Chapter 4

Tilly

"Mum, talk to him. Please!"

"We're just trying to keep you safe. Losing your sister hasn't been easy on any of us."

"I understand that. I even understand what he's asking of me. But why must I be a prisoner in my own home?"

"That's being a little dramatic, Tilly."

"Is it, Mum?"

I walked over to the door of my suite and opened it. Two men jumped to attention. I pointed to them.

She sighed. "I'll speak with him."

"Thanks."

As she left, I truly hoped she'd do just that. When I went to close my door, a foot jutted out and stopped it from closing.

I scowled as I looked up to see Aiden standing there.

"What do you want?" I spat out.

"That's no way to speak to your mate, Matilda."

"Tilly," I said between gritted teeth.

Completely ignoring me, he continued. "Matilda, I just think we should take some time and get to know each other."

"The fact that you purposefully call her by the wrong name tells her all she needs to know about you dipshit," Kayla said, as she returned to check on me.

I saw the angry, hard set of his jaw as he glared at her.

"It's okay, Kayla. I've got this."

"Well?" he asked me.

"Sure, come on in and we'll talk."

"You're inviting him into your private quarters. Are you insane?" Kayla asked me.

"You'll be here to supervise," I assured her.

Aiden frowned. "We don't need a chaperone. We're to be mated in just a few short weeks."

"And maybe in a few short weeks, I'll agree to be alone with you, but certainly not until then."

"Matil. . ."

My death glare seemed to stop him mid word.

"Tilly," he corrected. "This is ridiculous."

"Do you want to talk or not?"

"I'd like to be alone with my mate. . . to talk."

The sly smirk on his face told me that talking wasn't all he wanted to do.

I shivered in disgust.

How could Dad ask me to go through with this? I thought about my Tribe and the peace and security that would come from my sacrifice. I had to do it. There was simply no other option. Or at least none that I could see now. So I would play the game and wait for a way to escape this nightmare. First, I needed to learn all I could about my future mate.

"Well, come in and take a seat," I offered, directing him to the sitting area in the corner of my room as far away from the bed as possible.

For even more assurance, Kayla plopped down on the bed, both chaperoning us and letting Aiden know there was no room for messing around. It made me feel safer to have her there.

Aiden cleared his throat. "I suppose I should formally introduce myself."

"I know who you are, Aiden Campbell."

"So my reputation precedes me."

I snorted. "That's hardly in your favor."

"What? Not a good thing, yeah?"

"Yeah, nah."

"I'd ask what I can do to change that, but I honestly don't care."

"What?"

"There is no reason for us to really know each other. You'll have whatever you wish as my Tribe's she-Alpha. You'll be required to give me an heir. Aside from that, as long as you remain discreet, you can do whatever the hell you like as long as you don't embarrass me or my Pack."

My jaw dropped and hung open, unable to formulate words.

"Oh, you're serious," I finally said.

"Of course I am. Neither of us should pretend this is a love match. It's not. It never will be. Find your happiness elsewhere, just do it discreetly."

"Is this what you told my sister as well?" I blurted out.

His jaw locked, and a darkness crossed his eyes.

"That's none of your damn business."

His reaction surprised me. Was he angry at my sister's disappearance? There was no way she would have disappeared on purpose. Chloe may have been her best friend, but she wouldn't cover something like this up just to help her get out of mating Aiden—would she?

"I forbid you to mention your sister in my presence again."

His outburst was uncalled for.

"Too bad, arsehole. That's her sister. She'll talk about her whenever she wants," Kayla yelled from across the room.

"She's right. What's it to you, anyway? You didn't even know her."

"I know she left me. We had an arrangement."

"You really believe she did that on purpose?"

"I think the timing was quite calculated or suspicious at best. I know she was not thrilled with the mating, but I didn't think her to go to such lengths to get away from me. But that is also none of your damn business."

"No. Chelle wouldn't do this. She wouldn't. Chloe's not a liar. Something terrible has happened to her."

I thought he might soften just a bit, and then he stiffened again.

"It's of no concern to me."

So this was to be my life with this uncaring arsehole who could so easily exchange one sister for another. This was bullshit.

"We'll leave tomorrow first thing. You'll tour my territory and all those formalities. It was already scheduled for Chelle. So I suppose you'll just have to do now, Matilda."

The fact that he called Chelle by her shortened named yet refused to do so for me only pissed me off more.

He got up with that awful arrogance about him. His sharp chin jutted out almost in challenge.

"Tomorrow then. Be ready early."

And then he let himself out as I sat there staring after him.

"He's horrible. You cannot mate him," Kayla insisted.

"I'm not sure I have a choice."

"You need to ask your Dad if I can travel with you. I do not want you going off into Campbell territory without me, or at least some protection."

"I'll talk to him. I don't want to go alone. He's awful."

"Are you going to summon him here or think they'll actually let you leave this room?"

I laughed. "Well, let's try and see."

Getting up, I walked to the door and opened it. Two men stepped in to cover it.

"Move out of my way." When they didn't move, I spoke a little louder. "Move! I need to speak to my father."

"Sorry ma'am. We have orders."

"By whom?"

"Aiden," one of them admitted.

"With full support of your father," the other added.

"I am not a prisoner, and you cannot keep me here. Kayla, let's go."

Together, we pushed through them. They let us go, but followed. It was infuriating.

I stomped down the hall like a toddler having a tantrum all the way to my father's office. Knowing better than to just barge in, I pounded my fist on the door and waited.

"Come in."

Kayla followed me inside. She always had my back in everything in life.

"You can't let her do this," Kayla protested.

The look on my Dad's face told me she was overstepping.

I grabbed her arm and squeezed. Much to my surprise, she actually shut up and took a step back.

"Dad, she's right. He's horrible."

"Your sister had no complaints."

"I'm not Chelle."

"I know that. But Tilly, this merger of our families is necessary."

"But why?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"He wants me to go to Campbell with him tomorrow."

"Good. That's good."

"No, it's not."

"You're going."

"But Dad. . ."

"Sir, if she must, may I go with her?" Kayla asked.

"Yeah. That would be okay."

"Thank you."

My head was still swimming as she jerked my arm and practically dragged me from the room.

"Kayla, what am I going to do?"

"You're going to pack your bags and we're going to travel with Aiden and his goons to Campbell Tribe and dig up every bit of dirt we can find on him."

"What if there is none?"

"For a jackhole like that? Trust me, there's dirt and I'm going to find it. I'm not going to let you mate this guy, Till. You deserve better. You deserve your one true mate."

I couldn't help but agree with her on that. But there had to be more to this. I wasn't as concerned about what we may or may not find in Campbell. My fear was in what we would find out here at home that made Dad agree to such an outrageous pairing.

"I'm going to run home and pack up my stuff. I'll be back tonight."

"Okay," I said, but my mind was already reeling with possibilities and not all of them were good ones.

Maybe the Campbells were threatening my Pack or even my Tribe.

But what could they have over my Dad's head?

Perhaps whoever took my sister was a common enemy causing the two Tribes to merge.

But why wouldn't they just tell me that?

The Kings were the richest and most prosperous of all the dingo Tribes. My family Pack was legendary. We did not need the Campbells. So maybe they needed us and had made a tempting offer to my Dad.

I was a grown ass woman, and despite the lockdown treatment I was currently receiving, I was free to make my own choices. No one could force me to mate Aiden Campbell, but before I rejected him, I needed to know why I was being asked to do it in the first place.

That was the one and only thing that had me biting my tongue, packing my bags, and going along with this nonsense.