Chapter 26
Sebbie
I was some mythological guy who ferried souls across a river. I was still trying to wrap my brain around that, even while I was snacking on cheese and crackers.
We were back at Corbin’s place, and most of the “pack” was here.
Liam, Q, and Aiden were huddled over by the computers, and Fluffy-slash-Atlas was in his dog form next to Aiden.
Wilder and Josh were bustling around the kitchen and bringing snacks out, and Dexter was on the phone, apparently with Jude.
Toby was listening in to that conversation, and occasionally he’d insert some random statement that sounded slightly insane.
“No, Jude, you can’t tranq him. Don’t you people read any books? When someone is going to die who isn’t supposed to die, and you do something to the timeline to change it, that’s usually what actually kills them!” Toby said, sounding super exasperated.
Huh. Not that he was wrong. I’d totally read that in a book. Or seen it in a movie? I couldn’t remember which one, though.
“You and Thea just watch him. Watch him and protect him. That’s all we can do for now. We’ll figure this out,” Dexter said into the phone, and then he hung up, going over to talk to Wilder.
Toby headed toward me. Corbin and I were sitting on the couch, and Corbin kept feeding me assorted snacks. It was actually really sweet. It was like each hug, each soft kiss, and each snack he handed me erased some of the sadness from the river.
Because, yeah, that had been awful.
I really hadn’t known that the river could do that.
That had always been a happy place for me, and journeying people—or souls, apparently—had always been fun and joyous.
But as soon as she walked into the river, it was like the memory came to me.
I knew it would do horrible things to her, and I knew it would be horrible to watch.
I could have stopped her. I’d stopped Corbin from moving forward, and I could have stopped her. I could have walked into the river and gotten her out, too. I somehow knew that.
But I hadn’t done any of those things. I’d let it happen.
I felt guilty about that, but I also felt guilty that I didn’t feel as guilty as I thought I should feel. I wasn’t even sure if that made sense, but it all gave me an icky feeling and made me sad and uncomfortable.
But Corbin was helping. Just by being here and cuddling me on the couch, he was helping.
And the icky, sad feeling was fading away.
And occasionally, if I got tense or sad looking, Corbin would whisper in my ear, “It’s not your fault.
” And each time he did, a little more of that icky feeling slipped away.
Toby sat down next to me, and I turned to face him. Corbin automatically wrapped an arm around me so my back was leaning against him, and I put one leg up on the couch to get comfy.
Toby rested a hand on my knee for a moment. “You okay?”
“Well, if you mean am I okay learning that hellhounds are real and that I’m apparently some mythological being and that the life of a guy we know might be in danger, then sure. I’m doing great,” I answered.
Toby snorted in amusement, then he grabbed a cracker with cheese off the plate on the coffee table. “Well, I gotta say, we didn’t peg you as a ferryman. So that was a cool plot twist.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. I looked over my shoulder at Corbin to explain. “A while ago we were all drinking and talking about how people always died around me, and we were trying to guess what supernatural creature I was. I think we guessed angel and demon.”
“Vampire might’ve gotten thrown in the mix,” Toby admitted. “Plus, I think we wondered about you being The Chosen One.”
I snorted at that. “I am definitely not the chosen one, because there’s no harem surrounding me.”
“Exactly!” Toby said, pointing a finger at me. “Can’t have a chosen one without a harem!”
We both giggled at that. I reached out and grabbed Toby’s hand, suddenly so thankful to have him as a friend.
“I love you, Toby.”
Toby’s face softened. “I love you, too, Seb.”
Josh must have come over, because he reached his hands over the couch, putting a hand on each of our shoulders. We both turned to him, and practically in unison, we said, “Love you, Josh.”
Josh laughed. “I love you guys, too. You taught me what it meant to have a family.”
I teared up a little at that. Josh hadn’t always had an easy time of it, and I was so glad that he was in a better place.
“Sometimes I think we should have done more for you,” I admitted.
“Everything happens for a reason. I really think that. It all turned out for the best in the end, and it made me the strong person I am today.”
“I’m gonna use that in a book,” Toby said, and we all chuckled a little.
