“Oh! Kronus!” Eva panted, her hips undulating against his mouth. “I’m going to come.”
He had already known she was close by the quivering of her thighs and how readily her sex gifted him with her sweetness. Wishing to hear more of her screams, he latched onto her clit and growled, sucking it into his mouth to lash it with his tongue.
She tensed, her thighs squeezing against his hold, and her heels digging into his back. Her blunt claws scratched his shoulder as she bowed over him with a choked cry. She shuddered around him and came, her cries filling the room, her essence filling his mouth. And he drank it all, ravenous for more. He did not cease the motion of his lips and tongue; instead, he eased them, allowing her to settle, leisurely lapping at her.
Eva hummed, slowly rocking her sex against his mouth as she petted his shoulder and brushed her lips across the top of his head.
“Come inside me, Kronus,” she beckoned. She leaned back on the table and spread her thighs wider. “I need to feel you inside me.”
Kronus flicked the tip of his tongue against her sensitive clit once more, eliciting a sharp gasp and a twitch from Eva before rising. His palms smoothed up her thighs and hips, moving possessively over her softly rounded stomach and the youngling growing within. A fierce wave of protectiveness swept through him.
This was his family. His mate and youngling, and he would tear anyone to shreds if they tried to take them from him.
Mine.
He reached down with one hand and gripped his cock, positioning its head at her entrance.
Mine.
His eyes flicked up and locked with Eva’s. Hers were dark, sultry, filled with desire and love.
Mine.
Dropping his hands to her hips, Kronus yanked her to the very edge of the table and thrust into her, burying himself as deep as he possibly could.
“You are mine!” he roared. Gritting and baring his teeth, Kronus pumped into his mate ruthlessly, needing to feel her, to possess her, to stake his claim on every part of her being. His tentacles coiled around her legs, holding her in place while his suction cups kissed her flesh.
Eva panted, her breathy sounds growing higher in pitch with each thrust; he underscored them with his own ragged grunts, his mind clouded in a haze of pleasure through which he was aware only of her, of her body, of the way they fit together and the slide of their flesh. She was hot and tight, taking him in readily. His tendrils reached for her, desperate for her feel and taste, stroking her incessantly.
Eva crossed one of her arms over her chest and palmed her breast through her shirt, biting her lower lip to quiet her cries.
“Come for me, Eva,” Kronus demanded, quickening his pace. He reached forward, cupped the back of her head with one hand, and pulled her face closer to his, staring into her eyes. “Let me hear you.”
Her inner walls clamped around him, drawing him in deeper as liquid heat flowed from her. She cried out as he’d commanded, announcing her pleasure to him, to the room, to anyone and anything within earshot. But her sounds were just for him; he lowered his mouth over hers, muffling her cry, drinking in her breath as though taking in a piece of her for himself.
The pressure inside him soared to new, agonizing heights, threatening to tear him apart. His hands fell to the table, claws gouging into the wood. He pushed himself into her as deep as she could take him, and his seed burst from him in scorching spurts. He growled against her lips as the intensity of his release blasted pleasure through him.
Kronus wrapped his tentacles around her, holding her close as their continued connection prolonged their shuddering, blissful releases.
Breath ragged, Eva pressed her forehead to his and ran her hands up and down his back.
“I love you so much,” she rasped.
“And I you,” he replied.
Eva chuckled. “But really, we’re going to be late.”
Kronus buried his face against her neck, curling his fingers around her backside. “They can wait. I am not yet sated.”
Her breathy moans were all Kronus needed to hear as he ground his cock inside her.
Eva, Aymee, Macy, and Rhea all laughed as they watched Kronus stare down at Jace, who had moved beside him. The young boy crossed his arms, squared his shoulders, and pressed his lips into a tight line. Once he lowered his brows, the transformation was complete — he was a miniature version of Kronus, blue-gray rather than ochre.
“Why are the kids so drawn to the grumpy ones?” Aymee asked.
