“That was you being incredibly brave and defending me to a god.” Lamont’s voice was rough. “Thank you.”
Now Ewen’s cheeks were getting heated. “You saved my life. It seemed like the least I could do.” Ewen paused. “Also, immortality? Really?”
“Really.” Lamont finally lowered Ewen to the bed, letting him go, although he didn’t step away. “After you put the collar on me. Which we should probably discuss first.”
Ewen scratched his ear. “You have a box, which I assume you click your fingers and it will appear. I, because we are mates, will open it. We’ll ooh and aah over the pretty collar, and then you’ll shift… am I right so far?”
Lamont nodded and Ewen could see the excitement in his eyes.
“So, I meet your lovely hound, put the collar on him, and the first half of our claiming will be done. I can’t see what else we’ve got to talk about, do you?”
“Well, when you put it like that.” Lamont clicked his fingers, and a large velvet box appeared on the bed next to where Ewen was sitting. As Ewen reached for it, it started to glow.Yes!
Chapter Nine
Although Lamont had pretty much given up on his idea of ever finding his mate, on dark nights when he was alone, he used to imagine what claiming his mate would be like – back in the day before Raoul was the first to meet his mate, and that dream became a reality for other packmates one by one. In every dream he’d had, Lamont had taken his time. There would be dates - dinners at romantic restaurants, long walks where they’d share stories, maybe a weekend trip somewhere beautiful.
He’d always wanted to court his mate properly, the way someone who was going to be with him for eternity deserved. He wanted to show that out of all of the hellhounds, he knew about caring for his mate’s needs. In his head, the collar ritual would come later, after they knew each other, after there’d been soft touches and stolen kisses. He’d make it perfect. Romantic. Memorable.
But Ewen’s matter of fact telling in Lord Hades’s waiting room of those shocking ten days had shattered those fantasies with a strong smack of the reality hammer.
I would’ve died if you hadn’t shown up when you did.
The words wouldn’t stop echoing in Lamont’s head. His mate - his brilliant, brave, stubborn mate - had nearly died because Lamont hadn’t followed his instincts. Hearing about Ewen’s mating sickness had filled him with guilt. Now they were actually together - and Coda and Lord Zeus be damned - Lamont couldn’t wait anymore.
Lamont knew Ewen wasn’t ready for the sexual side of their claiming. Ewen still needed to heal, he needed regular meals, plenty of sleep, and yes, they had other things they needed to discuss as well. Lamont would settle for a kiss after the collar was around his neck, if he were lucky enough to get one. But theclaim needed to be made, both for Ewen’s health, his peace of mind, and his hound and the silver fox as well.
The box materialized on the bed between them, and Lamont’s breath caught when it began to glow, soft golden light spilling from the edges. Previously just a velvet paperweight, because the box wasn’t really useful for anything else, seeing it glow now made his hound surge forward with enough force that Lamont had to lock his knees to keep from shifting right there.
Ewen’s face lit up, his eyes going wide. “It’s glowing.”
“Yes.” Lamont’s voice came out rougher than he intended. His hound was pushing, pushing, wanting out, wanting to see their mate touch the box that only they could open. “It will only do that for you.”
“Thousands of years.” Ewen traced one finger along the edge of the box, and the glow brightened. “You’ve waited thousands of years for this.”
“Worth it.” Lamont meant every word. “You’re worth every second.”
Ewen’s cheeks flushed, but he didn’t look away. Instead, he gripped the top of the box and lifted. Lamont held his breath.
The box opened smoothly, with no hinges visible, revealing the collar nestled inside on black silk. Gems caught the lamplight - rubies, sapphires, emeralds, all set in dark leather that looked supple despite its age. The collar was massive, sized for a hellhound’s neck, and Lamont could feel Lord Hades’s love and pride in his hellhounds coming from every stone.
“Oh.” Ewen gasped. “Look at that. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s absolutely stunning. Lord Hades must’ve been so pleased with you.”
Our mate senses that, too. Lamont tried to hold back, tried to give Ewen a moment to admire the collar, but his hound was done waiting - his patience had reached its limit. With a surge of power that Lamont couldn’t contain, his hound pushed through the shift.
His human form melted away, bones reshaping, muscles expanding. Within seconds, a massive hellhound sat on the floor by the hotel bed, exactly where Lamont had been standing. He was panting softly, his eyes fixed on Ewen’s face.
Lamont was huge in this form - larger than any natural dog, with sleek dark fur that seemed to absorb light. His eyes flickered with the flames from the fires of the Underworld. Hellhounds weren’t exactly comforting creatures. They were built to guard the gates to the Underworld, and intimidate souls who thought about trying to escape. They were known as the most feared shifters for a reason.
And yet, sitting patiently - okay, not really patiently, but he was sitting down - Lamont’s hound waited and hoped that Ewen wouldn’t be scared.
Ewen blinked, and then blinked again. Then a smile spread across his face, genuinely delighted. “Hello there.”
Relief flooded through Lamont. His hound whined softly, his back end wiggling in tentative excitement.
“You’re gorgeous.” Ewen reached out slowly, giving Lamont’s hound time to pull back if he wanted. When his fingers touched the top of Lamont’s head, both man and hound nearly melted. “Look at you. You’re so handsome.”
Lamont’s hound leaned into the touch, not caring that he was being totally shameless. His hound had never been touched by a person before. Ewen’s fingers scratched behind his ears, and Lamont discovered that an eternity of dignity meant nothingcompared to a mate’s scritches. His butt wagged faster, and he pressed closer, soaking up every touch.