Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
OROS
A Few Minutes Earlier
“You’re right to be pissed,” Riordan says, reminding me that I never hung up our call.
He’s been watching me pace for the better part of ten minutes.
I go to hang up on him when he adds, “If you care about your Omega at all, you’ll let Keegan live.”
My eyebrow lifts at that. “My caring about her is why I want to fucking kill him.” The bastard threw his daughter into my Royal Court without a single care as to what we might have done to her. He didn’t deserve to breathe.
“Keegan loves his daughter,” Riordan tells me.
I snort. “He has a fucked-up way of showing it.”
“He knew she would be safe in Gold Sector.”
“Based on these supposed rumors you’ve heard,” I drawl. “Yeah, I got that part.”
“No. Based on his own observations,” Riordan replies, a hint of steel coming through his tone. “He’s a Stealth Royal, Oros.”
I stop walking. “That’s a myth.” Stealth Royals are the beings Drakonians tell whelps about to make them behave. Don’t misbehave or the Stealth Royals will see you and tell everyone what you did.
A ridiculous tale about Drakonians who can vanish into thin air, then come and go at will. Basically like spirits.
“It’s not,” Riordan tells me. “It’s a rare gift, one Keegan possesses. He can prove it to you.”
I stare at him. “By what? Disappearing? Because I can do that, too.” I do it all the time when I ash to another location.
“He visited Gold Sector several times before deciding to take Tali there,” Riordan says, ignoring what I said. “And before you ask, no, he didn’t bring her with him. She doesn’t possess the same talents.”
I fold my arms. “So you’re saying he’s been spying on my sector for a while now?”
“I’m saying he visited various Drakonian territories, and a few wolf packs, too, in order to decide where to take his daughter. He’s been hunting for an ideal location for nearly five years.”
My jaw ticks. “If he was in Gold Sector, I would have sensed him.”
“Except you didn’t,” he replies. “I know it’s hard to believe, but as I said, he can prove it. He’s a Stealth Royal.”
I consider Riordan for a long moment. “All right. Let’s say I agree to believe in this myth. Why did he need to test us with his daughter?”
“It was never a test for him, Oros. It was a test for me.”
I narrow my gaze. “Elaborate.”
He sighs and runs a hand over his tight braids, the tattoos along his scalp seeming to tense in response.
“Since Jasper Sector would never accept his daughter—that part we both know is true—I told him to go to you and to report back to me on the results. He could have done it in stealth mode, but I opted to speak to him in front of you. Because I wanted you to know.”
“How kind of you,” I drawl, unable to hide my sarcasm.
His hand drops to his side. “Look, I meant it when I said I wanted to visit to firm up our alliance. What I didn’t add is that I would like to bring my sister, too. I needed to hear Keegan’s report before I could even begin to ask.”
“And now you want to request a favor,” I conclude for him. “After thoroughly pissing me off.”
“Yes.”
I huff a humorless laugh. “You have some nerve.”
“If an Omega under your care was promised to a tyrant, what would you do?” he demands. “Now imagine that Omega is your own flesh and blood.”
“Decline the request,” I suggest. That’s what I would do in his position, anyway.
“I fully intend to,” he returns without hesitation. “But my sister has it in her mind that she should be a martyr and give herself up. Which is why I need somewhere safe to hold her until this problem is resolved.”
My eyebrows lift. “You mean you want to imprison her somewhere so she doesn’t fulfill the blood vow your family engaged in with Basalt’s father.”
“Yes.” He doesn’t elaborate, just gives me a hard stare like that’s somehow going to convince me to cooperate.
I close my eyes and dig deep for the energy I seem to have displaced. All I want to do is flame everything around me. Which won’t do much since the entire cave is full of singed black rock.
“My sister is twenty-five, and she’s a little hellion princess who won’t listen to reason,” Riordan confides softly, obviously realizing he’ll have to try a bit harder to convince me.
I tell him without words that it’s not enough by resuming my pacing.
