Golden Binds

o how would you like to come back to the castle and fuck?’”

Joe turned to Sawyer. “Shit. He wouldn’t say that, would he?”

With Garret, it was hard to tell. “I’m going after him. You’re on your own with this. You’ll just have to figure it out. But if you don’t do it by the time I get back, you’re going to have to hide. We don’t want to frighten the shit out of her.”

A loud roar exploded around him. He turned to Sawyer. “Will you stop that?”

Sawyer just stared at him. If it was possible for a bear to look surprised, then he did. “That wasn’t you, was it?”

Sawyer shook his head. He turned to the door as it was nudged open. Another bear stepped into his office.

Shit.

“Garret?”

The bear opened its mouth then seemed to think twice and nodded. “You’re stuck as well?” He’d hoped it was an anomaly with Sawyer. But Garret nodded again.

He moved to his desk and sank back in his chair. “She really is our mate then.” He narrowed his gaze at Garret. “What on earth happened? Where is she?”

No reply. What was he expecting?

“Okay, I’m going to assume you couldn’t convince her to return to us?”

A nod.

“And does she know about this?” He waved his hand at Garret.

He shook his head.

“Well, thank God for small favors.” He ran his hands over his face. “What do I do now? I can’t leave the two of you like this to go after her.” And he couldn’t really go to her until he knew what had happened with Garret.

“I’ll wait until darkness. Then I’ll go after her.” And he would bring her back. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.

* * *

Sawyer woke up in a bad mood. He was grumpy, tired and he was lying on a hard floor. He reached up to scratch at his nose and then froze. He opened his eyes and stared at his hand.

His hand.

He let out a whoop loud enough to rattle the dead in their coffins.

“Shut up, will you?” Garret grumbled from where he lay on the floor of Joe’s office next to him. “I’m trying to sleep here.”

He reached over and shoved his younger brother. “Wake up, asshole. We’re human again.”

Garret didn’t move for several moments then he sprang to life, jumping onto his feet. He let out his own yell of excitement. “Thank you, God.”

“Jesus, man, stop moving. The last thing I need is to see Mr. Happy flopping around.”

Garret stilled and looked down at himself. “Yeah, well, there’s a reason why Mr. Happy is standing loud and proud.”

Sawyer raised his eyebrows. “You mean you struck out?”

“I wouldn’t say that exactly.” Garret smirked. Then he grimaced. “Well, shit.”

“Well, shit, what—”

“I’m going to go see her. The two of you will just have to—fuck,” Joe cursed, which was extremely unusual for him. But Sawyer guessed coming in to see his two brothers standing naked and human in his office had shocked it out of him.