Bound by Light (22 page)

Thane gave a mock gasp. “I had no idea I’d
bonded with someone so violent.”

“Well, remember our emotions being all out
of whack? Yours might manifest in a weird old world Scottish
accent, but mine turns into murderous tendencies.”

Thane dropped his head back and laughed.
“Bloody hell, you’re adorable, lass.”

“Murder’s adorable to you? Oy vey.”

“Love you, sweetheart.”

Sydney grinned and wrapped an arm around his
waist. “Love you too.”

He kissed her gently and they made their way
to the front door.

* * *

Sydney heard the buzzing of her phone and
groaned as she snuggled closer to Thane. Finally, the noise
stopped, but not for long. Adding to the din was Thane’s generic
ringtone, some annoying classical song that Sydney found grating.
“Make it stop,” she begged, and he did... sort of.

“Thane speaking.” She felt his emotion and
sat up with a gasp. Thane pressed the speaker key and sat up as
well. “Aye, Cary, we’re both here.”

“Is everything okay, Uncle Cary?” Sydney
asked.

“No. Lucy’s been kidnapped.”

“What?” Sydney grasped Thane’s arm. “How do
you know?”

Cary let out a ragged sigh. “The bastards
sent a demand.”

“Tell me everything.” Thane set the phone on
the nightstand and slid from the bed.

“They want to speak with Sydney.
Face-to-face and alone.”

“That’s not bloody well going to happen,
Cary,” Thane ground out as he pulled on clothing.

“I understand. I’m just telling you what the
demand is.” Sydney’s uncle sighed. “They know you’re in Inverness
and have given a deadline of tomorrow morning, five a.m.”

“Shite.”

“They’re going to kill my little girl.”
Uncle Cary’s composure slipped. “Just a moment.”

The phone went silent and Sydney jumped off
the bed and rushed around grabbing things to wear. “We
have
to go, Thane.”

“I’m not putting you in danger, Sydney.”

“You’ll be there.”

“He said alone, love.”

Sydney pulled on a pair of jeans and then a
T-shirt. “Well, we’ll make it look like I’m alone. I have skills
now, honey. Cauld—”

“Sid,” Thane hissed, and pressed what she
assumed was the mute button on his phone.

“Sorry,” she said. “But let’s think about
this logically. I have Cauld Ane skills.”

“And if he or they decide to meet you
someplace that’s too hot for you?”

She bit her lip. “I didn’t think of
that.”

Now that she had gone through the
conversion, she couldn’t be anywhere over sixty-eight degrees. If
she was, her body would begin to break down and blister, and she
would die if the temperature rose much past that.

“Right. It’s not going to happen.”

“It’s winter, Thane. How hot could it
possibly get?”

“Thane?” Uncle Cary cut in.

He tapped his phone again. “Aye, we’re
here.”

“We’ve set up a central control situation at
my office downtown.”

“We’ll be there in less than two hours,”
Thane said, and hung up.

“How are we going to get to Uncle Cary’s
London office in less than two hours?” Sydney challenged. “We have
to buy tickets, get to the airport, and then traffic—”

“Private plane, Sydney.”

“You have a plane?” she squeaked.

“Max and Niall do.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” She sat down and
pulled on her boots. “They won’t mind us using it?”

“No, love.” He smiled and grabbed his phone,
raising it to his ear. “Nye? We’ve got an emergency and wondered if
the plane’s available. Aye. Wonderful. Thank you, brother. I’ll
fill you in when we’re in the air. Aye. All right. ’Bye.” He hung
up and nodded. “All set.”

“You have very useful friends,” Sydney
said.

Thane chuckled. “Aye, lass, I do.”

They finished dressing, left word with one
of the house staff of their departure, and headed to the private
air strip. Niall had obviously called ahead, because the plane was
waiting for them, along with pilot, copilot, and two flight
attendants.

“Mr. and Mrs. Allen, welcome,” a pretty
blonde woman in dark blue uniform said as they walked onto the
plane. “I’m Nell, should you need anything.” She turned to her
left. “This is Zara.”

“Lovely to meet you both,” Thane said, and
settled his hand on Sydney’s lower back. “If we could have
breakfast and coffee as soon as possible, we’d appreciate it.”

