Uriah has always masked his terror with eager submission, craving the kind of ownership no one can revoke. When the barrel-chested bear James decides to claim him publicly on the low-lit stage, the chance to be collared before the watching crowd turns that hunger into something inescapable.

At the registry James stands close enough that Uriah feels the heat coming off that broad, dark-haired body. The command to kneel is coming, and the metal collar will sit against the scar on his collarbone. Every spectator in the room is there to watch the surrender become visible and permanent.

Will this spectacle finally silence the fear that James will discard him like the rest, or will the public claim only heighten the risk of loss?