Page 63 of Bound

Now I sit up and pour himself another glass. Meg used thosewords. “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 inan isolated part of the country. I didn’t know I could bond until I came to theVampire plane. I was a farmer. I’d been taught to treat females with greatsoftness.”

“We’re bigger and stronger,” I say, parroting the words Iheard from my father. “They need our protection, not our abuse.”

Colin’s dark brows rise questioningly, and there’s adistinct chill coming from him. “If you’re worried about me abusing yourcousin, Your Highness…”

“Say what you need to say, Colin.” I encourage the slightlyyounger 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 foryour judgment. I’ve heard that gentry marriages were cold exchanges ofprotection and money for bloodlines and a proper bond. I don’t want that. Iwant a real marriage. Maybe it’s because I’m a commoner, but you can keep yourperfect proper bondmate. I don’t want to be treated like a bit of fluff to betaken off a shelf and fucked when my mate thinks about it. I certainly don’twant 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 hershe was a responsibility to be borne. She asked to be my partner, and Icomplained 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 herwith me. Sometimes I hold a pillow close to my body at night and pretend it’sMeg 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 becausethere 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 hiscorrespondence. 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. “Hewould listen to you when it came to killing gigantic bats.”

That thought amuses me and reminds me I do have a placewhere Cian doesn’t best me. “He wouldn’t have time to listen. He would berunning the other way.” Cian has always been a baby when it comes to thingswith fangs trying to kill him. “I want to go home, Colin. Can you get me hometonight?”

The big Fae smiles. “That I can do, Your Highness. I suspectI 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 twelvehours.”

I groan at the thought of being stuck in another meeting.“Please, no more meetings.”

Colin graciously inclines his head. “Go take a shower whileI 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 mysleepy 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 tomake things right between us.

Five hours later, I stare slack-jawed at the chaosaround me. There are tents and campsites everywhere. My quiet village hasturned into a raucous marketplace. There are Fae of all kinds walking about.

“Your Highness,” a pretty sidhe says. “Welcomeback. I hope your trip went well.”

I think her name is Bri. She’s carrying a basket, and I canhear the coins jangling in her pockets. I search my memory. Her father is themiller.

“It was fine,” I reply, still dazed. “What is going onhere?”

Bri’s eyes are wide. “It’s a celebration. It’s thetradition. We’re celebrating the kings’ bonding with three weeks offestivities. Last night we had a great bonfire, and the priestess blessed KingCian and Queen Meg. It was a lovely ceremony. They’re so in love.” Her faceshines with remembrance. She frowns suddenly. “We’ve missed you, of course, butKing Cian explained you had important business to attend to. Not that we forgotabout you. Not at all. Your name was mentioned, Your Highness. Everyone cheered.”

“I’m glad someone remembered me,” I grind out. This is howCian 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 howmany spies are reporting back to Torin. I catch sight of a big shape walkingthrough the stalls and my jaw drops. “Is that a bloody goblin?”

The young girl nods. “Yes, they have brought so many strangewonders. Some of us worried they would not behave without Your Highness aroundto keep them in line, but they are terrified of the queen, so all has beenwell.”

My heart threatens to seize. My Meg met the goblins? Cianallowed a goblin to get close to our wife? Has he lost his mind? What did thegirl say? “What do you mean the goblins are terrified of the queen?”

The girl smiles proudly. “Our queen beat them and threatenedto never make another cookie for them if they ate her. She got the goblin chiefto 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 ourqueen.”

I wonder if somehow that damn vampire has taken me to thewrong plane. “Someone is forcing the queen to do something?”

“No,” Bri says helpfully. “It’s an old human legend. Yousee, the force represents…”