Blooded Mate

Chapter 74 - Walk Of Shame

"Please, please, please. Let them be downstairs," Ethan prayed to his goddess while patting the white, crusty patches off his dark pants.

His efforts were in vain, tormenting him over his lack of prudence last night. Caught in the lust-filled fever, he had disregarded the care for his clothes, and his trousers had ended up smeared with their love juices.

All it would take was one whiff, and anyone would know what he had been up to.

The elevator dinged when it got to the fifth floor, and Ethan straightened himself. He pulled the hem of his hoodie low, trying to cover as much as possible.

But the minute he popped his head out of the lift, his hopes for his family not to be around were dashed.

Zyga popped a head out of his suite, followed by Dr. Kim. Jeb's door opened on the other side of the hallway, and he, Rook, and Ethan's mother appeared simultaneously. Though they did not look angry or worried, every eye was on him.

He gave a jerky little wave in greeting, and when no one commented, heaved a sigh of relief.

If they don't make a fuss, I can slip-

"Ethan's back!" An inauspicious star in the form of eleven-year-old Cody yelled at the top of his lungs.

Ethan glared at the little imp, who smirked back at him, ensconced safely between Rook and his mother.

Then, four more doors opened as if in concert, and everyone else appeared.

"Yooo!" "That's my boy!" Brent and Eri jubilated.

They ran up to him and pat his back, hailing him like some conquerer. Then, Emily stuck two fingers between her lips and blew a sharp whistle. While Breanna stood next to her, laughing and clapping. To make matters worse, she cupped her hands around her mouth and gave three short howls: the cry of a successful hunt in a pack.

Ethan's face grew beet-root red, and he covered it with his hands, hurrying to his suite. His two best friends were quick on his heels, hooting and jumping around like typical wolves.

I hope Jan doesn't hear this, jamming his card over the reader and rushing inside.

"You lucky bastard," Eri said, scrambling in after Ethan before he could shut the door.

Brent eagerly followed. "I always said he was a player."

"I'm not a player," Ethan grumbled, though he could not entirely wipe the growing smirk on his face.

Turning away from them, he grabbed the bottom of his sweatshirt and began pulling it off.

"Oh, then you've got the balls of one. Ain't nobody around here seducing a vampire in a shower!"

Ethan froze, with his top over his head and hanging on one shoulder. Then, he whirled back to his friends. "Oh crap! How did you..."

"Mm-hm, we heard. Everything," Eri confirmed, nodding. "We got the rooms next to yours. I woke up in the morning to take a leak and heard y'all...." Eri held his arms in front of him as if grabbing an imaginary lover and thrust his hips a couple of times to imitate the doggy style.

"We weren't..." Words failed Ethan as he saw the knowing smirks on his friends' faces.

"Oh, don't be shy now," Brent said, nudging his shoulder. "You weren't shy when you were up there, slanging that d-"

Ethan hurled his sweatshirt at him, and the boy leaned sideways to avoid it.

"Whooeee! Brent, come see this. Look at all those scratches on his back. He must have given it real good... Yikes!" Eri cried when Ethan turned and lunged at him.