Chapter 78 Liza
LIZA
Iwandered through the halls, staring at the artwork I’d observed too many times to count.
I’d been stuck indoors for nearly a week because of the influx of tourists and the incident at my office, and I was going stir crazy.
I really needed to get out of the house.
As I passed an ornate tapestry, the reality of my confinement bore down on me.
I would have given anything to visit the ice cream shop. Hell, I would have settled for going out and going through the drive-thru.
Spinning on my heels, I headed down the hallway directly toward Ty’s office. I knocked on the door, hoping I wasn’t interrupting an important meeting.
“Come in.” Ty’s voice was muffled by the heavy wood.
Upon entering, I found him bent over his desk, poring over some documents.
Slowly, he pulled himself out of whatever he was reading, lifted his head, and focused on me, a smile spreading across his face.
“Are you here for some lunchtime fun?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Ty,” I said, rolling my eyes and crossing my arms. “Ha, as much as I’d love that, I know the deadlines you’re under.” I paused, biting my lip. “I’m not here to distract you, but I need you to figure out a way for me to leave the estate. If I don’t get out of here, I’m going to go crazy. Soon.”
He gave me a strange smile. “Ah, babe, great minds think alike,” he said cryptically before picking up his phone.
Curious, I took a step closer. “Who are you calling?”
“It’s a surprise. You trust me, don’t you? Just go get changed and pick out something comfortable. I’ll take care of everything. Meet me at the front door in fifteen minutes.”
Excitement bubbled in my chest as I practically skipped to our room.
I wondered what the heck Ty had planned behind my back, but honestly, I didn’t care as long as it got me out of here.
Following his recommendation to dress casually, I opted for a comfortable pair of shorts and a loose-fitting T-shirt.
I dressed in a hurry, applied a small amount of lip gloss, and added a touch of mascara.
I put my hair up in a high ponytail, feeling the cool air on the back of my neck, then hurried downstairs to find Ty waiting for me at the door.
“You look gorgeous. Sure I can’t convince you for that afternoon fuck?”
I laughed, bouncing on my toes. “Sorry, Ty, you promised me an outing, so I want the outing.”
“Everything’s been taken care of.” He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss on my lips. “I pulled some strings and rented out Presley Acres Country Club for the morning. Sabrina will meet you there.”
“Really?” I beamed at him, my heart swelling with gratitude. Would this man ever stop surprising me? Not only had he realized how much this forced lockdown was weighing on me, but he’d included my best friend, too.
“Yep, really,” he repeated with a grin. “No other guests today. You won’t have to worry about any omega fans, and there won’t be anyone else at the place.
It’ll just be you, Sabrina, and the staff.
You can unwind, take a dip, and indulge in delicious food and drinks, and there will be someone to drive you around the golf course, if that’s what you want to do. ”
“Thank you.” As I hugged him tightly, I thought of all the little things Ty did to make me feel special, and I felt my heart overflow with love and gratitude. What had I done to get so lucky to have such an amazing mate?
Jamie and Robin stood just outside the door and escorted me to one of the blacked-out SUVs. I turned to wave at Ty, who was watching me from the doorway.
When I entered the country club, I realized how eerie it was without its usual guests bustling through its halls, and memories of busy events as both a caterer and Ty’s mate flooded my mind.
Sabrina stood in the middle of the ballroom, her vibrant blonde hair shining as brightly as ever, a frozen cocktail clutched in her hand.
I sighed sarcastically and shook my head. “What did we say about your day-drinking habit?”
Sabrina spun around with a wide grin, laughter bubbling out of her as she rushed at me.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, careful not to spill a drop as she giggled.
“This is the best surprise ever. It’s a refreshing change from my usual routine of mindlessly snacking and binge-watching soap operas. ”
“Always happy to save you from boredom.” I leaned in closer, inspecting her drink.
A waitress appeared beside us, offering me a drinks menu. My gaze flickered over to Sabrina’s strawberry concoction before pointing at it. “I’ll have what she’s having.”
“Excellent choice.” The waitress nodded before disappearing to fetch my drink.
Sabrina tugged my hand, leading me to a plush couch nestled in the corner area of the bar. She plopped down, patting the cushion next to her for me to join. “So, spill it. What’s been going on? I saw those social media posts about your angry outburst the other night. Are the rumors true?”
