by Lynn Hagen
Nicholas smiled. “It seems our lives are more similar than we thought.”
Jason nodded. “It seems that way.” Jason watched him stand, stretch, and then slide his loafers back on.
“I have to get that blood work to the lab. She has chicken pox, but I saw something unfamiliar when I examined her eyes.” Nicholas jumped back when Jason leapt up.
“You’re leaving?” Jason’s voice sounded strained and panic filled.
“I’m coming back, Jason. I promise.” Nicholas laid his hand on the comforter, touching a firm arm. The driving need to be near this man was threatening to undo his sanity. He couldn’t understand it and didn’t care to at the moment. All he wanted was to get under that comforter and explore every inch of that ruggedly handsome man.
Jason gulped. “When?”
“Soon. My shift starts tonight. I have to work forty-eight hours, but I promise to come back here when it’s over.” The thought of leaving Jason was making Nicholas’s chest hurt. There wasn’t any reason he should be feeling this way toward a man he’d just met, but a feeling of belonging settled inside him.
“Two days?” Jason sounded so despondent that it tore at Nicholas’s heart.
“I promise, I’m coming back.” Nicholas leaned up, placing his hands on Jason’s strong shoulders, and kissed the wolf. Jason gasped, stood stock-still as Nicholas plunged his tongue in. He took advantage of Jason’s lowered defense to explore his mouth, but the wolf didn’t stay stunned long. His arms wrapped around Nicholas, pulling him in closer, devouring him like a starved man. Nicholas thought he was going to run out of air soon.
Nicholas knocked the blanket aside, grabbing onto hot flesh as he opened his mouth wider. Jason grabbed his hair, pulled his head back as he licked down Nicholas’s neck. Nicholas moaned, his hands running over Jason’s back as the wolf pulled him even closer. He had guessed correctly. The wolf was gloriously naked and tasted rugged and manly. He felt Jason’s erection prodding his stomach and wished it was pressing against his ass instead. The need to be loved, to be with someone who didn’t care who he was, ate at Nicholas.
Nicholas froze when he felt raised skin under his hands, multiple scars. How the hell did such a beautiful man become so scarred? He cried out when Jason pushed him back, screaming at Nicholas to get out as he quickly picked the comforter up and shielded his body, but not before Nicholas saw the horrendous scars slashed across him in every different direction possible.
“Get out, now!” Jason roared.
“I don’t want to go.” Nicholas cried as he tried to reach for the wolf, but Jason pushed him back again. This couldn’t be happening. He didn’t care about the scars. He wanted the wolf. The one person who made him feel whole and loved. Nicholas was desperate to feel that closeness again. To feel those strong arms wrapped around him.
Maverick stormed into the room and blocked Jason as someone grabbed Nicholas from behind and began to pull him away.
“Maverick, I don’t want to go,” Nicholas screamed and reached for Jason as he begged while being pulled from the room. He tried to break free, struggled to get back to the man who had held him like Nicholas had meant something, but the man holding him was too strong. He didn’t want to leave Jason. Please no.
“For now, you have to.” Maverick looked him straight in the eye, sadness filling them.
Nicholas knew he wouldn’t win this. That he would be forced away. Everything in him wanted to grab Jason and never let him go. “Jason!” Nicholas shouted as he reached for the wolf, trying one last time to break free.
“Now!” Jason yelled around Maverick.
Nicholas hung his head as he was escorted from the room. His wolf didn’t want him there, and he wasn’t going to force himself on anyone. His heart was breaking, a lump forming in his throat as he swallowed past it and looked Jason in his eyes. “I’ll be back, just like I promised,” he said softly.
“Don’t.” Jason sounded so defeated, as if he was truly saying good-bye. Nicholas would be back, no matter what the wolf said.
Maverick sat back in his chair, feeling like a total shit for making Nicholas leave. He picked up the phone and dialed the Alpha of the Eastern pack. “Zeus, it’s Maverick. I need you to tell me about Jason.” Maverick heard a sigh on the other end.
“I knew this phone call would eventually come. What has he done?”
