Ethan unfolded himself from Brent's dad's car and stretched, satisfied with the way his bones popped into place. He still ached from this morning hell run with Zyga, but his muscles were invigorated. Energized. Refreshed.
It was that good kind of pain from a workout.
Brent looked around the near-empty parking lot as they walked toward the restaurant. "Is it too early for a burger?"
"For a burger or too early to see the waitress? It's not even noon yet." Eri shot the taller boy a teasing smile.
"Bro, It ain't even like that. I'm legit hungry. Dad woke me at like six this morning."
"Yeah, right," Eri sniggered.
"Forget you," Brent scoffed, switching topics. He jogged over and tossed his arm around Ethan, nearly toppling him over. "Hey man, congrats on your first moon. I didn't realize you were pre-moon at the camp."
"Yeah, man. Why didn't you say anything?" Eri turned to him, forgetting the door handle he had just grabbed.
Ethan's ears grew hot. "It never came up."
Brent rolled his eyes. "Dude, think. Who announces 'Hey, I'm pre-moon' on intro?"
"I guess," Eri said, still eyeing him. "He doesn't look like it, though."
"What? How do pre-moon wolves look?"
"I dunno... Just not like him. He's too... wolf. He can't hide the predator aura around him"
Ethan groaned, his face redder than Eri's hoodie. "Let's just go get something to eat.
Even after Brent led them inside to a window-side booth, he and Eri did not drop the subject. Ethan wanted to crawl under the table and hide.
Fortunately for him, a perky, rosy-cheeked waitress soon appeared and saved him from further embarrassment. She flashed them a smile, and Brent's mouth flapped without words before he returned a doltish grin. Meanwhile, Eri hid behind the menu, chuckling. With her tight black t-shirt and short green apron, she was cute.
But not as attractive as a certain blonde vampire with clear silver eyes.
Ethan shook his head to clear the thought. He did not want to think of his absent mate right now. He was still tempted by the idea of high-tailing it to the nearest vampire territory and asking for directions to Jan.
Which was a terrible idea.
He picked up the menu and ordered the special: a double quarter pounder with extra fries and soda. His friends did the same and added loaded potato skins and wings to their list.
The kitchen was fast, and soon, the waitress came back steaming mouth-watering food.
"Enjoy," she said with a smile aimed at Brent, then walked away.
Ethan's tummy rumbled when the smell of hot fries hit his nose. He did not remember the last proper meal he had eaten.
Brent raised an eyebrow. "Starving?"
"Like a coyote."
He popped one long, skinny potato in his mouth. Frowned. Picked another, dunked it in ketchup before eating it. It was tasteless. No salt, no tangy tomato flavor, nothing. But he was too hungry to care.
"Zyga had me on a hell run even before the sun came up this morning. And he didn't even feed me after. I swear he's trying to kill me," he complained.
Rather than the sympathy he was expecting, Eri's eyes were sparkling. "I wouldn't mind training with him. He still holds the title for leading the most successful hunts in North America."
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...
