Chapter Twenty-Six
Twenty-Six
Pythor
There was nothing I hated more in this world than Codie's tears, but these didn't feel like tears of sadness. No, they seemed like tears of relief, like he'd been overwhelmed by his emotions and he just needed a release.
Whatever it was, I held him through it, comforting him in the only way I knew how as my body slowly came down from the emotional and sexual high.
Orgasms always made me feel relaxed, but they didn't compare to the joy I'd felt over being with Codie, knowing how big of a step this was for him.
He'd told me again and again he wasn't sure if he'd ever feel comfortable enough to have sex, and I'd been fine with that.
I loved Codie, and as long as he was at my side, I didn't care what we did together because all of it made me equally happy.
When Codie peered up at me with tear-stained cheeks and slightly red eyes, I rubbed my thumb under his eyes, wiping off the tears.
"I love you," he said in a whisper-soft voice, and I gave him a smile.
"I love you too, my Codie. Would you like to stay in bed for a while longer or get some breakfast?"
He pursed his lips thoughtfully, but his stomach growled before he could answer, making him grimace. "Well, I guess there's your answer."
Smiling, I watched him sit up and climb off me, then sat up myself as he jumped off the bed, then stumbled before righting himself.
He was dressed in a short-sleeved sleep shirt and matching sleep pants, which was the least I'd ever seen him wear, other than our shower together.
I was glad he didn't feel the need to cover up completely when it was just the two of us.
Maybe with time he'd feel comfortable going out without his coat too.
While Codie ducked into the bathroom to freshen up, I changed into my human form, then climbed out of bed, changing my clothes to something daytime appropriate before heading over to the kitchen to start the coffee brewing as I magicked up some breakfast for us, Hella chasing after me.
Though she didn't need to relieve herself, she'd gotten into the habit of going outside as soon as we were up—since Codie had thought she did when he first got her and now she expected it—and I opened the back door with a flick of my hand before turning to Codie as he came into the kitchen.
"Ooh, coffee," he moaned, and I smiled as I handed him a mug.
His phone started buzzing in his pocket, and he scowled as he placed the mug on the countertop to check it. Seeing an unknown number, his scowl deepened as he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Am I speaking to Mr. Codie Walsh?" I heard a feminine voice speak on the other end, her voice professional but not unkind.
"Yes, who is this?"
"I'm Officer Bailey. Would it be possible for you to come into the station sometime today? We have some updates about your case."
Codie blinked, then glanced up at me. I nodded, in case he was asking if I'd join him.
"You do?"
"Yes. Some things have come to light, and we believe we've... found the men responsible."
"Oh."
"Would you be willing to come to the station?"
"Um, okay." He glanced up at the clock, which showed we'd slept through most of the morning, and it was already half past eleven. "Does three o'clock work?"
"That would be perfect. Please ask for me at the reception desk, and I'll come get you."
"I will, thanks."
He ended the call, then stood there for a long moment before shaking his head.
"They must've found the bodies, and the note," he murmured as he glanced up at me, and I nodded.
"Are you up for this? You can tell her no if you're not."
"I know, but I am. I'm ready to put all of this behind me."
Nodding, I served up our late breakfast, and we ate in relative silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Once we were done, Codie declared he was going to grab a shower and went back to the bedroom, while I quickly cleaned up and then decided to check in with Maximus.
Me: Any updates?
He didn't reply instantly, so I busied myself petting Hella, and my phone buzzed a few minutes later.
Maximus: Not really. We think the dark souls may have scattered now that we know they aren't working together. At least the two male ones. Cynthia seems to be sticking closer to Mammon. It's possible she was the one who told him about the book, since she used to be a dark witch
Me: Did Wren recognize the book?
Wren, one of the warlocks Maximus had said could help, had some history with Cynthia. I didn't know exactly what, but Wren's mate was very determined to get that particular dark soul back into the Chasm. I understood their feelings perfectly, and I hoped she would be caught soon.
Maximus: Zane hasn't let me show him yet, but Harlan didn't recognize it.
He has a better grasp of the language, though, so he's trying to translate it so we can get an idea of what exactly Mammon needs from this book.
The pictures don't show all the pages, so there's a possibility the pages Mammon needed aren't here at all.
Me: Fuck
Maximus: Yeah, exactly. I'll let you know if we find something. All good on your end?
Me: Yep. Haven't sensed anything since.
Maximus: Good.
Putting my phone away, I sighed, then gave Hella some more scratches.
When Codie returned dressed and ready, a glance at the clock told me we still had hours before our appointment at the police station, so I dragged him to the couch for some cuddles with Hella, hoping that would keep his mind off things.
Codie
The visit to the police station turned out to be rather anticlimactic. Officer Bailey met us at the reception, then led us to an office with a detective's name on the door. It was a mildly familiar name, and I remembered he and Officer Bailey had interviewed me at the hospital.
After we sat down, Officer Bailey explained what had happened. Of course, she didn't know I'd had first-row seats to the whole thing, and she kept most of it to herself.
"Would you be willing to look at their pictures and confirm they're the men who attacked you?" she asked, her blue eyes kind as she peered at me.
"Are they—are they dead in the pictures?" I asked, unsure if I wanted to see that massacre again. The images were still fresh in my mind.
"Not at all. They're photos taken from their social media."
I nodded, and she placed four pictures in front of me, making me flinch. Pythor squeezed my hand under the table, and I leaned into him.
"Yeah, that's them."
"You said there were five," she prompted, and I nodded.
