Jan took a deep calming breath as the elevator carried him and Louie to the fifth floor. Even before the doors opened, the scents of the new wolves flooded the carriage. His best friend began fretting with the cuffs of his pink shirt, and Jan patted his hand to reassure him. As the lift drew to a stop, he pasted a business smile on his face, ready to brave the ire of his new guests.
The metal doors of the lift smoothly opened to the frowning face of a dark-haired she-wolf. Louie shifted sideways, half-hiding himself behind the taller vampire.
"Good evening, Rook. Nice to see you again," Jan greeted. Recalling Ethan's whining about the woman's quick hands, he kept an eye on them and stopped well out of arm's reach.
"Are you sure about that?" Rook countered, crossing her arms. "Your security guard almost didn't let us in."
"My apologies. He was not aware we were expecting company."
"Where's he?" Naomi shouted, stomping down the hallway towards them. Jan did not have to ask who the he was.
Dear Gaia, I'm not even married. Why must I deal with an angry mother-in-law?
Rook stepped aside, allowing Jan and Louie to face the next irate person.
As Jan walked into the hallway, several curious faces popped out of the room: Ethan's little brother, Cody and his friend, Damien, and Damien's mother, Meghan. He also remembered the Asian-American doctor present the first night they all met. The miniature version standing next to her must be her daughter.
With blonde hair flying wildly behind her, Naomi approached Jan, jabbing a finger in his face. "So now what? You take my son and prevent me from seeing him?"
Who in Luna's knickers kidnapped that big oaf? I've been hiding from him for weeks! Jan griped, but outwardly he smiled and kept his mouth shut.
"You can't hold my son hostage, Jan Skyver. He's your mate, not a prisoner! And why do you have so many people with guns around? Is this some sort of vampire fortress? So help me, Luna, if you've so much as harmed a strand of hair on my son, I'll ...."
And on and on, Naomi ranted.
Jan could see where Ethan got his hot temper from.
Months ago, he might have drawn out his claws and fangs to handle a situation like this. But after dealing with the young wolf's tantrums, he employed the latest tool in his arsenal: silence.
Jan remained quiet, smiling politely and nodding while Naomi seethed and raved about his possible ill-treatment of her beloved baby. But just like her son, it did not take long before that train ran out of steam.
Soon she quieted down, glaring at him with eyes that seemed ready to shoot lasers. "So .... Ethan is still at training?"
Jan nodded, keeping up the charade of a benevolent gentleman. "Yes, but he'll be back soon. I'm sure you've had a tiring trip. Would you all like some dinner while you wait for him?"
"Can we have the charcoal-grilled chicken?" Cody asked, stepping out fully into the hallway. His face brightening with hope as he dodged the arm Meghan sent to draw him to safety. "Ethan keeps boasting about it. Can we, please?"
"Of course, whatever you want," Jan answered, his smile widening because there was at least one member of the crowd he could win over tonight.
Cody nudged Damien, and the two ran down the hallway towards him. Meghan stepped out after her son, but he was faster than her. Her fingers barely grazed his jacket as she tried to pull him back.
The chef better have chicken on the menu, else Naomi's tongue might draw blood tonight, he prayed.
Betrayed by her youngest son, the she-wolf in question swallowed the rest of her tirade. Her gaze drifted to Louie, who half-lifted his hand in an awkward wave. She graced him with a slight jerk of her head in greeting, but the mulish scowl on her face did not lessen.
An uneasy silence fell on the group. Jan glanced from Naomi to Rook, wondering if he should walk them to the lounge or let them find their own way there since his welcoming duties were now done.
Just then, the elevator dinged, and Ethan stepped out, lifting his arms like a hero to the rescue. "Mom!"
"Oh my baby," answered Naomi, sprinting towards him. She nearly barreled into Jan in her rush to embrace her son.
Jan hopped out of the way, pressing close to the wall. He pulled his phone out, and his fingers flew over the screen. <<Chris, tell chef grilled chicken tonight.>>
Naomi bawled down Ethan's shirt while her son simultaneously cajoled and laughed at her. Beside them, Rook pounced on her mate, nearly sending him to the floor. She grabbed his face with both hands and captured his mouth in a deep, long kiss, ignoring the audience around her.
"Eww, gross," Cody and Damien chimed.
Zyga roughed up their hair before moving on to greet the others. "Alice, it's good to see you. It's been so long. Meghan, you as well..."
The tracker's entire demeanor changed. His shoulders relaxed, and the near-permanent scowl disappeared on his face, replaced by a genial smile. His usual grumpy tone lightened and rose up with surprise.
Jan did a double-take, making sure his eyes were not deceiving him.
Blessed Gaia, miracles do exist! The grouch can be nice.
Joyful chatter filled the hallway, and the little ones jumped on Ethan, trying to tackle him to the ground. Their happy squeals and laughter lifted the mood in the room, turning the hotel hallway into a lively, little circus.
The two vampires were blissfully ignored.
Jan sent a mental nudge to Louie. When his best friend glanced at him, he tilted his head toward the lifts. Louie quickly nodded in response.
The Frenchman casually looked around and took the first few steps to the exit. No one glanced his way. And so Jan followed.
They had barely made it to the doors when Ethan exclaimed. "Emily, oh my gosh. I've missed you so much."
Jan halted.
He turned around just in time to see the slim doll-faced girl leap into Ethan's outstretched arms. His so-called mate lifted her up in a bear hug and twirled around like the perfect prince charming waltzing with his beautiful princess.
The elevator dinged open, but Jan did not hear it.
His entire being was focused on the touching scene in front of him. Louie slipped into the elevator, tugging on his jacket for him to follow. But Jan could have been a brick wall for all the good it did.
Ethan lifted her higher while the girl squealed. "My life has been miserable without you, my Chemistry goddess."
Everything faded away. Everything apart from Ethan laughing and teasing that little girl.
Louie yanked Jan's arm, and the dazed vampire stumbled backward into the elevator. The doors closed on the scene before him, but he could not get rid of the picture of them staring lovingly into each other's eyes.
It was burnt into his retina.
A/N
Hi lovelies, thanks for reading.If you loved it don't forget to vote, comment and add to your library.
I would love to hear your feedback on the story in general and this chapter in particular.
What did you like?
And what didn't you like?
What did you think about the characters?
Next chapter is already being edited. I will post it in a couple of days.
Ciao!
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...
