The chirping fall birds called Ethan out of his slumber. When his eyes fluttered open, the brilliant afternoon sun nearly blinded him. He groaned, burying his head in the pillows. He did not want to end the sweet dream involving a slender vampire with tumbling, blond hair.
Wait... the sun! Jan mustn't be in the sun.
He bolted up, the vestiges of sleep clearing from his mind. Ethan was convinced the part about pinning his mate to the floor and licking his neck had not been all fantasy. For one, he could still smell the pinewood scent of the said vampire on his body.
"Jan?" he called out, getting out of the bed.
He was back in his small bedroom in the cottage. Shirtless and barefoot, he tore through the hallway, checking the living area and kitchen. Then he searched the bathroom and the two bedrooms down the hall. No one was there.
"Jan!" He yelled, praying his slippery mate had not just fed and run.
Something cold prodded the back of his head. Ethan whirled around, expecting to see the vampire or even Zyga. But the hallway was empty. He felt it again, realizing the nudge had not landed on his skin. But instead, it was like an echo of an icy touch from within.
He shut his eyes, focusing on that flame in his mind. Similar to every other Lycan, he had initially encountered the visual manifestation of his essence the night after his first moon. However, at that time, he had been too depressed over losing his mate to be fascinated by it.
Now he watched it carefully, waiting.
A tiny spark of blue zoomed in and hit the side of his flame. Ethan latched onto the probe, wrapping one of his tendrils around it. It was cool, like a tiny snowflake. And he did not know why, but he was sure it was from Jan.
A fine, hair-like thread led from the probe into the shadows. Ethan followed the trail to the edge of consuming darkness that refused to retreat even under the blaze of his consciousness. That was the border of his mental space.
One of his tendrils touched the spot where the thread vanished, and a hole opened up in the darkness.
On the other side of the connection was a cold, isolated, powerfully-concentrated orb of blue light. Even mentally, Jan was just like his personality. Jan's conscience stayed unwavering. A solid ice ball unlike the warm orange waves and swirling flutters of Ethan's.
Yet, Ethan wanted to rub his tendrils around it and smother it with affection.
As soon as he thought that, he felt a gentle shove, and he was pushed back into his own territory. The gate to his mate winked out. Ethan opened his eyes, a slow smile spreading on his face.
This was the first mental connection he had made consciously. And the fact that it was with his mate pleased him to no end.
"Yes!" He fist-pumped the air. Now that he knew what to look out for, his mate could never hide from him again.
Wait, will it be the same way with Zyga and other wolves?
"Ew, gross!" He said, wrinkling his nose. He certainly did not fancy rubbing his tendrils around Zyga!
What he had shared with his mate felt too... intimate.
He shook the thought off, going back to his initial quest. Since the sun was up, Jan would need to stay indoors or underground. Which left only the basement unexplored.
He walked down the hallway and yanked the last door open. A dank, old-wood smell assaulted his nose, and he immediately staggered back.
Vampires.
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...