“He found his mate, but it’s having a negative reaction on him.” Maverick had been outside of Melonee’s room guarding her while Jason sat next door with his mate. He heard the yelling and charged straight over. Mate abuse was something he would not tolerate. He was stunned to see Nicholas fight so hard to stay with the Grey wolf as Jason ordered his mate away.
“From what I know, his father never let him out of the house. He was isolated, alone. Then when he matured, Jackson had his goons storm Jason’s home. His father was killed, although Jason thinks he just moved away. That’s what Jackson fed him. Anyway, Jackson never let him leave the estate except when he made him do his dirty work, which I’m not too sure what it was, but he never was gone more than a few hours.”
Zeus sighed again. “When I took over, the man was too terrified to leave his room. He performed his duties here but stayed to himself, shut everyone else out. He’s what some would refer to as a recluse, but he still takes his job seriously, only goes out when he has to.”
Maverick cursed inwardly. His warrior had one fucked-up life. He wanted to kill Jackson all over again. Even though Jason’s father was dead, he wanted to kick his sorry ass as well. No child should be raised that way. It also explained a lot about Jason’s behavior. It also made him feel like shit for not getting to know Jason better. “Do you know about his scar?”
“You mean scars. I saw them once, all over his body. I heard Jackson didn’t let them heal by sprinkling silver dust in them. Not enough to kill him, a minute amount, enough to where shifting wouldn’t heal them.” Zeus growled. “Jackson was one sick bastard. Jason’s scars are more serious on the inside though. Those are the ones he’s hiding from.”
Maverick knew it took a large amount of silver to kill them. That’s why when his warrior, Murdock, was shot, he wasn’t instantly killed by the silver bullet. The sadistic bastard, Jackson, had known what he was doing to Jason. “Thanks. How’s Jasper?” Jasper used to be a member of Maverick’s pack until he mated the Alpha Zeus. He was as feminine and lethal as they came. Made killer-ass chocolate chip cookies and had a mouth that put sailors to shame.
Zeus chuckled. “Keeps me on my toes. He’s nuts, but I love him.”
“Thank god he’s your headache now. Tell him I said hello.”
“Will do. Call me if you need anything else.”
Maverick hung up, wondering how he was going to handle this whole situation. Jason had a very ugly past. Maverick was determined to make sure he didn’t continue to suffer by keeping his mate away. The Sentry deserved happiness for once in his life.
Nicholas’s father was livid. He took one look at his son’s face, and Nicholas thought steam was going to come out of his ears. There was no “are you okay” or “dear god, what happened.” It was “how can you disgrace our name by acting like a commoner.” Really? What were they, fucking royalty?
The only thing on Nicholas’s mind was Jason. He had to stop himself multiple times from tossing it all away and running back there. Maverick wouldn’t let him in anyway. He told Nicholas to come back when his shift ended and made sure he drilled it into his head to keep their secret close. He assured Maverick that he wouldn’t breathe a word about it, but being away from Jason was suffocating. His chest was heavy, and his heart hurt.
Nicholas did not care about Jason’s scars. He only wanted the man he dreamed of so many nights. Nicholas knew there was someone out there for him, had dreamt of meeting that perfect someone. And he had. Jason. He…
“Here he comes again.” One of the nurses brought him out of his thoughts as she warned him. His father stormed the hallway toward him. Dr. Willi
am Sheehan was acting more like a child throwing a temper tantrum than an adult. He really didn’t need this right now.
“Has your fiancée seen your face?” his father asked smugly.
Like that was something he should fear. If his father only knew. “Yes, as a matter of fact, she was the first one to see it.”
His father smirked at him. “And what did dear Rebecca have to say?”
She told me to lie to you and gave me a good cover story. “She offered me her makeup concealer and boxing lessons.”
Dear old dad didn’t think it was funny. Nicholas did. “Now see here…”
Dr. William Sheehan, dial three one two.
“Duty is calling you.” Nicholas smiled as he walked away. God he loved paging systems.
“We’re not done with this,” his father shouted as he stomped away.
