Bound

Chapter Two

Beckett Finn, the former heir to the Seelie throne, sank into the too-small chair in the gnome’s tiny but well-appointed office. Everything seemed too small right now. His trousers certainly were. Touching Meg had him hard enough to pound nails with his cock.

She was the one. He knew it deep in his soul. He had been able to feel what was happening to her at the moment of her orgasm. It had taken everything he had not to form the bond with her that moment, but now was not the time, and certainly not the place. Forming a bond with his soul’s mate was a sacred thing, and he wouldn’t do it here. He was going to have to put her through too much to force that on her as well.

Rhys of the Gentle Hills walked in and placed a large platter of food on the desk between them. “I thought Your Highness might join me in the noon meal.”

Beck’s stomach rumbled at the sight and smell of so much good food. Gnomes knew how to cook. He nodded, trying not to betray his excitement at the thought of being full for once. “I will. I thank you for your hospitality, Rhys, but you have to get out of the habit of calling me by titles that no longer have any meaning.”

He picked up two slices of dark bread and made a huge sandwich of thick venison and a pleasant-smelling cheese.

Rhys poured water into two mugs. “You’re giving up, then? You are content to allow your Uncle Torin to remain on the throne of your father? The very throne he slew your father on?”

Just like that, the food turned to sawdust in his mouth. Beck took a long drink and forced himself to continue eating. He would need the energy for the battle to come. He needed to maintain control.

“There is nothing of contentment in my life. There hasn’t been for the past thirteen years.” Beck’s mind started to go back to the terrible night when he lost both his parents and his sister. He had only been able to save his twin, Cian. He chose, as he had since that day when he was seventeen, to look to the future. “It is not that I don’t dream of taking back what rightfully belongs to me, Rhys. It is simply a matter of practicality. My loyalists are gone.”

Rhys shook his bearded head vigorously. “That is untrue, Your Highness. There are many here, and many more on the home plane. Tir na nÒg is full of Fae longing for Your Highness.”

Beck sighed because he would have to put this to the gnome in blunt words. It would likely ruin the man’s illusions of him, but then, Beck no longer had use for illusions. “Peasants, Rhys, 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.”

Rhys leaned forward. His small, ruddy face was fervent. “The loyalists heard that Cian was 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,” Beck admitted. “Cian is fading because he has no female. We are long past the age when a suitable bondmate would have been found and our triad formed. He has lost hope. He is dying. Your summons could not have come at a better time, old friend. We are desperate.”

Beck polished off his second sandwich and thought about a third. It seemed rude to eat the majority of the meal.

Rhys pushed the plate toward him. “Please, Your Highness. I am 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 am pleased to serve my king.”

Beck was aware of the great sense of gratitude he felt for the small gnome. Rhys’s family had once served the King of the Seelie Fae, and Rhys and his family had preferred exile to serving Torin, the Pretender. “I do not know how to thank you, old friend. If you ever have need of a sword, I trust you will call on me.”

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

Beck knew the deal well. The Planeswalkers came from a plane many called Hell. They were a demonic clan and very mercenary, but easily controlled with an ironclad contract. Demons could access all planes and were great believers in contracts. Rhys and his tribe of ex-patriots served as salesmen for the demons’ wares. The demon tribe would gather items of interest. Rhys would sell them and take a cut. It had worked well for both sides.

Beck finished the last of the food and took a deep breath. It felt good to be full. Now he needed to take a nap. He had several hours before he would fight. He just had to be sure of a couple of things before he found a corner to curl up in. “I want my mate covered.”

He couldn’t stand the thought of her beautiful body on display. She was his. He should be the only one to enjoy her loveliness.

Rhys frowned. “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.”

Beck didn’t like the answer, but he had to accept it. He’d had to accept many unsavory truths since the day his world fell apart. “Do the vamps know she’s here?”

“Yes,” came the quiet reply. “I had to inform the Vampire Governments as well. I gave them very 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 was a sad coincidence of fate that bondmates were so alluring to vampires. Since his uncle had closed the Seelie mounds to all outsiders, it had become difficult to find a bondmate, and the practice of vampires wooing faery bondmates had disappeared. Luckily it wasn’t all vampires, just the ones of royal blood, who required a woman like Meg as a mate. He had asked a vampire once why they needed Fae bondmates to procreate. Beck had been told that there was something about their blood that strengthened the vampire. They called the women “consorts.” A vampire of royal blood could form a psychic bond with the female, much as Beck intended to form with Meg. “The vampires will fight. They will all lose.”

