"Oof!" Ethan grunted when Rook's left hook clipped him on the side of his head. He cupped a hand around the ear, which was now buzzing.
"Focus, Ethan!" Jeb barked. "You could've seen that coming from a mile away!"
"Easy, babe. He's not the only one. They're both distracted," She coaxed her mate, offering a hand to help Brent off the gym floor.
A flurry of Jeb's fists had knocked him down.
The older vanguard squeezed the bridge of his nose and sighed. When he opened his eyes again, his amber yellow irises had darkened to their natural brown.
Rubbing the feeling back into his hot ear, Ethan watched the couple. Jeb, on his own, was a force to reckon with, but with Rook, they were an unbeatable duo.
"Oooh, my insides feel like they've rearranged," Brent groaned after he got to his feet. "I think Eri might have gotten a better deal."
"Doubt it. He's with mean old Zyga," Ethan bit off bitterly.
The grumpy tracker had woken them up at the crack of dawn to work off all the excess holiday food they had eaten. Then he had taken off to teach Eri how to listen to the earth, leaving Rook to help Jeb with today's workout.
But the training was turning out to be more of an ass-whooping.
"You ok, Jeb?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah ... sorry about that. I just ..."
"It's because of Dom, isn't it?" Rook murmured. She placed an arm around her mate's back, and the large man's shoulders drooped.
Ethan grabbed a towel to wipe down the river of sweat drenching his body. "Which Dom?"
"Dominique Hugo. Youngest captain on the vanguard force. He went missing last week, and his team wants to look for him. But Ryden has banned all search parties." Jeb explained, grabbing a towel of his own.
"What? Why?"
Jeb shrugged. "He claims Dominique has probably gone to visit family down south. Dom's wife denies it, and he didn't put in a request for leave either. Something fishy going on, but after what happened to Roger Bane, people are wary about openly defying Ryden."
"But Major Bane's bond madness had nothing to do with him!"
Jeb tossed his towel down. "I know, Ethan. But some people have got it in their heads that it was Luna's way of punishing him for disobeying his alpha. It's stupid, but Ryden is working on their fear."
"But we can't leave the captain like that. He might be in trouble."
A soft smile tugged on Jeb's lips. "Zyga knew you would say that. He's working something out with the trackers. It's just slow because they have to move without raising suspicions."
Ethan nodded, but his fists clenched in frustration. Being powerless to help anyone was a very uncomfortable feeling. And time away from the pack unsettled him further as the days dragged on. He should be back at home.
"It's after lunch," Rook announced, interrupting his thoughts. "Let's go wash up and grab something to eat. I think we're all tired by now."
Ethan welcomed the break, but it was hard to feel any joy in light of the new information. Even Brent's bubbly attitude was muted. Rubbing his belly, he barely said a word as they rode the elevator up.
By dinnertime, the news had gone around, and a somber mood hung over the long table. The chef had outdone himself tonight, and the steak was excellent, but the only sound was that of a dozen sets of cutlery shoving food around their plates.
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...
