Chapter Nineteen

Kolton was excited to meet Elijah, but not for the reasons Simon was probably thinking. Yes, he wanted to give Simon the holiday the man so richly deserved, and Kolton was looking forward to being able to do that.

The whole idea of living his life with fewer responsibilities other than taking care of Simon and enjoying fun times visiting his pack mates while traveling the world was the sort of life Kolton never dreamed of doing alone. He never wanted his packmates to think he was needy, but traveling with a mate was what hellhounds were doing, so no one would read anything into it. If he could show Simon what it would be like to relax along the way, that would be an added bonus. So yes, he was keen for that.

But Kolton was still dwelling on what Simon had shared with him the night before – it was like a worrying burr under his skin, although he did his best to make sure Simon wasn’t picking up his feelings. When Simon said that Eilijah had known him “back then,” Kolton got a glimmering of an idea.

Simon’s story had been devoid of facts, but there were a few clues. The abuser was a dragon shifter. It could be assumed that Simon was living somewhere in Michigan at the time he was taken. It was logical to think that place would be a large city as it had a public library, a hospital, and a university. Those were clues but Kolton was starved for details. Elijah could be the key to finding his answers.

His opportunity came midway through the meal when Simon got up to use the bathroom. Elijah gave him a knowing look. The man was a friendly, confident, laid back lion shifter, just as Simon had described, and he had easily kept the conversation going over lunch. The look he gave Kolton now was one of resignation and just a hint of sadness.

“I think I know the question you're going to ask me. I can see the conflict in your eyes and can only guess that Simon has shared with you his greatest secret,” he said quietly. “But unfortunately, I doubt I have the answers that you as a mate so desperately feel you need.”

Kolton frowned. “Simon didn't tell you who did those things to him?” He whispered, knowing the shifter could hear him above the general chatter and noise in the restaurant.

Elijah shook his head. “No. I’m not sure what details my friend has shared with you but when Simon was found... Hell, the only reason he was found at all was because he was flapping around in his gargoyle form at a local park, disorientated and not sure where he actually was. The council offices got a sighting warning and had to investigate. Our plan was to apprehend him – he was in danger of revealing our secrets, and we jump down hard on that sort of thing. But our ideas quickly changed when we realized how badly hurt he was.”

Kolton fought to keep his growl in his chest instead of frightening his patrons.

“Fortunately, it was in the middle of the night when we got to him and very few people physically saw him, making the cover up for that case a lot easier, thank goodness. At the time, the main focus was getting Simon the help he needed to remove the magic that had been forced into his system and to give him the space to heal in safety. By the time he was ready to be questioned, he gave us the general area of where he had been held, but he adamantly refused to give us the name. He claimed that everything the man had told him was likely a lie, a cover for his misdeeds, so chasing ghosts wasn’t going to do anyone any good.”

“But this guy could have been apprehended,” Kolton hissed urgently. “He was a very real person and it's not as though he was immortal. He was a dragon shifter. They’re not easy to hide.”

“You know more than I do then,” Elijah said sitting back in his chair and reaching for his glass of wine. “Dragons are tricky though – being rare and usually well connected. It’s possible Simon didn’t say who he was because he was protecting his own future.”

That didn’t sit well with Kolton. “You work for the Paranormal Council. In my previous employment down under, the one thing I learned was that when people go down a particular path of behavior, they stick to it. They don’t commit random isolated incidents like Simon's case would have been. They have a pattern of behavior, and they keep doing what they’re doing, escalating that behavior until they’re finally caught. Surely there must have been other cases around, other situations or similar cases that you had seen or read or heard about that might give an indication on who this person was?”

Elijah thought for a moment and then said, “You have to understand the key thing we focused on when we first picked up Simon, which was when I first met him, was getting him the help and the healing that he needed. Most people, once they know they’re safe and they’re starting to feel better, will give us the details we need then to catch the person responsible. I have never known anybody hold on to their information as staunchly as Simon has done for these past ten years.

“And while I can totally understand your need for vengeance to help protect the man that you clearly care for, you might have accept that you probably won’t get the resolution you’re looking for.” Elijah leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table. “Do you think I didn't look? Do you think I didn't investigate, going back through hundreds of old cases spanning the past fifty years at the time, trying to see if there was any hint of any other similar case around? Simon became my good friend during that time, and I worked damn hard to find justice for him.”

Kolton knew Elijah was speaking his truth. There was a lot of passion hidden in that low tone.

“You said Simon told you the asshole was a dragon shifter. They are extremely rare – I’m talking probably a half a dozen of them worldwide if that - and our knowledge on any clans is spotty at best. He could have disappeared into any one of a dozen mountain ranges. He could’ve absconded through to Canada, Mexico, or flown off to Europe somewhere. We have no way of knowing. And because Simon wouldn't tell us who it was, there really wasn't anything else we could do.”

Kolton got the sinking feeling Elijah was right. It was a bit like how he felt with Lord Hades at times, knowing the person was right but wishing they weren’t.

“I have alerts set up within the Paranormal Council data system. If any other case remotely similar had come up in the past ten years, I would have jumped on it and tried to make a connection between that case and Simon's. But there has been nothing. There have been no other similar cases, no other victims that we’re aware of, who have lived long enough to tell us about it.”

That was a sobering thought. Kolton took a moment to compose himself. My mate is alive. He’s in the bathroom. I held him all last night. I know he’s okay.

“My friend.” Elijah leaned closer. “I hope I can call you a friend…”

Kolton’s nod was short.

“Then as your new friend, please take this one piece of advice from someone who was there back then. The reason my friendship with Simon endures is because we don’t talk about that time. Ever. Period. End of story. I remember he and I having a conversation back then – I wanted him to get counseling and he refused…”

“Simon said the man claimed to be a psychiatrist, or working in that field…?”

“Something else you know, and I didn’t, but that explains that sticking point for me, so thank you. But when I spoke to him about that, he told me from the moment he could walk again he was going to keep walking forward. You’re not going to do your mating any good at all, trying to tug him back into a past Simon has put well behind him. He’s locked the door on it, buried it so deep it’s in lava, and I don’t think it would do either one of you any favors to go digging it back up again. With you in his life my good friend has a chance of a happy future and the chance to have fun again, and that’s what you should be focusing on going forward.”

The urge to snarl was intense, but Kolton did understand what Elijah was telling him. If anything, Kolton took comfort from the fact that one day that asshole would find himself in his master’s court, and nothing escaped Lord Hades’ notice. In the meantime, Simon was now immortal, just like Kolton himself. It was up to him to make sure future years were going to be happy ones for his mate.

“Speaking of that future,” he said, showing his acceptance of Elijah’s advice with another nod. “How do you feel about working for me? I am in urgent need of a full-time manager for this establishment. I want to take Simon traveling, and I need someone I can trust. That’s you.”