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

by Tiffany Roberts

  “Yes.”

  “It’s all right, Aymee. I admire your loyalty, and if you’re right about Jax and his kind, you don’t need to worry about your friend anymore.”

  “They’ve left us alone for all these years, Randall. Even now that we know of their existence, they haven’t come. We should follow their example and just leave it be. Leave them be. Stay here as long as you need to make sure the town is safe, but don’t hunt them down. Don’t give them a reason to think of us as a threat to their safety.”

  “If they’re truly leaving us alone, I don’t think we’ll ever find them. It’s a big ocean.” He stood straight. “Thank you for your time, Miss Rhodes. I appreciate your being open with me.”

  Aymee nodded, eyes downcast. She felt…helpless. Her pleas wouldn’t change Randall’s course. He and his rangers were a threat, and because of their hunt, it was too dangerous for Arkon to continue the supply exchanges. She had to warn him.

  She had to keep him away.

  Her chest tightened; he was her only link to Macy, but the mere thought of never seeing or having the chance to speak with him again pained her.

  “Have a pleasant evening.” Randall lingered for a moment before he turned and walked out.

  Aymee remained still until Randall’s heavy steps were cut off by the sound of the clinic’s front door closing, and then folded her arms atop the bed and buried her face in them.

  Please don’t let the Hunters locate them.

  It was later than usual by the time Aymee left the Clinic. She’d busied herself by organizing tools and medicines until she was sure Randall had moved on and then gathered a few supplies for Macy and her baby. Twice, she’d dropped items in her haste, and finally forced herself to take a breath and slow down.

  Randall won’t find him. He won’t.

  No matter how many times she repeated the words in her head, her anxiety persisted.

  Aymee slung her packed bag over her shoulder and hurried out, jogging across the square. She slowed only when she was on the road leading to her home.

  “Aymee!”

  She turned to see Camrin loping toward her, his shaggy red hair flopping into his face.

  “I thought for sure I missed you this time,” he said as he neared.

  “Lucky for you, I’m running late.”

  He swept hair back from his forehead. “Everything okay, Aymee?”

  Frowning, she scanned their surroundings and shook her head. “I’m worried,” she replied, lowering her voice.

  Camrin’s eyes followed her gaze. He moved closer. “Because of those men from Fort Culver?”

  Aymee adjusted the strap of her bag. “Their leader came to talk with me.”

  “He talked to me and Breckett, too, right there on the dock. I heard he got the names of everyone who took a guard shift while Jax was in the warehouse, and spoke with all of them, too.”

  “He plans to hunt them down. He won’t take anyone’s word, and he won’t sit around and wait.”

  Camrin frowned. “Guess I can’t blame him. He probably didn’t believe it when he first heard the stories about what happened here, but then he comes into town and finds out it was true? Stuff like that scares people.”

  “I know. I understand, I really do.” She closed her eyes, sighed, and tilted her head back. “It’s just…not right. As much as I want to believe they’d leave the kraken alone if they realized they’re just people, I…can’t. I just can’t believe they’d leave them in peace.”

  “Well, for whatever it’s worth, our people have been fishing these waters for generations and we’ve never found a kraken. If Jax and the others don’t want to be found…I don’t think they will be found.”

  “I hope you’re right. I’m going to warn Arkon.”

  “If I can help at all, let me know.” He extended his hand, holding a folded letter to her. MACY was scrawled on the front in his loud, clumsy writing. “Would you send this on for me?”

  Aymee grinned, tucking the letter into her bag. “Are you telling her the good news?”

  He smiled sheepishly and looked down. “It feels weird to, but yes. I just want her to know that I’m doing well.”

  “You’re her friend, Cam. She’ll be happy knowing you are finally happy.” She pecked a kiss on his cheek. “I need to go. It’s getting late.”

  Camrin gave her a quick hug. “Right. Be safe, okay, Aym? Those rangers act nice enough, but they’re still strangers. Dangerous ones.”

