Bound by Blood (Cauld Ane Series Book 1) Read online

  “Fi. Slow down, love,” Kade said.

  “Sorry. Bring her to the sofa. I’m making tea.”

  “I’m fine, really,” Sam insisted. “Bump on the head. So not a big deal.”

  Fiona waved toward the coffee table. A black leather satchel sat in the middle of it. “I got your bag.”

  Kade smiled. “Thank you.”

  He settled Sam on the couch and then sat facing her on the coffee table. Opening his medical bag, he pulled out a pen light. “I’m going to check you now, all right?”

  Sam nodded.

  He leaned in and examined her eyes, then wrapped his large hands around her head, gently pulling her scrunchy out and pressing on her scalp to check for tenderness. She whimpered when his fingers grazed a particularly sore spot. He separated her hair and looked closer before sitting back on the table. “You have quite the goose egg, but no bleeding. We’ll get some ice on it and I think you’ll live.”

  “I think I said something similar, didn’t I?” Samantha yawned. “Sorry, I just want to sleep.”

  “That you can’t do.”

  Sam nodded. “I know.”

  “In a couple of hours, we’ll see how you’re feeling, and then, maybe, you can sleep.”

  “Okay. I’ll just go home and take a shower.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Kade said.

  “Please. I’ll be fine. I’ll get dressed and meet you at the office.”

  “You’re not going to the office, Samantha. You need to rest.”

  “I have a job to do. One that you’re convinced I’m going to screw up.”

  Fiona gasped and glared at Kade. “What?”

  Kade squeezed Sam’s knee and frowned. “I said nothing of the sort.”

  “You implied it,” Sam countered.

  “Pain makes you grumpy I see.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

  “I look forward to whatever you have to throw my way.” Kade leaned over and kissed her cheek. “In the meantime, I’ll get you some tea.”

  He put his instruments back in his bag and Sam took her chance to escape. “It’s okay, Kade. I need to get to work.” She felt nausea overwhelm her, and sat down again. “In a minute.”

  Fiona raised an eyebrow in her brother’s general direction, but Sam had no idea what they were silently communicating.

  “Anna has canceled my appointments for today, and you can work on the samples as soon as you’re better,” he said.

  Sam laid her hand on his arm and the nausea stopped. “Kade, really, I’m a big girl. I’m fine. I’ll shower, and if you insist on me staying home, I won’t argue, but I can’t ask you to throw your entire day away.”

  “What if you pass out while you’re in the shower and no one’s there to help?” he countered.

  He had a point, but she still didn’t want to impose. “I won’t pass out in the shower.”

  “I can take her home and make sure she’s safe,” Fiona offered and turned to Sam. “If you don’t mind.”

  “No I don’t mind.” Samantha pulled her hand away from Kade. Nausea hit her like a wall and she grasped his arm again. “Okay, I don’t know what the heck is going on at the moment, but something’s not right.”

  Kade laid his hand over hers. “Tell me.”

  “I feel great as long as I’m touching you, but if I take my hand away, I feel like I’ve been hit in the head.” She wrinkled her nose. “Just ignore me. I’m a little rattled.”

  “Let’s put the shower idea on hold,” Kade said. “We’re not going anywhere for the moment, so you should rest and have a cup of tea.”

  “I’m fine. Seriously, I feel much better.”

  Kade dropped her hand and Sam was hit with dizziness. “What the—?”

  He wrapped his hand around her wrist and her dizziness dissipated almost as quickly as it came.

  “I’ll make that tea, eh?” Fiona said, and escaped to the kitchen.

  “What are you doing to me, Kade?” Sam asked as she sat back on the couch. “This goes way beyond the ability to calm me down when I’m upset.”

  Before he could respond, Sam’s cell phone rang and she pulled it from her pocket. Cole’s name popped up on the screen. “Hi, Cole.”

  “Hey. How are you?”

  “I’m doing much better.” Sam shifted in her seat. “Did they find out anything about the man who attacked me?”

