Ethan carried the unconscious vampire up the stairs to his room. He placed him on the bed, taking care not to inflame the injured side.
Lifting the torn shirt, he exposed the jagged marks on the blond man's side. The wound was deep and nasty, but it had stopped bleeding. He needed to clean out the saliva and dirt.
He raced to the kitchen cabinets and found the first-aid kit. He opened it and realized the rubbing alcohol, cotton, and a few other items were missing.
When were they used?
He remembered his mom restocking the contents after his rib injury. But his worry over the vampire did not give him time to ponder about displaced items.
He grabbed the kit, along with a roll of paper napkins and water, and went back upstairs. As he was setting down the bowl, he found rubbing alcohol and a thick roll of gauze on his desk.
Mom probably used it on Cody.
He gave it no further thought as he moved around his room.
Ethan unbuttoned the ripped shirt, carefully slipping the slender arms out of the soaked pieces. The dried blood around his torso flaked off with the fabric, but there was still enough covering the vampire's body to set Ethan's teeth on edge. Wetting the tissues with water, he wiped most of it off. Then he followed with the alcohol, gently dabbing the wounds.
He flinched each time the astringent met skin as if the pain was his own.
There was no reaction from the vampire as he worked, but Ethan sighed when he finally rolled the gauze around the bites to keep them secure.
Done, he reached out to place the alcohol on his nightstand when he found a tray containing scissors, curved needles, and other surgical tools. He had only seen these types in movies or at the hospital.
Ethan's eyes widened as they traced tubes leading to IVs and an emptied blood bag hanging on the wall.
What in the...
A black duffel bag sat open next to his study desk, containing cans of sprays, bandages, and more IV bags. The wastebasket beside it was filled with red-soaked tissues. Then he saw his bedsheet had even bigger blood stains on it.
Ethan frowned, searching through his memories. Everything was blurry, and as he pressed harder, his head started pounding.
He swayed and had to stop, holding on to the table for support. He stayed still until the room was no longer spinning.
Weary, he dragged the desk chair next to his bed and sank into it.
A glance at the vampire told him he was still sleeping. Ethan's eyes traveled down the fair flat tummy. A shy dimple marked his navel. Beneath it, a tapered line of fine golden hairs disappeared into the band of the low-riding briefs.
With a start, Ethan dragged his eyes back up, realizing where he had been staring. Heat climbed up his neck and ears, making him glad that no one had seen that.
He studied the fair face of the sleeping man. It was the one he had seen in the lakeside dream. Up close, the vampire looked younger than he had thought, not more than twenty.
How did a vampire from my dreams show up at my home?
Once again, he tried to recall the night's events.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next thing Ethan felt was the bright sun warming his face. His eyes fluttered open, and he glanced over at the bed.
YOU ARE READING
Blooded Mate
Fantasy[[MATURE CONTENT]] Pack, family, mate. Loyalty, respect, honor. These are the words that form the foundation of the wolf society. At six years old, Ethan had to choose between his Alpha title and his survival on the night of his father's death. As a...
