Rising from the Depths

by Tiffany Roberts

  “Is there something you need, Kronus?” Macy asked.

  His throat felt suddenly constricted. “I… Is Jax here?”

  “Not yet. He went to the dock with Randall a little while ago, but he should be back soon.”

  A squeal of laughter sounded as Sarina raced toward Kronus with Jace following close behind. Her tentacles flowed over the grass with speed and grace exceeding her age. She ducked behind Kronus.

  “He’s going to get me!” she cried, peering around her cover.

  Jace stopped just outside the reach of Kronus’s tentacles and grinned at Sarina — it was a wicked expression, promising mischief. Like Sarina and Eros, Jace was a kraken-human mix. All three children favored their fathers and would have passed for full-blooded kraken were it not for the hair on their heads and their more pronounced noses.

  Kronus stared at Jace, who glanced up to meet his gaze.

  Eyes narrowed, Jace lifted a hand to point a small, claw-tipped finger at Sarina. “She’s mine.”

  Tilting his head, Kronus regarded the small male. Jace was only a few years old, but young kraken developed quickly — at least twice as fast as their human counterparts, it seemed. Still, he was too young to have been sent to learn with the hunters. Was his claim on Sarina part of a game the younglings were playing? Males did not choose females according to kraken tradition.

  Haven’t I broken that tradition?

  The realization struck him hard. He’d known since the events in the Facility two years before that the old ways would not last, could not last, unless they were essential for the survival of their people. Though he’d been enraged at the thought of kraken males mating with human females, it had become clear in the time since that humans — not all of them, but most of them — were a good thing for his kind.

  With so many more females available, was it wrong for a male to be forward in his pursuit of them?

  “Sarina, Jace, come away and leave Kronus alone,” Macy said, beckoning the elder younglings as she scooped up Eros. He wrapped his small tentacles around her arm.

  Kronus eased himself down to get nearer to Jace’s eye level. “She is yours?”

  Jace lifted his chin higher and nodded once.

  “What does she say about that?” Kronus asked.

  The boy’s confidence wavered. His gaze flicked past Kronus, who turned his head to see Sarina behind him, watching Jace.

  “So, what do you say?” Kronus asked the girl.

  Sarina frowned slightly, but didn’t seem to have an answer, either.

  “You are both very young,” Kronus continued.

  “I would make a good protector,” Jace declared.

  Kronus turned back to Jace. Macy stood in the background, a hand covering her mouth to hide her grin. The seriousness on the youngling’s face was astounding, but Kronus’s surprise diminished when he reminded himself that this was Arkon and Aymee’s child; of course he was intelligent and headstrong. But he was still so young, so inexperienced.

  “Do you have a mate, Kronus?” Sarina asked.

  Frowning, Kronus dipped his chin. He’d claimed Eva already, and she belonged to his hearts, but did she see it that way? As intelligent as many of them were, humans sometimes seemed oblivious to simple truths. Had she understood the weight of his words on the beach? Had she understood that his claim on her life had been real?

  If she hadn’t yet, she would before long.

  “I do,” he replied.

  Sarina’s little hand settled on his shoulder. “And are you a good protector?”

  A wave of confused emotion swept through Kronus, twisting his insides and nearly stealing his breath. Younglings were precious, the future of their people, the ones most worthy and needful of protection. The knowledge that his old attitude would’ve prevented the birth of this little girl — of both these younglings — suddenly fell upon him with the weight of the entire world, crushing him.

  He swallowed thickly. “Not as good a protector as I should be.” Kronus lifted his face to meet Macy’s gaze, making no effort to mask the guilt that had taken hold of his hearts, making no effort to mask the regret sinking like a boulder in his gut. She lowered her hand to her chest, and her smile faltered. “I came to ask your parents if they would help me learn how to do better.”

  “My daddy is a very good protector,” Sarina announced.

  “Your mother is, too,” Kronus said.

  Warmth entered Macy’s eyes, and her smile returned — if a bit softer than before.

