I take her out there, she’ll have no choice. She’ll have to cling to me for warmth and protection.

Perhaps out in the forest she’ll begin to learn to trust me.

I stride through the market, ignoring those who call out greetings. I don’t want to hear about my soon-to-be-legendary victory. The damn bards will be singing about it soon enough. They have no idea how close that victory came to being a bloodbath. Only Meg’s sweet hand stayed me, and she paid for her interference. I leave orders with the stable boy to get my horse ready then make my way to the river that runs near the marketplace. I toss my shirt, boots, and trousers on the grass and dive in where I know the water is deep and cold.

The chill hits my system like a bloody winter blast. I grit my teeth against the bite of pain along my skin. I dive deep, refusing to come up for air or warmth. My lungs can handle it. I wrap my hands around the strong reeds, anchoring myself to the bottom. It’s quiet here. There’s no incessant chatter. There’s no one to constantly remind me of duties that are no longer mine. They don’t understand. I have been the deposed King of the Seelie for almost half my life now. Can’t they leave me be?

I watch a small school of fish swim by. The river is remarkably clear and lovely. It reminds me of the river that runs by the white palace in Tír na nÒg. Mother would take me, Cian, and our sister Bronwyn down, and she would sit with her ladies while we swam. Cian would splash our sister and tease her mercilessly, but I wasn’t allowed to join their fun. I was expected to act the king always.

“Eyes are always on you, son,” my father would say. “They expect Cian to act the fool, but you must be the warrior king every minute of your life.”

What would my father have thought of my actions on this day? Would he understand that life had dealt me a horrible set of cards and I played them the only way that made sense? Or would he turn away from me in shame?

I rather think it might be the latter.

All of my life I was trained to ruthlessly hide the beast that lives inside me. My mother always told me that symbiotic twins were considered powerful, but everyone knew they were difficult to raise. The warrior half requires balance to stop his violent nature from running wild. The intellectual half needs grounding or he spends his life in daydreams. It’s only through bonding with a proper mate that the two halves can truly live balanced lives.

The bonding is a sacred act. It’s a gift from the bondmate to her husbands. It is to be treasured and revered.

I forced it on her when she doesn’t even understand what she’s accepting.

Finally my lungs burn, and I allow myself to float toward the light. I break the surface, taking a deep breath.

“I was wondering if you were going to put in an appearance or if you would allow the kelpies to take you.” Dante sits against a large tree, his long legs spread out in front of him. He has his tablet out. Like many vampires, Dante is almost constantly attached to his computer. He’s always looking for downloads, better known as DLs. DLs consist of everything from entertainment to education.

“There aren’t any kelpies here.” I smooth my long black hair back and hope it doesn’t tangle too much. “There are some in the forest, but none this close to a village.”

The forest where I’m about to take my Meg is considered a bit dangerous. It’s full of all sorts of nasty creatures.

Dante tosses me a bar of soap. It’s pink. The vampire probably stole it from the females’ tent. Still, it will take the stink of battle off me. I soap up, grateful for the cold. It’s the first time since meeting Meg that I’m not uncomfortably hard.

Not true. There was that moment after Meg swallowed me down. Her throat closed around my cock, and she took every drop I gave her. Even after I was done, she was sweet and submissive. I wanted nothing more than to praise her for her gift. I wanted to haul her into my arms and fuck that sweet pussy of hers. She wouldn’t have said no. She would have spread her legs and welcomed me.

But she was under the influence of our connection.

If she was in her right mind, she would have been terribly insulted. She’s a lady, a bondmate. She deserves respect. My wants and needs are perverse. She’ll help me overcome them. Once Cian and I have properly bonded with her, the overwhelming need I feel to dominate my lovers during sex will go away.

It has to.

“I don’t understand you, cos,” Dante admits. The light is fading now. The vampire doesn’t need the hood of his shirt. He sits negligently in the shade, but then everything Dante Dellacourt does has an air of privileged negligence about it.

“I don’t expect you to.” I work the soap into my hair. It should have been Meg’s job. Washing her husband’s hair is the responsibility of a Fae woman. I gave up the right when I treated her like a piece of trash.

“You’re tearing yourself apart over what happened out there, and I’m not sure which part is killing you. You aren’t responsible for the fact that you’re losing control. You should have been bonded five years ago. If I recall, your parents had already betrothed the two of you to a nice royal girl.”

I snort at the thought. Of course I remember Maris. How could I forget? I knew since I was very young that she was our future bondmate. She was a cool blonde and aware of her position, even as a young teen. If she was with me in the arena, she would have slapped me silly. “I don’t think my uncle intends to allow that contract to be fulfilled.”

The vampire sighs impatiently. “That’s my point, asshole. You did everything right. It’s not your fault that it all went wrong. Meg saved you.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” I ask, irritation rising.

“Then why did you treat her like crap?”

“It’s your fault,” I snarl, lying through my teeth. Maybe if I piss my cousin off enough, Dante will go away and leave me alone. “You were the one who was stupid enough to bring her into the arena.”

Dante stands. He walks to the water’s edge, proving he does, indeed, have a death wish. “It was the only way I could think of to salvage the situation.”

“I can think of another,” I reply, narrowing my eyes in challenge.

Dante throws his head back and groans. “I am not going to inject you with cold iron, asshole. Get over it. If you want to commit suicide, I’ll give you the needle, but I won’t push the plunger. I wouldn’t just be killing you. I would be killing Cian, too, and I happen to like him. I like him a hell of a lot more than I like you right now. You had no right to treat her like that.”

“I know.” My anger deflates and I’m left with the hollowness of guilt.

“She gave you everything she had and you tell her to cover up,” Dante complains. “No, ‘wow, baby, that was one hell of a blow job. You’ve got the sweetest mouth known to man.’ Just ‘cover up so no one sees my bitch.’”

Nope. Anger is still in there. My constant fucking companion. “Hey, don’t you talk about her like that. She’s my wife.”

“Then why is she crying alone? I checked in on her, and she was crying.”

My gut clenches at the thought. She’s crying, and I’m the bastard who caused her pain. “I won’t ever hurt her like that again. I can’t take it back. I can only promise to treat her with respect from this point on.”

Dante rolls his eyes. “You’re such an idiot. You honestly think that she’s upset because you fucked her? She’s heartbroken because you fucked her, bonded with her, and then dumped her ass. Seriously, you need to take lessons in how to woo a woman because they don’t like it when you use them and walk away. Even I know that.”

I go under one last time to wash the soap away and then march out of the river, shaking the water off my skin. Dante has brought along a towel, and he tosses it toward me. I wrap it around my waist. “I didn’t dump her. I lost my fucking head. I treated her like a piece of meat. Can you blame her for not wanting to be near me?”

“Oh, cos, that wasn’t the problem,” the vampire says, bringing the attitude down a notch. “I was watching. Hell, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I think she’s more perfect for you than you could have hoped. She enjoyed it.”

I twist my hair, trying to get the water out. “That was the bond. I flooded her with it. I pushed myself at her.”

“That is your nature,” Dante says quietly. “But I think you are underestimating her nature. She was happy afterward. She wasn’t ashamed. You made her feel that.”

I point an accusatory finger at my cousin. “You don’t understand. Maybe vampires treat consorts with such blatant disrespect, but we do not dishonor our bondmates in such a fashion.”

“We vampires make damn sure that our lovers are satisfied, and after they’re satisfied, we thank them and cuddle them. We find out what they need and give it to them. If what my lover needs runs counter to what society or my father taught me was acceptable, then fuck society.” Dante has to talk around his fangs, letting me know how irritated he is.

“Don’t you talk about my father.” My father is always a touchy subject.

“Of course, it all comes back to your father. He was a good man, but he wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t a perfect king, and he damn sure wasn’t a perfect father. He pushed you too hard, and he completely ignored Cian. Cian was supposed to be king, too. He didn’t value Cian’s input, so he focused all his time on you. No one could live up to his standards. Gods, Beck, when are you going to be who you are and not who he thought you should be?”

“Get out.” I won’t listen to anyone talk about my father this way. I wasn’t able to save my father, but I can damn sure preserve his memory. “Get the fuck out of here. Go back to your cushy little plane and make all the scandalous news you possibly can. Don’t come back. You won’t be welcome.”

Dante drops his hands in defeat. “Fine. I’ll go, but I’m only going as far as your village. I’ll head out and make sure Cian doesn’t fade before you can get to him, but you would do well to listen to me. You’ll make yourself and that woman you married miserable if you deny who you are.”

Dante stalks off, his lanky body disappearing in the tall, thin trees that quake in the wind.

I sink to the ground. It’s a long time before I rise, and the whole time I sit wondering if the vampire isn’t right.

Chapter Eight

Meg

I try not to feel anything. Cara’s small hands smooth the fabric over my shoulders. The gnome has to stand on a chair to reach me. I should be helping, but I feel so empty that I allow the gnome to dress me as she would a doll. I merely answer the female’s softly spoken commands. Lift your right leg. Lift your left leg. Bow your head so I can get the shirt on. Cara sings quietly while she works. Everything the gnome does is soothing, but I still feel dead inside.

I’m supposed to go with him. How can I do that?

In the mirror, I see I’m wearing suede pants, though god only knows what kind of animal has actually given up its skin for them. The shirt is a bit tight in the chest, so I immediately button the collar up to my throat. It isn’t flattering. It looks much better unbuttoned. Unbuttoned, it shows off a creamy expanse of skin and a faint hint of round breast. It looks rather sexy. But Beck hasn’t found the sight of my naked body sexy at all. Cara wraps a leather belt around my waist then helps me into a pair of knee-length boots. My hair has been braided and marigolds are woven into it.

All I can think about is how I’m going to get away.

“Well, look at you,” a low voice says. “Fae Barbie.”

I shake my head. As upset as I am, the vampire can still make me smile. He might be the only thing I halfway understand in this strange world. “You have Barbies, too?”

“Oh, yes,” Dante confirms. “My sister filled the house with them. I used to have my soldiers take them hostage. She had to pay me to get them back. It was my first business. The consort Barbies come with bite marks on their necks. I bet yours don’t have that.”

“No,” I reply and sort of wish Dante was the one I’m tied to. I’m bouncing all over the place emotionally, but I can’t help it. At least he has a sense of humor, and apparently, his plane has things I’m used to like running water and indoor toilets.

“Hey.” Dante brushes a tear off my cheek. “None of that. It’s going to be all right. You’ll see.”

“I’m sure it will be fine.” It will be perfectly fine once I get the hell out of here. Someone will be willing to help me. I don’t buy that no-going-back crap. If I got here, I can get back.

Dante’s perceptive eyes narrow. “Don’t run. It won’t go well for you. There are things in that forest you can’t imagine. Promise me you won’t run until you meet Cian. Please, give him a chance to be less of an asshole than Beck has been this afternoon.”

“If he’s anything like his brother, there’s no point.” I can’t help the bitterness that pours out of me.

“But he isn’t, sweetheart. That is the point. Cian is the intellectual half. He’s also the more romantic half,” Dante muses. “It’s odd how they split. Beck is all the hard and pragmatic bits. He’s all about responsibility and honor, while Cian is playful and instinctive. Sometimes I think Beck got the short end of the stick. Of course, Beck is not the one who lies down from time to time and decides to fade because the world is too much for him. It’s all very dramatic, trust me.”

I huff and begin to pace. “You are seriously telling me that this Cian person isn’t really Beck’s brother, but the other half of him.”

Dante looks thrilled. “Her human brain works! Yes, that is what I’m telling you. Two bodies, one soul.” Dante gently touches a finger to my forehead. “You bridge the two right here. They balance through you. You complete them.”

“And if I don’t want to complete them?”

The vampire smiles sympathetically. “Just meet Cian. You can’t begin to understand Beckett until you meet all of him. And he wasn’t disappointed in you, sweetheart. He was upset with himself.”

“Sure he was.” I’ve heard that one before. It’s not you, Meg. It’s me.

“He was,” Dante says seriously. “He has odd ideas about how a bondmate should be treated. On his plane, a bondmate, especially one of royal blood, expects to be treated like a princess. It took my mom years to relax and learn to take my father in stride. Right now, Beck sees you as a perfect little possession, and he wants to take good care of you. Watch him. You’ll see. He won’t let you do anything. He’ll wait on you hand and foot.”

I’ve worked since the day I turned fifteen. No one has ever accused me of slacking off. Of course, I didn’t have much of a choice. “I’m not asking him to do that. I’m not a princess.”

“I know that. You know that. Teach him. You’ll all be happier if you’re a fully functioning member of the team rather than a porcelain doll they take down and very gently make love to, but only after asking politely.” Dante shudders as though the thought makes him ill. “You’re the best thing that could have happened to him. Work on Cian first. He’s the openly passionate one. He’s the one who never wanted that polite bargain where he loved you from afar because he was worried his passion would be too much for you.”

“Beck doesn’t love me.” I’m utterly certain of that truth. “He just met me.”

“He won’t be able to help himself, and neither will you.” The vampire picks up a small satchel Cara filled. He settles it over my shoulder, giving me a sharp slap on the back. It moves me forward a little. “Be careful out there and remember what I told you.”

“And just what did you tell my mate, vampire?” Beck’s eyes are a glacial gray as he stands in the doorway.

I freeze, but Dante merely rolls his eyes. “It’s always Dante or my cos, when he wants something. And when he’s pissed off he calls me vampire. He says it like it’s a bad thing. I’ll have you know that vampires are the most advanced of all the races. Come to my plane sometime, sweetheart, and I’ll show you. We’re launching a mission to test a deep space shuttle. Vamps in space. It’s going to be awesome.” Dante jauntily slaps his cousin on the back. “See you at the village. I’ll give Cian your greeting, but I’ll keep my mouth shut about her. It’s better if she’s a surprise.”

The vampire leaves, and I’m alone with Beck. He’s had a shower, or whatever they take here, and now he’s clean and so gorgeous it hurts to look at him. His linen shirt is open at the throat. It shows off his rock-hard chest to spectacular advantage. How had I even thought for a second he could want me? I’m not even in his league.

“Are you ready?” The question is asked quietly, but as with everything the man says, there’s an order to it. He stands looking at me, and my body heats up, even after everything he did.

If he showed me an ounce of kindness in the arena, I would have been an eager puppy following him without question. I would have written off my previous existence and done everything he asked of me.

I am truly pathetic. He’s done me a favor. “Does it matter if I am or not?”

“No. We need to leave now if we’re going to make it to the lake before midnight. I want to spend the night there.” He holds the flap to the tent open and gestures for me to exit.

I step out and quickly stop because we’re not alone. “What the hell is that?”

It’s monstrous. It looks like a horse, but someone put it on steroids and dyed it a dark blue. It’s so dark that one can mistake it for black, but when the late-afternoon sun hits the thing’s coat, there’s an unmistakable midnight blue shining there.

Beck runs a strong hand along the beast’s back. It’s obvious he has a fondness for the enormous animal. Even Beck, as big as he is, will have to haul himself into the saddle. “This is Sweeney. He’s a good boy, aren’t you? He won’t hurt you, love.”

I hate that his words make me want to soften toward him. He sounds like he did before the events of the arena. He was gentle with me when he rubbed me to orgasm. I liked that almost as much as what happened later.

But I know the truth now and I’m having none of it. Nor am I getting on that horse. “I’ll walk, thank you.”

I turn on my heels and start down the road. There’s no way I’m getting on the back of that thing. I might have been born in Texas, but I never really left the city. I’ve never been on a horse, much less an elephant, and that’s what Sweeney reminds me of. I ignore the odd looks I receive as I walk down the lane. Apparently they don’t get a lot of pedestrian foot traffic around here.

In the distance, I can see the forest ahead. The trees are unbearably thick. Only the road seems to be clear, as though the forest around it is a living thing, waiting to pounce on anyone who walks into it. Trepidation creeps in and I slow my stride. That forest will swallow me. I’m just about to turn back into town to protest when I feel a strong hand lift me into the air by the back of my shirt.

“Hey!” I scream in shock as I find myself across Beck’s lap. Without thinking about it, I throw my arms around his chest and cling to him, afraid to fall off the beast. It’s an awfully long way down, and there isn’t a handy ER around to set whatever breaks.

Sweeney huffs and prances, getting used to the new weight on his back. After a few seconds, Beck makes a clicking sound. The horse takes off.

“Hold on tight, love,” is all he says as he prods the horse into high gear.

I do as he asks, holding on with all my might. The forest looms large, getting closer every second.

Like it or not, I’m going into the woods.

Chapter Nine

Meg

I shiver, even though the fire is crackling nicely. Beck spent the better part of an hour building it. He stoked it until the orange and red flames flared and gave a warm glow to our camp. I’m all alone with a complete stranger. Oh, sure, we’ve had a couple of sexual encounters, but I don’t know him. I sit back against the trunk of a huge tree and watch the man who claimed me.

True to what Dante told me to expect, Beck let me do absolutely none of the work. He helped me off the horse and settled me carefully on my feet. His first task was to make a comfortable place for me to sit. He took two blankets out of his saddle bags to make a nest for me while he gathered wood for the fire.

I remove my boots and pants before wrapping up in the blankets. He’s never out of sight. After starting the fire, he pulls out bread, some cheese, and what looks like beef jerky. My stomach rumbles. I decide not to honor my New Year’s Resolution to avoid meat and dairy.

Beck doesn’t touch a thing until I declare myself full, and then he eats everything I haven’t.

He’s such a puzzle, sweet one minute and completely shut down the next.

“I need to know something,” he says quietly as he sits down across from me.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. He’s heartbreakingly beautiful by firelight. The glow of the fire delineates the lines of his face. His jaw is carved from granite, but his eyes are soft. He’s a real, actual faery prince, and according to him, he’s mine. Even after the way he treated me this afternoon, I want nothing more than to throw myself into his arms.

I never, ever learn.

“Did you leave a husband behind?” Beck asks. “Do you have babies who will wonder where their mama is?”

All I have to do is say yes. If I say yes, cry prettily, and talk about my sweet babies, he might try to get me home. I can say I have two, a boy and a girl. I can also tell him about the husband I love more than life itself.

“No.” I can’t lie to him that way. Not when I still feel the connection between us humming. “I’m alone.”

He seems confused by the statement and moves to sit beside me. He covers me with the blanket before carefully placing his arm around my shoulder. “Did your parents die before they could find a husband for you?”

I laugh at the thought. My parents can’t be in a room together for more than two minutes before a war breaks out. They didn’t attend my wedding, much less try to advise me on who to marry. “No. My parents divorced when I was twelve. Mom remarried roughly six months later. She married the guy she was having an affair with. Dad married his secretary, excuse me, administrative assistant, two months after that. Neither one of them wanted to deal with a teenage girl, so I got shuffled around. I stayed with Mom until she got tired of me, and then I got shoved off on Dad. Casey, his ten-years-older-than-me wife, didn’t like me very much. They both had new children with their new spouses. Needless to say, everyone was happy when I left for college. So, to answer your question, no, they didn’t bother to find me a husband. That’s not something parents do in my culture.”

Beck’s eyes are dark in the firelight. “What is divorce?”

I study him for a moment, trying to figure out if he’s pulling my leg. “You don’t know?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t understand your story, love. Your parents did not die? They left each other and formed bonds with other people? They had children with people who were not their mate?”

“You don’t have a way to dissolve a marriage?”

“No. Why would we have that?” Beck asks, his face showing no signs of teasing. “Marriage is sacred.”

“Okay, how about if the husband abuses the wife? Is she supposed to stay in the marriage?”

Again, he looks blankly at me.

“What if her husband smacks her around? What if he cheats on her with the local floozy? What if he calls her names and is generally unpleasant to be around?”

Beck nods, finally getting my point. “If this happened in a Fae marriage, then the female would beat the male into submission. If she is too small to beat him properly, one of the larger women of her family would perform the task for her.”

“And the man stands there for the beating?” Somehow I can’t see it.

“If he has any honor at all,” Beck replies with a frown. “If his abuse of the wife continues, the males of her family would take care of him. As I said before, the only way out of a Fae marriage is death, but that can be arranged.”

I can’t help but smile because he sounds so very serious. “I kind of wish those rules had been in play when I got married.”

Beck turns me so I’m forced to look him in the eyes. His lips are down in a scowl, and his eyes pin me. “They were in play when you got married. I assure you, our marriage was properly witnessed. I signed the paperwork with the gnomes before we left.”

He’d done what? “Marriage?”

“Yes. What did you think I was doing with you? I told you I needed a bondmate. You’re my wife now, and there is no divorce.” He says the word as though he finds it distasteful.

“I thought you were buying me,” I stammer, trying to wrap my head around the fact that I apparently got married and no one bothered to tell me. I look at Beck, a bit panicked at the thought. He’s my husband? “You know, like a slave.”

“You have strange words, wife. I don’t know what a slave is, but we’re married, and nothing is going to change that.” He takes a deep breath. “If you are angry with me for what I did today, you have my permission to hit me. It might make you feel better. I can only promise I won’t do it again. I was overwhelmed by the battle.”

An alarming thought strikes me. I wonder if the whole beating thing goes both ways. “So if I step out of line, you’ll hit me?”

Beck shakes his head. “I would never beat you, Meggie. It’s different for a man. We’re bigger. We could hurt you. I know after what I did to you earlier you must think me a man of no honor, but I would never, never beat my woman. I might put you over my knee if I thought you were stepping out on me, but I would only use my hand.”

“You would spank me?” The words are supposed to come out as an outraged question. They’re supposed to show that I will never put up with such a thing. Instead, they come out as a breathless, curious query. The thought of being put over his knee, completely naked and open, and having that big hand smack my ass is stimulating. Though I can’t help but think about the one time I asked Michael to spank me. I was curious and desperate to put some spark into our marriage. He rolled his eyes and called me a pervert. Beck would likely think the same thing.

“If I had no other choice, I would spank you,” Beck says grimly.

I nod, trying not to think about how he would trace the line of my spine while I’m across his knee, open and vulnerable to him. I turn back to the fire so he won’t see how my cheeks are flushed as I think about how I would wait, anticipating the blow, my pussy getting wet at the thought.

“You talked about marriage and the Fae rules being in play when you got married. What did you mean if you weren’t talking about our marriage?” There is suspicion in his voice, like he already knows the answer.

It’s an effective way to shut down the arousal I feel. Thinking of Michael Starke immediately makes me think of humiliation. Despite my ex-husband’s assertion that I’m a pervert, humiliation isn’t my kink. “I was married once. We got a divorce.”

“He allowed you to get away from him?”

I laugh, but it’s a bitter sound. “He packed my bags and shoved me to the street. He literally did that. He needed me out of the apartment before his new girlfriend showed up. She was a nurse. She made more money than I did, so she could take better care of him than I could.”

“What?” Beck is on his feet, his hand rubbing his head as he paces. “He forced you to support him? What kind of a man was he?”

The truth is I’m tired of being pissed off about the divorce. Somehow the events of the last twenty-four hours make my rage at a marriage gone bad seem a small thing. Beck’s whole life was destroyed. At least Michael had the good sense to divorce me before we had kids. Our marriage was a mistake, and it’s past time to move on. “He was a young man. We were really young when we got married. I was only twenty-two. I was twenty-five when we divorced two years ago. We were stupid kids trying to be grownups. I wanted a family. He wanted to play Xbox and drink beer. It’s a typical American story.”

Beck’s hair is long and flows around his shoulders and down his back. He took it down after he got the fire going. It was an oddly erotic moment. His eyes were on me, and I watched as he brushed it out. Now, it’s a silken blanket around his body.

It’s also a fire hazard. I hold out my hand. “It was a long time ago, Beck, and in a galaxy far, far away. Please come back over here. I don’t want to have to put out your hair when it catches on fire.”

He looks back and seems surprised that he hadn’t caught that himself. He sits down. When I hold open the blanket for him, he moves close and wraps it around the both of us.

“Sorry, love,” he whispers. “I can’t imagine anyone letting you get away.”

“You must have a very small imagination,” I reply solemnly.

“I am not known for my creativity.” Beck frowns and stares at the fire.

He’s so serious. I can’t help but laugh. “I was teasing you. You take things too literally. Don’t give my ex another thought. I don’t intend to. He was an asshole.”

Dark eyebrows draw together. “You sound so much like Dante. Are you sure you’re not from the Vampire plane? They are entirely obsessed with anuses, too. I don’t understand it.”

I giggle and let my head drop to his shoulder. It’s an instinct, and I catch myself. I would have immediately brought it back up, but his hand is there, smoothing my hair down, holding me close. His arms go around me. He’s so warm. I give in and snuggle closer. He’s a furnace, and it’s chilly out here.

“I would like very much to make love to you, Meggie,” Beck says, his voice low and painstakingly gentle. The hand in my hair is gentle, too, unlike the way he fisted my hair in the arena. He touches me like I’m made of glass.

“How very polite.” Isn’t this what Dante had told me to look for? The trouble is I don’t want a polite bargain. I want his passion.

Though I suppose it doesn’t matter. I’ll be gone in a day or two. I haven’t changed my mind about that. Even though he’s promised not to treat me the way he did before, I know it’s inevitable that he will.

The truth of the matter is I’ve been giving an enormous amount of thought to my sex life. It’s been pointless and futile up until now. The two men I went to bed with before marrying Michael were utterly boring, and I just wanted to get it over with. Michael was the same way. It’s why I started exploring Dominance and submission in the first place. I haven’t gotten past the Internet, but I ordered some books on the subject, and I planned to meet some people in the lifestyle.

Being out in the arena with Beck was a revelation. It was the single most erotic experience of my life, and he rejected me afterward. He thinks I’m just as much a pervert as Michael did, and I refuse to be trapped in another marriage where my husband didn’t truly want me. But I’m stuck for now. Why not enjoy what he can give me? I took my birth control shot a week before I was kidnapped. Why not enjoy a little sex? Even if it wasn’t as mind-blowing as before, it would be better than anything I had on the Earth plane. I’ll have to make sure I come off as vanilla as possible so he doesn’t get angry again.

I let my hand find his sculpted chest. “All right.”

He sighs, and I feel that strange connection between us open slightly. It tingles there on the edges of my consciousness, and I open myself eagerly to it. I can feel his arousal. I can feel how much he wants me. It makes me feel special and desirable.

He closes it down immediately.

“Sorry.” He eases me onto my back. “I have to get used to the bond. It’s particularly strong when we make love. I promise I won’t flood you with it again.”

“I didn’t mind,” I say before he touches my lips with his. It’s a gentle touch, a light melding of lips. I find it slightly frustrating.

“Of course you did,” he murmurs as he kisses me, a little harder this time.

He presses his mouth over mine. His tongue requests access. I allow my body to soften beneath him, and his tongue lazily plunges in. He explores my mouth, mating his tongue to mine, devouring me softly. His hands gently frame my face as he strokes my hair.

I shudder with pleasure as he moves from my mouth to my neck. He’s so big against me. He tries to keep his weight off me, but I want to be crushed under it. I want him to hold me down or tie me up. Not that I can ask him to do that. He would probably turn away in disgust, but I want it so badly. “I’m cold. Won’t you cover me? I might be warm if you lay on top of me.”

He’s not able to completely close off the surge of desire my request sends through him. He wants to be on top of me. He wants me helpless underneath him. I felt his desire briefly before he shut it off. “You don’t think I’m too big for you? I don’t want you cold. Let me get undressed first.”

He slips out from under the covers and quickly shucks his clothes. I watch, my mouth watering, as his big, strong body is revealed by firelight. He’s all steel and smooth muscles. The wounds he took in the arena closed and are healing. His body, he explained earlier, can take a lot of damage and repairs itself quickly. The slight pinkness of the healing flesh doesn’t detract from his perfection. He’s a work of art. Michelangelo would have been proud to sculpt that body. And then there’s his cock. I have more time to study it now that he isn’t shoving it at my face. It's big and thick, and pointing straight up, reaching his belly button. His balls are heavy and taut against his body. Even in the firelight, I can tell his cock is so hard it’s purple.

How had that ever fit in my mouth? That dark voice from my fantasies reminds me. That monster cock fit because Beck made sure it fit. He shoved and pushed until I accommodated him.

“Let me help you.” He kneels down and reaches for the hem of my shirt.

The linen shirt is all I’m wearing. It’s the only protection I have. If he ordered me to take it off, I would throw the damn thing into the fire. He doesn’t, and I’m reluctant. He seemed to like my body before, but the arena changed that.

He pulls the shirt over my head, and I fight not to cover myself. I seek the connection between the two of us. If I can find it, I’ll know what he’s feeling. Now that I had the connection with him, being without it makes me feel alone. I wonder how much control I have. I try to brush my thoughts against his, requesting the contact.

“Shhh,” he whispers, getting under the covers. He pulls me into his arms. “Don’t be scared, love. I won’t hurt you. I’ll be gentle.”

So I’m not very good at this. He got the message, but not the one I thought I was sending. He thinks I’m afraid, not frustrated and nervous.

“Just kiss me.” I can lose myself in his kisses. The man knows how to kiss.

He smiles, generous lips tugging up before he plants them on me. He kisses me as he covers me with his hard body. We meet, skin to skin. I love the way he presses me into the ground. It’s not the most comfortable I’ve ever been, but something about being held down does it for me. I let my hands drift above my head and imagine he tied them down.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispers as he leaves my mouth. His hands travel down my torso, making my skin sing wherever he touches me. “I want to kiss you everywhere. May I?”

“If you like.”

He kisses his way to my breasts. The kisses are gentle, like butterflies landing and taking off again. He takes one nipple in his mouth and curls his tongue around it. He draws on the bud, sucking and playing with it. I bite back a moan. It’s not as rough as I like it, but it still feels good. It feels fantastic. Beck plucks at my other nipple with his fingers. I imagine that he’s placed me in nipple clamps. He’ll tighten them to the point of pain, and then his eyes will heat as he studies me, trussed up and gilded for his pleasure. I’ll be his plaything.

His hand leaves my nipple, traveling down toward my pussy. He slides a finger through my labia. His head comes up in surprise as he finds the folds of my pussy already slick.

“You’re wet.” His fingers slide all around my pussy, delving deep and then shallow, as though he can’t quite believe what he’s feeling. “You’re soaking wet.”

I feel my face flush and try to pull away. He’ll take it as proof of my wantonness. “Sorry.”

He puts his hand around my throat and I stop squirming, and a fresh rush of arousal sparks through me. His hand is still moist from my pussy as he circles my neck. He can’t know what his hand collaring my neck does for me. He would be shocked if he did.

“You still want me.” It seems to break something in him, and he kisses me harder than before. He’s still careful, but he seems less tentative.

I can feel his iron-willed control. He’s using it to hold himself back. I want to beg him to let go, to use that will on me. I’ll love it. I’ll crave it. But I hold my tongue, knowing he doesn’t welcome that part of me.

Then I’m not thinking at all as his hand trails back down, and he starts to rub circles around my clitoris.

“Tell me you want me,” he orders.

My body tightens at the masculine will in his voice. “I want you. Please.”

“Yes, wife, I will please you,” he promises as he disappears under the blankets. He forces my legs apart, spreading me wide and placing himself between my thighs.

When his tongue replaces his fingers on my clit, I fight hard not to scream. His tongue slides all over my pussy, lapping and sucking and nibbling. He eats my pussy like he’s enjoying a rich dessert. I hold my hands tight over my head and pretend he’s tied my ankles down, too. I imagine that I’m completely at his mercy, and he has none. He licks from my clit to my pussy then plunges his tongue in. He moans as though he loves my taste and can’t get enough of me. He fucks me with his tongue. I press against him as he firmly strokes my clit with his thumb. I go flying, keeping my mind open so that I know he can feel my orgasm.

He rears up, the blanket he pulled over us falling to the side. He gets on his knees and purposefully slides his cock over my soaking pussy, moistening it. He pulls down on my hips, slamming me onto his pulsating cock.

I nearly scream. It feels so good to be impaled on him. Nothing in my life feels as good as Beck ramming his cock into my pussy. He looks down at me with stark eyes. His face is savage in the fire’s glow, and though I just came, I feel it build again as he pounds into me.

He’s so big inside me. I feel like I might split in two, but it’s a good pain. I wrap my legs around his waist, trying to tempt him deeper. I haven’t taken all of him yet. He stares down at the place where his cock meets my pussy.

“It’s beautiful,” he mutters as he watches himself fuck me. “You’re beautiful.”

I feel beautiful. I let my hands trail down his strong back to his muscular buttocks and sink my nails in lightly. I want all of him.

“You open up for me.” He spreads my legs further and shoves that last inch in.

I’ve never been so full. This is connection. This is what I’ve been missing all of my life.

He leans forward so his pelvic bone grinds against my clitoris as he swivels his hips and pants. His long, dark hair flows all around me. It tickles my skin, making me feel like he’s touching me in a hundred spots. Then only one spot matters as he pushes himself deep.

This time I don’t hold back my moans. I groan as he stiffens above me. I can feel his cock pulsing deep inside. The orgasm rolls across my body, leaving me trembling as he falls forward against me.

I wrap my arms around him and feel his heart beating against my breast. He nuzzles my neck. His cock is still inside me, and if I could sleep this way, I would. He’s everywhere, all around me. I’ve never felt so safe.

He rolls off me, and a wave of disappointment floods in. It’s coming from him.

“I lost my head at the end.” He speaks through clenched teeth. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I know I keep saying that, but I mean it. Did I hurt you?”

I turn my back to him, so he can’t see my face.

“I liked it,” I say hollowly. At least I had until he opened his damn mouth again. “I’m not some fragile thing. I won’t break. I liked it, especially at the end.”

He sighs and puts a hand on my hip. “No, you didn’t. You’re just trying to be a good wife. I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Sure.” I’m not going to argue with him. I’m not going to point out that he’s telling me I’m lying about how I feel. It doesn’t matter.

There’s not going to be a next time. The sex is incredible, but it’s not worth the way he makes me feel afterward. I think what we shared is beautiful, and he keeps making it something to be ashamed of.

He pulls me close, wrapping his thick arms around my body. He throws a leg over mine. I find myself thoroughly trapped in his embrace. Moments ago I imagined this as the sexiest thing I can think of, but then he opened his mouth.

I try to pull away.

“Stay still,” he orders quietly. “It’s cold. I’ll keep you warm.”

“And if I don’t want to be warm?” I squirm against him.

“Then I’ll keep you warm anyway,” he says, his voice rough with command.

He’s so frustrating. He’s the essence of the dominant partner. It’s in everything he does. Why does he deny it? I settle down. There’s no way I’m getting away from him tonight. He sets his face against the nape of my neck. His warmth is so sweet. I find myself pulled in again.

I’m leaving in the morning. Earlier he explained that he’s going to get up at dawn and find some breakfast for us. While he’s hunting, I’ll leave. Dante’s wrong. It’s not up to me to train Beck. It’s not up to me to teach him that it isn’t wrong to love the way he wants to. He won’t listen, and I’ll end up hating him and myself.

So I’ll leave, and he can find a more proper bondmate.

“Good night, love,” he whispers in my ear.

I’m silent because good night means good-bye, and I can’t bring myself to say the words.

Chapter Ten

Meg

I wake the minute he leaves the small nest we slept in. I felt him disentangle himself and missed the heat of his body. He draped himself around me all through the night, tangling our limbs together. It’s the best sleep I’ve gotten in a long time.

I stay still, listening as he dresses, rebuilds the fire, and prepares to hunt for breakfast. He leans over and kisses me softly before he stalks off to find food.

The sweetness of his actions almost makes me reconsider what I’m about to do.

Almost.

I force myself to count to one hundred before getting up and tossing on my clothes. I pull on the boots last and then retrieve the saddlebag Dante gave me the day before. There’s food and a canteen, and what looks like a first aid kit. He also slipped his business card in. It declares him Head of the Green Sales Unit. Ah, used car salesman to the core. There are a few other things I don’t recognize, but I throw the bag over my shoulder and wonder which way to go. I decide on south, since I can make it back to the market. Obviously I’m not planning on going to the market since they would likely call up Beck to retrieve his wayward property, but perhaps there will be someone on the road who can help me.

As I begin to walk, I wonder how Beck will take me leaving. My heart hurts when I think of him. How could I get so close to someone in so little time? He’s a heartbreak waiting to happen. He can’t accept himself. How will he ever accept me? The endless forest seems to fly by as I walk briskly, unable to get my mind off the faery prince.

He’s a victim of his own success. He’s proven to me, once and for all, what I want in a relationship. Then he turns around and tells me he won’t give it to me. I’ve suspected for a while that I prefer to be submissive during sex. I’m not sure how I feel about submission outside of the bedroom, and that’s the reality that gives me pause when I contemplate jumping into the lifestyle. It’s probably asking far too much to get what I want in the bedroom and remain autonomous outside of it.

I’ve been walking for a good half an hour when I suddenly feel disoriented. I’ve seen that tree before. Right? I thought I was walking in a straight line, but I’m almost certain I’ve been here. Panic starts to grow. I can’t find the path. This isn’t the one we’d taken the day before, and it seems to get narrower and narrower. I squint, trying to see ahead. Does it stop?

What the hell am I doing? I’m not nature girl. I don’t hike. I really don’t hike in faery forests. Yes, there’s the panic attack. I can feel my heart beating a hundred miles a minute. I’m lost, and I swear I can feel eyes on me. I turn, but everywhere I look is exactly the same. That’s definitely the same tree. It leans the same way as the other one. Which way am I supposed to go?

Dante told me these woods are dangerous. I thought he was exaggerating to make me stay close to Beck, but now I feel real fear.

Oh, why had I ever left the comfort of our bed?

It’s stupid decisions like this that always get me in trouble. I’m impetuous. I get lost at DFW airport, but I think I can navigate on an entirely different plane of existence? I should have waited until we made it to Beck’s village. Maybe there, I could have hired a guide or something. What the hell am I doing walking through the woods alone?

I should have stayed with Beck and helped his brother. After I save his brother, he’ll be reasonable and help me find my way home. This was an act of pure arrogance. Or desperation. I wanted to spare my heart, but it looks like I’ve put much more at risk.

“Can I help you, miss?”

The sound makes me start in pure terror. I spin around and barely miss clocking the little man with my twirling bag. Naturally I end up on my ass in the dirt, looking up at the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. Given my recent travails, that’s saying something.

He’s small, no more than four feet tall, with a stocky body. He’s barrel-chested with squat legs. His torso is the longest part of him. His face is dominated by a large, doughy nose, and his skin has splotches of yellow across it. He seriously needs to get his liver checked.

The suit he wears is the most disconcerting thing about him, though. It’s a brilliant, vibrant red. From the top hat on his head to the socks and shoes on his small feet, every piece of clothing he wears is red. The man brushes invisible lint off his coat and shakes the tails out. They trail along the dirt. He looks down at me, waiting for a response.

“I’m lost,” is the only thing I can think to say.

The red man cocks a bushy eyebrow. His accent is even heavier than Beck’s. “Are you, now? And here I was thinking you were out for a pleasant walk in the woods.”

I shake my head. “I need to get back to the marketplace.”

The red man frowns. “And why would you need to do that? See, I was thinking a girl like you would prefer to go home to the Earth plane.”

On this announcement, the red man turns and begins walking down the path. I scramble to my feet to chase after him. Can he really get me home?

Do I want to go home? Of course I do. Don’t I? The idea of Beck’s brother dying without my help weighs on me. Shouldn’t I try to help? I shove the question aside for the moment.

“How did you know that?” I ask, following him.

He winks a dark eye my way. “I know everything, little human. I know you couldn’t possibly want to stay here. Your home is waiting for you.”

“Yes.” Even though he’s a good foot and several inches shorter than me, he moves quickly. I have to jog to keep up with the little man. “I was taken from my home, and then they sold me at some tournament thingy, and apparently now I’m married, but I didn’t say ‘I do,’ so I don’t think I am. I just want to get home.”

That’s the right answer. Yes, I should hurry. I need to get home to my fantastic life on the Earth plane. I need to get back to work, so I can go back to my dreary apartment at the end of a long day and microwave something I don’t want to eat and watch television I don’t care about. I don’t want to stay and explore this strange place. I don’t want to give that gorgeous hunk of a man a chance. I certainly don’t want to meet the other, possibly even hotter, half of him. No, I wanted to go back to a place that probably doesn’t even realize I’m gone.

I’m being an idiot.

I stop in the middle of the trail. A vision of Beck swamps my senses, and I’m stunned by how much I feel for him. I’m walking away from Beck after a day?

Everything crystallizes as I stand in the middle of a faery forest. I have to shake my head in an attempt to think clearly. I’m in the middle of a freaking faery forest. All of my life, I daydreamed and read fantasy novels and did anything I could to escape my sad reality. In those daydreams I’m a different person. I’m a confident, lovable woman who faces challenges head on. Who fights for what I want.

Maybe it’s time to be the person I’ve always wanted to be.

I’ve been scared up until now. No. I’m still scared, but something else takes over in this moment. Some deep sense of adventure. I’ve waited for this all of my life, and now I’m running away?

“Come along, miss.” The red man stares curiously. “Well, what are you waiting for? I can get you home.”

I can’t believe I’m doing this. I shake my head in the negative. It’s insane, but my decision is made. I’m going to help Beck save his brother. I’m going to explore and see what’s out here. I’m going to gently try to push Beck into the kind of relationship that will satisfy us both. “I changed my mind. I don’t want to go home. Honestly, my life there kind of sucked. Maybe life here will suck, too, but shouldn’t I give it a chance? When you think about it, it’s kind of cool. I mean, I have seen more weird-ass shit in the last twenty-four hours than most people see in a lifetime. Vampires. How freaking cool is that? They have their own plane and apparently are just as interested in their stock portfolios as they are in blood. And gnomes. Sure, they didn’t actually have any travel tips for me, so they weren’t like the ones at home, but the ones at home are ceramic. They aren’t half as awesome as the ones here. And the sidhe.” I sigh. “I think I care about him. He needs me. I can’t walk away.”

“So you don’t want to go home?”

Now that I’m being honest with myself I have no idea what I was thinking before. “Screw my home. Somewhere out there is this superhot faery. He paid a lot of money for me. My ex-husband never took me to any place nicer than a Chili’s because he was a cheap ass. Beck already spent more on me than any man ever has, and then he had to do the Fight Club thing. No one ever fought for me before. Sure, he was kind of a dickhead afterward, but I think I can work on that problem. And I haven’t even met his other half. I think they’re identical. Twins should be identical, right? Even if they aren’t, even if he’s unattractive, I’ll be okay with it because Cian is a part of Beck. If I care about one, then I have to accept the other. Right?”

The red man takes a deep breath. “You’re a strange girl. You speak faster than my ears work. Are you saying you no longer wish to return to your own plane?”

“Yes. I’m going to give this marriage thing another shot. Apparently, if it doesn’t work out, murder is always an option. Beck promised me.” See. I have outs. Of course Beck’s going to be pissed I left. Maybe I can tell him I was looking for a place to use the bathroom. Or trying to find him because I got lonely.

Maybe he’ll spank me.

“Well, that throws a different light on the thing, then,” the red man mutters.

“What?” I wasn’t sure I properly caught that last part. The small man doesn’t make sense.

His face is jovial as he looks up, as though all his consternation has floated away. “Nothing, dear, nothing at all. I think it’s marvelous that you’ve decided to give the king another chance. Love is more important than any other consideration. I know how to get you back to your husband, dearie.”

He starts down the path again. I follow him eagerly this time. It would be best if I can get back before Beck realizes I’m gone. When I find my way to camp I’ll throw off my clothes and sneak into our nest of blankets. When Beck shows up, I’ll tempt him into bed where I intend to prove to him we’re perfect together.

“How do you know all this stuff?” I didn’t mention that my husband is the king. I follow the red man off the path and hear water flowing somewhere close by. Maybe I haven’t gotten so far. We followed a river last night to get to our campsite by the lake. I must be getting close.

“I know everything, dearie,” the man states plainly. “It’s all a part of who I am.”

Before I can continue the line of questioning, I’m halted by a sight so beautiful it takes my breath away.

We’ve crested a small hill, and the river is now in view. There’s an early morning mist floating off the water giving everything a hazy, soft feel. Standing gracefully in the shallows is the most elegant horse I’ve ever seen. It’s pure white and gives off a sheen of sweetness and innocence as it leans down and drinks.

Magic. This whole place is magic. How could I have ever thought about leaving?

“It’s so beautiful.” I speak in hushed tones, not wanting to scare it off.

“She’s magic, dear,” the red man explains. “She roams the forest and aids travelers in getting to their destinations.”

I search my brain, trying to remember the one class I took in mythology and lore. It was mostly about the Greek and Roman gods, but there was a small section on Irish folklore. I think I skipped that day. My penchant for urban fantasy and romance novels are the only reason I know what a sidhe is.

“She’ll take me to Beck?”

There’s an odd light in the red man’s eyes. “Yes, dearie. She’ll take you to your husband.” He notes my hesitation and shrugs. “Or you can walk aimlessly through the woods and never find him. These woods are enchanted. If you don’t know your way around them, you could be lost forever. Your husband will wander the woods, seeking you. It happens all the time.”

The red man looks like he can’t care less what I do. Time is running out. I decided to take a chance on Beck, so it only follows I can take another. “All right. How do I get back to him?”

The red man is already retreating. “She will tell you.” I turn and the red man is completely gone. His voice still echoes through the trees. “Just let her lead you home.”

A shiver passes through me, but there’s nothing else to do but take the chance. I start toward the river. The horse turns her head toward me, and for a moment I worry that I’ll startle it away. Then the gentle eyes look right through me, and I feel as if the horse can see to my soul. Now that I’m close, I can see that there are flowers woven into the mare’s mane. The mare has obviously been swimming in the river because her mane drips with pure river water.

Feeling more comfortable, I step closer. The horse’s eyes seem luminous in the early morning light. It feels like a magical moment when I hold my hand out and gently brush the horse. I’m surprised to find the skin cold. There’s no warmth in the flesh, but perhaps I’m being fanciful. Of course, if the horse has been wading through the river, it follows that her skin will be cold.

The horse snickers, a welcoming sound. She shakes her head and gracefully leans down, as though inviting me to mount her.

“Okay, but I gotta warn you, I’m not good at this.” The horse shakes her mane. Suddenly, I know the horse wants me to haul myself up this way. “I hope this doesn’t hurt.”

I wrap my fingers in her mane, noting the flowers seem to be attached to weeds in some places. I manage to get my leg over the horse’s back and am pleased when I get into an upright position.

“Piece of cake,” I mutter to myself. My hands are shaking as I try to pull them out of the mane to get a better hold. “Take me back to my husband.”

My hands seem stuck in the coarse hairs. I pull, but they don’t budge. I try to shift my legs. They hold fast to the horse’s flesh.

The horse snickers. This time it sounds less gentle, more triumphant, and not in a good way. The horse’s eyes narrow and become somewhat cruel.

“Oh, shit.” Something has gone very wrong.

The horse rears up and takes off at a gallop. I fly with her and then scream as the horse plunges us both into the deepest part of the river. I feel the horse stiffen as something hits it, but it doesn’t matter.

