Bound by Secrets (Cauld Ane Series)

by Tracey Jane Jackson

She shrugged. “I managed five years.”

  “You did not,” Pepper exclaimed.

  “No. Not really.” Payton sighed. “I did try, though.”

  “Not very hard,” Samantha pointed out.

  I’m sorry, love.

  No. I am, Brodie. I shouldn’t have said anything. Payton shook her head. It was insensitive.

  “It was true,” he said aloud.

  She hadn’t even heard him approach. Connall, Angus, and Kade were already sitting down, and more food had been set out for everyone.

  Payton smiled up at Brodie, and he reached out his hand. “May I join you?” he asked.

  She nodded and stood. Before they could sit down again, Abela and Heather arrived. The men rose to their feet and Abela froze.

  “It’s all right,” Brodie said. “You’re safe here.”

  Heather grasped their mother’s hand and smiled at her. “Trust him, Mum.”

  Abela curtsied, as did Heather, but still didn’t move into the room.

  Both Kade and Connall gave Brodie questioning glances, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he waved his hand for the ladies to join them and indicated the sofa beside his chair. “Come. We have to talk before the mökun móttöku. We won’t get a chance otherwise.”

  Heather led Abela to the sofa and pulled her down next to her. The men sat down, Brodie settling Payton next to him in the chair. It was a snug fit, but neither of them complained. He leaned forward, his arms on his knees.

  “What’s going on, Brodie?” Kade asked.

  “We have discovered something that might put a wee hiccup in a few things,” Brodie said.

  Way to ease in, love, Payton projected.

  “This is Heather,” Brodie nodded to his sister. “She’s my sister.”

  “What?” Fiona gasped. “We thought—”

  “I know what you thought,” Brodie said and then nodded to his mother. “And Abela is my mother.”

  “What?” Connall asked in confusion.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Kade snapped.

  Abela’s expression became one of raw panic.

  “Kade.” Sam laid her hand on Kade’s thigh and he calmed, while Brodie reached over and squeezed his mother’s hand.

  “It’s all right,” Brodie said.

  Kade narrowed his eyes. “You better start—”

  “Why don’t you explain, Brodie,” Connall said, interrupting Kade’s warning. “Help us understand what’s going on.”

  “Will you, Abela?” Brodie asked. “We were interrupted the other night, and I know there’s more than what you’ve told us so far.”

  Abela glanced at Heather and then at Brodie, her fear still written in the tightness of her features.

  “No harm will come to you,” Samantha said. “You have the protection of the crown. Isn’t that right, Kade?”

  He raised an eyebrow at his mate, but then nodded. “Aye. No harm will come to you. Á orði mínu. (Upon my word.)

  “Go ahead, Mum,” Heather encouraged.

  Abela took a deep breath. “In 1414, I turned twenty-five, but I had no idea how that fact would mark my future. I lived in a small town just outside of Reykjavík. One day, when we traveled to the city to sell our wool, I met a dashing young man whom I fell in love with. What I didn’t know at the time was that he was a king and I was his true mate.”

  “Our father I assume?” Kade asked.

  Abela nodded. “You were with him, sire. You were such a beautiful little boy and so charming.”

  “He still is,” Samantha said with a smile.

  “I was with him when you met?” Kade repeated.

  “Yes. Your papa said you were his nephew, and I was lured into believing he was a kind, benevolent man who was caring for his widowed sister’s child. I had no idea what was to come.”

  “Was I there as well?” Connall asked.

  “No, Your Highness, I didn’t meet you for several weeks. Gunnar never even mentioned you.”

  “Who is Gunnar?” Kade asked.

  Abela bit her lip. “He was your father.”

  Kade’s body tensed. “No, my father’s name was Erik Gunnach.”

  Abela shook her head. “No. That’s what he called himself when you arrived in Scotland. His real name was Gunnar Egilsson.”

  “What?” Kade bellowed, standing quickly. “You lie.”

  Abela burst into tears. “Please, sire. I swear to you. I’m not lying.”

