“What does that mean for my people?” Dracchus growled.
“It means more hunters will come,” Randall said. It was shame in his voice, in his eyes. “I should have stopped this sooner. I should have done more. But I failed my rangers; I failed The Watch. I failed Aymee and your people.”
“All of us have made mistakes.” Jax locked eyes with Dracchus’s. “He is trying to make it right. Should we not allow him that opportunity?”
Dracchus bared his teeth, swung his gaze to Macy and Aymee, and backed away. “You will have our protection, human. That will not extend to any of your hunters, should they come for us.”
“I understand.” Randall squeezed his eyes shut.
“I’m sorry, Randall,” Aymee said.
“You’re protecting the people you care about. Never feel shame for that. It’s what I was supposed to have been doing all along.”
“You did what you thought was right. You had no reason to believe me.”
“Don’t need to make excuses for me.” He sat up, features strained and face paling with the exertion. Aymee hurried to help him. “I can dress myself,” he said, but his voice was weak.
“Don’t be difficult. The skin is still tender over the wound, and we don’t want to reopen it.”
Aymee and Jax helped Randall get into his suit; he insisted upon taking over once the sleeves were high enough for his arms, but when he moved his shoulder, he groaned in pain and finally gave in to their assistance.
Macy and Aymee supported Randall on his slow walk out.
Jax and Dracchus lifted Arkon and followed.
He stirred as they moved him. The color hadn’t yet returned to his skin, and for a moment he appeared disoriented. His pupils shrank to slits against the overhead lights. “We are leaving?” he asked softly.
“We are going home, Arkon,” Jax said.
“Aymee? She is safe?”
“I’m here,” Aymee said.
“She is just ahead of us,” Jax said. “Rest. You’ll be there soon, with Aymee by your side.”
They entered the submarine pen. The blood splattered, smeared, and pooled on the concrete was still wet, but the kraken had removed the bodies. Aymee should have felt something about that — lingering anger, satisfaction, relief, horror at the memory of the slaughter. All she had now was her love and concern for Arkon. She’d think about the rest after he healed.
Descending to the lower platform, Aymee helped Randall secure his mask, put on her own, and leapt off the edge. She and Macy helped Randall ease down the ladder while Jax and Dracchus lowered Arkon into the water.
Jax came and took hold of Randall. “I will swim with him.”
“We need to take it easy on them, or their wounds may reopen,” Aymee said.
“Stay close,” Jax said to Macy, brushing a hand over her shoulder.
“I will,” she replied with a smile.
To Aymee, the swim was an eternity. She had no idea how far they traveled; once the coastline was no longer visible behind them, she lost all sense of direction. Sam might have been able to tell her, but it wasn’t important, and she was too preoccupied with monitoring Arkon and Randall to ask.
Aymee had discovered she could speak to Macy and Randall through the masks soon after submerging, but they remained quiet as they swam, especially when the surrounding ocean became nothing but impenetrable blue in all directions.
A faint light in the gloom was the first sign of the place Captain Wright had called Pontus Alpha and the kraken called the Facility.
“We’re here,” Macy said.
Aymee’s gaze swept over the Facility. It had been here for hundreds of years, and no one on land had known.
“What the hell is this place?” Randall asked with wonder in his voice.
“Their home,” Macy replied, turning her head to look at him. “Our home. It was built by humans before the first colonist ship arrived. It’s where they made the kraken.”
“They? You mean humans... We made them?”
“As slaves.”
“They revolted against the humans,” Aymee said, swimming alongside Dracchus to watch Arkon. His eyes remained closed, and he was limp in the larger male’s hold. “Humans were the villains of kraken history. It’s why they’ve kept to themselves all this time.”
Macy led them past a pair of freestanding lights and to a door on the front of the large central building. There was a red light over the doorframe.
“Do you require entry?” Sam asked.
“Yes, Sam,” Macy replied.
The light over the door turned green, and it slid open.
“How many of them live here?” Randall asked.