Rhys nodded his head. “Yes, sire, they will. I will 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 very sure. He said she glows to him, and that is how he knew.”

“I am certain,” Beck said, remembering how it felt to reach out to her with his mind and have her respond. “The vampires say our bondmates glow, as well. I can’t see it, but I feel her. She is perfect.”

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

Beck laughed long and hard. He knew the legends. They were ridiculous. They were stories to tell children at bedtime. The legend claimed that one day, a pair of symbiotic twins would be born of royal blood. They would form a triad with a mysterious bondmate, and she would allow their true powers to flow. The intellectual half, who the people called the philosopher king, would become a Green Man, bringing prosperity to the tribes. The warrior king would gain the strength of a Storm Lord. The threesome would usher in a time of great joy for the Fae. It was a nice story, but Beck had stopped believing in legends a long time before.

“Don’t pin your hopes on that, my friend. Meggie is just a bondmate. She is beautiful and suits my purposes. She will save my brother and balance us. I am not immune to the effects of not bonding at a proper age. I feel it, too. Meg can reverse the effects.” He hoped everyone wasn’t as prone to believing old stories as the gnome. “You mentioned a deal? What is my end of this bargain?”

Rhys was every bit the savvy business man. “Please stay out of sight of the others until the tourney. If they realize you are fighting for the female …”

Beck laughed. “They’ll turn tail and walk off.”

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

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

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

Beck growled, but it was at himself. He was still hard as a rock. “No. I can’t now. I’ve seen her, touched her. She is mine, and that makes me hers. I’ll be fine.”

He pushed through the curtains and gratefully sank into the down mattress on the floor. The curtains closed and Beck was alone. He heard Rhys exit the main section of the tent. Beck pulled his boots off, thinking about the fact that he couldn’t take another female. It was as his mother had promised him. Meg was his, and the thought of another female was now repugnant to him. Beck laid back and loosened his trousers. He smiled up at the canvas roof of the tent. But the thought of her…

His hand closed around his swollen cock. He slowly pumped up and down, thinking of her luscious tits and that pretty little mouth of hers. She could spew some shrewish waste out of that mouth. Beck decided whenever she said something he didn’t like, he would simply have to find a way to shut her up.

His cock lengthened further. Beck brushed his thumb across the swollen head. The small slit in the head of his dick was weeping. Beck used the cream to facilitate his masturbation. He stroked from the base to the head and back, taking his time. He wasn’t in a hurry. While his hand worked his cock, his mind saw Meg. He couldn’t wait to get her breasts in his hands again. He would palm them and gently pinch her nipples until they were ready for his mouth. He would suck those ripe berries until she begged him to move his mouth lower. He would, in his own sweet time. He would learn her body. Once he had her gorgeous body between him and Cian, she would know the true meaning of pleasure.

Beck would make sure he was always in control. She was small, and he didn’t want to hurt her. She wouldn’t be able to handle his demanding nature, but he could please her all the same. Cian was going to love her. It had been almost a year since they’d shared a woman. Beck had been fucking a local woman from their village. She was lovely, but Cian couldn’t stand her. He refused to have anything to do with Liadan. Beck could admit that Liadan was a bit cold. She was a demure and perfect Fae lady. That had never done it for Cian. Cian liked a woman who gave him a bit of hell. There was no way he would refuse their own sweet Meg. Cian was going to lose his mind when he saw her.

Beck felt his balls squeeze, and he picked up the pace. His breath labored in and out of his chest. He squeezed his cock as it started to swell. She was going to taste so good. That little snack he’d had would be nothing compared to making a full meal of her. He would love eating that sweet pussy. He would get his mouth on her, and he wouldn’t let up until she begged and pleaded that she couldn’t take another orgasm. Beck’s entire body flushed. He pounded away at his cock. She would taste him, too, he promised himself, and sooner than she could imagine. He just had to remember to treat her with the gentle care a bondmate required.

He came, envisioning himself shoved halfway down her throat. He came in hot spurts, covering his thighs in his own cum. It didn’t matter. For the first time in a long time, he found it easy to sleep.

