“I…thought you might like it.”
He hooked the side of his finger beneath her chin and lifted her face. “There was nothing wrong with it. Why do you think I would like this better?”
Her eyes met his fleetingly. Jax frowned.
“Your females don’t have hair to…to cover themselves. So, I thought you might like to see it better, without…”
He stilled at those words; he’d never described what female krakens looked like to Macy, had never explained the differences.
Who had approached her? Who had shown her?
“Macy. Look at me.”
She did, but now her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Y-You don’t like it.”
“I don’t like why you did it,” he said, too harshly; she flinched at his tone. He exhaled through his siphons. “Do not ever think, Macy, that you need to change yourself to appease me. I love you as you are.”
She searched his face and blinked. Tears slid down her cheeks. “You love me?”
“Yes. I do.”
Her face crumpled, and she threw her arms around his neck. Jax smoothed back her wet hair as he embraced her, gently grazing the tips of his claws over her scalp.
How could he have missed her vulnerability? How could he not have realized he was starving her of companionship? He’d never intended for her to feel inadequate, or less than the female kraken, or…alone.
“I am sorry, Macy.”
She sniffed and pressed her cheek to his chest. “For what?”
“For not being here for you. For not making you feel as loved and important as you are. And…for not telling you why I have been gone so often.”
She pulled back and looked up at him. “You can tell me now.”
He lifted her and laid her upon the bed, climbing in after to draw her against him. His throat was tight; once he spoke of his plans to her, they were as good — in his eyes — as a promise. “I’ve been preparing for us to leave this place.”
“What?” She raised her head, damp hair falling onto his chest.
“When you agreed to stay with me, your condition was that you be allowed the freedom to venture out with me. I’ve failed you in that because of our situation here.”
“You didn’t fail. You’ve never failed me, Jax. This…this is beyond our control.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear and twined a strand around his finger. “No, it’s not beyond our control. My people will only venture so far. We just need the right place to go, and we can leave here and never worry about them finding us.”
“But they’re your people. What about Arkon?”
“I will miss him…just as you miss your Aymee and your family. But the rest of them…they mean nothing, next to your happiness. If they feel I have betrayed them, they have certainly betrayed me, as well. I owe them nothing more.”
Macy brushed a hand over his cheek, his jaw, down his neck. “All this time you’ve been gone, you were doing it for us?”
He nodded, brow furrowing. “If I had told you, it would have saved you much worry. That is no one’s fault but my own.”
“I forgive you.” She pressed her lips to his; her kiss had never tasted quite so sweet. “You truly love me?”
“You are my home,” he rasped, tightening his hold on her. “I will always return to you.”
Chapter 20
Macy laughed and leaned over Jax, struggling against his strength despite the futility. He had her wrists trapped in his hands and a tentacle around her waist, preventing her from moving the piece of naba any closer to his mouth.
“One bite. Just one bite,” she begged.
“I will not allow you to poison me, human,” Jax said, his playful smile belied his serious tone.
“You’re part human, so I doubt a little piece is going to kill you.”
“The smell of it alone may be enough to kill me.”
“It smells sweet! If you try it, I’ll—” she lowered her head until her lips were near his ear and whispered, “—take you in my mouth again.”
The humor fled from his face, and his brow fell low. “That is cruel, to offer something I cannot decline in exchange for my life.”
Macy rubbed her bare leg along his body, feeling the push of his shaft against his slit. “Your life isn’t in danger.”
With lightning speed, he flipped her onto her back, pinning her wrists to the bed and propping himself over her. “You are worth it, either way.”
She spread her legs, welcoming him, and wiggled her eyebrows. “You know what you need to do first.”
Jax held her gaze for a long while. Finally, with a frustrated grunt, he dipped his head and moved his mouth toward the naba in her hand. His tongue slipped out and licked her finger.
“I can think of some other things you ought to do with that tongue.” She lifted her hips, rubbing against him.
“So can I,” he whispered, his breath tickling her skin, “and none of them involve eating a pla—”
There was a sudden commotion in the corridor — a raised, frantic voice echoed off the walls. Jax shifted into an upright position and twisted toward the door.
“Jax!” someone called from the hallway. It sounded like Dracchus.
Leaping off the bed, Jax positioned himself between Macy and the door. She sat up and scooted to edge, adjusted her clothing, and stood.
“Where is my youngling?” shrieked an unfortunately familiar voice. “I will kill that human if she has Melaina!”
The female kraken from the day before — Melaina’s mother — darted through the doorway, her eyes blazing. Jax blocked her path; for a moment, Macy was certain the kraken would claw him apart and advance.
“Where is Melaina?” The female stopped in front of Jax and didn’t remove her eyes from Macy.
Dracchus filled the doorway a moment later, his shoulders nearly spanning the frame.
“I haven’t seen her since yesterday,” Macy said.
“This is our den, Rhea,” Jax growled. “You cannot enter in this fashion.”
“Melaina is missing,” Rhea hissed. “Yesterday, I found her here, in your den, with your human. Where is she? Melaina!”
