Hagen, Lynn - Nicholas's Wolf [Brac Pack 14] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (3 page)

Jason ignored him. It was hot as hell up on this roof, and all he wanted to do was take his shirt off and wipe the sweat from his body like a normal person would do. The problem was, Jason wasn’t normal. His body was littered with scars from his days in the Eastern pack under Alpha Jackson’s rule.

The now-dead Alpha was one sadistic bastard. The maniac had taken a cat o’ nine tails to him every time he disobeyed and then sprinkled minute amounts of silver in the open wounds so he couldn’t heal from them.

His body resembled something that had gone through a meat grinder. To make matters worse, the new Alpha, who had challenged Jackson and won, had traded Jason off to Maverick like yesterday’s underwear.

It seemed no one wanted his ugly-duckling ass around. That was fine by him. He didn’t need anyone anyway.

“You wanna pay attention to what you’re doing before both our humpty-dumpty asses fall off and break numerous bones? Healing hurts like a bitch,” Tank called over to him.

He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed how close to the edge he had wandered to. Grabbing the safety rope, Jason pulled himself back up to where he was working.

Jason lifted the hammer to strike the next nail when it flew out of his hand. He watched it smack the roof, skid down, and then fall over the edge. Jason crawled over to the edge, looking over to make sure it hadn’t hit anyone.

“Hey, watch it,” Tank yelled.

“Guess I’m done then.” Jason shrugged as he crawled over to the Timber wolf. “Unless you have an extra hammer?”

Tank eyed him for a moment then grinned. “Nope, guess we’re done.”

“Then let’s get out of this damn heat.” Jason unbuckled his tool belt and dropped it on the roof with all the other supplies rolling around.

“Did I tell you I’m afraid of heights?” Tank peered over the edge, and shuddered.

“You climbed up here and worked half the day and are just now telling me this?” Jason asked as he gathered the supplies and tools, trying his best to make them sit in one pile without rolling off of the edge. They should have brought a bucket up here.

“Climbing down is the scary part.” Tank eyed the edge once more.

“You’re tied off, no chance of falling.” Jason climbed onto the ladder then looked over at Tank. “I’ll go first. That way if you do fall and take half the roof with you, I’ll already be on the ground.” He made his descent before Tank could say anything else.

Tank was his friend. His mate, George, was his other friend. Even though Jason lived in a house full of people, he pretty much stayed to himself. He was a Grey wolf living amongst beautiful people, and it bothered the hell out of him. More than it should. It was a constant reminder of what he wasn’t or what he would never have. A mate. Who would want someone as scarred or broken as he was?

“Hold the ladder,” Tank shouted from the roof.

“I swear you better not fall. Even a shifter wouldn’t recover from your fat ass breaking every single bone in their body,” Jason shouted back up to him. Tank was far from fat. He was over three hundred pounds of pure muscle, and having the warrior fall on him would be lethal.

“Just shut up and hold it.” Tank groused as he began to climb down.

Jason grabbed the ladder, making sure the shoes were planted firmly on the ground. Why didn’t Maverick just use scaffolding? It would have been safer than an extension ladder. Especially with Tank’s large frame scaling it.

“Thanks.” Tank patted him on the shoulder as he set his feet firmly on the ground. Jason nearly fell over with the massive hands pounding on his back.

Jason eyed the ladder and then looked up at Tank. “Think we should move the ladder?”

Tank waved his hand. “Nah, who’s gonna mess with it?”

Somehow Jason doubted Tank’s words. The mates were always into something, and a ladder leaning on the side of the house would be a huge temptation, especially to the Alpha’s mate. Cecil had a way of causing trouble even when he was sitting still.

“Okay.” Jason shrugged as he followed Tank into the house. What he needed right now was a shower to get rid of the grime he could feel covering his body.

They both made their way upstairs, only to be sidetracked by a group of shifters standing outside of Melonee’s door. She was the little human girl who lived here. Jason didn’t interact with her, but she was still cute as a button. He didn’t want to scare her with his scars, so he kept his distance from her.

“Why does she have all those red bumps?” Maverick asked from the doorway. He looked terrified to go into her room.

Tangee, Melonee’s brother, shrugged. “Maybe chicken pox or measles, not sure. She’s had her shots, though.”

“Is that why she’s scratching everywhere?” Maverick took a step into the room when she whimpered but then stepped back. “Is she contagious?”

Tangee rolled his eyes. “You can’t catch human diseases, remember?”

“Get a hold of that human doctor, what was his name?” Jason watched as Maverick tapped his chin in concentration before snapping his fingers. “Dr. Nicholas Sheehan.” Maverick looked over at Melonee then shuddered. “Never mind, I’ll go call him.” The Alpha took off down the stairs.

“Wuss.” Tangee chuckled as he walked into his sister’s room.

“What’s chicken pox and measles?” Jason asked the warrior Remi, who was standing outside the bedroom door with everyone else.

“Beats me.” The warrior shook his head as he stared into the room.

“It’s something human kids get. Little red bumps show up, you scratch your skin off, your mom puts some pink stuff on it, and then it goes away.” Remi’s mate, Drew, answered Jason’s question.

