Chapter 57
TY
Iscanned Dad’s office, which was a prominent display of his power and influence. The massive mahogany desk, the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, the paintings of past alphas and family adorning the walls all served as reminders of the legacy I would inherit soon.
We had spent the last twenty-four hours tirelessly working to put out the firestorm caused by the massacre allegations.
Dad’s connections had come in handy, and with just a few calls, all news stations had agreed to cease airing any more segments about the incident until the video footage was authenticated.
If any station dared to air anything regarding us, they’d be sued for defamation. That had been made very clear.
“Let’s hope that buys us some time.” Dad rubbed his temples as he leaned back in his chair.
Maybe it was the sleepless nights and the crushing anxiety, but as I stared at Dad’s wrinkles and drooping eyelids, I realized he’d aged even more in the past day.
We all had. None of us could have predicted how quickly things could change, yet here we were.
A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me, and I slumped down into the seat across from Dad.
The adrenaline was wearing off. It would only be a matter of time before reality hit us again with full force.
Castro would soon realize we had no intention of allowing Liza to meet up with his little friend.
I’d love to know who the traitorous bastard was who thought they could take my fated mate and deliver her to Castro. Who did the fucker have in his pocket?
Dad yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “We need Castro to make some sort of move. Maybe then we could spring into action.”
“Agreed.” I cracked my knuckles. My wolf’s anger was barely contained within me after everything Castro had been putting us through.
“The halt on the news story is only a temporary fix.” Dad waved his hand in the air dismissively.
“I’m sure they have some fancy technology that enables them to determine whether or not footage has been tampered with.
It’s only a matter of time before they call my bluff and double down on the original reports. ”
“What did the council say?” I tried to relax my tense muscles, but my shaking foot gave me away.
Dad glanced at his watch. “My closest advisors say I should make a statement debunking the video and the allegations against me for slaughtering an entire pack. It would have to be a public broadcast, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later.”
“Do you think everyone will believe you?” I understood the importance of not staying silent, but the whole country had seen the footage by now. Would Dad’s words make a difference?
“It doesn’t matter if they do or don’t. Appearances count for a hell of a lot, and if I don’t come out claiming my innocence, it won’t matter what happens next. The public expects the alpha to speak, so that’s what I’ll have to do.”
The door creaked open, and one of the kitchen staff slipped into the room, carrying a tray with two steaming mugs of coffee. “I’ve made it extra strong for you both,” she said, offering a weak smile before leaving. “I’ll leave the creamer and sugar here on your desk, Mr. Keller.”
“Thank you,” I replied, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I took a sip of the scalding liquid, feeling it burn down my throat and reignite my resolve. No creamer for me. I didn’t want the caffeine diluted. Otherwise, my mind wouldn’t stay as sharp as it needed to be.
As I watched Dad type feverishly on his laptop, I thought about how Liza’s pack’s existence had been carefully concealed from the world, thanks to his efforts and wealth.
As far as the world knew, the Wylde pack had never existed. If someone searched the internet, they’d turn up empty. The amount of money Dad had paid to wipe the pack’s existence from the face of the earth was staggering.
All that work, all that money, and it could all be unraveled in an instant if we couldn’t get ahead of this story.
As if on cue, my thoughts were interrupted by the television coming to life after a soap opera ended. To our dismay, even though the conversation about the massacre might have ceased, the stations were still buzzing about the possibility of an omega existing among the Keller pack.
The newscaster’s voice filled the room, her words dripping with excitement. “Could it be true? A rare arctic wolf omega hidden among the powerful Keller pack. Speculation runs wild as more and more sources claim to have seen the elusive beauty.”
“Fuck!” I growled, every muscle in my body locking up.
Liza was now a prisoner at our estate. If she stepped foot outside, a reporter could zoom in on her, and before we even knew what happened, her face would be on every TV screen in Texas.
I shuddered at the thought of Dennis Felter and any other horny male hunting her down.
Depending on the sheer number of men who figured out she was here, we might not be able to hold them back.
After all, Liza’s pheromones were strong, and being under this much stress didn’t help.
