The phone rang twice before it went over to voicemail. My hands curled into fists when I dialed again and the same thing happened. Why wasn't he answering? My eyes darted over to the clock. It was late and he was probably sleeping or busy with his son. Somehow I couldn't imagine Avery taking care of a newborn baby.

"Drink?"

I hesitated and then nodded at him. Axel poured each of us a glass of whiskey. He placed my glass down on the desk in front of me before he took a seat on one of the couches. I hesitated before I stood and took a seat opposite him. I took a big gulp of my drink and then relaxed. I'll try calling him again in a few minutes.

"What do you want to know?" I asked him when he stayed silent.

"Everything."

"You understand that you can't tell anybody about this?"

He took a sip of his drink. "After what I saw today, an explanation is in order, don't you think?"

"Well. . ." I started from the beginning and told him everything I couldn't when we first met. I told him about my troubles with the pack and why I left. Of course I skipped those years he already knew about and then continued from where I met Lara and everything that has happened since up until the present.

All the while Axel stayed silent and took it all in. When I was done, he stayed silent for a few more minutes before he started asking questions. I answered as best as I could without giving much more away.

Axel and I have known each other since we were eighteen. We met a few days after I left the pack to come here. Axel was the one who helped me get a job. He was the one who spurred me on when I first started my own company. Axel was there when I was at my worst. He became my brother even though we weren't blood related.

It was during those years when I learned what Axel was suffering through. His father was a drunken bastard and him mother an abusing druggie. It took time but I had managed to break him free from them. A part of me was scared that he would take the path he grew up with, but Axel had surprised me. He had chosen to take the right path.

"Why were you drunk out of your mind yesterday?" I questioned and hour later after I had finished talking to him.

"Another drink?"

I shook my head and watched him as he poured himself another glass. He downed it and then poured another.

"I got a call from the prison."

"What did they say?"

Axel gave a cruel laugh as he turned towards me. "The bastard is dead."

"Your father?" I questioned in surprise. "How?"

He licked his lips and took another drink. "Got killed in prison. I should feel at least a little remorse, right? I don't feel a fucking thing. I'm happy that he's dead."

"So am I." I took the bottle from him before he could pour himself another drink. "Alcohol isn't the answer, you know that."

"I just need something to numb the pain."

Placing the bottle back down, I turned towards him and gripped his shoulders. "Alcohol never did anyone any good. We both know how badly things are going to end for you if you drink this."

"I—" He shook his head. "You're right."

"I'm always right." I smirked at him. "I have a job for you if you want something to take your mind off him."

He hesitated. "What do you have in mind?"

"We need to find Lara's mother before she tells anyone anything."

"I'll find her."

Axel refused to stay another night and after I was sure that he was sober enough to be driving, I allowed him to leave. I grabbed my phone from the office and made sure that everything was locked and that the alarm was set before I headed to the bedroom. Lara was still in bed but she had kicked the sheets to the end of the bed and took off the shirt I had dressed her in earlier. A fine layer of sweat coated her skin.

Grabbing some ice water and a cloth, I woke her to drink some water before I cooled her down. Her condition worried me. This didn't happen the last time she shifted. Fear hit next. Was this what my father meant when he said that she wouldn't make it through the shift? Was my Lara busy dying? I instantly shook the thoughts away. She'd be fine.

After making sure that she didn't need anything else, I picked up my phone and walked over to the window. I tried calling Ethan but again there was still no answered. Frowning, I hesitated before dialling my father's number. It rang three times before he answered.

"Hello?"

"Where's Ethan?"

There was a few minutes of silence. "Silas?"

"Father," I muttered. "I need to speak to Ethan."

"What happened?" I heard some shuffling and then muttered voices. "Why do you want to talk to Ethan?"

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. Why couldn't he understand that I wanted to talk to Ethan?

"Ethan's busy with—" He suddenly broke off.

It took me a moment to realize that they didn't know that Ethan had told me about the birth of his son. I groaned and glanced over at Lara. She turned onto her stomach with a small sigh. My eyes were glued to her back. She still had pale marks.

