Slowly, I wake to the light caresses of Kaleb’s fingers on my collarbone, my chest, and my neck. Gods, he feels so good here, wrapped in my arms. This is how life should be. Every morning should be shared with the one you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with.
“Good morning,” I rumble, my voice still rough from sleep.
“Morning.” His finger trails down to my nipple, a gentle fingertip circling it. “I can’t believe they moved.”
I grab his hand and bring his knuckles up to my lips. “What are you talking about?” I chuckle. “What moved?”
“Your tentacles.”
I freeze, heart pounding so hard I’m afraid he’ll feel it.
“I could have sworn the tattoos were on your collarbones the night I met you,” he murmurs sleepily. “Five more minutes, kay?”
Before I can even reply, my mate drifts back to sleep, snoring lightly. My whole body relaxes. I want to tell him that I’m a mer-kraken, especially after he responded so beautifully under my tentacles last night, but I’m still so scared. Gods, why am I scared?
It makes no fucking sense. As a member of the Elite Guard, I’ve experienced some dangerous shit. Seen things others could never imagine, and even faced death several times. But telling my fated I have a few extra appendages? I’m like a quivering little puppy.
Frustrated, I rip the sheets off my body and get out of bed, accidentally tugging some of the blanket off of Kaleb. My mouth falls open at the sight in front of me. Kaleb’s beautiful, wavy blond hair is spread out on his pillow. His plush lips are partedin this sexy way that has my cock jerking to attention. But even more sensual are the tiny little markings my suckers left all over his naked chest and upper body.
“Fucking hell,” I gasp. My inner kraken preens at our claim.We did that to him, our mate.Images from last night slam into my mind’s eye. Kaleb, helpless and bound. Whimpering and begging for more as my tentacles explored every inch of him.
I rush to the bathroom and slam the door closed. Dammit. There is no lock on the doorknob. The mirror shows that my reflection is already transforming. My tattoos, which are usually just black outlines of my tentacles, are shifting and changing colors. The underside, where my suckers are located, turns royal blue, while the rest of my tentacles are ruby red.
The shift is undeniable. It needs to happen.Now. My beast is out of control and wild with lust. I heard this can happen when you are with your fated for the first time, but I never expected to lose control like this. I rip the shower curtain open and turn on the water.
This will have to do.
I step into the large jacuzzi tub and shift. The tentacle tattoos slide down my body toward my hips, like it does with every shift. From there, the tattoos lift off my body until they magically turn into solid flesh tentacles expanding from my hips. Four of the tentacles are long enough to reach the ground and have the ability to hold me up, while the other four are slightly shorter and skinnier, acting more like sensitive arms.
My upper body still looks the same, and my legs are still here as well; nothing has really changed much, other than the large red-and-blue tentacles adding some extra appendages to my appearance.
One tentacle arm reaches for the faucet and turns the knob until the showerhead is spraying hot water on my body. My inner kraken revels in the feel, already missing the salt of the ocean. When I get back to Heart’s Hollow, I’ll have to make sure to have a long swim between the waves.
Is there any possible way Kaleb can accept me like this? Words like ‘monster’ and ‘sea creature’ whirl through my mind. My mother’s words. She was never able to accept me. I was too different from her and her beautiful mer-people. Krakens are meant to be frightening and intimidating, yet she chased after my father, seduced him, and bred him.
Would Kaleb be afraid of me like this? While krakens are terrifying, they’re also majestic creatures. I find it ironic that the night I met Kaleb, he was dressed as a merman. I meant what I said to him, too. He was the prettiest merman I had ever seen.
Fuck…and last night. No merman could ever compare.
Still extremely turned on, I use two of my tentacles to latch onto my sensitive nipples, the way I played with Kaleb’s. I imagine him here with me, in the shower, moaning and begging like he did last night. As the hot water streams down my body, I use my human arms and hands to brace the wall and hold myself up as I close my eyes.
Then I do something I was too scared to do last night. Just under my hard cock is a hidden tentacle. My mating tentacle that uncoils and hardens just like my human dick. Only, instead of a thick mushroom head, it’s shaped like a normal tentacle, red with a royal blue underside.
My suckers expand and suck, wanting to attach to something. What would it feel like for my mating tentacle to slide inside Kaleb’s tight little hole? I could practically hear him moaning; animalistic, desperate sounds as my suckers worked their magic deep inside.
I trail my right hand down my body, stopping when I reach my cock and wrap my fingers around it and my mating tentacle, stroking them together. My nostrils flare, and I swear I can smell my mate now. My dick has never been this hard before. Rivers of precum leak from both of my slits.
I get so lost in my imagination, I can’t tell what’s fake or real now. Somewhere deep down, I know the desperate noises falling from my lips are too loud, but I can’t seem to control myself anymore. Thrusting my hips forward, I begin fucking my hand. “Fucking hell, Kaleb. My mate. You feel so good.”
A gasp sounds next to me, and my eyes fly open. Standing there, his large eyes blown dark with lust, is Kaleb. He’s naked and trembling. He must have opened the curtain when I said his name. Gods, how many times did I say his name?
A dark blush paints his face, and breathing is labored. A pained gasp flies from my chest. He’s scared! My tentacles are scaring him!
“Darius,” he moans. His hand slides across his chest, down his stomach, and then, lower. His hand slowly strokes his cock, and he whimpers. My eyes drop to his thick erection.Wait. Is he…turned on?
“Kaleb?” I turn fully so he can see me. All of me. His gaze lands on my cock and mating tentacle. A desperate keening noise erupts from his throat.
“Fuck, Dare. You’re even better than I ever could have imagined. Can I please join you?”
