Page 24 of Obsession

"You there! Drexian cadets! What are you doing here?"

Chapter

Fifteen

Volten

The aroma of friedpadwumpwafted up from my plate, its crispy, golden edges practically begging to be shared. That was our thing—Kann and I would split a double portion every morning, arguing over who got the crispiest pieces while talking over our day. We’d discuss which cadets were challenging and which were excelling, laughing at the number of times we had such wildly different opinions about the same cadet. But today, my best friend's space across the long wooden table was empty.

The staff dining room buzzed with its usual morning energy. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, catching dust motes that danced above the polished surface of the old tables. The wood, darkened by centuries of use, still bore the nicks and scrapes of countless meals shared by generations of instructors. Around me, the familiar sounds of breakfast filled the air: the clink of utensils, the low murmur of conversation, and theoccasional burst of laughter from a group of Blade instructors at the far end.

I picked at my food, checking my comm unit again. Nothing from Kann.

"You look like a guy who’s been stood up,” Ariana said, sliding onto the bench beside me. Her familiar flowery scent was usually comforting, but today it didn’t make heat coil in my core. “At least I know you’re pining for Kann and not another woman.” Then she scrunched her lips to one side. “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better.”

I mustered a smile for her. “I am not pining for him, but it is unusual for him to skip breakfast.” I cut my gaze to the substantial heap ofpadwumpI had no intention of eating solo.

Ariana shrugged. “He’s been acting a bit off lately, don’t you think?”

I slid my gaze to her. “Off? Kann?”

“Maybe I’m reading it wrong, but I don’t think your Blade buddy was crazy about the badass Taori showing up to save the day.”

“They didn’t save the day,” I said, hearing the resistance in my own voice. Maybe Kann was not the only one. “Why would the Taori bother him? There is only one remaining here at the academy, and he is working with the Irons.”

Ariana plucked a long strip of friedpadwumpfrom the shared plate and pointed it at me. “Exactly.”

Just because I had taken one as a mate did not make human women less baffling. Before I could ask Ariana to explain what she meant, Fiona and Commander Vyk joined us.

Fiona had a bowl of berries, but the security chief’s plate was loaded with the kitchen's fresh morning bread. The warm, yeasty smell mixed with thepadwump'ssavory aroma, making my stomach growl despite my concern.

"Something wrong, Lieutenant?” Vyk leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Is this about the rescue mission? Do you have concerns?”

I shook my head. "Flying into Kronock territory undetected? That's the kind of challenge I live for."

It wasn't a lie—the thought of pushing my skills to their limit made my pulse quicken with anticipation. Plus, this wasn't just any mission. This was for my mate's sister.

Ariana leaned into me. “We’re both more than ready.”

Naturally, I had told Ariana about the bumped-up timeline for the rescue, and she shared in my enthusiasm and eagerness.

Fiona put a hand over her mouth to cover a yawn. “I stayed up half the night reviewing the available schematics of Kronock prisons, but I’m ready.”

Vyk gave his mate a scolding yet tender look before returning his gaze to me. “I should not have told her. She was too excited to sleep.”

She nudged him with her elbow. “I didn’t hear you complaining when I—”

Vyk cleared his throat loudly to cut off what she’d been about to reveal. “If you are not worried about the mission, then why do you look so concerned?”

Before I brushed off his question, I glanced at his narrowed eyes and remembered why he was our head of security. Nothing got past him.

"Kann never misses breakfast," I admitted, feeling absurd for even mentioning it.

Vyk growled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. "The Blade instructor probably overslept."

I knew better, but I held my tongue. Kann was as disciplined as they came. In all our years of friendship, he'd never once overslept. He might have lost track of time on the climbing wall,or even in the bed of a pretty alien when we’d visited an outpost, but when it came to the academy, he was on point.

But Vyk was probably right that it was something easily explained.

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