Arranged

18

I was tired of flying back and forth, especially since my mother wasn't even dead. Still, I played the part. I had to if I didn't want a ton of murders on my hands.

I watched the passing clouds as we made our descent into Los Angeles. Although I was in the state for my mother's fake funeral, after the situation with Dominic, Ivan decided it would be best if the funeral was moved to a larger city where the local pack didn't have such a strong pull.

He was smart. I had to give him that.

Matis hadn't talked much and Edric's unease played in my mind. If Edric found it odd that Matis volunteered his time to go to America, something told me I should find it odd too. I didn't exactly trust Edric, but he seemed genuinely concerned about Matis' sudden interest in being around me.

"When will Edric be here?" Matis asked.

I tore my attention from the window to him. I had initially thought he and Edric looked identical, but after spending so much time around Edric I realized he didn't look like his half-sibling at all. They had the same color hair and eyes. The same height and build, but the characteristics were off. Edric's face was slimmer. His cheekbones were more defined and dimples made scarce appearances when he laughed at something I did. Matis' jaw was far more square like Dominic's. His expression was more relaxed than Edric's.

"Tomorrow I think. He wasn't super clear."

Both Dominic and Edric warned me to be on guard with Matis until they could figure out why he wanted to go to America.

"And he didn't want to come with us?"

His tone was wrong. He was fishing. I could feel it. He was seeing exactly where my relationship with Edric stood.

"He had some business to take care of first."

"Oh?"

I nodded absently, trying to seem at ease. I regretted bringing him along. I wished I would have talked to Edric before allowing Matis to hop on a plane with me. He was right; Matis hadn't shown an ounce of interest in me the entire marriage. It was weird that he suddenly wanted to come to America with me.

"Do you have any plans while we're here?" I asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"My sister would like to meet up with us at some point."

The ever illusive Isabella. She was at our wedding and disappeared the next day. I was beginning to think she didn't exist.

I glanced around the jet. None of my regular guards were around. I didn't even know the names of the guards around me. I hardly knew Matis at all. I was starting to feel rather alone and outnumbered. If Matis did have ulterior motives, he was surrounded by his guards. He didn't have anything to gain from me though.

"You know, I've never even formally met her."

"That hasn't gone unnoticed by her. I'll warn you. She isn't fond of your arrangement with Edric."

My throat instantly dried. "Arrangement?" I squeaked.

"Your arranged marriage," he trailed slowly.

I breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Oh. Right. I guess it just doesn't feel that way now."

I had always been a terrible liar. If I was going to fake the relationship with Edric, I had to stay as close to the truth as possible.

"No?"

I slowly shook my head. It didn't. Edric could be an asshole, but I did feel comfortable around him. We felt like roommates. His sexual preferences definitely eased our living arrangements. If he had been interested in women I doubted I would have been at ease.