MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

36. LARA: UNWANTED AND UNCERTAIN

"You can't be serious! It's been months already!"

"Not now Avery."

"Then when Ethan?" There were a few minutes of silence before she continued. "Is because of that human isn't it?" The way she sneered the word made me feel sick.

"This has nothing to do with Lara."

She scoffed. "Really? Months ago you were ready to rush everything so we could have the Mating Ceremony. Now you're doing everything you possibly can to avoid it. We should've been mated by now Ethan. That was the deal, right?"

I jumped when something smashed against the wall. The walls in his home were paper thin which made it nearly impossible for anyone to have any privacy. I could hear everything they did in the room next door.

"The deal was for you to shut up and do as you're told!" Ethan yelled. "Silas is in a coma and you want to—"

"Since when do you give a fuck about your brother? You should be happy that he will never be waking up."

"Avery," he growled.

"I'll make you a deal," Avery said. "I won't bug you about the Mating Ceremony again but then you have to get rid of the human."

I pressed a hand against the curve of my swollen stomach as I waited for Ethan to reply. Silence followed her words. Whatever he said must've satisfied her because she left a minute later, humming under her breath. It wasn't long before I heard Ethan moving. His footsteps came to a stop right outside my bedroom door seconds before he knocked.

Tears filled my eyes and my chest tightened in pain. I squeezed my eyes closed when he opened the door.

"Lara?"

My hold on the sheets tightened. A minute later the bed dipped at my back. His scent surrounded me; making the longing I've been pushing down, resurface. I couldn't understand why I was longing for him the same way I've been longing for Silas. It never went away and it only intensified when he was near me.

"You heard?"

I nodded. "When do you want me to leave?"

"I don't want you to leave," he said softly. "Avery is unpredictable, Lara."

"Don't make up excuses to hide the truth, Ethan. I'll be gone before you get home."

He sighed loudly. I tensed when he suddenly placed his hand on my hip. My eyes fluttered closed when he turned me onto my back. His had slipped from my hip to my stomach. I had a baby bump now—one which Ethan caressed softly.

"What are you doing?" I questioned when he pushed my shirt up to expose my stomach.

"I'm curious," he whispered.

"About what?"

He didn't answer me. I made the mistake of opening my eyes to glance at him. Ethan was staring down at my stomach in wonder. My eyes widened when he climbed onto the bed and straddled my legs.

"Ethan? You're scaring me."

His eyes snapped up to mine as soon as I finished my sentence. They darted over my face—lingering on my lips for a few seconds—before locking with mine.

"I'm not going to hurt you, you know that."

"You're unpredictable," I whispered.

Ethan smirked. His eyes dropped to my stomach. In seconds his attention was already focused back on my stomach. Whatever he was about the say was already forgotten. He placed his hands on my stomach and slowly rubbed them in circles. My eyes were drawn to the small smile playing around his lips. I've never seen him smile before.