The Kraken Series Boxset: A Sci-fi Alien Romance Series Books 1-3 with Bonus Exclusive Short Story

by Tiffany Roberts

  Jax kissed Macy again and looked at Arkon. “May the stones fall as you would have them lie.”

  Arkon smiled. “And the currents carry you where you would go.”

  After another peck on Macy’s cheek, Jax left with Sarina.

  Macy drew back the blanket and stretched her legs. “How was the swim?”

  “The same as it usually is.” At a casual pace, it was two hours of his heartbeats steadily quickening, of his mind racing over countless possibilities, of his imagination summoning images of Aymee. “The currents are strengthening. Storm season is building rapidly.”

  “And you haven’t seen any more razorbacks?”

  “No. Perhaps you finally taught them fear.” Arkon smiled, but the expression soon faded. Macy had nearly died saving a kraken youngling from a razorback and still carried the scars from the battle. It had been a frightening time for everyone.

  “Hey,” she said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, “stop thinking about what might have happened. I made it. You saved my life, and we’re all okay now.” She grinned. “I single-handedly killed a razorback. Of course they’re scared.”

  She was right, but it sent his thoughts along an unexpected path. Macy had faced her greatest fear — the open ocean — alone, just because there’d been a chance of her locating the missing youngling. Despite the terror and pain she must’ve experienced, she’d persevered.

  And Arkon couldn’t muster the courage to speak with Aymee a second time.

  “Arkon, what is it?” She tilted her head, humor fleeing her expression. “You’re fidgeting.”

  He exhaled through his siphons and forced his tentacles to still. He’d hunted countless times, had battled razorbacks and sandseekers, had faced the challenges of kraken larger and stronger, and had never known fear through any of it. But all of this was so new, so uncertain.

  “I am in need of advice, Macy.”

  Her brows rose; usually, she sought advice from him. “Of course. What can I help with?”

  “I... I have never approached a female. Some have come to me, but the interest has never been mutual. I have never given over to the notion of being used merely as a tool for the prosperity of another being without any reciprocation. It has always seemed so unfulfilling…”

  Her features softened. “You want more.”

  “I do. You and Jax have shown me what could be, and it would be dishonest if I said I didn’t want it, too.”

  “Is there a female who has caught your interest?” That knowing gleam had returned to her eyes.

  “Yes.” Arkon’s chest tightened. “Very much so.”

  “And does this...female know of your interest?”

  He’d sent Aymee gifts, and she’d sent gifts in return, but did that mean to her what it did to him? His knowledge of human culture had come from Macy, and it was limited. Male kraken gave gifts to females to display their ability to provide, but Jax hadn’t won Macy in that fashion.

  Did Aymee see their exchanges simply as two artists sharing in one another’s works?

  “I don’t know.”

  “Arkon, why haven’t you approached Aymee?”

  He recoiled, mouth dropping open in shock. “I... How…” He moved closer to the bed. “Has she...has she mentioned me?”

  “She told me about the pretty rocks you’ve been sending for her. At first, she thought they were from me, but I didn’t know what she was talking about until she described them in her next letter. She even drew a picture of one of them to show me.” Macy smiled. “They are very pretty, Arkon.”

  He looked down, his thoughts careening into an indecipherable mess. “She likes them, then?”

  “She’s told me so. She would have told you, too, had you spoken to her.”

  “I cannot simply... It’s not that easy.” The tips of his tentacles writhed on the floor, and he forced them to still once again. “When we spoke the day you left The Watch, I was not myself. I do not believe I left a good impression.”

  Do you not speak English as well as Jax does? Aymee had asked after Arkon’s stammering.

  He’d made a fool of himself in front of the only female who’d ever caught his interest.

  Macy frowned and leaned forward, hands on her knees. “How so? Aymee isn’t a judgmental person, and if that day was the only time you’ve spoken to her, then you have nothing to worry about. When she came back after meeting with you, she was excited. Even more than when she first met Jax.”

