Treasure of the Abyss (The Kraken Book 1)

by Tiffany Roberts

  I should have listened to Jax.

  Though she believed coming here had been the right decision, she hadn’t realized the potential cost, hadn’t realized how hard it would be to pay it…

  And it could have gone far worse for them both.

  Jax set an easy pace as she followed him through the empty corridors. He stopped frequently to show her the various rooms; many had signs on the walls and doors that defined their function, but he never used their names. If the kraken had obtained most of their information from holograms and a talking computer, it was likely they didn’t know how to read.

  Many of the chambers were in a state of disarray, with furniture scattered and overturned. The lights flickered in some of the rooms, and others were totally dark, but most of the place was well-lit and appeared in working order, if somewhat dirty.

  “Do you have a…room here?” she asked after a while.

  “I have a den, but it is in another building.” His frown had only deepened since the meeting.

  “Oh.” They entered a tunnel-like hallway with windows on either side, allowing Macy view of the sea beyond. “Will you be staying there, then?”

  “No. I will stay in the den you choose for yourself…if you want me to.”

  “I do! Or…I could stay in your den?”

  He stopped and turned toward one of the windows, looking out into the water. “It is in a flooded building. Kraken do not tend to den in the air.”

  Another thing she was taking him from.

  Macy frowned and wrapped her arms around herself. “What did you mean when you said I was your mate?”

  Jax glanced at her. His rigid posture didn’t ease, nor did his expression soften. “You chose me. Joined with me. And said you would be mine.”

  He spoke the truth, but…he didn’t seem happy about it. And why would he be? Because of her, he’d been brought before his people to face judgment, and now he was trapped here.

  “I did.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him; she didn’t want to face his anger.

  “It is none of their concern. I did not want to say it aloud, because it is for us alone. I wanted to hear it from you. Not speak it to them in hopes it would sway their judgment.”

  Macy furrowed her brow. “From…me?”

  “Your people treat such things differently. You seem to take your time with them, to consider them carefully so that when you make the choice, it is a lasting one. I wanted to give you the time you needed.”

  She lifted her eyes to meet his. “You want me…as your mate?”

  “I do. In your time.”

  Macy stepped closer to Jax. She licked her lips, hesitating before she put her hand on his chest. “And if I choose now?”

  He settled his hand over hers. “Why are so quick to choose me, when it took so long for you to decide about Camrin?”

  “Because I didn’t love Camrin.”

  Macy stilled once the words were out; she hadn’t needed to consider them, she just knew.

  His grip on her hand tightened, and she felt his heartbeats strengthen beneath her palm. “But…you love me?” he rasped.

  They’d filled their short time together with genuine emotion. She thought back on all those shared moments — the way he’d comforted her and eased her into the water when she’d first donned the suit, and how secure she felt once she’d given herself to trusting him; his reaction to his first taste of cooked meat, or when she’d tickled him. She recalled the firm set of his features when she’d followed him into the seaweed forest against his wishes. Recalled the fear in his eyes when the razorback had attacked, and the way he’d shielded her with his body.

  The intensity and passion with which he’d looked upon her while they danced — and when they made love — gleamed in his eyes whenever their gazes met.

  And this morning, after he’d wrestled her free of Dracchus’s clutches… Not knowing if Jax was okay, if he would survive, knowing he was so close but still out of sight — it had been a new sort of agony. She was terrified of losing him.

  She cared for Camrin, and was concerned for his well-being, but her feelings toward him had never been this strong, never this deep. She’d never felt as though she couldn’t breathe without Camrin in her life. But Jax…

  Macy searched his face. There was a small crease between his brows, and the corners of his lips were downturned, but there was something in his eyes… Hopefulness? Longing? Could it even be love?

  Dropping her mask, she moved even closer and hooked her hand around the back of his neck. “I do. I love you, Jax.”

  The words came even easier, now, without any hesitation. They felt right.