“I don’t know,” Macy said, swimming into the open chamber. “A lot.”
Aymee hurried in after, turning as Dracchus carefully entered with Arkon.
Macy pressed a button once everyone was inside, and the door closed.
“Re-pressurization sequence initiated,” Sam said.
The room seemed to hum around them. The water level steadily dropped, and Aymee’s feet settled on the floor. Her awareness of her own weight returned slowly. It was an odd sensation. When the water was gone, the light over the interior door turned green.
“Pressurization complete,” said a feminine voice from somewhere overhead. “Welcome back, divers two-zero-five, five-nine-one, and eight-six-six.”
Macy, Aymee, and Randall removed their masks. The air was surprisingly clean, with only a faint seawater smell.
Together, Aymee and Macy moved into position to support Randall while Jax helped Dracchus lift Arkon, whose head lolled gently from side to side. Aymee looked at him with worry; he’d been unconscious for most of the journey.
Macy reached forward and activated the door switch, opening the way into a long, metal corridor.
“Melaina!” a female voice called.
A small kraken turned the corner and hurried toward them. “Macy! I saw you coming through a window!” she called, face bright. She held an even smaller kraken in her arms.
Aymee’s eyes shifted to the baby. “Is that…?”
“Sarina,” Macy said.
Melaina stopped suddenly, eyes widening as she looked from Aymee to Randall. She clutched Sarina closer. “Who… Are you...Aymee?” she asked, then her gaze shifted to Arkon, and her eyes rounded further. “Arkon’s hurt!”
“Melaina!” A larger kraken turned into the hall. Bare breasts, delicate features, and lighter build marked her as a female. Several more kraken followed behind, all with similarly feminine traits.
“Holy shit,” Randall said breathlessly.
“We cannot stand here forever,” Dracchus grumbled.
“You brought humans,” one of the females said, frowning.
“They are friends,” Jax called. The humans stepped through the door and stood aside to allow the kraken males through.
“Rhea, this is Aymee,” Macy said, nodding toward Aymee.
Rhea — the female in front of the group — looked at Aymee and smiled. “I have heard much.” Her smile faded when she glanced at Arkon. “Come.”
“Melaina,” Macy said, “I need you to watch Sarina for me, okay?”
The little girl nodded.
Randall looked from Macy to Sarina and back again. “That’s... She’s your…”
Macy met Randall’s gaze, and her eyes hardened as though awaiting either an insult or a threat. He staggered slightly, leaning more heavily upon the women, and shook his head. He said nothing.
“We need to go. Now.” Aymee moved down the corridor behind the males, who themselves followed the kraken females.
They turned into another long hallway, passing open doorways. She didn’t look into any of the rooms, didn’t stare at the walls in wonder; only Arkon mattered. She needed him stabilized, needed him in a place he could rest for as long as it took to heal, needed access to the right tools to care for him.
The group stopped suddenly, and Aymee peered around Dracchus. The fema
les ahead growled as they were forced apart by another group of male kraken. Aymee nearly growled herself; the corridor was too small for so many bodies, and they needed to get to the infirmary!
“We have been looking for y—” The kraken in the lead came to an abrupt stop. “What is this?”
“Stand aside, Kronus,” Jax demanded.
“What happened to him?”
“Aside, now!”
Kronus pressed his lips together and shifted, as did the males behind him, allowing Dracchus and Jax to pass with Arkon. When his eyes fell on Aymee and Randall, they widened before narrowing. His skin turned crimson.
“Humans!” he snarled, raising his claws.
“Don’t you dare!” Macy shouted.
If Aymee had stopped to think, she might have acted differently; Kronus wasn’t as large as Dracchus, but all the adult kraken were taller and more powerfully built than most humans. She followed her instinct. Stepping forward, she rammed her fist into Kronus’s jaw, twisting her hip to put as much force into it as she could.
“Get back!” she yelled, glaring at him. “Arkon needs help!”
