Hell To Pay: Hellhound Champions Book Two, page 18
Cody leaned against Sol’s shoulder and yawned.
“You need to rest,” Sol said quietly.
“I’ll rest when you do.”
Sol growled, and the cubs both scrambled away from him.
“He won’t hurt you,” Cody said. “He’s just cranky.”
“I can take them,” Leandra said. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“Pfft,” Cody snorted. “You’re the best thing that happened today. Trust me.”
She didn’t seem convinced.
“Sol, we probably should get them out of here, huh?”
“As soon as they eat.”
“They can come to the clinic,” Ben volunteered. “Nana will spoil them rotten.”
“We’ll talk after everyone eats,” Sol said.
It would have been a great plan if the door to the bar hadn’t flung open, and a big, very fucking scary looking guy came storming in. He was a little older, with gray hair and piercing eyes, and he looked like he was there to kill first, ask questions later. The cubs reacted quickly, scampering over to Cody and hiding in his arms. Sol reacted as quickly, standing and letting out a weird grumbling growl thing that sent a shiver down Cody’s spine. And then he didn’t even know how it happened but Leandra shifted and let out a roar that shook the rafters.
After that, everything moved too fast for Cody to process because he was sheltering terrified baby lions and praying for his life.
Solomon
If Solomon didn’t think he needed Dasan to get through the upcoming fight with the aswangs, he’d have let Leandra take a chunk out of his hide. The asshole knew better than to come into another pack’s territory and try to show some sort of weird dominance display. Leandra wasn’t having any of it. She had cubs to protect.
“Leandra, hold!”
Sol put some command behind the words. She held, but barely. Her entire body quivered with the need to attack. The smug grin Dasan had on his face when he walked in faded quickly. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Mama lion, asshole. I should let her eat you.”
Dasan glanced around the bar, and he gaze settled on Cody who was doing his best to let the cubs bury themselves inside his chest. Lionel was already under Cody’s shirt. Cody was giving Sol a look that demanded immediate assistance. Sol turned to Dasan, knowing his mate would make him pay for it later. Dasan met Leandra’s gaze before lowering his head and closing his eyes.
“My apologies. I mean you and your cubs no harm.”
Leandra growled her annoyance. Sol didn’t blame her one bit. “He’s a friend, Leandra. Food is about ready. Why don’t you go ahead and shift and we’ll get the cubs fed?”
She grumbled but moved toward the back of the room. She shifted into her human form, and Sol heard Cody’s surprised gasp.
He couldn’t help but look.
Cody had slapped his hand over his eyes to prevent him from seeing Leandra naked. Sol would have to explain the rules to him. Champions shifted magically, their abilities coming from the goddesses themselves. Other shifters required a physical process and actually had to remove their clothes. He imagined it had come as quite the surprise for Cody to see Leandra casually shift back, not shy at her nudity.
“Your message was cryptic,” Dasan griped. “Luckily, I was in the area and able to come by.”
“In the area, huh?” Sol asked.
“Change is in the air, my friend.”
“I know, Day. Believe me, I know. The aswangs are planning another attack, but this time, they’ve managed to add magic to their arsenal.”
Dasan didn’t say anything, but his eyes flickered, the golden eyes of his eagle emerging for the briefest moment before they returned to the pale gray of his human form. “More refugees will come,” Dasan said. “I sensed them close.”
“I know.”
“The cubs?”
“Will be moved somewhere safe as soon as they’ve eaten.”
Dasan nodded. “I’ll be outside if you need me.”
“Thank you for coming.”
Sol let out a breath as his old friend left the room. Dasan didn’t socialize much, but he was a fierce warrior, trained by his people to be the strongest of their kind. His senses were sharp, his sight even better than Sol’s, and he needed someone with that strength and an ability to take to the air on his side.
“Order up!”
