My mind raced to connect the dots. Liam’s name wasn’t on the pack’s register, which was odd enough, but to compound matters, he was making moves to buy out pieces of my company. Why? What was his end game? As much as I wanted to protect Liza, I needed to understand the bigger picture here, and right now, that remained frustratingly out of reach.
“Zephyr, thanks for your work, man.” I pulled out my wallet and handed him a wad of cash. “None of what you learned today leaves this room.”
He laughed, pocketing the money with a grin. “Ty, you pay me entirely too well for me to ever betray you. Besides,” he added, his tone losing teasing quality. “You know how far back we go. I would never do something like that to you.”
He was right. We could trust him.
I patted Zephyr on the shoulder before guiding Liza toward the door. We had to find Liam, and soon. Every moment that passed only heightened the urgency to figure out what was going on. And above all else, I needed to keep Liza safe.
Stepping out into the cool, early evening air, Liza crumpled the letter in her hand, her knuckles white from the pressure. All it took was one glance in her direction for me to understand the storm of emotions brewing inside her: anger, sadness, fear. They raced between our bond, and she made no effort to hide them. It was enough to make my own heart ache.
“Hey,” I said gently, guiding her toward my car. “We’ll figure this out together. You’re not alone, remember that. I promise.”
I pulled out my phone and texted my dad, asking him to come to the estate as soon as possible. There were too many questions left unanswered, and his guidance was sorely needed. As I hit send and pulled out of the parking lot, Liza stared numbly out the window.
“Talk to me,” I said. I wanted her to open up, but she remained silent, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
After a few long moments, she finally spoke so softly I barely heard her. “When will all this be over, Ty? When will all the secrets end?”
“I don’t know, but no matter what happens, I’ll be by your side. You’re not alone in this, even if you think you are.”
“Thank you.” But the smile she gave me didn’t reach her eyes. It was obvious she was hurting, but she wasn’t going to let the revelations break her. And neither would I.
If Liam truly was Liza’s brother, what did he want from us? Why was he trying to reach out to her so surreptitiously, insinuating she needed help to escape? And who the ever-loving fuck did he think he was making moves on parts of my business? And why now?
The car hummed as I turned onto the long, winding driveway leading to the estate. The moon cast eerie shadows on the darkened landscape, reflecting the shitty mood we were both in.
Dad was waiting outside. He hadn’t responded to my text, so I was relieved to see him. Maybe with his insight he’d shed some light on everything.
Dad greeted us, as usual, with his deep and authoritative voice. You could take the alpha out of the man, but not the man out of the alpha. Like Isaiah, I despised clichés, but it seemed fitting. We followed him up the stairs and into my office in silence, where the door clicked shut behind me.
“Did you know?” I whispered, unable to wait a second longer. “Did you know Liza’s parents had a son?”
Dad’s eyes widened, his shock mirroring my own. “No.” He held up his hands in defense and shook his head. “I swear, Ty, I had no idea.” His gaze shifted to Liza, a flicker of empathy passing between them. “Give me the rundown. What the hell’s going on?” Dad crossed his arms and took a seat, the lines on his face deepening with concern.
I cracked my knuckles and inhaled sharply. “Long story short, we found out today that a man named Liam Russell is not only Liza’s long-lost brother but also the owner of Russell and Sons LLC. They reached out a couple of weeks ago with a request to buy one of our manufacturing plants. It’s a lot to swallow.”
Dad leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “You should’ve called me sooner,” he said, frustration lacing his words. “That’s a fucking lot for you two to handle while settling into your role as alpha.”
“Tell me about it,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “Unfortunately, that’s not the only new development.”
Dad gave a questioning look. “Oh?”
I glanced at my exhausted mate. “She’s had a hard day. It started with her omega powers taking over again. This time, she was pissed at Bryce and tried to make him submit to her. It was one of the scariest confrontations I’ve ever witnessed.”
“What exactly happened?” Dad looked at Liza, and she lowered her head.
“Liza doesn’t remember. All she knows is that she was pissed at Bryce. But… her eyes were glowing red, and she shifted partially. Her powers took over the room. The lights flickered, the kitchen cabinets and appliances shook, and I swear to the gods, I saw her feet come up off the floor.”
“Holy shit.”
Dad stood up and paced the room, the way I’d seen him do a thousand times when this was his office. His footsteps echoed through the quiet space. Suddenly, he stopped and turned his attention to Liza, studying her closely. “How are you feeling about all this, Liza? Out of everything you’ve just shared, my biggest concern is the alpha traits you exhibited earlier.”
“Overwhelmed,” she admitted, shifting uncomfortably under Dad’s scrutiny. I couldn’t blame her. It was a lot for anyone to handle, and she was doing it and still trying to keep her day-to-day as normal as possible. She was so much stronger than she realized. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, and, quite frankly, I’m scared out of my fucking mind. I could be in serious danger. I’ve already had one outburst in public, and people are discussing my powers. What if they try to come after me becauseof it?” She paused and glanced toward the office door. “Plus, my new employee, Rosalie, witnessed the thing today. I don’t think she’d say anything, but she’s young and might be easily influenced into discussing her time working for the mythical omega.”
My fists clenched at the thought of Maximus. Though his threats had been veiled at our previous meeting, he would undoubtedly use Liza to further his own ambitions if he caught wind of her alpha-like powers. There were too many like him—men who would prey upon her to use her powers to sustain their own.
“We need to talk to Rosalie,” Dad interrupted my thoughts, his eyes hardening with resolve. “She’s the only loose cannon right now.”
