“Yeah, ’cause that wasn’t creepy,” she grumbled.
Thane chuckled.
“So, is there more to this ‘mating’ thing?” she asked with a blush.
“When you’re ready, I’ll bind you, and you’ll become like me.”
She laid a hand on his chest. “Whoa, hold up there, skippy. What do you mean, I’ll become like you?”
“The binding is our version of a wedding ceremony, only it’s private. I will bind you spiritually and then when we make love, I will bind you physically. Your body will go through a conversion of sorts and you will become Cauld Ane. You’ll take on many, if not all, of my abilities and you will live as long as I do.”
“I’ll be immortal?”
“Not immortal, no, but you’ll live a thousand years or so, very likely.”
She let out a deep breath. “Wow.”
“It’s a lot to take in, love. There’s no rush.”
“Can you bind me now?”
“No. I can’t bind you until you’re twenty-five.”
She snapped her fingers and retorted, “Shoot.”
Thane chuckled.
“So, mating, is it like marriage?”
“It’s far more permanent. When mates find one another, even if they aren’t bound, they are connected forever.”
“So, no cheating or whatever?”
He shook his head. “It’s impossible for us.”
She leaned into him. “That would be so nice to never have to worry about something like that.”
“I suppose so, yes. We’ve never known any other way, but thinking about the possibility isn’t pleasant.”
She shuddered. “No, it’s not.”
“Have you had to deal with that?”
Sydney smiled. “No. I haven’t really dated much. I met a couple of guys at church, but with all the stuff going on with my parents, I didn’t go back. Crisis of faith maybe.”
“It’s understandable, love.”
“Lucy says I’m a little like my mom... I bury my head in the sand when things get sad.”
“We all process things differently, Sydney.”
She bit her lip and nodded. “I’m coming out of it, though. Even with my mom’s death. I’m trying to understand that sometimes shit just happens and it’s not God punishing me. I just have to remember that when I’m really sad.”
He turned her to face him and stroked her cheek. “If you forget, I’ll remind you.”
“I already feel like He’s watching out for me.”
“You do?”
Sydney smiled through the tears. “He brought me to you.”
“Och, sweetheart, you’re killing me.”
“I am?”
He nodded and leaned down. “I love you,” he whispered, and kissed her, gripping her waist and lifting her onto the table. He moved to stand between her legs and cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss.
Sydney slid her hands up his chest and into his hair. She wasn’t sure how long they were there, but he broke the kiss all too soon and dropped his forehead to hers. “A month you say?”
She giggled with a nod. “Way too long.”
“Aye, love, ’tis.”
“I love you, too, by the way,” she said, and looped her arms over his shoulders. “Sounds strange to say it so soon, but I mean it.”
“I do too, lass.” He ran his hands through her ponytail. “I can’t wait to make this permanent.”
“Same. Am I meeting your family this weekend?”
“Aye, lass. If you’d like to.”
“Aye, I’d like to,” she mimicked.
“I’ll set it up,” he promised. “But tonight, you’re all mine. I won’t share.”
“Wine and snuggling better be on the table.”
Thane laughed. “I’m not a monster.”
“Good to know.”
“Shall we shelve this discussion, or do you have more questions?”
“We can shelve it.”
“You can ask me anything you need to and this room is open to you any time you want.”
Sydney smiled. “Thank you.”
“Come on, let’s go find something to eat.”
“Mmm, yes, please.” She slid off the table and took his hand, following him out of the library and toward the kitchen.
* * *
At almost midnight, after Thane kissed her at her bedroom door, Sydney stepped inside and started to prep for bed. She couldn’t help peeking outside at the storm. She’d always loved a good thunder and lightning show, but rarely got them in California.
A shot of lightning hit and she was drawn to a shadow out by the cottage. At first she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her until lightning lit up the sky again. She gasped. A man stood looking right up at her, if that was even possible.
Sydney, you okay?
I think someone’s out by the cottage.
I’m coming in.
“Okay,” she said distractedly, still staring out the window.
Another flash of light and the man still stood where he was. Thane reached her and wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning forward to see if he could see what she saw. It took a little longer than the last time, but lightning flashed and there was no one there. “He was just there,” she whispered.
Thane gave her a gentle squeeze. “Are you sure you saw someone?”
“Well, no. I guess not. It could have been a shadow from a tree, I suppose.” Lightning hit again and there was still no one there. Sydney sighed. “I must be seeing things.”
Thane smiled and turned her to face him. She licked her lips at the sight of him in dark pajama pants and black wife-beater. Running her fingers up his muscular arms, she stroked the pulse at his throat.
“Lightning can create all manner of illusions, but my land is secure, love,” he promised. “If someone was on it, I’d have been alerted.”
She nodded. “It was probably a tree or something.”
“Probably.” He kissed her nose.
A clap of thunder rattled the windows and she couldn’t help but startle.
“Are you afraid of storms?”
“No. Actually, I love them.” She smiled up at him. “I just feel a little off-kilter.”
“Do you want to sleep with me?” He stroked her cheek. “No monkey business, I promise.”
