Page 67 of Gold Sector
“Taliana is about to go into heat, and she needs a mate,” Rio says. “So I sent him to you for two reasons. First, I knew her wolf wouldn’t be accepted here. And second, I’ve heard rumors of how your Alphas treat Omegas in Gold Sector.”
“Taliana knew neither of those reasons,” Keegan interjects. “I prepared her for the worst-case scenario, just like we discussed.”
“I know, and that made her the perfect candidate for all of this,” Rio replies, glancing at his spy before lookingat me again. “I wanted to see how you would treat her. How yourAlphastreated her.”
I glare at him. “So you sent her in here as, what, some kind of test?”
“Yes.” There’s not even a hint of hesitation or remorse in that one-word response.
“Why?” I demand. “Why do you care how we treat Omegas here? Are you trying to discredit our reputation for cruelty? Because I’ll happily prove that reputation as well-earned, right here, right fucking now.”
Onyx growls in agreement, a blade appearing in his hand as he ashes to my side.
He’s my Second for a reason. My enforcer when I need him. And he’ll make an example of Keegan if I allow it. If Irequestit.
“I needed to know before I trusted you with my sister,” Rio says, his words so unexpected that my ire momentarily dies.
“Your sister?” I ask, my brow furrowing. “Taliana…?”
“No.” He runs his fingers through his hair, his gaze cutting to Keegan again.
Which is really fucking annoying.
“Tell him,” Keegan encourages. “You can see what kind of state I’m in—well fed, content, staying in a suite, not a dungeon. While I haven’t been permitted to meet with Taliana, I’ve checked in on her several times without anyone knowing. She’s pleased and content.”
Rio nods. “I saw her the other day. She’s the spitting image of Helena.”
Keegan’s responding smile is almost sad in nature, not happy. But I can’t focus on that so much as the words being exchanged between him and Rio.
When did he check on Taliana?I’ve been with her everyday. However, I haven’t seen him at all, nor has she mentioned him.
“Yes,” Keegan murmurs. “Fortunately, Tali is nothing like her mother.”
Onyx grunts. “That remains to be seen.”
Keegan looks at him. “Helena seduced me with her scent. Used me for my knot. And never had the intention of mating me. All she wanted was to be bred.”
“And you expect us to believe your daughter isn’t playing a similar game? Particularly after you openly admit to using your daughter as a ploy to enter our waters and spy on our internal processes for an outsider?” My brother twirls a silver blade between his fingers, the picture of calm and deadly. “That alone is grounds for death,traitor.”
That has Keegan jumping to his feet. “Hurt me all you want, but Taliana is innocent.”
“Is she?” Onyx returns coolly. “Taliana has ensnared my brother in some sort of scented trap, which I already questioned the validity of before. However, now I’m certain it’s purposeful and nefarious. And I won’t let you or your daughter hurt my prince. Mybrother.”
I blow out a breath, this entire exchange leaving me uneasy.
Valid or not, I don’t like discussing Taliana in this manner. I’ve spent a week with her, gotten to know her more and more each day. And not once have I scented a lie on her.
While it’s entirely possible that I’m merely drunk on her perfume and incapable of smelling anything else, I don’t think she’s here to harm me. She doesn’t even know I’m the Gold Sector Prince.
Unless that’s a lie, too, and I’ve misread her entirely.
“I understand,” Rio says solemnly. “I feel the same way about my sister. Which is why I asked this of Keegan whenhe reached out to me with his sanctuary request. I saw the opportunity and seized it. If you want to punish someone, punish me. But I ask that you at least hear me out first.”
Onyx is practically vibrating with fury, something I very much understand. But I place my palm on his shoulder to quell him. “Explain,” I tell Rio. “Quickly,” I add. Because I’m as livid as my brother, perhaps even more so.
Taliana might be innocent in all this, but I don’t appreciate being used or tested in this manner.
I asked her a week ago if she wanted a mate, if she was here willingly. And I never coaxed a true response from her.
