Chapter 39

Cas had renovated and expanded our house as the decades passed. We had our own rooms, but the beds were big enough for a ton of people just in case we didn’t want to be alone. Our bathrooms were huge. Cas assured me that mine was tiled in blues and grays because those were my favorite colors.

I had a stand-up shower with dual showerheads and a giant soaking tub. So did Benji. I was guessing Medusa was going to have the same hangups about soaking in a hot tub like we did when we first got out.

We didn’t have hot water the second time we got taken, but they at least gave us the toiletries they denied the basement. Benji and I got taken pretty far apart, but they treated bathing the same. They lined us up against a wall, threw some powder at us, and then pressure washed us with a fucking hose.

Cas liked the occasional soak in the tub, but Benji and I did it at least twice a week. The bathtub was about the closest Benji would get to sitting in water and that was after he was sure he was safe there. He wanted a bath, but he needed to know that no one was going to try to drown him in it.

I’d carried Medusa to my bathroom and was trying to figure out how to make her first post New Eden bath as luxurious as possible. I explained that Benji and I had been taken by the Coalition before and knew how they were about the cleanliness of their charges.

“So, I’ve got bath milk, bath salts, bath bombs, or bubble bath. You can dump all of them in because I totally have, but the bubbles aren’t as big. I’ve got them in natural scents like sandalwood, cardamom, and patchouli. If that’s not your thing, we can raid Benji’s bathroom. He was really into Strawberry Shortcake in the eighties, so most of his bath stuff smells like that.”

“Pick your favorite bath ever and do that.”

Yeah, I could do that. Because I’d experimented enough to have the perfect cocktail. I turned the water off and turned to her. This was the awkward part. The mate bond was pulling us to complete it, but until thirty minutes ago, we didn’t even know her name or what she looked like. We also just pulled her out of a traumatizing situation where they starved her.

She might need help getting into the tub, but I didn’t know if she was ready for me to see her naked. There was this whole adjustment period of getting to know your mate or pack when you felt the bond. There was a lot I didn’t know about Medusa but her story was pretty fucking famous.

She’d been raped by a god and probably cried out to Athena for help. Athena only showed up at the end to curse her. Which didn’t make any sense based on everything I’d read about Athena, but here we were.

She might not want me to see her naked yet.

“Do you need help getting in the tub?”

“I mean, probably, but we finally met in person and I’m feeling a little self-conscious about how bad I probably smell. I probably got it all over Cas and I don’t want to get it on you, too.”

“We don’t mind and we get it.”

“Oh, I know. But I’d like to pretend I have a little vanity and dignity left.”

“If you need help, just call out. I’ll see about getting you something that’s appropriate for a green witch. We have a pretty decent garden and chickens. We cleaned out the fridge so nothing went bad while we were staking out New Eden, but we’ve got some soups in the freezer.”

“Do you have any veggie soup?”

“Several. We’ve got a potato soup, broccoli cheese soup, and veggie and barley. Cas says he likes to be prepared in case we find a Coalition victim, but the man cooks when he’s stressed. He either cans it or freezes it. We’ve got a chest freezer and a pantry full of Cas dealing with his shit.”

“Oh, my goddess, broccoli cheese please.”

“Good choice. We live in a hidden village in the mountain and there are several people who have begged for his recipe. He’s like someone’s human grandma and won’t give it, but he’s happy to cook it for people when they ask. I’ll put together a salad from the garden, too.”

“Thank you. For getting me out of there and being able to fix it when I fucked up and turned Cas and Benji to stone.”

“Medusa, we were all made for each other. Cas is the glue that holds us all together, you’re the only one who can stop Benji, and I can fix it if something ever happens with your curse. I haven’t figured out where Di fits in, but I also don’t know what he is or what his real name is.”

Medusa started giggling, and I loved that sound. Especially that she was doing it this soon after we got her out. Maybe that was what Di brought to the group. I’d figured out the bearded guy, but I only had a few ideas about Di and the weird couple.

“He wants you to figure it out. They all do. It’s their favorite game. They’ve been playing it for a very long time. They’ve probably given you a ton of hints and you’ll laugh, too, when you put them together.”

“I have a few ideas, but I’m not going to voice them until I can see them again and figure out if I’m right. I’ll get on that salad and defrost the soup. I’ll also grab you some clothes.”

We pretty much didn’t have a damned thing in the way of women’s clothing here, but she could wear ours until Benji and Cas got back. Benji had big opinions about the Save Mart, but his drive to take care of his mate was going to be working overtime. So was Cas’s.

Hopefully, Kat could rein them in while taking care of her own mates.