That being the case, Gray had few resources at his disposal. He’d discussed his concerns with the Council, and they’d assured him that they were going to do everything they could to help.
Aunt Maggie entered his office, dust rag in one hand and a bottle of furniture polish in the other. After nearly five years of trying, Gray had given up the fight with her over cleaning the house. She didn’tacknowledge his presence, just started removing items from the shelves.
The office was pretty much as his father had left it. Very traditional in style, the walls were lined with dark cherry bookcases, and the desk was a large antique table that matched. Gray had replaced the worn-out upholstered chairs his father had added years before with two overstuffed burgundy leather ones.
Photographs of Garon filled the few empty places around the room. Aunt Maggie lingered over one of him, dressed only in a diaper, laughing and playing outside in the sprinkler. After a moment, she carefully wiped it off and put it back in place.
“I’m worried about Garon,” she said.
Gray was as well, but he waited for her to finish her thoughts. Aunt Maggie liked to talk things out and often needed a quiet listener while she worked through a problem.
“He’s not himself since he came home. I expected some of that, as I’m sure you did. I’m not saying you haven’t been great with him, because you have, it’s just that he seems so disconnected somehow.” She stopped and looked at him, waiting for a response.
“I agree. I haven’t been able to speak to him through our mind-link since he’s returned. Garon told me that the demon did something when they were taken, some spell, and that he’s not been able to talk to me since then.” Gray tried to stay positive, but he couldn’t quite keep the undercurrent of worry from his voice.
He’d taken for granted the ability to communicate with his son through their link, to hear that comforting hum of Garon’s presence in his mind. He’d thought at first Garon was somehow shutting him out, but then he realized there was nothing but silence from all the kidnapped cubs. “I’m hoping that as his wolf gets stronger, he’ll get back to himself.”
“I’m sure you’re right. It’s probably because he’s recovering. I just need to give him time. Are the other kids doing okay?”
“Little Emma has been doing well. I spoke to her father yesterday, and other than wanting to sleep with them at night, she seems to be doing fine. I felt her connection strengthen yesterday and hope she’sable to communicate with me today. I’m sure Garon and the others will get better too.”
She nodded, her worry soothed a bit by his reassurance. “That Emma is such a cute little thing.”
“She sure is. The rest are doing as well as can be expected. None of them have reconnected with me yet, but they are all growing stronger. They’re all staying close to home and their parents right now,” Gray said.
Maggie turned back to the bookcase, removed a few books, and laid them carefully on the shelf below. After spraying the empty space with furniture polish, she wiped it down, then stopped and stared. Gray heard her sniffle and looked up to see her shoulders softly shaking. He quickly stood, moved behind her, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He hugged her gently as she cried.
“This is all too much, Gray. I don’t understand why this happened. It doesn’t make any sense at all.”
“No, it doesn’t. I’ll figure it out and keep us safe.”
She seemed to need his reassurance and wiped her eyes before shrugging off his hug. “Of course you will. Now, what are we going to do about Garon?”
That was a very good question and another on Gray’s list he didn’t have an answer to. Garon was in that strange age between little boy and teen, when he didn’t want to be babied but wasn’t mature enough to be treated more like an adult. Gray missed the days when Garon would crawl up on his lap and chatter about his day, tellingDaddyhis secrets and adventures.
“We’ll take it one day at a time and keep a close eye on him. That’s really all we can do.” Gray could only hope he wasn’t wrong.
THAT evening, Gray and Garon were in the kitchen making dinner. Garon liked helping, especially when they had burgers and fries, his favorite meal. “Kiddo, can you grab me the Worcestershire sauce and an egg from the fridge?”
“On it!” Garon ran over to the refrigerator and rattled the bottles in the door as he jerked it open.
“Easy!” Gray laughed, enjoying his son’s antics.
“Sorry, Dad.” Garon grabbed an egg from the carrier and then snagged the bottle of sauce from the door. “Nothing broken.” He slammed the door and made everything rattle again.
He handed the items over with a sheepish grin and resumed watching Gray add his “secret ingredients” to the meat. “Hey, why’s it called Worst-a-cheer sauce, anyway?”
“Worcestershire,” Gray corrected, “and I don’t know. Probably because that’s where it’s made.” Gray added a splash to the meat then handed the bottle back to Garon.
Taking a sniff of it, Garon turned up his nose. “It’s kind of stinky if you ask me. What’s in it, anyway?”
“I’m not sure. Check out the label. It’ll tell us.”
Garon read while Gray cracked the egg open and added it to the mixture. “Gross! Dad, it has anchovies in it!”
“Gross,” Gray agreed. “But it sure does taste good in burgers.”
“Yeah. It’s kinda weird how there’s so much stuff in it, don’t you think?” Garon put the lid back on and put the bottle away. He opened the door with comic slowness and closed it in the same way with a smirky grin.
