Chapter 22
Dexter
I have to admit a moment of… well, not panic , because I was a hellhound, and I did not panic . But it had definitely taken me by surprise when Toby had just up and told Josh what I was. Of course, Josh didn’t believe him, and I expected that Toby knew that would be the case.
Toby did have an overactive imagination, but I was still aggravated on his behalf. He wasn’t lying. I was a hellhound, and his best friend didn’t even believe him. Maybe I’d go all glowy eyes on Josh next time he was around. I chuckled to myself a little. I knew it shouldn’t be funny to think about startling Toby’s human friends, but, well, they really ought to believe him.
My phone rang while Toby was on his, and I stepped outside to take it since it was Liam. He started without even a hello.
“No luck on tracing the emails, which I didn’t expect, but after some careful combing through records I found the guy that was probably stalked before Toby. He had a delivery around the date your guy mentioned, and he filed a police report about a stalker before that. There were emails, phone calls, and complaints of being followed,” Liam said, keys clicking in the background.
“Wait—are you saying we have a name?” I asked, feeling gleeful.
“Well, sort of,” Liam hedged.
I growled.
“So the guy was a bartender in an upscale restaurant, and he had some guesses as to which customers he found ‘creepy’ and who he thought it might be, but he gave the cops a couple of names,” Liam said.
“Ok, well that’s better than nothing. You can start looking into them,” I said.
“Already done. Here’s where things get… tricky. Our bartender disappeared. He hasn’t turned up again. No credit cards used. No funds accessed. No social media posts,” Liam said.
“Dead?” I asked.
“Probably,” Liam admitted. “That was over a year ago. Police questioned everyone he had given names for, but they all had alibis, and there was no body and no sign of foul play. No sign of struggle in the guy’s apartment, either. His phone, computer, wallet, and a suitcase were gone as well, so it couldn’t be proven that he hadn’t just up and left. The police couldn’t very well press charges against anyone with no proof of anything.”
“Fuck,” I said. “So what about the suspicious guys? And where was this?” I asked.
“About two hours north of you. So I’ve got three names, and I started looking into them,” Liam said.
“We can go and check them out. I can send Jude and Corbin while I stay with Toby. If this guy stalked and kidnapped someone, they’ll be able to smell his rotten soul a mile away,” I said.
“Good. I’m going to wrap up some things here and then head to Paradise Falls as well,” Liam said.
I groaned. “Coming to the rescue,” I joked.
“Hey, if we’re buying that property, which apparently we are since Jude’s bid for the house was accepted, then I want to check it out,” Liam admitted.
Huh, I hadn’t realized they’d already finalized buying the house next door. Plus, more eyes on Toby wouldn’t be a bad thing.
“Oh, Atlas is around, too,” I added.
I heard a pause in the clicking. “Is he?” Liam asked.
“Yeah. He talked to Jude and was at the flower shop owner’s house. I forgot to tell you. He didn’t come back with me, but I didn’t really expect him to,” I added.
“Yeah. The place must have his seal of approval, though, or he would have let us know. I’m sure he’ll pop up at some point,” Liam said, starting to type again.
Atlas was… well, he was a loner. He was pack, but he was pretty feral, and we all loved him, but we gave him plenty of space. None of us really won any awards in the growing up department, but Atlas had a really fucked up past. At least we all knew who our parents were, even if they’d died or abandoned us or given us to Wilder because it was for the best.
“Yup,” I answered. “Send me the names.”
“Done. Keep me posted,” he said, and then he was gone.
I heard Toby still chatting on the phone, and Jude and Corbin must have heard most of my conversation with Liam, because they came out of my house and headed over to Toby’s porch.
“We heard there are leads,” Jude said. “You want us to head out now?”
It was nearing dusk—quite a bit of the day had passed with Toby asking questions—but I was too impatient to wait until morning. Not that it mattered—we were hellhounds. Darkness was natural to us.
“Yeah. I can text you…” I started, but Jude held up his phone.
“Liam already forwarded the info to us. We should be able to track these guys down pretty easily,” Jude answered. “I doubt it’ll take more than a night.”
“Don’t worry—we’ll hold onto him for you,” Corbin smirked.
