Bound

Chapter Seven

Meg felt the minute he left the small bed they slept in. She felt him disentangle himself, and she certainly missed the heat of his body. He had draped himself around her all through the night, tangling their limbs together. She had never slept so well in her life.

She remained still, listening as he dressed, rebuilt their fire, and prepared to hunt for their breakfast. He leaned over and kissed her softly before he stalked off to find food.

Meg remained perfectly still as she forced herself to count to one hundred before tossing on her clothes. She pulled on the boots last. She retrieved the small saddle bag Dante had given her the day before. She briefly looked through it. There was food and a canteen, and what looked like a first aid kit. He’d also slipped his business card in. It declared him Head of the Green Sales Unit. She shook her head. Used car salesman to the core. There were a few other things she didn’t recognize, but she threw the bag over her shoulder and wondered which way to go. She decided on south, since she could make it back to the market. Perhaps there would be someone on the road who would help her.

As she began to walk, she wondered how Beck would take her leaving. Her heart hurt when she thought of him. How could she get so close to someone in so little time? She was smart enough to know that he was a heartbreak waiting to happen. He couldn’t accept himself. How was he ever going to accept her? The endless forest seemed to fly by as she walked briskly, unable to get her mind off the faery prince.

He was a victim of his own success. He had proven to her, once and for all, what she wanted in a relationship. Then he’d turned around and told her he wouldn’t give it to her. She had suspected for a while that she preferred to be submissive during sex. She wasn’t sure how she felt about submission outside of the bedroom, and that was the reality that gave her pause when she thought about the lifestyle. It was probably asking far too much to get what she wanted in the bedroom and still remain autonomous outside of it.

She had been walking for a good half an hour when she felt the panic attack threatening her. What the hell was she doing? Her blood pressure was rising. She could feel her heart beating a hundred miles a minute. She was lost. She turned, but everywhere she looked was exactly the same. Hadn’t she passed that tree before? She was sure she had. It leaned the same way as the other one. Which way was she supposed to go?

Oh, why had she ever left the comfort of their bed?

It was stupid decisions like this that always got her in trouble. She was impetuous. She had never been out of Texas, but she thought she could navigate on an entirely different plane of existence? She should have waited until she made it to a village. Maybe there, she could have hired a guide or something. What the hell was she doing walking through the woods alone?

“Can I help you, miss?”

Meg started and spun on her heels. She barely missed clocking the little man with her twirling bag. She ended up on her ass in the dirt, looking up at the strangest thing she had ever seen. Given her recent travails, that was saying something.

He was small, no more than four feet tall, with a stocky body. He was barrel-chested with squat legs. His torso was the longest part of him. His face was dominated by a large, doughy nose, and his skin had splotches of yellow across it. He needed to get his liver checked, she thought as she silently stared.

The suit was the most disconcerting thing about him, though. It was a brilliant, vibrant red. From the top hat on his head to the socks and shoes on his small feet, everything was red. The small man brushed invisible lint off his coat and shook the tails out. They trailed along the dirt. He looked down at her and waited for a response.

“I’m lost,” was the only thing Meg could think to say.

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

Meg shook her head. “I need to get back to the marketplace.”

The red man frowned. “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 that announcement, the red man turned and began walking down the path. Meg scrambled to her feet to chase after him.

“How did you know that?” she asked breathlessly.

He winked a dark eye her 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 was a good foot and several inches shorter than her, he moved quickly. Megan had 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.”

Yes, she should hurry. She needed to get home to her fantastic life on the Earth plane. She needed to get back to work, so she could go back to her dreary apartment at the end of a long day and microwave something she didn’t really want to eat and watch television. She didn’t want to stay and explore this strange place. She didn’t want to give that gorgeous hunk of a man a chance. She certainly didn’t want to meet the other, possibly even hotter, half of him. No, she wanted to go back to a place that probably wouldn’t even realize she had gone.

She was an idiot.

Meg stopped in the middle of the little trail. A vision of Beck swamped her senses, and she was stunned by how much she felt for him. Oh god, I’m in love with him.

It was stupid, and far too soon, and true. She already loved Beckett Finn, and here she was walking away from him. She hadn’t really loved Michael, and she’d given him three years of her life. She was walking away from Beck after a day? If she wouldn’t even fight for a man like him, she didn’t deserve to find love.

