Page 80 of Eclipse Sector

Cillian carried the weight of the V-Clan world on his back, shouldering the blame for his father’s sins.

And now Cillian was out there trying to fix whatever had happened to Sylvia, all while likely blaming himself for spending time with me.

I nearly growled in frustration.

Stubborn. Fucking. Alpha.

I hoped he heard that.

But he’d probably already blocked me from his mind.

Too bad,I thought at him.Because I can be just as stubborn.

He liked me. Wanted me. Felt I was too good for him. Desired more, but told himself he couldn’t have it.

Which made it my job to prove him wrong.

We could be good together. Perfect, even. I didn’t need to be his first priority. Would it be nice every once and while? Sure. However, I understood his need to protect others. I respected that need, too.

And this was the perfect time to show him that.

“Let’s go see what we can do to help,” I told Benz as I pulled on a pair of snow boots.

I didn’t wait for my best friend to agree—he knew better than to argue with me when I set my mind to something anyway—and shadowed outside.

My nose told me where to find Cillian, as well as Sylvia.

Because Benz had been right—she was definitely going into heat.

My stomach twisted at the notion of being forced into an estrous cycle against my will. Some clans did that to their Omegas. V-Clan wolves did not.

That made this situation even more troublesome.

Several Omegas were outside, arms folded around their middles, eyes concerned.

Ashlyn stood among them, her crystal-blue eyes meeting mine as I approached. She and Sylvia were friends, yet she didn’tappear all that concerned. “It’s started,” she murmured softly once I was a few feet away. “Remember what I told you, please.”

I frowned at her. “About what?”

All-consuming Alpha energy surrounded us before she could reply, the strength and vitality preceding Prince Cael’s arrival as he materialized across from me.

“Ivana,” he greeted with a soft smile that instantly froze on his handsome face.

He slowly looked toward Sylvia’s igloo as his two Elites shadowed in beside him, the intimidating males immediately scenting the air and following Cael’s gaze.

“What the hell…?” Prince Cael trailed off, his blue-green irises flickering to his brother, Dixon. “You came by ninety minutes ago for a security sweep and said everything was fine.”

His brother’s jaw tightened. “It was. This is obviously a recent development.” His sharp green eyes drifted across the crowd, landing on me for a split second before skipping along the other Omegas. “We should?—”

Cillian appeared between me and Prince Cael, cutting off Dixon’s commentary and my view of the three males. “Kieran is on his way. He wants to have a word with all participating Alphas, including you.”

Another wave of masculine intensity accompanied Prince Cael’s reply of “I see.”

Silence.

I shivered, Cillian’s magnetic energy mounting with each passing second. He appeared to be measuring his powers against Cael and his two Elites.

Or maybe he and Cael were engaged in a mental conversation.