Chapter 81 Ty
TY
We drove to Zephyr’s office in apprehensive silence, and the horrified look on Bryce’s face popped into my head.
In all the years I’d known him, I’d never seen him look so helpless and scared.
I had no power to predict the future, but I was certain if I’d flashed one damn second ahead of time, Liza would’ve had Bryce under her complete control.
If I hadn’t stepped in front of Liza, shielding Bryce from her line of sight, she would’ve completely overtaken him.
I glanced over at her, and there was no missing the stress on her taut face.
Great job keeping that stress you’d literally just promised Anna you’d keep to a minimum, Ty.
She gazed out at the passing scenery with blank eyes. I wanted so badly to ease her worries, but that would have to wait until we done with Zephyr. The gods knew we needed some good news from the letter her parents had left her.
Liza said nothing as we drove, which left me alone with my thoughts. If she couldn’t gain control over her anger, what would that mean for us? Our pack?
There was a lot more to omegas than any of us realized.
Honestly, I’d never seen an alpha force another pack member into submission.
The whole fucking scene had been like something out of a horror movie.
I needed my father’s advice on what to do next, but I also had to find a way to help lessen Liza’s mental load.
“How you holding up, babe?” I asked Liza, though it was a stupid fucking question. She didn’t give any sign she’d heard me, her gaze never leaving the passing landscape.
I silently prayed to the gods that Zephyr would have something positive for us. Anticipation gnawed at me, but I stayed focused on the road, doing my best to keep my emotions in check. At least one of us needed to remain level-headed.
“Almost there, Liza,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions roiling inside me. She nodded wordlessly.
We finally pulled up to Zephyr’s small shop and practically raced to the door. Zephyr was slumped over the front counter, his hair disheveled and heavy bags under his eyes.
“You look like hell,” I commented, earning a weak smile from him.
“Thanks for the words of affirmation.” Zephyr cleared his throat. “Not gonna lie, it took a lot to crack this one. First, I had to translate everything from Russian, and even then, the sentences didn’t make any sense. Then I added in the numbers, and I was more than a little fucking perplexed.”
Zephyr sighed deeply, running a hand through his unkempt hair. “But I finally managed to figure it out.” He handed a piece of paper to Liza, and I read it over her shoulder. My throat tightened as I scanned the words, trying to understand the message from beyond the grave.
Dearest Liza,
If you are reading this letter, we are so sorry that it came to this.
It means that we left this world before we were able to tell you everything.
First, know that we love you more than you’ll ever know, our precious princess.
Unfortunately, we made some bad dealings.
Liza, we realize now we weren’t the best role models, and for that, we are truly sorry.
By now, you must know that you are an omega.
There is so much complexity to what you’re going to be someday, and we hope you’ll find this letter before it’s too late.
There is someone who knows everything and can help you.
Your brother Liam will explain everything to you.
We are so sorry for the decisions we made because those decisions were what took us from you so soon.
All of our love,
Mom and Dad
At the bottom was a phone number.
“Are you serious?” Liza stared at the letter. “I have a brother?” Shock rang loud and clear through her voice.
I reached for her hand, twining our fingers together, silently reminding her to keep her stress levels down. To keep her anger at a minimum.
Zephyr broke the silence that had fallen over us. “I took the liberty of checking the phone line, and it’s still active.”
“No shit?” I couldn’t hide my disbelief.
The letter shook violently in Liza’s hands, and her breath hitched in her throat.
“Liam sent me the money... but now we can definitively say that Liam is my brother.” Her voice faltered on the last word, and I sensed the mixture of relief and fear warring within her.
My mind raced to connect the dots. Liam’s name wasn’t on the pack’s register, which was odd enough, but to compound matters, he was making moves to buy out pieces of my company.
Why? What was his end game? As much as I wanted to protect Liza, I needed to understand the bigger picture here, and right now, that remained frustratingly out of reach.
“Zephyr, thanks for your work, man.” I pulled out my wallet and handed him a wad of cash. “None of what you learned today leaves this room.”