  His hearts pounded, and heat suffused his face. Fleetingly, he felt a strange sense of lightness he’d never experienced in the air. “She was? Was it... Was she excited about me?”

  She laughed and touched his arm. “Arkon, talk to her. She’s not like the female kraken.”

  “But what should I say? I do not know how to initiate that conversation.”

  “You both share something you’re passionate about. Use that. You’ve already introduced yourself, you’ve been sending her gifts, and if I know Aymee — which I do — I’m sure she’s been sending things back. Just be yourself.” She paused and grinned widely. “And don’t tell her that you’ll fit.”

  He didn’t fully understand her meaning until he met her gaze again. His color deepened to violet. The first time he met Macy, he’d been brimming with curiosity and fascination, especially when he’d learned that humans and kraken could mate. Jax had deemed Arkon’s questions inappropriate. Still, he smiled at the memory. “I do not believe myself that inept at this. Close, perhaps, but not quite.”

  “I’m only joking with you, Arkon.” She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  Kraken rarely touched one another, but he’d grown used to it in the months he’d known Macy. Humans used touch to layer emotion and meaning into their communication, and it was like a language unto itself. Early on, Jax hadn’t liked Macy touching Arkon, and it had taken time for him to accept that the affection conveyed in such contact was innocent.

  “I knew she was why you’re so eager to make the exchanges.” She released his hand.

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “To me it is, because I know you. Jax has his suspicions, but this is all still new to him, too. He hasn’t decided if he thinks there’s anything to it, yet.”

  “Does...Aymee know?” A chill flowed through Arkon, strengthened by its contrast to the heat that had coursed beneath his skin moments before.

  “She only wrote about you when she realized I wasn’t sending the rocks. Otherwise, she hasn’t said anything more to me.”

  Arkon nodded and backed away.

  “You’ll talk to her next time, won’t you?”

  He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the Facility’s clean, bland air. “Yes. I will.”

  “Good.” She regarded him with that ever-present smile on her lips. “She’ll love you, Arkon. I do.”

  Love was one of those words which — until recently — held little meaning to the kraken. Even Arkon hadn’t known what it truly entailed. But Macy was showing them. It was as beautiful in its simplicity as it was overwhelming in its complexity and nuance.

  To Macy, Arkon was a dear friend, a part of her family. He longed for a different sort of love from Aymee. How could that be achieved? What were the methods, the natural progression?

  Shared passion.

  His first opportunity, perhaps his best one, would be on that beach in a week. Would it be enough time to prepare? Would it be enough time to create something worthy of Aymee’s attention?

  He thought again of her dark eyes, curly hair, and lovely smile, of the way his name had sounded from her lips, of the interest in her eyes as she’d gazed upon him.

  Warmth blossomed inside him. Yes, it was time enough. She was reason enough.

  “Thank you, Macy. You’ve been an immeasurable help.”

  “Of course. And as much as I love you—” she reached behind her and lifted the folded letter, holding it up for him to see, “—I’m going to ask you to leave so I can read my letter from
Aymee.”

  Arkon smiled. “I can read it to you. The practice wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Uh-uh. If you want to know her secrets, you’ll have to discover them yourself. From her.”

  “At least I can say that I tried. Rest well, Macy.”

  “Thank you, Arkon. I’ll see you later.”

  He raised a hand to wave as he exited the room. Patterns swirled into being within his imagination, complex and colorful, and he pieced together what each would require. Gathering enough stones wouldn’t be the issue; gathering the right stones would be, and he’d have only a brief window of time during which he could bring it all together.

  For the chance to talk with Aymee, it would be well worth the challenge.

  Chapter 3

  James Everett released a hiss of pain as Aymee unwound the bandage on his foot.

  “Is papa’s foot going to fall off?” asked Daniel, James and Maris’s five-year-old son.

  “Daniel!” Maris exclaimed.

