Chapter 36 Liza #2
“Liza!” Ty shouted, rushing to my side and pulling me into his arms. He whispered soothing words in my ear as he rubbed circles on my back, trying his best to calm me down. His embrace was warm and strong, but it didn’t do much to help me gain control of myself.
“Everything is going to be okay,” he whispered, his breath warm against my skin as he wrapped his body around mine.
It sure as hell didn’t feel like everything would be okay. My world was crashing around me, and the people I loved most stood like sheep waiting for Castro to slaughter them.
I squinted, trying to focus on Dominic. “My medical records are supposed to be extremely secure. Only my parents and my doctor had access to them. Those files weren’t even kept on the same server as the other medical records.
” I paused, trying to make sense of it all.
My privacy had been invaded, and I’d never felt more exposed in all my life.
“What are you going to do with the information about me being an omega?”
Dominic wouldn’t release the information, would he? Fear churned in my stomach, threatening to expel its contents.
His eyes widened, and his brows pinched together as if he was genuinely shocked by my question.
“I’m not going to do anything, Liza.” He shook his head, first at me, then at Ty, before he looked at me again.
“It’s not like I’m going to sell you off to the highest bidder, for God’s sake.
” When I cocked a brow, he sighed. “I can admit I’ve done some shady things in the past, but that is not the man I am today. ”
He slowly rose from his chair, leaning his weight on the desk. “I have no interest in exploiting you, Liza. You’re Ty’s fated mate, and I can see he cares for you deeply.”
I didn’t trust that. He was an alpha first and a father second—at least, that was my impression of him.
“My intentions aren’t to out you but to keep you protected. We’ll find a way to keep the information buried. You have my word.”
I studied his face, trying to find any signs of deception. There was no sweat on his upper lip, and he held my gaze. He was telling the truth. He was being sincere.
“You can’t blame me for questioning your intentions. My pack’s blood is still on your hands, Dominic.” I swallowed back my scorn for the way he was speaking, as if he was offended I might not believe in him.
His head jerked upright, and genuine regret flashed in his eyes. I’d struck a nerve, even though that wasn’t my intention. I was simply stating the truth so he could better understand my concern. My points were valid, though, and Dominic knew it.
He sighed. “I don’t suppose I can blame you for being suspicious.
Your secret is safe with me, whether you want to believe that or not.
” He collected the medical records that had been strewn across his desk after Ty tossed the folder.
“How are you feeling, by the way?” He switched to a more concerned tone, and it took me a moment to catch up.
I chewed on my lip. “I’m a little panicked at the moment. Is that what you mean?”
He shook his head. “No. These are your current records, and they aren’t showing that you’re taking any new medications. Don’t you need them to control your… omega urges?”
My mouth dropped open. This certainly wasn’t the kind of conversation I intended to have with my alpha or with anyone else who wasn’t a trained physician or my mate. Dominic was neither of those things.
Ty spoke up. “She hasn’t needed them since we...” He trailed off, glancing at me before looking away. Ty cleared his throat. “Since we started fulfilling her desires.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I covered my face with my hands, enough heat radiating from my cheeks to bake a cake on my skin.
If I could have willed the floor to swallow me whole, I would have.
Over the course of my life, I’d had some humiliating moments, but this ranked in the top three.
Actually, it was probably the most embarrassing moment of my entire life.
I was in the alpha’s office, discussing my sex life with the father of the man who shared my bed.
Embarrassing wasn’t a strong enough word.
When I finally peeked at Dominic from between my fingers, he seemed completely unfazed by the conversation. He even went as far as to give us some advice. “I encourage you to have sex as much as possible.”
This moment went from uncomfortable to holy shit. I couldn’t see any possible way that this could get any worse. Where was the hidden camera? There had to be one because this was obviously some kind of prank show.
Staring at the floor, I tried to regain control of my racing heart. I couldn’t even look at Ty.
Assuming Dominic was done discussing our sex life, I lowered my hands from my face and reached for a glass of water on the desk. Surely there was enough in it to drown me.