Macy’s stomach twisted; the same desperation had been in her parents’ voices when Sarina was swept out to sea and lost forever.
“This is foolishness, Rhea,” Dracchus said. “The youngling is not here.”
“I swear, she’s not here.” Macy held the female’s gaze.
“Liar!” Rhea launched herself at Macy.
The males reacted faster than Macy could register; Jax grabbed Rhea’s wrists, shifting to place his body directly in front of her, and Dracchus looped his arms around the female’s waist and lifted her off the floor.
“Enough of this!” Jax wrestled the thrashing female; knowing how strong he was, Macy was impressed by how much effort he exerted in stilling Rhea. “Melaina is not here, and has not been here since I returned yesterday. Macy does not have her!”
Rhea’s struggled for a moment longer then let out a pained wail. Her body went slack.
Jax looked at Dracchus. Neither of them released their hold on her.
“She has been missing all morning,” Dracchus said. “We’ve searched all the buildings and have found no sign. Rhea flew into a rage when she found out we had not searched this area, and claimed that Macy had taken Melaina.”
Jax didn’t react to Rhea’s cries. “Is everyone capable helping in the search?”
Dracchus nodded. “Even most of the females.”
“Melaina told me she liked to venture outside the facility and explore,” Macy said. “Maybe she’s out there.”
“That is where we’re going next,” said Dracchus. “I need you to lead a party, Jax. There’s been a razorback sighted nearby.”
Fear skittered along Macy’s spine. She couldn’t imagine Melaina out there, defenseless, helpless, against one of those things.
“Of course.” Jax dropped his eyes to Rhea. “We need to go now to find your youngling
. You are needed in the search.”
Rhea nodded. Cautiously, Jax and Dracchus released her, keeping their wary gazes upon her. She didn’t so much as glance at Macy and was quiet as Dracchus led her into the hallway.
“I want to help,” Macy said when they were gone.
Jax shook his head. “You are not going out there.”
“I want to help find her, Jax.”
Macy pictured Melaina’s sweet little smile and large, curious eyes. How could she do nothing? How could she sit by and allow another innocent life to be taken by the ocean?
“Even with your suit, you cannot move as quickly as a kraken, and I will not risk another attack from a razorback.” He closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her shoulders. “It is best for you to remain here.”
“I don’t want to be useless, Jax. I can help.”
“You are not useless, Macy. But I cannot allow you to come.”
“If I were kraken, you wouldn’t deny me.”
“Human or kraken, I would do anything to keep you safe.”
Macy pressed her lips together. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “You mated with Rhea, didn’t you?”
His jaw muscles bulged. “Yes. Briefly.”
She dropped her gaze and pushed aside the flare of jealousy that had erupted inside. It was in the past. “Could…Melaina be yours?”
“No. Melaina had already been birthed when I mated with Rhea.”
Hearing that eased some of her tension. “Okay.”
Jax leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I must go. I will return as soon as I can.”
Macy brushed her hand over his arm, nodded, and watched him leave. She counted the seconds; how long would it take for him to gather with the others and exit the building?
When she was sure he wouldn’t come back, she ran across the room and to the dresser. She tugged off her clothes, opened the bottom drawer, and hurriedly donned her PDS.
Jax would be furious when he found out, but that wasn’t important. All that mattered was finding Melaina. Macy wasn’t as fast or maneuverable as the kraken, but she had something none of them possessed — Sam.
Once her mask was sealed, she strapped on her gun and her knife, making sure they were within easy reach. She left the cabins and made her way toward the exit cautiously, checking around every corner before she proceeded, but saw no one. Still, she couldn’t stop glancing over her shoulder as the pressurization chamber drained.
She entered the chamber. The door slid shut behind her, and she drummed her fingers on the gun holster while the room filled.
“Re-pressurization sequence initiated,” Sam said. The light over the exit door turned green, and it opened.
Macy swam out and stilled. The endless, lonely sea surrounded her, and her breath was suddenly short. Those old, familiar feels rushed back and coiled around her heart. Every time she’d been in the water, Jax was by her side, anchoring her with his presence.
Now she was alone.
“Irregular respiration detected. Do you require assistance?”
She closed her eyes and forced herself to take several slow, deep breaths.
No, not alone. She had Sam. And Melaina needed her.
She reopened her eyes. “Sam, do you have…heat vision, or something like it? Something that will make living creatures stand out?”
“Thermal and infrared vision are limited in the water, but living creatures can be detected through a combination of—”
“I don’t need the details, Sam. Just…turn that on, please?”
“Scanning for living creatures now.”
For a moment, her vision was unchanged, and then a soft, barely perceptible wave of light spread outward from her location. As it advanced, spots of brightness appeared. It took her a moment to realize what they were — sea creatures. Fish swam amongst the rocks, and little, many-legged creatures scuttled along the bottom, their forms highlighted by the mask.
“Sam, can you show me only creatures the size of a human toddler and larger?”
“Filtering.”
Most of the highlighted shapes vanished.
One problem down. On to the next.
Where had Melaina gone?
