Page 16 of Eclipse Sector
Except, just thinking about it provided me with the answer.
I was speaking to Prince Cael as I would anyone else.
Although, he wasn’tanyone else. He was anAlpha Prince. A visiting royal from another sector. A being who required respect, exuded authority, and no doubt expected me tosubmit.
Especially as an Omega.
“Forgive me, Prince Cael,” I said immediately, falling into a curtsy. “You caught me by surprise.”
“On the contrary, I think you caught me by surprise,” he replied, holding out a hand. “Formalities are unnecessary, as are apologies. I find your candor refreshing.”
“Refreshing?” I repeated dumbly, my gaze on his hand while I maintained a curtsied position.
“Yes,refreshing.” He waggled his fingers in my view.
I swallowed, unsure of what to say now.What does he mean by “refreshing”?It sounded like a compliment. But surely I’d misunderstood him.
And why is he moving his hand like that? Is he trying to tell me to stand?
“Would you like to begin anew?” he asked, causing my brow to furrow. “Perhaps I can properly introduce myself and you canreturn the favor? Then you can give me your beautiful gaze again rather than wasting the view on my hand.”
I glanced up at him, his words so unexpected that I couldn’t help it.
A pair of dimples framed his elegant smile, his eyes crinkling a bit with the action. “Hello. I’m Cael.”
I straightened. “Seriously?”
“Quite serious. And you are?”
Arching a brow, I deadpanned, “Ivana.”
He smirked and held out his hand again. “Lovely to meet you, Ivana.”
I gave him my palm, purely because it felt natural to do so. Then I felt my own lips curling as he bent to press a kiss to the back of my hand. It was a very formal gesture, if a bit intimate. “I thought you said formalities are unnecessary?”
“They are,” he said, his blue-green irises swirling with secrets as he held my gaze. “But I’ll never turn down an opportunity to kiss an Omega.”
“Unless you’re related to the Omega, or if the Omega is too young,” I replied, reiterating his claim regarding the Omegas in his sector. “Correct?”
He chuckled, releasing my hand as he stood up once more. “I like you, Ivana.”
“That’s not exactly an answer,” I pointed out.
“When I kiss an Omega I’m related to, it’s on the cheek in a brotherly kind of way.” He paused, his gaze flicking upward. “Well, I suppose the same could be said about Lunar Sector’s two little five-year-old hellhound Omegas, too. But that’s more so because they demand kisses from me.”
I smile again, entertained by his description. “So you’ve already been claimed, then?”
“It seems that way some days,” he replied. “They’re probably not going to be too enthused by me joining the mating pool.”
“No, I bet not.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Maybe they’ll forgive me if I find a more age-appropriate mate to help me create an Alpha pup for them to fight over.”
“Already planning for your future children?” I asked, my eyebrow inching upward again. “What if you and your mate create an Omega instead?”
“Then my mate and I will have to try for an Alpha the second time around,” he returned without missing a beat.
“So you want multiple pups?”
