Page 17 of The Price They Paid

I wanted to say something, but I chose to keep my comments to myself. I could only fix so much while I was here. The most important was to free up Maddox’s time so that he could handle the political aspects of the job. I headed into town to look around. What I found was even better than gold: The Community Center.

As I entered, I heard a lot of commotion coming from the gym. Looking inside I could see the boys horse playing while the girls were standing in groups talking and carrying on. I went to the community board to see lots of ads seeking work, but not a single ad looking to fill positions for employment. This could work in my favor.

I chatted with Ms. Kento, who oversaw the after-school program. There was plenty of valuable information to be gained from her as well. We chatted so long that after closing she offered to give me a ride back to the Alpha house. We checked on Maddox and dragged him back with us. She stayed for a quick supper, then I went upstairs to check on Seuss.

I stood watching him and wondering. If I’d met him in a social atmosphere, I can’t say that I wouldn’t have been drawn to him. His skin was naturally tan which complimented his long, dark hair. I’d never admit this out loud, but Seuss was beautiful, and normally that was a turnoff for me. There was something about his rugged appeal that drew me despite my usual reservations.

“Justice, can you bathe Seuss for me? If not, I’ll have to wait until the morning. I’m tired, and because he’s mated, it’s either you or me.” Maddox leaned on the doorway and I felt sorry for him. He was worn out and it showed. My day was not nearly as draining as his.

“Absolutely. Want to show me where everything is?” I followed him to a different room that was connected to this one.

“There are plenty of towels, washcloths and linen. I’ll grab his soap from his bathroom.” Maddox turned to exit.

“No, I’ll grab that stuff. I’ll get changed into something more comfortable and take care of the rest.”

Maddox filled a large metal washing tub of sorts that he rolled into the bedroom and set it next to Seuss. “If you can pull this aside to the wall when you’re done, I’ll get rid of it in the morning. I’ll send Alice in to check on you after a while.”

I nodded and followed him to the door locking it. I went into the master room and changed into a pair of sweat pants and a sleeveless shirt then grabbed something easy to dress Seuss into.

I entered the room and turned on Seuss’ iPod that I’d found. I played it on the surround sound system and soft rock played in the background. I hummed the familiar tune and headed over to begin my mission. Was I nervous? Very. I’d never touched a man as intimately as I was about to.

I pulled the sheets down to his waist and shifted the bed so that he was in a sitting position. His bare chest was muscled, and I took a second to outline every part of it with my eyes. The water was cooler now than the scalding temperature that Maddox brought into the room. I lathered soap across his shoulders, and his tense muscles never wavered as I washed over them.

I sighed in contentment as my fingers expanded over his chest. This. His strength was centered here. I didn’t know if it was the wolf in him, but I could tell that his upper body was where his pride was. I made sure to take extra care, and when I’d rinsed the soap away, I massaged over his upper body using only my hands and up the column of his neck.

“Justice …” He reached out through our bond, but I could feel the apprehension present. He was holding something back.

I smiled hoping that he was enjoying it and that I wasn’t hurting him. “Yes, Seuss?”

His only response was a grumble that I hoped was a good thing. I continued and received a sigh of relief this time.

“I’m glad that you are enjoying this.”

I massaged down to the sheet and removed it slowly. My eyes widened at his partially erected member. My face heated and I cleared my throat. Good lord! I distracted myself with the soap and washcloth but when I turned back I could have sworn he was harder than before. I began washing him, avoiding the thickness between his legs until nothing else was left. He was also long and slightly curved giving me all kinds of thoughts. I could imagine the damage he could create with that kind of appeal. I bit the side of my lip before lifting his shaft and sack to wash. The skin was soft, and I washed it gingerly before stroking his shaft with the cloth.

The growl that radiated through the room was fierce and resonated deep within. Unconsciously, I whined. My body arched toward him. My chest rose and fell with desire being its only source of air. I licked my lips and looked up at Seuss.

“God, I wish you were healed,” I whispered more to myself than to him.

“Me too …” His agreement surprised yet pleased me.

I moaned and closed my eyes. The fact that he’d heard my needs was overwhelming. I took a minute to center myself and to focus.

I managed to finish cleaning him, lotion his skin, and get him dressed. He smelled delicious. There were only two things that still bothered me, and I hoped that he wouldn’t kill me for what I was about to do. I used a few towels to support his neck and I used a brush that I dipped into water to brush through his hair. The strands were silky and massaging the shampoo through it created a tingling sensation that raced through my body.

While the bath had been for him, this was selfishly for me. I used the wet cloth to wash out the soap until his hair smelled of a mixture of crisp white smoke and that spiced musk that he always smelled of. It reminded me of the beginning of a warm fire on a frigid day. It was earthy, yet it held a bite to it that let you know if you touched it, you’d get burned. I dried his hair thoroughly and then washed his face.

I smiled as I straddled him for the last bit, his erection was nestled against my ass, but I was focused on the joys of this moment. I would say that if strength was in his upper body, power was in his thighs. As I straddled him my core throbbed harder for him, and only he had the ability to make it stop. The power from his thighs and hips radiated through me making me speechless. I needed to distract myself from the bad thoughts fleeting through my mind. I shampooed his facial hair and added the shaving cream to his face.

“Alice told me that you hate facial hair, but until you can do something about it, I’m going to keep it trimmed the way I like it. Since you got me into this mess.”

I heard a light chuckle, and I smiled. My dad showed me how to shave men the old fashion way and then he’d showed me the easier way. The shaving kit I’d found in Seuss’ bathroom was a mixture of the two. I wouldn’t be using the clippers since I liked the hair on his face. I used the razor to follow the lines of his lips so that his goatee would complement it. I then left the shadow along his cheeks but lined it up as well.

“But all of this underneath …” I tilted his head and got rid of all the excess hair there. “… has to go, Seuss.”

When I was all done I smiled harder. If I wasn’t already hot for the Alpha, I would be with his fresh look.

“Well aren’t you lethal?” I reached behind his head to see how wet his hair was. He was mostly dry, but I decided I’d comb through it a few more times.

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