“I won’t let her waltz into Wes’s lair. It’s clearly a trap.
And I’m fairly certain he’s the one who penned the letter, not his father.
I’m not even sure if his father is still alive; no one has seen him in decades.
Regardless, I can’t go confront Wes because my sister will no doubt follow, and then she’ll sacrifice herself for me. ”
“Sounds like you have a loyal sister,” I mutter, though his commentary about Wes has me paying attention a bit more.
“She’s a brat, but she has a beautiful soul, and I refuse to let Wes have her. However, I need to figure out how he learned of her existence, and I want to know where he’s keeping Basalt. Because Basalt might be the only one who can stop this nonsense. Assuming he’s even alive.”
I pause my walking once more and look at the screen that’s been following my every step. “How long have you suspected that Basalt isn’t truly in charge?”
“Since the day Keegan arrived in Obsidian Sector,” he informs me. “Wes is the one who greeted him, which isn’t necessarily a red flag, but he made the decision to grant Keegan entry. It would be akin to Xavier letting your brother enter my sector without talking to me.”
I nod, agreeing with that assessment. “Maybe Basalt and Wes have a unique agreement. They’re brothers, after all.”
Although, I certainly don’t have that power dynamic with Onyx.
Most Alphas and Seconds maintain similar power structures whereby the Second only stands in when the prince requests it. But that doesn’t mean a deviation of power is impossible. So perhaps Basalt and Wes just operate differently.
“I considered that,” Rio says. “That’s one of the reasons Keegan offered to poke around. But he couldn’t find Basalt anywhere.”
“Which is a feat, considering he’s supposedly a Stealth Royal,” I say, still unable to mask my sarcasm.
But if Riordan notices it, he doesn’t comment. Instead, he just says, “Yes.” Then he continues with, “Keegan stayed there until weeks before Taliana’s first heat and never once found even an inkling of Basalt’s presence.”
“And no one in Obsidian Sector is aware of this?” I wonder aloud, becoming a little too intrigued by this outlandish tale.
“The Drakonians of Obsidian Sector are too busy trying to survive to notice that the leader they all fear has been missing for years,” Riordan growls out.
“Seems like a convenient excuse,” I tell him.
His eyes narrow. “Has Taliana told you what happens to disobedient Omegas in Obsidian Sector? How they’re put in cages during the initial phase of their estrus and left on display?”
My teeth gnash together as I look at him again.
“It induces a rut,” he goes on. “And any Alphas with claims on those Omegas, or relations to them, are forced to watch as they’re freed and ripped apart.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I demand, my stomach churning at the violent visual his words just painted.
“Because that’s only one of the methods used to control the beings of Obsidian Sector.
So no, it’s not convenient at all. Everyone there is just trying to survive.
Keegan originally wanted to help Helena, but she was too indoctrinated to save.
So he stayed to gather intelligence, then fled with Taliana before it was too late. ”
“And took her to the nomad lands,” I say, aware of that part. “Then apparently spied on other sectors and eventually brought her here.”
“Yes. But only after he knew it would be safe for her. However, he wasn’t kidding when he said he would have died fighting for her. That Alpha loves his daughter. Which is why he’ll understand if you want to kill him for what you think he’s done. I doubt he’ll even try to stop you.”
Onyx materializes beside me before I can reply to that. “I thought I might find you…” My brother trails off when he realizes I’m still talking to Riordan. “Seriously, I’ve seen enough of your face this week to last me a damn decade.”
“I understand,” Riordan says solemnly. “The competition is quite fierce, and you need some time to recover your ego.”
“Oh, fuck you, Red Rock. My ego is just fine.”
“Hmm,” he hums. “Then you’re questioning your sexuality? Are you feeling a bit too attracted to me, Silver Kiss?”
Onyx rolls his eyes. “I will not deign to respond to that.” He looks at me. “I came to warn you that your Omega knows you’re a prince.”
I take a step back, my eyes widening. “What? How?”
“Bella told her, but not on purpose. She assumed she knew.”
