MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

30. LARA: BRANDED

His blood coated my hands.

I stared down at them and all I could see was the blood. Steam was filling up the small bathroom because of the open tab. I was supposed to be washing my hands but all I could do was stare at them. What if he didn't make it? I should've gotten up and ran for help. I shouldn't have stayed there. My hands became blurry as tears filled my eyes. Pain filled me, making it hard for me to breathe.

Silas was dying and I couldn't live without him.

"My beauty."

My body jerked in fright. Hands brushed my arms seconds before his chest pressed against my back. I squeezed my eyes closed and bit back a sob when Ethan wrapped his arms around me. His body heat instantly seeped into my cold body, making me shiver.

"Let's wash your hands," he said softly.

He un-wrapped his arms from me and reached out to close the warm tab. Ethan opened the cold tab and guided my hands underneath the water. I stared at the water as it turned crimson before disappearing down the drain. He kept my hands under the water until it cleared before closing the tab. His hand wrapped around my left hand slowly trailed up. I winced when his fingers brushed my wrist.

"You need to see a doctor."

I instantly shook my head. There was only one doctor available and he was busy saving Silas. I wasn't as important as Silas.

"Your wrist is broken, Lara," Ethan whispered against my ear.

"H-how do you know?" I questioned.

He chuckled. "Silas broke a lot of his bones when he was younger. He liked training with us even thought he struggled keeping up. I know what a broken arm looks like."

He let go of my wrist and moved his hand down to press against my stomach. I tried to move away but he held me in place.

"Please allow a doctor to check you over."

"Silas needs him more than I."

I felt his withdrawal the moment I uttered those words. Ethan stepped back, giving me space to turn around and face him. He was frowning down at me. Anger darkened his eyes. With one last glance at his face, I stepped around him and walked towards the door.

"He's not the guy you think he is," Ethan said, making me pause with my hand on the doorknob. "You don't know him well enough to marry him yet."

Licking my lips, I swallowed the words I wanted to throw at him and opened the door. I could feel him right behind me as I made my way down the hall and back to the waiting room. David and Devon had switched places. Devon was now cradling Valeria while David paced back and forth.

He paused to glance at me once I entered the room.

"Okay?"

I nodded. "I'm fine."

Valeria had cleaned the blood from my forehead right after we arrived at the hospital. With my hands cleaned now all that was covered in blood were my clothes. Someone had been sent to collect clothes when I made it clear that I wouldn't be leaving the hospital.

"She needs to see a doctor," Ethan said from the doorway.

I turned to glare at him. His eyes narrowed and his lips parted to reveal sharp teeth. My eyes dropped to his hands when they curled into fists.

"Her wrist is broken. She may have a concussion and god knows what other injuries."

"I'll see the doctor once Silas comes out of surgery."

"Silas!" he growled. "Is he more important than your own health?"

"Yes!"

I stumbled backwards when Ethan suddenly advanced. My back hit the wall just as he pressed his body against mine. He growled and flashed sharp teeth at me. Ethan reached up and pressed his palms against the wall on either side of my head.

"He's pathetic," Ethan growled. "A fucking pussy who can't even stay on his feet long enough to stop his attackers from hurting his mate."

I tilted my head back to look him in the eye. "He's more of a man than you'll ever be," I whispered.

Ethan roared. His hands slipped into my hair and tugged my head back sharply. A whimper fell from my lips when he parted his lip. I screamed when he suddenly sunk his teeth into my shoulder. I pressed my hands against his chest to press him away but he only bit down harder.

"Fuck!"

"Ethan!"

"Get him off her!"

I couldn't focus on anything else but the pain. It completely consumed me, drawing me closer and closer to the darkness that was threatening to pull me under. Another scream fell from my lips when his teeth were tore from my skin. My knees weakened and I would've hit the ground if someone hadn't gripped my shoulders.

"Breathe for me sweetheart."

A hand slipped to the back of my neck and the other to the small of my back. I was aware of being lowered to the ground and a body kneeling over me. Fingers brushed my cheek.

"Look at me Lara." I forced my eyes open. "That's it. Breathe sweetheart. I need you to breathe for me. You're okay. Nothing's going to happen to you."

My eyes darted from his face to an enraged Ethan. Devon had him pinned to the wall a few feet away. Hair sprouted from both men's skin. Ethan's claws were digging into his father's arms but he didn't seem to realize it. His black eyes were locked on me. It looked like he wanted to rip me apart.

A whimper fell from my lips. I wanted to run from him but David kept me in place. I managed to move a few inches but instantly stilled when pain shot through my abdomen. It was the same pain I felt earlier when we arrived which I played off as being kicked or hit in the stomach while being unconscious. It didn't hurt nearly as much as it was hurting now. My eyes shot up to David. He glanced down and then paled.

"Get a fucking doctor in here now!"

***

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Physically her body will heal but emotionally it's going to be a challenge," a deep voice answered.

"What about the bite?" I recognized Valeria's voice.

"I'm afraid that it's going to leave a scar. When you ripped Ethan away from her, his teeth tore her skin. I did the best I could do to repair the damage."

"I'm going to fucking kill him," someone growled. "He branded her with his mark without her consent."

"What about the miscarriage?"

Miscarriage? I tried to move my hand down to my stomach but my limbs felt like lead. A baby was growing inside me and I didn't even know. Miscarriage. There was no baby anymore. Silas and I weren't going to be parents anymore.

Silas.

Was he okay? Why weren't they with him? Was he gone? Tears filled my eyes. Had I lost him too? My lips parted but no sound escaped. I had a lot of questions—questions that were going to go unanswered because the darkness was slowly pulling me under again.