A day later…
In the late afternoon, Rohan pulled into the drive behind the long black car that had arrived moments before him. Even though it was still early, the weather and the season brought darkness early. The sky was a dark, dove-gray and looked like another snow might fall soon. Rohan watched as Jamie stepped from the backseat, oblivious he was there for a moment. Steam swirled around his mouth, the air so cold. Part of Jamie’s face was cast in shadow, but even so, Rohan could see something weighed on his omega.
Would he even tell me if I asked?
Just as he pulled his long coat a bit tighter around him, Jamie lifted his stare and saw Rohan behind the wheel. A forced smile came seconds later and filled Rohan with dread. He’d seen a look similar to that once before… a dread-filled glance that had been the start down a long, dark, and winding path. A little voice screamed for him to back out and leave. Go back to the office. Anything, to avoid hearing more bad news.
Maybe I’m the bad news.
Or maybe I can be his salvation… if he’d let me.
One way or another, he wouldn’t leave Jamie to shoulder whatever it was alone. Rohan shifted into park and turned off the engine as the thought he might be the one bringing pain to Jamie made it harder to breathe. Climbing from behind the wheel, he watched his omega closely. The driver of the car pulled on through the semi-circular drive and exited their property, leaving them alone.
The cold made things quieter, the hush a calm before the storm. Jamie looked as if he wanted to say something. He opened his mouth, the words appearing not to come. After a few seconds, he closed his mouth, a look of resignation on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
That forced smile was unrelenting. Jamie shivered some and drew his coat tighter around him. “Nothing’s wrong.”
The snow that had threatened began to fall. Tiny flakes appeared in the air around them. He drew his briefcase from the car and closed the door.
“I know your looks. Something’s wrong.”
Jamie shook his head. “You’re being paranoid.” He backed up a step and pivoted. As he walked toward the house, he tossed over one shoulder. “You’d best go get ready for supper. Papa’s already called, asking if we were on our way.”
Rohan closed his eyes. The last thing he was in the mood for was dealing with Jamie’s family. It was bad enough he had to deal with them on and off through the day in the office. He’d spent most of his afternoon avoiding Wilder’s evil glares as it was. It would be harder directly across the table from them all.
And if Wynter and Warden had learned what had happened, he’d never hear the end of it.
He followed Jamie inside and lowered his briefcase as soon as he was inside. It was silent within—almost as silent as the snow falling outside. He looked around the darkened interior—only a few shafts of low light came in through the shuttered windows. The house was an empty shell. It had once held so much promise, but now… now it was a reminder of all his failures.
Once Jamie had ascended, Rohan climbed the carpeted stairs, the thick padding muffling his steps and adding to the disquiet of the place.
He entered their bedroom…
And noticed something was off.
Glancing around the room, he realized Jamie’s belongings were… gone. Pain slammed into him as he searched the room. Tugging drawer after drawer… all in vain. They were all empty.
He stalked over to Jamie’s closet and flung open the door.
Empty.
Rohan swallowed past the lump in his throat. His knees weakened before he leaned against the doorframe to catch his breath. Rage flew into him… and he wanted to race through the house and scream his head off.
He wanted to roar against the dying of their love.
He wanted things to be like they’d once been, long before chemo and surrogates and emptiness. Once he was sure he had better control of his emotions, he exited the room and stood in the dark hallway. He listened for sounds and then followed it toward one of the guest bedrooms. When he walked in, he saw Jamie buttoning a long tunic.
One the same shade as his eyes.
Rohan looked about the bedroom—decked out with Jamie’s things.
“Don’t you think we should’ve discussed this?” he asked, desperately attempting to control the tenor of his voice. He didn’t want to argue. Nor did he want Jamie to know just how much he’d been hurt.
Jamie’s head whipped up. He lifted his chin and looked completely unaffected… if not for the slight wobble of his chin. “You said you’d give me the space I need.”
His hands fisted at his sides as he roared. “This isn’t what I meant!”
Jamie’s eyes widened, and he stepped back, looking afraid.
The anger leeched from him with that look. He’d never harmed his omega… never would. Jamie had to know that. Didn’t he?
Jamie cocked his head to the side and smiled faintly. “This is what I need. You said you would give me what I need. Please… tell me you meant it.”
