Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Cian’s hands twitch. Even though we aren’t bonded, I can feel his anger rising. It makes it easier to ignore my own emotions. I put my hands over his and rub. It seems to help. “You’re upsetting him. I’m not going to do some hair-pulling, name-calling thing with you. If you want Beck, feel free to have him. I don’t consider myself married to him, anyway. I am well aware of the place I have in his life. If you can make him happy, more power to you.”
Now my husband’s honey looks seriously confused. “You don’t care that he will continue to come to my bed?”
“I have no intentions of sleeping with him, so go for it,” I say as simply as I can. Meeting Liadan helps a lot. It explains why Beck is as hesitant as he is. He’s in love with someone else. I wish he was up-front and honest. I would have helped Cian regardless, and then I wouldn’t have had my heart broken.
The blonde nods. “As long as we understand each other.” She turns to go, but then comes back. “He’s going to kill me for this, but I can’t say nothing. You should think twice before you bond with Cian.”
“I want to bond with her.” Cian’s hands tighten possessively around me. “She is our wife.”
Liadan sighs and rolls her eyes impatiently at Cian. She dismisses him and focuses on me. “He’s too far gone. If you bond with him, he’ll pull you into his madness. You’ll end up just like him. Beck didn’t mention that, did he?”
I shake my head. He didn’t mention that possibility at all.
“Of course he didn’t,” the other woman says. “You would be safer walking away. There is the slight possibility that Beck would die, but he’s the stronger half. He would most likely live if Cian faded. It would be hard, but he could be stronger for it.”
“I won’t fade,” Cian swears. He seems to be talking to himself now.
The blonde shrugs. “I thought you should know. Beck is using you to his own ends, and it could cost you. You should give it a lot of thought before you risk your life trying to save a stranger’s.”
Liadan walks away, and I get Cian calm again. I sit down and pull out the computer Dante left me. I pull up the articles I found and reread them. Then I go deeper. I find more information on Fae psychic bonding than I could have hoped for. Vampires are very interested in it as it mirrors their own bonds with consorts. Sure enough, there’s a possibility that bonding with someone as far gone as Cian could hurt me. It’s not a big possibility, but it also isn’t recommended.
And despite what Liadan said, if Cian died, Beck will more than likely go insane.
I look at Cian as he sits by the fire. He’s watching me, waiting for me to do something or go somewhere so he can follow me. He reminds me of a puppy, eager to please.
If I had half a brain, I would take my husband’s mistress’s advice and flee the scene. I know I should take a day or two to decide if I want to risk my sanity and life for one man who dumped me after two days of marriage and another I barely know at all.
If Cian was drowning, would I not try to help him? Every firefighter who ever ran into a burning building knows he or she could die. They do it anyway. Because they’re brave. Because they wouldn’t be able to live with themselves if they didn’t take the chance.
It’s time to be brave.
“You’re a very pretty lady.” Cian’s voice is all smooth tones. There’s a deliciously decadent look on his face. “Can I buy you a drink? My name is Cian Finn, by the way.”
I set the computer down. I’ve never been one to slowly peel a Band-Aid off. It’s better to just rip it off and get the pain over with. “Oh, we’re so doing this now.”
Cian stands up, a seductive smile crossing his face. “I was hoping you would say that, gorgeous.”
Chapter Twenty
Meg
I stare at Cian from across the bed. He sits with his long legs crossed over each other, his big gray eyes watching me intently. He looks so much like Beck that my heart hurts. He looks like Beck, but he’s vulnerable, and that pulls me in. I want to lean over and kiss him. I want to promise him everything is going be okay, but I hold my ground. I don’t need to fall in love with a second version of Beck. One is all the heartbreak I can take.
“I need you to concentrate.” I cross my legs and try to relax. I sit in front of him on the big bed we shared the night before. Holding his hand in mine, I take a deep breath to settle my nerves. “Do you remember why we’re here?”