“I’m a wolf shifter,” Carson said. “Do you know what that means?”
Galen shook his head.
“It means I can change into a wolf.”
“How?” Galen asked.
“I have a different kind of magic than you. It allows me to become a wolf.”
“Show me!” demanded Galen.
“I will, I promise,” Carson said, “but after dinner, okay? When Remy can be with you.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to show him, too,” Carson said, “and he might be scared so I figure if you’re with him, he’ll feel safe.”
“I’ll protect Remee,” Galen boasted, puffing out his chest.
“I’m counting on it, Captain. Shall we go see if Remy needs any help?”
Nodding, Galen grabbed Carson’s hand, pulling him toward the kitchen.
~/~/~/~/~
Carson’s memories of how much he enjoyed his younger siblings came flooding back at dinner. Too young to be tainted by his father’s rigid training, his younger siblings were funny and cheeky—always telling jokes that sometimes even made their father laugh. It was a welcome break from the constant tension that arose whenever Jackson and his father clashed.
Listening to Galen and Eamon tell Remy about their day brought those memories back from behind the locked door in his mind where he kept others like them. Now he resolved never to lock those memories up again…they were too precious. After the massacre he tried to forget his younger siblings but shouldn’t have; now he’d be able to tell his nephews and nieces about their uncles and aunts who were gone. When he heard his new nickname being called, he returned to the present.
“Carsso, what do you call a train that sneezes?” asked Eamon.
“I don’t know…what?” Carson asked.
“Achoo-choo train!” Eamon said with glee. “Get it? Achoo, achoo?”
Chuckling, Carson said, “Hey, Eamon, I got one for you.”
“Tell me,” Eamon begged, giggling.
“Why do giraffes have such long necks?”
Eamon’s eyes sought out his brother. “Do you know, Gally?”
“Uh-uh, do you?” asked Galen.
“Uh-uh,” Eamon said, shaking his head. “Remee, do you know?”
“Nope,” Remy said, smiling.
Eamon scrunched his face in thought before he finally asked, “Carsso, why?”
Carson paused a moment, before saying, “Because they have smelly feet.”
“I’m gonna tell my friend that one tomorrow,” Galen giggled.
It took a second before Eamon got it, but then he was overcome by laughter. “Hahahahahahah…smelly feet…hahahahah.”
Chuckling at Eamon’s reaction, Carson said, “It’s a good thing you don’t have smelly feet otherwise you’d need a very long neck.”
