Bound by Light (12 page)

He chuckled. “It’s barely been a month,
Mum.”

Sydney bit back a gasp. His mother didn’t
look much older than him.

“Still too long for your poor aging mother,”
she retorted, and faced Sydney. “Sydney, love, welcome. We’re so
glad to meet you.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Allen. It’s lovely to meet
you as well.”

“Och, love, call me Isolde or better yet,
Mum, if you feel comfortable with that. Whatever you choose.”

Sydney blushed. “Thank you. That’s
sweet.”

“Come and meet everyone else.”

Isolde took over the introductions, but
Sydney was grateful Thane stayed connected to her. His father was a
giant of a man. His name was Domnall, but they all called him Dom
or Da for Father. Thane had an older brother and an older sister,
Lachlan and Elspie, who were married to Aggie and Marsh
respectively. Then there was a younger brother, Thorburn, who was
married to Blair. Finally, Ainsley. All but Ainsley were bound, and
it made for a very full house.

Sydney didn’t think she’d remember all the
adult names, let alone the nine kids. She found herself wondering
how quickly she could add to the brood, excited about being part of
such a large family.

Right away, love.

She narrowed her eyes at Thane and shook her
head.
Get out of my brain
.

He chuckled as he led her to a love seat and
pulled her down next to him, wrapping an arm around her and pulling
her close. “So, what’s on the Allen Family radar right now?” Thane
asked.

“The little prince turns one next month,”
Isolde said, sitting next to her husband.

“Has it been a year already?” Thane
mused.

“Aye, and we’ve been invited for the party,
which will be a weekend-long affair.”

“Who’s the little prince?” Sydney asked.

“Our king and queen, Kade and Samantha
Gunnach, have a little boy, Liam, and there’s a huge party to
celebrate at their castle in Inverness,” Thane explained. “I’d
forgotten all about it, to be honest, but we can go if you’d like
to.”

“When do we have to let them know by?”

“We’ve got time,” he assured her.

Sydney smiled. “Okay, good.”

“You
have
to go,” Ainsley begged.

“Ainsley,” her mother warned.

“But, Mummy, if Thane doesn’t go, then I
won’t get to ride Max’s horses.”

Thane chuckled. “Even if I don’t go, lass,
Niall will still take you to Max’s stables. All I have to do is ask
him. You know he’ll make it happen.”

“But they have a baby now and he’s
busy.”

“Ainsley Meredith Allen,” Isolde admonished.
“This is not about you.”

“Sorry,” she grumbled, crossing her arms in
silent irritation.

“Max breeds Friesians and works closely with
Connall Gunnach, who breeds Thoroughbreds, and now Arabians, due to
his mate’s influence,” Thane explained.

“Ainsley, if you love Friesians, why don’t
you ride your brother’s horses?” Sydney asked.

“Because, sweetheart, I am not the lead
singer of Fallen Crown,” Thane answered before Ainsley could.

Sydney stifled a giggle at Ainsley’s look of
mortification.

“Alright, enough teasing the baby,” Isolde
said.

Sydney leaned forward. “I will figure out a
way to make sure your brother goes.”

Ainsley’s face lit up. “You will?”

“Of course. We can’t keep you away from the
horses. That would be cruel.”

Thane reached for Sydney’s neck and gave it
a gentle squeeze.
Careful, love, you’ll create a
monster.

Before more could be said on the subject,
Isolde rose to her feet and ushered everyone into the dining room.
Conversation came fast and humorously as everyone sat down to eat.
The whole night was...well... normal. No one treated Thane like he
was anyone special outside of the third child of this large and
loving brood.

“When do you have to return to London?”
Elspie asked.

“Tomorrow,” Sydney said.

“Oh, that’s so soon.”

“I know. I have a few things to tie up with
my mother’s estate, so I need to get back.”

“We were sorry to hear about your parents,
love,” Isolde said.

Sydney forced a smile. “Thanks.”

Thane linked his fingers with hers under the
table and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“I love London,” Elspie continued. “Perhaps
us girls can meet for a girls-only weekend.”

“Day,” Thane said.

“I’d love it.” Sydney grinned.

“One day,” Thane reiterated.

Sydney rolled her eyes. “A weekend or a day
is fine with me.”