My scream is cut off as water begins to fill my lungs.

Chapter Eleven

Beck

I panic when I realize she’s run. She did it. She left me. My heart starts to pound. The anger will come later. Now I’m overcome with fear. These woods are dangerous. What had I been thinking, bringing her through here without a proper escort? But then, I can’t afford a proper escort. Damn me, I shouldn’t have purchased a wife I can’t properly take care of. She’s going to die here, and then I’ll lie down beside my brother and allow myself to fade.

Maybe that’s what I should have done in the first place.

Stop it. This is no time for doubt or pity. If I’m going to save my wayward wife, I need to think clearly. Find her trail.

It’s not hard. Meggie doesn’t have any idea how to hide it. Her boot prints are plain in the dirt path. I toss my bow and quiver over my shoulder. I’m fully armed. I have the sword on my back and knives placed in various sheaths across my body. I toss aside the two rabbits I killed for breakfast. My appetite is completely gone. All that matters is finding Meg before something else finds her.

As I begin to jog down the trail, I watch for signs of her, but my mind is caught in a punishing trap.

She ran because I was too rough with her. She gave me a second chance after I treated her horribly in the arena, and what did I do? I spread her legs painfully wide and shoved into her as hard and long as I could. I covered her with my heavy body and forced her to take all of me. She is so small, yet I pushed myself in, all the way to my balls. It probably hurt. She said she liked it, but I know the truth.

I’ve known that my compulsions are perverse since I was sixteen years old. I had a strong, overwhelming sex drive from the moment I hit manhood. I tried to hide it from everyone except my brother, who matched me. Cian doesn’t seem to need the same things I do, though. Cian can be gentle and sweet with a woman. I need to bend her to my will. It’s my obsession. I thought I found a good match in one of my mother’s handmaids. She was a few years older than me and didn’t seem to mind when I ordered her to take my cock in her mouth or spread her legs so I could look at her pussy. She seemed to like it. My father found us just as I was discovering the joys of shoving my cock up her tight ass.

I’ll never forget the look of horror in my father’s eyes. He looked at me like he never saw my before. Like I was a dangerous animal. Father beat me with the flat of his sword. Then he sat me down to explain a few things to me.

Sometimes I think his words hurt far more than the sword.

According to my father, the maid went along with my perversions because I was a prince. I had power over her, and she feared me. Which is why she wouldn’t tell me when I hurt her. Which I almost surely had. Women, he explained, are fragile creatures. They required gentleness. Anything else was monstrous. If they said they liked my rough ways, they’re lying to gain my favor. Father explained that if I treated my bondmate this way, she would leave both me and Cian, and I would bring great shame to my family.

I was solemn and careful around Maris. There was no sex at all with her, and sexual contact would never have been allowed until we bonded. I vowed to treat her with honor and to never let her know about the beast inside me.

Why can’t I do the same with Meggie? My heart is sick. I care about her. I’ve seen deep into her soul. I know without doubt that I could never have cared for Maris the way I do Meg. No matter what anyone says, bondmates aren’t interchangeable.

Meggie is soft and vulnerable, despite that tart tongue of hers. She wants to please me. I have to be a man and show her she doesn’t need to. She wasn’t born into Fae society. She doesn’t understand the sacred contract between a bondmate and her husband. It would be easy to take what she’s offering. She’ll never know the difference, but it wouldn’t be honorable.

She’s left the trail here. I can see that she’s almost walked a complete circle. Maybe she’s back at camp, having learned that the woods are tricky. Maybe she’s waiting for me.

I will be gentle with her. I won’t allow my rage at her defiance to show. I damn sure won’t do what I want to. I want to pull her pants down, spank her bare ass red, and then fuck her until she begs me to stop. I wanted to imprint myself on her so strongly she’ll never run from me again.

I almost make it to the hill above the river when a wave of pure fear crashes into me. For the barest second I struggle but then realize the powerful emotion isn’t coming from me. I feel Meg’s terror before I hear the scream. It floods my body, causing my heart to pound and my soul to ache. She’s so scared, and she instinctively reached across the distance to find me. The bow is in my hand as I crest the hill. In one smooth move, I pull and notch an arrow. I’m aiming before I even know what threatens her.

A kelpie. A fucking kelpie has Meggie. She’s on the kelpie’s back, and it’s already taking off. Her scream echoes through the forest. That sound will haunt me forever. I let the arrow fly, hoping to hit the heart before the horse gets away with my wife. I hear the thud of the arrow striking flesh, but it doesn’t slow the damn thing down. The horse plunges into the icy river and Meg disappears.

Her panic threatens to take over my mind. She doesn’t know how to shield, likely doesn’t understand she’s flooding me with her fear. I do the only thing I can. I forcefully cut the connection between us. I can’t do what I need to do if I’m overwhelmed with her fear. I rush out into the river, cursing the cold. I take three deep, long breaths to fill my lungs, pull out a cold iron knife, and dive after them.

The river is clear and the early morning light illuminates the scene. The kelpie has gone deep. She sits patiently at the bottom of the river among the thick reeds that sway with the current. It would be a peaceful scene except for the woman struggling to survive. She can’t. The horse will hold her in place until the river takes her life. When Meg is dead, the kelpie will release her and devour her. If I hadn’t found her, the only thing I would be left with is her heart. The kelpies never eat the hearts of their victims.

Meg is still struggling, but I can tell she’s already failing. Her eyes flare as she sees me swimming toward her. She tries so hard to push her body toward me, as though in her last moments, she needs to get as close to me as possible. I swim straight to her and take her head in my hands. I kiss her, forcing the air I hold in my mouth down to her lungs. It’s not much, but I need every second if I’m going to save her.

I try to cut through the coarse hairs that hold her hands to the kelpie. The horse is having none of that. She kicks out, trying to catch me with her powerful legs. I don’t dare touch the mane with my own hands, lest I get as trapped as my wife.

The horse catches me in the chest. I fly back in the water, all the air blowing from my lungs. I float helplessly up to the surface. I drag air into my chest. The knife is still in my hands. I managed to hold onto it.

How long had she been under? How long can a human go without breath in her body?

She isn’t Fae. Her small body is more fragile. Goddess, I’m going to lose her. I breathe in one last time and dive again.

This time Meg is slumped over. She moves as the current moves, and her beautiful hair sways with the reeds. I can’t give up. I go straight for the monster trying to take my woman. I avoid the strong, kicking legs of the kelpie and savagely go straight for its throat. This time I don’t even try to keep my hands clear. I forcefully plant my left hand in the horse’s mane. It sticks immediately. I can’t move it, but it serves as an anchor. If I can’t kill the fucker, I’ll go down with Meg. I’ll die as close to my mate as possible.

With a sort of savage glee, I shove the blade I hold in my right hand deeply into the horse’s throat. The kelpie, unable to kick me at this angle, tries to use her teeth to bite. I dodge her mouth. I use every bit of strength I have left to drag the blade through the kelpie’s thick flesh. As the water around me clouds with blood, I know I’ll kill the monster, but it’s too late. I feel my consciousness begin to fade. We’ll die down here. Cian will never know what happened. We’re too far from each other. He might feel some sense of my panic, but nothing solid. Cian will fade, never knowing why I didn’t return.

Then suddenly my hand is free, and I feel myself beginning to float.

I shake my head as my lungs start to burn and force myself to move. I have to get a hand on Meg. I pull at her shirt and start to swim for the surface. I kick my legs, even though weariness threatens to drag me back down. I use every bit of my will to propel myself and Meg toward the light above.

The sun is warm on my skin when I reach the surface and am finally able to breathe in sweet, clean air. Meg is a deadweight in my arms. I have to get her to land before I can try anything. I swim as fast as my legs will take me. Seeing her skin so blue sparks an adrenaline rush that powers me through the water. When I can touch the bottom, I pull her small frame into my arms and race to the shore.

“Please come back,” I mutter as I lay her down. I fill my lungs and then open her mouth. I cover her lips with mine, sealing them together, and then push the air into her lungs.

Nothing.

I try again, my heart racing. She can’t be dead. I would have felt it. I’m sure I would know. But then I threw up barriers. If she died alone, I’ll never forgive himself. She would have died reaching out to me, and I coldly closed our bond.

I try a third time. I worry this is how they’ll find me. Trying and trying to save the most precious person in my life. I’ll just stay here, filling her lungs until I can’t anymore.

Suddenly her eyes flutter, and her whole body convulses. I turn her over as she throws up the water in her lungs. Her body shakes as I pull her close. I freely opened our connection, letting her feel the relief flooding my body. She starts to cry and turns over to clutch at me. Her arms wind around me and she sobs against my chest.

I stroke her hair and rock with her. I close my eyes and hold her close. She’s alive. That’s all I can ask for.

Chapter Twelve

Meg

I’m still shivering hours later as I sit in Beck’s lap atop Sweeney’s great back. Beck has spoken very little since he saved me. It seemed like a good thing to let him stew at the time, but it’s been many miles since he said a word. I’m getting tired of the silence. I want to start over. I’ve made the decision to give us a real chance and I’m impatient.

After the incident with the homicidal water horse, Beck took me back to camp and warmed me up. He carefully laid my wet clothes by the fire to dry. He cleaned and cooked a couple of rabbits and forced me to eat. He lay under the blankets with me until he was satisfied I wouldn’t die from the cold. Then he gave me back the dry clothes and packed up our camp. He said all of ten words to me, most of them commands. The silence is becoming unbearable.

I do the only thing I can think of. If I’m staying with him, then I need to start training him. Sure, it usually goes the other way. The submissive gets trained by the Dom, but I’ve decided that my Dom is a dumbass and things will work differently for us. I never actually got those books I ordered off the Internet, so I’m on my own. I have to let my instincts guide me.

Everything I’ve said or done has been consciously submissive. I’ve been giving in to my every urge. I cuddle up against him, giving him all of my affection. Even while riding, I hold on to his waist and bury my face in the curve of his neck. He probably doesn’t notice, but he relaxes when I cling to him. He prefers to be in physical contact with me.

I watch from my cozy place as the forest gives way to what looks like an endless field. Still, Beck is silent.

“Are we almost home?” I ask, looking up at him.

“Almost,” he replies stoically.

“I’m sorry.” I nuzzle against his neck. I absolutely love the smell of him. “Are you ever going to forgive me?”

His eyes are serious as he looks down at me, but he doesn’t move away.

“It hasn’t been very long, love. My bones are still cold from jumping in the river after you. Perhaps you should let me warm up before we start talking about forgiveness.” He sighs and rubs my back soothingly. “I don’t blame you. I should have known you would run.”

“I wasn’t running,” I protest. Beck’s eyebrows arch skeptically. “Okay, so I was at first. Then I realized that I want to give this thing a chance. We really do have a connection, and I want to explore that. I know you won’t believe it, but I was trying to get back to you. I got lost.”

“Of course you got lost,” Beck says with a frown. “You don’t know your way around the forest. You could have been killed. You almost were.”

I smile up at him. “You saved me.”

“Barely.”

I think about the strange little man in his red suit. I shiver as I consider the fact that he told me to get on the kelpie and ride. “Are those kelpie things common here?”

Beck shakes his head. “No, but they are very famous.”

“So anyone who lives here would know not to ride one.” I’m starting to believe that little red dude had it out for me.

“This is what we refer to as a neutral plane. That means there wasn’t a civilization here when we found it. Fae creatures have wandered off and on the place for centuries. Some stayed. I suppose there are plenty of beings on the plane that might not understand what a kelpie is.”

“So he might not have known.” He might have been confused. Though I have a hard time believing that. He seemed to know the forest very well.

“Who might not have known?” Beck’s voice goes positively glacial. “Did you meet someone in the woods?”

I might have been better off keeping my mouth shut. “It was a man, a little man. He seemed old. He said he could take me to my home plane.”

Beck stops the horse and looks down at me, his expression a mask of horror. “You met a Planeswalker? Oh, goddess, Meggie, that was a demon. What did you promise him?”

I shake my head vigorously. “Nothing. I told him I wanted to get back to you, and he pointed me to the kelpie. That was a demon? I thought they’d be bigger. I also thought they would have more style. I guess red is kind of their color, though.”

Beck lets out a long breath of air. “He was a short man, dressed in red from head to toe?”

I nod.

“It was Far Darrig. He’s a trickster. It’s his mission to trick travelers. He can read your mind, so he knows how to get to you.” Clicking his teeth, Beck gets the horse moving again. “Don’t talk to strangers. I don’t want you to be alone until you get used to this place. If you need to go somewhere, you take me or Cian with you.”

Beck returns to his silence, his eyes on the road, watching for threats.

“Will you kiss me?” I don’t want to think about all the creatures on this plane that might kill us. I have other things to worry about. I have a husband to train.

“You want me to kiss you?” His voice rises slightly as he asks the question, as though he isn’t sure he heard me correctly.

“Yes,” I reply with as much innocence as I can manage. “I have since the moment I met you. Kiss me, please. It makes me feel safe.”

His gray eyes look slightly mystified, but he bends his head down and softly kisses my lips. I hold still, letting him control the kiss. It’s gentle, tender even, and when he pulls away, he kisses the top of my head as well. He settles his cloak around my shoulders, surrounding me with warmth.

I try pushing my contentment outward. I’m not sure about how the whole psychic connection works, but I know it’s there. He needs to know and come to trust that I’m happy with him.

When I feel him chuckle deep in his chest, I know it worked. That chuckle is the sound of a man satisfied with himself. For some reason, Beck is unsure of his ability to please a woman. His instincts are all screwed up. Something happened to make him doubt himself and turn his back on his true nature. I have to smash that wall down if we’re going to be happy. I’ll use our connection to do it. Somewhere along the way I fall asleep, happily thinking of all the ways I intend to get past his barriers.

“Wake up, love.” His voice pulls me from my nap.

I try to sit up and realize Sweeney has stopped moving.

“Well, finally,” a familiar voice says from below. I rub my eyes and see Dante standing with crossed arms, looking up at us. He looks haggard and tired. “It took you forever. I expected you late this morning.”

“Meg decided to take a ride on a kelpie,” Beck replies sardonically. “It caused me to push back my schedule.”

Dante’s green eyes go wide, and his mouth drops open. He’s utterly fangless now.

“Seriously?” He turns my way. “What the hell were you thinking? Kelpies like to eat people.”

I stiffen at the thought of what might have happened. “It was going to eat me? You didn’t tell me it was planning on eating me.”

“Well, it wasn’t inviting you to tea.”

Beck hands me down to the vampire. Dante sets me squarely on my feet.

“It was a close thing. The kelpie took her deep. I had to slit its throat before it would let her go. I damn near drowned myself.”

“That explains it.” Dante rubs a palm across his forehead. “Early this morning, Cian stopped breathing. It freaked me out. I really thought he was dead this time. He started again after a minute of my frantically shaking him. I was surprised that worked. He’s weaker than I thought.”

Beck slaps his cousin on the shoulder. “It’ll be fine now.” He turns to his horse and releases the saddle on its back. With an easy strength, he hefts the heavy saddle with one arm and smacks the horse’s rump with the other. “Go on now. Go rest.” The great beast lumbers off to wherever it goes to rest.

“You haven’t seen him.” Dante rushes after Beck. “He’s worse than ever. I don’t know if you can bring him back.”

I follow the small procession, trying to take in my new home as I hurry to keep up. It looks a little like a farm out of the shire from Lord of the Rings. If the inhabitants had averaged six and a half feet and let everything decay around them.

The front yard is badly in need of attention. There’s a small flower garden, but whatever grew there lost the battle against invading weeds long ago. There’s also an odd-looking motorcycle leaning against a fence. The bike proudly boasts a Harley-Davidson logo. So weird.

Beck sighs as he looks at the garden, completely ignoring the bike. There’s an air of unsurprised disappointment about him. “I suppose the vegetable garden is the same.”

“Worse.” Dante’s boot kicks the dirt where there should have been flowers growing. “Flanna and some girls from the village came and saved what they could. She said she would preserve the vegetables and make jelly from the strawberries, but that was all she could promise.”

Beck nods. “I’ll be sure to thank her in the morning. Her family is good to us. We’ll need every bit we can salvage if we’re going to make it through the winter.”

“Damn it, Beck. I can help.”

Whatever the vampire is about to say is cut off by Beck’s low growl. “I’ll provide for my wife.”

I slip my hand into Beck’s. Now is a good time to continue his training. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

I’m not. I am slightly terrified. The house, or brugh as Beck calls it, is small, and though solidly built, there’s an air of neglect about it. I have more work to do than I could have imagined. I try to let none of that slip through. I focus on giving off an air of trust and love.

“I promise you won’t go hungry,” Beck says, stroking my hair. He does it unconsciously now. He hasn’t started reaching for me yet, but when I touch him, he pulls me close and seems to revel in the contact.

“I know,” I say, giving him a sweet smile.

Beck sighs and squeezes my shoulders. “I’m going in, love. You stay out here for a moment with Dante. Let me get Cian ready. He’d kill me if I let you see him at his worst.”

The door opens and closes behind him. I’m left alone with a grinning Dante.

“The human learns,” Dante snarks.

I roll my eyes and punch him on the arm. I’ve never had an obnoxious brother, but that’s what Dante feels like. In some ways, I’m more comfortable with him than Beck. “I’ll have you know I’m highly educated, asshole. I have two degrees. How many do you have?”

“Only the one,” Dante allows. His chest puffs with pride. “I graduated from the most respected business college in America.”

“You mean Vampire America.” I really want to see what America looks like with vamps in control. “What did you major in? Boozing? Partying? Falling asleep in class?”

Dante looks thrilled with my new attitude. “The real Meggie Finn comes to life, thank the gods. I thought you were a little boring there for a while, but I caught the faintest hint of bitch, so I had hope. I merely minored in boozing, though I was excellent at it, thank you. I have a degree in management systems. How about you?”

“English and history,” I reply, looking out at the barn. It needs a coat of paint, but it seems solid. There’s a pen with what I hope are regular, non-homicidal sheep in the far field. I’m not going to presume. After all, the horses here try to eat people.

Dante snorts. “You studied English? Seriously? You got a degree in a language you already speak?”

“There’s more to it than that.” It’s not the first time I had to defend my choice of degrees. “There are novels, and the study of how to write.”

“The schools must be different there. I knew how to write in first grade. I guess you’re slower. All I know is my parents would never have paid for me to lounge around for four years studying a language I already knew how to speak and reading DLs. Maybe you should have taken a course in how to avoid getting eaten by deadly forest creatures.”

I plant my feet and scowl. “It wasn’t like there was a sign saying watch out for woman-eating horses. How was I supposed to know?”

“You weren’t supposed to run,” Dante says with a sad shake of his head. “You were supposed to listen to my advice and stick it out with Beck. They didn’t teach common sense at your school, did they?”

“I’m not running anymore. I am done with running away. It only gets me into trouble. For your information, I’ve decided to take your advice and work on Beck.”

Leaning against the side of the house, Dante’s smile becomes slightly lascivious. “Have you got him to top you yet, sweetheart?”

I return the smile without a hint of self-consciousness. I’m also through with feeling ashamed of the things I want. Nearly dying in an icy-cold river trapped by a horse with Super Glue for skin cured me of that. In some ways I feel different. Like the river changed me. I feel…fierce. “Not yet, but I’m working on the problem. So you know something about the type of relationship I want with Beck?”

The vampire shrugs. “Sure. It’s common where I come from. You’ve got to understand, he has his reasons for being afraid of what he needs. You’ll have to pull it out of him.”

“That might be hard. I have no idea what I’m doing. It’s not like I’ve had a Dom before. I know what I want, but I’m not sure how to get it.”

“I can help you with that.” He pulls out that ever-present tablet. It apparently has a home inside his jacket. He types something on the keyboard and flips it around. The LCD screen flows as an enormous list of downloadable material on the subject comes up.

“Have a problem? We’ve got a DL to solve it.” He lets his lanky body slide down to sit in the dirt by the front door. “Sit with me, Meg. We’ll see what we can learn.”

I take a deep breath and stare at the vampire. It’s time to make a deal. “I will, but only on one condition.”

“I’ll bite,” Dante says with an ironic grin.

“Later, you have to take me for a ride on that motorcycle.” The bike looks cool.

“You got it, sister,” Dante agrees.

I’m satisfied and sink down beside Dante.

Chapter Thirteen

Beck

I walk into the house and swear silently. How I managed to live with that slob brother of mine for thirty years without killing him is a mystery to me. The small living room and kitchen area are cluttered, and it looks like no one has done a single dish since I’ve been gone.

“You were supposed to be fading, Ci,” I mutter to myself. “Not wrecking the kitchen.”

I quickly go around, straightening up what I can so Meg doesn’t take one look at her new home and walk out. She might think the woods are cleaner.

“Beck?” Cian’s voice is weak and barely carries out of the bedroom.

“I’m here.” I walk through the door and am grateful because the bedroom is far neater than the kitchen. Someone cleaned up in here. There are neat piles of papers and books stacked around the room. More than likely it was Dante. Vampires tend to be a bit fastidious. If my cousin spent the night and this morning sitting at Cian’s bedside, he probably felt compelled to straighten up a bit.

The room is dim, all the shutters closed. I walk to the two small windows and toss them open, letting the afternoon light in. It illuminates my twin’s self-proclaimed deathbed.

Cian lays on his side. His hair is lackluster, and he’s lost weight. In the light of day, his skin looks pasty. Though he probably hasn’t been out of bed much for the better part of two months, he looks tired and haggard. I try to summon some sympathy and find none.

“Get out of bed, ya bastard.” I kick the frame. All this time I’ve been trying to save us and he’s been napping. The frame shakes, but Cian stubbornly stays prone.

“No,” Cian replies with far more bite than a dying man should have. He pulls the quilt up to his neck and pointedly closes his eyes. “I’m done. It ain’t worth it. I can’t think anymore. My mind won’t work.”

“You think you’re the only one having trouble?” I’m tired of listening to my brother’s whining. Sometimes Cian forgets he’s not the only one hurting. “I wanted to kill everything in my path for a while there. I had to stop myself from going into a rage and killing innocent people. You just can’t focus.”

Cian’s gray eyes open suddenly and burn with resentment. “You can’t understand. I can’t even read a book anymore. My mind drifts. Sometimes I don’t remember where I am. Do you know what it’s like to have everything that made you who you are taken away?”

I roll my eyes. “I bloody well do. You’re not the only one who’s in trouble here.”

Cian shakes his head and dramatically turns away. “I don’t want to fight anymore. There’s no point to it. I haven’t the energy. Can’t we just get along? It won’t be long before I’m gone. I feel it. I feel death coming for me.”

“You sound like a bad play,” I say with an affectionate laugh. Cian has always been overly dramatic. Goddess, it will be good to have my brother back.

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

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

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

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

It’s time to get my brother moving. I can’t leave Meggie alone for too long. She gets into trouble. “I didn’t really go hunting. I went to 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 lazy bastard.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He needs far more than clean clothes. I can smell him from here. “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’m not worried about sharing Meg with him. I’ve expected it all of my life. I’ve shared everything with Cian. I want to share a life, a real life, with Cian and Meg. I walk to the dresser and pull out clean clothes and a bar of soap. “But I should 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’ll need a little intelligent conversation. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but mostly you grunt.”

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

Cian tosses off the pants he’s been wearing. “I can’t believe you bonded without me.”

It wasn’t what we planned. It wasn’t anything close to the traditional 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 myself fully to her. She will never be able to handle some of the things I’ve done. I have to keep part of my soul to myself. The dark parts. “You would have done the same, little brother. Trust me. Once you’ve seen her, you’ll understand.”

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

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

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

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

Cian’s spine straightens. “We’ll make sure she’s got nothing to be afraid of, then.”

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

As happy as I am, getting married also brings about a range of problems. I’m going to have to figure out a way to bring in some steady income because I don’t want Meg to feel she has to keep the house. She’s a bondmate, not a housewife. I’ve made up my mind to talk to Dante about the situation. Susan Dellacourt told me she’s always interested in my services. The vampire companies have long-reaching arms and always have some strange security problem clogging up the roads of trade. I might be able to make decent money that way.

In the back of my mind, I know once word gets out that Cian and I have bonded, the loyalists will come calling. They’ll offer me a lot to lead the attempt to reclaim Tír na nÒg. They will come, and the pressure will be 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 avenge my 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 was raised for, but it’s mine. I can have a good life with Meg and Cian, and eventually our children. All of that could be lost if I gamble our lives on taking back the crown.

I shake off the dark thoughts. It’s a worry for another day. Today I need to feed them, and that’s all that matters. I hope Cian hasn’t managed to kill all our chickens while he was busy fading. I walk out the back and down to the chicken coop where I select a particularly healthy hen.

The hen is big and will make a good meal. The day might have started rough, but if it ends with a full belly and a warm bed, I’ll call it perfect.

Chapter Fourteen

Cian

The cold water shakes the cobwebs out of my mind with a teeth-jarring shock. I take a deep breath and force myself to go under, the chill prickling along my skin.

I need to think clearly. I can’t give in to the chaos that swirls through me constantly now.

It’s been almost impossible lately. The thoughts in my head come and go like butterflies flitting in and out. I can’t catch them and I can’t keep them. They’re too fast. A thought will come, and I’ll get excited because I know how to fix some of the problems we’ve been having around the farm. I’ll start to follow through on it, and then I’m standing somewhere wondering exactly how I got here.

A little like now.

I can’t talk about it with my brother. Beck has his own problems. He doesn’t need to worry about his little brother’s failing brain, but it’s becoming something I can’t hide. Even if I try to conceal my problems, I’ll forget what I’m trying to do. It’s easier when Beck is around to ground me. When my brother is in close proximity, I’m able to focus for longer periods of time.

I break the surface of the water and sure enough the panic is back. Where am I? Why is it so cold? Terror threatens to take over. I don’t know where I am. I was in bed. I was in our brugh in bed. Slow down. I take a deep breath and banish the fear. Fear won’t fix the problem. It will only make me look like a fool, and then Father will be angry with me.

I can solve this through logic. Like my teachers have trained me. I seem to be swimming.

Where is my sister? Bron loves to swim, but she isn’t allowed to go alone. Since Beck is always training, always following our father, I’m the one who takes our sister swimming. Where is Bron? I’m supposed to look after her.

No. I’m bathing, and my father is dead. My head aches as much as my heart as I process the loss like it happened yesterday. Bronwyn is dead, and so is our mother. They’ve been gone a long time. Uncle Torin killed them and took our father’s throne. Beck and I are outcasts. Yes, I remember that part. I’m not a child anymore. I’m a man. I have to act like one.

I look down at the soap in my hand and decide that as long as I’m here, I should clean up. I feel grungy. I think I’ve been sick. I was in bed for a long time. It seemed like a smart thing to do. The big bed is a familiar place. I always know where I am when I’m in bed. Even if I get lost in memory, the bed is safe.

There’s always a voice whispering to me that the bed is a nice place to be. It’s better than eating or being up and about. I can drift away if I only allow myself to.

I manage to soap my hair before my mind shifts again, and I forget what I’m supposed to be doing. My body has become used to the chill of the pond. It’s a simple thing to float on my back and gaze up at the sky.

The sky above me is a vibrant blue. Puffy white clouds take on various shapes and forms. Some of the damn things remind me of equations. The shapes can be described mathematically. I always wanted to study math. Father promised me when I turn nineteen, Beck and I can go live with our aunt for a while on the Vampire plane. Beck is going to learn their fighting techniques and make political contacts. I’m going to the university. I’m going to study. It will be marvelous. I can’t wait to meet other students and talk to professors. I won’t be going to the same school as my cousin, Dante, but we’ll be close.

I’m going to be surrounded by books.

And I’ll be able to get away from the stuffy old court. Someone is always watching me, waiting for me to screw up and break the rules. I’m not good at following protocols or behaving in a matter befitting a prince of the realm. Father is constantly on me about how much I embarrass my brother and our fiancée.

But I’ll be free on the Vampire plane. I can meet some girls who don’t look at me like I’m a fool. They won’t compare me to my big brother and find me lacking.

What is Father thinking? Maris is a righteous bitch who’s cold to everyone she meets. How am I ever going to work up the will to fuck her? I don’t think Beck wants to fuck her, either. They’re always so polite to each other. There isn’t an ounce of passion between them. Shouldn’t we want to fuck the woman we’re going to be forced to spend the rest of our lives with?

Oooo, that cloud looks like a squirrel.

“Beckett Finn,” a feminine voice calls out. “What are you doing? Get out of there. You must be freezing.”

I twist my body and let my feet find the bottom of the pond. A blonde female is gracefully rushing toward me. She’s tall and lithe, with straight golden hair that hangs down her back, brushing her hips. Her skirts float around long legs, showing the faintest hint of a nicely turned ankle. Her face is lovely. She has a pouty mouth and sky-blue eyes. She looks every inch the perfect Seelie lady.

I don’t want to fuck her either, but I suddenly remember that Beck does and has, and probably will again.

“Liadan.” I remember her name. It’s good. Maybe I’m having a good day. I concentrate and pull the relevant information out of my whacked-out brain.

Liadan O’Neill is a young widow. She fled Tír na nÒg before the plane closed. Her husband died a few years back in a hunting accident. Beck has been visiting her bed for roughly a year now. He hoped Liadan and I would get along. Beck likes to share women with me, but I can’t stand the sight of her. She’s cold. I have no idea why Beck can’t see how calculating she is.

Her lovely face falls. There’s a wealth of disgusted disappointment in her voice, and I remember she doesn’t like me, either. We have a mutual disapproval society going. “Where’s Beckett? I heard from the trolls that he is back from his hunting trip. They saw him riding in from the forest.”

She places her hands on her hips, all attempts at ladylike perfection gone. She won’t waste the effort on me. She mentioned trolls with great distaste. She’s a sidhe who thinks all other Fae creatures are beneath her.

“I don’t know.” I’m able to answer with complete truthfulness. For once, my blank mind is a blessing. Oh, but that’s probably the reason I’m here. Beck’s been gone and he returned. Big brother likely took one look at me and ordered me to bathe.

It explains everything. I can still understand logic.

“Well, ain’t that surprising?” Liadan’s perfect features make for a perfect sneer. “You’re completely good for nothing. I don’t know how your brother puts up with you.”

“And I don’t see how he can stand to touch you long enough to get off,” I shoot back as I make my way toward the edge of the pond, feet dragging in the mud. The soap seems to have floated away.

Why am I here?

“I take care of him just fine.” Liadan stands looking at me with one hand on her hip. She seems supremely sure of her own attractions. “He loves me, you know.”

“No, he doesn’t.” There’s no question in my mind about that. If Beck is in love, then it follows that I would be in love, too. Liadan has never understood the link between symbiotic twins. She treats us like completely separate beings when we aren’t. If Beck’s heart is engaged, then I wouldn’t be able to help myself. I would fall in love, too. I shake my head. Why had the name Meggie suddenly shot through my brain? I don’t know a Meggie. There isn’t anyone named that in the village. Or is there?

Liadan tosses the towel my way. “You’re too stupid to remember. Beck and I are getting married one of these days.”

I stride out of the pond, wrap the towel around my waist, and start back up toward the cottage. I still remember where I live, at least. I don’t pick up the clothes I brought with me. They don’t matter. No one cares what I’m wearing. “No, you’re not. He won’t marry you. You aren’t a bondmate.”

Liadan keeps pace. “He loves me, and there are no more bondmates to be had. He needs to marry. He needs to have children. You know it’s true. He is too important to languish out here on this piss-poor excuse for a plane. He’s let you hold him back far too long.”

My heart aches at the thought of children. I thought we would have a few by now. I love children, and they always love me. I started a small school when we settled in this village. It hadn’t taken long before an entire community of immigrant Fae built up here. They brought their children with them or adopted the orphans they found along the way. Those children required an education. I remember looking at their little faces. I loved teaching them.

Am I supposed to be at school? I should be dressed if I’m going to school.

“Where am I?”

Liadan exhales heavily. “You really are far gone, aren’t you? You won’t remember a thing I say five minutes from now, you poor excuse for a royal. You should lay down, Cian. You should fade. The world would be better if you faded.”

My vision clouds over. I’ve heard this before. I hear that voice when I think about getting up from time to time. I’ll be lying in bed and wonder about something. It can be anything. A recipe. A new way to grow our crops. Cleaning the kitchen so Beck doesn’t think I’m a slob. I’ll think these thoughts and curiosity urges me to get out of bed, but then that voice comes back.

Life will be better for Beck if I fade.

Sometimes I wake up and she’s waiting at my bedside, whispering the words over and over until I believe them. There’s some sort of smoke that goes with these episodes. I always feels so much farther away when I breathe that smoke.

“Get back in your bed, Cian,” Liadan says in a commanding voice. “It’s time to fade. You’ll be happier, and so will Beckett.” The voice becomes soothing. I feel her hands on my shoulders. They’re cold. “It will be nice, won’t it? You can go someplace warm. You can be with your mother and your sister again. You miss them, don’t you?”

“Oh, yes.” A picture of my sister forms in my mind. She was my playmate. Beck was too serious for that. He was always with our father in some important meeting, even when we were young children. Bronwyn was the one to run through the palace halls, screaming with laughter. She’d been the one to explore the river with me and make fun of me when I started to notice girls.

Bronwyn died in my arms.

There’s something wet on my face. Tears. I’m sick of tears. Yes, it would be best to fade. I can’t help Beck. I’m weak. Beck will have a better chance if I’m gone.

Woodenly, I turn toward the cottage. I hear Lia’s satisfied sigh as I leave her, but it doesn’t truly register. I begin to walk past the barn with one thought in my head—I will lie down, and this time I won’t get up for anything. I will be stalwart. I will fade, and the world will be a better place. I walk around to the front of the cottage. I will bolt all the doors, and no one will be able to stop me.

“Beck?”

It’s another feminine voice that pulls me away from my mission, but this one I don’t recognize. I look down and see a petite, curvy woman with a mass of wavy brown hair. No. It isn’t simply brown. There’s red and blonde in it, too. It’s a glorious auburn. The lighter strands catch the late-afternoon light and sparkle. Her hair is beautiful and a bit wild. A proper Fae lady would never wear her hair so wild. Her clothes are traveling clothes, and they aren’t perfectly proper either. She’s left the top of the neck unbuttoned. I’m fascinated by her creamy skin and the soft rise of her breasts.

She’s beautiful.

“No, sweetheart.” A very familiar voice corrects her. Dante. My cousin showed up last night, riding that flying vehicle of his. I used to love to ride on the back of it. Dante threw a fit when I tried to take it apart, though. “That’s not Beck.”

“Leave me alone,” I say, trying to take my eyes off the lovely woman in front of me. There’s nothing cold about this one. Her hazel eyes look up with great concern. Those eyes pull at me. Still, I hear myself talking to my cousin. “Go away, Dante. I have to go to bed. I’m tired.”

Dante’s sigh tells of his weariness of the subject. “Not again.”

The woman reaches out and puts her hand to my chest. Her skin is warm after the chill of the pond. “No, Cian. You need to get dry, and I need to brush out your hair. It’s a mess. It hasn’t been brushed in weeks, it looks like.”

Her small hands suddenly fuss in my hair. She plays gently with it, and I like it. Her hands feel like the flutter of pixie wings against my skin. How long has it been since I was touched by soft hands?

“What is your name?” I look down on her in wonder. She’s so beautiful. She’s a lovely siren, calling me away from duty. I have something to do, but I would rather stay here with her.

She smiles and all the light and warmth in the world is in her face. “I’m Meggie.”

A rush of emotion hits me at the sound of her name. Meggie. I pull her into my arms and hug her with all the strength I have left. After a moment, she winds her arms around my chest and holds me close. I don’t know why I feel this way, but I know she saved me from something. A word to describe her leaps to my addled brain. It’s the only clear thing in my head.

“Wife,” I whisper in her ear.

It’s a prayer.

Chapter Fifteen

Meg

I carefully draw the comb through Cian’s long, midnight-black hair. There are places where it’s tangled and matted. “Tell me if I hurt you.”

“It’s all right. It’s nice to be warm,” Cian murmurs, a long sigh making his chest move. “It’s a cold winter.”

It isn’t winter at all.

I glance back at Dante, who gives me a shrug.

“He doesn’t always know where he is or what year it is,” Dante says softly.

Dante sits on a sofa that has seen better days. Everything about the small cottage is threadbare and worn. Still, it’s warm and cozy. It has far more character than my apartment in Fort Worth.

I’m so far from that place now. I can’t even comprehend how far away I am. I’m worlds away from that life I led.

How long will it be before that is the life that seems like a dream?

Cian feels real. His hair is silky smooth and beautiful. Well, it will be silky smooth when I’m done.

“This is the calmest I’ve seen him in a long time.” Dante sits back. “Just being near you is already helping.”

“I like her, Dante,” Cian says. He turns his head slightly, and I can see a vibrant smile on his face.

Oh, that smile can light up a room. My heart does this weird fluttery thing, but I have to remember that he has issues.

It’s odd to be in the room with a man who looks exactly like Beck yet he’s completely different. Beck is solid, and Cian seems frighteningly fluid. It took time to get him into the house. He wanted to show me things. First, it was the garden. Apparently he thought he planted strawberries and he wanted to share them with me. When he couldn’t find any strawberries, he tried to take me to the palace so I could meet his mother and sister.

He’s so lost, and I’m not sure he can be found again.

“How are you feeling?” Dante asks.

Scared. Hopeful. Scared again. The fact that I haven’t seen Beck in a while is definitely part of the scare factor. “I’m in between fooling myself that this is still some weird dream I’m going to wake up from and feeling like I oddly belong here.”

It’s nothing more than the truth. After the initial shock, I slowed down and carefully studied the place. There’s a softness to the light here that calls to me. I’m not sure how to explain it, but there’s warmth and peace to be had here if I want it, if I open myself to the experience.

There might be love here if I’m brave enough.

To be honest, I’m not sure about the whole two men thing. Especially now that I’ve met Beck’s brother. Cian seems more childlike than anything. Perhaps I don’t understand the situation fully. Perhaps Cian is merely a family member to take care of. The “marriage” thing might be just a label when it comes to Cian.

“You do belong here.” Cian’s hand comes up, catching mine. “You belong with us.”

Had Beck been the one saying it, his hand would have curled over mine possessively and I would feel his need. There’s nothing dark about Cian. He’s being kind. He’s a lovely, sweet reflection of the man I’m coming to know.

“Of course I do.” I use my free hand to pat his shoulder and he sighs again, a sound of contentment before he turns back to the fire and lets me return to my task.

We’re quiet for a moment, the comforting crackle of the fire the only sound between us. Cian seems perfectly content to let me pull and tug on his hair until it’s smooth.

“There.” An unaccountable feeling of accomplishment flows through me. “That’s much better.”

Cian turns and I have to catch my breath. He’s incredibly beautiful, his face a mixture of sharp lines and sensual planes. The firelight softens him, or perhaps it’s simply a function of Cian’s own personality. “Thank you, lady. You are very generous. If there is any fashion in which I can repay your kindness, you have but to let me know.”

The idea that Cian is child-like flees in the wake of the look on his face. He reaches out and takes my hand in his, drawing it up to his mouth. For a second, I think he’ll politely kiss the back of my hand, a genteel gesture. Instead, Cian flips my hand over and kisses my palm, a deeply sensual action I can feel all through my body.

Nope. Not a child.

His lips curve up, and his eyes are hotter than the fire. “I can think of a few ways to express my appreciation.”

“Uhm, I’m good. I was happy to do it.” I feel caught by his eyes.

“I will be happy to thank you. Why don’t we go back to my room? It’s not far. I’ll have the servants bring wine and we can get to know each other better,” Cian says with a heartbreakingly sexy smile.

“That should be interesting.” Dante’s sarcasm breaks the spell, and I pull my hand away. “Can we all agree I will not be playing the role of servant?”

Cian’s expression turns confused, and he looks at his cousin. “What are you doing here? I thought you were on the Vampire plane. Where’s Beck?”

And we’re right back to bonkers. “He’s getting ready to cook dinner.”

Which I think means he’s actually murdering dinner. I’ve been asking to help all day but was happy he turned me down for this particular task.

Cian seems pleased with the idea. “Good. Then there’s time for a nap. I find myself quite tired. I’ll just lay down for a while.”

He curls his body up and lays down right there on the floor, his head nestled on my lap. He cuddles up like a big, gorgeous cat eager to find warmth, and in seconds his breathing takes on the steady rhythm of sleep.

“It’s his superpower.” Dante crosses one leg over the other and relaxes as though he’s settling in. “He always could sleep anywhere, anytime. Although now that’s pretty much what he does. You’ll have to train that out of him. He can be lazy. The good news is he also got all the obedient genes. Not for anyone, of course. Both brothers are stubborn, but Cian can be led by the right person in a way Beck can’t. He’s far more easygoing.”

I’m not sure anything about this can be classified as easy. “He can be lazy because Beck probably won’t let him do anything.”

Dante chuckles. “No, sweetheart. That rule only applies to you. I think you’ll find Beck expects Ci to work as hard as he does. He’ll leave his brother explicit instructions on everything he’s supposed to do. Not that he always follows through, hence the garden being in the shape it’s in. Ci usually enjoys farming and working with plants. And kids. I hope the school isn’t in the same shape as the garden.”

“Well, he seems very sick so he probably shouldn’t be working.” He’s far thinner than his brother, though there’s still a lean strength to his frame. I find myself stroking his hair. I can’t quite help myself.

“Being up and about will help him,” Dante explains. “I think it will be easier now that you’re here. Once you’ve bonded, it won’t be a problem anymore. You’ll see.”

I still don’t understand the bonding thing, though I know I have a connection with Beck. Will having a connection to Cian be twice the frustration? “Sure.”

Dante sits up, leaning toward me. “That doesn’t sound good. What happened to the woman who was excited about taking down her man?”

I shake my head. “She’s not gone. I’m just starting to understand that the job might be harder than I thought.”

“You’re starting to worry about handling two men? Don’t. Cian will be a breeze. I know he’s a mess right now, but you’ll adore him. Everyone does, and that’s why Beck will be the hard case. Imagine always being the bad guy. People walk in and are always attracted to Cian because he got all the light.”

“And Beck got the darkness.” How isolating would that be? I know how it feels to be the one not chosen, to feel like I’m not good enough. What would it have been like to grow up with another me, one who was good enough?

Yet Beck seems to love his brother. That says something about him.

The door comes open and Beck is there, a big basket in his hands. He steps inside the brugh, and it suddenly seems so much smaller. “Sorry I took so long. I went into the village to check on a couple of our elderly folk. Is he all right?”

He might have gotten the dark side of the soul he shares with his brother, but there’s still kindness in him. “I combed out his hair and he fell asleep.”

Beck’s eyes widen. “You…he…” He seems to force himself to calm down. “Of course you did, love. That was kind of you. I’ll be in the kitchen. We’ll eat in a bit.”

He strides out of the small room.

I’m confused again and look to the vampire. “What did I do wrong now?”

Dante bites back a laugh. “The hair thing. It’s a very intimate act for the Fae. It’s something that’s only performed between lovers. Beck is jealous since he hasn’t had you brush his hair yet.”

“Well, Beck already got to fuck her so he’s still ahead,” Cian murmurs and tightens his arms around me like he won’t ever let me go.

He falls silent again, and I wonder what kind of trouble I’m in now.

Chapter Sixteen

Beck

I settle back in my chair after suppertime with a sense of peace I haven’t felt in a long time. The fire blazes in front of me, filling the cottage with warmth. Meg rocks in the chair beside me.

Things feel right.

“I didn’t know about the hair thing,” she says quietly, her gaze on the fire. “I didn’t know it was an intimacy.”

I’m not handling this as well as I should. When I walked in earlier, I was struck by how sweet she looked with Cian sleeping, his head on her lap. I felt a deep sense of gratitude because I knew I was going to get my brother back and I would have Meg to thank for it.

And then I realized that bastard got her to comb out his hair. I hadn’t been able to help the tiny flare of jealousy. I should have hidden it better. “I was being an ass about it. Don’t think we’re going to treat you like two dogs fighting over a bone.”

She turns her head slightly, and a curious smile curves up her lips. “You really think me combing your hair is erotic?”

She’s lovely in the firelight. She’s lovely at any time, but there’s something intimate about sitting here with her. Everything is going to be fine once she bonds with Cian. Once she bridges the parts of our soul, perhaps I won’t be so deviant. Perhaps I can be the man she needs me to be. “I find it highly erotic, and I’ll demand it of you, wife.”

Maybe I won’t need to use the word demand so often.

She sits back. “I think I can handle it, husband.”

I like hearing her use that word. I mean to be a good one to her. Better than that pathetic first husband she found on the Earth plane. “I think you can, too. You handled Cian well.”

She seemed perfectly content to sit in the living room while Cian slept. I cooked dinner while Dante entertained Meg with stories about how the Vampire plane works. Her laughter had been music, playing through the brugh and turning it into a home.

It’s everything I want. My family, content and happy.

“What’s wrong with him?” Meg asks.

“What’s wrong with Cian? The same thing that was wrong with me,” I reply quietly. “He’s out of balance. He needed to be bonded five years ago. For me, it came out as rage. For Cian, he’s dissolving into chaos. It’s worse than I thought. He’s better when I’m around, you see. I had no idea he was having episodes where he forgot years of our lives.”

Dante was the one to tell me that bit of news. Right after dinner, he pulled me aside for a long discussion. He explained that Cian barely remembered where he was when Dante spoke to him the night before. Cian was confused and slightly scared when Dante awakened him. The vampire had to explain the situation to Ci every time he woke.

“The sooner you bond with him, the better. You need tonight to rest, but tomorrow it should be done,” I say.

After the events earlier in the day and the arduous travel, Meg needs to rest. The bonding can be intense. I know what Dante told me should make me worried. Cian is pretty far gone and that could put Meg in danger, but then I remember how lovingly Ci wrapped himself around her before heading off to bed. Cian might not remember where he is, but he knows how important Meg is. He won’t hurt her. He’ll shut it down if he can’t control himself.

And I’m all right with that outcome. If Ci is too far gone, we’ll sacrifice ourselves to save her. She is the important one.

I’m suddenly intensely aware that I’m alone with my wife. Cian is sleeping, and Dante left after our talk, explaining he had someone he needed to see. It’s bullshit. Dante is going to the tavern. He won’t be back before morning, if then. It doesn’t matter. I have what I need from Dante. I used his communication device to speak with Susan. She promised me a good salary to clear out the tunnels in Dellacorp’s latest mining project. They’re full of some form of monstrous bat. It’s amusing that the great and mighty vampires with all their tech are deathly afraid of flying rodents. Not that I’ll complain. Their phobias mean gold in my pocket. Gold I can use to fix up the place and make Meg more comfortable.

I haven’t mentioned my impending trip to my wife. I don’t want to disrupt the happy place we’ve found tonight. We need a few hours of peace.

