Page 32 of How to Trust a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls #4)

Wilder

W hen Thea was within a mile of us, I could firmly sense her presence, so Josh and I went out to meet her. The boys, thankfully, stayed out of sight for the moment. I was sure she would get along with them, but she didn’t need to be overwhelmed by them right off the bat.

I didn’t think she was sold on the idea of a pack.

Some part of me wondered if she was meant to be a permanent addition.

I’d been instructed to find her, and I could sense her, but there wasn’t that bone deep connection I’d had with the boys.

Her hesitation shouldn’t have mattered; not all the boys had been sold on the idea of a pack, either, but I still knew they were mine.

Thea felt like someone I needed to guide and help, like her pack was supposed to run next to but not within my own pack. Which made no sense, because she had no pack.

I could sense Josh’s surprise the moment she opened her car door. He had probably expected the female version of the boys—someone muscular, menacing, and tall.

Thea was none of those things. She was short, well under six feet in height, and she was curvy. I knew she was strong, but she didn’t exactly look it. She was easily underestimated. She looked rather sweet, but that impression was dispelled easily enough once you got to know her.

“This town smells fucking weird, Wilder,” she said, stopping about five feet away from Josh and me.

She looked Josh up and down and sniffed, barely glancing at me. I hated to admit it, but I was rather at a loss as to what to do to set her at ease.

Josh stepped forward and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Josh, and this is Wilder, which I’m sure you know already. We’re… umm… dating?”

I didn’t like the hesitance with which he said the last word, so I stepped forward and placed my hand along the back of his neck.

“We’re partners and mates,” I clarified.

I didn’t know if it would mean much to either of them, but I had to say it anyway.

Josh was so much more than just someone to date.

“Athena,” she answered, “but call me Thea.”

To my surprise, she reached forward and shook Josh’s hand.

“What particular afterlifers did you detect? Did you sense a cult on the way in?” I asked.

Both Thea and Josh turned to stare at me. I looked back and blinked, unsure what the issue was. Thea had brought up the smell of the town, not me.

Josh turned back to Thea. “Yeah, so we apparently have a little cult problem. My asshole ex-boyfriend couldn’t take no for an answer, and the idiot apparently got involved with some cult with the immortal son of Cain or something really weird. So, you know, that’s fun.”

Thea was frowning. “Couldn’t take no for an answer?” she asked.

Josh stilled, but he still answered. “I’m sure you’ll hear soon enough. He sprained my wrist and gave me a few bruises, and then he didn’t take it well when I broke things off after that.”

I could hear a subvocal growl come from Thea, but she got herself under control very quickly, which was impressive.

Josh was staring at her. “You been there?” he asked.

I wasn’t sure what he meant, but Thea understood. She shook her head, adding, “No, a close friend.”

Josh nodded, she nodded, and then Josh started walking toward the cabin, and Thea followed.

“I’ll show you my cabin, and you can decide if you want to crash in the spare room there. There’s a house as well, but I’m not sure if you want to stay with the guys just yet. They can be… a lot. Not in a bad way, but sort of in a teenage boy way, if you know what I mean.”

Thea laughed at that, and they both walked toward the cabin. I trailed along after them, listening as Josh told Thea who lived where. He managed to describe the guys and make them all seem rather harmless, and Thea laughed more than once at his stories.

He glanced back occasionally, and I smiled reassuringly at him.

Josh may have wanted me to take charge in the bedroom, but he was obviously very good at taking charge in other areas, and I was pleased that he’d taken to Thea.

I was also thrilled that she seemed comfortable with him.

She’d never let her guard down so much in my presence.

We got to the cabin, and Josh showed Thea around. By the time we were sitting down to coffee, it was like they were old friends. When there was a lull in the conversation, I couldn’t help asking the question that had been plaguing me since her phone call.

“Why now? What made you decide to trust me?” I asked her.

Thea sipped her drink, looking at me. “I didn’t.” She nodded her head at Josh. “He’s good, though. Really good. I trust him.”

Ah, I thought I understood. Hellhounds could sense hellbound souls; we could smell the level of rot on people. But afterlifers didn’t have the same scent. I would have smelled like something different to her, but she wouldn’t have known how to judge that odor.

