Chapter 27 Ch. 19.1
Ethan stood in the middle of the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror.
A blood test.
It wasn’t even a big deal, really. Humans did it all the time. For school, for sports, for insurance.
But he wasn’t human.
And this wasn’t just about him anymore. It was about Coach Santiago, whose name was still flashing across news headlines like he was a cartel leader. It was about Zara, who kept showing up in his head even when he didn’t want her to. And it was about those stupid rumors that were everywhere now—TikTok, YouTube, sports blogs. “Is Ethan Moreau On Drugs?” “High School Prodigy or Pharmaceutical Creation?” “Something Inhuman About His Speed?”
He wiped his face, threw the toothbrush in the sink, and walked out of the bathroom.
Downstairs, his father was on the phone, pacing the length of the living room in a robe. His voice was low, but Ethan could tell from the tightness of his jaw that he was angry.
What else was new?
The moment Lorenzo Moreau ended the call, he turned to Ethan like he'd been waiting for him all day.
"You have ten seconds to tell me you're not about to do something stupid."
Ethan crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. "What if I wanted to get a blood test?"
There was silence followed by a scoff and then a long, slow turn of his father's head like Ethan had just grown a second one. "Are you insane?"
"I didn’t say I was doing it now. I just said—"
"You just said you wanted to put our entire bloodline in... hand it over to humans in a lab coat."
"That's... not what I said. At all."
"You're seriously thinking of giving them your blood?"
"They already think I'm doping. This would clear it. It’d stop the rumors."
His father walked toward him slowly. "And start new ones. Ones you can't walk away from. Ones I can't clean up with a phone call."
Ethan shrugged. "At least it’s better than people thinking Coach Santiago is stuffing us all with needles behind the bleachers."
"You are not responsible for your coach."
"I kind of am. Him getting arrested is my fault."
"No," his father said, his voice rising. "You are not. You are responsible for your own safety, your own secret, and our family. That man is not family."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Seriously? You’ve never even met him. And the one time you tried, you showed up to my meet drunk."
"I wasn’t drunk," Lorenzo said. "I was tipsy."
"Right, because that makes it better."
"Don’t change the subject," his father snapped. "You think clearing your name matters more than protecting what you are?"
"I'm not trying to expose myself."
"But you will! You think blood tests are that simple? That they won’t raise questions when nothing matches?"
"I’ll fake it," Ethan said. "Use a donor. Get a medic. Something. I’ll figure it out. And out blood will probably test normal. I mean... What different are out family doctors from normal doctors?"
"And what happens if someone finds out?"
"I don’t know, Dad! Maybe they’ll throw me in a cage, or a lab, or start sending garlic in the mail! But at least people will stop dragging Coach through the dirt."
"Since when did you start caring so much about humans?"
"You can't understand dad!" Ethan yelled. "This whole thing is stressful for everyone because of me. The school, my coach, his daughter— you know what it's like to have your father being embarrassed and taken to the station based on false allegations."
"So it’s a girl."
Ethan didn’t answer.
"A girl," his father repeated, like the word tasted bad in his mouth. "This entire circus is because of a girl."
"Don’t do that," Ethan said. "Don’t act like it’s just—"
"Food!" his father snapped. "They are food, Ethan! We live because they exist. We survive because they’re weak. That’s the balance. That’s how it has always been."
"You make it sound like we’re wolves and they’re chickens."
His father nodded. "Exactly."
"That’s messed up."
"No, that’s nature."
Ethan laughed bitterly. "You know what’s wild? You think I’m the one being reckless. You think I’m the danger. But you’re the one who hasn’t stepped into the real world in decades. You sit here, day-drinking with half-naked women, and you think you understand how life works now?"
"I understand more than you ever will."
"No, you don’t. You understand how to hide, to illegal ass business, take advantage of humans, use their blood, run prostitution and drug rings—"
"And you understand nothing."
"If I don't do this, things will get worse. And not just for me. For Zara, ny coach. For everyone who stood up for me while you were here doing nothing."
"You’re going to throw it all away for her?"
"This isn’t about her! It's not about a girl!"
"Of course it is. You’ve let a girl mess with your head. You’ve let some random, plain human distract you from everything we are!"