“Of course, sir,” Zara said.

Thane guided Sydney further into the plane
and she took in the space. It looked like a comfortable living room
more than a plane. A huge sectional that was bolted to the floor
took up most of the middle of the plane, and there were side tables
secured for takeoff and landing, but that could be pulled out and
moved as needed. A wet-bar and fridge ran along part of the west
side of the plane with cabinets above.

There were twelve seats with seat belts in
the main part, and fold-up seats against the back wall, similar to
flight attendant seats, if there were extra passengers.

“Wow,” Sydney whispered as she sat in one of
the window seats.

Thane sat next to her. “It’s lovely,
eh?”

“Yes, but you know if I get used to this,
it’ll be the only way I’ll want to travel.”

He chuckled. “I’m with you on that,
love.”

Zara arrived with two cups of coffee, cream,
and sugar, and Sydney almost kissed her. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, ma’am.” She smiled. “We’ll
serve breakfast after takeoff, but I do have some pastries if you
don’t think you can wait.”

“Yes, please,” she and Thane said in unison,
and then laughed.

“I’ll be right back.” Zara walked away and
returned seconds later with fresh blueberry muffins.

“Thank you,” Sydney said.

Thane only smiled, considering he already
had a mouthful of muffin.

“Hungry?” Sydney asked with a giggle.

“Starving,” he admitted, once he
swallowed.

Sydney ate a little slower, but no less
enthusiastically. It was the best muffin she’d ever had, but that
brought worry as to what Lucy was doing. Was she eating? Thane laid
a hand on her knee just as Zara collected their trash, and then it
was time for takeoff. Sydney didn’t mind flying so long as she
didn’t look out the window, but takeoff was a little nerve
wracking, so she gripped Thane’s hand until the plane was in the
air.

Once they leveled off and the captain said
they could remove their seatbelts, Thane suggested they watch a
movie and they settled themselves on the sofa. But before they did
that, he called her uncle, who still didn’t have an update. Thane
promised they’d be there well before the deadline. He then called
Niall and filled him in, all the while keeping contact with
Sydney.

It was surreal “hanging out” on a plane.
Sydney really did think she’d be ruined for commercial flights
going forward, but for the moment, she was content to snuggle up
against her mate and relax while the pilot flew them to London.

By the time the instruction to take their
seats in preparation for landing came, Sydney was a little bit
shocked. “Is it really time to land?”

Thane chuckled as they made their way to the
window. “Aye, love.”

“Can we keep going? Maybe to Fiji?”

“If you want to go on a vacation, baby, I’ll
take you,” he promised.

“In this plane?” she asked hopefully.

Thane laughed. “I’m sure we can talk to Max
and Niall about it.”

She clapped her hands. “Awesome.”

“But not Fiji.”

“Oh, right. Crap.” Her face brightened.
“Alaska?”

“Perfect.”

Worry hit her full in the chest and Thane
reached for her again, but she moved away. “Oh my word, Thane, you
did that! You’ve been doing it the whole time,” she accused,
realizing he’d not let go of her since they’d gotten to the plane,
and she’d essentially forgotten about Lucy for the entire length of
their flight.

“Aye, lass, I wanted you to feel peace.”

“So, you block my worry enough that I’m
planning some romantic rendezvous instead of being concerned about
the fact my cousin has been kidnapped?” she snapped. “You’re an
ass.”

“I’m an ass because I don’t want you to
worry?”

“Yes. I need to be focused on her, Thane.
Praying for her, not forgetting she’s in trouble and probably
scared out of her mind.”

He sighed, holding his hand out to her. “I’m
sorry, love. I just hate when you’re in pain. I will tone it
down.”

“Tone it down, how?”

“You won’t forget the situation, but I can
take some of the heartache away.”

She stared at him for several seconds,
before linking her fingers with his again and leaning against him.
“Do you think we’ll find Lucy?”

“Aye, love, I think we will.”

“What if we don’t?”

He reached across to cup her cheek. “We
will.”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Promise?

Promise, love
.

The plane landed and Sydney followed Thane
down the stairs, climbing into an SUV waiting on the tarmac.

