Chapter 5
Atlas/Fluffy
“I ’ve checked out her background thoroughly. I find no indication that she’s anything other than human,” Liam said, typing away and staring at his computer. “Her background and family checks out, and there are no strange blips in her history. I’ve seen her, and her soul looks perfectly fine, plus I know you wouldn’t allow Aiden to be around someone with a darkened soul. Are you sure she isn’t human?” he asked, looking over at me.
I just yawned, showing my teeth.
“This would be so much easier if you would answer questions, you uncultured mutt,” he grumbled, turning back to his computer. “I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to tell Quinton when he gets out of the shower.”
It didn’t seem hard. Quinton had already met Fluffy. What was the big deal?
It was all a lot of worry over nothing. I regretted saying anything to Corbin about the therapist, but I assumed he knew. He hadn’t, and he’d called Liam, who had demanded I go to Quinton’s so we could “figure it out.” I wasn’t going to show up at Aiden and Quinton’s place in human form, so he had opened the door to Fluffy.
He hadn’t seemed pleased.
I didn’t care. I was now in the house, and it was up to Liam to explain how I got there. I’d get to see Aiden as soon as he got home without waiting for a walk. I wasn’t planning on hanging around or anything, but it would be nice to see and sniff Aiden for myself. Sometimes he was sad after therapy.
Liam huffed again, continuing to type away on his computer. He got so worked up over things. I definitely wasn’t going to mention that one of Toby’s friends also wasn’t human, or at least not totally human.
Fluffy sniffed in my head. They should already know.
Eh, we were a little closer to our instincts than most, so I didn’t really blame them. Corbin probably would have known if he’d seen the therapist, because he was witchy like that. I’d known the minute I’d smelled Corbin that he was something else too, but that was so long ago that I barely even thought about it.
I heard the shower shut off, and Liam looked up. I was guessing he was also cranky that he hadn’t gotten to sneak in there with Quinton, who was apparently showering off “the stench of coffee and baked shit.”
I had waited until he was in the shower to come in, and Liam had commenced with his complaining and researching.
I heard a car coming up the driveway, and I perked up.
Aiden , my hellhound growled happily, my tail thumping in happiness.
Liam looked over at me, smirking. “Oh, you’ve got it bad, Fluffy.”
I just bared my teeth at him. Quinton was still shuffling around in the bathroom when I heard Jude walk Aiden up to the door.
“You’re not getting any baked goods after that stunt,” Aiden was grumbling.
Jude just laughed. “He’s so cute, though, isn’t he?”
Aiden just mumbled, “Bye, Jude,” before opening the door and coming in.
Sad, sad, sad , Fluffy huffed. Aiden did smell sad, but it wasn’t extreme distress.
Once the door was shut, Jude sauntered off, whistling. Aiden spotted Liam first, and then he looked over and saw me sitting in the living room.
His entire face lit up, and he dropped his bag and rushed over. “Fluffy!”
We fix , Fluffy growled, pleased.
Because Aiden did smell happy as he rushed over, knelt down, and wrapped his arms around me to hug me.
I stared at Liam, grinning. He just raised his eyebrows at me. Quinton came out at that moment, paused for a moment, stared at us, and then just kept walking into the kitchen like a huge hound in his living room was perfectly normal.
“You keeping him as a service dog now? Because I am not vacuuming up the fur—that totally falls on you,” Quinton grumbled.
“Aww, you’d make a great service dog, wouldn’t you, Fluffy? You’re so sweet,” Aiden cooed.
Liam started choking at the table, and I just glared at him. Asshole.
“He could stay here sometimes, couldn’t he?” Aiden asked, turning to look at Liam. “I’m not sure where you guys usually keep him, but I don’t mind if he stays here sometimes.”
He sounded hopeful, and since he was looking at Liam and Quinton was messing around in the kitchen, I bared my teeth at Liam in warning.
“Um, yeah, sure… Whatever Fluffy wants,” he answered, managing to just mildly cough a bit when he said the name Fluffy.
