Page 146 of Chased By My Grumpy Alpha
“Astra.” His voice is carefully neutral. “Put that down.”
“What is ‘Eclipse Born’?” I ask, not moving.
He sets the water glass on the dresser and walks over slowly, like he’s approaching a spooked animal. “Give me the papers, and I’ll explain.”
“Explain now.”
For a moment, we stare at each other in tense silence. Then, he sighs and holds out his hand.
“Please, Astra. Let me have the document.”
Reluctantly, I place it in his palm. He puts it on the bedside table and guides me back to my side of the bed, picking up the water glass on the way and then pressing it into my hands.
“Drink,” he orders.
I take a sip, the cool water soothing my dry throat. “What is ‘Eclipse Born,’ Lucian?”
He sits on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his dark hair. “I don’t know much,” he admits. “Ever since you arrived at the palace, the Umbra Council has been investigating references to it in the old texts.”
“What kind of references?”
“Fragments, mostly. My understanding is that Eclipse Born was an old bloodline of shifters. Powerful ones, from what we can gather.”
“But the document says they’re extinct.”
“According to official records, yes. The bloodline was apparently eliminated about one hundred seventy-five years ago.” His jaw tightens. “What’s strange is that there’s almost no mention of these shifters in the royal archives. It’s as if someone deliberately removed all evidence of them.”
“Why are you investigating them now?” I ask.
Lucian’s eyes meet mine, and there’s something troubled in their depths. “The Council seems particularly interested in this bloodline. They’ve been pushing for more information.” Hepauses, studying my face. “Why? Do you know something about it?”
The question catches me off guard. “I’m not sure. Maybe. From when I was very young. But I don’t remember the context.”
His expression sharpens with interest. “You’ve heard the term before?”
“I think so. Eclipse Born…” The words feel strange on my tongue, familiar yet foreign. “I think my mother mentioned it once. But I can’t remember what she said.”
Lucian leans forward. “Anything else? Any other details?”
I shake my head, frustrated. “It’s like trying to catch smoke. The memory’s there, but I can’t quite grasp it.” I pause, thinking. “Gareth might know something. The older alphas sometimes keep oral histories that aren’t recorded in official documents.”
“Gareth?” His expression darkens at the mention of my former alpha. “He is in prison, along with his daughter. But I could arrange to speak with him.”
I set the water glass aside and reach for the energy tonics I’ve been perfecting. “Here,” I say, pressing two small vials into his hands. “I know you’ve been working late every night. These should help with any fatigue.”
Lucian examines the amber liquid. “You made these for me?”
“I know you’re busy with...whatever crisis is keeping you away from bed until all hours. I thought maybe I could help.”
Something shifts in his expression, his eyes darkening. “Is this your way of telling me I’m neglecting you?”
Heat floods my cheeks. “I’m not telling you anything. I’m just—”
But he’s already setting the vials aside and rising from the bed, that sublime grace I know so well evident in his every movement.
“Because if you wanted my attention, Astra,” he says, his voice dropping to a low rumble that makes my pulse skip, “all you had to do was ask.”
I scramble backward across the bed, but he follows, his hands braced on either side of my hips as he leans over me.
