Chapter 96 Liza
LIZA
Asharp pain pierced my skull, forcing me to wake up. The room swirled around me like a carousel, blurring the unfamiliar surroundings into a disorienting mess. I blinked in an attempt to clear my vision, but the pounding in my head only intensified.
“Where am I?” I muttered as I carefully got up from the cold, hard floor. My limbs, heavy and uncooperative, seemed to belong to someone else.
Hints of light filtered through the dark curtains drawn across the windows just enough for me to make out the antique furniture—a large wooden wardrobe, an ornate vanity mirror, and a plush velvet chair—but nothing looked familiar.
“Think, Liza, think.” I rubbed my temples to try and ease the aching in my head, willing myself to remember what had happened and how I had ended up here, but my memories were shrouded in a thick fog, leaving me grasping at fleeting images.
“Ty.” The name slipped past my lips like a lifeline. My mate, my rock, my anchor. If anyone could find me, it would be him. The mere thought of Ty made me a little braver, a little stronger. He wouldn’t stop until he found me.
I had to believe that.
“Focus.” I inhaled deeply. If I couldn’t remember how I got here, maybe I could at least figure out where here was. I stumbled over to the window, the heavy drapes rustling reluctantly as I pulled them back.
Outside, the world was a sea of darkness, broken only by the silhouettes of towering mountains and dense groves of trees. Wild and untamed. Something about the landscape was strangely familiar, like it was calling to some distant part inside me.
“Well, I’m in Texas.” I stared out at the vast expanse before me. The terrain definitely looked like that of my home state, but beyond that I had no idea where I might be, or who had brought me here.
I jumped when a soft, familiar voice suddenly echoed in my head.
Holy shit.
“Easy, Liza,” he said soothingly, sending an involuntary shudder through my body.
“Who are you?” I said out loud instead of inside my head. “What’s going on? Why am I here?”
“Please, calm down.” His voice was gentle. “You’re safe here, I promise. No one is going to harm you.”
“I’m having conversations with a voice in my head that’s telling me I’m safe. You’ll have to forgive me if I find that a little hard to believe.”
“I understand how strange this must seem, but trust me when I say you’re not losing your mind,” he assured me. “I can’t explain everything right now, but soon, I will.”
“Who are you?” I asked again with mounting frustration.
Again, there was no response, and my anxiety only grew.
“Listen,” I said, about to lose control. “My mate is going to find me. Ty won’t stop until he does, and when he does, you’ll all be sorry.”
The voice in my head remained silent, leaving me with nothing but my own thoughts. No comfort there. They were nothing but a jumble of worry, anger, and fear. I couldn’t stay trapped in this room any longer. I needed to get out, find answers, and get back to Ty and my family.
Hoping for a quick and easy exit, I inspected the windows first, but tugging on the handles only proved they were locked tight.
“Of course,” I said under my breath, rolling my eyes. Why would my captors make it easy for me?
Next, I turned my attention to the door, which was just as locked as the windows, naturally.
I ran a hand through my tangled hair, but I refused to give up.
There had to be some way out of this place.
I searched the room more thoroughly, checking every nook and cranny, even the floorboards, for hidden exits or weaknesses. So far, nothing.
“Why am I here?” I asked myself out loud, resting my forehead against the cool glass of the window, willing the answer to come. The world outside remained stubbornly silent, offering no clues.
A short distance away from the window, I spotted an odd-looking tree branch that seemed out of place, almost like it was beckoning me. Maybe I could use the branch to escape? It was a long shot, but I was desperate.
“’Kay, then. Windows it is.” I cracked my knuckles and gave the locks another determined look. “Let’s see if you can stand up to a pissed-off wolf shifter.”
I backed away from the pane, giving myself enough room to charge forward with all my strength. If I could break the glass, I could climb out onto that branch, and make my way down the tree. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was all I had, and I clung to it.
“Here goes nothing.” I launched myself at the window.
Every bone in my body jarred as I slammed into the glass, yet the window held firm. Pain flared through me, but I gritted my teeth and prepared for another attempt.
“You won’t keep me here.” I growled, glaring at the stubborn barrier between me and freedom.
“I will get out of this place. I will find the truth. Then...” The full weight of the situation settled over me.
What would I do then? What if the truth was worse than the nightmare I was currently trapped in?