Meg leaves her own seat and slips to her knees beside me. She lays her head on my lap, and I feel my cock respond. It lengthens to painful proportions. I’ll go slowly with her tonight. The need to make love to her rides me hard, but I force myself to relax. It feels like forever, but I took her twice the day before. I need to show her I’m not an animal who will fall on her at every given opportunity, even if that’s what I feel like doing. I’m her husband. She’s been gracious and gentle with Cian, and I owe her nothing less.

I let my head fall back against the wood of the rocking chair. Such a long and rough day. Between the kelpie in the morning and the painful conversation I had with Liadan this afternoon, I’m spent. I didn’t want to hurt Lia, but I had to make it plain I can’t see her anymore. Liadan took the news of my marriage with tears, but she was a lady about it. She promised to help Meg fit in.

“He seemed better at dinner,” Meg murmurs.

She practically purrs when I stroke her hair. She’s so sweet and responsive. I wonder if her pussy is purring yet. My cock tightens again. The simple fact that she’s so close makes me long to shove her down and thrust into her soft, welcoming body.

“Your presence makes a huge difference.” I let my fingers play with the nape of her neck. “I felt it the minute I met you. Even before we bonded, I was calmer, more centered.”

She looks up, her pretty eyes wide. “I have to sleep with him to form the bond?”

“No.” There’s a wealth of hesitation in her question, and it worries me. Growing up on the human plane probably hasn’t prepared her for the reality of taking on two husbands. “Cian can form the bond without intercourse. I could have, too. I just lost my head. I pushed you.”

“Don’t apologize again, please,” she says with a sigh. “I have fond memories of the marketplace and arena, even if you don’t.” I’m not sure what to make of that, but she continues without explaining herself. “I’m just not sure what I think of sleeping with two men, even if they do look a lot alike.”

I snort at the thought. “We’re identical. He’s thinner than I am right now, but that will change. He’ll start eating again now that he has a reason to. Our own mother had trouble telling us apart until we opened our mouths.”

Her cute little nose wrinkles. “I guess you look that way at first, but I can tell.” She gets up and eases herself onto my lap. Her hands frame my face. “You have a small scar right here.” She leans over and feathers a kiss above my left eye. “And your mouth,” she says as she lightly kisses my lips, “is the tiniest bit wider than Cian’s.”

“Is it now?” I ask as my heart starts to pound. My blood is busy working its way from my brain down to my cock. Her lips are petal-soft against mine. Everything about my Meggie is soft and sweet. Goddess, how have I come to need her so much in such a short time?

She strokes a hand down my hair. “Cian’s hair is slightly longer than yours, and his eyes are a shade darker.”

“I don’t think anyone has ever noticed that.” I try to stay focused on what she’s saying. It’s hard because she’s wearing one of my old shirts as a nightgown, and I can see the swell of her breasts. If she moves slightly to the right, I might be able to see her nipple. I love that she’s wearing something of mine. It marks her as my wife, my lover. Mine.

Her face bunches up in a distressed frown. “You’re different people, Beck. You’re brothers. Where I come from, one woman doesn’t sleep with two brothers. It’s considered cheating, and most men wouldn’t put up with it.”

It’s my turn to frown. How can I make her understand? “But we’re not different. There might be minor differences in our appearance, but we’re symbiotic twins. We share a soul. He’s the other half of me. You need to understand that we’re married, and that means you’re married to Cian, too. I won’t push you into bed with him. He would never force you, but if you can’t accept him, it’s going to be hard on us. We would never cheat on you. Cian will never take another woman as long as he’s married to you.”

“I just need some time. I’ll do whatever it takes to get Cian healthy.” She wiggles on my lap, seemingly trying to find a comfortable position, but every wriggle of her hips goes straight to my dangerously engorged cock. “I also would like to explore our relationship a little. Where I come from, newly married couples take this vacation together. It’s called a honeymoon. The new couple gets away from everything and relaxes and spends a whole lot of time together. They really get to know each other.”

My hand closes over her hip. Can I get her to the floor without hurting her? I can take her in front of the fireplace so she’ll stay warm. I’ll keep the blankets around her, and this time I will be in control of my baser instincts. I will very gently make love to her.

“Sweetheart,” I say soothingly, “I think that’s a brilliant idea. I would like very much to know what pleases you.”

“I like it when you kiss me,” she suggests.

That I can do. I pull Meg close and nudge her face up to mine. “Give me your lips, a chumann.”

She obediently tilts her head up. I’ll have Cian teach her Gaelic. Though almost everyone speaks the vampires’ language, I enjoy the old ways. I want to tell her I love her in my own tongue. I want her to know she’s my darling.

She’s sweet in my arms. She clings to me and allows me to take control of the kiss. It should make it easier, but every time I feel her soften, need rises like a wildfire. I mean for the kiss to be gentle, a promise of the way our lovemaking will go this evening. She’s so soft under me that my dominant instincts shove their way past my defenses.

She is mine.

I’d fought for her, offered my blood to possess her. My hands tighten on her arms. I deepen the kiss, my tongue forcefully showing her what I want to do with my cock. I thrust into her mouth, sliding my tongue against and over hers. She doesn’t fight me. She surrenders and winds her arms around my body. She tells me with sighs and moans that she’s mine and happy to be so.

I will protect her, defend her, make sure she’s happy. What is so wrong with what I need? I wind my fingers in her hair to hold her in place. I like holding her down. I want to tie her up so she’s utterly helpless and at my mercy. I will show her none. I’ll make her come under my body until she begs, and then I’ll make her come some more. She will be utterly mine when I’m done with her. She will never know that she holds all the power, that I would do anything to make her happy.

I forced her off my lap and onto her knees. Meg looks up at me, her lips red and swollen from my kisses. Her eyes are trusting and open. I want to eat her up right then and there, so I push her to the hard floor and am on top of her before she can breathe. I press my rock-hard dick against her pussy, but my clothes are in the way. Stupid clothes. I want to slow down. I want to tell her to undress me. She will sweetly remove my clothes and then her own. I’ll sit back down in the chair and command her to take my cock to that soft place in the back of her throat. I’ll hold her head and fuck her throat. She’ll drink me down, not missing a drop.

Yes, that’s what I’ll do. Later. I don’t have the patience now. I have to get inside of her.

I press my cock against her, and she moans, a sweet mewl that makes me feel ten feet tall. Her arms go around my chest, and she lets her head drop back. I fall on her. My lips devour her soft flesh. She tastes so good. I open the bond between us and pour my will into her. I want her soft and submissive underneath me, willing to fulfill my every dark and nasty desire. My hands find her breasts. I want to make a feast of her. She’s the only food I need.

I look down at her. Her face, her lovely face, is filled with need. She needs me.

“They need us, son,” my father explained that day so long ago. The words come back to haunt me now. “They are completely dependent on us. You think they don’t know it? It’s worse for you because you’ll be the king someday. Women will do anything to please you. It is your sacred duty not to take advantage of them.”

I’m doing it again.

I scramble to get my weight off her. I’m pinning her down against the cold, hard floor without even a blanket to warm her. My hands shake as I push myself up. I get off her and sit back, blood pounding through me.

“What’s wrong, Beck?” She sounds soft and vulnerable.

She doesn’t simply sound vulnerable. She is vulnerable. She was torn away from her plane and forced into a marriage she couldn’t have wanted. Then I forced myself on her.

“Beck?”

I hear the uncertainty in her voice as I shove my hands through my hair and desperately attempt to get myself under control.

“Everything is fine.” I take a deep breath and banish my own needs to the Hell plane. “Why don’t you go to bed? You can sleep with Cian.”

She gets to her knees. The look on her face quickly turns to indignation. Her hands fist in the fabric of the shirt she’s wearing. “I don’t want to sleep with Cian. I want to sleep with my husband.”

“He is your husband,” I point out. And he won’t hurt you.

“This is ridiculous.” She huffs as she straightens her clothes and leans toward me. “I want you, Beck. I want all of you. I want the real you. I don’t want you to politely ask if you can make love to me. Here’s the deal—I’m giving you permission. Take me. Bend me over, turn me around, spank my ass until it’s red. As long as you fuck me afterward, I’ll be happy. I won’t break. I’ll love it. I want you to take control during sex. You don’t have any trouble taking control the rest of the time. Why can’t you do it in the one place where it’s bound to please me? And speaking of the word bound, let’s talk about tying me up.”

I turn away. I can’t look at her for fear of her seeing down to my soul. Bound is exactly how I want her. I want her tied up for my pleasure. It would be a horrible mistake. This is everything my father warned me about. I wouldn’t be able to stop. “Absolutely not.”

She will be helpless against me if I tie her down. If her arms and legs are tied to the bed, she’ll have no way to fight me, to stop me when I lose control. My dick hardens again at the thought of her in the marketplace. She was so beautiful with her arms chained above her head. I wanted nothing more than to take her like that. I wanted to force my dick into her pussy and then tunnel my way into her tight ass. If we start down this path, I won’t be able to stop. She has no idea what she’s asking for. I have to stop this here and now.

“Meg,” I say, turning back to face her. I have to be firm with her or I’ll lose control, and she will be the one to pay the price. “I expect you to act like a lady. I know you aren’t from this plane, and perhaps the men in your world have no honor, but here we treat our women with respect. We also expect them to behave in a proper fashion.”

Her chin tilts upward, and she walks straight to me. She has to crane her neck to look at him, but we’re toe to toe. “What are you saying, Beck? What am I acting like?”

“You’re acting like a…” Some primitive survival instinct takes over, and I shut my mouth. Women don’t like that word.

“I think he meant to say whore,” Cian says helpfully from the doorway to the bedroom.

When the hell had he shown up? I quickly answer my own question. Cian would have felt the minute I started to make love to Meg. We feel strong physical reactions in the other when we’re in close proximity.

“Yes,” Meg says righteously. “That’s what I figured.”

She brings her knee up. It meets my still-hard cock with a resounding thud.

All the air whooshes from my lungs as I go to my knees. I look up at my wife, who doesn’t seem the slightest bit regretful. She rather looks like she wants to do it again. “Damn it. I didn’t say it.”

“Well, everyone keeps telling me you’re one soul in two bodies,” she reminds me maliciously. “Your other half was happy to speak up for you.”

“I’m not happy about it now.” Cian’s eyes are wide as he cups himself.

I’m satisfied with that. At the very least, Cian got a bit of that pain. I pushed it outward, and my twin caught the edge. “That’s what you get, you nosy bastard. You had to open your damn mouth.”

I manage to stand up straight, trying to ignore the pulsing pain in my cock.

Meg rolls her eyes. “I don’t see what the problem is. It’s not like you were planning on using it, not for anything interesting.”

A flush of rage rushes over me, washing the pain away. I take my wife’s chin in hand and force her to meet my eyes. “You’re pushing it, Meggie.”

Her gaze is steady and strong. There isn’t a hint of fear in those eyes. “Yes, I am, and I’m going to keep pushing until I get what I want. I am not a child. I’m a woman, and I know what I want.”

I have to turn away. It’s too tempting to see if she really means it. I stalk toward the front door. “I’m sleeping in the barn.”

The door slams behind me, and I wonder if I’ll survive this marriage.

Chapter Seventeen

Meg

“Bastard,” I swear as my coward of a husband flees the house.

My hands clench and unclench as I try to deal with the anger I feel. He’s treating me like an idiot who doesn’t know what she wants. I felt his need. It rolls off him in waves. He wants to dominate me, and I want it, too. Why can’t he trust me? Why can’t he trust himself?

“I don’t think you’re a whore,” Cian says quietly.

I turn and remember I’m alone with my slightly insane second husband. My brain hurts. I say the only thing I can think to say. “Thanks.”

Cian’s expression is sweet. It’s hard to believe people get him confused with Beck. “Beck’s always had a stick up his ass when it comes to sex. You’ll have to forgive him. Please don’t kick him in the balls again. It hurts me, too.”

I hadn’t realized it would affect Cian, too. I’d just been enraged. “I’m sorry.”

He shrugs his broad shoulders. “It’s all right. He deserved it. We should go to bed. Will you come with me? I was cold in there all alone.”

I hesitate. I don’t really know him. Or do I? Is he truly the other side to the man I’ve started to fall for?

“I promise I won’t tie you up until you ask me,” he says with an innocent look that makes me laugh.

I take his hand. Cian’s right. It’s a chilly night. It will serve Beck right if I stay warm while he sleeps with the chickens.

Cian looks down at me. “I’m Cian. What’s your name?”

I walk straight into the bedroom, pull a pillow to my face, and scream.

Chapter Eighteen

Liadan

Deep in the night, I watch as Beck strides across the yard and slams the door to the barn. I can’t help but smile. It looks like there’s already trouble in paradise. I’m not surprised. The girl is human. The woman Beck married might have everything necessary to be a bondmate, but she hasn’t been trained.

I think of all the curses I can put on the redhead. It would give me great pleasure to watch as the king’s new bride’s hair falls out or her skin withers and dies on her body. It won’t take much. The human is ill-prepared for life on this plane. She will likely have no defenses in place against a nicely crafted spell. It’s tempting, but there are ways to track a spell back to its originator. I have to be careful with my magic. After all, I’m supposed to be a simple Fae lady, not a hag of immense power. I would have killed Cian Finn years ago if I was able to truly use my skills without fear of retribution.

It’s incomprehensible that Beck chose that idiot human over me. I’m beautiful. I made sure of it when I started this mission. I chose the perfect façade. Liadan O’Neill is every inch the elegant Fae lady. I turned myself into the perfect bait. My looks and manners should have been enough to ensure that the twins fell in love with me. It hadn’t happened that way. It took a long time to get Beck to come to my bed, and Cian avoids me altogether.

I’m not sure what is between the human and Beck. He isn’t sleeping with his new bride for some reason. He won’t be able to resist her for long though. He broke off his relationship with me. Beck wasted no time doing it, either. He knocked on my door earlier this afternoon and refused to come in. He told me that he’s married and won’t be seeing me again. It was obvious that he was trying to be kind, but there had been a dismissiveness to the whole conversation that infuriates me even now.

I watch the barn and wonder if the king mentioned me to his bride. I rather think not. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll visit the little human and introduce myself. After all, we are neighbors.

I can use this new scenario to my advantage. I can use her to kill the twins.

Humming, I walk back across the fields to my own house.

Chapter Nineteen

Meg

Warmth surrounds me as I gradually come to my senses the next morning. I snuggle closer to the heat source and sigh as Cian pulls me closer. He’s a cuddler. He was a perfect gentleman, but was very insistent on spooning me and holding me close all night. His hair was tangled around me. It tickles my skin and warms me.

I thought I would be up all night thinking about Beck, but Cian seems to have a soothing effect on me. The minute he wrapped himself around me, I heard a low, soothing hum in the back of my brain. It took me a moment to realize it was coming from him. It was like white noise, and it hummed me gently to sleep.

It’s another noise entirely that forces me from the warmth of Cian’s arms.

The door slams, and there’s the unmistakable sound of an engine coming to life. It doesn’t sound like any car I can remember, but I know instantly what it is. It has to be that cool-looking Harley of Dante’s. I want to see it in action, so I scramble out of my warm bed, despite Cian’s sleepy protests.

There’s a robe lying across the end of the bed. I put it on and rush out of the bedroom. I throw open the door with a smile on my face, ready to demand a ride from Dante.

My smile quickly dissolves when I realize Dante already has a passenger. Beck is seated on the back of the big bike that now hovers two feet in the air. The wheels of the bike have disappeared, and there’s a noticeable cloud of dust under the vehicle.

“Crap.” Dante looks up from strapping his gear on the back, his face falling when he sees me. He stands beside the bike. “We have company.”

The last is said to Beck, who turns and stares at me with dark, surprised eyes.

“I left you a note,” he says almost defensively.

I feel my heart seize. He left me a note? Why did he need to leave a note if he’s going joyriding with his cousin? That’s all it can be, right? “Where are you going?”

Dante backs off. He seems determined to stay out of whatever is about to happen between me and Beck.

Beck stays on the bike, turning to me slightly. “I explained it all in the note. I have to go to work. The best work I can get is on the Vampire plane, working for Dante’s company. It’s rough work in a dangerous part of that world. You’ll be more comfortable here. I’ll be back in a few weeks.”

“Weeks?” I practically shout the question. He’s leaving me. We’ve been married for two days, and he’s leaving me. All my old doubts flood back like a tidal wave. At least Michael stayed for a couple of years. Beck isn’t even staying for a week. He’s leaving me with Cian, a stranger with a bunch of problems. I have no idea how to help him. I’m completely lost in this alien land. I don’t even know which horses will try to eat me. Panic seizes me. “I’ll go with you.”

I won’t even have to pack. I don’t own anything.

His eyes seem cold now, his sensual mouth a flat line. “No. It’s too dangerous. I have to work. I won’t have time to do my job and watch after you.”

Tears form in my eyes, and I run to him. I stayed here for him. He’s infuriating and I still want to be with him. It might be pathetic, but I need Beck. “Please let me go with you. I don’t know what to do here. I don’t know how to do anything.”

It goes against everything I am, but I beg. I don’t want to be left behind with an amnesiac and a farm falling down around me. I want Beck. He’s been the rock I’ve clung to ever since I found myself on this plane.

Beck gently pushes me back, his rejection plain. “You’ll be fine. Bond with Cian. He’ll take care of you.”

I don’t think that’s happening any time soon. Cian can’t take care of himself. Cian can’t remember who I am for more than five minutes. “You promised you would take care of me.”

Beck shakes his head. He looks so arrogant. “That’s what I’m doing. When I finish this job, we’ll have enough gold to fix up the place. We can hire a housekeeper so you won’t have to work.”

“I don’t mind working.” I hate the fact that I’m crying, but I can’t seem to help it. “I’ve worked all my life, but I don’t know what to do here.”

“Nor should you,” he replies as though it’s a foregone conclusion. “You’re a bondmate. You shouldn’t be doing housework, and you shouldn’t live in a cottage that’s falling down around you.”

Frustration makes my eyes squeeze shut. “Shouldn’t I decide what I want or don’t want?”

“You don’t know enough to decide yet,” Beck explains with a dismissive wave. “Back up. We have to leave now.”

I back off as Dante hops on the cycle in one graceful move.

“I left you my computer.” Dante nods in my direction. “I showed you how to use it, remember? Look up bonding, and it will give you a description of how to get Cian to bond with you. It’s connected to the web on the Vampire plane. You should be able to find any information you need.”

I nod, feeling utterly dull. Beck is really leaving, and he hasn’t kissed me good-bye. Hell, if I hadn’t woken when I did, he would have left without seeing me at all. I take a deep breath and try to come to terms with the fact that I have, perhaps, been wrong about him. He hadn’t truly wanted me. Men can feel lust for women they don’t care about. He explained it at the time. His brother is dying. They need a bondmate, and I’m the only one to be found. Is it such a surprise that, having done his duty, he would want to be away from his unwanted wife?

All that other stuff, all the stuff about caring about me and never cheating on me was lies. It’s not the first time some guy told me what I wanted to hear to get me to do something. I have to give Beck a little credit. At least he did it to save his brother.

“I’ll be back in a few weeks.” Beck looks slightly concerned for the first time. He slides off the bike and comes to stand in front of me. He towers over me, but this time his massive size doesn’t make me feel secure. “You’ll be fine.”

He moves to touch me, but I step back. He’s trying to keep me in line. Being physically affectionate with me has worked so far. It’s not surprising he would try it again. “Sure.”

He reaches out and pulls me into his arms. “Meggie, don’t cry. It will be fine. We need money. I have to work. I told you I spent the last of our gold on the tournament.”

I stand stiffly in his arms, knowing better than to try to break free. I would only make a fool of myself, and I’ve done enough of that lately. “Fine.”

He sighs and seems reluctant to let me go. His hands find my hair. “I’m sorry about last night. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”

I shrug and wish he’d go ahead and leave. “I won’t bother you with it again. I didn’t understand.”

I know he is fighting something. I’ve just been wrong about what he’s fighting. He doesn’t want to have sex with me. I’m convenient, and he’s male. He needs sex, but he obviously found the experience distasteful. He always shut down the bond. Now I know why. He doesn’t want me to know how he feels. It should have been obvious even without the bond. After all, he chose to sleep in a barn rather than sleeping with me.

And yet I felt his need the night before. It broke over me like a wave crashing on a beach. I saw pieces of his soul. There’s a kindness in Beck that didn’t mesh with his current cruelty. He loves his brother. He risked his life to save me. At times, I’ve felt a genuine affection come from him. The confusion has me in knots. But in the end he can’t possibly want me if he is willing to leave me.

He smiles, a slight uptick of his lips. “You don’t understand our ways, yet. It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”

“Sure,” I reply because he seems to want a response. I can’t see that anything will be fine.

He reaches out and tilts my head up. A lazy, warm look comes over his handsome face. “May I kiss you, wife?”

It’s the cruelest thing he can do. I push away from him. “Don’t call me wife. Call me your bondmate or whatever, but I’m not your wife.”

His eyes flare at the challenge. “You damn well are, and you better not forget it.” He takes a deep breath and gets back on the bike. “Don’t try leaving, Meg. I’ll find you, and I won’t be happy when I do.”

He pats Dante on the shoulder. The bike levitates roughly ten feet off the ground, and they take off.

“Where the hell would I go?” I ask to no one in particular.

I’m alone in a world that is so foreign it’s legendary on my home plane. I’m a city girl who doesn’t know how to make dinner that doesn’t come neatly wrapped in plastic. I am, once again, in love with a man who can’t love me back.

I sink down, put my head between my hands, and cry.

Cian wordlessly drops down behind me. I’m not sure when he came out, but he’s probably heard everything. I don’t fight him when he gathers me into his arms and rocks me while I sob.

An hour later, I dry my tears and get dressed for the day. Cian sits at the kitchen table watching me as I try to figure out how to cook the eggs I found when I ventured into the chicken coop. That was an adventure. It seemed to me that all the chickens were looking at me like they knew I ate their sister last night. There was judgment in those little black chicken eyes. If I hadn’t been so hungry, I would have run out because their beaks look dangerous. But my stomach warred with the fear of being pecked and hunger won.

I had gathered five eggs when I heard a low sound. I looked across the yard and saw Cian milking a cow. He still has to be told my name every few minutes, but he seems happy enough to follow me around and do the odd chore. He hasn’t tried to get back into bed. I feared I would spend the day coaxing him out. Instead, he is shadowing me.

Now he sits patiently, watching and drinking milk from a mug. I tried it, and despite my fear that warm milk would be gross, I found it slightly sweet but definitely drinkable.

There’s a strange little oven that Beck used last night, but there’s no stove top. There’s a grill in the hearth, though. After poking around all the cabinets, I came up with an iron skillet. I might never have been camping, but I’ve read enough books to know how to cook.

At least in theory.

“Are you hungry?” I smile at Cian as I crack the eggs into the skillet. I use a fork to whisk them. There are only four forks, two knives, and three spoons. None of them match.

“I am.” Cian studies me for a moment, his eyes moving across my face. “Did my brother send you to take care of me?”

“Yes.” I give him a sad nod. It’s the truth. Beck bought me to save his brother. I have a job to do and it’s past time to take it seriously.

“You’re very pretty,” Cian says, almost shyly.

I wonder how old he thinks he is. Sometimes he comes off as almost childlike. Other times he looks at me with barely controlled lust in his eyes. He hasn’t acted on it. I feel perfectly safe with him, but it can be difficult to keep up with the changes. After we eat, I intend to get this bonding thing done, so I can have another fully functional, non-crazy teammate. Hopefully one who will listen to reason.

After I broke down, I made a few decisions. I can lie down and cry. I can bemoan my fate and become bitter, or I can get off my ass and make do. I can be dependent on the people around me, or I can learn really damn fast. I don’t intend to act as Beck’s wife again, so I better be a fast learner.

I need to earn my keep, and I’m not going to do it on my back. When Beck comes home, we will sit down and work out a contract. Not the kind I hoped for with him. No, this will be an employment contract.

I’m going to need one because according to that vampire computer, I’m not going home. Ever.

While I was in the barn, I came across a small room. It has a cot where Beck slept the night before and a tiny stove to keep it warm. It’s not much, but I can stay there and be fairly comfortable. From what I read on the computer Dante left behind, I understand that the brothers need me to remain physically close to at least one of them. Somehow, my brain forms connections with theirs and allows them to function. There was a bunch of mind-numbing chemistry and science that I skimmed over.

There is nothing in the vampire information that claims sex is required at all, so it’s best I sleep apart from them. I doubt Beck will have a problem with it. Once I make it clear to him he doesn’t have to worry about my sexual advances anymore, he’ll probably get on board with my plans.

A room of my own will help. It would be far too hard to sleep beside them every night and not be able to touch them. Once Cian is rational again, I have no doubt he will be slightly horrified to find out he’s married to someone his brother has such distaste for.

I pull the pan off the grill using a thick towel. The eggs are a little burnt, but edible. It’s a minor triumph. I scoop the largest part out onto a plate for Cian. He’s bigger than I am and looks like he can use the calories. I’m going to have to figure out how to fatten him up.

“Thanks,” he says gratefully as he digs in. “My sister likes eggs, but she likes them fried. When she gets up, will you make some for her, too?”

It’s easier to play along than to explain over and over and over. “Of course,” I murmur as I pick up my fork.

We eat in silence for a few minutes. Cian then seems fascinated by the sight of his hand. He holds it up in the light and looks very confused. His head whirls around, and he takes in the cottage.

“This isn’t my home.” Cian looks around the room. He sounds the slightest bit panicked. “Where am I?” He looks so lost. He catches my hand and holds it tightly. “I don’t know where I am.”

If Beck were standing in front of me, I would have clocked him with the iron skillet. Cian needs him, and Beck left. I understand we need money, but it could have waited a day or two. I hold Cian’s hand in both of mine. “You’re safe. I promise you.”

“Is he having a rough day?” a voice asks from the open window in the kitchen.

I turn, slightly startled to see a lovely blonde woman standing at the window. “I wouldn’t know what a normal day is like.”

“Sometimes he remembers, but that’s only when his brother is around,” the blonde explains with a tight smile. “With Beck being gone again, he’ll probably deteriorate. It’s terrible that he had to leave again so soon. He only got back yesterday, and now he’s off to the Vampire plane.”

I feel my heart drop to my toes. “How did you know he was gone?”

I thought the only people Beck saw the day before was an elderly couple on the outskirts of the village. He hadn’t mentioned anyone else. I suppose word could have gotten out, but that meant he told others long before he mentioned it to me.

There’s no small amount of sympathy in the other woman’s eyes. “He told me last night. He asked if I would come up and see if you needed anything. Cian can be difficult.”

Cian stares at the blonde. He comes around and put his hands on my shoulders. Every muscle in his body seems bunched and tight, almost as though he’s ready for a fight. “You shouldn’t be here. Go away.”

“You see. He’s difficult. I hope he doesn’t get violent with you. I don’t know what Beck was thinking, leaving you with him. He can be so insensitive sometimes. You know men.” There’s a slight sheen of tears in the woman’s eyes. She makes a scene of trying to hide them.

The blonde before me is tall and delicately feminine. She has a perfect face, with light blue eyes and cheekbones any model would kill for. I don’t buy the tears, though. Those seem fake. I’ve been around enough mean girls to identify one even on another plane. The woman in front of me has taken special care to let me know she spent time with my husband. “What can I do for you, Miss?”

“I am Liadan.” The introduction comes with a slight sniffle. “I live in the house on the other side of the fields. I’ve known the brothers for several years now.”

“Beck likes her, but I don’t,” Cian says stubbornly.

I don’t like her either. There’s something very cold about the blonde, though she’s putting on a friendly front. “All right, Liadan. What can I do for you?”

She seems put off by my forwardness. “Like I said, last night when His Highness visited me, he asked me to check in on you. He wanted me to see if there was anything you needed. He was concerned about his brother, you see. He told me he brought you in to save Cian. The king loves his brother very much. He is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for his brother.”

“His happiness with you?” I ask boldly because I’m done playing around with the woman who has obviously come to size up the competition.

Liadan gasps. Her cornflower blue eyes narrow. “Well, if we’re going to be plain, then, yes, he’s sacrificing the happiness he’s found with me. We’ve been together for almost a year now.”

“I haven’t been with her.” Cian seems very intent on making it clear he has nothing to do with his brother’s mistress.

“Like I would have you.” There’s a sneer on Liadan’s face as she looks at Cian. It doesn’t go away when she turns back to me. She doesn’t seem so pretty now. “Look, I’ve heard you’re human, so you don’t know how this works. Beck is mine. He has been for a while now. He chose me. Because of his unique nature, he’s stuck with you. He hopes you can keep Cian alive, and he’s willing to endure this marriage because of it.”

Cian’s hands twitch. Even though we aren’t bonded, I can feel his anger rising. It makes it easier to ignore my own emotions. I put my hands over his and rub. It seems to help. “You’re upsetting him. I’m not going to do some hair-pulling, name-calling thing with you. If you want Beck, feel free to have him. I don’t consider myself married to him, anyway. I am well aware of the place I have in his life. If you can make him happy, more power to you.”

Now my husband’s honey looks seriously confused. “You don’t care that he will continue to come to my bed?”

“I have no intentions of sleeping with him, so go for it,” I say as simply as I can. Meeting Liadan helps a lot. It explains why Beck is as hesitant as he is. He’s in love with someone else. I wish he was up-front and honest. I would have helped Cian regardless, and then I wouldn’t have had my heart broken.

The blonde nods. “As long as we understand each other.” She turns to go, but then comes back. “He’s going to kill me for this, but I can’t say nothing. You should think twice before you bond with Cian.”

“I want to bond with her.” Cian’s hands tighten possessively around me. “She is our wife.”

Liadan sighs and rolls her eyes impatiently at Cian. She dismisses him and focuses on me. “He’s too far gone. If you bond with him, he’ll pull you into his madness. You’ll end up just like him. Beck didn’t mention that, did he?”

I shake my head. He didn’t mention that possibility at all.

“Of course he didn’t,” the other woman says. “You would be safer walking away. There is the slight possibility that Beck would die, but he’s the stronger half. He would most likely live if Cian faded. It would be hard, but he could be stronger for it.”

“I won’t fade,” Cian swears. He seems to be talking to himself now.

The blonde shrugs. “I thought you should know. Beck is using you to his own ends, and it could cost you. You should give it a lot of thought before you risk your life trying to save a stranger’s.”

Liadan walks away, and I get Cian calm again. I sit down and pull out the computer Dante left me. I pull up the articles I found and reread them. Then I go deeper. I find more information on Fae psychic bonding than I could have hoped for. Vampires are very interested in it as it mirrors their own bonds with consorts. Sure enough, there’s a possibility that bonding with someone as far gone as Cian could hurt me. It’s not a big possibility, but it also isn’t recommended.

And despite what Liadan said, if Cian died, Beck will more than likely go insane.

I look at Cian as he sits by the fire. He’s watching me, waiting for me to do something or go somewhere so he can follow me. He reminds me of a puppy, eager to please.

If I had half a brain, I would take my husband’s mistress’s advice and flee the scene. I know I should take a day or two to decide if I want to risk my sanity and life for one man who dumped me after two days of marriage and another I barely know at all.

If Cian was drowning, would I not try to help him? Every firefighter who ever ran into a burning building knows he or she could die. They do it anyway. Because they’re brave. Because they wouldn’t be able to live with themselves if they didn’t take the chance.

It’s time to be brave.

“You’re a very pretty lady.” Cian’s voice is all smooth tones. There’s a deliciously decadent look on his face. “Can I buy you a drink? My name is Cian Finn, by the way.”

I set the computer down. I’ve never been one to slowly peel a Band-Aid off. It’s better to just rip it off and get the pain over with. “Oh, we’re so doing this now.”

Cian stands up, a seductive smile crossing his face. “I was hoping you would say that, gorgeous.”

Chapter Twenty

Meg

I stare at Cian from across the bed. He sits with his long legs crossed over each other, his big gray eyes watching me intently. He looks so much like Beck that my heart hurts. He looks like Beck, but he’s vulnerable, and that pulls me in. I want to lean over and kiss him. I want to promise him everything is going be okay, but I hold my ground. I don’t need to fall in love with a second version of Beck. One is all the heartbreak I can take.

“I need you to concentrate.” I cross my legs and try to relax. I sit in front of him on the big bed we shared the night before. Holding his hand in mine, I take a deep breath to settle my nerves. “Do you remember why we’re here?”

His lips curl into a tempting curve. He’s shirtless and wears nothing except a pair of white linen pants. His long black hair falls well past his shoulders. It shines in the afternoon light. “I think I can guess. Do you want to be on top?”

I shake my head and reach inward for patience. “We’re not having sex. We’re bonding. I’m the bondmate your brother found. Beck sent me to you. We need to bond so you can think straight.”

That seems to get through to him. His eyes clear for a moment, and his hands tighten on mine. “You’re my wife?”

“So I’ve been told. It’s okay. I won’t hold you to it. We need to bond, and then we can be friends.”

He shakes his head vigorously. “No. Too far gone. I’ll hurt you.”

“It will be fine.” The fact that he isn’t eagerly going into this makes me more comfortable. If he tries to stay in control, I have a much better shot at getting out of this with my mind intact.

His gorgeous eyes fill with frustration. He’s trying to make me understand and can’t seem to form the words. “Please, go. Don’t want…to hurt you.”

I move closer so our legs touch. “It won’t hurt me. I’m strong. It’s going to be all right. Do you remember how to do this?”

His face clears like a cloud passed over and now the sun is shining. He smiles again. “Cad è mar atà tu?”

Oh, crap. He’s gone into Gaelic, and now I won’t even understand his delusions.

I tighten my hands around his. I’m going to have to make the connection on my own. I lean forward, and luckily, Cian seems game. He leans forward, meeting me in the middle. I touch my forehead to his.

“Is tù mo ghrà,” he says, his accent lilting around the traditional Gaelic that goes with the ceremony. My bonding with Beck had been devoid of any of the ceremonies that go along with a formal marriage, but Cian seems to remember.

“You are my love,” he said. I watched a couple of ceremonies on the DLs. They’re just words. They don’t mean anything.

He pulls back and looks down at me as though waiting.

“Is tù mo ghrà,” I repeat.

If Cian needs all the trappings, then I’ll give them to him.

He smiles, satisfied, and puts his head to my forehead once more. He rubs his head lightly against mine as though he loves the connection.

If we’d been on the twins’ home plane, there would have been a great deal of pomp and circumstance involved in this ceremony. There would have been witnesses and a decorated altar. The downloads I’d read on the subject spoke of the beauty of the ceremony. There would have been flowers—marigolds, St. John’s wort, and shamrocks. There would have been a length of ornate rope to bind our hands together for the handfasting ritual.

The twins’ father would have overseen the marriage, and bells would have rung throughout the city to let the people know the heirs were bonded. Music would flow out of the palace all night long.

The little cottage is quiet. There are no flowers, but I feel the weight of what I’m doing all the same. I’m binding my life to this man. It’s not something I can walk away from, though. Liadan advised me to run, but how can I? I can no more walk away from Cian than I would be able to watch a person drown and do nothing to save him.

It is more than that. I can never abandon half of Beck to fate. It doesn’t matter that he can’t love me. I love him. That’s all I can control. I firmly intend to fall out of love, but I won’t let his brother die.

Then I stop thinking, or rather I cease thinking my own thoughts.

Cian’s brain assaults me.

I’m flooded with memory and thoughts, dreams and fancy, and everything that is Cian. Now I understand what the blonde was trying to tell me. I’m overwhelmed with him. Sights, sounds, even smells and emotions batter my system. I feel my body sag under the onslaught, but Cian’s strong hands hold me in place.

I see a young girl. She’s chasing me through a gleaming white palace. She’s my sister. Bronwyn. The name is as clear in my mind as the image is. In the vision, I am Cian, a seven-year-old boy, full of mischief. Bronwyn is a brat. She tossed a mud pie straight in my face, and I’m going to get retribution. I can feel the cool marble under bare feet, hear the sound of laughter echoing. The palace is filled with light. Cian isn’t really mad. He’s playing a game. In Cian’s body, I run past Beck. He’s coming out of a room with his father. Beck looks so serious. He’s somber, but I can feel him. I can feel how much he wants to join his twin and their sister. Beck wants to play, but he simply nods at his twin and follows their father.

Math.

I’m hit full force with a load of equations I grasp for a moment, and then they’re gone. Cian’s head is filled with math and science and theories on everything. He’s so smart. His mind works a thousand miles a minute. I can’t process it all. My brain hurts. Poems and stories and articles on anthropology and engineering written in several different languages fly in and out of my head.

A pounding pressure begins low in my skull.

And the women…so many women.

He loves sex. He craves it. He needs it to feel whole and complete. He gets lost in his mind sometimes, but his body always insists on having its fair share of time. There are blondes, brunettes, and girls with hair the color of the sunset. He’s affectionate toward them all. He likes them one or two at a time, and he loves it when he shares a female with his other half. Cian likes to hold a lover in his arms while Beck fucks her. It’s been so long since they shared a truly intimate experience. Beck has become so rigid in his sexuality. He hasn’t stopped sharing women with his brother. He’s done something worse. Beck stopped sharing himself with anyone. Beck has closed off entire sections of their being, and Cian feels the loss.

My pulse pounds as I’m flooded with memories of Cian’s lovers. I have a brief vision of a beautiful blonde with her hand possessively on Beck’s arm. They walk into a brilliantly lit ballroom and everyone cheers. Cian is left out. It’s the night of his formal engagement, but he doesn’t want to be there. He can’t stand the woman. Cian is sure she feels the same way about him. He’s in the way, and he knows it. Beck is resplendent in his formal court attire, but his face is pinched with duty. Beck doesn’t love her, either. How are they going to get out of this? I’m swamped with Cian’s panic as he realizes he’s trapped.

I hear myself moan as the siege continues. My hands tighten on Cian’s arms as I hold on for dear life. Tears squeeze out of my eyes as I become sure my skull is going to split. I hope it does. It will relieve the overwhelming pressure.

No, I feel Cian protest deep in my soul as the scene in my brain changes. He doesn’t want to remember, but it’s coming, anyway. This memory is far too strong to be denied.

Smoke is everywhere. I can barely breathe. I lift my head and put a hand to my ears. The world is filled with cracks and booms that shake the ground beneath me. I’m in the middle of a battle. There is fire, heat, and the sound of metal on metal. I look down in horror. A teenage girl lies on my lap. She looks up with soft brown eyes. They’re filled with tears.

“Mama?” the girl asks. She isn’t confused. She’s asking a question.

She doesn’t remember what happened? Doesn’t remember that she fought to save the last piece of their mother? That might be a good thing.

“She’s gone, Bron.” I hear Cian’s voice speaking, see through his eyes, am assailed with his memories. His voice is filled with sorrow. His mother is dead. He saw her die at the end of a soldier’s blade. He hadn’t been able to get to her. “Father’s gone, too.”

Bronwyn holds her stomach. She’s bleeding profusely. It’s only a matter of time. We’re trapped. There’s fire at our back and an army behind the only doorway out. I hold my sister close to my heart, Cian and my souls mingling in this memory. Beck is still fighting, but he’s shielding it from his brother. Cian would have known if his twin was dead. He wonders if Beck will die when he does. Will Beck feel it when the soldiers outside burst in and shove cold iron through his gut?

My hands shake, but Cian doesn’t let his sister see how scared he is. We are. We need to be strong for Bron. There’s a knife at my side. I’m not a warrior, but I will use it to defend her. I…Cian had killed a man with it already. The soldier who stabbed Bronwyn hadn’t been content with taking her life. He tried to rape her as well. Now his corpse is cooling not ten feet away. Cian tries not to think of him. He focuses his being on the sister he’s losing.

“Love you, brother.” Her smile reminds him of the five-year-old girl who followed him around like a puppy.

“I love you, too.” He chokes the words out. I feel wetness on my face and realize Cian is crying.

Bronwyn’s eyes go dull just as the door explodes inward. I look up, clutching my sister. I’m ready to join her.

Beck stands in the doorway, covered in blood. He holds a bloody sword in his hand.

“We have to go,” he says with dark eyes.

Then the images come rapidly. The gun that is Cian’s brain suddenly goes into machine gun mode. I can’t keep up.

I’m in a forest running from soldiers who swore to hunt the twins down and execute them. I run from plane to plane. Then I’m building this cottage with Cian’s hands. Refugees are everywhere. There isn’t enough food to feed them, and they look to Cian and Beck.

A smoke-filled image invades my brain. Liadan stands by the bed, whispering to Cian. He tries to get up, but the smoke is too much. It’s time to fade.

It’s far too much. It’s way too fast. I feel the moment my brain shorts out. I barely make a sound as I slip into a blissful darkness.

Chapter Twenty-One

Cian

I come to on the bed in the cottage I built so many years before. It takes me a moment to focus. Nothing surprising about that. It seems to be morning, or maybe afternoon. I study the shadows on the wall and decide it’s definitely afternoon.

What is surprising? Now that the initial fog is gone, I feel magnificent.

My head is clear. How long have I been like that? I was living in a nightmare of chaos. The clarity in my brain is bliss after the long pandemonium that was my world for so long.

I sit straight up in bed, remembering what should have been the first thing on my mind. Meg. Meg bonded with me. It’s difficult to sort through everything that happened in the last few years. I’m certain now it has been years since I began the long slide into chaos. I won’t ever get those years back, but I remember Meg. Meg is the clearest thought in my head.

She is my wife.

I feel a moment of pure panic when I see her lying so still on the bed. Her legs are underneath her at an odd angle. For a moment, I’m sure I killed her, and I know my life is over, just as I sit back. Then her chests rises slightly, and I breathe a sigh of relief. She’s alive. She survived the onslaught that bonding with me will have caused.

Gently, I open the bond between us. It’s new, but there is such strength to it. Her mind is tired but functioning. She’s in a deep, dreamless sleep. Her brain needs respite.

I feel such…everything for this woman. She is brave and kind and…wounded.

I intend to heal her.

I lean down and pull her legs into a more comfortable position. She sighs and rolls toward my warmth, as though she knows I’ll protect her. I feel a grin cross my face as she cuddles closer.

If I hadn’t just put her through hell, I would consummate our marriage in the physical sense. Had she been conscious, I would roll her onto her back and get between those pretty thighs of hers. I would ride her until we both pass out from the exertion. She’s mine. I’ve seen down to her soul. I know she’s perfect for us.

During our bonding she went through many of the important events of my life. And I went through hers. I kiss the top of her head and inhale her sweet smell. So many people have disappointed her. How can they not see how wonderful she is? Sure she’s quiet, but her mind is quick, and she has the most delicious sense of humor. She’s sassy and independent. Her sensuality is completely untapped and unappreciated by the men in her life.

I won’t make the same mistake. I’m considered to be the smartest man of my generation. I have no intentions of proving dumb when it comes to my wife. She is an amazing gift.

My hands clench as I think about the last little scene I saw when I was in Meggie’s head. I’m going to kick my brother’s ass when he returns. He’s an idiot, that other half of me. Beck made Meg feel worse than that worthless ex-husband of hers.

She’s exhausted. Her entire body relaxes as she sleeps so trustingly in my arms. I’m going to make her see how beautiful she is. I have to be careful, though. My brother has dug a deep hole. Beck took her body but refused to share his soul with her. It’s selfish, and I intend to have a long talk with him about it. She’s our responsibility. We have to fulfill all of her needs, and Beck has to see that her needs are different than the women we grew up with. Meg doesn’t want to be a perfect princess on a shiny throne. She needs to work. She needs to contribute. She needs to be valued for all the things that make her unique.

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

I’m about to kiss my sleeping princess on the forehead when I hear a knock at the door. Curious, I gently roll away from my wife. I reach for a shirt and walk to the front of the house.

A small brown female is gingerly opening the door. She’s dressed simply in a dark, threadbare skirt and linen shirt, with a colorful shawl around her thin shoulders. Her big feet are bare. Her head is a mass of scraggly, wiry hair and her own thick skin. Her eyes are huge in her small face and black as a moonless night. She is beautiful. Flanna is a brownie. The brownies were domestic help on my home plane.

Here they are nothing short of family.

“Beckett.” She squints, turning her elderly eyes up at me. I immediately go to one knee so she can inspect me. She was my nanny throughout childhood. It hadn’t taken long to get taller than the brownie who took care of me, but I always show her proper respect. My throat closes up at the thought that I haven’t really seen her for years. She walks up to me with a smile that shows 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,” I say, emotion welling in my heart. “She has me.”

Flanna’s jaw drops, and she looks at me with wonder. “Cian?”

“Yes, little mother,” I say. “I assure you, it’s me. How long was I gone?”

Huge tears well in her black eyes. “Years, Cian,” she confirms as she draws me into her motherly embrace. “I thought you would die soon.”

“I did, too.” I hug her gently, taking great care with her fragile body. “I am so sorry, little mother. I got lost.”

Tears course over her cheeks. “Where is she? Where is the queen?”

Cian smiles broadly and wonders if anyone has even mentioned that part to Meg yet. I doubt she knows she is now 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 I intend to thrash him soundly when he returns.”

Her foot starts tapping. “That will be the day. I think you’ve forgotten which twin you are if you think to fight your brother.”

I send her 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 gives me “the stare.” It’s the one that lets me know I’m in trouble. “Now is not the time to be feuding with your brother.”

I frown. “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.”

I get to my feet, a new purpose humming through my brain. I hid something, and now I hope it has survived the years.

Flanna follows me into the kitchen. “Don’t be so quick to judge 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,” I say with a frown. I study the drawers in the hutch. I built it with my own hands, and I put a hidey-hole in it. “You think I haven’t heard this all my life? 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’s something about Liadan. There’s something about the blonde woman my brother took as his mistress that nags at the back of my brain. I can’t quite grasp it. It doesn’t matter. I need to worry about Meg now. I pull the left drawer out and carefully push my hand inside, feeling for the trap door at the back. It springs free, and there is my treasure.

“You can’t kick your brother out of your marital bed,” Flanna is insisting. “You know that the three of you will never form a triad if you don’t open yourselves to each other.”

I pull my hand free and open the small bag I 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 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 says with a superior look in her eyes. “Tell me something, Your Highness, what does this mean for the rest of us?”

I pull out a small gold ring. There’s a sun on the signet, the symbol of the queen. Bronwyn pressed it into my hand as she lay dying. My sister died trying to retrieve the ring from our mother’s rooms. It’s all I have left of our mother, and now it belongs to the rightful queen, my 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.”

I don’t want to talk politics. I have more important things to do. I turn the bag over. The rest of the contents tumble to the table, making a delightful clinking sound. I do a quick count and am well-pleased. Flanna reaches out and slaps my hand.

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

I shrug. There’s 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 seems placated that I’m 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 her queen.”

The thought makes me smile. If it pisses 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.”

“Beckett told me to keep her presence here quiet.”

I understand what my brother is trying to do, but it won’t work. “Beck won’t be able to contain the rumors. He either bought her or he fought for her.”

