Eclipse Sector (V-Clan #3)

30. Cillian

CHAPTER THIRTY

CILLIAN

Lorcan? I called, engaging my telepathic link to my old friend and not waiting for him to reply. Ivana says someone needs to search Ashlyn’s nest for her journals. They’re under the floorboards. That last part hadn’t been uttered aloud by Ivana, but I’d caught the location floating through her thoughts.

Journals? Lorcan repeated, not elaborating.

Yes. Like a diary. From what she told Ivana, Ashlyn often wrote her visions down in her notebooks. Which meant we might be able to find a clue as to where she was now by perusing her writings.

I had to believe she’d told Ivana for a reason.

And Ivana seemed to think so, too.

“She also warned me about Prince Cael,” she said now, her gaze narrowing. “She said he was surrounded in darkness. I told her to tell Quinn, but she said Prince Cael wasn’t dangerous, and to just be careful. I thought she was trying to play some mean-girl game with me, so I ignored her.”

Guilt prickled Ivana’s mind, her thoughts whirling into dangerous territory.

“This is not your fault,” I told her sternly.

“I know, but I completely misjudged her.” Her sad eyes met mine. “I just assumed she was like Miranda and the others. And I… I ignored what she was trying to tell me.”

“Or you’re remembering what she said at precisely the right time.” I brushed my lips against hers, my arms tight around her as I held her in my lap. “From what you’ve told me, Ashlyn gave you information that she no doubt hoped you would use at the appropriate moment.”

And now that I was thinking about it, Ashlyn might have left me a few clues as well.

I recalled our conversation from the day she fell into the ice pond, how she’d been startled by Grey’s arrival.

“I just didn’t see him coming, so his appearance… surprised me. Which is rather uncommon, to say the least,” she’d said.

But that hadn’t been all she’d voiced on the topic.

“Quinn asked me if I was okay with him joining,” she’d murmured, talking about Grey being one of the Alpha candidates in the mating program. “I’m not one to fight destiny, so I agreed. Although, I thought our paths would cross later. Not today.”

Does he have anything to do with this? I wondered, my lips curling down.

Maybe.

However, she’d also said, “Grey and Henrik don’t mean me any harm.”

The rest of our conversation had been almost as cryptic, with her basically chiding me for taking her back to her igloo.

Only, now I wondered if all those words had been about Ivana.

“I’m not yours to worry about, Cillian. While I appreciate your protective instincts, they’re unnecessary.”

“You do realize that you’re not the only one being punished by your actions, yes?”

“Choosing to suffer out of some misguided need to repent doesn’t just impact you, Cillian. That choice—the one where you put everyone else first—impacts her, too. If you remember anything I’ve said, please remember that.”

At the time, I’d thought she was chastising me for leaving the other Omegas at the pond while I tended to her.

“I really have been stubborn,” I muttered. “And maybe a little dense.”

Ivana snorted, a string of sarcastic responses streaming through her thoughts.

I grabbed her waist, my fingers digging a little into her sides.

She shrieked in response, her gaze wide with indignation. “Did you just tickle me?”

I chuckled. “Yes, macushla, I did.” And I proceeded to do it again, earning me a louder shriek from her as she tried to wiggle her way off my lap.

But there was no way in hell I was about to let her go.

She was mine, something I proceeded to show her by wrestling her onto the couch and pinning her body beneath mine.

“ Cillian ,” she huffed at me, squirming futilely.

“Ivana,” I returned, settling even more firmly on her.

Her responding growl had me wanting to return the sound in kind, only with a much more erotic undertone.

Alas, Lorcan’s voice in my head stopped me before I could start. Kyra is looking right now. Did Ashlyn tell her which floorboards in her nest to look under?

Let me ask, I replied as I repeated the question aloud for Ivana.

“No, she just said she hides her journals under floorboards in her nest. So maybe directly under her bed?” Ivana suggested.

I relayed that message to Lorcan.

Silence met my comment.

“Kyra’s looking,” I informed Ivana.

“Yeah, I heard that in your mind.”

I arched a brow. “You heard Lorcan’s thoughts?”

Her lips twisted, her gaze contemplative. “No, not exactly. I… I heard you thinking about it?” She blew out a breath. “It’s really complicated…”

I grinned. “Yeah, macushla, it is. But I’ll help you.”

She swallowed but nodded. “I can sort of see how you compartmentalize already.”

“You can?” I asked, surprised.

