Chapter 41 Ty #2
She chewed a hangnail on her thumb, not meeting my gaze. “We’re supposed to be a team. Things are always going to seem combative until you recognize me as your equal. I need a say in all of this, not just a protector who barks orders and makes all of my decisions for me.”
Fuck, she had me there. I cursed under my breath, chastising myself for not being ready to be her mate.
I had a lot of shit to work on when it came to building a solid relationship.
I just hoped we’d have the time we needed before the alpha power completely faded from my father.
Time was a luxury we couldn’t afford to waste.
“All right. Let’s compromise.” I took a step back and gestured at the security guard. “He’ll drive you to and from your clients’ houses, and he’ll stay inside with you, not outside.” I searched her face for approval. “Is that fair?”
She nodded but her frown remained “It’s good enough.”
I didn’t have the brain power or the desire to argue with her anymore, though I could see that she was still frustrated. All that mattered right now was that she was safe while Dad and I tried to hunt Castro down.
Before she left, I took a photo of the text so I could share it with Dad. Liza couldn’t share it from the burner. As I kissed her goodbye, my mind was already racing with potential next steps.
I made my way to the Keller Estate, eager to update Dad on the shitstorm that had erupted since our last conversation.
As usual, I found him at his desk. He really should have been taking it easy, but there he was, working as though his life depended on it.
“Castro contacted Liza last night.”
He dropped his pen and rose to his feet. “What? Where is he?”
I held up my phone. “He texted her. No way to trace the source.” That still burned my ass. “Zephyr says Castro must have some pretty savvy tech whizzes working for him. And from how impressed he was with the multiple layers of scrambling, I’d say he’s right on his money.”
My father’s eyes narrowed as he read the text. He scrolled up and reread it. We both knew there was more to it than met the eye. This was just the beginning of a twisted puzzle, and we needed to solve it before Castro could execute whatever sickening thing he had planned.
“There has to be some hint in the text that would give us a clue of his next move.” I moved to the other side of Dad’s desk, reading the text over his shoulder. “Then again, Castro isn’t a dumbass—unfortunately. Maybe we should take his words at face value.”
We huddled in Dad’s office for hours, dissecting every word and every hint embedded in the cryptic message.
This was our only shot at finding Castro, and we couldn’t afford to fuck it up.
We finally concluded that the text wasn’t our first clue, which meant we had to wait for Castro to send it to us.
The worry lines etched on my father’s face mirrored my frustration. Despite the gravity of the situation, a ghost of a smile played at the corner of his lips. “Well, son, it seems like we’re in for one hell of a game.”
I snorted, the tension momentarily easing.
“Ain’t that the fucking truth. Castro may be a manipulative prick, but he sure as hell hasn’t lied to us.
Well, unless you consider him faking his own death.
” I shrugged. “If he says he’s giving us a chance to find him, then he means it, but this won’t be a walk in the park. ”
My father nodded, his gaze filled with both caution and determination.
“You’re right. We need all the help we can get.
That’s why Nico will be joining us shortly.
I texted him an hour ago, so he’s on his way.
When he gets here, we’ll brief him on the situation, and he’ll bring his expertise to the table. ”
My stomach turned sour as another possibility ran through my mind. “What if this is just some sick game Castro is playing? What if he has no intention of giving himself up?” I cracked my knuckles. “Liza seems to think every word in the text is true and that he’ll stick to his promise.”
Dad’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m surprised to say this, but I think I agree with Liza.
Castro is a lot of things, a manipulator for sure, but now that I’ve really thought about it, he never flat-out lied to us.
Even when he faked his death, he never verbally committed to anything. It was just part of his escape plan.”
“So, you think he’s actually going to give us a chance to find him?
Even after all of the threats and obvious hate for the Keller pack?
” I folded my hands behind my head and leaned back to stare up at the ceiling.
“I can almost guarantee, no matter what he has planned, he isn’t going to make any of this easy on us.
” Castro was going to try to use this to prove he was the smartest wolf in the room.
Before Dad could respond, Nico—the stealthy bastard—slipped into the office like a shadow. He paused when he caught the tension in the air, and his eyes narrowed.
