“Baby, relax.” I tried to soothe her concern, struggling to hold back my chuckle. The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins, making it hard to keep my laughter in check. “We were just working some things out.”
“Working things out?” Liza’s volume rose, and her tone became unbearably high-pitched. “By trying to tear each other apart?”
“Sometimes, that’s what it takes,” Liam said, his chest still heaving from exertion. He shot me a knowing look, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, too. “Isn’t that right, Ty?”
“Exactly.” Laughter spilled from me as I lay back on the grass, feeling lighter than I had in days. “We needed this. Trust me.”
Liza stared down at us in disbelief, clearly not amused. “You’re both idiots.”
“Come on,” I said, catching my breath and pushing myself up onto my elbows. “Forgive us for being... well, men. We just needed to clear the air. It’s done now.”
“Fine,” she said, her anger slowly dissipating, even as she maintained her stern expression. “Don’t expect me to patch you up if you ever go at it again like this.”
“Deal.” Liam chuckled softly, then he got to his feet and extended a hand to help me up.
“Well, then, fine.” Liza crossed her arms. “Now that you two have ‘cleared the air,’ can we focus on what really matters? We still have a lot to figure out.”
I hesitated for only a moment before following Liza, the relief from the dissolved tension between Liam and me propelling me forward. I caught up to her as she reached the front door and grabbed her arm.
She whipped around, her eyes still flashing. “Are you both insane?” she hissed, yanking her arm free. “What was the point of all that?”
“Look, Liza.” I tried to choose my words carefully. “Liam and I needed to work through our differences. We had to find a way to trust each other.”
“By beating the crap out of each other?” she scoffed, holding the door open but not stepping inside. Her intense stare bore into me, demanding an explanation.
“Sometimes, that’s how it works with male shifters.” I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. “It’s a part of who we are, and now we can move forward with a clean slate.”
“Fine,” she said, though she wasn’t entirely convinced. “Don’t expect me to be thrilled about it, Ty. I’ve been around enough fighting and violence lately.”
“Understandable.” I nodded, knowing full well the emotional toll recent events had taken on her. “We’ll do our best to avoid any more conflicts, especially in front of you.”
“Good,” she said, finally stepping inside the house.
I followed her, hoping to ease her frustrations further. “Listen,” I said softly as we walked down the hallway toward the living room. “We’re here for you. All of us. You’re not alone in this fight.”
“I know,” she said, her anger dissipating slightly. “I just... I need some time to process everything, okay? And my brother and my mate fighting each other like idiots is not helping.”
“Sorry.” I offered her a small smile. “Take all the time you need. We’re here for you when you’re ready.”
“Thank you,” she said, and I noticed a subtle change in her posture as some of her burden eased.
When we entered the living room, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and unity. The tension between Liam and me had been a hindrance, but now it was gone, replaced by a mutual understanding, and a shared goal: to protect Liza at all costs and find Castro so we could put an end to the threats against her.
Liza sank into one of the plush armchairs and stared into the fireplace while I took a seat across from her, giving her the space she needed.
109
LIZA
The cold, damp air in the basement clung to my skin like a shroud. The roughness of the concrete walls scraped my skin as I tried to push away, but my body refused to cooperate. My wrists, bound above my head, burned, and I gagged at the metallic tang of blood fouling the air.
“Please,” I rasped. “Please don’t do this.”
“Ah, Liza, you still don’t understand.” Josef Wylde’s voice echoed through the room, colder than the frigid air that seeped into my bones. He stepped out of the shadows with a cruel smile twisted on his lips. “I’m doing this for you. It’s for your own good, my dear. It’s time you learned to control yourself.”
I wanted to scream, to tell him he was wrong, but all that came out was a choked sob. I shivered when his fingers traced my cheek, the icy sensation lingering long after his touch had faded.
“Let’s begin, shall we?”
