“What the hell are you?” He shrieked in reply, holding his head and staggering away.
I am her mate, her protector. You dared to lay hands on my female! I am your death! I hissed loudly, baring my teeth as I reached for the trespasser.
“Monster! Stay away! Stay away!” The male’s scent soured in fear. He limped, obviously injured when I threw him the first time. He backed into the water, seeking escape, not knowing, there were worse monsters hiding beneath the waves. I wasn’t about to let them have my kill though.
Lunging forward, I caught the frightened human by his coverings, jerking him high above me and grasping him by the throat. The male was only wet from the knees down, but the groin of his coverings bloomed with an acrid wetness of a different kind. He kicked and squirmed weakly as he fought to breathe.
The only monster I see is the one dying by my hands, I hissed once more, growling as I squeezed harder. His eyes bulged and he choked desperately.
A large wave rose up, knocking into us. Massive claws reached out and grabbed the male’s body, yanking it deeper into the sea. Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, I failed to release the male before I too was jerked off my feet and into the dark water.
“KANO!!!” Betsy screamed as the water closed over my head. The razor claw’s attack created vortex in the current that sucked me passed the animal into the water on the far side of it.
The large female held the human in its claws, blood pouring from the wounds it opened on his body as it ripped him in half. The male’s dying screams were muted by the water. The big beast, preoccupied with its kill, ignored me as its smaller feeder claws picked bits of flesh and entrails from the water and stuffed them into its mouth. Moving slowly, I circled towards the back of the animal, trying to reach the blind spot behind it before it noticed me.
While keeping it in sight, I failed to notice the smaller male razor claw waiting for scraps in the shadows. A change in the current was my only warning. Darting back, the claws of the second animal snapped shut in front of me, just barely missing me. it scuttled after me, impossibly quick on its stubby legs. A second lunge forced me to dodge back into range of the female who released her previous kill in favor of a fresher meal. Now I was trying to escape both animals.
I swam out into the cove in an attempt to elude the hunters. If I could get far enough out, I might be able to circle them before they closed in on me. Betsy was waiting, I did not want her to think me dead. A glint of hard shell in the darkness revealed a third beast, no doubt tracking the scent of the dead human’s blood. This was bad. I was hemmed in by the giant crabs, my escape cut off by the newcomer.
Betsy’s scent curled passed me on the current. The big female turned towards the beach. I reeled in horror. My female was in the water! What was she doing? She couldn’t possibly think she could fight one razor claw and she knew nothing of the other two! I had to get to her. Now!
Darting high, I aimed over the head of the male. He stretched up; claws spread to grab me. I plunged down under his belly at the last second, shooting between his legs. He ducked, eyestalks bending comically to look under himself. He lumbered around to follow me, but I was out of reach already. The female had her back to me now, stepping almost delicately up the slope to dry land. It would not be able to leave the water, but its reach was more than long enough to reach my female where she stood knee deep in the waves.
Dashing up and over its back, I aimed my claws for its eyestalks. If I could blind it, I could get my Betsy to safety before the other two caught up. The eyes were too far apart to attack both at the same time. I would need to be quick. As soon as the razor claw knew I was there, it would be a formidable opponent.
Betsy
Kano disappeared under the water, dragged in by whatever it was that owned the giant claw that grabbed Deacon. Blood bloomed sickly red on the surf, staining the normally white foam. There was no sign of either man and I didn’t know what to expect. Sobbing anxiously, I raced to the cabin and grabbed the fishing spear from the tool rack. Rushing back, I choked on a mouthful of bile at the sight of Deacon’s torso, rolling in the waves as they pushed it up onto the beach.
“KANO!” I screamed, stumbling into the water. I couldn’t find the courage to go deeper than my knees as I clutched the flimsy feeling spear in my hands. “KANO!!” The water wasn’t as dark as before. Dawn was coming, maybe I’d be able to see him soon. Maybe he’d found a hiding place to wedge himself into until the monster lost interest. Maybe…maybe he was dead already…
The water erupted in a frothing frenzy that revealed Kano clinging to the carapace of the biggest crab I’d ever seen. The thing was massive. More than half of it was still hidden by the water. It waved a pair of gigantic pincers in the air, snapping them as it tried to grab the attacker on its back. Its feeding claws fluttered frantically.
Two of Kano’s hands clung to the beast’s shell, while the other two sliced at the joints in the animal’s eyestalk, trying to sever it from the body before it could throw him off. He took a hard hit from one of the claws, but the angle was wrong for grabbing. He slipped, gripping the stalk with a pained grunt and pulling himself back up to continue his attack. Kano bared his teeth, growling ferociously as he stabbed his claws into the joint once more. The goliath snapper hissed in pain, bubbles spitting angrily from its mandibles.
