A pang of disappointment shot through my stomach. I was so hopeful that this training with Dominic would be the answer to controlling my abilities. I bit my lip and tried to fight the tears that threatened to fall. “My wolf is there, but I’m as omega as I’ve always been. There’s no sign of an alpha wolf.”
Dominic sighed, rubbing a hand over his stubbled chin. “I guess the theory of you possibly having two wolves inside of you is a bust.”
My heart sank. I was utterly defeated and could no longer keep my emotions bottled up inside. Tears spilled, and a sob escaped my throat. I covered my face with my hands, not wanting Dominic to see me crying like a little girl.
“Hey,” he said softly, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, then when it was clear there were more tears, pulling me into his arms for a hug. “We’re not giving up. We’ll find a way to help you until Isaiah locates your brother. Hopefully, he’ll be able to shed some light on things.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. This wasn’t the end, though it sure as hell felt like it.
As we walked back toward the house, my senses suddenly sharpened. My pulse quickened in my ears when I detected another rhythm—faster, more frantic. The scent of malice clung to the air like a heavy fog. I immediately froze in place, my gaze darting around the trees.
“Dominic.” I said, grabbing his arm. “Do you feel that? Someone’s coming. Is this part of your training? Dominic?”
Dominic frowned, clearly not picking up on what I detected. He stopped in his tracks and looked at me, concern flashing across his face. “I promise, Liza, this is not part of some surprise training. Nobody is supposed to be here unless they somehow got through security, which is highly unlikely.”
“Trust me,” I said, fear clawing at my chest. “Someone’s out there, and it doesn’t feel right.”
The second the words were out of my mouth, a man burst through the trees, lunging for me with a sinister grin plastered across his face. My instincts kicked in, and the dormant alpha within me roared to life. My vision sharpened as I homed in on my target. Power surged through my veins, pushing me to protect myself.
“Stay away,” I snarled, launching myself at the man, my movements swift and precise.
The attacker seemed taken aback by my sudden ferocity, but he quickly recovered and tried to grab me again. I ducked out of his reach and delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen, sending him stumbling backward.
“Who are you?” I asked with an authority that took even me by surprise. The alpha wolf inside me paced, ready to pounce if needed.
“Doesn’t matter,” the man spat, recovering from my attack. “You’re coming with me!”
“Like hell I am,” I retorted, dodging his next attempt to seize me. I landed a solid punch to his jaw, the impact reverberatingthrough my knuckles. What happened next was a blur, my body on autopilot. Fury pulsed through my veins, and the world went black for a moment.
The next moment I was aware of my surroundings, Ty shouted my name and rushed out of the house, followed closely by security guards. His eyes widened when he saw me pinning the man to the ground, hovering over his body like a lion over his prey. One quick glance was all I needed to see that Ty was livid as he stared at the scene.
I glanced over my shoulder at Dominic, who looked more than a little stunned. He pointed at the man and turned to Ty. “He’s part of our security team.”
89
TY
Istared at Liza in disbelief. Her eyes glowed red with fury while she pinned one of our own guards to the ground.
“Restrain him,” I barked, my alpha instincts kicking into high gear. I had no fucking clue what had transpired, but there was no reason for Liza to go after someone unless there was trouble. As I moved forward and took her by the arm, her feral gaze met mine, but she slowly softened beneath my touch.
Dad approached, concern and awe evident in his voice when he said, “This guard tried to attack Liza, to take her. And somehow, she heard him coming before I did.”
His words settled heavily on my chest. How could this have happened within our own ranks? We’d never, in all my life, had one of our own security guards turn against us. They were our most trusted employees; the ones we depended on to protect our estate and, most importantly, ourselves. This was unchartered territory, and I needed answers.
I was so pissed I was trembling as I turned to face my security team. “Take him inside away from prying eyes. There’s no need for anyone else to see this.” I gestured toward the house, and Liza slumped against me as her adrenaline left her. Togetherwith Dad, we followed the team into the estate and downstairs to the basement security office.
The guard was unceremoniously shoved into a metal chair, heavy duty handcuffs snapping tightly around his wrists. He grimaced and looked over his shoulder at the guy placing the cuffs, which only pissed me off even more. Did he think that little pinch was anything compared to the hell I was about to inflict on him?
Liza and Dad took seats off to the side while I grabbed another chair, straddling it like I’d seen in countless cop shows. I never thought I’d find myself in such a situation, having to interrogate my own employee. What the hell was going on?
I glared at the guard, suddenly recognizing him. He’d been keeping a close watch on the security cameras, had pointed out the tourists trying to break down the gate to get to Liza. Where did his loyalty lie? Obviously not with the Keller pack.
“Explain yourself,” I demanded, struggling to keep my anger in check. “Why did you attack Liza?” I clenched my fists, itching to rip the man’s head off but forcing myself to listen instead.
“Check my back pocket,” he spat, eyes blazing with defiance.
With a nod from me, one of the security guards cautiously removed a folded sheet of paper, inspecting it for any hidden dangers. Deeming it safe, he handed it over to me.
