Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
Corbin got busy in his garden. There wasn’t anything else he could do. He couldn’t fix vampirism; he couldn’t make the fae different or the dragons different or anyone different, including himself. So he went out and worked.
He grew tomatoes and blackberries. Raspberries, strawberries, and beets. Potatoes, onions, leeks, and garlic.
Then there were the herbs. He grew horehound for sore throats. Basil, oregano, and cilantro for cooking. Ginger for… everything.
He dug his fingers down into the dirt and pulled it up; he spoke to the worms and the small animals. He gave offerings to the earth spirits so his garden would grow.
And Evander was always there.
He looked around at the morning he suddenly found himself in, blinking. Where was Evander this morning? He’d left his mate sleeping, his beard shadow prodigious, his face younger, somehow, as he rested.
He pushed his hair out from his forehead, leaving a streak of dirt. He sat for a minute enjoying the sun and the smell of loam and growing, and what was that sound?
There was a scratching, whining sound that tore at his heart. Corbin looked down underneath the huge leaves of his pumpkin patch. And there was a puppy.
He was relatively sure that it was pretty small, and that should indicate a mama dog.
Mate, are you around? he called.
It took a moment before Evander’s voice came back to him as though from quite a distance. I’m in the basement with Hawk. We’re sparring.
Hawk spars? He had to ask it. He had to because everyone knew Hawk was an ancient dragon. He could fight like a fiend but, really, he seemed like not much of a fighter if you just met him.
I will bite you, Corbin. Hawk butted in.
No, Hawk. Evander responded. You will not. Can I help you?
I found a puppy, I think, and I need some help.
You think you found a puppy, or do you think you need some help?
I think if you don’t get your ass up here toot suite, you’re going to be sleeping on the sofa.
Ah, I understand. I’ll be right there.
That’s what he fucking thought. Corbin was hot. He was thirsty. He was pregnant, and there was a little pup here, and he didn’t know how to help it. He didn’t want to touch it, because what if this is one of those things where if you touched it, the mom would reject it? Because that would suck.
Evander appeared like magic, flowing right up to him, graceful and nearly silent as always. “What have we here, lethean?” Ev peered at the baby. “Oh, it’s a wolf cub, sweet. Look at that sweet face.”
“He looks scared and hungry, and I’m worried that there’s a mom. I don’t want to touch him if it’s going to make the mom mad, but I think he needs some water.” And he was so pretty. Corbin wanted to snuggle with him.
“It’ll be fine. I tell you what, you take him and get him some water. I’m going to find his mother. She won’t be far. I’m sure she’s hungry too.” Evander beamed at him, as if he’d done something amazing.
“Okay.” He could do that. He scooped the puppy up, and it shivered, so he stroked it gently. “It’s all right; no one’s going to hurt you. We’re going to get you some food. We’re going to find your mom. We’re going to give everybody a nice place to just hang. You can’t live under the pumpkin leaf.”
Although really, under a pumpkin leaf was not the worst place in the world. It was kind of small for a wolf puppy, and a nice big dog bed would be better, but it wasn’t deadly.
Evander was gone for a bit, but then the puppy began crying and wiggling, and Ev appeared like smoke, and a huge, shaggy, red and gray wolf padded along behind him.
“Here she is. He’s her last surviving cub, and she was going to leave him with us to keep him safe.”
“Oh, poor thing.” He let the puppy go so it could run to its mother. “Is she sick? What do we need to do? I gave him some water. Is she making milk? Can you talk to her?”
“I can. Her name’s Aspen. She’s just very tired and has been run out of everywhere, but she tried to find food. The cub is called Blaze.”
That sucked. He hated people. He hated this bullshit. “I’ve got some meat. Should I warm it up? And what about the puppy?”
“Just take the cold edge off it. Fifteen seconds each side on a pan for her. The puppy will take milk until she can start making some or he can eat meat.”
Corbin got on it, happy to have something to do that could help. He could hear Evander talking and hear the wolf making noises, vocalizing, but he couldn’t quite understand her. It was as if the puppy was easier to understand from where he snuggled into his mom, staring at him.
Soon he had a nice piece of round steak for Aspen and a bowl of warmed milk for both of them to share. “Does this work?”
“It’s just exactly what she needs. I’m going to find her a bed. We might warn everyone to just give them some space for a few days until they’re comfortable, especially the little ones. They might get very excited.”