Kronus’s head snapped aside, but his expression was one of shock rather than pain. Rage quickly overcame that shock. His muscles tensed as though to strike.
A huge black arm wrapped around Kronus’s neck from behind. Dracchus swung the other kraken around and slammed him face-first into the wall. The structure itself seemed to shake.
“These humans are under my protection,” Dracchus growled, glaring at Kronus’s companions. “They are our people now. Do you understand?”
Kronus spat something that sounded like a muffled yes, and his companions nodded.
Dracchus held Kronus in place as the women hurried past with Randall, who leaned on them a bit more with each step. They passed Jax; Rhea was helping him support Arkon.
They reached the infirmary after one more turn, and Aymee’s hand was throbbing by the time they entered. With Macy’s help, Aymee guided Randall into a bed, removed his suit, and inspected his stomach and shoulder to ensure the wounds hadn’t torn open. Macy retrieved a blanket and laid it over him.
As Dracchus and Jax carried Arkon into the infirmary, Aymee pulled her arms free of the suit and tied it off as she had earlier.
She moved to Arkon’s side after they lifted him onto a bed and checked his wounds. They’d remained sealed during the journey, but his skin was pale and cold.
“We need to cover him up, too. He lost a lot of blood, and his body’s going to need all the help it can get to recover,” she said.
Macy settled a blanket over Arkon, and Aymee reached beneath to take hold of his hand. Several kraken lingered in her peripheral vision. They watched in silence, male and female alike, until Dracchus made them leave; only he, Jax, and Rhea lingered.
“He’ll be okay,” Macy said, wrapping her arms around Aymee’s shoulders. The worry in her voice was overpowered by a practical optimism. Aymee drew strength from it.
“This is a human male?” Rhea asked.
“Last I checked,” Randall replied, slurring slightly.
“Hmm.” She tilted her head as she studied him, then lifted the blanket to look beneath. Her eyes widened. “He is extruding.”
Macy laughed, pulling her arms away from Aymee as she straightened.
“Two women in one day,” Randall said.
“What does he mean?” Rhea asked Macy.
“People seem awfully interested in getting a glimpse of me, lately,” he replied.
Rhea’s attention returned to Randall. “He is not unattractive, for a human.”
“I’ll take that as a victory.” Randall’s voice trailed off as he succumbed to his weariness.
Macy brought a chair closer to Arkon’s bed. Aymee thanked her and sat down.
“Jax and I are going to check on Sarina. We’ll be right back, and I’ll bring you a change of clothes. Do you need anything else?”
Aymee shook her head. “No. Thanks, Mace.”
Dracchus and Rhea followed Jax and Macy out.
Sitting on the edge of the chair, Aymee slipped an arm around Arkon, laid her head on his chest, and closed her eyes. His hearts thumped beneath her ear, steady but weak. She squeezed him tight.
Exhaustion settled over her. Her body felt leaden, her eyelids heavy, but she kept her gaze on Arkon’s sleeping face. As much as he needed his rest, she wished he’d wake so she could see the vibrant violet of his irises.
I nearly lost him.
Tears rolled down her cheek to wet the blanket beneath her.
The emotions she’d pushed aside rushed back, and all she could do was hold onto him as she cried.
“Don’t leave me,” she whispered, clutching the blanket against the pain in her heart.
Macy returned with Rhea shortly after, carrying clothing and food. Aymee stripped out of the diving suit and pulled on a shirt and a pair of loose pants. She didn’t touch the food, and Macy’ didn’t push it on her. They sat in silence, watching over the males, Rhea helping Randall sip water whenever possible.
The same wouldn’t work for Arkon — the kraken hydrated naturally by being in water. After some searching, Dracchus and Jax brought in a large basin filled with seawater. They set Arkon into it as gently as possible, positioning him so his head was underwater, and he breathed through his siphons.
When there was nothing left to do but wait, Aymee sank to the floor, keeping a palm on his chest. Each beat of his hearts was a pulse of reassurance.