  For a moment, he held her gaze in silence. When his answer came, it was swift and left no room for question. He slipped his free hand into her hair, encircled her with his tentacles, and drew her against him.

  Jax kissed her with a tenderness, a need, that made her knees weak and her heart flutter.

  She wound her arms around his neck and pulled herself into the kiss. Her tongue stroked his, flicked over his sharp teeth, and if she tasted blood she didn’t care. She wanted only to touch him, to be as close as possible. The suit was an unacceptable barrier between them…

  But this wasn’t the place.

  Breath ragged, Macy pulled back and pressed her forehead to his. She caressed his jaw, stilling when her fingers ran over the gash on his cheek. Frowning, she pulled back, looking over the cuts on his shoulders and chest. She knew there were more elsewhere.

  “We should clean those,” she said.

  “I will be fine, Macy.”

  “You’re covered in wounds.”

  He raised one of his arms and turned it, displaying at least three gashes and two puncture wounds. “I have suffered worse. This is nothing.”

  “What if they get infected?”

  “I do not know what that means.”

  “It’s when a wound festers and doesn’t quite heal.”

  “Why wouldn’t a wound heal?”

  “Well, they do, eventually…” Macy stared at the cut on his cheek. “Are you sure you’re fine?”

  “Yes, Macy.” He brushed a lock of her hair back from her face. “I am sure. But…what about you?”

  “What about me? Am I hurt? I’m probably already bruised, and I’ll be sore tomorrow, but I’m okay.” She settled her hands on his shoulders.

  His hands fell to her hips, and he appeared to wrestle with something internally, lips parting as though to speak before snapping closed. Finally, he released her. “Come. You need to choose a new den for us.”

  Jax picked up her mask and continued down the corridor, leaving Macy to follow. She frowned. What had been about to say?

  As they reached the end of the tunnel, Macy glanced up at the sign near the entryway: CABINS. The hallway beyond was lined with identical doors spaced at regular intervals. She peered through one of the open doors as they passed and was reminded of the oldest homes in The Watch; there was a small living space, with a bed, a dresser, and a table with three chairs. The next open room was the same as the first, right down the color of the bedding and walls. Their only difference was in the miscellaneous items strewn about.

  She stepped inside and looked around, noticing an open door in the corner. As she moved closer, she realized the doorway led into a lavatory. She almost held in a squeal of delight; when she pressed the button on the toilet, it actually flushed, and she couldn’t contain herself.

  “You have running water here!” She turned on the faucet at the sink. It sputtered, spraying brownish water, but soon flowed clear. Cupping her hands, she took a sip.

  It was fresh.

  “Fresh water,” Jax scoffed. “Useless for kraken.” He stood in the entrance to the room, sweeping his gaze slowly about. “What is that device for? The first one you touched?”

  “It’s a toilet. It’s for, um…going to… When you have to…you know. Get rid of…waste.” Her cheeks burned. After all they’d shared, why was this emb
arrassing to explain?

  “I see.” There was a hint of skepticism on his face. “Humans need a tool for everything, it seems.”

  “We’re not talking about this anymore.” She rubbed her cheeks.

  Jax shrugged, moved across the living space, and stopped in the lavatory doorway. “What of that, then?” He pointed at the stall in the corner.

  “A shower. It’s for bathing, like I did in the waterfall in our cave…”

  She frowned; they wouldn’t be going back to the cave. This was their home now, not because they’d chosen it, but because it had been forced upon them.

  Turning away from Jax, she occupied herself by turning the dials in the shower. Water sprayed from the nozzle overhead; like the sink, it cleared after a few seconds. Steam gathered in the air.

  Not just fresh water, but hot water.

  It couldn’t eliminate her sorrow, but having a working toilet, clean water, and hot showers was an unexpected upside to the situation.

  “Jax, this is amazing!”

  He leaned past her and turned the water off. “I burned myself playing with these as a youngling. You should be careful.”

  Macy chuckled and kissed his uninjured cheek. “That happens with hot water.”

