Page 21 of Eclipse Sector

Just like Orion.

But not like Ivana.The thought came to me unbidden, causing my gaze to return to the gorgeous blonde twirling in the arms of another Alpha.Her mind is simply… quiet. Not a block, just soothing. Calm. A beautiful place to merely exist.

Only, now her thoughts were wrapped up in the male waltzing her across the dance floor.

She smiled up at him, her expression a bit shy. It wasn’t the same smile she often bestowed upon me—the one that brimmed with confidence and knowledge. The one that had me scowling back at her each time.

Because I hated that I couldn’t have her.

That she tempted me to want to break all my rules.

That she made me want to be selfish for once in my life.

Gritting my teeth, I tore my gaze away from her.I need to go for a run. The words were for Lorcan.Between Kieran’s offer to let me join the mating program and Ivana’s…I trailed off, not wanting to talk about what Ivana had overheard.

Because it didn’t matter.

What’s done is done, I told myself, careful not to send that statement to Lorcan’s mind.

Kieran and I can supervise,Lorcan murmured in reply, his gaze already on the crowd.Everyone seems to be behaving. Even Tadhg is putting forth an effort to appear charming, and we both know how brutish he can be.

I followed Lorcan’s gaze to Tadhg as he bowed to kiss an Omega’s wrist.Sylvia, I recognized from the candidate introductions earlier. I didn’t know much about her, just that she was one of the Sanctuary Omegas.

If anything changes, we’ll howl for you to return,Lorcan added, his words encouraging me to depart.

My fingers curled into fists at my sides, my throat suddenly tight.

With a stiff nod, I teleported to the other end of Iceland.

It was completely out of character for me to leave in the middle of an assignment, to allow Lorcan and Kieran to handle such a large event on their own. But I recognized that my mental state was compromised. That I couldn’t focus on being a goodAlpha at the moment, nor could I be trusted to protect my people.

Not when all my attention was consumed by a single Omega.

Damn it.I tore off my clothes and shifted in a blink, my wolf’s massive paws landing on the ice as a growl ripped from my animal’s throat.

My wolf wasfurious.

He wanted to charge back to the party and rip Prince Cael’s head from his shoulders. To sink his teeth into Ivana’s delicate shoulder and declare her ashis. Then howl his claim for all the V-Clan sectors to hear.

Not going to happen, I told him, earning myself another snarl.Run it out. Pound your frustration into the earth. But we arenotgoing back for Ivana.

He growled again, not fully understanding my words but clearly interpreting the meaning behind them.

Fortunately, he knew better than to try to challenge my authority.

However, that didn’t stop him from tearing across the icy landscape on an unknown trajectory.

Fury and frustration echoed in our wake, my animal’s aggression an untamable beast.

This was why I needed to run. To escape the stuffy confines of that celebration.To turn my back on my responsibilities.

Fuck.

I’m not this Alpha,I told myself.I’m stronger than this.

Yet, in this moment, I’d never felt weaker.

This—right here—is the reason I can’t take a mate.Why I had to let Ivana find someone else. Because I couldn’t afford to disregard my responsibilities for another wolf. Even one as beautiful and strong as Ivana.