Page 76 of Obsession

A tear slipped down my cheek even as I made a futile attempt to pull away. But Kann did not release me. Instead he wrapped both arms around me, holding me in an embrace that was as comforting as it was terrifying.

“If you give me another chance, I will spend the rest of my days proving to you just how much I love you,” he husked, as he pulled back to meet my gaze. “That is, if you love me back.”

For maybe the first time since I’d met the Drexian, the cocky smirk was gone, replaced by a tentative, questioning look that was shockingly vulnerable. And it almost broke me.

Every emotion I’d kept in check, every feeling I’d suppressed, every memory I’d fought to ignore came rushing back.

"I do love you," I whispered back with a sob. “I wish I didn’t. Believe me, it would be a lot simpler if I didn’t, but I do."

With a groan, he crushed his lips to mine, and every wall I'd built around my heart crumbled to dust. I melted into him, my fingers curling into the fabric of his uniform as his arms wrapped around me. He kissed me like he was trying to make up for lost time, like he was trying to prove every word he'd just said, and I let myself believe in it.

In him. In us.

As Kann’s lips moved hungrily against mine, I knew. This was real. It had always been real. When nothing else had been real, what we’d had had been real—wasreal.

When we finally broke apart, breathless and pressed together, Jess cleared her throat. I'd completely forgotten she was there—or Reina. My friend’s arms were crossed, one eyebrow was raised, and one foot was tapping an impatient rhythm on the floor.

Her lips quirked into a smile. “I’m thinking you left out some pretty significant details about what happened in that simulation."

Reina blinked rapidly, her already large eyes enormous. “I think I need to tell Fiona and Noora that there will be a delay.”

Kann grabbed my hand and started to pull me away. “She’ll have to fill you in later, Jess.” He smirked at Reina. “Tell them it will be a long delay. Hours.” He turned his wolfish grin on me. “Maybe days.”

A laugh burst from my mouth as I glanced back to see Jess’s jaw drop, and Reina’s hands flail. “Sorry!” I waved, and then I let Kann sweep me into his arms and carry me from the dining hall.

But I wasn’t really sorry. Not for any of it.

Chapter

Fifty-Four

Tivek

We’d been in stealth mode for long enough to feel relatively secure that the Kronock couldn’t detect us. Even so, we moved throughout the ship as quietly as possible, keeping conversations low or using rudimentary signs to convey our intent.

Ariana had done a good job of keeping our speed low and maneuvering us through meteor fields and behind planetary bodies, but that hadn’t stopped Commander Vyk from standing at post behind her in the cockpit, his gaze scouring the black sky for any hint of the enemy.

“We should reach the most likely location within two standards rotations,” Sasha said to Vyk so quietly her words barely carried to the seats behind the cockpit, where I sat.

“It’s taken longer than expected,” he growled.

“Can’t be helped. Not being seen means going slow and taking the scenic route.”

“Can’t stand being in Kronock space,” Vyk said with a shudder. “Not a single ship like this. Now if this was an Inferno Force battleship—”

“You’d be blown from the sky,” Ariana told him. “Ships that big can’t hide the way this one can.”

Vyk grumbled something I couldn’t make out.

“How about I take us behind this magnetic field for a while?” Sasha pointed to her console. “We might be able to send a transmission to the academy without the enemy pinpointing our location.”

Vyk shook his head. “No transmissions.”

Ariana turned to him, her face pinched. “We need the others. If the readings I’m getting about our target are correct, we can’t go in alone. Not with all those sentries.”

Vuk grunted. “We don’t know if the other crew is able to join us yet.”

“Maybe we need the Drexians to send whomever they can.”

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