  She turned to the cabinet built into the wall and opened it. Her smile widened; it held towels, washcloths, and little bottles of soap. Twisting the cap off a bottle, she held it under her nose and sniffed. Whatever scent it may have once emitted was gone, but when she poured some of the liquid into her hand and rubbed, it lathered immediately.

  Clearly, the things the colonists had brought to this place had been made to last.

  After rinsing her hands in the sink, Macy rummaged through the other items. There were bottles of teeth cleaner, a brush and several combs, cans of some sort of cream, and sticks with thin, horizontal blades at their ends. Though these blades were rather different than the straight razors men used to shave in The Watch, she guessed they served the same purpose.

  She picked up one of the cans and read the label.

  Removal of body hair? Wasn’t that what the razors were for?

  After replacing the can, Macy returned to the main room and searched the dresser. The clothes in the drawers were plain — pants, shirts, undershorts, jumpsuits, and even an overcoat, all in shades of white, gray, and dark blue. They were clearly tailored for a man.

  Macy stepped back and looked around the room. There were no personal objects in sight, no further clues as to who had lived here. “Do you know if your people removed anything from these rooms?”

  Jax watched her from the doorway to the lavatory. “I do not know. The likely have, over time, but it’s been many, many years since humans lived here.”

  She walked into the hallway and entered another open room. It was in the same condition as the last, but the clothing stored in the dresser was closer to Macy’s size.

  “I can choose any room?” Macy asked.

  “Out of what’s accessible. Some of the doors are locked, or stuck.” Jax leaned his shoulder against the doorframe.

  “You’ve never tried opening them?”

  “I’ve tried opening each one, many times. But I have never been curious enough to try breaking them open.”

  Macy grinned and approached him. “You’ve never been curious enough? Aren’t you the same Jax who’s filled up a cave with interesting things you found in the ocean? Who has spent his entire life seeking out new places, even when it puts your life at risk?”

  “Kraken larger and stronger than I have tried to open some of those doors. It is sometimes used as a test of strength, and the result has always been the same for everyone who has tried.” His eyes shifted, following the border of the door up and around. “Arkon once spent four days asking the computer to open them, when we were younger. My curiosity was better directed elsewhere.”

  She brushed her fingers over the markings on his shoulder. “Do you have anything in your den you’d like to bring here?”

  “Is this the room you have chosen?”

  “Yes.”

  Jax nodded and cupped her cheek, brushing the pad of his thumb over her skin. “All that I need is here already.”

  Macy placed her hand over his and turned it to kiss his palm.

  “Then I suppose we should get settled in.” She walked toward the lavatory, glancing back as she slowly drew the suit off her arms. At the doorway, she paused, wriggled the PDS down over her hips, and kicked it aside.

  Jax straightened, pupils dilating, and approached her. That now-familiar hunger had entered his gaze. “When you say get settled in…”

  She stared at him from over her shoulder, trailing her gaze down his body and back up again. “I suppose we could really get settled in before I take a shower.”

  He stopped just behind her and ran his hands down her back and sides until they came to rest at her hips. His tentacles caressed her legs with tantalizing, feather-light strokes, sending waves of pleasure and anticipation straight to her core. She closed her eyes and sighed.

  His tentacles stopped their teasing and wrapped around her legs, widening her stance. He tugged her hips back and Macy’s eyes flashed open as his shaft slid along her folds.

  “Jax!” She flattened a hand on the wall to brace herself.

  He slid one hand over her belly and cupped her breast. Macy moaned, leaning into his palm. Her heart raced as Jax shifted his other hand to cover her sex. Carefully, he parted her and stroked her clit with the pad of his finger in small, leisurely circles.

  Macy bucked her hips; between his hands and the slide of his erection over her folds, it was nearly too much. She tried to rise, but her back met his solid chest, and his arms caged her in. His tentacles held her legs firmly in place.

  “Macy,” Jax growled, his breath tickling her ear. “My mate.”