“Dracchus is anything but grumpy around them,” Larkin replied, snickering. “Oh, Jace has that scowl down pat!”
“It might have something to do with the toys Kronus has been giving them,” Macy said. “Sarina adores the krull he made.”
Rhea nodded. “Melaina was happy to receive the carving of Ikaros.”
“Look at the way Jace is watching Sarina now,” Larkin said.
Aymee and Macy groaned.
“What?” Larkin continued. “I think it’s sweet!”
“They’re too young!” Macy and Aymee replied in unison.
Eva grinned. She had to agree with Larkin. It was adorable how protective Jace was of Sarina. Whenever she was upset, he was the first one there, willing to do anything it took to make her smile again and glaring menacingly at anything or anyone responsible for hurting her.
It reminded her of Kronus.
She looked up to find Kronus’s eyes on her. Her grin softened, her cheeks warmed, and her heart fluttered. His golden gaze was hot and possessive as it trailed over her, reminding her of what they’d done before coming to Macy’s for the picnic. A lingering, phantom sensation of him, thick and hard, pulsed between her legs. Despite their recent couplings, she wanted him again and knew she always would.
Dracchus said something to Kronus, calling his attention away from her. Arkon, Randall, Jax, and Ikaros entertained the other children nearby. Delighted shrieks and laughter filled the air. Jax flopped to the sand, tentacles writhing as Eros pounced on him, growling ferociously. The larger kraken suddenly went limp, and Eros thrusts his arms victoriously into the air.
It was strange that only three months ago Eva had been ready to end her life. That she’d fallen so far it had been too painful to consider facing even one more day. That she’d lost everything.
But she’d gained so much since then.
Her hand fell to her rounded stomach, and her smile widened as she felt her baby moving within her, gently pressing against her palm.
She’d been gifted with a mate who selflessly remained by her side, who fought both for her and alongside her, who loved her as she was — no matter what she saw when she looked at herself. And now, they were having a baby. She couldn’t be happier.
She felt like she belonged.
These women had opened their arms to Eva without question and had become her closest friends. She missed Addison, Hailey, and Samuel, and always would, but Aymee, Macy, Rhea, and Larkin had helped fill that void.
Blake still crossed her mind from time to time. Aymee said her father, Doctor Rhodes, spoke with Blake nearly every day to help him work through his issues. He seemed to be making progress, but he had a long road ahead of him. Though Eva was saddened by everything that had happened and wished she could help him, she hadn’t visited. She had a feeling her presence would do more harm than good until he was…stable.
“Are you going to tell him?” Macy asked.
Eva turned her head. Macy was looking at Rhea, who in turn was staring at Vasil. He was next to a few of the other kraken, silently watching Melaina as she chased Ikaros.
“I think he already knows,” Rhea replied.
“Does Melaina know?” Aymee asked.
“She suspects.” The female kraken’s tentacles curled, and she frowned. “I have been waiting for him to approach, to ask, but he has not.”
“He will,” Macy said, “when he is ready.”
“Mommy!” Sarina called, racing toward Macy. “Can we eat? I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry,” Macy said, laughing. “You need to stop growing so fast!”
Larkin cupped her hands around her mouth. “Okay everyone! Let’s eat!”
The children cheered in excitement, and Eva waited until the crowd had passed before searching out Kronus. Her gaze found his, and once again, her heart sped up as she beheld her male. She moved toward him, and he opened his arms to her. She stepped into them without hesitation, brushing her lips against his.
“I find myself hungry for something a little more…particular,” Eva purred, slipping a hand between their bodies. She ran a finger teasingly along his slit.
With a soft groan, he caught her wrist and glanced toward the others over his shoulder. One of his tentacles slipped under her skirt to caress her ankle. “I have had my fill of socializing,” he said before returning his gaze to her. “But you need to eat. For you and our youngling.”
“I trust my male will feed me well,” Eva said, grinning, “after.”