  “Nothing that they’d tell me. I have some contacts, so I’m looking into it.”

  Samantha bit her lip. “He was probably just some crazy guy.”

  “Maybe,” Cole said. “Are you home?”

  “No. I’m at Kade’s.”

  “Are you comfortable with that? If you’re not, I’ll come get you.”

  “Bless your heart.” Sam smiled. “I’m fine. I’m going home in a bit. He’s just making sure I won’t pass out without anyone around.”

  Cole hummed in agreement. “Probably a good idea. What about dinner tonight? I could swing by with a pizza.”

  Kade shifted beside her and Sam glanced at him. His eyes were strange—the outside rims of his irises were red. She couldn’t stop a quiet intake of breath.

  “Sam? Are you okay?” Cole asked.

  She focused on the phone again. “Hmm? Yes. Fine. Sorry. Um, tonight—”

  Kade stood, breaking contact with her, and Sam groaned. “Cole, I’m going to be sick. I’ll call you back.”

  She hung up just as Fiona returned with the tea. “Kade!” she hissed. “Stop it.”

  “Stop what?” Samantha asked, her head pounding again.

  Kade sat next to Sam again and laid his hand on her knee. The pain and nausea slipped away. Sam glared at him. “You are doing something! What are you doing to me?” She pushed his hand away, regretting it immediately. “Ow! My head.” He took her hand, but she slipped from his hold and tried to stand up. “Don’t touch me.”

  “Samantha.” Fiona reached for her. “Don’t try to move.” She took her arm and pushed her back onto the sofa. “Kade! Calm sjálfur.”

  Samantha started to panic. “I need to go home.”

  “No, Sam.” Fiona took her hand. “You need to stay until you’re steady.”

  Tears streamed down Sam’s face. “I’m going to be sick.”

  Kade said something Sam didn’t understand, but by the look on Fiona’s face, it wasn’t something she approved of. He sat down next to Sam again and took her hand. “I am so sorry, Samantha. I shouldn’t have done that. Let me help you.”

  The pain and nausea were once again gone, and as much as Sam wanted to flee, she also wanted to be free of the pain, so she let him hold her hand. “What are you doing to me? Please don’t tell me it’s some kind of witchcraft or some weird cult thingy.”

  He shook his head as he ran his thumb over her palm. “No. I promise.”

  “Then what are you doing? How are you doing it?”

  “Angus can do the same for me,” Fiona piped in.

  Kade shook his head. “Fiona.”

  “Sorry.”

  None of the fascinating conversation going on around her actually answered any of Samantha’s questions. Her head just filled with more. Kade sat with her for almost an hour, testing her pain level every fifteen minutes or so until she didn’t feel any more pain or nausea.

  After forcing her to eat more food that she ever had at one sitting, he gave her the green light to go home and shower, but he insisted that she return once she was finished. She left his apartment, torn between confusion and feeling adored when he stood in the hallway and waited for her to let herself into her apartment.

  Samantha closed the door and leaned against it, taking several deep breaths. Something strange was going on. She waffled between wanting to find out what it was and the desire to ignore it and hope it would go away. She was almost at the point of packing it in and going home. But she wasn’t a quitter, even if sometimes she wished she were.

  She dropped her keys on the con
sole and sat down at her computer. She needed to talk to Pepper, but she must have left her cell at Kade’s, and Pepper’s Skype status was offline.

  It would have to wait. For now, she’d focus on getting comfortable and then she’d deal with the strangeness surrounding Kade.

  * * *

  Kade closed his door and turned to find his sister scowling at him, her hands on her hips and her face rising in color. “Leave it, Fi.”

  “I will not leave it! You scared that poor girl half to death, after you purposely allowed her to feel pain because of what? Jealousy? You’re a bloody spiteful bastard sometimes, Kade.”

  He slammed his hand against the wall. “I know it, damn it! I’m not proud of what I did, Fiona. But please, dear sister, continue to shove my pettiness down my throat.”