Everything crystallized as she stood in the middle of the faery forest. She shook her head. She was in the middle of a freaking faery forest! All of her life, she had daydreamed and read fantasy novels and done anything she could to escape reality. In her daydreams and the stories she wrote that she never let anyone read, she was a different person. She was a confident, lovable woman who faced challenges head on. Maybe it was time to be the person she always wanted to be.

She had waited for this all of her life, and now she was running away?

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

Meg shook her head. Her decision was made. “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 really is 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.” Meg sighed. “I think I care about him. He needs me. I can’t walk away.”

“But don’t you want to go home?”

Meg rolled her eyes. “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 love one, then I have to love and accept the other. Right?”

The red man took 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?”

Meg nodded. “Yes. I am going to give this marriage thing another shot. Apparently, if it doesn’t work out, murder is always an option. Beck promised me.”

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

“What?” Meg asked, not sure she had caught that last part.

His face was jovial as he looked up, as though all the consternation had just 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 just how to get you back to your husband, dearie.”

He started down the path again. Meg followed eagerly. She hoped she could get back before Beck realized she was gone. She would get back to camp and throw off her clothes. When Beck showed up, she would tempt him back into bed where she intended to prove to him they were perfect together.

“How do you know all this stuff?” She hadn’t mentioned that her husband was the King. Meg followed the red man off the path. She could hear water flowing. It made her feel good. They had followed a river last night to get to their campsite by the lake. She must be getting close.

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

Before Meg could continue the line of questioning, she was halted by a sight so beautiful it took her breath away.

They had crested a small hill and the river came into view. There was an early morning mist floating off the river giving everything a hazy, soft feel. Standing gracefully in the shallow water was the most elegant horse Meg had ever seen. It was pure white and gave off a sheen of sweetness and innocence as it leaned down and drank.

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

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

Meg searched her brain, trying to remember the one class she had taken in lore. It had mostly been about the Greek and Roman gods, but there had been a small section on Irish folklore. She might have skipped that day. Her penchant for urban fantasy and romance novels were the only reason she knew what a sidhe was. Now she wished Laurell K. Hamilton had covered faery horses in her books.

“She’ll take me to Beck?”

There was an odd light in the red man’s eyes. “Yes, dearie. She’ll take you to your husband.” He noted her hesitation and shrugged. “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 looked like he couldn’t care less what she did. Meg frowned. Time was running out. She had decided to take a chance on Beck, so it only followed she could take another. “All right. How do I get back to him?”

The red man was already retreating. “She will tell you.” Meg turned, and the red man was completely gone. His voice still echoed through the trees. “Just let her lead you home.”

A shiver passed through Meg. She started toward the river anyway. The horse turned her head toward the interloper, and for a moment Meg worried that she would startle it away. Then the gentle eyes looked right through her, and Meg felt as if the horse could see to her soul. Now that she was close, Meg could see that there were flowers woven into the mare’s mane. She had obviously been swimming in the river because the mane was dripping with pure river water.

Feeling more comfortable, Meg stepped closer. The horse’s eyes seemed luminous in the early morning light. It felt like a magical moment when she held her hand out and gently brushed the horse. She was surprised to find the skin cold. There was no warmth in the flesh, but perhaps she was being fanciful. Of course, if the horse had been wading through the river, it followed that her skin would be cold.

The horse snickered. It was a sweet sound. She shook her head and gracefully leaned down, as though inviting Meg to mount her.

“Okay, but I gotta warn you, I’m not very good at this.” The horse shook her mane. Suddenly, Meg knew the horse wanted her to haul herself up this way. “I hope this doesn’t hurt.”

Meg wrapped her fingers in the mane, noting the flowers seemed to be attached to weeds in some places. She managed to get her leg over the horse’s back and was pleased when she got into an upright position.

“Piece of cake,” she muttered to herself. Her hands were shaking as she tried to pull them out of the mane to get a better hold. “Take me back to my husband.”

Her hands seemed stuck in the coarse hairs. Meg pulled, but they didn’t budge. She tried to shift her legs. They held fast to the horse’s flesh.

The horse snickered. This time it sounded less gentle, more triumphant, and not in a good way. The horse’s eyes narrowed and became somewhat cruel.

“Oh, shit,” Meg cursed, knowing something had gone very wrong.

