“My white blood cell count was elevated. He thought I was in heat, but I’m not. I can tell.”
“So, why is your count elevated?” A million thoughts raced through my mind. “Are you sick?”
Liza bit her lip. “He thinks there might be some connection between my wolf and her desires.”
I was even more confused. “What does your wolf have to do with your white blood cell counts?”
“Apparently, that happens when an omega wolf is satisfied with the close proximity to her mate.” She paused and glanced back at the fire. “I can’t take the suppressants. They won’t work since my wolf is in the mood to be bred.”
I choked on my wine at the mention of breeding, dribbling wine down the front of my shirt.
Liza jumped to her feet, laughing as she ran to the kitchen and grabbed a towel.
“That’s the third time that’s happened today, if you count my mom’s reaction.”
I cleared my throat and dabbed at the red wine stains on my white polo shirt. It was no use.
Once I recovered, I pulled Liza down next to me on the wicker loveseat. “You had the same reaction, huh?” I tried to hide my smile.
“Naturally. No one expects to hear that type of recommendation from their doctor.” She shook her head and laughed. “Can you imagine how shocked I was when I showed up at the clinic to get suppressants, only to be told that I shouldn’t suppress my wolf any longer so she can have cubs?”
I shook my head. “That’s definitely a shocker.” I paused, thinking of all the implications. Was Liza actually considering having children?
Liza sighed. “I’ve been thinking all evening, and I’ve come to one conclusion: I can’t keep putting off us claiming each other.”
My breath was knocked out of me, but I stayed quiet as Liza continued to process her thoughts out loud.
She looked at me, her lower lip quivering. “I’m scared. Committing to someone for life alone is a terrifying concept. To make matters even more daunting, because of what I am, I never thought I’d find someone who could handle me with care orrespect for being an omega. Trust is hard at any level for me after everything I’ve been through.” She took a deep breath and stared deep into my eyes. “It’s taken me a long time to realize it, but I know I can trust you, Ty.”
My heart raced. I assumed I understood where she was going with all of it, but I waited for her to say the words. I needed to hear them come directly from her mouth, not mine.
Liza gently reached for my hand. “As scary as all of this is, I know it’s inevitable. My fear has kept me from admitting that I love you, but I do love you. I also know deep down that there will never be another man meant for me the way you are. I have no doubt that you’re my fated mate, and I’m not going to fight fate any longer.”
I launched myself at her, kissing her reverently on her forehead, her cheeks, and then finally I took her lips in a sweet kiss.
She kissed me back, and we clung to each other. I never wanted to let her go, wanted to savor the moment forever.
In the midst of all the stress, this one moment meant more to me than I expected. A range of emotions swirled around inside me, and my voice was near a full growl when I finally spoke. My wolf was at the surface because we both knew what it all meant. “Does this mean you’ll take my bite?”
Liza nodded and smiled, her voice confident when she said, “Yes.”
I moved forward, ready to pick Liza up and drag her into the house to have my way with her, but then both our phones beeped in unison. I ignored it because my only focus was taking Liza to her bedroom and claiming her, so I scooped her into my arms and walked toward the back door.
Then my phone rang, and I growled before putting her down. “Who the fuck needs my attention at nine in the evening?What?” I growled into the phone, not even attempting to hide my annoyance at the interruption.
It was Dad. My lust for Liza vanished.
“Sorry to bother you, Ty, but I thought you’d want to know that Castro has made his move, and it’s bad.”
“How bad?” I asked, glancing toward Liza.
“It’s really bad, son. You and Liza need to get here immediately.”
“Oh my God,” Liza whispered as she stared at her phone, a look of shock and horror washing over her face.
“What happened, Dad?”
Before he could answer, Liza turned her phone so I could see the screen. My blood ran cold as I watched a shaky video recording on a local news site. Castro had just released a recorded video of what appeared to be the massacre of the Wylde pack.