“Eva?” Aymee called. “You guys coming?”
Kronus scowled, and before Eva could react, he stooped down and swept her into his arms, lifting her off her feet. She laughed, looping her arm over his shoulder and around his neck as he turned and started toward their house.
“Tired of sharing you,” he muttered.
“We’ll be back!” Eva yelled with a grin.
“For real?” Larkin shouted at them. “We’re at a picnic!”
“Oh, don’t act like you and Dracchus never sneak off,” Macy said, laughing.
Eva chuckled and turned her face to Kronus. She traced a finger over his bottom lip, struck again by a wave of contentment.
“Thank you for dragging me up from the darkness,” she said.
He paused, leaning toward her to press his lips to hers. “Thank you for guiding me home.”
Epilogue
Vasil eased back against the driftwood log and watched as Randall sipped at his drink.
“You sure you don’t want any?” Randall asked, raising the mug toward Vasil. It was not the first time he’d asked and wasn’t likely to be the last, but he was never pushy, never forceful.
Vasil shook his head, and Randall withdrew the offered mug. The kraken shifted his gaze, sweeping it across the softly crackling fire, past the pale sand, and to the dark ocean waters. The sea’s surface sparkled with the reflections of countless stars in the night sky overhead, reminding Vasil of the tiny, glowing orbs of halorium which sometimes rode the underwater currents. The waves rolled in one after another, their angry foam diminishing on the sand until they had no choice but to retreat and allow their fellows to continue the unrelenting assault.
Everyone else had already gone home, some carrying tired younglings; a long afternoon playing on the beach had worn out the little ones and their parents alike. Those who’d lingered after sunset had been males. Jax, Arkon, and Dracchus had eventually returned to their mates. Kronus, surprisingly, had remained a bit longer, seeming to enjoy the quiet, but he’d finally gone back to his Eva.
Why had Vasil stayed behind? Though he enjoyed company, he’d never been much of a talker. What did he have to gain here? Tomorrow would be another early morning at the docks. He needed rest.
He moved his gaze back to Randall.
Vasil knew why he’d lingered. Did Randall have a sense of it, too? Was that why he’d hung around while most everyone else left, sipping his drink as though he’d intended it to last until dawn? For a long while, Vasil had harbored suspicions, had observed things that made him wonder, but he’d never spoken any of it aloud. That wasn’t the kraken way, which had suited him well enough in the past.
Yet all that had changed; he’d watched kraken society alter and shift over the last few years. The only thing that had kept him quiet was his desire not to cause trouble.
“Vasil, listen,” Randall said, frowning down at his cup. “Rhea and I had something we wanted to talk to you about…”
Brow furrowed, Vasil tilted his head. “Was it that Melaina is my offspring?” he asked.
Randall’s features slackened with surprise. After a few moments, he shook his head and seemed to regain his composure. “So, you do know.”
“I was not certain of it…but it feels true.”
“Why didn’t you ask about it sooner? Rhea would have told you.”
Vasil dropped his gaze to the flames dancing upon the sand. “What time I had with Rhea was enjoyable, but it was fleeting. It does not compare to what you share with her. Kraken males rarely know the children we sire. It is — was — not our way. I did not want to disrupt what you had.”
“That’s your daughter, man,” Randall said. “That means something, doesn’t it?”
“It means more with each day I spend here.” Vasil’s tentacles swept restlessly across the sand. “She is clever, and capable, and curious, and she may well be the one to tear down many of the traditions regarding our females. I am proud of her, but…”
“But what? She’s amazing, and you’re her father.”
“She is amazing. But I am merely her sire. You are her father.” Though he felt the truth of those words in his hearts, though he’d acknowledged them since his earliest suspicions of Melaina’s parentage, they stung to a surprising degree when spoken out loud.
“Krullshit,” Randall spat. He shifted his position, leaning on his right hip to jab a finger toward Vasil. “You are a good man. Or…a good kraken… You know what I mean. And you’re just as much a father to her as I am.”
