After the laughter died down, Jason dug into his meal, trying to avoid the stares still drilling into his skull. He could have kicked himself for acting so sheepishly, but he couldn't help it. The whole mate-to-the-king situation hasn't sunk in yet. All that Jason wanted to do was to disappear into the shadow realm and face a hungry windigo. He hated the curious stares he got from those who sat at the table. Half of the people he didn't even recognize. They must have been Killian's advisors and fellow alphas who ran the different districts of the city.

A gentle squeeze on his thigh from Killian made him nearly choke on the piece of bacon he chewed on. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," said Killian. A soft smile graced his handsome face.

A few snickers erupted from the table. Jason's head shot to his friends. "So help me Hades. I'll throw you two to the windigo if you don't stop with your snickering." He glared at Mallory and Darren.

Mallory dropped her fork and raised her hands in surrender. "Calm down, Bucko. Weren't you the one who laughed at me earlier? You conveniently forgot your own words to me about not wanting to be mated to an Alpha." Her eyes twinkled mischievously as they found Killian's. "And look at that. You are mated to the King of Alphas. It seems the irony of your words has slapped you in the balls on this one."

Jason's eyes twitched as he glared at his best friend. "Oh, I'm definitely feeding you to the windigo."

Once again Mallory's cackle rattled the table. "You won't. You love me too much."

Jason shook his head and turned back to his meal. He just wanted to stuff his face with as much food as possible and then retreat to Killian's room. During the past couple of days, waiting for his mate to join the land of the living, Killian's room had become his place of refuge. A place of comfort.

"Are you disappointed?" Killian asked him, drawing Jason out of his thoughts.

Jason's head shot up. A faint glimmer of hope shined in Killian's green eyes. Was he disappointed in being mated to Killian? No. It never entered Jason's head until his mate asked him the question. It was true. In the past, Jason didn't want to be mated to another Alpha. He himself was one. But now, looking at his handsome mate, Jason didn't care anymore. He was thrilled to be mated to Killian.

Jason smiled and said, "No. Not in the slightest." He grabbed Killian's large hand and intertwined their fingers. "I'm grateful, actually."

The hope in Killian's eyes turned to joy. Killian raised his hand and kissed Jason's hand. "Me too."

Jason, anticipating another round of cooing, glared at his friends as they watched his and his mate's affectionate exchange. "Come on, bitches. Make another sound and I will drag you all into the underworld."

All of his friends returned to their meals without making another sound. Jason smirked and then continued with his own breakfast while holding his mate's hand under the table. It took another hour for everyone to finish their breakfast.

As Jason and Killian made their way out of the dining hall, hand-in-hand, Killian's father called out to them. "Killian, my son. I want you and Jason to meet me in the throne room. There's much to discuss."

The old man then turned around and sauntered off with Christopher beside him. All five of the Alphas followed behind them. Jason sighed. He would not see his bedroom for the rest of the day. It sucked balls.

"Yeah, I know who you want to suck," said Cyron with a snicker.

Jason's face turned scarlet. "Oh, shove off! I'm not the horny one here."

"Yeah... Say it to the boner in your pants."

"Jason?" said Killian. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" chirped Jason as he tried to readjust his hard-on without Killian realizing it.

Killian's furrowed eyes told Jason all he needed to know; his mate didn't eat the bullshit he threw at him. But luckily for Jason, they didn't have the time or the privacy to get dirty in one of the countless rooms they passed on their way to the throne room. Several of the alphas who waited for them to enter through the golden doors to the throne room aimed their glares at Jason.

The Goddess knew why, but Jason could only guess. Their anger was due to the fact that he was a demon. A demon who would most likely condemn their king to the pits of Tartarus for all eternity by mating with him. Jason chuckled. It was absurd, but it was an old favorite accusation they pulled out of their dirty trousers at their earliest convenience. The second turd to fall out of their trousers: Jason was a male and not an ethereal, blond girl with large boobs and a womb fertile enough to pop out pups at the speed of a conveyor belt. Get a grip, old fools... This was the modern age where they had access to modern technology. They could easily get a surrogate to give them an heir to the throne. And now for the last crappy excuse they hated Jason for: it wasn't their own spoiled offspring on the throne. Most of the alphas, if not all, thought that if Killian remained mateless, they could have smeared one of their children onto him. However, that fantasy had been nipped in the bud.

