“My grandma…a real badass.”
“That she is,” Pete agreed, taking another bite of his raspberry jam-covered bread.
~/~/~/~/~
Back in his suite, Cain was stunned as he stared at the huge pile of clothes on his bed. He remembered telling Sofia he only needed a few things, but by the time they’d finished, he was the proud owner of more clothes than he ever had before in his life. But that wasn’t all. When she learned he had no shoes except the prison flip-flops he was wearing, she promptly produced a pair of sneakers and a dozen pairs of socks—all of which fit him perfectly.
Reaching into the pile, Cain pulled out a dozen briefs, thinking back to when Sofia accidentally found out his had been left behind in his cell. Even now, he could feel his face heat up with embarrassment when she asked him what style of underwear he preferred. Talking to a woman about his unmentionables was a new experience for him and one he wasn’t eager to repeat again.
Setting the underwear down in a separate pile, Cain went through the rest of the clothes sorting them by type—pants, shirts, and hoodies—before folding them. Sarge had taught him the importance of respecting his clothes since they often meant the difference between being just cold or freezing to death. And even in prison, he took care of the few outfits they gave him, knowing what a hassle it would be to get them replaced.
After the clothes were folded and in neat piles, Cain looked around the room for a metal locker to put them in. As there was nothing resembling the one in his cell, he opened one of the doors in his room, and cried out insurprise when he discovered a bathroom just like Sofia’s.
Forgetting his search for a place to store his clothes, Cain slowly walked in, heading straight for the giant bathtub. It took him only a second to decide everything could wait until after his bath. Turning on the faucet, he tentatively stuck his fingers under the rushing water, relishing the sensation. It reminded him of the time one of his foster parents took everyone camping. The camping part wasn’t that great, but he absolutely loved standing under a small, nearby waterfall.
Undressing quickly, Cain gingerly stepped into the tub, bracing himself on its rim before lowering himself into the hot water. When the tub was filled nearly to the top, he turned the water off, laid back, closed his eyes and began his ascent to heaven.
Chapter 30
Jackson entered the playroom and was greeted with a smile from Carson, who then resumed watching Remy, who was across the room.
“What’s he doing?” asked Jackson, gesturing at his brother’s mate.
“He decided it was time Galen and Eamon resumed their magic lessons,” Carson replied, keeping his eyes fixed on Remy and the boys.
“What about Rune?”
“He’s too young for now, but in another couple of months Remy will start him on the basics along with Jessica.”
Chuckling, Jackson said, “I bet Cody is looking forward to that.”
“I doubt it, but Remy said it’s important she starts soon because he doesn’t want to keep her magic bound for too much longer or it could burst forth on its own and he’s not sure what would happen if it did.”
A slight shiver crept up Jackson’s spine as he remembered Cain’s fear of being turned into a frog. “Maybe she should join Galen and Eamon now.”
“Cody felt the same way after he learned about the dangers of bound magic, but Remy thought it would be okay to wait, at least until he discovers what Galen and Eamon already know, since their lessons stopped when they came to live with him.”
“Four small magic uses in a house full of shifters…what could possibly go wrong?” Jackson asked dryly, watching Galen attempt a spell.
Laughing, Carson said, “Don’t worry…they’ll be forbidden to use their powers unless they’re in class with Remy or he gives them permission to use it elsewhere.”
Suddenly, the playroom door opened with a bang, and three pups ran inside, growling and yapping as they circled Galen and Eamon. Trailing after them was Cody.
“Hunting lesson over already?” asked Carson.
“What hunting lesson?” Cody smirked.
Puzzled, Carson said, “I thought you planned to teach the pups how to hunt?”
“I did…but Danny thought it was better to chat with his prey rather than kill it,” Cody replied, barely able to hold back his laughter.
“No way!” exclaimed Carson, looking at Jackson. “You’re okay with that?”
Rolling his eyes, Jackson muttered, “Of course I’m not…but I can certainly understand my son’s reluctance to kill someone who’s begging to be spared.”
“How do you know they were begging?” asked Carson.
Chuckling, Cody asked, “Wouldn’t you be begging for mercy if a giant animal cornered you?”
