Page 74 of The Last Ultimatum: Part 1

I understood he was busy and that he was trying hard to find my sister, at least that's what he'd told me. When I really stopped to think about it, how much did I really know about Lachlan?

Sure, he was my mate, but was that enough?

What little I knew about him came from his family's stories. It was clear his siblings all worshiped him and his parents couldn't be prouder, but I also learned they missed him tremendously. He hadn't been home for years. He basically left seven or eight years ago for college and never came home.

Right after college he got an offer to work with Westin Force and moved to San Marco, California for that. He'd been there ever since.

Still, unless he was away on a mission like now, he never missed a weekly family video call. That helped keep him close to his family even when he was away.

I just wished he'd check in.

It seemed mental to me that I cared this much. It was driving me crazy. How had he gotten under my skin so quickly?

At night I dreamed of him. They were erotic dreams I've never had before. Even during the day, I find myself daydreaming of him walking in the door and surprising me. It usually got steamy from there, causing some uncomfortable encounters with his family.

I couldn't seem to stop thinking about him and his face was always present in my mind like an overlay to real life.

Tom poked his head into my room.

“Footie this arve?”

“You playing?”

“Yeah.”

“Is your mom going?”

“Of course.”

“I'll be there,” I assured him.

“Great.”

It was crazy how his family had all welcomed me with open arms. Though it made me sad that I wouldn't be able to keep them.

Yes, Lachlan was my mate, but I was promised to Aiden now. I didn't know what to do. I knew what I wanted to do. I didn't care about Aiden. We had no attachment whatsoever. But I knew without a doubt that I could fall in love with Lachlan. Hell, maybe I already was. How messed up was that?

I knew I couldn't stay in bed wallowing and asking myself questions I didn't have the answers to. Maxine would just come and find me and drag me out. She was great like that even when I wanted to just be left alone.

Maxine had also taught me some basics of life and keeping a house that I had to confess I'd never done. She didn't seem to think differently of me for it. She just filled in the blanks of my education, or at least that's what she kept telling me she was doing. And I had to admit, I could make a hell of a good toastie now and do my own laundry.

My life had never been so normal before. It felt right and real, not pretentious.

“Tilly. Can you come down here please?” Aaron yelled up the stairs.

“Coming,” I yelled back, then smiled to myself.

I would never in a million years do that with my own father. It was those sort of little things that stood out the most living here with Lachlan's family.

I ran down the stairs. “Yes, sir?”

“You have a phone call in my office. It's a secure line. I'll give you some privacy.”

“Okay.”

I tried not to show my enthusiasm too much, but it was hard not to run the rest of the way.

Who else would be calling me here and on a secure line if not Lachlan?

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