“It was an open tourney,” Flanna confirms.

“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 corrects him. “Beck is worried about your uncle’s agents. The pretender closed Tír na nÒg because he’s worried Beck will steal onto the plane and assassinate him. He’s 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.”

I shake my 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 pats his hand, seemingly giving up the fight. “I will go and get things started. The village will feast tonight, my son.”

“Yes.” I look at my mother’s ring with satisfaction. “We will feast and dance and drink.” And then I will set about seducing my lovely, brave bride.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Beck

I stand looking out the window on the hundred and second floor of the Dellacorp building. This is the penthouse my aunt lives in, and it always makes me nervous to be so high in a non-natural structure. Below, the neon lights of the city give the night an ethereal quality. It’s an odd sight, and one I wish I could share with my wife. Meg would be fascinated by this world. I wonder if there’s a Dallas on her plane. According to the vampire scientists who study the planes, this one and the legendary Earth plane are oddly interconnected. I will have to ask her.

She would likely enjoy the ridiculous lights and soaring heights the vampires live in. It makes my stomach ache, but it might be worth it if Meg likes it.

I can’t risk it. I can’t risk the chance that she could run away here and probably find someone who will take her in and hide her away. Probably? I’m being too positive. If I brought her here, she would find no end of handsome vampires willing to save her from her unwanted marriage. She’s 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.” My aunt’s voice cuts through my dark thoughts and pull me into the present. I turn and look at my mother’s sister. She’s graceful and lovely, just as my mother had been. Her raven hair is 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 Dellacourt’s face falls as she remembers. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

I smile at my aunt. The words don’t hurt at all since they no longer hold truth. Now if my brother broods, I can kick his ass because there’s no reason for it. “It’s all right. I wasn’t brooding. Well, maybe I was. I was thinking about my wife.”

I hold still, watching for her reaction. I asked Dante to keep his mouth shut. I want to tell my aunt. I so rarely have good news to share.

Her face becomes a mask of well-bred horror. “Tell me you haven’t married that Liadan person. Oh, Beckett. You can’t give up hope. Annul the marriage. I will find a way to smuggle a bondmate out of Tír na nÒg. Your Uncle Don 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.”

I take my aunt’s hand. She’s a slave to fashion, as always, and her nails are painted an emerald green with small jewels on the tips. It’s 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 the tablet Dante gave us. Cian is perfectly clear-headed and more like himself than he’s 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 gasps as she understands the implications. Before she can say a thing, a bundle of feminine energy bursts into the room and runs straight for me. I brace myself for impact and am not disappointed. Susan Dellacourt throws herself into my arms with a resounding thud.

“Beck! I can’t believe it.” My cousin looks up at me 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’Neill Dellacourt says with an indulgent smile. He bows formally. I recognize the sidhe. Colin was one of the refugees to make it out of Tír na nÒg before the plane closed. Unlike most of the Fae, Colin settled on the Vampire plane and quickly found himself in the enviable position of consort. “She’s been worried about you and Cian. She talks about you all the time. I’ve heard more stories about your childhood than you can imagine.”

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

“Well, I remember when she was just a wee thing, and I used to pull her pigtails,” I say, giving my cousin a squeeze. I often didn’t understand my vampire relatives, but I love them.

Susan shakes her head and plants a kiss on my cheek as she notes her brother walking into the room. “That was Ci, dear. You were always too serious to play.” She squeezes my 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 out of it when 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 older sister. I gotta have something on her.”

“How can you consider me your boss?” Susan asks with a roll of her emerald eyes. I hear Colin snort and realize this is a well-worn argument. Even Alana sighs as Susan continues her tirade. “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 here to give them a headline every day.”

Dante’s eyes narrow. “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 mocks 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.”

“Susan!” Donald Dellacourt’s voice booms through the great room 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’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 are suspiciously innocent as he pours himself a Scotch. Vampires might not eat the way the Fae do, but they love to 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. I fell madly in love with a beautiful consort, and Beck stole her from 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’t push it, son. I’m not a fool. I started with next to nothing.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“No.” My voice is harsh, the answer quick enough to put a smile 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 aunt is the next best thing. “I wish she was happy with me.”

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

I feel my jaw firm as a part of me tries to stop the conversation right here and now. It should be easy. I should simply keep everything inside as I always have. But since bonding with Meg, I’ve discovered nothing is simple anymore. “I can’t control myself around her.”

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

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

With a short burst of laughter, my aunt puts her hands on my shoulders, turning me gently so I look her in the eyes. “Perhaps some would, if the prize were big enough. But, Beckett Finn, you are the king of a refugee plane. You don’t offer her enough to debase herself. Whatever she’s offered you, she’s offered because she wants it. I’m speaking to you plainly, as your own mother would have. Don’t deny yourself and your wife. Your father treated my 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. “Your father trained you to be a great king. He didn’t train you to be a good husband. 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.” Alana pats me and moves back toward the doors. “Come inside. I’m sure dinner is almost 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 was home getting ready to go to bed. It will be quiet there. Cian will have enjoyed his first day of peace in a long while. I imagine sitting in front of the fire with Meg on my lap. After a pleasant evening, Cian and I would lead her to the big bed and slowly undress her. We would make love to her together, bonding even further. I would be gentle and make sure she’s satisfied before taking my pleasure. I would then, graciously, turn her over to my brother. I would sit back and enjoy watching Cian please our wife. Watching Cian fuck our lovely bride would get me hot and bothered again, but I would survive. Meg would be tired. She would sleep peacefully between us.

Instead, I’ll spend the evening dodging questions about when I 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 Meg is safe from politics. She’s safe and protected on our little farm.

I take a deep breath and rejoin my family.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Meg

I come awake to the sound of raucous music. It’s cheery and a little bawdy. I don’t understand the lyrics, but I know bawdy music when I hear it. My mouth feels dry, and I wonder if I went on a bender the night before. I had the strangest dream.

“Head hurt, lover?”

I force my eyes open, and, sure enough, my strange dream is staring me in the face. He sits back in an armchair, one ankle propped on his knee. He looks like I expect a pasha would look reclining in his palace. His face is exactly like Beck’s, but this man is different. Beck Finn radiates authority and responsibility.

This man radiates sex.

“Cian?” Could that man sitting there looking at me like he’s going to eat me up really be Cian? There’s no cloudiness in his gray eyes now. They’re filled with a sharp intelligence.

“In the flesh,” he says with a crazy, sexy smile. His voice is deep, but there’s a hint of humor in it. He’s dressed in neatly pressed white pants, dark boots, and a tunic he hasn’t bothered to tie. It leaves his perfect chest exposed. “And in my right mind, thanks to you.”

I sit up and put a hand to my head. It doesn’t hurt, exactly. It feels slightly foggy. “It worked?”

Of course it worked. The evidence is sitting right in front of me like a piece of perfectly tempting chocolate cake I want to devour in one long bite. Memories of his life flood me. I groan as my head pulses.

He’s on the bed behind me in an instant. He pulls me between his long legs and cradles me back against his chest. His hands sink into my hair, strong fingers massaging my scalp. “Careful, Meggie mine. You took a whole lot of me. I’m sure you still feel the effects.”

His hands feel good. So good. I relax into his warmth. “You’re better now?”

“I am damn near perfect.” Cian’s voice is a slow seduction in my ear. He leans close, and I feel his lips moving against my skin. “I don’t know how to thank a woman for saving me. Can you think of any way I could please you?”

Even with my head throbbing, I can think of a way. Yep, I have a type, and I know exactly where that path will lead me. I shake his hands off. I have to come to my senses. I’m not about to get my heart broken by a second Finn brother.

“You don’t have to thank me.” I scramble off the bed, gathering my dignity around me like a shield. “I’m just glad you’re all right.”

His eyes darken, but he relaxes after a moment. He leans back against the pillows, not hiding his raging erection at all. It tents his pants admirably. He spares me not a single, delectable inch of his glorious body as he stretches out. “I am more than fine, wife. I’m perfectly healthy and prepared to serve you in any fashion you can think of.”

I have to force myself to swallow because I’m not having a problem with dry mouth now. This is what got my heart in trouble in the first place, my inability to turn a Finn brother down when it comes to sex. Cian is merely trying to show his gratitude. Besides, it’s been a long time for him. He hasn’t had sex since his illness took over. I haven’t forgotten our bonding. Cian is a carnal creature. He will want that pleasure as soon as possible. So we needed to get a few things straight.

“Please don’t call me wife,” I explain in a firm voice. Cian’s brow arches quizzically, but he allows me to continue. “I’m not from this plane.”

“No,” Cian interjects. “You’re from the human plane. You were born in a place called Texas and lived in a city called Fort Worth. They have one of those on the Vampire plane, too. We’ll go someday and you can tell me how different it is. I would find that fascinating. You lived in a small apartment, and you hated it. There was no beauty to it. The walls were beige. The carpet was beige. It wasn’t a home. It was like purgatory, a place to wait. Explain this purgatory to me.”

He sits up and crosses his legs. He switches from hot and bothered potential lover to curious student. I’m struck dumb by how accurately he has described my postage stamp apartment. It has nothing of me in it. It’s a place to eat and sleep. It’s not a home. “How did you know?”

His expression remains serene. It’s disconcerting how quickly he can change. “We’re bonded. I saw your soul, and you saw mine. It’s the deepest bond two beings can form. You can try running from me, Meggie, but it won’t work. I know you deep down. I know what you need.”

I feel my whole body flush with embarrassment. I remember things from Cian’s life like they’re my own memories. What had he pulled out of my head? I’m so vulnerable in this moment, even more vulnerable than I was with Beck. The bonding with Cian was so different.

“Because Beck didn’t offer you the full bond,” Cian says as though he read my mind. He chuckles as I flash a startled look his way. “It was a good bet that was what you were thinking, nothing more. I can’t read your mind. I can see images at times, but I can’t hear your thoughts. When we make love, though, I will be able to feel your pleasure and to give you mine.”

I ignore the last bit. It’s best not to even go there. “So Beck and I aren’t bonded?”

“Not fully, from what I can tell,” Cian states as academically as possible. “Many choose not to form a full bond with their bondmates. You can help Beck bridge with me without seeing his soul. I, personally, think it’s a cowardly thing to do. You’re my wife, whether you accept it or not. I am your husband. I want you to know me, the good and the bad. I don’t want to live my life without really knowing my wife. I want to know what she likes and doesn’t like. I want to know what makes her laugh. I want to know that she feels like everyone will abandon her in the end because that’s all anyone has ever done.”

I turn away because he has seen way too much. My hands still shake from the physical process of bonding.

He’s suddenly behind me, winding his arms around me. His hair is loose, and I can feel it on my skin, caressing me. “I won’t ever leave you, wife. I know Beckett can be hard to understand, but he is loyal. He won’t abandon you. We’re here for you. We’re bound together forever. You’re safe with us.”

I don’t believe it for a second. The door to the bedroom opens, and I’m glad for the distraction. A small brown woman walks in. Woman? She obviously isn’t human, so that likely isn’t the word I should use. Cian gives my shoulders a squeeze before shifting to stand at my side. He keeps an arm around me, and I can feel his affection for the strange-looking female.

“Meggie mine, this is Flanna,” Cian says. “She’s a brownie and a very valuable member of our court.”

Flanna grins, showing her gapped teeth. I find myself fascinated by another nonhuman creature. Despite my aching head, I kneel down to get on the same level as the brownie. It seems like the polite thing to do. I feel Cian’s pleasure at my gesture. The bond makes it easy to sense his moods.

“Hello, I’m Meg. It’s very nice to meet you.”

The brownie bows deeply. “And you, Your Highness. I cannot express my joy at this bonding. It has saved us all. Surely Danu herself sent you to us.”

I look up at Cian, hoping he’ll explain who Danu is.

He merely grins down at me. “I’ll give you a full lecture on the religious beliefs of the Fae at another time, sweetheart. For now, our people await. They long to meet their queen.”

I’m up on my feet in an instant. “Queen?”

His smile is slow and sure as he leans over and whispers in my ear. “What do you think they call the woman who fucks the king, my lover? I know you’ve been fucking big brother, and I mean to have some of that, too. I’ll have you in my bed by the end of the week. I promise you won’t want to leave.” He drops a light kiss on my cheek and walks to the door. “Get dressed, my queen. We have a party to attend.”

With that, he winks and disappears behind the door. I sink to the bed and take a deep breath. I thought Beckett was a lot to deal with. He hadn’t actively tried to seduce me. Cian has just made a declaration of intent.

“He’s a charmer, that one,” Flanna is saying with a chuckle as she walks to the small wardrobe. She goes on tiptoes to open the door and pulls down a sumptuous-looking gown. “I wouldn’t bother trying to hold him off, Your Highness. He’ll be in your bed before you know it. No woman can hold off Cian Finn when he wants her.”

“What about Maris?” The name comes straight into my head. I search my new memories. The blonde Fae bondmate was named Maris.

Flanna’s eyes widen in obvious surprise. She hands the dress to me. “He performed a true bonding, then?”

“So he tells me.” The dress is sapphire blue with flowing skirts. There’s delicate embroidery around the bodice. It’s like nothing I’ve ever worn before. This is the dress of a faery princess. “She was his fiancée?”

Flanna nods. “She was engaged to the princes at a very young age. Their father chose her. She came from impeccable bloodlines. She was very much the lady.”

While the brownie’s voice was even, there’s hostility there as well. “You didn’t think she was right for Cian?”

“I didn’t think she was right for either of them,” Flanna corrects. “Come along, Your Highness. I will help you get dressed while we gossip. It’s a sacred thing in a royal court, and I’ve missed having a queen to gossip with.”

I allow Flanna to pull and prod me into the dress while she speaks.

“Maris was a cold girl, and she would have become an even colder woman,” the brownie explains. “Beck accepted the betrothal because Beck always obeyed his father. He convinced Cian to accept it as well, but I know Cian was worried about actually bonding with her. He would never have formed a full bond with her, I promise you that.”

Flanna gets on the bed to button the dress up the back.

“He was pretty out of it. I don’t know that he intended to go so far with me. Beck didn’t.” I watch in the mirror as Flanna puts the finishing touches on the dress. I don’t recognize myself.

I’m such a long way from Fort Worth.

“Don’t let that worry you,” Flanna says, getting off the bed. “Beck has his reasons. He’s done things he’s not proud of. Give him time. Let him come to trust you.”

Shaking my head, I stand and smooth the skirts one last time. Flanna gives me soft slippers for my feet. I don’t tell her I have no intention of bonding with either brother any more than I already have. It isn’t fair, but I don’t intend to give Cian a chance to hurt me. I will get through the evening and then sit Cian down in the morning for a thorough discussion of how this “marriage” is going to work.

In the meantime, I will get used to my new home. From the sounds of the party going on in the front yard, it seems as though I’m about to meet the entire village. It’s time to put my game face on and start that learning curve.

I allow Flanna to escort me to the door. We walk into the living room. The music is louder out here. The door is open, and I can see the night beyond is lit up with torches and a huge bonfire. All manner of Fae creatures dance around the bonfire. Some of them don’t look even vaguely human. I feel my jaw dropping and force it to close.

A cheer goes up when I walk into the yard.

“Welcome, Queen Meg,” they say as I pass.

I plaster a stunned smile on my face as they welcome me. Then there’s only one person in the whole world as Cian Finn walks up to me. He’s so beautiful that I feel my heart seize.

“My queen,” he says, bowing. He holds out his hand. “A dance for your poor husband?”

I let him lead me. When I’m encircled by his arms, my head against his chest, I realize that Cian Finn might be even more dangerous than his brother.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Meg

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

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

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

This is exactly what I’ve been trying to avoid. “You aren’t supposed to be in my bed, damn it!”

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

All good signs.

Still, I’m not sure how I ended up in bed with Cian when I promised myself I wouldn’t. And there’s a gold band on my left ring finger that wasn’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 is on full display. “You told me you refused to sleep in the big bed. You told me you needed independence, and the only way you could have that was to live in abject 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 dancing and singing. I met Flanna’s family and all the rest of the brownies. I laughed and said that we eat brownies on the human plane. And then I spent the better part 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 ale that did it. It had been slightly sweet and had a hell of a kick. Every time I finished 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 to explain it. It was quite the lecture. There was something about making your own way and roaring because you’re a woman. I didn’t understand it at all, and I consider myself a smart man. The only part I really got was when you told me we had to live here.”

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

“No, I said I needed to live here,” I correct. Now I remember that I kissed Cian. I was slightly drunk, and everyone urged us to kiss. I meant to placate them with a little peck, but Cian dipped my back over his arm and overwhelmed me. His tongue slipped into my mouth and had its way with 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. The night 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. He pays no mind to his nudity or to his morning friend. “I know. You think living here will prove something to Beck. I don’t think so, but I’m willing to go along with what you want. Can we get a bigger bed, though? It was cramped last night. 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 lays almost flat against his belly. “How do you expect me to hold a serious conversation with you like that?”

He shrugs. “You’re my wife. It’s my permanent state around you. It would probably go away if you jumped on top of me and bounced around for 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 to get properly dressed and get my day started. Perhaps then I’ll be better equipped to handle Cian. My day clothes are still in the cottage. I’ll take some time to collect myself and then see to the farm.

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

I expect to step out into the leftover destruction from the night before, but the yard is pristine once more, without a sign of what went on. The gathering was huge, with everyone in the village showing up to dance and drink. I was introduced to sidhe, brownies, trolls, gnomes, and some 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 about my wayward husband. He saved many of the people of the village at great cost to himself. For years after the civil war, he worked hard to build a sanctuary for the refugees from his home plane.

It would have been easy for the king to settle on the Vampire plane. The Dellacourts are a wealthy family who would have taken in Beck 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 to give his people a home.

Beck is their protector. Without him, the Fae would have dispersed and more than likely had trouble surviving on their own. Cian gave his brother all the credit for founding their own small kingdom. He explained that he simply followed his brother’s lead. Beck was the one to take charge in those dark years after losing their parents. Hearing the love and admiration for 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’s really beautiful here. A gentle mist comes up from the pond, giving the world some softness. The cows contentedly eat grass in the distance. The sky is a soft watercolor of blues, pinks, and oranges. It’s similar to my plane, but it feels so different. Even the air here is gauzy and sweet. The whole world seems quiet 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 of being. It is something I can choose.

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

I stop in the middle of the living room because an erotic warmth swamps my senses. It starts in my pussy and pulses outward.

“Oh, god.”

I barely manage to close the door behind me when I feel the connection between me and Cian open. It’s like someone flicks a switch on in my brain and the channel changes. I’m suddenly tuned to the Cian Channel, and it’s playing porn.

He’s stroking himself. I can feel it. His hand is gentle as he strokes from the base of his cock upward, all the way to the crown, where he brushes his thumb firmly across the head. There’s already wetness there. He uses it to lubricate his palm and facilitate smoother strokes. He tightens his hold on the monster, and I feel him sigh as he spreads his legs and ups the pace.

Drops of arousal weep from the slit of his dick. If I was with him, I would lean over and lick it off. Is that my thought or Cian’s? The connection is so new that I have to wonder. A vision of exactly what Cian wants me to do flows over my brain, taking over my thoughts. I would run the tip of my tongue just inside the slit and tease him lightly. His big body would shudder in response and urge me on. He would fist his cock while I suck the head, begging him to feed me everything he has.

I feel Cian’s chuckle as though it comes from inside my own body.

“Bastard,” I whisper.

He knows I can feel him. He’s pushing the experience out toward me. It’s like I’m there with him, almost as though I am Cian. I can feel his pleasure and his intent. He wants me. Oh, I can feel that. He wants me so badly. I stumble into the bedroom and throw my body on the bed. I won’t be able to ignore the vision. It feels too good to ignore.

His hand is firm now as he runs it up and down his cock. I writhe on the bed, my legs restless as he caresses himself. He’s thinking about me. He moves on from thoughts of my mouth to other body parts. He thinks how good it would feel to have my tight pussy all around him. The muscles of my pussy would clench around his cock, trying to tempt him to come. He wants to give me his semen. It belongs to me. It’s only right for me to take it.

He wants me on top, my breasts bouncing as I ride him hard. He would love the view from that position. He would grasp my hips and help force me down so his dick could hit my sweet spot.

My nipples go hard. My pussy is already soft and wet. Every cell in my body has been taken over by Cian’s assault. He’s there with me although our bodies are apart. It’s intimate, so intimate. It’s a lot like the connection I felt with Beck in the arena, though this time I know what’s happening.

Cian pumps his cock. His hand slides from the head down, down, down to the place where the thick stalk meets his balls. No wonder men do this an awful lot. It’s completely different from touching myself. There’s a harder edge to it that I find fascinating. It feels really good, and I suddenly know Cian can do this all morning. He’ll be careful and prolong the experience. He wants to keep me in this state. He wants me writhing and begging. Eventually he’ll give it to me, but only after he’s satisfied that he has the upper hand.

Maybe turnabout is fair play. Cian thinks he has all the control. Can I break him? How will he like my pleasure? Will my softness feel as good to him as his rough lust feels to me?

I pull down the bodice of the dress and let my hands find my breasts. I allow every sensation to flow over me and push it toward him. Cian’s state of sexual arousal has my nipples peaked and sensitized. I moan as I have the twin sensations of Cian’s hand on his cock and my fingers pulling at my nipples.

How does this work? I close my eyes and fantasize. I want Cian. He’s different from his brother. He’s so open with his sexuality it allows me to be open with mine. In my fantasy, I see Cian climb over me, his big body pressing me down. I roll my stiff nipples between my thumbs and forefingers, tugging lightly. I imagine it’s Cian’s mouth there.

He licks them at first. His tongue curls around the nipple just before he lets me feel the edge of his teeth there. He bites down lightly, never crossing the line between pleasure and pain. He bites just enough to make the nipple flare with arousal. He pops the nipple in his mouth and laves it with affection. Then, because this is my fantasy, I bring Beck in to suck on the other one.

In my fantasy, Beck denies me nothing. He takes my breasts because they belong to him.

In my mind, I see two dark heads bent over my breasts, suckling. I hold their heads, my hand sinking into the silky darkness of their hair. Their hands are everywhere.

Cian picks up the pace. His hand pumps firmly around his cock. I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. He’s definitely getting the picture. It’s time to move on.

Fantasy Cian begins to kiss down my belly. He licks and kisses his way south as Beck nuzzles my throat. In the fantasy, I’m suddenly tied tightly to the bed. Beck’s hand collars my throat. He tells me everything he intends to do to me in a honey-dark voice that leaves no room for disobedience. He and Cian have plans for me. Cian’s going to eat my pussy. Beck will play with my breasts, and after I come, they will have their pleasure. Beck wants my mouth. Cian will plunge that hard cock into my pussy. I’ll be helpless to do anything but feel them. They can do anything they want to me, and I will have no defense.

I don’t need one. They’re my lovers, my husbands.

I feel Cian’s deep approval at the image. My fantasy has become his own. It’s everything he wants—both halves of his soul with one singular purpose between them—my pleasure.

He’s getting close. His cock pulses as I think about Cian’s tongue fucking my pussy. Cian’s tongue spears me as thoroughly and ruthlessly as any cock. Beck’s tongue plays on my nipples. Beck sucks on my nipples while Cian lavishes his love on the tiny bead until I explode.

Our fantasies merge into one hot image. I can no longer tell what I’m thinking and what thoughts are Cian’s, but I don’t care anymore. His hand tightens around his engorged cock. It’s purple now as he races to the finish line. I can feel his balls tightening. They’re getting ready to shoot off. His control is blown.

It no longer matters. I want the orgasm. I slip a finger into my pussy, circling my clit with my thumb, my fingers playing out the images in my head. I close my eyes and see Cian and Beck working furiously over me. The two heads work in perfect harmony, suckling my breast and my clit. They love my taste. They can’t get enough of it.

Cian firmly takes hold of our connection. My fantasy falls away as I feel a tingle at the base of my spine. His hand is a fist now, pounding away at his cock.

An image of Cian between my legs is all I can see now. It’s so real. It’s almost as though he’s right here with me, his weight pushing me into the bed. He parts my thighs and shoves his desperate cock deep inside me. He pushes himself in to the balls, and still he isn’t satisfied. He wants to merge with me. He wants to be a part of me. God, he needs me so badly. He’s waited for me. The emotion sweeps over me, making my eyes water. I’ve never felt so desired as I do when the connection is open and his heart is pouring into mine.

He pumps into me, and he’s close, so close, to giving me what I desire. I pick up the pace, plunging two and then three fingers inside my pussy and know they don’t match what Cian can give me. I spread my legs as far as I can and curl my fingers up while I push the pad of my thumb forcefully at my clit and then…

Relief, blessed, sweet pleasure as Cian comes. Semen spurts up onto his belly, but he doesn’t care. In his mind it’s my pussy he’s flooding. He pumps and pumps, the feeling all the more exquisite because it’s shared. Just as I think I can’t take another moment of his orgasm, my own hits. It blooms from my center, spreading out like a rushing wave across my body. I feel Cian’s surprise as he comes again.

It's like the best phone sex ever, and I giggle as I lay back and try to catch my breath. A happy languor radiates across my body. That was so much more than playful sex. Cian’s emotions invaded me as surely as his fantasies did. He was open and honest, and there will be no recriminations from this half of the man. I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. The happiness I feel is coming from Cian, too. He’s happy. He’s well-satisfied, and it isn’t all physical for him.

He’s coming. And not in a sexual sense. I can sense him physically approaching.

He throws the door open and tosses himself on the bed next to me. He hasn’t put on his clothes. I should get up and put some distance between us. I need to be smart about this. Just because he was open doesn’t mean this will end any better than it did with Beck. A million things can go wrong. I should push him away and get dressed. Instead, when he puts his hand possessively over my stomach, I find myself moving my head to his shoulder, unable to force myself to break the connection.

“That was fun,” he says with a wicked grin. He’s so beautiful it makes my heart ache.

“Is that the way you invite a woman to play?” I admit, it’s an effective seduction technique. Suddenly I feel so vulnerable. I saw his past. He’s had hundreds of women. They lined up for him. How can I ever compete?

His perfect face is suddenly very serious, looming over me. His gray eyes look almost silver in the soft light of morning. He sinks his hands into my hair and turns my face up to his. “I’ve never done that with any woman before. I’ve waited my whole life to connect with another soul the way we did, and we could have so much more, Meggie mine. You’re my wife, my bondmate. It won’t work with anyone else.”

I look up at him and finally realize he isn’t his brother. Technically, he’s half his brother, but they are so very different. How can I ever find happiness if I never ask for what I want? If I keep telling myself no, I never give anyone a chance to say yes.

“I’m scared,” I tell Cian quietly.

“I know,” he replies with soft eyes. He leans down and presses a kiss on my forehead, as tender as the pleasure before was rough. “How about we do this? Let’s take it slow. No more overwhelming you with my dirty self-pleasure. I want you, Meggie. I want you to come to me because you want me, not because I’m the only one available. Though I am, you understand. I know you are stubbornly telling yourself we’re not truly married, but I wouldn’t push that if I were you. I’m willing to be reasonable. I’m willing to be patient. I am not willing to watch you flirt with another man.”

“I can’t handle the two I have.” It feels so good to sink into his strength. It helps me find my own. “I want things, Ci. I have certain needs that Beckett found distasteful. I’m worried you will, too.”

His laugh rumbles through his chest as he pulls me close. He tangles our legs together. “I don’t find much distasteful sexually. Why don’t you explain what you want? I saw flashes of it, but I don’t completely understand. I liked how you looked tied up and spread out for me.”

I take a deep breath and proceed to explain Dominance and submission to Cian. He’s patient and asks questions.

“You want me to make decisions for you?”

“No.” I’m sure of that. “That’s the way it works for some couples, but I would rather we had a partnership in our daily lives.”

“And at night, when we’re alone, I’m your Master,” Cian says, his voice hoarse. His hands tighten around me, and I can feel his cock starting to revive. “Your body is mine, and I do what I want with it.”

I sit up and look down at my husband who is, once again, sporting a huge erection. At least he seems willing to hear me out. “I haven’t tried this with anyone. I don’t know what I’ll like and what I won’t. Hell, at this point I’m not even sure it was what I liked or if I was just overwhelmed by the bond. I have to admit I’m curious and a little scared by all of it.”

“You liked what Beck did to you,” he points out. He seems to be carefully thinking through the problem. “Whether it was the bond or your own needs, you enjoyed yourself.”

I nod. “I loved it. It was the best sex I’ve ever had. I should warn you, though. I hadn’t had great sex before that. It was mediocre at best. Beck was upset afterward. He doesn’t think I should like it. It can’t work if the Dom hates himself for dominating his submissive. It kind of defeats the point.”

Cian props himself up on one elbow and brushes the hair back from my face. “He’s fighting himself. He’s trying to be something we’re not. Give him time. Meanwhile, I’m more than willing to explore this with you. I’ll admit I’m not the dominant half. I’m very carnal, but I tend to be softer than Beck.”

“If you don’t…”

His finger comes up to my lips. “Hush. I’m still male. I think I can handle it just fine. How about we make a vow? I’ll fulfill your fantasies to the best of my ability, and you’ll do the same for me?”

I grin. “Deal.”

He reaches over and takes my left hand in his. He brushes his thumb over the golden band that rests there. “This was my mother’s. I told you about it last night, but I don’t think you remember.”

Should I offer it back to him until we’re sure it can work? “I don’t. It’s beautiful, though. Maybe you should take it back for now.”

He gently squeezes my hand. “Please wear it. It would confuse our people if you didn’t. But you should know that it’s important. It’s the queen’s ring. My sister…”

Tears pierce my eyes because I remember this part. “She died, and the last thing she gave you was this ring. She wanted to save it because she watched your mother die. Ci, I’m so sorry about what happened.”

I feel him sigh, his body cuddling mine.

“Is it odd that it doesn’t feel as bad now that I’ve shared it with you? Now when I think of that terrible time, I’ll remember that you were there with me.”

Oh, how will I ever keep myself apart from this man? “I’ll wear the ring, but if you ever want it back, I’ll understand.”

He sits up and kisses me firmly. “I won’t. I promise you that. But, for now, we work on being friends. I want you to take this time I’m giving you. I’ll back off, but the minute you say yes, everything changes. Do you understand?”

I nod, seeing the trap he’s laid. I’ll have to be careful with my words for a few days.

He laughs. “Smart girl. Now go get dressed. You’re entirely too tempting like that. We have work to do.”

“Thank you,” I say softly. I lean over and press my lips to his.

Cian’s smile is rueful. “I’m glad I have your gratitude, wife, because my dick is cursing me.”

I laugh with him, and then we get up, dress, and get ready to face the day.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Liadan

I watch as that idiot Cian runs from the barn toward the cottage. He’s naked, and there’s no doubt he is a man on a mission. Earlier I’d seen the human walk toward the cottage. I have no idea why they spent the night in the barn, but it looks like they’re moving their lovefest inside.

I hate to admit it, but he’s a lovely man. It’s merely the luck of his birth. He looks exactly like his better half. If Cian Finn was anything like his brother, my job would have been infinitely easier. I could have seduced Cian and put a blade through his heart. I have one I made especially for him. It’s cold iron and easy for my small hands to use. I cursed the blade myself and tested it on that moron I was forced to call husband for years. A husband was required to get me into the village. It took a long while to find the right plane, and once I was here, I needed to get close to the princes. My husband came in handy. When he accidently discovered my true nature, I tested my weapon. It proved thoroughly effective. Life as a widow has given me the freedom I need.

I don’t dare try to use the knife on Beck. His instincts are too well-honed when it comes to battle. His hands are quick, and he can disarm me in an instant. He’s the warrior. There is no doubt about it. I shiver slightly when I think about all the times I was forced to smile and welcome him to my bed. He’s a predator. Even though he asks politely, I can feel what he wants, and it disgusts me.

I’ve often thought about the fact that the brothers are protected on many levels by their odd nature. Beck is protected by his fighting ability, but Cian has some strong defenses against me as well. He seems to sense something is wrong whenever I’m close. Once I caught Cian watching me as though trying to figure out what I am. At first, I worried Cian might give me away, but he never called me out. By the time I began my relationship with Beck, Cian had started his descent into madness and likely hadn’t trusted himself enough to accuse me.

He didn’t join his brother in my bed. I was glad that Beck hadn’t figured out I attempted to seduce Cian first. I still hated him with a vengeance for turning me down.

Even without direct access to the intellectual half of the king, I almost managed it. My magic is strong. Though Cian was protected at night—by Beck when he was around and that nosy little brownie when Beck was not—I managed to enter his dreams as a mist. It’s a particular talent of mine. My sisters have always been jealous of the ability. I simply poured my will into a spell and wrap it in the mist that always surrounds the pond. It finds its way to Cian. It whispers to him. It brings out all his fears.

In the end, it was simple. Cian is weak. He chose to fade rather than live in a world where he has no hope of bonding. He’d been close to complete chaos. I was mere days away from convincing the idiot to kill himself once and for all, and then Beckett Finn would have been easy prey. Beck would have quickly dissolved into a death machine, and there would be no choice but to put the king out of his misery.

But of course, nothing is easy. That human bitch shows up and I’m back at square one.

I stand in the far field watching the cottage, trying to come up with a way to deal with the new problem I have. The queen—I can’t believe those idiots are calling the human queen—presents a uniquely troublesome problem.

If the legend is correct, there’s a possibility the twins’ power might be greatly increased by bonding with a strong mind. While I doubt the human is a truly strong mate, I don’t want to take the chance. Beck is powerful enough as he is, and the thought of Cian with a Green Man’s abilities scares me. If word gets back to Tír na nÒg that the twins are alive and have ascended into their power, another civil war will follow. I have to stop that because I’m not at all sure my side will win.

I feel a warmth at my heels, pulling me from my reflections.

“Hello, Ain,” I say with more affection for my black cat than I’ve ever felt for another being. I lean over, and the cat gracefully leaps into my arms. The cat does more for me than any other being has. She’s my sweet and vicious familiar.

“There she is,” I say, pointing out our enemy. The queen walks out of the cottage with a dumb smile on her face, holding Cian’s hand as they move toward the barn.

It would be simple if I could kill the bitch, but I’m certain that yesterday Cian destroyed that plan as well. According to the gossip I heard at the party the night before, Cian fully bonded with the human. If I kill her, the human will be able to send the image to her husband.

It’s too risky. I can’t change forms again, and I don’t intend to be revealed as the hag I am when a lynch mob comes.

I watch the outcast king teach his second-rate mate how to milk a cow. I’ve played a very careful game. It would be stupid to risk it now. The game has changed with the insertion of the human. What I need is a new plan.

I smile as I think about all the vampires Beck fought in the arena for the right to mate with that ridiculous human. He probably made them all angry. It’s the one decent move Torin managed on his own. Limiting the vampires’ access to consorts made them more amenable to certain negotiations. There are still vampire families loyal to the outcast king, but others are much more reasonable. Perhaps it’s time get in touch with one or two.

“I didn’t mean yes that way, Ci!” The human’s squeal carries across the field as she playfully avoids Cian’s hands.

Cian will be sad when the human is dead or gone. I don’t care which. The vampires would probably rather take the girl. They have their uses for one with her unique talents. With Beck off the plane, I might find some vampires desperate or arrogant enough to think they can kidnap a consort. Or some might be looking for revenge and kill the bitch.

Either way will lead to Cian’s fading and Beckett’s death. Once they’re gone, Torin can reopen Tír na nÒg, and I’ll march back into the homeland a conquering hero. I’ll take my place beside my sisters as the king’s counselor. Our status will be assured.

I turn toward home, my familiar nestled firmly in my arms. I can hear the newlywed couple playing. Let them have fun now. Theirs will be a short marriage if I have anything to say about it.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Cian

“What is it?” I sit in the kitchen looking at the small, flat cake-thing my wife has been working on for days now. Meg has been working on other things as well, but this odd bit of food seems to be her labor of love.

I’ve spent the last few days working in the fields that feed our village. I’ve been perfecting the irrigation system with the gnomes. At night, I entertain the Fae who come from all over the plane to welcome the new queen. Large tents have been set up around the village as though a great fair has come to town. I’m happy with the coin that is now flowing around the village as visitors spend money and trade goods with the locals. It’s been a long time since my people had anything resembling prosperity.

My wife seems to think she has something to trade, too—this odd-looking thing she’s prepared to force on me. She looks so cute with an apron over her day clothes and flour in her hair. She looks good enough to eat, and the now familiar ache starts in my groin.

I’m going to die if she doesn’t say yes soon.

“It’s a cookie,” my wife proclaims as though the word should mean something.

I’m rapidly discovering that even with the bond, my mind still wanders. It’s my wife’s fault. She has a smile that tends to melt my insides. I force myself to concentrate on her words and not how creamy her skin looks.

“I had to figure out how to substitute honey for sugar, but I think I have it,” Meg continues. “It’s an oatmeal cookie. It’s better with chocolate chips, but we don’t have any. Try one.”

That isn’t what I want to try. I want to get my mouth on her breasts and that sweet, soft pussy of hers, but I’m playing a long game. Still, I can’t disappoint her. I take the “cookie” and pray it tastes better than the other meals she’s attempted to cook. My bride is beautiful and possesses a sharp mind, but cooking is not a talent of hers. I’ve had to choke down dinner all week and smile and tell her how edible it is. Flanna is attempting to teach her a few tricks to Fae cooking. So far, it’s not working.

Her hand is on her hip, and there’s an offended look on her pretty face. “It’s not going to kill you, Ci.”

I’m pretty sure it won’t. I quickly calculate my odds of surviving Meg’s cookie experiment. I’m confident, when applying the laws of rational deduction, that my odds are in the 99.783% range. Her foot taps impatiently on the floor. I have a 100% chance of pissing off my wife if I don’t eat the damn thing and manage to smile. I shove the cookie in my mouth and gamely chew.

It’s not half bad. “It’s good.”

A wry smile quirks up her lips. “You don’t have to sound so surprised. I never was a very good cook, but I always could bake. I didn’t get these hips from following a low carb diet.”

I would ask her what she means, but I’m eating a second cookie. It’s not good. It’s delicious. I’ve never really liked oats. They taste like paper, but Meggie’s cookie is soft and sweet. I reach for a third.

She pulls the platter back. “Hey, I need those for the goblins. Flanna says they’ve set up camp on the other side of the village in the caves.”

Oh, I know all about the goblins. It was not a surprise when they showed up. In a way, it’s a good thing. They bring trade. The goblins live on the plane and choose to do business with the village, but they’re not here to pay court to the kings and their queen. They are Unseelie. They are potentially very dangerous. “You aren’t meeting the goblins, my lover.”

“Why not? I’ve met everyone else,” Meg points out with a breezy lack of concern.

It’s a huge change from the worried girl I met a few days ago. Meg has settled in nicely. She’s growing in confidence and proving herself a good partner. She’s polite when she needs to be, and she has good instincts as to when a small show of temper is required. Patience and gentleness works with the brownies and gnomes, but I was proud when Meg slapped one of the cave dwarves silly. The dwarf was downright rude about humans being a bit lacking in the brain department. She smacked his hard little head. Sorry, she said with an innocent smile. I’m not smart enough to control my impulses.

The dwarves have all watched their tongues since. It’s now being said that the queen can be viciously brutal when she wants to be. It’s a compliment coming from the dwarves.

I watch the cookies go into a basket. It’s a whole lot of cookies. The goblins might not even like them. My wife certainly won’t be wandering into a goblin cave with her pretty smile and basket of treats. The goblins will just as likely eat her. “The goblins aren’t here to meet you. They come because of all the trade that goes on at gatherings like this.”

Meg looks thoughtful for a moment. “What would goblins trade?”

I love her questions. She’s the most curious woman I’ve ever met. “All manner of things. They tend to scavenge, so you can bet they have items from other planes. If we had anything to trade, I’m sure we could find something to intrigue you. The only thing they make themselves is a strange form of liquor. It’s a brown drink they brew from beans they find in the mountains. It gets goblins drunk, but it just makes me jittery.”

“Because, of course, you have to try goblin moonshine,” Meg says with an affectionate laugh.

I shrug. “If someone tells me it’s liquor, I’ll try it. I didn’t like this stuff, though. It smelled lovely but tasted bitter.”

Her hazel eyes flare and she’s very serious all of the sudden. “Beans from the mountains? Makes you jittery? Would you say it’s an acquired taste?”

“I don’t know who would want to acquire it.” I shake my head as I think about that drink. It’s very bitter and acidic, and the goblins serve it at a scalding temperature. “It makes you jittery if you drink too much, and then it’s like you’re addicted. If you don’t get it, you have a headache.”

“Like the one I’ve had for a freaking week and a half,” Meg snarls. She takes me by the shirt, fisting the fabric in her hands to draw me close. “You will take me to the coffee.”

I feel my eyes widen, and for a moment I wonder if the dwarves haven’t hit it on the head. My queen does, indeed, look a bit vicious. “They don’t call it coffee.”

“I don’t care what they call it,” Meg swears. “I want it. I’m a pot-a-day coffee drinker who’s been without it for weeks now. You will get me that coffee. Do you understand?”

“It’s become my new quest, wife.” I never argue with a woman when she gets that look in her eyes.

Meg backs off and smiles. “Excellent. We can trade the cookies for the coffee.”

She places a cloth over the full basket and smooths down her new skirts. Some of the women of the village held a small sewing party to make the queen a functional wardrobe. Meg was effusive in her praise of the three dresses, two pairs of pants, two shirts, and some nice undergarments. She made the women promise to teach her what they know. Her gracious acceptance of their rather plain garments endeared her to the women of the village. It’s the kind of thing that Beck would have turned down, fearing he was taking advantage of his subjects.

What Beck doesn’t—won’t—understand is that people need to be needed. Those women enjoyed giving their queen a gift she appreciates. Beck holds himself apart. While the people love him for his loyal defense of their lives and property, they rarely speak to him beyond saying hello. They rarely ask his counsel or wonder about his health. Meg is going to change some of that.

If she survives meeting the goblins.

“Are you ready?”

“No.” I don’t particularly want to go meet the goblins without Beck at my back.

“Good,” she replies as though I had cheerfully said yes.

She picks up her basket and walks straight out the door.

Where did my day go wrong? I planned it all out. I worked hard all week so I would be able to spend this afternoon seducing my wife, and now I have to follow her into a goblin cave where she intends to talk them into exchanging their precious liquor for sweetened oat cakes.

I’ve gone down the wrong road.

I slide off my stool and run to catch up with my wife. Her hips sway invitingly in her pretty skirt. She turns and winks as she walks down the lane. I jog the last of the distance between us and slip my hand into hers. She’s talking and moving with a sweet feminine energy that has me sighing.

I might be going down the wrong road, but it’s the one she picked. I will never let her walk alone.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Meg

I chatter happily with my husband as we walk through the village toward the caves where the goblins are based. I smile up at Cian and realize I really do think of him as my husband. It isn’t merely a title someone stamped on us. We’re married. When had that happened?

The last week has been a revelation. I’ve begun to fit into village life. I’m not delusional. I know I’m not the best cook in the world. My poor husband is suffering as I learn, but I’m not about to give up. The cottage has rapidly become my domain. Cian convinced me to stay there while Beck is gone. There are many daily tasks that require a resident.

It was a smart play on his part. I wasn’t able to hold myself apart. I find myself rearranging the furniture and reorganizing things to suit me. I found yards of gauzy fabric in a trunk in the closet and fashioned some pretty curtains with Flanna’s aid. I weeded the front flowerbeds. The gnomes were happy to give me bulbs to plant.

I’ve even becoming fond of the chickens. It makes it almost impossible to eat them. I’ve become fond of all the animals. I learned to milk the cows and how to brush Sweeney’s mane. I didn’t let Cian kill the rooster. The rooster only crows about half the time. Cian’s cock is a much better judge of when dawn is here. It presses against me every morning as the sun rises, seeking relief.

It hasn’t found any, yet.

That will change soon. I can’t deny him much longer. I don’t want to. I dream about him at night, Cian and his brother. As wonderful as Cian is, I’m still heartbroken over Beck. I miss him, but I need to move on with Cian. He doesn’t know it yet, but I intend to do that tonight.

We become quiet as we trudge through the forest toward the caves. I feel Cian’s hand squeeze mine as he helps me over a puddle.

Beck’s been sending letters. They began arriving the day after he left. They popped up on the vampire computer, but each was written in his own careful hand. Beck’s writing is like everything else about him, carefully controlled and wholly masculine. There are two every day, one addressed to Cian and the other to me.

I refused to read the first one. Cian read his aloud and then dictated his response. The brothers ask about each other’s health and the status of their endeavors. Beck inquires about the farm and the village, while Cian asks about the job Beck is doing.

I remain silent.

I’m going to have to deal with Beck eventually. I don’t understand him at all. Beck left me behind, but then writes to me every day. The day before, I broke down and read one of his letters. It was full of him saying he misses me and wants to make up for the way he treated me. He promises to come home soon with gifts. He promises me a life of comfort.

The trouble is I don’t want that life. I’m enjoying the one I found. I feel a great sense of belonging and accomplishment when I think about the changes I made to the cottage. I’m bonding with the villagers and rapidly becoming important to them. Cian seems to need me as well.

I have no intention of allowing Beck to hire a woman to do my work. Although, if he proves as insensitive as he was before, he might have to pay someone to sleep with him.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Cian’s whole body is tense.

I smile sweetly at him. I don’t have high hopes that Cian will be able to truly top me when it comes to sex. He’s far too indulgent. He’s nothing like his brother. Beck would have ordered me to stay away from the goblins. If I disobeyed, he probably would have locked me away. Cian followed even though it’s obvious he’s reluctant.

“Yes.” I don’t feel a bit of the trepidation Cian is experiencing. I’ve met vampires and faeries and trolls and those rude dwarves. How bad can goblins be?

“Aye,” comes a deep voice. “I thought I smelled something tasty coming this way.”

Holy crap. What the hell is that?

I’ve only briefly seen goblins in the arena, but they’re different up close. This one is as tall as I am, though it has to outweigh me by a hundred pounds. Like the little brownies who are so helpful, the goblin has a head of scraggly, wiry hair. This one’s hair is black, and his leathery skin has a distinctly green cast to it. His eyes are large as though he spends most of his time in the darkness. They’re pitch black and seem a little dead, reminding me of a snake’s eyes. His mouth is the largest feature on his triangular face. It’s filled with razor-sharp teeth. He wears only a small animal skin around his waist, and I find myself very grateful for the attempt at modesty.

“I love to eat sidhe,” the goblin grumbles, the words tangling around his teeth. He scents the air with the holes in the middle of his face that seem to pass for nostrils. “And something else. You aren’t sidhe, girl.”

Cian tries to pull me behind him, but it seems like running. I read an awful lot, and running is a good way to get oneself chased down and eaten by a predator. There are times when boldness is called for. If I’m the queen, then I should start acting like one. And maybe Beck’s name will come in handy. Everyone seems to be afraid of him.

