“In the beginning, the only thing I could do was to offer him comfort and encouragement that things would get better, but I knew that wouldn’t be enough. One day, while I was dusting in the library, one book caught my attention. It explained the mind and how it could be manipulated. That gave my journey to help my David a direction and, through the years, I read every book there I could find about human behavior. In the end, I was able to get David to believe he was free to leave that horrible place when he turned 18. Thank goodness. Well…you know the rest of the story.”
Shaking his head in amazement, Jackson said, “That explains why you could help my mom.”
Smiling shyly, Sofia said, “Mac helped as well.”
“Yes, with the physical therapy part,” Jackson said. “But Mom told me how much you helped her overcome the sense of helplessness my uncle’s actions caused her.”
Embarrassed by the praise, Sofia’s cheeks turned pink. Unsure how to respond, she decided it was best to just ignore it and move on. “I better see how Cain and my David are getting on.”
Raising an eyebrow, Jackson asked, “Cain and David? What about them?”
Nodding, Sofia said, “I asked David to deliver the laptop Zane had given me for Cain.”
“Zane agreed to this?”
“Yes…after I told him why. He also thought it would be good for David.”
“And why was that?”
Shrugging, Sofia said, “My David knows what it feels like for someone to take him from me and, while Cain wasn’t kidnapped, he felt the same pain when his parents abandoned him. Plus, he’s the least threatening member of the pack I could think of.”
Chuckling, Jackson said, “That he is…which is why I think Lucius has…” His voice trailed off as an idea suddenly occurred and, after thinking about it for a moment, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask. “Speaking of Lucius, would you be willing to help him deal with his new reality of being a vampire? Usually, the transformation into a vampire wipes out a human’s memories of their past life, but unfortunately, Lucius still remembers his. Because of that, he’s constantly comparing his vampire life with his human one, making it very hard to accept his new life.”
Nodding slowly, Sofia said, “I wondered why he always seems so sad, but I didn’t want to pry. Can’t anything be done to erase his human memories?”
“No…everyone I’ve spoken to has warned me against doing anything, which means Lucius will never be completely happy…and I refuse to accept that.”
“What have you tried so far?” asked Sofia.
“Other than convincing Lucius and Brady to move here…nothing. And the only way I could do that was to have their home and garden moved to a meadow near the pack house.”
Sofia frowned slightly. “I can understand about wanting their house, but why move a garden? They could have planted one here.”
“Long story short…they both love gardening. Brady’s roses, to be exact.”
Sofia’s eyes lit up. “So does Cain. Hmm…okay, I’ll do what I can to help Lucius.”
“I appreciate it. I wish I had the power to grant Lucius’s wish to be human again, but I’ll have to settle on making his life as a vampire as happy as it can be,” Jackson said softly. Then, handing the schedule back to Sofia, he added, “Let me know if you need anything…and good luck with Cain…and Lucius.”
Rising, Sofia said, “I will…and I also think it would be good for you to meet with Cain in his room for the time being, if that’s all right. It’ll help him feel safe and be able to concentrate more on you than on his fear.”
“I can do that,” Jackson said. After seeing Sofia’s nod, he watched her leave before swiveling his chair around to look out his window, thinking about Cain and what they’d talk about at their first meeting.
Chapter 13
Ollie listened as Theo talked about the garden he was planning, and it reminded him of their childhood. His cousin was never happier than when working with his mother in her garden, listening intently as she taught him all about the soil and which plants would grow best in it. Every time he visited, Theo insisted on showing him how much everything had grown, followed by a gift of a luscious, sun-ripened tomato or a beautiful flower in full bloom.
Now, as his cousin continued his explanation of why he’d chosen certain vegetables and flowers, he couldn’t help but sneak glances at Mac, standing next to Theo. The sunlight highlighted the blond strands in his mate’s breeze-ruffled hair, and Ollie’s urge to run his fingers through it was nearly overwhelming.A mate! His body craved Mac’s touch, and his bear was huffing in frustration at him because he’d delayed their claiming until the rescue was over.
As for Mac, images of Ollie sleeping with him that morning filled his thoughts, and he had to admit they surpassed all his dreams of having a mate. Lost in his thoughts, it took a moment before he realized Theo had stopped talking. Looking over at him, he found Theo staring at him. “What?”
“Are you gonna answer your phone?” Theo asked.
“My phone?” Mac’s puzzlement lasted only until his phone rang again. “Oh…sorry about that.” Slipping it out of his pocket, he accepted the call while walking over to the back porch.
Theo turned to Ollie and said, “Wait till I show you the meadow where Norm and I proposed to Smokey…it’s my favorite place cause it reminds me of the one at home.” Then, almost tooquickly to see, a look of sorrow flitted across his face before he corrected himself. “I mean, where I grew up…it’s not home anymore.”
“Sure,” Ollie said, smiling because, though Theo had tried to hide his feelings, he wasn’t fooled, and it gave him hope that his cousin and parents could become a family again. Waving at Mac, he waited until he’d gotten his attention before pointing to where they were going. After receiving a nod from his mate, Ollie grasped Theo’s hand and said, “Lead on.”