  A chirruping call drew Kronus’s attention to the grass, where he saw Ikaros, Randall’s prixxir — a four-legged, scaled creature of land and sea — bounding toward them. As Kronus rose, he spotted Dracchus, Randall, and Jax following a few body-lengths behind the excited beast.

  “Ikaros!” Eros called, wiggling in his mother’s hold. Macy chuckled and lowered him to the ground. The youngling darted off toward the prixxir, and Jace turned to join him.

  Kronus clenched his jaw, his eyes shifting to the approaching males. He’d come to ask Jax for help, yes, but he’d not expected Randall and Dracchus, too. They just needed Aymee, Arkon, Rhea, and Dracchus’s mate, Larkin, to show up and nearly all the people Kronus had wronged would be gathered together. His skin heated, but he held back the instinctual color change.

  He’d fought Jax and Dracchus in numerous challenges.

  And he’d never once emerged the victor.

  At the edge of Kronus’s vision, Eros and Jace reached Ikaros. Giggling, the little kraken pounced on the prixxir, and within moments were riding atop the beast, which had flattened the spiny fin on its back. Randall, grinning, jogged toward Ikaros and the younglings.

  Sarina hurried to her father when Jax and Dracchus arrived, launching herself off the ground to wrap her arms around his middle. Jax caught her easily and spun her around; her laughter filled the air.

  In direct contrast to that laughter was Dracchus’s scrutinous stare at Kronus, which broke only when Jax ceased his spin, and Sarina scrambled from her father to Dracchus. The black kraken brightened immediately as the youngling latched onto his arm.

  Jax moved to Macy and took her in an embrace, settling a hand on her stomach. After kissing her, he turned his head toward Kronus, brows low. “What are you doing here?”

  Macy frowned at Jax and jabbed her elbow into his side. The gray kraken grunted and gave his mate a questioning look.

  “Be nice,” she said.

  Jax released a heavy sigh and turned back to Kronus. His lips drew back in a forced smile that displayed his pointed teeth. “What are you doing here?” he repeated in a slightly higher pitch.

  “Jax!” Macy shoved his shoulders.

  Kronus battled the urge to curl his hands into fists. Each of his tentacles threatened to writhe on the ground of its own accord, and he had to still them all individually. He needed to avoid any movement that could be considered confrontational or threatening, no matter what he wanted to say or do in response to Jax’s tone.

  He understood Jax’s attitude; even when unthreatened, Jax had always been very protective of his mate and younglings. Kronus understood now more than ever — now that he had Eva.

  “I am here to ask for your help,” Kronus replied.

  Jax and Dracchus stared at Kronus in disbelief. Their silence was total, allowing the sounds of Ikaros, Randall, Eros, and Jace at play to take prominence.

  “Is something wrong?” Sarina asked, brows drawn in confusion as she looked between the males. She lifted a hand to Dracchus’s face and guided his gaze toward her. “Is Kronus okay?”

  Dracchus frowned, seemingly unable to answer.

  “He’s just fine, Sarina,” Macy said, smiling. She shifted in Jax’s hold to face Kronus. “What do you need?”

  Kronus refused to allow guilt to overwhelm him again. He had this evening and the next day to prepare his dwelling for Eva, and he didn’t want to waste any more time. “The human who was injured by the razorback is going to share my den,” he said,
“but I…I have no idea what food humans need, what items they require for comfort, or how to obtain any of it.”

  The disbelief on Jax and Dracchus’s faces became something closer to shock.

  Macy glanced at them, chuckled, and extracted herself from Jax’s suddenly slack arms.

  “Did I just hear him right?” Randall said, coming up from behind Kronus.

  “Kronus has a mate and would like some advice,” Macy said.

  “A human mate,” Jax said.

  Randall walked past Kronus, eyebrows raised as he regarded him. “Really?” He stopped beside Dracchus and Sarina. “Him?”

  Kronus clenched his teeth and fought back the red tint slowly overcoming his skin.

  “Okay, that’s enough,” Macy said, glaring at the other males. “We’ve all made our own mistakes, and we can afford to cut Kronus some slack after what he did to atone, can’t we?”

  “Macy, we—” Jax began.

