Chapter 10: S1 Ethan: What The Hell Are You?

Ethan Cotter

Cole stands in front of the opened door, blocking the entrance.

"Are you just going to stand there, gawking?" Ethan wraps an arm around Sadie's waist, drawing her closer to his frame. "Or get the hell out of the way?"

"After you." Stepping to the side, Cole offers a welcoming gesture, but it doesn't look natural. It seems forced.

Ethan guides Sadie through the house, into the kitchen, and pulls out a chair.

"Have a seat." He plops down in a chair next to her.

Cole makes his way into the room. His eyes glance over at Sadie and then fall upon Ethan.

"Do either of you know what happened at Novak's place tonight?" Cole yanks the towels on the stove handle off.

He hands one to Sadie, then tosses Ethan the other one.

"The word coming down the pipeline is that an animal and an unknown assailant broke into the house."

"That's not what happened. There were-"

"Seems they had a bit of a party. Things got out of hand, and they wrecked the place."

"No. That's not accurate." Sadie towel-dries her hair. "That's not how it happened."

Cole's steely eyes land on Ethan. "Anything I should know?"

"I, we didn't break-in." Sadie's eyes widen.

"Then what would you call it?" Cole slides a chair out from under the table, spins it around, and then straddles the seat. He plants his hands flat on the table. His eyes, dark and menacing, reflect the wolf inside him.

"It's not considered burglary when people enter their home."

The wolf in Ethan picks up on the anger hovering around her scent. And if he can smell it, so can his brother, which will garner the attention of his brother's inner wolf.

"Look," says Ethan. "I don't know what the fuck you heard, but-"

"Think long and hard about those words before you speak them, brother." Cole grabs Sadie's purse and empties the contents.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sadie stands and reaches across the table. She gathers the items from her spilled purse and shoves everything back into the bag. "Your brother's an ass."

"Where's the gun? I know it's here." Cole wraps a hand around her wrist. "What the hell are you because you're not lupine or lycan?" He sniffs the air. "And you're damn sure, not human."

Ethan rises and pulls the handgun from his waistband. "Calm down. It's not what you think." He ejects the magazine and empties the chamber, disarming the gun, and then sets it on top of the table. 

"Not what I think?" Cole brings Sadie's hand to his face and sniffs once more. "I can smell the residual gunpowder on her skin."

"Hey, listen up." Ethan reaches for his brother's arm but stops mid-motion. "We didn't start it."

"No?" A throaty growl reverberates deep in Cole's chest. "Then you want to tell me why you two killed a lycan on hallowed ground?"

"Hallowed ground? What are you talking about?" Sadie struggles to release Cole's hold. "That thing attacked me. They all did. They were trying to kill me - us." Sadie's voice cracks, and her lower lip quivers. "Those things, they were in the house. They weren't right. Their eyes were red and-"

"Let her go," says Ethan. "She speaks the truth." He places a hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure and comfort her.

"Explain. Now."

"When we arrived at the house, a Kweo pack was there." He holds the house keys, shaking them. "They moved into position to attack before the key was even in the lock. Once we were inside, they smashed a window to gain entry."

He tosses his jacket at his brother.

Cole sniffs the garment, then spreads it out on the table.

"Wait. This is your jacket."

"No shit! You gave it to me last winter."

He examines the slashes, then smells the front once again. "Why is there lycan blood on it?"

Cole drops the jacket on the table and narrows his eyes.

"And why the hell does it smell like her?"

"Because Sadie was wearing it when attacked." Ethan struggles to keep his wolf at bay.

"I can smell your blood on it." Cole drags Sadie from her seat. "Where did the Kweo mark you?"

"Mark me?" She yanks her arm free of his grasp. "What are you talking about?"

"Where were you bit?"

Ethan steps between Sadie and his brother.

"Back off. They didn't bite her. The blood you smell is from a superficial wound on her head she got when she fell. She's not marked."

Not yet, anyway. But she will be if my wolf has anything to do with it.

"Sit." The single word echoes in the kitchen. "Both of you."

"It's okay." Ethan motions for her to take a seat.

Cole examines the wound on Sadie's head. "You don't need stitches." He reaches for the towel she's holding, takes it from her hand, and then presses it to her head.

"Oow." She flinches. "That hurts."

"Hold it there. The bleeding has almost stopped." He turns to Ethan. "Start talking."

"I thought it was the rogue, at first, the one mutilating the cattle, but there were too many of them."

"A chance meeting or planned attack?" Cole straddles the chair once more.

"Well, I don't think it was a coincidence, if that's what you're asking. Fuck, no. The attack wasn't random. They were looking for something."

"Or someone." Cole stares Sadie down. From the look on his face, he's struggling to reel in his wolf. "Who are you?"

"I don't have to take this shit." She rises, grabs her cell, and then huffs. "Fuck. That's just great."

Tears well in her eyes, and she tosses the device on top of the table.

"No fucking reception." She swipes at the tears running down her cheeks.

"It's the storm." Taking hold of Sadie's hand, Ethan coaxes her back to the table. "The rain messes with the tower. You'll be able to call out when it stops."

He blots his face with the towel and then wipes off the excess water dripping from his hair.

"I shouldn't have come here." She slips onto the chair and cradles her head. "Fresh air. A fresh start." Her voice cracks. "He said it'd be good-"

"Who?" A need to know more eats at Ethan.

"Doesn't matter now."

"How did the two of you meet?" asks Cole.

"Shit. My car." Sadie leans on the table and holds Ethan's gaze. "It's on the road."

"Road?" Ethan shakes his head. "No. I'm sure it's still in the ditch you drove it into." He grins wolfishly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Cole rises, grabs the wet towels and hangs them.

"Sadie here was checking her phone, driving in the middle of the highway up from Roman's place. She almost plowed over me."

"I did not. And I wasn't driving in the middle of the road." She sighs. "Okay. So, I may have swerved a bit, but I wouldn't have hit you."

"Interesting story." Cole leans against the stove. "I'll have someone pick up your car in the morning." He pauses. "I'm making some coffee. Do either of you want some?" He grabs a filter out of the cabinet. "It's going to be a long night."

"Yes." Sadie nods. "Please."

"Yeah. I could use some about now." Ethan rises. "But I could also use a shower and some dry clothes." Je holds Sadie's gaze. "Unless you'd like to take one first."

Cole grabs three mugs from the cabinet and sets them on the counter.

"No. I'm good." Sadie shakes her head. "Wait. You will not leave me alone with him, will you?"

"You'll be fine." Ethan walks to the far side of the kitchen and turns around. "Cole will be on his best behavior, right?"

Cole grumbles something unintelligible.

Sadie leaps from her chair.

"Sit down!" Cole's voice contains an air of authority not to be questioned. "We're not finished talking."

Without a peep, Sadie slides on the seat again.

"Have some coffee." Cole sets a steamy cup in front of her. "It's decaffeinated because you damn sure don't need any caffeine as wound up and jittery as you are." A slight grin flashes across his lips, but it's gone just as fast as it had first appeared.

Ethan chuckles, then he walks out of the kitchen. He knows Cole well enough to know that Sadie's safe. His big brother might come across as harsh or an abrupt hardass but he's the most loyal person, with an infallible sense of integrity he's ever known.

Stepping into the bathroom, he sheds his wet clothes and enters the shower. His hand hovers over the hot knob, then drifts to the cold. As worked up as his inner wolf is, frigid water would be the better choice. But at this rate, he's not even sure if a cold shower will be enough to douse the raging fire burning deep inside him.

His wolf wants one thing and one thing only. It wants Sadie Reed.