Devon Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Read Online Free PDF

to hold him still.
    Somehow, his touch contained him but didn’t scare him. How could that be? When any of the others had touched him, he screamed out in fear and impotent anger. Karsten stopped when his cries didn’t bring help but only brought more men who fought to use him.
    “My brothers aren’t mindless men looking to take advantage of others. Three of them have thralls of their own.”
    “Do you?”
    “No.” Devon’s gaze darted away then returned. “But I wouldn’t hurt you, either.”
    “I don’t—I don’t believe you.” Karsten realized the foolishness of angering his supposed rescuer right after he spoke.
    “Believe me, I understand why.” Devon’s hand was centered on Karsten’s chest, but his fingers were making soft, calming strokes. It was as if he was pinning him down but attempting to comfort him at the same time. When Devon realized what his wayward fingers were doing, his eyes went wide. He yanked his hand away, and he hastily brought the edges of Karsten’s tattered robe together. “After what you’ve been through, I doubt you’ll ever trust anyone again.”
    Karsten didn’t speak because he was too choked up to talk. For all his gruff appearance, Devon seemed to be a genuinely kind man. But he was a slammer, and when his blood hunger kicked in, he would go from caring to compelled to drink.
    Something—a sound? A flash out the corner of his eye?—made Devon turn his head. “Finally.”
    “Finally what?”
    “One of my brothers is coming.”
    “No.” Karsten didn’t even bother struggling. He had nowhere to go and no way to get there even if he did.
    “No one will hurt you.” Devon frowned down at Karsten. “Tell me what you need to believe me.”
    Karsten thought of a dozen things that he needed, but not one of them would convince him of Devon’s sincerity. And then, the answer came to him. It was crazy, and potentially very foolish, but he didn’t feel he had any other choice.
    “You said you don’t have a thrall?”
    Devon hung his head and shook it slowly side to side.
    “Make me your thrall, and I’ll trust that you’ll keep me safe.”

Chapter 4
     
    McBride woke up alone in his bed. He was dressed but for his boots, and his headache had retreated from excruciating agony to a dull throb. He took a moment to look around. Everything was where it belonged. It was easy enough to assess when he didn’t really have much of anything in the room. McBride liked things tidy and tucked away. One look at the window told him it was midday given how light it was outside. What in the world was he doing sleeping in when the rest of the men were no doubt scrambling to get the food field planted? He was lucky he had Jonas, or everything would just go to hell very quickly.
    He swung his legs out of bed and fought down a wave of nausea. How the hell could his stomach be so grouchy when he hadn’t eaten anything? Maybe that was the problem. When was the last time he ate anything? That prompted him to try to remember the last time he drank. A horrible montage of images came to him. He’d trussed up Caleb and toyed with him, threatened him, and ultimately set him free and stumbled away in shame for what he’d done.
    McBride realized he hadn’t been himself lately. Just about the only good thing was that he knew he didn’t have the blood-borne pathogen that had decimated society. If he had gone bloodmad, he’d be driven to drink nonstop from his slammers. Right now, the only blood he had a hunger for was Caleb’s, and that was about something far more than nourishment.
    As if he’d summoned him, Caleb stepped into McBride’s room.
    “Mighty bold of you to just walk right into my room without knocking.” McBride rose to his feet and stayed there despite the most intense head rush he’d ever experienced. Clearly, he needed to eat something and soon.
    “I’m about to get bolder.” Caleb closed the door behind him. “Get back into bed.”
    Against his efforts to stop it,