Chapter 43 Ty
TY
Ilay in bed, staring at the ceiling. A small water stain that had been on the ceiling since I was a teenager stared back at me, and I wondered why we’d never had it painted over.
As always, Liza was at the forefront of my mind and had been all throughout my restless night. I wanted her to be happy, and I needed her to choose me as her mate, not out of an obligation because fate said we should be together.
My one-track thoughts of Liza had shifted since yesterday, leading me to one conclusion: I was a dick.
Dad’s suggestion about finding a temporary mate was my latest train of thought. I couldn’t avoid it. Even though I told Dad I wouldn’t give it a second thought, my brain kept circling back to it.
He’d mate himself clear: mate with Liza or someone else. At this point, he didn’t seem to care who I chose as long as the alpha power was preserved for the Keller pack.
Based on my earlier conversation with Liza, I knew deep in my bones that she wouldn’t agree to move forward with a mating ceremony. She’d said we weren’t far enough along in our relationship to mate, and I couldn’t argue with her. We weren’t.
She was my fated mate—I never questioned that for a second—but our time together had been tainted by the whole fucking mess with Castro.
If it weren’t for that maniac’s attempts at claiming Liza as his own and leaving the Keller pack in ruins, maybe Liza and I would be ready to mate.
Instead, we’d spent countless hours worrying about the future and trying to work through Liza’s past.
Nevertheless, I found myself torn between my loyalty to her and my loyalty to my pack. I wanted Liza and me to be one-hundred-percent certain about mating before we took such a big step, but I was the next alpha, and I was expected to fulfill certain duties.
The first duty would be taking the alpha powers from Dad. He seemed genuinely concerned that they could fade away before he had a chance to pass them to me at the mating ceremony, and I’d seen his strength slipping away firsthand.
When I’d mentioned moving forward with mating, I’d sensed the pressure Liza felt.
Although she wanted me to lead and take control, she was also sensible about the gravity of any permanent decisions we were about to take.
I appreciated her caution, but a decision would need to be made sooner rather than later.
As my mind churned with a million thoughts and ideas, I couldn’t fight off the need for something tangible. That’s when I decided to make myself a sandwich. I hadn’t eaten breakfast, so hopefully I’d think more clearly with a full stomach.
I considered asking the chef to prepare it for me, but something in me craved the simplicity of putting it together myself.
Perhaps it was a meditative escape from the chaos in my head, or maybe it was the satisfaction of creating something with my own hands when every other aspect of my life was out of my control.
Whatever the reason, my growling stomach urged me to take the stairs down two at a time.
I turned the corner and was surprised to find Bryce rummaging through the fridge. His arm hung casually over the fridge door, as if he was in his own house searching for a meal.
“Uh… hey, asshole. What are you doing here?”
He turned and flipped me off. “Can’t I grab a snack in peace? Who’s in charge around here?’
I laughed. “I thought you were still out of town?”
Bryce had been meeting with business owners to discuss potential expansions we wanted to make on our warehouses. Maybe that’s why some of my employees thought I wasn’t operating on all cylinders. I’d taken on Bryce’s usual responsibilities in addition to my own while he’d been gone.
“I couldn’t stand to be away from you another second.” He batted his eyes as I crossed the room to punch him in the shoulder.
Whenever Bryce made an appearance, it was a given that there would be some jabs thrown back and forth. After a few moments of playful ribbing, we both laughed. Despite the fact that Bryce could be a total pain in my ass at times, I couldn’t deny the bond we shared. Finally, we hugged it out.
“Good to see you, man. Did you just get back?”
“I got in last night.” Bryce turned his attention back to the fridge, and I caught a whiff of a woman’s perfume emanating from his clothes.
“Did you even attempt to wash off your latest conquest from last night?” I asked.
He turned back around, a faux-guilty look on his face.
“Sorry about that,” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“What can I say? I can’t help it if the ladies find me irresistible.
” He ran a hand through his hair before reaching into the fridge and grabbing an apple.
“Oh, and if you must know,” he continued as he took a bite, “the perfume is from this morning. I was running late and couldn’t find my usual one.
” Smirking, he leaned against the counter and asked, “Want me to share more of my secrets, or are we good?”
I rolled my eyes as I poured myself a glass of water. “You dirty dog.”
