Jackson was still in that position when his bedroom door opened. Without looking, he reached over and flipped the switch on the small box sitting on his bedside table.

“It working?”

“Yep,” Kia said. There was a tinkling of metal and glass. “So, how’d it go?”

Jackson sat up and stared at Kia. She had her back turned to him and was slowly setting out dishes on his table. Her long hair was braided and twisted up into a bun. “Kia, I messed up.”

She froze with a covered bowl halfway to the table. “What do you mean you messed up?”

“Hurry up and finish.”

She did then hopped on the bed with him. “What happened?” Her wide eyes were worried. Her lips tugged into a soft frown as he told her everything that had happened. “Jackson, you absolute dumbass. He’s been fighting since he was 8! Of course he’s not going to have the first clue on what he’s supposed to be doing!”

“Ok, yeah sure… But Kia, that’s not the bad part. He can learn whatever he needs to learn. I’m not worried about that.”

Kia narrowed her eyes. “What did you do, Jackson?”

“He’s big,” Jackson hissed to Kia.

Kia stared at him. Her eyes, a muddy green, were wide and a blush bloomed across her cheeks. “Like… His dick?”

“No! Or, well maybe? I don’t know! I didn’t try to look!”

Kia shoved him. He fell back on the bed. “Kia,” he whined. “He’s hot. I didn’t pay attention before because I got stuck in that stupid power play. Now I’ll be spending the next year with someone who looks like that right by my side. His muscles, Kia.” He sighed.

“I don’t even know what to say to you right now.”

“Feel bad for me.”

“Absolutely not. You did this to yourself.” Kia laughed and lay back next to him. Their arms were pressed together from shoulder to elbow. “Besides, it’s just this first year. Play by the rules and I’ll be with you next year.” They lay in silence for a beat. “Should you maybe check on him, since he wasn’t even sure what to expect with a bath?”

“Yeah. Stay here.”

He groaned as he sat up. He knocked twice on the door and after a moment of no response, he opened it, slipped in, and turned so he was facing away from the tub.. “How’s it going?” Silence. “I’m going to turn around now.” Silence.

He turned around. Wren was sitting on the edge of the empty tub. He had the towel draped across his groin and thighs. Jackson carefully kept his eyes on Wren’s face… Which, looking closer, looked a little off. His hair still looked matted, just wet and matted. The blindfold was attached to the back of his head, apparently too tangled for him to get it out by himself.

“Food’s here.” He stepped closer, squinting at Wren’s face. It was smudged… Make-up. “Oh. I hadn’t even realized… Hold on.” He found his make-up remover wipes in the bottom drawer. “Here.”

No reaction. Wren stared straight ahead. Jackson hesitated.

“All right. I’m going to wipe your face with this. Stay still.” Wren tensed as Jackson reached for him. He kept his touch as light as he could. The make up was tough to get off though. “What the heck is this stuff made of? Hold on.” He stepped to the door. “Oh, put the clothes on.” He gestured at the ones left for him before and stepped back in the bedroom.

“How’s it going?” Kia asked.

“Do you have any makeup remover? Like that, cream stuff?”

“Yeah, need it?”

“Yep.”

Kia left and came back with a small container. “Just smear it on and wipe it off with a damp cloth.”

He returned to the bathroom. Wren was thankfully clothed. “All right. Do you want to do this or do you want me to?”

Silence.

Jackson closed his eyes and called upon his patience. “I’m going to rub this all over your face, then wipe it off with a cloth unless you tell me now that you don’t want me to.”

Silence.

Jackson scooped some of the white cream on his fingers. He stepped forward, between Wren’s knees and tilted his head back. Wren growled, low in his chest and Jackson froze. Several long seconds passed and the growl stopped. Jackson touched the cream to Wren’s cheek. Again, the growl filled the bathroom, quieter this time, and Jackson froze. The barest of cream was on his cheek. His finger wasn’t even touching Wren’s skin.

“You can do it yourself.”

No reaction except the growling stopping. Jackson hesitated, then streaked the cream across Wren’s cheek. There was a rough tickle of stubble under his fingers that the make up was hiding completely. Each and every swipe of the make up over his cheeks revealed more. More facial hair, more scars, more bruises.

Jackson dampened a washcloth and wiped off the cream. He took extra care around the ugly yellow and green bruising. Jackson swallowed and stepped back once Wren’s face was cleaned. Scars littered his face. The thick layer of makeup had done a stupid good job of hiding everything. He stepped out of Wren’s personal space.

Jackson cleared his throat. “All right. Let’s eat.” He opened the bathroom door and looked back. Wren hadn’t moved. Jackson sighed. “Follow me.”

Wren stood and followed.

Kia was laying on the bed with his laptop open. She looked up as they walked in. Jackson watched her eyes close as she took a deep breath. Wolves, he shook his head with a fond smile.“You’ve landed yourself with a real dumbass,” she told Wren. Jackson wanted to hug her when she didn’t so much as glance at the bruising on his cheek.

Wren didn’t respond to her either. “Wren, this is Kia. Kia, Wren.” Jackson took a seat at the table, Kia sat next to him. Wren stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. “Sit there and eat.”

Wren obeyed. Jackson ignored Kia staring at him. “Jackson, try not acting like an ass maybe.” Jackson saw Wren tense across from him.

“He doesn’t really answer questions. So far he’s responded best to direct commands.”

Kia stared at Wren, tense and eating his soup. She dropped her gaze to her own bowl. “I was born here, and I know I lucked out.” She pushed the bowl of rolls closer to Wren. “Take as much as you want. Jackson soundproofs the room when I’m in here so you don’t need to hold back.”

The silence was even heavier after that. “If dad tries to ask him questions, I’m just going to tell him I forbade Wren from answering. My wolf, my rules, right?”

She snorted and started tearing a roll into pieces. Wren still hadn’t grabbed for one, Kia reached forward and moved to set one next to his bowl. He growled as her hand approached. Kia’s hand froze and her head tilted back, the growl immediately shut off.

There was silence as Kia stared at the ceiling, Jackson stared at Wren, and Wren stared at the table. “All right. We’ve got a lot to deal with. It’ll have to wait until after dinner though. Wren, do not growl again, at least not tonight. I don’t see it happening, but, just in case, don’t speak to my dad when we meet him. Kia, stop.”

Kia relaxed and set the roll down halfway to Wren. “Growling isn’t allowed here,” Kia told Wren and went back to her soup like nothing had happened.