1 Chapter 1: Ethan
Dipping his head back as the shot slides down his throat ignoring the burning sensation that came after the liquor. Signaling the barkeeper for another round as he neglects the music blasting from the stereos causing bodies to move and grind against each other on the dance floor. One of the waitresses settled herself on the stool next to him pushing her tray towards the barkeeper, running her fingers over his tattoos. Trailing upwards towards his neck where the Collar tightens before she looks up at him with desire in her eyes.
"Never seen someone like you around here before, are you new here to good ole' Burkwood?" She purred leaning against his arms whispering in his ear; Ethan shot her a cold look, turning her flirtation into fear quickly scampering away.
Turning back nursing his beer as the stool next to him scraping the hardwood floors only for it to be replaced by Declan Cassidy.
"Didn't think you have the balls to follow me out of Val do Oso, Cassidy. I'm sure Eryk will be pleased to hear that you left without his permission." Ethan smirked at the sight of his old friend, who only grunted in return.
"He'll breathe like before when I was under his nose; I wonder as to why are you out of Val do Oso, where it's safe and less,..." Glancing around the club as the creases above his brow showing his disdained expression on his face.
"Exposure to us. Never left home since your mother's passing, Ethan, what brought you out of your shell to ride to Burkwood?" Snapping his eyes over towards Declan at the mention of his mother but said nothing. Instead, he pulled out an envelope, showing him the letter along with the picture.
Delcan read over the letter once, before repeating trying to keep his neutral expression from slipping snapping his head over at Ethan, who continued to stare down at the picture of the little girl that could be no more than twelve years of age. Dark coils, chocolate skin, brown eyes, button nose, nearly a spitting image of his mother.
"I'm not comin' back 'til the girl is with me and I mean it Declan; Eryk can screw himself over if he thinks he can tell me otherwise." Snatching the letter back, shoving it into his pocket paying for his drinks before leaving the club.
"Wait," Glancing back at the bar to see a hard look on Declan's face with only a few feet between them.
" I'll have to report this to the Head Council if you go any farther than Burkwood and I'm sure that Eryk would love to hear about your whereabouts." They both knew of the strain put on Eryk and Ethan's nonexisting relationship as father and son since his mother's passing.
"He hasn't bothered to wonder about what I do since I was with her. Be back home in a week or so. Try not to wait up for me, would ya." With that he left taking to the road as the roar of his bike echo on the dirt street, not once looking behind him.
Ethan continued on the dirt road for what seems like an eternity before stopping at a run-down motel that looked decent enough for him to crash his head for the night. Collapsing on the bed after checking in peering at the nightstand that lit up with light from his phone. Checking the ID to see that it was Eryk's name pop up, knowing that he shouldn't answer would only end with a heated argument from them both. He swiped up placing the phone near his ear while he waited for the cold voice he grown used to hearing after the warmth went out long ago.
"What do you think you're doing, boy? Who told you that you're allowed to leave Val do Oso? I don't care if that girl of blood or not, our family name reputation is at stake because of your little show you're pulling, just 'cause one of your leftovers decides to send you something don't mean you leave home, boy. Return home now, and the Head Council will look over this nonsense by the lashings." Ethan felt his anger rise but said nothing to Eryk before ending the call, lying back down on the back ignoring the next few calls from Eryk for the rest of that night.
Setting out the next morning heading towards the town of Rayven Perch, where he first met, Lydia. That led to him regretting everything about that night, but not the daughter that he just heard. Reaching for the letter in his jacket pocket, rereading it once again about his daughter, Eerie.
" I know that this may come to a shock to you, Ethan, but it's the truth, and she is yours whether you like it or not. She's here and here to stay; I know that it's wrong of me to ask you this after finding out about her, but I need to ask a favor of you about Eerie, Ethan. I need you to look after her for a while, please. I can't explain everything now or maybe even ever, but I know for a fact that you'll take care of Eerie. I left my address on the back of her picture.
- Lydia "
It seems as if he stared at the letter for hours before putting it away when he was greeted by a wooden sign that stated,
' Welcome to Rayven Perch'
Underneath those words, someone had written,
'Good Luck'
The last thing Ethan needed was trouble to add to his plate along with his father's constant texting and calling threating him to return to Val do Oso.
