Page 6 of How to Trust a Hellhound
I almost laughed at their conversation, then I smelled him.
Josh.
The man who had been at Toby’s. He smelled like cinnamon sugar and vanilla, like a tasty treat. Yet there had been something there that night that had made me stay away, despite my desire to go speak to him. There had been a faintly acidic smell of fear, like an orange gone to mold. I hadn’t liked the scent, and I knew all of us hellhounds together could easily make humans nervous, so I had kept my distance and let him get used to us. After all, I knew I’d have plenty of opportunities to meet him. He was one of Toby’s best friends, and he was on the fringes of the pack.
Only he wasn’t near all the hellhounds now, and the tangy, rotten orange smell of fear and pain was heavy in the air. I suddenly knew that he was injured, and I began to run toward the sound of Aiden’s and Atlas’s voices.
Chapter 3
Josh
Iwasn’t really asleep, but I wasn’t totally awake either. I felt… kind of outside of myself. My wrist and face were throbbing in time to my heartbeat, and that felt like the only thing keeping me tethered to my body.
I was just so tired.
I could hear Aiden talking to someone I didn’t recognize outside the car—probably his boyfriend. I’d never met the guy. I felt a mild curiosity to see him, but opening my eyes and turning to look at them seemed like entirely too much work. I probably did need to get out of the car, but that seemed exhausting, too.
There was a third voice, then, and I did open my eyes at that, although I couldn’t manage the energy to move my head to look. I thought maybe it was Dexter’s adopted dad, Wilder, who I’d seen at Toby’s party. There were more muffled voices, and then my car door opened.
Aiden’s voice was soft as he said, “Josh? We didn’t think about the cabin not having a road to it yet. It has a trail. Do you think you can walk? It’s maybe fifteen minutes. Or you can always stay with us, or with Toby.”
“Ofcourse I can walk,” I said. “I’m fine.”
I wasn’t fine, and on some level I knew that, but I was so used to saying I was that it came out automatically.
I could hold it together for a fifteen minute walk. Then everyone would leave me alone, and I could crawl into bed, sleep for a week, and not worry about Rick coming home or Toby asking questions or anything at all.
I distractedly thought about work for a moment—I’d have to email Barb and let her know I was taking some time off. I had plenty of accrued time. Plus, I was ahead on all of my accounts because I’d been working a lot lately. Numbers and spreadsheets and organizing data helped me not to think about the mess my life had become.
“Josh?” Aiden asked gently, and I blinked, because my eyes wanted to start tearing up at the understanding tone in his voice.
Yeah, I probably needed to get out of the car.
I nodded my head, although he hadn’t really asked a question, and I swung my legs out, holding my wrist close to my chest as I got out. I heard a growl from nearby when I stepped out, and I almost picked up my head to look, but I figured it must be Fluffy.
I didn’t want to look at Aiden’s boyfriend or the dad. I didn’t want anyone to see me like this, a handprint across my face.
I felt ashamed.
Aiden must have sensed my wariness, because he said, “Wilder will bring your stuff to the cabin. Fluffy and I will walk you there and get you settled.”
I nodded my head. Good. I didn’t have to meet anyone right now. I felt sort of bad. Aiden had come to rescue me, and I should want to meet his boyfriend, but I just… couldn't.
“Why don’t you rest your hand on Fluffy’s back while we walk,” Aiden suggested.
Fluffy was suddenly next to me, and he was so big that I didn’t need to bend down to put my good hand on his neck. I just rested it there, and he was super warm and super soft. He started slowly walking,and I walked along with him. I wondered vaguely if he was a service dog or something—he was clearly guiding me, which I was thankful for. I didn’t want to pick my head up. I didn’t want to look around. It was easy to just let my legs walk, look down at the ground, and follow Fluffy’s lead.
I don’t know how long we walked. Aiden had said it was fifteen minutes, so it must have been that. Time was being funny, and it seemed like not long at all before Fluffy was guiding me up steps and through a door. It was like he could sense how tired I was, because he led me to a bedroom. I looked up to see a bed made up with sheets and a comforter, and it called to me.
I was so tired, but suddenly I didn’t want to get into bed with these clothes on. It felt like they were somehow sullied by the fight with Rick. I wanted to be clean. Clean pajamas and bed.
“Can I shower?” I asked, sensing that Aiden was right behind us.
“Of course,” Aiden said, and he guided me into the bathroom. There was a huge walk-in shower, and there was soap and shampoo and stuff inside it. “I can help you take your shirt off.”
I thought about it for a minute. I could drag my pants and underwear down with one arm, no problem. I wasn’t sure about the shirt, though, so I just nodded my head.
Aiden stretched it out a bit and managed to get it off my good arm first, and then he lifted it over my head, and finally down the side with my hurt wrist, barely jostling it.
