Page 39 of Taming the Kraken

Alexa felt him wrap his arms around her, pulling her deeper into his chest. “What are you doing out here? I was searching for you and couldn’t find you.” Ken then lifted his gaze up at the dragon and bear. “What is she doing out here?!” he growled. “What are you doing? Why didn’t you shift? Why is your magic so weak? What the hell happened?!”

Ken looked down at Alexa and smoothed his thumb over her cheek. Then his eyes landed on her neck and the fresh mark on her skin. His fingers trembled slightly, and he closed his eyes. He moved his head downward and rested his head against her forehead.

Alexa felt everything shift around her, and the air changed. She stepped back in shock and looked around at the room she was now in. It was a log cabin with wooden floors. There were glowing crystals in every corner and in the center, floor, and ceiling. She looked back at Ken in confusion.

“This is where I stay. It keeps me hidden and can keep you hidden too.” Ken sighed and stepped forward, back into her. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I’m sorry I stayed away. I’m sorry about everything. We have a lot to talk about. I know you had to do what was necessary.” He cupped her cheeks and gazed into her eyes. “I’ll wait. I’ll do whatever you want. I don’t care if I have to wait because it’s you. Always you.”

Alexa felt his hand slide down from her cheek and trace over the mark on her neck.

“It’s only you for me.” She reached her hand up, brushing her fingers over his cheek. Her body was tingling with little surges of electric sparks. His touch felt amazing. Touching him was incredible. “I only did what I had to do to keep my family safe. And I will continue to pretend to be Brian’s mate until Erebus is taken care of. But after that, I’m all yours.”

She raised her hand and rested it over Ken’s. “Ken, this mark isn’t real. It’s not a mating mark but a freezer burn.” She smiled and bit her bottom lip. “It was the best we could come up with at the last minute. But it was the grossest moment of my life. I don’t want anyone else’s touch but yours.”

“You … this isn’t his mark.” Ken moved his hand to study the mark. “Very clever. I wouldn’t have known.” A sly grin spread across his face. “You are incredible.”

His green eyes grew darker as he stared into her blue pooling eyes. His eyes traveled down to her lips. He leaned down, slowly drawing closer to her face. But it was Alexa who wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face into hers with force. Their lips crashed together, and she shocked him by slipping her tongue into his mouth.

This was her first kiss. She didn’t know what she was doing, but he soon took over. Their tongues massaged against the other, sending fiery sparks through their bodies. His arms wandered over her sides and gripped her bottom, pulling her closer. Her fingers were now entangled in his hair as she tried to hold him captive, his fingers digging into her.

She finally pulled back from the euphoric taste of his lips and stared up at him beneath her lashes. “I shouldn’t have had to wait so long for that,” she said, playfully scolding him.

He chuckled and nodded his head. “I’ll spend eternity making it up to you. I promise. And later …” He lightly brushed over her neck with his finger. “Later, I’ll purge this area completely.”

Scarlett seized her cheeks, and she moved her hand to touch her necklace. “This was a nice start.” She watched as a slight shade of pink crept over his cheeks. It was adorable watching her powerful Kraken blushing. “And I appreciate the shirt but would really prefer you.”

He groaned and leaned his head down onto hers. “If you only knew … if you could only feel this feeling inside me. Just being near you gives me a happiness I feel like I shouldn’t have. And …” He shook his head. “We can talk about all this later. Lex, what were you doing out there? The wrathens are a vicious creature. An undead demon.” He shook his head. “My love, what are you doing outside the kingdom and away from your father?”

Hearing him call her my love made her stomach flip in excitement. There was so much she wanted to share with him. But there were always pressing issues to deal with.

“Yeah, about that. I’m looking for a crystal dragon to help remove a curse. I guess while you gave me a necklace to show your love, Erebus gave me a curse to show his.” Alexa felt his fingers trembling on her shoulders.

“He cursed you?!”

She watched his jaw clench as his chest rose and fell in rapid motions. She thought he was about to explode in anger. Instead, he pulled her closer and tucked his head into her neck.

“I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I knew he would go after you. It’s my fault for getting you involved in all of this.”

“Ken! That’s the type of attitude that got us in this situation. We’re supposed to be a team. You should never have stayed away from me. We shouldn’t have had to be apart all this time. But this isn’t your fault. This is Erebus’ fault.”

A faint smile spread across his lips as he leaned closer. His nose brushed against hers as he breathed in her breath. “Lex …” He smiled against her lips and pressed into them gently. “It’s been torture being apart from you.” He kissed the corner of her mouth and inhaled her scent.

“Where is the crystal dragon located?” he whispered against her cheek.

“I don’t know. She came to me in a dream and said I would be able to find her. And I can feel something pulling to lead me to her. But when she came to my dream, it exhausted my wolf and dragon. I guess it did the same to my fairy magic.”

“Dream jumping is dangerous. It drains a lot of energy, especially when using magic in that state. That explains why you didn’t shift back there. Well, that’s settled.” Ken straightened up and walked over to a desk in the room.

“What’s settled?” Alexa watched him grab a bag and stuff items in it.

He chuckled. “I’m coming with you. I just need to get a couple of things.” He turned and smiled at her. His eyes traveled over her body, and he glanced over at the bed, letting out a sigh. Now wasn’t the time. It all had to be perfect. He wanted to talk to her first. He wanted her to know exactly what he was. Just like the aqua lizard, he also took another form, one more monstrous and terrifying. It was a part of himself that he couldn’t escape. The other deities feared this grotesque form of his, and he was afraid that after seeing it, she would fear him as well.

“What does that do?” Alexa looked at an amber gem as he tucked under his shirt.

“It’s just some extra insurance. It will only work for a couple of days, but it will allow me to put on a disguise. I can make myself appear differently for those I don’t want to see me. It has limited uses, so I’ve been saving it.” He walked up to Alexa. “I’m going to protect you.”

“I don’t want you to protect me. I just want you with me.”

A warm smile spread over his face. He placed his hands on her waist, enjoying the tingling eruptions at his fingertips. “How about both?”