Killian and Jason strutted through the door, which the Alphas pushed open for them. A smirk graced Jason's lips, much to the aggravation of the alphas who slinked in after them. Served them right. Their own greed and arrogance did not faze him. He could speak with them if they had a problem with him, but Jason suspected they were too cowardly to do so. However, Jason's smirk quickly jumped down his throat when he took in the throne room's grandeur.

Just like the rest of the castle, the throne room had a Donald Trump makeover. Gold covered nearly every wall and piece of furniture he could lay his eyes on. Even the suits of armor that lined the walls of the grand room didn't escape the evil bitch's avarice touch. The only detail Jason found pleasing to the eye was the magnificent fresco overhead. A mural of the wild hunt stretched across the room's ceiling while six crystal chandeliers hung from it.

"It's a bit of an overkill, isn't it?" asked Killian as they walked up to the two jewel-encrusted thrones.

Jason snickered and whispered," That's for sure. How many nations became bankrupt to pay for those chairs?"

Killian's throaty laugh bounced off the walls, catching those who sat near the thrones off guard. Aside from the two outlandish thrones, ten golden chairs arched from them. Five on each side. As the last of the stragglers took their seats, Ishmael and the gang had already taken theirs. Jason snickered when Astrid pinched one of the alpha's butts, earning a growl from the withered old man.

"You should feel flattered, old man..." Astrid said, smirking at the gray-haired alpha in crimson robes. "It must have been ages since someone touched your wrinkled ass."

The offended Alpha glared at the vampire and then huffed out a growl. "Touch me again and I'll have my sons rip you apart, hag."

Jason would have thought that Astrid would kill the old man on the spot, but she just winked off his insult and then turned away from the wolf. He shook his head and then followed his mate up the three steps toward the thrones. Jason halted in front of his seat, playing with his fingers. He definitely didn't want to sit down on the throne. Surely, the wicked bitch of the west would bust down her cell door and try to kill them again.

"Jason?" asked Killian in a soft voice. "Gonna join me?" He patted the seat next to him.

Jason swallowed nervously and said, "Is it safe? Didn't the Queen place a curse on the throne?" He eyes the red velvet cushion with suspicion. He wouldn't put it past the Queen to do so.

A chorus of chuckles rang out. "Don't worry, Jason," Ishmael said. "I don't detect any lingering magic, so your butt is safe and sound."

"Don't blame me for being cautious..." Jason countered. "Killian loves my bubble butt and I intend to keep it intact."

Jason hesitantly lowered his ass onto the throne, expecting it to blow up and him ending up head first through the roof. His frame sunk into the most luxurious seat his ass cheeks had ever sat on. He wiggled his butt, cementing his claim on the chair.

"Fuck the bitch. This is the most comfortable chair I've ever sat on," Jason exclaimed. "Nobody's ever gonna sit in this chair again. My precious!"

"Get a hold of yourself, idiot!" Cyron grumbled out. "You're grinning and spacing out at the same time. They're probably wondering if you're having a stroke."

"Oh, hush! I'm enjoying the pleasures of being the king's consort for now. I have to admit... being rich does have some advantages."

Cyron growled and muttered, "So help me, Hades! If you turn into a snob, I'll possess you and burn down this keep."

"Hell's bells just chill, will ya? I was just stating a fact. There's a big difference between enjoying the comforts of the finer things in life and becoming a tyrant."

The hell hound wanted to counter, but Killian pulled him out of their bickering. The throne room had fallen into a grave silence while everyone stared at him. Jason squirmed in his seat. "What?"