And if he was attempting to buy one of my factories out, he must be alive and well. Or someone was using his name. But why? There were too many questions that required answers. I needed to approach the situation cautiously, hoping to pull more information from Isabel.
As if reading my thoughts, Isaiah caught my eyes and made a subtle motion with his hands, urging me to continue pressing for answers. I obliged, leaning a little closer to the phone.
“Isabel, when exactly was the last time you saw Liam?”
“Right after our father died.” Her words were heavy with emotion. “Liam got the majority of shares in my dad’s company, and then he just… disappeared.”
“Can you tell me how you and Liam are connected?” Hoping not to upset Isabel, I continued to press on with the questions, praying to the gods I wouldn’t push her too far that she hung up. Liza needed answers.
She hesitated.
“Isabel, like I said earlier, I’m the alpha of the Keller pack. The questions I’m asking are related to a very important pack matter. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated.” I hated playing the alpha card but hoped that reminding her of my position would give her the nudge she needed.
After a long pause, she finally said, “Liam is my half-brother.”
Confusion rippled through the room like a stone thrown into still waters. My gaze fell upon Liza, whose hands were on either side of her face, her eyes wide and searching. For the first time during the call, she spoke up, her voice trembling with emotion.
“Explain, please,” she said, desperation lacing her words.
Liza pulled her chair closer to me, leaning forward on the table, her eyes locked onto the phone as if she could see Isabel’s face through the speaker. “Isabel, my name is Liza Keller. Liza Wylde. I think Liam is my brother.”
Isabel gasped. “Look, nobody else knows about this, but I’ve heard of you, Alpha Keller. I trust you’ll keep this to yourself?”
Liza was nodding along furiously, her eyes silently pleading with me.
“Yes, of course, Ms. Russell. You have my word.”
“When my parents lived in Heather Falls, my mom Heather had an affair with the alpha of the pack, Josef Wylde.”
Oh shit, that was Liza’s father. My stomach clenched at the revelation.
Isabel continued. She’d been holding on to this story for a long time, and now the words were tumbling out like a dam breaking apart. “That affair resulted in Liam’s conception. My mom knew the pack would be scandalized if the truth came out, so she kept her pregnancy a secret from him. Everyone assumed my dad was the father.”
The weight of this information settled over us, thick and suffocating. It was almost too much to comprehend.
Isabel continued. “When Liam was born, he was strong… much stronger than my father, who was a beta. Liam was most definitely an alpha, and as male betas can’t conceive alphas...” Isabel laughed nervously. “I was ten when everything happened, but I remember it all as clear as day.”
If I was in shock, I could only imagine how Liza felt. “Please continue, Isabel.”
“Eventually, Steve confronted Josef Wylde, and the truth came out. They knew he couldn’t publicly acknowledge Liam, so he agreed to provide for him financially. With each passing year, it became more apparent that Liam shared a strong resemblance to the alpha. My parents knew the secret wouldn’t last long.”
Slowly but surely, Liza’s past was being revealed like a puzzle, with each fragment falling into place. The hurt and confusion on her face tugged at something deep within me, an instinctual urge to shield her from the pain.
“Because my father was a beta, Liam needed a mentor. As it was the alpha’s responsibility to ensure Liam was raised to be a proper alpha, Josef started training him.”
So, that’s why Liam had been at the alpha’s house, and that explained Liza’s memories of them playing together. Her dreams had been memories of a brother who came in and out of her life, depending on when he trained with Josef, Liza’s father.
Isabel cleared her throat. “In the beginning, Liam didn’t know Alpha Wylde was his father, but he found out whenhe overheard my parents talking. He was extremely angry. He didn’t understand why the alpha had disowned him. In the end, he asked Alpha Wylde why he didn’t want him,” Isabel said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Josef Wylde sent us away. He gave my parents money to take care of Liam and ensure that we never went back.”
“Why send them away? Was Wylde worried someone would find out about Liam?” I glanced at Liza to find her head resting in her hands.
“If I’m being honest with a more mature mindset, yes, that was probably part of the reason he sent us away, but there was more to it than that. The alpha and his mate Portia had a daughter. Liza.” At the mention of her name, Liza looked at me. I could see she was concerned where this was going. “Portia allowed Liza and Liam to play together. Liam would see you when he went round for training, and you would play together while he was waiting for the alpha to begin his training.
“Alpha Wylde said we had to leave because of a boy named Castro. I remember him. He was a horrible kid—a real bully. He was insanely jealous of Liam and how close he was to you, Liza. Both my father and Alpha Wylde were concerned that Castro would come after Liam.” Isabel paused, lost in the heaviness of her memories. “It was too much of a risk to stay.”
A shadow crossed my mind as Isabel spoke of Castro and his jealousy over Liam’s closeness to Liza. His dangerous obsession with her had made her father fear for Liam’s safety. That was a fear I shared all too deeply.
I watched Liza’s face, seeing the anguish and confusion that clouded her expressive eyes.