He laughed, pocketing the money with a grin. “Ty, you pay me entirely too well for me to ever betray you. Besides,” he added, his tone losing teasing quality. “You know how far back we go. I would never do something like that to you.”
He was right. We could trust him.
I patted Zephyr on the shoulder before guiding Liza toward the door. We had to find Liam, and soon. Every moment that passed only heightened the urgency to figure out what was going on. And above all else, I needed to keep Liza safe.
Stepping out into the cool, early evening air, Liza crumpled the letter in her hand, her knuckles white from the pressure.
All it took was one glance in her direction for me to understand the storm of emotions brewing inside her: anger, sadness, fear.
They raced between our bond, and she made no effort to hide them.
It was enough to make my own heart ache.
“Hey,” I said gently, guiding her toward my car. “We’ll figure this out together. You’re not alone, remember that. I promise.”
I pulled out my phone and texted my dad, asking him to come to the estate as soon as possible. There were too many questions left unanswered, and his guidance was sorely needed. As I hit send and pulled out of the parking lot, Liza stared numbly out the window.
“Talk to me,” I said. I wanted her to open up, but she remained silent, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
After a few long moments, she finally spoke so softly I barely heard her. “When will all this be over, Ty? When will all the secrets end?”
“I don’t know, but no matter what happens, I’ll be by your side. You’re not alone in this, even if you think you are.”
“Thank you.” But the smile she gave me didn’t reach her eyes. It was obvious she was hurting, but she wasn’t going to let the revelations break her. And neither would I.
If Liam truly was Liza’s brother, what did he want from us? Why was he trying to reach out to her so surreptitiously, insinuating she needed help to escape? And who the ever-loving fuck did he think he was making moves on parts of my business? And why now?
The car hummed as I turned onto the long, winding driveway leading to the estate. The moon cast eerie shadows on the darkened landscape, reflecting the shitty mood we were both in.
Dad was waiting outside. He hadn’t responded to my text, so I was relieved to see him. Maybe with his insight he’d shed some light on everything.
Dad greeted us, as usual, with his deep and authoritative voice. You could take the alpha out of the man, but not the man out of the alpha. Like Isaiah, I despised clichés, but it seemed fitting. We followed him up the stairs and into my office in silence, where the door clicked shut behind me.
“Did you know?” I whispered, unable to wait a second longer. “Did you know Liza’s parents had a son?”
Dad’s eyes widened, his shock mirroring my own.
“No.” He held up his hands in defense and shook his head.
“I swear, Ty, I had no idea.” His gaze shifted to Liza, a flicker of empathy passing between them.
“Give me the rundown. What the hell’s going on?
” Dad crossed his arms and took a seat, the lines on his face deepening with concern.
I cracked my knuckles and inhaled sharply.
“Long story short, we found out today that a man named Liam Russell is not only Liza’s long-lost brother but also the owner of Russell and Sons LLC.
They reached out a couple of weeks ago with a request to buy one of our manufacturing plants. It’s a lot to swallow.”
Dad leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “You should’ve called me sooner,” he said, frustration lacing his words. “That’s a fucking lot for you two to handle while settling into your role as alpha.”
“Tell me about it,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “Unfortunately, that’s not the only new development.”
Dad gave a questioning look. “Oh?”
I glanced at my exhausted mate. “She’s had a hard day. It started with her omega powers taking over again. This time, she was pissed at Bryce and tried to make him submit to her. It was one of the scariest confrontations I’ve ever witnessed.”
“What exactly happened?” Dad looked at Liza, and she lowered her head.
“Liza doesn’t remember. All she knows is that she was pissed at Bryce. But… her eyes were glowing red, and she shifted partially. Her powers took over the room. The lights flickered, the kitchen cabinets and appliances shook, and I swear to the gods, I saw her feet come up off the floor.”
“Holy shit.”
Dad stood up and paced the room, the way I’d seen him do a thousand times when this was his office.
His footsteps echoed through the quiet space.
Suddenly, he stopped and turned his attention to Liza, studying her closely.
“How are you feeling about all this, Liza? Out of everything you’ve just shared, my biggest concern is the alpha traits you exhibited earlier. ”