“Why the fuck was she talking to Bella?” I demand.
“She went up to drop something off in your office and ran into Taliana. I’d told her you weren’t around. It’s my fault she was there.” He sounds contrite, causing me to narrow my gaze.
“Did you overhear the conversation?”
“Only the end,” he mutters. “I realized what I’d done by letting her up there—while Taliana is in your suite—and went to rectify the situation. But they were already deep in their discussion when I got there. So I… I just waited outside the door to escort Bella back down.”
I sigh. “What were they discussing?”
“Kuanos Quarter, when I arrived. Bella was suggesting that Taliana visit to hear some of the old mythology tales.” His lips twitch. “Your Omega was intrigued.”
“And?” I press.
“And the two exchanged some words about their names—apparently, Taliana thought ‘Bella’ was an endearment. Their conversation ended shortly after that.”
My brow furrows. “Yet Bella told her I’m a prince?”
“Yes. When Bella found me waiting in the hall for her, she asked me why you hadn’t told her.” He winces. “She doesn’t approve.”
I refrain from the urge to growl.
Then the sound of a pen scribbling across paper drags my attention to the screen where Riordan is making a show of writing something down. “What the hell are you doing?”
He glances up from his task. “Oh, I’m just taking notes on what not to do when I find my future Omega. Top of the list is Don’t lie about who I am.”
This time, my growl escapes me. “You’re an asshole.”
“I am,” he agrees, smirking. “One who still plans to visit you in twenty-four hours. And I’m bringing my sister with me.”
My gaze widens. “I haven’t agreed to take her yet.”
“I know. So consider this a meet and greet. Once you see what I’m dealing with, you’ll happily lock her up in a cell while I go handle Wes and track down Basalt.”
“That is not what we agreed to,” I tell him.
“You know, you’re—”
Static sounds.
“Breaking up. I—”
More static.
I glare at the glitching screen.
“See you tomorrow.”
The call cuts short.
My jaw begins to ache from clenching it so tightly. “I don’t have time to deal with him.”
“I’ll handle it,” Onyx offers. “Your Omega needs you.”
I blink, then look at him. “That almost sounds like you approve.”
“Maybe I do.”
My eyebrows lift. “Since when?”
“Since it became clear that she’s innocent.”
“Not even an hour ago, you stated otherwise,” I remind him, referring to what he said in Keegan’s room.
He shrugs. “A lot can change in sixty minutes.”
“And what changed your mind?”
“Hearing her talking to Bella,” he replies.
“About Kuanos Quarter?” I ask, confused as hell.
“No. It was… her tone.” He frowns. “I can’t explain it.
There was just a genuine curiosity in her voice that can’t be faked.
I also spent a few extra minutes threatening Keegan after you left, and all he asked was that we spare his daughter.
” He pauses, then adds, “I don’t need to be a lie detector to know he meant it. ”
“So you don’t think she knew about any of this,” I say, confirming where my brother stands.
“No, and I think you already know she didn’t,” he tells me. “Her scent might have been manufactured to attract you, but she’s not trying to ensnare you. Hell, she didn’t even know you were the Gold Sector Prince until tonight.”
“The only one playing tricks here appears to be Riordan,” I growl.
“Which I’ve already said I’ll handle,” my brother reiterates. “So go to your nesting Omega and let me play my role as Second.”
His words have my heart skipping a beat. “She’s nesting?”
“That’s what Bella told me, yes. Hence the reason I said your Omega needs—”
I’ve already ashed before he can finish speaking, my mind on Taliana nesting. In my suite.
Her scent hits me the moment I materialize beside my bed.
Then the sight of her nearly brings me to my knees.
She’s waiting on her knees in the center of a pillowed safe haven made of familiar sheets and clothes.
A nest.
“Oros,” she breathes, her starry eyes widening at the sight of me. “You’re here.”
“I’m here,” I tell her, already unclasping my cloak to let it float to the ground in my wake. “And you are very naked.”