Page 140 of Eclipse Sector

Her thumb brushed my cheekbone, her gaze searching mine.

“Take me to Kieran’s office,” she went on. “Together, we’ll find Ashlyn. As a team. As a united pair. Asus.”

I stared down at her, mesmerized by the strong Omega before me. “You’re incredible, Ivana,” I marveled, meaning every word. “So fucking incredible.”

And I’d been a fool not to realize that before. To try to hide from her. To push her away.

This beautiful, fierce, amazing Omega had wanted to be mine from the moment we’d met. It took almost losing her to realize just how lucky I was that she’d chosen me to begin with.

“I’m going to spend the rest of our lives being worthy of you,” I vowed. Then I sealed the promise with a kiss, one that had her arching against me as I wrapped one arm around her back and the other around her shoulders, my palm going to her nape.

She moaned, her mind completely open to mine. I could hear her wants. Her needs. Herdesires. But underneath everything was a steel resolve to locate Ashlyn.

All Ivana wanted was to be my partner. To be my confidante. To be my mate.

And I was finally seeing what that meant.

It wasn’t about prioritizing Kieran or the sector above my mate. It was about working with my mate to accomplish even more. It was about teamwork. About communicating. About supporting one another, no matter what.

This Omega had just taught me a lesson I never knew I needed to learn.

I thanked her with my tongue, worshipped her with my mind, and loved her unconditionally with my heart.

Let’s go find Ashlyn,I whispered into her thoughts.Afterward, I’m officially making you mine.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

IVANA

Ashlyn’s journalswere spread out across the floor, their designs identical.

So much for recognizing one of them,I thought, blowing out a breath.

The only identifier on any of these was a symbol on the bottom right-hand corner of each front cover. But no one seemed to know what the symbols meant.

No one being me, Cillian, Kieran, Lorcan, Quinn, and Kyra.

Several of us had started scanning through piles of books while Lorcan and Cillian looked up the symbols in their data archives.

But three hours later, none of us had gotten anywhere.

“We’re missing something,” I said, looking at Cillian. “She told me about these journals. She told me to be careful with Prince Cael, that he’s surrounded by darkness. And she told me to tell you a new life is more important than an old one.”

That last part still didn’t make sense to me.

Was she talking about our baby? Or something else entirely?

And who is the old life? Her?

“What exactly did she say to you?” Kieran asked, his focus on Cillian as well.

“She called me stubborn, said my decisions didn’t just impact my life, but someone else’s, too—which I’ve since realized likely applies to Ivana. And she seemed pretty spooked by seeing Grey.” Cillian frowned as he uttered that final reveal. “She said he didn’t mean her harm, though. Just expressed surprise that their destinies were crossing this early.”

Kyra and Quinn shared a look.

“She didn’t join this program to find a mate,” Quinn said. “You and I both know that.”

Kyra nodded. “She’s always been interested in Alphas, but not in a mating kind of way.” She glanced at Lorcan as she added, “She wanted to know how to fight them.”