Rohan stood there, unsure of what to say. He had promised that, but he’d never imagined his omega would resort to moving out of their bedroom.
More distance.
The ache inside was almost too much for him to bear.
“Now go get freshened up. We should already be on the way.”
“Should I even bother going?” Rohan spat. A hurt look crossed Jamie’s face, and he felt both joy and shame in it. He himself was in pain. He shouldn’t stoop so low as to cause it, too. They both deserved better than that, but it was hard not to lash out when he felt powerless to stop the madness.
“I already told them you were coming, but I suppose I can make up some excuse as to why you’re not there.”
Rohan was torn in two. He didn’t want to go and play the doting husband when he wasn’t allowed to be one in reality. Yet the thought of forcing Jamie to face a night alone with his parents didn’t sit well, either. The farce, it is.
“Give me a moment… I’ll be ready to go shortly.”
He spun and headed for his bedroom. Once inside, he hated how hollow and empty it felt. All the life had been sucked from it. Rohan sat on the edge of the bed, hands on his knees, and fought the tears that threatened to come.
He felt completely lost.
And he had no idea how to get them back to the way things were.
* * * *
A secret withheld…
Tell him.
Jamie turned his gaze from the passenger window to stare at Rohan’s profile. Even in the near dark, his alpha was handsome. Square chin… firm lips… strong jaw. A smile came to his lips as he remembered the first time he’d seen Rohan. Across the huge ballroom, he’d spied his mate a good head and shoulders over the other alphas in attendance.
Rohan hadn’t looked like he wanted to be there. His stare had scanned the place, as if he was searching for a way out. Jamie had gotten an image of a captive panther in his mind, pacing along the bars, back and forth. How Rohan had projected that kind of caged torment, he still wasn’t sure, but he’d sensed it all the same.
When their gazes had met, Rohan had visibly relaxed.
For a few seconds.
And then there had been a ruthless look that had come to the alpha’s eyes that had both scared and excited him to no end. Breathless, he’d stood frozen as his panther had stalked across the ballroom and held out his hand.
The minute they touched, Jamie had known. This was his mate. The man he’d die loving.
He looked back out the window, icy patterns spread across the window, barely lit by the moon and stars. Sadness made him breathless again. How can I tell him?
Jamie had left the doctor’s office that afternoon, shaken to his core. The news hadn’t truly cemented in his mind—not yet. Saying it out loud… telling his alpha… would make it real. He wanted to live a little while longer in limbo. But then, if he wasn’t quite dying, he wasn’t quite alive, either.
He lifted his hand and carefully wiped away the tear that had spilled over his lid and drew in a shuddering breath.
No… he couldn’t tell Rohan. Not yet. Not when all his plans weren’t quite in place.
Soon after their silent car ride was over, they sat at Jamie’s parents’ table—side by side—yet miles apart.
Crystal goblets were filled with wine, the overhead chandelier giving the large dining room an amber glow. Fine silver and china graced the table. His parents’ butler and manservant served dinner, as usual. The cook would likely make an appearance before the end of the night, too.
From the outside, everything looked perfect and elegant.
Elegant, perhaps, but nothing there was perfect, no matter how hard his papa tried to force flawlessness into submission.
Across the table, Jamie saw pure rage in Wilder’s eyes. His brother remained silent, but Jamie worried it wouldn’t last through the night. It was mostly directed at Rohan, of course. Jamie’s denials at lunch had apparently been ignored.
I’m not in the mood for this fight again.
His papa seemed quite interested in what was going on, but hadn’t yet been able to ferret anything out with his probing questions. Much to his chagrin. Jamie could almost feel his papa’s irritation coming from one end of the table. Father was across from papa, oblivious as he always seemed at home. If it wasn’t about business, sporting, or bourbon, it might as well not exist.
Vaughn was even uncharacteristically quiet. He’d barely said two words to anyone and hadn’t fought with his favorite sparring partner—papa. Usually the two of them tossed barb after barb at one another, seeing who could land the best blows, but not that evening. Jamie cast a look down the table at his youngest brother, seeking something.
He wasn’t sure what.
Vaughn knew their secret. Perhaps Jamie wanted one of his brothers to understand his choice—since it was apparent he wouldn’t get that approval from Wilder. He cast his glance back to Wilder, only to get a narrowed glare before the alpha looked away.