Sydney wouldn’t let Thane comfort her on the
way to Cary’s office. She’d rather worry herself into a migraine
than forget for a second that her cousin was in trouble. Lucy must
be terrified, and since they didn’t know who or what the threat
was, it was even more dangerous.

“Enough,” Thane snapped, and Sydney jumped.
He reached for her hand, holding strong even when she tried to pull
away. “I’ll no’ have you this wound up, love.”

“She would have to be if it was me in her
situation.”

“And if she were bound to a Cauld Ane, her
mate would insist on calming her as well.”

Sydney tried to pull away again, but he
shook his head and she scowled. “Thane.”

“No, Sydney, I’ll no’ budge on this.”

“Bossy, alpha-male, kilt-wearing—”

“Careful, lass,” he interrupted. “You
complain once about the kilt, you’ll no’ be seeing me in one again,
and I know how much you like it.”

She forced herself not to smile. “Suck
it.”

“We’re going to find her, Sydney.”

“I hope so.” She kept hold of his hand, but
turned to look out the window, forcing her thoughts to stay focused
on her cousin, at least enough to send up a prayer.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

S
YDNEY’S HEART RACED
for approximately one point two seconds as the car drove into an
underground parking garage. “Thane, stop it.”

“No.”

She tugged at her hand, but it did nothing.
She tried to counteract his Xanex mind tricks, but she was still
too new to her abilities and, quite frankly, didn’t know how to do
it. She intended to find out though, and then he’d be sorry.

“No, you won’t.”

“Get out of my brain!” she snapped.

The car came to a stop outside a bay of
elevators and Sydney reached for the door handle.

“Wait,” Thane said, squeezing her hand.

“Why?”

He didn’t answer as he stared down at his
phone.

“Thane?” she prodded.

“I’m waiting for your uncle to give the
okay.”

“Screw that,” she snapped, dragging her hand
from his while he was distracted and pushing open the door.

“Damn it, Sid,” he growled, and followed
her. He grabbed her around the waist as she hit the elevator button
and pulled her back toward the car. “If you
ever
do that
again, I will take you over my knee.”

She forced away the delicious shiver his
threat produced and blustered, “You ever try that, and I’ll cut
you.”

“Bloody hell. I’m no’ havin’ this fight with
you right now, Sydney. You’ll do as I say, or I’ll bloody well tie
you to a damn chair.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“I would. In a heartbeat.” His eyes burned
red and Sydney’s mouth dropped open.

“I hate you,” she rasped.

He held her tighter. “I’m fine with you
hatin’ me, lass, so long as you’re bloody well alive.”

She crossed her arms and refused to look at
him. Thane stood rigid beside her, his heart racing and his arms
tight.

“Now, Wallace,” he said.

“Aye, sir.”

Wallace led them into the elevator, then
stepped in front of them. Sydney didn’t struggle—there would be no
point, but she did keep her arms locked and her emotions in their
appropriate compartments.

Thane loosened his hold as they arrived at
her uncle’s floor and he stood waiting for them in the lobby. “Come
with me,” he said, and turned toward his office.

Thane laid his hand on Sydney’s lower back
and they followed Uncle Cary down the hall. Entering the office,
Sydney noticed two of her uncle’s top security men, Mathew and
Nigel, standing by his desk. Once the door was closed, Thane
released Sydney and she put distance between them, sitting in one
of the chairs by the window.

“What do you have?” Wallace asked.

“We have one demand so far,” Nigel said.
“You’re two hours early, so we’re waiting for further instruction.
He doesn’t stay on the line long enough to trace him.”

“So it’s a man?” Sydney asked.

“The one who calls is, but we don’t know if
there’s anyone else involved.”

“Any indication as to where she might be?”
Thane asked.

Nigel looked at Mathew, who shook his
head.

“What are you doing right there?” Sydney
demanded. “You better not be keeping stuff from us.”

Sydney, settle.

I swear to Buddha, Thane, if you try to
“handle” me, I will make you suffer.

Thane frowned, stepping to her and lifting
her chin.
Do we need to take this outside? Because we have to
find your cousin, and I get that you’re angry with me, but we don’t
have time to hash it out, so you either stow that anger, or we take
it outside.

She pulled away from his hand and Thane
turned back to the men. “So, do you know where she is?”