MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

58. SILAS: BACK TO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING

Pain-filled screams echoed in my ears. They sounded familiar but I couldn't place them. Where were they coming from? Why was the woman in so much pain? Were they torturing her? An image flashed through my mind but disappeared before I could grasp onto it. More images followed, one after the other until they became clearer. It was like a slap to the face. I was snapped into the harsh and cold reality.

My eyes snapped open when one image lingered.

Lara! I sat up and growled when pain shot through me. My muscles pulled tight and protested against the sudden movement. Something on my back tugged at my skin, making me frown. I reached back. Bandages. My back was bandaged. I blinked rapidly to clear the blurriness from my eyes.

The last thing I remembered was being in the room where they had Lara chained.

"We'll see if this gets you to talk."

Another scream suddenly filled the silence. This time it was no dream, it was real and I knew exactly who it belonged to.

"Lara!" I croaked.

I struggled to get the sheets off of me and then stumbled to my feet. They room swayed dangerously, making me stumbled to the left. I grabbed onto anything I could to stay on my feet as I made my way over to the door.

Her cried of pain became a little louder as I opened the door. I sucked in a deep breath and growled when unfamiliar scents filled my nostrils. I followed the sound of Lara's screams into the room right next door.

My eyes instantly located her trashing body on the bed. Someone loomed over her, wiping her face with a cloth. It took a moment for me to realize that it was my brother. He could stay, but not the other three men who hovered near the edge of the bed.

"Get. Out."

Their eyes snapped over to me. I faintly recognized one of them.

"Silas." Ethan hurried towards me and gripped my arms. "What the hell are you doing out of bed?"

"Lara." I took a step forward but my legs gave way beneath me.

Ethan muttered a curse and reached out to grip me with his other hand but we both went tumbling towards the ground. One of the men stepped forward and saved us from falling. Between Ethan and the man they managed to help me to the bed.

I sunk down gratefully and reached for Lara. My fingers brushed burning hot skin and then the material of the sheet. As she trashed around, the sheet slipped, making me realize that she was bare underneath.

"Get out," I croaked, turning my head to glare at the men. "Now!"

They glanced at Ethan who gave them a nod. I watched to make sure that they left the room before I turned my attention back to Lara.

A thin layer of sweat coated her pale skin. Her hair was a mess and strands clung to her damp forehead. My eyes slowly trailed down until they stopped on the crook of her neck. Pride rose. She wore my mark.

"Dad said that she won't make it through the change."

My eyes shot over to his. "Do you trust me?"

"You know I do," he said with a frown.

"We need to consummate the mate bond."

His frown deepened. "You want to have sex with her in this state?"

"You said that you trust me."

"And I do, but—"

"I know what I'm talking about Ethan. Lara will make it through the change, but we need to complete the bond. She needs both of us."