CHAPTER FIFTEEN: HUDSON

AS SOON as they were clear of the bathroom, Hudson turned to Connie. "I want to know where that little bastard is."

Connie glanced back at the bathroom, then motioned for Hudson to follow him. "I don't think Kit can hear us over the roar of the jetted tub, but let's not take any chances."

"Right." Once they were a suitable distance away, Hudson stopped.

Connie stood next to him. "We gathered information on Don as soon as we knew he was Kit's ex-boyfriend and a hunter. He's disappeared, Hudson. We probably have Lennox to thank for that."

"No doubt."

"But I managed to get the license plate, and I'll have Torres run it."

"Good."

"Let's hope he didn't swap out license plates."

Hudson groaned. He hadn't thought of that. "He most likely did. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he abandoned the vehicle on the interstate."

"Especially if he knows Kit saw him."

"Dammit." It was as if the little punk had disappeared into thin air. They couldn't find any trace of him or Lennox, and every paranormal leader in San DeLain was actively looking. It had almost become a competition of sorts.

"Should I send out a mass email to the other leaders, letting them know what we saw?" Connie asked.

Hudson sat down on the edge of the bed. For several moments he stared at the pillow Kit had rested his head on during Connie's massage as he thought about his answer. "Yes. But include that we're not sure it was indeed Don."

Connie took out his phone and started typing. "I'll try to get that sent out this afternoon. I don't have everything I need on my cell. Can it wait that long? I'd like to stay here and keep an eye on Kit."

Hudson jerked in surprise. "Of course it can wait. I wouldn't send you away from our mate right now."

Connie sat down next to Hudson. "Thank you for that. I'd go if you insisted, of course. This is important."

Hudson wrapped his arm around Connie's waist and pulled him closer. He kissed him on the cheek. Now what kind of mate would he be if he did that? "It is important, but our mate is more important. Besides, your dragon wouldn't be happy if I sent you away from our mate while he's injured."

Connie shook his head. "No, no, he wouldn't be. Hudson, what if I hadn't gotten onto the shoulder? What if one of those big rigs plowed into us? Kit could have died."

"I know, sweetheart. I know. Believe me, it terrifies me as much as it does you." In fact, Connie wasn't the only one whose dragon was unhappy.

The ornery creature didn't understand why they weren't pouring their blood down Kit's throat right this very second. The human side of Hudson actually agreed, but this wasn't the Middle Ages any longer.

Consent was a thing. Actions had consequences. He reminded his dragon that having their mate hate them would not be conducive to a loving relationship.

"Your dragon isn't happy, is he?"

"No."

"I want to shift. Badly."

Concerned, Hudson stared into Connie's face. "Do you have control?"

"Yes. I just want to shift."

Hudson completely understood because he felt the same. "Tonight. Let's let Kit rest for a couple hours, then maybe grab him a snack when he gets up. Then later we can take Kit with us out back and shift. He hasn't seen me in dragon form yet."

"That sounds great. Maybe we can talk him into riding one of us," Connie said. "And I can't believe I just said that. I never thought I'd allow somebody to ride me like a steed."

"I know. I feel the same. But I love the idea of having Kit on my back."

"But will Kit? That's the question."

"I think we'll have to ease into it. We are rather intimidating. Maybe we should start off having him sit on our back while we're on the ground," Hudson mused. "Technically, he'd still be on the ground. Well, he'd be on us, but we'd be on the ground."

"Make sure you use that logic on him." Connie snickered. Then he got serious. "Lennox needs to die."

"I completely agree. The hunters do too." But Hudson couldn't kill them if they couldn't find them, and so far, they hadn't been able to unearth what rock they were hiding under. "I have a question."

"What?"

"We know some hunters were experimented on. Remember Tammy?"

"I do, yes. What are you thinking?"

"I'm wondering if Don was one of the hunters whose DNA was mutated with a shifter's. If it was a vampire's DNA, he wouldn't be out in the middle of the day," Hudson said.

"And since Kit is human, he wouldn't be able to pick up the scent of a mutated human."

"When he takes our blood, though, he will. His sense of smell will improve to where he can pick that up. Which is yet another reason he needs to do it."

"I know, Hudson, but we can't force it on him. As much as we may want to. Just keep reminding your dragon of that. That's what I'm doing."

"I know. I am." Hudson's dragon rumbled in his head. He hugged Connie, just enjoying having his mate close to him.

