Seven.

Seven.
"Get back inside, Love," Calum stated calmly, not wanting his wife troubled.

Elijah ripped his eyes from Colt, at Calum's words, rage momentarily piercing through his love struck haze, "Love?" He growled out towards Calum, his earlier feelings of dread coiling towards anger, as he began to rapidly join the dots.

"Aye," Calum hissed straight back at Elijah, both men stepping aggressively towards one another.

"Stop!" Colt's voice suddenly reverberated around them all, instantly rooting both men to the spot.

She was beside them all in a second, ignoring Elijah's growls as she placed her hand on Calum's cheek, "Go inside, Calum, please."

Elijah found their obvious intimacy enraging, but he couldn't move, his world was being pulled apart beneath him, yet there she was, close enough he could reach out and touch her.

But, somehow further away than ever.

"Not a chance, Colt," Calum spat back, obviously annoyed at being sent away.

Elijah would be too.

"Calum, I owe him an explanation, at the very least," Colt explained, and Elijah couldn't help but wince at her words. "And your presence isn't helping anyone. Please," she asked him honestly. "Let me do this."

Calum's head came to rest on Colt's, before he kissed her forehead, "I'm not happy about this, Love," he stated.

Elijah growled from witnessing their intimacy, he couldn't help it, every fiber of his being was screaming at him to rip the cat apart.

"I know," Colt answered softly. "And, you can shut up right now, Elijah," she called over, not even sparing him a glance.

The growling ceased instantly, he couldn't continue if he wanted to. She was there and his name sounded perfect on her lips.

Calum sighed, his hands lightly grazing Colt's waist, "Fine, but if you're no back in fifteen minutes, I'm going to kill him." He promised her.

Elijah scoffed internally at the thought.

"No, you aren't. Now go." Colt stated, leaning forward and kissing her husband's cheek.

Calum reluctantly turned and walked away silently.

"Elijah, come with me," Colt stated, after she had watched Calum go inside, never once allowing her eyes to look at the wolf's who broke her heart.

"What?" Came the united voices of the three wolves still outside.

Elijah in his pit of rejection feeling just as shocked as Colt's brothers.

"It's January," Colt sighed out, "And it's below freezing. I'm not standing out here, and developing hypothermia, to talk. The hotel has a small library room off to the right of the main stairs. We can talk in there." Colt explained.

Elijah nodded in understanding, while Harris and Asher shifted in their suits uncomfortably.

"Dad's not going to like this, Colt" came Asher's gruff response.

"Tough luck for him then. Now let him past." Colt replied, before leading the way back to the front door.

Elijah followed Colt dutifully inside, noticing the way her head automatically turned when she detected the wildcat at the reception desk. He nodded almost imperceptibly back at her, and even though Elijah knew he was Colt's one true mate, he somehow felt like an intrusive third wheel.

He didn't like it.

She led him into a secluded area with two large opposing couches, and a fire that filled the book lined room with heat. Elijah quietly closed the door behind himself, unable to quite believe he was here, with Colt, and that she had agreed to talk to him.

"Colt, what's going on?" Elijah asked shakily, watching her back as she slipped the jacket off of her shoulders.

Colt sighed, filling him with anxiety as she draped her jacket over the back couch closest to her, and she began rubbing her temples to calm herself. After a moment she finally turned to face him.

It took Elijah a moment to take in the sight before him. Colt was in a gold and silver wrap dress, it made her pale skin look somewhat ethereal and he found himself longing to hold her close as he scanned over her body. Then, suddenly he frowned. How could this be? He asked himself in disbelief.

"You're pregnant!" He stated more than asked, his entire being filing with betrayal as the love of his life stood in front of him, swollen with another man's child. "But, you said you never wanted kids," he snarled out, his temper finally fraying.

Colt swallowed, giving in to her aching hips and sitting down

"I was lying to everyone, myself most of all." Colt finally looked at him, her face calm despite the anger she was facing. "But, I suggest you stop growling at me or we can end this right now. I will explain everything to you, but only if you are prepared to act like a rational adult."

"You're actually accusing me of being irrational?" Elijah asked, startled by her tone.

"If you followed me here for an explanation, but are instead choosing to stomp and growl at me," Colt stated without emotion, adding with a tilt to her head, "Then yes. I would say you are being irrational. Because while I understand you are shocked and even hurt, acting like a feral animal will not get you anywhere."

Elijah stared in disbelief at what Colt was saying. It was like she was dismissing entirely their history, their connection.

"I am sorry to see you hurting though, Elijah," her voice pulled his attention from his inner analysis of the woman she had become. "It was never my intention."

The sincerity of her voice made his knees weaken and he found himself sitting on the other end of the same couch she was on. The distance between them feeling larger than ever despite her being the closest she had been in years.

"What do I not know? I want to know everything, Colt." He managed to get out.

Colt took a steadying breath, "It's a long story, Elijah, but if it's what you desire, then I will determine to tell you."

"Please," he all but begged her. "Are you a wildcat, then?" He suddenly asked.

"You want to know my shift?" Colt looked at his pleading blue eyes with confusion.

"No one would tell me. You have sharp claws, I remember that from Marcus' wedding," he softly touched his lip where it had been torn before. "But, I just wish I knew. I know I was beyond monstrous, but I hate being in the dark."

Colt's face softened. Of all the questions she thought Elijah would ask first, this was not one of them.

"I am a wildcat yes. But, I am also a wolf, Elijah. I found out from the shaman, that I did have an animal side, that's how I marked you. But, otherwise they were dormant, because my first shift would likely be fatal."

"Both? You have two shifts, that's that's, I mean, I don't really know how to respond to that." Elijah went on, making Colt laugh a little.

"I found out why, while I was in hospital." She sighed, beginning to relax now that Elijah had calmed down.

"Hospital?" He asked.

"Yes, when the shaman told me I would have to sacrifice us to shock start my shift, I declined. I came home to you, Elijah. I found out about Nora on my way." Colt answered, her hand moving to her stomach, a movement Elijah couldn't help but notice. "I came to your room, you were too drunk to notice, and Zachary was trying to stop you."

Elijah noticed the tears welling in Colt's eyes as she spoke, though none dared to fall.

"My world fell apart then. I went to leave but you and Carrie...." Colt paused, "Anyway, my shift was forced, and my heart stopped. So, I ended up in hospital. With each time you betrayed our bond my heart stopped again. The doctors had me sedated for the longest time, trying to work out why my heart seemed so weak. They ran tests, and it was discovered I am a chimera."

"A what?" Elijah asked, trying to not allow his mortification to overwhelm him, when he was finally getting answers.

"I am a set of genetically merged twins. Two people, and two souls in one body. It happened early in my Mom's pregnancy. It is why I have two animals, and it is why I also have two true mates."