Oh what he wouldn’t have given to have been seated at Gray’s kitchen table, sipping tea and sharing secrets. It was one of the only places he felt peace anymore. There were no expectations there. No drama. No demands.
Just friendship.
With his and Rohan’s tensions and the lifelong familial drama he’d endured, nowhere else was safe for him any longer.
Especially now.
Papa lifted his wine goblet to his lips and spied Jamie over the rim. As he was placing it back on the table, he lifted his regal chin and stared down his elegant nose. “Enough with whatever this is… Talk!”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Jamie answered, forcing a forkful of venison into his mouth. He chewed it, not wanting to eat at all, but it gave him time for precious silence.
Papa looked to Wilder. “What’s going on between you and your brother? I can see there’s something.”
Wilder looked between Jamie and Rohan, anger sparking in his eyes. He then glanced down at the table at papa. “Nothing. As Jamie said.”
“Lies,” Papa said before taking another drink and glancing at Vaughn. “Do you know?”
“What’s it worth to you?” Vaughn asked.
“Vaughn,” Rohan growled under his breath.
Papa leaned forward, smiling. “So you do know. Tell me.”
“You don’t think I’d give it up that easily, do you?” Vaughn asked, smiling wickedly before winking at their papa.
Papa sighed. “I demand to know what’s going on!”
“It’s none of your business,” Jamie spat.
Instantly, his eyes grew almost as wide as papa’s. While he often disagreed with his papa, he tried to remain civil. Apparently, his desire for civility was gone.
“None… of my business?” He looked between them before eyeing Vaughn. “I’ll give you a free pass on the next idiotic thing you do and not reprimand you for it—if you tell me what’s going on here.”
Vaughn sat back, one brow rising. “No matter how badly I behave?”
Jamie glared at Vaughn, who only shrugged. “He’s going to find out eventually. I might as well get something out of it.” He turned to their papa. “Rohan marked their surrogate. They apparently did things the old-fashioned way.”
Papa gasped.
His father looked up from his plate, finally deciding to join the gathering. “He did what?”
The entire table glared at Rohan.
Jamie could sense his alpha tensing beside him. It was time to help let him off the hook. Not that it worked well the last time. “I insisted it be done that way. It was my choice. Not his.”
“Why ever for?” Papa demanded.
“For many reasons…” He was about to run down the same list he’d used on Rohan and Gray but thought better of it. He was tired of fighting to have his voice heard. It’s not like they’d listen either way. “You know what? I don’t owe anyone at this table an explanation,” Jamie said before turning to glance at Rohan. His alpha sat there, eyes closed and jaw tense. “What happens between me and my alpha is no one’s business. It was done. And now we have a babe on the way. Already Gray grows swollen with Rohan’s baby.”
“Our baby,” Rohan murmured lowly beside him.
Jamie eyed his alpha, an ache coming to his chest.
“But it’s not his, now is it?” Papa said. “It’s your child with another omega. Now you’ll bring this child into our home and expect us to treat it as if it was your own? It will never be a Jaymes. Never.”
“Can you not just be happy for me once in your life?” Jamie asked his papa.
“Is it not bad enough that you’ve shamed this family by being barren? Now you let your alpha have his way with another omega—marking this other man? If word gets out, do you know how the gossip mill will churn?” Papa asked. “Could you not think of the family?”
“Just how did he already shame this family? By getting sick? By nearly dying?” Rohan demanded, viciousness in his tone. “My gods—just how terrible of a person are you?”
“You don’t speak to me like that, Rohan,” his papa snarled.
“Shut up!” Jamie screamed, rising to his feet. “I have exhausted myself trying to win your favor and your love—but I give up. Nothing I will ever do will be good enough for you. So, I no longer care. I don’t care if you don’t love me or never approve of me. Nor do I care to lay eyes on you ever again.”
I’m dying.
The words were on the tip of his tongue… and he wondered if they would hurt his parents at all. Likely not.
They would only hurt the people he least wanted to hurt—Rohan and Wilder.
His parents? Vaughn? They wouldn’t care.
He was an omega. Worthless in their eyes.
Maybe a little part of him had also hoped, for once, he’d find the love and support he should’ve had all along.
It would never be.
Never.
He spun and headed for the door. Jamie sensed Rohan following.
