Page 39 of Eclipse Sector

Ivana remained quiet, her mind giving nothing away.

I nearly looked at her, my desire to know her innermost thoughts grating against my instincts.Would those icy eyes of hers give something away? Would she tell me her thoughts if I asked?

Gritting my teeth, I forced the inane concept from my mind and focused on the task at hand—protecting the Omegas.

I barely listened to anything Prince Lykos said as he explained the sector infrastructure, talking about enchantments that kept the ice from melting while allowing the inhabitants to flourish.

Alphas, Betas, and a handful of Omegas met us in the town square—a spacious ice rink in the middle of the frost-covered town—and a welcome party ensued.

Nothing too extravagant.

Just some drinks featuring Glacier Sector’s specialty, blood-laced vodka, along with a few mystic snacks. The latter were basically appetizers kept warm with spells.

I indulged in a few bites but declined the alcohol. Not because it would impair me, but because I didn’t particularly care for vodka.

Benz and Fritz followed suit, their eyes on the crowd as our Omegas mingled with the inhabitants of Glacier Sector. Most of the Alphas from the mating program were here, but a handful were notably missing. Prince Cael being among those on the short list.

Ivana didn’t seem to mind, though. She was too busy chatting with Ransom to notice.

Although,chattingmight be too loose a term. She wasn’t really talking, just standing near him and observing the crowd alongside him.

It seemed his verbal skills from dinner the other night were indeed not outshined by Prince Cael; the Alpha simply didn’t speak.

Not a good match for Ivana,I thought with an internal snort. She needed someone who enjoyed her voice, not someone who would tell her to be quiet.

I grabbed a water from a nearby tray and downed it, then forced my gaze away from her to focus on the crowd once more.

Time seemed to tick on at a snail’s pace. However, when Prince Lykos finally called an end to the celebration, only two hours had actually passed since our arrival.

This is going to be a long fucking week,I muttered to myself as Prince Lykos led us all to our accommodations.

“Don’t let the ice fool you,” he said before stepping onto a street lined with igloos. “Inside, you’ll find the living quarters to be warm and comfortable.”

Several of the Omegas expressed excitement in response.

“Each lodging accommodates two guests,” Prince Lykos went on. “I’ve already assigned your igloos for the duration of your stay, based on the information Queen Quinnlynn provided. So up first, we have Ashlyn and Sylvia.”

He gave the Z-Clan Omega a doting smile before searching for Sylvia. When the petite blonde stepped forward, he grinned at her as well and waved them off to their igloo.

“I’m going to need a copy of that accommodation list,” I told him as we continued forward.

His dark brow inched upward. “Your King and Queen didn’t provide you with a copy?”

My jaw threatened to tick at that question. It insinuated something I didn’t appreciate—distrust.

“No.” I flashed him a tight smile, one I knew he saw right through. But just in case he didn’t, I added, “Kieran focused more on security. Therefore, he provided me withinterior schematics for your sector, not the Omega housing arrangements.”

Now it was Prince Lykos’s turn to mask the tic in his own jaw. Only, he didn’t hide it nearly as well as I had. “I see.”

He said nothing for a long moment, my words clearly having met their mark. I’d purposely referred to Kieran without his title because I could, something Lykos and I both knew he could not do.

Because he wasn’t best friends with the Blood Sector King.

That said, nothing I’d told Lykos had been a lie. Kieran and I had reviewed the layout for Glacier Sector, as well as outlined any and all potential threats. Temporary living assignments had been the furthest from our minds. I’d known where we would be staying in Glacier Sector, just not who would be paired with whom.

“You can have this sheet when I’m done,” Prince Lykos finally muttered before assigning the next igloo to Benz and Fritz.

I glanced at my two men. “Keep walking with us. You can return once we know where everyone is staying.”