Bound by Blood (Cauld Ane Series) (40 page)

Payton laughed. “Kade organized everything.”

“Of course he did.”

Fiona smiled. “He’s worried about you.”

Sam nodded toward the two large Saxon-looking men who emerged from the car after the women. “Hence the muscle?”

“Ignore them.” Payton linked her arm with Sam’s. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Sam assured her.

“Are you sure?” Fiona took her hand, using it as a chance to study Sam’s skin.

“Yep. Nothing on my arms, see?” Sam felt an unusual sensation as Fiona held her hand. A vibration of sorts. “Fi?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re bound!” Sam gasped. “How did I know that?”

“Family bond,” Payton said. “It’s in our DNA.”

“Congratulations!” Sam hugged Fiona.

“Thanks.” Fiona giggled. “I never thought it would happen.”

“Are you still going to have your big wedding?” Sam asked.

Fiona shook her head. “No.”

“Are you okay with that?”

Fiona sighed. “I am now.”

“Come inside and we can talk about it. My parents are out, so we have an hour or so before they get back.”

Payton gave instructions to the driver and the security to park on the street.

“Wait,” Sam instructed and made her way to one of the men. “Can I get you boys something to drink?”

The taller one glanced at the other and then back at her. “No, m’lady.”

“Are you sure?”

“Aye, m’lady.”

“If you need anything, just ring the doorbell, okay?”

They nodded and then headed back to the car.

“You didn’t need to do that, Sam,” Fiona said.

“Of course I did. This is the South. We have a reputation to maintain. Now, who wants coffee?” she asked as she led the women inside.

“Me, please,” Payton said.

“Do you have tea?” Fiona asked.

“We do, but it’s probably not as good as Whittard’s.”

Fiona shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

Payton and Fiona sat at the kitchen island and Sam boiled some water. As she went about preparing everything, she smiled.
Checking up on me?

I take it my sister and Payton arrived safely?

No. They had a weird accident and are both irrevocably deformed.

Okay, you got me. I wanted to make sure you didn’t have any ill effects from the almonds.

Sam sighed.
I would have told you.

By then it would have been too late. Fiona has the necessary counteractions to a few things with her.

And the security?

“Sam? Do you need some help?” Payton asked.

“No, I’m good,” Sam said.

The security’s not just for you, sweetheart.

Sam pulled down mugs.
Okay, I’ll let that one slide.

I miss you, love.

I miss you way more. Believe me. I’m glad the girls are here. It’ll be a nice distraction.
Sam tried to squelch the tears pricking her eyes.
How much longer?

A few more day
s.
Please stay close to the men. Something’s up with Ármann’s people and you need to be careful.

I will be.

Kade cut off any further communication and Sam swept aside her sadness. A gentle squeeze on her arm had her turning to face Payton.

“He’ll be fine, Sam.”

“I know that...” Sam grimaced. “…logically.”

“Brodie’s with him. No one gets past Brodie.” Payton suddenly found one of the magnets on the fridge fascinating. “And Connall, of course.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Do I hear a little softening towards Brodie?”

Payton shrugged. “No.”

Fiona snorted from her place at the table.

“It’s not like I hate him, Fi,” Payton insisted. “He’s just intimidating, and I don’t trust him.”

“In five months, you’ll think differently.”

Payton bit her lip. “Unless he’s wrong.”

“He’s not wrong, Payton,” Fiona insisted.

“Why don’t you trust him?” Sam asked.

Payton shrugged.

“It’s because of Heather,” Fiona offered.

“Fi!” Payton snapped.

“What? We’re all going to be related. If you can’t talk to us, who can you talk to?”

“Who’s Heather?” Sam asked.

“She’s a woman Brodie has been seeing for the past couple of years.” Fiona sipped her tea. “No one knows anything about her. Just her name.”

“He can see whoever he wants to see,” Payton said. “I’m not his keeper.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Why do I get the feeling that bothers you a lot more than you’re letting on?”

“Did Kade tell you about the American security Connall set up?”

“Payton!” This time it was Fiona’s turn to admonish.

Sam smiled. “Security’s security, Payton. It doesn’t matter where it came from. Now, quit changing the subject.”

Payton flopped into one of the kitchen chairs and groaned. “Brodie says he’s my mate, but he spends all his time with another woman. In five months, I’ll know in my heart if what he’s telling me is true. I don’t think I can believe him, though.”

“Why?” Sam asked.

“Because siblings don’t mate with siblings,” Fiona said.

Sam wrinkled her nose. “That sounds very wrong.”

“Not like that!” Fiona chuckled. “Because I’m bound to Angus, it would be unusual for Payton to mate with Brodie. I mean, there aren’t any references to it in our books, and those records go back over a thousand years.”

“That doesn’t mean it
doesn’t
happen, right?” Sam pointed out.

“I guess not,” Payton admitted. “But until I know for sure, it’s better that I keep my distance.”

Sam gave her a sympathetic smile. “We all assumed Brodie’s been going through hell all by himself. We’ve been wrong, huh?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t realize he’d been ‘going through hell.’”

Fiona snorted. “Then you’re blind. He’s been a blitherin’ idiot since the day you arrived.”

“He says two words a year,” Payton snapped. “Neither of which sound blitherin’ to me.”

Sam shook her head. “Okay, okay. I don’t think a contest on how incapacitated Brodie Gunnach has become is necessary.”

