Page 10 of How to Trust a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls #4)

Wilder

A s hard as it was to keep my distance from Josh, I didn’t stay when we dropped off dinner, the stuff from his place, and my gift.

Q had apparently checked in on him, and his advice was to let the human have some time to himself.

I wasn’t sure if it was the best advice, and I probably wouldn’t have been able to resist checking on him anyway, but shortly after we left I saw Toby and his friend Sebbie walking to the cabin, so I knew Josh would have company.

I spent a restless night and did a little driving to check for hellbound souls, but I didn’t venture far, and I didn’t sense rot in close vicinity to Paradise Falls.

We’d keep checking the neighboring towns, but it was reassuring to know that no one truly evil was in the town or those nearby.

I knew I could hunt in the city about an hour away, but I had no desire to travel that far.

My instincts were keeping me close, and I had long ago learned to trust my feelings.

The next morning I checked in with Dexter, Jude, and Corbin, and then I headed over to see Liam and Quinton.

They told me they’d blocked Josh’s ex on all social media, and the guy was at work today, so apparently it was back to normal life for him.

It was hard to resist the urge to pay him a visit and exact some revenge, but that was outside our scope.

I almost wished he would harass Josh so that we could teach him a lesson, but I knew that was petty.

I had been around a long time, and torturing souls that weren’t hellbound didn’t generally accomplish much. Still, it would have been satisfying.

When I walked out of Liam’s place, my eyes turned toward the path to the cabin. It was mid-morning, and we had stocked some food in the place, but I still had the urge to make sure Josh was fed.

I stopped by Aiden’s and Atlas’s little house, even though I knew Aiden was at the shop. Atlas opened the door to me—he was always intuitive, and he’d sensed I was coming.

“I was hoping Aiden had some treats I could bring to Josh.”

Atlas just shrugged and grunted, but he was in his human form, and he even had clothes on, which was rather surprising.

We walked in and he gestured toward the counter, where there were muffins, croissants, and some kind of other baked thing that smelled delicious.

Atlas reached into a jar, took out a cookie shaped like a dog biscuit, and took a bite of it, leaning against the counter.

I helped myself to one of each of the baked goods, and Atlas handed me a container to put them all in.

Then we both looked at the coffee machine.

I looked at Atlas and raised an eyebrow. He grunted at me and shrugged.

I knew how to make coffee. Of course I knew how to make coffee. I was a first gen hellhound, and I’d been on this earth since its inception. I could make fucking coffee.

Just not with this… thing.

“What the fuck is that?” I asked Atlas. It had coffee beans on the top in a little clear thing, and then… it was just all gleaming surfaces and wands and buttons and screens. “Is it a computer or a coffee machine? ”

Atlas shrugged again. “Quinton wanted it, and Liam bought it, so probably it’s both. Aiden seems to know how to use it.”

Atlas walked over and pushed a button, and the thing lit up and started making noise.

“Is it supposed to do that?” I asked.

Atlas nodded.

“Now what?” I asked, and Atlas just looked at me.

Yeah, I figured he hadn’t taken much interest in the coffee maker.

“Ok. We can figure this out. We’re hellhounds. We can make coffee. It’ll be easy.”

A half hour later, after I’d changed my shirt, mopped up the spilled coffee, and Liam and Quinton had come to fix the “espresso machine,” I finally made my way to the cabin.

Quinton had ended up making the coffee, and there had been only a little hissing about us almost breaking “his baby.” There’d been quite a bit of muttering, too, but that was just Quinton, and Liam had stared adoringly at his mate while the man cursed under his breath.

I hadn’t baked the snacks or made the drink, but I was still providing for Josh, and that was what mattered.

Quinton had offered to stop in to see Josh, and he’d only looked a little pissed at my insistence that I do it.

Luckily, Liam had started sniffing his neck, distracting him, and I suspected that they were going to have a fun morning.

I could smell Josh inside the cabin. He smelled like sunshine and warmth, and the tangy, citrusy smell of fear and pain was much more faint than it had been two days ago.

I knocked, and Josh’s footsteps came closer as he opened the door. His face turned a pretty pink color when he saw me, and he stepped back, clearing his throat .

“Ah, hi. Come in. I mean, obviously, since this is your place and all,” he said.

I handed him the container of baked goods and the coffee, saying, “I brought you over some treats from Aiden and Quinton.”

He blushed again, murmuring a soft thank you, and I let him walk ahead as I came in and shut the door behind me. Josh set the stuff on the small island that separated the kitchen area from the living room, turning to look at me.

“Can I offer you some? Or something else? There’s eggs and bacon and sausage, and I could make you some breakfast. Or I could make a sandwich for lunch, since it’s later,” Josh offered.

I smiled at him. “No, I’m good—I wanted to make sure you had something, though.”

He got even pinker, which was adorable, and looked down at the container to fiddle with it. It was terribly sweet that he wanted to provide for me, and I thought I might have my work cut out for me in being the one to provide for him. I was up for the challenge, though.

He finally looked up, and he drew in a breath as he walked around to the other side of the kitchen island.

It was clear he wanted to say something, and I wondered if he even realized he’d put a barrier between us.

I wanted to growl about his ex, but I just put a pleasant smile on my face and sat in a stool, my body loose and open.

Josh took out plates and a cup, then he cut the pastries in half, arranging them on the plates neatly before sort of pushing one in my direction.

I could sense that Josh had a giving and kind nature, but I felt like it was fear driving him to share his food.

There was a hesitance to him that I felt wasn’t natural, but I wouldn’t upset him by turning down his offering.