"The missing man… he was the leader. I gave a description last time. He came to the gallery and everything. Did you look at the footage?"
She winced, then gave me an apologetic look.
She looked sincere enough, but I didn't know if I believed it.
"We've discovered the detective who'd been working on your case had messed with the evidence.
He's facing an investigation, but in the meantime we're doing everything we can to make sure your case is investigated properly. "
I nodded, not really caring since Pythor had already 'solved' my case.
"If you show me more pictures from their social media, maybe I could identify the man. They could be friends, right?"
Officer Bailey nodded, then shuffled through the case file before placing some pictures in front of me. She started spreading them out, but I stopped her when there were just two pictures fully visible.
"That's him," I said, pointing toward the bastard's face, and she blinked.
"Are you sure?"
"That face has haunted my nightmares for almost a year. Yes, I'm sure," I snapped, and she dipped her head in a nod.
"I'm sorry, I just needed the confirmation. Now that we have a name, we'll do our best to track him down."
I nodded, then squeezed Pythor's hand. "Can we go now?"
Officer Bailey nodded, then paused. "Just one more thing. Their phones had pictures that revealed you might not be the only person they hurt," she said, and my eyes widened as I squeezed Pythor's hand impossibly tight.
"What?"
She nodded, a frown on her face. "None of the other men came forward, but we're still investigating. There were no pictures of you, though. It's strange they only confessed to hurting you."
Yeah, that would be because we didn't know there were other people those bastards had hurt. Fuck.
"Are you trying to imply something?" Pythor asked, his voice low but growly.
Officer Bailey shook her head, her eyes flicking between us. "Not at all. Just wanted to know if you might have any ideas who the other victims were. If I showed you their pictures—"
"No." I cut her off, knowing what kind of pictures she probably had. Even if all I could see was their faces, I'd know. "We don't have a chat group, if that's what you're asking. I didn't know any of the men who attacked me, and I won't know these people either."
Pythor wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close, and I sank into him as he spoke.
"Could you email me the pictures? I work at a community center, and it's possible someone who works there may know some of them."
Officer Bailey hesitated, then nodded, and Pythor handed her a card.
"Can we go now?"
"Of course," Officer Bailey said. "Thank you for coming."
She walked us to the exit, promising to call me as soon as she had an update.
Pythor and I were quiet as we walked down the steps, out of the parking lot and to the street, and I turned to him only once I was sure I could speak without being overheard by a cop.
"I didn't think she would send you the pictures so easily," I murmured, and he glanced over at me.
"She wouldn't have," he said, and I realized he'd used his magic to convince her. "But a part of her wanted to, so I just needed to give her a little nudge. I'll ask Xin to find these people, if only to let them know the bastard and his cronies won't bother them again."
"Will they find his body?"
"They might. I'll make sure it's nowhere near our place."
I nodded, then gave his hand another squeeze as I leaned into him.
"Would you like to take the short way or the long one?" Pythor asked, nodding toward the alley.
I pursed my lips, then asked, "Could we fly?" I'd been wanting to do it again since the first time, and Pythor looked delighted by the request. Hopefully, it would make me forget everything we'd just talked about, especially the fact that I wasn't the only one they'd hurt.
"Sure. Come on."
Leading me into the alley, he teleported us to the roof of a building, then wrapped his arms around me as he took his true form.
"Ready?"
I nodded eagerly, and he jumped, falling for a few feet before he spread his wings and started going higher. I was sure his magic was keeping us hidden from the view of the people below, and I let out a loud whoop, my eyes roaming over the city and the people who looked so small from up here.
From this height, I had absolutely nothing to fear because no one could get to me.
Clearly sensing how much I was enjoying it, Pythor didn't head straight for home. Instead, he took a few laps around the city, showing me all the things I'd never noticed despite living in this city for years.
When we finally got home, it was past four, and we were both too tired to do much more than climb into bed for a cuddle session. Hella was nowhere to be seen, but Pythor assured me she was probably just hanging out with one of the others because she hated being alone.
I could relate to that, so instead of worrying about her, I curled up against Pythor, breathing him in as I hummed.
Neither of us had talked about it, but I was sure Pythor would stay the night.
It made me wonder if he couldn't just stay here every night, and maybe during the day when he wasn't at the center too.
He could bring his clothes over, and the paw painting.
My bed was big enough for him in his true form, and our houses were pretty similar too.
"What are you mulling over?" Pythor asked in a low voice, and I glanced up, resting my chin on his sternum so I could watch him as I spoke.
"I was wondering..."
"Yeah?"
"If you'd want to move your things here."
Pythor blinked, surprise filling his eyes. "You mean all my things?"
I nodded slowly, and he stared at me for a moment before a brilliant smile lit up his face, and he squeezed me to him tightly.
"Yes, please. I'd love that."
"Are you sure?"
"I am. I want to wake up with you every day, and go to sleep with you curled up against me or on top of me. I want to come home to you, to the scent of fresh paint, and sweet berries."
"Is that what I smell like? Sweet berries?"
He shook his head. "You smell like fresh paint and sweet berries," he corrected, making me grin.
"Okay, we can move your stuff over later. For now, how about you give me a kiss, and then we cuddle some more?"
"As you wish," Pythor murmured as I slid up his body to reach his lips, making a satisfied sound against him as his large palm ran up and down my back.
I made a mental note to profusely thank Nessa for insisting Pythor teach me to defend myself, because who knew how long we might've taken to get to this point otherwise?