Page 48 of Eclipse Sector

I’d admired that about Ivana—her ability to just not care.

Fuck, I admired a lot of things about Ivana. Like the way her hips looked in those tight jeans of hers right now.

So fucking breedable, I thought, my knot pulsating in response.

I ripped my gaze away from her to focus on some of the other Omegas skating around the rink with their Alpha dates for the evening. My wolf instantly calmed, not interested in any of those pairings at all.

My fingers curled and uncurled at my sides, my mind scanning the entire sector for any notions of a threat and finding none.

Other than myself.

Never in my entire existence had I ever felt this close to losing control.

Well, no. That wasn’t quite true.

I’d lost control once. Over a thousand years ago.

On the night I betrayed my entire family.

I gritted my teeth, the memory once again threatening to overwhelm me. A memory I rarely ever considered, yet that was twice in a short span of time that it had nearly?—

Cillian.Fritz’s mental call immediately caught my attention, as I’d been loosely in tune with both him and Benz all evening.

Yes?

Ashlyn fell into the ice pond. She’s fine, but?—

I shadowed to his side before he could finish, my gaze instantly landing on the shivering blonde curled into a ball on the bank of the frozen pond. Grey hovered nearby, his ice-like gaze narrowed at Henrik—one of Glacier Sector’s Alphas.

Imbecile,I overheard Grey thinking.Z-Clan Omegas aren’t built like V-Clan Omegas. Their powers are mental, not physical.

My brow furrowed.What happened?I asked Fritz.And when did Grey get here?

I hadn’t even been aware he’d intended to join us today. Thus far, he’d missed all the mating events. It seemed a little strangefor him to visit for group dates today, especially since this wasn’t even his home sector.

Ashlyn fell into one of the fishing holes,Fritz replied.

Yes, I’m askinghowshe fell in,I rephrased.

I’m not sure. I was grabbing some poles when?—

You weren’t watching?I interjected, facing him.

“Henrik asked me tofetch—his word—some extra fishing rods from the shed,” Fritz answered out loud, his arms folding before him. “So I shadowed over tofetchthem. When I heard Ashlyn shriek, I immediately teleported back, but Grey had already jumped in to grab her.”

“I d-didn’t shrie-eek,” Ashlyn muttered, her teeth chattering over the words.

“He appeared out of fucking nowhere,” Henrik growled.

“Who did?” I demanded, not following his comment.

“The half-breed.” He gestured sharply at Grey, who simply arched a brow in response to being called ahalf-breed. “One minute, we’re fishing. And the next, he shadows in uninvited and Ashlyn falls in.”

“I’m one of the candidates,” Grey reminded him coolly. “By definition, that means I’m invited, not uninvited.”

“I’m fine,” Ashlyn interjected. “No harm. Just a little swim. But I’d like to go change my clothes now.” She started to walk away, but I stepped into her path.

“I’ll escort you,” I told her, my tone as soft as I could manage, given the situation. Henrik and Grey were throwing down a lot of testosterone that my wolf very much wanted to respond to, but now wasn’t the time to assert dominance.