Grey’s jaw clenched, his mind shutting down once more.
There was definitely something there.
Some sort of history he didn’t want me to hear.
Which only had me narrowing my gaze at him.The more you hide, the more suspicious you appear.
I’m not afraid of you, Elite,he returned, his gaze locking on mine.I’m not afraid of anyone. So accuse me all you like. But you’ll only be wasting your time.
The door slammed between us again, almost sending me backward a step.
He’s very powerful, Ivana whispered to me.I… I can feel his energy wrapping around all of us, similar to when you leash the Alphas. But this… this is even more intense. Like he’s doing something to us that none of us can feel.
I didn’t like the way that sounded, and I quickly relayed Ivana’s findings to Kieran.
However, he was too busy listening to Cael’s explanation—one I’d missed while talking to Grey.
Fortunately, I could catch up by listening to my best friend’s mind.
Unfortunately, I didn’t like what I heard there.
They’re using fallen sectors as their trading playgrounds—fallen sectors like Eclipse Sector.
There is no tangible proof of Tadhg’s involvement, but we know a powerful V-Clan Alpha is a member of this organization, and Tadhg’s scent has lingered in several locations associated with the black market auctions.
Kieran glanced at his mate. “Is Tadhg the Alpha you scented in Bariloche Sector?”
She frowned. “No. I’ve seen him enough times lately that I can say with certainty it wasn’t him.”
“Correct. Tadhg never visited Bariloche Sector. Only my brother did.” The unexpected comment caused Kieran’s focus to instantly return to Cael. “Dixon was the one I mentioned who had infiltrated Bariloche Sector, our informant whose job was nullified when you and the X-Clan wolves took down Carlos’s operation.”
“Your brother visited Bariloche Sector? To rape Omegas?” Kieran asked, his quiet tone edged with simmering violence.
“He didn’t rape anyone,” Cael growled. “But he was forced to play some of Carlos’s games. It wasn’t a role he enjoyed.”
Quinnlynn snorted.
As did Kyra.
Earning them both a sigh from Cael. “You don’t know my brother like I do, but he values consent. Any of the Omegas he played with will tell you the same. I believe all three of them are in Andorra Sector now, if you would like to call them for a follow-up.”
The fact that he knew their locations confirmed how much he’d been paying attention to the incident in Bariloche Sector.
An incident that shouldn’t have concerned him at all.
Yet he’d felt the need to follow up on where the Omegas were taken afterward.Interesting.
“I healed some of those Omegas,” Quinnlynn said through her teeth. “I know what was done to them.”
“But not by him. You ran every time he came near Bariloche Sector. He felt you leave.” Cael stared at Kieran. “Which is how I know you helped the X-Clan Alphas take down Bariloche Sector—you went there for Quinnlynn. Took you long enough to find her, by the way.”
Kieran took a step forward. “Careful, Prince Cael. I don’t care for the accusation underlining your tone.”
Cael narrowed his gaze. “We can posture if you want,King Kieran, but we’re wasting precious time. If Ashlyn is where we think she is, then she’s going up for auction soon. And once that happens, getting her back will be much more difficult.”
“Look,” Grey said, stepping forward and dropping his hands to his sides. “I get that a lot of this seems unbelievable. That’s why we’ve been working for decades to try to catch Tadhg in the act. We need tangible proof of what he’s done so we can hold him accountable.”
“Which is what Dixon was attempting to do in Bariloche Sector. He was trying to get put on Tadhg’s radar as an interested party so he could potentially be invited to a seat at the table,” Cael added.