Blooded Mate

Chapter 26 - Midnight flight

Despite Jeb's assurance, Ethan found it hard to push the anxiety away. He could not forget the image of Jan walking out the front door. Or the hurt in his gray eyes before masking it. Or of Louie's smug face when he touted the blond vampire's stubbornness.

I've messed up real bad. How do I fix this?

Fear shrouded his heart, quenching the warmth from any joy he had felt today. The cold started in his chest and spread out to the rest of his body. Voices around him rose up, seeping into his daze.

"Blood-sucking mother-"

"Rook!" Zyga growled.

"What? It's not like you were polite in the forest either." Rook shot back even as she scooted behind Jeb

"At least, I said it to their faces! And that was before we knew he was Ethan's mate."

"Zyga! Rook! We have more pressing issues." Ethan's mother interrupted.

Zyga cleared his throat, giving Jeb's mate a final glare before turning away. "Son... Ethan!"

"Huh?" His mother was rubbing his back, but that did not provide enough heat to replace the warmth his body lost. He felt numb.

He could not tell when, but sometime during his musing, Louie had left. And Mrs. Bane had gone back to making dinner.

"Your mother's right. There's something else. Son, I need you to pack up a few items. We're driving to Gray Oaks tonight."

"What? Why?"

His mother got up from her seat. "Zyga, you tell him. I'll go pack his bags. Rook, get him something warm to drink. His hands are cold."

Jeb and Zyga reclaimed their seats as his mother rushed up the stairs, shooing Cody and Damien from the top landing.

"Last night, when you went on a rampage to protect your mate, you stood up against Ryden."

"Ben Ryden? He had it coming." Ethan had little sympathy for that jerk.

"No. Alpha Ryden."

"Oh"

"And knowing him, he'll count it as an open challenge."

"Ryden brought the Vanguard here," Jeb said while his mate rummaged through the kitchen cabinets. "From what I hear, they were already on the way here before you sent out the alarm. The vampires just arrived first and ruined their plans. Petrovski's statement confirmed it. If you ask me, Ethan was defending himself."

"But the pack don't see it that way, do they? And the damn vampires made it worse by killing off eight people. The town would be out for blood by dawn."

"Why did Alpha Ryden bring the Vanguard here?" Ethan's brain was having a hard time following the conversation. Rook pressed a warm mug into his hand, urging him to drink.

"For you," Zyga answered.

"Uh?" Without looking, he lifted the cup up and took a mouthful. And choked.

His throat burned, but not from the heat. He sniffed the dark liquid, eyes watering from pain, and then glared up at Jeb's mate.

"It's coffee and brandy. You need it," Rook explained.

There was more brandy in it than coffee! And he was sure his mother had not meant liquor when she said something warm.

"Ethan," Dr. Kim spoke up, "when Roman brought you to the hospital after the camp attack, the wolves there started going crazy. It turns out your scent had altered, and you were emitting pheromones that had vampiric tones in them."