“I’m human, goblin,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “And I’m Beckett and Cian Finn’s wife.”

The goblin does not look impressed. “So the boys finally found a mate, did they? I’m sure my king will be interested in that bit of news. Unfortunately for you, you brought the wrong brother to our camp, little girl. If you’re going to greet the goblins, you should have brought the warrior with you. As it is, I’ll tell my king all about the brothers getting married and then me eating one of them.”

He looks ready to do it, too. His clawed hands twitch dangerously.

“I want you to run,” Cian whispers into my ear. “Run and don’t look back.”

He’s so dramatic. The goblin, on the other hand, is a big old bully. It’s time to gamble a little. I walk straight up to the goblin and use my thumb and middle finger to thwack him on his sensitive-looking nostrils. According to many a nature documentary, it works on sharks. The goblin howls and takes two steps back.

“There. Now we’re starting to understand each other.” I look at the small flask on his hip. “Is that what I think it is?”

The goblin pulls the flask out. He holds it in one hand as he protects his nose with the other. He isn’t so scary now. “It is mine. You would not like it. Sidhe do not like our liquors.”

I stalk the goblin because I am so close to getting one of the things I want more than my next breath. “I told you before, I’m not sidhe.”

With a curious expression, he hands me the flask. “It is strong, I warn you.”

I wipe the rim with the towel I placed on the basket of cookies. I can’t be sure, but I suspect goblins are probably not the most hygienic of creatures. It doesn’t matter once that smell hits me. Heavenly coffee. It’s still warm. I tip the flask and drink it down in one long gulp. It isn’t even as strong as an espresso.

“Strong, my ass,” I say with genuine relief. This is a piece of home I’ve missed. “It isn’t strong, goblin, but it will do. I’m going to need more. Take me to your leader or whoever the hell can negotiate a trade agreement.”

The goblin’s face approximates a version of friendly. He still looks like he wants to eat me, but he’s obviously impressed as well. He looks at Cian, who is openly gaping my way. “Have the Seelies finally found a decent queen?”

Cian walks forward and takes my hand once more. “Remember that she is the queen.”

The goblin scratches his belly and gestures around the forest. “I don’t think she’s the queen of much yet, sidhe.”

“She is my wife and my brother’s wife.” Cian seems much surer now. “That is all that matters. Beckett Finn might have lost his throne, but he did not lose his sword. Remember that, unless you want to feel it in your back when he avenges her.”

But I’m feeling very sure now. I walk up to the goblin. “Beck won’t need to avenge me, Ci. Goblin Boy and I have an understanding. Don’t we?”

The goblin bows, but only slightly. “Yes, Your Highness. I have come to realize you are insane and vicious, and you can handle your liquor. I respect that. Come. The chief will be interested in meeting you.”

Cian’s hand tightens around mine. He leans over to whisper in my ear. “He’s right about the insane part, my lover. I hope goblins like cookies or you might find yourself being eaten as a snack.”

I lean back to my nervous hubby. It’s time to give him a reason to believe we’ll survive this experience. “Ci, I’m saying yes tonight.”

He gives me a short, hard kiss and then pulls me along to follow the goblin. “Let’s get this over with, then. Tonight starts early, my lover, and I promise I’m the only thing eating you this day.” The goblin looks back at us. Cian’s face becomes gorgeously arrogant. “Lead on. I want to get this over with. I’ve got better things to do with my day.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Cian

Three hours later, the chief of the goblin clan burps and slaps me on the shoulder. He’s incredibly drunk. “Tell that brother of yours we’re ready to negotiate.” It comes out in a low growl. The goblin’s eyes are watery but serious. His hand reaches out and tugs on my shirt. “But I have to ask you to leave your queen at home. She is unreasonable.”

I want to laugh but I’m diplomatic enough to keep my face straight. I look into the goblin chief’s eyes and try to convey a kingly presence. “I can’t promise you anything. The queen is formidable, as you have seen. I can only promise that you will get your ten dozen cookies tomorrow.”

“I’ll have them ready, damn it,” Meg says irritably.

She clutches the two sacks of coffee grounds she traded her basket of cookies for. She’s jittery because she sat with the goblin chieftain, matching him shot for shot until the goblin finally fell out of his chair.

I’m honestly amazed at how much she can drink. Somewhere in there, the goblin chief asked for her hand in marriage. I was forced to pull a knife to persuade the chief that I’m not willing to give up my claim on my wife.

“Make sure you do.” The goblin chief looks longingly at the empty basket.

The cookies went quickly. After the first was tried, negotiations began at a swift pace. Turns out Meg is a hard-nosed negotiator. I actually feel a little bad for the goblins.

She negotiated a trade for two bags of coffee, a bolt of some sort of blue fabric she calls satin, a six-pack of Dr Pepper, which comes from the Earth plane, and a pair of brown boots she claims remind her of Uggs. I don’t know what Uggs are, but the boots look warm. Altogether, it’s a phenomenally good deal.

I would be more impressed if I wasn’t so damn sexually frustrated. My wife handles the goblins with pure diplomatic grace. She knows when to be charming and when to beat the goblins over the head with her fists. She negotiated to give the goblins a second shipment of cookies in exchange for a set of sheets. She’s very excited about something she calls the thread count. The other part of the deal is something she has designated as a player to be named later. Again, nothing I understand, but if it gets me out of these caves and into her bed, I will support the deal all day long.

I’m supposed to be the intellectual half. I should have been extremely interested in the negotiations. But today, I can’t take my eyes off my wife’s breasts. I’m going to see them, touch them, get them in my mouth. My cock swells again, and I’ve had enough.

“I am very interested in chocolate,” Meg says to the small goblin who serves as a clerk. He’s writing down the Seelie Queen’s demands. “It’s sweet and brown. You’ll find it in bars. It’s bitter in powder form. I’ll take that, too. Surely, some other plane has to have discovered chocolate.”

“I will ask around, Your Highness,” the goblin promises.

I reach over and take my wife’s hand. If I let her, she’ll stand here all day negotiating. She’s drunk on her own power. It’s wonderful for her to discover her power, but I don’t give a shit. I wanted to discover her pussy, and I’ve been sitting in a dank goblin cave for hours wondering when my hard-on was going to get relief.

“I’ll let my brother know you request our attendance when he returns.” I manage a courtly nod of my head. “I expect him to return by the end of next week. I assume you’ll be staying here for a while?”

The goblin chieftain staggers to his massive feet. His eyes are sleepy. “Yes, Your Highness. We will stay while there is trade to be had.”

“Well, we need to discuss a deal for you to distribute my baked goods,” Meg begins with an entrepreneurial gleam in her eye. I know that look. It will cost me another hour if I let her get started.

“And we can do that at a later date,” I say, hauling her bodily out of the cave. “Good day to you.”

Meg blinks in the light of day. “Hey, I wasn’t through in there.”

I stride forward, pulling her behind me. “Yes, you are, my lover.”

It’s far past time to make her my wife in every sense of the word.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Meg

I look back at the caves where the smaller goblin children are standing, staring my way longingly. They raise their little gnarled hands in sad good-byes.

At one point, while Cian had done some manly sort of thing with the chieftain, I found myself surrounded by the goblin children and their mothers. I won them over with cookies and stories. One thing I’ve discovered is that all faery creatures love stories.

The sidhe children like heroic stories, so I’ve been recounting the plot line from Star Wars by the village fire at night. The goblins are a bit more bloodthirsty. I told them Nightmare on Elm Street. They don’t get that Freddy Krueger isn’t the hero of the piece. I guess it really is all about your point of view.

“I was having fun.” I wave to the young goblins. I have to wave with the boots I’m holding because Cian won’t let my free hand go.

He rounds on me. “Now it’s my turn. I heard a yes, Meggie. I told you a yes changes everything.”

Ah, he’s horny. I have to admit the idea of that big gorgeous sidhe desperate for me sends a thrill through my system. And makes me want to tease him. “I said I intended to say yes. I didn’t actually say it.”

He stops in the middle of the forest, and when he turns to me, I almost take a step back. The playful, flirty man I’ve come to love is gone. In his place is a man who doesn’t look like he’ll take no for an answer.

His eyes are dark as he stares at me. “What are you saying? Think carefully before you answer. I might not be my brother, but I assure you, right now, I’m feeling a bit of his rage. If you’re telling me no, then I need to get away from you.”

Everything inside me softens. I’ve pushed him hard over the last week. In some ways, I’ve made him pay for Beck’s inability to love me. I step into his arms and let the packages fall to the forest floor.

“Yes, Cian,” I say, loving the feel of his body pressed to mine.

I sleep beside him each night, taking his comfort and holding myself apart from him. Every single night I start out telling myself I’ll stay away from him, and every night I end up wrapped in his arms.

I’m done with pretending. I want to know Cian in every way possible.

Cian acts as though his leash has been thrown away. He pulls me against the hardness of his body, pressing his swollen cock to my belly as he kisses me roughly. He rubs against me and seems a bit out of control. The bond between us gives me his thoughts.

He needs me in a way he’s never needed anyone before. It makes it easy to submit to what he wants. When he thrust his fingers in my hair and holds me still, I don’t fight him. I go passive beneath him and wait for his command. My heart speeds up as he stares at me like a starving man looking at a meal.

“Open for me,” he growls as he takes my mouth.

I don’t have to ask what he wants. He wants everything I have, everything I am. I open my mouth, and his tongue immediately invades. I open my mind and am swamped with his desire. It overwhelms me. It makes me groan in response. My hand trails down his chest, seeking that part of him that needs relief. I stroke him through the fabric of his pants.

“Harder,” he commands as his hands go straight for my nipples. He shoves the soft linen of my shirt aside, baring my breasts to the cool afternoon air. He looks down at my chest, his eyes eating me up. “You’re gorgeous, wife of mine. Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted you?”

This man knows exactly how to make me feel sexy as hell. “Well, you’ve only known me for a week.”

He cups a breast, his hand skimming my sensitive skin. He leans in. “Don’t joke now. I’ve waited my whole life for this. I might not have known your face, but I knew you. You were made for me. Everything I’ve suffered through, I did it to bring you to me.”

This man knows how to make me feel loved. Tears well in my eyes. I reach up and cup his face. He’s gone through hell, and yet I have the distinct feeling he means every word. He would go through it again if it brought us together. I suddenly realize that I would do the same. I would make all the same choices, go through the same pain, if it means standing here with this man.

“I want to be your wife, Cian Finn. I’m so proud to be your wife.”

My nipples are hard pebbles as he rolls them between his thumb and forefinger. He closes his eyes for a moment as he cups my breasts. I feel his deep satisfaction at the contact and know he can sense how much I enjoy it, too. He molds my breasts with one hand as he pulls me close with the other. He kisses me, his tongue singing with his need.

I slide my hand over my husband’s erection. I press against his cock as his hips move helplessly against my palm. He’s huge, and I can already feel his arousal beginning to seep from the slit, wetting his trousers. “We need to get home.”

“No time,” he says. I find myself on my back looking up at the green canopy of trees. Cian towers over me. He starts to work on the ties of his pants, his hands shaking slightly. His voice is perfectly clear, though. It’s dark and rich and flows over me with command. “Lift your skirts.”

I struggle to sit up. He can’t mean to do this here. This trail is well-used. “Ci, we’re out in the open.”

I try to be reasonable, but it’s hard. He isn’t guarding his thoughts. He’s pushing them toward me. I can see an image of what he wants to do to me, and it’s dark and nasty and so tempting I want to cry. It makes me wet and ready for him. He wants to lie back in the grass and grip my hips. He wants to skewer me with his cock. He wants to pound into me so hard my breasts bounce. I can feel my pussy start to pulse, desperate to have him inside. His need starts an ache in me, but we aren’t far from the goblin cave. Anyone can come walking along.

“I said lift your skirts.” His beautiful face is slightly savage. He’s gotten his cock free, and he’s his brother’s twin. Cian’s cock is huge. He strokes it as though trying to placate the monster. “I want to see your pussy. Megan, I won’t ask again. I won’t accept anything less than what you’re willing to give my brother. I’m in charge of this, and you’re going to obey. Is that understood?”

He’s trying to give me exactly what I said I want. He’s trying to top me, and I respond. It feels good to chuck my inhibitions and concentrate on pleasing him. I spread my legs and pull my skirt up. I’m not wearing underwear. It’s so much easier because I can feel how much I please him. It radiates from his soul.

“You have a gorgeous pussy, Meggie mine. Now turn over and let me see that ass. I need to make a few things clear to you.”

I have to force myself to breathe. I turn over, the grass soft under my knees.

“Higher, Meg. I want that ass in the air.”

I lean over, putting my face in the grass, forcing my backside high.

His hand comes down in a stinging slap. “That’s for keeping me waiting.”

I have to smile. I disobeyed him all day, but I get that little slap for making him wait for sex. That’s my Cian.

“You won’t make me wait again.” Cian slaps my other cheek and then spreads me wide. “Now, look at that, won’t you? I’m going to fuck you here, Meg. Not today, but eventually. I’m going to rub oil all over my cock, and I’ll fuck this pretty asshole. And you’ll let me, won’t you?”

I close my eyes. He’s staring at my asshole, and it’s doing something for me. “Yes, Cian. I’ll let you.”

“Damn straight.” He slaps my ass again. “Now turn back over.”

I roll in the grass and immediately open my legs so he can see my pussy.

He looks down, and I can feel something inside him relax. Has he been worried I won’t respond to him as I did with Beck?

“I love you, Ci,” I say, and I mean it.

If he’s worried that I won’t care about him the way I do his brother, then I need to put that out of his mind. Cian has quickly become my anchor in this world.

I’ve seen deep into his soul. It’s ridiculous to try to hold myself apart from him. Cian’s soul is lovely and generous. He holds back nothing. He’s shown me the dark parts of himself. I know he’s jealous of how seriously everyone takes Beck while they view his contributions as unnecessary. Cian longed for his father to give him half the attention he lavished on Beck.

“I love everything about you,” I say, pushing my emotion outward so he knows it’s true.

He falls upon me, done with any sort of play. “I love you, Meggie mine. Goddess, how I love you.”

He’s ferocious in his need, and I soften under him. His big body pushes me into the hard ground, but I don’t care. I love his weight on me. His hands press my knees open. His mouth comes down on mine. It’s like he’s trying to inhale me.

“Wrap your legs around me,” Cian commands. He rears up on his knees and lines up his dick to my pussy. He stares down at that place where the head teases me. “Goddess, that’s a gorgeous sight. You’re mine. I’ll share you with my brother, but you should know you’re mine, wife. Look at us. Look at how beautiful we are together.”

I slide my legs around Cian’s waist. I pull my head up and look down the length of my body. Cian is teasing at my pussy. His big cock glistens with my juices. It’s a lovely picture. But I want more. I need him inside me. “Please, Cian.”

“Yes, wife. I want to please you.” He pulls his hips back and thrusts inside.

He spares me not an ounce of his weight. I’m deliciously crushed beneath him, and he’s everywhere. He’s deep inside me, shoving his cock in until his balls hit my ass, only to pull out and thrust forward again. His mouth takes mine, his tongue stroking, plundering. His hands clutch me tightly as though he’s afraid to let go. And his mind, his mind gives his pleasure to me.

It feels so good. I tighten around him, not wanting to lose an inch of him. His thoughts come quickly and threaten to overwhelm me. He wants me so much. He loves the silky slide of my pussy sucking at his cock as he moves in and out. He adores the sounds I make as he hits my sweet spot. His entire being pounds with the desire to mark me. He wants everyone to know that I am his.

I push back against him, rotating my hips to find that perfect place. I lose track of who’s feeling what and simply let the experience fill my senses. My hands find his well-muscled ass and prod him on.

I moan as I feel how close he is. Everything inside of Cian is tense, his body tightening as he approaches release. He goes up on his knees and fingers my clit with a firm swipe of his thumb as he thrusts as far as he can go.

His head falls back as he comes. I feel the pleasure he takes in filling me with his essence. It flows from his body to mine, and my womb clenches and releases with waves of pleasure. Cian continues to thrust, making sure he gives me everything he has. I moan at the little aftershocks I feel when Cian hits a sensitive place.

My husband finally falls forward, completely exhausted. He pushes me deliciously into the ground as he buries his face in my throat.

“Love you, Meggie,” he manages.

I smile, something I’ve been missing all my life falling blissfully into place. It’s not perfect because Beck won’t ever share this with us, but I’ll take it. I hold him, my soul at peace for once.

Chapter Thirty

Liadan

“That makes me sick.” The vampire watches the couple as they make their way down the road toward the ramshackle cottage.

I take in his measure. He seems thin compared to a sidhe, but I know that the vampire’s lankiness probably hides a wealth of strength.

We stand at the far edge of my property, hidden in a copse of trees. The tangled branches give us a place to watch the road and not be noticed. Not that we need it. Cian and his human whore aren’t capable of seeing anything but each other.

“Well, it doesn’t do anything for me, either,” I reply. I try not to roll my eyes.

I’m honestly surprised at the depth of animosity I feel for the human. I hate the way the red-haired girl hugs her body to Cian’s. I loathe him for smiling down and teasing her as lovers do. It’s obvious they’re finally sleeping together, and that fact chafes.

“You told me she was at odds with the brothers.” Kinsey Palgrave frowns, the expression marring his handsome face.

I shrug. I’m not sure why it matters. “I told you she wasn’t sleeping with Beckett. He brought her home and left the very next day for your home plane. He didn’t even spend that single night with her. He preferred to sleep in the barn. She wasn’t pleasing to him.”

Beck never thought to sleep in the barn when he was seeing me. Then again, he never actually spent the night. He used me and then walked back to his own cottage. I’m being forced to admit that my charms didn’t work on either brother the way I thought they would. I was so sure this form would work, but something went wrong.

“Well, Cian Finn doesn’t seem to have the same problem.” Palgrave’s eyes darken as he continues to watch them. “He’s obviously fucking the consort.”

“I don’t understand why you care,” I admit, studying the young vampire. He’s a royal, like the twins’ cousin, Dante. Unlike that imbecile they’re related to, however, this vampire is serious. He’s hungry for a mate and angry the consort was taken from him. He doesn’t believe the competition was fair.

Dante told the whole tale at the tavern the same night Beckett brought his bondmate home. I heard the name Kinsey Palgrave as one of the competitors Beck brutally defeated. So I contacted him. Kinsey was easy to persuade to my side. He bought the story of how desperately the human wants to leave this barbaric place. Now he’s faltering. I need to bring him back into the fold. I need to convince him to kidnap or kill the human.

“Do you honestly believe she can be happy here?” I ask. “She is used to a world with technology. She might enjoy sleeping with Cian, but living here? She’s not used to the hardships. Beckett is still gone from this plane. His twin is vulnerable. All of his power is in his intellect. It will be easy for you to take the consort from him.”

The vampire turns to me, his fangs out. They popped out the minute he saw that idiot human walking up the road. He has some form of visual aid device. I don’t care to look through it. The vampires rely too much on their technology.

“It might be easy to take the consort,” Palgrave agrees. “The trouble will be in keeping her. I came here because I believed she would go willingly with me. She doesn’t look unhappy. I could kidnap her, but what’s to stop her from running the first chance she gets?”

“You would.” I’m beginning to wonder if anyone has a brain. “Tie her up, for all I care. You would get the consort and your revenge. Beck will fade if he loses her.”

It’s the vampire’s turn to sound disbelieving. “More likely he will simply go insane and attempt to track me. This is wrong. I only came because I thought the consort needed saving. I’m not about to get involved in carting off a screaming consort, and I’m certainly not about to hurt one. You know what they say, be kind to consorts or you will never find one yourself.”

I nearly scream in frustration. My plan is falling apart because of an old vampire proverb? The royals have rules about handling consorts, but I didn’t expect them to be vigorously upheld during a time when there are so few to be had.

The vampire turns away from the sight of the couple kissing. “Besides, it’s a good thing in the long run. If the Finns can take back Tír na nÒg, our access to consorts will return. It is obvious that you are angry at the brothers. Did they break off relations with you? You have to be realistic, miss. They were always going to marry a bondmate. I have to be realistic, too.” Palgrave pulls his hood up as he makes to leave. “I came because I want a consort, and she’s lovely. She isn’t available, so the best I can do is make some money off the situation. I don’t think anyone knows the Finns have bonded yet. I’m sure that Beck went to the Vampire plane to make a deal with his relatives. I might have time to buy up some Dellacorp stock before the price goes sky high. I’ll make a bundle and look like a genius in the trades.”

The vampire looks pleased with himself as he turns to go. He came alone, and now I’m grateful for that fact. It’s easier to deal with a single vampire than a couple. The last thing I want is him telling his tale to all and sundry. The minute he mentions my name, the brothers will be after me.

I pull the silver knife from my sleeve. I say a quick spell to make my aim true and then plunge the knife into the vampire’s back. I’m far stronger than I look. The form I present makes me look frail and weak, but my true body is solid. The vampire jerks once, and then he falls apart as his heart is torn asunder by the silver.

I shiver as I look down at my previously pristine clothing. I really shouldn’t have worn my second-best dress. Killing vampires is a filthy business. They tend to explode when their hearts rip apart. I’m covered in blood.

Though if I move quickly enough, I might be able to preserve some of it. Vampire blood is powerful. Perhaps the day isn’t a complete waste.

The sound of laughter filters across the pond. I have to find a way to get that bitch alone. I must get her off this plane and make it look like she walked away. If the brothers think she was taken, they’ll move mountains to find her. If they think she’s been killed, it could get ugly. I don’t like to think about what they will do to me. I have no plans to martyr myself.

As I make the long walk toward my cottage, an idea comes to me.

No. The day isn’t wasted at all.

Chapter Thirty-One

Beck

I stride out of the caves and hand my sword to Colin Dellacourt. The heat of the desert scorches everything it touches. I’m filthy and covered in blood and I don’t want to think what else, but the job is finally over.

Colin takes my sword and reverently wipes it clean. He motions to the employees walking around camp. A young vampire walks up to answer the sidhe’s call.

“His Highness is finished,” Colin announces. “Take the telemetry unit and gather the data we need.”

The young vampire looks to the mouth of the cave with obvious anxiety. “He’s sure?”

Colin’s brown eyes narrow. I hide my smile as the former farmer scares the shit out of a young executive with just a look. “Are you questioning His Highness?”

The young executive shakes his head. “Not at all, Mr. Dellacourt. I’ll get you those readings immediately.”

Colin stares at the small group of Dellacorp employees as they scramble to do his bidding. I pull my filthy shirt over my head and reach for my robe. I need a shower. The vampires’ camp is set up with all the luxuries their technology has to offer. One of those luxuries is the portable shower that cleans with something called sound waves.

I prefer a good soak, but it isn’t available out here in the desert. I can’t help but think about the gift I approved before I left for the Bad Lands, as they called this place. Susan was insistent on getting us a wedding gift. It’s probably being delivered this very day. I can’t wait to lie in the soaking tub with Meg in front of me. I’ll hold her as we soak in the hot water and talk about our days. I’ll tell her about the work I do in the fields, and she’ll talk about…

“What do you and Susan talk about?” I hear myself asking. I didn’t mean to. It just popped out. I won’t take it back, though. I’m curious about the consort’s relationship with my cousin.

Colin sits down beside me and pulls out a bottle of whiskey. He’s quickly handed two glasses by an assistant who always seems to anticipate his needs. I gratefully take the glass and tip it back. I’m going to be damn sore tomorrow.

Colin thoughtfully sips at his well-aged whiskey. “We talk about everything, Your Highness. Mostly, it’s business, of course. She is the CEO of one of the most powerful corporations on the plane. It helps that I have a fairly decent head for numbers and processes.”

He does. It surprised me when Colin announced he was accompanying me on this job. Susan told him to send detailed reports but didn’t argue. She wasn’t his CEO when they parted, however. She was simply his wife when they said good-bye. She asked Colin three times if he remembered everything and checked his bag. She kissed him good-bye and made him promise to call.

“I also have a very thick skin,” Colin says cheerfully. “That helps a lot when your wife is also your boss. Damn woman can flay a man alive with that tongue of hers. I screwed up the quarterly reports a few months back, and she took a chunk out of my hide right there in the boardroom.”

“She yelled at you?” I’m surprised my cousin would yell at a consort. Vampires are supposed to be as gentle with their consorts as the Fae are with bondmates.

“Yelled, screamed, threatened me with all manner of humiliation,” Colin explains with a smile on his face. “That woman of mine is a righteous bitch when she wants to be. It’s all right, though. I took my fair share out of her pretty ass later that night, if you know what I mean.”

I’m pretty sure I do. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Colin and Susan while working in the caves. Colin doesn’t seem to want the type of life I expected a consort to require. He seems to like to work, and he’s tough. His wife doesn’t treat him like he’ll break, but she still loves him. “You were rough with her?”

I try to ask the question with expectant curiosity rather than accusation.

“Vampires are rough, Your Highness,” Colin explains without a hint of self-consciousness. “Relationships here, at least sexual relationships, involve a dominant partner and a submissive partner.”

Now I sit up and pour himself another glass. Meg used those words. “Are you the dominant?”

“Yes, I am. Susan prefers to give up control in the bedroom. It was strange at first. You have to understand, Your Highness, I was raised in an isolated part of the country. I didn’t know I could bond until I came to the Vampire plane. I was a farmer. I’d been taught to treat females with great softness.”

“We’re bigger and stronger,” I say, parroting the words I heard from my father. “They need our protection, not our abuse.”

Colin’s dark brows rise questioningly, and there’s a distinct chill coming from him. “If you’re worried about me abusing your cousin, Your Highness…”

“Say what you need to say, Colin.” I encourage the slightly younger man. “Forget I’m the bloody king. I’m your cousin. Talk to me that way. The goddess knows I need someone who’ll be honest with me.”

“Fine,” Colin says, his eyes narrowing. “I’d tell you, cos, to get the stick out of your ass. My relationship with my wife isn’t open for your judgment. I’ve heard that gentry marriages were cold exchanges of protection and money for bloodlines and a proper bond. I don’t want that. I want a real marriage. Maybe it’s because I’m a commoner, but you can keep your perfect proper bondmate. I don’t want to be treated like a bit of fluff to be taken off a shelf and fucked when my mate thinks about it. I certainly don’t want to treat my wife like that. Life is hard, no matter your circumstances. You should have a partner, not a weight around your neck.”

I feel my stomach drop. What had I said to Meg? I told her she was a responsibility to be borne. She asked to be my partner, and I complained about having to feed and clothe her.

“I don’t think of her that way,” I say quietly. I don’t. However, I do think of her all the time. I can’t sleep without picturing her with me. Sometimes I hold a pillow close to my body at night and pretend it’s Meg against my chest. Goddess, I miss her.

Colin pours another round. “It’s hard in the beginning. Marriage ain’t easy. You have to find your way. It’s harder for you because there are three of you involved.”

“Ci doesn’t seem to be having a problem.” I take a drink, shooting the warm liquor into my belly. Cian has been plain in his correspondence. He’s pissed with the way I treated our wife up to this point.

Everyone is mad at me.

“Then maybe you should listen to Ci,” Colin says sagely. “He would listen to you when it came to killing gigantic bats.”

That thought amuses me and reminds me I do have a place where Cian doesn’t best me. “He wouldn’t have time to listen. He would be running the other way.” Cian has always been a baby when it comes to things with fangs trying to kill him. “I want to go home, Colin. Can you get me home tonight?”

The big Fae smiles. “That I can do, Your Highness. I suspect I could get someone to drive you straight through to your village, if you like. If you go back to the city, you’ll find yourself being debriefed for twelve hours.”

I groan at the thought of being stuck in another meeting. “Please, no more meetings.”

Colin graciously inclines his head. “Go take a shower while I get a driver set up for you. I have to prep this site for mining operations, or I’d take you myself. As it is, I suspect I’ll get in trouble with my boss. She’s expecting you to report back like a good employee.”

I grin. “Then she shouldn’t have paid me up front.”

I rush off to get changed. I’m anxious to get back to my sleepy little village where my sweet wife waits to start our life together.

This time I’m going to listen to her. This time I’m going to make things right between us.

Five hours later, I stare slack-jawed at the chaos around me. There are tents and campsites everywhere. My quiet village has turned into a raucous marketplace. There are Fae of all kinds walking about.

“Your Highness,” a pretty sidhe says. “Welcome back. I hope your trip went well.”

I think her name is Bri. She’s carrying a basket, and I can hear the coins jangling in her pockets. I search my memory. Her father is the miller.

“It was fine,” I reply, still dazed. “What is going on here?”

Bri’s eyes are wide. “It’s a celebration. It’s the tradition. We’re celebrating the kings’ bonding with three weeks of festivities. Last night we had a great bonfire, and the priestess blessed King Cian and Queen Meg. It was a lovely ceremony. They’re so in love.” Her face shines with remembrance. She frowns suddenly. “We’ve missed you, of course, but King Cian explained you had important business to attend to. Not that we forgot about you. Not at all. Your name was mentioned, Your Highness. Everyone cheered.”

“I’m glad someone remembered me,” I grind out. This is how Cian chooses to protect our bride? He’s supposed to hide her from prying eyes. Instead, he invites the whole damn plane to a party. The goddess only knows how many spies are reporting back to Torin. I catch sight of a big shape walking through the stalls and my jaw drops. “Is that a bloody goblin?”

The young girl nods. “Yes, they have brought so many strange wonders. Some of us worried they would not behave without Your Highness around to keep them in line, but they are terrified of the queen, so all has been well.”

My heart threatens to seize. My Meg met the goblins? Cian allowed a goblin to get close to our wife? Has he lost his mind? What did the girl say? “What do you mean the goblins are terrified of the queen?”

The girl smiles proudly. “Our queen beat them and threatened to never make another cookie for them if they ate her. She got the goblin chief to back down. Imagine that—a Seelie queen forcing an Unseelie lord to concede.” She leans in conspiratorially. “If you ask me, the force is strong with our queen.”

I wonder if somehow that damn vampire has taken me to the wrong plane. “Someone is forcing the queen to do something?”

“No,” Bri says helpfully. “It’s an old human legend. You see, the force represents…”

But I see someone who might be more helpful. Liadan is walking toward the shops at the center of the village. “Thank you, Bri. Tell your father I’d like to talk to him about the mill. We’ll need more flour if this goes on for too long.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness,” Bri says as I start to walk away. “The queen has already taken care of it.”

Well, of course she has.

I hurry along, pursuing Liadan across the square. Liadan won’t be under the new queen’s spell as everyone else seems to be. “Lia!”

The blonde turns and when she sees it’s me, makes her bow. She’s cool and polite. “Your Highness. You returned early. You weren’t due back for another week.”

Yes. That’s why Cian thought he could get away with it. In another week, the three weeks of celebration will be over. My brother is a tricky bastard. Cian might not be able to cover the fact that he held the festivities, but he would be able to say they were small. He would have attempted to convince Beck that the parties were small but necessary to the villagers’ acceptance of Meg. He’s a sly one, my other half, and he’s about to get that magnificent brain of his bashed in.

“Would you like to tell me what the bloody hell has been going on while I was away?”

Liadan smiles sweetly. “It is a celebration for your queen, Your Highness. I was surprised you authorized it. It is very expensive and seems a strange thing to do when so many are hungry. I wouldn’t be surprised if our food stores are empty by the end of the festivities.”

I haven’t thought of that. Cian always handles those things, but he seems to be derelict in his duties lately. I hoped that once he bonded, he would go back to his responsibilities. “And what has my brother been doing?”

Liadan shrugs gracefully. “He rarely leaves the queen’s side. He dotes on her when he should be working. She demands it. I thought she wasn’t royal, Your Highness, but she certainly acts like it. She forced the women of the village to sew her a new wardrobe and the miller to up his work all because she has to make some strange human food. She even took one of my dresses. The new queen thinks that anything to catch her eye should be hers, I suppose.”

“Is that a fact?” I ask.

Liadan looks properly intimidated by my low growl.

“She’s even forcing the villagers to work for her.” Liadan points out a stall to her left. There’s a long line, and two young sidhe are working hard to sell some sort of food product.

My queen got out of hand while I was gone.

It’s time she understands the king is back.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Beck

I make sure I have a tight hold on my mental shields as I approach the cottage. Even as I look around, I keep the walls up so I don’t alert my brother to my presence.

I’m shocked at the state of our lands. I left a sad, rundown cottage and am returning to a home someone gives a shit about. Someone weeded the gardens and planted flowers. The front walk is lined with orange and yellow marigolds. The walk has been swept, and someone wove ivy up and down the front walls. The cottage looks lovely. There are pretty yellow linens hanging in the windows.

I stop and look out over the fields. Someone has worked here, too. It seems Cian hasn’t been so derelict.

Liadan’s words come back to me, making me worry about how so much has been accomplished in so little time. I hope my twin hasn’t been forcing the villagers to work while he pays court to our new wife. Cian can be lazy at times, but he isn’t cruel. He does sometimes take a different view of what is due to us than I do.

What if Meg sides with Cian? What if Meg thinks it should be her right to take what she wants simply because someone put a title in front of her name? She’s about to discover that it is my right to set her straight.

“You wanted to see me, Professor Finn?”

Meg’s voice is soft but audible through the open windows. I pause before opening the door. I can see my brother and our wife through the open shades. She’s so beautiful. She wears a pretty skirt and a shirt that dips awfully low on her chest. She unbuttoned the top two buttons, and her breasts swell out of the white linen. It makes my mouth water to remember how good those breasts feel in my hands and pressed against his chest. She wears her long hair in pigtails, tied with white ribbons.

“Yes, I did, Megan,” Cian says in what I recognize as his teacher voice. It’s stern and a little intimidating. Why is he using it on our wife? “You were a very naughty girl in class today.”

Cian sits at the kitchen table, and Meg stands looking down at him. I can’t see my brother’s face, but I have an excellent view of Meg. She leans over, and her voice is slightly breathy as she speaks. “Please, Professor. I need to pass this class. I can’t fail. My parents would be so angry with me. Is there anything I can do for extra credit?”

I let my pack fall to the ground. This is interesting, and I want to see exactly what they’re doing. Cian often likes to play out scenes like the one he’s performing with Meg.

Cian has a great imagination when it comes to dirty fun. I feel my interest rising along with my cock. Meg seems to be playing along willingly. The entire trip home, I thought about what Colin said. Meg doesn’t have the same expectations other bondmates have. What if she’s telling me the truth? What if she honestly wants that submissive relationship-thing she talked about? Can I trust myself to give her what she wants and not hurt her?

There’s a deep chuckle. Cian sits back in his chair. “I don’t know about that. I’d have to see what you have to offer me. Let’s see, your Gaelic is horrible.”

“I’m working on that,” Meg promises with wide eyes. “Tá grá agam duit.”

She says I love you in passable Gaelic. It sounds pretty coming from her lips.

She says it to my brother.

“Nice, a grhá,” Cian praises her. His long fingers tap rhythmically against the table. “But I was thinking of something a bit more physical for this extra credit you need. You look like a strong young woman. Why don’t you take off that shirt and show me your muscles? I’ve been looking for someone to help me carry my books.”

I almost laugh out loud, but then Meg drags the shirt over her head. Her nipples come in view. They’re a dusky pink and stand out, obviously aroused. She touches them. She rubs her breasts brazenly. Her small hands caress the mounds. They’re round and gorgeous and perfectly made. They cause my mouth to water. I want to force her onto my cock and watch those breasts jiggle as she rides me hard.

Will she do it if I ask her? Will she do it faster if I order her?

“Do I look strong enough, Professor?” Meg’s voice is husky, causing my cock to react. I can only imagine what it’s doing to Cian.

“I suppose so.” Cian plays the stern professor to the hilt. “You know, all that walking is going to require strength in your legs as well as your torso. I don’t think I can give you this assignment until I’ve seen your legs.”

Meg bites her lower lip and looks sweetly nervous. She’s good at this. She seems to enjoy the play.

I thought that once Cian and I settled down with a bondmate, our days of playing in such a manner would be done. Sexual relations with a bondmate are reverent, sacred acts. What if all that reverent sex bores my wife to tears because she’s a dirty girl underneath? Maybe Colin is right. Maybe I should start thinking of Meg as Meg, rather than a bondmate. Maybe I should give Meg what Meg wants rather than what I think she should want.

She slides her right leg onto the top of the table, then carefully, slowly pulls her skirt up. Her fingers run the length of her pretty leg, all the way to her hip.

“Now, Megan,” Cian begins authoritatively. “It is obvious to me that you’re missing a very important piece of your school clothes. A good student doesn’t come to class without her underwear.”

Her mouth is a lovely O that would perfectly fit my cock when I shove it in. I’m so hard. I have to get a grip if I ever want to walk in that room. If I don’t, I’ll end up stroking myself in the flowerbeds.

“I must have forgotten, Professor Finn,” Meg says as her finger starts playing with her pussy. A wicked smile lights her face, and I feel left out. She looks at Cian like he’s ten feet tall and just slew a dragon for her. “Sometimes I forget. Are you angry?”

“The question isn’t whether I’m angry, my lover,” Cian says, slyly coming out of character. His head swings around, and he looks me straight in the eyes. “The question is whether our peeping Beck is enjoying the show.”

Cian looks perfectly pleased with himself, and I realize my brother has been on to me for a while. Meg, on the other hand, looks horrified. She gasps and holds the shirt in front of her like a shield. I sigh and pick up my pack. I stalk to the door of my home and step inside.

It looks like sexy playtime is over.

“How dare you,” Meg says, going to stand behind Cian.

I go from being slightly upset at getting caught peeping to insanely jealous at the sight of my woman hiding behind another man. It doesn’t matter that the other man holds half of my soul. It only matters that Meg is seeking protection from me.

I force myself to calmly put down the bag. I can be reasonable. In Meg’s mind, she was treated poorly. Hell, in reality I treated her poorly, but I had my reasons. I’ll peacefully explain to her why I treated her as I did and ask for another chance.

She has her back to me, shoving her arms through the sleeves of her shirt.

Cian grins. “You were shielding, weren’t you, brother? The minute your dick got hard, those walls came down. You can’t hide from me when you’re that aroused.”

“You could have said something,” Meg hisses at Cian. She sounds pissed, but her hands came down on my brother’s shoulders as she turns her glare my way. “I’m sure you’re here to lecture me about how to behave.”

“I was enjoying the show,” I say evenly.

I want to go and rip her away from my brother, whose hand has come up to play with hers. It seems to be an unconscious act between two people who are very comfortable touching each other.

“Well, I was acting like a whore, so you shouldn’t be surprised,” she says, bitterness evident in every aspect of her being.

“No, my lover,” Cian corrects. “Tonight was schoolgirl night. Last night was whore night.” He leans toward me. “She was brand new to her profession. I had to teach her everything she needed to know.”

I ignore my brother, though I know the scenario well. I focus on our wife. I have a lot of damage to undo. “You were a very sexy schoolgirl, Meg.” I smile as she flushes. “I like the pigtails.”

I do. I can’t help but think about all the ways I can grip them while I fuck into her. I take a deep breath. Tossing her over my shoulder and forcing her to the bedroom won’t help my case right now.

There’s an uncomfortable silence that Cian moves to fill. He stands and walks to me, giving me a manly hug. “It’s good to see you, brother.”

My soul feels softer. Cian is whole. It’s been a long time since Cian has been complete. I envelope my brother, the man who holds half my soul, in a spine-cracking bear hug. I look over to Meg. “Thank you,” I mouth.

Meg’s eyes are suspiciously bright as she nods.

“You feel fine?” I ask, looking my younger brother over.

“I feel fantastic,” Cian replies seriously. “The bond, goddess, Beck, it’s amazing. She’s always with me. I can sense her moods when she’s not hiding them. She’s perfect.”

Cian looks back at our wife, and she practically glows under his praise. It makes me remember the errand I went on before leaving the Vampire plane. I reach down into my pack and pull out the gift I bought for our wife.

“I got you a present, Meggie,” I say, holding it out to her.

I feel like an idiot standing there hoping she likes what I brought her. It takes her a moment, but finally she accepts the small package from me and looks it over.

“This is A Tale of Two Cities,” she says, looking at the old book with a growing smile. “Is it a vampire version? Does Sydney Carton eat the French Revolutionaries at the end? That would be cool.”

I frown and shake my head. Sometimes I don’t understand her humor. “No. It’s from the human plane. They promised me it was very rare. I thought you would like having something from your home. You said you liked books.”

She touches the cover reverently. “This is one of my favorite books.”

She stops, some unnamed emotion choking her words. Cian reaches out and tangles his hand with hers. It annoys me that Cian can calm her. It’s a selfish feeling and I try to ignore it.

“Do you like it?” I searched for hours trying to find something to remind her of the world she came from. “I could get something else if it displeases you.”

She shakes her head. “No, Beck, I appreciate it very much. It’s a lovely gift.” She sighs as though making a decision. “Thank you.”

She walks up and kisses me on the cheek.

It’s a start. My hands circle her waist. I hold her to me for a precious moment. I look down at her uncertain eyes and choose to be bold. I cup her face while I kiss her roughly. “I missed you, wife.”

She’s breathless when I let her go. Her hands shake slightly as she forces herself to back away. “I should go start dinner. I’ll put this up before I begin.”

She practically runs from the room. Something deep inside me eases. She still wants me physically. Everything will be all right. I can ease us into the relationship we both want.

“Damn it,” Cian says, slapping me on the back. “Why do you think I started the sex play early this evening, brother? I was trying to avoid Meggie’s cooking. Don’t get me wrong. The woman can make a damn fine cookie, but the rest of it is terrible. I’m dying here. I was going to exhaust her then slink off to Flanna’s and beg her to feed me.”

“It can’t possibly be that bad,” I say, shaking my head at my brother’s dramatics.

“Oh, it can,” Cian assures me.

And now I remember I have a bone to pick with my brother. I was distracted by Meggie’s breasts. “Why slink off to Flanna’s when there’s an entire festival going on in the village?”

My brother has the grace to wince. “We should probably talk about that.”

“Don’t feed me some line of crap about wanting the villagers to accept Meg,” Beck replied, cutting off that avenue of escape. “Did you think for one minute about how this affects things? Did you consider that Torin will know about her now?”

Cian waves me off. “Torin knew about her the minute you stepped into that arena. If I let you hide her, people will think we are ashamed of her.”

“Why does it matter?” I shoot back. “Who cares what people think as long as she’s safe?”

Cian’s gray eyes settle into a stubborn stare. “If you’re so fired up about keeping her safe, then let me take her to the Vampire plane. She’ll be perfectly safe with the Dellacourts. I’ll get a job at the university. Problem solved. You’ll never have to worry about either of us again.”

“I’m not letting you take her anywhere,” I promise, feeling a bit savage. Does Cian think he can waltz off with our wife? “As far as I can tell, you’ve been a bad influence on her.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Cian is obviously feeling a bit of my restless anger.

“It means she’s getting quite the reputation in town,” I explain. “Have you been letting her run wild? She’s met with goblins? She’s forcing the young people to do her bidding? This isn’t the way we run this village, Ci.”

Cian’s face twists in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about our wife taking whatever she wants,” I say, trying to keep my voice low. “Those are new clothes. I can tell. As we didn’t have a coin to our name when I left, I’m wondering where she got them.”

Cian leans against the wall as though he’s completely unconcerned with his guilt in the matter. “I might have been hiding a bit of coin from you. I bought Meggie a dress, and the village women liked her so much they sewed her a few pieces. You couldn’t expect her to wear the same thing every day. Where are you getting this from? She meets with those same women every other day for sewing lessons. They adore her. Everyone loves her. She’s fitting in beautifully. Even the bloody goblins respect her. As for the stall she set up in the market, those kids are taking a cut. Meg does the baking, and the Shaw kids handle the selling. They take half the damn profits.”

“What the hell is she doing selling stuff at market?” I’m confused by the entire situation.

“Making money,” Meg says quietly from the doorway.

I turn quickly, taking in her frown. She’s straightened her clothes and put on an apron. Her auburn hair is pulled back in a neat bun. She looks every bit the proper Fae wife about to cook her husbands’ dinner. I miss the naughty schoolgirl.

Perhaps she’s been trying to help. Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear enough. It’s no wonder she’s not happy with me. She thinks I can’t take care of us, and she’s scared.

“I took care of it,” I explain. “We should have enough coin to see us through the winter.”

Meg’s eyes dull. She shrugs as though it doesn’t mean anything to her. “I’ll keep it for myself if you don’t want it.” She moves toward the kitchen. “And I’ll make sure to pay the women for their clothes. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

And I’ve somehow stepped into it again. “Meg…”

She holds up a hand to stop me. “Just leave me a list of what I’m supposed to do and I’ll get it done, Beck. I’ll shut down the bakery stall, or I’ll work it myself from now on.”

“I didn’t say that.” Damn it. I don’t want to argue with her. “You’re deliberately misunderstanding me.”

“No, I’m being realistic,” she says, her back stiffening with pride. “I’m not going to win with you. I could try to be this proper lady you want, but you’ll always remember that you bought me in a marketplace. I’ll always be a reminder that you didn’t get to be with the bondmate you were promised.”

I turn to my brother, shocked at her words and looking to the only possible explanation for them. “Does she think we’re pining for Maris? Where did she get that?”

“Not from me.” Cian shudders at the thought. “She knows how I felt about Maris. The best thing about having our kingdom ripped from us was not having to bed her. She damn near froze off my willy every time I stood next to her. I can’t imagine having to put it in her.”

“She wasn’t your type, baby,” Meg says with an intimate smile that doesn’t include me. “She was Beck’s. Look, I’ve thought a lot about this while you were gone. I realize that you married me to save Ci. That doesn’t mean you have to pay for it the rest of your life. I haven’t talked about this with Ci yet, so I hope I’m not being too forward, but I think we get along well. I love him, I really do.”

“I love you, too, darlin’,” Cian replies sweetly with a wink.

“So I think that Ci and I should find our own place to live,” Meg continues, sounding very sensible. She sounds like she’s explaining her plans to redecorate, not ripping my heart out. “Cian built this house. He can build a new place for us, and I’ll help him. We wouldn’t ask anything of you. I’m making money now, and Cian knows how to farm. All we need is some land. I think it’s best if we make it a clean break. I’ll be close so I can still do the bridge thing, but you can find someone more suitable.”

“Are you asking me for a divorce?” The question comes out as a low growl.

Meg puts her hands on her hips. Her eyes are suspiciously bright. “It hasn’t been much of a marriage, has it? I embarrass you at every turn. You don’t enjoy sleeping with me. It’s for the best. I promise, though, that I will try to fix whatever I did wrong in the village. I thought they liked me. I thought I was fitting in. Do you mind telling me who said those things about me? Maybe if I talked to them, I could figure out how to make it better.”

My mind is still on the fact that my wife is trying to leave. I speak without thinking. “It was Liadan.”

“Oh, fuck,” Cian mutters under his breath.

Meg’s hazel eyes become dangerously narrow slits. “Liadan?”