“You can have her for a few hours on
one
of the days you come. No more,” Thane decreed.

“We’re not beneath kidnapping, Thane.” She
pointed a knife at him. “Remember that.”

Sydney giggled. “I’m also not beneath
sneaking out when you’re not looking.”

“Fine.” Thane raised his hands in surrender.
“But ganging up on the little brother really isn’t very nice.”

“Bunk beds, Thane,” Lachlan countered.

“One time! It was one time!”

“My arse says it was thrice,” Lachlan
argued.

The table dissolved into laughter and Sydney
watched as the group tried to control their giggles.

“Locky has always been a little gullible,”
Thane said. “When we were kids I invited him to climb up to the top
bunk, where I quickly chucked him off.”

“And he’s gullible because of that?” Sydney
challenged.

“No, he’s gullible because he let me do it
twice more.”

Sydney gasped, forcing back a laugh. “That’s
awful!”

“It’s not my fault he was dumb enough to
climb up again.”

“So, to make it up to Locky, Sydney gets to
go shopping with me,” Elspie said.

“To make it up to
me
?” Lachlan
countered.

“Yes.”

“I just don’t think I can do without her for
more than a few hours,” Thane added.

“You’ll survive, honey,” Sydney said.

Elspie clapped her hands. “It’s a date.”

“Wait, I haven’t agreed,” Thane argued.

“Like that makes a difference,” Sydney
countered. “I’m not your chattel, which means you have no say in
the matter.”

Ainsley let out a giggle and Elspie reached
over and high-fived Sydney. Thane good-naturedly leaned over and
kissed Sydney. “Touché, baby.”

Sydney smiled at her soon-to-be
sister-in-law. “It’s a date, Elspie.”

“Great. I’ll find a time and we’ll make it
happen.”

“I can’t wait,” Sydney said.

Dinner wrapped up and Thane insisted on
taking Sydney home before it got too late. Another storm was
approaching and he didn’t want Wallace driving the back-roads in
total darkness, so after hugs and promises of future get-togethers,
Sydney followed him out to the car.

“Your family’s amazing,” she said as Wallace
guided the car over the drawbridge.

“Aye, they are.” He smiled. “And, like I
said they would, they adored you.”

“Yes, honey, you were right.” Sydney
giggled. “I adored them as well. I can’t wait for Elspie’s
visit.”

“I’m going to venture a guess it’ll be
sooner than later.”

“I hope so.” She cocked her head. “Has there
ever been an instance where a Cauld Ane family doesn’t approve of
one’s mate?”

Thane shrugged. “I’m sure there has been,
but can you imagine what kind of a position that would put the
couple in? It’d be a bloody shame.”

“What would you do?”

“If my family didn’t approve of you?”

“Yes.”

He shook his head. “Sweetheart.”

“What? It was a possibility.”

“No it wasn’t,” he argued. “But if by some
far off chance they hadn’t approved, then I would have cut ties
with them.”

Sydney gasped. “You would?”

“Of course I would.” He squeezed her leg.
“You’re everything to me, Sydney. Don’t ever doubt that.”

She smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Arriving home, Thane left Sydney to change
and she sighed in relief to get her shoes off. Just as she slipped
out of her dress, her phone rang. It was Lucy. “Well, hello, cuz,
how are you?”

“Have you guys been watching the news?”

“Nope.” Sydney dropped her watch onto the
dresser. “We’ve been blissfully unaware of the outside world.
Why?”

“Ohmigod, Sid, the world is blowing up about
you.”

“About me? Why?”

“Because you’re dating Thane Allen.”

Sydney sat on the bed and rubbed her
forehead. “Is it bad or good?”

“Watch the news and entertainment shows and
decide for yourself, but I’d suggest you get a game plan before you
come home, because we’ve already started getting phone calls.”

“Holy cow.”

“Yep. Anyway, I have to go. Date night and
all that, but I thought you’d want to know.”

“Thanks, Luce. Love you.”

“Love you too. ’Bye.”

Sydney set her phone on the nightstand.
Have you heard about the gossip surrounding us?

Aye, lass. Pam filled me in yesterday.

Why didn’t you tell me?

Because you needed a break. Finish getting
changed and we’ll talk about it over a glass of wine.

