Chapter 68 - Liza #2
Ty rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that guy was a joke. How Nico thought OrlanDoh would be a good fit… Hopefully, the next ones will be better. They have to be, statistically speaking, right?”
“Right.” I kissed the top of his head. “I’ll let you get back to it. See you in about forty-five minutes.”
Taking advantage of some of the last warm, sunny days before the weather really changed, I dashed into the forest on the estate grounds, stripping my clothes off and shifting in one smooth motion.
As I moved into a clearing, I relished the warmth of the sun on my fur, and the vibrant colors of the subtly changing leaves surrounding me.
The energy of the moon was absent during these daylight hours, which made it a wholly different experience.
I didn’t often shift in the day, but the sights and sounds of the forest provided their own unique stimulation.
Sunlight filtered through the trees, painting patches of warmth amid the shadows as I sprinted through the woods, my paws pounding against the soft earth.
The rustling leaves created a natural symphony that accompanied the rhythm of my strides.
Piles of leaves were scattered around, marking the onset of fall in the forest. The air was alive with the scent of pine and damp earth, an invigorating blend that gave me the energy I’d require to make it through the rest of the interviews.
The gentle sounds of birdsong reached my ears, their melodies harmonizing and bringing me a peace I hadn’t realized I needed so badly.
The wind whispered secrets through the leaves as my keen senses picked up the faint traces of rabbit trails and squirrel paths.
I watched as the small creatures scurried to hide from me, tempting me to give chase.
I refrained, wanting to avoid the thrill of the chase and losing my sense of time—and the need for a shower before returning to Ty’s office.
A cookie would tide me over until dinner.
I’d kept a hidden stash in the kitchen in case Ty couldn’t help himself and ate everything I’d left out in the office.
The earlier meeting with Cecily’s parents had left an uncomfortable heaviness in my chest, a mixture of sympathy and tension that lingered within me.
But as I ran, the thud of my paws acted like a soothing balm to my soul.
With each stride, the tension slowly ebbed away, replaced by a liberation I needed more than anything.
The colors of the forest blurred as I picked up speed, my body moving effortlessly through the terrain.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar sensation gave me pause.
My ears perked, and I went on high alert.
Fear threatened to overwhelm me as I discreetly scanned the area for any signs of danger.
I scouted through the trees, trying to act normal so as not to alert anyone I was on to them, but the feeling vanished as quickly as it had come.
I laughed at myself, chalking it up to paranoia.
After all, the estate was secure, with high fences, security guards, and cameras everywhere. There was no safer place I could be.
On my way to the house, however, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that someone had been watching me. I shifted back into my human form and hastily pulled on my clothes, checking my watch. I only had two minutes before the next interview.
I rushed into Ty’s office, breathless from my run and the strange sensation that lingered. The next interviewee was already seated across from Ty, waiting for my arrival.
“Sorry I’m late,” I panted, taking my seat on the side of the room, and studying our next candidate. Ty introduced him as Harlem, and his aloof demeanor immediately put me on edge. He gobbled down a handful of my cookies, acting like the entire tray had been baked especially for him.
What the hell?
“These are delicious.” He spoke with his mouth open, bits of half-chewed cookie flying out of his mouth and landing on Ty’s desk. “Does your chef make these here at the estate?”
“Er, no.” Ty stared at the nastiness accumulating on his desk. “Liza, my mate, made them.”
“You have an excellent mate. You’re smart to keep her in the kitchen, Ty. It’s getting harder to find a woman who wants to look after her mate the way they should.”
My mouth dropped open. Antiquated, sexist moron.
As the interview progressed, it became abundantly clear that this was not Harlem’s only condescending thought regarding women. “Women should know their place,” Harlem stated between bites of my cookies.
My blood boiled. Regardless of being the alpha’s mate, there was no way I could stay quiet while he spewed such disrespect. “And where exactly do you believe a woman’s place is, Harlem?” I challenged, eyes narrowing to slits.