After a few moments, they heard the jetted tub turn off. Kit came into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. His skin was flushed, and he looked sleepy-eyed.

Kit turned on the ceiling fan, dropped the towel, and plopped down on the bed next to them. "I'm hot."

Hudson admired all that flushed skin, even as he reminded himself Kit most likely was not in the mood. Dammit. He'd put his underwear back on too. "How do you feel?"

"Better. But now I'm sleepy."

"That's not surprising," Connie said. "Once you cool off, do you want to take a nap?"

Kit stretched, then yawned. "Yeah. I can't sleep this hot."

Hudson started to make a joke about turning the air conditioner up so Kit could cool off quicker, but he noticed Kit's eyes were closed. His young mate was already drifting off to sleep. He must really be exhausted, since he said he couldn't sleep when he was too warm.

Kit's breath evened out. A couple of minutes later, he shivered. Connie stood and walked into their living area and returned with a throw. Gently, he covered Kit with it.

Hudson eased off the bed and followed Connie back into their living area. "Why don't I go get my laptop from my office, and we'll work in here?"

Connie nodded enthusiastically. "That works. I'll go get mine too. I really don't want to be too far from him."

"Then I'll meet you back here." Hudson rubbed his hand up and down Connie's back, then followed him out of the living area.

A FEW hours later, Hudson noticed Kit was waking up. He heard Kit sit up in the bed, groan, then get up. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he heard Kit get back into the bed.

Connie set his laptop down and stood. Together, they walked into the bedroom.

"I feel like I've been run over by a truck." Kit sat against the headboard. He'd stuffed a couple of pillows behind his back for comfort and had the throw over his legs. Apparently, he'd also turned off the ceiling fan.

"Well, technically, you got rear-ended by one. Close enough." Hudson sat on the edge of the bed. "The soreness is worse, I take it?"

Kit nodded. "Yeah."

Connie sat down next to Hudson. "But are you hurting anywhere? Your neck? Your back?"

Kit turned his head this way and that, then rolled his shoulders. "Luckily, no."

"That's good," Connie said. "But maybe we should still call in a doctor to have a look at you. No one in our court is a medical doctor, but there are paranormals who treat humans."

Hudson immediately thought of Dr. Sanchez. He was a daemon and part of Kage's clan, and he treated the occasional human. Hudson was sure he would treat Kit if asked.

"I don't think that's necessary, but if I get to feeling worse, I'll say something."

Hudson really hadn't paid much attention to the fact that none of his dragons had pursued a medical degree, because, quite frankly, dragons didn't need doctors.

Now he reassessed that since he had a human mate. In fact, the next time he talked to Kage, he intended to bring the subject up. Kage was in the same boat as Hudson and Connie—mated to a human they couldn't change.

"Promise?" Connie asked.

The question dragged Hudson back into the conversation.

Kit nodded. "Of course. I'm not fond of doctors but also don't want to end up with long-term problems from not seeing one. So, I'll say something."

"Okay then. Are you hungry?"

Kit rubbed his stomach. "You know, I actually am. What time is it?"

"A little after six in the evening," Hudson said, checking his watch. "You slept for a couple of hours."

"Great. I'm probably not going to sleep tonight."

"Come on, let's go get a snack." Connie patted Kit on the leg, then got up. "I'm sure we can find something to tide you over till dinner."

Hudson also got up.

Kit tossed back the throw, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and eased to his feet. Hudson hovered close by, just in case Kit discovered he was sorer than he thought.

Kit slowly crossed the bedroom. "I'm okay, you two. I'm not about to collapse on the floor, so quit hovering, Hudson. And yes, I know what you're doing."

Connie snickered.

What was it the younger dragons said? Oh yeah. He was so busted. But he didn't care. If Kit went down, Hudson was determined to be there to catch him. Was he being overprotective? Most likely. Did he care? Absolutely not.

Kit strode confidently toward the walk-in closet, then stopped. Glancing down, he sighed. "My clothes are in my room. Of course."

"I think I have a robe you can borrow," Hudson said, following Kit toward the closet. "Come on."

"Thanks. My room isn't that far, but I don't particularly want to be wandering the halls in just my underwear."

Hudson didn't particularly want him walking around in his underwear, either. Well, outside his quarters, that was. Normally dragons didn't have a problem with nudity, much like shifters didn't, but the thought of someone in his court seeing his mate practically naked bothered him.

