He and Kian got on well enough, but there was no mistaking how single-minded he was when it came to his plans for the Eumia. Their friendship wouldn’t make any difference to him if he discovered Sarang had been keeping useful information.
A full-blooded Gray could drain the qi from an entire room of people. As a half breed, Sarang doubted he’d be as capable, but he’d also never tried.
The Dominus would put him through tests, push him past his limits.
Sarang was too proud to allow himself to become anyone’s lab rat, even Kian’s.
Hell, that was half the reason he was so torn over this situation with Shiloh. It wasn’t only that the omega was a psychotic killer, it was how the fact altered everything Sarang thought he’d known about him and them as a unit.
The information Shiloh and Bishop had put together on Grays had cleared up one fear. The life-bond couldn’t affect someone’s emotional reactions, meaning Sarang’s worries that he’d forced a crush on Shiloh were misplaced. However, Shiloh’s revealed personality disorder brought new doubts to the table.
Any official documentation on his diagnosis had been scrubbed from existence. Sarang hadn’t been able to find any doctor’s notes or mentions of it in any of the files he’d searched through, including ones kept on both Shiloh’s and Kian’s personal computers. He had no clue what type of personality disorder he had or if it’d ever been labeled, which made it rather difficult to predict Shiloh’s innerworkings.
There was a very real chance that he’d latched onto Sarang in the heat of the moment that day they’d met simply out of adrenaline. If his life before Sarang had been dull, like he claimed, it made sense that meeting a person who managed to excite him would unlock an obsessive streak within him.
If that were the case, this wasn’t a crush. Shiloh didn’t like or love him.
He was fascinated by him.
Would it ensure the prince remained at his side?
Yes.
But did that mean he could be trusted again?
No.
“We share everything with each other,” Sloane said, but added as soon as he bristled, “Except for when it comes to you. I’ll confess, Bishop is his only confidant where you’re concerned.”
“Why?” he couldn’t help but ask.
The corner of her mouth twitched, but never fully lifted. “He’s protecting you. Even against me.”
Maybe talking with her could help answer some of his burning questions. He’d wanted to try and slip a few in, but hadn’t wanted to risk tipping her off or riling her up enough to attempt breaking Shiloh free. He’d yet to find a good enough means to blackmail the prince into silence about his being a hybrid, another reason to prevent him from receiving visitors.
“You believe he has real feelings for me?” Sarang watching even more closely for any signs of manipulation, but she was a blank slate.
“I figured you’d learned the truth of him when you returned. After how boldly he’s been acting within the Eumia, it’s no wonder. Is that it then? You’ve locked him up because you’re angry that he played with you?”
“Four years is a long time to drag a game on,” he replied tersely.
“Not if the emotions developed along the way are true.” Sloane licked her lips, clearly taking a moment to decide how forthcoming she was willing to be. No doubt trying to decide how much of the truth would benefit her brother, and how much would push him further away from Sarang’s good graces.
“Canhe develop emotions?” he helped her along, too impatient to wait for her. “He’s malevolent and spiteful.”
“I told him he was taking things too far when he brought Lane into the picture,” Sloane confused him by seeminglychanging the direction of discussion. “That he was being foolish for trying to show you a made-up softer side of himself. How did you feel, underboss, when you saw him docile and snuggling in the arms of another? When you saw him shedding tears the night we learned Lane had been killed?”
“I was the one holding him while he sobbed,” Sarang said. “My arms are the only ones he’ll feel around him ever again.”
Her brow lifted. “You don’t say that in a loving way.”
“You expect me to love him after learning he’s a virtual stranger?”
“Is he?” She tsked. “You’re smarter than that, and I’m not my brother. I’m not so infatuated with you that I can’t see the truth. There’s no point in lying to me. Unless you’re lying to yourself?”
Parts of Shiloh were strange and unknown to him.
But only parts.
