Page 14 of Eclipse Sector

“You enrolled in the Eligible Omega Mates program. Why?” he demanded.

Excuse me?I wanted to repeat.

Instead, I folded my arms across my chest and gave him the haughtiest look I could muster. “How else am I supposed to find someonemore in my league?” Those were his words the other week, yes?

His eyebrows lifted like mine had seconds ago. “What?”

“You know, an Alpha who might appreciate my… what was it?” I glanced upward, pretending like I didn’t know every word he’d uttered that had broken my heart. “Oh, right. Mymisplaced confidenceamong my otherunsavory qualities.”

Repeating those descriptions did little to heal my emotional wounds. However, I did rather enjoy the confused expressionrolling across Cillian’s features. The Elite was rarely caught off guard, but clearly I was surprising him now.

He blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Come on, you’re the one who said I needed to start looking for a more appropriate mate, one who won’t mind my…” I looked up again, then snapped my fingers. “My penchant for telling Alphas what to do. Maybe I’ll find that Alpha through the courtship program. Perhaps he’ll like mychildish games, too.”

That had his eyebrows flying upward, realization seeming to have finally cut through the layers of his stubborn mind. “Ivana?—”

“It’s fine, Cillian,” I interjected, not wanting to discuss this further. “I already told Quinnlynn that I’ll happily relocate to Night Sector. Soon enough, you won’t have to worry about my unsavory company at all.”

I gave him a consolatory pat on the arm, then shadowed to the other side of the room before my eyes gave away my true feelings.

Or before I said something I shouldn’t.

Something heartfelt. Painful.Depressing.

Because just seeing him brought back all the emotions he’d evoked that night.

A night when I realized I’d been hoping and trying in vain to win the attention of an Alpha who would never see me as worthy of him.

Who would never desire me like I desired him.

Stop this,I chastised myself.Stop thinking about him.

Of course, this had been the entire point of asking Benz to?—

“Nicely done,” the Beta interjected, appearing beside me as though conjured by my thoughts. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cillian look so out of sorts.”

Gritting my teeth, I rotated toward mybest friendand narrowed my gaze at him. “You had one job as my escort tonight, Benz: don’t let me talk to Cillian.”

“You told me not to let you look for him or approach him or talkabouthim,” Benz replied. “You said nothing about keeping him from approaching you.”

My lips parted, prepared to offer a retort.

Except…

Except nothing came out.

Because he was right.

I’d told him not to let me go anywhere near Cillian. It had never even crossed my mind to tell Benz to stop Cillian from talking to me.

Because Cillianneversought me out.

Not once in our entire six years of knowing one another.

Unless I counted the first night we’d met, but he hadn’t actually been there for me. I’d been an unexpected part of the situation. So that hardly counted.

Cillian came up to me,I marveled.How… strange.