Page 117 of Eclipse Sector

Yet everything had changed during Ivana’s heat. Part of me had been obsessed with the concept of breeding her. I’d wanted her so full of my seed that she could taste it. And I hadn’t for an instant regretted that decision or choice.

But now… now I very much did. Because I hadn’t given her a choice.

I should have known better. This heat hadn’t been planned or even expected. She’d had no way of preparing for it.

No wonder she’d so eagerly claimed me.

“Fuck,” I muttered, yanking on a pair of jeans. I grabbed a black sweater—the color matching my mood—and pulled it over my head.

There was no way in hell I was showering. I wanted Ivana’s scent all over me. We might not be mated yet, but she was mine, and I very much wanted everyone else to know about us.

She might be mad at me right now, but she’d forgive me.

Hopefully.

Swallowing, I finished getting ready by adding socks and boots to my feet, then checked my watch. It was a little past midnight, which explained the rumble in my stomach. Ivana had to be hungry, too. Yet she’d scoffed at my promise to return with food.

Then she’d said resting wouldn’t help with anything.

That thought had been loud and clear.

Meaning rest wouldn’t help make her any less pregnant.

I’d tried to apologize, only to realize it wasn’t heartfelt. Because I liked her being pregnant. And that made me an asshole.

At least I’m an honest asshole, I told myself.

Running my fingers through my hair, I headed toward my door.

Then I thought better of it and mentally connected to Kieran’s mind. That wall he’d created during Ivana’s heat was still there, but I could feel how tentative it was, the structure flimsy at best. More like a temporary barrier to keep me from being distracted.

Kieran, I murmured, attempting to break through the barricade he’d erected.I need to talk to you.

How’s Ivana?he replied a few seconds later.

That’s what I want to talk about.

Hmm. I’ll meet you in my office in two minutes.His mind remained open after he finished speaking, allowing me to overhear him thinking about Quinnlynn.

I quickly escaped his thoughts, not wanting to intrude, and shadowed to his lair to wait by the desk. Having nothing to do other than wait, I reached for Ivana’s psyche, wanting to hear her mental voice. But she was silent.

Maybe she chose to follow my advice and rest?I hoped.

But another part of me was concerned that she’d blocked me out again, just like she had after I’d grounded her abilities.

I gripped the thick mahogany wood of Kieran’s desk and glared at the nearby window, my reflection staring back at me thanks to the light inside the office.

How did I fuck this up so badly?I wondered.

I’d demanded her consent before I’d even knotted her, and I hadn’t realized she’d been on the verge of her heat.

A heat I still didn’t know anything about, such as what had caused it, why it’d only lasted for nine days, how it had made her fertile, or what impacts it might have had on her mental state.

Bowing my head, I stole a deep breath, my wolf pacing inside me. He didn’t like that our chosen mate had cut us off mentally. He also didn’t like being away from her. But I had to talk to Kieran, to see what he’d learned about the other Omegas over the last week.

What caused the sudden heat? Did it alter Ivana’s ability to consent? Is there anything else I need to know before I return to her?They were all questions I needed answered.

As well as a few regarding how this dynamic would work going forward.