Chapter 20
Arkon opened his eyes. The overhead light stung, and he squinted against it. Everything was a white blur until his vision adjusted.
The lights weren’t bright at all; they were dimmed. He knew the ceiling overhead, but his mind could not reconcile its presence.
He’d been in the Broken Cavern — the Darrow Nautical Outpost — not the Facility.
Something warm and scratchy was laid over him. He lifted his head, wincing as his neck cramped, to see a heavy blanket draped over him. Aymee’s arm was atop the blanket; she lay against him in the narrow space between Arkon and the bed rail.
“Arkon?”
He turned his head. Jax stood beside the bed, the shock in his expression quickly giving way to relief.
“You are okay,” Jax said. “Your color had been improving, and Aymee was outwardly optimistic, but none of us were sure…”
“How... You will forgive me, Jax, but…” Grunting softly, Arkon lowered his head. His entire body ached, now that he’d woken fully, making it more difficult to work through his confusion. “How did we get here?”
“You were badly injured. After Aymee closed your wounds, we brought you here to recover. This seemed the only safe place.”
The hunters. Cyrus. Echoes of pain rippled across Arkon’s abdomen, and he shifted a hand to the gunshot wounds. His fingertips brushed over hard scar tissue.
“No one else was hurt? Aymee wasn’t hurt?” Arkon’s hearts thumped; the events were fuzzy in his recollection, and Aymee was here, next to him, but had she come to harm?
“Only Randall. It seems he might have saved my life. We brought him with us.” Jax gestured to the other side of the room.
Arkon lifted his head again to see Randall in the bed directly across from him, covered by a similar blanket. His eyes widened when he realized Rhea was at Randall’s bedside, eyes closed and head resting on her crossed arms atop the blanket, back rising and falling in a slow, peaceful rhythm.
He looked at Jax and raised his brow in question.
Jax smiled and shrugged. “She has been helping Macy and Aymee care for the both of you over the last two days. They have had little rest in that time. Rhea seems to have taken an interest in him.”
Arkon studied his friend’s face; the gleam of surprise and relief had faded from Jax’s eyes, leaving only weariness. “What of you?”
“Now, I may finally join my mate and youngling in our den.” He placed a hand on Arkon’s shoulder. “I am gla
d you are well, Arkon.”
“Go to them and rest, Jax. I will take vigil. I have slept enough for now, I think.”
Jax departed quietly, and Arkon settled back down onto the bed, his unfocused gaze directed at the ceiling. Aymee’s scent drifted to his nostrils; he inhaled deeply and sighed. Moving slowly, he slipped an arm out from beneath the blanket and wrapped it around her, drawing her closer against him.
She groaned, stirred, and moved her hand to rest on his chest. She exhaled softly.
He uncovered his other arm and placed his hand over hers.
Aymee tensed. “Arkon?”
“I didn’t want to wake you. I am sorry.”
She lifted her head. Her thick curls were in disarray, one strand endearingly hanging over her eye. “You’re awake,” she breathed.
“I am. But you should not—”
Aymee fell upon him, grabbing his face and pressing her mouth to his. She kissed him long and deep, then several more times in quick succession before wrapping her arms around him. “You came back to me.”
He embraced her and marveled in her feel, her warmth, her energy. “I will always come back to you. I gave myself to you, Aymee. It is not my life to lose.”
“And I won’t ever give it up.” She raised her head and met his gaze, eyes bright with tears.
He brushed the moisture from her cheek.
“How do you feel?” she asked.
“Like I have not moved in days.”
She laughed, and it was the loveliest sound he’d ever heard. “That’d be about right.”
“Now that you are here... Will you share my den, Aymee?”
She lowered her head and ran her nose over his cheek before kissing the corner of his mouth. “Yes. That and more. I want to join with you, Arkon.”
Warmth blossomed in his chest and flowed to the tips of his fingers and tentacles.
After a moment, Aymee chuckled. “I don’t think I made the best first impression on some of the kraken here, though.”
Arkon furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
“I punched Kronus in the face.”
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