To make matters worse and to increase the cringe factor exponentially, Dominic continued. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Liza. It’s normal for you to have those urges. If rumors of omegas’ past existence are correct, then it’s natural for you to have a higher-than-normal sex drive.”
If my face grew any hotter, it would probably melt right off my skull. This was fucking unbelievable. If he went on, there was a chance I was going to implode. Or explode. Or whatever came next. Surely, there was nothing else to say.
Dominic cleared his throat. “Ty, make sure you’re doing a good job as her mate and satisfying her needs.”
Shit. Of course, I was wrong. He had more to say.
I glanced at Ty out of the corner of my eye.
His face wasn’t in the least bit red. It was as though he was used to having these kinds of conversations with his father.
And maybe he was, but I wasn’t. A sly grin spread across his smug face, and he had the audacity to wink at me.
I was sure he was getting a big kick out of his father’s speech, but I wasn’t, and it irked me that he was taking my discomfort so lightly. I wanted to crawl out of my damn skin.
My cheeks had to be a bright shade of crimson, and I was grateful for the dimly lit room. It hid my embarrassment somewhat, but it did nothing to ease the agony I was feeling in my core.
Thankfully, Dominic finally finished his sex sermon, and we were able to move along with our conversation about Castro.
Dominic turned and tossed my medical records into the crackling fire burning in the fireplace behind his desk. “Castro is now the only one with access to your information. That is if he really has deleted your files.”
While I was certain I had no reason to believe a single word Castro said, I also felt he was telling the truth.
Positive of it. I wrung my hands. “He has a sick obsession with me, so when he says he doesn’t want me to be harmed, he means it.
I don’t think he’ll use the information and risk causing a frenzy where I’m concerned. ”
Ty nodded and pursed his lips. “She’s right. He may lie to us about other things, but he’ll never make a move to hurt Liza. That’s a guarantee.”
“That’s a comfort, then, and thank goodness for it.” Dominic returned to his chair while Ty and I slumped onto the floor, our backs resting against the wall.
He held my hand and gently caressed my finger with his thumb. Every touch soothed me.
Dominic tapped a pen against his desk. “I don’t think he’ll risk releasing the information, either.
But that leads me to wonder about his next move.
Why’d he show his hand by letting us know he had the information.
” He paused for a moment, sat back, and stared up at the ceiling.
“If he’s not going to hurt you personally, he’s coming after the Keller name… and he’s a smart son of a bitch.”
“I’m not underestimating him, if that’s what you’re concerned about.” In all honesty, I didn’t know why Dominic was worried. Though, I was worried when he lowered his head to stare into my eyes if he was going to bring up my sexual urges again.
“Liza, I don’t want to scare you, but I’m going to be very honest with you.
There are still plenty of those who believe in omegas and their abilities.
They’d pay any price to get their hands on one.
” He sighed. “If that information gets out, it opens you up to great danger.” He paused. Amended. “Greater danger.”
I nodded. “Yes, I know.” The thoughts had been tickling the back of my mind, but hearing him say the words brought them into the light.
More danger. Great.
“Now, I don’t know whether the myths are true, and I’m certainly not going to further embarrass you with a line of questioning into the various areas of…
development…” Oh, thank goodness for that.
“Quite frankly, it’s not important. I just want you to know that your secret is safe, and you’ll always be protected by the Kellers. ”
A gentle knock at the door broke the heartfelt moment. A second later, Ty’s mother walked in. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” Persephone glanced at me with a sad expression. No, it wasn’t sadness. It looked more like guilt.
I hadn’t talked with Ty about his mother and how much she knew about everything that was happening, but Dominic was her mate, so I assumed she knew about it all, including this last bit of information about me being an omega. The guilty look on her face said as much.
I didn’t need her pity or for her to feel sorry for me.
She probably carried a heavy burden knowing about her husband’s actions in the past, so perhaps I should have felt sorry for her.
In part, everything he’d done had led us to this very uncomfortable moment.
