Page 37 of Heart of the Deep

“Is that even possible?” she asked.

He followed her gaze downward and frowned. “We do not extrude at all times, like your males.”

Larkin was glad she hadn’t taken another bite of food; her shock would’ve choked her to death. “Extrude? You mean it’s…inthere?”

“Where else would it be?” His brows fell to enhance his frown. She couldn’t tell if he was confused or insulted. Perhaps a bit of both?

Still, she found some humor in this. He’d shown no shame in examining her. Smirking, she turned her face away. “Must be small, to be tucked away like that.”

Dracchus was suddenly in front of her; he’d moved with a speed he shouldn’t have been capable of, and her heart leapt. He pushed her down onto her back and loomed over her, filling her vision entirely, amber eyes reflecting residual firelight.

“I could take that as a challenge, female.” His voice vibrated through her belly, straight to her core. Her sex tightened as desire flooded her. “One that you cannot handle.”

Larkin stared up at him, confused by her body’s reaction. How could something — someone— that wasn’t entirely human affect her in such a manner? Despite the familiar structures of his face and torso, so much about him was alien. And, somehow, his dominating presence — the press of his lower body against hers, his arms caging her in, the sound of his voice, and the intensity in his eyes — was exciting.

She knew at that moment that any control she held over the situation existed only because he allowed it to. The realization should’ve been frightening, but deep down, in a part of herself she’d never acknowledged, it thrilled her.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. She raised her chin, keeping her eyes locked with his. “I can handle anything you got, kraken.”

His gaze dipped, sliding over her body with more heat than the nearby fire. Tentacles moved over the outsides of her legs, curling over her thighs, and his nostrils flared with a deep inhalation. He released the breath with a rumbling growl and smirked, giving her a brief glimpse of his pointed teeth.

“Perhaps you can, female.” He rolled aside, returning to his original position.

She laid there for a moment, quietly catching her breath.

What has gotten into me?

When she sat up, Dracchus offered her a pair of sticks with cooked meat on their ends as though nothing had happened.

Larkin took them and ate in silence, forcing her attention ontoanythingbut Dracchus. All the while, she felt his gaze upon her, and the hollow ache between her legs only worsened.

Chapter 10

Larkin woke to the sound of waves against the shore. She rolled onto her back, opened her eyes, and turned her head. Dracchus’s place under the shelter was empty. Drawing in a deep breath, she sat up and stretched her arms over her head, scanning the campsite.

Dracchus was nowhere to be seen.

The fire had died out, leaving nothing but the charred, crumbled pieces of a log and pale ash. The vorix meat had made a good meal, especially after going a while without food, but it couldn’t have provided enough sustenance for the big kraken. At best, it had whetted his appetite.

He’d be back. She knew it with instinctual certainty, and she refused to think about it any deeper than that; she wasn’t ready to admit to herself that shewantedhim back. Now.

Larkin grabbed her boots and pulled them on, groaning appreciatively as she wiggled her toes inside; her footwear was finally dry.

She drained two of the reeds to slake her thirst. The water was cool and clean, a welcome refreshment in the already warm jungle air. After wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she gathered the empty reeds and carried them into the jungle, heading toward the nearby stream, stopping briefly to empty her bladder along the way.

Crouching beside the stream, she filled the reeds one at a time, propping the full containers against a rock. She let her eyes wander as she worked.

Morning sunlight streamed through the canopy, shafts of it hitting the water to make it sparkle in small patches. Everything was full of life — the thick vegetation was varying shades of green and violet, with a few hints of red and blue scattered amidst it. Countless sounds filled the air, creating the rhythmless music from which she’d always drawn comfort. The jungle had been her favorite place as a little girl. She knew all the animal calls and had always been fascinated by the variety of wildlife on Halora.

Larkin had been ecstatic when her father had deemed her old enough to start learning about survival. She’d felt so big and proud following her brother and parents through the jungle, learning to spot trails, to make traps, to locate sources of water and which plants were safe to eat. At six years old, it had all seemed so huge and wondrous, and her parents seemed to knoweverythingabout all of it.

A pang of loss struck her chest. Larkin rubbed her breastbone, frowning. Her relationship with her father had been strained since they’d learned of Randall’s disappearance. Nicholas Laster had been in pain, but he refused to let Larkin in, choosing instead to turn his hurt into anger. That’s all that had fueled him over the last several months.

The pain in her chest intensified as she recalled their argument on the ship.

No matter what he’d done, he was her father. She didn’t love him any less, even though he’d lost his way.

Had he made it off the burning ship? Had he survived long enough to reach one of the other boats?

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