But as he hit the foyer, the world went sideways. For a moment, he felt weightless. Crashing to the marbled tiles, his vision went blurry. Darkness hit him seconds after he heard Rohan’s muffled, desperate cry echoing around him.
* * * *
A deadly truth…
Rohan sat beside Jamie’s hospital bed, reeling. A quick trip to the ER had suddenly become an admission. No one had given him any information as to why. Nurses had come, taking vials and vials of blood. They’d set up machines, listening to his heart, his lungs… the gods knew what else. Jamie had slept through it all. Whispered voices and the slow, steady pulse of Jamie’s heartbeat being monitored filtered in around him as he awaited news.
The curtain drew back, and a familiar face appeared.
Jamie’s oncologist, Dr. Ford.
Rohan rose to his feet, frowning. “No offense, but I had hoped to never see you again.”
Dr. Ford smiled wanly. “Not the first time I’ve heard that. Sadly, not the first time I’ve had to reappear, either.”
A niggle of worry raced up Rohan’s spine. “Why are you here?”
“I got a call from the attending. There are alerts on Jamie’s medical file for me to be notified. I came right away.”
Oh gods. No. “Why would they call you?” he demanded, knowing the answer and not truly wanting to hear the explanation.
Dr. Ford paused, his mouth opening for a moment before he closed it and appeared to rethink his words. “He hasn’t told you yet, I take it?”
Rohan stared at the doctor, frowning. Panic slammed into him. His heart thundered in his chest. Tears burned at the backs of his eyes. “Told me? Told me what?”
The doctor sighed. “I told him at our appointment this afternoon that it was well past time to get you involved.”
“Involved in…?”
“Against my better judgment, I didn’t demand he bring you to his appointments. Jamie made me promise not to discuss things with you or anyone else in the family. Not until we were sure.” The doctor paused before continuing in a lower voice. “Today we became sure.”
The room began to waver back and forth a little in Rohan’s vision. “What didn’t you tell me?”
The doctor was silent another moment. The beeping of the machines was the only sound he heard against the rush of blood in his ears.
“Jamie’s cancer has returned.”
Rohan stood there for a moment, sure he hadn’t heard those words. He had to be dreaming. A nightmare. Jamie had battled and won this fight. They had their second chance. A baby on the way…
New life…
It couldn’t be real. He looked down at the bed and saw Jamie’s pale skin nearly as white as the sheets. His omega looked gaunt… weak. Had he missed the signs all along?
Wake up, godsdamn it! Wake up!
His knees went weak, and he fell back into the chair he’d just abandoned. “He just went into remission. He’s only had a few months.”
Dr. Ford frowned. “Yes, but it’s back… with a ferocity I’ve rarely seen.”
Rohan glanced back to the bed, and looked at the small, sleeping form there. How fragile Jamie looked. “No.”
“After his last round of chemo, we’d shrunk his tumor—to a point where we were sure he was no longer in any danger. We’d hoped for a longer lasting remission—but this type of disease—it’s rarely for very long. Jamie was aware of that. He hasn’t been feeling well as of late, so he came in for a visit a few weeks ago. We found his cancer had returned… and metastasized. It’s spread to almost his entire body.”
“So what do we do now?”
“I gave Jamie his options. More chemo. More radiation. There are even a couple of experimental treatments out there he might be able to get into—but the chances are slim any of it would work, especially as formidable as it seems to be this time around. We would likely only be prolonging the inevitable.”
Rohan’s head whipped to face the doctor. “So you’re just giving up? Letting him die?”
Dr. Ford shook his head slowly. “Jamie has declined treatment. He says he’s done fighting. I can’t force him.”
Rohan clenched Jamie’s bed linens in his hands, as he tried to calm his raging heart. Without looking at the doctor, he spoke lowly—with a thread of violence in his tone. “And why did you not contact me sooner?”
“Jamie’s my patient. Not you. I have to follow his wishes… even if my heart and mind tell me to do otherwise.”
Rohan shook his head, his mind spinning. They’d been living a lie. Building for a future that would never come.
The baby…
Why had Jamie done this?
How had any of them let this happen? “You signed off on the surrogacy… you said he had a clean bill of health. It was the only reason the solicitor allowed it to happen, he said.”
