Castro continued, his voice so calm that I wondered if he was drunk or high. “This was the best course of action. I hope you can see that. It’s obvious that this pack is corrupt and will continue to taint you the longer you’re associated with them.” He paused and sighed loudly. “You know you don’t have to stick around there, right, Liza? I can make all of this go away. One call and I can report that they were all false rumors. I’d tell them that the video was fabricated, even though it clearly wasn’t.”
Everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath as they waited for me to respond. “What do you want?” I spat out, trying my best to keep my emotions in check. Across the room, Ty growled.
Castro chuckled darkly on the other end of the line. “I have a little friend in town who will be waiting for you. They’ll bring you directly to me. Don’t even think about bringing someone with you or having them follow you.” He laughed. “You must know me well enough by now to believe me when I say that anyone trying to follow you will be killed.”
I swallowed past the heavy lump in my throat.
“Once I’ve got you, I promise to make everything go away. One call to the media from me and it all disappears. It’s that simple, sweet Liza. Make your decision quickly, though. I don’t like being made to wait. Phone me back on this number when you’re ready to come to me, but don’t take too long. You only have twenty-four hours to decide, and not a second more. I won’t be so… generous this time.”
“Never,” I whispered, my heart pounding, but Castro had already ended the call.
Ty’s viscous snarl reverberated through the room, and I looked at him. He shook his head and growled, “Don’t eventhink about it. You’re not sacrificing yourself to that monster to protect us.”
Nico stepped forward, his face still red with frustration. “We have to move now that Castro’s given us a twenty-four-hour deadline.” His voice was resolved, as if he’d snapped out of his mourning and back into his role as head of the security team. “I’ll get to the bottom of this footage.”He turned to me. “In the meantime, you should stay put. Don’t step a foot outside the mansion—not even for a quick breath of fresh air. Understood?”
I nodded.
It was Persephone’s grip on my hand that captured my attention, breaking me from the spell Castro had cast with his offer.
Her eyes held a fierceness I hadn’t seen before. “You’ve suffered enough because of us. Don’t even think about going to that monster. We will protect you now, no matter what led us to this moment.” She cupped my chin and forced me to look her in the eyes. “Getanyideas of going to that monster out of your head. Do you hear me, Liza?”
I blinked back tears just as the door opened and my parents walked in. They rushed over to embrace me, their concerned faces a testament to the love they felt for me. I clung to them, tears streaming down my cheeks as I locked eyes with Ty over their shoulders.
His expression was resolute, all traces of doubt vanishing. At that moment, I decided that going to Castro was not an option. My pack—my family—would stand by me, come what may.
57
TY
Iscanned Dad’s office, which was a prominent display of his power and influence. The massive mahogany desk, the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, the paintings of past alphas and family adorning the walls all served as reminders of the legacy I would inherit soon.
We had spent the last twenty-four hours tirelessly working to put out the firestorm caused by the massacre allegations. Dad’s connections had come in handy, and with just a few calls, all news stations had agreed to cease airing any more segments about the incident until the video footage was authenticated. If any station dared to air anything regarding us, they’d be sued for defamation. That had been madeveryclear.
“Let’s hope that buys us some time.” Dad rubbed his temples as he leaned back in his chair. Maybe it was the sleepless nights and the crushing anxiety, but as I stared at Dad’s wrinkles and drooping eyelids, I realized he’d aged even more in the past day. We all had. None of us could have predicted how quickly things could change, yet here we were.
A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me, and I slumped down into the seat across from Dad. The adrenaline was wearingoff. It would only be a matter of time before reality hit us again with full force. Castro would soon realize we had no intention of allowing Liza to meet up with hislittle friend.I’d love to know who the traitorous bastard was who thought they could take my fated mate and deliver her to Castro. Who did the fucker have in his pocket?
Dad yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “We need Castro to make some sort of move. Maybe then we could spring into action.”
“Agreed.” I cracked my knuckles. My wolf’s anger was barely contained within me after everything Castro had been putting us through.
“The halt on the news story is only a temporary fix.” Dad waved his hand in the air dismissively. “I’m sure they have some fancy technology that enables them to determine whether or not footage has been tampered with. It’s only a matter of time before they call my bluff and double down on the original reports.”
“What did the council say?” I tried to relax my tense muscles, but my shaking foot gave me away.
Dad glanced at his watch. “My closest advisors say I should make a statement debunking the video and the allegations against me for slaughtering an entire pack. It would have to be a public broadcast, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later.”
“Do you think everyone will believe you?” I understood the importance of not staying silent, but the whole country had seen the footage by now. Would Dad’s words make a difference?
“It doesn’t matter if they do or don’t. Appearances count for a hell of a lot, and if I don’t come out claiming my innocence, it won’t matter what happens next. The public expects the alpha to speak, so that’s what I’ll have to do.”
The door creaked open, and one of the kitchen staff slipped into the room, carrying a tray with two steaming mugs of coffee.“I’ve made it extra strong for you both,” she said, offering a weak smile before leaving. “I’ll leave the creamer and sugar here on your desk, Mr. Keller.”
“Thank you,” I replied, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I took a sip of the scalding liquid, feeling it burn down my throat and reignite my resolve. No creamer for me. I didn’t want the caffeine diluted. Otherwise, my mind wouldn’t stay as sharp as it needed to be.
As I watched Dad type feverishly on his laptop, I thought about how Liza’s pack’s existence had been carefully concealed from the world, thanks to his efforts and wealth.
As far as the world knew, the Wylde pack had never existed. If someone searched the internet, they’d turn up empty. The amount of money Dad had paid to wipe the pack’s existence from the face of the earth was staggering.
