MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

45. ETHAN: THE TRUTH

"Why are you mating Avery?"

"What?" I glanced at him with a frown.

Silas was sitting with his back against the door and his eyes focused on me. He was waiting for an answer but I really wanted to ignore him. This was the longest we've been together without fighting. I kept expecting him to bring up what had happened between me and Lara, but he didn't.

"Why are you mating Avery? There are a lot better mating material out there than her. She had an abortion because a baby would ruin her plans. You're mating because you need a mate and an heir."

"I'm mating because it's expected of me."

Silas chuckled. "Since when do you do anything that's expected of you?"

"Since I took over as Alpha!" I snarled.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter as anger coursed through me. Silas shifted in the seat. He stayed silent for all but one minute before he started speaking again.

"Why Avery? If you have to settle down, why didn't you choose someone better?"

"Better? Why do you suddenly care so fucking much?"

"Because I'm trying to understand."

"Understand what?" I yelled.

"Understand why you would throw away your true mate over some bitch who ruined—"

I growled at him. "You know nothing, so why don't you just keep your mouth shut?"

Silas scoffed. I pressed my foot down on the accelerator. Maybe if I sped up, we'd reach Alark's house sooner. The longer we stayed in the truck together, the more dangerous it would become. I couldn't let him know what Avery had on us. It would ruin his chances with Lara. My chances were already ruined, but his weren't.

"Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you love Lara?"

The breath got caught in my throat. Nobody was supposed to know how I felt about her.

"Don't lie to me. I've had enough of that. I want the truth, Ethan."

"Yes," I muttered. "I love Lara."

"You just don't want her because she's human."

"I want her whether she's human or not, but I can't take her as my mate, Silas."

"Why?"

"You won't understand," I told him.

"Then make me understand, Ethan!" he yelled, slamming his hands down on the dash.

My eyes darted to the rear-view mirror. The sun was just starting to rise. By now they must've realized that we were gone. I'd asked Calib and Wrin to keep an eye on things for me. The pack was in good hands.

"Remember when we just turned fifteen?"

He nodded. "We went camping by the lake."

"That's where you kill—"

"Don't," he whispered.

I glanced at him but he had turned his head away to stare out the window. Did he lie in bed at night thinking about that night like me? Was it haunting him as much as it was haunting me?

"We made a pact, Silas." I swallowed. "What we didn't know was the fact that we weren't the only ones out there that night. Avery has evidence."

"What?"

I nodded. "Avery recorded a video of you—"

"She's blackmailing you?" he growled.

I forced out a laugh. "She's doing a lot of things. Blackmailing is one of them."