Page 9 of How to Trust a Hellhound
It was the first time I had the urge to go against the tenets of hellhounds.
“I think…” Aiden sort of trailed off, looking at Josh, then me, then Fluffy.
“What is it, son?” I asked, my voice gentle. Aiden had his own trauma, and he was pack—he didn’t deserve to deal with my frustration when it had nothing to do with him.
“I think Rick has been bad for him for a long time, but I’m not sure… He said some things, and he’s hinted in the past…” Aiden trailed off and blushed this time. “I’m not sure I should even say anything. He obviously didn’t want his two best friends to know what was going on.”
“He’s pack,” I said. “We take care of our own, and we don’t judge.”
He wasn’t fully pack yet, but he would be—I would make sure of it. I could feel the stirrings of a bond, and it was nothing like the bond I had with my boys. This felt like so much more. It felt like endless possibilities, but it wasn’t quite realized yet.
I didn’t tell Aiden that, though. Josh had gone through a lot,never mind the fact that he didn’t even know we were hellhounds. This was probably going to be a bit complicated. That was okay. I’d had my entire existence to deal with complicated situations. I was patient.
Aiden still looked hesitant, but Fluffy licked his hand, and when Aiden looked down, Fluffy nodded his head.
Aiden sighed. “He said that… Well, he was starting to explain about some of the marks, and he was embarrassed and ashamed, and I felt like I knew what he meant. Like I knew what he was talking about.”
Fluffy rumbled and licked his hand again, because Aiden was obviously getting distressed. I still wasn’t quite sure what he was saying, though.
“Sometimes I did things I didn’t want to do to please my captor, and I felt ashamed afterwards and like it was my fault because I didn’t say no. Then Josh said something about sex and trust one time when we were all hanging out…” Aiden trailed off again, blushing.
Ah. I thought I understood. I thought about the bruises. Some were clearly from being grabbed or smacked, but I thought I had seen bite marks and hickeys, too. None of that changed the fact that Josh had been abused.
“When you have to do something and feel like you can’t say no, or your no won’t matter, then you do what you have to in order to survive. It’s still abuse, and it’s wrong of the other person, but there’s nothing for you—or Josh—to feel ashamed about,” I assured Aiden.
He seemed comforted by that, and I saw some of his tension drain. I wondered if he thought I would judge Josh—or him.
“You can leave him with me. It’s okay,” I told Aiden. He was such a good soul, and I knew he wanted to take care of Josh, but I also knew this had probably brought up some difficult memories for him.
He looked at me again for a moment, then he nodded and left, Fluffy walkingbeside him.
I held Josh, gently rumbling and hoping that it was indeed helping the man in my arms heal. Could hellhounds heal others? As a first gen hellhound, I knew I had gifts that second gen hellhounds didn’t, but even I couldn’t remember them all. Sometimes the only way to live in the present and enjoy life was to let the past go, and when you’d lived since the beginning of time, you understandably forgot things. The underworld itself was a vague, distant memory—almost like more of a dream than a reality.
I didn’t know if I could really heal Josh, or if Corbin had just sensed the pack bond growing and hadn’t known how to describe the comfort I could provide, but I would continue to do what I could to help the man in my arms.
I sat cuddling with Josh until the sky was dark outside. Luckily, the boys had turned on the lights when they got in, because I wasn’t moving and waking Josh. I was glad that he would stay in the cabin on pack lands. I knew Liam had set up cameras all over the woods, so we would be able to keep an eye on him. Perhaps his boyfriend wasn’t hellbound yet, but I wasn’t counting on an abusive partner just remaining slightly rotten. I’d be sure to have Liam check things out using his technology skills as soon as I was able, although perhaps Aiden had already filled him in.
Josh stirred against me, and I heard his breath quicken as his body stiffened.
“Shh. It’s alright. You’re safe. You’re in the cabin that Aiden and Fluffy brought you to. You know me—I’m Wilder, and I helped you get ready for Corbin to look at your wrist. Luckily, you fell asleep while he was doing that,” I said softly.
Josh relaxed the more I spoke, so I continued. “Your wrist isn’t broken, but itissprained. You’ll need to rest it and ice it, and Corbin will send over some cream or something that’ll help with the healing.”
I felt Josh nod his head against my chest. He wasn’t totally relaxed, but he wasn’t as panicked aswhen he’d first woken up.
“Are you hungry? Would you like me to get you something to eat?” I asked him.
He shook his head no against my chest. “Just tired,” he mumbled.
“Would you like me to help you to bed?” I asked.
Josh nodded, and then he gave a little exhalation of surprise when I scooped him into my arms and stood up. I carried him into the bedroom before he could protest, allowing the shirt that I had still been holding against his back to fall. I’d bring it in once he was settled in bed.
I sat him gently on the edge of the bed, then pulled the covers back, picked him back up, put him in bed, and pulled the covers over him.
I could see his eyes shining in the light from the other room, tears glistening on his eyelashes. I couldn’t help it—I reached up and smoothed a hand over his head, gently petting him, and he closed his eyes, seeming to settle.
“I don’t think you should go to work tomorrow. Can I send someone a message?” I asked.
