Chapter Seven

Kolton woke with a start, immediately checking where he was, what he was wearing, and trying to gain clues on what was going on because he wasn’t in his own bed. He was in his mate’s house. He could still smell the traces of his mate on the cushion he’d apparently been sleeping on. Same house, same couch where he landed the night before. The collar box was still there next to him, still open, the collar still in the box and glowing softly in the morning light. Kolton frowned at it. That collar belongs on my neck, but for that to happen, he needed to be awake – check – and Simon needed to be with him. Where’s Simon?

Quickly scanning the room, Kolton couldn't see any sign of Simon anywhere. Doctor Simon Teeg . Kolton quite liked the sound of that. He liked the idea that his mate was an intelligent man. But yes, he was still in his mate’s house and while Simon wasn’t in the room for some reason, Consort Ali was standing in front of the couch.

Glaring at him. Oh shit.

The consort was dressed as he often was in his brightly colored black and purple kilt and a bright tank top that said, “Ruling the Underworld is my Superpower.” But the glare was a worry. Kolton had only just woken up. I can’t have done anything wrong already.

Kolton rolled off the couch and onto the floor with a thud, scrambling to his feet, almost falling over his shoes. He inclined his head in the respectful way a hound should act in front of his master’s consort. “Consort Ali. Is something wrong? Has something happened to our master? Why are you here in my mate’s house?”

“I'm here,” Ali said in a very loud and clear voice, tapping his booted foot on the rug. “I am here because that collar is still not around your neck, and while I appreciate that you found it and clearly you're in your mate’s house, what I'm failing to understand is why you’re still an unclaimed hellhound. Honestly, Kolton, do I need to give you some dating tips or something? What’s going on?”

“Shh, please shh,” Kolton said quickly. “Simon must still be asleep. He probably had a long day at work yesterday. I fell asleep. Oh, Hades’ garden. I think I might have fucked things up a bit. I was telling him, you know, I was telling him – Simon - about all the ways that the other hellhounds have mucked things up with their mates. But then he didn't seem upset, and he wasn't mad at me or anything. He was happy to see me. I'm sure he was happy to see me. He didn't kick me out, so he must have been happy, don’t you think? To see me, I mean. You know, because I just popped in and didn’t knock and…”

“Kolton, take a breath,” Consort Ali said firmly. “Take a breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. Now try again. You talked to Simon, is that right?”

“Yes, Consort.” That was one thing Kolton did remember. “I talked to Simon like you told me to do. I communicated with words the way you said I should.”

“And this Simon of yours was happy to see you?”

“He seemed happy to see me,” Kolton said, thinking about the night before. “He didn’t kick me out or tell me to leave. I think he was stroking my hair when I...”

“When you what, Kolton? Your box is still open, but your collar is still in it. Why isn’t that collar around your neck?”

Kolton had a horrible thought. “Is the box only open for a set period of time? Is there a time limit on claiming someone? Is the box going to disappear if the collar's not around my neck real soon? Is that what's gonna happen?”

“Geez, sometimes you hounds worry about the silliest of things. No, that's not what's going to happen. Hades gave the box to you to give to your mate. He’s hardly going to take it back because you’re slacking in the dating department.” Consort Ali laughed. “But what I don’t understand is why after you spoke to your mate, that you didn't just get down to the dick exchange part of the equation and let that man of yours claim you.”

Kolton's eyes shifted from one side to the other. He could hear a noise from upstairs, but he wasn't sure what it was. He assumed that Simon was probably waking up and he really wanted to get rid of Consort Ali before his mate came downstairs. “I fell asleep. All right? I know now it was the wrong thing to do, but I fell asleep. I didn't mean to, but I was just so tired, and I had that big run. And then with Warner’s death and everything else. It was a very emotional and a very trying day.

“And sometimes that can happen to hellhounds, when they just want to cuddle with their pack, and I didn’t have my pack, so I cuddled up on Simon's leg. He was so cozy to snuggle up to, and I was tired, so I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I really miss cuddling with my packmates, and Simon didn’t seem to mind. Maybe he likes cuddling, too, because I miss that. I really do.”

Consort Ali’s face dropped and then he looked really sad. “I’m sorry, Kolton. Hades explained to me why it is that you hellhounds can't live together in a pack on Earth. You’re just too powerful. You would be too threatening to other packs and covens and everything else, and honestly, it was for the best that you guys split up and learn to create lives of your own.”

“I've done that,” Kolton said. “I'm doing that. We all are. I have a life, and now I have a mate, and we will get around to the claiming side of things, probably today. I was tired. Surely that happens sometimes, and I haven't cuddled with anyone in the longest time. I'm sorry I didn't take care of my mate, but I will take care of my mate for every second from this moment on. I will do this. I promise I will do this. Last night was…last night. I’ll do better today.”

Consort Ali nodded. “That's totally fine. I understand. I was just worried that maybe something had happened to your mate, because that does happen sometimes when they know about their mates, but their mate doesn't acknowledge them and especially with shifters, sometimes that mate can get really sick if they’re not claimed in a timely manner. The Fates are very strict about things like that.”

“That can’t happen in this case,” Kolton said, thinking quickly. “For one thing, I'm fairly sure my mate’s not a shifter. I probably should know what he is, but I didn't really have much of a chance to ask last night, but I will ask him today,” he added quickly as Consort Ali frowned again.

“The thing is, if our mates are meant to be immortal – that’s what Lord Hades said was why Warner couldn't be my mate, because he was so ill. But we're immortal hellhounds. Lord Hades said our mates would be immortal too, so Simon wouldn't get sick, would he?” Kolton wasn’t sure if he needed to be worried or not.

“He wouldn't get sick in the normal sense, like Warner was, for example, ending up in hospital. But your mate could still get really uncomfortable with a form of mating sickness because you hadn't claimed him. Without knowing what type of creature he is or paranormal that he is, it's a little hard to say…”

Suddenly, there was a huge thumping sound coming down the stairs and a huge creature, at least seven foot tall, with a leathery hide in blacks and shades of gray and an ugly expression on his face, came storming down the stairs, his wings flaring out behind him, his fists clenched. He stormed over to the couch, standing between Kolton and Consort Ali, his fury directed at the consort.

“Who's interfering with my mate? Who dares to come into my house and worry my mate?”

“At least we know what Simon is now,” Consort Ali said brightly, facing the gargoyle with a smile. “Hi, Simon. I'm Consort Ali, the mate of Lord Hades, ruler of the Underworld. I don’t usually pop in somewhere unannounced, but me and Hades do care about his hellhounds, so I just came to see how your mating is coming along. Nice leather look you’ve got going on there.”

Kolton groaned, wanting to hide his head. When it came to protection, who was he meant to defend – his master’s mate or his own? I just know I’m going to fuck this up.