  “I will. Tell Jenny I said hello.”

  “Will do.” He released her and waved as she hurried away. “See you later, Aymee.”

  The house was empty when Aymee entered — her father was likely still making house calls, and her mother often worked the fields until sundown. She went to her room, set her bag on the bed, and lifted the canister into place beside it. Her mother had left a crate with fresh fruit, vegetables, and bread. She packed them into the canister along with the medical supplies from her bag before retrieving the letters from herself and Macy’s parents from the dresser, piling them with Camrin’s. Grabbing a pencil, she quickly added a warning to her letter about Randall and his rangers.

  She placed the letters in the canister and turned back to the table to gather the last item — her gift to Arkon.

  Aymee stared at the paper. It was the first drawing she’d done of him, one of her favorites. During the brief time they’d spoken, his eyes had emblazoned themselves in her memory; she’d used crushed capeweed petals to color them in this drawing, the closest she could come to their rich violet without mixing paints.

  She rolled the paper carefully, secured it with a bit of string, and slipped it into the canister. The remaining space within became an abyss as she stared at it; she shifted her gaze to the table, where several jars of paint and a few brushes sat out.

  Smiling, Aymee gathered the painting supplies, ensured the lids were secure, and added them to the canister.

  It would be her parting gift to him.

  The sky had taken on the hues of late evening, the indigo on one horizon bleeding into the golden orange on the other, when she reached the beach. Her heart raced, though her anticipation was clouded by sadness. This would be the last time. It had to be.

  She glanced over her shoulder — not for the first time — as she descended toward the sand, searching the tree line for movement. Satisfied that she hadn’t been followed, she brushed her hair out of her face and quickened her steps. Her arms burned with the strain of carrying the canister; she’d filled it more than usual, and the extra weight had only made the journey from town feel longer.

  Her stride faltered as she neared the exchange spot.

  Aymee stood, transfixed, and struggled to make sense of what she saw.

  Hundreds, maybe thousands, of stones had been arranged near the drop-off spot, radiating out in a half circle from the edge of the rock face. They were stacked in piles of varying height, each spaced a precise distance from the ones nearby. As her eyes drifted over them, she realized there was a method to the stones’ placement; together, they looked like the waves rolling on the ocean, dwindling gradually as they grew more distant from the cliff. Conveying motion, though they were unmoving.

  The canister slipped from Aymee’s hands and fell into the sand, forgotten.

  She stepped forward, moving between the stones. It was like walking through a dream. And Arkon had created it…for her.

  Bending down, she studied one of the taller piles. The rocks decreased in size from the bottom up, alternating in color from slate grays to pale blues. The delicacy with which they must have been placed just to remain upright was astounding.

  “Most of it will be swept away when the tide rises.”

  Aymee gasped and quickly straightened.

  “You’re here,” she said breathlessly. She turned to face him, and her heart leapt; she wasn’t prepared for what stood before her.

  Arkon’s blue-gray skin glistened in the light of the setting sun. He was only a few feet away
, standing tall on tightly-bunched tentacles. Her eyes swept over his lean, muscular torso, lingering on the dark stripes adorning his head, shoulders, and tentacles. His face was narrow, with high cheekbones and a strong chin. Despite his lack of a nose — he had only two slits where it should have been — and the tube-like siphons on either side of his head, his features were both strikingly alien and startlingly human.

  Those violet eyes stared at her with undisguised interest and intensity.

  “I had begun to think you wouldn’t come,” he said.

  His words cast a shadow over her delight and reminded her why she’d been so late.

  She took a single step toward Arkon, and when he didn’t retreat, she closed the remaining distance between them. He was a couple heads taller than her, a towering presence, and she had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes. Slowly, she trailed her gaze from his face to his chest and shoulders, and then along his arms to pause at his hands. They were so human, despite the webbing between his fingers and the claws at his fingertips.

  His skin darkened at his waist, urging her eyes farther down.

  Unbidden, she reached out to touch him.

