Page 117 of Starting a New Life

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“You don’t,” I said, nodding at his collar. At his equally raw and bruised wrists. “But it’s your best option.”

Callum bit his lip. His eyes darted from me to Heath and Angelo, then back to me.

“What about the collar?”

“We’re leaving it here.”

“Nix, that’s a risky…”

“It. Stays. Here,” I said, emphasizing each word. I couldn’t let him wear it a second longer. How was he supposed to trust us if we didn’t show him even an ounce of trust first? How was he supposed to believe we were going to free him if we didn’t actually liberate his magic?

“Okay.” Callum nodded. “If you take off the collar, I’m coming with you.”

I nodded.

Rage filled my chest, and my muscles tensed as pain sliced through my shoulder.

I couldn’t help the pained grunt that came from my lips, couldn’t stop my hand from reaching for my shoulder, couldn’t help the magic that desperately tried healing a wound that wasn’t there.

“It feels like a fucking scalpel,” I wheezed, reaching for Angelo.

He eyed me with concern, his lips twitching.

“I’m good,” I said after a second, nodding at Callum. “Help him. Get the collar off. We need to go. It won’t be long.”

Gray’s wolf had taken over, his fury echoing through my chest, a chant of maim and kill projecting through the bond.

Angelo nodded, eyes focused on Callum.

“I’m going to take the collar off, okay?”

Callum nodded, eyes full of hesitation, but his lips were set in a firm line. He was stronger than I’d been, stronger than Heath had given him credit for. He was afraid, but he wasn’t letting it hold him back.

“I’m going to grab the collar on both sides of your neck,” Angelo explained, hands still raised in front of him as he slowly walked over to Callum. “I’ll rip it apart. It’s probably going to sound really awful, and it might rub against your skin, but I’m gonna get it off. I promise. Do not hurt me.”

Callum huffed, pointing at the collar. “I can’t.”

Angelo’s lips twitched. “Once the collar is off, you can. But please don’t.”

Callum gave a short nod, his eyes flashing with the realization that he would indeed be able to hurt us when the collar came off.

“Be prepared,” Heath whispered, his muscles tensing, aura swirling as Angelo came to a stop in front of Callum.

Huh. The mage was taller than he’d appeared to be at first, just a couple of inches shorter than Angelo.

“Ready?” Angelo asked, voice soft, head cocked, a warm smile on his face.

Callum blinked, biting his lip. Hesitation warred with hope—and hope won. He set his jaw and nodded, raising his chin to give Angelo more leeway.

Angelo grabbed the iron collar, his muscles bulging as he started pulling the metal apart. For a couple of seconds nothing happened, then his arms opened wide, the collar creaking.

Callum gasped, hands flying to his throat, hitting the tender skin. A low sob tore out of his chest, eyes filling with tears. Of pain or joy, I couldn’t say.

Heath tensed even further, eyes darting from Angelo to Callum and back. Angelo threw the collar onto the bed, his nose crinkled in disgust.

“We need to go,” Heath barked.