The horse reared up and took off at a gallop. Meg flew with her and then screamed as the horse plunged them both into the deepest part of the river. She felt the horse stiffen as something hit it, but it didn’t matter.

Meg’s scream was cut off as water began to fill her lungs.

Beck panicked when he realized she had run. She had done it. She had left him. His heart started to pound. The anger would come later. Now he was overcome with fear. These woods were dangerous. What had he been thinking, bringing her through here without a proper escort? But then, he couldn’t afford a proper escort. Damn him, he shouldn’t have purchased a wife he couldn’t properly take care of. She was going to die here, and then he would lie down beside his brother and allow himself to fade. Maybe that was what he should have done in the first place.

Stop it. This was no time for doubt or pity. If he was going to save his wayward wife, he needed to think clearly. Find her trail.

It wasn’t hard. His woman didn’t have any idea how to hide it. Her boot prints were plain in the dirt path. Beck tossed his bow and quiver over his shoulder. He was fully armed. He had the sword on his back and some knives placed in various sheaths across his body. He tossed aside the two rabbits he’d killed for breakfast. His appetite was completely gone. All that mattered was finding Meg before something else found her.

As Beck began to jog down the trail, his eyes watched for signs of her, but his mind was caught in a punishing trap.

She had run because he had been too rough with her. She had given him a second chance after he’d treated her horribly in the arena, and what had he done? He’d spread her legs painfully wide and shoved into her as hard and long as he could. He’d covered her with his heavy body and forced her to take all of him. She was so small, yet he’d pushed himself in, all the way to his balls. It had probably hurt. She’d said she liked it, but he knew the truth.

He’d known that his compulsions were perverse since he was sixteen years old. He’d had a strong, overwhelming sex drive from the moment he hit manhood. He had tried to hide it from everyone except his brother, who matched him. Cian didn’t seem to need the same things he did, though. Cian could be gentle and sweet with a woman. Beck needed to bend her to his will. It was his obsession. He thought he had found a good match in one of his mother’s handmaids. She was a woman in her early twenties. She didn’t seem to mind when he ordered her to take his cock in her mouth or spread her legs so he could look at her pussy. She seemed to like it. His father had found them just as Beck was discovering the joys of shoving his cock up her tight little ass. His father had beaten the crap out of him. Then he sat Beck down to explain a few things to him.

The maid had gone along with him because he was a prince. He had power over her, and she feared him. Women were fragile creatures. They required gentleness. Anything else was monstrous. If they said they liked his rough ways, they were lying to gain his favor. His father had explained that if he treated his bondmate this way, she would leave both him and Cian, and he would bring great shame to his family.

Beck had been very solemn and careful around Maris. There had been no sex at all with her, and sexual contact wouldn’t be allowed until they had bonded. He vowed to treat her with honor, and to never let her know about the beast inside him.

Why couldn’t he do the same with Meggie? His heart was sick. He loved her. He’d seen deep to her soul. He knew that he could never have cared for Maris the way he did Meg. No matter what anyone said, bondmates weren’t interchangeable.

Meggie was soft and vulnerable, despite that tart tongue of hers. She wanted to please him. He had to be a man and show her that she didn’t need to. She hadn’t been born into Fae society. She didn’t know about the sacred contract between a bondmate and her husband. It would be easy to take what she was offering. She would never know the difference, but it wouldn’t be honorable.

She’d left the trail here. He could easily see that she had almost walked a complete circle. Maybe she was back at camp, having learned that the woods were tricky. Maybe she was waiting for him.

He would be gentle with her. He wouldn’t let his rage at her defiance show. He damn sure wouldn’t do what he wanted to. He wanted to pull those pants down, spank her bare ass red, and then fuck her until she begged him to stop. He wanted to imprint himself on her so strongly she would never run from him again.

He had almost made it to the hill above the river when he felt her. He felt her terror before he heard the scream. It flooded his body, causing his heart to pound and his soul to ache. She was so scared, and she instinctively reached across the distance to find him. The bow was in his hand as he crested the hill. In one smooth move, he pulled and notched an arrow. He was aiming before he even knew what threatened her.

A kelpie, he realized, horrified at the sight. She was on the kelpie’s back, and it was already taking off. Her scream echoed through the forest. Beck knew it would haunt him. He let the arrow fly, hoping to hit the heart before the horse got away with his wife. Beck heard the thud of the arrow striking flesh, but it didn’t slow the damn thing down. The horse plunged into the icy river and his wife disappeared.