There was no time for doubt or fear. I needed to act. I steadied myself and charged at the window once more, fueled by desperation. This time, I vowed, I would break free.
Damn it all to hell. I stumbled away from the unyielding window, breathing hard. Desperation clawed at my insides like a living thing, but I refused to let it consume me. I needed to stay focused and find a way out of this place back to those I loved.
“Get a grip, Liza.” I paced the room like a caged animal.
The scent of polished wood and fresh linens filled my nostrils, but it did little to soothe my frayed nerves.
I racked my brain for any detail that might help me determine my captor’s identity or their intentions.
All I had were questions; questions that multiplied with each passing moment.
An unwelcome, familiar voice echoed through my mind, causing me to freeze in place. “Calm down.”
That was impossible, given my every nerve was on edge. “Who are you? What do you want?”
“Everything is going to be fine,” he assured me, though his words provided little comfort. “You’re not in any danger here. I promise no harm will come to you. You’re safe.”
“Safe?” I scoffed, incredulity warring with fear. “I’ve been kidnapped, locked in a room, and I’m speaking to a voice in my head. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m not particularly in a safe state of mind right now.”
“Trust me, you’re not losing your mind,” he said with surprising gentleness. “You have many questions, and I promise I’ll do my best to answer them soon. For now, you need to remain calm.”
“Who are you?” I asked again, more insistent this time.
“My identity will become clear soon enough,” he said evasively. “For now, all I can tell you is that you’ll be allowed to leave this room if you can prove you’re not a danger to anyone here.”
“Prove I’m not a danger?” Of all the… “You’re the ones who kidnapped me. What kind of twisted game is this?”
He stayed silent, leaving me fuming and confused. I paced the small room, my anger and frustration building with each step. The walls closed in, taunting me with their confinement.
My thoughts shifted to my family. Were they safe? Did they know what had happened? I desperately wanted to know, but the voice remained maddeningly silent. The events in my mom’s kitchen flashed through my memory.
“Hey, voice in my head!” I shouted, trying to get his attention. “What about my mom? Is she okay?” There was no response. My frustration and fear grew, mingling into a toxic cocktail that threatened to overwhelm me. “Answer me, damn you!” I was so close to losing it.
Still, the voice didn’t say a word.
The silence was deafening, drowning out everything except my ragged breathing.
“Fine,” I growled as I wiped away tears that had managed to escape. Resolve settled over me like a cloak. I’d do whatever it took to escape and reunite with my family.
The voice in my head remained silent, leaving me to face my fears alone.
“Ty will find me,” I said. “You’ll be sorry when he does.”
I knew with every fiber of my being that Ty would never stop searching for me. My mate was a force to be reckoned with, and he wouldn’t rest until he’d rescued me. I just had to hold on, keep fighting, and find a way to make it easier for him to track me down.
The door to my prison creaked open, and I tensed, readying myself for whatever might come next.
A young woman entered; her arms laden with food.
She appeared nervous, like she expected danger to leap out at any moment.
She looked so young and innocent—nothing like my captors in my imagination.
Too bad, so sad. I ignored the pang of sympathy I felt for her. This was my opportunity to escape.
“Thank you,” I said softly, trying to put her at ease.
She nodded, but her hands shook as she set the tray down on a small table near the bed.
“Please, can you tell me where I am?” I asked, keeping my voice gentle.
She shook her head, clearly too afraid to speak.
“Who’s keeping me here?” Desperation put an edge in my tone.
She remained silent; her attention fixed on the floor.
“Fine,” I snapped. “Don’t help me.”
The woman flinched but still didn’t respond. With a huff of frustration, I turned my back on her, focusing instead on the food. It smelled delicious, but no way could I trust it. There was no telling what might have been done to it, and I refused to let my guard down, even for a moment.
As the woman left the room, I made my move.
With a surge of adrenaline, I lunged for the door, slipping through the narrow opening just as it began to close.
The hallway beyond was well lit and unfamiliar.
Any other day, I’d have said it was beautiful, but I didn’t hesitate as my bare feet pounded against the cold stone floor, and I sprinted toward what I hoped was freedom.
“Hey!” the woman yelled, her voice high-pitched with alarm.
I ignored her, pushing myself harder, faster.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”