  Brodie, Angus, and Connall stood as well, just in case they had to step in. Payton had never seen Kade so angry. She reached up and took Brodie’s hand, partly to calm him, partly to calm herself.

  Thank you, he projected.

  “Kade.” Samantha grabbed Kade’s arm and tugged him down next to her. “You’re scaring her, honey. Just let her explain.”

  “This isn’t possible.” Kade dragged his hands down his face. “Gunnar Egilsson was one of Egill Skallagrímsson’s sons.”

  “Já . I know,” Abela rasped. “Egill was your grandfather.”

  “What?” Brodie asked, anger on the edge of his tone. “You didn’t tell me that.”

  “We didn’t have time,” Abela said.

  “This all makes sense now,” Fiona said to Brodie. “The reasons we’re mates to who we are and why we couldn’t feel each other’s emotions. You and I aren’t really brother and sister.” Her eyes filled with tears.

  In a very non-Brodie-like move, Brodie reached over and squeezed Fiona’s hand. “We’re brother and sister in other ways that count just as much. And now we’re bonded through the law and family. That won’t change.”

  Fiona smiled sadly and nodded, letting Angus pull her against him and comfort her.

  “Please continue, Abela,” Connall encouraged.

  Abela’s hands shook as she clasped them in her lap. “I warned your father not to go against his marriage vows and I tried to resist, but I was no match for him. When I gave birth to Brodie, your father took him from me. He wanted him to be raised within the royal household and told his wife Brodie was an orphan.”

  Kade stood and started to pace, although he kept his anger under control. Payton glanced at Sam, whose eyes were closed, possibly the reason why Kade’s anger was under control.

  Abela took a deep breath “My conversion—”

  “I’m sorry?” Brodie asked. “What conversion?”

  “I was human.”

  A collective gasp from the ladies sounded in the cavernous room. Sam and Pepper sat a little straighter, their interests peaked.

  “You were human,” Brodie said slowly, as though working through the information.

  “Já. My conversion nearly killed me,” she said. “Your father was of no help, as he was the first to ever bind a human and thought I was dying. He yelled and cried and blamed me as my body went through the change. I could feel his fear and panic, but I didn’t know what was happening. I almost froze to death—”

  “My vision,” Payton exclaimed. “You were the one frozen.”

  “I almost died.” Abela nodded. “My body shut down for a time, and Gunnar certainly thought I was gone.”

  “Were you angry with him?” Brodie asked.

  “I was. But why do you ask?”

  Payton blushed. “I went into a bit of a rage when I had my vision.”

  “Yes, rage is a better word. I wanted to kill him.” Abela sighed. “Gunnar left me with my father, who really wanted nothing to do with me after I’d slept with a man who was not my husband. I couldn’t tell them the truth. My parents were very religious, and my father assumed I had brought shame on the family. It took almost a week for my body to heal, and by then I thought Gunnar had abandoned me. I was inconsolable…and pregnant…and it took him ages to return.”

  “Where was he?” Brodie asked.

  “He said he’d been fighting somewhere, but wouldn’t tell me the details, not that I asked. I was just glad to be with him again. He would visit whenever he could, and when we were together, I felt whole, but w
hen I gave birth to Brodie six months later, my parents disowned me, sure I had lied to them about the timing of my affair with your father. And then your father took him from me and shortly afterwards, I was dragged from my tent in the middle of the night, drugged, and woke up on a ship sailing for Scotland.”

  “His ship?” Payton asked.

  “No. God forbid, if Alice were to discover me, she probably would have killed me. But Gunnar “spoke” to me when he could and assured me I would always be safe. We arrived in Scotland and I was whisked away without a word to anyone. My only link to human contact was my ability to speak to your father telepathically. In the coming years, your father would come to me as often as he could, but when I found out I was pregnant again, I ran. I couldn’t face the possibility of him taking another child from me. I was able to stay hidden well after his death, until that day I saw you in Edinburgh, a few years ago.”

  “Is this why our mother had the affair?” Kade asked. “It would explain a lot.”

  “I don’t understand,” Pepper said with a snort. “How could there be a ‘reason’ for someone to cheat?”

