Page 11 of Night Sector

“A Protector.” The admission left me on a whisper. “The Sanctuary…” I trailed off, my attention returning to Kieran. “It’s a Sanctuary for Omegas. The MacNamara magic protects the island. And that magic serves as a barrier. Only Omegas can pass through. Or their mates.”

His eyebrows lifted. “An island of V-Clan Omegas?”

I shook my head. “Omegas of all kinds.” And I’d just betrayed them all in the worst way.

Unless Quinn truly wanted Kieran to know. Why else would she have tried to bring him through the barrier?

He hadn’t shown any signs of trying to coerce her into doing it. Actually, his story made it sound like she’d wanted to show him the truth as a gimmick to achieve her own freedom.

But Quinn would never have even mentioned the Sanctuary to him in that situation. She would have found another way to escape him.

So she meant for him to know.

It was the only explanation for why she’d tried to take him through the barrier. And I was here now to help her. To bring her mate to her. To ensure my best friend survived.

Yet here he is, allowing his Elite to manhandle me.

A jolt of annoyance helped ground me in the moment, reminding me of my strength. My purpose. Myexistence.

I wasn’t an Omega who allowed Alphas to push her around. I slaughtered them for even trying.

Something about this trio had made me forget my place. Perhaps it was their combined power—they were three of the strongest V-Clan Alphas in existence.

And they didn’t appear to be underestimating me in the way most Alphas would,I realized, my brow threatening to furrow.They’re treating me like they would an equal by binding my powers and forcing me to talk.

Not violently, just… assertively.

“That’s why an Alpha murdered her parents,” Kieran murmured, his words drawing me from my thoughts. “But how did murdering them provide answers? Because it weakened the barrier magic?”

My brow furrowed. “No. The magic held because of Quinnlynn.”

“Then what did their murders accomplish?”

“He didn’t exactly murder them,” I said slowly, thinking through my response before elaborating.

However, Quinn had obviously told Kieran our suspicions about an Alpha Prince killing her parents because everyone else believed the jet had just malfunctioned and exploded. Only a select few knew the truth.

And that select few now included Kieran and his Elites.

So it wouldn’t hurt to provide a deeper explanation.

“He put a tracking enchantment on their jet, and the only way to thwart it was to land elsewhere,” I told them. “Except there was no safe place to land… not where they were. Not without revealing too much. So they… chose to die at sea.”

“That’s what Quinnlynn meant,” Kieran replied. “She said the culprit bespelled the plane and they had to crash it. But she didn’t elaborate on why.” He paused for a moment before adding, “That’s why she stayed in Bariloche Sector. Why she needed my healing powers. Why she ran.”

“She couldn’t trust anyone,” I admitted aloud. “Especially not an Alpha Prince.”

He nodded, his expression one of understanding, and underlined with a hint of remorse.

Good. You should feel bad for doubting her,I thought before saying aloud, “But she tried to take you to the Sanctuary. And now she needs you more than ever. Not only has she gone into heat, but her healing is also slower than it should be, probably because all of her excess energy is used to power the shield.”

He continued to study me, his remorse seeming to deepen.

Which meant I needed to take the plunge and tell him everything. Make him understand. Make himagree.

Because Quinn didn’t have much time left before she fell into the full throes of her heat, and I wasn’t sure what would happen to her and to the Sanctuary when she did.

“I don’t know if drinking her blood will get you through the barrier, but we need to try,” I informed him, my tone holding a note of urgency. “The Sanctuary needs her. Fuck, the Sanctuary needs her Alpha, too. I’ve never seen her so weak. It’s like she’s using all her life energy to keep the magic thriving.”