With a flurry of mixed emotions, ranging from anger to self-loathing, Jason burst through the doors of Killian's bedroom and rushed over to the walk-in closet. Once he flipped the light switch, Jason's eyes landed on a gray duffle bag hiding in the closet's corner. He grabbed the bag and began ripping his meager amount of clothing off the railings.

"So, this is your plan?" Cyron asked. "You're planning on running away from your problems again?"

Jason flinched at his hellhound's words. "Do you think I have a choice in the matter? Did you feel the hatred in their eyes? This pack will never accept us, and I can't allow Killian to choose me over them."

"Why not?" Cyron began prowling inside Jason's head. "If they can't accept us, then they're fools. Those weak, pathetic fleabags wouldn't stand a chance against Alaric's army without our help. They should be grateful. Killian belongs to us, not them."

Jason chuckled while he rummaged through the top drawer for his underwear. "He's the Alpha King. He's too kind-hearted to abandon his pack. You can only stretch a mating pull to a point before it breaks. And as much as I know Killian loves us, I'm not about to put it to the test only to find out that he doesn't love us as much to where he'd throw his whole life away."

Cyron grumbled at his answer. Even the hellhound knew that a mating bond wasn't set in stone. It could break into pieces if one applied too much pressure.

"But running away won't solve our problems. The only way forward is to trust in our mate and hope for the best. Who knows... we might grow on the higher-than-thou motherfuckers."

Jason walked out of the closet with the duffel bag in hand. "Not interested. I've had enough of people treating me like shit because they think that I'm not good enough."

"And what about Killian?" Cyron growled out. "We can't abandon our mate."

"Who says we're abandoning him? For all we know, he has already reached the conclusion that we're too much trouble to deal with," Jason said. "No doubt his advisors and that wretched witch have already given him an ultimatum. I don't want to stick around for the villagers to burn the castle down—"

"What are you doing?" Jason's mate asked, causing him to freeze on the spot.

Jason stared at Killian while gripping the duffle bag tighter in his grip. "Leaving," replied Jason, finding the courage to speak. "I can't stay here any longer."

Killian growled as he rushed over to Jason. Killian snatched the bag out of his hands and flung the offensive object into the corner of the room.

"That's not happening," Killian growled and snatched Jason into his arms.

Jason struggled to free himself from his mate's grip, but failed miserably. Soon, his grunts and groans turned into tears. Jason slowly lost his fight and slumped into his mate's arms, sobbing his heart out.

"I'm tired... Tired of fighting," Jason muttered as he buried his head into Killian's neck. "I already have Alaric on my ass, and I don't have the strength to deal with the pack at the same time."

Killian tightened his grip on Jason and then kissed him on the side of his head. "Shush... I've got you. I'm sorry for the way the pack has treated you. I didn't realize how serious the problem had become and for that, I apologize." Killian kept on rubbing his back.

Jason nearly fell asleep on his mate's shoulder. His erratic emotions left him drained. He wanted to run as far away from the castle and Alaric as possible. Even if Jason had to live in the middle of the Amazon rainforest for the rest of his life, he'd take it. Just to get away from the bullshit that mucked up his life.

A kiss on the cheek snapped Jason out of his stupor. "Let's be off," Killian said.

Jason's head snapped up toward Killian, staring into his mate's gorgeous green eyes. "Where are we going?"

Jason didn't want to be in the castle any longer. His eyes landed on the discarded duffle bag in the corner of the room. The internal battle in his heart didn't cease. He wanted to leave and never return, but on the other hand, he'd lose his second-chance mate and end up all alone in the world. As if fate had decided for him, Killian's eyes also found the bag.

Killian growled and grabbed Jason by the chin. Killian then turned Jason's head towards him and said, "Don't even think of leaving me. Even if you fled to the farthest corner of the world, I'd hunt you down and drag your sweet ass back here." Killian then grabbed his butt-cheeks with both hands and pushed their hips together. "Please, stay..."

The sincerity in his mate's voice broke Jason's resolve to pieces. He sighed and lowered his head onto Killian's chest, inhaling his mate's intoxicating scent. "Fine... But if the witch of the west flaps her gums off again, I'll drag her into the underworld where the hellhounds can use her flabby ass as a chew toy."

This elicited a chuckle from Killian. "Don't worry, Jason. I'll deal with her. As for your previous question. We're going to attend a pack meeting."

Killian's words made Jason's heart stutter. He shook his head and whined, "I don't wanna."

A slap on the butt made Jason squeal out. "You don't have a choice, Jason. We have to deal with the unrest in the castle before we face Alaric. Be brave for me, love."

Jason grinned at the affectionate word. He groaned and said, "OK, let's get this over with..."