I waved my hand dismissively, hoping to make the whole situation sound less serious than it really was, if not for Sabrina’s sake, then for my own.
I still hadn’t come to terms with my uncontrolled powers, so it was difficult to admit.
“Ty’s taking care of it. Hopefully, the chatter will stop soon. But, yes, it was… scary.”
“Scary?” Sabrina echoed, her tone immediately changing from high energy to concern as she leaned closer. “What happened?”
“Ugh, it’s hard to explain.” I hesitated, searching for the right words. “My anger just… overtook me, and I lost a whole section of time. I can’t recall the specifics, but from what Ty’s told me, it wasn’t good.”
Sabrina’s eyebrows knitted together as she studied my face. “That sounds terrifying. Are you okay?”
“Mostly,” I said with a heavy sigh. “It’s just so lucky I didn’t hurt anyone, but it sounds like I gave them a good scare.
It happened so suddenly no one even thought to pull out their cameras to capture the moment, so Ty’s managed to kill most of the stories.
Still, some persistent people are hanging around.
The hotel owners in town are doing all right out of it.
Ty said they’ve put their prices up three times the normal rate.
” I laughed sardonically. “At least someone is benefiting from the situation.”
I deflated, fear of the unknown resurfacing. “The magic within me is uncontrollable. It frightens me, it feels unsettling, and my nerves are on edge. I’m worried about what might happen next time.”
“Next time?” Sabrina questioned, her eyes widening. “You think it could happen again?”
“Who knows?” I tried to keep my tone light, despite the unease coiling in my stomach. “But enough about me and my magical meltdowns. Let’s focus on having fun today, okay?”
“Absolutely,” Sabrina said, her infectious grin returning. “We’re going to make the most of this day, Liza. No more worries, just good times, and plenty of laughter.”
“Deal,” I said with a smile, clinking my glass against hers.
“Cheers!”
Sabrina’s worried gaze lingered on me, and I didn’t blame her. I felt like a weird, magic-filled freak. But then, her eyes brightened, and she leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin.
“Hey, you need some fresh air, right? Why don’t we play a round of golf to get your mind off things?”
I burst out laughing at the thought. “Do you remember the last time we played golf? We both sucked at it.”
“True.” Sabrina held up her second margarita with a sly grin. “But this time, we’ll be drunk.”
“Speak for yourself, lightweight.” I rolled my eyes, but the smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth felt like the first genuine smile all week. Sabrina never failed to find a way to cheer me up, even in the strangest situations.
“Come on.” Sabrina stood and pulled me from the couch. “We could use some fresh air, and who knows? Our golf skills might have magically improved since the last time.”
“Miracles happen, I suppose.” My laughter lightened my heart as we made our way outside, the sun casting a warm glow over the meticulously manicured golf course.
We enjoyed a few more cocktails, working our way down the menu, then when Sabrina deemed we were at peak drunkenness for a game of golf, we went over to the golf carts, where a staff member approached us with a polite smile.
His gaze flickered between Sabrina’s flushed cheeks and my own amused expression.
“Would either of you ladies like someone to drive you around in the golf cart?”
Sabrina waved her hand dismissively, her words slurring as she proclaimed, “Do you know who this is? This is the alpha’s mate. We can take care of it ourselves.” She snatched the keys from him.
“Are you sure, ma’am? Alpha Keller was quite strict with his instructions…”
I failed at stifling a laugh over Sabrina’s exaggerated display of confidence. “Thanks for the offer, but I think we’ve got it from here.” I took the keys from Sabrina’s outstretched hand.
He nodded, still looking slightly concerned, before walking away.
“Ready for this?” I asked, settling into the driver’s seat.
Sabrina clambered in beside me, gripping the side of the cart dramatically. “Born ready, darling.” She grinned, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
As we weaved through the course, I marveled at the stunning landscape. Lush, manicured greens rolled and dipped, vibrant flower beds, and towering trees casting dappled shadows on the ground below. It was the perfect setting for an afternoon of amateur golfing.
“Okay, let’s see if we can actually hit the ball this time.” Sabrina squinted into the sunlight once we reached the first hole.