  “Don’t you Macy me. I’m going inside to gather some things for Eva, and you all better treat our guest kindly.” She looked at Sarina and held out her hand. “Come help me please, Sarina.”

  Sarina pecked a kiss on Dracchus’s cheek before clambering down to the ground. She extended a tentacle and brushed it over one of Jax’s as she passed him, rushing to follow her mother inside.

  Kronus watched until Macy was gone, amazed that she had defended him — especially against her own mate and close friends. Though he did not feel worthy of her forgiveness, he was grateful for it. And yet the guilt remained at his core. Eva’s words floated up from his memory.

  Because they won’t forgive you, or because you won’t forgive yourself?

  Was there a way to forgive himself? Was that possible?

  “Eva?” Randall’s brow furrowed. “That’s the girl who survived the razorback attack, right?”

  “Yes,” Kronus replied. “Her human male abandoned her…and now she is mine.”

  Randall chuckled. “Damn. Good for you. I mean, you’re an asshole, but you’re not a bad guy. Hope it works out well for you. What do you need for her?”

  Once again, Kronus was taken aback by the response. It wasn’t exactly nice, but he didn’t need nice. The honesty meant more. “Everything,” he replied after a few moments. “Food. Furnishings. Clothing?”

  “You could have acquired that anywhere,” Jax said. “Why did you come to us?”

  Kronus met his gaze and held it. “Because I do not know what she needs, and even if I did, I do not know where to get it. But you do. You are part of this place. All of you.”

  “As are you, Kronus,” Dracchus said in his deep, rumbling voice.

  Kronus shook his head, unable to hold in a scoff. He shifted his gaze away and immediately hated himself for the display of weakness.

  Dracchus moved closer, his huge frame impossible to ignore. When he was within arm’s reach, he stopped. Kronus looked up at him.

  “None of us has forgotten the things you said, Kronus, nor the things you did. It is the latter that speaks loudest,” Dracchus said. “What you started spiraled out of control and became something you did not intend. I understand that. I have swum those waters myself. But when it came down to action, what did you do?”

  “You stood with us,” Jax said. “You risked yourself to come back and warn us, and then stood with us when you were given a chance to save your life.”

  Randall cleared his throat. “We won’t forget that. If you hadn’t have come back that night, things would’ve gone a lot different than they did.”

  “Your earlier actions were made in fear, and I cannot fault you for that,” Dracchus continued. “You realized you were wrong, and you changed your course. I have been wrong, too. I should have made it clear to you that you are welcome wherever there are kraken. If you cannot feel at home in the Facility, I should have made you feel at home here.”

  “I should have, also,” Jax said. Something in his tone called Kronus’s attention to him; the gray kraken wore a troubled frown, and his brow was creased. “I should have made an effort. I’ve learned at least that much from Macy.”

  “I, uh…I think I’ve already made my stance clear,” said Randall. “You’re not easy to get along with, Kronus, but whatever issues we had with each other are dead and buried by now. Shit happens. Just have to learn to move on.”

  Kronus’s chest constricted, and his throat burned. What was this? He’d come to help Eva, not to see that old conflicts were resolved. This was unnecessary, unbidden, unexpected…and it was overwhelming.

  “You waited two years to tell me this and yet called me an asshole?” he said.

  Randall’s brows rose, and an instant later he burst into laughter. Jax grinned widely, and even Dracchus, whose mouth seemed locked in a permanent frown, smiled.

  Jax and Randall came a little closer as Dracchus moved aside, forming a loose ring with Kronus. There was something casual about it, something…friendly.

  “Have you mated with Eva yet?” Randall asked.

  Kronus narrowed his eyes at the human. “I do not see how that is any of your concern.”

  Randall raised his hands, palms displayed in surrender. “I just thought you came here for some advice, but if you don’t need it…”

  “What are you on about, human?” Kronus demanded. “Your females are not that different from kraken.”

  Dracchus and Jax shared a look, the meaning of which Kronus could not decipher.

  “Are they?” Kronus asked.

  Grin lingering, Randall cleared his throat. “We could just let him find out for himself.”

