Page 26 of Secrecy

I armed the first explosive, setting the timer for ninety seconds as I stepped into the corridor. "Time to make some noise."

Chapter

Eighteen

Morgan

Every muscle in my body relaxed as I surrendered to the kiss, my hands finding their way to his shoulders, then sliding up to tangle in his short hair.

I'd imagined this moment more times than I cared to admit. Sometimes I was alone in my quarters, or staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping, or during long strategy meetings when my attention should have been elsewhere. But I'd never truly believed it would happen. He was the admiral's adjunct, and I was a cadet. We were as unlikely a pairing as we were a frowned-upon one.

It had never been the badass Blade instructors who'd caught my eye, or even the cocky Wing cadets who strutted through the halls of the academy. I'd always been drawn to the handsome yet unassuming Tivek, with his quiet intelligence and watchful eyes. I'd thought I'd hidden my crush well, especially from him.

Clearly not, since he was kissing me with an intensity that made my knees weaken.

My swirling thoughts dissolved into a pleasant haze as desire took over. I pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, reveling in the solid warmth of his body pressed against mine. A small, distant part of my brain registered that we were in a Kronock prison cell, hiding from lethal reptilian guards, but that reality seemed far less important than the sensation of Tivek's lips moving against mine.

When he finally pulled away, I was breathless, my heart hammering against my ribs. His eyes were molten, pupils dilated, and my pulse leaped at the realization that he might actually feel the same way about me that I felt for him.

Then he swiveled his head toward where the Kronock had been lying. "They're gone.” He took a step back, his hands falling away from my waist. "I apologize for being so bold.” His voice was low and controlled once more. "I was concerned you might accidentally reveal our position."

The words doused all the bubbly warmth in my chest, as mortification flooded my cheeks with heat. He'd only kissed me to keep me quiet?

"I'm tougher than that," I managed to say, stepping back as if his proximity suddenly burned. I wasn't entirely sure I wouldn't have made a sound as the Kronocks argued within arms’ reach, but his assumption stung nonetheless.

All my hopes about Tivek returning my feelings crumbled around me. I blinked rapidly, determined not to let him see the tears threatening to form.

Foolish, I scolded myself. So incredibly foolish. I'd let my mind race ahead, mapping out possibilities and futures that I knew couldn't exist. It was something I did too often. I wasalways planning, always calculating, and always several steps into the future, even when it came to things as unpredictable as emotions.

Never again. I wouldn't give Tivek the opportunity to think me weak or easily distracted. I wouldn't lose sight of our mission again, no matter how tempting the distraction.

I took a deep breath of the dank air, forcing myself back to the mission. "If Sasha and your brother aren't in the cells, we still need to find where they've gone."

Tivek's expression shifted, something like regret flashing across his features. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but I cut him off.

"We still need to rescue Ariana, Vyk, and Torq. We don't have time to stand around talking." The hard edge in my voice surprised even me, but I clung to it like armor.

I pushed past him toward the cell entrance, determined to escape the confined space where my embarrassment seemed to cling to every surface. His hand caught my arm, his grip gentle but insistent.

"Morgan," he said softly.

I pulled away and kept walking, afraid that if I stopped, my carefully constructed shell would crack, revealing the raw hurt beneath. By the time I reached the entrance to the cells, my heart rate had steadied, but the humiliating burn of my cheeks remained.

"Are you coming?" I asked, not turning to look at him.

He joined me without a word, and we retraced our steps through the labyrinthine ramps and corridors of the Kronock facility, as the silence between us hung heavy.

Finally, Tivek broke it. "If I know my brother, he's trying to get Sasha away from the prison, but not via the roof. He likely has a ship hidden somewhere on the planet."

"We can't leave to go tramping across the marshland looking for them without finding our friends first," I replied, grateful for the shift to tactical matters where I felt more confident.

“We know at least Ariana is upstairs,” Tivek said quietly.

A chill went through me at the reminder of her screams. The Kronock were probably torturing their new captives for information.

"Then we have to find them fast," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

All thoughts of kissing Tivek and his subsequent rejection faded into the background as concern for my friends filled my mind. What if we were too late? What if the Kronock had already extracted the fact that we’d sent out an SOS? And what would happen to Tivek and me if we were caught as well?

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