Rise to Submit [Rise of the Changelings, Book 4] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) by Lynn Hagen

Ian’s back molars gnashed together as he fought the pain building inside of him. It felt like a web of talons embedding each claw into Ian’s nerve endings, scraping, pulling, and cutting until he wanted to cry out and beg for it to stop.
    But Ian remained silent.
    “Because I’ve become your caretaker,” Mason stated firmly.
    Ian turned his head, glaring at Mason. “I wasn’t aware I was in a prison. What, is Rick afraid I’ll corrupt Dorian and take him with me?”
    Mason shrugged as he relaxed back in his chair. It irritated the hell out of Ian to see Mason so nonchalant about what he was going through. “Think what you want. I’m not going to sit here and debate the issue with you. All I’m saying is you should trust Freedman if no one else. He is medically treating you, after all.”
    “Fine, send him in. But you don’t get to stay while he’s in here.” Ian watched Mason get up and walk out. He lifted his head, looking around the room. There was only one window in here, and from what he could see from the bed, the drop could break something, or worse.
    Freedman came in and closed the door behind him.
    They weren’t leaving him alone for five seconds. It was beginning to feel like he really was in a prison.
    Or back at the club. Ian didn't need to feel trapped. It only made his chest hurt worse knowing he couldn’t walk out of here without someone stopping him.
    “Mason says you are ready to talk to me.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Mason glanced up when Rick walked into the kitchen and nodded. That was his cue to go back upstairs. Mason took the steps two at a time, coming to a stop at the bedroom door just as Freedman walked out. The human looked grim as he closed the door behind him.
    “Well?” Mason asked.
    Freedman’s light-blue eyes flickered over to him. “I can’t tell you what we talked about, Mason. You know that. You knew that when you sent me in there.”
    Mason did, but he didn’t like the strained look on Freedman’s face. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, biting back the command for Freedman to tell him what had happened to the man he had a strange fascination with.
    “No, I know.” Mason gave Freedman an appreciative smile before the human walked away. Blowing out a long breath, Mason entered the bedroom. His eyes immediately zeroed in on Ian trying to crawl out of the bedroom window.
    Mason hurried across the room, using his changeling speed to reach Ian before he leapt. He grabbed the man and pulled him back in—Ian fighting him the entire time, smacking, clawing, biting, and screaming to the top of his lungs.
    The bedroom door flew open, Rick, Sasha, and the two juveniles standing there looking murderous.
    “We’re cool,” Mason barked out as he grabbed Ian’s arms and secured them at his sides with his own arms. He held on tightly as Ian kicked and struggled to get free. “He just tried to take a stroll outside through the window.”
    “But that’s a twenty-foot drop,” Rick said. “You would have broken your neck.”
    “What the fuck do you care?” Ian wiggled, trying to get his arms free. “I want to go. You can’t keep me here!”
    “So you can do what?” Mason growled into his ear. “So you can go get another fix, another bite? I don’t think so.”
    Ian smacked the back of his head into Mason’s chest and screamed at the top of his lungs once more. Mason held on, not in a bruising way, but enough to make sure Ian didn’t hurt himself.
    Mason was out of his depth. He had no clue what to do with the out-of-control human. Never before had he fought so hard to stop someone from hurting himself. And Ian leaving to get high was hurting himself in the worst sort of way.
    Ian was grasping Mason’s arms with his fingers, breaking skin, digging his nails in deep. Mason ground his teeth, ignoring the pain, pushing it aside and telling his jaguar that Ian wasn’t trying to harm them. His changeling beast was snarling, but Mason beat him back.
    “Get me