Chapter Seven
Lamont watched Ewen’s chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. His mate’s face had finally relaxed, the pinched lines around his eyes smoothing out. Even in sleep, though, Ewen’s fingers clutched at the blanket like he feared it might disappear.
Like he fears I might disappear.
The thought twisted something sharp in Lamont’s gut.
From the day he’d arrived on Earth, he’d walked his path alone, never really lonely as such because he’d never known what he was missing.
But Ewen - Ewen had recognized him immediately.
He had felt the bond snap into place and then watched Lamont walk away.
No, not walk away. Stand there and do nothing while two men dragged him off.
I genuinely thought he was going willingly.
Lamont scrubbed his hand over his face. He’d been so focused on Lord Hades’s summons, on the urgency in his master’s voice, that he hadn’t questioned why every instinct screamed at him to follow that sweet-faced journalist. Hellhounds didn’t ignore their instincts.
It was what had kept them alive for millennia.
But he had. Because Lord Hades called, and no one with an ounce of sense ignored the ruler of the Underworld.
Lord Hades wouldn’t have separated mates.
Lamont knew that with absolute certainty.
The god was devoted to Ali - he would burn the world down for his chipmunk shifter mate and offer Consort Ali marshmallows on a stick to cook among the embers.
If Lamont had known, if he’d just said the words – “that’s my mate, my Lord” - everything would have been different.
Instead, Ewen spent ten days in hell. Literally starved and tortured, while mating sickness ate away at his fox.
Lamont’s hound rumbled unhappily in his chest, equally disturbed.
He shifted position, easing an ache in his hip, being careful not to jostle the bed.
Ewen didn’t stir, too deeply asleep after days of deprivation.
His black hair stuck up in damp spikes, and the bruising on his face had already started to fade.
His shifter healing was accelerating now that they were together.
Together. The word felt strange, foreign after so long.
Yes, Lamont had lived in a pack, but he was lucky if he saw any one of his packmates more than once or twice a year since he lived on Earth.
Now he had someone who was his. Someone he was responsible for protecting. Someone he’d already failed.
Fuck, when my packmates hear about this, they’re going to tear me a new one…or laugh at me.
His thoughts circled back to the investigation Ewen had been working on. Defense contracts, Louise had said. Shell companies and falsified documents. A story big enough that Ewen had used vacation time and paid his own way to Egypt to avoid The Times knowing where he was.
Had Ewen really come to Egypt just to get away?
That didn’t quite add up. Journalists didn’t travel halfway across the world on vacation when they were in the middle of breaking a major story.
They followed leads and chased sources to the detriment of everything else, including the basics like eating and sleeping.
Unless…
Unless Ewen had already been compromised. Perhaps he already knew he was being followed in New York and thought distance would buy him time.
Lamont frowned, wondering how long Ewen’s situation had been going on. Days? Weeks? Months?
His mind replayed the scene at the textile factory.
The shouting, the black fox scampering, using the last of his strength to get to him.
The woman in the business suit and her six guards – that hadn’t been a random collaboration.
Lamont had grabbed Ewen and run out the door before translocating, making sure they were out of sight before he did it.
But they’d still disappeared. The guards would have chased them outside, but they wouldn’t have found anything except empty sand and abandoned buildings.
That could raise some questions. The kind of questions that could attract the notice of beings like the shifter or the paranormal council. If the guards and their boss talked…
There are too many unknowns.
Lamont’s jaw clenched. He thought about contacting Coda again – ask him if he could scrub any satellite or security camera footage from the area.
Although, that could be overkill as well, and draw attention to a scene that was better left alone.
The area looked pretty deserted, and Lamont hadn’t seen any security equipment.
The guards and the woman, were too busy trying to catch a fox to pull out their phones and record anything.
Lamont’s face had been covered…the guards might not have even realized the fox and their captive were the same person…
It’s a pretty ludicrous idea if someone didn’t know about shifters and most people don’t.
Lamont’s shoulders relaxed. We could be all right.
Ewen shifted slightly, a small sound escaping his throat. Lamont immediately stilled, watching as his mate’s face scrunched up. He was probably having a bad dream. After what he’d been through, nightmares were inevitable.
