Page 50 of Taming the Kraken

“Lex, can you hear me? I’m right here. You’re safe and in my arms.” Ken cooed and kissed the tears that fell from her eyes.

The red eye came closer as he made his way toward the dying man. Alexa could almost see the man’s face as his sinister laugh filled the air. Her heart was breaking for the man who was dying on the ground.

“It’s time for a new order.” The cruel man with the red eye grinned down at the fading man. Alexa watched as he bent over and reached out to grip the dying man’s neck, squeezing it.

SNAP

Alexa gasped and panted heavily as her sight came back into focus. Her shoulders heaved as tears streamed down her face.

“Lex, baby, I’m here. You’re okay.”

No. She wasn’t okay. What she had just witnessed … She shook her head as she struggled to breathe. The flashbacks of the premonition flickered through her mind. The eyes of the lifeless children, the defenseless people that were brutally ripped apart, and the sinister red eye of the man behind it all. Was this the inevitable future? Could they not prevent this from happening?

“I’m okay.” Alexa wiped her eyes and stepped away from Ken. She didn’t want to cry. She could handle this on her own. She wasn’t a crybaby. She wasn’t a weak, sobbing little girl. She needed to get ahold of herself. She took a few steps away from everyone as she tried to stop the uncontrollable shaking.

Alexa felt Ken’s heat behind her. He gently spun her back around to face him, his green eyes meeting hers as his hand slid around her back.

She tried to control her emotions and reel them back in, but she couldn’t. The emotional vision was traumatizing. She leaned her head into Ken’s chest as a soft sob escaped from her throat. Her fingers curled into his shirt as his strong, protective arms held her tight, pulling her the rest of the way in.

Alexa was given a premonition, yet she had no idea how to fix it or how far into the future it would take place. Premonitions sucked. Why give her a vision like that? How was she supposed to change that future? Or was this the future Selene was working on behind the scenes?

Selene saw premonitions like this all the time. Terrifying futures that she was constantly trying to stop from happening. Plus, her visions were much more vivid and in-depth. Alexa had a newfound respect for the Moon Goddess because of this. She couldn’t imagine the burden of having this weight on her shoulders all the time.

Alexa had only had one premonition. But what it had done to her just now … it must be harder on Selene. Selene has the power to stop these futures but couldn’t because of the repercussions. Instead, she manipulated the events and people in order to try to change the future.

There wasn’t anything Alexa could do about this future, but maybe that wasn’t the point. With this knowledge, she understood Selene better now. The fact that strong mates were being pulled together wasn’t just a coincidence. These mate bonds were being strategically created. And maybe this was the future Selene was desperately working on behind the scenes.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Ken looked down at his mate, crying quietly in his arms. She was shivering, and she looked broken. Damn fairies and their premonitions. He wanted to rip the fairy right out of her, to take that piece of her away. With her body flush against his, he ran a soothing hand through her hair. He looked up at everyone, who was anxiously watching Alexa. They wanted to know what she’d seen. Behind them, Shiva stood watching over Bella, who was keeping Mikah calm.

Alexa didn’t need to play twenty questions right now.

Mikah, I’m signing her out on the sign-out sheet. I’m going to help her. Do you want to head back to the dragon kingdom?

No, I’m not going anywhere without her. Mikah met ‌Ken’s gaze. His eyes flickered slightly but instantly returned ‌to normal, thanks to Bella’s calming touch. His eyes rested on Alexa as his lips curled down. Please … help her.

Ken nodded his head at Mikah and curled his arms around Alexa tightly as he took her away from everyone.

Alexa felt the air change around her, and then she was hoisted up in her mate’s arms. She opened her eyes as he carried her to a chair in the familiar log cabin she’d visited before. He sat down, keeping her connected to him. He held her head against his chest as his other hand rubbed her thigh in a soft caress.

She remembered the way her mother’s touch could calm her father no matter what he was feeling. Now she understood it. When she was cocooned in Ken’s arms, there was no evil in the world. As if this was the real world. She lived on Planet Ken, where it was warm, safe, and she was loved.

She curled into him and breathed in his amazing scent. He just quietly held her, rubbing her in soothing motions. He didn’t talk or try to make her speak. It was as if he knew exactly what she needed. Maybe he did. They were soulmates after all. And after they marked each other, they should be able to know each other’s feelings and thoughts clearly.

“Ken …” she whispered. He dipped his head, his nose nestling in her hair. She felt his lips lightly brushing against her.

“I’m here, my love.”

“I’ve never … I’ve never felt that afraid before. It was horrible.” She felt his hand run through her hair, his cheek resting on her head. His touch sent light, sweet tingles over her body.

“I’ll never let anything happen to you. There’s nothing you need to be afraid of.”

Alexa trailed her finger absentmindedly over his chest as her mind wandered over what she’d seen. That future was frightening. This is something that would never happen with her father around, and now Ken. Unless they couldn’t fight in it. Was the lycan she saw a member of her family? And were the sword wielders like Raine, Justice, and Destiny? She had so many questions, but there were no answers.

“There is a terrifying future. It was awful. A village was massacred by creatures I’ve never seen before. And there was this man with a red, glowing eye …” Alexa let out a shuddering breath. “What happened to the world? It looked completely different. And⁠—”

“Shhh. Lex, this isn’t your burden.”