Page 21 of Treasure of the Abyss

He saw no one on his way out. Nonetheless, he kept low and matched his skin to the bottom. That he’d returned so soon would be strange to most kraken; that he’d taken a heat gun would rouse truesuspicion.

Moonlight — silvery and faint —shone through the surface by the time he reached the tunnel entrance. His hearts beat rapidly. He was bringing a weapon into the presence of a human. Perhaps he was as foolish as some of the others thought. Perhaps this would be hisend.

He wanted to trust Macy. Wanted to believe her. But his people had made a point ofremembering; the kraken would never forget the cruelty of humanity. She could guide him as necessary, but he would not allow her near thegun.

The cave was dark save for the weak light cast by the stars directly overhead when he emerged inside. His eyes didn’t adjust until he’d climbed onto the island. He paused midway acrossit.

Macy was curled in her shelter, wrapped in the cloth coverings from his collection. Her breathing was slow and steady; she was fast asleep. She’d stacked the driftwood that had been spread throughout the numerous containers in a pile beside one of thebarrels.

Jax crept closer, lowering himself near to the ground. She seemed so tiny and serene. So distant from the frustration and sorrow she carried while awake. Holding his breath, he reached forward and brushed a strand of hair out of herface.

For all her oddities, she was fiercely alluring; heat stirred in his veins. Females were rare amongst his people — so few remained that the survival of their species depended upon keeping the females safe. Macy wasn’t kraken, but she seemed no lessprecious.

His gaze roamed over her features, and his heartsquickened.

Hewould be the one to protecther.

Chapter 5

Macy openedher eyes before the fog of sleep lifted from her mind. She only vaguely registered the presence of a large, blurred shape ahead. Her vision cleared as she blinked away the grogginess and her eyes adjusted to the dim light. The dark form moved; it seemed to unfold, rising from the water with a series of softsplashes.

Her brain was slow to determine what she wasseeing.

“Are you awake now, Macy?” Jaxasked.

She furrowed her brow; he’d left just before dark. Macy had gathered as much driftwood as she could find in the containers and collected an armful of extra clothing before the light died. She’d draped herself in cloth and sat down under her shelter to await hisreturn…

A wave of dizziness hit her as she lifted her head. She groaned and shut her eyes, dropping her cheek back into the crook of herarm.

“Yes,” she replied, voicemuffled.

There was another splash, followed by the strange slithering sound that meant he was on land, drawing closer toher.

“Do you feelunwell?”

“Hungry and lightheaded, but I’ll be fine.” Macy raised her head again and looked up. The sky was stained with the soft pinks and golds of sunrise. She’d been more tired than she’drealized.

Jax stood a couple of meters away, water running from his gray and black skin to pool on the ground beneath him. Her eyes followed one of the droplets as it rolled down his chest, over the muscle of his abdomen, and past his pelvis, catching the light from different angles as it moved. For the first time, Macy wondered where hisequipmentwas. She’d seen a few younger boys as they ran naked through town on occasion, and had seen Camrin’s once when they’d gone swimming. As they’d grown older, it would sometimes become erect when he was with her — visible despite his pants — and she’d pretend not tonotice.

However minimal, none of that experience helped her imagine what Jax’s might look like, much less where itwas.

When she realized she was staring, her face heated, and she forced her eyes to his. “How long have you beenthere?”

Jax shrugged. He made the gesture with such ease that she was briefly overcome by how surreal the situation was — a sea monster with both human speech andmannerisms.

“I returned when the larger moon was in the center of thesky.”

Macy straightened her arms and pushed herself up, brushing aside the clothing piled atop her. She ran her hand through her hair and winced as her fingers caught in several snarls. “I meant to stayawake.”

“Weren’t youtired?”

“Yes.” Hungry and scared,too.

“Then no harm has been done.” He dipped his chin toward the driftwood. “That is for yourfire?”

“Yeah.” She found her cup nearby and picked it up, peering inside. It wasempty.

Jax came forward and held out a hand. She hesitated before placing the cup on his waiting palm and draping a piece of cloth atopit.

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