Page 70 of Resisted

Silas’ eyes flitted to me, and I took a step back, hoping the shadows would consume me. I would not become part of an argument I had nothing to do with. “That was different.”

“How?”

Silas cleared his throat. “The fates choose him for us.”

Vince didn’t let his gaze stray, his eyes hard. “Again, how is that different?”

“He was marked to be part of us.” Silas voice was sharp, and even though he wasn’t talking to me, I still felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“How. Is. That. Different?” The punctuation of the words sent a chill through my spine. I was missing something, I was positive, but the confusion was mottling my thoughts and I couldn’t quite decode what piece I hadn’t put into place.

“Our mate is dead.”

“Are you positive about that?” Vince tilted his head to the side as he watched Silas. “Tell me, if Bella is practically your sister, why didn’t you push her away when she kissed you?”

“I wasn’t thinking,” Silas muttered.

“That’s not the reason, and you and I fucking know it.” Vince raised his voice to our alpha in a way I never would have dared. “Are you going to fucking tell her or should I?”

“Tell her what?” They both ignored me as they stepped closer to each other.

“It’s none of your fucking business, Vince.”

“None of my fucking business?” Vince laughed, though I didn’t hear the humor in the sound. “Everything about this situation is my business.”

“Leave it alone.” Silas stepped closer, his body language threatening.

“Tell her or I will,” Vince said again.

I fucking hated to be on the outside, not knowing what the fuck they were talking about. By the look on Silas’ face, I knew he was no stranger to what Vince meant. Silas’ nostrils flared, and his breath came out in pants as he stared down our other packmate. “No.”

Vince stepped away with a shrug. “Then you’ve made your choice.”

“My choices aren’t on trial here, yours are. You fucking slept with her, when I ordered you not to touch her. It was a fucking order.”

“A pointless one,” Vince roared before he lowered his voice again, “and you knew it. It was fucking inevitable, impossible not to fall to it. But I don’t have to tell you that, do I? You know just how hard that pull was—you were feeling it too.”

He didn’t deny what he was feeling, instead he deflected with words. “She doesn’t want to be here with us.”

“You don’t know that.” Vince had a point—she’d never once said she didn’t want to be here. She’d only mentioned finding out about her origins, which was a fair request.

“If she wanted to stay, she never would have—”

Vince cut him off. “What? Been curious? Wouldn’t you be fucking curious? Why don’t ask her, Silas? Give her the choice. Tell her or I will.”

“You have no right,” Silas stated.

Vince laughed bitterly. “Oh, but don’t I?” He walked away but stopped right at the door. “Tell her or I will. And, Silas…next time, I won’t stop myself from biting her. I will claim my mate.”

My chest froze, refusing to take in air. She was… No, I refused to believe that. It couldn’t be true…but there was no denying what I felt around her. The pull, the want, the damn desire to literally breathe in everything about her to make me feel whole. It was impossible, though. Wasn’t it? Two mates in a lifetime? It was…well, unheard of. Yet, if it was true…

Vince’s feet crunched against the brush outside as he walked away, leaving Silas and me alone. “Is it true?” Silas didn’t answer me. “Silas.” When I barked his name, he looked up, and damn, he didn’t have to use his words. The look on his face told me all I needed to know.

His fingers went to his hair, pulling at the strands. “It’s true.”

Emotions flowed through me, betrayal being the strongest one. He’d known. He’d known it was what we wanted more than anything, and he’d held it from us. She’d been right there in front of us this whole fucking time, right there, and he didn’t utter a single word. I pulled back on my anger, trying to rein it in. “You’re going to talk with her, Silas.”

“I will.”

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