Blooded Mate

Chapter 49 - The Pledge

Brent's phone pinged with a notification just as they were winding down. The food had been excellent, and they had all ordered seconds thinking they could finish it. Still smiling at Brent's last joke, Eri patted his bloated belly while Cody let out an impressive burp. Ethan snorted at his brother, then vibrated in his pocket, interrupting the moment.

"Playtime's over," Brent announced while Ethan previewed the text from Zyga.

It simply read, "Move it."

The last rays of the sun were long gone. Ethan asked the waitress to pack up the rest of their meal to go.

"I miss after-school burgers with you, "Cody stated quietly as they waited for their packages. "Rook won't take me because she says fast food isn't healthy. And mom is too busy."

"Sorry, bud. Hang in there, and I'll make it up to you when I come back."

"When are you coming back?" Those warm eyes, replicas of his own, stared at him with wide innocence. His brother's hopes were written on his face, and it pained Ethan that he could not give him a definite answer. His return to their pack depended on when he would be ready to face the challenge with Ryden. If ever.

"I'm not sure, Cody," he answered. His brother trusted him too much for Ethan to lie. "But I'm working on it, okay."

Cody's eyes hooded with disappointment, and Ethan reached over to run a hand through his curls. Eri and Brent remained quiet, allowing them to have their moment.

"Can I stay with you?"

Ethan's heart clenched at the simple question in that little voice, but he kept the sadness out of his face because he needed to be strong. For Cody's sake, he had to be.

He took a deep breath to steady his voice, then asked. "Is anyone giving you a tough time at home?"

His brother shook his head.

"School?"

"Some of the kids don't talk to me anymore. Ash and Bella said their parents were gonna get you because the vampires killed their brothers. And Antwoine called you a blood-sucker, but I socked him in the mouth, and Ash hit me. Then Damien hit him back, and we all got into a fight."

Ethan shook his head, not liking how violent things were turning for Cody. After spending the last few years as the local outcast and at the mercy of the school bully, he did not wish for his brother to suffer the same. He hated it even more that he was the cause of this.

At least Cody had a friend to lean on, just as his brother would help Damien through his time of grief.

It galled Ethan to rely on others to protect and support his family.

This was another reason why he should speed up his training and go back. He needed to be with his pack to resolve everything as soon as possible.

The death of Ash's brother was unfortunate. He had been one of Ben Ryden's lackeys that Jan had killed at the camp. But Bella's brother had been part of the Vanguard and had been a skilled warrior, poised to rise up in the ranks. He probably may have just been following Ryden's orders on the night of Ethan's first moon.

Ethan had to think of a way to pacify those families before he returned. He did not wish to fight with the respectable folk like Bella's parents. Neither did he want them demanding Jan's head in retribution.

He threw an arm around Cody's shoulder and drew him close. "Hang in there, bud. We'll sort this out soon. It'll be alright."

"I'm not scared. Damien says they should be scared. He says it'll be crazy to go against a red-eyed wolf who goes to bed with a vampire."