Total asshole.
Aiden didn’t notice, though, and he plopped down on the floor next to me, leaning his back against the loveseat.
Cuddles! Fluffy grumbled, and we promptly laid across his legs, being careful not to put too much weight on him. He rested his arms on my back and began petting me, and I could smell the nervous energy come back.
“I guess it’s good Fluffy is here, because I may need an emotional support animal for this,” Aiden said.
Quinton came in and sat down on the couch across from us, and Liam followed, bringing his computer.
“Everything ok? What can we help with?” Quinton asked.
I liked Liam’s human, and I gave him a grin. It was good that Aiden had such good packmates to care for him.
Our mate , Fluffy grumbled. We take care of him.
I tilted my head a bit. Aiden needs lots of support . Packmates help.
Fluffy grumbled in agreement, so at least that wouldn’t be an issue. As for the mate comment… It didn’t surprise me that Fluffy knew that. I suppose we had known for a while.
Humans are weird , Fluffy answered, and I sensed a world of judgment behind that.
My hellhound had known that Aiden was our mate, but my other half didn’t always process instinctual things. I wasn’t sure when it had happened, or if the bond was there from the start. Fluffy just huffed at that question, though, and he was right—it didn’t matter. Aiden was ours. That’s all that mattered.
Aiden took a deep breath, and I rumbled softly against him. His hands squeezed in my fur before he loosened them, so I reached my head up and gave his face a lick. He smiled at me and pulled me against him. I didn’t mind. We would do whatever he needed to get him through what he was about to talk about.
“So… I think it’s time I talked about my family. And it’s probably also time that I found out exactly what they’ve been up to, since I’m assuming you’ve probably kept tabs on them, Liam,” he said.
Liam nodded his head. “Yes, I have. Would you like to know that first?”
Aiden shook his head. “No, I think I’d rather get the story out first. Then you guys will have context, I guess.”
Quinton cut in, saying, “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, Aiden. We’ll do whatever we need to, and you don’t have to explain.”
Good packmate , Fluffy rumbled, and I agreed.
“No, it’s ok. It’s better if you guys understand what we’re dealing with,” Aiden commented. He hunkered down, and I leaned my weight gently against his torso while still sprawled across his legs.
“My family isn’t evil. At least, I don’t think they are. They’re just… very rich. I know it sounds stupid, but morals are different when money can take care of so much. My family is old money, involved in government and academics and basically everything. We’re talking top one percent here. Do they do illegal stuff? I’m sure they do. Everyone does illegal stuff, even if it’s speeding. The rich version is just much bigger than speeding.
“Growing up was fine. I had tutors and hobbies, and I knew my parents cared for me. I went to the best boarding school, but I liked it there, and I wanted to go. If I hadn’t, my parents would have moved me. I made and lost friends, fell in and out of love, got good grades and bad grades—despite being crazy rich I think it was almost normal. I was never in the spotlight, and I knew I had a privileged life.
“I was going to college for business—the best college, of course. I didn’t really like business, but I did what was expected of me. I read books and baked in my spare time, and I don’t know, I guess I had the privilege of youth. I didn’t think about my future all that much. I didn’t worry about it.”
Aiden breathed out and stroked my fur. I could tell we were coming to the difficult part.
“One evening we were at a family dinner. I have an older brother. He’s twelve years older, so we were never close. It was my parents and him, and they started talking about me getting married. My brother was already married with two kids. They were talking about these different women as options, and the time of year for a wedding, and how many kids I should have, and I just… I saw the future, and I couldn’t do it.”
Quinton gasped. “You told them you were gay and they disowned you?”
Aiden shook his head. “Nope. I told them I was gay, and they all just stared at me for a minute. And I will never forget it. My mother looked over at my father, and she said, ‘Isn’t Robert’s nephew gay?’ Then my father looked down at his plate, cut into his steak, and said, ‘Yes, but they have no real political influence. I believe Dwight’s boy is bisexual. I think the Carmichaels and the Rothchilds also have a few options.’ And the conversation just carried on like it didn’t even matter.”