  Aymee flattened her palm on the upper portion of his tentacle. Arkon inhaled sharply, muscles tensing, but otherwise remained still.

  He was at once soft and solid, his skin damp but not slick or slimy.

  “You really are magnificent,” she said, unable to keep the awe from her voice.

  Arkon lifted a hand slowly and brushed the back of a finger along her jaw, calling her eyes back to his. “You are even more beautiful than I remember.”

  Aymee smiled. The combination of his words and touch made her breath shallow. She couldn’t believe he was here in front of her.

  In full view.

  She dropped her hand and stepped back, smile fading.

  His brow furrowed, and he tilted his head. “I’ve said something wrong.”

  “No. It’s just…” She shook her head and laughed humorlessly. “Of course you’d reveal yourself for our last exchange.”

  “I… Last? What do you mean, last exchange?”

  “There are humans in The Watch who are looking for you. For the kraken.”

  “How does that differ from the last three months? We’ve seen the fishermen watching the water.”

  “These people are Hunters, Arkon. They’re from a place farther inland called Fort Culver. Seven of them arrived the evening of our last exchange and called a meeting in town. Their leader approached me today, asking me questions about Jax and your people.”

  He moved closer, eliminating some of the distance she’d opened in her retreat. “My people are hunters, too, Aymee. And no one here knows anything about us that could endanger our wellbeing. Unless they have technology like Macy’s suit, we are beyond their reach.”

  She placed her hand on his chest. His heart — hearts, for surely there were more than one — thumped beneath her palm. “But you’re not. Every time you come here you put yourself at risk.”

  Arkon stared down at her hand before hesitantly covering it with his own. “I’m beginning to realize that life has little meaning without risks.”

  Determination and vulnerability filled his eyes.

  “Why did you wait so long to show yourself to me?” She curled her fingers slightly beneath his hand.

  “Because I didn’t know what to say to you, or what you thought of me. I was…out of sorts when we first met.”

  “What I thought?” Aymee’s brows furrowed. “I was fascinated by you. I thought that was clear.”

  “And I was stunned by you, so I stammered like a fool. I’m not… Interactions like this aren’t something I am particularly skilled at. My experience with humans is understandably limited, so I couldn’t be certain of how to interpret the way you acted toward me. I…I'm rambling now.”

  Aymee’s grin widened with each word he spoke. “I find your rambling endearing.” She rubbed her finger over his skin. “I watched you, you know.”

  His hand twitched, and his skin warmed under her palm. “You watched me?”

  “After I leave the beach, I hide in the jungle along the clifftop and wait for you to retrieve the canister.” She continued the motion of her finger, intrigued by the soft texture of his skin and the comforting strength of his hand.

  “I’ve always watched you drop it off, but I never thought you’d wait to see me, afterward.” Tentatively, he raised a tentacle and lightly brushed its tip over her wrist.

  She watched, fascinated by the limb. It was long and thick, its lighter-colored underside lined with suction cups that lightly kissed her skin. Her heart pounded in her chest, and something powerful stirred low in her belly.

  What did that say about her? This was only her second meeting with Arkon, and she was more aroused than she’d ever been with a human man. Was it the allure of the unknown? Had the details Macy relayed sparked a curiosity in Aymee that demanded to be sated?

  Was there something wrong with her?

  But how could she view this as shameful, unnatural, abhorrent? She didn’t see it that way with Jax and Macy.

  This didn’t feel wrong. Not to Aymee.

  “I wanted to see you.” She slipped her hand from beneath his and brushed her palm over his suction cups.

  Arkon’s fingers trembled, and he released a shaky breath before shifting back, withdrawing his tentacle from her touch. “This is…I…”

  Dropping her arm, Aymee regarded him with a smile. His eyes were wide, irises nearly consumed by his dilated pupils, which weren’t quite round. His tentacles writhed in the sand, and his hands were at his sides, fingers tightly curled. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.