She giggled. “But monkey business is so much fun.”
“Aye, I agree, lass.”
“I’m okay. Really,” she said. “I won’t sleep. I never do and I don’t want to keep you awake.”
“Why don’t you sleep?”
“I don’t really know. I haven’t for years.”
“Do you get any sleep?”
“Maybe three hours a night.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I don’t want to keep you up, so I’ll just read or something.”
“We can watch a movie, love.”
“It’s way past midnight, honey.”
“So?”
“Don’t you need to sleep?”
Thane chuckled. “Sweetheart, if I’m with you, I never have to sleep again.”
“Is that a Cauld Ane thing?”
“It’s a you and me thing.”
“Oh, really?”
“I don’t want to waste a second of our time together sleeping,” he whispered.
She slid her fingers into his hair. “Charmer.”
“Wanna make out some more?”
“Does a bear shit in the woods?”
* * *
Thane laughed, leading her out of her room and into the private sitting room right off his bedroom. He loved her sense of humor. He loved everything about her. “If you fall asleep, I’ll carry you to bed.”
She giggled. “I won’t fall asleep.”
“What do you want to watch?”
“Nothing I have to think about.” Sydney flopped onto the sofa facing the television. “Would it be weird to watch one of yours?”
Thane grinned and pulled open a floor-to-ceiling cabinet two-deep with
DVD’s. “Yeah, love, it would be weird.”
“You don’t watch your own movies?”
“I watch the premiere and then, no, I don’t watch them again.” He ran his fingers over cases and pulled a couple from the shelves.
“But I love your movies.”
He grinned at her over his shoulder. “I appreciate that, sweetheart.”
“Did you really date all of your costars? Except Charlotte MacMillan, of course. I heard that somewhere.”
“No.”
“Really?”
“Really.” He closed the cabinet and sat next to her, setting the movies on the coffee table. “Want to choose?”
She leaned forward, grabbed the shoot ’em up, and handed it to him. He slid it into the player and sat beside her again, pressing play. She took the remote and hit pause.
“Did you date any of them?” she asked.
“Aye, lass, I did.”
“Were any of them Cauld Ane?”
He raised an eyebrow. “No.”
“How many of them did you sleep with?”
Thane let out a long sigh. “I think it would be better if I don’t answer that.”
“All of them?” she squeaked.
“No. Not all of them.”
“Who?”
“I’m not going to tell you that, Sydney.”
She gasped. “What? Why not?”
“Because I can feel your irritation.”
“So that means you’re never going to tell me which ones you slept with?”
“Not ‘never,’ but for now, love, aye.”
“Fine.” She crossed her arms and sank further into the sofa. “Let’s just watch the stupid movie.”
He nodded and pressed play again... and waited. He didn’t have to wait long before she paused the movie again.
“Why not?”
“Because when I tell you about my dating history, you need to be calm,” he said. “Right now, you’re not.”
“I’m calm,” she argued. “I’m so calm, I’m like Zen calm.”
He chuckled. “Sydney, you are so far from Zen calm, it’s not even funny.”
“You’re so far from Zen calm, it’s not even funny,” she mimicked in a sing-song voice.
“Shall we watch the movie?”
“Go ahead.” She waved her hand toward the DVD player and then went back to her guarded posture. Ten seconds in, she huffed. “So, did you sleep with most of them?”
He paused the movie again and leaned his head in his palm, resting his elbow against the back of the sofa. “No.”
“Just tell me.”
“No.”
“I’m going to bed.” She threw the blanket off and rose to her feet. “My bed.”
Thane watched her leave with a sigh. He should probably give her a few minutes to calm down, but he could feel her frustration. He shut off the television and stood, heading to her room and knocking on the door.
She pulled open the door and threw herself into his arms. “I’m sorry.”
He kissed her temple. “Och, lass, it’s alright.”
“Jealousy isn’t really in my nature.”
“Jealousy’s in everyone’s nature, love.”
Sydney shuddered.
“What?”
“Something’s wrong.” She pulled away from him and rushed to the window. “He’s there again.”
Thane grabbed the phone and dialed Wallace’s number. The man answered on the first ring. “Sir?”
“Check the grounds.”
“Aye, sir. What am I looking for?”
“Sydney saw someone over by the cottage.” Thane watched as Sydney stared out the window. “Text me when you find anything.”
“Aye, sir.” Wallace hung up and Thane set the phone back on the cradle.
“He’s gone again,” Sydney said, turning from the window and running her hands up her arms.
Thane could feel her fear, so he pulled her into his arms again and she sagged against him. “You’re safe, sweetheart.”
“I just don’t understand why I don’t feel safe. There’s no reason for it.”
“Come on.” He took her hand and led her back to his room, locking the door behind them and leading her to the sofa. “You’re staying in here tonight.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
Pulling her up against his chest, he wrapped the blanket around her and kissed her forehead. “I’ve got you, love.”
“Okay,” she whispered again, and settled her cheek against his chest.
He felt her relax in stages. “Better?”