Aiden was gripping my fur now, and I could tell that Liam was a bit confused. “It’s good that they didn’t care if you were gay, isn’t it?” he asked, looking unsure.
Aiden shrugged. “I guess so. It was more that it didn’t even matter. I was a commodity. They didn’t care that I was gay. Of course, I didn’t want them mad or kicking me out or anything horrible, but… They didn’t care.”
Quinton made a humming noise. “I get it, Aiden. It was like they didn’t care about you as a person at all.”
“Yes. They were talking about my life and my future like it was a business plan. I guess it was. My mother knew I was upset, and she came up later and talked to me.” Aiden blew out a breath. “She said she had married into this family, and there was no getting out of it. That sometimes sacrifices had to be made for the family, and as long as I was a member of the family, my life would follow a certain course. I still remember it—she was sort of fiddling with stuff on my dresser, and she wasn’t looking at me.
“And then she said, ‘If I ever wanted to leave and be free from the obligations of this family, I would have to disappear. I couldn’t tell anyone where I was going. Not anyone. Not even my children. I used to dream of being a painter, you know. I used to think about how I would just be gone one day. I could find people to make fake documents, and then have someone make fake documents based on those fake documents. I’d have so many layers to my identity that I’d be impossible to find. I would go get a little house by the water and paint.’
“She looked at me then, and I could see she was a little teary. ‘Of course, I would never do that. I love my boys, and I chose to marry into this family. I knew what I was getting into. I know you didn’t, sweetheart. I’m sorry you have so few options.’ And then she came and kissed me on the head and left.”
Aiden paused, and we all absorbed his story.
“So, your mom basically told you to go disappear and follow your dreams?” Quinton asked. “Why couldn’t she just fight for you to be a baker and date and stuff like normal? I don’t get it.”
Aiden sighed. “It’s a different world. I don’t even know how to explain it. She could’ve fought, but I wouldn’t have been free no matter what. My grandfather and my father are hard men, and you just don’t cross them. They’re used to getting what they want, and eventually everyone falls in line with that. I was being groomed to take a part in the business, and I didn’t have it in me to fight my family. I think my mom knew that.
“Money comes with danger, too. I had a bodyguard for a roommate at college even though I was registered under a pseudonym. It wasn’t just random threats, either. I wasn’t stupid. I knew we had enemies. Money like that… a family like mine… there are a lot of strings.”
I rumbled against Aiden. He was brave, and he had done what he needed to do in order to be free. It was almost like he read my thoughts, because he chuckled dryly.
“In the long run, I ended up getting kidnapped anyway, just not for ransom.”
“Aiden!” Quinton gasped. “You had no idea you would be kidnapped by a psycho!”
Aiden just shrugged again, and he leaned down and rested his head against me.
Liam was poking around on his computer now, and he spoke up. “You did an excellent job covering your tracks, and I’ve added some layers of protection to that. It was a photo and my intuition that made me realize who you were. I don’t think most would be able to figure it out based on your new identity. Would you like to know what’s going on with your family?”
“I guess so. I mean, it’s been almost two years. For a long time I thought they’d turn up at any moment, but they never did. I kind of thought maybe they were just letting me go. I left a note and asked them to, so they knew I wasn’t kidnapped or something.” He laughed harshly, sitting up again. “Little did I know what the future held.”
I grumbled against him, and he squeezed my fur. I didn’t want Aiden feeling like any of this was his fault. I reached up and licked his face again, and he leaned down and hugged me.
Liam watched with an eyebrow raised, then he went back to his computer. “Your family did indeed seem to leave you alone for quite some time. There was talk of you being off doing business abroad, and you even sent a memo or two through work.” He raised his eyebrows at that, mumbling, “They were quite well done and stylistically similar to other emails you’d sent.”
“So they were covering for him, but not looking for him?” Quinton asked.
“Not at first,” Liam confirmed. “But about seven months ago, your grandfather passed away.”