Walt shoved a few plates into the window and drew Sol’s attention. He flashed his eyes, and Walt’s flashed in reply. Sol could feel Walt’s nervousness from across the room, but he was in control. Shaq would be proud, and Sol made a mental note to let their alpha know how well Walt had been handling everything. He glanced around the bar, taking in both Cody and Shelly fussing over Leandra and the cubs. They’d shifted into their human forms as well, enticed by the scent of food. Cody looked at him and smiled before trying to wrangle Lionel into a T-shirt. The kids looked to be less than two, and they’d need some answers from their mother soon. Ben’s anxiety was still apparent, even though he was hiding it well as he interacted with the newcomers.
Sol opened the door again and stepped out into the parking lot. They needed to find a way to spread the word to other loners and smaller packs. And, as Cody had suggested, they were going to need a bigger bar. Or at least a better way to handle the amount of others arriving by the dozen. Every time he opened the door, they seemed to multiply. Jedrek appeared by Sol’s side, a frown etched upon his face.
“What is it?”
“There’s so fucking many of them, Sol. There aren’t enough of us to go around. And if they’re using magic… it’s going to get ugly, fast.”
“I know. I’m working on it.”
The goddess had given him two days. He honestly didn’t know if they had that long. If this many of their kind sensed the uprising, the aswangs must be closer than they realized.
“What can I do?” Jedrek asked.
“I’m waiting on Vaughn to get here. I’m going to see if we can move some of them to his land. Get them behind a ward, for as much good as that did at the cabin.”
“Well, those wards weren’t placed by Henry. No offense to the coven, but…”
Sol got it. His nephew’s gifts were powerful, and if he weren’t currently in the fae realm with his mates, Sol would have asked them all for assistance. Henry’s mates were as powerful as he was, and having them at their side might discourage the aswangs. Something teased the back of Sol’s mind, and another chess piece moved on the board in his mind. The timing seemed very convenient. Banshees attacking, even though the fae prince was with the Chosen One? Henry and his mates leaving the human realm as a result. Shaq and Drew sent away on mysterious business for the goddess. Chess pieces moving, leaving a vulnerable opening.
Fuck.
It felt like a trap because it was one. They were being isolated from anyone who could assist them, and enough seeds were being planted to drive as many of their kind as possible into one location. Once again, Sol was more certain than ever that they were a piece on a chess board. The problem was, he couldn’t see all of the other pieces, so he wasn’t sure which move to make next. Was he playing into the aswangs hands?
“Sol?” Jedrek asked.
“I need Keziah.”
Jedrek froze for a moment before letting out a breath. “Sol, that’s…”
“I know. Get him and the others.”
Jedrek nodded and went to the back of the bar. Another portal opened, and Vaughn emerged with Calli. She’d gone to wait for one of the senior Jerricks after bringing Ben through. Calli frowned at Sol, obviously sensing something going on, but she didn’t question. Vaughn came forward with his black medical bag in one hand, looking as serious as ever.
“What’s the status?”
“She’s awake and eating,” Sol answered. He reached for Vaughn’s shoulder and gripped it tightly. “We need to talk.”
Calli’s frown deepened. “What happened?”
“And why are there so many of our kind hovering here, Sol. What’s wrong?”
“Aswangs,” Sol said.
Vaughn blanched.
“I’d like to send some of the ones gathered here with you, Vaughn. We need your help and your wards.”
Vaughn looked around the gathered crowd and sighed. “There’s so many of them.”
“I know. Will you help us?”
Vaughn turned to him again. “Your pack has done more for me than I can ever hope to repay in my lifetime. Send as many as you need to me, and I’ll find a place for them. It’ll probably be in tents pitched in my yard, but they’ll be within the wards.”
“Thank you, Alpha Jerrick,” Sol said. He squeezed the wolf’s shoulder one more time. “There’s one more thing.”
Vaughn sucked in a breath, clearly bracing himself for more difficult news.
“The shifter we brought you here to see. Ben reacted to her scent.”
