Blooded Mate

Chapter 97 - Homecoming

The sun had long disappeared beneath the horizon when Brent's Dodge Charger screeched to a stop in front of the ER, barely missing the glass doors with red cross vinyl stickers. All three occupants leaped out, panting in the frosty evening breeze of Snow Pines.

Ethan bumped into the edge panel, rattling the automated sliding doors, which did not clear out of his path fast enough. But in his panic-induced haze, the collision did not register in his mind. Neither did the fact that they had illegally parked in the ambulance slot. A dangerous frenzy cloaked him, spurring his feet toward his family.

Behind them, heavy-duty brake pads squealed in complaint as five black SUVs skidded to a stop next to the Charger. Soon, the acrid smell of burnt rubber replaced the crispy pine scent of his homeland that Ethan had once cherished. A clamor of slamming doors and heavy boots shattered the peaceful ambiance around the sprawling hospital complex.

"Ethan! Ethan, slow down!" Indri yelled to no avail. "Goddammit!"

Deaf to the pleas of his distraught security detail, Ethan forged ahead into the squeaky-clean white lobby, flanked by his two best friends.

Their sudden appearance startled the skeleton crew, holding down the fort on this wintry, yuletide eve, and their equally somber patients, who had the misfortune of spending their holiday cheer at a hospital.

"Hey, you can't park there." An orderly in a Santa hat and thick rubber clogs approached them. One blood-tinged glance from Ethan, and the poor man stuttered, shuffling backward to flatten his portly belly against the wall.

Another Lycan in a leg brace was miraculously healed at Ethan's approach, dropping his clutches and darting into an open door to get out of their path. In his haste, he bumped into another woman in blue scrubs, knocking the tray she carried out of her arms. A dozen vials of liquid smashed against the floor, and the metallic pans clanged loudly, adding their voices to the chaotic cacophony brewing in the lobby.

Ethan did not spare them a glance. Neither did he bother with the unfortunate few, knocking over chairs and bruising their legs in a mad dash to clear the room.

The furniture behind the curved front desk grated loudly as the two attendants bolted out of their seats. Unlike the others, they had no chance to escape. Ethan's bloody gaze trapped them in place like flies in a spiderweb.

Wide-eyed, they could only shuffle backward as Ethan approached until their backs met the counter behind them.

Perhaps it was the unconscious warning rumble in Ethan's throat or the hard glint of Brent's amber irises. Or maybe it was Indri's entourage of stern-faced men armed to the teeth. Either way, the scent of fear spiked the air from the two trembling women.

"Naomi Reyn," Ethan growled through slightly extended canines.

The younger attendant quailed amid tearful whimpers.

On any other day, he would have regretted frightening her. But at this moment, it took all his willpower to reign in his fury. The demonic beast prowling the dark recesses of his mind edged closer to the surface with each breath, ready to unleash a world of pain on all who dared to touch his family. The bloodlust was so strong he could almost taste it. He was holding on to his sanity by the skin of his teeth.

The bespectacled older attendant lifted a quivering finger and pointed down the hallway. "F-first t-turn on the ri-right."

Ethan veered off in the direction indicated. Behind him, Indri added. "Get Dr. Kim. Now!"

Six officers came to attention as Ethan rounded the corner. Their dark blue uniforms with the white shoulder patch of the Snow Pines Territory Police seemed out of place in the surgically bleached ambiance of the wards. As the three Lycans and Indri's small army spilled into the hallway, the men grew tense, and their hands automatically flew to their holsters.