Corbin thought the children weren’t the only ones to get excited.
In fact, he was pretty tickled. That cub, or puppy, or whatever people called them when they were older, was so cute he thought he might just expire from joy.
Both mama and baby got up as soon as he laid the food down and came to scarf it up.
Aspen choked down the meat in just a few rough chews, while Blaze eventually fell asleep in the bowl of milk.
He had to pull the baby out so mama could have the rest.
“I could just die,” Corbin told Evander. “Look at that. Look how cute that is.”
Evander gave him a warm chuckle, coming to lift him up so he could take a kiss. “No dying.”
“Well, no, I wouldn’t really do it for real.” Corbin put a hand in his belly. “I am incubating a baby.”
Those sky-blue eyes went cloudy like it was about to storm, Evander staring right into him. “You are far more than an incubator, lethean You are my everything. Don’t even joke about it.”
Aspen snorted as if to say that was that, her ears flicking back and forth.
Based on such stern warnings, he had to raise his hands and laugh. “Okay, okay. I won’t even make fun of it.”
“Good.” Evander took another kiss. “Let me go find something for them to sleep on. And then I think you need a shower.”
“Are you saying I stink?”
Evander picked up his hands and kissed his knuckles, then showed him the dirt almost to his elbows. “I’m saying you’re a little earthy. I’ll be right back.”
He laughed, feeling better now suddenly. His garden was working on itself out there, and in here, they had the sweetest baby wolf and a very cautious mama one. But he had a feeling that Evander and Aspen had really bonded already.
Orion was going to be so jealous because, if this was his familiar for the baby for protection, then he was the only one in the family to get such a prestigious predator.
Cosmo’s children had a magpie named Eddie.
While Orion and Cullen’s kids had a marten, which was basically a beautiful little red weasel named Roderick.
Not that both of those weren’t fierce. He had seen Eddie take the delivery man down outside, and Roderick tormented their beaver shifter friend, Yarrow, all the time.
Still, adding a couple of wolves to the household couldn’t hurt. As long as they didn’t eat Roderick and Eddie.
Elliot might drop on someone’s head like a ton of bricks if they hurt his magpie, but Corbin had a feeling that that wasn’t going to happen.
And what was with him having all of these feelings all of a sudden? Wasn’t that Cosmo’s job?
Evander returned with a pile of pillows and blankets that had come from an unused linen closet. They smelled a little musty, and he didn’t figure anybody would go wandering around looking for them if they went missing and got used as dog bedding.
It didn’t mean he wasn’t going to splurge and get them some amazing beds from because he totally was.
After creating a bed in the corner of the common room kitchen, Evander came and took his hand, smiling and drawing him close. “Now, should we have that shower together, my love?”
“Oh, I think that’s a good idea.” He took a deep breath, drawing in Evander’s amazing scent of thunder and lightning and sky and earth. “Although you smell perfect.”
“Mmm… I love that you think so.” Evander stole a long, lazy kiss. “Let’s get wet together.”
He took Evander’s hand and rushed them up the stairs. He needed touching and kissing and getting clean now.
Right now.
Evander chuckled softly. “I like an eager mate.”
“I’m eager.”
Everything had been so odd and tough and just not good lately, and he wanted things to be a little bit more joyful.
Life wasn’t always joy, and he was fully aware of that, but it wasn’t always shitty either.
So he was going to change this timeline and spend a few dozen days getting his freak on with his mate.
They made it to the bathroom, and he managed to get stripped down to his skin. He bent over to turn on the water when Evander’s hands framed his ass. The thick thumbs pushed in to tease him without a bit of hesitation.
He gasped and lurched forward a bit, but Evander’s hands were huge, and they held him right there.
“Oh, mate.” He took a deep cleansing breath because everything around was still, quiet.
Then he heard the deep rumble of Evander’s voice, and he knew those horns were out and that his lover’s eyes were glowing. “Yes, mate. Are you well? Right here? I intend to take you just like this.”
“I’m better than well.” He stepped into the tub, bracing himself on the wall as Evander followed him in, still holding him.
He probably would have been perfectly safe on the floor, but he liked the feel of water dripping around him. He liked being able to brace himself.
He loved knowing that Evander was going to take him like he needed it.
Evander hummed softly, his thumbs pushing in and out, sliding deeper and deeper inside him, stretching him just enough to make him gasp.
“Seems like you want me,” he teased.