Page 21 of Dark Sold Mate

“He bought me. For a hundred thousand dollars. Then he brought me here and bonded with me.”

August leaped to his feet. Elle noticed his wolf rise to the surface and saw the anger that made him look dangerous despite his normally placid expression.

“Where is he?” August demanded.

“August, wait—”

But her brother was already walking towards the house where Silas still stood on the porch. Elle scrambled up behind him, her heart racing.

“You,” his voice boomed across the yard. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”

Silas straightened, his Alpha's presence oozing through him. But August didn't back down. Pack leader or not, best friends or not, August looked like he was ready to fight.

“Calm down,” Silas said firmly.

“Calm down? You purchased my sister on an auction block off the trafficking market and bonded with her against her will. Give me one reason why I should not rip your throat open right now.”

“Because I saved her.”

“Saved her?” August laughed harshly. “You kidnapped her!”

“I saved her from being sold to someone who would have abused, raped or even killed her. Yes, I brought her back here. Yes, I bonded with her. But she is alive, and safe, which is more than she would have been had I left her there.”

“You should have taken her back to her life in the human world!”

“And let the traffickers find her again? Silas retorted. “They saw her face, August. They know what she looks like. Had I left her there, they would have hunted her down in a few days.”

“So you decided that the most appropriate thing to do was to drag her to the one place that she hated? And to bond with her unwillingly?”

“It was the only means of saving her!”

“Protect her?” August stepped closer, and Elle saw Silas tense, ready for a fight. “Or claim her? Because this pretty much looks like you got what you wanted eight years ago.”

Silas flinched. “That's not fair.”

“Fuck off with your bullshit, Silas. Elle had asked you if you were mates, and you mocked her. Then your father banished her, and you watched it all happen without a fight. Now that she fell into your lap, you suddenly want to ignore all the rules of packs in order to keep her here?”

“I did fight. I argued, threatened, and pleaded with him.” Silas scoffed, averting his gaze. “But he wouldn't listen. He was Alpha, and his word was law.”

Elle stared at him wide-eyed. He fought against her exile? That couldn't be right. She was so convinced that he had planned it.

“That is no excuse for what you've done,” August continued. “You should have left her a choice.”

“There was no time for choices. She was there on that stage, and she was going to get sold—”

“Why were you even there?” August interrupted. “At a trafficking auction?”

“There's a human trafficking ring that has been going on for a year. My brothers and I were investigating.”

“Why?”

“Because somebody has been framing our pack for it.” Silas's jaw tightened. “Our image is being ruined, and our partnerships are dissolving. We have been trying to find out who has been operating the operation in order to absolve ourselves.”

Elle struggled to piece it all together. The mission that Javi mentioned. The way Silas hurriedly left the auction after paying.

“Basically, you were gathering intelligence, and Elle showed up.”

“Yes.”