Sydney sighed and took the time to remove
her makeup and change into pajamas. This was all she needed, people
digging into her life and invading her privacy. Just great.

CHAPTER NINE

S
YDNEY PUSHED THE
door to Thane’s sitting room open and stepped inside. He was on his
phone, pacing by the window and he didn’t look happy. “Damn it,
Pam, why the hell aren’t they leaving it alone? I know, but it’s
not that bloody interesting. Right. Aye. Fine. Yes, we’ll talk
tomorrow.” He let out a long sigh. “’Night.” He hung up and faced
Sydney.

“That didn’t sound good.”

“Just a minor nuisance, love.” He rubbed the
back of his neck. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

“Dismissing me like that isn’t the way to go
here, Thane.”

“It’s something my people will figure out,
Sydney. Just drop it.”

“Your people.”

“Yes, my people. It’s not really something
you can do anything about, so just leave it.”

She crossed her arms and stamped down her
irritation. “I think I should be filled in, you know, considering
it
involves me
.”

“Baby, I need you to calm down.”

“Do not tell me to calm down, Thane!” she
snapped.

“Shite,” he hissed and dragged his hands
down his face.

“Just how bad
is
this?”

In answer to her question, he grabbed the
remote and turned on the television. He didn’t have to scroll far
to find the first of several channels where Thane and his love life
were the top stories of the day.

“Who is this mysterious woman you ask?” a
young female anchor queried.

Sydney lowered herself slowly onto the sofa
and watched as a group of men and women who didn’t know her
discussed rumor and innuendo relating to who she was to Thane,
complete with grainy and often times blurry photographs. “That was
at the restaurant,” she whispered.

“Aye, love. And at the premiere, and as
we’re leaving the train station. Wallace intercepted a couple of
drones as they tried to fly over the house.”

“Intercepted, how?”

“He shot them down. He’s always been an avid
pheasant hunter.”

Sydney covered her face with a groan. “I’m
sorry, honey.”

“Why the hell are you sorry? My people
should have stopped this.”

“
Or
, I should have stayed home
instead of going to the premiere. I didn’t have to have a total
meltdown on a public sidewalk outside of the restaurant, either.”
She shook her head. “I just wasn’t thinking. Not to mention, if I’d
traveled separately, you could have probably avoided all of
this.”

“Bloody hell, Sydney, this is not your
fault.”

“If it’s not my fault, why are you snapping
at me?”

He took a deep breath and sat beside her,
linking his fingers with hers. “I’m sorry, love. I don’t mean to
snap. With the worries your uncle has and the fact that the media
are jackals, I’m concerned for your safety and when I’m concerned
for your safety, I tend to get a little irritated.”

“A little?” she challenged, but gave him a
slight smile.

“Perhaps a little more than a little.”

“Why are you so concerned?”

“Because your uncle believes you or Lucy
might have a stalker.”

“What?” She gasped. “Seriously?”

Thane nodded, pulling her against his chest.
“It’s part of the reason he was happy to have you come with me this
weekend. It means he can watch Lucy a little closer and I can watch
you.”

“Why didn’t he tell me?”

“Because he wanted to be sure first. He
hasn’t gotten to where he is by jumping to conclusions.” He rubbed
her back. “We’re going to sort this out, sweetheart. I
promise.”

She lifted her head to look at him. “Do you
think it was a reporter standing by the cottage?”

“I don’t know. Wallace has sent the
cigarette butts off for DNA analysis. If we can find the man, we
will.”

She relaxed against him again. “So, you
worrying about the media thing isn’t about me dating you?”

“No,” he assured. “It’s because they are
mapping our movements to a certain degree. I need to keep you
somewhat sheltered until we figure this out, but if reporters are
following us, snapping photos and such, I can’t do that. I’m going
to stay in my London flat until we sort this out, though.”

“You have a London flat?”

“Aye, lass. In Kensington.”

“Then why were you at the hotel?” she
asked.

“My flat’s small and the hotel was the only
place to accommodate everyone. I wanted to be close.”

“Oh,” she said. “Makes sense.”

“If you want to stay with me, you’re welcome
to. Just let me know.”

“No, I’ll stay with my aunt and uncle.”

She felt him stiffen and bit back a grin,
grateful he couldn’t see her expression.