Bad Blood (Book 4 of The Warden series) (7 page)

Ethan poured his coffee and sat down at the end of the counter on one of the bar stools. “Where is she? I thought she would be here to see me off. I only have a couple hours.”

Danato nodded. “Yes, that was a hot topic this morning.”

“What now?”

Danato shrugged. “You know who you married, Ethan.”

“Yes, I know who I married.” Danato flipped several pancakes, a side of bacon, and two over medium eggs on a plate and handed it to Ethan. He preferred his eggs over easy, but anything that wasn’t burnt to a crisp by Danato, he was grateful for. “What did she say?”

“Something about last night being the perfect goodbye and not wanting to spoil it with tears, arguing, or yelling.”

“What?” Ethan pitched even though he knew exactly what she was talking about. He slammed his fist on the counter. “I thought we dealt with this last night.”

Danato loaded up a plate for himself that was nearly double the size and grabbed the honey and peanut butter from the cupboard. Thanks to Danato, Ethan had come to appreciate the strange concoction over the usual butter and syrup. It was definitely more filling.

Ethan smoothed his pancakes in peanut butter and drizzle it with honey, while Danato stayed standing on the other side nibbling his bacon. “What did you deal with last night? Or is that private?” Danato added. Ethan assumed since Danato had broached the subject of moving out that he was trying to make a concerted effort not to get between them. It was a noble effort, but again, unnecessary. Ethan wanted privacy for the happy parts of his relationship, but as for the not so happy parts, he wanted second and third opinions.

Although Ethan was younger than Cori he often felt more mature than her. She was so reckless with her emotions. She was easy to anger, quick to tears, and rarely did she show the level of reserve that he did when dealing with a difficult or uncomfortable situation.

However, when it came to being in a marriage, he really had no idea what the right and wrong way to handle things were. He often sought out Danato’s advice. At least Danato had been married before. He should at least have the insight of what not to do.

“No, it’s fine. Cori apparently thinks Leona has a vendetta with her.”

“How is that? I never got the story on that one.”

“Leona chose Vince as her mate while Cori was with him. He had the choice of volunteering for it or fighting it. Either way…” Ethan shrugged and took a bite of his pancakes. Danato knew how that sentence would end.

“I imagine Cori was not okay with it either way.”

“No,” Ethan covered his mouth and swallowed so he didn’t offend Danato’s delicate sense of decorum. “She knew she was in an unwinnable fight, but she tried anyway. She met with Leona to
offer
Vince. She spiked her coffee with colloidal silver.”

Ethan took another bite. The smile that curved on Danato’s face was nothing short of a proud father. He knew how stupid and dangerous it was for Cori to pull such a stunt, but he also knew that she was just that stupid, and he couldn’t be prouder. “I’m surprised Leona didn’t kill her on the spot.”

Ethan nodded and sipped his coffee to get his food down. “I guess they kind of have a mutual respect. Cori asked her to promise never to see her again. Leona, thinking she had won, agreed. For whatever reason, even after the poisoning, Leona kept her promise.”

“Mmm,” Danato nodded. “I can see that. Vince was always very reluctant to promise anything. Werewolves have a lot of very traditional values that are passed down generation to generation. I won’t say that all werewolves hold a vow so dear, but the better half of them, take a promise very seriously.” Danato started doctoring his own pancakes. “So, I assume Cori doesn’t want you to go because she thinks Leona is going to hurt you as revenge.”

“No, I think Cori knows I can hold my own against a pregnant fem-wolf.” Ethan paused wondering if revealing this part of the conversation went against Cori’s privacy more than his own. “She thinks Leona is going to try to seduce me.”

Danato gave a silent, “
ahh
,” as the statement revealed far more than a sticky plot point. “She is jealous. I assume you told her it was preposterous?”

The undertone of the question was not so much verification of what he told Cori, but rather confirmation that he was indeed devoted to his wife. Ethan gave him a look that said, “
duh
” and probably bordered on “
how dare you
.” “Yes, but I can’t do anything to make her believe me.”

Danato paused and thought about the situation a moment. Ethan was amazed that the man was leaving his food unattended this long. He must have been determined to help him through this. “I think you’ve done everything you can. Words are lost on her right now.”

“How can she think that of me, though? Danato I know you see how much we argue, but…” He paused once again debating how much of his marriage should be revealed. Danato was like his father, his father-in-law, his mentor, and his friend all rolled into one. He already knew his whole life. What was one more detail? “I am always…” He lowered his voice as if there might be someone else in the house to overhear him. “…gentle and patient. I’ve never once given her room to think I am cruel or barbaric. How can she think that I would be ruled by my desires?”

Danato didn’t wince at hearing the inference to their love life. He took in the information, just as he would the details of a report. Ethan was thankful for that. “I don’t think Cori suspects that you are a lecherous man. I don’t think she thinks that Leona will seduce you. I think she thinks she will rape you.”

Ethan furrowed his brow and laughed. “Is that even possible?”

Danato tipped his brow and shrugged. “The male body is not without its faults. Even in the face of something as undesirable as wrecking your marriage, it is possible that your body would betray you against your will.”

Ethan leaned back from his plate. He had just lost his appetite. “Do you think she could accomplish that in her pregnant state?”

“I think she would have a marginal upper hand, but that might be enough, if you are in the least bit incapacitated by wounds or…mixed feelings.”

Ethan all out glared at Danato’s second underhanded accusation. “Stop accusing me, Danato. I love her too much to be that cavalier with her trust.”

“I know, but sending you away, isn’t just making Cori nervous.” Danato looked down at his cooled pancakes. He must have lost his appetite too.

“What? Please tell me this isn’t about danger. Our plan is sound. I will barely have to fight. I’ll be lucky to get a scratch out of this trip. I’ll have the offending pack leader on your doorstep in two, maybe three, days.”

