Rogue

NINE

//Blake//
     Luke had texted me saying that they were going to call a recess in the meeting and that he wanted Hayden to stay with me for the rest of the day. I was fine with that. I need a serious break after trying to fix my car all day will no avail.
     It was a short walk to the kitchen from the garage, so it took only a minute or two to find my way to a seat at the island.
     "Hey Blake, hows it going in the shop?" Luke patted my back as he passed behind me, and Hayden took a seat across from me.
     "Where do I even start. I can't get it to even try to start up, and I am beyond pissed. It shouldn't be this hard to fix a piece of machinery."
Hayden raised his eyebrow a little bit, and I filled him in before he could even ask.
" I haven't been able to get my car to start for over a month, and it is seriously starting to piss me off." He nodded his head as I talked, and his eyes followed something behind me.
I turned around to see one of the older ladies in the pack walk by the table holding her grand baby.
"Here love, hold him." She just passed the baby off to Hayden, and he looked confused only for a minute before adjusting the baby to a proper position. He looked more comfortable around the baby than he did with me and Luke.
"Oh baby, it is way to hot here to be wearing a sweatshirt. Blake be a dear and go fetch him a t-shirt from the shift stash."
     When you grow up with these women, you learn to do as they say when they say it, so I stood up and headed towards the room that held extra clothes for after shifting.
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// Hayden //

Blake was saying something about his car not working properly when someone walking behind him caught my eye. An older lady walked into the kitchen area holding a baby, and immediately I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. Something about her made me relax a little bit.
"Here love, hold him." She handed me the baby, which was odd considering I was a stranger to the pack. After getting over my confusion, I adjusted the little boy on my lap so I could see his face, he had a large smile, and it made me smirk a little bit.
"Oh baby, it is way to hot here to be in a sweatshirt. Blake be a dear and go fetch him a shirt from the shift stash." Almost immediately Blake got up from his seat and left the room.
"Alright, now what should I make for you boys for lunch?" I looked over at Luke who shrugged.
"I will eat anything you put in front of me ma'am." She gave me a warm smile and wrapped an apron around her waist.
"Everyone calls her mom, her real name is Rylie though. She loves and trusts everyone in the pack pretty much. And this little man is Jason. He is just about a year old." The mention of Jason's name sent a shiver down my spine, but I was able to conceal a look of discomfort before Luke noticed.
Blake walked into the room with two shirts. I passed off Jason over to Luke and grabbed the larger sized shirt that Blake brought over. Without thinking I reached over my back, gripped onto the collar of my sweatshirt, and yanked it off in one swift movement.
"Woah! That is totally sick!" A little girls voice got my attention as I pulled the t-shirt fully over my torso. A group of kids were standing by the entrance of the kitchen. And slowly made their way over to me.
"Are those pen drawings?"
"How do you get your drawings so pretty?"
"That is super cool!"
"How long do those last?"
I kneeled down and allowed the kids to examine my arms. I had two full sleeves, which is pretty rare for a werewolf considering the quick healing pushes the ink out.
"They are tattoos, they are going to last forever." The kids yanked on my arms to get a better look at each design, and they looked intently.
"How did you get them? Don't we heal go fast for it?" An older boy spoke up from the back of the group.
I nodded my head. "Normally I wouldn't be able to have them, but I had a superpower that stopped me from healing like you guys do. At least until now."
"Children let the poor boy be." Rylie laughed from over the stove. I smiled at her, and stood up.
"What is your name?" A little girl that was maybe Brooklyn's age asked.
"Hayden, what's yours?"
"I'm Bri. Why do you smell funny?"
Luke laughed from his seat. "Bri, Hayden will be a new member of the pack, he used to be a rogue." Most of the kids opened their eyes in shock, and then looked at me.
"Are you sure? You aren't skinny or ugly."
"Where is your ratty hair?"
"Your teeth aren't falling out!"
"Children, I said to leave him alone, now go along and... damnit! Where is the oven mitt?"
The oven started beeping just seconds after she questioned while looking in drawers. I walked over and grabbed a towel from a rack by a sink. It took only seconds to get the pan of chicken strips out of the oven, and a few more before I was smacked in the back of the head.
     "Boy I swear! No matter the buffer, the heat still goes through! Let me see your hands!" Immediately I put my hands palm up and she grabbed them to examine.
     "Oh baby, did it hurt at all? Your hands are a little red." I shook my head no, and she shoved me out of the kitchen.
     "Alright then, I am done babying you. Go set the table for you and the other boys. Plates are in the cupboard and silverware is in the top drawer next to the oven."