Page 30 of Bound

His eyes are serious as he looks down at me, but he doesn’tmove away.

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

“I wasn’t running,” I protest. Beck’s eyebrows archskeptically. “Okay, so I was at first. Then I realized that I want to give thisthing a chance. We really do have a connection, and I want to explore that. Iknow 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’tknow 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. Ishiver 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’mstarting to believe that little red dude had it out for me.

“This is what we refer to as a neutral plane. That meansthere wasn’t a civilization here when we found it. Fae creatures have wanderedoff and on the place for centuries. Some stayed. I suppose there are plenty ofbeings 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 verywell.

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

I might have been better off keeping my mouth shut. “It wasa 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 amask 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 toget back to you, and he pointed me to the kelpie. That was a demon? I thoughtthey’d be bigger. I also thought they would have more style. I guess red iskind 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 hismission to trick travelers. He can read your mind, so he knows how to get toyou.” Clicking his teeth, Beck gets the horse moving again. “Don’t talk tostrangers. I don’t want you to be alone until you get used to this place. Ifyou need to go somewhere, you take me or Cian with you.”

Beck returns to his silence, his eyes on the road, watchingfor threats.

“Will you kiss me?” I don’t want to think about all thecreatures 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 heasks the question, as though he isn’t sure he heard me correctly.

“Yes,” I reply with as much innocence as I can manage. “Ihave since the moment I met you. Kiss me, please. It makes me feel safe.”

His gray eyes look slightly mystified, but he bends his headdown 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 headas well. He settles his cloak around my shoulders, surrounding me with warmth.

I try pushing my contentment outward. I’m not sure about howthe whole psychic connection works, but I know it’s there. He needs to know andcome 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 screwedup. Something happened to make him doubt himself and turn his back on his truenature. I have to smash that wall down if we’re going to be happy. I’ll use ourconnection to do it. Somewhere along the way I fall asleep, happily thinking ofall 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 myeyes and see Dante standing with crossed arms, looking up at us. He lookshaggard and tired. “It took you forever. I expected you late this morning.”

“Meg decided to take a ride on a kelpie,” Beck repliessardonically. “It caused me to push back my schedule.”

Dante’s green eyes go wide, and his mouth drops open. He’sutterly fangless now.