The Apocalyptic Queen's Werewolf Journey (Thora and Darius) novel Chapter 474

It took Mike a good while to steady himself. A flush of color crept across his face as he mumbled awkwardly, "It was nothing ... just had to hit the bathroom."

Roxen eyed him suspiciously. "The bathroom. And you had to turn off your communicator for that?"

Mike frantically stuffed bread into his mouth, pretending he hadn't heard—there was no way he could admit that the sight of Shirley in that outfit had made him lose all self-control and that he'd deliberately switched off his communicator before pulling her into a corner.

A flicker of understanding passed through Roxen's eyes.

His mind raced through images from the casino floor until it landed on a figure in a catgirl costume—Shirley?

He gave Mike another long, meaningful look and drawled, "You really went there, huh." A girl who could easily pass for a minor, and this guy still couldn't keep his hands to himself. Absolutely shameless.

Mike fired back immediately, his voice desperate. "I didn't! I swear I didn't!"

Roxen twisted the knife a little deeper, his tone laced with amusement. "Though I have to say, just a few minutes? That's kind of embarrassing, man. Maybe you should get that checked out at the infirmary."

Mike's face turned beet red as he scrambled to defend himself. "That's not... Roxen, you're reading way too much into this! I seriously didn't do anything!"

Roxen gave a flat, unbothered response. "Oh."

That look on his face—the one that screamed, "I know exactly what happened"—made Mike want to throw himself overboard.

"Roxen! I really didn't! And when did you get so savage with the trash talk? Did you pick that up from Thora?"

Roxen just smiled and said nothing.

...

On the other side, Thora stood in the cockpit, her frame upright and steady, her gaze fixed on the cloud bank they were about to punch through. A dedicated flight crew handled the piloting, so she didn't need to touch the controls herself.

Shirley and Luke had already found spots on the plane and fallen fast asleep. The rest of the squad took turns on watch and rest. The flight would span nearly half the globe, and they needed every ounce of energy for what lay ahead.

It was already the second night. The stars overhead were vivid and brilliant, larger and brighter than anything you'd see from the ground, scattering a fine dusting of light across the sky.

"Why aren't you resting?"

Thora glanced at Mona, who had suddenly appeared beside her.

Thora didn't argue. She simply said, calm and even, "You might not be able to reach it. But you can get closer. Every step forward is one step nearer to the goal."

Mona seemed to have long grown used to the way Thora talked. She just smiled and shifted the subject on her own. "Do you know why I wanted to get into Blue Star Military Academy?"

Thora kept her eyes forward, quietly calculating their estimated arrival time in her head, and answered honestly, "No idea." She genuinely had little interest in digging into other people's personal lives.

Mona shot her a slightly exasperated look—classic Thora, blunt as ever. Would it kill her to just ask a follow-up question?

"I clawed my way into Blue Star Military Academy for one reason—to earn my diploma."

The first half of that sentence didn't register a single ripple on Thora's face. That was the goal for the vast majority of cadets. Nearly 90% of them were there for the diploma and nothing else.

"And then to find my father." Mona's voice turned firm as she delivered the second half.

That got Thora's attention.

A crease formed between her brows as her expression shifted to something serious. She turned to face Mona. "Your father?"