  Fiona’s cell phone rang and she made her way to her purse. “This is not over.” She answered the call. “I’m fine, sweetheart. Just giving my brother a verbal hiding. No, Kade.” She glared at him. “I’m aware of that. But right now, he’s my brother, not my chieftain… .and he deserves it.”

  Kade paced the floor while he waited for his sister to finish her conversation. He berated himself for his treatment of Samantha. He was the worst mate in the history of the world.

  “You are not,” Fiona said. “And maybe don’t say things like that out loud, eh?”

  He hadn’t realized she was even off the phone.

  Fiona pulled him to the sofa, tugging him down beside her. “You reacted to an emotion you’ve never felt before. Granted, you didn’t react well, but you’re not the worst mate in the world. You’re just not used to this.”

  “She deserves better.”

  “Then apologize. You’ll work it out, but I do think you need to tell her everything. She’s confused.”

  “How am I supposed to tell the woman I met less than a month ago that we are to be mated for life because I’m a near-immortal Viking and it’s written in our DNA? And that once I bind her, she’ll be joined forever to the chieftain of a clan almost two thousand years old?”

  Fiona chuckled. “Perhaps reword it a bit.”

  “She’ll run, Fi.”

  “I don’t think she will. I think you run a higher risk of losing her if you keep her in the dark. She’s going to need to know who we are eventually; otherwise, she’ll never find a cure. I trust her, Kade. She’s the one.”

  He nodded. “I know.”

  “Then trust her too. If you don’t start now, you’ll never have the bond you seek.”

  He smiled. “When did you get so wise?”

  “Years ago. Where have you been?”

  The doorbell pealed and Kade made his way to the door. Samantha stood in the hallway, her damp hair loose and falling across her shoulders. She wore form-fitting yoga pants and a long-sleeved tee. Kade’s heart beat a little faster in response to her being so close.

  “I think I left my cell phone here,” she said.

  “Come in.” He stepped aside and waited for her to enter.

  “How do you feel, Samantha?” Fiona asked.

  “Much better. Thank you.”

  “Good.” Fiona stood and gathered her purse. “I’m going to take off. I need to meet Angus and take care of a few things.” She patted Kade’s chest. “I trust I’m leaving her in good hands, right?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Aye. Now, out with you.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Samantha.”

  “Okay.” Sam waved and Fiona left.

  Samantha leaned against the sofa and he saw her hands shaking as she clasped them in front of her. “Och, Samantha, I’ve scared you. I’m so sorry.”

  “No. You haven’t. Can I just get my cell phone and I’ll give you your space?”

  He stood in front of her and grasped her hands, pulling them to his chest.

  She pulled away with a sigh. “What are you doing?”

  “I want you to feel my heart.”

  She laid her palm over his chest, but Kade pulled it away. “No. Feel it with your heart. Close your eyes.” Her eyes widened and he knew she was leery of him. “Trust me. I know I haven’t earned it, but I will. Now, close your eyes.”

  She did as he asked and he linked his fingers with hers and closed his eyes as well. As they stood toe-to-toe, he felt her fear begin to dissipate like a vapor into the air. He knew the moment she recognized his heartbeat. He released one of her hands and cupped her cheek, stroking it as he covered her mouth with his.

  She responded just as she had the night before… still, the fact she didn’t hold anything back even though she didn’t understand what was happening was humbling. He lifted her onto the back of the sofa, giving him better access to her mouth, and slid his tongue across her lips.

  Þú verður mín að eilífu. (You will be mine forever.)

  He knew she heard the words and half expected her to break their connection, but she slipped her arms around his neck and wove her fingers through his hair. It didn’t last as long as he would have liked, however.

  He felt a gentle tug and then she broke the kiss with a groan. “What was that? That was way more intense than before!”

  “I have several things I need to explain.”

  SAMANTHA PUSHED KADE away and jumped from the back of the couch. She needed distance. If she didn’t get it, she’d rip off her clothes then and there and give him anything he asked for. He started toward her, but she held her hands up and shook her head. “No way, buddy. Do not move another inch.”

