Free Devon Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) by Anitra Lynn McLeod Page B

Devon had been hoping to reassure him, but his words clearly had the opposite effect.
    “Because I want to be a man of my word, too.” Karsten looked up at Devon, his eyes so bright blue they were like a summer sky filled with stars. “I gave myself to you.”
    Devon set aside the tool and crouched down so that he and Karsten were more eye to eye. “I know. And I think you are a man of your word.”
    “But—”
    “I’ll make you a deal.” Devon didn’t want Karsten expending his limited energy on worry. “Once you’re well, you can give yourself to me again, but only if you really want to.”
    “That sounds like cheating.”
    “I don’t think so.” Devon placed his hand on Karsten’s shoulder, pleased when he didn’t flinch. “I think it’s fair to give you time to heal, and then you can give yourself to me. That way, you’re still a man of your word, but you don’t have to worry about it right now. Okay?”
    A slow smile lifted the edges of Karsten’s soft, pink lips. “Okay.”
    “Now.” Devon stood and retrieved his tool. “Let’s get this off you.”
    With their deal cast, Karsten relaxed, which made cutting the collar away much easier. Sadly, each increment of progress revealed more of the horrible damage. Teeth marks were gouged upward, almost as if they’d dug one tooth into the collar to lift it up then used the other tooth to draw blood. Karsten would eventually heal, but he would wear a ring of scars around his neck, and Devon doubted he would ever welcome the bite of a lover. While Devon was musing over the idea of having a mate he never bit, he hit the metal portion of the collar. To his utter shock, the band started to constrict.
    “What—” Karsten’s voice was cut off as the collar continued to shrink.
    Horrified, Devon didn’t allow himself to give in to fear. He shoved the tool under what was left of the collar and poured all his strength into cutting it off Karsten’s neck. After expending his energy on freeing him from the manacles, he didn’t think he had the energy left, but knowing Karsten would die if he failed pushed him to dig deep into the very edges of his ability. Just when he thought he was going to lose him, the band snapped apart, flying off Karsten’s neck and hitting the floor.
    Gasping, Karsten reached out, wrapped his arms around Devon’s waist, and burst into tears.
    After tossing the tool aside, Devon lifted him up. “It’s okay now.”
    Karsten kept crying as his entire body trembled.
    Devon was going to have him wash up so he could bandage his wounds, but right now he thought Karsten needed comfort and sleep far more. A few more hours weren’t going to matter one way or another. Given that he’d grown up in prison, spent a brief time at Jonas’s townhome, and then come here to the farm, Devon hadn’t seen a lot of the world. But never once in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined something as horrid as a collar that would crush the life out of a thrall if it were tampered with. The only reason to do something so vile was to either prevent the thrall from messing with it, which was unlikely given how they were conditioned to be entirely submissive to the thrall master and their ultimate mate. Which meant the real reason to do something like that was they would rather kill the thrall than let someone have him for free. It was barbaric. Devon imagined some slammer stealing a thrall and then cutting away his collar so he could put his own on to show his ownership only to realize too late he’d killed what he’d coveted.
    If not for a very sharp tool and extraordinary strength, Karsten would have died in his kitchen. Devon squeezed him a little tighter, grateful that he’d been able to save him. But more than anything, the collar reminded Devon that he would much rather let Karsten go than strangle him to keep him as his possession.

Chapter 9
     
    Karsten had never been so scared. Even when the gentrymen trussed him up and took turns biting