Four Months Ago
PAYTON AND FIONA arrived at Dr. Samantha Moore’s childhood home in Savannah, Georgia. Samantha was a hematologist and had been hired by Kade and Gunnach Pharmaceutical under the guise of blood research for a new drug. Kade, however, had hoped she’d find a cure for Fiona. What he’d found instead was his mate.
When Kade’s mother realized he’d found his mate, she admitted that she’d had an affair with a human and that Fiona was only half Cauld Ane. This was why she had such extreme symptoms compared to other women of their race.
Kade bound Samantha, which left Angus free to finally bind Fiona. Once he did, she became fully Cauld Ane and her illness disappeared.
The men would join them in America for Sam and Kade’s human wedding, but not for several days. Kade and his brothers, along with Max and Angus, were in Iceland to deal with threats being made on the family. Samantha was concerned about her mate, and her worry reverberated through the tight-knit group.
Payton and Fiona sat in the kitchen while Samantha went about making tea.
“Sam? Do you need some help?” Payton asked.
“No, I’m good,” Sam said.
“He’ll be fine, Sam,” Payton said.
“I know that...” Sam grimaced. “… logically.”
“Brodie’s with him. No one gets past Brodie.” Payton grimaced, realizing what she’d just said. Her heart was turning toward Brodie and she wasn’t quite prepared for the pull he had. “And Connall, of course.”
“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.
Payton hoped he wasn’t.
“Why don’t you trust him?” Sam asked.
Payton shrugged again.
“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?” Fiona argued.
Heather was a name Payton would rather forget, especially since she was a woman Brodie spent more time with than one would a casual acquaintance. Even Niall said Brodie never spoke about her. Somehow, this information didn’t make Payton feel any better. She must mean a lot to Brodie, if he was so tight-lipped about her.
Over the past years, Niall had worked hard to rebuild his friendship with Payton, which she appreciated. But the subject of Brodie Gunnach was off-limits, which made some conversations awkward, as Brodie seemed to insert himself into anything he could relating to Payton.
“Who’s Heather?” Sam asked.
“She’s a woman Brodie has been seeing for the past couple of years.” Fiona sipped her tea.
Five years, Payton corrected silently.
“No one knows anything about her,” Fiona continued. “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 said, trying to deflect attention off of her.
“Payton!” This time it was Fiona’s turn to admonish.
Samantha still wasn’t quite used to the needs of a queen, including the mass amounts of security that followed the royal family. She hated the inability to go where she wanted without someone always being with her, but Kade insisted on her safety.
Sam smiled. “Security’s security, Payton. It doesn’t matter where it comes 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?”
Payton 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.”
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.”
“Oh, crap. Right. I keep forgetting about that.”
Kade had made significant changes over the years to immerse the Cauld Ane into the human world. The only time he was ever to be referred to as “His Majesty” was during official Cauld Ane gatherings where no humans were present. Since he and his siblings held titles of human nobility, people could refer to the brothers as “my lord,” and Fiona as “my lady,” but that was the highest form of address he would accept. At the office, they were to call him Kade or Dr. Gunnach. They rarely had human employees, but on occasion, humans from other companies would visit, and Kade wanted them to appear like everyone else. It took a while to get used to the new rules, but now he was seen as more of a peer, rather than a peer of the realm.
Payton’s early childhood instruction was never far from her thoughts, however, and even if she addressed Kade informally, she’d always consider him her king.
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.
“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.”
“Are you all right?” he asked. “I can feel your stress.”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Are you ignoring me?”
“No, I’m not ignoring you. We’re trying to plan the wedding. Is something wrong?”
Brodie sighed. “No.”
“Okay, good.”
“Payton,” he snapped in exasperation. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yep.”
“Then I want you to keep your cell phone close and answer when I call.”
Payton sneered. “Aye, my liege. Whatever you say.”
“If you don’t, I’ll come there and bring you home… or send Niall.”
“Don’t you dare.”
Brodie knew that threat would hit close to home. The incident five years ago had strained Niall’s relationship with Brodie, and Niall had admitted to Payton that he sometimes missed the camaraderie with Brodie. But ultimately, Niall said that if he had to make a choice between the two of them, he’d choose her, and Brodie knew it.
“What?” Brodie chuckled. “You don’t want to come home with me?”
“No.”
“Then answer your bloody phone!” His humor was officially gone.
“Fine.”
“Do you hear me?” he pressed.
“Yes.”
“I mean it, Payton,” he rasped. “It’s my job to protect you. I need to know you’re safe.”
“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.”
She left out the part about Niall.
“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 he’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.
“With that good news, I think we should have some fun tonight,” Samantha said.
“What do you suggest?” Payton asked.
“I say we pick Pepper up from work and head on over to the Tin Ear Saloon for drinks.”