  “He’s only curious.” Aymee smiled at the boy. “Your papa had to give up his toes, but his foot’s just fine. See?” She removed the remaining bandage, eliciting another hiss from James. The cloth was stained with ointment and rust-colored spots of blood that indicated his stitches might have seeped, a sign that he might have walked on it despite her orders.

  “Excuse me,” Maris said.

  Color draining from her face, Maris put a hand over her mouth and turned away.

  The healing process for such wounds could be a gruesome sight. Vorix venom caused necrosis around the bite that, when left untreated, could spread with surprising speed. Aymee had spent so much time here in the clinic with her father that she wasn’t bothered by such things.

  James was fortunate it had only been his toes.

  Daniel stepped closer and stared at his father’s foot, displaying none of his mother’s squeamishness.

  “Does it hurt?” he asked.

  James laughed. “Like hell.”

  “Wouldn’t hurt so bad if you stayed off it,” Aymee said.

  James dipped his head, grinning guiltily. “Guess I’ve been caught.”

  “Yes, you have.” Aymee turned her attention back to his foot. It was healing well; despite James’s stubbornness, he hadn’t split open his stitches or picked up an infection. Yet. “Consider this a break. You’ll be back up and moving before you know it if you rest and give it time to heal, but if you don’t, you could lose the whole foot.”

  “You have to listen to Miss Aymee, papa,” Daniel scolded.

  Aymee laughed. “Right. Always listen to Miss Aymee.”

  She cleaned the wound, applied ointment, and wrapped it in a fresh bandage. Maris returned to her husband’s side when Aymee finished, helping him onto his crutches.

  “Thank you, Aymee,” Maris said.

  “Of course. Daniel, you’re in charge of making sure your papa stays off that foot.”

  The boy’s face brightened at the prospect of so important a task. “Yes, ma’am!”

  “Have a great evening,” Aymee said as Daniel rushed forward to open the door for his parents.

  She stilled when Randall met her gaze from the hallway.

  Her stomach sank.

  She’d avoided speaking with him for an entire week; why had he come today? Why, on the day she was to make the exchange with Arkon on the beach?

  Randall took hold of the door for Daniel and bid the Everetts a pleasant evening. Once they were gone, he entered the room, boots thumping on the wooden floor.

  “Miss Rhodes.” His smile was warmer and more genuine than she’d seen in the town hall.

  He was a handsome man, perhaps more so than any she’d seen, with a strong jaw, sculpted lips, and eyes the blue of a summer sky. Perhaps he might have caught her eye, before.

  Now, her interests lay somewhere forbidden.

  “Mr. Laster.” She offered him a curt nod and turned away to clean up the supplies she’d used for James. “Is there something I can help you with?”

  “I just have a few questions, if you’d oblige me.”

  “I’m currently working and have patients waiting—”

  “The Everetts were the last, Miss Rhodes,” he said, shutting the door.

  She paused as she wiped the table, squeezing the cloth in her hand.

  Damn.

  “Then I suppose I can spare a few moments.” She couldn’t risk him following her. At least if she answered his questions, he’d likely leave her alone.

  “Wonderful.” He eased into the chair beside the door and leaned an elbow on the armrest. “I’ve heard it was a friend of yours who was taken by the creature. That correct?”

  “Jax. His name is Jax. And yes.” She washed her hands at the sink and turned toward Randall as she dried them, keeping the bed between herself and the ranger. “I take it you spoke to Breckett?”

  “I have. He’s a rough man, but he’s honest. I admire that.”

  “I don’t know anything more about all this than he does.”

  “You were Miss Sinclair’s primary caregiver before she left town with Jax, weren’t you? She was here, being treated for injuries sustained at sea?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did she talk to you about anything while she was here? Any details about this creature, where it came from, what it’s capable of?” He leaned back, never breaking his intense, piercing gaze.

  “No. She only told me that Jax isn’t dangerous. That his people were engineered by humans using human DNA. They think and act like us. Speak our language. In every way but appearance, they are human.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “She didn’t say anything else because it wasn’t her right to do so.”

