I should feel relief, but I don’t. I’m not sure what I feel. Where did she go? When did she leave? Why did she go? It seemed like she wanted to stay.
“So there was a woman here?” Death folds his arms. “You had a woman over?” He sniffs the air again, frowning hard.
“It’s a long story,” I mumble. “It was nothing, and not like that.” I shake my head. My mind wanders to thoughts of her naked body.
Fuck!
I knew she was drop-dead gorgeous, but I hadn’t been prepared for all of her nakedness. Not even close. Not like that! Hell, I very nearly took her up on her offer of sex. My body was all in. I’m glad I refrained. I would never take advantage of someone in a bad situation. Besides, she isn’t all there mentally. She followed me home. That’s stalking.
Pity.
Such a waste of a beautiful woman.
I try to bring my focus back to the conversation. “Why are you here, and what do you want to know about the dog? I already took her to the pound, if you want to give her a home.”
“That’s no ordinary dog,” Death says.
It’s my turn to sniff the air. Has Death been drinking? Wine and nectar can be a lethal combination. I can’t scent either on him. “Don’t look at me like that,” Death says. “I haven’t lost my mind. There’s something off about the dog. You must have noticed.”
I shake my head again. “I haven’t noticed anything. You need to say whatever it is you came to tell me. Or you need to leave.”
The coffee is finally brewed. I pour myself a cup, taking a big sip.
“Mmmmm…yes…” Death nods. “Thanks for the offer. A cup of coffee sounds great. You’re a great host, Rage.”
I scowl at him for a few moments before grabbing another cup and filling it. I hand the beverage to Death. He smiles as he takes the cup. “No cream or sugar; exactly how I like my coffee in the morning.” He takes a sip. I get the distinct impression he’s being sarcastic. It’s wasted on me. I ignore the fuck out of his sarcasm.
“What the fuck is going on?” I ask.
“I just came from the Underworld. Hades isn’t happy because his Head Hunter isn’t happy.”
“Hunter?” I frown, taking a sip.
“Hades has several Hunters. Gaire is the Head, and his most respected, Huntsman.”
“What does he hunt?” It’s too early for this bullshit.
“More like who,” Death says, taking a sip of his coffee. “They hunt lost souls. Ghouls and ghosts who hide among the living. Gaire is a bit of a sick fuck; he likes to hunt the odd human…for sport. He says it keeps him sharp. Hades condones it…of course.”
“I thought you brought all of the souls into the Underworld? There are more of you? Are you a Huntsman?”
Death’s mouth twitches. “I am one of several beings who take souls to the Underworld. My father tasks me with specific duties. Souls he has taken a personal interest in. There are many more needing…transport. Sometimes souls get away. They escape or get lost. Gaire and his men track those souls down and bring them to the Underworld. The Hunters can transition easily between the various realms. It’s necessary to find the lost.”
“Why isn’t this Gaire fucker happy?” I don’t like where this is going.
“Hunters of the Underworld use dogs to help them track these missing souls. Not just any dogs, they use hellhounds.”
I nod. I don’t say anything, even though I now know for sure where this is going. I fucking hate it.
“Gaire’s dog went missing just over a week ago. He found out she was gone last night, and all hell is breaking loose in the Underworld.”
I nod again. “You think the dog I took to the pound is this Gaire asshole’s dog?”
Death nods. “I think your dog is no ordinary dog.”
“Not my dog,” I grunt.
“Gaire would agree with that statement. I somehow think that the dog will feel differently since she seems to have latched onto you.”
“Do you see a dog around here? I sent the creature to the pound. Send Gaire there if he wants his dog back. She’ll have a home. Problem solved.”
“Gaire is a piece of work. He’s going to be pissed that she disobeyed him. He’ll hurt her. Might even kill her, if or rather when he finds her. Also, I know there’s a good reason she ran away in the first place. People don’t run for no reason.”
“Nothing to do with me,” I force the words out. I don’t want to get involved. I can’t! “Tell Hades to intervene.” I don’t like any kind of animal abuse.
“The dog belongs to Gaire. It’s out of Hades’ hands how the Huntsman decides to punish her.” Death makes a face. “Also, this is Hades we’re talking about. God of the Underworld….he doesn’t give a shit.”
“That’s fucked up.”
“It is.” Death nods.
“This still has nothing to do with me. Surely a hellhound would be able to take care of herself. Surely the beast must have skills—”
“It’s all very complicated. She’s ultimately no match for Gaire.”
“That’s fucked up,” I grumble again. “Why did she run away in the first place?”
“It’s a long story, but bottom line, Gaire is a sadistic fuck. He hunts for a living, and his sights are firmly set on her now that he knows she’s gone.”
“How did it take him a whole week to realize she was missing?”
“Again, it’s a long story.” Death is looking around my place; there is interest in his eyes. “Tell me about the woman who stayed here. I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out sooner. I got this feeling when I saw the dog, but…” He rubs his chin. “What does she look like? Was she—?”
“I’m not discussing her with you.” I frown. “It’s none of your business. She’s gone. I don’t think she’s coming back, and that’s all you need to know.”
“Did she give you her name, by any chance?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I snap, putting down my cup with a bump. “As much as I’m enjoying our chat, it’s early, and I’m not feeling much like company.” I wish he hadn’t told me about the dog. A hellhound! Fuck me! I can’t get involved. I don’t want to. That’s the end of it. I’m irritated that he felt the need to come here and to tell me all this. Then again, it’s probably better he did, so that I know to stay far away from the pound.
“If it’s the woman I’m thinking of, she goes by several names; that’s why I was curious.”
I feel my jaw drop for a moment. “How did you know she has several names?”
He gets this glint in his eyes. “Oleander was her most recent one. Before that, it was Nia, although Gaire liked to call her Bitch when she was in her dog form. Hades named her—”
“In her dog form?” I feel my blood run cold. Surely not!
Death nods. “Hellhounds are shifters too, you know?”
I scrub a hand over my face. “I didn’t know.” I feel dumbfounded. I feel stupid. It was staring me right in the face, and I didn’t even see it. Not only was the Doberman not a dog, she’s not just a hellhound, either. She’s a shifter, and a beautiful one at that.