MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

29. ETHAN: ONE SHOCK AFTER ANOTHER

"You can't be fucking serious!"

My father's eyes narrowed but he said nothing. I glanced at my mother who sat on the couch. Her pale eyes pleaded at me to understand but it was hard to wrap my head around what I was hearing.

"Ethan," she called me name. "Please try to understand why we did this."

I shook my head and spun away from them. My hands shook as I tried to keep my anger in check. Tingles rushed up and down my spine—a sign that I wouldn't be able to keep my skin for much longer. I took a deep breath and slowly blew it out.

"Ethan, we needed to make sure that the two of you—"

"What makes you so fucking sure that we would share a mate like the two of you?" I questioned as I turned to face them again.

"You're twins," he answered like it explained everything.

"I found some records of twins born in captivity," Wrin finally spoke up. "They had only one mate. There's a big difference between your parents and you and your brother. David and Devon aren't related but they share a bond."

David threw a warning glance a Wrin which made him smirk. My eyes narrowed but before I could question him, Wrin continued speaking.

"You and Silas might not be identical twins, but you are twins. You share a stronger bond than any of the others."

"I still don't get what this has to do with Lara."

"You feel attracted to her," Mom said. "Don't bother denying it! I've seen the way you watch her. You feel a pull towards her just like your brother. There's no use denying the fact that Lara is your—"

"Avery is my mate!" I interrupted her.

"Ethan—"

I gave a low laugh. "I can't believe I allowed you to talk me into postponing my Mating Ceremony. I can't believe you would do this to me."

Mom jumped up from the couch and hurried toward me. She stopped in front of me and gripped my arms. Her eyes pleaded up at me to understand but I was too angry to listen to anything she wanted to say to me. I cancelled my all my plans because she asked me too. But that wasn't the only reason. I allowed her to talk me out of it. I had some doubts of my own, but there was no way I'd admit it to either of them.

I freed myself from her hold and took a step back. My eyes darted to Wrin and then to David. I had nothing else to say, so I left without another word. David called me but I continued walking. I needed fresh air. A run would do me good.

***

"Help! Somebody please help me!"

Dread filled me as I hurried through the trees towards the husky voice. Her voice was getting fainter and fainter but she never stopped screaming. The smell of blood hit me to moment I stepped into the clearing. I turned my head and instantly spotted them a few feet away. For a few seconds I was frozen in place but her sob instantly snapped me back to reality.

"P-please."

I stepped forward and froze again when Lara's head snapped up. Wide tear-filled eyes stared at me in fear. A growl rumbled from my chest when she leaned over Silas's body as if to protect him from me. What was she going to do against a pack of Lycan's? They would rip her apart in seconds. I forced down my anger as I made my way over to her.

The closer I got, the more my heartbeat increased. I stopped a few feet away and stared at my brother lying on the forest floor. The earth was soaking up his blood. My eyes snapped up to his face. Silas was deadly pale and barely breathing.

"E-Ethan," Lara begged. "Don't let him d-die. P-please."

Fuck. I couldn't look into her eyes any longer. I threw my head back and howled loudly. My howl was answered a minute later by two others. My eyes darted back to Lara. Longing filled me when I saw the way she stroked his cheek. Her lips were moving but no words were escaping. I took notice of the way she cradled her left arm to her chest and the dark bruise already forming along her jaw. Dried blood clung to her forehead and some of her hair.

I pulled my eyes away from her and focused on my brother. The gashes on his body gave me a clear indication that he had been attacked by someone in shifted form. What the hell happened? Why were they out here in the first place? Who had attacked them? My eyes darted up to his face for a few second before dropping to the gash on his lower stomach. His heartbeat was slowing.

Fuck! My brother was dying.

Fear filled me. I threw back my head and howled three times. It would let them know that I needed help and medical care immediately.

"D-don't leave me, Silas," Lara cried. "Please don't l-leave me."

I needed to do something. Moving back, I arched my back and focused on shifting. Pain shot through me as my bones started to snap. My skin tingled as the fur disappeared and gave way to skin. Once my shift was over I instantly moved towards them.

"How long has he been like this?" I asked Lara.

My eyes snapped over to her when she didn't answer.

"Lara? How long has he been like this?" I repeated my question.

She swallowed loudly. "I-I don't know. I w-was unconscious."

Why wasn't he healing? He couldn't heal like us, I answered my own question. Small cuts or bruises healed quickly but not something as bad as this. The wounds were too deep to heal and he's lost too much blood. My eyes darted around as I tried to figure out what to do. It will be a few minutes before the others arrived.

Moving up to his head, I slipped a hand under his head and tilted it back.

"Ethan?"

Raising my free arm to my mouth, I bit down on the fleshy part and then lowered it to press it against his lips. I lowered my head until my lips hovered near his ear.

"Drink brother," I whispered. "Your mate needs you."

My head snapped up and a growl fell from my lips when I heard the bushed rustling. I tracked the movement until my men cleared the tree line. Calib rushed forward with a medical bag in his hand followed by ten more men. Five instantly spread around us while the other started sniffing the ground.

"What do we have?"

I nodded towards Lara. "Check her first."

"No!" She glared at me. "Silas needs help."

"You're injured Lara."

"Help him!"

"Check her over Calib."

Lara slapped his hands away when he reached for her. I growled and was about to scold her when Devon and David rushed forward. I instantly moved away. David kneeled at Silas's side. He reached out with a shaky hand and pressed his fingers against his neck. Pain crossed his futures but he quickly masked it.

"Call the hospital and have them prepare for surgery. He'll need a blood transfusion immediately."

"Ethan gave him b-blood."

I tensed when their eyes snapped over to me. David blinked at me but instantly turned his attention back to Silas. Calib pulled out bandages and an IV. He made quick work of it with the help of David. Once the IV was set and the bandages wrapped around the worst of his wounds, someone had arrived with a stretcher. Silas was quickly lifted onto it and secured.

"Take her," Devon ordered, nodding towards Lara who sat a few feet away.

I moved towards Lara who sat there in a state of complete shock. It was like she had retreated into her own mind. She didn't react when I slipped an arm under her knees and one behind her back to lift her against my chest. Her eyes were completely focused on Silas as they carried him away.

Jealously replaced the fear. Why couldn't she look at me like that?