I nodded, and they walked over towards their car.
It felt… anticlimactic. Not that I wanted Toby kidnapped, but I couldn’t seem to shake that dream I’d had. There was no way, however, that anything would happen to him with me here, and chances were good that Jude and Liam would track the guy down. Not only that, but even if someone did take Toby, I would be able to find him. His scent was permanently engraved in my nose, and his taste was in my mouth. I felt tied to him, and I knew I could hunt him down anywhere.
It was comforting.
Not sure if Toby would see it that way, but he didn’t have to know about it.
I listened to him talk to Josh from the front porch, and eventually their conversation wound down. When he got off the phone, I headed back inside, filling him in on my conversation with Liam.
He looked a little nervous hearing about his stalker, and I swooped in to give him a kiss, ready to take his mind off that unpleasantness. Before it could get too heated, he put a hand on my chest.
“I just realized… I mean, I realized before, but…” he hesitated, biting his lip. It was so cute, but he smelled unsure, and I didn’t want that.
“What is it, baby?” I asked.
“They can hear us,” he whispered in my ear.
I looked at him, perplexed. “Who can hear us? I got rid of the listening devices and the camera.”
Toby rolled his eyes at me. “Your brothers, you goof. They can hear us”—he leaned in then, whispering—“having sex.”
Ahhh. Yes, humans were shy about things like that. Still, I leaned back and let my eyes twinkle.
“Why, Toby, did you have something in mind for our evening?” I joked. “Maybe you’ll just have to be very, very quiet.”
He laughed. “Yeah, good luck with that. I can’t help myself with you.”
I smiled, grabbing his hand and attempting to pull him upstairs. I didn’t think he was ready for another full round—he had taken my knot, after all, and I wouldn’t hurt him—but we could get up to a little fun.
He pulled against my hand, though, stopping me. I could’ve easily dragged him along, but I didn’t want Toby uncomfortable. “They went out,” I told him. “No one is around to hear.”
“What about if one of your other brothers gets here? Liam or Atlas? You told me that you ran into Atlas, and Liam said he’s coming. How far away is he?” Toby asked.
I had no idea what the answer was to either of those questions.
“Huh,” I said, stumped.
Still, this would not do. My brothers were moving in next door, for fuck’s sake. They were currently staying in my house. I would not be permanently cock blocked because hellhounds had good hearing.
“What about, like, background sound?” Toby asked.
One of the things I enjoyed about living next to Toby was that he didn’t always have a radio or tv blaring. He liked the quiet, and it was peaceful, but if that made him more comfortable…
“Yeah, if you put on some background noise it will cover up our noise,” I said. I didn’t add that it would also be a dead giveaway that we were having sex. If it made Toby feel less self-conscious, that was fine by me. I’d have to remember to tell the pack not to mention sex because humans were weird about it.
Toby went over and fiddled with a bluetooth speaker and his ipad, eventually putting on a playlist. He turned the volume up quite high as well. I probably grimaced, because he pulled me along up the stairs and into his bathroom, where the sound was at least somewhat muted.
I didn’t know what Toby had in mind, but I was totally on board for a shower together. I started stripping my clothes, and when he just watched, I finished and started stripping him. We were under the hot spray in a few moments, and he thoroughly enjoyed soaping up my body, murmuring about my muscles and tattoos the whole time.
If I flexed a little for him, who could blame me? It was beautiful to be admired by Toby. I could only take so much, though, before I growled, “My turn.”
He looked self conscious for a moment, but he was perfect in every way. By the time I was done licking, nibbling, and caressing every inch of skin, he just looked like he was floating.
“Dex,” he moaned, and I couldn’t tease either of us anymore. I pushed him against the wall and took both our cocks in my hand, every slide of his dick against mine pure bliss.
I leaned into him, kissing him, and when the pleasure was too much, we came together under the hot spray, mouths joined, breathing the same air.
I could tell Toby was wiped out, and I helped him out of the shower, drying him off first before I dried myself off. He went into the bedroom and started looking around for clothes, but I dragged him into bed, laying him on top of me and nuzzling into his neck. He smelled so good. I couldn’t get enough of his scent, and the place where I’d bitten him smelled like the two of us together.