“Clearly not here, trying to act like they belong in positions of power,” he said, sitting back with a smirk.
Ty gave me a worried glance, but I refused to back down. “It sounds like you’re the one who doesn’t understand where he belongs,” I shot back, my voice cold and unwavering. It wasn’t too long after that Ty showed him the way out.
Needless to say, Harlem was another definite no.
As soon as he returned to the office, Ty scowled. “Which age did that asshole come from?”
Both interviews had been draining and disheartening. After discussing the day’s candidates, Ty and I agreed that Nico’s recommendations were questionable, to say the least. What the hell had he been thinking when he’d given the list to Ty? Was he screwing with us?
Ty laughed when I said that, showing me that the men’s credentials checked out on paper. “It’s just their personalities that are questionable.”
We still had one more interview to get through. I hoped against hope that this one would be better than the rest.
Harlem’s binge meant my plate of cookies was now more a plate of cookie crumbs, so I hurried to the kitchen and grabbed the remaining dozen cookies I’d hidden, thinking I was keeping them from Ty, not an antiquated, sexist prick. Luckily, there were no kitchen staff in my way.
I was fuming over Harlem’s asinine comments. Who the fuck did he think he was, waltzing into his alpha’s office, insulting his mate, and disparaging all female shifters? I wasn’t surprised he hadn’t found a good little woman. Good luck to him.
Ty wasn’t in his office when I returned, so I wiped his desk of cookie bits and Harlem spit, then rearranged the fresh cookies, all the while grumbling under my breath about Harlem’s sexist comments.
“What kind of person insults not only women in general, but the alpha’s mate while interviewing for the position of informant?
Who the hell, in this day and age, thinks a woman’s place is in the kitchen? Damn fool.”
As I used my angry energy to rearrange the flowers, a voice from the doorway caught my attention.
“Personally, I think women are more capable than men in many areas,” the newcomer began, his tone warm and sincere.
“I don’t believe a woman belongs in the kitchen, but some of the best chefs I know are women.
Women thrive in the kitchen... or any other venture they choose to take on. ”
I turned to see Ty standing at the doorway with the man who’d spoken.
Ty introduced me to Isaiah. He was roguishly attractive, with salt-and-pepper hair that hinted at his age being in the mid-to-late-forties, smoky gray eyes that stole my breath away, and beautiful earthy brown skin.
For a split second, I considered snapping a photo to send to my best friend Sabrina but thought better of it.
I’d describe him in detail when I called her later.
Isaiah’s intelligence and wit were displayed throughout the interview, his devilish smile and quick answers keeping us engaged.
“Tell me about your career. What kind of experience do you have that would lend itself to this position?” Ty leaned forward. He was fully engaged in the interview, totally unlike the others.
“I worked closely with Nico for several years and have actually served as a source for him,” Isaiah explained.
“What do you mean, ‘a source’?” Ty scribbled a note in his folder.
“There have been times in the past when Nico didn’t have enough security or enough manpower for specific missions within the Keller pack.
At those times, I served as a sort of substitute, or temporary employee, until the job was done.
” Isaiah sat up straighter in the chair.
“I can assure you, Alpha, I have the capabilities necessary to handle the job you’re attempting to fill.
My background and experience give me the upper hand because I know how to be discreet and get the job done. No questions asked.”
He spoke confidently, but I wanted to test his mettle.
“How would you handle a situation like we’re currently in?
We have an enemy on the run who used a pack member for his bidding, causing damage to the pack.
When he was done using her as a pawn, he murdered her and hung it over Ty’s head, treating it like a game with no regard for the life lost.”
Isaiah crossed his legs and clasped his hands in his lap.
He took his time to answer, carefully considering his words.
“First, I would gather all available intel on this enemy’s whereabouts and activities.
” His eyes were focused and determined as he explained his hypothetical process.
“Next, I would work closely with your pack’s security to devise an appropriate plan of action to find and apprehend him.
