Unknown

The metal door scrapped loudly against the cement as it was opened.

She winced and blinked rapidly at the light that followed the man inside the sell. He paused just inside the door and smiled down at her.

"I have some good news for you, Ellen," he said. "And then some bad news."

Ellen swallowed a few times to find her voice. "B-Bad news?"

"My men have located your daughter but according to neighbours, she hasn't been home for a few months." He chuckled. "You were right about one thing: her boyfriend is loaded."

"I told you."

"What you failed to tell me was the fact that her new boyfriend is not only loaded, but also a well-known business man," he almost sneered at her.

Ellen stumbled to her feet and risked a few steps closer. "That's good isn't it?"

Before she could react he had his hand wrapped around her throat. He slammed her against the wall and leaned close until his foul breath fanned her lips. Ellen reached up and clawed at his hand when it tightened. Panic hit her hard.

"You better hope that this plan of yours works out. I want my money—every single scent you stole from me. I'll make sure you pay me back, even if you or your precious daughter has to work in my club."

"It'll w-work," Ellen gasped. "I watched them. He would pay a lot of m-money to get her back."

"You better be right."

He smirked and then leaned down to press his lips against her ear. "I hope your plan fails, Ellen. I'm looking forward to seeing my little Lara on stage."

***

Lara

"Lara? Take a bath with me," Silas said as he paused in the bathroom doorway.

I hesitated. Valeria and her husbands were going to stay the night. I understood why she was reluctant to leave. Silas had just woken up from a coma. He was still weak even though he acted like he was fine. I've kept a close eye on him throughout dinner because I felt like he was hiding something. Something was bothering him and whatever it was, was making him restless.

"I had a shower before your parents came," I muttered.

"So?" He turned to face me fully. "Come on, I'll find some candles and light them. I'm sure there's a bottle of champagne somewhere in the house."

I smiled. "No alcohol for me."

His eyes dropped to my stomach and his lips pulled up onto a smile. Silas walked towards the bed and dropped to his knees in front of me. He gripped my knees, spread my legs apart, and moved between them.

"Do you think he can hear us?" he questioned softly.

"I don't know," I whispered. "I like to think so."

"Me too."

Silas tugged my shirt up and over my stomach bump. His lips brushed my skin softly before he turned his head and pressed his ear against my stomach. For a while he just stayed like that. I stroked my hands through his thick hair in silence. He really needed to get a haircut but like I had told him earlier, he looked sexy.

He pressed a kiss against my stomach before glancing up at me. Peculiar eyes darted over my face before locking with mine. "Would you be okay with leaving as soon as the fight is over?"

I licked my lips. "Do you have to fight him?"

"Yes, I can't let this go. He could have seriously hurt you, Lara. I need to teach him a lesson. It's expected of me."

"Silas—"

"I'm not helpless Lara. I know how to fight. The rules of this fight are clear. Kyle can't shift at all. We fight in skin until the last man is standing."

My hand dropped to his arm. I traced the scares softly with my fingertips. His arm could've been ripped off. He was lucky but there was no guarantee that the fight would be fair. What if Silas was in trouble and he needed help but nobody wanted to help him? They would just stand and watch him die. Silas's arm twitched.

"I'll start physical therapy once we get back," he said softly.

I closed my eyes and tried to fight the panic that was clawing inside me. "Please don't do this."

"I need to." He cupped my cheeks and tilted my head towards his. "Nothing will happen to me, Lara. Trust in me. Believe that I will come back to you."

"What if you don't?"

He gave me a small smile. "Then you and our child will be well provided for."

Silas silence whatever I was about to say with a kiss. His hand slid down to my neck as he stood, forcing me backwards. I sighed when his body came down on top of mine. My legs wrapped around his hips and my hands clung at his shoulders. He broke the kiss and placed soft kisses along my jaw and down my neck.

I had forgotten anything but him and that was a mistake.

When his lips reached the crook of my neck, he tensed. I froze when a loud snarl fell from his lips a second before he reached up and pulled the shirt aside.

"I'm going to fucking kill him!" He threw himself off me and hurried towards the door.

I laid there frozen for a few before I stumbled to my feet. Silas had already stormed into Ethan's room when I caught up with him. Ethan sat on the edge of the bed with Avery on her knees between them. It became clear what we had walked in on within seconds.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Silas snarled.

