Page 79 of Treasure of the Abyss

“I will kill anyone, human or kraken, who means to harm my mate!” Jax roared. His skin flared red as he lunged forward; Kronus fell back, fear in hiseyes.

The room was utterly silent. The other kraken stared at Jax, and he met each of their gazes one at a time,unwavering.

“She ismine,” hegrowled.

Ector dragged himself closer, past the stunned Kronus, and slowly looked from Jax to Macy. His demeanor was calm, his coloringneutral.

Fire flowed through Jax’s veins. He would fight any of them, all of them, without a secondthought.

“Dracchus is correct,” Ector said, meeting Jax’s eyes. “The human is not at fault here, and she has not yet proven worthy of either our scorn or our punishment. But Jax the Wanderer has forsaken his duty to hispeople.”

Jax searched for sorrow in Ector’s expression, or anger, or disappointment — foranything. But he couldn’t read the old kraken’sface.

Ector turned to the others. “If Jax has taken her as his mate, she has a place here, like any of us. As strange as it may be, we must honor his choice in that. But she cannotleave.”

A confused combination of relief and resentment struck Jax with the nods and calls of assent from the other kraken. They were sparing her life and stealing her freedom in a singledecision.

“Jax trusts this human, Ector,” Arkon said. “Should that not be enough for us? He has always served our people selflessly, despite hiswanderings.”

“His judgment cannot be trusted, now that he has mated ahuman.” The fear in Kronus’s eyes had been overcome bydisgust.

“Do we have an agreement on my terms?” Ector asked. “She stays, and is not to beharmed.”

Most everyone seemed to agree. Kronus didn’t look away from Jax, and didn’t offer an answer. Were he not already flooded with emotion, Jax would’ve been amused at himself; he’d thought Dracchus would prove the biggestobstacle.

Kronus turned and left. Several other kraken — all males —followed.

Ector twisted back to look at Jax. “She is not our enemy. Unless sheleaves.”

Jax clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth together, and held any response he might have given. Ector had diffused a situation that may well have ended in bloodshed, but the cost… There had to be anotherway.

As Ector departed, Jax facedMacy.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I should have listened toyou.”

Shaking his head, Jax raised his hand to cup her cheek and wrapped his tentacles around her waist to draw her close. “You are safe. That is enough, for now. We will figure out what to do, fromhere.”

“They’ve trapped you as much as they’ve trappedme.”

“Is it better to be alive and caged, or dead and free?” he asked. The answer should have been simple, but he realized he didn’t have one. “They’ve wronged you,Macy.”

“I did not intend for their judgment to be passed upon you, human,” Dracchussaid.

“Whatdidyou expect, bringing her here?” Jax demanded. “That they would welcome her with open arms and slit me open to pay for my supposed crimes? They might have killed her, were it not forEctor.”

Dracchus frowned, studying Macy. “I want what is best for our people. Nothing more nor less than that. Our numbers are few, Wanderer, and you are needed as much as I, orArkon.”

“I refused a single hunt, Dracchus. And you play it as the ultimatebetrayal.”

“You refused a single hunt, yes,” Dracchus said through bared teeth, “but you have been missing during countless others! Your whims do not change our need for food andprotection.”

“I am not responsible for all of us!” Jax released his hold on Macy and turned fully toward Dracchus. “You have ever sought to prove yourself against me, to show everyone you are better than me, and you have finally won. Does it satisfyyou?”

Macy grabbed hold of Jax’s arm, tugging him back, though he didn’t budge. “Jax...”

“It gives me no satisfaction,” Dracchus shouted. “You have been gifted more so than any of us, and you waste your skills by wandering aimlessly. For what? What good does it do our people? What good does it do you? That the best of us should be so selfish brings shame upon usall!”

“What makes me better than you, Dracchus?” Jax’s hearts thundered. He clenched his fists at his sides and forced his tentacles to still; Macy’s touch was cold compared to the heat in his blood. “Youlead the hunts that sustain our people.Yougive everything of yourself to protect them and feed them. I am no better than any of us, and my place has never been here. Is that enough to earn yourhatred?”

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