She didn’t answer him because she was asleep. Thane smiled and turned the volume on super low, holding her close. His phone buzzed on the table next to him and he reached for it. Wallace didn’t find anyone, but he did find cigarette butts, which didn’t sit well with Thane.
Shite.
“What?” Sydney mumbled.
“Nothing, love. Go back to sleep.”
“Tell me.”
“Wallace found cigarette butts, but whoever was out there is now gone.”
She sat up and frowned. “Crap.”
“Aye.”
“Should we leave?”
“There’s really no safer place, love. We’re locked in and the alarm’s set.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “Plus, the men have been alerted, so my team is ready.”
“Okay.”
“Want to watch the movie or go to bed?”
“Bed, I think.”
He turned everything off and pulled her from the couch. “You’re going to sleep tonight.”
“We’ll see.”
He cupped her cheeks. “Do you want me to make you sleep?”
“Can you do that?”
“I’ve done it before.”
“What?”
Thane smiled. “Think of the last few times I told you to sleep.”
She gasped. “I did sleep.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
“Don’t go getting all superior on me, mister movie star. But I will admit, it was unusual for me to sleep six hours.”
He chuckled. “Well, tonight we’ll try for eight.”
“If you can do that, I’ll marry you tomorrow.” She looped her arms around his neck. “After I wake up, of course.”
Thane kissed her and guided her to the bed, where he pulled her into his arms and wrapped the covers around her. “I love you, sweetheart.”
She kissed him and smiled against his lips. “I love you, too.”
“Sleep now.”
It didn’t take long for her to succumb to his words and as soon as he felt her relax, he followed her into slumber.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“WHO IS THIS? Why do you keep calling?” Sydney’s mother demanded into the phone. “If you don’t stop, I’ll call the police.”
“Mom?” Sydney pushed open the office door and her mother set her phone on the desk. “Everything okay?”
“Fine, honeybun, just a prank caller.”
“How many times does this prank caller call?”
“I think this is the second time.” She slid the phone into her jeans pocket and her hand shook.
Sydney knew she was lying.
“Let’s get lunch.”
Sydney nodded and forced a smile. “Sounds good.”
* * *
Sydney sat straight up with a scream. Thane had felt her fear before she’d awakened, so he was quick to wrap his arms around her and calm her. “I’m here, love. You’re okay. It was a dream.”
“I keep having this recurring nightmare.” She burrowed into his chest. “I think Mom was in trouble.”
“You do?”
She nodded. “I just can’t figure it out. Why would I think that?”
Thane pulled her down on the pillows with him. “I’ll talk to your uncle. Maybe he knows something.”
“I don’t think he’ll tell you anything. He’s annoyingly tight-lipped right now.”
“He’ll tell me, love.”
&nbs
p; Sydney sat up again.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
She patted his chest. “I’m not going to be able to sleep, honey. I’ll go read.”
He smiled and tugged her back down. “Sleep, baby.”
She did.
* * *
Sydney heard water running and forced her eyes open. She didn’t want to wake up. She was warm and cozy tucked in the soft sheets of Thane’s bed, so she closed her eyes again and snuggled deeper into the mattress.
“Well, good morning, sunshine,” Thane said.
“How did you know I was awake?” she asked, not looking at him.
“Because I did.”
Sydney smiled and opened her eyes again, biting her lip at the sight of Thane wearing only jeans, one arm raised, using the towel to dry his hair as he grinned at her. He looped the towel around his neck and leaned down to kiss her gently. “Ten hours.”
“Hmm?”
“You slept for ten hours.”
“Shut up!” She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “Holy crap, I did sleep for ten hours.”
Thane chuckled. “How do you feel?”
“Amazing. I’m hard pressed to get out of this bed.”
“Then don’t.”
“Since I know you’re going to help me sleep again tonight, I want to know what it feels like to go through a day feeling normal.” She stretched as he moved around the room and she couldn’t help but watch him. He was so graceful, not to mention sexy.
“The storm’s passed,” he said, and pulled a T-shirt over his head. “We can ride the property or walk, whatever you like.”
She propped up on her elbows. “Is it safe?”
“Aye, lass. Wallace has seen nothing out of the ordinary.”
She grinned. “I’d love to ride, then.”
“Perfect.” He kissed her quickly and then stepped into the bathroom. “My family has requested we join them for dinner tonight if that works for you.”
“Sounds great.” Sydney threw the covers off and sat up. “I’ll change quickly and meet you back here, okay?”
He leaned out of the bathroom and smiled. “That works. We’ll eat then go.”
Sydney nodded and headed to her bedroom, grabbing a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt from the bureau on her way to the bathroom. She was glad Lucy forced her to bring a pair of boots with a low heel. They’d be perfect for riding.
After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she met Thane back at his bedroom and they headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Sydney’s excitement couldn’t be contained as they walked out to the barn, especially when she met the horse she would ride. A big black Friesian gelding by the name of Julius. They bonded pretty quickly and Sydney instantly fell in love.
Bound by Light Page 8
