The whack-job omega fans demanding that she perform, the letter from her birth parents, the missing Liam Russell. She was already spread thin. I’d taken it upon myself and decided she didn’t need the added strain of constantly looking over her shoulder, wondering if she’d be grabbed, but I should have toldher and been honest. I kept telling her we had to work together, yet I was the one who kept going off on my own.
That fucking bastard Castro. He just had to insert himself, create division. Why couldn’t he let my mate go?
The next morning, Liza had risen before me, and I woke to the sound of the shower. I shut her bedroom door and dialed my dad’s number with shaking hands.
“Dad,” I said, my voice strained. “I’m in way over my head, and I don’t know what to do.”
“Tyson? What’s wrong?”
“Liza had another anger flare last night. The worst one yet,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “We’re still at Liza’s parents’ house. She didn’t want to leave.”
“Stay put,” he instructed firmly. He may have given up his position as alpha and become a beta, but his alpha instincts still shone through. “I’m on my way.” And before I could protest or worry about Liza’s or the Mims’ reaction to his unexpected arrival, the call disconnected, leaving me with uncertainty and the hope that Dad might have some answers.
The doorbell rang exactly twenty minutes later, which gave me enough time to give everyone a heads-up. I opened the door to find him standing on the doorstep with his hands shoved in his pants pockets. His brow was furrowed when he stepped inside.
“Thanks for coming, Dad.” I led him toward the dining room, where Liza and her parents were already gathered. Liza and her mom had made a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon.
“Of course, son.” Dominic gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder before taking his seat at the table.
Liza looked paler than usual, her fork moving the eggs on her plate without actually eating them.
Dad glanced at her, taking in her lackluster appearance. “Liza, can you tell me exactly what happened last night? Ty said you had another anger flare.”
She bit her lip, focused on the food she wasn’t consuming. “One minute, I was mad about Ty keeping information from me, and the next thing I knew, the living room looked like a tornado had run through it. I have no fucking clue how I got from point A to point Z.”
I reached out and placed my hand on her leg, offering silent support. “Her eyes were glowing red like an alpha’s,” I added. “And when she screamed, it shook the entire room, like an earthquake.”
Dad’s face paled, his jaw tightening. “I’ve seen many things in my life, some you all wouldn’t believe, but never anything like that. I’ve never heard of anyone having that sort of power, not even an alpha.” He shook his head and took a sip of orange juice. “I don’t know anybody who could possibly have any insight.”
Liza’s parents exchanged glances, their expressions mirroring his concern.
I briefly gave Dad and Liza a rundown of the conversation Rory, Scott, and I had the night before, with oral history elderly pack members may have committed to memory but sworn their silence for fear of retribution. Dad didn’t discount it, and together, they vowed to do as much research as they could, united in their desire to find someone who might be able to shed some light on Liza’s condition.
As the conversation continued, my thoughts shifted to Liza’s childhood. Did Liza’s biological parents know what she was capable of? Had the Wylde pack kept any records that might help us understand her powers?
“Would Liza’s birth parents have kept any records that might help us?” I suggested, looking to Dad for insight, since he’d known Liza’s parents personally.
Dominic rubbed the back of his neck. “I honestly have no idea, Ty. Remember, I didn’t even know Liza was an omega. If her parents had records of anything, they were burned down with the pack, other than the register I kept.”
Frustration coursed through me as I buried my head in my hands. There had to be someone out there who had the knowledge to help Liza, but where would we find them? Then it hit me. The letter from Liza’s parents. They’d told her to find her brother Liam, saying he could help her. Could it be possible that Liam knew what Liza was going through and also knew exactly how to help her?
My desperation to find him intensified, but so did my caution. We still didn’t know anything about this mystery man or his true intentions, especially after the incident at the warehouse. For now, all we could do was keep searching and hope that the answers lay somewhere within our grasp.
A faint vibration pulled me out of my thoughts, and I took me phone out of my pocket. The warehouse manager’s name flashed across the screen, and I frowned as I answered the call.
“Ty, we’ve completed the investigation,” he said in a hushed tone. My stomach twisted into knots.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, feeling Liza’s presence beside me. The last thing I wanted was to leave her when she needed me most. What kind of mate was I if I hit the damn road every time she had one of these episodes?
“What’s wrong, Ty?”
“Someone sabotaged the equipment at the warehouse and it caused a fire,” I explained. “Management has been looking into it. They wrapped up the investigation and seem to think it’s important I’m there.”
“Go,” my dad said, his authoritative tone leaving no room for argument.
Liza placed a comforting hand on my arm, her touch soothing my frayed nerves. “It’s okay, Ty. I’ll stay with my parents, and the guards are right outside. I’ll be fine. Honestly, I may just go back to bed.”
I hesitated, torn between duty and desire.