***

As Jason and Killian neared the doors of the throne room, Jason's heartbeat sped up. He dreaded the judgmental eyes of the castle's inhabitants. No doubt, they wanted to drag him out of the castle and hang him on the gallows in the city square. Jason shivered at the thought. And to add to his anxiety, his friends were probably amongst the crowd. He disappointed them. Would they even want to remain at his side, or would they also judge him as the rest of the pack had certainly done?

A gentle squeeze from Killian's hand drove Jason's anxiety away. His shoulders relaxed as Killian pushed the doors open. Let's get this witch trial over with...

"You're not even a witch," Cyron chuckled.

Jason huffed, "I feel like one, though."

As they stepped into the throne room, the crowd fell silent. Hundreds of eyes watched him and Killian as they walked up to the thrones at the end of the gigantic room. Jason kept his eyes on the red carpet, not wanting to see the glares he felt flashing across his skin. What took mere seconds to reach the thrones felt like an eternity. As Jason planted his ass on the throne, a sigh slipped from his mouth.

"Good evening, ladies and gents," announced Killian as he stood in front of his own seat. "I have called this meeting to address a serious problem." Killian's eyes hardened over the crowd. "Over the last month, some of you have spread rumors about my mate, which has led to the incident earlier today. A situation that I will not allow to repeat again."

The atmosphere plummeted into the single digits. All the King's subjects froze where they stood with their heads bowed in shame. Even the Alpha council didn't dare steal a glance at the King.

"Let me make this very clear to you all. Jason is my mate, and your future king. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will change that," the King growled out.

Two of the five Alphas shifted in their chairs, looking miffed. Jason's eyebrows furrowed. So they were the rats who squeaked in the dark... Not that their behavior surprised him. They made their opinions about his and Killian's mating very clear. They continuously tried to shove their daughters down Killian's pants, hoping that the King might change his mind.

"As to Jason's nature..." Most of the room's occupants glanced over at Jason. Fear etched into them as if he'd jump from his throne and slaughter them all. "It's true that he is a hellhound. However, many malicious rumors have tainted his true character. So I implore all of you to seek the truth rather than to lend your ears to the lies spread throughout the halls of this keep. Hellhounds are the keepers and protectors of the dead, helping souls to the afterlife for judgment and dragging those condemned back to the pits of hell.

"For heaven's sake, stop relying on old wives' tales and think for yourselves instead. In the time since Jason has been here, he has never attacked any of you. Nor has anyone of you fallen to the ground, dead, just by looking him in the eyes. And as to remind all of you, it was Jason who saved me and thwarted the Queen's plans to have me killed." Killian huffed out as he rubbed the anger out of his forehead. "He has more than earned the right to sit beside me. But instead, you have treated him as if he's the dirt beneath your shoes."

Jason sat on his throne, playing with his fingers while he listened as his mate defended him. He half-expected Killian to denounce him in front of his pack, but it never happened. Jason's heart swelled. His past insecurities slowly slipped from his shoulder, freeing him from the fears that jaded his heart. Killian really loved him, didn't he?

"Off course he does," Cyron said, rolling his eyes. "He has never wavered in his conviction. So stop being a winy brat and accept the fact that our mate will always be at our side."

Jason chuckled while wiping a few tears off his cheeks. He really needed to stop crying; his image couldn't take another hit in the nuts.

"Yeah, please do. You're making me look bad."

Jason shook his head.

A growl shook the keep, jolting Jason out of his conversation with Cyron. His eyes met his mate's as they locked eyes. With a step forward, Killian wiped the last traces of tears from his face. So much for protecting his heartless hellhound reputation... Jason didn't dare take his eyes off his mate. He didn't have the guts to look at his friends. Jason's ears started to throb as his humiliation continued to sky-rocket.

Killian glared down at his pack. "If anyone here ever makes my mate cry again, I'll flog you in the town's square until your flesh peels off your bodies. Do I make myself clear?"

Hundreds of frail voices yelled out, 'Yes, my King.'

Killian then straightened his shoulders and said, "Ms. Bell... Step forward."

Jason's head snapped toward the governess as she stumbled forward with her head bowed. She fidgeted with the charm bracelet on her left wrist.

"Look at me when I'm addressing you," Killian growled out.

Ms. Bell's head shot up. Terror burned behind her sullen eyes as she gulped down her instinct to run from the keep before the King mauled her to death. If in any other situation, Jason would have felt sorry for the woman, but not this time. She deserved everything Killian was about to throw at her.

Killian took two steps forward, coming to a halt at the base of the podium. "As my governess, I expected you, of all people, to show my mate the respect he earned, but to my utter surprise, you didn't. Instead, you spread the malicious rumors on the whims of a couple of poor sods who have grown too arrogant for their own good."