“I think so.” She chewed her lower lip, her brow furrowing. “Maybe see isn’t the right word. But I… I could sense you favoring Lorcan while tuning out the others. And I think I know how you did it.”

“Interesting,” I murmured, prodding her mind a little to hear her puzzling through the process. Bits and pieces were basically incoherent, but I could hear her sorting out the chaos.

I couldn’t understand most of it.

Actually, I couldn’t fully hear it.

Because she was naturally blocking me from going too deep into her thoughts.

“I wonder if your natural immunity to me reading your mind has something to do with the construction of the mind,” I mused aloud. “And now those gifts are blending to create something else entirely.”

Her mouth curved downward. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I can’t comprehend the processes of someone else’s mind; I hear their thoughts. But you seem to be not only aware of how I maintain my ability, but are able to mimic the concept as well. That suggests a unique form of mind reading that goes deeper than mental conversation.”

“But I’ve felt your power, Cillian. You’ve leashed me before with your mind, and not just the other day in Glacier Sector.”

I winced, the memory not one I wanted to relive. But it was very prevalent in her mind. “I should not have done that.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” she agreed. “But that’s not the point. Your power basically controls the receptors in the brain that process free will. And you’re able to apply restrictions to that free will. Which makes what you can do far more powerful than simple mind reading.”

“I never said mind reading was simple,” I uttered slowly, processing her words. “I’ve also never been aware of how I leash the wills of others; I just do it. However, it sounds like you not only sense it but can actually see it happening?”

She stared up at me. “Yes. I assumed everyone could.”

“Sensing it, perhaps,” I agreed. “But I don’t think most wolves, if any, can see it. Are you saying you’ve been aware of me grounding Alphas before? Like when Quinnlynn was attacked a few months back?”

She nodded slowly. “You leashed all the Alphas in the sector that day, ensuring no one could shadow.”

“And you sensed that or saw it?”

Ivana considered my question for a moment. “I think both? It feels the same to me. I was just aware of it happening.”

“That’s… fascinating,” I marveled, gazing down at her in awe. “But you couldn’t read my mind or actually see how it worked then, right?”

She shook her head. “No, I just felt it happening. And I knew what you were doing.”

“Can you sense when Lorcan and Kieran evoke similar holds on others?”

“Yes. Their dominance is as powerful as yours.”

“More powerful,” I clarified. “But perhaps similar.”

“The same, Cillian,” she replied. “All three of you exude mental strength on the same terrifying wavelength.”

I grunted. “Not sure about terrifying.”

She gave me a look. “You know you’re terrifying. I can hear confirmation of it in your head right now.”

The ease by which she was peeling through the layers of my mind was both astounding and impressive. “You obviously possess a talent that involves understanding the intricacies of mental abilities, which explains your knack for thwarting them.”

And now that she had access to my mind-reading powers, she was deepening her skills.

“Fascinating,” I said again.

“Will the same happen to you when you bite me?” she asked. “I mean, you, um, inheriting my supposed gift?”

“There’s nothing supposed about it, Vana. You have a gift.” And an extraordinary one at that. I’d always wondered why her mind seemed so quiet. Now I somewhat understood.

As for whether or not I would adopt her unique talent when I claimed her…

“I don’t know, but we’ll be finding out very soon,” I promised, my gaze sliding down to her mouth. “Or maybe now.” Because I really wanted to claim her. Rut her. Make her mi?—

Kyra found the journals, Lorcan interrupted, his timing leaving a lot to be desired. There are hundreds of them, Cillian. Can Ivana give us any guidance on where to start?

Suppressing a growl, I reiterated the question aloud to Ivana.

“I…” She blinked. “No. All she told me was where to find them.” Her brow furrowed. “But… Did she go back to Night Sector before she disappeared?”

As I didn’t know the answer, I asked Lorcan.

“Yes,” I told her, repeating his response aloud.

“Then I wonder if the journal she was writing in that day is the one she wants us to find,” Ivana said slowly. “It would make sense. She made sure I saw it. But I… I would need to see them to recognize it, as I wasn’t paying enough attention that day.”

More of that guilt pinged her thoughts. Gods, why did I assume the worst of her? she was thinking.

Don’t, I whispered back to her. You’re helping now and that’s what matters.

She swallowed, her chin dipping in a subtle nod.

I relayed the information to Lorcan.

Kyra’s shadowing them to Kieran’s office. Unless you would prefer us to meet you there? A hint of sarcasm underlined that question.

Because my best friend knew my reply to that before even asking.

Stay away from my mate’s nest.

Still haven’t claimed her, then? he taunted.