“Yes.” I feel like I’m back in the mines. I never knew where the bats were hidden, where they would strike. I don’t know why, but my survival instincts are kicking in. I ignore them because I haven’t talked to her about Lia. She has no reason to be jealous. “She’s a well-respected woman in the village.”

“I got every bit of brains between us,” Cian says, shaking his head. “She knows about Lia, brother. Liadan made sure our wife knows she was your mistress.”

Definitely in trouble.

“Are you telling me you come home and the first person you go to see is your girlfriend?” Meg asks as she stalks toward me.

“I haven’t touched her since we married.” I fell into a trap, and I need to quickly find a way out. “It was mere chance that I talked to her.”

I can plainly see that Meg is having none of that. She picks up the pack I set down. A righteous female fury burns in her eyes. She opens the door and tosses the bag out toward the lawn. “I changed my mind. I’m staying here. You can go live with your precious, cold, perfect blonde. See if I care.”

“I’m not going anywhere, wife,” I promise, and there’s steel in my voice. She’s pushing my every button, as my vampire cousins would say. Her defiance sparks something inside me. I haven’t done anything wrong when it comes to Liadan. I broke it off with her. “I’m not getting thrown out of my home, and we’re not getting a divorce.”

“Meg, darlin’,” Cian says, obviously trying to defuse the situation. “Why don’t we all sit down and calmly discuss this. We’re a family now.”

“I’m not married to him,” Meg swears between clenched teeth.

Those words and the bratty tone of her voice make my blood start to boil. My hands twitch as I attempt to gain control of the overwhelming desire to prove to her who she belongs to. “Are you challenging my claim to you, wife?”

“No, she’s not,” Cian tries.

“Like hell, I’m not,” Meg snarls.

“Back down, wife.” I hold my ground when every instinct screams to chase her down and bend her to my will.

“Meg,” Cian warns. “Don’t do this. If you push him, he’ll break.”

She rolls her eyes. “No, he won’t. He’ll politely ask me if I might, at some point in the future, maybe want to have lame, boring sex. If I say no, he’ll slink away and go ask his cold girlfriend if she’ll have very vanilla sex. I was wrong about him. I thought he was a Dom, but he’s just a bully. He wants utter control of my life without giving me anything back. Screw that.” She turns the full force of her disgust my way. “I won’t do it. I won’t live with you. I’ve finally found what I want. I want Ci. Cian understands me. Cian gives me what I need.”

“No, he doesn’t, love,” I return, watching her move. She’s sealed her fate. There’s no going back now. I remain still, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. All thought of doing this the easy way is gone now. This will go down hard, and damned if I’m not looking forward to it. “He just plays at it. It’s a game to him. I bet you have to tell him what to do.”

I know I’m right when Meg looks slightly startled. She hides it quickly, but I catch that hint. All isn’t as perfect as she would have me believe.

“He just didn’t understand what I wanted. I explained it to him.”

“I think I did a damn fine job.” Cian’s gaze goes from our wife to me. He’s waiting the inevitable outcome of this skirmish.

“I know what you want,” I growl.

She crosses her arms over her chest. The challenge in her pose makes blood start to pound through my body. “You might know, but you aren’t man enough to give it to me.”

“Wrong answer, darling,” Cian says, whistling a little.

I strike hard and fast. She’s on the floor beneath me before she can scream. I hold her easily, though she squirms and looks to Cian for help. There will be none forthcoming. Cian wants this as much as I do. I can feel the satisfaction coming off my brother in waves. It’s been too long since I let my beast have its way. Cian will enjoy the experience so much more because of the woman on the floor. She’ll bridge the two of us and allow us to share the feeling.

I smile down at my wife, pure triumph running through my system. I give her the smile of a predator about to enjoy a full meal after a lifetime of hunger. “As my vampire uncle might say, you wanted the bull, my Meggie. You’re about to get the horns.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Meg

I buck beneath my husband. His weight efficiently holds me as he sits on my midsection and calmly looks to his brother.

“Get me some rope,” he says as though asking someone to pass the salt.

Cian walks off to do his bidding.

“Bastard,” I grunt as I try to force Beck off. His position is perfect. I can’t quite get my hands on him, though I keep trying. “Get the fuck off me.”

Beck looks entirely too pleased for my comfort. “Language, my love. Have you noticed, Ci, that our sweet wife has quite the mouth on her?”

Cian smiles broadly as he returns with a scarf I bought in the marketplace. “I did, indeed, notice the mouth on her. I’ve found when she gets that dirty mouth of hers going, it’s best to shove something in it.”

“Fuck you, too,” I say. Cian is supposed to side with me, damn it. He’s supposed to understand. He spent weeks listening to me and getting to know me. He understood how I feel about Beck. It took roughly three minutes for Cian to flip on me and take his brother’s side. I should have known. I try kicking out. I don’t care who I hit at this point.

“I suspect there will be a lot of fucking,” Cian promises. “This will chafe less than the rope.”

I look up at the faces staring down at me. They’re twins, but I can tell them apart. Besides the slight differences living brought to their faces, I can tell by their expressions. Cian looks down with a sweetly lascivious grin. He’s anticipating the sex he thinks is coming. His hand rubs against the swell in his pants. Beck is an entirely different animal. He looks hungry. He easily catches my hands when I try to hit him.

“No, Megan.” He neatly wraps the scarf around my wrists. “You will behave or I’ll have you across my lap. I won’t be nice about it, either. You’ve pushed me too far, love. It’s time we put this relationship of ours on a proper footing.”

“It’s time you let me up, asshole.” I’m not listening to him, and I’m not taking this from either of them.

Except part of me wants to.

I hate the fact that even while I know this will go badly, my pussy is starting to ache. I’m not sure why Beck seems to be willing to give me what I want. He’ll hate me afterward for this, but there’s no question I want the change in Beck to be real. “I told you, I won’t try to leave again. Let me go. I’ll stay in the room in the barn. You two can fuck each other for all I care.”

Beck hoists my up by my bound hands. True to his word, I’m pulled over his lap. I kick, but he’s far too strong. He holds me down, placing one strong hand on my back. “I warned you.”

He pulls my skirt up, tossing it over my back, and my naked ass feels the slight chill in the air. It isn’t cold for long as Beck’s hand comes down in a short arc.

I gasp as the pain hits me sharply. I don’t have a chance to breathe before he smacks my other cheek just as hard. These aren’t the playful taps Cian gives me. Beck means business. Tears form in my eyes, but before I can shed them, heat blooms deep inside, and I feel that smack deep in my pussy. Fuck him, but he’s right. This is exactly what I want. I bite my bottom lip to keep from begging him to continue.

“That’s a pretty sight, love,” Beck drawls as he runs his hand across my cheeks. I hear him take a deep breath. “Open yourself to me. You’re shielding. I don’t like it. I can’t tell if I’m really hurting you.”

I keep the mental walls in place as Cian taught me. The mental walls stop me from broadcasting my every emotion to the brothers.

Another sudden blow lands on my butt. I groan, waiting for the pain to turn to arousal. I’m glad they can’t see my face.

“I can keep it up all night,” Beck promises. “You’ll give me what I want. I swear, by the time we’re through, you’ll surrender everything I ask for, and you’ll do it with a smile on your face. Until then, I think there’s another way to get the answer to my question.”

I gasp as he spreads my thighs and roughly shoves two fingers straight up my pussy. He isn’t shielding at all now, and I feel his deep satisfaction.

“She’s hot for it, isn’t she?” Cian asks.

“Brother, she’s on fire.” Beck rotates his fingers inside me. I can’t stay still a second longer. I squirm, trying to get him to hit my sweet spot. He pulls out, and I want to cry at the loss. He slaps my ass again. “And she’s not very attentive. Stay still. I’ll tell you when you can move. I’ve thought an awful lot about what’s gone wrong between us.”

“You’re an asshole.” It just comes out, and I close my eyes before the blow lands. There’s no hiding my low moan this time.

“You truly like this, don’t you, wife?” Beck’s voice is filled with gratified wonder as his hands caress the spot he struck. I feel him lean over and place a kiss at the base of my spine.

“I told you,” Cian says quietly. His hand joins Beck’s. I turn enough to see that Cian has already tossed off his clothes. He likes to be naked as often as possible. Some days I have to force him into clothes. If I don’t, he’ll walk around in a constant, tempting state of undress. “She’s perfect for us.”

“Let’s see if she is,” Beck says with a laugh. He moves me off his lap and onto my knees. “You look so gorgeous with your hands bound. Your skin is flush with sexual arousal. Do you know what that does to me?” He calmly pulls at the fastening on his pants and frees his cock. I can feel his eyes on me. I lick my lips as I take in the sight of him stroking that big, hard dick. “Are you going to obey me?”

That deep voice promises all manner of delight if I say yes. If I do as he asks, there’s a chance he’ll reject me afterward. I pushed him to this. I upset him when I claimed to love Cian but not him. It isn’t true. I was crazy about Beck from the moment I saw him. I never believed in love at first sight, but that was pretty much what happened with me and Beck. Somehow, I knew we were made for each other. I fought it, but the emotion I feel every time I even think of him won’t go away.

Everyone keeps telling me they’re symbiotic and need each other to be whole, to be who they truly are. What if Cian coming back into his full mind changes the situation? Or what if Beck’s simply decided to give into his dark side and realized his dark side isn’t so dark after all?

My stomach knots in indecision before I finally realize I will take every chance he gives me.

“Yes, damn it,” I say.

Beck sighs. “Ci, if you would.”

I feel my skirt being raised just before Cian’s hand comes down on my ass. It isn’t as firm a smack as Beck’s, but it stings all the same. The skin of my ass hums with heat.

“Language,” Cian explains with a smile on his face. He winks before moving into position behind me. His hand goes to the waist of my skirt. “It’s time for this to come off, sweetheart. You’re going to take care of Beck, and I’m going to have some playtime with that sweet pussy of yours.”

“Not a word,” Beck warns when I open my mouth to ask a question. “The only word you need to use is yes. Now, lift up and let Ci take off that skirt.”

I do as he asks, and Cian’s hands smooth the garment off my body. He presses his pelvis against my backside, letting me feel how much he wants me as his hand undoes the ties on my shirt.

“I love these tits,” he says, cupping them as he pushes his erection against the folds of my pussy. I can’t help but moan as he teases me. He makes sure he never hits my clitoris.

Beck looks down with approval in his gaze. “Ci can play with you all he likes as long as you do what you’re told. Do you understand?”

“He’s the carrot, and you’re the stick,” I reply, trying to push back against the very large carrot in question. Cian laughs and smacks my ass again. “I mean, yes. I understand.”

“Better, love,” Beck stands up.

He pushes his pants off his hips and tosses them aside before doing the same with his shirt. Cian pulls me into position. I keep my hands in front as Cian continues to torture me with his cock and his fingers. They slide through my soaking wet slit. I whimper because he keeps me perfectly aroused with no real hope of coming. I’ll have to please Beck before I have any chance at pleasure. I’m a sweet toy to pass between them.

It’s my fantasy. Everything I dreamed about since the moment I truly understood I have two husbands.

“Open.” Beck holds his cock in his hands and moves to my mouth.

I obediently part my lips, and he thrusts himself in. He groans as the head of his cock enters. Behind me, Cian sighs. Beck’s obviously sharing the sensation with Ci.

“Lick it,” Beck orders. “Lick the head. I’m going to teach you how I like my cock sucked. I expect you to remember, love.”

I pull back and lick the engorged head of my husband’s dick. I lap up the cream of his arousal and whirl my tongue all around the ridge of his penis. Beck’s hands pet my hair, letting me know he approves.

“Lick down to the base,” he says as he closes his eyes. “I love the feel of your tongue all over my cock. That’s right. Lick it.”

Behind me, Cian is moving. He shoves my legs apart, but I make sure I don’t lose Beck. I gently lick down the shaft, making sure not to miss a centimeter of his erection.

Beck lifts his cock up, giving me access to his balls. “Lick the balls, wife, and then suck them, one at a time.”

Just as I touch my tongue to his round, tight balls, I gasp as Cian slides under me and parts the cheeks of my ass. He sinks his hands into the flesh of my bottom and holds me still. He licks from the edge of my pussy all the way to my clit as his fingers play with my asshole. The feeling is so forbidden I shiver. One finger lightly rims me.

Beck growls. “I’ll make him stop if it distracts you. You see to me first. I’m in charge here. Do you understand?”

I nod silently, whimpering just a little as Cian grabs my hips and shoves his strong tongue straight up my pussy. It feels so good, and I can sense his joy in pleasing me. Despite the walls I put up, Cian’s emotion is getting through. Cian’s satisfaction with my taste and smell and touch sweeps over my mind, incinerating any thought that this isn’t right. I try to focus on the job at hand. I lean forward and curl my tongue around his balls.

“Oh, fuck, that feels good, wife,” Beck says. “Suck it into your mouth. Yes, hold it for a second. Oh, yes.”

I concentrate fiercely because Cian is doing his best to distract me. He tongue-fucks my pussy while trying to gently work his finger into the rosebud of my ass. It burns and tantalizes at the same time. I have to force myself to keep still or I’ll be shoving my ass against that finger of Ci’s. He presses his finger in, and I feel my asshole clench around the invading digit.

“Stop,” Beck commands. I pull back. “Open your mouth and relax. I’m going to fuck your mouth. You remember the arena? I liked that. It was the best sex of my life. You relax and let me use your mouth. Ci’s going to let you come after I do, but only if you’re a good girl.”

“Yes.” I want that orgasm with my whole being. I want to share it with them. Being surrounded by Beck and Cian, bombarded with their passion and emotion, is the most intimate experience of my life.

Between the pleasure Cian gives me and the dominance Beck is showing, I’m utterly breathless. Before I can inhale, though, Beck shoves his dick forward, feeding his long, thick length into my mouth. I have to stop and remember to breathe through my nose. I go passive and allow Beck to completely take the lead.

“That’s right, love.” Beck sighs. “Relax. I want your walls down. I want to feel you, all of you.”

I allow my walls to drop away, and the bond between the three of us opens for the first time.

“Yes, wife. That’s what I want. Flood me with it,” Beck insists.

“I told you she wants this.” Cian pulls briefly away. “Can’t you feel her joy?”

Once I open the gates, I’m flooded with them as well. I feel Beck’s relief at finally letting his dominant side out. I feel Cian’s peace at sharing me with his brother. Beck and Cian are complete. That’s what sharing me means to them. I complete them.

Beck’s hands go to the knot at the back of my head, releasing my hair. Beck winds his fingers in it and ruthlessly uses it to control my movement.

I moan, grateful for my bound hands as Beck begins to fuck my mouth in earnest. It would be hard not to touch him. Now it’s simple to give up my will and concentrate on feeling.

Beck’s thoughts assail me. He loves the feel of my mouth. He loves how tight and warm I am and how my lips look as they suck on his cock. He’s in full domination mode, and there is nothing more beautiful to him than the sight of me complying. He throws back his head and stops thinking. This is what he’s always wanted, what he needs and hasn’t been able to get. A deep gratitude meshes with his desire, and it nearly brings tears to my eyes. I feel the connection to Beck. It is what I’ve been missing all of my life, too.

Suddenly Cian’s feelings push at me. Beck’s emotions recede to the background as Cian takes over. Oh, I need him, too. Cian loves the taste of my pussy. He could eat me all day. It’s tangy and sweet in his mouth. He adores me. I’m his to please, and that fulfills something deep inside Cian. He needs someone to love and take care of. He needs someone who needs him. Cian’s hand lightly caresses the cheeks of my ass as he devours my pussy. He can’t wait to fuck me there.

All the while, I send out my own feelings. Our emotions mesh until I’m not sure who’s feeling what, and I don’t care.

Beck groans, and I feel that he’s close. I breathe deeply as he bumps the back of my throat.

“Swallow around me,” he orders roughly as he forces me to take the whole of him.

I comply, tightening around his pulsing cock. I do as he commands and tease the sensitive underside of his dick with my tongue. He’s so big he fills me.

Beck’s voice is hoarse as he speaks. “Goddess, I’m coming. You take what I give you.”

He pulls almost out of my mouth and then shoves his way back in. His hands tug at my scalp as he holds me still. He groans low and then everything in him releases. I feel the first hot jet hit the back of my throat. I work furiously to swallow every drop of the salty cream he pours into me.

I suck even as his cock softens, and his hands gentle in my hair as he comes down from the high. I lick his cock lovingly because I can feel his happiness. There’s no abrupt break in our bond this time. He isn’t upset. A sense of peace flows from Beck’s mind. He isn’t about to reject me.

“Mo shonuachar,” he whispers with a happy sigh as he strokes me.

He’s the passive one now, allowing me to lick his softening dick. I thoroughly clean him, from the tiny slit of the head all the way to his balls. He loves having me play with his balls. I’ll have to remember that. I curl my tongue around one and then the other.

He chuckles before gently pulling away. He releases the ties on my hands. “Thank you, love. I believe it’s Ci’s turn. Do what he tells you to or I’ll tie you up again, and I won’t let you out the rest of the night.”

Beck catches his breath as he sits back in the rocking chair. He looks satisfied and ready for a show. A lazily indulgent smile breaks over Beck’s face. I cry out as Cian pulls his face away from my pussy. He grips my hips and shoves me down his body.

“Ride my cock, Meggie,” he orders. My playful lover is gone. He uses his hands to lower me slowly onto his throbbing dick. His face is turned up as he watches his flesh disappear into mine. “Do you know what he called you, mo shonuachar?”

I shake my head, concentrating on the exquisite feeling of Cian filling me. He moves with painstaking slowness. Cian is always careful and enjoys prolonging the pleasure.

Cian flexes his hips up and seats himself fully inside my tight pussy. “Soul mate. Our soul’s mate. I love you, mo shonuachar.”

Tears well in my eyes. I reach down and cup the strong line of Cian’s jaw. My breasts press against his chest as I kiss him. “I love you, too.” I sigh as I pull myself back up. I look at Beck and open my every emotion to him. “I love you.”

Beck smiles. His face is open, and he looks younger than I ever remember seeing him. Beck always has a heavy weight of responsibility clinging to him, but now all I can see is his satisfaction. “I love you, wife. Never doubt it. Now lean back and let Ci fuck that pussy. Put your hands on his thighs.”

I lean back. It pushes my breasts forward. They bounce with every thrust of Cian’s cock. Beck is already getting hard again. I close my eyes, giving myself over to the experience. Cian’s hands grip my hips. He slams me down on his cock. He controls the pace and swivels his hips up, tunneling into my pussy and hitting that spot, making me moan.

“Does that feel good?” Cian laughs as he watches me jiggle on his cock. “I love watching you dance on my dick. I love hearing you scream for me even more.”

His hand comes forward, and he strokes my throbbing clitoris. I gasp as my whole body clenches with pleasure.

“Send it out, Meg,” Cian commands.

I nod as I start to come and push the sensation outward. Waves of satisfaction roll across my skin and out of my mind to my lovers. I cry out at the peak and watch Beck. He hisses as his cock starts weeping again.

Cian growls as I start to go limp above him. He flips us over and rearranges my legs. I’m languid with satisfaction as Cian props my ankles on his shoulders and shoves his cock back inside.

“I want my own,” he explains. “I shielded from you because I’m not done yet. You’re not getting off that easy.”

He drives into my body, bending me over to sink in all the way to his balls.

I would complain that I’m too sore for such rough use, but I feel Cian’s joy.

“Fuck, Ci,” Beck swears. He strokes himself in short, tight passes. “Finish her. I can’t take much more.”

Cian drives into me, pounding away at my pussy. I’m helpless to do anything but feel his pleasure. My hands seek something to hold on to and suddenly Beck is there. He lays down on the floor beside me and kisses my forehead, cheeks, and lips. His tongue tangles with mine as Cian thrusts deeply into me. Beck’s hands find my nipples, pinching them gently.

“These are ours,” he says, his stormy gray eyes holding mine. “Say it.”

“They’re yours,” I reply, because it’s nothing less than the truth. I belong to them. “Yours and Ci’s.”

Beck looks entirely pleased with my declaration. He gets to his knees over me and spreads my blouse so my breasts are completely open to him. He strokes his cock, and I can feel he’s close to coming again.

“You belong to us, wife,” Beck claims as his thumb rubs across the engorged head of his cock. “Inside and out.”

Cian curses as his head falls forward, and he stiffens. He holds himself inside me, pouring himself deep. Beck comes in the same instant as his brother in a long arc flowing straight on my chest, marking me in a primitive way. He comes between my breasts as Cian fills my pussy. I’m lost as their dual pleasure floods my senses.

Cian falls to my other side with a happy laugh. He kisses me thoroughly while Beck rubs his seed on my skin.

“I knew you were a pervert.” I practically purr under his hands. He’s everything I dreamed he could be.

He brings his cream-coated fingers to my lips. “You have no idea, wife. Open and taste.”

I comply with a smile. I created a monster, but he’s my monster. And what a sexy monster he is.

Twenty minutes later, I settle against Beck’s chest in the soaking tub Susan Dellacourt sent as a wedding gift. It’s huge and must be kept behind the barn. I explained to the brothers that it’s called a hot tub on my plane, and they’re usually kept outside.

Of course, hot tubs in my world don’t have small computers inside that automatically pull and purify water from the nearest source. They don’t keep the water at a perfect temperature without the aid of electricity. It’s a miracle of modern vampire tech, but all I care about is Beck’s arms around me. It works, and it’s big enough for three. Cian sits across from us. His toes play with mine under the water.

“I told you she was perfect,” Cian says on a sigh as he lets his head fall back.

“Not quite perfect,” Beck replies. “She seems to think she gets to call the shots.”

“What?” The question comes out as a strangled shriek. I strain to turn my head around so I can see him, but he holds me close. “Are you kidding me? I haven’t called a single shot since some asshole demon kidnapped me and I woke up in chains.”

“Is that true, love?” Beck nips gently at my ear. “Poor Meg. We big strong men have held you down and forced you to do our will.”

“Well, I liked that part,” I admit.

“I could tell.” Beck chuckles. “But, my wife, you’re going to have to explain your definition of submissive to me. I think we’re speaking two different languages here. So far you’ve run from me and nearly gotten yourself and me killed. You’ve cursed me and my whole line at every given opportunity. You attempted to manipulate me into things I wasn’t comfortable with.”

“I did not.” There isn’t a whole lot of enthusiasm in my defense. I pretty much did everything he accused me of. Cian snorts at the statement.

Beck ignores me. “The minute I leave, you decide to move out and start a life that doesn’t involve me. I write to you. You refuse to reply. You use my own brother against me. These are not the acts of a submissive woman.”

I flush because he is right. “They were the acts of an impatient woman.”

Beck turns me and forces me to look him in the eyes. “Megan, I’m sorry for the way we started. I’m clinging to a life that doesn’t exist anymore.” He sighs and tugs me close again. “I love you. I haven’t shown it because I didn’t fully bond with you. I’m scared of it, to tell you the truth. I’ve done things I’m not proud of, and you’ll see them. I won’t be able to stop it. I’m scared that when you see me, the real me, you won’t want me anymore.”

I sit quietly, listening to Beck and trying not to wrap my arms around him. I want to press my lips against his and promise there isn’t a plane in existence where I won’t want him. Instead, I simply open my mind. I let my feelings flow outward.

Beck sighs, and I know he received the message. Cian comes around the other side. He leans over to kiss my hair.

“Beck is afraid of what I’ll think, too, lover,” Cian explains. “Once we bond properly, our connection will be complete. He doesn’t want me to know what happened the night our parents died. I’m not stupid, brother. I know something happened. I also know whatever you did, I’ll back you on it.”

“I hope so. I hope, when the time comes, you’ll understand. In the meantime, we need to discuss this marriage of ours.” Beck’s eyes are dark as he looks me over. “I don’t know if you realize what you’re getting into, love. I won’t always look to your pleasure. You’re mine. Sometimes, I’ll just use you because I own you.”

Cian’s hands run down my shoulders. “That’s why I’m here, brother. I’ll take care of her.”

I lean back and let Cian press his lips to mine. He’s the soft touch. Though he tried to be what I need, he can’t really work up the will to truly dominate me. He would rather worship me and coddle me. He’s the soft side of the man.

Beck pulls my attention back to him. He’s the rough side. He’s the dominant side that takes what he wants. It says something about the man that even his dominant half would never hurt me. He’s hard and possessive, and we will all be so much happier now that he stopped fighting his true nature.

“I want a yes, Meg,” Beck says quietly. “I want a yes, but before you say it, know that you can’t take it back. Once you say yes, I won’t ever let you go. You’ll fight me every day for control. I’ll try my damnedest to make decisions for you. I can’t help what I am. Cian will balance me by being the biggest softie on the plane when it comes to you.”

Cian grins. “I have no shame about that.”

My heart swells with love for them. It’s hard because they are really one person in two bodies, their personalities stronger for it. Beck has to struggle with his own instincts because all the pieces that would balance him are in Cian. Cian feels weak and often unappreciated because the arrogance is mostly housed in Beck. I can help them once we bond fully. They need me.

“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “Though I think you’ll find me more difficult to deal with than you imagine. But I promise when we’re intimate, I will be your perfect little submissive.”

A happy smile curls around his mouth. “I’ll try to take more, wife. I’m a bloody selfish bastard.”

I lean forward. “You’re welcome to try, husband.”

He kisses me roughly. “I promise I will. Now, you have a duty to us. You will wash your husbands’ hair, and then we’ll join the villagers. I assume there’s a party. When I’m away, Ci always throws a party.”

Cian unbinds his hair, getting it wet. “The ale is already flowing freely, brother.”

Beck shakes his head. “We’ll partake, then. I want the villagers to see how happy our bride has made us. Then, later tonight, we bond. All three of us.”

I catch his strong jaw in my hands. “It’s going to be fine, Beck. I love you. Ci loves you. Nothing is going to change that.”

“Nothing,” Cian promises.

Beck allows me to start soaping his hair. It’s easy to see he hopes Cian’s words will prove true.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Liadan

I stand at the back of the crowd, watching the party going on in the middle of the village square. It isn’t lost on me that almost no one greets me, but then they rarely do. I haven’t exactly made friends in my time here, but then that wasn’t the point.

I don’t make friends, don’t believe in the concept. Other beings are either allies or they’re prey.

I’m looking for prey tonight, and that’s precisely why I’m mingling with this crowd. Prowling. Hunting. I stop behind a duo of young ladies I know have been spending time with the human queen. One of them might do.

“They look so perfect together.” The miller’s daughter sighs to her friend. She can’t be more than sixteen, with soft skin and shiny hair. Her eyes are wide and clear, and her mouth is a perfect bow on her heart-shaped face.

I hate her.

I hate her and all the little twits like her. They take their youth and beauty for granted. They waste those perfect years. They don’t deserve their fine porcelain skin or firm bodies. If they understood an ounce of what I have to go through for a fraction of their youthful glow, they would be staggered by my strength.

“Bri, you’re such a romantic. My mum feels sorry for the queen,” the girl’s equally young friend says.

The golden-haired girl named Bri looks offended. She’s obviously a fan of the twins. They sit at the edge of a crowd gathered near a huge bonfire. There’s much entertainment at this celebration, but Bri keeps watching the kings and their queen. Beckett Finn has returned, and the villagers are effusive in welcoming their warrior king back.

It looks like he’s finally taking his true place as their leader, as one of them. It’s everything I feared would happen if he managed to find a bondmate. Beck is cool and holds himself back. Cian is too soft. People love him, but they don’t see him as a person who can truly lead. I’ve always known if they could bridge their minds Torin will be in trouble.

If Torin is in trouble, my sisters are in trouble as well. I’m in trouble.

“How can anyone feel sorry for Queen Meg? She has two gorgeous, strong husbands,” Bri argues.

The brown-haired friend shakes her head. “My mum says that the queen must be sore all the time. I don’t know why. Do you think they make her work the fields with them?”

I stifle a laugh. I’m pretty sure the girl’s mum is right. Now that Beckett Finn has given in to his bride’s charms, I’m certain little Meg has her fill of men jumping on top of her. Beck was polite and careful with me physically, but he’s a big man, and he can last forever. I felt his possession for days after that first time with him. I can’t imagine having to sexually satisfy both of them.

Queen Meg sits on one of the brother’s laps. I think it’s Beck from the arrogant way he holds himself. His arm is firmly, possessively around the woman’s waist. He adjusts her, and I can see he’s pulling her firmly against his groin to hide his erection. Cian leans over with a knowing smile and whispers something to their wife. The queen laughs with far too much enthusiasm for a royal lady and kisses Cian full on the lips. The easy affection disgusts me. The human comports herself with all the subtlety of a tavern whore.

“The queen doesn’t work the fields,” Bri says smugly. “That is King Cian’s duty. He’s the Green Man.”

I feel my face lose its mask of cool indifference for a moment. They can’t possibly take the old myths seriously. I close my eyes and call on my inner calm. I need to be practically invisible tonight. I move back into the shadows.

It’s worse than I thought. If these idiots begin to believe the twins have gained true triad powers, Torin’s rule will come into question from more than mere Finn Loyalists. Even our alliances will be shaken if that rumor gets out. The Fae have not seen a true triad for a thousand years. The last set of symbiotic twins to bond with a strong enough mate took over Tír na nÒg, and their line ruled for hundreds of years.

I don’t believe for an instant that Cian is a Green Man or that Beck has incredible reserves of strength. They’re mere sidhe, but the idea that they could be something greater will cause as much trouble as it actually being true.

The political ramifications alone are awful. If the vampires become involved, Torin will have a fight on his hands. He’s already forced to deal with a rebellion every few months. If word gets back to the home plane that the twins are alive and have ascended to virtual godhood, there will be no stopping the citizens.

They will come for Torin, and his army of mercenaries won’t be able to stop them. To keep Torin on the throne, the twins must die. The first thing I need to do is get rid of the bitch in Beck’s arms. It’s the simplest way. Cian will fade quickly if his beloved abandons him. Megan Finn needs to leave her husbands. I have only found one way to make that happen.

I need to place a call to a very specific deliveryman. Unfortunately, I can’t send a note and ask him to call upon me. I need something to tempt him. Little Bri will work perfectly well. There’s no way that idiot isn’t a virgin. Demons highly prized virginity for some insane reason.

This is a favor that will cost me my soul, but then I haven’t had much use for it anyway.

There’s a purring sound at my feet, and I sigh in delight. Ain always knows when she is needed. I reach down and pick up the black cat. I hold the familiar to my breast, enjoying the purring sensation along my skin. Ain has been with me since I was a child. The familiar has always been a strong presence, reminding me of her unique talents in a world of mundane idiots.

The cat’s huge eyes glow in the dim light.

“You know who I want?”

The cat licks her lips and purrs contentedly. She knows what to do. I wink at my familiar and place her back on the ground.

“Bring her to me.” I don’t need to add the admonition to be careful. Ain is always careful. She will work her magic and lead the miller’s daughter to the proper place at the proper time. No one will suspect that I have anything to do with what happens next.

If asked later, a few of the villagers will remember that I was at the festivities all night long. I will be sweet and friendly, but a little sad. They’ll shake their heads and feel sorry for the woman who lost her husband to an accident and her lover to the queen.

I hate their pity, but it’s a useful thing.

I withdraw to the woods as Ain curls herself around Bri’s ankles. It won’t be long, and I have to be ready.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Meg

I follow Beck into the bedroom. He moves slowly and deliberately, but I’m well aware that carefulness has nothing to do with the ale he imbibed and everything to do with the act he’s determined to perform.

“Beck,” I say quietly, tugging on his hand. “We can wait, if you want. I’m happy with the relationship we have. I don’t have to do a mental tour of your life if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Beck’s gray eyes are grave as he looks down at me. “I would be seeing into your soul, too, wife. Do you only want to share yourself with Cian?”

I roll my eyes. “Now you’re being deliberately obtuse. I wasn’t trying to hold myself back because of my grand passion for Ci.”

“Hey,” Cian says, tossing his big body on the bed.

“Though I do love him passionately,” I declare.

“That’s better.” Cian pats the mattress beside him. “Stop worrying about Beck. He’s nervous because he knows my half of our soul is prettier than his.”

“I remember our teen years, brother,” Beck snorts. “I’m sure our poor wife was assaulted by the sheer number of your sexual encounters.”

“It was an education,” I allow with a grin.

Cian shrugs, obviously unaffected by anything as ridiculous as shame. “I was a curious lad.”

“You were a pervert,” Beck shoots back, but Cian’s mocking has done its job. Beck seems more relaxed.

Cian sits up on the bed, crossing his legs as he did the day we bonded. Beck takes the opposite position. They’re near-perfect twins, and I’m going to be in the middle. I start to climb onto the bed.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Beck’s eyebrows arch in arrogant surprise.

“What Cian told me to do,” I reply. “He said I had to sit in the middle with my legs around your waist, since you’re the one I’m bonding with. I’ll be in the circle, touching you both so it flows from you to me to him.”

Cian explained how the formation of a permanent total bridge between the three of us will work. I’ll fully bond with Beck, and then Cian will open the connection between them. Once both brothers are connected to me, they’ll be able to tap into each other’s strengths. I’m the intersection connecting all our roads.

“All that’s fine, wife,” Beck says. “But I wanted to know what you’re doing wearing clothes when we’re alone in our bedroom.”

I definitely created a monster. He isn’t hiding from his nature anymore. He made that plain this evening. Beck was true to his word. He kept me close to him all night, kissing me, touching me whenever it suited him to do so.

When one of the village men requested a dance with his queen, Beck sent him such a dark look I was surprised the poor man didn’t pee himself. I was forced to content myself with dancing with Beck and Cian.

“You two are still dressed,” I point out, knowing it wouldn’t do me any good.

“That can change,” Cian offers helpfully.

Beck simply stares and sends his will outward.

There’s no fighting it. He’ll want me naked as often as possible. It’s his nature. He likes my vulnerability and softness. He wants me naked and draped across his lap. I’m glad all my time with Cian got me comfortable with my body. It made it simple to pull my clothes off without the added weight of self-consciousness. I drape them over the small chair to the side of our bed.

“That’s better,” Beck comments as I climb onto the bed without a stitch of clothes.

Cian’s hands “slip” and tease my soft pink parts as I settle onto Beck’s lap.

“Damn it, Ci,” Beck admonishes his twin. “This is a serious ceremony.”

“I’m completely serious about fucking our wife again,” Cian replies.

Beck pulls me onto his lap, and Cian leans close, completely encircling me. “I swear, brother, I have no idea how they consider you to be the intellectual half of us. Your brain is constantly full of sex.”

“I’m also calculating the approximate amount of rainfall we’ll need in order to bring in the spinach crop within the month. If we don’t get it, I have diagrams in my head for an even better irrigation system,” Cian explains. “Another part of my brain is giving careful consideration to the argument I got into with Flanna about the monarchial system of government and its impact on the peasant class. I’m thinking about the fluctuations in the vampire stock market when they realize we’ve bonded. Sue and Dante are going to make a killing. But mostly, it’s just sex.”

“Are you sure you want to experience what it’s like to be him?” Meg asks with a smile. “It’s crowded in that head of his.”

“I’ll take my chances, wife,” Beck replies and kisses me hard before resting his forehead to mine. “Is tù mo ghrà.”

I hold his head in my hands and give him back his words. “You are my love.”

I press my forehead against his, thankful for the strength Cian is lending me. He holds my shoulders and lets me feel his devotion. I open my mind and, in a second, I become Beckett Finn.

Such rage. The emotion floods me like it did the first moment we connected. It’s different this time because he isn’t pushing it through me. There’s no madness to this. This is merely a piece of Beck. I hear Cian groan behind me and know he’s formed his connection. Cian pushes nothing outward but helps me take in what Beck needs to give.

Need. The idea takes over as I fall into Beck’s mind. He needs so much. He’s a lonely child. He misses his brother. They spent every second connected from the moment they were conceived until they turned five years old. That’s when his father decides it’s time for the warrior to learn to be a king. He discounts the importance of Cian’s input. In their father’s mind, the warrior is all that matters. Cian is an afterthought.

Beck often wishes he could trade places with his brother.

I’m suddenly staring out a palace window. In the background, there are men droning on about something or other. They usually complain about taxes or crop yield. Beck’s seven-year-old self doesn’t care. He gazes out the window and watches Cian running after their cousin, Dante. Cian catches the young vampire and screams something about him being “it.” Beck wants to run and play, but his father explained that he’s different. He’s better. He can best his brother at running and fighting. He can best anyone at those things. He trains only with the greatest warriors. His physical skills are not things to toy with.

But Beck wants to play.

He’s only twelve the first time he kills a man. It’s the first time someone tries to assassinate him. He can still remember the feel of the bright sun on his face as he follows after his father. There’s an Unseelie ambassador in town, and it almost caused a riot in the square. His father is trying to normalize relations with the Unseelie, but there’s a faction of sidhe who will never accept it. They hate the Unseelie tribe. Many lost relatives in the wars.

Beck shadows his father through town. His father is arrogant and sure of his peoples’ love for him. He only brings one guard with them. His name is Carlin, and he is the one who taught Beck how to play cards. Carlin is sympathetic to Beck, sometimes slipping him a candied fig. He has two sons of his own, after all.

The arrow hits the guard squarely in the chest, knocking him back and off his feet. He’s dead before he hits the ground. I feel the anger that suffuses young Beck’s being. His father tries to pull him to safety, but Beck unsheathes his sword and opens his senses for the first time. It’s instinctive. His eye follows the logical track of the arrow. He rolls out of the way of the next one to come after him. I feel a charge of excitement as he shoots to his feet and pursues the assassin and hears his father’s anxious cries.

I see the blood on his hands when he catches the assassin. He ignores the man’s pleas for mercy. Beck’s beast is loose, and he has no mercy. The large man took something Beck valued. He took from Beck, and he will never do so again.

It’s the first time Beck realizes his father is afraid of him.

I groan as the scene in his head changes. Sex. This is Beck’s outlet.

A woman named Sorcha, one of his mother’s ladies, takes it on herself to teach him. She gives him permission to do what he wants, and he takes her at her word. He dominates her. He owns and possesses her. He fucks her when and where he wants, and she obeys. It takes the edge off his rage knowing someone soft trusts him. Only Cian ever trusts him. Even Bronwyn looks at him with fear sometimes. Sorcha begs him to fuck her. She cuddles in his arms afterward. That time is sweet, too. He enjoys taking care of her after.

I gasped at the pain I feel. His father hits him with the flat of his sword. He does it in front of fifty of his strongest soldiers. He humiliates his son for his perversity.

Beck swears to never give in to those urges again. Shame becomes a mantle to wear as he does armor.

Then all is blood and carnage.

Acrid smoke fills my nostrils, and Beck’s heart pumps with rage as he realizes his father is dead. There’s a tiny part of him that revels in the old man’s death. He’s king now. He’s in his rightful place. No one will tell him what to do or how to act again. If they do, he’ll take care of it. He will be king not by right of ascension, but because he can kill anyone who questions his place. Torin gave him this gift.

A wave of disgust flows through me, and I know this is Beck’s real torment. He’s torn by his own nature. His father abused and humiliated him, but Beck loved him anyway.

The sword Beck holds as he surveys the decimation of Torin’s guard is the sword of the rightful King of the Seelie Fae. He uses it to kill a hundred of Torin’s advance guard. He slices through them with an easy efficiency. His body hums with anticipation of more. He enjoys it. He likes the blood and the feel of his sword penetrating flesh. He loves the dance of battle.

Through the smoke he sees Torin. His uncle is surrounded by guards. It’s easy to kill them, too. More are coming. Beck can hear them. They’re making their way through the chaos toward their leader. It won’t matter. Beck circles his uncle. Torin will be dead as they walk into the great hall, and then they will join their brethren.

Torin isn’t willing to go down easy. He holds his sword, and his eyes are no longer arrogant. “Even now, my soldiers are hunting your brother. They will cut him down where he stands.”

Beck’s blood is up. “It will not kill me.”

Torin looks disturbed by that statement. “It will, eventually. He is your brother.”

Beck smiles. He knows it’s a ghastly thing. He nods to the throne where his father’s body lays, still and cooling. “There lies your brother. Perhaps we are more alike than you think, Uncle.”

Torin, who was always a pale imitation of Beck’s father, twists his unhandsome face into a mask of jealousy. “The crown should have been mine. My father always favored Seamus. It should have been mine.”

Beck points to his father’s crown. It lays on the palace floor, covered in his father’s blood. “There it is, uncle. Take it if you can.”

Torin looks between his nephew and the bloody crown he slew his kin for.

Then I feel it. I feel Cian cry out in Beck’s brain. His panic and anguish wash over me. Cian reaches out for the only person he has left, and Beck feels the call in his soul.

It goes against everything in Beck Finn’s nature. His instincts cry out to kill the pretender. His prey stands before him, quaking in his boots. There’s no question about the outcome of this fight, even as Torin’s backup storms through the doors. He can kill them all.

And then he will lose Cian.

Deep in his heart, Beck knows that he won’t care once Cian is dead. Cian’s death will free him in some ways. He can be the predator he always knew himself to be. He can kill and kill and kill until someone is strong enough to take him out.

But Cian isn’t dead. He’s alive, and he waits for his brother to save him.

Beck can avenge his father. He can save his kingdom and all of its people, or he can save the only person in the world to ever trust him, the person who carries all the good parts of his soul.

“I will return one day, Torin,” Beck promises. “I will return, and I will kill you. Never doubt it.”

The years speed by, each more desperate. Beck is alone. He’s alone even as he takes lovers. He’s alone even as he and his brother try to build a life. He is alone until he walks into a marketplace and finds his heart waiting for him.

I sob as I come out of the bond. I throw my arms around Beck’s neck and clutch him. “I love you. I love you so much.” I look into his deep gray eyes. They’re still filled with uncertainty. “I would have no other.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Beck

I squeeze her tight, emotion threatening to choke me. “I hope you mean that because you won’t have another. You’re mine, and I won’t ever let you go.”

I pull her hair back and take her mouth savagely, the need to imprint myself on her completely overwhelming. She’s so open. I hadn’t imagined how good it would feel to truly bond with her. She’s seen all of my bad parts, everything I loathe about my own nature, and she accepted me with a whole heart. I know she’s seen the very things I was afraid of her seeing, but instead of rejecting me, she told me she loves me.

“I love you, Megan,” I rasp in her ear. I pull her tight against my chest. I love the warmth of her skin. I love the trust she places in me. It eases my soul. I glance over her shoulder and see my brother. Cian has gone pale. He sits back against the headboard. Meg might have accepted me wholeheartedly, but Cian seems to be having trouble. Perhaps I’m not free and clear. “Ci? Whatever you want to say to me, just say it. It isn’t anything I haven’t thought about myself.”

Meg looks back toward Cian and reaches her hand out to bring him into the circle. I worry he’ll refuse, but after a moment’s hesitation he threads his fingers through Meg’s.

“You didn’t kill Torin because you had to save me,” Cian says quietly. “He was right there. It wouldn’t have taken long.”

“If I’d taken even a moment, the secondary front would have been on me,” I try to explain. I knew Cian would be upset I let our parents’ and sister’s killer live when I could have slain him. “I would have been too late to save you. It was selfish.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Meg disagrees.

“By saving Cian, I saved myself,” I explain simply.

“No, brother,” Cian says, emotion thick in his voice. “I don’t believe it. I was there, just as Meg was. You didn’t want to lose my part of our soul. You value the person I am. Goddess, Beck, I never knew how bloody hard it is to be you.”

“You valued Ci over your father, revenge, and your own nature,” Meg explains. “And don’t think you missed out on saving the kingdom because you chose Cian. If you had lost him, the kingdom would have been in danger from you. I felt that, too. Don’t expect us to turn away from you for making that choice.”

“I always trusted you, Beck,” Cian vows. He pushes his chest against our wife’s back. “Nothing I felt tonight changes that. It just makes me proud to be your brother.” He stares at me for a moment, his expression serious. “You don’t want to go back, do you?”

I swallow once, and then again. Of all the things it’s hard to admit, this is the hardest. “I don’t want to be king. I never wanted to be king. I want to be your brother and Meg’s husband and father to our children, but I’m not sure that’s possible. There’s a whole plane out there that will pressure us to go back and fulfill our destiny.”

“Then we’ll have to make our own destiny, won’t we, brother?” Cian returns. “Whatever comes, the three of us are in it together.”

“We’ll be beside you, no matter what.” Meg’s eyes are solemn and filled with promise as she makes the vow.

“Yes, whatever happens, Meg will make cookies for the occasion,” Cian swears with a long laugh.

It breaks the tension, and I breathe easy for the first time in what feels like forever. I take a deep breath and find myself happy to be Beckett Finn for once in my life.

“I’ll have to try one tomorrow, wife.” I know there’s an incredibly foolish smile on my face, but I enjoy playing her fool.

“And a potato,” she announces with delight. It makes her breasts jiggle, and I can feel Cian’s interest surge. It’s not unlike my own. Now that the bridge is open, I can feel Cian’s emotions clearly.

“What is a potato?” I ask as I trace her pretty pink nipples with my fingertip. I bonded with her on a base level. I can feel her hum with happiness. It soothes and eases me. It also makes me horny as hell. She’s so close. Her skin is warm against my hand, and her emotions are open and flowing around me like a blanket, hugging me tight.

My wife loves me. My wife wants and trusts me. She’s mine on every level.

“Do you have any idea how silly you sound with that accent asking me what a potato is?” She shakes her head and unconsciously moves against my body. She may not realize it, but she’s responding to our interest. Cian cups the cheeks of her ass and squeezes while I concentrate on her breasts. “Cian thought it was a weed.”

“It is a weed,” my brother says, kissing her shoulder. “It tastes terrible.”

“Only because it wasn’t cooked,” Meg says with a gasp as I lean down and lick her nipple. That bud stands at attention as I curl my tongue around it. “Oh, wow. You’ll like it when I’ve baked it and put butter and salt on it. They’re everywhere. We can feed the whole village.”

“Later, wife,” I command. I’m done talking. My cock is hard and ready to fuck. “Play the queen later. Right now, you’re our wife, and we have need of you.”

“Oh, yes, we do,” Cian whispers into her ear.

I palm her breast and suck the nipple deeply into my mouth. I open the connection between us, and I can feel the way her body is responding. Her whole body begins to sing with the triple arousal she feels. I feel it, too. I can sense her soft, warm arousal alongside mine and Cian’s raging need. Cian gently bites her sensitive earlobe. She closes her eyes, and I feel the minute she gives over to us.

“I love that, wife,” I growl as I sense her complete surrender. Why did I wait so long to experience this? There’s nothing perverse about her surrender or my own need to dominate her. Meg craves my dominance. She wants Cian’s worshipful love as well. She needs them both. “Cian, I’d like to taste our wife.”

Cian pulls her back into his arms. His legs hook under hers, spreading them wide for my perusal. I get on my knees as I tug my shirt off and toss it aside. I stare at her for a moment, but that self-consciousness that always seems to hold her back has fallen away, and I’m left with a woman who’s confident in her own beauty. She’s gorgeous, her pussy a ripe, pink jewel. Her clit pouts out of its hood, tempting me. Cian plays with her breasts, and she moves restlessly beneath his hands.

