“Is your new informant formulating a plan? That’s what you hired him for, so make sure he’s doing his job. This shouldn’t be on your shoulders, Ty.” Dominic narrowed his gaze at his son. “Decide what you can do to keep Liza safe and then work with your men to come up with a long-term solution.”
“Right now, Liza is on lockdown,” Ty said, his jaw ticking.
My frustration reached its peak, and rage burned through every cell of my body. I hadn’t had an outburst since Ty and I mated, but this was too much. I wanted nothing more than to be the mate to the alpha that everyone expected, and that everyone deserved. I wanted to run my catering company and createdelicious food people wanted to eat. Now, through no fault of my own, I was being punished, put on lockdown yet again, to keep me safe. It wasn’t fair. I felt like a child being punished for being born.
Having the freedom to come and go as I pleased was important to me. I needed my space and couldn’t be cooped up here no matter how big the estate was. The intense pain in my head blurred my vision, and I struggled to maintain my focus.
I shut my eyes as the ringing in my ears got so loud I couldn’t hear myself think. When I finally opened them, I looked around the room at the shocked and scared faces of my in-laws. Were my powers stronger than I realized?
Even Ty took a step away from me, his head cocked to the side and a curious expression on his face. He finally moved closer and took my hand, squatting down slightly until he was at my eye-level.
Placing my hand on his chest, he took in a slow, deep breath. “Liza, breathe in with me.” I did. “Good. Now let it all out slowly.” Beneath his hand, I felt the strong, steady beat of his heart.
It took several rounds of calm, steady breathing, but eventually, my vision returned to its normal state.
“I promise the lockdown is only temporary until Isaiah and I can figure out how to handle this situation swiftly and safely. I need you safe and sound, not being trampled over by psychotic extremists. The last thing I need is for more people getting hurt on our property and turning around to sue us.”
I nodded. I understood, I did, but that didn’t take away from the overwhelming reality of it all. As the adrenaline rush subsided, my body slumped, and my shoulders drooped in exhaustion.
Dominic stepped forward, his expression mirroring Ty’s, full of curiosity. “Your aura, Liza... I’ve never seen anything like iton a female shifter before. When you were angry just now, it resembled that of an alpha. Maybe there’s more to your abilities than we know.” He studied me carefully.
I didn’t like the way he was looking at me, and I certainly wasn’t a fan of the attention I’d garnered simply because I’d come clean about my true identity. Now, the entire world wanted to study me under a microscope.
As if I needed more crazy added to my plate.
73
TY
The scintillating scent of perfectly cooked filet mignon permeated the air when Liza and I sat down to eat in the main dining room of the estate. The chef had prepared a feast with all the trimmings. My mouth watered in anticipation as a member of the house staff placed the final platters of food on the dining table. I couldn’t wait to dig into the succulent meal.
Originally, I’d planned to take Liza to the steakhouse in town, but with the tourists swarming every inch of Presley Acres, that wasn’t feasible. Taking her out would cause a riot. One word to the house manager was all it took. He assured me he’d speak with the chef and have him create a fantastic meal for the two of us, but he’d gone the extra mile and decorated the dining room with candles. Soft music played in the background. Truly, he’d outdone himself.
The staff vanished into their quarters, leaving the two of us alone. The amazing smell was just a prelude to the outstanding flavors. As a chef for other people, I knew she didn’t have time for more than a quick snack or leftovers, so having something as incredible as this… I hoped it would be a treat for her.
Liza seemed to enjoy the food but was unusually quiet. I glanced at her, taking in her thoughtful expression. Her silence made sense after the day we’d had. Hell, I wasn’t even sure how to start a conversation that wasn’t focused on the dumbasses who’d attempted to climb our gate and had fallen on their damn heads. It was honestly one of the wildest things I’d ever seen. I’d been to a few concerts in my time and had seen my share of teenagers losing it for the latest pop idol, but this was supposed to be the estate of the alpha, not the home to a fucking rock legend.
I could only imagine what was going on in Liza’s head. Apart from the tourists trying to catch a glimpse of the rare omega, their very presence in town had reminded us all just how much attention Liza would continue to attract. I reminded myself that no one had seen an omega. They’d been fairytales when I was a kid, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Folklore.
Yet in all her beautiful glory, the omega was my mate. With all the new people in town, we’d taken on extra security, but I was feeling helpless about keeping her safe. I hated this sense of being incapable. I want to be the one to look after my mate, but because of her biology and a fucking psycho forcing her to out herself, I’d been required to hire others to do what was my job. If I was feeling powerless, I hated to think how Liza felt.
As if that wasn’t enough, Dad’s comment earlier after Liza’s panic attack about being put in lockdown gnawed at my thoughts. The idea of Liza being stronger as an alpha seemed impossible, and yet I couldn’t quite dismiss it.
I’d seen Liza losing her shit before we’d mated, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. Her strength was shocking, but was it more than a flare of anger? What if she possessed powers we couldn’t even begin to understand? We knew so little about omegas and their potential, we’d resorted to cobbling together bits of stories and legends, none of them fact.
The meal had been a quiet affair, both of us lost in our own thoughts about the day, but neither wanting to discuss it. Liza suddenly put down her fork, and I braced myself for a long conversation and more pushback on the lockdown. Instead, she looked at me wearily. “I think I’m going to take a long, hot bath and read a bit before bed.” She stood from the table.
I nodded. “You deserve to relax after everything that’s happened today. I need to make a few phone calls. I’ll be up in a bit.”
“Don’t stay up too late. You could do with an early night, too.” She gave me a small smile before leaving the room. “Thank the chef for me. Dinner was fantastic.”
I remained at the table and spooned some of the decadent dark chocolate and cherry gateau into my mouth. As soon as I was sure Liza was out of earshot, I pulled out my phone and dialed Dad’s number.
He answered immediately. “Ty, what can I do for you? Everything okay?” His deep voice rumbled through the speaker.
“Yes, everything’s fine. Well, as fine as it can be with a fucking mob outside the gates.” I shifted in my seat and lowered my voice. “Listen, I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier when you mentioned how Liza’s powers could possibly be as strong as an alpha’s.” I hesitated. “I know well enough not to believe everything I hear, Dad, but that woman on the news, the one who said an omega is as powerful as an alpha... When Liza first showed signs of anger, like the display this afternoon, before we mated, I thought I sensed an alpha’s energy. I dismissed it at the time since I knew she was an omega, and put it down to that, but now I’m wondering if there’s more to it.” I sighed, rubbing my hand over my face. “What if it’s possible for omegas to have alpha traits?”
I could practically hear the furrowing of Dad’s brow over the phone. “It’s an interesting question. I’d never heard ofthat particular tale until the news interview, but then again, there are so many stories about omegas that have been lost or exaggerated over time. It’s difficult to know what’s true and what’s not, especially since the people who would have possibly seen an omega with their own eyes and would know the truth of Liza’s powers have been dead and gone for years now. As far as I’m aware, nothing was ever written. Everything we know is all hearsay. And, as we all know, stories can be exaggerated the more they’re told.”
