He sat back and crossed his arms, lost in his thoughts.
I rushed to explain myself better. “I completely understand that as the alpha’s mate, I’ll be required to make sacrifices for the sake of the pack, but I can’t mate with you simply for the sake of pleasing others. Not when our lives are at stake. Things are dangerous right now. Castro is after me, and I wouldn’t put it past him to hurt you in order to hurt me, purely out of jealousy.”
Ty sighed, but he didn’t respond. He didn’t look at me, either.
My goal wasn’t to hurt his feelings or make him feel unwanted, but a fated pairing was an extremely sacred entity. When the claiming happened, it was meant to be special. I didn’t want any doubts between us, didn’t want anyone to say we’d only claimed each other because we were forced into it.
“I don’t see what the rush is, anyway. We’ve got all the time in the world. Why force the issue when we have a much bigger issue on our hands.”
Ty leaned forward, a look of defeat in his eyes. “You’re right. I understand everything you’re saying.”
Even though his words were meant to convince me of his agreement, his look of disappointment told the truth. He’d been hoping for a different response, and I felt a twinge of guilt.
As the night moved on, the tension between us was palpable. Everything felt awkward. I tried to lighten the mood, to sweep away the heaviness that settled over us, but Ty remained lost in his thoughts, distant and distracted.
I flipped on the TV, found a romantic comedy, and patted the spot next to me. “Join me?”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “I have a lot of work waiting for me.” He flashed a half-smile. “I’ll just get my laptop and get to it.”
I nodded. I wasn’t buying it, but I wasn’t really in the mood to call him out on it, either. “Okay.” Swallowing, I excused myself to take a shower, hoping the steam and solitude would offer some sort of clarity.
Under the cascading water, my mind wandered through a maze of fear and doubt. It wasn’t just the fated bond that troubled me but the shadow that loomed over our lives. Castro’s relentless pursuit of me, his capacity for cruelty, and the danger he posed to us were ever-present in my thoughts. The last thing I wanted was to intertwine our lives into a forced mating, potentially exposing Ty to an even greater risk.
On the other hand, if I wasn’t mated to Ty, I would be unprotected if word got out that I was an omega. Was that a good enough reason to jump into a mating where love didn’t exist?
Perhaps all royals joined in unions where love wasn’t a factor. Surely it wasn’t all just for gain. Was Dominic and Persephone’s union a huge production and a façade?
I shook my head. No way was that the case.
As I emerged from the shower, the lingering veil of uncertainty clung to my skin like the steam clung to the bathroom mirror.
I searched the house for Ty, but he wasn’t anywhere. I could still sense him, though, so I figured he was sitting on the porch or by the firepit in the backyard. He carried so much weight as the next alpha, and I chastised myself for putting him in a foul mood. It was my life, too, though, and I had to consider every decision that affected it carefully.
Climbing into bed, I yearned for Ty’s presence by my side and hoped for a resolution, or, at the very least, a moment of shared comfort so I could fall asleep peacefully. I made sure my alarms were set and double-checked my calendar for the next day. Just as I was about to power down my phone, a chime interrupted the calm of the room.
My heart skipped a beat as I read the message from an unknown number, my blood turning cold.
Looks like your boy toy and his weak excuse of an alpha are trying to find me. It’s almost comical. But I like a good game of hide-and-seek. So, how about this? I’ll leave them some clues as to where to find me. Let’s see how smart they really are. I must admit, my love, I don’t think they’ll be able to crack it. And what a shame it would be for them to fail. Their own ignorance will be their downfall. And once the empire has crumbled, I’ll return for you, and we’ll show them what an empire is meant to look like.
The words cut through me, their malicious intent leaving me chilled to the bone. Castro’s twisted taunt, as well as hisknowledge of Ty and his father’s search for him was all too much to process.
I sat up, my body zinging with fear as a million questions raged through my mind. How did he know? What was he planning?
The sense of impending danger loomed larger than ever, reminding me that our lives hung in the balance.
That Castro had the upper hand.
41
TY
Fury coursed through my veins, burning hot like a raging inferno. I was beyond pissed after Liza had stormed out of the house last night, gripping her damn phone as if her life depended on it. And maybe it did. After she’d shown me the goddamn text from Castro, I had been on edge and more determined than ever to find that bastard.
The timing of the text bothered me. It was as if he had been watching us. As if he knew I’d slipped into the backyard and wasn’t by Liza’s side, which meant he was close or he had someone who was. He’d obviously made a move when I wasn’t there to console her and had wanted his message to knock the wind out of her. And, of course, because he’d sent it while I was out of the room, he had succeeded.
If he was close enough to know I wasn’t with her, why hadn’t any of our security team or undercover agents in Presley Acres recognized him? Everyone had been debriefed on his physical appearance and where we thought he might be lurking. Of course, it could have also meant that I had a mole in my security team, but most of the guards had been with the family since I was a child or were related to someone who had been.I found it hard to believe one of my guys had turned on us. They’d witnessed our prosperity as well as some of our lowest points, but they’d always stayed loyal to the Kellers, even when it would’ve been easy for them to turn on us. Either way, I would be extra careful from now on.
After a sit-down with Dad and the heads of our security, we’d all concluded that he’d probably skipped town. If that was the case, however, how’d he know Liza was alone in her bedroom at the very moment he texted? Or maybe it was a coincidence. If I was the kind of guy who believed in those, it might’ve been easier to accept that as the explanation.