“KANO!” I shouted, horrified to see him battling this titan of a crab. His head jerked up, his alarmed gaze finding me quickly.
Run, my Betsy!! Get out of the water!! He yelled, flinging one hand out to warn me away.
“No, I won’t leave you,” I cried stubbornly. The crab spun in place, trying to shake Kano loose. The rushing wave it caused forced me back. With a roar of triumph, Kano tore the eyestalk free. The giant crustacean screamed shrilly, doubling its efforts to dislodge my mate. Kano pulled himself across the shell to the second eyestalk and gripped it tightly.
The snapper bashed its claws into its own head, smacking Kano across the back. He lost his grip, sliding towards the crab’s face. At the last moment, he caught a hold of the hole left in the shell from the missing eyestalk. Hanging tightly to the open wound, he scrabbled to get his legs back up onto the carapace. The animal snapped its claws too close to my mate’s legs and tail, just missing as he swung himself out of reach again. The spear felt so useless in my hands, but maybe he could use it.
“KANO! CATCH!” I yelled, waving the spear. He nodded understanding and braced himself on the slippery shell. I threw the harpoon as hard as I could, but it almost wasn’t far enough. Kano leaned out and caught it, taking another blow from the beast’s claws that nearly knocked him off. Hefting the weapon, he thrust it into the hole, driving it into the animal’s soft innards.
It shrieked, a wet, bubbly cry of pain. Bucking viciously, it flung itself backwards, rolling onto its back and carrying Kano under the water yet again. I screamed, rushing forwards, only to retreat in terror at the sight of two more goliath snappers closing in on the overturned crab in the clear water. The wounded beast flailed its legs helplessly as the other two attacked, ripping pieces from its softer underbelly. It wasn’t long before the crab stopped moving and slumped into the sand on the ocean floor. The sun crested the island, lighting the cove with fiery oranges and yellows. The still-living beasts paused in their feasting, eyes squinting shut in the light, and scuttled off into the deeper water. I ploughed into the waves as soon as they scurried over the drop-off.
“KANO!” The sand was stirred up around the dead animal, making it hard to see through. I swam out to the carcass and dove near its head. The crab’s fall had crushed a portion of the reef, scattering the fish that called it home. I bobbed up for air and dove again. Systematically checking what I could reach under the shell, I searched frantically for my mate. I couldn’t find him.
“KANO!” I surfaced again, tears mixing with seawater on my face. The tide was coming in, the waves stronger and the current pulled at me. Gulping air, I twisted back towards the dead cra
b to search again, when a flash of grey whipped by me and a fin flicked out of the water, splashing me. I spun, trying to follow it and Kano’s familiar arms wrapped around me, pulling me tight against him.
I am here, my heart. I am here. He crooned, tucking his face into my hair. His tail propelled us back to the beach and we tiredly dragged ourselves from the water to collapse on the sand. Kano arranged me to lay on his chest, both sets of arms clutched around me. His heartbeat thudded reassuringly in my ear, his breath stirring the hair on my head.
I sat up, pulling free of his arms. He watched me quietly, lower hands stroking my naked thighs as I straddled his hips.
My Betsy? He said curiously.
“We have to contact my boss about this. He has to know what happened with Deacon. That means I have to tell him about you,” I said seriously.
They would learn about me eventually my heart, he replied easily.
“I just…I thought we’d have more time,” I stated worriedly. “What if they try to take you away from me?”
Let them try, he scoffed. You are my mate. If we must seek the deep waters together, no one can stop us. The world will be our den. I didn’t know how he thought I could live in the deep with him, but it was a nice thought. I would just have to trust that everything would be okay.
“Promise?” I asked, laying my head on his chest again. His arms circled me protectively.
With all my heart, he answered, nuzzling my hair.
“Okay. I’ll call Dr. Jackson later,” I sighed. Kano chuckled softly under me and we lay in the sand as the sun rose, letting it soothe the night’s terrors away. Everything else could wait.
About Charity Wells
Charity Wells is a paranormal/sci-fi romance author. A voracious reader and lover of all genres of romance, she happily devours everything from Viking warriors to alien overlords. Her favorites though are reptilian or feline aliens, shapeshifters, and just about anything with wings and/or tails, especially prehensile. She likes strong, muscley males who can be total badasses for, and super sweeties with, their chosen mates. And biting, Charity really likes biting.
Charity spends her days working at her local airport, squeezing in as much writing as possible, and taking care of her four minions and the cranky old wolf she married. When she has spare time, she likes to bake novelty cakes, make candy, and every once in a while, do some kind of crafty little project or another.
You can follow Charity on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/Charity-Wells-Author-247900392441679/
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