“Your skin comes off?” Jason was horrified. An image of the seven-year-old little girl skinless was disgusting. Humans were some strange creatures.

“Not literally. It just feels like it. Someone needs to find out which human mates have had it. Those who haven’t could catch it, and it can be deadly to adults.” Drew looked from Remi to Jason as if they should go around and take a survey.

“None of you can get it, pup. You’re immune to human diseases now,” Remi said to his mate.

Jason wasn’t so sure about what Remi had just said. He didn’t want to take any chances of having his skin fall off. “It’s contagious?” Jason liked this less and less.

“Not to wolves, humans.” Drew rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. “I’m gonna go call my mom, see if I’ve had it.”

“You can’t get it,” Remi called out, but Drew ignored him.

Jason looked back into the bedroom. The little girl was crying while her brother tried to stop her from scratching her skin off. The image was still gross. Even though he hated his scarred skin with a passion, he preferred it over being skinless. Though Drew had said it was a figure of speech, the image plagued Jason’s mind.

He knew very little about humans. Even though there were humans in Pride Pack Valley, where the Eastern pack resided, Jason never mingled.

Until he came here, there was no need for him to find out. Now he found himself ignorant as hell when it came to humans. George tried to teach him, but there was so much to learn.

“The doctor is on his way,” Maverick yelled upstairs.

“Sorry, I can’t hear you. Why don’t you come up and tell me?” Tangee shouted down.

“Not likely. Nice try, though,” Maverick shouted back as he laughed.

Confused at the conversation, Jason left it alone. He would probably sound stupid asking someone to explain it to him. His father had kept him isolated growing up, and then Alpha Jackson did the same when he was a soldier, so the everyday things people took for granted were lost on him.

Sadly, even humor. His father had been ruthless with his upbringing, and Alpha Jackson had been cruel beyond imagination. He hadn’t really known humor. There was never an occasion for it in his life.

“My mom said to get some calamine lotion,” Drew shouted down to Maverick.

“On it,” Maverick yelled up then ran out of the front door.

“Chicken.” Drew laughed as he walked into the little girl’s room.

“Won’t you catch it?” Jason called after Drew.

“Nah, my mom said I already had it.” The mate helped Tangee stop his sister from annihilating her skin.

“Doesn’t anyone hear what the hell I’m saying?” Remi complained. “No one can catch it.”

Jason shook his head. He would never understand humans.

“I’m gonna go find a wall to talk to.” Remi walked away looking frustrated, as did a few more warriors, leaving Jason and Tank staring into her room.

“Think we can catch it?” Tank asked as he took a step back.

“I’m not sure. Remi said we shouldn’t be able to.” Jason thought Remi had a pretty good idea about walking away. He looked over his shoulder when Maverick stopped at the top of the staircase, tossed a brown paper bag at Jason, then took off.

Jason caught it then pulled out its contents. It was a pink bottle. What was he suppose to do with it?

“It’s for Melonee.” Tank pointed into the room.

“Does she drink it?” He turned the bottle over, reading the back.

“Not sure, should we try to give it to her in a glass of juice to hide the taste? I saw Tangee do that when she had to take cough medicine once.” Tank looked over Jason’s shoulder at the bottle.

“It says to rub it on her.” Jason pointed to the small print.

Tank took a step back, waving his hands in front of him. “You gonna do it?”

“I thought you were.” Jason tried to shove the bottle in Tank’s hand. He wasn’t going anywhere near her. He didn’t care that Remi said they couldn’t catch it. Images of his skin falling off made him try harder to shove the bottle at Tank.

“Nu-uh. I’m not catching that. Drew said it could kill adults.” Tank batted Jason’s hand away.

“Then why are you trying to send me in there?” Jason knew he was the ugly duckling, but damn, the warrior was trying to kill him off.

Tank grinned at Jason. “Give it to Tangee.”

“Still sending me in there,” Jason mumbled.

“Throw it.” Tank made a tossing motion with his arm.

Jason’s brows rose to his hairline. “What if I hit the kid?”

“Aim for Drew. He’s hardheaded.” Tank laughed.

What the hell did that mean? “Uh, Drew, got a bottle of pink stuff here,” Jason called into the room.

“Scaredy-cat.” Tank chuckled.

Jason snorted. “Like you’re not.” Damn right he was afraid of his skin falling off, even if it couldn’t really happen.

“Thanks.” Drew grabbed the bottle from Jason. He wiped his hand on his shirt where Drew touched it. Hey, Drew’s hands were on the bumps, so Jason took no chances.

Once again Maverick was on the top step, pointing toward them. “She’s in there.” Maverick took off again.

Jason stared at the most beautiful man on the planet. The Adonis excused himself as he pushed past him and Tank and walked into Melonee’s room.

Jason’s head swam as he stared at the magnificent creature. His beauty was unrivaled. Jason wanted to roll around in the man’s scent, howl at the moon, and paint masterpieces in homage to the man’s beauty.

“You okay?” Tank asked as he waved his hand in front of Jason’s face.

Jason ignored him, leaning further into the room. Had god created anything more spectacular? His heart beat faster in his chest as he watched the gorgeous Adonis sit on the side of Melonee’s bed.