Page 9 of Craved By the Kraken Warlord

“How old are you?” I ask.

*“Time here is… different.”*

“Try.”

A tentacle flicks. *“I woke with the first ritual. When your kind began the sacrifices.”*

“Centuries,” I murmur. “And you’ve been alone since?”

*“Until now.”*

The fruit turns to ash in my mouth. I set it down. “Why do the rituals wake you?”

*“The magic is old. A pact between my kind and yours.”* His jaw tightens. *“Broken. Forgotten. But the call remains.”*

“So you’re stuck playing guard dog for a bunch of cowards.”

He blinks. *“Guard dog?”*

“Never mind.” I lean back on my palms. The kelp bedding shifts under me, velvety and warm. “What happens if the bond… seals?”

His nostrils flare. *“The heat fades. The tether becomes permanent.”*

“And if it doesn’t?”

*“You die.”* He says it flatly. *“I die. The cycle continues.”*

“Charming.” I dig my nails into the kelp. “So we’re on a deadline.”

He rises abruptly. *“Rest. I will check the perimeter.”*

“Wait.” I stand, too fast. Dizziness swims through me. “You can’t just drop that and leave.”

*“I must.”*

“Why? Because being near me makes you want to jump my bones?”

His tentacles slam against the floor. *“Bones are not involved.”*

“Figure of speech.” I step closer. His bioluminescence brightens, casting my skin in sapphire. “You’re avoiding me.”

*“Yes.”*

“Why?”

*“You know why.”*

The air thickens. My pulse hammers. He’s close enough that I see the faint scar bisecting his left eyebrow, the way his throat bobs when he swallows.

I touch his wrist.

He jerks like I’ve branded him. A guttural growl rips from his chest. The sound shouldn’t be hot. It is.

“Mira.” My name is a warning.

“Va’thar.” A challenge.

His hand engulfs mine. Heat radiates from his skin, sharper than before. The markings along his arms pulse in time with my heartbeat.