"What did he name him?"

"W-what?"

I swallowed and turned back to stare out the window. "What did Ethan name his son?"

"He's name's Luca," my mother answered instead. "Where are you Silas?"

"In London." I hesitated. "I'm just finishing some business before Lara and I head there."

"H-here? You're coming back here?"

"Yeah. Didn't Ethan tell you?"

"We haven't really had time to talk much," David said.

"He's been too busy with Luca since Avery's not really helping" Devon continued.

Lara suddenly whimpered. I turned around to find her sitting up in bed with her eyes focused on the closed door. Her head snapped towards me when I moved closer to the bed. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"Sweetness?"

She swallowed loudly. "I-I k-killed him," she gasped. "Oh my god! I killed a man."

Lara suddenly jumped up from the bed but her legs were too weak to hold her up. I caught her before she could hit the ground and gently placed her back on the bed. She clutched at my arms as I pushed her back down onto her back.

"I killed him!" A sob fell from her lips.

"You did what you had too," I told her softly. "He was going to kill you and Axel. You protected yourself and him."

"I—"

"You nothing."

"I'm g-going to j-jail, aren't I?"

"No, you're not going anywhere. I took care of it, sweetness. I promise you that I won't let anything happen to you."

I wiped her tears away and pressed a kiss against her nose and then her cheeks and then her lips before I pulled away. Now wasn't the time to tell her about her mother. I helped her up and then to drink some more water. Lara turned onto her side and gripped one of my hands tightly to her chest.

"Don't leave."

"I won't. I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Don't leave me."

I stared at her as her eyes fluttered closed again. A few tears still dripped down her cheeks but her breathing had evened out. I carefully pulled my hand free of her hold and then wiped the stray tears away.

"Silas are you still there?"

I had completely forgotten that I was still on the phone with my parents. Hesitating, I picked up the phone again and pressed it to my ear.

"Will you have Ethan call me as soon as he can?" I asked to whoever was listening.

"Is there something we can help you with?"

"No."

I ended the call and dropped the phone onto the bedside table. They should've been there to help when I needed them. I shook away the disturbing thoughts and kicked off my shoes before crawling into bed behind Lara. Leaning over, I switched off the light before reaching for Lara and pulling her against my chest. She instantly snuggled against my side.

"L-Love y-you."

I pressed my lips against her forehead. "Love you too sweetness."

It was a few hours later when I was jerked awake by the sudden sound of the phone ringing. I blinked up at the ceiling before rubbing a hand down my face to clear some of the sleep. Lara was fast asleep next to me. I pressed a hand against her forehead and sighed in relief when I realized that her fever was gone. What had caused it in the first place? Was it just because of her sudden shift? I shook my head and carefully leaned over her to pick up the phone. Ethan's name flashed across the screen.

"Did something happen?" he asked as soon as I answered.

"I went to the office and when I came back Lara had shifted." I quickly told him what happened. "She threw up and had a fever but the fever's gone now."

"Has she shifted again since this happened?"

"No, she's been sleeping."

"I'll see if I can find something in the library," Ethan muttered. "I don't know of this ever happening before, but then again we've never had anyone who had been turned by bite before."

"I'm just worried that my bite had somehow affected her. What if father was right and she wouldn't survive?"

"Lara is a fighter, Silas. If something were to happen to her then it would've already. We'll figure things out."

"Thank you."

Ethan didn't utter another word again but I could hear him moving about. I sucked in a sharp breath when I heard the cry of a baby. My heart squeezed tightly and longing filled me. What I would give to hold my own son in my arms.

"I have to go. I'll call you back when I find anything."

He hung up before I could reply. I sighed and relaxed back against the mattress. Turning my head, I stared down at Lara. It would hurt her to see Ethan and his son everyday. Slowly but surely she would die a little inside. There was nothing I could do to help or prevent it from happening. If I had a choice then I wouldn't even take her back there. I would take her some place where she wouldn't have to face them every single day.

Maybe one day I could, but for now we had no choice.