He was shocked to realize that applied to Connie too, who absolutely was a dragon. Possessive much? Hudson thought at his dragon.

His dragon snorted at him. Loudly. Several times, in fact. Amused, Hudson shook his head. There was a thing that horses did called a dragon snort.

Little did humans know there was actually such a thing, but dragons didn't do it because they were nervous or uncomfortable. No, the sound his dragon just made was absolutely sardonic.

Hudson loaned Kit his robe. Privately, he admitted it thrilled him to see his mate wrapped in the black silk. Okay, maybe he wasn't as subtle as he thought when Kit smirked at him as he passed by.

Connie wasn't concerned about being subtle. He whistled when Kit walked out.

"Thank you," Kit said, nodding his head regally as he walked to the living area. "Compliments are always welcome. Okay, I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

As soon as Kit left, Connie hip-checked Hudson. "You enjoyed seeing him in your clothes."

"I absolutely did." In them and out of them.

Connie squeezed Hudson's shoulder. "I really think he's okay."

"I know, but I can't help but worry."

"Believe me, I know. Let me save what I was working on, then we'll go feed our mate." Turning away, Connie went to his laptop and sat down.

Hudson tried to bury his worries as he also saved the document he was working on.

"YOU WANT me to do what now?"

They'd had a snack and retired to Hudson's quarters. Hudson tried not to laugh but failed miserably. The look on Kit's face was a cross between horrified and excited.

So… horrified excitement?

Which fit, actually. Dragons were not small creatures to begin with, and Hudson was bigger to boot, since he was a royal. Even with Hudson lying down, Kit would still be high up.

"Sit on me."

Connie chuckled.

Hudson shot him a look. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Hey, I'm not the one who said anything. You were. So, it seems to me you were already in the gutter. I just joined you."

"Semantics."

"If I could interrupt for a moment, can we get back to me sitting on top of a damn dragon? A dragon," Kit stressed.

Hudson's lips twitched. "I'm aware of what a dragon is."

Kit spluttered. "Now you're just being silly."

Hudson tucked a strand of hair behind Kit's ear. "But it made you laugh."

And what a day it had been. They all needed a laugh. It was late evening, and the sun had started its slow descent into the horizon.

"Okay, yes, it did. And I won't lie. It is kind of exciting. But didn't you say you're even bigger than Connie?" Kit asked.

"I am, yes."

"If I think I'm sore now, I really will be if I fall off you." Kit bit his lip as he stared at Hudson.

"You're not going to fall," Connie said. "Hudson will extend his wing, which you'll use to climb up to his shoulders. That'll put you on his back."

"I don't know. What if I slip? If he's really that big, I could seriously hurt myself."

"What if Connie climbs up with you?"

Connie's gaze jerked to Hudson. "What? Are you serious?"

Hudson actually was surprised, but his dragon was more than okay with Connie helping Kit to mount him. Yes, yes, he realized what he said, and no, he wasn't sharing that out loud. He'd never get Connie to shut up.

"My dragon is perfectly okay with it. We can sense Kit's unease, and if having you help him makes Kit more comfortable? Then my dragon and I are fine with that. Besides, soul bond between us or not, you are my mate too."

The emotion that crossed Connie's face was there and gone in the blink of an eye, but Hudson still saw it. That bothered Connie as much as it bothered Hudson. He'd never understand what Gaura was thinking.

Nevertheless, he shook the emotion off. Now was not the time. "Um, sweetheart?"

"What?"

"I thought you wanted to shift too?"

"Oh, you do?" Kit turned toward Connie. "Why didn't you say so?"

"Because if you're afraid to do this, I can help you not be," Connie said.

"But then you don't get to shift." Kit shook his head. "That's not okay. Let's do this, then. Help me get up there and stay with me until I get used to it. Then afterward you can get down and go shift."

"Are you sure?" Connie asked.

"I'm positive. I don't want you to miss out on something I'm guessing you need to do just because I'm uncomfortable." Kit pinned Hudson with a look. "You promise you won't move once I get up there?"

"I won't even twitch," Hudson promised. "But if you're this uncomfortable, we don't have to do it."

"I want to. Besides, what human in their right mind wouldn't be a little scared? But I trust you, so let's do this."

Hudson was tempted to ask Kit again if he was sure, but he refused to. Kit had already said that he was, so he didn't need Hudson questioning him because Hudson was the one feeling a bit insecure. "Then let's go outside."