Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

Ariana

“ W e have to wait for her.” I put a hand on Volten’s arm once we stepped outside the doors to the Stacks. Jess had already walked ahead, but Volten had waited with me, along with his friends. “Fiona is right behind me.”

Volt, Kann, and Torq glanced around, as if they’d just realized that Fiona wasn’t with us.

“I’m sure she won’t be long,” I added, hoping the Drexians wouldn’t ask too many questions about why Fiona had lingered and who had lingered with her.

“While you wait, I am going to take a little trip to the kitchens.” Kann rubbed his hands together and nudged Volten in the side. “Care to join me?”

Volt cut a momentary glance at me before shaking his head. “Go without me.”

I gave him a gentle shove. “Go. I know how much you two eating machines love stealing bread from the cooks after hours. I’m fine waiting for Fi by myself.”

Volt eyed me as if trying to determine if I meant the words I said. “You do not mind?”

I shook my head. After the tense meeting discussing my sister’s fate, I wouldn’t mind a few moments alone. I adored Volten, but like all Drexians, he took up a lot of space and made a lot of noise. I would not say no to some alone time. “I don’t mind, as long as you bring me some.”

He grinned, brushing my side-swept bangs from my eyes, before running one finger along my jawbone and tipping my chin up. “My quarters again?”

My cheeks warmed as I felt the eyes of the other Drexians on me. I was glad that Volten did not feel the need to be shy about his affection for me, but it was hard to be discreet when everyone in the academy knew you were shacking up. That didn’t mean I wanted to start sleeping alone. Not when sleeping in Volten’s strong arms was one of the few things that was keeping me sane. “I’ll meet you there later.”

He growl-hummed as he kissed me, and frissons of desire sizzled my lips and made heat churn in my core as I pressed a hand to his chest to push him away and ground myself.

“I wish I had a female to warm my bed,” Kann said, making no secret of staring at us .

Volten gave me a slow wink as he pivoted to his friend. “That would mean settling on only one female.”

Kann grinned wickedly. “Would it?”

Torq shook his head. “If you wish to warm your bed with one of the human females at the academy. I might not know much about them yet, but I do not think they like to share.”

“Some do,” I told them, enjoying watching their mouths fall open. “But none of the women that I know here would be into that.”

“Too bad.” Kann shot Volten a pointed look. “I could go to one of the nearby outpost bars, but I seem to have lost my wingman.”

Volten shook his head hard. “I was not a good wingman even before I lost all interest in chasing alien females.”

Kann slapped him on the back. “What do you mean? You were great. All the females wanted me because you were so bad at charming them.”

Everyone laughed, including Volten, who bent down and whispered into my ear, “At least I was charming enough to seduce you.”

His breath tickled my ear and sent a shiver of pleasure down my back. “I thought I was the one who seduced you?”

“Speaking of human females at the academy,” Torq said as he turned to Kann. “I thought I saw you with one of the cadets the other day.”

Kann cocked his head. “Do you mean the Iron who was working on the holo-chamber? ”

“Britta?” She had told me that she’d been helping to update some of the holo-chambers in the School of Battle.

“It looked like you were working closely with her.” Torq eyed Kann with his arms crossed.

Kann shook his head. “I assure you, Britta and I are only friendly colleagues.”

“Actually, you are her instructor,” Volt reminded him. “She is only a cadet.”

Kann blinked rapidly as if just remembering that fact. “Whatever she is, we are not involved. We agreed to be friends and nothing else.”

Volten’s brows jerked up. “Was that something she decided, because that doesn’t sound like a decision you would—”

“Yes,” Kann cut him off. “I might have suggested a friendly drink, but she insisted on remaining friends, which we have.” He tapped one finger on his chin. “She might actually be my first ever female friend.”

Volten put an arm around his friend’s shoulders. “I am proud of you, Kann. This is a big step for you.”

Kann jammed an elbow into his gut. “Very funny. Now are we going to raid the kitchens or not?”

Volten blew me a kiss as the three Drexians backed away, laughing and shoving each other like they were children. I spun back toward the looming doors to the Stacks, grateful to have a moment alone, even though another part of me wondered how much longer I should wait for Fiona before going in after her with metaphorical guns blazing.