Page 121 of Inside the Sun

"That’s… really interesting," I mutter, a little skeptical. Sun had a fever then, after all.

"I have another brother too. He’s a purple alpha, like you and Luca. He says—"

"Purple? Wait. So your parents are True Mates?" I blurt it out without thinking.

"Yes. Why?" he asks, frowning slightly.

Fuck, the words just come out of my mouth. I have to weasel out of it somehow!

"Isn't it obvious? My parents are also TMs, I'm just curious."

Silence falls. But all the puzzle pieces start sliding into place in my brain. A wave of heat rushes over me, confusion and disbelief knotting in my stomach.

This was right in front of me the whole time, and I didn’t see it?

Hunter Nolan is Sun’s close cousin! All the facts fit: TM parents. Purple brother. Cousin’s husband killed by NFH. The same surname.

How strange…

Back at the base, Hunter used to share a lot about his family. His younger brother, Nathaniel, was raised by their uncle, who also happened to be Sun’s father. After the accident that killed both their parents, Hunter couldn’t take in his brother. He was away on a classified mission overseas. That’s when Sun’s parents stepped in. They took in the boy whose face had been half-burned in the fire and raised him like their own.

Suddenly, this whole thing feels even morepersonal.

Close to home.

Sun’s not just some random guy! He’s Hunter’s family. Hunter, my brother-in-arms. The one person I actually consider a real friend. Maybe the only one.

Sun snorts and tilts his head.

His eyes just skim over me as he suddenly asks, "Yeah, purple alphas can only be born from TM parents. But you… don’t have the marks. Why not?"

His eyes flick to my bare shoulders and forearms. Every purple alpha has thick, half-inch-wide bands running down their limbs, through which they can extend bone spikes. It’s a universal trait. But that’s not the case with me.

"Did you have cosmetic surgery or something, to hide them?"

I chew the inside of my cheek. I hardly ever talk to anyone about this.

"Purple alphas have a few subtypes. I’m just a rare one. The alien genes sometimes mutate. I think you’re proof of that yourself." I gesture meaningfully toward his lower abdomen.

He flushes hard. I didn’t expect him to react shyly like that.

"You’re right. I’m different too. That kind of stuff usually happens in True Mate bloodlines."

"Fact. I’ve got all the standard traits of a purple alpha. My lines are pale but work the same."

Sun hesitates. "I’ve never seen a full transformation," he mumbles. "My brother, Storm, never shifted completely."

"You need a big adrenaline spike to trigger theimago, usually from feeling like someone you care about is in danger."

Sun's eyes are still skimming my biceps. He seems to enjoy ogling my muscles, not that I mind.

"A guy like you has such massive potential. You’d be a perfect fit for all kinds of jobs where that strength could actually make a difference."

There’s subtle subtext in that simple statement. Is Sun suggesting I don’t belong in a mafia garden? Figured.

But I should stop giving away so many details! Sure, I’ve got this weird gut feeling that Sun’s more trustworthy than anyone else here… but can I really bet everything on a feeling? He’s in a desperate situation here!

"My last job was stressful, I needed something calmer," I say vaguely, hoping it sounds believable.

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