Page 145 of Eclipse Sector

I’ve let you poke around enough,he thought at me.I’m not here to hurt you or anyone else in Blood Sector, something you’ve already observed in your various sweeps through my head. So stop digging.

There’s more to the story than what you’re saying,I told him.

Of course there is, but my personal reasons are none of your concern.

This is personal for us, too,I pointed out.

Not in the same way,he told me, his gaze boring into mine. Aloud, he said, “I need to see Ashlyn’s journals. I can decipher them in a way none of you can.”

Kieran bristled at that. “Not until I understand what’s actually happening here.”

“What’s happening here is that a few high-ranking Sector Alphas created an Omega slave trade back when the Infected Era began,” Grey summarized flatly. “They kidnapped fleeing Omegas of all kinds, put them into auction lineups, and sold them to the highest bidders all over the globe. They’ve continued that process for decades, only with fewer auctions due to limited supplies of Omegas. And their primary customers were assholes like Carlos.”

Several other names peppered Grey’s mind, all of them ones he allowed me to hear. None of the identities he listed were surprising. There were places like Bariloche Sector all over the world, all run by Alphas who saw Omegas as commodities to be used, not treasures to be worshipped.

“Oh, and your recent reveal of the Sanctuary has very likely piqued their interest,” Grey concluded.

“Because we have no doubt that Tadhg has shared the information,” Cael added.

“Right,” Grey growled. “Hence, I need to review Ashlyn’s journals to prove he’s involved and see what she knows about it.”

“How do you even know about the journals?” Ivana interjected, her bright eyes on Grey. “We didn’t call you, and no one knew about the diaries until I told Cillian where to find them. Yet you and Prince Cael shadowed in here on a clear mission to read them. How?Howdid you know?”

Grey stared her down, his dominance heavy in the air and causing my wolf to stir inside. If he took a single step toward my Omega, I would be forced to intervene.

No one challenged Ivana.

No one except for me.

“Show her,” he said, not taking his attention away from my female. “Show her the letter.”

Cael slid his hand into his suit jacket and pulled out a small white envelope, then held it out toward my Omega.

I took it from him before she could move, not wanting my female anywhere near his princely touch. His lips twitched, but he didn’t say anything. Just watched as I handed the item over to my female for review.

She eyed the name scrawled across it—Grey—and the symbol in the bottom left corner. It rivaled the ones on the journal covers.

Not uttering a word, she flipped open the flap and pulled out a plain white card.

They’ll need your guidance,it read.And she needs you, too. Don’t give up, Grey. Count the days. Translate the journals. Review the visions. And remember that time is of the essence. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick…

Beneath it was a series of symbols that made no sense to my ancient eyes. Just like the others on the covers.

“It’s a primitive language,” Grey explained when Ivana glanced up at him with questions in her gaze. “Similar to hieroglyphics, only older and from a different region.Myregion. But that line there spells out Blood Sector, and beneath it is today’s date, along with the time—which was roughly ten minutes ago.”

“We guessed that you all would be here,” Cael added. “But we weren’t positive. Hence, we arrived a few minutes earlier than the time stamp on her card.”

“How long have you had this?” I asked, gesturing to Ashlyn’s cryptic note.

“Since this morning,” Grey muttered, tugging on the lapels of his leather coat. “I found it tucked into my jacket pocket, one I haven’t worn since I was here last week.”

Because the clever Omega must have seen that I wouldn’t wear this coat again until today,he thought, the words seeming to be for himself. However, he didn’t try to block me from overhearing these inner musings. Not even when he added,And she must have done it after distracting me with that bloody kiss.

My eyebrow rose.Kiss?I wondered.

But I didn’t ask because Kieran was already speaking.

“This has all been very interesting, but where do you think Ashlyn is?” Kieran looked between Grey and Cael. “And why are you so sure that Tadhg is involved?”