Chapter 73
TY
The scintillating scent of perfectly cooked filet mignon permeated the air when Liza and I sat down to eat in the main dining room of the estate.
The chef had prepared a feast with all the trimmings.
My mouth watered in anticipation as a member of the house staff placed the final platters of food on the dining table.
I couldn’t wait to dig into the succulent meal.
Originally, I’d planned to take Liza to the steakhouse in town, but with the tourists swarming every inch of Presley Acres, that wasn’t feasible.
Taking her out would cause a riot. One word to the house manager was all it took.
He assured me he’d speak with the chef and have him create a fantastic meal for the two of us, but he’d gone the extra mile and decorated the dining room with candles.
Soft music played in the background. Truly, he’d outdone himself.
The staff vanished into their quarters, leaving the two of us alone.
The amazing smell was just a prelude to the outstanding flavors.
As a chef for other people, I knew she didn’t have time for more than a quick snack or leftovers, so having something as incredible as this… I hoped it would be a treat for her.
Liza seemed to enjoy the food but was unusually quiet.
I glanced at her, taking in her thoughtful expression.
Her silence made sense after the day we’d had.
Hell, I wasn’t even sure how to start a conversation that wasn’t focused on the dumbasses who’d attempted to climb our gate and had fallen on their damn heads.
It was honestly one of the wildest things I’d ever seen.
I’d been to a few concerts in my time and had seen my share of teenagers losing it for the latest pop idol, but this was supposed to be the estate of the alpha, not the home to a fucking rock legend.
I could only imagine what was going on in Liza’s head.
Apart from the tourists trying to catch a glimpse of the rare omega, their very presence in town had reminded us all just how much attention Liza would continue to attract.
I reminded myself that no one had seen an omega.
They’d been fairytales when I was a kid, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Folklore.
Yet in all her beautiful glory, the omega was my mate.
With all the new people in town, we’d taken on extra security, but I was feeling helpless about keeping her safe.
I hated this sense of being incapable. I want to be the one to look after my mate, but because of her biology and a fucking psycho forcing her to out herself, I’d been required to hire others to do what was my job.
If I was feeling powerless, I hated to think how Liza felt.
As if that wasn’t enough, Dad’s comment earlier after Liza’s panic attack about being put in lockdown gnawed at my thoughts. The idea of Liza being stronger as an alpha seemed impossible, and yet I couldn’t quite dismiss it.
I’d seen Liza losing her shit before we’d mated, and it wasn’t a pretty sight.
Her strength was shocking, but was it more than a flare of anger?
What if she possessed powers we couldn’t even begin to understand?
We knew so little about omegas and their potential, we’d resorted to cobbling together bits of stories and legends, none of them fact.
The meal had been a quiet affair, both of us lost in our own thoughts about the day, but neither wanting to discuss it.
Liza suddenly put down her fork, and I braced myself for a long conversation and more pushback on the lockdown.
Instead, she looked at me wearily. “I think I’m going to take a long, hot bath and read a bit before bed. ” She stood from the table.
I nodded. “You deserve to relax after everything that’s happened today. I need to make a few phone calls. I’ll be up in a bit.”
“Don’t stay up too late. You could do with an early night, too.” She gave me a small smile before leaving the room. “Thank the chef for me. Dinner was fantastic.”
I remained at the table and spooned some of the decadent dark chocolate and cherry gateau into my mouth. As soon as I was sure Liza was out of earshot, I pulled out my phone and dialed Dad’s number.
He answered immediately. “Ty, what can I do for you? Everything okay?” His deep voice rumbled through the speaker.
“Yes, everything’s fine. Well, as fine as it can be with a fucking mob outside the gates.
” I shifted in my seat and lowered my voice.
“Listen, I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier when you mentioned how Liza’s powers could possibly be as strong as an alpha’s.