“Oh, yes we are,” Nicholas sang as he grabbed a chart and walked into the patient’s room.
Nicholas got off the phone with Dr. Savant, the counselor he had sent Brent to. The guy had been true to his word and set up appointments to see her. He was glad Brent was getting the help he needed, and it took a load off of his mind.
Nicholas went back to scribbling in a chart he had been writing in before the phone call when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Looking around, his eyes scanned the floor. Nothing seemed out of place, but he couldn’t shake that feeling. Setting his pen down and flipping the chart closed, he handed the file to a nurse.
Something wasn’t right.
Nicholas pushed the door open and walked up the stairwell. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something was pulling him in that direction, and as insane as it sounded, he followed. He followed the feeling until he found himself standing in front of the lab.
Scanning the hallway and finding no one there, he opened the door and went in.
“Hey, doc.” The hematologist waved him in.
“Hey, Tiny, how’s everything going?” Nicholas discreetly looked around the lab. Why couldn’t he shake this feeling? He walked over to the six-foot-three man sitting at his microscope.
“I was just about to check out that blood sample you gave me.”
“And?” Nicholas moved closer, the need to grab it and run hitting him strong.
“Give me a minute, let me check it out.” Tiny grabbed the vial and sat back down, setting the tube of blood on the counter next to him. Nicholas had to get that vial. Lunging forward, he grabbed it from the table. His actions looked manic and his thought process erratic as he stared at the crimson tube in his hand.
“Problem, doc?” Tiny sat there with his eyes trained on Nicholas.
“This was a personal favor.” Nicholas spoke to the vial as he let it roll in the palm of his hand, watching the hemoglobin move around its glass housing.
“I know. That’s why I couldn’t get to it right away.”
Nicholas shook his head. “No need, I’ve changed my mind.” Pocketing the tube, he smiled at Tiny.
“You okay?” Concern crossed Tiny’s brow.
“Yeah, it’s just been a long night.” Nicholas backed away and pushed out of the lab. The door snicked closed as Nicholas wondered what the hell was wrong with him. He looked to the far end of the hallway. A man was standing there, his eyes set on Nicholas.
Run!
Nicholas walked quickly to the elevator, waited on its descent to his floor as the man moved faster toward him. Come on, he thought as he repeatedly smashed the button.
The doors dinged open, and Nicholas jumped on, slapping the door close button repeatedly as he hit the ground floor button. The man yelled as the doors slid together. Shit. His heart was beating out of his chest. He had to get out of here. Nicholas had no idea why he was doing this, but something told him the stranger wouldn’t stop until he had that vial, some inner instinct making him protect it.
He hit the stop button on the elevator as he extracted his cell phone. Please pick up.
“Doctor?”
Nicholas blew out a breath. “Maverick, someone’s after me, and I need you to come get me now.”
“Where are you?”
Nicholas could hear sheets rustling in the background. Well, at least the wolf was taking him seriously. “Between the second and first floor.”
Chapter Four
Jason lay in his bed feeling as though the world were lying on his back. The horrified look stared him in the face nonstop since Nicholas left. Those hazel eyes wouldn’t go away. They even chased him into his sleep.
He groaned as he rolled over, punching the pillow from frustration. Jason missed Nicholas, wanted to feel those soft lips on his again, arms snaking around him and pulling him closer. His hand skated down his chest. A growl ripped from him when he felt the scars under his palm. For once in his life, he wished he could be someone else, someone his mate deserved. Not this throwaway that was lying here pitying himself.
“Jason!” Alpha Maverick pounded on his door. His bedroom door swung open, making Jason jump up. He became angry that he couldn’t even get time to himself in his own damn room.
“This is my bedroom. Can’t I at least have respect enough here for you to wait until I invite you in?” He didn’t care that he was speaking to the Alpha this way. Jason had to fight for something in his life, and the right to his privacy was all he had. He quickly pulled a shirt over his head, covering his scarred chest.
“Fine. I just wanted to inform you that your mate is in trouble and we’re heading to the city to get him. So go on back to whatever it was you were doing.” Maverick left his door open as he walked away.
