I helped her inside. “I’ll be right back.”
After handing her the keys so she could start the air conditioning, I jogged over to Liza’s parents before they pulled out of the lot.
Scott rolled down the window when he saw me approaching. “What is it, Ty?”
“Liza doesn’t seem like herself.” I rested my hands on the top of the car. “What exactly happened to her?”
This time, Rory spoke up. “All we know is that something triggered Liza last night and it caused her to get uncharacteristically angry.”
“What did the doctor say?” I needed even an ounce of insight before driving Liza home.
“He said that short tempers and bouts of rage are an omega trait.” Scott glanced over my shoulder to check on Liza. “It’s only prominent for unclaimed omegas.”
He let the words hang in the air as if he wanted me to recognize that this was, in fact, all my fault.
“Damn it,” I cursed under my breath as I took a step back. “What can we do to help her?”
Her dad sighed. “It’s likely to happen more often now that she’s no longer on suppressants.” He paused and looked at hiswife, who nodded her head, encouraging him to continue. “The doctor warned us that her scent increases with strong emotions. The last thing we need is for her to be at the grocery store and suddenly get pissed off because her favorite ice cream is out of stock. Or, heaven forbid, one of her clients pisses her off. An outburst like that could ruin her life, Ty.”
I raked my hands through my hair. This was unbelievable. What the fuck was I going to do?
“The doctor suggested that we put her on a different suppressant, a stronger one, or possibly a combination of suppressants and anti-anxiety medication. It would be temporary, of course, until she is claimed.”
“Does he think the medications would truly make a difference?” I asked.
“They could help with the flares of anger which some people experience with anxiety, but there’s no guarantee.” Scott gave me another pointed look and sighed.
Perfect. As if I needed more pressure on me right now.
44
LIZA
The car was as silent as a crypt while Ty drove, but we sure as hell weren’t heading home. I watched out the passenger window, noticing we passed the diner, which was in the opposite direction of my house.
“Where are you taking me?” I tried not to sound too put out, but my emotions were a whirlwind, stirred up last night’s involuntary shift.
Despite having shifted countless times throughout my life, the sensations I’d experienced were entirely novel. Fear and anxiety mingled with the resentment I harbored toward Ty for leaving me alone throughout the night. All that had caused an intense surge of emotions within me. Against my will, my wolf had surged forth, its instinctual nature overpowering my own volition.
Ty cleared his throat. “I thought we could go for a drive.”
I didn’t respond. What was the use? I was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. I really didn’t have the energy to argue with him. Sure, I would’ve rather been at home in my soft bed, sleeping off whatever the hell I’d justexperienced, but the trees soothed me as they whizzed by my window.
We drove on the back country roads of Presley Acres for what felt like an eternity, going in circles like a couple of lost souls. I rolled my window down and breathed in deeply. Something about the air quality in the country forced me to think peaceful thoughts. Probably had something to do with less pollution and a sense of freedom—God knew, I hadn’t experienced that in a while.
The farther we drove past massive horse farms and open fields, the more the tension in my shoulders and neck eased. The serene surroundings of towering trees and the wind rustling through their branches comforted my frayed nerves, and I felt a smidgen of gratitude toward Ty for taking a detour up into the mountains.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, Ty mustered up the courage to broach the subject that had sent me into a frenzy the night before. “Do you want to talk about what triggered you last night?”
I wasn’t about to let him off the hook without getting some answers of my own, so I shot back, “Do you want to explain why you’ve been so cagey lately?”
Silence. More damn silence.
We both let out exasperated sighs, our frustration mingling in the air. It was clear as day that we were each dealing with our own twisted demons, but neither of us seemed ready to bare our souls.
Lost in my own thoughts, I stole a quick glance at Ty. His face wore a mix of exhaustion and longing, as if he was battling his own personal Hell. Part of me wanted to reach out to bridge the gap that had grown between us.
Instead, I decided to speak, hoping he’d hear the desperation in my words. “I don’t like this, Ty. We’re mates. We’re supposedto spend the rest of our fucking lives together, but we can’t even talk about our problems with each other. How are we supposed to make that work? From where I’m sitting, it seems like a steep hill that you’re not willing to climb.”
