I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Jan whispered sorrowfully against Ethan's ear. He was on his knees, naked and shivering, but not from the cold. His heart hurt. Pain and guilt tore through him like an icy storm.
Every lightbulb in the room brightened to show him what a savage he was.
"Ethan, I'm so sorry. I'm worse than a Dhampir. I'm a monster." Tears, rarer than blood diamonds on the veteran warrior, rolled down his cheeks. And his eyes rimmed red around clear silvery irises. The last time he had cried was on the night he had killed his sister, but at least he had been justified then. This time, he was no better than Olaf. How different was he from his degenerate sire? "If I could, I'll take it all back. I never meant to hurt you."
"It's okay, Jan. It's just a scratch," Ethan repeated, reaching out for him. Despite his assurances, his voice was strained, and his breath shallow.
Jan grabbed Ethan's cold hand between his two palms and kissed it. "It's not okay. It's more than a scratch. I was so selfish that I nearly killed you. Look, you're freezing!"
Dropping a final sloppy kiss on Ethan's ear, the remorseful vampire leaped up and dashed into the bedroom. He returned with the thick, woolen blanket from their bed. Jan shook as he draped the heavy cloth over the wolf. There was too much blood, even the dark leather could not hide it. At least he had sealed the two pinpricks on the neck, but the seasoned veteran could not bring himself to look at the red smears between Ethan's legs.
I'm a monster. I'll deserve it if the wolves roast me in the sun.
Jan was a shameful mess.
He had seen Ivan torn to shreds. The veteran warrior had watched many brutal killings. Hell, he had committed some himself and had danced on the knife-edge of life and death. But he had never lost his cool in those situations.
However, something about seeing Ethan in pain raked hot coals over his heart and shut down his brain.
And knowing that he had caused this froze the blood in his veins.
"Jan," Ethan croaked.
"Shhh, don't talk. Save your energy." The vampire grabbed the alpha's cool hand, dropping to his knees on the bare floor beside the sofa. He kissed it and held it against his chest. Then, he ran a soothing palm over the damp forehead with dark curls sticking to it. Ethan was as pale as he was.
After an eternity of tormenting wait, Jan turned to his phone on the center table, griping. "Why's he taking so long?"
He double-tapped the screen, bringing the device to life. According to the time, barely a minute had passed since he last checked, but it felt like it had been way longer.
"You should put something on," Ethan suggested. He tried to smile, but the slight grimace on his pale face made him look sickly.
Jan brushed away the blinding tears with the back of his hand like a toddler, then sniffed. "Shh, don't worry about me. Let's focus on you. I still think I should call Dr. Kim, just in case."
Ethan's eyes slowly drew close as he shook his head. "It's not that big of a deal. Besides, we need someone trained in first response who is also familiar with-"
The elevator dinged open, and Jan scrambled to get off the floor. He grabbed his black slacks from the back of the sofa where he had tossed them during his lust-filled rampage and dashed out.
Calvin flinched, nearly jumping out of his skin when a half-dressed vampire appeared beside him just as he stepped out of the lift. "Oh, you scared me."
"Come on, hurry!" Jan grabbed his arm and hauled him forward. Despite his objections, Ethan had insisted that the Chief of the Territory Police was the best person to perform first aid in this delicate matter. The fact that Louie's boyfriend could keep a secret from Ethan's betas and family weighed heavily in this choice.
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...
