The crowd went silent, eagerly watching Talon for his response.
Talon broke out into a grin. “Wings of the Sun.”
I stilled. How did he know? Was he a fan? If so, why hadn’t he brought it up until now? It didn’t sit right with me.
Before I could ask the next question, Talon chuckled. “I bet you’re wondering how I know that.”
Something was fishy.
“Tell me,” I said.
“You know what kind of shifter I am, don’t you?” he shot back.
Get to the freaking point already,I thought.
“A Steller’s sea eagle, right?” I replied.
“That’s right. Also known as...” He paused for effect. “Aquila pelagica.”
The first part of his name rang a bell, but it didn’t affect my opinion of him. Other eagles shared that taxonomy. Iknewhe wasn’t Aquila.
“And?” I asked.
Talon wasn’t deterred by my questioning. It almost seemed to fuel his arrogant confidence. “And I believe you’ve been a fan of mine for quite a while.”
My brows jumped up. “Have I?”
He flipped his perfectly styled hair back and grinned an unnaturally white smile. “Does the name Aquila ring a bell?”
I stared at him, dumbstruck by the gall of this guy. Was he seriously trying to imply he was Aquila, lead singer of TalonStorm? I choked out a laugh, then tried to disguise it as a coughing fit. From the corner of my eye, I saw a wisp of amusement stirring on Matteo’s lips.
Talon’s face finally fell. That clearly wasn’t the reaction he expected.
“Sorry,” I said, clearing my throat. “I must’ve swallowed a bug.”
Talon sniffed. He squared his shoulders, standing up straighter. I didn’t know if he was trying to save face, or if he believed his own wild story. “What do you think, Thystle?” he asked, mouth curving into a smirk again. “Want to ask the next question? Or should we call the challenge here?”
Oh, brother.
“Sure, Talon,” I said. “Ready for the next question?”
“Shoot.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Matteo staring at me intently. I wondered if he was enjoying this charade, too.
“Here goes,” I said chipperly. “Which ass cheek is my birthmark on?”
Talon paled, his jaw going slack.
It was over now.
Talon gulped. “Your... left.”
Now it was my turn to feel smug. “Wrong. I don’t have a birthmark on my ass cheek. You can take a seat.”
Fifteen
Matteo