  “That may be best.” Jax glanced over his shoulder toward his den. “For us, at any rate.”

  Dracchus nodded with a grunt.

  Kronus scowled. “All three of you are assholes.”

  “Yeah,” Randall said with a chuckle. “Guess we may as well start a club.”

  Kronus tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s a figure of speech,” Randall said as all three kraken looked at him questioningly. “You know, because we’re all— You know what, never mind. It’s not funny when I have to explain everything.”

  “So speak plainly, human,” Dracchus grumbled.

  “What were you going to say about human females?” Kronus asked.

  Randall sighed. He also glanced toward Jax’s den before shifting his gaze to his own home, which was the next down.

  What was this hesitancy? Were they afraid of their females for some reason?

  Was there some secret they were not meant to share?

  Randall leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Human women have something called a clitoris.” He raised a hand with two fingers pointed down, like a triangle missing its bottom. “This is their…” His cheeks reddened just slightly as his eyes flicked toward the houses again. “You know.”

  “Their slit,” Kronus said.

  “Yeah. Right. That’s as good a word as any.”

  “It is the word, is it not?”

  “There are many,” Jax said.

  “Humans have more words for that than pretty much anything else,” Randall said.

  “There are many words for cock as well,” Dracchus replied. “More, it seems.”

  Randall lowered his brows. “Guys, we’re getting sidetracked here. Focus, Kronus, because I’m only saying this once.” He lifted his other hand and pointed to the point between his two fingers. “Right there, human women have a little nub called a clitoris. You’ll want to pay extra special attention to it.”

  “But not all at once,” Jax said. “You have to build to it.”

  “Build?” Kronus shook his head. What good were answers that only raised more questions?

  “It’s really sensitive, so you have to start off easy most of the time.” Randall was speaking faster and faster, eyes shifting to Jax’s den repeatedly. “You can use your fingers — just watch those claws — or your tongue, or whatever, okay?”

  Kronus’s brow rose. “Tongue?”<
br />
  “You just give it some attention…”

  “The tongue works very well,” Dracchus said. “And the taste…” He growled low in his chest and turned his head as though searching, but unlike Jax and Randall’s, there was only eagerness on Dracchus’s face.

  The thought of using his tongue was intriguing; though he’d mated with several kraken females, they’d never used their mouths on one another. He knew humans were fond of kissing, but he’d only seen them do so lips-to-lips — or to other spots on their heads.

  “I am not sure I understand all this,” Kronus said.

  “You will,” Jax said.

  “It’s not complicated,” Randall added. “You’ll be fine, and it will make her very happy.”

  “But—”

  A series of excited chirrups from Ikaros called everyone’s attention toward the prixxir. Eros and Jace chased after the animal as it darted toward a trio of approaching females — Rhea, her daughter Melaina, and Larkin, who was both Dracchus’s mate and Randall’s sister.

  “Ikaros!” Melaina shouted, her tentacles lashing over the grass in her rush to meet the prixxir.

  “Melaina’s here!” yelled Sarina, who bolted out of the house and across the grass like a silver darter. Macy stepped outside behind her, smiling as she looked toward the other females.

  Larkin grinned at Dracchus and ran toward him, crossing the distance swiftly. She leapt at her mate, and he caught her with a growl, slamming his mouth against hers. Kronus watched as Dracchus carried Larkin toward their dwelling.

  Larkin tore her mouth away from Dracchus’s. “Wait! Wait!”

  Dracchus growled again and halted. “I’ve waited long enough, huntress.”

  “My, you’re frisky. Wonder what got into you.” Larkin grinned.

  “I am more interested in what is about to get into you, female.”

  “Oh my God,” Macy said, cheeks flaming. “Dracchus! What did I say about talking that way in front of the kids?”

  Dracchus’s eyes narrowed under his falling brow. “Why must we delay?” he asked Larkin.

  “Rhea has something amazing to tell everyone,” Larkin said, her grin broadening.

  Kronus swung his gaze to Rhea, who had taken a place beside her mate. Randall had his arm around her shoulders, and she had hers around his middle.