“What’s the Tin Ear Saloon?” Fiona asked.
“The best karaoke in town.”
“I can’t sing!” Fiona exclaimed.
Sam laughed. “But Pepper can, and we can drink while she entertains us.”
Payton clapped her hands. “Love it.”
Sam took out her phone. “Now I just have to talk Pepper into it.”
* * *
The night at the Tin Ear wrapped up just before midnight when Pepper insisted she needed to get up early the next morning. Pepper Brooks was a stunning woman with long blonde hair and a curvy figure. She could also sing the paint off the wall. Payton liked her immediately. Partly because she wasn’t a big hugger, which meant Payton was saved from dealing with an assault of potential visions she wouldn’t be able to interpret.
Once Pepper climbed into her car and left the club, Fiona squeezed Sam’s arm with a hiss. “Something’s off.”
“What do you mean?” Samantha whispered and closed her eyes. “Kade wants us to go back inside.”
“So does Angus,” Fiona said.
Before they could make their way to the door, an eerily familiar voice sounded in the dark.
“Well, well, well.”
Shannon Fraser, followed by Alexander Baird, both ex-employees of Gunnach Pharmaceutical, came out of the shadows, along with someone Payton thought for sure would be the last person she’d see.
Payton gasped. “Baldvin.”
“Who?” Sam asked.
“My brother-in-law.”
Payton shuddered. She couldn’t imagine her sister being party to this, but she couldn’t be sure. They were sisters after all, and Annis had been at boarding school most of Payton’s teen life. Annis had never been warm, and they had very different personalities and interests, but she’d become even more distant since mating with Baldvin.
Baldvin and Alex had guns aimed at the women.
“Alex?” Sam said.
“I’m truly sorry, Sam,” he said. “I liked you. But Kade has to learn.”
“Enough!” Shannon snapped. “You’re difficult to corner, Samantha.”
Sam stood a little taller. “What do you want, Shannon?”
“I thought that would be obvious.”
“Enlighten me, Shannon,” Sam suggested. “Because even you aren’t stupid enough to think you had a snowball’s chance in hell with Kade.”
Shannon sneered. “I thought you and I might be friends, Samantha. I’m disappointed.”
“And I’m disappointed you haven’t bowed before your queen.”
Payton couldn’t stop another quiet gasp. Samantha was amazing.
“Consider us revolutionaries taking a stand against a dictatorship,” Shannon said.
“And what were your plans for the chemicals, Shannon? A lot of innocent people could have been killed.”
An anonymous party had purchased several black-market chemicals and made it look as though someone within Gunnach Pharmaceuticals paid for them. Colton Drake, Cole to his friends, used to work for the FBI, but had been hired by Kade shortly after the chemicals had been discovered. Cole was good at his job, and human, so he could deal with issues that the Cauld Ane couldn’t, particularly when Red Fang was used, or the temperatures went higher than sixty-eight Fahrenheit. Red Fang was a flower native to Iceland, and its thorn could paralyze the Cauld Ane. Either by pricking the skin, or it could be ground into a powder and used in food and drink. Although the effects weren’t permanent, they were enough to incapacitate someone long enough to kill them without a fight.
“Are humans really ever innocent?” Shannon let out a sigh of irritation. “Besides, only a few would have ultimately died. We had an iron-clad plan until you arrived. You were an unforeseen problem.”
Sam snorted. “I think the real problem here is that my mate has been entirely too nice to you.”
Baldvin approached Payton and before she could react, she felt the sting of a needle in her neck. She fell to the ground, conscious but paralyzed.
Fiona let out a curse. “You’re a real bitch, Shannon.”
“What is it, Fi?” Sam asked.
“Red Fang.”
Payton lay where she fell and heard the plodding of feet and then a shot rang out. Tears leaked down her face as Brodie gathered her in his arms and Angus administered the antidote. Pain shot through her as the antidote began to reverse the effects of the drug, and she couldn’t stop a whimper from escaping.
“I’ve got you, love. Just hold on to me.” Brodie drew her closer and Payton wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest. He kissed her temple and whispered to her, switching between Icelandic and Gaelic. He promised everything would be all right and that he would never leave her side again.
That night had been a turning point of sorts for them. The attack on Kade had been orchestrated by his and Brodie’s mother, and the family was left reeling with the news. Payton still had to deal with the fact that Brodie wasn’t being entirely honest with her about Heather, but she loved him and was tired of trying to ignore him. It took entirely too much energy.
Kade and Samantha’s wedding was one of celebration on more than one account. Connall discovered Pepper was his mate, and she returned to Scotland with them. Within just a few months, they were bound and Pepper became pregnant. Payton grew more and more excited that she’d be part of this family. Could she truly be this lucky?