Fuck you, Lor.

His responding chuckle served as a taunt that had me growling low in my throat.

Ivana shivered beneath me.

“Sorry,” I muttered, doing my best to tame my inner animal. “Lorcan’s goading me.”

“You kind of deserve it, though,” she replied, causing my eyebrows to lift.

“Do I?”

She nodded. “You should have claimed me during my heat. Instead, you chose to wait. So yeah, you deserve to be goaded by your friends. In fact, I’m rather pleased they’re goading you on my behalf. I think they should have been doing this for years.”

I gaped at her. “You’re a sassy little traitor.”

She shrugged, the picture of false innocence. “Just being honest.”

“Hmm,” I hummed, leaning down to nip at her mouth. “I’ll remember this later when you’re begging me to let you come.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“You heard me, my darling, sassy Omega.” I nipped at her again, then slowly crawled off of her. “I’m going to teach you a lesson in delayed gratification.”

“Because six years didn’t already drive that lesson home?” she shot back without missing a beat.

Gods, I loved this female. “You’re making me want to forget the journals and fuck you instead, Ivana.”

She snorted. “Then maybe you need to give yourself that lesson in delayed gratification , Cillian. Because I no longer want your knot.”

I laughed. “Your slick cunt says otherwise, Omega.”

Her nostrils flared as she shoved her way off the couch, her hands landing on her hips. “I am not slick right now, Alpha .”

Another laugh escaped me. “And now you’re lying to me.”

“I am not.”

“You are,” I assured her, catching her by the waist before she could even think to escape me.

A shocked gasp left her as I palmed her pussy, my fingers pressing into her alluring heat.

“Even through your jeans, I can feel you, Vana.” I leaned down to place my lips at her ear. “And I can smell you, too.” I gently bit down on her earlobe, my hand massaging her through her pants. “You’re so fucking wet that you’re going to have to change clothes.”

I ground against her, ensuring she felt my responding need.

“Don’t worry, Vana. I want you just as bad, perhaps even more.” I licked a path along her neck, my teeth skimming her raging pulse. “Gods, I can’t wait to be inside you again. To bite you. I want to do it now, say to hell with everything else.”

Mark her as the most important being in my life.

Prove to her that she’s my priority.

Make her mine.

“No,” Ivana breathed, her palms landing on my shoulders as she tried to push me away. “We have to find Ashlyn.”

I sighed. “Ivana?—”

“No, Cillian.” She pulled back and clasped my face between her hands. “I want you to put me first. I realized that the moment you left me to go to Kieran. So I can admit that much—I was wrong before about what I needed from a mate. You were right when you said I deserve an Alpha who prioritizes me.”

“Which is what I’m trying to do right now,” I told her. “I?—”

She gently placed her fingers over my lips, silencing me.

“I wasn’t done,” she softly chastised. “I know you want to put me first, and I love you for that. But this is about who we are as a mated pair, Cillian. I just want to be included in your process, to know that you respect me enough to tell me what’s going on. I want you to let me support you. So let me show you what that looks like. Let me show you who we can be.”

Her thumb brushed my cheekbone, her gaze searching mine.

“Take me to Kieran’s office,” she went on. “Together, we’ll find Ashlyn. As a team. As a united pair. As us .”

I stared down at her, mesmerized by the strong Omega before me. “You’re incredible, Ivana,” I marveled, meaning every word. “So fucking incredible.”

And I’d been a fool not to realize that before. To try to hide from her. To push her away.

This beautiful, fierce, amazing Omega had wanted to be mine from the moment we’d met. It took almost losing her to realize just how lucky I was that she’d chosen me to begin with.

“I’m going to spend the rest of our lives being worthy of you,” I vowed. Then I sealed the promise with a kiss, one that had her arching against me as I wrapped one arm around her back and the other around her shoulders, my palm going to her nape.

She moaned, her mind completely open to mine. I could hear her wants. Her needs. Her desires . But underneath everything was a steel resolve to locate Ashlyn.

All Ivana wanted was to be my partner. To be my confidante. To be my mate.

And I was finally seeing what that meant.

It wasn’t about prioritizing Kieran or the sector above my mate. It was about working with my mate to accomplish even more. It was about teamwork. About communicating. About supporting one another, no matter what.

This Omega had just taught me a lesson I never knew I needed to learn.

I thanked her with my tongue, worshipped her with my mind, and loved her unconditionally with my heart.

Let’s go find Ashlyn, I whispered into her thoughts. Afterward, I’m officially making you mine.