Jason followed Killian's glare. The two alphas from earlier, yet again, squirmed in their seats. The first one being an old man with a round belly as big as a watermelon and the second one as thin as a broomstick. Jason choked down a chuckle. They were only alphas in titles and not true alphas. Years of decadent living had weakened them past the point where a human could bust a crack in their privileged, pompous asses.

Killian continued scolding the governess. "If you weren't such a loyal subject and friend, I would have kicked you out of my pack, but as I'm feeling generous today, you'll be on probation until further notice. You will oversee the running of the castle, but your advisory privileges are suspended."

Ms. Bell paled at the King's words. She stammered out, "I'm sorry, my King. I only wanted to protect you. We nearly lost you and--"

Her half-ass lie smacked Jason's bullshit meter to pieces. A surge of rage fueled his limbs, and in mere seconds, he disappeared into a cloud of brimstone, only to appear in front of the lying woman. The governess shrieked out and stumbled backward before landing on her ass.

"Don't lie!" Jason hissed. His eyes glowed orange, earning a gasp from the crowd. "You didn't spread the rumors about me because you were trying to protect him. You did it because you didn't want to see your king in the arms of a demon."

"Jason," Killian said. "Calm down."

For once, Jason listened and counted to ten. His anger ebbed to a halt. He then glared down at the governess before he backed up a few paces.

"Get it through your thick skull, witch. I'm your king's mate and I love him with everything in me. I'd rather pluck my heart out than hurt my mate."

Several gasps rang out in the throne room. It took Jason a few seconds to realize what he had just said. Did he just...? Suddenly, two muscular arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him into a tight embrace.

Killian nuzzled his neck and said, "You love me, do you?" A smirk appeared on the King's face.

Jason gulped and then stuttered, "I-I..." He didn't want to tell his mate that he didn't mean it and that he was caught up in the moment. It would have been a big fat lie. Jason just shrugged and chuckled. "I didn't want to admit it in this way... It should have been in a more intimate setting."

Killian kissed him on the neck, ignoring the hundreds of eyes watching them. "I don't mind it one bit. It makes me the proudest mate in the world for you to admit it out loud.

"Now, as much as I'd want to ravish you and make you mine, we have to deal with the dissonance that has seeped into the castle of late." Killian's eyes shot to the governess and then the alphas.

"As to your rumors about me," Jason glared at Ms. Bell, who still sat on the throne room's floor. "Let me give you a quick rundown on how demons operate, so that we can avoid any further misunderstandings. One, I'm not a succubus. So I'm not here to corrupt my mate's soul and bewitch him. Two, I'm not a cross-roads demon trying to sell your king's soul and condemn him to the pits of hell. And lastly, as my mate has already told you. I'm a guardian. So I'm not going to kill, maim, or suck anyone's souls out. So for the goddess' sake. Stop with your fear mongering."

Luckily, after Jason's speech, most of the pack had accepted his word. The tense atmosphere had slowly cooled down to a simmer; but as always, there had to be those who wanted to disrupt the cease-fire. One of the alphas shot up from his seat and growled out.

"You're not fooling everyone, demon," the pot-bellied alpha huffed out, while adjusting his tunic. "The crown deserves a beautiful queen, not a mutt dragged out of the underworld."

Killian's muscles tightened at the alpha's insult. A deep growl rumbled through Killian's chest. However, before the King could hit the arrogant mutt on the snout with a newspaper, Jason's laughter snapped Killian out of his rage.

"Oh, you're a real comedian, Alpha Soren," Jason chuckled while rubbing his mate's arm. "And let me guess... your daughter would make a better queen? Forgive me, Alpha, but your daughter cares more about spending money and dancing her nights away than ruling over a city. She'll lay waste to the royal coffers in a year if she ever becomes queen. And then where would you be able to buy all those burgers you've been stuffing your face with if the crown couldn't pay you your salary?"

The alpha's face burst into a pallet of red as he snarled at Jason's insult. But the old fart was wise enough not to attack him.

A grin appeared on Jason's face. "Don't start a fight you can't win, Alpha Soren. You're an alpha by name, not by strength. You've let yourself go and fighting me would earn you one ticket to hell." Jason untangled himself from his mate and stepped forward. "And seeing that I've touched on your title, there's a situation that needs fixing."

"And what would that be, boy?" the alpha snorted.

"By tradition and law, those on the Alpha Council are required to abdicate their seats when their firstborns reach the age of eighteen, as to ensure that the said council can maintain its strength during times of war. And as we know it, we are at war with a crazy vampire who wants to exterminate us all.

"So I push forward the motion that the King dissolve the current Alpha Council."