Page 55 of The Kraken Games

“I never knew…”

“Makes for feeling twice as much.”

They gazed at each other, and silently he begged for her face to stay gentle and open and vulnerable. But he knew her hard shell would soon return and cover up what they’d shared.

Sure enough, after another moment she pulled away, hopped off the rail and groped for her clothing, and he realized he wasnaked on her balcony. Not that there seemed to be anyone else around. He watched her dress, lithe and muscular. No wonder she gave him a run for his money in the ring. Her bouncy breasts and the swell of her butt were the only softness in all that rippled muscle. He’d never been this attracted to any creature, and she was even more alluring to him now, knowing how compatible they were when they fucked.

My Luna.

She’s not yours. Never will be.

Truth was, Luna was a free spirit. Tonight she’d simply needed the pain in her soul salved, he decided bitterly as she turned to him, her expression unreadable. “I guess you better leave.”

“That’s it?” he said hoarsely.

“Except to remind you I need you to talk to your elders.”

His lips twisted. “So what was this, just now… a bribe fuck?”

“One up on a hate fuck.” She dared to smirk. He grabbed the towel, and as he went to cover himself he saw her eyes rest briefly on his cock, still wet and fluffed up from their intimacy.

Kai stomped off down the corridor, silently cursing under his breath.

Yet again, she’d opened to him, like she was opening the door to her soul, only to slam it shut again. Playing him for the fool he was.

Except… it wasn’t just his insatiable thirst for her—hell, as if that wasn’t enough. No, he needed to solve this puzzle. If his clan had blown up ships after the Treaty—why? And what had happened to her baby brother? Had they… had they drowned him too? An innocent human infant?

The thought made bile rise up his throat. Surely his people would not… When they had lamented the loss of their own younglings just a few short years before, surely they would not cold-bloodedly murder a human baby.

And why had they left Luna floating in the vast ocean, a little kid, alone? Ostensibly to die out there.

He had to get to the bottom of this. He’d seen the picture in her locket now, and that only made him more determined.

He was about to leave the way he’d come, through the bathroom window into deep water, when to his surprise the door opened. Luna stood there, biting her lip. He froze, eyeing her warily, wondering what her game was now. She took a step closer, then another, until she was so close he could feel the brush of her breasts, her nipples hardening against his pecs.

Kai’s skin goose bumped.

“It wasn’t just a bribe,” she said, so quietly he barely caught it. “You reached something inside me no one ever has by letting me win today. And I—I don’t know how to handle that. But please… do what you can.” Her voice held a plaintive edge and without thinking, his arms came up to circle her.

“No, don’t.” She stepped back sharply.

He jolted like he’d been submerged in icy water.

“Touch is—is hard for me,” she said gruffly. “When you’ve had so little of it… apart from… sex… It’s difficult. I do sex, but I don’t do love.”

Both his hearts dropped simultaneously. “Ha, who said anything about love?” He shrugged, but inside he was dying a little. Yeah, he’d toyed with those words in his head. But he needed to accept she couldn’t reciprocate.

Didn’t stop the feelings though.

“So you will help me to speak to your leaders?”

“Yes.” He huffed a sigh. “Truth is, I need to know for myself. I’m not just doing this because you fucked me.”

“Thanks.” She was back by the door now, hugging her arms around herself, rubbing her fingers up and down them, as if for comfort.

He held the towel over his tackle. “So if you don’t mind, I’ll just get dressed.”

“Yeah, sure, no worries,” she said, and walked out.

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