Chapter 115 Liza
LIZA
Ileaned against one of the pillars on the front porch as the sun beat down on me while I waited for the pack members to arrive for training.
When Mason and Michael arrived, they sauntered over to join me.
“Big day, huh?” Mason sounded eager to get started. With his athletic frame and infectious grin, he naturally drew people toward him. The man was charming and magnetic.
“Massive.” I couldn’t help but tease him, and with a grin, I playfully poked his side. “You sure you’re ready for this? Because I don’t think you can handle it.”
He nudged me with his shoulder and grinned back at me. “Don’t worry, little sis. We’re gonna kick some serious ass.”
“Ready as we’ll ever be.” Michael adjusted his glasses.
Unlike Mason, he had a reserved nature and preferred to resolve conflicts through words and debates rather than physical force.
But like many others in the pack, he was here to train, preparing for a war not of his own creation. “We’re here to support you, Liza.”
“Have you been practicing?” I asked them, searching their faces for any sign of doubt or fear.
“Of course,” Michael said, more somber than our brother. “This isn’t going to be easy. The reality of war means we understand that some of us may not make it out alive, but we must be ready, nonetheless.”
“Hey,” Mason cut in, his jovial tone gone. “Don’t talk like that. We’re gonna get through this together.”
“Right.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “We’ll protect each other, no matter what.”
At that, Liam’s words from our last training session echoed in my mind: stop fearing what’s inside of you. He was right. I needed to face my own power if I wanted to keep my family safe. As I looked at my brothers—two men who meant the world to me—I knew I couldn’t let them down.
“Thanks, guys.” I was grateful for the constant support and love of my brothers. We might have our differences, but we were family.
As we watched from afar, boots crunching on gravel caught my attention. Hiram Loveska was an intimidating alpha. He arrived with a horde of men from his pack, their hardened expressions and battle-ready appearances alluding to their combat skills.
The tall blond man that accompanied him was probably Sven.
He had an air of menace that unsettled me, and he wasn’t a man I would want to be alone with.
Ty had told me they would arrive today to train with our pack, but dread still twisted in my gut at the sight of them now, though I couldn’t allow fear to rule me.
Startled by the sound of the door opening behind me, I quickly turned and saw Persephone making her way out to join us on the porch. We watched as the three packs gathered on the grounds of the estate.
“Look at them.” Persephone nodded toward the assembled shifters. “Three alphas, three different packs,” she said thoughtfully. “This could either work out amazingly or end very badly.”
I glanced at her, taking in her concerned expression. “Do you think they’ll be able to trust each other?”
“Eventually, yes,” she said, her expression narrowing as she studied the shifters’ interactions on the training field. “It’s going to take some time. There’s a lot of tension between them.”
When Ty stepped forward to address the combined forces, I could feel his responsibility bearing down on him through our mating bond. He was meant to lead these packs during this fight, but he wasn’t a strategist like Hiram, and my heart ached for my mate.
Hiram nodded, offering silent support while Sven looked on blankly. It would be Ty leading us through Hiram’s plan, and I hoped their combined efforts would be enough to bring us victory.
“Let’s get started!” Ty shouted, and the packs moved into action, forming groups to practice various combat techniques.
There were more than a few heated exchanges, accompanied by aggressive posturing and snarls.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” I asked Persephone.
Her lips were pursed as she studied the groups. “Give them time. They’re all strong-willed individuals, and they need to learn how to work together.”
I sighed, watching as Ty tried to defuse yet another disagreement between two burly wolves—one from Sven’s pack, the other from Hiram’s. It seemed like we were making little progress, and time was not on our side.
Ty jogged up to stand with Hiram, Sven, and Liam before he spoke to the men standing in their separate packs.
“Attention everyone.” A strong command emanated from him.
“I wanted to extend my thanks to all of you who have gathered here today. We’re all united in our pursuit of a common objective: to stand up to Castro.
Remember, this is about safeguarding our loved ones and our very way of existence.
Now, that was a good try, but we can do better. Let’s resume.”
He ordered the men into groups again but was struggling to assert his authority. It wasn’t surprising as he wasn’t the alpha of Hiram’s or Sven’s packs, and they were reluctant to follow him. The lack of cohesion made my stomach twist with anxiety.
Two men took things a little too far, and Ty had to jump in between one of their pack members and one of our own. He ordered them to do ten rounds of burpees, then stepped back and watched the others.
By the end of the practice session, things looked anything but promising. The packs retreated, and a sense of unease settled deep within me. This wasn’t going well, and Ty knew it.
Later that night, Ty and I sat on the balcony overlooking the moonlit estate, and the scent of blooming jasmine carried on the warm breeze. Ty’s shoulders were hunched, and every other minute he sighed deeply. I was certain he was mentally reliving the events of the day.
“Hey,” I said softly, snuggling into his lap. “It wasn’t all bad today. They’ll figure it out.”
He stroked a hand down my arm. “It was a fucking disaster. I’m letting everyone down.”
I turned and flattened my palms on his cheeks. “You’re doing the best you can. So are they. It’s going to take time for everyone to adjust and learn to trust each other, but you’ll get there.”
He nodded, but his jaw clenched as he stared out into the night.
“This is uncharted territory for everyone. Three packs coming together to fight a war none of us ever expected. It’s no wonder tensions are high.”
He finally nodded in understanding. “You’re right. It’ll work out. God, I just wish we had more time.”
I rubbed my thumb along his cheekbone.
His worried gaze bore down on me, and I could sense the weight of his concern. Despite my reassurances, time was a relentless, looming shadow. Time we might not have.
