His emotional growth had always come off as stunted, hardened from years with the Eumia, sheltered from growing up basically as royalty despite not owning the official title. Sarang had excused those instances away for these reasons, had allowed himself to pity Shiloh.
Shiloh, who was now very clearly a psychopath.
A fact that Bishop had obviously been privy to.
“He wouldn’t choose anyone over you,” Bishop replied, not seeming the least bit upset by that notion.
“Then tell him to come see me before I decide to cut ties.”
“Shall I enlighten you? He plays the fool often, but like with most other things, it’s only an act. He won’t return until he thinks you’ll willingly submit.”
“I’m the alpha in this relationship.”
“Yes, but you don’t want his submission,” Bishop stated. “Not like how he wants yours.”
This was the most he’d gotten the other man to speak with him in days, and Sarang was desperate to keep the conversation going, to glean more information and figure a way out of this mess he’d found himself in.
“Is he very angry?” Shiloh hadn’t seemed angry the last time he saw him. But he’d been cold.
“He’s taking you being a Gray rather well, actually.”
“Half,” Sarang corrected, but Bishop shrugged a single shoulder like it didn’t matter.
“He knows the only reason you saved his life that night was because you felt bad for him. Personally? I think that should bother him.”
“It doesn’t?” The old Shiloh—or rather, the person Shiloh had been pretending to be—would have been. He would have teared up and pouted. Maybe even gone to his sister to vent, or taken it a step further and fled to Synastry to—
Sarang felt his body tense, and his sudden irritation must have been obvious because Bishop’s grip on the gun tightened.
“Who else knows?” he growled, thinking of one specific alpha in particular.
Diogenes had grown up with Shiloh. Depending on when the omega had decided to lean into this farce, he would have seen his true personality.
Not to mention most of the rest of the Hierarchy.
Kian had even hinted on more than one occasion that Sarang was too overprotective of Shiloh, that he was underestimating his capabilities. During those times, Sarang explained it away as the older brother having grown up separately from the younger, and attributed it to Kian’s lack of emotional connection with others.
Now, like with so many other aspects, it was starting to make more sense.
The Dominus had tried warning him without breaking whatever agreement with Shiloh he’d made. It was just that Sarang had been too naïve to see it. Kian might not know the extent of the omega’s deception, but he knew Shiloh was hiding his fighting capabilities.
“Anyone who entered the family after you was fed the same story,” Bishop confirmed. “Those from before then already knew the truth.”
“And they all just agreed to play along?” Ridiculous.
“Having our enemies believe the prince is too weak to defend himself only works in our favor. When people underestimate someone, they tend to drop their guard. It also helped set the stage for Kian to take over in the twins’ places with little pushback from lower-level members. Anyone who did complain when it was announced Shiloh and Sloane were stepping aside for their newfound brother, the twins dealt with. That was more than enough to convince the rest to follow their lead and help downplay both of their capabilities.”
“He took you in a year after we’d already met,” Sarang pointed out.
“Perhaps he was lonely and needed a confidant.” Bishop shrugged again. “Or maybe he simply saw something in me and knew I could handle his truths. Either way, this isn’t about me, underboss. This is about you. Can you handle who he really is?”
“If I say yes?”
“Without taking the time to think about it?” he tsked. “I would call you a liar, though, we already know that you are one.”
“It’s been days stuck here. I’ve had nothing but time to think.”
“Shiloh might have lied about who he really is, but you never have. I won’t be fooled so easily, and neither will he.”