Closing his eyes, Vasil attempted to sweep away the emotions sparked by Randall’s words. “Does she know?”
“I don’t think so, but she definitely has her own ideas. Before long… Well, I have a feeling she’s going to want to know without a doubt, and once she finds out, she’s going to come to you.”
Vasil opened his eyes and nodded, casting a glance toward the sea; the tide was noticeably higher. It would likely cover their fire before dawn.
“It’s not too late to be part of her life, Vasil,” Randall said gently. He tilted his head back and drained the remaining liquid from his mug. “It’d do both of you some good.”
As Randall was climbing to his feet, he paused to settle a hand on Vasil’s shoulder. “Think about it, and if you want to… Let us know. We’d like you to be there when — if — we tell her.”
For a few moments, Vasil held Randall’s gaze, and he was awed by the compassion and understanding within the human’s eyes. Such qualities might once have been considered a weakness in a male by kraken standards, but Vasil knew now that they were signs of deep strength and courage.
He nodded. “I will consider it, Randall.”
Smiling softly, Randall stood up and removed his hand. “Night, Vasil.”
“Good night.”
Vasil did not watch Randall leave; his eyes were transfixed on the fire. Like the sea, it was in constant motion, but there was an immediacy to fire, a hunger it made no attempt to hide. The flames held their own mysteries, but they were not nearly as deep or dark as those of the sea. For a long while, he contemplated the nature of fire and water, wondering if they held significance beyond the obvious. If they did, he could not determine what it was.
He shook himself, willing those thoughts away. The tide was closer still; he’d lost himself for longer than he’d realized. He was in a strange mood tonight, uncertain of how to approach the situation regarding Melaina. Which was the correct course? Which course did he want to take?
There could be no denying that he wanted what he saw all around him here in The Watch — a family. To pass his knowledge on to younglings of his own, to see them grow and develop. He’d missed so much of that with Melaina already…knowing she was his youngling now, with no remaining doubt, could he really allow himself to miss any more?
Something flared overhead. Vasil started and swung his gaze skyward. A strange, distant boom echoed through the heavens, too succinct to be thunder. Vasil twisted to look behind him and stilled.
A streak of fire and smoke was bisecting the night sky, heading straight toward him. The object, obscured by its trail, hurtled past directly above his head, casting an orange glow across the beach. Vasil spun around to follow the thing’s movement. An instant later, the sound of its passage — a roar of sizzling wind — blasted over Vasil, fading as quickly as it had arisen. He clawed himself upright and scrambled toward the water as though he could hope to match the object’s speed.
The reflection of the object’s fiery tail shimmered on the rolling waves. Whatever the thing was, it continued over the sea, threatening to overtake the horizon. Vasil stared after it, water splashing around his tentacles.
What was it? What was happening?
A bright, blue light flashed from far out over the water. Vasil raised a hand and narrowed his eyes to slits to shield against the light’s intensity. A blue ring burst out from the center, dissipating the trail of fire and smoke. Something distant glimmered for an instant — it reminded him of moonlight bouncing off glass or polished metal. The object, made tiny by distance, vanished somewhere beyond the horizon.
From the moment the object had first lit up the sky until now, only a few heartbeats could have passed. Vasil remained in place, panting to catch his breath. The tightness in his chest only seemed to amplify the echoes of his pounding hearts. He flicked his gaze up again. The smoke, dark gray but highlighted by silver in the moonlight, was gradually fading from the land-side outward.
He did not know a number high enough to count how many questions churned through his mind in those moments; they were too numerous to even distinguish one from another. The situation was mysterious, likely dangerous, and yet…
Curiosity, tempered by an oddly powerful sense of urgency, coaxed him deeper into the water.
Something had fallen from the sky, just as the humans had generations ago. If humans had come from somewhere in the stars, and they’d proven in large part to be decent, could this also be something good?
Rising from the Depths Page 22
