Page 34 of Jewel of the Sea

Chapter 7

The sun had set by the time Arkon moved onto the beach, and the reflection of the first rising moon shimmered on the surface of the ocean. He hurried through the surf, hearts thundering and muscles tense.

There was a chance she’d waited, wasn’t there? A chance that, despite him being hours late, she had lingered, held in place by her desire to see him?

The sound of the waves was amplified more than usual by the overhang in their meeting spot; the tide was rising with the moons. He slowed his pace. The water had nearly reached the base of the cliff, and there was no sign of Aymee on the shrinking swath of dry sand.

Exhaustion jabbed at the edges of his consciousness. It had been a day of soaring hope and anticipation, and those hopes had been smashed. The rational part of his mind, usually the dominant portion, insisted this was no reason for disappointment. He’d missed an hour or two in her company. That was insignificant, viewed against the larger picture.

But the rest of him — the side that had been gaining strength over the last few months — deemed every moment precious, and any moment spent with Aymee invaluable. Time had no finite weight to it. The seconds of his day, though each equal in length to the next and the previous, were not equal in their importance.

He craved the sound of her voice and laughter, her unique scent, her soft, bold touches. After a lifetime spent searching for deeper meaning in things others considered trivial or foolish, he could not help but feel Aymee was the key to something greater. She’d lead him to experiences beyond his imagining.

He wanted her. Wanted to make her his.

Frustrated, he moved out from beneath the overhang and followed the beach, the surf flowing around his tentacles.

Despite his constant questioning of kraken traditions, he knew his people had one aspect of relationships correct:shehad to choosehim.

Arkon didn’t want a mate for some fickle span of time. He wanted a life mate; he wanted what Jax and Macy had. Security, dependability, companionship. Even before he’d known that was a possibility, no female before Aymee had caught his attention — andcaughtwas too mild a term. He was ensnared, enthralled, wrapped up so completely that his infatuation was likely to crush him.

But he couldn’t make the choice for her any more than he could force her decision. All he could do was present himself as appealingly as possible and hope she found him worthy.

No easy feat, considering the limited time they had together. When their visits amounted to only a few hours over the course of a week, every minute counted. And he’d missed her today. Missed out on the opportunity to know her a little better and show himself — histrueself.

He swept a pair of tentacles aside in frustration, splashing water, and released a growl.

“Arkon?”

Though the ocean did its best to drown out that voice, he’d heard it.

He turned his head to see Aymee sitting upon the rocks just beyond the beach, past the high tide line.

His chest swelled, and his elation and relief were so powerful it seemed he’d burst.

She had waited for him. Though he’d hoped she would, it had been a hollow hope, meant only to assuage the anger he harbored for himself. Yet here she was.

This exhilaration surpassed both the thrill of the hunt and the fulfillment of completing one of his works.

She gingerly stood up. The wind pulled at her clothing and tousled her hair.

Arkon made his way toward her, sped forward by the tide. When the water retreated, he dug his tentacles into the sand, anchoring himself against the pull, before continuing. She smiled and extended her arms as he neared.

“It’s about time,” she said.

He helped Aymee down from her perch, a tingle running across his skin when she grasped his shoulders to steady herself. “You waited.”

“Against my better judgment.” She held onto his arm as they moved along the beach, her grip tightening when the water splashed around her legs. “It wasn’t very smart of me.”

“With everything that is going on, it’s not likely smart for either of us to be here to begin with.”

She frowned. “It’s not. Is that why you’re late? Do you want to end the exchanges? Our visits?”

“No. No!” He stopped and faced Aymee, keeping himself positioned between her and the sea. “I do not want to stop. I would see you every day were it not so dangerous.” Reaching forward — hesitantly, as he wasn’t sure of the rules for such contact — he brushed hair out of her face with the backs of his fingers, careful to keep the tips of his claws from raking her skin. “A hunt was called, and I could not refuse.”

She turned her face toward his touch. Her smile returned, and his hearts thumped at the sight. “Was it fruitful?”

“Yes. Though I would much rather have arrived here on time than contributed to it.”

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