My father turns all the way around in his seat, and out of the corner of one eye, I can see my twin staring at me, his mouth hanging open. I know why. Neither of them are at all used to me standing up for myself.
Dad recovers first, glaring at me even harder as he says. “No, Tiara. I ain’t going to make you pay me back. We gonna forget about all that. Tell everybody you ran off, Kyle went to get you. He put the hammer down, and ya’ll ended up getting heated out there in Alaska. Evelyn and me already started making arrangements for the wedding. What you got to say about that?’
I have so many things to say about that. But I keep my mouth clamped shut, because I know anything I say might lead my psychopath of a father straight to FJ and Olafr.
Dad smiles in that asshole way of his into my answering silence. “Nothing. Good, that’s what I thought. We’ll tell Evelyn to start preparing you for the wedding as soon as we get home. I’ll text message the Dakota Royals now.”
Again I say nothing. But when my father’s head lowers to his phone, I look over at my brother. He’s staring back at me, looking like he desperately wants to say something. But I shake my head at him to stay quiet.
He’s still my brother. Still my best friend, even if I kind of hated him for a second after finding out his part in the set-up with Kyle.#p#分页标题#e#
I grab his hand and squeeze before he can say anything that will get him in any more trouble than he probably already is. Let him know I’m still his sister, no matter what happens in this car. Let him know I have his back.
But I let go right before Dad looks back up from his texting.
“So you’ll do it?” he asks with a suspicious expression. “You’ll marry the Dakota Prince and raise this pup you carrying as his? No more running off to Alaska?”
I nod, but agreeing to this causes my stomach to burn with pain. Like I’m one of the characters in Ninja Shifters who takes a knife to the gut, committing seppuku after losing a level. It feels like I’m betraying FJ and Olafr in the worst way possible, even though I’m doing this for them. To keep them alive until they get what they need to return home and save their village.
“Good, I’m glad we understand each other,” Dad says with a big grin, like we’ve just struck an important deal. “Now all I need is a name.”
A name. He’s only asking for one. My heart rallies a little bit, knowing Uncle Ford must not have told him everything if he doesn’t know I’m now mated to not one, but two wolves.
“No,” I answer my father, training my eyes on his seat back. “No name.”
My second act of defiance since getting into the car, and my father looks confused, like his daughter’s been replaced with a pod monster.
“You expect me to let this boy live? After he claimed what wasn’t his to claim?”
My father has no idea how much I belong to FJ and Olafr. That our mate bond was preordained by whatever or whoever created the system of portal gates long ago. No idea.
So I just refold my arms. “If you want me to marry Kyle without any mess, those are my terms. You can take them or leave them.”
That last line is a bunch of junk code for real. Because the truth is, I don’t know what I’ll do if my father decides to call my bluff. He could just call in a favor with Aunt Wilma. Those two might have their differences, but I know without a doubt Aunt Wilma would do anything to make sure what happened to her mange niece in Alaska stays buried in Alaska. Maybe even have Uncle Ford remove FJ and Olafr, two wolves she’s not bonded to by any kind of family tie.
Lucky for me, Dad actually seems to be considering my offer. “If I let this boy go, you’ll do everything I say?” he asks me.
I nod, hating myself almost as much as the situation I’ve put myself in.
“And how about him? Am I going to have to worry about one of them Alaska wolves showing up to the wedding and asking for the Speak Now Ritual?”
Wow, I think, somewhat amazed. Uncle Ford really didn’t tell him a damn thing. Just the bare minimum. It’s enough to make me rethink my original assumption about him being my dad’s total minion.
“No,” I promise, thinking of Uncle Ford’s plan to keep FJ and Olafr caged until Alisha can figure out how to help them with the dragons. “You won’t have to worry about him coming here.”
My dad gives me a long, hard look, but then says. “All right, I guess it’s a deal.”
But he turns to face forward in his seat with a hmphh, like a king denied his hunting prize. I can tell he doesn’t love this spine his previously meek daughter has suddenly grown.