Sure, Dominic had no control over Castro, but his war with my pack and his slaughtering of my people had fueled the flame that burned within Castro.
They were his people, too. His family. His friends.
And for a man and his wolf, that justified being pissed off enough to prove dangerous to those he blamed—those responsible.
Ty stood and helped me to my feet. “We’re going to head out now.” He crossed the room and patted his dad on the shoulder. “Thank you for being understanding, even if you had to find out the hard way.”
Dominic looked almost vulnerable as he stood and gripped Ty’s shoulders.
“I’m your father, Ty. I’ll always look out for you.
Now it’s clear Liza will be your mate, that extends to her, as well.
” He looked at me and winked, although I was having a hard time understanding how to be normal with the man who’d decimated my pack. My family.
I focused on Ty and the smile that made me melt inside instead.
Here was Dominic, the feared leader of the pack, admitting that he did actually care about something other than dominance.
At that moment, he wasn’t just a powerful alpha wolf but also a father who wanted his son to find happiness with someone he trusted.
It brought tears to my eyes and made me feel like part of the Keller family.
Ty kissed his mother on the cheek as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, returning a kiss on his forehead.
“You ready?” he asked as he took my hand. I nodded, and Ty led me down the stairs.
On the way out, I took note of the multiple house staff. They all seemed indifferent as we moved from Dominic’s office to the front entrance.
Once we made it outside and shut the door behind us, I whispered, “Do you think they heard about my... identity?”
Ty seemed oblivious. “Who are they?”
“The staff. Do they ever listen to conversations happening in your dad’s office?”
He tilted his head back, and a loud laugh escaped his throat.
“No way. These people have been with my family for many, many years. They go through an extensive vetting process before being offered a job, and they also sign multiple non-disclosure agreements. We’ve never had an issue.
I’d trust them with my deepest, darkest secrets, though I highly doubt they’d eavesdrop on our conversations, anyway.
They’re good people.” It was a relief that he trusted them with his secrets, but this was my secret, and I’d learned a long time ago about the dangers of trusting people.
Still, I sighed with relief, hoping Ty wasn’t being fooled by his staff. If one of them heard that I was an omega, it was highly unlikely they’d keep that kind of information to themselves. Of course, there was a chance I was wrong. I hoped I was.
It wasn’t until we reached my car that Ty started to laugh again.
“What? Do I have food stuck in my teeth?” I flashed him a brief view of them.
He gasped for air as he clutched his stomach with one hand and braced the other on the hood of my car. “Can we talk about how awkward that was in Dad’s office?”
“I wish you wouldn’t.” And there wasn’t a truthier truth than that.
But since that was what he was referring to, I guessed we would be having that chat.
A smile slowly spread across my face and eventually evolved into a full-blown laughing fit.
“I never expected to get a sex talk from the alpha of our pack. It was quite unbelievable.”
We laughed as I climbed into my car. Ty leaned in through the window. “I’m so happy you’re my mate. I wouldn’t want my dad doling out sex advice about anyone but you.” As he cupped my cheek, his smile went naughty. “On another note, I’m going to take Dad’s suggestions to heart.”
My cheeks heated up again, and I smiled shyly while trying not to blush. “Yeah, yeah. Now, go on before I pull you in here with me.”
He winked and smiled his million-dollar smile. “Promise to call as soon as you get home. I’ll pick up some food and be there in about an hour. I have to run back to the office and grab some paperwork I forgot.”
He turned to walk away, but I grabbed his wrist and lowered my voice. “Ty? We’re not worried about this omega information getting out, right?”
His smile faded. “Nah. I mean, we’re still concerned about Castro, but not about the omega business. He’s too obsessed with you to try and harm you or put you in harm’s way. Announcing to the world that you’re an omega would do exactly that.”
I tried to convince myself that it was true, considering that had been my argument in Dominic’s office. As I drove home, though, I kept remembering my nightmares and envisioned Castro turning his gun on me.
He wouldn’t do that since he wanted me to be his mate, though. Right?