Blooded Mate

Chapter 1 - Pre-Moon Flushes

In a dim moderately-sized room, Ethan Reyn lay curled up on his bed. He grunted as a deep throb shot through his thigh and down his leg. He held it up, trying to breathe through the pain.

A few breaths in, he curved backward as another convulsion racked his back. He cried in agony, feeling every vertebra in his spine pop and shift. Then remembering the time, he bit his lips to muffle the sound. His heart clenched as the spasms traveled down his tailbone. His hands balled into fists, and he struggled to find a less torturous position.

He prayed his shouts had not woken his mother or brother. Then, as the aches receded, he took in a deep breath and set his jaw, waiting for the next onslaught.

It never came. Instead, Ethan felt a gradual heat spring from his torso and spread over his body. He shoved the covers off as the flush engulfed his head and the rest of his limbs. Staring at the closed windows, wishing he could throw them open to draw in the crisp September dawn.

'If wishes were horses...' he sighed.

His legs felt like lead, his muscles spasming from the aftershocks of the pain. He sighed and closed his eyes, sweating out the worst of the flush. The heat rolled over him in waves, and he thought he could feel the sweat steaming off his skin.

Something wet touched his forehead, and he flinched. Turning to look, he found Cody, his younger brother.

"I heard you crying," Cody explained, putting the moistened towel back on Ethan's forehead.

"I was not freaking crying," Ethan bit out.

That cold towel felt heavenly against his skin, but he was too embarrassed to show gratitude.

Caught having pre-moon flushes at his age! Great way to start the day!

Fourteen years was when most werewolves would undergo their first transformation. But curse his ill-luck, here he was: sixteen years old and going through the same monthly pre-moon symptoms as his eleven-year-old brother.

He pulled the cloth roughly and dabbed it against the reddened neck and torso.

"It's almost six. Go get dressed for school." Ethan told Cody, his voice hoarse with strain.

His brother nodded, gave him a final look, and stepped out.

Ethan waited a few moments to collect his thoughts as the edges of the flush faded away. Then, he took a deep breath and swung his wobbly legs over the side of the bed. Beads of sweat gathered at his nape and rolled down the bronzed skin to join others at his back. His hair was plastered all over his scalp in short dark ringlets.

For the millionth time this morning, Ethan wondered why he had not found his inner wolf yet. If Luna was listening, she was not inclined to give him any answers.

He watched as the first rays fought through the steamed windows to brighten up his tidy room. The light wood walls were bare except for a large poster of his favorite hockey player. His laptop sat on a desk, stained a dark brown. Beyond that was the closet, which held all the clutter swept up from the rest of the room.

Once he was confident his legs could handle his weight, he got up and turned to strip the bed of its drenched covers. It would be humiliating if he left them for his mother to find.

Cleaned and dressed, he went downstairs to the smell of bacon and eggs. Sunlight streaming through the rustic kitchen soothed him mentally, if not physically.

"Morning, hon," his mom said with a smile and a heaping plate of food on the breakfast bar. Her face showed no sign that she had heard him crying earlier.

"Morning," Ethan grumbled before he started eating.

Cody, on the other hand, did not hold back his amused gaze. Taking a seat next to him, Ethan could feel his brother's eyes boring into his head. He avoided looking at Cody, knowing the little imp wanted to make fun of him.

"Ethan, can you take your brother over to Damien's after school? I have to pull a double at the ER."

His mother, a nurse at the community hospital, tried to get as many shifts as possible. Ethan suspected their need for extra income after his father's death was not the only reason his mother worked overtime. A decade later, she could still not talk about Alpha Reyn without breaking down.

"Sure," he responded.

"And tell Meghan I'll come by tomorrow."

"You? Why?" Damien was Cody's best friend, but Ethan was not aware his mother was that friendly with his mom.

His eyes narrowed when he noticed Cody hunch over his plate, appearing a little deflated.

"What happened?" Cody said nothing.

"None of your business, "his mother scolded while cleaning up the counter. "Just let her know I'll be over tomorrow."

"Alright." Ethan knew something was up, but he could also tell when the discussion was over. He dropped the subject. "C'mon, Cody."

He picked up his keys and backpack and stepped out of the house.

Soon he heard, "Eww, mo-om!" Cody emerged from the kitchen, furiously wiping off any traces of the ego-offending kiss he had most likely received from his mother. Distracted, he bumped into Ethan at the top of the front porch. Ethan drew in a sharp breath at the jarring reminder of his sore body.

It was going to be a long day.

A/N

Hi lovelies, thanks for reading.If you loved it don't forget to vote, comment and add to your library.

First of all, I think Cody is my muse. Writing his part was like... the smoothest part for me. He's so adorable and I can't help smiling every time I go over his interaction with his mom.

I would love to here your feedback on the story in general and this chapter in particular.

What did you like?

And what didn't you like?

What did you think about the characters?

Next chapter is already being edited. I will post it in a couple of days.

Ciao!