I trace the outline of her pussy with my forefinger. She’s getting wet. Her folds are getting slick with a pearly cream. She attempts to move against me, seemingly trying to get my fingers inside, but Cian holds her tight. I let my fingers follow the seam of her pussy down to right above her asshole. Oh, that is a pretty sight. “Ci, have you fucked that little ass of hers yet?”

Cian chuckles behind her. He licks and nips at her neck. “No, but I’ve played with it enough. I’ve stretched her. She’s ready.”

Meg tenses, but then she relaxes back against Cian’s skin. It will be all right. She will trust us. She is ours, and we will always take care of her.

I lean over and settle myself onto the mattress, belly down. I shove my nose in her pussy and breathe her in like I would smell a flower.

“I love your scent, wife,” I growl before I swipe my tongue across the swollen folds of her pussy. They pout and beckon to me.

She cries out. I can feel the pleasure she takes. It feels so good. Her flesh is engorged and throbbing. Cian’s arms and legs are manacles holding her down for my pleasure. It’s everything she could have wanted, and I’m happy to give it to her. I settle in, ready to give my wife everything she desires.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Meg

I sigh as Beck works between my legs. I can’t imagine anything hotter and cry out as he kisses my pussy.

“Hush,” Cian orders. “Look up.”

I do as he asks, turning my head so I can see him. Cian takes my mouth with his. His tongue delves deeply, tangling with mine. He thrusts his tongue into my mouth in perfect rhythm with Beck’s in my pussy. Beck licks and thrusts his tongue in as far as he can go. He spreads my labia so he leaves no piece of me untasted. Cian curls his tongue around mine as he palms my breasts. I’m utterly surrounded by them. Finally, when I think I can take no more, he gently pulls back the hood of my clit.

“This little pearl is throbbing,” Beck says with a satisfied chuckle. “It’s begging for attention. Should I give it some, Ci?”

“You should make our little wife fly,” Cian answers. “Make her come, so we can fuck her hard and she won’t care.”

Beck laughs and goes back to his work. He sucks the bead into his mouth, and I come with a cry, every nerve in my body bursting to life. I push my orgasm out so the twins can share in it. I feel the swell of Ci’s cock at my lower back. I struggle to breathe through the pleasure that rolls over my body, but finally let myself fall back against Cian.

Beck practically rips off his pants as he shoves my knees even further apart. He pushes his enormous erection into me with one thrust. Cian hisses in discomfort and slides out from under me. Beck begins thrusting away as Cian removes his clothes. He tosses them aside and strokes his cock as he watches.

I let my hands find Beck’s backside as I come out of my languor, ready for more. Beck’s need rides me every bit as hard as his body does. It’s a shock when he pulls out and goes onto his knees.

“Ci, you take her pussy,” Beck orders, pulling me up onto my own knees. Cian happily lays down on his back, and I manage to straddle him. He thrusts up into my soaking slit before I can think to seat myself.

I groan at the sensation. He goes so deep in this position. It’s Cian’s favorite. He loves for me to ride him. I start to lose myself in Cian’s passion when Beck pushes me forward gently. Cian puts his hands on my hips to hold me still. I can feel the excitement vibrating off him. Cian wants this.

“Don’t tense up, Meggie,” Beck says quietly, but with his eternal air of authority. “I’ll be gentle.”

I feel the coolness of the oil Cian keeps by the bed. It’s a clear color, and it warms as Beck works it into my flesh. He takes his time massaging the oil into the rosebud of my ass.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous, wife,” he murmurs while he rims my asshole and starts to make forays inside.

He goes slowly, methodically preparing me. I groan at the sensation, but Cian distracts me by pulling me close for a long kiss. Cian floods me with his desire. I feel the restraint he uses to hold himself still inside me. It wars with his anticipation of the act. Cian wants the three of us together. He wants his other half sharing in the pleasure of their wife.

I sense Beck’s desire, too. The connection is stronger than ever. I might not know his every thought, but he can’t hide from me when we’re like this. For Beck, this act is his ultimate domination. His whole body hums with anticipation. Making love in this manner is an act of complete submission, and I’m giving it to him. I’m excited and overwhelmed with his emotion all at once. Then Beck isn’t thinking about anything except how tight I am.

“Relax, Meg,” he says breathlessly. He pulls the cheeks of my ass apart. I moan as the broad head of his cock starts to breach the rosette of my ass. He’s so big, even with the oil to work as a lubricant. “Push back against me. Ci, help her.”

Cian gently pushes against my hips as he holds me on his cock. I take a deep breath and ease my backside toward Beck. It hurts, but not so much I’m willing to take this from him. I can endure it. I will endure it.

“I know it burns, love,” he says. He sounds like he’s gritting his teeth. “I feel it, too. I’ll stop if it gets to be too much.”

“No.” An idea suddenly hits me. “Overwhelm me. Let me feel what you feel.”

In an instant, I gasp. It’s so fucking tight. It’s hot and ridiculously tight. It doesn’t feel like a pussy. Even the heat is different. No wonder they both want this. Beck is being careful as he tunnels his way into my ass, but he nearly comes undone when he feels Cian deep inside me. It’s so intimate. We’re all so close. Both halves of the man work together to bring me pleasure and take their own, to meld themselves into one.

“Oh, that’s unbelievable.” I have to force myself to breathe. They can feel each other. Beck works his way in. I feel the tightness of his balls as they bob against the cheeks of my ass. He slides all the way in. He rests his hardness against Cian’s, only a tiny, soft bit of flesh between them.

“Oh, fuck.” Cian laughs joyously. “You’re so tight.”

I’m so full. I’m full of them, and the connection comes completely open. Feelings and emotions, sensations and moods, they’re all open. They bridge through me, but the brothers can feel each other. It’s so much more than simply sensing each other’s moods.

They can access each other’s strengths. Beck will always be the warrior, but through me, he can access the softer side of himself that is contained in Cian. Cian will always be the funny, sweet one, but Beck will give him strength and confidence. They’re finally complete.

As they begin to move, I find myself utterly caught between them. They set a rugged pace. Cian thrusts in, and Beck retreats. Beck tunnels in, and Cian pulls out. Every second is a new sensation. All the way I’m overcome with their pleasure. The hot, tight clasp of my body is a revelation for them. The dual sensations of constant thrust and retreat light up every nerve of my body. I push and pull, but there’s no escaping the mounting pleasure. It rolls over my body and soul.

Beck comes first. My ass is too tight for him to last long. He groans as he grinds himself into me. My ass is flooded with him. He bucks and fights to give me every ounce. The minute Beck comes, Cian follows. His big hands pull me tight against him. He swells as he shoots straight toward my womb. I cry and fight to prolong the feeling. It starts in my pussy, but rapidly moves along my skin until my entire body hums with red-hot sensation. I shake as I fall forward into Ci’s arms.

Beck falls to my side and rolls my body between theirs. I breathe deeply as he pulls me close and covers us with a quilt. Even as my eyes close, I know something important has happened between the three of us.

“I love you, wife,” Beck whispers in my ear.

Cian presses his head to my heart. “Forever,” he promises.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Meg

I wake to the magnificent feeling of Beck gently rubbing my clitoris. I’m wrapped in his arms, his lips moving over my neck and shoulders, and the world feels soft and warm. It’s not long before I’m on my back and he’s pushing his way into my body. This is how I want every morning to start.

“Good morning, wife,” Beck says as he moves his hips and works his way in.

“Good morning.” I’m practically purring.

I hook my legs around Beck’s waist as he begins to thrust in earnest. He buries his face in my neck. I’m happy he didn’t go back to being that polite lover this morning. There was a small part of me that feared he would retreat again, and I know I couldn’t handle it. The night before was everything I could have hoped for. I can handle fighting him for control every inch of the way. I really can. I kind of relish the thought, but I would rather die than have Beck treat me the way he did before. Now that I’ve really tasted his passion and understand all that can exist between the three of us, I know I can never go back.

I’m not really close when Beck starts to come. It doesn’t matter. Beck opens the bridge between us, and I nearly weep at the pleasure he takes. It feels so good to experience what he feels. He loves to fuck me, and it’s far more than simple sensation. He loves me. Everything about me. It comes across in the emotion he pushes my way. I’m his, and he’s a better man for it.

Beck’s whole body tenses. His balls draw up almost painfully, but he welcomes the sensation.

I give over and, for a few seconds, almost become Beck. His thoughts and emotions flow over me as though I’m the one having them. Beck loves that I’m so warm and tight. He draws out only to shove his way back in. I’m his, his to protect, to love, to fill. He’s sure now that I won’t fight his claim. That fact gives him great peace. Beck is smiling as he presses deep one last time and shares his orgasm with me.

Somewhere in all his caveman possessiveness is another truth.

He is mine. He will never fight my claim on him. He will honor the love between us.

I feel his deep contentment as he crushes me into the mattress. It takes a moment before he has the energy to roll off me, but even then, he gathers me close.

“How are you this morning, wife?” Beck asks.

Every cell in my body is sated and languid.

“I’m surprisingly rested after everything you and Ci put me through last night. Where is he?” I don’t see him in the room.

Cian isn’t on my other side. When we finally settled down to sleep, Cian was pressed against me. It’s funny how quickly I got used to having him curled around me at night. I suppose I’ll get used to sleeping in between my husbands.

“Love, we bonded fully last night,” Beck says, gently brushing back my hair. His eyes are warm, but there’s a tight set to his mouth. “You do know what that means? Cian and I are together now. We’re one, thanks to you. I’m the dominant personality. I absorbed him, but he’s here with us. He’s always going to be with us.” Beck puts a hand to my heart. “He’ll always love you, wife.”

Tears begin to well in my eyes. A feeling of panic threatens to overtake my whole world. Cian is gone? Nothing I read told me he would be absorbed. What does that even mean? How is it possible? By becoming the bridge between them, they should be stronger individuals. I can’t have lost Cian. My heart hurts. “I don’t understand.”

“Dominant personality, my ass,” a sarcastic voice says from the doorway. “It looks like you’ve absorbed a great deal of my personality, brother, but I assure our wife that I am still here.”

I sit straight up in bed, relief pouring through me. Cian leans against the doorframe, his lips quirking up. Beck laughs at his own truly horrible and inappropriate joke.

I pick up a pillow and hit him in the head with it. “Jerk.”

There are tears in Beck’s eyes as I stand and find the shift I use as a nightgown. “I’m sorry, love. I couldn’t help it. He’s right. I absorbed too much of his personality.” Beck sits up and regards his brother. “It feels good to laugh. Did you get any of mine?”

“I suppose I did,” Cian allows. “After all, I am up before the two of you. I decided I should go check on the fields. I put work before pleasure. It’s horrible. I’ll have to fight the instinct.”

“Well, I woke up knowing full well I had a lot to do this morning,” Beck says, pulling me back into bed. I can’t help but laugh as he presses his lips to my neck. “And still, I couldn’t force myself away from our very warm, very sexy wife. I think I’m going to enjoy having a piece of you inside me, brother.”

Cian rolls his eyes. “I’m glad for you. Unfortunately, I think the piece I took of you got stuck up my ass. If the two of you are finished fucking, I would like for you to join me outside. Something’s happened.”

Beck goes still. “What is it?”

“You’ll have to come outside to see,” Cian says solemnly. “I really can’t describe it to you.”

Beck kisses me again and gently eases me off his lap. “Let’s go see what’s happening, love.”

He rolls out of bed and pulls on his trousers. He shoves his shirt over his head and lastly, makes sure his sword is secure across his back. I grab my robe, belting it around my waist. Cian leads us out of the bedroom, toward the door of the cottage.

“What on earth?” I ask as I’m drawn into the living area. The ivy I wove around the doorway has invaded the house. I hoped one day it will cover much of the brick, but I knew it would take years. Apparently not. Thick vines of green have come in through the door and the windows.

Cian grins broadly. “You’re not on the Earth plane anymore, lover. And here, things just got a little more complicated.”

My eyes grow round with wonder as I walk outside. The marigolds I planted in the flowerbeds at the front of the house multiplied overnight. The blooms are huge, and each petal brims with life. Even the grass around the cottage seems greener and lusher than it did the previous day.

“What the hell happened here?” Beck asks.

Cian winks at me and lets go of my hand. He pulls a large nut seed out of his pocket and holds it up for our inspection. “Well, brother, I think I happened. You should probably stay back.”

Cian kneels down, shoves the seed into the ground, and holds his hand there for a moment. It’s a bare second before the dirt rumbles. Cian is forced to step back. The tree shoots up, fully formed from the seed he planted.

“What does it mean?” Beck asks, his mouth hanging open. He walks slowly around the new tree, inspecting it from all angles.

I do the same, awed by the vitality of the thing. The tree that was a mere seed moments before is lush and vibrant green, its branches reaching toward the sunny sky. It looks as though it has been growing for ten or fifteen years.

“You know what it means,” Cian replies, looking more serious than I remember him ever being. “Look at the fields, brother. Look at the fields and tell me the legends were wrong.”

I turn with Beck and gasp as I take in the prosperous fields that replaced the struggling ones. Crops that shouldn’t be harvested for a month are ripe and ready to be picked.

Beck starts walking toward the fields, stopping at the small garden close to the brugh. It’s gone green and radiant, too.

“Someone needs to explain this to me,” I say, since my husbands seem to be speaking their own language.

“It’s an old legend.” Beck bends over as he inspects a particularly luscious strawberry plant. “Back in Tír na nÒg, the legend had it that when royal symbiotic twins were born, if they found the right bondmate, she would bring them into their true power.”

“So now Ci is some sort of agricultural deity?” I ask.

It’s hard to believe the question came out of my mouth, but I’m starting to accept that things work very differently in my new home. After all, I negotiated a trade deal with goblins a few days ago. Why can’t my new hubby become a god?

“I’m a Green Man.” Cian speaks slowly, seeming to savor the words. “All things green and vital answer to me.”

A wind suddenly whips around the bottom hem of my robe. It’s an odd wind. It’s strong and seems happy to stay where it is. I turn around and have to catch my robe as the wind blows from underneath and exposes my legs.

“What the hell?” I move to Cian, who’s laughing at the wind’s antics.

“And I’m a Storm Lord.” Wonder fills Beck’s voice as he lifts a finger and the wind calms. It brushes gently against my cheeks, as though giving me a kiss. “My power comes from the winds and the rain. That’s amazing. I could call the rains if I wanted. I know how to do it. It’s like the information has always been in my brain, but now I can access it.”

Cian’s hand finds mine. “That’s how I felt this morning.”

A thought occurs to me. “So you got the power to do cool stuff with plants, and Beck can make it rain.”

“Beck can bring the power of a storm to our aid, and don’t discount what I can do,” Cian warns. “I can trap an army in the vines and grass I can pull from the ground beneath us.”

“I get that,” I say with a frown on my face. “What I don’t get is how this helps me. You two get superpowers, and I get what?”

Cian smiles broadly. “You have a power, Meggie. You have a magical pussy. It was sleeping with you together that brought us into our power. That vagina of yours is pure gold, lover.”

I give Cian a playful shove and roll my eyes while he and his brother have a good laugh.

“Don’t go expecting to use it on anyone else,” Beck says as though the thought suddenly occurred to him. “That only works on the two of us.”

I walk up to him and give him a saucy smile. “Yes, Beck, I was planning on opening up shop. I was going to hang a sign on the cottage door and charge for it.”

Beck’s eyes narrow. He exchanges a glance with his brother. “This is that sarcasm thing she warned me about, right?”

Cian leans in for a kiss. It’s swift and sweet. “That it is, brother. Our Meg is very good at sarcasm. I don’t think we have to worry about her with other men. Now that you’ve let yourself off the leash, I suspect you’ll be between her legs three times a day. Try to remember I need her, too.”

Beck steals a kiss as well, though his is neither quick nor sweet. His tongue plunders like the pirate he is. When he lets me go, I hold on to his arm to steady myself. “I promise nothing. And you seriously underestimate me if you think it’s only going to be three times a day.”

The downside to having two husbands suddenly becomes very obvious. “Let’s talk about this.”

Whatever else I have to say is lost as two of the villagers come riding up to the cottage. They ride swiftly, each man leaning forward in the saddle with great determination. The very air around us seems to become tense. Beck reaches for the sword on his back. It’s in his hand as we make our way to the cottage.

“Your Highnesses,” one of the young men calls out. Both of the men dismount and make courtly bows.

“Niall, Eiric,” Cian greets the men. “What’s happened?”

“’Tis the miller’s daughter,” the one I think is Niall says. His eyes shine with unshed tears.

“Bri?” I ask, feeling my stomach clench. She’s a sweet girl of barely sixteen years. I spent an afternoon with the girl and her parents. What happened to her?

“Yes, ma’am,” Eiric confirms. “There’s been an accident. Her father begs Your Highnesses to come and figure out what has happened to his daughter.”

“How bad is it?” Beck asks the men.

“’Tis bad, Your Highness,” Niall replies. “Very bad. She’s dead, and I’ll be honest, I am not sure this was an accident. The miller needs the wise counsel of his kings.”

Cian and Beck share a look between them.

“One of us should go and one should stay here with Meg until we determine if it’s safe,” Beck says.

“The women have gathered at the miller’s house,” Eiric offers. “Bri’s mother is obviously distraught. The queen would be very welcome there.”

“Assign a guard to the house,” Cian orders.

“At least three,” Beck adds.

Beck turns to me, but I know my duty. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get dressed and go to Bri’s mother. Niall can take me. You and Ci go and find out what’s going on.”

Beck sighs and leans down for a kiss. “Stay safe, wife.”

I hold Beck’s hand as I reach up to kiss Cian. It feels so right when the three of us are physically connected. “You two do the same. Come and get me when you’re done.”

Beck whistles, and Sweeney appears from the fields where he tends to run free during the day. As my husbands follow Eiric, I race into the cottage after promising Niall I’ll be swift.

I quickly change into soft brown trousers and a linen shirt. I shove my feet into boots and lace up the black vest that completes the outfit. I have a more formal dress, but I want to be prepared to work if I need to.

I grab my satchel and drape it across my shoulder so it hangs over my torso and rests against the opposite hip. I have the small medicinal kit Flanna has taught me to use. Just as I’m going back out the door, the vampire computer catches my eye. I pick it up and slip it into the satchel. It can’t hurt. If nothing else, it plays movies from the Vampire plane. Perhaps a movie will entertain the children and keep their minds off the tragedy.

“I’m ready,” I call out as I walk through the door. “Niall?”

He’s on the ground, his head at the oddest angle. I try to get to him, but before I can reach the young man, a hand grabs my arm. Cold flows up my skin, like I’ve been touched by ice.

“Not so fast, Your Highness,” a deep voice says.

My stomach turns as I look up into red eyes. They smolder from a cadaverous face. A face I remember. It haunts my dreams. The Planeswalker’s skin is taut across his sharp bones, like a corset that has been pulled far past its wearer’s comfort.

“What do you want?” I ask, forcing myself to stand tall.

There’s no point in struggling. I can feel the strength in the demon’s claws. The wicked talons the demon possesses are merely brushing against my skin right now. But I have no doubt they will sink into my flesh if I give him the slightest provocation.

“What do I want? Oh, so many things, Your Highness,” the demon says with a rueful sigh.

He towers over me at roughly seven feet. His body is long and thin to the point of emaciation. He stares down, his eyes pitiless pools regarding me with curiosity. I am absolutely certain I don’t want a demon curious about me. “You really are their queen, you know. Even the hag has figured that out. Tell me something. Have the twins come into their magic yet? I rather think so. I can smell the power in this place now.”

“Why don’t you ask my husbands?” I know it won’t work. Niall is dead not three feet away. The Planeswalker hasn’t come to request an audience.

The demon chuckles. “I think not. I have a contract, you see. Someone is paying me to take you off the plane. Odd, isn’t it? You’re just a little cash cow, sweetheart. I made money stealing you from your plane, and now I make money taking you back. The village hag is paying me handsomely to get rid of you. She wanted me to kill you, but I told her she didn’t have enough to pay for that. I’ll have to stay away from this plane for a while as it is. If I killed you, I suspect the warrior half might never stop hunting me. I gave the hag a spell to take care of him, but I don’t trust her to get it right. I can’t have the warrior pursuing me.”

“The intellectual half wouldn’t be too happy, either.” I’m trying not to think about the hag the demon mentioned. It’s impossible. Someone in the village wants to hurt Beck and Ci. Panic snakes through my brain. They’re in the village right now. What if the incident with Bri is really a trap? “I don’t want to go back.”

A sly smile splits the demon’s face. He shows jagged, sharp teeth. “Of course you don’t, dear. You’re a pathetic little nothing on your plane. Here, you’re a queen.” He shrugs. “It’s kind of a crappy kingdom, though. At least on the Earth plane you’ll have running water. Look at it that way.”

“No,” I say, pulling my courage around me. “I won’t go.”

“You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?” the demon asks though he doesn’t wait for an answer. “Oh, well. We can do it the hard way, then.”

As the demon brings his fist down on my head, I wish I’d been smart enough to lie.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Beck

I feel the moment the connection is cut. It’s like someone turning off part of my brain. No. My soul. Someone cut a piece of it away, and I can’t reach for it anymore.

I can’t reach for her.

I was standing at the edge of the forest, talking to Cian and some of the villagers who found Bri’s body. The young woman was ripped to shreds. This is no accident. This is murder, and a particularly vicious one. Cian and I were discussing the possibility of an animal attack when our world was torn asunder.

I push Sweeney to run faster, and the horse seems to understand.

Behind me, Cian has his hands on my shoulders, holding on for dear life, but my brother won’t tell me to slow down. He knows what’s at stake.

Somehow, I can still feel my brother, though it’s merely an echo of what we felt this morning. It’s like a door closed between us, and it muffles the sound.

She wasn’t where she told us she would be. The minute we felt something was wrong, we took off for the miller’s house only to be told the queen never showed up. Neither has her guard.

We immediately made the run for home.

“I would feel it if she was dead,” Cian says as Sweeney eases up and stops at the back of our brugh.

“Yes, she’s not dead.” I can’t even consider the possibility. “She’s had an accident. She’s unconscious.” That has to be it.

“I don’t know.” Ci slides to the ground and starts jogging toward the brugh. “We can feel her when she’s sleeping. She’s unconscious then, too. This is different. Something’s gone wrong.”

I know. I don’t need to tap into Ci’s intellect to know something is wrong with our wife. I shove down the bile rising in my throat at the idea of something bad happening to our Meggie.

Nothing can happen. We just began our lives after years of waiting for her. She has to be alive.

“I’ll go around the right. You take the left.” I sound far more in control than I am.

Cian runs. I pull my sword and force myself to move with caution. She cut the connection for some reason. That’s all. Sometimes she cuts it so we won’t feel what she’s feeling. There are all kinds of reasons for that to happen. She might think we need all our faculties to conduct the investigation.

Except I felt a jolt of fear before the connection cut. It slammed into me, seizing my heart and threatening to overwhelm me.

“Beckett!”

All caution is gone when I hear Cian yell. I run toward the front of the brugh, and what I see stops me in my tracks.

Niall’s body is crumpled near the front porch, left there like a piece of trash someone forgot to sweep away.

“Meg!” I can’t help the shout that comes from my throat. It threatens to shake the ground.

No. That isn’t my shout. It was the thunder that accompanied it. Clouds, gray and ominous, are suddenly darkening the sky above, and it’s all coming from me.

I don’t miss the way the trees shake all around us.

“Something took her,” Cian says. “I felt her fear, but she knew what it was. Not who it was. What. She didn’t know the name of the creature who scared her. I don’t think it was a Fae.”

A pit opens in my gut. “Goblins?”

Ci shakes his head. “They wouldn’t dare. They’re afraid of you, and she made a good impression on them. She trades with them. They take that seriously.”

“Then it’s Torin.” It’s everything I fear. Torin will take her and offer to trade. Her life for ours.

We’ll do it because our lives don’t matter without Meg.

“We can’t know that for sure,” Cian says.

“Then who was it?” My fear and frustration threaten to take over. We have no idea where she is. Someone could be torturing her as we stand here. We must find her. I take a deep breath because panic isn’t going to help our wife.

“We’ll gather the villagers and start searching.” Cian’s face is drawn in tight lines. “She can’t have gotten far.”

We look at each other and the words are left unspoken about exactly how far she might be from us. There are whole other planes she could be taken to.

“We should send word to Dante to have him search the Vampire plane.” A few scenarios play out in my head. “There were a lot of vampires at the arena who felt like they’d been betrayed. Any one of them could have stolen her.”

“They’ll go into hiding then.” Cian paces, his irritation obvious.

“Then we’ll have to use our assets to find her.” And then I have a plan. A stupid plan, but the only one I can think of. “Have you heard the rumors that Liadan has skill with magic?”

Cian goes still. “I don’t know that’s such a good idea. I don’t like that woman.”

Cian never liked Lia, but I can’t concern myself with Cian’s picky nature. “She’s the only one I know who can do a locator spell. I know Meggie won’t like it, but I would make a deal with the devil if I thought it might get our wife back. Can’t you say the same? If you won’t, I will.”

I start to run toward Liadan’s cottage. My brother falls in step beside me.

We will do whatever it takes to get our wife back.

Chapter Forty

Meg

“Get moving, you bum.”

It’s the first thing I hear as my head starts to pound and I try to figure out where the hell I am.

I’m underneath something. Not a blanket. Newspaper. Someone covered me with an old-school newspaper. What happened? We don’t have newspapers in our village. I blink, forcing my eyes into focus as I stare up. It’s night, but I can barely see the stars. There’s too much smog and too much light. The stars are so bright outside the cottage. Where am I? Only a few nights ago, I laid out on the grass with Cian, watching the stars and talking. Cian told me his people’s stories for the constellations, and we made love on an old quilt beneath the nighttime sky.

I can’t see the stars now.

“Cian.” His name is on my lips as I sit up. Everything hurts, but nothing worse than the fact that they aren’t here with me. “Beck.”

His name comes out as a whisper because I know he won’t answer. I can’t feel them. It’s like someone cut the connection, and I’m left with nothing.

“Miss, is there something we can help you with?” The question comes from a middle-aged woman who stands at the end of an alley beside a well-dressed man. They stare down the short street where I’m lying against a huge metal dumpster. The smell is making me sick.

“Where am I?” I’m not home anymore. That’s one thing I know for sure, but where did the demon leave me? Could this be the Vampire plane? I can work with that.

“How much have you had to drink?” the man asks. The woman elbows him and sends him a dirty look. He sighs. “You’re in Fort Worth, Texas. You’re not far from Sundance Square. Did you get lost?”

Oh, boy, did I get lost. The trouble is I need to get lost again.

“Did you see a big guy walk by? You couldn’t miss him. He’s really tall.” I struggle to my feet, stretching stiff limbs and wondering how long I was out.

“I haven’t seen anyone really tall,” the woman replies, shaking her head. “Do you need a homeless shelter? There’s a very nice one on Cypress Street. It’s not far.”

“I don’t need a homeless shelter.” The full revelation of what that asshole has done to me hits home. This isn’t the Vampire plane. This is Earth. He brought me back, and I have no idea how to get to my husbands. “I need a Planeswalker demon.”

The man takes the woman by the hand and forces her away. I’ll have to watch my mouth on this plane. I walk out of the alley and realize where I am. Down the block I can see the lights of a restaurant I’ve been to a couple of times. Top. They have the best tortilla soup, and I often got it to go. It’s one of the few things I miss about this place. My stomach grumbles at the thought, but the freaking demon wasn’t nice enough to leave me with some cash.

Top is my touchstone in reorienting myself on the plane. It’s half a block to Sundance Square. It feels like moving through a dream. It’s all familiar, but no longer mine.

Or is it? I catch sight of my reflection in the window of a darkened storefront. I’m wearing brown pants, a white shirt, and a black vest. I have on boots. It’s what I put on to go see the miller’s wife. I’m not crazy. I really did go to another plane and married two beautiful men. They need me. Tears spark in my eyes.

What will happen to them? What happens when the bond is formed and then shut off? And the demon said a hag is after them.

How am I going to get home? I have to get home. I can’t stay here. They need me and I need them.

I’m pulled from my panic as a group of people walk by, jostling me. The sidewalks are crowded. I find myself pulled along with the throng. It’s a mix of teens going to the movies, adults out on dates, families seeing the sights, and singles looking for the clubs and bars that dot the square. They all have one thing in common. Not a one of them will believe I’m the queen of another plane of existence with two husbands who recently came into their legendary powers and are now at risk because a fucking demon carted me off the plane—again.

Yeah, I start talking like that and I’ll be on a psych hold.

I walk for what feels like an hour in a complete daze. I have nothing. I have no way to get home. I don’t even have a coat, and while I was gone, it got cold on the Earth plane. I don’t have a phone or any way to call someone who might know me. The apartment I lived in is miles away from here.

So I walk. I’m not sure why. Perhaps some instinct sparks me or maybe I simply can think of nothing else to do.

I walk until the crowds are gone. I walk through the quiet streets of downtown in abject misery. How can I accept the fact that there is no way to get home? I’ll never be able to find the door to the Faery plane. Even if I can, how will I open it? From what I understand the only creatures who know where the doors are located are the Planeswalkers, and they require my eternal soul in exchange for passage.

Even if I’m willing to sell it, how do I call one? It isn’t like the last demon left a card.

Are there witches on this plane? Can they help me? How do I even go about finding one?

A great wave of sorrow rolls over me as I finally have to face the fact that Beck and Cian are gone. They’re separated from me by that door as surely as death could ever force us apart.

Would they think I ran? I can’t stand the thought. I love them.

I stop in the middle of the sidewalk, unable to take another step since each one feels like a step away from them. I lean against the brick of a building. The tears can be held off no longer, and I sob into my hands. How can I be here, so far from them? I still feel them. Not the way I did before. But they’re in my heart. The demon was right. I’m nothing on this plane. I was someone on the Faery plane, and not because marriage made me a queen. It wasn’t Beck and Cian’s love, either. Their love wasn’t what made me into the woman I became there. My love had.

Loving them made me a better person. Love transformed my heart into a huge thing with the capacity to forgive even myself.

I weep in the middle of the street and vow to hold on to it. I’ll hold on to the love I have for them. If there’s any way to get back to them, I will find it. There are vampires on this plane. Dante talked about them. I read some interesting theories on them. Some believe they are the original vampires and there’s a whole hidden society here on the Earth plane, a mighty council that rules the supernatural world. I’ll find them. That’s what I’ll do. I am a queen, and I can trade on that. The vampires will help me—if they don’t eat me first.

I feel slightly better now that I have a plan. It’s an insane plan, but it’s a plan. I stretch and feel the satchel on my hip and realize I have something that might prove valuable. The vampire computer is still in my bag. Its shape and weight are a joy. I won’t be able to connect to the vampire version of the Internet, but there are thousands of DLs on every subject imaginable that I can read. Dante showed me some anthropological articles from a scientist who spent years on the Earth plane studying the vampires here before his contract with the demon came up and he was dragged to hell.

Vampires are serious about science.

It’s getting late. I have to deal with the fact that I don’t have a home anymore. I need to find a place to stay. Where did the lady say the homeless shelter is?

Turning back to the sidewalk, a neon sign catches my eye. My mouth drops open as I realize my salvation might not lie with a bunch of vamps. Fate. It’s nothing less than fate. It is not coincidence that I walked through the night to get to this spot.

I suddenly know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will get home. I will see them again. The neon sign in front of me proves it.

Dellacourt Electronics

If it’s broke, we’ll fix it

And it looks like someone is still home. There’s a light on in back of the store, and someone is moving around.

The Vampire and Earth planes are mirror planes. And that means I might just have friends here. Oh, he doesn’t know we’re friends, but he’s about to find out.

I bang on the door with all my might. I pound and pound, not caring if I bother the neighbors.

“Dante!” I yell with a mad sort of glee. “Open the door, Dante!”

After a long moment, a familiar face peeks out the window. His eyes are narrow with suspicion.

“We’re closed, crazy lady.” The human version of Dante points to the sign in the window that has been turned to Closed. He obviously thinks I’m insane, but he’s still Dante. His eyes move straight to my chest, and he boldly checks me out.

“I’m here for sex, Dante.” I know exactly how to manipulate him if he’s anything like his other self.

Dante opens the door immediately.

“Really?” He’s slightly thinner than his vampire counterpart and is dressed in worn jeans and a comic book T-shirt, but he’s Dante all the same.

“No, idiot,” I say with a tearful smile as I push my way in. I can’t help myself. He’s the best news I’ve had all day. He’s hope. I throw my arms around him. “But I am so glad to see you.”

He hesitates only a second before letting his hands find my waist. “I’m glad to see you, too. How do we know each other? If I owe you money, I’m really sorry. I don’t have any. Did my sister send you?”

“No, Susan didn’t send me.” The explanations are going to be…weird. “You don’t owe me money and get your hand off my ass. I’m a married lady. And you’re going to help me get home.”

Dante steps back. “You want me to call you a cab?”

“If only it were that easy. I need a hell of a lot more from you, but I know you’re up to the task. It’s fate. Do you believe in fate?”

“Not for a minute,” he says with a shrug. “Although, if it gets me something, I’ll believe in fate, sweetheart. I can believe in anything you like.”

There’s one thing I have that might make this less weird. Or at the very least more believable. I reach into my satchel and pull out the unassuming computer Vampire Dante gave me. It’s the proof I need. “How about vampires?”

Human Dante makes a couple of vomiting sounds. “Oh, god, no. Not one of those. Please go away, Twihard. Do you know how many comments I’ve gotten since Twilight came out? I know I look a little like him, but seriously, not even for tits like yours will I put in plastic fangs and act like I can sparkle.”

So like his vampire counterpart. “First, you do not look like him. Not even close. Second, I told you, I’m married. Third, please sparkle for me. It would be funny. Now, shut up and listen. I think you’ll find this interesting.” I hand the computer to him.

Dante takes the tablet but doesn’t seem impressed. “This is an iPad. I think it’s nice that you have one. Can I go to bed now?”

“Let me turn it on.” I flip a switch and the menu comes up. The menu in this case is a holographic female. As she was programmed by Dante, she’s gorgeous and wears very little clothing.

“How may I help you, Dante love?” She also has a sexy voice.

“Holy shit,” Human Dante swears. “Where the hell did you get this?”

I smile as hope surges. Now I have him.

Chapter Forty-One

Dante—the human one

I shove a hand through my hair. It’s long, hanging past my earlobes. Normally it doesn’t bother me, but I’m pretty sure it makes me look grungy in front of the pretty woman sitting in my store. Not that perfectly combed hair would help since I’m dressed like the nerd I am. I smooth my hands over my slightly wrinkled Lex Luthor for President T-shirt. Why did I put off the laundry? And why does it matter? The chick hasn’t come to try to date me.

I’m listening to the craziest story I’ve heard. She’s been talking for the last hour and a half. The redhead is hot but completely insane.

She thinks vampires are real. She also believes in faeries and demons and hags. She’s sure she spent the last couple of weeks on another plane of existence. According to her, there are many planes, some easily accessible, some not.

She’s bonkers.

Except I played around with the computer she showed me. It’s far more advanced than anything I’ve seen before. No one in the industry is even talking about a system that can do the things this one can. We’re decades away from this kind of tech. What I hold in my hands is a supercomputer. It stores so much information that I can’t even think of a name for the capacity. It blows past terabytes. It has a connection to an Internet but claims there’s no connectivity here. I played around and got the system to acknowledge my wireless connection. The superhot hostess was unimpressed. She asked me why I wanted her to connect to such a primitive system and promptly downloaded the whole of the global Internet.

The whole fucking thing, and it didn’t slow down for a second.

“Where did you get this?” I ask.

The woman named Meg rolls her eyes. “I told you. Your vampire counterpart gave it to me.”

Yes, how could I forget that part. There are many planes of existence and one of them is a Vampire plane. I’m a royal there. I work for Dellacorp, and it’s a huge corporation that my family owns. My vampire counterpart obviously has it better than I do. I run this shitty two-bit store I inherited from my father and is going nowhere fast.

The other Dante sounds like a guy who gets an enormous amount of tail. He pulls, if you know what I mean.

“As far as I can tell, this thing is nuclear powered,” I point out in amazement. “How can that be possible? And I think it took my blood a couple of minutes ago. It thinks I’m not edible. What’s up with that?”

“Dante, well, the other Dante, he goes to a lot of different planes.” Meg sips the coffee I made and continues. “The computer is set to test potential food sources. I’m afraid it’s decided you’re toxic.” She looks at the screen. “Too much pollution, and wow, apparently you have a lot of sugar in your system.”

Without much thought, I eat the second half of the Twinkie I’ve been downing. Does it bother me that vampires don’t consider me proper food? Nope. It’s a plus. If those bloodsuckers are real and deeply concerned with blood sugar, pass me a cupcake, please.

“The vamps here would probably love you, though,” Meg says with a bright smile. “According to what I’ve read, they’re not as picky.”

“Good to know.” So the Dr Pepper I’m enjoying won’t save me here. I still drink it. “So, let’s say I buy this whole crazy story of yours.” This is the time when I look around again for the hidden cameras. If I had any friends, I would think they are punking me. “What exactly is it you want me to do?”

She chews on her lower lip, her nervousness apparent. “I need you to help me get back.”

“And how am I supposed to do that, sweetheart?” I ask. “I’m not exactly a…Planeswalker demon.” That’s what she called them. Yes, she believes in demons, too. “How am I supposed to find this door you’re looking for?”

Her hazel eyes fill with tears. She really believes the story. “I don’t know. I only know that you’re here, and you’re going to help me. I believe it. It wasn’t random coincidence that I found myself here. It was fate.”

I’m not so sure about that, but there’s no denying the technology she showed me. I want it. If I have to do some Internet searches to placate the girl, I’ll do it. Besides, she’s hot. Maybe when she realizes there’s nowhere else to go, she’ll turn to me. I can comfort her. It’s a nice prospect. My brain starts working overtime. I’m going to look at it as a problem to solve, like I’m taking the whole doorway to another plane shit seriously. After all, she dropped this piece of future tech into my lap. I kind of owe her.

“Okay, so no one knows where these doors are, right?”

Her pretty hair shakes around her shoulders. “No, most of them are well-defined. People move easily through them. The door to this plane is hard to find, and I think there’s more than one. I don’t know why. And there’s a whole supernatural world apparently. If we could find the vampire council here, that would be very helpful. Maybe they have a president or something we could talk to. Or a king.”

“Nice. Yeah, I don’t know where that is,” I reply. She’s taking surrealism to a whole different place. I respect it. “The door might be more helpful. So we have to suspect that this door is here in the city. Is it open all the time?”

“More than likely not,” Meg explains. “The other doors aren’t always open. I read that some people can open them at will, but others have to wait. The door from my village’s plane to the Vampire plane opens twice a day. I think we can assume the door here is something like that. It’s somewhere in the city. I don’t think I was out very long.”

“So there’s a door to a different plane right here in Fort Worth,” I muse. “It can’t be in an office building. Someone would probably notice a door opening to a faery world a couple of times a day. I bet weird stuff happens around it. It’s a long shot, but this baby is pretty cool.” I push the button that brings up the menu. “I need to run a search.”

“Of course, master,” the computer says with an inviting smile. “Which pornographic material should I seek out today?”

Oh, I totally glossed over the fun parts of this tech. “Really? You can do that?” I feel Meg’s stare. Judgment. There’s a whole lot of judgment in her eyes. I clear my throat and get back to business. “Nothing like that. I want you to run a search on all strange happenings in the city of Fort Worth, Texas. Use the human Internet, the primitive, sucky one. Check things like police reports and news articles and even blogs. I need a list of locations around the city where strange things happen.”

The hostess bows her head and winks out of existence to start her search.

“There,” I say to Meg. She’s looking at a photograph I keep on my desk. “We’ll have someplace to search soon.”

Meg’s face goes soft as she looks at the picture of four men in tuxedoes. They’re all smiling, with their arms around each other’s shoulders. I know the photograph well. I took it myself. “The twins are my cousins. They’re from Ireland.”

She nods and almost reverently touches the picture. “Their hair is short. It looks good, though. Why are they wearing tuxedoes? And who are the other men? Do they have other brothers on this plane?”

I’m used to women drooling over my very attractive cousins. No one pays me a bit of attention when Beck and Ci are around. Not that it would help them. It gives me great pleasure to tell her where the picture was taken. “Nope. Just a sister. They all live in Dublin. Those men are Beck and Cian’s husbands. I took that picture at their commitment ceremony.”

Meg’s eyes widen, and she drags me forward by the neck of my T-shirt. Her teeth are clenched, and she shakes me lightly. “You have to get me out of here. This isn’t my home. I don’t like it. Everything is wrong here.”

“Jeez,” I say, holding my hands up in submission. “I’m working on it, babe. Why don’t you go upstairs? I have an apartment up there. You can take the bed. I’m going to stay up and play with this a little more. I don’t sleep much at night, anyway. Never have.”

Meg nods. She looks exhausted. Crazy or not, she obviously had an emotional day. “Thank you, Dante. I really appreciate this. I know it will work. It has to.”

She starts up the stairs. I’m not so sure it will work, but I am starting to believe her story. I know one thing, though, as I stare at the magnificent machine in front of me—my life has just changed forever.

Chapter Forty-Two

Cian

I can’t get over the nausea that threatens to overtake me. It’s been hours since Meg was taken from us. I don’t know what’s happening to her, what she’s going through. I feel her loss like someone carved my heart out of my chest and tossed it away.

“Where is she?” I think we’re wasting time, but Beck is so certain, and I spent my life following my brother when things get dangerous.

“She said it would take her half an hour to gather the ingredients for the spell.” Beck looks up from where he’s inspecting the circle Liadan explained she will need to attempt the locator spell.

Liadan seemed deeply concerned when we spoke to her. She was surprised to see us and then shocked at what was happening in our quiet village.

I can’t stop thinking about the word seemed. It plays through my head because something deep inside tells me Liadan is acting.

“Why would she help us find Meg?” I’m starting to ask the questions I should have been asking all along. Of all the people in the village, Liadan is the one who stands the most to gain if Meggie stays missing. Or at least she’s the only one who might think she has something to gain. If Meg is gone, Beck won’t go back to her, but this might not be about getting him back. It might be about revenge. The more I shove my fear back and think rationally, the more I’m convinced this is a bad idea.

Beck seems to think for a moment. “She’s a part of our village. She wants to help.”

Something about Liadan…

I didn’t like her from the first. While Beck saw a pleasant, lovely female, I was put off. I never figured out why, but I don’t like being in the same room with Liadan. “Who would want Meggie gone? Lia. That’s the only person in the village I can think of who would want to get rid of our wife.”

Beck’s hands go to his hips, and he glares my way. “Torin. Our uncle certainly would do anything he needed to in order to keep us weak.”

“But we’re not weak.” The fact that Meggie isn’t dead and our powers aren’t gone bugs me. It makes no sense. Oh, I’m fairly certain after a time we’ll weaken due to the distance between the three of us, but it could take months for that to happen, and the bond between myself and Beck will remain in place, weakened though it might be. “Torin would have killed Meg. If he’d sent someone to deal with her, it would have been to murder her, not to haul her off the plane.”

“Or he kidnapped her and he’s going to use her to force us to turn ourselves in,” Beck points out.

A valid point, but there’s still a problem with it. “I think I saw a Planeswalker before she passed out.”

Right before I felt her terror, she managed to send a single image out to me. It was foggy, but I’m almost certain now that it was the face of a demon—a Planeswalker. I never saw one in person but there are books with descriptions.

“Why would a Planeswalker come after Meggie?” Beck asks. “Do you think he’s trying to sell her again? We would feel it if she was in the marketplace. Reeve would protect her.”

I shake my head. “She’s not on this plane and she’s not on the Vampire plane. We would feel that. The doors are open too frequently. No, she’s somewhere far away. Torin wouldn’t have used a Planeswalker. Not even he’s crazy enough to pay with his soul. And he wouldn’t have to. He could send one of his men to do it. None of this makes sense.”

Unless the plan was initiated by someone desperate.

“It doesn’t matter who took her,” Beck insists. “We’re going to find her. Lia doesn’t have a reason to hurt her. She understands. She told me so herself.”

Something about Liadan…

“I think she had something to do with me fading the way I did.” Over the course of the last weeks with Meg, the idea has been coalescing in my head. I remember a familiar voice telling me to fade, and it wasn’t my own. Smoke was involved, a sickly sweet smell that always accompanied my loss of will.

Beck sighs. “You were fading because we hadn’t bonded. I was doing my own version of it, too. There’s nothing more than a biological need at play in that.”

“No, I was worse off than you.” I’m sure of it. Beck was functional even at the worst stages.

Beck turns and sighs. “Because you’re the intellectual half…”

He stops in the middle of his explanation because there’s the sound of a thud and then Beck’s right shoulder flies back as an arrow hits him.

I watch in horror as the arrow lodges in my brother’s shoulder and blood begins to bloom over his shirt.

“I think he was trying to say that you’re the weak one, Cian.” Liadan steps out from behind a copse of trees, a crossbow in her hand. She changed clothes and wears pants and a black shirt, her cat slinking around her boots. “It took you long enough to figure out I was the one behind your need to fade. You weren’t doing it fast enough. I had to help you along.”

Beck goes a pasty white. “Lia?”

She stands slightly away from us, the crossbow still in her hand. “Yes, Beckett. You’re not the intellectual half. You’re the idiot half who can’t keep his dick in his pants, the one who didn’t realize he was sleeping with a hag. His Majesty, King Torin sends his greetings. Your wife is gone, and you won’t find her again. I had to pay for it, but the Hell plane will be a lot like home for me. And I’ll have all of Beckett’s power.”

Beck grimaces and pulls the arrow out. “I’m going to kill you.”

Yes, no arrow can take the warrior king out. I have my sword in hand, but I won’t need it. This is what Beck was born to do.

Except when Beck starts to reach for the sword on his back, he falls to his knees.

“Oh, feeling weak?” Lia asks. She starts to nock another arrow into her bow. “That’s because the arrow is spelled. It will remove all of your magic and shift it to me. I’m already quite powerful on my own, though I’ve had to hide it for years while I waited to destroy the two of you in my master’s name. I’ll return to Tír na nÒg a hero with vast powers.”

Panic surges, but I have to tamp it down. I can feel Beck’s weakness as my brother slumps to the ground. If I don’t work fast, Liadan will hit me with an arrow, too, and then she’ll have all of our power.

I need help, and the forest comes to my aid. As though it hears me, the massive tree Liadan stands next to reaches a branch down and catches the back of her shirt, hauling her up. She screams but manages to hold on to the crossbow.