  “Yes,” she rasped. With her free hand, she clutched his forearm, urging his finger to keep moving. The sensation swirled and flourished, dominating her senses. An explosion of pleasure drew nearer as he built her higher and higher. She strained toward it, rocked against his touch, but she needed more. “Please, Jax.”

  “Say it, Macy.” He brushed his lips along her neck, down to where it met her shoulder, and increased the pressure on her clit. “Say that you are mine.”

  He’d never been so vocal during their lovemaking; the low, seductive tone of his voice, paired with what he was doing to her body, ignited an inferno inside her.

  “Yes! I’m yours! I’m yours, Jax!” she cried as rapture blazed through her.

  He lifted himself and hooked an arm around her middle. Body thrumming, Macy barely perceived the head of his shaft against her quivering sex before he thrust into her, filling her, stretching her, sending her into another frenzy.

  Jax gritted his teeth as Macy’s inner walls gripped his cock, their fluttering nearly pushing him over the brink. He held her against him, stilling her hips; the slightest movement would be the end for him, and this was too soon.

  He skimmed his gaze over her slender, arching back, over the golden, shimmering hair swept over her shoulder. Her eyes were shut, her lips parted in ecstasy. She was beautiful. Radiant.

  His.

  “Mine,” he said, drawing his hips back, “and mine alone.”

  Jax slammed into her. He kept a hand on her hip, fingers flexing as he hissed through his teeth. From this angle, her sex was tighter, and drew him into her very center.

  Pleasure surged through his limbs with each slow, measured thrust. Every time he pushed forward, he pulled her against him, sinking deeper and deeper into her heat. The room was filled with nothing but the sounds of their flesh meeting, her high, ragged panting, and his low, grunting breaths.

  One of her hands clawed at the wall; she trembled around him as though she was about to come undone.

  Suddenly, Macy reared up and wrapped an arm around his head, twisting to capture his mouth in a fierce kiss. Jax moved his hand down to stroke her swollen nub. She came
instantly, her sagging body held upright only by him, her cries muffled by their unbroken kiss.

  Macy had surrendered to him, given herself to him, become his in all ways. He would not allow her gift to go unanswered.

  For a fleeting, agonizing moment, the pressure within him was too much; it would destroy him, tear him apart, leave nothing in the aftermath. Macy’s sex clamped around his shaft. His feelers trailed over her slick flesh, stimulated by her vibrations, and forced his overwhelming pleasure higher and higher. He braced two tentacles against the doorframe.

  He would give himself to her, without regret.

  Jax exploded.

  He growled against her mouth, quickening his thrusts as his muscles tensed and his seed flowed into her. He didn’t stop until only the echoes of his climax remained; even then, he didn’t withdraw from her body, wanting to maintain their connection for as long as possible.

  Macy tilted her head to one side, eyes shut, and smiled. Jax leaned down and grazed his teeth along her throat, to her shoulder.

  His interests had often been fleeting — he’d chase them until his curiosity was sated and move on. He’d left behind countless places, countless objects, but Macy… The more he had of her, the more he craved. The more he needed.

  “Mmm…I don’t know if I can move,” she mumbled.

  “Do you want to?” He slid the tip of a tentacle along her inner thigh.

  Releasing a soft moan, she lowered her arm, brushing her hand along his cheek before dropping it to caress the base of his shaft. Her light touch teased his feelers.

  “Do you?” she asked, and there was laughter in her voice.

  “Very much.” Jax pulled back, withdrawing from her, and turned her to face him. His tentacles coiled around her legs, raising them to either side of his hips. He slipped back into her welcoming heat.

  Macy looped her arms around his neck, and Jax lost himself in the passion of her half-lidded gaze and the ecstasy that was her body.

  Macy slept in Jax’s embrace, their limbs entwined. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest, marveled at the serenity upon her face. She’d used the shower after their joining. It was too small for them to fit in together, so he’d contented himself with observing.