“He has only responded to Daddy/boy? Isn’t that too gentle? Perhaps if it was supplemented with humiliation or maybe denial it would be okay. There was a lot of blood in that exam room. Is he self-harming?”

Dr. Chang takes a moment to think about it. “No. Well, I don’t think so. It wouldn’t be intentional. But he is worse every time he comes in—more injured when he gets to us and he waits longer to call. I honestly think that without serious intervention he won’t last another month. But that’s not something anyone wants to hear.”

“Okay. Let’s go see him,” he says, and wonders what exactly he’s getting himself into.

3

The submissive is on his side, facing away from Liam, just a shock of light brown hair and his giant body in a twin-size hospital bed. Well, giant shoulders. Liam has to give it to the government on that one, soldiers come out with the broadest shoulders after being genetically altered. Liam had to go up a shirt size as soon as his transformation was complete.

Liam goes around the bed, wanting to see his face. The scent of blood and misery makes his eyes water as he gets close. There are bandages all along his side and his arm. His skin is pale and smooth, body packed with muscle as all enhanced soldiers are.

“He was in his quarters and he fell on a glass coffee table. He was on his way to medical. I should have sent a team to get him. He told me he could make it, but I should have known better. He pushes himself and is not an accurate self-reporter.”

Who is?

The man is breathing evenly and his eyes are closed, but Liam is almost certain he isn’t asleep. Pretending. Perhaps because he doesn’t feel well, perhaps because he wants to ignore the reality of his situation. Or maybe because he just doesn’t want to have to meet someone at four in the morning.

Liam’s body is already responding to the younger man in the bed. It isn’t a reaction he can help. As a high-level Dominant, he is always going to be aware of a submissive. But when a submissive is clearly in distress and needing, it’s like his body comes alive.

Is Daniel really frightened of Dominants? He’d expect Daniel to open his eyes and look at him if he were afraid.

Daniel is unconscious and pale, almost waxy looking.

“I can’t check him at all?” Liam asks, voice soft. His hand hovers over the submissive’s sheet-covered hip, wanting to touch and comfort him. But he has to remember that Daniel is apparently frightened.