Page 153 of Eclipse Sector
“What the hell has gotten into the two of you?” Quinnlynn demanded.
“Yourmatekeeps concerning himself in my affairs,” Cillian told her. “And don’t chuckle, Cael. You’re just as bad.”
Stop listening to me,he added mentally.See if you can poke around Granger’s mind. I’m about to really distract him.
By doing?—
My eyes widened as his fist connected with Prince Cael’s jaw. “Cillian,” I hissed out loud.
See what he’s hiding,he demanded in my head.Now.
Prince Cael lunged forward on a growl, the two men crashing to the floor in a heap of testosterone and snarls.
I jumped up from my chair, the journal clutched in my hand, and darted backward to brace against a wall while King Kieran ushered Quinnlynn out of the room.
Kyra just shook her head.
As did Lorcan.
And Grey… Grey was too engrossed with his reading material to care about the chaos behind him.
I frowned, my curiosity piquing as I considered his mind for a moment.
That power he was exuding had waned, his focus intent on Ashlyn’s words.Did you find something?I wanted to ask him.
But movement out of the corner of my eye drew my gaze back to the brawl happening next to Kieran’s desk. Granger had pulled a knife, his gaze intent on Cillian.
My lips parted, a warning ready to leave my mouth, when Granger’s murderous thoughts yanked me in. No, it wasn’t just his thoughts, but his… hispower.
It was pulsing.
Swirling.
Regenerating with every second to create a new layer to swim through.
What a unique ability, I marveled, losing myself within his mental process. He was constantly masking, and not just his musings but everything else, too.
Everything that made him a wolf.
Like his voice.
His growl.
His scent, I realized, finding that strand whirling around him.
He was literally a puzzle, one where he rearranged pieces around himself to create a new version for every situation.
All while hiding beneath a series of iron-clad protections. They reminded me of steel ribbons, flexible to an extent, but mostly unbreakable.
I wove beneath them carefully, longing to go deeper, to hear his inner confessions. Because he was definitely hiding something.
Everyone around me fell silent as I focused intently on my target, my fingers clutching the journal to my chest.
What are you holding back?I wondered.Who are you really?
Because everything about him was a lie. A mask. An alter ego.
He’d spent decades perfecting this identity, living in this voice, this growl, thisscent. But another version lurked beneath all these barriers.