Beck felt her panic. He did the only thing he could do. He forcefully cut the connection between them. He couldn’t do what he needed to do if he was overwhelmed with her fear. Beck rushed out into the river, cursing the cold. He took three deep, long breaths to fill his lungs, pulled out a cold iron knife and dove after them.

The river was clear, and the early morning light illuminated the scene. The kelpie had gone deep. She was sitting patiently at the bottom of the river among the thick reeds that swayed with the current. It would be a peaceful scene except for the woman struggling to survive. She couldn’t. The horse would hold her in place until the river took her life. When she was dead, the kelpie would release her and devour her. If Beck hadn’t found her, all he would have been left with was her heart. The kelpies never ate the hearts.

Meg was still struggling, but he could tell she was losing. Her eyes flared as she saw him swimming toward her. She tried so hard to push her body towards his, as though in her last moments, she needed to get as close to him as possible. He swam straight to her and took her head in his hands. He kissed her, forcing the air he’d held in his mouth down to her lungs. It wasn’t much, but he needed every minute if he was going to save her.

Why the hell had she climbed on a kelpie’s back, he wondered as he tried to saw through the thick hairs holding her down. The horse was having none of that. She kicked out, trying to catch him with her powerful legs. He didn’t dare touch the mane with his own hands, lest he get as trapped as his wife.

The horse caught him in the chest. He flew back in the water, all the air blowing from his lungs. He floated helplessly back up to the surface. His mouth opened instinctively. He dragged air into his chest. The knife was still in his hands. He’d managed to hold onto it.

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

She wasn’t Fae. Her small body was more fragile. Goddess, he was going to lose her. Beck breathed in one last time and dove again.

This time Meg was slumped over. She moved as the current moved, and her beautiful hair swayed with the reeds. Beck refused to give up. He went straight for the monster who was trying to take his woman. Beck avoided the strong, kicking legs of the kelpie and savagely went straight for its throat. He didn’t even try to keep his hands clear. He forcefully planted his left hand in the horse’s mane. It stuck immediately. He couldn’t move it, but it served as an anchor. If he couldn’t kill the fucker, he would go down with her. He would die as close to his mate as possible.

With a sort of savage glee, Beck shoved the blade he held in his right hand deeply into the horse’s throat. The kelpie, unable to kick him at this angle, tried to use her teeth to bite him. Beck dodged her mouth. He used every bit of strength he had left to drag the blade through the kelpie’s thick flesh. As the water around him clouded with blood, Beck knew he would kill the monster, but realized it was too late. He felt his consciousness begin to fade. They would die down here. Cian would never know what happened. They were too far from each other. Cian would fade, never knowing why his brother hadn’t returned.

Then his hand was free, and he felt himself beginning to float.

He shook his head as his lungs started to burn. He forced himself to move. He had to get a hand on Meg. He pulled at her shirt and started to swim for the surface. He kicked his legs, even though he felt so weary. He used every bit of his will to propel himself and Meg to the air above.

The sun was warm on his skin when he reached the surface and was finally able to breathe in sweet, clean air. Meg was a dead weight in his arms. He knew he had to get her to land before he could try anything. He swam as fast as his legs would take him. Seeing her skin so blue sparked an adrenaline rush that powered him through the water. When he could touch the bottom, he pulled her small frame into his arms and raced to the shore.

“Please come back,” he muttered as he laid her down. He filled his lungs and then opened her mouth. He covered her lips with his, sealing them together and then pushed the air into her lungs.

Nothing.

He tried again, his heart racing. She couldn’t be dead. He would have felt it. He was sure he would have known. But then he’d thrown up barriers. He’d felt like he had to. But if she died alone, he would never forgive himself. She would have died reaching out to him, and he’d coldly closed their bond.

He tried a third time. Suddenly her eyes fluttered, and her whole body convulsed. He quickly turned her over as she threw up the water in her lungs. Her body shook as he pulled her close. He freely opened the connection, letting her feel the relief flooding his body. She started to cry and turned over to clutch at him. Her arms wound around his chest. She sobbed into him.

Beck stroked her hair and rocked with her. He closed his eyes and held her close. She was alive. That was all he could ask for.