Page 80 of The Kraken Games

Kai huffed a sigh. “Luna, stop lying to me. To yourself. You and me… we’ve got something special.”

He was close, his tentacles gathered in such a way that she’d only have to move an inch or two, and she’d be cradled in among them again.

But she shook her head. “It means something, but only for now.” With that she jumped up, shoved on her clothes and started to arrange her little stack of bedding, then curled up on it. Pulled her hoodie over her head.

“So how far do we have to go tomorrow?” she asked brusquely from the confines of her cocoon. Alone,notlonely.

Stiffly, he responded, “A full day of mostly beach, sand and pebbles. Some wading and swimming through pools. We should reach there by dusk.”

“Great. Okay, goodnight Kai.”

For a long moment she thought he was not going to answer, then softly he said, “Goodnight Luna. Sleep well.”

Her body still limp and warm from her orgasms, she longed for his touch, but she couldn’t succumb. It was too dangerous.

Like she’d told him, alone was better. Alone was safe. Except now, like she said, she would have Tomas.

She focused instead on what she would say to her brother when they met. He’d be sixteen now. A teenager. Who would he look like? Her mom or her dad? She screwed up her face trying to remember them, but as always, their images were murky, unclear, just the flash of a smile, the turn of a head, a word or two in a certain intonation. That was all she had to hold onto, like faded snapshots from an old camera, like the photo she had in her locket. The locket she’d brought with her in her pack to give to her brother.

But what if they just didn’t hit it off? Supposing they had nothing to say to each other? Supposing Tomas didn’t want to spend time with her?

Kai was right. She would be alone. So, so alone.

And alone would feel so much worse now that she’d tasted togetherness.

A little sniffle escaped her.

“Luna?” Kai was at her side in a blink.

She peeped out from under her hood. “What if I meet Tomas and he doesn’t like me?” she whimpered before she could stop herself. “Maybe I’m not likable.”

“Oh gods, babe, you are so much more than likable.”

Her lip wobbled dangerously. “I’ll meet him and forget to smile because I can’t show when I’m happy, and then I’ll put him off. And… and he’ll… hate me.”

Kai laughed softly and gathered her against his chest. And she gave in, safe here in his embrace.

“Stop fighting the good, kind person you are inside,” he growled softly in her ear.

“I’m not good. Or kind. You of all people should know that. I’ve been horrible to you. What do you even see in me?”

She tried weakly to push him away, but he held her closer, and eventually she went limp, burying her nose between his pecs, letting herself inhale the salty musky scent of him, the dearness of him, therightnessof him.

“I see a beautiful person, a good,kind, brave person, braver than any I’ve ever met, who when she lets herself smile, lights up my whole world. A person I—” He stopped abruptly, and Luna held her breath, but he just let out a soft hum then said, “Now, beautiful Luna, you’re going to get some sleep. Because we have a long day ahead and you need to be ready to meet your brother at the end of it. And have some energy left to smile.” Shegroaned, and he kissed the tip of her nose. “It will come naturally when you see him. Promise.”

Luna snuggled into Kai’s chest, heard the rhythmic beat of his two hearts, and closed her eyes. She made her lips curl upwards, imagining her smile was reaching to meet the stars.

And just like that, in Kai’s embrace, she fell asleep.

She woke to the warm sun on her skin and a delicious smell tickling her nostrils.

As Luna opened her eyes, her gaze traced curls of smoke rising up against the blue of the sky.. She sat up to see Kai had already lit a fire and was cooking something that smelled utterly amazing. Her mouth watered.

Getting up and pushing off her hood, she wandered over to him, standing cooking by the pile of stones and twigs he’d concocted from the low, dry saltbush. On the flat stone over the flames were thin slices of pearl-colored meat.

“What’s that?”

“Abalone.”

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