Several small arrows hovered on the left side of her vision; Macy turned her head to see a group of kraken, their bodies highlighted by the mask, swimming in the distance. If they saw her, they’d likely send her back inside. Worse, her violation of the kraken’s terms would provide individuals like Kronus with reason to renew their efforts against her.
She swam away from the Facility, glancing behind only once. She could feel the distance between her and the door growing.
Her heart pounded, but she kept her breath even.
I can do this.
The seafloor was increasingly rocky and uneven as Macy proceeded. She swept her gaze from side to side; large fish drifted near the bottom, and whenever one of them moved out of her field of view, a little marker appeared on the edge of the mask. Sam was detecting creatures all around, whether she was looking at them or not.
She looked back again. The Facility was little more than a hint of light in the distant gloom, and no kraken had followed her. Macy took another calming breath. She’d be fine; the building was back there, somewhere, and Sam probably knew the way…
Jax will find me.
She swam farther, banking to the right. Melaina wouldn’t have gone too far. The girl was young, but she was intelligent.
More markers appeared on her left; she turned toward them and stopped when she saw something slide from between two rocks. A tentacle! A hand followed, and then a head.
Melaina’s wide, frightened eyes fell on Macy. The girl shook her head frantically and pointed up.
A large marker was on the upper edge of the mask. Larger than any she’d seen so far.
Macy tilted her head back, and the air fled her lungs. The massive, highlighted creature flowing through the water overhead was an image from her nightmares.
A razorback. And it was turning toward Macy.
She swam forward, putting herself between the monster and the child.
“Go!” she screamed, and waved back toward the Facility.
Macy turned toward the razorback and waved her arms. It seemed to fixate on her; she moved away from Melaina, away from the Facility, and the beast followed.
She kicked her legs and used her hands to pull herself along the rocks on the bottom, much like Jax had done.
“Irregular vital signs detected. Do you require assistance?”
“What kind of assistance?” she asked, panting, arms already burning from exertion.
“Would you like me to send a distress signal?”
“That doesn’t do me any good now, Sam.” Macy looked behind her and her eyes widened. The razorback was gaining. “Can you track that thing’s movement?”
“Are you referring to the eighteen-meter-long sea creature behind you?”
“Yes!”
The large arrow that marked the razorback changed to bright green, and a number appeared below it — 13.6M. Within the space of a heartbeat, it dropped to 11.1M.
Macy searched the rocks ahead, but the shadows and irregularities made it difficult to determine whether any openings were large enough for her to squeeze into.
“Sam, I need a spot to hide!”
“There is a crevice straight ahead, in eight-point-five meters.” The spot was suddenly highlighted in yellow.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed onward, driven by the deafening pounding of her heart. The distance between Macy and the crevice shrank rapidly; her lead on the razorback dwindled faster.
Please! Please!
The crevice was just within reach when the water behind her shifted. Grasping the edges, she dove into the shelter.
Something powerful clamped down on her leg, and her momentum halted. Macy screamed as the pressure increased and searing pain lanced through her calf.
“PDS exterior compromised. Energy
field unstable,” Sam said far too calmly. “Redirecting power to compensate.”
Macy clawed at the rock around her. For a moment, she held herself in place. When the razorback tugged, it felt as though her arms and leg would be torn from their sockets. She clenched her jaw to hold in her scream as a fresh wave of agony blasted through her.
Her hold slipped, and the razorback dragged Macy out of the crevice. Water rushed around her. The beast snapped its head to the side, swinging her, shredding the muscles of her calf.
Information and alerts appeared on the inside of the mask, and Sam was talking, but she couldn’t focus on any of it.
She reached down to take hold of her wounded leg, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure, when her fingers brushed over the knife. Clenching her thigh, she stared at the razorback through the blood misting the water. The way it was moving, she’d never reach its head with the knife.
The gun!
She drew her other leg up, knee to her chest, and struggled to get a hold of the gun. When she finally pulled it from the holster, the razorback changed the direction of its swing.
Screaming through clenched teeth, she slammed her free foot into its snout repeatedly. Her heel connected with its eye and the beast released her abruptly and swam away, snapping its head from side to side. It wheeled around.
She didn’t waste a moment; she aimed and squeezed the trigger several times in quick succession as she sank toward the bottom. The sound of the gun firing was strangely muted in the water — she felt its power, more than heard it.
The razorback twisted and thrashed as its blood clouded the water. It reared back, opening its jaws.
Macy fired until the gun was empty. Her feet touched the rocky seafloor; it was strangely comforting to have solid ground beneath her, despite the flaring pain in her leg.
As the razorback charged again, Macy released the gun and drew her knife. The beast’s movements were slower now, but seemed no less powerful.
Just before the razorback reached her, she pushed off the bottom. The razorback’s snout missed her by centimeters. Macy used her momentum to spin, swinging her arm around and slamming the knife into the beast’s eye. She held on as it flipped and tumbled through the water, grabbing hold of one of its spines with her other hand.
The Kraken Series Boxset: A Sci-fi Alien Romance Series Books 1-3 with Bonus Exclusive Short Story Page 24