I heard something drop in the kitchen, and Josh turned around, heading back to help.
Toby made a face at Corbin, sort of raising and lowering his eyebrows. Corbin didn’t move or acknowledge it. Toby cleared his throat, looking at Corbin again. Finally, he said, “I think they need you in the kitchen.”
“No, I don’t think they do,” Corbin answered.
I stifled a laugh, and Toby rolled his eyes and threw up his hands.
I turned and gave Corbin a peck on the lips. “I think Toby wants to talk to me with you not right here. I’m okay. He’s my best friend. We can’t remain attached at the hip forever, either.”
“Why not?” Corbin asked.
“Well, going to the bathroom,” I said.
Corbin opened his mouth to respond, but Toby put a hand up, cutting him off. “No, you guys cannot come into the bathroom with us every freaking time. It’s a human thing.”
Corbin sighed, like he was dealing with a bunch of irrational kids, but he got up, kissing the top of my head. “I’ll be right back. Five minutes.” Then he walked over toward Liam.
I looked at Toby, who rolled his eyes. “Okay, so we totally need to have a drinking and gossip session where we can chat about all the ways to deal with a hellhound. We should write a manual or something. Because sometimes they’re totally clueless.”
“You’re the writer, Toby,” I said, laughing while I grabbed another cracker with cheese. “But give me the abridged scoop, because you know he really did mean only five minutes.”
“First, are you really okay?”
I smiled. Toby had his mind on his characters a lot of the time, but he really did care, and he was a great friend. I thought over his question before I answered, because this was Toby. I could tell him anything. Was I okay?
“I’m not sure. It’s a lot. The hellhound thing doesn’t even seem surprising, weirdly enough. It’s the whole me thing that I’m having a hard time with. But Corbin helps. A lot. He’s always with me,” I answered.
“Good,” Toby said, nodding. “I’m glad. And you know I’m here if you want to talk about it.”
“I know. I don’t think I can right now, though.”
“And that’s perfectly fine,” Toby assured me. “So, then let’s talk about the hellhound thing.”
I laughed, because Toby had a mischievous smirk on his face.
“So, have you gotten knotted yet?” he asked.
I looked at him. What the hell was he talking about? “Knotted? Like tied a knot?”
“No, silly. Like, you know”—Toby made an obscene jerking off gesture with his hand—“knotted.” I must have still looked confused, because he went on to do the jerking off motion again, then he exaggerated the dick getting way bigger.
Suddenly, it clicked in place. “Holy shit,” I whispered. “They have knots?”
“Yup!” Toby said proudly, like he was responsible for the whole thing.
“Oh my god, I think he did knot me. I just thought it was, like, a transcendent sexual experience, because I came twice. Like holy shit, it was phenomenal,” I whispered.
“And…” Toby said, drawing it out, “they also have tails.”
Okay, so was I dense, or what? Because I could clearly see Atlas sitting over there with a tail, but I had no idea what that had to do with sex. Toby saw me glancing at Atlas, because he shook his head.
“No, not like dog tails. Like demon tails or something,” he clarified. “They’re prehensile.”
“Okay?” I wasn’t sure what the last word meant, although it rang a bell back from biology class. I still wasn’t sure how it was sexual, though.
Toby rolled his eyes, leaning in even further. “Their tails can move on their own. They’re thin at the tip and get thicker as they go further, and they’re really long and very dexterous. They feel very much like…” Toby cleared his throat, like suddenly he was shy about saying something obscene.
Still, the pieces clicked into place. “Do you mean…” I trailed off in a question.
Toby leaned back. “Yup. It’s really good. Ask your mate for a demonstration. Those tails can do all sorts of things.”
I felt myself blushing, and Toby chuckled. Corbin chose that moment to come back, and of course I only blushed even more. Toby winked at me before he got up.
Great. Now all I was gonna be able to think about was long, dexterous tails that could do all sorts of things. Corbin pulled me back in for a cuddle, and I bonelessly slid against him.
Well, I guess tails were a better topic than what happened at the river, or what might happen to the sheriff.
All sorts of things. Oh my.
