Page 31

Chapter

Thirty-One

Tivek

A dmiral Zoran’s face was set in the mask of concentration I'd seen countless times during intelligence briefings. We stood in the cockpit of the rescue ship, the nebula's strange light filtering through the viewports and casting pastel shadows across the consoles.

Volten checked the ship’s readings, then glanced toward the door. "If you'll excuse me, Admiral. I should check on Ariana and the, um, ship's status."

Zoran waved his half-brother off with a quirked smile. “Check on your mate, Lieutenant.”

As Volten slipped out, I found myself studying my brother. The bruises on his face were already fading, testament to his Drexian healing, but there was a new wariness in his eyes that spoke of his time in Kronock hands.

"How many guards were stationed at the facility?" Zoran asked, bringing my attention back to the debriefing.

"Fewer than expected," Deklyn replied. "I counted perhaps sixty of the creatures total, with only fifteen dedicated to prisoner control. The rest were technicians, communications officers, and what appeared to be scientists."

I arched an eyebrow. "Scientists?"

Deklyn nodded grimly. "They took blood from both me and Sas…the human female.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

This would not be the first time our enemies had studied us or humans.

I was abundantly aware that they’d kidnapped a tribute bride in an attempt to extract genetic material.

Not to mention the Drexian they’d abducted and implanted with Kronock DNA.

I cringed as I remembered the reports I’d studied.

“Did you observe where they were keeping their research?" Zoran asked.

“Upper levels. Guarded, but not impenetrable." Deklyn's eyes gleamed with the challenge. "With a team of Inferno Force operatives, we could extract the data and destroy the facility."

“It looks like you took steps to damage it already.”

Deklyn’s eyes flashed. “Not enough.”

I cleared my throat. "There's more, Admiral." Both Drexians turned to me. "While Morgan and I were hiding from patrols, we overheard two Kronock discussing their fleet strength. They’re more damaged than we thought.”

A satisfied smile spread across Zoran's face. "This confirms what our operatives have suggested." He turned to Deklyn. "And explains why you were able to break out with relative ease. They're stretched thin."

Deklyn snorted. "I wouldn't call it 'ease,' but yes, their security protocols were lax.”

The admiral's gaze shifted between us, a calculating look I knew well. "This information could shift the balance of power significantly. Well done, both of you."

Deklyn suddenly turned to me, curiosity evident in his expression. "I still don't understand why you were on this mission, brother. Not that I’m not glad to see you.”

I bit my tongue, the instinct to reveal my true role nearly overwhelming.

How I longed to wipe that superior look off my brother's face by telling him I'd completed more critical missions than most Drexians could dream of.

But my Shadow vow held me back, the weight of secrecy a heavier price than ever.

But then I noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the way his cheeks were hollowed.

For all his swagger, my brother had not emerged unscathed.

Before I could formulate a suitably vague response, Zoran intervened smoothly.

"Tivek specifically requested to join the rescue mission," he said. "He was quite insistent on helping save his brother."

Deklyn's eyes widened slightly, then crinkled. He threw an arm around my shoulders, nearly knocking me off balance with the unexpected gesture.

“You came to save your big brother?" He ruffled my hair as if we were children again.

I stiffened, caught between annoyance at his patronizing tone and the genuine warmth of familial connection I hadn't felt in years. Before I could respond, a voice cut through the moment.

"Tivek saved my life multiple times during the mission," Morgan said sharply. I hadn't even heard her footsteps. “I wouldn’t be alive without him."

She stood with her arms crossed, glaring at my brother with surprising intensity.

Deklyn raised his hands in mock surrender, though his eyes danced with amusement. "Easy there. I'm just teasing him." He glanced between us, a knowing smirk forming. "My brother seems to have quite the staunch defender."

Morgan's cheeks flushed, but she didn't back down. “I’m not saying anything that isn’t true.”

Even Zoran seemed intrigued by her passionate defense, his calculating gaze shifting between us with new interest. I kept my expression neutral, but inside, I was anything but calm. The way she'd rushed to my defense stirred something in me I couldn't afford to acknowledge. Not now.

“Your feedback is helpful, cadet,” Zoran said, “but I expected nothing less from my adjunct.”

Deklyn glanced around the command center. "Where has everyone gone?"

Morgan shifted her weight. "Fiona and Jess went to find Vyk and Torq. Britta headed to our ship to help with repairs, and Kann went with her."

"I should get back as well," Deklyn said, giving my shoulder one last rough thump. "Before Sasha permanently claims my co-pilot seat." He thumped his fist across his chest in salute to Zoran. "Admiral."

As he passed Morgan, he winked at her, and I gritted my teeth. Deklyn had always known exactly how to get under my skin, and that hadn’t changed.

"Admiral, if I may be excused?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. "I should assist with the repairs to our ship.”

Zoran waved his hand in dismissal, already turning his attention to a data pad. "Of course. We'll continue this discussion once both ships are operational."

I motioned for Morgan to follow me, gently pulling her to the back of the ship. My mind was racing, every rational thought shouting that this was a terrible idea, but I couldn't stop myself. Not after seeing her defend me so fiercely.

The med bay was small and private, tucked away from the ship's main corridor. I pulled her inside and closed the door behind us, the soft hiss as it closed wrapping us in silence.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice hushed.

Instead of answering with words, I cupped her face in my hands and pressed my lips to hers. For one terrible moment, she froze, and I feared I'd misread everything. Then she melted against me, her hands sliding up my chest to curl around my neck.

When we finally broke apart, her eyes were wide with wonder and confusion. "What was that for?"

"I wanted to thank you," I said, my voice rougher than I'd intended. "For sticking up for me."

A slow smile spread across her face, transforming it in a way that made my heart stutter. “Is that how you thank everyone?”

I started to stammer out a reply, but she laughed and pulled my mouth back to hers, and this time there was nothing tentative about our kiss. It was heat and hunger and a recklessness I hadn't allowed myself in ages.

I forgot everything as I surrendered to this kiss.

I forgot where we were, the danger we'd escaped, the mission, the admiral only steps away.

I forgot my training, my vows, my duty. All that existed was Morgan, the taste of her, the small sounds she made when I deepened the kiss, the way her fingers tangled in my hair.

Some distant part of my mind registered the absolute madness of what we were doing. I was a Shadow operative. She was an academy cadet. We were on a rescue ship stranded in a potentially hostile nebula. There were at least a dozen reasons why this was a catastrophically bad idea.

But as her teeth grazed my lower lip, sending a shiver down my spine, I couldn't bring myself to care about any of them.

For the first time in my life, I wanted something for myself, something that had nothing to do with duty or honor or the greater good of Drexian society. I wanted Morgan, with an intensity that should have terrified me but instead felt like the most natural thing in the universe.

And at least for this moment, hidden away in the quiet of the med bay with her arms around me, I allowed myself to have exactly what I wanted.