“In that moment, we thought he was in the clear and hoped he would have at least a few years ahead of him. We were wrong, it seems.” The doctor cleared his throat. “I suggested the surrogacy might not be the best idea. But he said he wanted to give you this gift. He was so adamant he wanted this baby for you. I couldn’t deflect his focus.”
A gift?
Now it all felt like a nightmare. How was he supposed to raise a child alone… without Jamie?
How would he survive a world without Jamie?
“How long has he known?”
“He’s known for a few weeks, though he didn’t know just how bad it was until the test results we got today.”
Rohan winced. How many appointments had Jamie sat through all alone? One word, and he would’ve been there, at his omega’s side, helping to shoulder the burden.
He stared at the doctor, his mouth dropping open. Tears burned the backs of his eyes. “No. This is some cruel joke… tell me this is some cruel joke!” He jumped up and walked closer to the doctor, grabbing the lapels of the white lab coat and dragging the man closer. “Tell me!”
“I wish I could,” the wide-eyed doctor said, shrinking back from Rohan.
He let out an angry roar seconds before several orderlies rushed in and dragged him—kicking and screaming—from Dr. Ford.
Rohan felt a prick of pain moments later… and the world went fuzzy around him.
They dropped him into a chair beside his sleeping omega. He lowered his head to the mattress and closed his eyes before the world went black.
* * * *
Awakening…
Jamie brushed Rohan’s fine, chestnut hair, the softness of the threads like silk against his fingers. His alpha slept at his bedside, Rohan’s big body overwhelming the small room. He hated the thought of Rohan awakening—of the anger and sadness that would likely come with it. Jamie wasn’t sure how much his mate now knew, of course, but he sensed his secret might be out.
Until Rohan opened his eyes, Jamie could remain in that fantasy world…
A place where they were still happy. Where they still had a chance. Love. Children. Family. Tomorrows.
He wouldn’t remain in that fantasy world long. Rohan began to stir under his hand and soon, those vibrant eyes awoke and pinned him with a stare. At first, the alpha looked around, as if he didn’t recall where he was or what had happened. Jamie knew the split second it all came rushing back. He could see the overwhelming sadness shining in Rohan’s eyes.
“How could you not tell me?” were the first words from Rohan’s lips.
The look of pain on Rohan’s face was almost too much for Jamie to bear.
“I did what I needed to do.”
“Again you’ve pushed me out. You lied to me… kept me in the dark… why?”
Jamie smiled wanly and took Rohan’s hand in his. “I didn’t lie. I wasn’t ready to tell you yet. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You didn’t want to hurt me? And I’m not hurting now?”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Jamie mumbled. “I just needed a little while longer… to not see the sadness I see in you now. I hate seeing you like this… I was only trying to spare you the pain, believe me.”
“Is this the reason you’ve been pushing me further and further away? Because if it is… I won’t have it.”
Jamie looked down at his lap. It wasn’t the only reason, but it was a part of it.
“Damn it, Jamie… we’re mates. Through sickness and in health. I vowed to stand at your side for the rest of our lives, and I meant it. I love you. I deserved to know.”
Jamie had once thought the old, ancient wedding vows Rohan had wanted to include sentimental and sweet. Now, he saw them as a yoke around his alpha’s neck. “I won’t drag you to the grave with me. You need to go on and learn to live without me.”
“Because you’ve already given up!” Rohan blasted.
Jamie looked away.
“That’s right. Dr. Ford told me you’ve refused treatment. How could you?”
“I don’t want the last weeks of my life spent sick from the poisons they’d shoot inside my body. I just want peace. I want the pain to be over.”
“Instead of standing up and fighting, you gave up. I’ve never known you to give up on anything.”
“I’ve never given up on you,” Jamie cried. “I’ve spent every waking moment trying to save you from this pain.”
“What do you mean?”
“I needed to give you a reason to live.”
Rohan’s eyes widened, and his breath hitched. He sat back, silent for a moment—disbelief etched on his face. “What… what are you saying?”
“After one mate dies… the other is often not long behind. Even in mates as young as we are, I’ve heard of alphas lost without their omegas and dying months later of a broken heart. I needed to give you a reason to live on without me. Something to fill your heart… once I was gone.”
Rohan’s mouth dropped open. He was silent, his face etched in turmoil. His chin wobbled, and his eyes shone with tears.