  There was a hint of uncertainty in his heated gaze; he looked as though he held onto control by a thread and might break at any moment.

  A rush of satisfaction coursed through Aymee; she’d done this, she’d instilled this want in Arkon. He was just as affected by her as she was by him.

  Her smile didn’t falter as she turned away and walked between the stacks of stones. The wind flowed through her hair, cooler now with night’s approach, and the sound of the waves licking the shore enveloped her like a siren’s song.

  “This is beautiful.” She gestured to his work with a sweeping wave of her arm. “I hate that it will be gone come morning.”

  “The person it was meant for has found joy in it. There’s nothing lost, as long as you hold onto that emotion.”

  “Like a painting. A moment captured forever.” She looked at him over her shoulder. “I’ve kept every rock you’ve gifted me. I wish I could keep this too.”

  He moved closer but didn’t pass between the stones. “Keep this moment.”

  “I will.”

  She inhaled the briny air. The tide was rising as the day waned, and the light had taken on a magical quality that existed only during sunrise and sunset, when everything, for a short while, seemed new and incredible. It made Arkon’s stone towers ethereal — they were a fleeting glimpse into another world, stolen while the foggy veil was drawn back for an instant.

  This place hadn’t felt like that to Aymee since she was a child, when she and Macy would splash colors on the rocks. Their paintings would last only until the next storm, and that had made them more precious.

  Just like this.

  She wanted to hold onto this feeling for as long as she could.

  “Thank you, Arkon.”

  He dipped his head in a shallow bow. “It was my pleasure.”

  Aymee’s eyes fell on the canister she’d dropped; it stood at an angle behind him, near the outer edge of the stones. Her joy faded. She weaved through the stacks, stopped before the container, and picked it up after a brief hesitation.

  “I need to get back before it’s dark,” she said, walking to Arkon and holding the canister out. “Don’t want to raise anyone’s suspicions.”

  I don’t want to go. Not now that you are here.

  Arkon placed his hands o
n the container, and they held it between them, staring into each other’s eyes. “When can we meet again?”

  Her grip tightened. “We can’t. It’s too dangerous for you to come back.”

  “So we will be cautious, and meet on a more sheltered part of the beach. One that isn’t well visible from farther inland.”

  She meant to shake her head, to tell him no, but instead said, “There’s a spot toward the other end of the beach where the cliff overhangs the sand. No one can see underneath unless they’re standing on the beach nearby.” She gestured toward it, though the place was difficult to make out from this angle.

  “And…I will see you there tomorrow?” Arkon asked.

  Aymee’s eyes widened, and her mouth hung open. She hadn’t planned to meet again at all, much less so soon, and her heart leapt at the prospect. “Tomorrow?”

  After another moment, resolve strengthened his features. “Yes. Tomorrow. I will allow you to choose the time, as I’ve chosen the day.”

  “Will we need to exchange these again?” she asked, nodding toward the canister.

  He glanced down and smiled. “No. Tomorrow will be just for us.”

  Her gaze fell on his mouth; his parted lips revealed his pointed teeth. Strangely, they didn’t unnerve her. Arkon’s smile took on a rakish tilt.

  Something stirred in her again, a tingling heat at her core; familiar but unidentifiable.

  “Tomorrow then. Same time as always,” she said.

  Arkon nodded and tucked the canister under his arm when she finally released it, though his eyes didn’t leave hers. “May the stars smile upon you tonight, Aymee.”

  Clenching fistfuls of her skirt, she watched him go; his movements were graceful despite the alien nature of his gait. She didn’t take her eyes off him until he disappeared into the sea, and only then walked between the stones to retrieve the container he’d left at their normal drop-off spot. Anticipation thrummed through her.

  She’d see him again.

  Tomorrow.

  Chapter 4

  The ocean sang while Arkon waited; it sounded so different from land, distant and otherworldly. This wasn’t the dark, deep lullaby — felt more than heard — of his youth. It was music brimming with wonderment and possibility, with freedom and imagination.