Nothing got decided, and eventually the Scooby Gang broke up. Corbin and I went back to my place and walked inside, and I realized I had no idea what to do. I felt jittery and jumpy. Nervous energy, my mother had always called it.
Huh. I wondered if my mom was my mom? That thought had barely flashed across my head before I realized of course my mom was my mom. Whatever I was, she had raised me and loved me and been a great mom. Both my parents were great.
Not all families were so good. I thought of the man and the son from that house, and I felt like I was losing my footing.
Then I was in the hospital, standing by that pregnant mom, and I felt like I knew something, but I forgot it just as quickly as I knew it.
My brain was bouncing around and then forgetting each memory before I could grasp it.
“What is it?” Corbin asked, coming over to put his hands on my shoulders.
“Rabbit holes,” I murmured. “I feel like I keep falling down rabbit holes, but I can’t quite hold onto any of the thoughts or memories before I’m falling down another rabbit hole.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Corbin asked, rubbing his hands up and down my arms.
Did I? Not really. It made my head hurt. It felt like the harder I tried, the more I’d forget. I shook my head. “I want to forget about it all for now.”
“Yeah? How can I help?”
I looked up at him. “I don’t want it to feel like I’m using you to forget, because that’s totally not what it is at all—”
Corbin cut me off. “You can use me however you want, Sebbie. I’m here for your pleasure.”
I smiled at his words, because they sounded dirty. I was suddenly really turned on, and Corbin must have sensed it or smelled it or something, because his smile was wicked.
“Ahhh,” he said. “Yes, let me take care of you.”
The words sent shivers running through me.
Corbin picked me up, carrying me into the bedroom. He set me down on the bed, then he proceeded to strip off my shirt and pants. He did it gently, carefully, and I felt intensely cared for in the simple act of being undressed.
When I was naked, Corbin stripped as well, climbing onto the bed next to me. I was laying on my back, and he was on his side, head on his hand looking down at me.
“Too far away,” I complained. “I want skin.”
“You’ll get skin. What else do you want?” His smile turned even more wicked. “Do you want to find out about my tail?”
I picked my hands up and covered my face. “Oh my god, did you hear all of that?”
“You should know that hellhounds have exceptional hearing,” Corbin told me.
And duh, I should have known that. Toby had written about it in his books. Corbin distracted me from that thought with soft kisses and nibbles along my neck.
“What do you want, mate?” he asked.
Gah. Mate. That was so unbelievably amazing to hear.
“I’ll never be alone again?” I asked, which wasn’t where I planned on going with this.
Corbin didn’t mind. He leaned over me, making eye contact. “You will never be alone again. I will always be with you. Do you understand me?”
I nodded my head. He leaned down, his lips pressing against mine.
Corbin kept it soft and gentle, but I nibbled on his lips, pressing the tip of my tongue against them until he finally opened up.
I slid my tongue into his mouth, flicking it against his, sweeping in to lick where I could.
He let me lead, but I wanted more. I groaned in frustration, and Corbin rewarded me with his tongue in my mouth.
I sucked on it, grabbing onto Corbin’s shoulders with my hands and squeezing.
“I love you,” I murmured when we broke apart.
“Love you, too, mate,” Corbin answered.
He leaned down and sucked my tongue into his mouth, sending little sparks through my body. I thrust my hips up, looking for friction against my hard dick.
“Do you want to be inside of me, mate?” Corbin asked.
I froze, but my cock remained hard. Did I? I mean, yeah, but I felt like I wouldn’t know what to do. I wiggled a little, both horny and uncomfortable at the same time.
“I’m not sure what to do,” I admitted.
“Let me take care of you, mate. Even in this. Let me ride that cute little dick.”
Ohmygod. I reached up and grabbed Corbin, pulling him down for another kiss and nodding my head. Yes. I wanted to feel Corbin’s tight heat around me. I wanted him to ride my dick and let me be a part of him. But I was selfish, and I also wanted to feel him inside me.
“I want…” I gasped, ripping my lips away from his. “God, Corbin, I want that, but I want you inside me, too.”
“That can be arranged, baby.”