Based on my own experience with her scent, even the holiest of virgin saints would find themselves completely overtaken by the smell of her, and they’d stop at nothing to rip her clothes from her body and have their way with her.
“Fuck!” I said again as I flipped the TV off and tossed the remote onto Dad’s desk. “I can’t stand this. Surely there’s something else we could do to be proactive. Is there anyone else we could call?”
“I almost forgot to tell you.” Dad looked up from his computer screen. “I reached out to the pack who took Castro in when he was a child.”
“Really?” This could be interesting. “Were they aware they practically adopted a psychopath?”
Dad scoffed. “Not quite. The current alpha said that when Castro came to them, he only told them that he was running away from his abusive parents. He showed them scrapes and bruises that were, no doubt, from his tirade the day the Wylde pack was slaughtered.”
“And they believed him?”
“They had no reason not to. No one knew about the Wylde pack, so they had no reason to believe he was lying. They took him in and made him one of their own. Unfortunately, to this day, they had no knowledge of what truly led Castro to their doors.”
That sneaky son of a bitch. I had to give Castro credit, he knew how to manipulate anyone to get what he wanted. “So, the alpha couldn’t give you any more information on Castro?”
“Correct.” Dad answered a text on his phone before turning his attention back to me.
“It goes without saying, but I highly doubt anyone from his former pack is currently helping him. The alpha seemed genuinely surprised that Castro wasn’t who he claimed to be.
They haven’t seen or heard from him in years. ”
Great. Our options for finding Castro’s accomplices, or any connections to him for that matter, were dwindling.
As I stared at my phone, wondering what keywords to use for my next round of searches, Dad’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen before putting it on speaker and motioning for me to close the door. It was Hiram, one of the last people I was interested in speaking with.
“Hey there, old friend.”
Dad rolled his eyes. “What can I help you with today, Hiram?” Sarcasm dripped from his words.
“I always knew you were a shady bunch of motherfuckers, considering some of our past deals. You know, before you went clean. But I never thought you were capable of mass murder.” Hiram chuckled and coughed, no doubt sucking on one of his cigars.
“I guess I need to be taking notes, since you’re obviously the master. ”
Dad sighed. “I deny any and all of those allegations, Hiram.”
Hiram laughed again, but this time he didn’t choke on his own saliva. “Of course, you do. And why would I question your stance? I’m not one to judge. As a matter of fact, I’m actually calling about something else entirely.”
“What is it?” Dad shot me a look of frustration.
“I’m calling to discuss the omega.”
I froze at the mention of Liza.
“Is it true?” Hiram asked, his voice heavy with curiosity. “Did you really kidnap an omega?”
“Those allegations are false, Hiram. You should know that it’s all a myth, anyway.” Dad’s voice was cold and stern.
“Ah, but I’ve heard whispers that your son’s future mate is a natural blonde. A lone, arctic wolf amongst a pack of brown and black.”
What the hell was he getting at? I didn’t trust the bastard as far as I could throw him, and that wasn’t very far.
“It would be best to not go there, Hiram.” Dad stood, the vein on his neck protruding.
“Do you know how much I could make selling off some omega snatch?” Hiram’s laugh made my skin to crawl with rage. He whistled. “I’d make a fucking killing. I could retire from the casino business three times over.”
My growl escaped me, a vicious snarl that left no doubt about my feelings on the matter.
“Watch your words, Hiram,” my father warned menacingly. “This is your final warning.”
“Relax, relax.” Hiram chuckled. “I have no intention of holding a woman against her will. But I will warn you that whispers are spreading about that girl and what she is, so you better keep her locked up tight.”
“Why are you even taking the time to warn us?” Hiram had always had it out for the Keller pack because he envied our prosperity over the years.
“Just take it as a sign of good faith. I have a feeling that things could get bad for you, especially since someone out there hates you enough to even risk putting out such information. I’ll be the first to admit that I enjoy a little chaos in my life.
You may not like getting your hands dirty, Dominic, but I’m a simple man.
” He paused for dramatic effect. “Money—that’s what makes me happy, and I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.
I’m a good ally to have in your back pocket should things go south. You’d do well to remember that.”