“Shh,” Lamont murmured, letting his hand rest gently on Ewen’s shoulder through the blanket. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
Ewen settled again, and Lamont felt his hound stretch out inside him, maintaining a protective watch even as Lamont’s body relaxed slightly.
The hotel room’s air conditioning hummed. Outside, Cairo’s night sounds filtered through the window - distant traffic, and the occasional voices - normal sounds, safe sounds.
Lamont let his eyes drift shut, although his hound stayed alert. He’d take just rest for a few minutes. That was all he needed. Ewen was safe, they were together, and tomorrow they could figure out the mess Ewen had uncovered and…
Lamont. Lord Hades’s voice slammed into his mind like a thunderclap.
Lamont’s eyes snapped open. My Lord?
You will come to the Underworld. Now. The god’s tone carried an edge that made Lamont’s hound flatten its metaphorical ears.
Shit. I’m with my mate, my Lord. He’s been injured and…
Now, Lamont. I will not ask again.
Well, double shit, that wasn’t good.
Lamont looked down at Ewen, still deeply asleep, still clutching the blanket. He’d promised. He’d given Ewen a solemn promise that he wouldn’t leave. If Ewen woke up alone, after everything else… My mating would be over before it begins.
But he’d also vowed to respond when Lord Hades called. That was the bargain all hellhounds had made when they’d been given human form and released from their eternal guard duty.
Lamont carefully slid his arms under Ewen’s shoulders and knees, lifting his mate, blanket and all. Ewen mumbled something unintelligible but didn’t wake.
“Sorry, love,” Lamont whispered. “This is probably going to be uncomfortable when you wake up, but notice, I’m not leaving you behind.”
His hound surged forward, power gathering in his chest. The familiar tug of translocation pulled at his gut, and the hotel room dissolved.
The Underworld materialized around them - Lord Hades’s waiting room with its dark marble floors and eternally burning sconces.
The temperature dropped immediately, and while Lamont was used to it - evil souls were never meant to be comfortable - he adjusted his grip on Ewen, making sure the blanket covered him completely.
“You couldn’t come alone?” Lord Hades stood in the center of the room, arms crossed. Consort Ali perched on the arm of a nearby chair, looking considerably less intimidating in pajama pants and a T-shirt that read I’m not short, I’m fun-sized.
“I promised him I wouldn’t leave.” Lamont met Lord Hades’s gaze steadily. “He’s already been held captive for ten days, starved, and tortured. He has mating sickness. I wasn’t going to let him wake up alone.”
Something flickered in Lord Hades’s expression. His dark eyes dropped to Ewen’s sleeping face.
“Mating sickness.” Ali’s voice was softer. “Oh no. That’s bad.”
“It was bad.” Lamont shifted Ewen’s weight slightly. His mate was too light, even accounting for his slight build. “He’s getting better now, although we’ve only been together a few hours. He’s a silver fox shifter. He told me they don’t handle mate rejection well.”
“You rejected him?” Lord Hades’ eyebrows rose.
“Not intentionally. I didn’t know he was my mate when we first met.
” The words came out more defensively than Lamont intended.
“Ten days ago, at Pier888, I was walking out the door to find somewhere to translocate to Giorgio’s place, on your orders.
I met him just before we got to the door.
We talked briefly, and then two men dragged him away.
I couldn’t do anything for him although every instinct in my body demanded I follow him and make sure he was all right.
But I couldn’t because you told me to go to Tuscany.
So, I went to Tuscany. By the time I got back to Egypt, Ewen had disappeared and it’s taken me this long to track him down. ”
“Ah.” Lord Hades’s expression shifted to something that might have been sympathy. “And the accusations?”
“What accusations?” Had someone had a phone recording their disappearance after all?
“My brother Zeus is rather upset that Coda was pressured into using his satellite network to locate a mortal.”
Coda’s a darn snitch, although, Lamont reasoned, it was likely that Lord Zeus knew everything that went on in his domain, the same way Lord Hades kept tabs on everything in the Underworld. He sighed. “I’d run out of options. What else was I supposed to do?”
“You could’ve zapped me up some clothes before bringing me to meet a god, for a start.” Ewen’s voice was quiet, as if he was hoping only Lamont would hear, but of course, Lamont wasn’t that lucky.