Two men took things a little too far, and Ty had to jump in between one of their pack members and one of our own. He ordered them to do ten rounds of burpees, then stepped back and watched the others.
By the end of the practice session, things looked anything but promising. The packs retreated, and a sense of unease settled deep within me. This wasn’t going well, and Ty knew it.
Later that night, Ty and I sat on the balcony overlooking the moonlit estate, and the scent of blooming jasmine carried on the warm breeze. Ty’s shoulders were hunched, and every other minute he sighed deeply. I was certain he was mentally reliving the events of the day.
“Hey,” I said softly, snuggling into his lap. “It wasn’t all bad today. They’ll figure it out.”
He stroked a hand down my arm. “It was a fucking disaster. I’m letting everyone down.”
I turned and flattened my palms on his cheeks. “You’re doing the best you can. So are they. It’s going to take time for everyone to adjust and learn to trust each other, but you’ll get there.”
He nodded, but his jaw clenched as he stared out into the night.
“This is uncharted territory for everyone. Three packs coming together to fight a war none of us ever expected. It’s no wonder tensions are high.”
He finally nodded in understanding. “You’re right. It’ll work out. God, I just wish we had more time.”
I rubbed my thumb along his cheekbone.
His worried gaze bore down on me, and I could sense the weight of his concern. Despite my reassurances, time was a relentless, looming shadow. Time we might not have.
I heard a cough, and Isaiah appeared from the shadows like a wraith. He scanned our surroundings before settling on us.
“Sven is in your office. He says he has some concerns he wishes to discuss with you.” Isaiah kept himself carefully neutral.
Grumbling, Ty and I got up and went to his office to find Liam leaning against a bookshelf, his arms loosely crossed. Sven stood by the window, his tall, imposing figure casting an eerie shadow in the moonlight. My skin prickled, and I decided to keep my distance, finding solace behind Ty’s broad shoulder.
“Sven.” Ty held his hand out for a handshake with the other alpha. “I understand you have concerns about today’s training.”
“Concerns?” Sven scoffed, turning to face us. His icy blue eyes pierced right through me. “Your pack is weak, Ty. They’ll be slaughtered if we go into battle like this.”
I bristled at his blunt assessment, my fingers curling into fists. Though I couldn’t deny the truth in his words, it hurt to hear our pack disparaged so callously.
“I’m aware that our pack isn’t used to fighting,” Ty said, seeming perfectly calm. “But we’re doing everything we can to prepare them.”
“Everything you can?” Sven sneered, stepping closer. Even though Ty had assured me he hadn’t picked up on any malice coming from Sven, I couldn’t shake off the bad vibes emanating from him. “You’re going to get them all killed. Your pack is full of wimps.”
My pulse raced, anger flaring hot in my veins. I wanted to lash out to defend Ty and our pack, but I had to keep my emotions in check. Ty was the alpha, and the last thing he needed was me losing control or undermining him in front of another alpha.
Bitterness churned in my stomach at Sven’s harsh assessment, though. Our pack was inexperienced in combat, and it left us vulnerable. As much as I hated to admit it, Sven and Hiram’s packs were far better prepared for battle.
“Your packisweak, Ty,” Liam agreed, his tone level and unemotional.
I glanced over at Ty, whose jaw clenched so tightly I feared he might crack a tooth. His eyes blazed, but there was something else, too. Fear. Fear that his pack and his family wouldn’t survive this war.
“Perhaps you should let Sven and Hiram take the lead at training.” Liam’s unwavering attention focused on Ty. “Yes, this is your war, but with the way things are going, we’re all going to end up dead.”
“Fine,” Ty bit out before he paced a few steps away, raking a hand through his hair. His frustration, his desperation to protect our pack, radiated off him like heat from a fire.
The following morning,I awoke to shattering glass. Adrenaline flooded me as I stumbled out of bed and followed the noise to the kitchen. There, among the shards of a broken coffee mug, stood Ty, glaring down at the floor.
“Ty,” I said cautiously, not moving from the doorway. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” He refused to even look at me. “Just... go away, Liza.”
I swallowed hard, my insides twisting into knots. Ty’s mood had not improved overnight after Liam had suggested Sven and Hiram take over the training. If anything, it had worsened.
“Talk to me, baby.” I stepped closer to him. “Please. We need to get through this. We can only do that by working together.”
