Free Banded Brothers 03 - To Enchant An Eagle by Amber Kell

shame to not have your own special mind-controlled other half.
Gallen certainly had seemed proud of his accomplishment.
The rest of the conversations didn’t reveal anything new to Eaton. Besides the fact they were a table full of whiners who had ungrateful children, lazy servants and paid too many taxes. Apparently, buying a politician cost more every year.
Eaton’s head began to ache even more. He wondered if it was the effect of the necklace fighting his inoculation.
Gallen rubbed a hand across Eaton’s back.
“Excuse us, Father. I think Eaton is feeling unwell, probably from the bonding. If you’ll please excuse us.”
“Of course. Let me know if you need me to send for a physician.”
The man sounded actually solicitous. If Eaton didn’t know Gallen’s father would probably slit his throat as soon as he became a problem, he might like the guy. He wondered how Marty was doing. Asking would more than likely send up red flags so he had to stay quiet for now.
Gallen led him back to the room he’d snuck out of.
“Here we go. This is your room. Mine is through those doors. Father believes it’s important that everyone has their own space. I always suspected it was because Mother didn’t want to share with him,” Gallen muttered.
Eaton suppressed his smile.
Gallen sighed. “It didn’t work, did it?”
Eaton dared to glance up, fear drying his throat. “What didn’t work?”
“The necklace. I followed all the proper steps, too. Maybe eagle shifters are just different.”
Eaton opened his mouth, but then quickly shut it again. He didn’t dare tell Gallen the true reason. For all he knew, the man’s father kept an antidote in the fridge.
“Sorry?” Gallen looked so defeated Eaton almost felt bad for the guy.
Gallen plopped down on Eaton’s bed. “What are we going to do now?”
“You could free me,” Eaton proposed. “I won’t tell anyone.”
For a moment, it appeared as if Gallen was going to give that idea a proper thought. Then he shook his head. “No, Father would gut me if he thought I let you go unbound.”
“Well, I have to get back to my mate!” Eaton said, anger rising to the surface.
“He can’t find you here,” Gallen said. “The entire place has been reinforced by layers of magic. Most people forget it’s even here.”
Eaton almost asked where they were, but he knew it was a step too far. “If I can get word to my friends, they’ll come get me. You can’t be blamed if outsiders take me back, right?”
Gallen lifted his head. “Marty would gut me.”
Eaton sat down beside Gallen. “Did you really heal him?”
A long silence almost had Eaton ready to gut Gallen himself.
“I healed his bones, but I put a temporary suppression on his hawk. Both because shifting too soon would rebreak his newly healed wounds and because I thought he’d find you faster in his animal form.”
“What were you going to do if he found me?”
Gallen shrugged. “I was hoping if you were under my spell, you would tell him to go. I can make your life good here. Please consider it, Eaton.”
“What’s with the zombie thing?” Eaton asked, genuinely curious.
“It has to do with an ancient sorcerer, Ballinea. Her lover turned on her when she had taught him all about her power. Now we bind our mates so they can never betray us.”
“But don’t you want genuine emotion? Real feelings? All those people out there had nothing going on inside. Except your mother.”
Gallen’s miserable expression softened Eaton’s heart. “I know. I do. I just wanted Father to be proud of me for once. And you’re so beautiful, so full of energy and happiness, I wanted that for myself. I didn’t mean to destroy your life, Eaton. I just wanted some of your joy for myself.”
“Maybe you just need to get away from this place.” Eaton waved a hand, indicating the building around him. “This house has a toxic atmosphere. And don’t take this wrong, but your father gives me the chills.”
“I know. I think he uses me to