Josh backed up a step when he looked up. I knew my face was calm and placid, but he still looked nervous and unsure.

“Thank you, Josh. I love that you want to share your food with me,” I said, pulling the plate closer to me and taking a bite of the muffin. I groaned in approval, and Josh looked down, fiddling with his own food before taking a bite.

He finished chewing before speaking, still looking down at his plate. “I want to thank you. For everything. I’m sorry I was a bit of a mess, and I really appreciate being able to stay here and you guys getting my stuff.”

“No apology is necessary, Josh,” I said softly.

He looked up and cleared his throat, seeming to straighten up. I could see him putting on his organized, take-charge persona. Not that it was an act, but it wasn’t all there was to Josh, despite what he wanted others to think.

“Yes, well, I wanted to thank you all for letting me stay here for now.”

“You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you want, Josh,” I told him. I didn’t like the “for now” part. “This cabin is empty, and we’re happy to have you here. In fact, I think your friends would probably insist on it.” I didn’t add that I would also insist on it.

“Oh. Well. Thank you,” Josh said, looking down at his food again and picking at it. He seemed to be bracing himself. “I’d like to discuss rent, and I’ll pay you back for the stocked food and the Legos?—”

I cut him off. “Josh.” I waited until he looked up at me before continuing. “Those were a gift. Do you like them?”

“Of course! Thank you! I didn’t meant to imply?—”

I cut him off again. My poor Mei Ume was flustered and nervous at my question, which was not my intention. “You didn’t imply anything. I’m glad you like them. There are so many options that it was hard to decide.”

“Oh, yes, there really are,” Josh said, getting animated. “I haven’t built anything in ages, and I spent the evening working on the plum blossom after Toby and Sebbie left. It’s really beautiful.”

“Did you finish it? Can I see it?” I asked.

Josh seemed flustered but still excited.

He blushed, turned toward the bedroom, turned back, then seemed to come to a decision and practically marched into the bedroom.

He came out with the plum blossom tree, placed it in the center of the table, and looked at me with a hint of defiance in his face. I quite enjoyed the look.

“It looks lovely on the table. It fits in nicely with the cabin’s look,” I commented.

That seemed to take some of the stiffness out of Josh, and he looked at it. “Thank you. It was a lot of fun. I still have the camera to do, and I’m looking forward to it.”

“That would look great on the television stand. Or any of the tables, really,” I commented, looking around the room.

When my gaze came back to Josh, he was staring at me. “You don’t think it’s… stupid? Having Legos as decorations?”

“Why would it be stupid? They look amazingly well crafted, and you’ve created them. I think it’s unique and fun and fits your personality.”

“Unique and fun isn’t my personality,” Josh muttered.

“Josh, look at me,” I insisted, waiting until his eyes came up to mine. “You’re unique and fun. You’re also intelligent, kind, and giving. Never doubt it.”

He held my gaze for a moment and then shrugged.

I could tell he wasn’t quite convinced, but I had time to work on building him back up.

It made me want to go and torture his ex, though.

Still, I let none of that show on my face.

Josh didn’t need anger. He was understandably skittish, and I would not have him afraid of me because I acted like a pup.

“As for rent, we don’t need to worry about that,” I added.

That was apparently not the right thing to say.

Josh looked angry, and he went back behind the kitchen island, placing space between us again before he spoke. “If I’m going to stay here, I insist on paying rent. I’m more than capable of doing so.”

“Ok,” I agreed easily. If it was important to him, I would obviously respect that .

He stuttered a little bit. I didn’t think he’d expected easy acceptance.

“I have no idea what the rates would be—that would be Liam’s area of expertise. Although I’m sure he and Quinton will also argue that you shouldn’t pay rent, so be prepared for that. Quinton can be feisty when he has his mind set on something.”

Josh leaned back against the counter, smiling. “Yes, he really can.”

“I have no doubt you’ll be able to handle him, though,” I added.

Josh looked surprised at that. “Really?”

“Yes. He may be a hellcat, but you’re like your plum blossom,” I said, motioning to the table. “Resilient and able to thrive in even the harshest conditions. A cat is no match for a tree, Mei Ume. You may get scratched up and battered by storms, but your roots are strong.”

Josh looked a little surprised, a little disbelieving, and a little embarrassed at that.

“Oh,” he said. He was endearingly flustered again.

He looked at me and I smiled, then I smelled the faintest tint of arousal in the air. He looked down again, obviously uncomfortable. I had to remind myself to go slow. I was patient. Raising so many second generation hellhounds through adolescence had taught me all the patience I’d ever need.

“I’ll tell Liam you’ll talk to him,” I said. I picked up my now empty plate and walked slowly around the island to put it in the sink. I gave Josh plenty of time to move away, but he didn’t. He just stared at me, biting his lower lip nervously.

Patience, I reminded myself. I had patience.

I headed toward the door, calling over my shoulder, “You relax and enjoy your documentaries and Legos today. I’ll see you later for dinner.” Perhaps it was cheating to not give him time to respond, but I left, firmly shutting the door behind me.

My Mei Ume was persistent and resilient, but he was also stubborn, and I had my work cut out for me in spoiling him.

I knew just how to start, though, even if it might require another trip to the store to pick up some more builds.

I thought perhaps I should stock up so I had one to give him whenever he finished what he had.

Liam could probably find all sorts of interesting ones online as well.

I smiled to myself, excited to start spoiling Josh. Somehow I thought it might be a bit of a battle, but I was up for the challenge. I was, after all, a first gen hellhound.