“Yes, I know. I’ve never doubted your skills at hunting. You were always well suited for the violent profession. Perhaps better suited than for warden.”

Ethan took in a deep breath. “So, my wife thinks I’m going to cheat on her, and you think I’m going to abandon you.”

“No, I know you will return.” Danato leaned in on the counter. “I just don’t think you understand how much guilt I have for bringing both of you here against your will. It was a choice made out of desperation, and I abhorred doing it.”

“You’re afraid I’ll get back into the big bad world and resent being cooped up in here with you?”

“Essentially.” Danato nodded.

“Well, I guess I could tell you the same as I did Cori: I love you and I will never betray you, but that isn’t quite what you need is it?” Danato arched an eyebrow at the sarcasm-laced comment. “Nothing is going to change, Danato. You’ve given me more in this confining lifestyle, than I ever had in my life of foster homes and juvenile incarcerations. However,” Ethan winced. “Now that you bring up the outside world, there has been some discussion between myself and Cori about changing things up a little.”

Danato crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes in preparation for the subject. “What changes?”

“Well,” Ethan pulled his plate back into him, feeling his appetite re-emerge. “Just as I mentioned last night, Cori and I like having you around, but our evenings are starting to feel repetitive. We eat, we do dishes, you fall asleep in your chair reading, Cori and I play games. Frankly, we are bored.”

“I told you I’d order new games.”

“Yes, yes, the games are fine, but we want new people to play them with.” Danato’s face was vacant, he either didn’t understand or he was still thinking of a response. “I wasn’t sure how you would feel if I invited some of the guards to play a poker night. And Cori has been talking nonstop about an outdoor BBQ.” Ethan knew Danato was likely to decline both suggestions, but it didn’t stop him from wearing his best pleading face. He probably looked like a teenager begging to borrow the car.

Danato’s face fell and he looked admonished by Ethan’s words. “I’m so sorry.”

Ethan nodded. “I understand. I just thought I would ask. I’m sure Cori and I can come up with something to keep things exciting.”

“No,” Danato looked up at him, with sad eyes. “Of course you can have people over. Of course Cori can throw a BBQ. What a recluse I must seem to both of you.” Ethan was shocked at the disappointment he was directing at himself. “I never meant to make you think you should be like me. Ever since…” He bit his lip and shook his head. “I’ve been wallowing in self-pity for a long time, Ethan. I’m sorry that it never occurred to me that you might want more to life than dinner and board games.”

Ethan took in a deep breath and let it out. “Oh thank god, I was about to chuck those damn things in the fireplace.” Ethan laughed and Danato joined him. If Ethan had any resentment about being cloistered in this prison, it was gone now.

11

Ethan knew Cori didn’t want to see him before she left, but he couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. It was only a few days, but since she was still upset even after last night’s effort to quell her fears, he wanted to make sure he did everything in his power to secure their future.

He already knew she would be hanging out in her greenhouse, preparing her plants for transfer to the wizard world. It took her nearly a month to get Danato to agree to that little experiment, and she was more than proud to have influenced his decision with a seduction of fresh tomato BLT’s, crisp cucumbers drenched in ranch, and sweet corn dripping in butter. The man was a stickler for safety, but he had no chance when Cori came at him through his stomach.

Ethan charged into the greenhouse, and caught her repotting a plant. Her face was already dismissive, but he ignored it. He turned her around and threw her over his shoulder. She yelled and hit his back harder than he had anticipated. He was certain she was going to be mad for a while. He just hoped not so long that he couldn’t get a proper goodbye kiss to accomplish his purpose.

He took her outside and listened to her scream and yell at him to put her down. He tolerated her beatings, but when she bit him, he gave her butt a firm smack.

“Hey!” She yelped.

“Don’t bite!” He said firmly. He could almost sense her pouting lips of derision. She stopped hitting him, but he could tell she was still infuriated.

When he made it to his target, he knelt down. She tried to get her footing, but he pulled her knees up so he could lay her down on the blanket he had laid out. She grabbed on to his neck, afraid he was going to drop her, but she released when she felt the fabric beneath her.

She looked over the blanket and smiled at the basket of fruit he had put together, mostly strawberries and grapes. She looked back at him and he laid down leaning on his elbow so his face was above her. He could tell she wanted to be mad, but the gesture was just too damned sweet.

He grabbed a strawberry and fed it to her, after which he kissed her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as he withdrew from the kiss. He wasn’t quite sure what she was apologizing for, the bite, the hitting, or just the overall mistrust. “I know I should trust you, but she is just so conniving.”

“I understand why you’re concerned. She is a very strong creature. She could force the issue, but I don’t think she will.”

“Why do you say that?”

“She wants her baby back. I think she will be so occupied with him, she won’t even know I’m gone. Which I will be the second that kid is safe. Okay?”

“Okay,” she nodded. “I never took you for a picnic kind of guy,” she said nodding to the display.

“I’m not. I hate sitting on hard ground. I hate eating food outside. I hate using paper plates and plastic silverware.” He kissed her. “But I know you like it and that smile is enough to drag me to a battle, let alone a picnic.”

“How did you ever come to love me that much? I feel like I am always struggling to find the core reason behind that devotion. You have to hate me sometimes, don’t you?”

He fed her a grape. “You are a complete pain in my ass, and sometimes I want to put a clamp on that mouth of yours.” He smiled when her face crumpled with his honesty. “But I know what you come from.” He put his hand under her shirt to touch the soft skin of her belly. “I know how your father basically abandoned you. I know how you lost your mother before her time, and your aunt. I know how heartless thugs abused your beautiful body.” Her face scrunched and she was instantly in tears with only the mention of her past.