Chapter 107 Liza #2
“Let’s do this.” I hoped I sounded confident.
Liam nodded and began walking me through various scenarios, each designed to provoke a strong emotional response. With every trigger he pulled, my wolf stirred inside me, the ground quaking beneath my feet as she fought to break free.
“Focus,” Liam urged me, never wavering. “Remember, if you’re not in control, you’re more of a danger to your loved ones than anyone else.”
His words struck a nerve, and my throat tightened. If I couldn’t control my emotions, I’d end up hurting the people I cared about most.
I closed myself off to everything going on around me and focused on my connection with my wolf. As much as she wanted to protect our family, we needed to find a balance. We had to learn to work with each other.
I steeled myself for the next round of challenges. “Let’s try this again.”
The sun had risen high in the sky, sending sharp shadows across the training grounds. Sweat trickled down my temples as I glared at Liam, who smirked at me from a few feet away. He’d been insufferable the whole morning, pushing all my buttons and doing everything he could to rile me up.
“Come on, Liza, is that really all you’ve got?” he taunted. “I was told you were supposed to be some sort of special omega, not just another weakling who can’t control her emotions.”
I clenched my fists and fought to keep my breathing steady. My wolf snarled inside me, ready to pounce at any moment. Liam was trying to provoke me, and it was getting harder and harder to ignore him.
“Shut up!” The quaking began again, and this time it was stronger as I fought to control my emotions.
“Ah, there it is,” Liam said, his smirk widening. “That famous temper. Ty told me you were a bit of a hothead, but I didn’t think it would be so easy to get under your skin.”
“Ty said what?” I blazed with anger, and I took a step toward Liam, my wolf urging me forward. The ground shook even more violently, and I briefly wondered if it was possible for it to become a full-blown earthquake.
“Easy now.” Liam held up his hands in mock surrender. “Don’t want to lose control, do we?”
I gritted my teeth and forced myself to take a step back, trying to remember the techniques I’d learned in anger management classes years ago.
Breathe in, count to ten, breathe out. Focus on something calming, like the way the sunlight filtered through the trees, forming dappled patterns on the ground.
“Is this what it takes to protect your family?” Liam snapped. “You’re going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to stand a chance against your enemies.”
“Stop it,” I snarled, my control slipping away once more. Then in the midst of my anger, I remembered something else from those classes: that I had the power to choose how I reacted to situations. I could allow Liam’s words to affect me, or I could make the choice that they didn’t matter.
I closed myself off, blocking out Liam’s taunts, and I imagined myself standing beside Ty, surrounded by our loved ones—the very people I was fighting to protect. A peaceful stillness settled within me, and my wolf settled down, appeased for the moment.
When I turned, Liam looked surprised. “Well, well,” he said grudgingly. “Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” I glared at him. Despite my annoyance, a small spark of pride flickered within me. I’d regained control over my emotions. It was a minor victory, but it was a start. With Liam’s relentless training, I hoped I would only grow stronger.
It had been a long day. The cold of the morning had given way to the warmer afternoon sun as I stood on the uneven ground and faced Liam, my heart pounding. Sweat tracked down my back, making my clothes stick to my skin. Despite how much he’d already pushed me today, we were far from done.
Liam cracked his knuckles and gave me a sly grin. “Let’s find out if you’ve been paying attention.” He shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet, ready to spring into action at any moment.
“Bring it on,” I said under my breath, steeling myself for whatever he had planned next. My muscles tensed, coiling like a spring, and I focused all my attention on him.
“Picture this.” Liam’s manner was smooth and mocking. “Someone has your precious family cornered. Poor Rory and Scott, they’re terrified and helpless, completely at the mercy of their captor.”
Anger flared within me, and my wolf snarled in response. I clenched my fists as I tried to keep control.
“Imagine Ty, beaten and bloody.” Liam’s face twisted into a cruel, sinister smile of satisfaction. “What would you do?”
“Stop it!” I shouted, rage boiling over. There was a brief movement of the ground beneath our feet, but I reined it in before it could escalate.
“Good.” Liam nodded approvingly. “You managed to control it this time. You need to be prepared for situations like these. Your enemies will use anything they can against you, especially your loved ones.”
Swallowing hard, I nodded. “I just can’t bear the thought of something happening to them.”