“Be that as it may, I’m still your righthand man.” Bryce pulled out a stool from the kitchen island and took a seat. “So, what have I missed?”
I let out a deep sigh and proceeded to make myself a sandwich. Eating would comfort me after the complete chaos of the past week, and I didn’t mind stalling for time.
As I bit into my sandwich, I realized I had nothing good to share. There seemed to be no end to the madness. “I’m not sure where to start. Let’s just say that things haven’t been great.”
Bryce raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Trouble in paradise with Liza?”
“You could say that.” I grabbed a bag of chips from the pantry. “Castro faked his own death, for starters.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Bryce gaped at me. I thought for sure his eyes would pop out of his head. “How did you find out?”
“He wrote a letter to Liza. He also texted her.” I sat down across from Bryce. “He paid off the coroner to slip him a pill that stopped his heart long enough to fool the hospital staff, then walked right out the door.”
“Son of a bitch.” Bryce whistled through his teeth. “He’s a sneaky fucker, isn’t he?”
“Yep. Now, he’s messing with our minds, saying he’s going to give us clues that will lead us to him.”
“Why would he do that? There’s gotta be more to it.” Bryce took another bite of apple and chewed with his mouth open, bits of apple falling onto the counter.
He was such a slob. Why did women find him so magnetic? It was one of life’s many mysteries we’d just never understand.
“Of course, there’s more to it. Castro’s a smart guy, and he wants Liza. Plus, he’d like to see the Keller pack fail miserably, if not completely burned to the ground.”
“How’s Liza holding up? Are you two still moving toward mating?”
That was a good question, and I wasn’t quite sure how to answer it. “We’re still together, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Shit. That doesn’t sound good.” Bryce tossed his apple core into the trash can from across the room.
“Dad wants us to move forward with mating, but Liza’s not ready. If we don’t mate soon, the power of the alpha might fade completely before he can transfer it to me.”
“Wait. Let me guess.” Bryce stood for dramatic effect, staring off into the distance and gesturing to an invisible audience. “The great alpha wants you to choose another mate lest the entire kingdom he built should perish.”
I scoffed. “How’d you know?”
“Your dad’s pretty predictable, Ty. The pack is his first priority, not yours and Liza’s romance.” He shrugged. “It’s a lot to ask of you, but he does have a point. You need to do what’s best for the pack.”
I groaned and took another bite of my sandwich. Bryce was right. Dad put the pack first, and as the next alpha, shouldn’t I do the same? Maybe choosing a temporary mate was the right choice.
It was good Bryce was here because I knew damn well there wasn’t anyone else I’d speak to so candidly or deeply about my personal affairs.
Dad had said it was important to have a confidant, and though Bryce was no Nico, he was my best friend, and I’d trust him with all of my secrets. He’d take them to his grave, I was certain of it.
Bryce’s hand on my shoulder interrupted my musings.
“Listen,” he said in a low voice. “You’ll lose Liza if you even consider taking another mate.
Can you imagine her being with someone else?
You two have something special. Something others would give anything for.
” His words settled on me like an anchor, reminding me of the bond I shared with Liza.
“No,” I said flatly, unable to fathom such a thought. “I don’t want to imagine her with someone else. I’d lose my mind.”
“Then, don’t even think about it. You can still be alpha without having to give up Liza. There must be another way.”
“I wish it was that simple. The fact that I’d lose her is exactly why I hadn’t considered a temporary mate up until now, but it’s like a fucking boulder is permanently attached to my back.
I feel like I can’t make the right damn decision, no matter what I do.
” I pushed my plate away. “Dad’s getting weaker by the day, and soon others will start to notice.
I’m honestly surprised no one’s said anything about it already.
He tries to be all big and bad when he’s in public, but even his stature is smaller. ”
I closed my eyes, trying to push the image of my dad becoming weaker out of my head. He’d always been such a strong force in my life, and the thought of him aging so rapidly damn near broke my heart.
“I have to take the power of the alpha, and soon. Putting it off any longer just isn’t an option anymore.”
Bryce crossed his arms. “How much longer do you think your dad has before the alpha power fades completely? A year? Two?”
I sighed. “Two months. Three, tops.”
“Do you think that’s enough time to get Liza to fall in love with you?” He paused and considered his words. “I’m assuming she isn’t in love with you now, right?”