  “You said his people. How many are there, Miss Rhodes? How many have you seen?”

  She could have kicked herself for the slip, and nearly bit through her tongue.

  “I’ve only seen Jax. For him to exist, there have to be more somewhere.”

  Randall bent forward, resting his elbows atop his thighs, and sighed. “The glass on the tanks in that warehouse is thick. It’s built to take a beating. A man could break it, yeah — a strong man like Breckett, with twenty minutes and a hammer. But by all accounts, he was walking his daughter down to the docks when all this happened. Someone led the guards away, and my guess is that more of those things came in to free Jax.”

  Aymee flattened her hands on the bed and leaned over it. She held his gaze. “Yes, someone led the guards away. It was all part of the plan to help him escape without anyone getting hurt. Just like I’m sure Breckett explained to you. He gave Jax his blessing to take Macy, because that was her choice. And that tank was cracked on the inside before it was broken open. Jax could’ve broken free at any time.”

  “I understand, Miss Rhodes. You’re very close to all of this, and I’m from out of town—”

  “You’re a Hunter.”

  “You have hunters here, too.”

  “They’re not hunting Jax. That’s what you are here for.”

  “I’m here to determine whether or not I should be hunting him. Anything that can break out of a tank like that and has humanlike intelligence is a potential threat, not just to this community, but to all of the settlements on Halora.”

  “Do you think we would’ve just stood by and done nothing if Macy was in danger? Me, her parents, even Camrin, the man she’d intended to join with? All of us helped her that night. There’s never once been an incident with Jax’s people in all the years I’ve lived here, and I’ve never heard of one in all the years before that. If they meant us harm, we’d have felt it already.

  “Macy is happy. She’s in love with Jax, and he loves her in return. If any of us had any doubt of that, we would’ve been hunting for him long before you heard about all this.”

  He ran a hand up his cheek and then over his short hair. “You had a few brief interactions with one of these things.” He didn’t waver at her glare. “Now it has an idea of how this town is laid out. Has an idea of
your armament and defenses. And it knows that not everyone is going to be friendly. I’ve hunted a lot of dangerous prey, Miss Rhodes, and the more dangerous it is, the more we prepare. They could be planning an attack on this town right now. They could be watching this town right now.

  “I’m not here to kill anything; I’m here to protect human life. And if it comes down to it, I will choose us over them, every time.”

  “Then leave them be,” Aymee said. “Jax has no interest in this town or its people, apart from Macy, and he’d never do anything to place her in danger.”

  Clutching the arms of the chair, Randall pushed himself to his feet and stepped toward the bed. “Not everyone in town shares that opinion, Miss Rhodes. I want you to be right, but it’s my duty to be certain, as much as it’s your duty to tend to these folks when they’re wounded or sick.”

  “And none of them were there. Like you, they want a monster to slay. But humans are usually more monstrous than the things they fear. His appearance means nothing. Would you hunt me, or any other person, like you hunt an animal?”

  He frowned, and the iron in his eyes softened for a moment. “There’s no such thing as monsters, Miss Rhodes, apart from humans. And like you said — Jax and his kind are human in all but appearance.” He sighed and leaned over the bed, propping himself on his arms. “You and I didn’t start out on the right foot, but I’m truly not here to hurt you or anyone you care about. I just want everyone to be safe. I want you to be safe.”

  Aymee frowned. He was close, too close, and his scent — leather, earth, a hint of sweat — drifted to her. It wasn’t unpleasant.

  What he said was true; when she’d seen the rangers in the town hall and heard their reason for coming to The Watch, she’d gone on the defensive. She’d do anything to protect Macy and Jax. To protect Arkon.

  Not once had Randall responded with anger, despite her verbal attacks. He’d shown nothing but patience.

  “I know,” she said. “And thank you for that. I don’t mean to be ungrateful or rude; I’m just—”

  “Worried for your friend.”