“I don’t think any of
this
is necessary,” Payton said. “Let’s just drop it, okay? If I’m to be bound to Brodie, I’ll know soon enough. I’d rather not think about it for now.” She stood and placed her mug in the sink. “I have too much on my plate as it is.”

Fiona’s phone rang and she grimaced. “Hi, Brodie.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

PAYTON LET OUT a frustrated squeak and rushed out of the room. Sam followed her and guided her into the family room. Payton paced the room.

Sam sat on the sofa and watched her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Payton shook her head.

“It might help,” Sam pressed.

“Sam, I can’t talk to you about this.”

“Why not?”

“Things have changed.”

Sam frowned. “What things?”

Payton gave her an exasperated look.

“What?” Sam asked.

“This is not something you should be dealing with.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re…well…you’re Kade’s mate.”

“So?”

“He’s our
king
, Sam.”

Sam laughed. “So?”

“
So
, that makes you our queen.”

Sam swallowed. “Oh, crap. Right. I keep forgetting about that.”

Payton sighed. “Sorry.”

“Whatever. It doesn’t change anything. I’m still your friend, Payton. You can talk to me about anything.”

Payton sat next to her and frowned. “I appreciate that, but I can’t bring matters of the heart to my queen.”

“Who made that stupid rule?”

“I don’t know. We just don’t do that. Fiona didn’t discuss things with her mother, and I’m not going to start burdening you with my problems just because we were friends first.”

Samantha’s mouth fell open and then she started to laugh. She had a difficult time stopping.

“What’s so funny?”

Sam squeezed Payton’s hand. “It just hit me that I’m this small-town girl who moved to Scotland for a job and ended up being bound to a virtually immortal king. A
king
, Payton! If I wasn’t living it, I’d think it was ludicrous.”

Payton giggled. “I suppose that would seem strange.”

“Very. But the bottom line is that we’re friends, and if what I understand to be true
is
true, in less than six months you and I will be sisters. So, will you please put aside tradition and
talk
to me? If I have to make a new law or rule or whatever, I’ll speak to my king and make it so.” She started laughing again. “King. Sorry, he’s just so not kingly to me.”

“He’s not?”

“No. He’s…well, he’s Kade. Gorgeous and wonderful and normal all rolled into one.”

Payton smiled.

“Spill.”

Payton sank further into the couch. “Between us.”

“Of course.”

“I’m in love with the idiot.”

“Oh, honey, that’s great.”

Payton shook her head. “No, it’s not. If he really is my mate, then why is he seeing another woman? He loses his mind if I even talk to another man, but it’s okay for him to spend all this time with this mystery woman? He’ll not bind me and think that’s going to continue.”

Sam nodded. “I can see the dilemma.”

“He also left me,” she whispered.

“When?”

“When we first met. Our family arrived in the village and he and I spoke for several hours. I really liked him. Even then. But he left within the week. For
five
years. Mates don’t do that.”

“That must have been hard,” Sam commiserated.

“The bottom line is that we’re expected to go willingly into our mate’s arms, let them bind us, and then be the dutiful Stepford wife at all times. Well, I can’t do it.” She shuddered. “The thought of sex is difficult enough, but him sleeping with someone else is worse.”

Sam frowned. “Why is the thought of sex difficult?”

“Because it’s for procreation, Sam, and my thoughts when it comes to him are wicked.”

“Wicked? How?”

Payton squeezed her eyes shut. “When I’m close to Brodie, I feel fluttery. I can’t think straight. I saw him once with his shirt off and…well…never mind.”

“Payton,” Sam said gently. “All of those feelings are normal. Especially when you’re in love with someone. And for the record, sex is for a lot more than procreation. If it weren’t, God wouldn’t have made it so fun.”

“There you are,” Fiona said as she sailed into the room, cutting off their conversation. She held her phone out. “Brodie would like to talk to you, Payton. You’re not picking up your phone.”

Payton rolled her eyes and took the phone. “Hi, Brodie. Yes, I’m fine. No, I’m not ignoring you. We’re trying to plan the wedding. Is something wrong? Okay, good. Yep.” She paused. “Aye, my liege. Whatever you say.” Her sarcasm was rising.

Sam glanced at Fiona, who shrugged.

“Don’t you dare. No. Fine. Yes.
Okay
. I’m hanging up now,” she said and handed the phone back to Fiona. “I am
not
bonding with that man!”

“Uh-oh, what happened?” Fiona asked.

“He said if I didn’t carry my phone with me at all times, he was going to get on a plane and come and get me.”

“He felt your stress,” Fiona said. “When he couldn’t get you on the phone, he thought the worst.”

“He told me.” Payton took a deep breath. “But I don’t have the brain capacity to deal with him right now.”

“You calling him ‘my liege’ only irks him, you know.”

“Him being bossy irks me.” Payton pressed her lips into a thin line. “Kade doesn’t even lord over me the way Brodie does and
Kade’s
my king!” She raised her hands in surrender. “I’d like to be done talking about Brodie Gunnach. Aren’t there some bridesmaids’ dresses we need to look at?”

Sam smiled. “Tomorrow. I have an appointment for a wedding dress fitting and I think we could combine the visit.”

“Perfect,” Fiona said.

“You need to fill me in on what happened with your big fancy wedding Kade was going to pay for, Fi.”

“Ha!” Payton exclaimed. “Angus was
not
happy.”

Fiona sighed. “I know.”

“How come?” Sam asked.

“Because I demanded Kade pay,” Fiona explained. “I overstepped.”

Sam waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, Fi. Kade didn’t care.”