Ethan's mom's eyes widened. "Did you tell the Vanguards? They're still calling it a Dhampir?"
Though it was near dawn, she still wore her blue scrubs from her previous shift.
Zyga nodded. "I did, but Ryden said to hold that for now. He doesn't want the rest of the city panicking."
"But we can still take on a vampire, right? It's not like they're indestructible." Ethan did not like the worried look on his mom's face.
He knew vampires were supposed to be stronger than Dhampirs, but they could not be that much worse.
His adopted father took a moment before answering, fraying Ethan's nerves further. "They can be killed, but it's difficult. A good hunting party of fourteen can take on a Dhampir with no losses. For vampires, we need at least two or three parties plus the element of surprise. In this case, depending on the vampire's fighting skills and age, we may lose half of that before we subdue him. Then we leave him for the sun."
"Half of three hunting parties? That's twenty-one dead wolves for one vampire!" Ethan screeched.
We weren't told this in summer camp!
His mind flooded with images of a red-eyed giant of a man, gulping blood from headless humans and eviscerating brave wolf warriors.
Ethan shifted in his seat, tightening his fist on the barrel of the gun.
I'll empty all the bullets into any bloodsucker who dares to set foot in his home.
"The vampire may have marked this house to return to later. Naomi, I don't think it's safe for you and the kids here," Zyga advised.
"Where do we go?" his mom countered, with a wavering voice. "No one will take us in. People are too scared to risk offending Alpha Ryden. And they've already started shunning Meghan. The nurses at the hospital blame her for Roger's madness."
"The pack-house would have been best. But with Ryden in charge, moving there would put Ethan right under his roof. That would be trading one devil for another." The worry lines on the tracker's face deepened. His one-room cabin was out of the question.
They sat silent, each lost in thought, and then as if finally coming to a decision, Zyga heaved a deep sigh. "I'll call Jeb and Rook."
"No." Ethan's mom shook her head, her dark blonde hair threatening to escape from the clasp that held it up. "We can't pull them out of retirement. They've sacrificed so much already."
"They're the only ones we can trust. Besides, they are more experienced than the soft imbeciles in the Vanguard." And with that, his adopted father got up to use the phone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the end of the week, the Reyn's five-bedroom, three-bathroom house was packed. Jeb and his mate, Rook, arrived, and Zyga also moved into the house with them. The tension from the hunt for the vampire had eased up a bit, but security was still high in town.
Cody and Damien were the most excited; they hardly sat still. Their little feet thumped the hardwood floors as they ran from one end of the house to the other. Cody's childish voice was usually the first to be heard in the morning. By afternoon, he was nearly bouncing off the wall until Rook delivered a quick smack on his backside. Ethan guffawed at his brother's misfortune. That brought back childhood memories for him.
Rook was funny and witty. Her tongue and hands were in perpetual competition as to which was faster. And with the spanking she had delivered to Cody, it seemed her palms were winning. Ethan liked the perky, dark-haired woman well enough, but he liked her just out of arm's reach. In contrast, he enjoyed talking with her husband.
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...