“Now you have a child… and an omega… who needs you,” Jamie whispered.
Rohan’s gaze met his. “So this was your plan all along, hmm? To go out and find yourself a replacement? As if the love I feel for you is a switch that can be turned off and then back on with someone else.” He laughed mirthlessly. “Guess what? It can’t. I will go on loving you until the day I die… not the day you do.”
“You have to let me go,” Jamie whispered, hot tears sliding down his cheeks.
“You might be willing to give up. I’m not.”
“I didn’t give up.” Jamie sighed. “The cancer is all over, Rohan. Further treatment might give me another few months, at the very most—but I would spend them sick and in torment. In hell. I’ve already spent so many months tortured, and I don’t want to leave like that. I wanted to go out on my own terms. And I wanted to find a way to save you in the process.”
Tears openly fell from Rohan’s eyes. “By pushing the one person who loves you the most away. Pushing him into the arms of another man?”
Jamie brought Rohan’s hand to his lips and laid a gentle kiss there. “I want you to find a new path… a new love… a new life… that doesn’t include me. Pushing you away would make it hurt less in the end.”
“You’re mad,” Rohan whispered.
“I’m not. I can see with a clarity I’ve never had in my life.” He smiled. “Knowing the end is near… it puts a lot of things into perspective. I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m protecting the alpha I love.”
“By keeping me in the dark.” Rohan turned his hand to cup Jamie’s cheek. “I could have lent you my strength. If only I’d known… I could’ve helped make these past weeks better. I love you so very much, Jamie… but I hate that you did this. I hate what you have robbed me of.”
“I needed to push you away… you have another omega now. One who will need you much more than I do.”
“No,” Rohan said.
“I sense your bond with him.”
Rohan roared in anger. “No!” He scrubbed his face with both hands before looking at Jamie. “A bond you’ve forced every step of the way. You created this situation… we are but pawns to you. Stop it. Stop it now.”
“I can’t. I need to know you will live on. I need you to make me a promise,” Jamie cried. “After I’m gone… I want you to claim Gray as your own.”
Rohan shook his head fiercely. “No.”
“I did all of this… so I would know you had something to hold on to after I’m gone. I can’t leave this world unless I know you’ll survive. Don’t make my sacrifices be all in vain,” Jamie said as convincingly as he could.
“Then don’t leave this world. Fight!”
“It’s too late to fight,” Jamie whispered. “I’m dying, Rohan. It’s just a matter of weeks now.”
“No! There has to be something that can be done!” Rohan jumped from the chair and stalked toward the door. “Nurse? I need to see the doctor. Now.”
“He won’t give you a different answer than he already gave me,” Jamie said, feeling weaker by the minute.
“Then we find another doctor. One with a different point of view. We go to another province… another continent if we have to!”
“And you’ll waste the last days I have searching for an answer you won’t find?”
Rohan spun to face him, silent.
The quiet of the room nearly broke him. Jamie drew in a breath, his chest aching. “The doctor is looking into a care facility for me. It will have round the clock nursing staff to care for me in my final weeks. After I go… I want you to claim Gray as your mate and build the family our house was made for.”
Rohan’s eyes shimmered with fresh, unfallen tears. “A care facility? I’m taking you home.”
“I don’t want your last memories of me to be on my deathbed.”
“We are forever bound in life.”
“We can’t be bound in death, too,” Jamie whispered.
Rohan stared across the room, looking as empty and defeated as Jamie did—seconds before Wilder appeared in the door.
It was then that Jamie broke.
The tears came, and he couldn’t stop crying. When he looked up, he saw Wilder’s tears and it only made his come all the harder.
The two big alphas crowded on either side of his bed, held him, and let him mourn the life he’d lose… and then he barely listened as Rohan recounted what the doctor has told them.
“Your brother thinks to go to a care facility and die alone,” Rohan said.
Wilder’s head spun to face him. “What?”
“Rohan needs to move on with his life. He has a child coming… and an omega who needs him.”
“And what are you? The trash to be thrown out?” Wilder asked. “Either you go home with your mate… or you come home with me. Your choice.”
“He comes home with me,” Rohan growled before catching Jamie’s stare. “Where he belongs.”
Wilder turned to Jamie, taking his hand. “Sounds like it’s all settled to me. Your alpha has put his foot down. Finally.”