  “When my father found his true mate, he would have never been able to touch another woman,” Connall explained. “So my mother would have been ostracized. Without her true mate, she would have felt justified in seeking comfort elsewhere.”

  “Really? I thought that was just something you said,” Pepper admitted, blushing. “To convince me to marry you.”

  “Even if it was only a line, it still would have worked, eh?” Connall smiled and took her hand. Pepper rolled her eyes.

  Abela nodded. “Alice also thought if she could bond with a human, then she could perhaps be at peace. It didn’t work.”

  “Because only men can bind their women,” Fiona provided.

  “Já,” Abela said. “All she managed to do was drive the poor man mad. She killed him for it in a fit of rage one night.”

  “What do you mean? I thought my father killed him,” Kade said.

  “No.” Abela’s eyes widened in surprise. “Alice did. Shortly before we sailed here. She stabbed him fourteen times.”

  “She killed my father?” Fiona gasped, her eyes filling with tears. “Has anything she’s said to me been true?”

  Angus pulled her closer, rubbing her back.

  “I’m sorry, dear,” Abela said. “I should have been more sensitive. Gunnar felt Brodie should be king as the rightful heir from a mated bond. Alice wanted to rule the Cauld Ane and felt with Kade at the head, she could. She tried to make sure of it.”

  “But she couldn’t, because Kade can’t be controlled,” Samantha surmised. “Which is why she tried to kill us…again.”

  Kade sat next to her and linked his fingers with hers. “She will never get another chance.”

  This is why she hated me. Makes sense, Brodie said.

  Bitch.

  Brodie faced her, his eyes wide with shock. Did you just swear?

  Payton shrugged. I just spoke the truth.

  Brodie smiled and kissed her palm.

  “Alice has kept so much from us,” Fiona complained. “Our family heritage, our clan history, our race…everything. I feel like I’m treading in the ocean with the amount of information I’m trying to sort out in our book. She either told us half-truths or outright lies!”

  Angus squeezed her hand. “You’re doing an amazing job researching all of this, Fiona.”

  “Aye,” Kade agreed. “You are answering questions that we didn’t even know to ask. Don’t be too hard on yourself, sister. We will ask you questions if and when they come up, and we’ll have all the knowledge we require sooner than you might think.”

  Fiona nodded and smiled. “Thanks, Kade.”

  He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “No, thank you for all the time you’re putting into this, lass.”

  Kade made his way back to Samantha and pulled her close.

  “So, if you are Icelandic, your surname cannot be Smith,” Connall said.

  Abela shook her head. “No. It’s not.”

  “What is it?” Brodie asked.

  “Olafdóttir. Olaf Rosson was my father.” She smiled sadly. “Not that that would mean anything to you. They were no one important.”

  “They were your family,” Samantha said. “Which means, they were important to you.”

  “I suppose so, yes.”

  “I need to speak with my brothers,” Kade said, and rose to his feet again. “If you’ll excuse us.”

  Summarily bid, Brodie, Angus, and Connall rose and followed Kade from the room. An awkward silence took over until Fiona broke it. “How did you find Brodie, Heather?”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  BRODIE CLOSED THE door to his office, leaning against it to observe his brothers. Kade paced the room; Connall and Angus sat in the chairs facing the desk. He had a feeling he knew what was bothering Kade, and Brodie wanted to make sure his brother knew exactly what he thought.

  “I don’t want the crown, Kade,” Brodie said, breaking the awkward silence.

  “It’s rightfully yours, Brodie.”

  “Damn it, Kade, it’s not,” Brodie snapped. “I don’t want it. You were always king material. I was, and am not. You are first-born.”

  Are you okay, love? Payton asked.

  Aye. Sorry.

  “I’m first-born from a non-bonded union,” Kade argued.

  “And I’m first-born from a bonded union that was hidden from everyone, including us, so yours is the only legal, and I might add, rightful claim to the throne. You have worked your whole life for it. You’ve earned it.”

