Page 15 of The Last Ultimatum: Part 2

“That’s an excellent question, Lachlan. I have a team working on that as we speak. How are you holding up?”

“As well as can be expected, sir.”

The others chuckled.

“Actually, he’s doing remarkably well,” Grant praised. “I know I would not have handled his situation with nearly such grace. I doubt any of us would.”

“Good. Let’s try to keep it that way. We have enough chaos on our hands right now.”

“I’ll try my best,” I said dryly.

The rest of the meeting I spent quietly observing. It was what I was best at.

Afterwards, the team stuck around and chatted and teased each other like brothers. I’d had that with Delta before coming here. It made me miss the guys, even if I was still angry with them.

Unable to stand it any longer, I excused myself and retired to my room, but as I passed by Chelle’s door, I found her peeking out and trying to listen in.

She started to close it when she realized I’d just busted her, but I stopped her.

“It’s okay. You should be kept in the loop too.”

“I wasn’t exactly trying to eavesdrop. I just wanted to know if there were any updates on my sister, or my family. I haven’t been allowed to contact anyone. Has my family been notified that I’m okay? Has Aiden? Are the King and Campbell Tribes okay?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have any answers to those questions, Chelle. But, I can find out and make sure they’re all informed.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Of course. I’m only sorry you had to ask. These are things I should have kept up on without you having to ask. I’ve just been so focused on Tilly and my own family. I really am sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s okay. I know I’ve been angry in general, and especially at you. That whole auction thing was so humiliating, but I don’t mean to be a bitch. I guess I’m grateful you bought me? That sounds so icky.”

“Yeah. It’s all good, though. I’m happy to have purchased you, but just so we’re clear, I don’t believe any person can own another. I did what I had to do to get you out of there and maybe selfishly too.”

“Selfish how?”

“Well, I’m hoping things will go back as originally planned and you’ll go on to mate Aiden.”

“Removing that responsibility from Tilly so you can have her?” she guessed.

“Something like that. I’m sorry. It’s a terrible thing to say. No one should ever be forced into mating someone they don’t want to be with.”

“But you’d still rather it be me than my sister?”

I sighed. “I really am an arse.”

“I’m not convinced of that. You’re really my sister’s true mate, yeah?” Chelle asked.

“I am.”

“And you’re sure of this?”

“You’ve clearly not met your true mate if you have to ask that.”

“No, I haven’t. As a kid I used to dream he was Aiden. I hated him so much, but a part of me sort of loved him too.” She scoffed. “Weirdass childhood fantasies. And then suddenly Dad tells me that he needs me to step up and mate him, not just for our Pack, but for our entire Tribe.”

“You were conflicted.”

She nodded.

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