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that you’ve probably never really been a problem in the past either.”
    He’s almost positive that Rafe doesn’t hear him because the submissive’s lovely green eyes are closed and his breathing is even. He’s asleep, body unable or unwilling to fight against the pull of unconsciousness any longer. Josiah stares down at him silently, hands gradually relaxing their white knuckled grip on the bar. He reaches out slowly, almost against his will, to touch the now peaceful face that’s resting on the soft down pillow. All he wants is a touch, one tiny moment of skin on skin contact that he knows will both soothe and enflame his urge to possess and dominate the other man.
    Before he can make contact a throat is cleared quietly behind him and he jerks his hand back swiftly, recognizing Marcel in the tiny sound. His shoulders tense automatically. He knows that she would have never interrupted him if it wasn’t something important, something that he needs to know immediately.
    “What is it, Marcel?”
    He almost winces at the harshness of his tone, the commanding growl in his voice, but he knows that Marcel will understand, that they’ve been friends for too long to let dominance displays come between them.
    Although he is aware that there’s an end to even her patience and he has no desire to push her to that point.
    “There’s been a new…development.” She sounds almost angry, like she’s biting back her temper the same way he is but there’s also a small current of what sounds like satisfaction hidden beneath it.
    “Just tell me. Whatever it is I’m sure that I’ll be able to handle it.”
    “I just received word from Sanctuary that they will be unable to house Zweil once he’s been released from medical containment. According to their representative, the main office was notified this morning to the fact that Zweil has an extensive history of violence and has on more than one occasion caused extensive physical harm to those around him. Out of concern for those who are already housed on the premises they are sorry to inform us that there will be no place for him there.”
    Josiah can tell from the stiffness of her words that she’s quoting whomever she’d spoken to, that the words are not her own and suddenly he knows just where her anger comes from. Frisch or perhaps even the head of Zweil House herself had contacted Sanctuary, the safe haven for all those who were abused by their partners, and intimidated them into refusing Rafe’s future attempts to relocate.
    “I’m sure I can guess where the rest of this headed. Sanctuary refuses him admittance and that means he’s destitute and wounded now so of course for the sake of his wellbeing he should be handed over to his Head of House and his future Bonded. Both of whom I’m sure only have his best interests at heart and are willing to overlook this misunderstanding. Does that about sum up the situation?”
    “As always you’re at the head of the class, sweetness.”
    “They will not get their hands on him again. I promised him, swore to him that I wouldn’t allow it. So is there another way to make sure I don’t become a liar, or am I going to have to take drastic measures?”
    By this point he’s almost hoping that it’ll come down to that, that he’ll have to resort to swords and pistols, to fists and blood and physically making sure that no harm can ever touch Rafe again. He knows that with his training and experience that he’ll be able to do irreparable damage before they even know what hit them. He also knows that if he does that, if he goes to such lengths, they’ll send Cleaners, a specially trained branch of the armed forces that specialized in neutralizing or capturing berserk soldiers, after him and he’ll never see Rafe or anyone else ever again.
    2“You’ve always had such a flair for the dramatic. You do know that, don’t you? That’s why I started calling you Josie when we were younger. No, you won’t have to go out and