Aiden made a funny little noise in his throat.
Quinton smacked Liam on the arm. “Geez! Give a guy a little warning!” He turned to Aiden, “I’m so sorry, Aiden.”
Liam just looked confused, and I gave a head tilt in response. I wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong either. Obviously Aiden’s grandfather wasn’t pack if he hadn’t even looked for his grandson. I had the slightest bit of tolerance for his mother, because she had thought of him and looked out for him in the same way some of the hellhounds had been given to Wilder by their parents. If you couldn’t take care of someone who should be pack, you made sure someone could.
“It’s ok. We weren’t close. Grandfather was the head of most of our businesses, though,” Aiden admitted.
“Yes, well, your brother has stepped into that role,” Liam said.
“My brother? Not my father?” Aiden asked, sounding confused.
“Your brother. There doesn’t seem to be any infighting about it, either, and he’s been looking for you, quietly but determinedly, since the death of your grandfather. A portion of the inheritance is yours, but it isn’t a larger share than his, and it doesn’t affect the daily runnings of the many enterprises your family is in charge of. I honestly have no idea why he would be searching for you. You continue to send the occasional memo to the company, and it all looks very normal. It doesn’t appear that most people even know you’re missing.”
We all sat in silence, contemplating things. It was all rather odd for me to understand. Aiden’s family wasn’t evil, according to him, but they didn’t care that much about him. He had run off rather than live a life not of his own choosing. My hellhound and I both respected that. It seemed rather silly that disappearing was the only solution, and it seemed even more odd that suddenly he was wanted back.
What was the brother like? Could he be an evil soul?
“I was never close to Caleb, so I couldn’t really say too much about his character,” Aiden admitted, almost like he could hear my question.
Mate , Fluffy just grumbled. I didn’t think that included mind reading, and Fluffy huffed at the thought. Don’t need to read minds. Read feelings .
“Most of your family is morally gray at the very least, but that isn’t uncommon for a lot of humans. I can’t get a sense of your brother, however,” Liam said. “His presence online is almost nonexistent as of a few years ago. He puts very little in writing, even email or texts. It’s almost suspicious how absent he is from having an online footprint. Anything digital seems to come through secretaries and underlings.”
Aiden’s hand stopped rubbing my back, and he stared at Liam. “Years ago? So before I left?” he asked.
Liam nodded.
“I don’t know why that would be,” Aiden admitted. “Nothing happened, as far as I know. It’s been more than a few years since he graduated and started working. Again, we were never close. There was a big age gap. It was almost like he was an uncle or something. He was away at school and then off living on his own by the time I was old enough to get to know him. He was nice to me and fun, but we just weren’t close.”
Liam was typing away, and I could sense Aiden getting sad. I stood up and stretched, leaning against him lightly. He laughed, gripping my fur with his hands.
“Must be time for a walk,” Aiden said. “I’m gonna go throw some warmer clothes on.”
He got up and headed into his bedroom.
Quinton turned to Liam. “I don’t like this. A brother you can’t trace or get a feel for? Aiden was apparently never in the family business. How shady are they, really?”
Liam shrugged. “They’re not clean. No family that has that much money ever is. We’re talking old money, prestige, and influence. We aren’t talking mob or drug running or human trafficking, but the rules do not apply to people like that. Or at least they think they don’t.”
“You make the rules apply to everyone, though, my sexy stalker,” Quinton murmured, leaning up and kissing him.
I yawned loudly before they could get too carried away. Quinton looked over and laughed, then he looked back at Liam.
“I’m just gonna make sure Aiden’s ok before his walk. I don’t even know if he ate dinner,” he said, and he got off the couch and headed toward the bedroom.
Liam looked at me. “A brother with no online footprint searching for him, a wealthy and at least somewhat corrupt family, and a therapist who isn’t human. I don’t like any of this.”
I bared my teeth in agreement. I didn’t think the therapist was anything to worry about. The brother, though?
We’ll protect our mate , Fluffy rumbled.
Yes. Yes, we would.