I caressed him softly until his breathing evened out. I held him close, burying my nose in his skin and eventually fading into sleep myself.
Wrong, wrong, wrong , my hellhound growled in my mind.
I came awake with a start, rolling Toby off of me and behind me in one swift move. It took only a second to know what was wrong.
The stench of rot was in the air.
I had been so ensconced in Toby’s scent that I hadn’t noticed it right away, but now that I was out from under him, it was unmistakable.
And it was close.
The damn music was still playing, and if a car had approached or there was someone in the house, I’m not sure I would have heard them.
“Dex?” Toby whispered behind me, his voice sleepy and confused.
“He’s here,” I growled.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Toby whispered, sounding wide awake and panicked at my words. “I’ll call 911…” he started, but I cut him off.
“No. No human police,” I said, grabbing my phone off the nightstand.
“Oh my god, Dex. He’s here? Are you sure?” Toby whispered.
I grabbed his hand with mine, using my other hand to open my phone. There were a string of texts from Jude and Corbin, but I didn’t bother reading them. I just texted He’s here and put the phone down.
I could hear Toby’s heartbeat, his breathing fast and shallow, and I could scent the panic on him. I turned to him, keeping an ear on the door. I’d hear even over the music if anyone tried to open it. I would deal with Toby’s stalker, but first I needed to calm down Toby.
“Listen to me, Toby. Everything is going to be ok. I will protect you no matter what, ok?” I assured him, using the hand not holding his to caress his cheek.
His grip on me tightened. “What about you?” he asked. “This guy could be dangerous.”
“I’m not human. No one is more dangerous than me, Toby,” I rumbled. I knew my eyes were on fire, and tiny blue and red flames danced up my arm before I got control of myself. Weirdly, that seemed to reassure Toby. He took a deep breath, nodding his head.
“I’m going with you,” he said.
I started to shake my head no, but then I thought about it. Would it be safe to leave him here? I only smelled one rotting soul. Still, I was unsettled that he had gotten this close without me being aware.
“Listen,” Toby cut in, “I write suspense. You never separate. You never leave the MC who is being stalked alone. The villain will trick you and grab me somehow. I’m coming with you so I don’t get kidnapped.”
“If he took you, I would find you. I would hunt you down to the ends of the earth, Toby. I would leave the mortal plane and follow you into the afterlife if I needed to. I will always find you. You are mine,” I declared.
Toby looked into my eyes, then he gave me a quick kiss. “You say the sweetest shit. But I’m still coming with you.”
I growled, but I got up and threw on some sweatpants, listening for sounds from the house. Toby did the same, trying to keep quiet.
I didn’t hear anything other than the music and our own movements. I would almost think I was mistaken, but the stench of rotten soul was overpowering. And it was close.
I opened the bedroom door slowly and quietly, keeping Toby firmly behind me. I listened again, sniffing the air. The music was a distraction, but at this point, I didn’t know that turning it off wouldn’t give us away to the human.
He was just being so utterly quiet. He must have been lying in wait for Toby. I would have to scent him out, because he wasn’t moving.
That was fine. Hellhounds enjoyed the hunt. I just wished Toby had stayed behind. I understood his concern, but I worried about him getting hurt. Underneath that, I had to admit there was also the fear of him seeing me harm another human. Knowing it and seeing it were two different things. I never wanted Toby to be afraid of me.
We crept down the stairs, Toby staying behind me, and I realized that the hellbound soul wasn’t in the house. He was outside in the front. I still didn’t know if he had driven here and I had somehow missed the sound of the car or if he had parked further away and walked, but the scent was definitely coming from that direction. Perhaps he was just watching the house?
If I didn’t have Toby with me, I would go out the back and sneak around to him, but I didn’t want to draw this out. Toby was nervous, and I wanted the human subdued.
“Wait here,” I whispered, and before Toby could protest, I threw open the door and rushed out the front steps.
I saw the gun the moment I was clear of the door, and I had only a fraction of a second to make a decision. If I dodged the bullet, it could hit Toby, and he was only human.
I couldn’t chance it.
“Run!” I cried out to Toby, then I heard the gunshot and there was darkness.