I glanced at Ty out of the corner of my eye. His face wasn’t in the least bit red. It was as though he was used to having these kinds of conversations with his father. And maybe he was, but I wasn’t. A sly grin spread across his smug face, and he had the audacity to wink at me. I was sure he was getting a big kick out of his father’s speech, but I wasn’t, and it irked me that he was taking my discomfort so lightly. I wanted to crawl out of my damn skin.
My cheeks had to be a bright shade of crimson, and I was grateful for the dimly lit room. It hid my embarrassment somewhat, but it did nothing to ease the agony I was feeling in my core.
Thankfully, Dominic finally finished his sex sermon, and we were able to move along with our conversation about Castro.
Dominic turned and tossed my medical records into the crackling fire burning in the fireplace behind his desk. “Castro is now the only one with access to your information. That is if he really has deleted your files.”
While I was certain I had no reason to believe a single word Castro said, I also felt he was telling the truth. Positive of it. I wrung my hands. “He has a sick obsession with me, so when he says he doesn’t want me to be harmed, he means it. I don’t think he’ll use the information and risk causing a frenzy where I’m concerned.”
Ty nodded and pursed his lips. “She’s right. He may lie to us about other things, but he’ll never make a move to hurt Liza. That’s a guarantee.”
“That’s a comfort, then, and thank goodness for it.” Dominic returned to his chair while Ty and I slumped onto the floor, our backs resting against the wall.
He held my hand and gently caressed my finger with his thumb. Every touch soothed me.
Dominic tapped a pen against his desk. “I don’t think he’ll risk releasing the information, either. But that leads me to wonder about his next move. Why’d he show his hand by letting us know he had the information.” He paused for a moment, sat back, and stared up at the ceiling. “If he’s not going to hurt you personally, he’s coming after the Keller name… and he’s a smart son of a bitch.”
“I’m not underestimating him, if that’s what you’re concerned about.” In all honesty, I didn’t know why Dominic was worried. Though, I was worried when he lowered his head to stare into my eyes if he was going to bring up my sexual urges again.
“Liza, I don’t want to scare you, but I’m going to be very honest with you. There are still plenty of those who believe in omegas and their abilities. They’d pay any price to get their hands on one.” He sighed. “If that information gets out, it opens you up to great danger.” He paused. Amended. “Greaterdanger.”
I nodded. “Yes, I know.” The thoughts had been tickling the back of my mind, but hearing him say the words brought them into the light.
More danger. Great.
“Now, I don’t know whether the myths are true, and I’m certainly not going to further embarrass you with a line of questioning into the various areas of… development…”Oh, thank goodness for that.“Quite frankly, it’s not important. I just want you to know that your secret is safe, and you’ll always be protected by the Kellers.”
A gentle knock at the door broke the heartfelt moment. A second later, Ty’s mother walked in. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” Persephone glanced at me with a sad expression. No, it wasn’t sadness. It looked more like guilt.
I hadn’t talked with Ty about his mother and how much she knew about everything that was happening, but Dominic was her mate, so I assumed she knew about it all, including this last bit of information about me being an omega. The guilty look on her face said as much.
I didn’t need her pity or for her to feel sorry for me. She probably carried a heavy burden knowing about her husband’s actions in the past, so perhaps I should have felt sorry for her. In part, everything he’d done had led us to this very uncomfortable moment. Sure, Dominic had no control over Castro, but his war with my pack and his slaughtering of my people had fueled the flame that burned within Castro. They were his people, too. His family. His friends. And for a man and his wolf, that justifiedbeing pissed off enough to prove dangerous to those he blamed—those responsible.
Ty stood and helped me to my feet. “We’re going to head out now.” He crossed the room and patted his dad on the shoulder. “Thank you for being understanding, even if you had to find out the hard way.”
Dominic looked almost vulnerable as he stood and gripped Ty’s shoulders. “I’m your father, Ty. I’ll always look out for you. Now it’s clear Liza will be your mate, that extends to her, as well.” He looked at me and winked, although I was having a hard time understanding how to be normal with the man who’d decimated my pack. My family.
I focused on Ty and the smile that made me melt inside instead. Here was Dominic, the feared leader of the pack, admitting that he did actually care about something other than dominance. At that moment, he wasn’t just a powerful alpha wolf but also a father who wanted his son to find happiness with someone he trusted. It brought tears to my eyes and made me feel like part of the Keller family.
Ty kissed his mother on the cheek as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, returning a kiss on his forehead.
“You ready?” he asked as he took my hand. I nodded, and Ty led me down the stairs.
On the way out, I took note of the multiple house staff. They all seemed indifferent as we moved from Dominic’s office to the front entrance.
Once we made it outside and shut the door behind us, I whispered, “Do you think they heard about my... identity?”
Ty seemed oblivious. “Who arethey?”
“The staff. Do they ever listen to conversations happening in your dad’s office?”
He tilted his head back, and a loud laugh escaped his throat. “No way. These people have been with my family for many,many years. They go through an extensive vetting process before being offered a job, and they also sign multiple non-disclosure agreements. We’ve never had an issue. I’d trust them with my deepest, darkest secrets, though I highly doubt they’d eavesdrop on our conversations, anyway. They’re good people.” It was a relief that he trusted them with his secrets, but this was my secret, and I’d learned a long time ago about the dangers of trusting people.
Still, I sighed with relief, hoping Ty wasn’t being fooled by his staff. If one of them heard that I was an omega, it was highly unlikely they’d keep that kind of information to themselves. Of course, there was a chance I was wrong. I hoped I was.
It wasn’t until we reached my car that Ty started to laugh again.
“What? Do I have food stuck in my teeth?” I flashed him a brief view of them.