I have to get my brother out of here. I lean over and am about to lift Beck when it hits me. Magic. The moment I touch Beck’s skin, magic flows into me, overwhelming me with all the powers of the storm. It surges through me, but I don’t know how to use it. I can’t focus it, and it threatens to overwhelm me even as I hear thunder crack overhead.

Behind me I hear Liadan struggling to get free. Her cat climbs the tree in an attempt to get to her mistress.

“You have to run,” Beck manages to say. His eyes are only half open, and it’s easy to see he’s fighting to stay conscious.

“Tell me how to kill her.” If she is what she says she is, it won’t be easy.

“Run. Get us out of here, brother. Don’t let her shoot you with one of those arrows.” Beck is fading fast. “Find a place to hide. There’s a hunting cabin not far from here. Hide us.”

I know the place. I can’t wait. If Beck doesn’t think I can defeat the hag, I have to take his word. I have to hide us because I have no idea how to use my brother’s power.

Rain starts to fall and thunder rumbles even as Beck passes out and becomes deadweight. I heft him over my shoulder, securing him there with one arm.

Liadan grunts as she hits the forest floor.

I lift my free hand and beg the ground to aid me.

Grass shoots up all around Liadan, covering the hag with green tendrils. She screams but I don’t waste another moment. I run. I run and run, feet pounding against the forest floor. My lungs ache as I keep up the pace, my brother’s weight slowing me down.

The forest around me shakes with her laughter.

“You can run, Cian.” The hag’s voice seems to echo through the trees. “But you can’t hide.”

She’s wrong. Up ahead I can hear the river rushing past the very place I need to be. I can hide. The trees themselves will aid me. But I have to get deep enough into the forest.

I feel something shoot past me. An arrow lodges in a tree not five feet in front of me and I stop, turning and lifting a hand to bring up another wall of green between me and the hag.

It won’t hold her forever.

Eventually she’ll get close enough, and if she hits me with one of those arrows, she’ll get what she wants. She thought all of Beck’s powers would go to the one who cast the spell. She hasn’t counted on our unique nature. When my brother’s magic needed a place to go, it found a home in me. But if she gets me, too…

My brain feels like it’s going to explode. I wasn’t built to handle both our magics. Every instinct in my body tells me to hide and sleep. I need to find safety and lie down so my body can rest. It’s the only way we will survive.

I struggle because my brain is processing so much magic it’s difficult to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. I take a deep breath and push on. Liadan won’t stop to give me a break. She’ll follow until she catches me.

The rain falls in sheets now, and I realize I’m the one doing it. Beck’s magic truly is mine to call upon. I will the storm to become a hurricane. That will slow the hag down. My shoulder aches from Beck’s weight, but I run through the gale untouched as the world whips around us.

When I see the small hunting cabin through the trees I slow the winds down. Beck’s right. It is perfect, but it won’t be if it’s destroyed by a storm. I make it into the small structure and gently lay my brother on the dirt floor. My hands shake as I do what I need to do.

Within seconds, the cabin is engulfed in green. Inside, the cabin goes pitch black as the world recedes under a wall of vines and thorns. It’s thick, and the trees themselves have orders to protect this place.

I can hear the storm rattling the world outside. I fall to my knees and am grateful for the darkness. There’s nothing but darkness now, and it will stay that way unless someone can find a way to bring Meg back to us.

As the hopelessness of the situation hits me, I lie down beside my brother. My body knows what to do. Beck has gone into a fugue state. He won’t wake unless our bridge returns. Only Meg can save us. Only Meg can give Beck back his strength and me back my mind.

“Come to us,” I pray as sleep overtakes me.

Outside the small cabin, the storm roars on.

Chapter Forty-Three

Meg

I take aim and slowly squeeze the trigger. I watch as the bullet tears through the target. Even at a distance, I know it’s a solid hit. I bought the Ruger .357 after trying out every handgun they let me rent at the range. Well, Dante bought the .357 with his credit card. I don’t actually have much money of my own. I help him around the store. I’ve been doing his nightly books for the last three weeks, but I don’t let him pay me much. I won’t be here long enough to do the paperwork, so everything he pays me is under the table.

I check my watch. It’s almost time to meet him. He’s picking me up to look at another spot that might be the doorway.

It’s been the longest three weeks of my life. The computer found an astonishing number of potential sites, and each one has been a bust. It’s frustrating, but I have no other choice. I can’t give up.

Dante is a godsend. He quickly figured out how to use the computer from the Vampire plane to our best advantage. He learned through trial and error that the computer has settings to detect everything from atmospheric content to the pH of the soil. Dante hypothesizes that the door to the Faery plane can potentially be found by taking careful readings and comparing it to the rest of the area. Dante’s been busy taking measurements and putting them into his program. So far, we’ve had no luck.

“Hey, Meg.” A familiar voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

I carefully put the weapon away as I greet him. “I thought I was meeting you outside.”

He shrugs and offers to carry my case. “It’s no big deal. I wanted to get a chance to run by this one address I found. I think we have a shot there.”

I study the young man. It’s odd how different he is from his vampire counterpart. They look almost identical, but the differences in their lives took a toll on this Dante. He didn’t grow up with the privileges of the vampire version. He was raised middle class after his father sold his family’s cattle ranch to a corporation. From what I learned, Dante’s parents split, with his mom returning to her Irish home with his sister, Susan. Dante remained behind and dropped out of college to take care of his father.

This Dante lacks the confidence his doppelganger has. He’s still funny and bright, but there’s an aloofness to him not present in my Dante. I get the feeling this Dante will be loyal to very few people. He keeps his circle small.

He smiles. It’s something he rarely does. “Let’s go check it out, and then we can get burgers.”

“Okay.” I pull one of his old jackets over my T-shirt and jeans. Dante tries to be generous, but I only allowed him to buy me a couple of pairs of jeans, some T-shirts, undies, and two sweaters. It’s all I need because once I get home, I won’t wear them.

I glance down at the ring on my finger, the one Cian gave me. My wedding ring. It reminds me that I have a job to do—to get back to my husbands.

I climb into his beat-up SUV and buckle my seat belt. Dante goes on about how his newest program found this spot. He says something about a number of police reports and how often the property was sold, but I’m thinking about other things.

I was on the refugee plane for about a month, but three passed here. Time moves differently on different planes. How long have Beck and Cian been wondering about me? Have they managed to stop the hag’s plans? My hands clench with anger when I think about someone in the village pretending to be our friend. All the while, this hag waited to pounce the instant the twins showed vulnerability. The hag would seem like a normal villager because she can take different forms.

I’ve been reading up on hags and know it could be any of the females of the village. I have my suspicions, hence the .357 I intend to take back with me. If Liadan gives me even a hint that she isn’t what she seems to be, I’ll put a couple of rounds in her. I really hope it’s Liadan.

“That’s a scary look,” Dante says with a grimace.

“Sorry,” I apologize and school my expression into something less bloodthirsty.

It’s hard readjusting to this plane. I thought I would immediately fall back into patterns of working and watching TV, but something intrinsic has changed within me. When I finish with work around the store, I prepare for the day I will go back to my men. I spend hours and hours making lists and gathering items I want to take with me.

I have a large duffel bag filled with things that will be helpful. I bought my ten favorite books at a half-priced store, along with five DVDs I love. I’m sure Vampire Dante can make them work on the computer. I have a thumb drive filled with music I downloaded. I bought a couple of first aid kits and essentials. My bags are packed. Now I just need my ticket home.

I didn’t completely ignore this plane. I looked up my own name on the Internet. Pretty sad. There is only a single article on me as a missing person. My mother commented that she believes I ran off with some man and will get in touch when the relationship sours. It’s odd, given that I never ran off before, but if it gives my mother comfort, I’ll go along with it. Besides, my mother wouldn’t recognize me anymore.

I wear my hair down all the time now. I move with an ease and grace that comes with being comfortable in one’s skin. The awkward, shy girl is gone. In her place is a wife who has one job to do—get back to her husbands.

“That’s it,” Dante says as he pulls into the small parking lot.

We’re on the outer edges of downtown, and parking spaces are more plentiful. I stare at the warehouse. It’s dilapidated and hasn’t seen better days in years. The door hangs haphazardly from its frame and the staircase is missing some steps.

Dante opens his door and slides out. “The last two owners sold it at a loss. It’s had ten owners since it was built twenty years ago. It was supposed to be a warehouse for one of the big department store chains. They had so many accidents the company closed it down. I came out here yesterday morning and installed a couple of cameras. I thought I would cover some of the big spaces and see if anything came up.”

There’s something about the building that pulls at me. “I think you may be on to something,” I say with the first real enthusiasm I felt in weeks. “Let’s get those cameras.”

Four hours and a half-eaten burger later, I’m sure my eyes are going to burst out of my head if I have to watch one more minute of nothing.

It’s like watching paint peel. I’m not going through frame by frame, but I can’t speed it up much either for fear of missing something. Dante covered as much of the space as he could with four cameras. So far, there’s nothing but the eerie green glow of the night vision.

“Anything?” Dante walks into the office from the store. He strides past the long table cluttered with laptops and desktops, their inner workings open to the air.

“The place has rats. Other than that, nothing except a few pigeons that flew by the camera. This is the second camera I’ve sat through.”

“Whoa, what the fuck was that?” There’s real alarm in Dante’s eyes. He goes a little pale.

“What?” I move the mouse to back up the feed. And then my heart seizes with joy at the sight of a long, thin man gliding past the camera. His body is swathed in a hooded cape, but there’s the briefest glimpse of his eyes. I want to jump and shout my happiness to the world but settle for announcing triumphantly, “That’s a Planeswalker demon.”

Dante slumps into the seat beside me. “You aren’t crazy.”

I slide him a bemused glance. “I thought we settled that a few weeks back.”

“Nope,” he says, shaking his head. “I was still certain you were either trying to scam me or had some real problems.”

“Then why have you been helping me?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, sweetheart, but you have fabulous tits,” Dante says with a sigh. “I figured once you gave up on the whole idea of being queen of the faery world, you might consider sleeping with me. Now I see that demons are real. I’m going to church tomorrow.”

I’m not going to talk religion with him. I need to concentrate on the question at hand. “What was the time? Did you see which way he came from?”

Dante backs up the tape and checks the time log. “It was three minutes after midnight last night.”

“That makes sense. It’s an in-between time. I read about it. The veil between worlds is thinnest then. That’s when the door opens.” I look at the clock. It isn’t even ten yet. There’s still time. “We can make it.”

Dante takes a moment and shoves his hair back, running his long fingers over his scalp. “You’re really leaving.”

I turn to him. He doesn’t have a lot of friends. He seems content to spend his free time working on computers or helping me. “I have to go back. On my plane, I’m married to your cousins. I love them very much, and they need me. I hope you understand.”

He smiles slightly. “And I’m a vampire? What am I like there, Meggie? Am I lonely?”

I laugh at the thought. “As if. Dante Dellacourt doesn’t lack for anything except tact.”

“Tact is overrated,” Dante points out.

“Spoken like your vampire self.” I let my hand drift over his. “The Dante Dellacourt I know doesn’t let anything stop him. He once told me that if he was going to do something, he would do it big. There was no point in anything less. Of course, he was discussing lying through his fangs at the time.”

“I sound like a character there.”

“You could come with me, you know,” I offer. He reminds me a little of myself before fate changed my life completely.

Dante shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. One of me is probably more than any plane should have to handle. I think I’ll have to try to make a go of it here. Besides, I have my shop, you know.”

He’s scared, and I don’t blame him. I might spend more time trying to convince him, but I only have two hours before that door opens. “If you change your mind, you know where the gate is.”

As I move toward the stairs that lead to the apartment, I see Dante sitting very still, obviously deep in thought.

I heft the duffel bag in one hand. It’s heavy but nothing I can’t handle. My heart races as Dante slams his door shut and turns on his halogen flashlight. My boots crunch the gravel beneath my feet as we make our way to the door of the warehouse. The air is cool at this time of night, and I pull my sweater closer.

Dante goes first, pushing the heavy door aside and holding it open. He holds his free hand out. “Let me carry that for you. Come on. It’s my last chance to be a gentleman.”

Holding the bag out, I allow Dante to take it. I exchange it for the flashlight. He slings the bag over his shoulder and follows me into the darkened recesses of the warehouse. It’s different from when we visited earlier in the afternoon. There’s a gloom over the whole place that seems very foreboding. I take a deep breath and force myself to continue moving forward.

“Wow, I really don’t like this place,” Dante says. “I want to leave.”

I look back at him. His face is pinched and tight with fear. I sympathize. If I didn’t have to be here, I would probably be running right now. “It’s the doorway. I’m sure there are wards to protect it. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. You don’t have to come in with me. I can make it on my own.”

His eyes narrow, and even in the shadows, I can see I pissed him off. “Just lead the way, sister. I might not be a vampire, but I can handle it.”

“Of course you can, Mr. Dellacourt,” a silky voice says from the shadows. I nearly jump out of my skin as the light reveals we’re not alone. A Planeswalker stands on the steps leading to the second floor. He turns his head away from the light. “If you please, Your Highness, that is intrusive.”

I direct the flashlight away from his face. My hands shake as I face the demon. Is this the same demon who brought me here? I think I recognize the voice. “Are you here to stop me from going home?”

The demon’s laugh fills the space. “No, Your Highness. I’m here to use the door. I walk these planes on a daily basis. I gain strength from crossing through the veil. My body requires that energy to function. I also take contracts and receive payment to access the doors from those less intelligent than yourself and the great Mr. Dellacourt.”

Dante snorts. “Yeah, I’m great. I almost peed myself when you started talking. Is he going to kill us?”

The last bit is whispered my direction.

“As I haven’t been paid to do so, I will forego any murders this evening,” the demon promises, proving his hearing is excellent. “I was looking forward to a very dull passage. Now I have a bit of excitement. It was clever of you to find the door, Your Highness. The hag is going to be somewhat upset to discover you’ve found the way back to your kingdom. I believe her employer will be upset as well.”

“Torin,” I surmise.

The demon smiles, showing jagged teeth. “Yes, the pretender is terrified of the warrior king. He should be even more frightened now. The philosopher king has a bit of the warrior’s rage since the bonding. He could prove even more formidable than his twin.”

“Beck isn’t sure he even wants the throne anymore,” I explain. My warrior husband is tired of fighting.

The demon studies me for a moment. “I doubt he’ll have a choice when the time comes. As for you, Mr. Dellacourt, your choices are just beginning. There’s a whole world open and ripe for the plucking. I think you’ve made the first choice that will take you on the road to greatness.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” There’s an odd look on Dante’s face. If I didn’t know better, I would swear he looks guilty.

“Don’t listen to him,” I say, grasping his hand in my own. He’s shaking slightly. “He’s a demon. I don’t think they’re known for their honesty.”

“On the contrary, Your Highness,” the Planeswalker says with an offended air. “I never lie when the truth is so deliciously awful. But Mr. Dellacourt’s future is neither here nor there. It is your future that is at risk. I’m looking forward to seeing if you can save those boys of yours.”

“They’re in danger?” I ask the question, but I know the answer. They would be weakened without me there to bridge their minds. They’ve been in danger since the minute I was taken from them.

“Oh, yes,” the demon says smoothly, as though we’re discussing some juicy gossip. “The hag managed to catch one of them with her spell, but the intellectual half evaded her. I’m afraid she didn’t ask the right questions. She asked for a spell that would shift the warrior’s magic. She assumed it would shift into her. That was a mistake.”

“Cian absorbed it.” I know exactly what’s happened. “Then he was strong enough to run with Beck?”

“Oh, yes, Your Highness. King Cian was able to flee with his brother on his back. His own poor body, however, could not handle the strain of both their powers. He had to find safe haven. Both he and the warrior are currently in a fugue state. They sleep, waiting for the one who can set them to rights.”

Tears pool in my eyes. “I have to get to them.”

The demon nods sagely. “Yes, I suspect you do. The hag was getting close to breaking through the barriers to their haven when I moved through yesterday. If you could kill her, Your Highness, I would be grateful. She signed her soul over to me, you see. As she should live a very long time, I doubt she was worried she would have to pay up. I could use her skills on the Hell plane. There’s much going on here on the Earth plane. A new power is rising, and I could use the hag’s skills.”

I’m not doing this to help the demon. I have own reasons for killing the hag. And I won’t feel an ounce of regret when the demon drags the bitch to hell. “I promise I’ll kill her the minute I get the chance. I have a plan, you see.”

My plan is currently in a shoulder holster under the sweater I’m wearing.

“Excellent,” the demon says.

There’s the slightest feeling of air moving through the warehouse, followed by a quiet pop. The demon’s eyes widen, and his body seems to swell. “Ah, the veil is open. It’s time to go, Your Highness. Now, now, I see the suspicion in your eyes. You found this place yourself. I’m merely offering to travel with you. The door is in an unusual space. It might take you a moment to find it, and then it would be closed again. You would have to come back tomorrow night.”

“I’m not signing a contract.” I need to make that perfectly clear. I don’t intend to be separated from my husbands ever again. Not even in the next life.

“And I’m not asking for one,” the demon replies. “I believe you will kill the hag. I’m helping you entirely for my own selfish purposes, dear.”

I turn to Dante, who hands me the duffel bag. I settle it on my back and hug him. “Good luck, Dante.”

“You, too, Meggie.” His hands tighten around my waist, and then he backs away. “I hope everything works out for you. Look me up if you ever come back this way.”

I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. I’m going to miss this version of Dante, but it’s time to go home. I follow the demon up the stairs, aware Dante is watching me the entire way. The stairs creak and shake under my weight.

“Hurry, dear,” the demon calls from the darkness above. “You don’t want to miss it.”

I brace myself and take the final step. The demon looks out over the railing. He points to a spot just below us. “There it is.”

No wonder it’s so hard to find. It’s in the middle of the air. I’ll have to jump. If I miss, I’ll break my legs at best and my neck at worst.

The demon gracefully leaps onto the railing. “Follow me.”

He jumps from the railing, feet first, and disappears completely.

“It’ll be all right, Meg,” Dante says from below. “It’s fate, right?”

“Yes.” I climb on the railing. It shakes and rattles under my weight. There’s nothing stable about it. Moonlight filters in from a window above, illuminating the ragged warehouse. My hands shake as I make the mistake of looking down.

There’s another popping sound, and I know my time is running out. The door will close, and I’ll have to wait another full day before it opens again. I can’t risk it.

I close my eyes and take a leap of faith.

Chapter Forty-Four

Human Dante

I watch Meg disappear through the veil. A piece of me is sorry to see her go. She’s been lovely, and I like her spirit. If she stayed, I might have been able to love her.

Still, as I pull the vampire computer from my jacket, she hasn’t left me with nothing to show for my efforts. I stare down at the computer. I slipped it out of the duffel bag when I gallantly offered to carry it for Meg. I couldn’t let her take it with her. It’s mine because I was smart enough to steal it. And she’ll find another one. I have plans for this one.

When Meg suggested I go with her, I didn’t tell her no because I’m afraid of going to another plane. I’m not afraid of visiting other places. It just seems silly to waste time when this plane is so ripe for the conquering.

Why should I settle for being a little fish on a bunch of planes when I can be a shark on this one?

The computer in my hands is my ticket to the big time.

I leave the building, my mind racing with plans.

Chapter Forty-Five

Meg

I hit the ground with a great thud and promptly land on my ass in the mud. It was a clear night back on Earth, but here it’s day and we’re in the middle of a storm.

The demon looms over me. “Not the most graceful of landings, Your Highness, but it will do.” He walks on without offering to lend a hand. “Good luck.”

I scramble up and look around. I’m in the forest. The door closes roughly six feet above me. No wonder it’s hard to find. It’s even harder on this side of the door since there is no handy set of stairs to climb up. I try to shield my eyes from the rain as I looked up the path. It looks like the storm is even worse up ahead.

The demon seems to have disappeared again, and I’m alone in the forest with no sense of direction. I run for the shelter of a thick tree. It’s less wet beneath the tree’s wide canopy. I need to get in contact with Dante, and there’s only one way I can do it. I reach into my pack, searching for the vampire computer. I go through the bag three times before admitting the truth.

“Bastard.” It’s obvious the human version of Dante helped himself to a souvenir of my visit. He’s taken the only way I have to communicate, and my heart constricts. I have to find another way.

I hear rushing water to my left and know I’m in luck. The village was built to take advantage of the river. I can follow it, and I’ll be able to see houses and docks when I get close.

I repack my duffel bag and prepare for a potentially long walk. There’s nothing else to do. I can’t sit here, and Human Dante has taken away my ability to call his vampire counterpart.

I trudge to the river and realize I have another decision to make. I have no idea where I am in relation to the village. It could be north or south of where I stand now. I could walk for days, only to discover I went the wrong way. What am I supposed to do? Any wasted time could cost my husbands. I stare through the rain, trying to see if there’s anything familiar. The only times I spent in the forest, I was either righteously pissed off at Beck or sleeping peacefully in his arms. I certainly didn’t memorize landmarks.

Ahead in the distance, I spot a beautiful horse standing in the water, and my decision is made.

“Screw you, you cannibal horse,” I shout at the kelpie and turn the opposite direction. It was enough of a sign for me. Decision made, I begin to jog.

Half an hour later, I’m still cursing that damn horse because I seem to be walking toward the intensifying storm. The rain pelts me. There isn’t an inch of me that’s dry. I shiver as I hike on.

After a few minutes, I hear a magnificent sound. It starts like a slight whir, and there’s no mistaking its man-made nature even over the sounds of the storm. Well, there’s no mistaking its vampire-made nature.

I stop and turn toward that sound. It isn’t more than thirty seconds before I can see the bike in the distance, getting closer and closer. It moves fast, hovering over the soaked ground. The rider is outfitted for the storm in head-to-toe water-repellant gear. Even his eyes are covered with goggles. He steers the bike right toward me.

Even before he lifts the mask on his helmet, I know who he is. I wasn’t able to find him, but he’s found me.

“Get on.” Dante shouts over the noise of the storm. “We need to talk.”

Twenty minutes later, I gratefully accept the towel Dante hands me. Like everything else about Dante’s little camp, the towel is high-tech. I rub it over my hair and suddenly, it’s dry. I don’t question it. I’m simply happy to be warm. The tent is toasty and dry, with soft lanterns giving the room a nice glow.

“Where the hell have you been?” Dante asks, pouring himself a Scotch. “Do you have any idea how bad things have gotten while you were doing whatever it was you were doing?”

“Well, I didn’t go willingly.” I rub my hands together before shrugging out of my sweater. “Someone paid the Planeswalker to take me home.”

Dante’s mouth hangs open slightly as he stares at me. “You went to the Earth plane?”

“And then found my way home. I didn’t even need a demon to help me, though I did my return trip with one.”

Dante sighs. “You came back.”

“Of course I came back,” I reply. How could he believe I would abandon them? “I love my husbands. I never wanted to leave them. Now, tell me everything. Are they alive? Has the hag been able to hurt them? How did you find me?”

Dante looks slightly amused as I pelt him with questions. “As far as I know, they’re still protected. I can’t get close. The storm is horrible. It’s kept the hag away, though she’s closing in. Once that blonde bitch gets into their hidey-hole, she’ll be able to slit their throats and there’s nothing they can do about it. As for how I found you, I planted a locator device on your back that first day we met. Remember, I gave you a big hug and slapped you on the back? The locator device is small and burrows into the skin. I had a feeling you would be trouble.”

“You LoJacked me?”

Dante shakes his head, seemingly unconcerned. “I don’t know what that is. However, I did make sure I could keep tabs on you. Don’t mention it to Ci, but I LoJacked him a long time ago. I was too scared to try it with Beck. I do it to the people I care about. I like to know where they are.”

“So where are Beck and Ci?” I choose to set aside Dante’s questionable actions for now. Those locators proved fortuitous any way I look at it.

“About a half a mile north. I don’t know what happened, but the twins took refuge in a small cabin in the middle of the forest. It’s covered with vines, and let me tell you, those vines have thorns. I tried to hack my way in while the hag was sleeping. The plants took exception.”

I pull off my jeans and shirt and run the towel across my skin, marveling at the way it instantly dries me. “That’s Cian’s doing. He came into his power shortly before that asshole demon hauled my butt back to Earth.”

“Cian’s a Green Man?” Dante lisps a little around his fangs. I throw him a dirty look because I know what the fangs coming out mean. “What do you expect? You’re half-naked. It would be rude not to get horny. Now tell me about Ci.”

I roll my eyes and accept that Dante is just Dante. I move to my duffel bag and am pleased to find that everything I own is not soaking wet. “All that legendary stuff about royal symbiotic twins is true.” I put on the soft, suede-like pants the village women sewed for me, and my shirt and vest. “Cian is a Green Man. Beck can control storms.”

“Well, he’s not doing a good job of it, is he?” Dante asks, referencing the raging storm outside. “It’s been like this since I got here a week ago. I came when your locator signal went off-line, and I couldn’t get the computer I gave you to answer me.”

“About that, I’m going to need another one of those,” I admit. “Your human self stole mine, the little weasel. I have no doubt he is, even now, plotting something ruthless. He had that look about him.”

“Nice,” Dante says, showing off his fangs. “So you met the human version of me. How hot was I? I was really rich, but, like, on my own, right? I see myself as a self-made man.”

“You were sad and sweet and potentially very selfish.” I strapped my shoulder holster on. “Your life wasn’t as good there as you have it here. I’m actually worried about what you, the other you, is going to do with that computer.”

Dante looks vaguely pleased. “Probably something incredibly evil. I always thought I’d make a good super villain.”

I check the .357. The weight feels good in my hands. “Speaking of villains, tell me the blonde bitch who’s trying to kill my husbands is Liadan.”

“Is that the chick Beck’s been banging?” He quickly corrects himself. “I mean was banging before he met his one true love and started being completely faithful?”

I should have expected Dante will always back his cousin up. “You’re a good wingman. And yes, I’m talking about Beck’s ex-honey. Please tell me I get to kill her.”

Dante takes a long gulp of Scotch. When he looks back, I see the fear in his clear eyes. “If she doesn’t kill you first. She’s quite horrible. I saw her face, her real face. I wish I didn’t have to see it again.”

I place the .357 Magnum in the holster and reach for the jacket the vampire offered me. It’s too big, but it will keep me dry. “You don’t have to. You point me in the right direction, and I’ll take care of her. It’s my responsibility, not yours. You’ve done your job.”

Those clear green eyes roll back. “Stuff it, sweetheart. Don’t give me the lone warrior routine. I’m still a freaking vampire, and I have my pride. Besides, my cousins would kick my ass if they found out I sent their wife in to face a hag and her nasty cat while I stayed safe and dry in my tent. I’m going with you, and that’s that. Now, since we’ve gone ahead and acknowledged that we’re about to die, how about some end-of-the-world sex? If we’re going out, we should go out with a bang and a really good orgasm.”

I pointedly zip up the jacket. “You’re worried Beck and Ci will be upset if you send me in alone, but you think they’ll be okay with a little infidelity?”

“It’s for a good cause,” Dante explains innocently. “Besides, if they don’t understand and we happen to survive and they happen to survive, then the ass-kicking I get will be totally worth it. And if you do anal, that would make my impending death so much more meaningful.”

“I might shoot you myself,” I promise as I pull the hood up, covering my head.

“What are you going to shoot me with?” Dante zips up his own jacket. “And what was that cool-looking toy you hid in your jacket?”

I stop and stare at the vampire, trying to figure out if he’s joking. “You don’t know what a gun is?”

“No.” Dante pulls the hood of his jacket over his red-gold hair. “What does it do?”

If the vampires don’t have guns, then there’s no way Liadan will know what’s coming.

“They kill people, my friend.” A deep satisfaction settles inside my soul. Finally, I have the upper hand. “And here’s something even better. I’ll make you a deal. If you manage to survive, I’ve got a present for you. I brought back three bottles of the strongest sunscreen from the Earth plane. I’m sure that one of those brilliant vampire scientists will be able to reverse engineer something from them.”

Dante’s eyes light up. “Oh, yeah, they can, and I’ll be the one who brought it to them. This is going to get me out of refurb hell. Nice. I’m totally going to live. Profits are on the line. No vampire goes down when profit is on the line.”

“I thought you might say something like that,” I reply, heading for the door to the tent. “But, Dante, I’m going to need a cut.”

I let the flap close behind me as I hear the vampire curse.

I look through Dante’s binoculars. The enhanced glasses give me an up-close view of Beck and Cian’s small fortress, even through the rain. Dante eases down and nudges me. He points to a figure standing mere feet from the green sanctuary. A black cat twitches anxiously around the woman’s ankles. Kitty doesn’t like the storm, it seems.

It’s Liadan, all right, but she doesn’t look the way she did before. She stands on the ground with her hands at her sides. Her previously pristine dress is soaked and caked with mud. There’s a deer walking toward her as though she called it. In an instant, Liadan attacks the gentle creature, slitting its throat from ear to ear.

“She uses the blood to strengthen her spells.” Dante leans close. “I wish she would use a spell to make her not look like that.”

Liadan shed the vestiges of her public persona. Gone was the lovely Fae woman, and in her place stands the hag. Her face is withered and cracked. Her hair, though still blonde, is gnarled, as though rats nest in it. She has long fingernails, and she uses them to extract the blood she needs.

The hag begins chanting something in a language I don’t understand. After a long moment, some of the vines protecting the sanctuary retreat. I can begin to see the walls of the structure. The minute Liadan manages to unveil the door, she’ll be able to attack my husbands.

“She’s been doing it for days,” Dante explains. “She’s getting close.”

If only I could stop the driving rain. It pours down in sheets, making visibility a real problem. While I can see Liadan’s body, the downpour makes it a hazy thing. I’m not sure I can properly aim. Weeks of practice sharpened my skills, but I don’t want to risk it in this drenching downpour. I might only get one real shot.

I can’t stop the storm, but I know someone who can. I have to hope my husbands aren’t so far gone that they can’t respond. Silently, I put the binoculars down and open the connection I share with my husbands. I close my eyes and seek them with my mind. A tendril of psychic energy brushes against my brain. Cian. It’s a soft touch so I know it’s my intellectual husband. That wave of psychic energy reaches out toward me. He’s weak, so weak, but I send the message anyway. I let my mind wrap around his energy for a moment, pleading with him to be okay.

After a long moment, the rain recedes.

Dante tenses beside me. He looks up as though he can figure out why the rain stopped. “Is that a bad sign? Does that mean something’s wrong with Beck?”

I reach up and tug on Dante’s jacket until he kneels back down. I don’t want to give up our position because now the hag is trying to figure out what happened, too. Liadan is paying attention to the forest around her. The hag turns, those black eyes of hers flashing back and forth, taking in everything.

“Beck is fine. I made contact with Cian and asked him to shut off the waterworks,” I whisper. The jacket Dante provided is set to camouflage mode. So far, the hag hasn’t seen us. It won’t take her long, though. Already the black cat stares in our general direction, her triangular head tilting in a curious manner.

“I’ll take the hag. You get the cat.” I never take my eyes off Liadan. I stare in almost helpless fascination. The hag appears bigger than she did before, her body stronger. There’s no question that Liadan is a predator.

Dante’s voice cracks a bit. “I don’t like cats. They’re creepy. I’m more of a dog person.”

“I’m not asking you to take it as a pet,” I practically snarl back. “I’m asking you to kill it. I’m taking on the big, scary hag. You can handle one kitty.”

“We need to talk about this new trend toward emasculating me at every given opportunity,” Dante mutters. I stare at him, my eyes narrow. “I can handle the cat.”

“Do that.”

I pull the gun from the holster and shrug out of the confines of the jacket. I no longer feel the chill in the air. My skin is hot with the anticipation of the next few kill-or-be-killed moments. My heart pounds as I face down my enemy. Liadan is looking the other way. There won’t be a better time. I stand.

“That’s not a good idea.” Dante tries to pull at my hand.

“Just take care of the kitty,” I shoot back at him. It’s time.

I look out across the forest that separates us and take aim. The cat hisses, the sound so much louder than it should be. It echoes through the forest. As the hag turns, I let out the breath I was holding and pull the trigger.

The hag is quick, but not fast enough. She moves to the left. I was aiming at her heart. Blood blooms across the hag’s shoulder, and she shrieks as the hollow-point lodges itself in her flesh. It isn’t enough. I curse when Liadan staggers but does not fall. She remains on her feet despite the blood beginning to soak her dress.

Liadan snarls as her eyes find me. I pull the trigger again, but Liadan is ready this time, jumping across the space. One moment, the hag is there and the next she’s ten feet away, the bullet flying uselessly through the forest. Liadan holds her good hand up and speaks some words I don’t recognize.

It’s as though a giant rush of pure energy strikes me squarely in the chest. It knocks me off my feet, but I don’t hit the ground. I fly back, the air sucking from my lungs so I can’t breathe. The hag grows smaller as I race backward through the forest. The world around me seems to spin out of control. The weight of the gun in my hand is the only thing that seems real. I clutch it tightly and don’t try to fight the power shoving me backward. My body hits the rough bark of the tree, and my head falls limply forward.

Breathe. Beck’s voice speaks inside my mind. He’s calm and patient, and suddenly I don’t feel so alone. Beck is with me, and he’s lending me his experience.

I drag in a breath as my body slides to the muddy forest floor.

Stay down and take cover. Don’t panic. You can do this. Take out her heart and she’ll die.

“Easier said than done,” I complain quietly as I shove the gun in my holster and force my aching body to crawl through the mud toward a downed log. Every inch I gain makes my bones ache, but I manage to hold on to the gun.

“So, the little bitch made it back.” The hag’s voice booms through the forest. “I wonder how much that cost you. What did you have to pay the demon for the trip? And he gave you some form of magic as well. You must have given him a lot.”

I make it to the relative safety of the log. It’s time to set up my next shot. I ease the gun back into my hand and peek over the curve. Dante is still in his hiding place. He’s crouched down, his eyes seeking something. The cat prowls not far away. Her feline nose scents the air with predatory grace. The hag paces back and forth as though the pain from her arm bothers her. Her black eyes scan the area up and down, seeking any sign of where I landed.

“I had to sacrifice a virgin to that damn demon. Then I had to sign a contract offering him my soul,” the hag admits. “And look what it got me.”

I clench my fists thinking of the young woman who’d been so kind to me. The hag is trying to force me out. She is the one who killed Bri, and she obviously knows I cared about the girl.

But the voice inside my head urges patience. Beck whispers to me that I must stay calm. Calm wins battles.

“I slit that stupid girl’s throat, and you’re back anyway,” Liadan says with a sigh. “Do you have any idea how messy that can be? She had a lot of blood in her. It should have gotten me something better than this. Ah, Ain found your friend.”

There’s a loud hiss and then something that sounds like a five-year-old girl’s scream. Apparently, Dante didn’t lie about not liking cats.

Dante lands on his back as the cat pounces. Ain, as Liadan called her, is a hissing mass of claws and sharp teeth. Blood streaks across Dante’s face as the cat’s claws find purchase in his flesh. Dante wraps a hand around the cat’s throat and squeezes.

“I changed my mind,” Dante yells. “I’ll take the hag. You take the cat.”

“Too late,” says a voice right beside my ear. I turn and the hag is at my side, so close I can smell her fetid breath.

I twist my body and roll up into a crouch, every muscle screaming in pain. The hag’s fist comes out, lancing from her body. It crosses my jaw, and the impact snaps my head back. Pain flares and the gun slips from my hand.

I can’t lose the gun. I don’t have magic. The gun is the only weapon I have.

I grope for the gun, getting it back in my hand, but Liadan is too close. I have to keep moving. I kick out as Liadan tries to jump on me. I hear a satisfying groan from the hag as my foot makes contact with Liadan’s gut. I get to my feet, and Beck is whispering to me.

Take the advantage.

I kick Liadan again with all the force I can muster. I plant my boot in Liadan’s chest as the hag tries to get up. Liadan hits the muddy forest floor. I press my advantage, jumping on the downed woman, planting my knees on Liadan’s torso. I’m taking no chances this time.

I place the barrel of the gun against the hag’s chest. I steady myself to pull the trigger when a terrible pain lashes across my back.

Ain leaps on me, scratching and clawing through tender flesh. Pain screams across my skin. I try to get a hold of the blasted thing, but it sinks its teeth into the back of my neck and won’t let go.

“Oh, no, kitty cat,” Dante growls.

I look up and see Dante in full claw and fang mode. He’s covered in blood and looks like he’s had enough of out-of-control familiars for the day.

“We weren’t done,” Dante says.

Relief floods through me as Dante hefts the cat off. I pull the trigger to finish off the hag, but Ain bought Liadan just enough time. Liadan grins up and thrusts her hand forward.

I fly back, and this time my head cracks against the log where I previously found safety. The world goes woozy, and I see stars. My vision starts to fade at the edges.

You stay awake. The voice is ferocious now. It slaps at my mind and forces my eyes open. It won’t let me go under.

Liadan falls on me. She sits on my waist, holding me down with the bulk of her body, and wraps her good hand around my throat. I try to move but I can’t get my legs to move under the heavy weight of the witch.

“I need more blood to get through that fucking wall the king erected,” Liadan explains with a ghoulish grin.

I feel for the cool metal of the .357 Magnum. I dropped it when I hit my head. I claw through the mud, desperately trying to find it. Liadan’s hands threaten to choke the life out of me. I fight for breath, but the hag tightens her hold.

“Do you know what I’m going to do to those boys when I get to them?” Liadan moves close enough I can smell the blood on her breath. It turns my stomach. “I’m going to gut them. I’m going to pull their insides out. Why don’t I give you a demonstration?”

The witch cackles and pulls back, showing off the way her fingers change into thick, dirty-looking claws.

I drag in air the instant I can. Liadan pulls her clawed hand back just as my fingers meet metal. Pulling the gun up, I bring it between my chest and the hag’s.

I pull the trigger right before those knives on the hag’s fingers meet my flesh. The report booms through the forest.

Liadan looks down at the hole in her chest dumbly before falling over dead.

I’m shaking and trying to drag air into my lungs as I force myself up.

Is it really over? Did I just do that?

Dante walks over, holding a limp body in one clawed hand. His handsome face is a map of scratches, but his clothes already mended themselves. The nanites are fast suckers. I kind of wish they worked on throats. Mine is going to be sore for a while.

“You okay?” Dante growls down at the cat’s corpse before hurling it through the forest.

“I’ll live.” But just barely. I stare down at Liadan’s body. The flesh of the hag’s face is wrinkled and desiccated, as though the body before me has lay dead much longer than a few moments.

“If I never see another familiar, it will be too soon.” Dante offers a steadying hand. “It didn’t even taste good. It tasted evil.”

I manage a hoarse laugh. Adrenaline is still coursing through my system, making me feel jittery even as a fierce joy curls in my heart. I am alive. They are alive. My husbands are still breathing. “What does evil taste like?”

“A little mangy,” Dante replies. “I’ve decided I’m a lover, not a fighter. I’m rich, damn it. I’m the only son of one of the most powerful families on my plane. From now on, I’m paying poor people to fight my battles. Better yet, next time tell Beck to handle his own shit.”

My hands shake, but it doesn’t matter now. All that matters is them. “I’ll tell him.” I turn to the cabin overrun with vines. “Better yet, tell him yourself.”

I manage a smile as I look toward the sanctuary where my husbands lie in safety. They’re still weak, but I feel them deep in my mind. I feel Beck’s love deep in my soul, and then Cian’s joy washes over me.

They know I’m coming for them.

Dante sighs. “I’ll go get the chainsaw, but I warn you, those damn trees are dangerous. It’s like they have a mind of their own.”

“I won’t need it,” I say with utter certainty as I walk toward the small cabin.

The trees aren’t afraid of me. They know me. They are waiting for me. As I approach the cabin, the vines recede quickly, unveiling the small, dilapidated hut Cian hid them in. The sun comes out from the clouds, flooding the whole forest with bright light.

“You know, you might have a career ahead of you as a landscaper if you can do that on a regular basis.”

“I can shoot you, too, you know.” This is serious business.

Dante smiles and wisely closes his mouth.

I push open the door and immediately see my husbands. They lie side-by-side in complete stillness. Light from one small window filters in, illuminating my men. Had I not been able to feel them in my body and soul, I would think they’re dead. I would weep over their lifeless bodies.

Instead, I know exactly what to do.

I place myself in between them and put a hand on each. Their flesh is cool, and not a breath seems to come from their bodies. I’m not sure how they’re alive, only that they are, and I’m the key to wake them.

I open my mind wholly and let them invade every inch of my soul. I sigh as the connection opens and floods through me. Everything the hag took from Beck was safely stored in Cian. Now his magic flows through the connection, seeking its true home. Beck receives his magic with great satisfaction, and Cian lets me feel his relief as he releases all he can not handle.

When it’s over, I let my head fall forward in exhaustion. I want to sleep, but I have one final task.

“Come back to me,” I demand as I press my lips to Beck’s. His eyes flutter open.

“Come home, Ci.” I kiss Cian. His lips tug up. I’m rewarded with loving, gray eyes.

It’s enough.

It’s my last thought as the world goes dark around me.

As I fall into a deep and restful sleep, their arms are there to hold me.

I wake to bright sunlight and the wonderful smell of breakfast cooking. My body still aches, but it doesn’t matter. I’m home, and I’m never leaving again. Tears prick at my eyes.

This is home. I searched for it all my life. I just never realized home isn’t a place. Home is a person—two in fact. Home is Beck and Cian.

I force myself to sit up. Voices filter in from the living room.

“What do you think she does with this?” Beck asks.

“It’s underwear, idiot,” Dante cracks.

Cian’s voice sounds sweet to my ears. “It’s pretty, but I can see through it.”

“That’s the point,” Dante replies. “Seriously, you two should have spent more time on my plane. If you would have come with me on my tours of the better brothels, you would know all this stuff. Don’t put that on your head. It’s a bra.”

I get to my feet. Though I’m unsteady, I’m not staying apart from them one moment more than I have to. I pull my robe around me and walk out of the bedroom. Sure enough, Beck is holding my super-sexy demi-cup Victoria’s Secret bra.

“What are you boys doing pawing through my undies?”

“Megan.” Beck tosses the bra aside.

He crosses the room in two strides and pulls me into his arms. His mouth is on mine in an instant. His tongue invades, and his mind reaches out to mine. I open myself and exchange my love for his.

Cian’s arms go around my waist. “Don’t ever leave us again, wife.”

I smile and turn to look at him. “I won’t. You get into trouble when I’m gone.”

I press my lips to Ci’s and find myself pleasantly squished between their big bodies. I never feel safer than when I’m surrounded by them.

“It was awesome, Meg,” Dante says, laughing. “You should have seen them when we walked by Liadan’s corpse. She was all shriveled and shit. Beck went green.”

“Well, she didn’t look that way when…” Beck’s mouth becomes a stubborn line.

Cian grins brilliantly. “I never slept with her. I’m the smart one.”

“Yes, you are, baby.” I reward him with a kiss. It seems impossible that I’m here. If this is a dream, I never want to wake. I turn back to Beck. “We don’t have to worry about Beck’s bad taste in women anymore. He’s taken, you see.”

“I am,” Beck says, kissing my forehead. “Forever, wife.”

“Le chéile go deo,” Cian whispers.

“Together forever, I promise,” I vow.

Flanna walks in, her small face glowing with happiness. “Your breakfast is ready, Your Highness, but I fear you have no time to eat. The village has been informed you’re awake at last.”

“They camped outside the cottage, waiting for word on your health,” Dante explains with a grin.

“Really?” I left one plane where no one noticed I was alive, only to find this one where a whole village waits to find out if I’m all right.

“They love you, wife. They want to see their queen.” Beck holds his hand out.

For the first time, I begin to believe I am worthy of their love.

I brush away the happy tears that spring to my eyes.

“How could they not love you?” Cian asks, taking my other hand. “You’re their queen, their brave, kind, and beautiful queen.”

Flanna opens the door. The brownie didn’t lie. The entire village is standing outside. A cheer goes up as I join my people.

This small piece of heaven is my kingdom. These are my people, not because someone put a crown on my head. They’re mine because I love them.

I look out across the crowd and realize that there are many decisions to be made in the coming years. Torin will try to kill my husbands again. Beck and Cian will be under pressure to take back their homeland. There are hundreds of things that can go wrong. But in this moment, as I walk among my people, the sun shines down and I am surrounded with love. The future will come with all its uncertainties and danger. It won’t matter.

I will fight for it if I have to, but I will have my happy ending.

Dante and the royals will continue the faery tale with Beast. Click here to purchase.

Author’s Note

I’m often asked by generous readers how they can help get the word out about a book they enjoyed. There are so many ways to help an author you like. Leave a review. If your e-reader allows you to lend a book to a friend, please share it. Go to Goodreads and connect with others. Recommend the books you love because stories are meant to be shared. Thank you so much for reading this book and for supporting all the authors you love!

Beast

A Faery Story, Book 2

By Lexi Blake

Click here to purchase.

I am a werewolf without a home.

My life was never easy. I grew up in a frozen tundra, but at least it was familiar. Then one cold day, my pack exiled me. I was thrown from the only home I’ve ever known and forced to find a new one.

Now I’m in a strange new world, surrounded by bright lights, loud noises, and far too many people. I’m frightened and trust no one. I wake up in a cell with no one who speaks my language. I’m sure death will come for me.

Instead, I get a vampire.

Dante Dellacourt has been given an ultimatum. Either he takes a consort and settles down, or his very wealthy, powerful family will disown him. Unwilling to lose the life he’s accustomed to, he reluctantly agrees to find a wife.

He chooses me.

He’s unlike any man I’ve ever known. We can’t be more different, but I still find him irresistible.

But I know that inside him hides a ferocious beast waiting to be unleashed. I only need to find the key to unleash him or we might both be lost to betrayal and war.

About Lexi Blake

New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.

Connect with Lexi online:

Website: www.LexiBlake.net

Facebook: AuthorLexiBlake

Instagram: AuthorLexiBlake/

Pinterest: LexiBlake

TikTok: @lexiblakeauthor

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At the Pleasure of the President

Texas Sirens

Small Town Siren

Siren in the City

Siren Enslaved

Siren Beloved

Siren in Waiting

Siren in Bloom

Siren Unleashed

Siren Reborn

Texas Sirens: Legacy

The Accidental Siren

The Reluctant Siren

The Temporary Siren

Nights in Bliss, Colorado

Three to Ride

Two to Love

One to Keep

Lost in Bliss

Found in Bliss

Pure Bliss

Chasing Bliss

Once Upon a Time in Bliss

Back in Bliss

Sirens in Bliss

Happily Ever After in Bliss

Far from Bliss

Unexpected Bliss

Wild Bliss

Brooke’s Bliss

Standalone

Away From Me

Snowed In

ROMANTASY

Thieves

Steal the Light

Steal the Day

Steal the Moon

Steal the Sun

Steal the Night

Ripper

Addict

Sleeper

Outcast

Stealing Summer

The Rebel Queen

The Rebel Guardian

The Rebel Witch

The Rebel Seer

A Faery Story

Bound

Beast

Beauty