“Hold your hands out, one on top of the other, with both of hers between yours.”

Sawyer extended his arm, holding his hand palm down.

“Put your hand on top of his, sweetheart,” Joe told her.

She placed her hand on top of Sawyer’s, immediately feeling calmer. Garret followed with his hand. She laid her other hand on top of his. It should have seemed awkward. Like some sort of pre-game ritual. But when Joe laid a hand on top of hers, they felt complete.

The priest started to mutter something and flicked some water from the jewelled cup he held. It was all very medieval and mystical but before she could start to feel silly, the room around her rocked. She gasped, her head spinning. She closed her eyes as hot, sharp light burst through her. Then before she could even gather the breath to scream, it was gone.

And she was sitting on the floor, her men looming over her.

“What the fuck just happened? What do you do to her?” Her brother’s voice sounded throughout the room. “Get out of my way.”

She looked over to see the priest talking quietly to her brother.

“Are you all right?” Joe asked her in concern as he crouched beside her.

“Maybe the ceremony isn’t meant to be done with a human?” Garret worried.

“Does anything hurt? Are you injured?” Sawyer shot the questions at her.

“I’m fine,” she told them. “In fact, I feel great. Different but great.”

She stopped for a moment, tried to figure out what was different about her. “I-I feel something. I don’t know what.” She closed her eyes then opened them slowly and looked at each of them. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel closer to you guys. Like inside.” She touched her chest. “Sounds silly, huh?”

“No,” Joe told her. “It sounds like the mating bond.”

“Really? But I’m human.” And she’d worried that meant they wouldn’t have a proper bond.

“Just because we don’t know if it’s been done with a human before doesn’t mean it couldn’t be done,” Joe told her. “And for each of us it’s different. To me it feels like pieces of a puzzle fitting in together.”

“For me it’s music,” Garret told her.

She looked over at Sawyer. “Chains, holding the three of you to me.”

She thought about it for a moment. “Golden ribbons.” She couldn’t see them exactly but that’s what it felt like. “Binding us together.”

Joe smiled. “I like that.” He glanced over his shoulder as her brother’s yells increased. “Come on, we better let your brother know that you’re all right before the high priest turns him into a frog.”

Her eyes widened. “He can do that?”

They all looked at her seriously for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Assholes,” she muttered.

* * *

Gigi found herself unable to eat. The knot of nerves in her stomach made her feel nauseous. She jumped as Joe stood.

He reached over and grasped her shoulder, giving her a gentle smile. “Easy, baby.”

“Sorry, bit jittery.”

Sawyer snorted. “You’re acting like you expect us to jump you at any minute.”

“We do have more control than that, sweetheart,” Garret added.

She took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “Sorry. I’m being silly.”

Tags: Laylah Roberts Fantasy
Source: readsnovelonline.net