Serves you right! Jan scoffed as Ethan's face changed into one of confusion.
"Go where?" Ethan demanded, swatting at the hand Eri clamped on his arm. But it was no use. The smaller tracker-in-training was hell-bent on hauling him towards the door.
"C'mon!" Brent insisted, adding his weight by pushing him from the back.
"Go on, son," Zyga added, wiping the drool from earlier off his shirtfront.
"Don't worry, it'll be fun. Everyone's been talking about it for weeks. They can't wait to see you on the field. We..."
The door closed behind them, muting the rest of Eri's hasty explanations.
"You did WHAT?" Ethan yelled just before the elevator swallowed them up.
Jan had little sympathy for him. The big oaf had also laughed when Breanna had called him a kitten. If he were part of the challenge, he would gladly put in a couple of smacks on Ethan's backside.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for," the MC announced, drawing everyone's attention back to the field. "Let's give a warm welcome to the brave wolves who Luna blessed this year to complete their first moon. May they be an eternal blessing to our pack. Introducing ... the second son of the Tremblay family, Fort George. The fifth daughter of the Bouchard family, Ottawa. The first son of the Shecanapish family, Kawawachikamach ... "
The kids walked into the roving spotlights on the turf, which had been cleared of all previous obstacles. Grinning broadly, most strutted over the field and waved to the ecstatic audience whose responding cheers nearly drowned out the announcement.
Some were as young as Cody.
The smallest, a ruddy-cheeked girl who probably only came up to Jan's hip took two shaky steps onto the grass, then turned and hightailed it back into her mother's arms.
"Aww," people cooed, but a good many broke out in laughter.
The woman urged her daughter back onto the stage. The little girl wobbled forward and glanced back at her. Mommy nodded, and she walked further. Then after another bout of encouragement, she broke into a trot all the way to the other kids.
The stands cheered, waving their banners and glowsticks in encouragement.
Wondering what kind of challenges these little pups would face, Jan turned to ask somebody, only to find himself alone in the corner with Breanna watching him like a hawk. Tiny ant-feet crawled up his spine as the she-wolf flashed a smile at him. It was a feeling he knew well, which warned him when Louie was usually up to no good.
Zyga unfolded himself out of his chair with a groan. "Jeb, you better take him too."
"What? Why me?"
"Because it was your damn idea," the grouch grumbled as he sauntered over to the bar.
"I'll take him," Breanna volunteered, springing out of her chair and making a beeline straight to Jan.
"Huh? Why? Ethan is the only one taking part in the games." Jan's senses did tingle like how they did when he was in mortal danger, but they were not silent either. He stood up, backing away from the preppy girl with the afro bun until his back met the wall.
"Mmn-Mmn," she shook her head, wrapping her arms securely around his.
"I'm not a wolf," he emphasized even as she yanked him towards the door, much like how her brother had handled Ethan a few minutes ago.
"True," she agreed in a chirrupy voice, though that somehow increased her efforts to get him out of the door.
Jan raised a questioning eyebrow at Jeb.
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...