Meg was shaking slightly as the gnome, and now she was pretty damn sure it was a gnome, removed the collar from around her neck.

“Was that…?” Meg found it difficult to form the words. It was ridiculous. It was stupid. It just might be real. “Holy shit, were those men vampires?”

The gnome, who she thought was named Cara, laughed gently. Her light blonde hair shook. She looked at her husband, the gnome named Rhys, and said something in that other language they spoke before turning back to Meg. “Aye, mistress, they are vampires, but don’t worry none. We won’t let them bite you. They just want to see what they will be fighting for.”

She put a hand on her hip and said something to her husband.

Rhys rolled 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.” Meg wasn’t going to let this chance get by her. The gnomes were small. One well-placed kick, and she would be on her way.

Rhys’s eyes narrowed on her. “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.”

Meg thought about the fangs and the look of hunger in the vampires’ eyes. She shivered. “I’ll stay close.”

At least she would be out of the chains and clothed. She wondered where Beck was and if he’d changed his mind. He hadn’t been back to see her, and it had been hours. No one else had been allowed to touch her. When they tried, the gnomes explained that if they did not follow protocol, they wouldn’t be allowed to fight. Meg didn’t ask why Beck had been special.

Rhys allowed his wife to unchain her. Meg sighed as she began to get circulation back into her wrists. “Where am I?”

“You really don’t know?” Cara asked with a look of sympathy on her face.

Meg shook her head. For the first time, she tried to look at these people as something other than her captors. If she was going to save herself, she needed them. While she was chained, it had occurred to her that if she were going to run, she should gather as much intelligence as possible first.

Cara brought over a gossamer robe and handed it to her. It was really more of a caftan, Meg decided as she pulled it over her head. The fabric was the softest she had ever felt against her skin. Though it was practically sheer, Meg felt it warming her skin.

The dress-like robe cut a deep V at the neck, showing off her breasts. She tried to tug it closed, but it didn’t work. Cara moved in behind her and expertly tied it in the back. The garment molded to her curves. It was utterly unlike the shapeless clothes she preferred at home. Her ex-husband, Michael, had always said she needed to lose twenty pounds and bleach her hair blonde. She’d never been willing to go blonde. Her auburn hair was the only thing she truly liked about her looks, but she’d tried to lose the weight. It hadn’t worked. Of course, Beck hadn’t seemed to mind her weight.

“Bloody hell,” a fast-talking voice said from the background. “You’re gorgeous, sweetheart. Seriously, you are one fucking beautiful consort. Look at that glow. 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.”

Meg’s eyes widened as she took in the slick-looking vampire. Perfectly white fangs peeked from behind sensual lips, so there was no denying what he was. She had landed in an all-out, go-for-broke, freaky dream. Maybe she should start calling herself Alice because apparently, she had fallen down a rabbit hole.

“Oh, no, Mr. Dellacourt,” Rhys was saying 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 shook his head. Strangely, the vampires were the closest thing to a normal human she had seen, if one forgave the fangs. His skin was light, almost alabaster, and his green eyes were like emeralds. The vampire, as his fellow vamps had been, was dressed in an elegant approximation of a business suit. They wore somber, deeply colored jackets. The blacks and grays and navies seemed almost luminous. Dellacourt was wearing black from head to toe. He had on a sleekly cut jacket that reached his knees and a matching vest. The only color he had on was a ruby red shirt that peeked out from under the vest. His trousers and loafers were midnight-colored as well. Unlike Beck, the gnomes, and the other men who had come to “view” her, the vampires seemed to have left the feudal era behind.

“Yes,” Dellacourt said slowly. “We need to talk about that, little man. What would you say if I told you I could triple your business on this sweet little piece of ass?”

Rhys sighed, and Meg decided that he and Dellacourt probably had a long history, and not a lot of it was 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 nodded somberly. “I have it all ready, too. The minute he goes soft, I’m taking him out.”

Cara held out her small hand, and Meg placed hers there. The little gnome started to lead her out into the sunlight. Dellacourt didn’t miss a beat.

“Seriously, I can make this a very profitable venture for you, Rhys.” Dellacourt followed them into the sunshine. There was a small whirring sound. Meg gasped as sunglasses formed around the vampire’s eyes. Dellacourt grinned down at her. “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 turned back to Rhys. “Back to my point, I just 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.” Rhys turned from the vampire and continued walking.