I heard a cough, and Isaiah appeared from the shadows like a wraith. He scanned our surroundings before settling on us.
“Sven is in your office. He says he has some concerns he wishes to discuss with you.” Isaiah kept himself carefully neutral.
Grumbling, Ty and I got up and went to his office to find Liam leaning against a bookshelf, his arms loosely crossed.
Sven stood by the window, his tall, imposing figure casting an eerie shadow in the moonlight.
My skin prickled, and I decided to keep my distance, finding solace behind Ty’s broad shoulder.
“Sven.” Ty held his hand out for a handshake with the other alpha. “I understand you have concerns about today’s training.”
“Concerns?” Sven scoffed, turning to face us. His icy blue eyes pierced right through me. “Your pack is weak, Ty. They’ll be slaughtered if we go into battle like this.”
I bristled at his blunt assessment, my fingers curling into fists. Though I couldn’t deny the truth in his words, it hurt to hear our pack disparaged so callously.
“I’m aware that our pack isn’t used to fighting,” Ty said, seeming perfectly calm. “But we’re doing everything we can to prepare them.”
“Everything you can?” Sven sneered, stepping closer. Even though Ty had assured me he hadn’t picked up on any malice coming from Sven, I couldn’t shake off the bad vibes emanating from him. “You’re going to get them all killed. Your pack is full of wimps.”
My pulse raced, anger flaring hot in my veins. I wanted to lash out to defend Ty and our pack, but I had to keep my emotions in check. Ty was the alpha, and the last thing he needed was me losing control or undermining him in front of another alpha.
Bitterness churned in my stomach at Sven’s harsh assessment, though. Our pack was inexperienced in combat, and it left us vulnerable. As much as I hated to admit it, Sven and Hiram’s packs were far better prepared for battle.
“Your pack is weak, Ty,” Liam agreed, his tone level and unemotional.
I glanced over at Ty, whose jaw clenched so tightly I feared he might crack a tooth. His eyes blazed, but there was something else, too. Fear. Fear that his pack and his family wouldn’t survive this war.
“Perhaps you should let Sven and Hiram take the lead at training.” Liam’s unwavering attention focused on Ty. “Yes, this is your war, but with the way things are going, we’re all going to end up dead.”
“Fine,” Ty bit out before he paced a few steps away, raking a hand through his hair. His frustration, his desperation to protect our pack, radiated off him like heat from a fire.
The following morning, I awoke to shattering glass. Adrenaline flooded me as I stumbled out of bed and followed the noise to the kitchen. There, among the shards of a broken coffee mug, stood Ty, glaring down at the floor.
“Ty,” I said cautiously, not moving from the doorway. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” He refused to even look at me. “Just... go away, Liza.”
I swallowed hard, my insides twisting into knots. Ty’s mood had not improved overnight after Liam had suggested Sven and Hiram take over the training. If anything, it had worsened.
“Talk to me, baby.” I stepped closer to him. “Please. We need to get through this. We can only do that by working together.”
He finally looked up, his face contorted with pain and frustration. “I’m not sure there is a ‘together’ anymore,” he said, turning away from me once more.
“Don’t say that,” I said, my voice cracking. “You know that’s bullshit. Look, you weren’t trained for any of this.” I tried to find the right words. “I think that’s partly because your father coddled you. That doesn’t mean you’re weak. It just means you have some catching up to do.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” he snarled sarcastically. “I feel so much better now.”
“Ty, please.” My eyes stung with unshed tears. “We can do this.”
“Or we can just die,” he said darkly.
I was appalled by his words. “Don’t talk like that. We’re going to get through this. We have to. Maybe...” I hesitated, knowing what I had to say next would hurt. “Maybe you really should let Hiram and Sven take the lead during training. For now, at least. They have experience we don’t have.”
Ty whirled on me. “Are you saying you don’t trust me to protect you and the pack?”
“That’s not what I meant,” I said, my heart aching. I hated hurting him, but our pack needed help, and Ty needed to accept it.
“Maybe I am weak,” he spat, pulling away from me.
“You’re not weak,” I said firmly, grabbing his hand. “You’re just out of your element. Please, take the advice being offered to you.”
He didn’t respond—just stared out the window. The muscles in his back tensed under his shirt. I had pushed too far.
“Leave me alone,” he said, his words cutting through the air like shards of ice.
My heart pounded in my chest as I stormed out of the room, fresh rage fueling my every step.
Needing to clear my head, I made my way to the training area, where Liam was waiting for me, his piercing blue eyes locked onto mine as I approached.
“Ready for some practice?” He sounded upbeat, but the lines around his eyes were tight as he studied me.
“Let’s do this.” I tried to push thoughts of Ty to the back of my mind.
I couldn’t focus on the training, though. My mind kept drifting back to Ty and how he’d reacted to our conversation. Every time my concentration slipped, Liam took advantage, easily knocking me off balance and sending me sprawling to the ground.
“Fuck,” I cursed, gritting my teeth as I picked myself up off the ground and brushed the sand off my clothes before I got ready to go again.
“Focus! You have to learn this, Liza. You need to learn what you’re capable of. You’re relying on everyone else to protect you when you’re probably stronger than anyone here. Stop worrying about Ty and his fucking pity party, and stop being afraid of yourself.”
I stared at my brother, hating that I was doubting Ty, but Liam was right. I needed to protect myself.
I centered myself, then found my wolf inside more than willing to guide me. In a flurry of movement, I had Liam pinned to the ground. When I looked down at him, he was grinning up at me proudly.