“Crap.” Jason shoved his feet into his boots and ran after Maverick. His heart beat out of his chest wondering what was going on with the physician. He would kill anyone who harmed Nicholas.
“Glad you decided to join me,” Maverick tossed over his shoulder as he joined the other men in the foyer. “Okay, move out,” the Alpha yelled to the Sentries, and the Timber wolves all raced from the front door, climbing into their trucks as they tore from the gravel drive.
Jason rode with Tank, his eyes trained on the road as his thoughts jumped from one scenario to the next. “Did Maverick say what kind of trouble the physician is in?”
Tank looked over at the Grey wolf. “No, he just said we needed to get there as fast as possible.”
Jason leaned over, looking at the speedometer. “Can’t you go any faster?”
“I’m going over one hundred. You want me to hit the red button?” Tank quirked an eyebrow.
Jason glanced up at him. “Huh?”
“You know, men in…never mind.” Tank shook his head.
“Is it much further?”
“Not far now.” Tank chuckled. “You know, Papa Smurf?” he groaned and shook his head, remaining quiet for the rest of the ride.
The trucks pulled into the emergency parking lot, the warriors all getting out, congregating over by the Alpha.
“I need you guys to be subtle. This hospital is full of humans. Go in, scout around. If you locate Jason’s mate, walk him out slowly. I’m guessing we have some rouges in there, try not to shed blood. Call if you find him,” Maverick instructed.
Jason felt a twinge when the Alpha referred to the physician as his mate. Looking up at the building, he saw humans walking in and coming out, some just standing out front. Where they all here to see Nicholas?
They only had one wolf physician. Shifters could pretty much heal all on their own. Was there only one human physician? It didn’t seem right, there were too many humans. Jason cursed himself for his isolation and lack of knowledge. The least he could have done was watch television to figure some of this out, but television had never interested him. He never even left the Den to go places when the other warriors went out.
“Jason, you’re with me,” Maverick called over to him.
He followed the Alpha, his eyes darting everywhere for Nicholas. Did this many humans need help? George had told him that humans could heal themselves
with the small stuff but that they were fragile compared to the wolves. They needed medicine and operations to help them when their bodies couldn’t do it on their own.
“Keep an eye out for your mate. We need to get him out of here.”
Jason nodded. He noticed more humans with those white coats like Nicholas wore, but none of them were Nicholas. “There are a lot of humans here,” he whispered.
Maverick smiled kindly at him. “I know, we’ll be out of here as soon as we locate him. Just stay with me.”
Jason flinched when Maverick grabbed his arm and pulled him back the way they came. “Montana and Storm found him. I can see them. Let’s go.”
Jason practically ran to the exit. A growl ripped from him when he saw the big mountain called Montana with his arm around his mate’s shoulder. He wanted to tear him apart.
“Montana, get your fucking arm off of him.” Tank cuffed the guy in the back of his bald head. “He’s Jason’s mate, are you nuts?”
Jason pulled Nicholas away, glaring at the Sentry. A hand snaked around his waist, an arm pulling him close. Jason looked down to see Nicholas looking up at him, his eyes smiling.
“Hi.” His mate leaned up, trying to kiss him again. Jason released him but stayed close.
“Let’s go. Those rogues won’t stay clueless for long.” Maverick waved his arm, signaling everyone to roll out. Jason pulled Nicholas into the truck with Tank, putting him by the door, away from the other Sentry. Mine.
“He should be in the middle, Jas. The door makes him vulnerable.” Tank started the motor, putting the truck in gear and pulling out. Jason gave a low growl.
“I’m just saying. Believe me, George would kick my ass back to his Wyoming if I even looked at your mate cross-eyed.” Tank chuckled as he pulled onto the highway.
Jason knew the Timber wolf was right, but putting his mate next to the wolf didn’t sit well. Glaring at Tank, Jason reached down, placed his hand on the physician’s waist, and gently pulled him over his lap, setting him in the middle. He watched Tank’s hands, making sure both of them stayed on the wheel.