“Is he—”
“He’s fine. She has cubs. I don’t know how much Calli told you. But I wanted you to be prepared. We’re going to have to speak to her about her situation, but Ben and I both felt it best to get her fed and hydrated first. I’d like for you to look her over. After she’s feeling better and we get her to a safer place, I’d like for you and Sam to talk to her.” It was Sol’s turn to suck in a breath, and he did so if only to bury the seed of dread building. “We’ve never found a mother before, Vaughn.”
Vaughn’s eyes widened, the implications becoming clear to him as well. They’d searched for clues for so many years, and one of their biggest questions had been where the Jerrick cubs had come from in the first place. There’d been no reports of missing cubs anywhere. But there’d been a few reports, vague at best, of shifter women going missing over the years. They’d disappeared without a trace. A fox. A wolf. A bear. A few others, but scattered years apart with nothing connecting them outside of their disappearance. It hadn’t raised any red flags at the time— shifters often went off alone to die if wounded or sick— but afterward, when they’d started paying more attention, the disappearances had gone away as well. One more clue gone. One more loose end they couldn’t follow.
“Okay. We’ll get them safe, and then we’ll see what she knows. This could be it, Sol. We might actually find the fuckers who hurt my kids.”
“I know.”
“I want to go check on Ben.”
“Go.”
Vaughn hurried inside, but Calli remained standing with him. “What are you thinking?”
He turned to her and let his eyes go red. Hers flared in return. “I’m thinking that anyone or anything that comes after our pack will have hell to pay.”
She grinned. “Let’s make ‘em burn, Sol.”
“We need to get anyone out of here who can’t help. I want the Jerricks, Leandra, and the cubs out first. Get them settled, and then start getting the others out of here.”
“I’ll make it happen. What about Cody and Shelly?”
“I’m sending them to the Jerricks as well.”
“Oh, that’s not going to go over well.”
“I know. But this isn’t up for debate. I need them safe.”
“You’re doing the right thing.”
“I need you to do one more thing for me, Calli.”
Sol gave her the request, ignoring the leering and eye rolls he received in reply. She left once more, and Sol went inside the bar. Cody and Ben were deep in conversation, both of them devouring the plates of food Walt had made for them, while Vaughn leaned against the wall by the kitchen window and spoke quietly to Walt. Shelly and Leandra were chatting, too, each of them with a ketchup-covered toddler on their lap.
Cody looked up at him, still smiling at something Ben had said. Sol could see the tiredness on his face. Cody said something else to Ben before he walked over to Sol and wrapped his arms around Sol’s waist. Sol closed his arms around Cody and let out a tense breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding.
“Back room?” Sol asked. “I want to talk to you about something.”
Cody arched a brow at him. “Oh really? I know what you want me to do in the back room.”
Sol grinned and stole a quick kiss. “Another time. Trust me, it’s going to happen.”
“I’m not going to like this talk, am I?”
“Probably not.”
Cody sighed and grabbed his hand. “Let’s get it over with then.”
Sol followed Cody into the back and shut the door behind them. He picked Cody up, ignoring his startled yelp, and placed him on a stack of boxes. Cody glared at him and thumped his shoulders in annoyance before Sol moved closer and positioned himself between Cody’s spread thighs.
“Oh, so it’s that kind of talk, huh?”
“Sadly, no.”
Cody huffed again. “I know you’re about to tick me off. I know you know you’re about to do it, too. So how about you spit it out and let’s fight it out and then we’ll fuck and make up. Deal?”
Sol pressed forward and slipped his hands beneath Cody’s shirt. His skin was so warm and smooth. He ran his hands up further, spread them over Cody’s ribs and back. Cody let out a sigh and leaned his head back, baring his neck. It was too much temptation to resist. He leaned in and nipped at the perfect expanse of pale skin, sucking it between his lips gently before moving upward, chasing Cody’s sweet scent.
“Sol.”
He didn’t want to stop, but he had to. They hadn’t had enough time. Cody didn’t know anything about their world. He wasn’t prepared for what Sol needed from him, but he had to ask anyway. They had no choice.
