Page 92 of Treasure of the Abyss

“Human.”

“Yes, but I won’t hurt you. My name is Macy. What’s yourname?”

The kraken child hesitated, glancing over her shoulder nervously. “Melaina.”

“That’s a beautiful name. What brings you here,Melaina?”

“I wascurious.”

“Aboutme?”

Melainanodded.

“What would you like to know?” Macyasked.

The girl moved forward until she was before Macy, raised her hand — her claws were short and dull compared to Jax’s — and touched Macy’shair.

“It’s so soft,” Melainawhispered.

Macy chuckled. She understood the kraken’s fascination with her hair, but Melaina’s innocence leant her curiosity a certaincharm.

The girl lowered her arm. “Is it true you are Jax’smate?”

“Itis.”

“How long will you mate himfor?”

“What?” Macy’s brows lowered. “What do youmean?”

“How long will you be mated toJax?”

“Forever, I suppose. For as long as I live if he’ll haveme.”

Melaina tilted her head. “Even after he gives you ayoungling?”

“A…youngling? You mean a baby? No.” Macy shook her head and smiled. “No, no. I’m human. We can’t have… It doesn’t work like that forus.”

“If you cannot have young, why does he choose to stay withyou?”

Macy inwardly flinched. This was just a child’s curiosity, with no malicious intent. As far as Macy knew, female kraken chose to mate only to produce young and moved to new males frequently. It made sense, given what the computer had said — babies were so rare that the kraken had to join often to sustain their existence as aspecies.

“We just really care for each other,” Macysaid.

Melaina looked at herskeptically.

The idea of choosing a single person to join with for life had been strange even to Jax, and he was one of the most open-minded of his people. Of course it would be difficult for other kraken toimagine.

Macy smiled; she needed to steer their conversation elsewhere. “Would you like to play agame?”

The girl’s face brightened. “Whatgame?”

“It’s one I used to play with my sister. Have you ever played hide-and-seek?”

“What is hide-and-seek? Is it like hunters-hiders?”

“How is thatplayed?”

Melaina’s tentacles twitched and curled in her excitement. “One team is the hunters, and the other team is hiders. The hunters have to find all thehiders.”

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