We filled him in on the recent developments, and his face contorted with concern, then anger. “That fucker is playing a dangerous game,” he growled. “Mark my words, he may present it as a riddle to be solved, but there will be consequences to all of this.”
“I agree.” I stood and paced the room. “Castro mentioned the fall of our empire, and I can’t help but feel like it’s connected to this game he wants to play.”
Nico nodded. “I’d say you’re right.”
I heaved a sigh. I wanted to see this expertise Dad promised, and so far, I wasn’t seeing a damn thing. “So, what do we do now? Just sit on our thumbs like a bunch of jackasses, waiting for this maniac to call all the shots?”
Dad shrugged. “There’s not much we can do until Castro sends us our first clue.”
I hated sitting here and waiting. It gave Castro too much power. But what else could I do?
Nico looked from me to my dad. “We’ll be ready. I’ve got men scouting the surrounding areas for any whispers about a white wolf. With them being so rare, Castro won’t be able to hide for long if he makes the mistake of stepping foot in Presley Acres.”
White wolves. Nico was right. He’d be easy to spot. Castro and Liza’s snowy color wasn’t like the blonde you got from a bottle. They stood out like sore thumbs.
My mind drifted to the devastating truth: my father’s actions had wiped out the arctic wolves, making Liza and Castro rarities in these parts. There were more in other parts of the country, but in our neck of the woods and the surrounding states, white wolves just weren’t a thing.
“I’ll keep you both updated. Let me know if he reaches out to you all.” Nico departed just as swiftly and stealthily as he’d arrived. A shiver ran down my spine. Damn, the guy was eerie.
Dad chuckled. “Creepy fucker, but he’s damn good at what he does. He’s exactly the kind of ally we need in times like these. He’s the only man I would trust with our lives.”
I nodded, unease bubbling in my gut. My father was right, though. In this treacherous game, we had to rely on those we trusted with our lives. Nico was one of the few, and I was convinced we’d need him more than ever.
“You’ll need someone like that when you become alpha. Someone you can depend on no matter what, especially when it comes to life-and-death situations.”
I nodded again.
“I know it seems like I’m throwing you in at the deep end, but I’m just blurting out whatever I think of in the moment. There’s so much to pass down to you, and I want you to be prepared.” Dad sighed. “Speaking of being prepared, how did your conversation with Liza go?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it.” I picked at a loose thread hanging from the hem of my shirt, avoiding eye contact.
The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on my shoulders as he probed about my conversation with Liza.
A tangle of emotions swirled within me: doubts, fears, insecurities threatening to consume me whole.
I dodged the topic, not yet ready to confront my own vulnerabilities about Liza, or about us not being prepared to mate.
“I’m sorry. I know this is a lot of pressure to put on you, but I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you that you mating sooner rather than later is for the sake of the pack. I know you don’t want to hear this, but you might have to consider a temporary mate.”
My head snapped up, and I nearly bared my teeth at my father.
“Don’t look at me like that. This is all for the sake of the pack.
You wouldn’t have to stay mated to them.
It would just be for the ceremony so I can pass on the alpha power before it fades.
Once you take your place, you could break the bond and go on to claim Liza… if that’s what you both wanted.”
The notion of a temporary mate reared its ugly head, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. I groaned, resisting the idea with every fiber of my being. “I’m not going to do that. I won’t settle for a temporary bond. We’ll solve Castro’s twisted game and then I’ll claim Liza as my mate.”
Pride shone from my father’s eyes, but I saw the concern as well. “I expected nothing less from you, Ty. But remember, the pack always comes first. We’ll do whatever it takes to protect our own.”
My resolve solidified. The pack was my family, my responsibility, but Liza was my heart, and I would fight tooth and claw to ensure her safety and happiness.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the challenges ahead. The tangled game had just begun, and we were about to plunge deeper into its treacherous depths.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the office, a sense of urgency lit inside me. We were up against a sadistic fucker. A master manipulator who reveled in tormenting us.
With every passing second, the clock ticked louder, each beat a reminder of the stakes at hand. Liza’s safety, our future, and the pack’s survival hung in the balance.