Page 43 of Keeper of All

Mao’s eyes widened with shock, coming to a stop. “Did I just hear you right,” he hissed. “Are you telling me they get frisky in their shifted forms.”

Marvin suddenly glanced over his shoulder and called out, “One of the good things about having a mate is you can get frisky whenever you like.”

Groaning, Mao shook his head, following the others. “I’m fairly sure I’m not an exhibitionist,” he whispered to Ekon, who was still chuckling.

“Nobody’s asking you to be.” Ekon slid into the back seat of the SUV—Marvin had opened the door for him. “From what I understand, since they’ve had children, the krakens have become a little more discreet about what they do and where. Having kids apparently will do that to you.”

Thank goodness for that. Mao wasn’t a prude, but the thought of creatures with tentacles, playing with human bits… I am sooo not thinking about that, he decided as he followed Ekon into the car.

When they arrived at the krakens’ home, compound, or whatever else anyone wanted to call it, Mao was surprised by how huge it was.

Mao felt the brush of wards against his skin as the SUV swept into the driveway that curved around to a parking bay in front of a massive house. Marvin was out of the car before the engine had been turned off, bouncing happily. “You have to come see,” he said, reaching in to help Ekon out. “I got a new—”

“In a minute,” Ekon said quickly, holding up his hand. Mao at once went on alert. Ekon’s eyes were glowing, much like that had on the plane, and he seemed to look around as if he’d never been to the place before, even though Mao knew Ekon had been staying there prior to this visit.

“I need to get to Todd,” Ekon said, with a sudden burst of speed, sprinting up the steps where another pair of big men had come out to greet him. “Mao, that’s Alexi, and his mate Danik. Guys, that’s my mate, Mao.”

“Hey.” Mao was sprinting after Ekon. “Babe, what’s going on,” he asked with concern as he caught Ekon easily. “Is Todd—”

“The man who has the records. The man I sent them to—the kraken.” Ekon was pounding up another set of stairs, sounding nothing like himself, and then turned a sharp left down another long hallway. “I must get to Todd. I have to get to those records.”

Where’s he freaking getting the energy from? Mao was keen on a place to wash up, maybe grab some food, or even lie down for five minutes. Yes, Ekon had slept on the plane, but with how Ekon was he’d watched over him.

The glow in Ekon eyes and that strange voice, Mao wasn’t even sure if Ekon was ruling his own body right now, so he stayed close.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ekon

His whole being lit up like a fire torch had been set alight inside him. Ekon felt the surging of renewed energy that sent him in search of Todd. It wasn’t him in the driving seat as he rushed to where he knew without a doubt Todd would be—his computer room.

He burst through the door without ceremony and came to a halt, heart pounding ten to the dozen, making it hard to catch his breath. “Records, my records,” an ethereal voice demanded, “you have them.”

Todd was sitting in front of a large computer screen, the glow illuminating his face as he pushed the dark-rimmed glasses up his nose and stared at Ekon like he’d never seen him before. “Huh?”

The two enormous men sitting on the other side of the table were up and flanking Todd without a word, placing hands onto Todd’s shoulders. Their expressions fierce and mouths were all sharp teeth aimed in Ekon’s direction.

He heard Mao come to a halt behind him, except his focus wasn’t his. It was the fae inside him.

“Ekon… what’s with the glowing-torch look you got going?” Todd questioned, shrugging off his two dragon mates. He gave them a telling look that said he could handle everything. They didn’t move, and he huffed, looking back at Ekon who watched the interaction as though he was flying above rather than in his body.

“You were the ones who took from me,” the ethereal voice insisted. “We need them.”

Mao placed a soothing hand on Ekon’s arm, he could feel it, smell his mate's fear, yet he could do little about it when he was a passenger in his own body. He could not freak out because he was blocked in such a way he had no ability to do anything, except watch.

Lucas and Kijina stared at each other, frowning at the sound of more boots on wood.

Todd stood, and the light of interest increased as he stepped closer, and Ekon saw the moment his kraken spirit rose to meet Ekon’s magic—or whoever’s it was—inside him.

“Okay, what the hell is going on? Todd, do not touch him.” Alexi got in front of Todd, scowling. “Ekon, wanna tell us what the freak show is about?” Alexi demanded, Danik right behind him crowding in with Marvin and Ajani too.

“Hey, I don’t need you defending me,” Todd complained, stepping around Alexi, just as Mao came and tugged Ekon behind him.

Power sparked the air with the magic igniting inside Ekon which decided it wasn’t playing this game. “Move,” the ethereal voice said, its echo boomed off the walls causing everyone to do as he requested then freeze.

Ekon walked to where the computer sat on the desk, aware every pair of eyes were on him as he reached out and touched where he considered the data chips were stored. He felt the jolt like he’d plugged himself into the electrical socket. The dreadful fatigue fading. His hand reached out to Todd and clasped around his wrist, and his entire body zinged with magical energy. It gave him a monumental high. He swayed under the impact, and it released everyone from whatever spell they’d been under.

“What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On,” Alexi enunciated furiously, a threatening storm in his dark eyes ready to lash out. His hands balled at his sides as if readying to punch someone. Or was he restraining his kraken? Ekon had seen those tentacles in action—they weren’t to be trifled with.