Page 47 of Kringle and the Kraken

“Yes, it’s not a complicated process, but it does take time to get used to. You might not be able to make the magic release right away. If that is the case, keep trying. The more time you spend practicing, the easier it will become. Your mother and I had to practice for months before we were able to merge our cells and create you. It gets easier to access the magic the older we get.”

I made an eww face he couldn’t see. I knew it wasn’t technically a sex thing, but thinking about my parents combining their magic still gave me the ick. “Okay, I don’t need to hear any more about that.”

My father laughed. “You say that now, but when you and your Kris are ready to make kraken babies, you’ll be singing a different tune.”

That brought me up short. “Kris and I can make kraken babies? You heard me say he was human, right?”

“I did hear you say that, and yes, you can. Humans have their own magic too. They just have a hard time getting in touch with it since they don’t use it every day to stay in a shifted or partially shifted form that makes it possible to live on land like we do. But with time, your mate will be able to harness his internal energy. Especially since he will be mated to a leviathan.”

“And when we mate, his life force will be tied to mine, right, so I won’t lose him?” Until I asked the question, I didn’t know that had been bothering me.

“Levi, you know the answer to that question. Look at the human and sea monster couples you know here. Yes, your Kris’s lifespan will be tied to yours. You will not have to live withouteach other. When the ley line magic is back in balance, every human in Lifeboat should have a longer lifespan.”

I breathed out a sigh of relief, and the knot in my chest loosened. “Good. Yes, that’s good.”

“For the record, I’m really damn proud of you, son. Lifeboat is lucky to have you.”

The knot that had been in my chest turned into a lump in my throat. “Thanks. Love you, Dad.”

“Love you too, Levi.”

We chatted for a few more minutes, and my dad put my mom on the line to say hello, and I realized how much I missed them and my brother. I would need to make a visit soon. Maybe Kris could come with me.

In the meantime, though, I had a town to save.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

KRIS

“Mom? Dad? Anyone home?”

Levi followed me into my parents’ house. It was Monday evening, and the Santa’s workshop experience had been closed for the day, but I’d still had classes to teach, and Levi had his record shop to run, so we hadn’t been able to make it out to the house to look for the supplies we’d need any earlier.

“Kristopher? We’re in the sun room.”

I started to take off my coat and outerwear, but Levi put a hand on my arm. “Might want to keep the scarf on.”

“What? Why?” But I already knew.

He looked down at his feet. “I may have been a little aggressive with the tentacles Saturday night.”

“Did you give me tentacle hickeys?” I hissed the words, turning to look at my reflection in the decorative mirror by the front door. Pulling my scarf down, I revealed the circular purple marks that did, in fact, look exactly like the suckers on each of Levi’s tentacles. I ran my fingers over the marks, my cock thickening in my pants. I loved the marks he’d left on my skin. I’d been borderline obsessed with them since I saw them the morning after my first tentacle sex experience.

“I’m sorry. I got caught up in the moment, and I didn’t think about it.”

Tucking my scarf up around my neck again, I reached out to grab Levi’s hand and thread our fingers together. “I’m teasing you. I already saw them, and I don’t mind. I like seeing your marks on me.”

“You do?” He looked at me like he was expecting the other shoe to drop, like he was waiting for everything to catch up with me and for me to push him away, but that wasn’t going to happen. I’d had one taste of tentacle sex, and I was already addicted. If Levi wanted out of this relationship, he would need to be the one to end it. As far as I was concerned, he was mine, and there wasn’t anything that was going to change that.

In a move that was arguably way too bold for the front hallway at my parents’ house, I brought his hand down between us and brushed his knuckles over my half-hard cock. “Yeah, I really, really do. In fact, I can’t wait to get all tangled up in you again. Soon.” I pressed a quick kiss to his nose. “Very soon.”

Levi beamed at me, and I tugged him farther into the house.

“Okay, I think I get it now. It’s like a Christmas store threw up in here.” Levi’s head was on a swivel trying to take in all the decor at once.

“It wouldn’t be so bad if this stuff was just up during the holidays, but it never comes down. My mom’s decorating aesthetic is Christmas chaos year-round.”

“You’re kidding.”

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