Chapter 118 Ty
TY
Sven and Hiram arrived with their pack while I stood among the wreckage, somehow keeping my anger simmering beneath the surface. I clenched my fists, the tension coiling within me like a tightly wound spring as anger and shame bubbled up inside me. Castro had made a mockery of me yet again.
“Ty!” Sven’s cold, calculated shout cut through the air. “What the fuck happened here?” Their expressions mirrored my own frustration, and their rage emanated off them.
I recounted the events, watching the same thought forming in both Sven and Hiram’s minds. It was clear Benny and Castro thought of me as the weak link, and that thought gnawed at my pride like a relentless beast.
“You can’t keep letting them walk all over you like this. You need to send them a message they won’t forget,” Sven said. “Show both that you’re not to be trifled with.”
“Agreed,” Hiram said. “You’ve got to show them you’re not a pushover, Ty, because, right now, Castro is making you look like a little bitch.”
As much as I hated to admit it, they were right.
Castro was playing me for a fool, and I needed to show him that I wasn’t about to roll over and submit.
But what kind of message would make an impression on someone like him?
My father hadn’t raised me to be ruthless or vengeful, only to lead with compassion and understanding.
But the time for diplomacy had passed. My pack was suffering, and it was my duty as their alpha to protect them.
I nodded, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. My phone buzzed, interrupting my thoughts.
“Ty?” Liza’s strained voice echoed through the line, and my stomach clenched at the realization that she shouldn’t have to sound like that, ever.
“Is Liam okay?” I asked, hoarse and uneven as concern for my mate’s brother bore down on me like a physical force.
“He’s going to be fine,” she said shakily, her breath hitching. “They’re stitching him up now. But... Ty, it was so close.”
Her words sent a fresh wave of anger flooding through me, hot and fierce. Sven and Hiram were right. I couldn’t let this go unchallenged any longer.
“Thank God,” I said, relief momentarily washing over me. “Liza, stay with him until he’s stable.”
“Of course.” She sniffled. “I love you, Ty.”
“Love you, too.”
I turned back to Sven and Hiram, steeling myself for the difficult conversation ahead.
“Liza says Liam will be fine, but she’s clearly distressed.
What do you suggest we do? This isn’t in my nature.
I’ve never had to deal with anything like this.
” My chest tightened with anxiety. “But I have to do something to prove I have a chance in this war.”
“Remember,” Sven said, his whole demeanor carrying a predatory edge. “This isn’t about being cruel or ruthless. This is about protecting our own. Sometimes, you have to fight fire with fire. We need to send a message they can’t ignore.”
Hiram scratched his chin thoughtfully. “We need to hit them where it hurts most,” he said, his eyes flashing dangerously. “Show them that they’ve underestimated you, and make it clear that you’re not to be trifled with.”
A predatory grin played over Sven’s lips. “I have just the thing in mind. It’s going to push you out of your comfort zone, Ty.”
His expression reminded me, once again, why I was glad he was on my side. “Tell me.” I wouldn’t let Benny and Castro threaten my pack any longer. It was time to prove that I was every bit the alpha they’d underestimated, and they would soon learn just how much they’d miscalculated.
“Castro is using Benny as a resource. Since I’m planning on taking over Benny’s territory, I don’t want to destroy anything that will be useful once I’m in charge.
” Sven paused and began to outline his plan.
“Benny imports a lot of his material from one main supplier. We cut that off, and we cut off a lot of his resources: drugs, weapons, you name it. By destroying this shipment, Benny and Castro will both take a big hit, and that should send the right message.”
My nostrils flared as I tried to wrap my mind around the idea of plunging into mob territory.
It was brutal, calculated, and undeniably effective.
Could I bring myself to go that far and become something I’d always fought against?
It went against everything I believed in, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Ty, listen.” Sven’s tone was deadly serious. “This isn’t your style, but you need to understand that these people don’t care about honor or loyalty. They will stop at nothing to destroy everything you hold dear. If you want to protect your pack, you have to be prepared to do what it takes.”
As we began to plan our assault on Benny’s operation, my wolf snarled in anticipation, eager to finally strike back at those who’d dared to threaten our family. The road ahead was dark and uncertain, but one thing was clear: Benny and Castro would soon learn they’d messed with the wrong alpha.
