Omega's Truth - Nora Phoenix Page 0,10
difference. And when I asked him just now what the status was on that, he literally said he had a lot of problems to deal with and this one didn’t rank high on his list.”
“That…that doesn’t seem like Palani at all.”
His father sounded worried, and some of Lucan’s anger fizzled out. “You said he had too much on his plate.”
“He does, and I knew he was overworked, but this is… I can’t believe he said that. That’s so cold, and he’s not like that.”
“I didn’t think so either, but it did happen. And so I stood up for my mate.”
His father put a hand on his shoulder. “You did, kiddo, and you were absolutely within your rights. I still would’ve preferred for you to use a different tone and language, but I can understand your frustration and anger.”
Lucan sought his father’s arms, sighing with relief when his father hugged him tightly. “He looked me straight in my eyes and told me my mate’s life didn’t matter, Dad. What was I supposed to do?”
“I’m so sorry, kiddo. And I’m sorry for impulsively choosing Palani’s side. You were right. I should’ve known better.”
Lucan let go. “Thank you. So, now what?”
His father sighed, scratching his chin. “I think you need to mention this to Enar. This is not normal behavior for Palani, and it worries me.”
“I can do that. But what about Sando?”
“Talk to your brother. If Palani can’t deal with this right now, Bray will. And if the situation needs diplomacy, he has Kean to fall back on.”
Relief flooded Lucan. Wasn’t it strange that with all the differences he’d had with Bray, he knew one hundred percent certain Bray would have his back in this? Bray was a fixer; he always had been. “I’ll do that, Dad. Thank you.”
He immediately searched for Bray, who was outside, walking the perimeter with Sean as they discussed fortifications. “Bray, can I talk to you?”
Bray took one look at his face. “Yes. Let’s find a spot in the shade.”
They sat down under a big tree, near the boundary of pack land, where no one could overhear, and Lucan told him everything. When he was done, Bray whistled between his teeth. “Not quite the charming man he presents himself as, huh?”
“He knows how to put up a good front, but you have to believe me, Bray. He’s not what he seems.”
“You don’t have to convince me. I believe you.”
“You do?”
Bray looked at him funny. “You don’t lie. You’d never make something like this up.”
Lucan laid his head on his brother’s strong shoulder. Bray freezed up a moment but then draped his arm around him. How wonderful it felt to be able to lean on his big brother. “Thank you, Bray. You can’t know how much that means to me.”
“Always. So, if I understand correctly, you’re saying Sando’s father is actively preventing Sando from seeing you, he’s moved him out of the clinic without his consent or even prior knowledge, and you’ve heard Sando say he’s scared of him on multiple occasions.”
“Yes. And, Bray…” Lucan hesitated. Not only was he moving from facts into speculation, but he was also sharing things Sando considered extremely personal and private. Could he do this? Was it okay to breach his trust under these circumstances? But he and Maz had agreed on the evidence, which was circumstantial but still valid enough to make them highly suspicious. He’d have to keep it vague.
“Sando had some health issues that seemed to resolve spontaneously after arriving on the ranch. On their own. It took time, but they went away.”
Bray frowned. “Health issues?”
“Hormone-related concerns that can’t be easily explained by a change in environment alone.”
Bray’s eyes widened. “You’re suspecting…”
“Maz thinks his father may have given Sando some kind of hormonal treatment without his knowledge.”
“Have you talked about this with Sando?”
“He wouldn’t believe us right now. He loves his dad, Bray. He’s extremely loyal to him, which in itself is admirable.”
“Damn. That’s some serious shit you’re talking about. But again, I believe you, and the fact that Maz and you agree on this speaks volumes. As a doctor, he’d know the medical science behind this and the odds it could be caused by something else.”
Lucan let go of Bray. “So what do we do now? I hate to talk smack about Palani, but it looks like he hasn’t done jack shit about this, and we’re worried, Bray. I had lunch with Sando the day Dane passed away, but I haven’t seen him since…”
“Do you have any reason