Page 84 of Eclipse Sector

“I know,” he agreed, voice still flat. “So do better.”

With that, he vanished. And a second later, the scent of an Omega in heat began to dissipate, telling me he’d taken Sylvia to Blood Sector.

“He’s right,” another voice said, preceding Cael’s arrival as he shadowed into Lorcan’s place. “She deserves better.”

My eyes narrowed once more for an entirely different reason. “Let me guess—you believe you’re better for her?”

“Oh, I know I am,” he drawled, making my hands curl into fists at my sides. “But I think you could be best for her, if you could manage to take your head out of your ass.”

My eyebrows flew upward, his words rendering me momentarily speechless. I was both flattered and insulted, and above all, shocked.

“Ivana is an ideal mate,” he went on. “She’s intelligent, confident, witty, fucking stunning, and she wants pups. She’d be perfect for me if it weren’t for one very serious flaw.”

My teeth ground together.She has no flaws.The words flowed from my mind to his, primarily because I couldn’t hold them back.She’s perfect.

“She’s in love with you,” Cael stated matter-of-factly. “And while I can handle a lot of flaws, that’s one my wolf can’t accept.”

My jaw tightened even more.It’s a crush, not love, I wanted to argue.And it’s not a flaw, asshole.

Although, truly, it was. Because I wouldn’t be able to mate an Omega who coveted another Alpha, either.

“So get your shit together, Cillian,” he continued, not giving me a chance to speak. “Otherwise, I’m going to be really fucking tempted to show your female how a real Alpha treats his chosen mate. And I can guaran-damn-tee you that that little flaw of hers will become a distant memory—one she’ll eventually forget, while it haunts you for eternity.”

I swore my jaw was going to break from clenching it so hard. “Why does that sound like a challenge?” I asked him, my inner beast pacing inside me, ready to teach thisAlpha Princea lesson in dominance.

Cael was powerful, and we’d be evenly matched.

But on this, I’d win.

“Because I’m threatening to take what’s yours,” Cael said, his blue-green eyes flashing with promise as he all but plucked the words from my mind.

I’d win this fight because it involves Ivana.

“Either treat her right,” he told me, “or fuck off.”

“It’s not your job to protect her,” I growled at him. “So if anyone should fuck off, it’s you.”

He snorted. “You’re right. It’s your job. So dobetter, Cillian.” His inflection on the wordbetterbrought us full circle to how this strange conversation had begun.

However, rather than shadow off like Lorcan had, Cael simply turned away from me, the action making my inner wolf claw at my insides in fury.

I’d just beendismissed.

And the Alpha who had done the dismissing wasn’t concerned at all about presenting me with his fucking back.

“If I didn’t know any better, Cael, I’d say you were trying to pick a fight with me, perhaps to distract me from the events of this evening?” I taunted, the theory popping into my head before I could properly think it through.

Cael froze.

Then slowly faced me once more.

“If you think I had anything to do with Sylvia’s condition, then you’ve not been paying attention,Elite.”

His reference to my position was intentional. A reminder. One that had me meeting his gaze without flinching.

“Then why are you suddenly so concerned with my personal affairs, Cael?” I asked, purposely leaving off his princely title.

“I couldn’t give two shits about your ‘personal affairs,’ Cillian,” he returned, his wolf dancing in his eyes and turning the blue-green irises to a darker shade of blue. “Ivana, however, has piqued my interest. She deserves better. So if you don’t figure your shit out—and soon—then you’re going to lose your Omega to a real Alpha Prince.”