“Which is exactly why you need to learn control.” Liam was more serious now. “I know I am repeating myself, but if you can’t keep your emotions in check? You’ll be more of a danger to them than anyone else.”
My wolf’s agitation and anger still simmered beneath the surface. She didn’t like what he was saying.
Listen, I spoke silently, reaching out to her through our connection. We have to stay in control. Losing ourselves to emotions will only put our loved ones in danger.
My wolf hesitated, her growls echoing through my mind. Gradually, she understood what I was saying, and like flipping a switch, she calmed right down.
“Good job.” Liam’s lips lifted into a small smile. “That right there… that’s what I want. You have powerful instincts, but you can’t let them overwhelm you.”
“Thank you,” I said, still catching my breath from the emotional rollercoaster Liam had just put me through.
“Let’s call it a day,” he said. “You’ve made progress, but remember, this is just the beginning.”
“Right.” As I nodded, a mix of relief and resolve had me straightening my spine.
“Good. Go clean up and get some rest,” Liam said. “We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I watched him walk away before heading inside to find Ty.
I found my mate sitting on a couch in the living room, flipping through a book. He looked up as I approached. “How did it go?” he asked, setting the book aside.
“Better than I expected, actually.” I sank down next to him. “Liam really pushed me, but I managed to keep my emotions in check for the most part.”
“Tell me everything,” Ty said, twining his fingers through mine.
“It wasn’t easy at first.” Liam had taunted me mercilessly to provoke a reaction from my wolf. “But I learned that losing control would only put you and everyone else in danger, so when Liam started making cruel comments about you, they hurt, but I managed to stay calm.”
“I’m proud of you, Liza.”
“Thanks.” I rested my head on his shoulder. “But we still have a long way to go. Liam says our lessons are far from over.”
Ty wrapped his arm around me. “Don’t worry. You’re strong. You’ll get through this.”
“I hope so. I just want to be able to protect the people I love.”
Ty pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my head. “You’ll get there, and I’ll be right by your side. No matter what it takes.”
Buoyed by Ty’s unwavering support, and the understanding that I had already made some headway, I held onto the belief that I would eventually gain control over my emotions and harness the power of my wolf, for the sake of my family, my pack, and myself.
“Your mom phoned while you were training with Liam. I told her and your dad what you were doing. Do you want to go see your parents?” Ty didn’t need to ask twice. Seeing Mom and Dad was just what I needed to recharge.
We piled into the car with two members of my security team and left for my parents’ home. Ty didn’t let go of my hand for the entire drive.
The familiar scent of the woods surrounded us when we stood on the porch of my childhood porch, with a warm breeze caressing our skin. The weathered panels creaked underfoot as we, along with a couple of security guards, waited for my parents to answer the door.
The door eventually swung open, revealing my parents standing side by side. It was impossible not to be at ease in the presence of my mother, with her softly spoken and gentle demeanor. She opened her arms wide, and I stepped into her embrace. My father smiled at me, but it belied his worry.
“Sweetheart, it’s so good to see you.” My mother squeezed me tightly before letting go. Her attention flitted between Ty and me.
“Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad.” I tried to sound upbeat despite the obvious tension in the air.
“Hello.” My father gave me a quick hug, then nodded in Ty’s direction. “Ty.”
“Scott, Rory,” Ty said respectfully with a smile.
“Come on in.” My mother stepped aside to let us pass. As we entered, I spotted my older brothers sitting on the couch in the living room. They glanced up at our arrival, their eyes creasing in relief.
“Little sis.” Mason rose from his seat to pull me into a bear hug.
Michael followed suit. “We’re glad you’re here.”
“Guys, please.” I extricated myself from their overbearing embraces. “I can breathe just fine, thank you.”
“Sorry.” Mason grinned, releasing me. “We’re just worried about you, that’s all.”
“Speaking of which,” my father said, glancing at Ty. “Ty told me you’re doing omega training. How’s that going?”
I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. “It’s been… challenging,” I said, grateful for Ty’s supportive hand on the small of my back. “But I’m making progress. Liam’s helping me learn to control my emotions so I don’t lose control of my wolf.”
“Really?” my mother asked, hope shining in her eyes. “That’s wonderful,”
Michael grimaced. “But what about Liam? Can we trust him?”
“His methods are harsh, but I think he genuinely wants to help me.”