Page 37 of Treasure of the Abyss

Slipping two tentacles around Macy, he drew her closer, welcomed her heat, her pain, her vulnerability. If he knew how, he would have taken her suffering away. Would have welcomed it into himself to spareher.

Her cries gradually quieted, leaving only occasional, shuddering intakes of breath. Jax waited for her to pull away once she realized they were holding eachother.

She brushed her palm over the back of his head and down his neck before moving it back up again. It was a soothing, intimate caress, and despite the circumstances, it heated his blood. He tightened hisembrace.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her breath warm on hisskin.

“For what?” He lightly ran the tip of a tentacle over herback.

She buried her face against his neck. “After Sarina’s death, no one wanted to talk about it — abouther. It hurt too much for everyone. Whenever I was in town, I felt everyone’s pitying stares on me…even my dad looked at me that way. My mother was the only one to voice it, though. She blamed me. I know…I know she didn’t mean to, but it was there, even as years passed. She never forgave me.” Her hand cupped the back of his head. “I think I just really needed to hear what yousaid.”

“Perhaps it is with humans as it is with kraken — we cannot control how others think or feel. All that matters, Macy, is that you forgiveyourself.”

“I know.” Macy inhaled deeply and sighed, lifting her head to look up at him. Her eyes were red, the flesh around them irritated and puffy, and her cheeks were pink. But shesmiled.

She wasbeautiful.

Macy leaned forward and pressed her lips to Jax’s cheek. Their lingering touch sent jolts of pleasure across his face, running just below the surface of hisskin.

When she finally pulled away, he raised a hand and pressed his fingertips to the spot she’d touched with her lips. The slowly fading sensation pulsedoutward.

“What was that?” heasked.

“What I justdid?”

Jaxnodded.

She smiled, and this time, it lit up her eyes. “You’ve never beenkissed?”

“Kissed. I have known nothing likeit.”

“The kraken don’tkiss?”

“We do not. Do your people do itoften?”

Her skin brightened, and she averted her gaze. “Yes. There are…many ways to kiss. It’s a way to showaffection.”

Possibilities raced through Jax’s mind, but he couldn’t make sense of his thoughts. The feel of it had been so overwhelming, soamazing, despite its simplicity, that he couldn’t imagine why humans would spend their time doing anythingelse.

He wanted to experience it again andagain.

Allowing himself no hesitation, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek. Her scent enveloped him, and he tasted a hint of hersweetness.

Macy laughed, leaned back in his arms, and rested her hands on his shoulders. Their gazes met, and he saw his desires reflected in hereyes.

“We should eat,” she said, glancing at the hard-shells. “I never said thank you for gettingthose.”

As quickly as it had come, the moment ended. It was for the best; who was to say their bodies were evencompatible?

But it would be pleasurable to determine if they are,regardless.

He released her reluctantly and followed her to the waiting food. “You’ve already spoiled themeat.”

“You say that about everything I cook, but you enjoy it anyway.” She smirked, retrieved her knife, and folded her legs beneath her. Taking a hard-shell into her lap, she wedged the tip of her blade between the shell sections on its underside and pried it open. The meat inside was white andpuffy.

Jax picked up one of the remaining hard-shells and took it apart, using his claws the same way she used her knife. As they were, humans seemed ill-equipped for survival, but their capabilities were immensely enhanced by even the simplesttools.

He hesitated before taking his first bite; the meat was softer and more flavorful than he was used to, though it felt strange on histongue.

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