  “I find it interesting that this is all coming out less than a month before Samantha’s coronation ceremony,” Connall said. “Coincidence, do you think? Or something we should be aware of?”

  Brodie ran his hands through his hair. “I didn’t think of that.”

  Payton’s quiet gasp sounded in Brodie’s mind.

  Payton Gunnach. Are you eavesdropping?

  She projected a giggle. I would never do that.

  Where are Heather and Abela? he asked.

  They went to pick up Mikko from the airport.

  He sighed and glanced at his brothers. They all seemed to have similar expressions on their faces.

  “Were they eavesdropping as well?” Brodie asked.

  “Aye,” came the collective answer.

  “In that case, shall we join the ladies to continue this conversation?” Brodie asked. “Abela and Heather have gone to the airport.”

  “After you,” Kade said.

  Brodie led the group out of his office and back to the great room, where their mates stood and made room for them to sit down.

  “It would be nice to have a private conversation with my brother without you listening in, love,” Connall admonished.

  Pepper grinned. “Sucks to be you, then, don’t it.”

  Brodie glanced at Kade and watched as Samantha shook her head, raised an eyebrow, and then rolled her eyes. They were obviously arguing, albeit silently.

  Angus and Fiona on the other hand, were stone-faced.

  Angus has always been good at hiding his feelings, Payton complained.

  Aye. I suppose he has. Brodie settled Payton on his lap. But isn’t it often better not to know what Angus is thinking?

  Yes, probably. Payton raised an eyebrow. Are you cross that we were listening?

  “Not really,” he whispered.

  “Not really?” she challenged.

  I think this discussion is something that we all need to engage in. So, no, I’m not cross because it involves you as well, he explained.

  But?

  But, nothing. We can read each other’s minds now. We’ll have to learn to adjust.

  She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but Kade’s question interrupted a response.

  “What do you think about this new information?”

  “You, who?” Samantha asked.

  “Everyone.” Kade linked his fingers with Sam’s.
<
br />   “Well, you know my opinion,” Brodie said. “And I’m serious, Kade. If you try to abdicate, you and I are going to have a problem.”

  “But you are the rightful—”

  Brodie raised his hand. “Not listening, Kade. This subject is done.”

  “You’ve been king for over a hundred and fifty years,” Angus said. “And no offense to Brodie, but no one could do the job better.”

  “None taken.” Brodie grinned. “I agree.”

  “What do you want to do now, Brodie?” Kade asked.

  “Honestly, I want to enjoy my mating day. I want Payton to enjoy it as well. I think all of this information can be picked apart and dealt with after the picnic, don’t you?”

  Kade studied his brothers and then nodded. “Aye. I think it can wait a day.”

  Brodie rose to his feet. “I hope everyone’s still hungry, because Erin has organized enough food to feed several armies.”

  “Are we going to swim?” Payton asked hopefully.

  “Cole’s bringing a team, so no, love, not today.”

  “We can just tell them we’re in the polar bear club,” Sam suggested.

  With the addition of humans to their inner circle, Kade had issued a warning to be extra careful about appearing “normal” to Cole’s team. Which definitely meant no swimming when the temperature outside was barely ten degrees Celsius.

  “Plus, Cole knows about us,” Pepper added. “It’ll be fine.”

  “Cole may know the truth,” Connall said. “But he’s agreed it would be best not to tell anyone else at this point.”

  “What if we ditch the humans and go later?” Samantha asked.

  Kade laughed, looking a little shocked.

  “What did I say?” Samantha asked.

  “Ditch the humans,” he repeated. “I love that you’re finally starting to feel Cauld Ane.”

  She grinned. “Working on it, that’s for sure.”

  “We’ll meet you there, eh?” Connall said.

  “Yes,” Brodie replied.

  The group started for the door. Connall and Pepper were going to ride their horses down to the loch while Angus, Fiona, Kade, and Samantha would drive together.

  We can go swimming when we get back from Venice, if you like, Payton. How about skinny dipping at sundown? Brodie projected.

  Payton giggled. I’m figuring out that if it involves us naked, you don’t really care what we do, so skinny dipping at sundown works for me.