Page 341 of Fated to the Wolf Prince
After the passenger door swung open, Liza emerged, her hair disheveled and eyes puffy from crying. Despite that, she was the most stunning vision I had ever encountered. My heart swelled with relief and love, the mating bond pulling me toward her like a magnet.
“Ty.” Liza’s voice cracked with emotion. I barely had time to react before she was in my hold, her arms and legs wrapping around me. I buried my face in her neck and held her as tightly as I dared. Her sweet vanilla and calming lavender scent grounded me, and some of the tension seeped out of my muscles. My wolf let out a contented sigh.
“God,” I murmured in her ear. “I was certain I’d lost you.”
“Never,” she said, stroking my hair. “You’ll never lose me, Ty. I promise.”
I raised my head, and Liza cupped my face, her own paling as her stare intensified. “My mom?”
The intensity of her fear heightened, overshadowed by her fear of the answer, and the overwhelming guilt for not having asked sooner.
“She’s okay. Rory’s fine. She had to have surgery, but the doctor discharged her earlier this morning.”
Liza dropped her head onto my shoulder and sobbed.
“Let me look at you,” I said softly, reluctantly pulling away to assess her. Leaning back slightly, I searched for any signof injury or harm. Though she appeared unharmed, the worry etched on her face spoke volumes.
“I’m fine,” she said, her bottom lip quivering slightly. “I promise, Liam didn’t hurt me. He made mistakes, Ty, but he believed he was doing the right thing and was saving me.”
“Saving you?” I frowned. “But, why? From me? What does he want with you?”
“Like I said on the phone, it’s complicated. There’s so much I need to tell you.”
“Then, tell me.” My heart ached at the uncertainty in her tone. “I can’t help until I have all the details, and the longer you delay, the more disturbing scenarios my mind makes up.”
Before she could respond, the closing of a car door, and the crunch of gravel underfoot reminded me that Liza hadn’t come home alone.
Liam approached us, his attention locked on Liza, and she slid off my body and stood next to me. My wolf snarled, ready to defend his mate from any threat.
“Stay back,” I said, glaring at Liam as he stepped closer. He didn’t look like the ruthless mob boss I’d heard so much about. He was surprisingly unassuming, with a lean build and a clean-shaven face. But I wasn’t going to let appearances fool me. I was acutely aware of how dangerous and sinister this man was.
Liam’s expression remained impassive, but I could’ve sworn I detected a hint of sadness in his hooded eyes. “I want to help you,” he said simply. “We can put an end to the danger your pack faces, and to the danger Liza faces, if we’re united.”
“Help us?” I raised an eyebrow, my wolf growling within me at the thought of trusting him. “After everything you’ve done?”
“Your mistrust is understandable.” Liam’s tone was measured and calm. It was unnerving how he was so in control despite the precarious situation he found himself in. “But you need to understand that I would never harm my own sister.”
“Then, why did you kidnap her… hurt her mother?” I said with barely restrained anger. “Why put her through all of this?”
He pulled back his shoulders and straightened his spine. “Rory was never meant to be hurt. And I took Liza because I needed to learn the truth.”
“Your methods are twisted,” I spat, and my wolf snarled in agreement. “You could have come to us with your suspicions. Instead, you kidnapped her, terrified her, and put our entire pack in danger.”
“Ty,” Liza said softly, putting her hand on my lower back. The warmth of her touch was a calming anchor amid the storm of emotions swirling inside me. “He had his reasons.”
“That doesn’t justify his actions,” I said, but my anger had lost some of its edge. I hated to admit it, but Liam seemed genuine. It made me question if he truly was the monster my intel made him out to be.
“Perhaps not,” Liam said, his eyes darting to Liza before returning to me. “But now that I’m aware of the truth, we have a common enemy—someone far more dangerous than either of us ever thought. The only way to stop him is to cooperate and work as a team.”
“Work together?” I snorted. “Why would I trust you after everything you’ve done?”
“Because you’re going to need me if you want to put an end to Castro.” His words were as smooth and unruffled as his demeanor.
I couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that escaped me. “You expect me to believe that? After everything you’ve done to us?”
A storm raged within me. The last thing I wanted to do was to trust Liam, but Liza’s faith in him, after everything he’d put her through, gave me pause. If there was even a sliver of truth to his words, then we couldn’t afford to turn away any potential allies. Not with the stakes this high.
I fixed Liam with a glare. “Let’s say I believe you. What do you propose we do about Castro?”