“How are we going to do this?”
“Leave that to me, Ty. I’ll handle the details.” Sven’s menacing grin was a reflection of the ruthless strategist Hiram had promised him to be.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about handing control over to someone else, even someone as capable as Sven. There was no denying he had more experience with these matters than I did, and my pack needed me to make the best decisions for them. Swallowing my pride, I nodded curtly.
My nose twitched at the sterile smell of antiseptic as I entered Liam’s hospital room, and the beeping monitors created a steady rhythm in the background.
Liza had done an excellent job convincing him to stay overnight, despite his protests that he was fine and needed to get back to the pack.
As alpha, it was my responsibility to make sure my pack was safe, but seeing the man I now considered to be my brother-in-law lying on that crisp, white bed, bandaged and bruised, I felt utterly powerless.
“Hey,” Liam greeted me with a tired smile, his voice hoarse from the painkillers. “Where’s Liza? How’s everything at the house?”
“Cleanup is underway, and Sven and Hiram have been helping out.” I forced a smile of my own as I took a seat by his bedside. “I sent Liza to the cafeteria—don’t worry, Isaiah is with her. I need to talk to you about something else, and I don’t want Liza to know just yet.”
Liam shifted slightly in his bed and winced at the movement.
His injuries weren’t as severe as we’d feared.
Yes, he’d been sliced up pretty badly, but the doctors had stitched him up within hours.
Still, the sight of him, injured and vulnerable like this, filled me with urgency.
We couldn’t afford to let our enemies keep attacking us like this.
Taking a cleansing breath, I plunged into the details of Sven’s plan. I explained how we were going to hit Benny where it hurt by destroying his shipment and cutting off his resources. It was a risky move, stepping into mob territory like this, but I wasn’t sure we had any other choice.
Liam listened intently, his expression unreadable. Then slowly, he sighed. “It will definitely send a message, but you know it’ll only antagonize Castro more, right?”
“I figured,” I grumbled, my heart heavy with my decision. “But we can’t afford to look weak anymore, Liam. They’ve already caused too much damage, and I can’t let them take anything else from us.”
“I get it.” Liam strained from the pain of his injuries.
“You’ve been passive for too long. Castro has been walking all over you and thinks he’s better than you.
It shows, man.” He grimaced as he tried to find a comfortable position in the hospital bed.
“Just be careful. This isn’t like you, but sometimes we have to do things we don’t like to protect our pack. ”
“Thanks,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder, feeling the solid muscle beneath my fingertips. “I appreciate your support.”
“Of course,” Liam said, offering a small smile despite his pain. “Promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Keep this from Liza,” he said, his expression serious. “If she finds out you’re stepping into mob territory, she’ll freak the fuck out. We can’t afford for her to go off the deep end, with everything else going on.”
I hesitated, guilt twisting in my gut at the thought of keeping something so important from my mate. But I understood Liam’s concern and the logic of his words. Liza was already under enough stress with Castro’s constant threats. Putting this weight on her shoulders wouldn’t do her any favors.
Liza wouldn’t want me to embrace this darker path, but there was no other choice.
Castro had pushed me too far, and the decision I’d made pressed heavily, like the suffocating grip of an unseen force, as I considered the path I was about to tread.
A path that would lead me far from the man I wanted to be.
A few days later, the plan hatched into motion. The cold wind whistled through the trees as we stood outside the abandoned warehouse, our breaths fogging in the air. Eerie shadows crawled across the rusted metal walls, setting the stage for a tense confrontation.
“Remember.” Hiram checked me over, nodding at me, his eyes sharp and calculating. “You’re playing the traitor. Benny needs to believe you’ve turned your back on Liam.”
I nodded, my stomach roiling with unease, but I steeled myself. The stakes were too high to back down now.
“Let’s do this.” I pounded my fists on the sides of my thighs, then forced myself to relax. This had to look natural, not forced.
We entered the warehouse, with the door creaking loudly behind us. Inside, the darkness was oppressive, broken only by the dim glow of an overhead light. Benny sat at a makeshift table surrounded by armed guards who tracked our every movement.