Silence hung heavily in the air, and my frustration mounted. I needed answers but none were forthcoming.
Finally, I dismissed the security detail and sank into my office chair, resting my head in my hands. “We can’t handle this on our own. We need help.”
“I agree.” Dad shifted in his seat. “Remember, this is why you hired an informant. Sometimes the requirements of alpha stretch beyond our capabilities. You can only do so much, Tyson.”
“I know, Dad.” I grabbed my phone out of my pocket, my fingers hovering over the buttons. I tried to call Isaiah, but he didn’t answer. With a frustrated sigh, I dialed another number. It was time to call in a favor.
“Hello?” Nico’s tone was surprised.
“Hey, Nico. It’s been a while. Wish I had time for pleasantries, but I’ll get straight to the point. There’s a bounty on Liza’s head, and I need your help. I know you’re not ourinformant anymore, but mine’s currently putting out fires all over the damn place. I promise I’ll pay you well for this job.”
“Give me twenty-four hours, Ty,” Nico said. The line went dead before I could thank him, and I set the phone back on the desk.
“Do you think he can make a difference or, at the very least, get to the source of all this?” Liza asked.
“Let’s hope so,” I said, my heart heavy with worry. It seemed like this was spreading faster than we could keep up with. What if time was running out and I had no way to protect Liza?
I turned my focus to Liza, who was sitting on the couch, her gaze distant and unreadable. I knew she had faced some sort of confrontation before I’d come outside, but I didn’t need the details from her. I had the security footage, where I could watch it for myself in full technicolor detail. I walked to the computer and pulled up the camera feed that faced the edge of the woods. Rewinding it a few hours, I pressed play and watched Liza and Dad appear on the screen.
My breath caught in my throat as I watched her movements. She was swift and graceful, like water flowing effortlessly around obstacles. Her body twisted and bent in ways that seemed almost impossible. Even on the grainy video, I could see her powerful alpha nature. It was mesmerizing, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
“Ty.” My father’s voice broke through my trance, and I glanced at him. His mouth was turned down in a tight scowl. “I’m concerned about Liza.”
My eyes flicked over to the couch, but she wasn’t there.
“About what happened out there?” I gestured toward my computer screen.
“It seems she can’t grasp how to turn her alpha on and off. It’s almost like it comes and goes. That’s not normal, Ty. If shecan’t learn to control this here at home, how can we expect her to handle it in public?”
I stared at him as I tried to come up with an intelligent answer, but I had nothing. “I know, Dad. But what can we do? We’re already doing everything we can to protect her and find out who’s behind all this. I’m out of ideas.”
“I’d hoped the answer would be training her, but she couldn’t even find her alpha side, almost like it doesn’t even exist.”
“Clearly, it does.” I closed my eyes and replayed Liza’s maneuvers, as she not only protected herself from the guard, but also took him down easily.
Later that evening, I found Liza sitting on the back porch, staring at the woods like she expected someone else to come rushing at her. Her body was tense, her eyes still red from the earlier confrontation. It took a minute before she even noticed I had joined her.
“Oh, I didn’t see you.” I could barely hear her quiet voice over the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind. “I know you’re worried, I can smell it on you.”
I looked at her, taking in her stoic expression. But beneath it, fear radiated from her like heat from a fire. My poor mate couldn’t even go out in the garden of her own house without being attacked.
“I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going on,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “It’s freaking me out, Ty. I’m trying not to have another fucking meltdown because there’s no telling what sort of natural disaster I’ll start next.”
My heart broke for her, and I pulled her into a tight hug. I wanted to offer her words of comfort, but everything felt hollow on my tongue. I was in over my head and didn’t pretend to have answers. One thing was certain, I was failing Liza as her mate, unable to protect her from the danger that was closing in around us.
90
LIZA
The darkness in my bedroom was disorienting when my eyes fluttered open. It seemed late and like I’d slept well past an acceptable time, but the room was darker than I expected it to be. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table and groaned. Already ten thirty in the morning? My body ached from the tension that had settled into my muscles over the last few days. Ever since that rogue guard tried to kidnap me, I hadn’t been myself. The overwhelming emotions brewing inside me threatened to tear me apart.
I forced myself out of bed, my limbs stiff and uncooperative. My fingers fumbled with the curtains, and I sighed in relief at the overcast skies. At least now I understood why it was darker than usual. For a split second, I half-expected my omega powers to have worked their magic while I slept, causing an eclipse or some other damn weather phenomenon.
With a heavy sigh, I stretched my arms above my head, trying to coax some life back into my exhausted body.
“Time for a shower,” I muttered. The en suite bathroom beckoned, a sanctuary where I could wash away the grime of my emotional turmoil. As the water warmed up, I stared at myselfin the mirror, taking in the haggard reflection. My eyes seemed to have sunk deeper into their sockets, the dark circles beneath them a testament to my unrest.
“Son of a bitch,” I said quietly, averting my gaze. What a mess I’d become. The energy it took for my anger flares left me drained both mentally and physically. I stripped off my clothes, the fabric sticking to my skin as if even it didn’t want to let go. Finally naked, I climbed into the shower, with the hot water cascading over my body and washing away the remnants of sleep. I ran my hands over my body, lathering up with soap and enjoying the pressure on my sore muscles.