Ethan pushed Avery aside just as Silas threw himself at his brother. They both flew backwards on the bed. I winced when the sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the room. The men rolled until the hit the floor with Ethan coming down on top of Silas. A scream fell from my lips when Ethan punched Silas. They rolled on the floor, throwing punches at each other.

"S-Stop!" I moved forward but a hand gripped my arm and pulled me back.

Two thin arms wrapped around my torso and held me in place no matter how badly I struggled. Relief flooded me when David and Devon hurried towards them. They made quick work of pulling the brothers apart.

"You marked her!" Silas yelled. "You marked my mate!"

"She's my mate too!"

"She doesn't belong to you!"

"She's mine as much as she is yours!"

"You rejected her by choosing Avery as your mate!"

My knees weakened as the pain in my chest intensified. I didn't really understand what it meant to mate someone, but as they continued to yell at each other; things became clearer. It hurt. Ethan had said on numerous occasions that he wanted me that he was dying to have me, but he's choosing Avery. It would always be Avery and Ethan. Never me and Ethan.

I would never have them both. It was either one or none.

"Enough!" Devon roared, instantly silencing both brothers.

The silence only lasted only for a few seconds.

"He branded her with his mark," Silas muttered. "He had no right."

Ethan opened his mouth but a slap to the back of his head, had his mouth snapping closed again. He glared at his father and then at Silas. The brothers silently stared at each other. Ethan smirked and moved to take a step towards his brother but David stepped between them.

"Why do you hate each other so much?" Devon softly questioned.

Ethan's smirk widened. "Why don't you ask your son?"

"Not now Ethan," Silas said.

"Why not? Why don't we just drop it out in the open for everyone to know? Secrets don't last forever. Sooner or later it's going to be out in the open."

"Ethan—"

"I caught him in bed with my chosen mate. Not only that, he was about to mark her as his and run away with her!" Ethan paused. "Silas always had it easy! No one ever expected things from him! He got away with everything. There was no punishment for starting a fight or causing the death of an unborn child!"

Silas snarled. "It's not true."

"Oh yes, I forgot to mention the fact that he knocked my mate up and then forced her into having an abortion."

Deadly silence surrounded the room. It took a few minutes for his to fully penetrate my mind. My eyes snapped up to Silas but he wasn't even looking at me. He was glaring at his brother. So, not only had Ethan caught them in bed, but Silas had also gotten his woman pregnant. How could he? Movement made my eyes dart over to Ethan. His eyes locked with mine for a second before darting over to Silas.

"I was going to pay you back by knocking up your mate, but I was already too late."

"I never knew that you were dating her or planning on mating her," Silas said softly. "I never forced Avery to get an abortion."

"Avery?" Valeria gasped from behind me.

All eyes snapped towards the woman in question. Her lips parted but I fled the room before I could hear what she was about to say. I couldn't stay a moment longer. There was too much happening. Too much hate and lies that were suddenly thrown out in the open. Secrets destroyed lives. Secrets created lies that ruined everything.

Tears burned my eyes as I hurried back into my bedroom. All the times he had kissed me and apologized to me, meant nothing. All those times when I thought that he actually cared—it all meant nothing. I was just part of his game.

"Lara?"

I hurried into the bathroom and slammed the door closed behind and immediately locked it. His knocked on the door and then tried the door handle.

"Lara, open the door. Please? Lara?"

"Did you l-love her?" I asked. "Do you still love her?"

"Lara—"

"You made her kill her child!"

"I never forced her to do anything!" Silas yelled. "Come out so we can talk sweetness."

I squeezed my eyes closed and slowly slid down the door. A sob fell from my lips before I could stop it. My hands moved to cradle my stomach. If he wasn't in a coma when I found out that I was pregnant, would he have forced me to get an abortion too?

Did he hate me for having a baby?

"Lara," Silas softly pleaded. "Open the door for me sweetness."

"G-go away!"

It was silent for so long that I actually thought that he had left like I had asked him too.

"I once thought that I loved Avery. I was young and stupid. I never knew that she was seeing Ethan too. If I had known that he loved her, I would've backed up. She never said anything about him. She always told me how much she wanted me and how much she loved me." He groaned. "I never knew about the pregnancy until that day in the cabin. If I had known about it before I would've taken action. I would've made sure that she didn't kill the baby."

He got another woman pregnant. Not just any woman—his brother's girlfriend.

"Lara, come out please?"

I swallowed. "G-go away. I-I need to be a-alone."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here sweetness."