Sol pressed their foreheads together and kissed Cody once more. Cody’s arms wrapped around his neck, holding him tight. They breathed for another stolen moment.
“Talk to me.”
Sol ran his hand down Cody’s back once more. “I need you to do something for me.”
“Depends on what it is,” Cody said.
“Things are about to get bad here, Cody. When the aswangs come, I need for you to be somewhere else.”
Cody’s entire body tensed. “Don’t ask me to leave you.”
“I’m not asking, Cody.”
“You can’t tell—”
“Cody. Stop. This isn’t up for debate. What I need most of all is for you to be safe. Do you understand that?”
Cody huffed in annoyance once more, but he didn’t pull away. “I don’t know jack shit about this world, Sol. Only the pieces I’ve put together, and it’s not much. I’d be a liability to you.”
“Only in an attack,” Sol said gently.
“Shelly?” Cody asked.
“Will be going with you to the Jerricks’ place.”
“Okay. I’m not happy about this, but I get it. Fuck, you better beat the hell out of them and come back to me whole and unharmed or I’m going to be extremely pissed. You hear me? We just got this and if they ruin it for me, I’ll never forgive you.”
Sol pulled him closer and held Cody tight. He wrapped his arms completely around him and Cody hugged him in return. “There’s more,” Sol rumbled.
“Ugh. You saved the worst for last, didn’t you?”
“No.”
“Come on, Sol. Spit it out already.”
Sol straightened and cupped his hand on Cody’s cheek. He looked into his beautiful stormy eyes and let his own bleed red.
Cody gasped. “So beautiful, Sol.”
“You’re the beautiful one.”
“Stop trying to be sweet and tell me.”
“None of the hellhounds will be with you at the Jerricks’.”
Cody frowned but didn’t say anything more. He waited.
“I’m sending through all of the others who will not be able to help defend us. They’ll all be there with you.”
Cody nodded. “Makes sense. So… you want me to stay somewhere safe? Like, I don’t know, I could hang out with Ben and Ollie? I know Vaughn and Sam, so I could—”
“No, Cody.”
Sol ran his thumb over Cody’s cheek.
“Then what?”
“I need you to help them stay calm. You’ll be the highest ranking member of our pack there.”
“What? No, I’m not. Sol, don’t be ridiculous.”
Sol stroked his cheek softly, hoping his beautiful mate was up to the challenge. Hell, Solomon hadn’t even been able to explain mates to him yet. It was all too fast.
“I’m our pack’s second. Only Meshaq and his mate outrank me.”
“Yeah, I get that.” Cody’s eyes widened a moment later and he let out a startled gasp. “Dude, I’m like fourth in command of a hellhound pack?”
Solomon couldn’t help it. He laughed. “Yes, love.”
“Ugh. One, don’t call me love. Not yet. That comes after you actually tell me you love me, and that isn’t going to happen right now because no. Just no. That’ll happen in a much better moment than in the back of a bar when we’re all stressed out and getting ready to fight and, dammit all to hell, keep a bunch of creatures I don’t know anything about calm during a crisis.”
“You can do it, Cody. I know you can. You’re so good with people. Think of what you do every night in the bar. You know people. You sense what they need. You think of it before they know they need it.”
“Not the same thing, Sol.”
“Not exactly, no. But close enough. Will you do this for me, Cody?”
Cody searched his eyes once more.
Sol let the flames flare on and imagined he could see them reflected in Cody’s eyes.
“You have so much faith in me.”
“Yes.”
“I have no idea what I’m doing.”
Sol stole another kiss. “Think of it as research for your bestiary.”
“Ugh. I wasn’t serious about that.”
“I’m still waiting on your answer.”
Cody closed his eyes and leaned into Sol once more. His voice was so low Sol had to strain to hear it. “I’d do anything for you.”
Sol tugged Cody close and hugged him. He didn’t deserve such trust, but Cody had given it to him anyway. After years of pushing each other’s buttons, of constant tension and ire, he didn’t know why Cody would trust him so much. But they’d changed. Together.
