Blooded Mate

Chapter 44 - Feeding Habits

"Ethan!" Naomi gasped.

"Mon dieu," was Louie's echoing exclamation. "Fuck who?"

All eyes turned to Jan.

Jan's mind had been racing on how to avoid openly talking about their entanglement last night. With the cat now out of the bag, it was too late to move the conversation somewhere private. He glanced at Ivan, who only shrugged his shoulders, lifting up both hands.

He was on his own.

"No," he finally answered Ethan.

"No, never? Or no, not always?"

This was going to be a painful discussion. "No, not always."

It was a lie, but Jan would face the sun before he admitted that Ethan was the only person who nearly gave him an orgasm while feeding.

"So, sometimes you do." Jan felt the pounding in his head return, and a knot in his stomach squeezed. He squinted as a deep throb speared across the left side of his face.

Oh, for fuck's sake! I just went through this yesterday!

Jan took a deep breath, trying not to feed into the anger he felt coming from the young werewolf.

"Ethan, be reasonable. My eating habits were formed long before I knew you existed," he said, hoping his even tone would calm the Lycan down.

"Well, mon cheri, your eating habits have changed dramatically in recent times... " Louie withered under the frosty gaze Jan directed at him. He shifted closer to Ivan.

"Be reasonable?" Ethan echoed, his voice rising a note, and his arms unfolded. "You think I want my mate going out for a meal and getting some action for dessert?

Looking back to the wasted evening with Eva, Jan could not help but gripe inwardly. Forget getting any action. I can't even get it up when the ass is placed right in my face!

But Jan did not want to admit that the only body his mind seemed to recognize these days was the broad-shouldered one right in front of him. And above all, he would be damned before allowing some unstable cub to determine what he should or should not do.

"What you want, wolf, is your business. What I do with my needs is mine," Jan replied, the steel in his voice emphasizing his Scandinavian accent.

Ethan balled his fists and took a step forward, anger clearly defining every inch of his rigid muscles. Ethan's voice was a shade above a growl, "Let's be clear, mate. Your needs are mine now."

The young wolf's deep vibrato resonated within Jan, causing his balls to clench tightly in his pants. For a brief- oh so brief- moment, Jan wanted to surrender to Ethan.

What the fuck! His brain kicked in, and his fangs dropped down as a low hiss slithered out.

"Ethan," Naomi warned, placing a hand on the werewolf's shoulder. At the same time, Ivan stepped over to Jan, pulling him away.

Ethan shrugged his mother's hand off and stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.

Jan watched him leave, breathing hard as if his altercation with Ethan had been physical. Soon after, a deep howl sounded from outside. Even in his incensed state, the rich timbre of Ethan's cry sent a thrill coursing through him. Jan's hands balled into a fist, battling his instincts to go out after the wolf.

He inched forward, but Ivan's firm grip on his arm kept him rooted. Jan stared at the closed front door, listening for Ethan's footsteps and forgetting everyone else in the room until his heartbeat slowed.

Ivan had been right. When it came to Ethan, Jan became less rational. He had no right to judge the Lycan for being impulsive.

His shoulders sagged, and he sighed into the awkward silence left behind by the wolf's departure. His teeth retracted. Ivan shook his head while Louie fidgeted with his cuffs, still standing in the corner he had scooted to.

Mrs. Reyn stood by the forgotten icebox, her frown a striking resemblance to her son's and a stiff mark of her displeasure with him. Jan lowered his eyes, remembering her earlier attempts to make them feel welcome.

"My apologies, Naomi," Jan said.

"Feeding off my son," she began in a cold voice, a significant change from the cordial one before. "Is one thing. I can ignore that if Ethan is okay with it. But faithfulness to your mate is non-negotiable. I don't know how bonding works among vampires. But for wolves, cheating is the same as killing your mate with slow and painful torture. I don't want Ethan to go through that."

Though vampires were restricted to one mate in their lifetime, they could still take on other sexual partners. Councilman Adams had an entire harem beside his mate. But this was probably not the time to clarify that fact.

Nor was it the moment to point out that he had not accepted the Lycan as his mate yet.

"I understand. I had no intention of being promiscuous. It's just... this is new. And I'll need more time to... work with Ethan."

She scrutinized him for a minute and then nodded. "I'll let Zyga know you are up."

Jan would be very surprised if the tracker was not aware of their movements in the backyard. He could hear them shuffling in the trees behind the house.

Ivan only let go of his arm after Naomi stepped out.

"What is wrong with you?" He demanded through clenched teeth. "Was that really necessary? The next time you decide to piss the pup off, just remember he's the only one you have been able to feed on in months."

"I know," Jan grumbled bitterly, not amused by the reminder.

He went to stand by Louie, who remained silent. Jan let out another sigh. He would have to make it up with Louie later.

Thankfully, his best friend was not hard to please. He made a mental note to look for an excellent gay bar around for Louie. Or maybe buy him that fancy car he had been begging for.

A/N

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

I want to know your thoughts on the argument about feeding habits between Jan and  Ethan. Do you think Ethan has a point?  Or should Jan be allowed to enjoy the habit he'd cultivated over centuries of years? 

I would love to hear 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!