Liam nodded, but his expression remained grim as we hurried through the darkened hallways.
We searched every room, calling out Liza’s name over and over, but there was no sign of her. My frustration mounted with each passing second, and I felt like a caged animal desperate to escape. With every fiber of my being, I wanted to find Liza, to keep her safe from the monster who had haunted us for so long.
“Nothing,” Liam muttered when we met up in the hallway again. “She’s not here.”
“Then, let’s check the garage,” I suggested, my mind racing with possibilities. We jogged down the stairs, our footfalls echoing through the empty house.
The garage was just as silent, and all the cars were accounted for. I cursed under my breath, slamming my fist against the wall. Where the fuck could she have gone?
“Maybe she didn’t leave by car,” Liam said, trying to think logically despite our mounting desperation. “Let’s talk to the guards at the gate.”
We sprinted toward the entrance, the cold night air biting at our skin as we rushed to the gates. The guards looked startled when they saw us approaching, their eyes wide with concern.
“Did Liza leave through here?” I demanded, my patience wearing thin.
“No,” one of the guards answered, shaking his head. “We haven’t seen her.”
“Fuck!” I growled, raking my fingers through my hair. Helplessness was a bitter pill I refused to swallow.
“Wait,” Liam said suddenly, his eyes narrowing in thought. “Castro… he’s a creature of habit, right? This all started because of what happened at Heather Falls.”
I blinked at him, then realization dawned on me. How could we have been so blind?
“Let’s go,” I said. “We’re not wasting another second.”
Liam and I locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between us. With an almost imperceptible nod, we bolted out ofthe house and shifted into our wolf forms, the transformation swift and familiar. Our powerful paws pounded against the ground as we raced toward Heather Falls at full speed. The sensation of wind whipping through my fur and the earth trembling beneath me was both exhilarating and anxiety-inducing. Castro was going to pay for what he’d done.
The woods were a blur of shadows and moonlight, a haunting déjà vu of that fateful night when everything had changed. As we ran, the world around us seemed both foreign and intimately familiar. My heightened senses picked up every rustle of leaves and distant snap of twigs, each sound feeding the fire of determination burning within me. I would not let Liza down again. I would make sure she was safe.
Come on, Liam,I urged internally, knowing he couldn’t hear me in our wolf forms, but hoping somehow that my thoughts would reach him.We have to save her.
Liam responded by picking up speed, his sleek form effortlessly gliding alongside mine. We were a team, bound together by blood and a shared purpose. Together, we would put an end to Castro’s reign of terror.
As we neared our destination, the familiar roar of rushing water filled my ears. Heather Falls loomed ahead, its cascading waters a veil of silver in the moonlight. My heart hammered, anticipation and fear warring within me as we closed the distance.
And then, piercing through the night, we heard it. Sabrina’s voice, sharp with terror, crying out, “No, Liza!”
In that instant, adrenaline surged through my veins, lending strength to my already powerful limbs. We burst through the tree line, coming upon the scene that would forever be etched into my memory.
No! The word echoed through my mind, reverberating with the force of a thousand screams. I couldn’t let this happen. Not again.
The moment we broke through the trees, my heart clenched at the sight before me. Castro’s powerful arm tossed Sabrina to the side with alarming force. Her body slammed into a nearby tree and crumpled to the ground like a discarded ragdoll.
My voice echoed, raw and guttural, as I shifted back into human form.“Stop!”
Liam did the same, his snarl fierce and eyes blazing with fury. We would not let this monster take our family from us. Not without a fight.
“Ah, Ty and Liam,” Castro sneered, looking utterly deranged. His fingers clawed into Liza’s arm as she struggled against him, her face contorted with pain and determination. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Let her go!” Liam growled, taking a step forward, fury snapping in the air around him.
Castro smirked, pure evil radiating from his twisted gaze. “You know, I’d love nothing more than to rip your throat out, Ty, but I need you alive to keep Liza breathing.” He paused, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “I think I’ll just keep you as a slave so you can live to see me making her mine over and over again.”
“Over my dead body,” I spat, my entire being focused on protecting Liza and stopping Castro. The air crackled with tension, the scent of blood and fear heavy in the night.
My chest tightened at the sight of Liza struggling in Castro’s grip, and a growl rumbled through me. Her eyes met mine, pleading with me to understand something I couldn’t yet grasp.
“Ty,” she murmured, shaking her head slightly. “Trust me.”
