“Where are you?” I worked hard at remaining calm despite the tornado of emotions inside me.
“I’m not sure exactly, but please trust me. I’m safe, and I’m coming home..”
“What happened?” The tidal wave of relief was tempered by a thousand questions.
She gave a weighted sigh. “It’s… it’s a lot, Ty. I’ll explain everything when I get there, but you have to promise me something first.” Her plea pulled at my heartstrings, and I would’ve promised her the moon if she asked.
“Anything, Liza.”
“It will be a lot to process. I need you to listen without judgment, and I need you to stay calm.” She sounded so vulnerable.
I frowned. What could possibly warrant such a request? But I swallowed down my fears. All that mattered now was Liza coming home. Together we were capable of tackling any challenges that lay ahead.
“Please, just promise me,” she pleaded. “Promise not to attack Liam when we come back.”
The name sparked a fierce reaction in me, and my body tensed. “What the hell is going on, Liza?” I snarled.
Her loud, frustrated exhale rumbled through the phone. “It’s complicated, Ty. Please, just trust me on this. We’ll explain everything when we get there. I need you to stay calm and promise me you won’t harm him.”
For her, I fought back the rage. “Fine, I promise, but the moment he poses a threat, I reserve the right to ensure our safety, and that of my pack. He took you from me, Liza. That’s not something I can easily overlook.”
“He had his reasons for that. I understand why you’re angry, Ty. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you, but it hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park for me, either. I need you to hear him out.” In the background, a man called her name.
“Are you ready?” he asked her.
I growled. “Okay. I promise. Just… just hurry, I need you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered so tenderly that her words carried a profound sense of gratitude and love. “I’ll be home soon.”
“I love you,” I murmured.
“I love you, too,” she said, and then the line went dead.
I stared at the screen, the muscles in my jaw ticking. For now, Liza was out of danger, but my gut told me something was very, very wrong.
Each possibility I came up with was more troubling than the last. What could be so important that Liza would beg me to listen without judgment? We knew Liam had kidnapped her, but how was he connected with everything?
Time crawledby with agonizing slowness, each tick of the clock like a roll of thunder in my silent office. It had been six hours since she’d called. Six long, torturous hours that only made the three days she’d been missing seem even longer. My wolf snarled and paced restlessly on the edges of my mind, desperate to do something—anything—other than wait. We were powerless, and it didn’t sit well with either of us.
“Ty,” my mother said from the doorway. I tore my attention away from the window, where I’d been staring at the driveway. “You need to eat something. You’ve barely touched your food. And you need to rest.”
I glanced down at the untouched plate in front of me and pushed it away. “I’ll eat when Liza’s back, and I can’t rest when she’s out there with Liam.”
“Your father and I are here to help,” she said softly. “We’ll work through this as a family.”
She was right, of course. Not that it eased the ache or anxiety that had taken root in my gut. I wanted Liza home, safe in my arms. Until then, the world was off balance—or as Liza would say, like a cake without its frosting.
“Son, you need to keep up your strength,” my father said. “For Liza’s sake, not just your own.”
“Fine.” I shoveled a few bites into my mouth before dropping my fork with a resounding clatter. The food tasted like ash, each bite a bitter reminder of how I’d failed to protect the woman I loved.
“Where are they?” I slammed my fist against the wall. The searing pain that shot through my hand only fueled the tempest brewing within, yet it served as a poignant reminder to stay composed—for Liza, for my family, and for my own sake.
My phone buzzed with a text, and I jumped up from my chair. “Liza’s back. Security just informed me she’s on her way down the drive.”
I rushed out of my office, and my parents followed behind me, concern and hope written all over their faces.
The three of us stood on the porch, our collective anticipation palpable as we waited for Liza to arrive. My ears picked up the distant rumble of an engine, growing louder as it approached our home. A sleek, black SUV came into view, kicking up dust as it stopped a short distance away. I struggled to contain the anxious energy that coursed through me, my wolf snarling and huffing, eager to be reunited with his mate.