  He stalled, but his smile indicated he wouldn’t stay away long. “Can we talk now?”

  She bit her lip. “Um, sure. But you stay there.”

  Kade chuckled and ignored her demand. He strode toward her and pulled her onto the loveseat with him. Sam shifted so her back was up against one of the arms.

  He draped his arm around the back of the sofa and smiled. “Do you want to ask questions now or later?”

  “I don’t know.” She wrapped her arms around her knees. “I don’t know what to ask.”

  “How do you like information delivered?”

  She studied him for several seconds as she processed that question. He seemed to know her better than herself, and for some unknown reason, that didn’t scare her. Nothing about him scared her… when she was with him. “I think in this case, you should just talk and I’ll ask questions as they come up.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “One thing first,” she said.

  He grinned. “You’re a fine kisser, lass.”

  She nudged his thigh with her foot. “You’re not funny. What exactly am I hearing in my head?”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “Oh, stop,” she retorted. “I can’t tell if it’s Icelandic or Gaelic.”

  “You’re asking about the language… not the fact that you’re hearing voices?”

  “I’m compartmentalizing. Besides, it’s your voice, not multiple ones.”

  He ran his hand across the sofa pillow. “It’s Icelandic.”

  “Why… how… am I hearing it?”

  Kade set his head in the palm of his hand, but didn’t answer.

  “Kade?” she pressed.

  Before anymore could be said, the peal of her cell phone broke the silence. Kade rose to his feet and retrieved it for her. She noticed his scowl as he handed it to her.

  She shook her head as she answered the call. “Hi, Cole.”

  “Hey you. How are you feeling?”

  “Much better, thank you.”

  “I’d kind of like to see that for myself.”

  Sam grinned. “I could take a picture and send it to you, if you like.”

  “Not exactly what I had in mind.”

  A gentle but firm squeeze of her ankle had her glancing into Kade’s scowling face. “What?” she whispered, but he just shook his head.

  “Sam?” Cole said.

  “Sorry. I’m here with my boss and he was asking me a question.” She gave Kade a challenging glare. “I’m all yours, Cole.”
r />   Kade stood and strode out of the room. Sam sighed. He was the most confusing human being she’d ever encountered.

  “Can I swing by and see you?” Cole asked.

  “Ugh. Not right now. I just want to veg in front of the boob tube and potentially sleep.” Sam rubbed her forehead; a headache was fast approaching. “What about Thursday?”

  “Thursday’s good. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  She turned when she heard Kade returning. “Yes. I have a bit of a headache from the concussion. No biggie.”

  He had a glass of water and held his hand open. Two white tablets sat in the middle of his palm.

  “For your head,” he whispered.

  Sam widened her eyes and then focused back on Cole.

  “Okay. Well, call me if you need me,” Cole said.

  “I will. ’Bye.” She hung up and stared up at Kade. “How did you know?”

  “I can feel it.” He handed her the glass of water and took her cell phone from her. “Take them.”

  “What do you mean, you can feel it?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Take the pills, Samantha.”

  “Why are you mad?”

  He sighed. “I’m not mad, sweetheart. I just want you to take the painkillers.”

  He sat next to her, forcing her body into the back of the sofa.

  “And if I don’t want to?”

  He pulled the glass from her hand and leaned down, covering her mouth with his.

  Gràdhach, take the pills.

  She pushed him away. “Was that Icelandic too?”

  He chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her knees. “No. That was Gaelic.” He picked up the water and handed it to her. “Now, take the medicine.”

  “But my headache’s gone.” He broke contact with her and she gasped. “Ow… ow… ow!”

  He laid his hand on her ankle and grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

  She popped the pills even though she no longer felt pain. “How are you doing that?”

  “It’s complicated, and something I’m not sure you’re ready to hear just yet.”

  Samantha rolled her eyes. “Even if I’m not ready to hear why, I’d still like you to tell me.”

  “I want to set up a ground rule first.”

  “Like?” she asked.