As for the woman who did his bidding, her unfortunate fate should serve as a cautionary tale to the rest of the pack. ”
I admired the conviction in his voice. He approached the matter seriously and, despite being put on the spot, considered the situation, then offered a credible plan of action. It appeared Ty shared my sentiments because he nodded along with Isaiah’s words.
“Regarding the message to the public,” Isaiah continued. “It’s important to be firm. Our pack will not tolerate such actions. We need to show strength and unity while also honoring the deceased woman’s memory.”
I found myself liking Isaiah more and more, and his calm demeanor and attitude reassured me. Ty’s expression suggested he felt the same way. After a few more minutes of small talk, Ty rose from his chair. “Thank you for your time, Isaiah. We’ll be in touch soon.”
We waited until he left before looking at each other.
“Out of all the interviews today, I think Isaiah definitely stands out,” I said.
Ty nodded in agreement. “We’ll see after tomorrow’s interviews.”
But I could tell he already had a strong inclination toward Isaiah.
Later that night, standing on the balcony off our master suite, I gazed out at the woods.
We’d been so busy lately, I hadn’t really had an opportunity to speak to Ty about the strangers in town, or the people trying to get my photo through the window at my office.
The unsettling feeling from my earlier run still lingered in the back of my mind, and I hadn’t mentioned that to him, either.
With the interviews going on, it had seemed unimportant.
When I turned to head back inside, a figure in the trees caught my attention. Fear locked up every muscle. I covered my mouth, wanting to scream out to Ty, but the person would flee if I did. Instead, I prayed that our bond as mates would allow him to sense my distress.
Almost instantly, Ty rushed into the room. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“Someone’s in the woods,” I said, unable to tear my eyes away from the shadowy figure.
Ty moved quickly to my side, pushing me protectively behind him. But in those few seconds, the person vanished.
“I don’t see anyone.” Ty leaned over the balcony, straining to glimpse the shadowy figure.
Confused and frightened, I squinted and scanned the tree line. “I swear someone was lurking under the trees. There was someone there just now, and there was someone out there when I was running. I promise I’m not fucking crazy.”
“Liza, I know you’re not crazy. Of course you’re not. Why didn’t you tell me there was someone out there earlier?” He looked hurt that I hadn’t told him.
“I’m sorry, Ty, I meant to, but with the interviews and everything else, we were both so busy. Then I started second-guessing myself, but when I saw someone out there...” I was starting to panic, so I took in a few steadying breaths.
Ty pulled out his phone and called his head security guard. “I need everyone on hand to search the woods. Liza saw someone watching her.” He turned to face me and cupped my face. “If there’s someone out there, they’ll find them.”
I nodded. I hoped they’d catch the person.
But what if I had imagined it? What if the stress of anticipating Castro’s next move was getting to me?
I certainly hadn’t gotten more than five or six hours of sleep each night, but could those factors really cause hallucinations?
Plus, I was certain my wolf had sensed someone in broad daylight during my run. It couldn’t all be coincidental.
While we waited, we sat on the bed and tried to watch a movie. He insisted it would take my mind off everything but it didn’t. How could I chill and watch a movie when there was a creeper lurking in the shadows, waiting to do gods only knew what?
An hour later, the head of security knocked on the bedroom door. I pulled the blanket up to cover my chest since I’d chucked my bra across the room thirty minutes earlier. Ty padded to the door in his comfortable sweatpants. He’d ditched his suit before I’d released the girls.
“We’ve searched every inch of the woods, Alpha. My men didn’t find any intruders or any unfamiliar scents. I’ll put extra guards around the perimeter of the woods tonight.”
Ty nodded and thanked the guard before crawling back into bed with me. “Maybe you’re just stressed.” He pulled me close in an attempt to comfort me. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep? Everything will be okay.”
I forced a smile and kissed him before burrowing down in the high-thread-count sheets and down comforter, hoping it would lull me to sleep.
But as I lay in bed that night, my thoughts racing, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.
I wasn’t crazy. There had been someone in those woods watching me.
The question now was, who were they, and what did they want?