“I understand. You can meet our other human packmates, as well. You’ll see they’re all good souls,” I told her.

“I don’t need a pack,” Thea stated. “I don’t plan to stay here; I rented a room in town, and I don’t know how long I’ll be in the area. I’m sorry if that’s not what you were hoping for.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I took another drink. I was supposed to find Thea, and I had, but what was my purpose beyond that? I wasn’t shocked that she wasn’t going to join us permanently, but I had to admit to being a little disappointed. I felt protective of her.

Josh broke the silence. “You kept in contact with Wilder, though, even though you weren’t sure if you could trust him. You don’t have to stay here forever, but we can still be family.”

Thea took a sip of her coffee before answering.

“I’ve never met anyone else like me. Wilder was the first, and he had a lot of interesting stories.

Just because he’s the same kind of… person that I am doesn’t mean he’s good.

Or honest. But you, Josh”—she gestured her mug at him—“you’re honest. And I wanna know more about what I can and can’t do.

It was weird as fuck turning into a fire dog, and I have a feeling I need to know more. ”

I stilled, looking at her. “What type of feeling?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. It’s like when you know it’s going to rain, so you get everything ready for the storm. I feel like a storm is coming, and I don’t want to be caught unawares.”

Interesting. I didn’t have the same feeling, but I recognized what she was saying. Perhaps my goal with Thea was to teach her and train her, and then send her on her way. That made me a little sad to think about.

Josh seemed to sense my mood, because he took my hand and squeezed it.

“Of course, Wilder will help you, and so will the guys. But you can’t just up and disappear in the night or anything.

You’re family now, and family stays in touch, even if we’re like the weird cousins that everyone gossips about. Okay?”

Thea eyed him. “Is that a condition of my living here and being taught?”

“Yup,” Josh answered. “And once you meet the rest of us regular people, you’ll realize no one will leave you alone for long, even if you don’t stay. Get ready for texts and phone calls. This group is like barnacles—once they latch onto you, there’s no getting rid of them.”

Thea laughed again, and I thought her body loosened a bit at Josh’s words. Perhaps she needed more than just training. Perhaps she needed friends and family, too.

We talked some more and eventually ordered some food, and over the course of the evening the entire pack made their way to Josh’s at some point or another. Thea was definitely friendlier with the human packmates, and they all seemed to set her at ease.

I hadn’t realized how much she distrusted hellhounds, but I should have.

Our intentions and our level of good couldn’t be judged like human souls could.

I imagined all afterlifers would make her wary.

She had grown up with humans, and she had learned to trust her senses.

She had nothing to go on when it came to afterlifers.

Eventually it got late enough that Thea said she was heading to her room in town. We agreed to meet tomorrow morning in town to talk more and so I could show her around. I figured I could introduce her to the other types of afterlifers and how to sense them.

“Will you be there too, Josh?” she asked.

Josh looked at me, and I gave a slight shrug. I was fine whether he wanted to come or not. I wasn’t totally sure he wanted to know all the ins and outs of being a hellhound, but I would love to have him with me.

“Umm, I should probably stop by my office in the morning. Even though it’s the weekend, some people will be in. But you and Wilder could do some hellhound stuff or whatever, and then we could meet for lunch,” he answered.

She nodded, we all said goodbye, and she made her way out, which left Josh and I sitting on the couch. He was suddenly filled with nervous energy, and I wasn’t sure why.

“Are you disappointed she isn’t staying here with you?” I asked him, putting my hand on the back of his neck and gently squeezing.

“Um, yeah, maybe,” he answered. He was still all squirmy.

“What is it, Mei Ume?”

Josh took a deep breath. “You’re, umm, still welcome to stay here. Tonight. Overnight. If you want to. You know, in case you planned to because you thought Thea would be here. Or whatever.”

I smiled. “I would love to stay here with you, but not because I thought Thea would be here. I would love to have you in my arms all night long.”

Josh turned to look at me, and I gazed into his eyes.

I wanted to tell him I’d stay with him every night, that I’d marked him without even thinking about it, that he was my mate.

I wasn’t sure if that was wise yet, though.

Josh was shy about me spending the night.

He probably needed to be eased into spending eternity together.