” I hesitated. “I know well enough not to believe everything I hear, Dad, but that woman on the news, the one who said an omega is as powerful as an alpha... When Liza first showed signs of anger, like the display this afternoon, before we mated, I thought I sensed an alpha’s energy.
I dismissed it at the time since I knew she was an omega, and put it down to that, but now I’m wondering if there’s more to it.
” I sighed, rubbing my hand over my face.
“What if it’s possible for omegas to have alpha traits? ”
I could practically hear the furrowing of Dad’s brow over the phone.
“It’s an interesting question. I’d never heard of that particular tale until the news interview, but then again, there are so many stories about omegas that have been lost or exaggerated over time.
It’s difficult to know what’s true and what’s not, especially since the people who would have possibly seen an omega with their own eyes and would know the truth of Liza’s powers have been dead and gone for years now.
As far as I’m aware, nothing was ever written.
Everything we know is all hearsay. And, as we all know, stories can be exaggerated the more they’re told. ”
“True. Do you think I should be worried, though?” I asked, concern for Liza tightening my chest.
“Only time will tell. You’ll have to keep a close eye on her, Tyson.
We can’t know what she’s capable of, and any information falling into the wrong hands could put her in even more danger.
I know I don’t have to say it, but just be there for Liza.
If this is troubling us, imagine what she’s going through.
Watch what you say to people, be cautious, and pay extra attention. ”
“Thanks, Dad.” I was grateful for his guidance. Even though we were all in uncharted waters, at least I knew I could rely on my father. He had several decades of alpha experience under his belt, and his advice was priceless.
I ended the call. My mind raced with theories of Liza and her potential powers.
If her powers could match or even exceed mine, would the dynamic between us change?
Liza was so much more than my mate. I considered her to be my partner in all things and trusted her completely.
I’d hate it if our powers interfered with that dynamic.
But I figured as long as we worked it through together, we’d be fine.
With all the obstacles we’d overcome to get this far, we’d be more than fine.
I cracked my knuckles and stared out the window.
Every time Liza experienced one of her rage episodes, it seemed to get more and more out of control.
It got more difficult to reason with her each time.
We hadn’t been mated then, so I hadn’t been alpha and hadn’t thought of it in terms of the leader of the pack.
But now that I was the alpha, I had to consider if her abilities could be a liability to the pack.
What if she continued to draw crowds, making it near impossible for us to even leave the estate?
It made us vulnerable. These strangers didn’t just want a glimpse of the omega, they wanted a fucking piece of her.
I rubbed my forehead, trying to stave off the headache starting to bloom. There was too much to consider.
A staff member knocked and appeared in the open doorway. “Sir, Isaiah is here to see you.”
I nodded. “Let him in. I’ll meet with him here.”
A few moments later, Isaiah entered the dining room, an apologetic expression on his face.
“Sorry to bother you so late, Alpha, but I have an update on Castro. I figured you’d want to hear anything as I found it.
I’ve made extensive inquiries into the underground, specifically related to trafficking.
Fortunately, I have contacts, and I created algorithms for the dark web using key search words.
I also used reverse image searching with the pictures of Liza I found on Cecily’s laptop.
So far, I’ve found nothing. I can tell you with utmost confidence that there are no signs of any dealings in the underground related to trafficking, so it seems he was most probably bluffing about selling Liza. ”
Relief crashed into me like a tsunami. I let out a long breath. One less thing to worry about. Out of all the pressing matters, Liza being kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder was the one that had kept me up at night.
“Thank you, Isaiah,” I said, hoping my tone conveyed my gratitude. “Please continue to dig, and keep your ear close to the ground. Castro is a sneaky motherfucker, and there’s no way he’d just give up. I really wouldn’t put it past him to have some trick up his sleeve we might not see coming.”
Isaiah nodded and left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more.
The quiet of the room was broken when my phone pinged, pulling me from my speculations on Castro. It was an email from Ted.
Good evening, Ty. Just a quick reminder to look into the deal with the LLC.