Meg studied her surroundings as Cara led her into what looked like a small marketplace. There were stalls with vendors hawking their wares in odd languages. She had calmed down from her initial rage and terror. Now she could concentrate on her surroundings.

The gnome had mentioned that she didn’t speak Gaelic. This was the language that was spoken all around her now. It made sense in a weird way. The creatures around her appeared to be straight out of Irish lore. Gaelic was the ancient language of Ireland. While she was bound in the tent, she had decided to use a little of her old literature training to figure out what Beck was. It was obvious he didn’t think of himself as human. From the way the gnomes treated him, Meg had come to the conclusion that he was a faery of some kind. From the looks of him, he was more than likely a sidhe. They were the human-looking faeries and the ruling class. She wondered which tribe he came from. Human myths broke the Fae into two tribes, the Seelie and the Unseelie. The Seelie were the blessed, shining ones while the Unseelie held all the monsters the Fae had to offer. She rather thought him a Seelie. She hadn’t gotten a look at his ears. According to some lore, they should be slightly pointed. Of course, not all myths were proving true in this strange place. The vampire was proof of that since he was walking around in the daylight.

“Hey, vampire guy, shouldn’t you be all crispy and fried by now?” Meg asked bluntly because he seemed like a blunt kind of man.

Dellacourt stopped in his tracks and laughed. “Damn, she really is from the Earth plane. Darling, the vampires there are idiots who got lost and couldn’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, see? It puts us into a weird fugue state during the daylight hours, and if we get caught in it, we sort of explode.” He shuddered. “And 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.”

Rhys pressed on. “Go away, Dellacourt. You’re scaring the girl.”

“Mr. Dellacourt doesn’t scare me exactly, though I find him slightly repugnant,” Meg admitted, eliciting a snort of agreement from Cara. Rhys was right.

“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.”

Meg shrugged as she walked on. She supposed he was. He was tall and lanky but seemed strong. His hair was a thick reddish gold and cut in a stylish fashion. It was long and spiky and probably required a lot of upkeep to look that messy. She’d noted his eyes were green before they were covered by his sunglasses. All in all, though, he looked like a wimp compared to Beck. “You sound like a used car salesman.”

Rhys piped up, seemingly eager to pile on to Dante. “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.”

“Yep,” Meg said with a satisfied smile. “Used car salesman.”

They were getting close to what appeared to be a massive arena. It was circular and constructed from a combination of wood and stone. There were several arches that appeared to be entryways. Meg could hear a crowd roaring their approval.

Dante pulled on Rhys’s arm. He got to one knee. All previous sarcasm had fled, and in its place was 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?”

“Rhys of the Gentle Hills is forever loyal, Dante,” a soft voice said.

Meg turned and saw Beck standing mere feet from her. He had removed his vest and changed into dark pants and a different shirt. He held that long, ornate sword in one fist as he moved toward the arena.

“Excellent.” Sarcasm poured out of the vampire. “I just spent the better part of the day running around a freaking forest looking 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 spoke to the vampire, but his eyes didn’t leave Meg.

He was gazing at her like a predator preparing to pounce. His gray eyes blazed through her, and she knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted to take her away from here. He wanted to go somewhere private where he could lay her down and spread her thighs. At least that was what she hoped he wanted.

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

Beck shook his head and walked straight up to Meg. “You’ll have to forgive my cousin. He’s a bit of a pain, love. You’ll get used to him. He can’t help it. He’s a vampire.” He leaned over and kissed her soundly. “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.”

With those mysterious words, he turned. As he walked toward the gates of the arena, he shouted back to Rhys. “What did he promise you to try to get you to put off the tournament?”

“Half a million in gold, Your Highness.”

Beck stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his cousin. He had a look of impressed awe on his face. “You broke bastard. You didn’t have half a million before your sister cut you off.”

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

Beck shook his head and turned back. “Take care of her, cos.”

The vampire smiled down at her and gallantly offered 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.”

Meg let the vampire—the flipping, freaking vampire—escort her into the arena. Her heart was pounding, but she put one foot in front of the other. She knew that whatever happened in here would change her life forever.