Page 349 of Fated to the Wolf Prince
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the scene unfolding before me, my pulse pounding in my ears like a war drum. Mason and Michael stood beside me, their faces set in grim determination. They were ready to fight if necessary, but for now, we watched as Ty and Liam cornered the men.
“Who sent you?” Liam’s wolfish snarl seemed at odds with his human body. “Tell us now, and we might spare your miserable lives.”
“Please.” I stepped forward, gaining the attention of one of the men. “Tell us why you did this.”
For a moment, I was sure he’d ignore me. I noticed a fleeting expression of fear and something else crossing his face. Regret, maybe?
“Castro,” he croaked.
I fought back the urge to be sick as my stomach churned violently.. How could anyone be so twisted, so consumed by their own desires, that they would go to such lengths to possess another person?
“He’s obsessed with her.” He pointed to me. “Said if we brought her to him, he’d pay us more than we could ever dream of.”
Liam’s cold demeanor bored into the captured men. “I don’t care how high that bounty gets, you won’t be collecting it.”
He leaned in closer, so close the icy menace emanating from him was a physical manifestation. “Let this be a lesson to anyone who thinks they can come after my family. If they even try, they’ll end up like you two, or worse.”
It was strange for me to hear Liam refer to us as his family, but there was no denying his fierce, protective edge. The two battered men exchanged a frightened glance, their bodies tense with fear. Even though he was fighting on our side, Liam was undeniably terrifying.
Ty shifted back into his human form and came over to the three of us standing by our wrecked car. Mason moved to stand next to Michael. Ty looked back toward Liam, then spoke to my brothers. “I think you two should go.” Before they could argue, Ty held up his hand. “This isn’t a debate. Liza’s been through enough tonight without watching a pissing contest over who’s better placed to protect her. Please, go home. You don’t need to be here for this.”
As the twins faced each other, they communicated silently, their unspoken agreement evident when Mason nodded, and they both pulled me into a warm hug.
“Call us if you need us,” Michael whispered, his warm breath tickling my ear, then they hurried over to their car, the smell of gasoline punching into the air as they made their hasty exit. I was so tired that my bones felt liquid. But as much as I wanted this to be over, I suspected things were only about to get worse.
I turned my face up to Ty. “What was that about? Why send them home?”
Ty indicated to where Liam stood over the two men. “I didn’t think it fair to get them mixed up in this. They came when I needed them—when it mattered. I didn’t want Liam to have any more of an audience. No witnesses.”
“Listen carefully,” Liam said, venom dripping from every word. “I’m going to let you go, and when I do, you’re going to spread the word that Liza Mims is under my protection. Anyone who tries to harm her will answer to me. And take my fucking word for it, that’s not a position anyone wants to be in.” He grabbed the man who hadn’t spoken by the arm, forcing him to stand. He moved so quickly, I barely comprehended what he was doing until I heard an audible pop. The attacker screamed in pain, his arm hanging strangely from the now-dislocated shoulder.
I stood by Ty’s side, cold sweat drenching me as we watched Liam assert his dominance. Part of me was still reeling from the torture we had witnessed, but another part was relieved by Liam’s intimidating presence. In the back of my mind, I knew he could very well take out the Kellers and any other threat that came our way if he truly wanted to. It was a frightening realization, but strangely, it comforted me.
The men nodded frantically, desperate to be released from Liam’s wrath. As he turned to walk away, I reached out and touched his arm, my fingers fluttering against his skin.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “That couldn’t have been easy, but I appreciate your willingness to protect me.”
His demeanor softened if only for a moment, and he gave me a curt nod. “No one messes with my family, Liza.”
He walked away, leaving Ty and me alone with the two captives. I glanced over at Ty, who appeared to be completely absorbed in his own thoughts.
“Are you okay?”
Ty shook his head and blinked rapidly. “I’m fine. Liam may have crossed lines that I wouldn’t, but he got results. Now our enemies will know we have an even stronger ally on our side.”
I nodded. Liam’s actions had been necessary, even if they had been difficult to witness. As we prepared to release the men, gratitude and unease toward my new protector warred within. In this dark and uncertain world, Liam’s terrifying presence might just be what we needed to keep our enemies at bay, but at what cost?
My racing heartbeat filled my ears as I stood next to Ty, watching Liam with a terrifying ferocity. As much as I appreciated his protection, I wasn’t sure we weren’t playing with fire.
“Are we doing the right thing?” I questioned Ty, my fear slipping through. “Aligning ourselves with Liam?”
Before Ty could answer, his phone rang, and he glanced at the screen before taking the call. “Hello?”
“Put me on speaker,” Castro’s venomous demand radiated from the phone. Ty tapped the screen, and I instinctively moved closer to my mate and clutched his arm tightly.
“Who’s with you? Who is that in the background?” Castro snapped with malice.
Sensing something was off, Liam jogged over, gestured toward the phone, and mouthed, “Castro?”
