Free Celebrate by Kim Dare Page B

correction still made Ori tense.
    Raynard reached through the bars and slipped two fingers into Ori’s collar. He tugged at the leather. “The cage is irrelevant. Your collar is between you and the cage. It holds you far more tightly than the bars ever could. It’s not the cage that controls your freedom, your collar does—I do.”
    The way Raynard’s fingers held his collar pulled the leather tight against the back of Ori’s neck. For the first time since he stepped into the cage, he was able to take a deep breath.
    He had no control, no freedom. But that was nothing to be afraid of. Ori smiled.
    “The cage can’t hurt you,” Raynard promised. “Understand?”
    “Yes, sir,” Ori whispered. The only thing or person who could hurt him was his master—Ori had known that for a long time. He swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed against Raynard’s knuckles.
    “The only person in this nest who can put you in a cage is me. Even Hamilton wouldn’t dare. The cage isn’t about who you are now—it’s about who the nest thought you were when you first arrived.”
    “Yes, sir,” Ori repeated.
    “Now, think back to when you first arrived at the nest.”
    Ori closed his eyes. Memories came flooding to the forefront of his mind. He’d been so lost, so alone, without anyone to look to for guidance or protection—without anyone to give him orders or let him know when his work was acceptable.
    “If the cages were in operation then, the most anyone would be allowed to threaten you with would have been a little time spent in a cage. No whips, no paddles, no pressure to service them to avoid a punishment.”
    Ori nibbled on his bottom lip. “I’d have probably volunteered to do what they wanted to avoid the cage, sir,” he admitted.
    He opened his eyes and looked up at his master. There was no condemnation in Raynard’s eyes, only understanding. “What if they couldn’t put you in a cage without someone else becoming involved?”
    Ori frowned. “Sir?”
    “We could appoint someone to oversee the process and make sure whoever was put in here wasn’t just being bullied by a higher ranking man. Whoever wanted someone sent to a cage would have to prove that person was guilty of breaking one of the nest’s laws.”
    “Everet,” Ori blurted out.
    Raynard raised an eyebrow.
    “The raven you asked to watch over me the first day we met,” Ori said. “He didn’t know I was a swan. He thought I was an ugly little duckling, but he still took the job seriously. He’d be good at it.”
    “Yes. He’d be a good choice,” Raynard allowed. “So your final decision is?”
    “I think we should try bringing the cages back into operation and see if they would help?” Ori hazarded.
    “Good boy.” Raynard stroked the skin alongside Ori’s collar, sending a shudder of pleasure tingling down his spine. All hint of claustrophobia had disappeared when Raynard re-framed the bars as nothing more than another layer of bondage.
    But, for better or worse, bondage had become a very good thing in Ori’s mind since Raynard had brought him under his protection. And it wasn’t only his mind that was reacting to it.
    Ori moved his weight from one foot to the other. He was so used to being naked when he was alone at home with his master; he wasn’t used to getting turned on while dressed. His erection was pressing against the inside of his trousers. The fabric felt more like bondage than mere clothing.
    “Tell me what you think of the cages now,” Raynard ordered.
    Ori took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “They…um…They will need to be cleaned before they can be used, sir.” Despite all his best efforts, his voice was breathy. He sounded more like someone half-way through a sex game than a man having a serious discussion about how best to protect vulnerable members of the nest.
    Raynard chuckled.
    Ori glanced up at him. Raynard knew. He’d known exactly how Ori would react once he told him what the cage should