Page 78 of Eclipse Sector

The way he said that sounded like more of a warning than an explanation. Like he was trying to tell me to be careful with her or he would make me pay for hurting her.

I would have laughed if I weren’t so concerned with the situation at hand. “Move, Beta.”

He held my gaze for a beat too long, then sighed and stepped back to allow me to pass.

“Cillian,” Ivana called as she grabbed a towel to trail after me.

By the time she entered the main room, my pants were already on. “I have to go,” I told her again as I grabbed my shirt.

Then I shadowed before she could try to stop me.

I’m sorry, Vana,I whispered into her mind.But I can’t be yours.

Not now.

Not ever.

Because I was married to my duty first.

Everything else had to come second.

Or bad things happened.

Bad things… like this.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

IVANA

Cillian’s apologycaused my teeth to grind together in annoyance.

You can be mine,I snapped back at him.You just have to fucking communicate with me.

Either he ignored my reply or he’d tuned me out, because he said nothing.

Stubborn Alphahole,I muttered at him.

“What’s going on?” I asked Benz without looking his way. I was too busy trying to find clothes. I hadn’t actually washed my hair or my skin, but I’d showered last night. So I should be fine.

“Sunshine,” Benz said slowly. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

My brow furrowed as I glanced at him. “Do this, as in…?”

He gave me a look. “You know what I mean.”

“No, I really don’t.”

“I’m a wolf, Ivana. I may not have seen what you were doing in there, but I could smell it,” he told me, causing my cheeks to burn.

“Benz.”

“What?” Both of his dark brows shot upward. “That asshole broke your heart. And you finally have a chance to maybe find someone else. But if you let him play with you like this…”

“He’s not playing with me,” I argued. “He…” He’dconfidedin me. Told me things I could tell were personal to him. Things he hadn’t said to many others, if anyone at all. “Cillian’s complicated.”

Benz snorted. “No shit.”

I tugged on a pair of jeans. “I don’t want to debate Cillian right now, Benz. Just tell me what’s going on.”