Page 2 of Rising from the Depths

This place was far less likely to have kraken present.

The humans waded into the water as a group and swam away from the shore, laughing and splashing as they moved.

Kronus ran his eyes over the carefree humans — two males and three females, all appearing to be in their prime. Joy such as theirs had never been expressed among the kraken before Macy, Jax’s human mate, had come to the Facility. Kronus still considered the behavior somewhat foolish; adults had no business frolicking like younglings. But their smiles and good humor produced a feeling in him which had become increasingly familiar over the last two years. It manifested as a hollowness in his chest and gut, sometimes so powerful it seemed his body would collapse in upon itself.

He refused to acknowledge it for what it was — envy.

One of the human females glanced his way and briefly caught his gaze before speaking to her companions.

The humans’ playfulness and laughter faded as all five looked at Kronus, brows low. They exchanged hushed words and disgusted expressions. It was nothing new to Kronus; the humans prone to cruelty or intolerance often seemed bolstered by a sense of righteousness that left them unmindful of any consequences.

And what repercussions would they have faced, anyway? The kraken who’d chosen to dwell in The Watch did so with full knowledge that the humans didn’t typically resolve their disagreements through violence. It was frowned upon in human rules and traditions, and even though humans still fought one another from time to time, a kraken battling a human would be seen in an entirely different light. The damage a kraken could inflict upon a human in a physical confrontation was immense. The still-building relationship between the two peoples would not likely endure the strain caused by such an event.

Most humans seemed accepting. That had to be enough for now.

Heat suffused the deepening hollowness inside Kronus as the humans continued to stare at him. Their humor had taken a cruel twist; they were not laughing out of joy but at his expense.

All of them except one…

A petite female with lightly tanned skin and warm brown hair kept her gaze on Kronus as her companions, still talking and laughing, turned their attention away. He found himself unable to take his eyes off her. Her features, like those of so many humans, were at once gentler and more defined than any kraken’s, in large part due to her eyebrows and nose. But her face was unlike any Kronus had ever seen.

Something about her held his attention — the light in her eyes, the curve of her pink lips, or the hair brushing against her unblemished skin. Perhaps it was because she alone had not looked away, because she alone seemed to seehim.

One of the males swam to the female and wrapped his arms around her. She blinked and shook her head, breaking eye contact with Kronus, before turning to face the male. He drew her close, and they pressed their lips together in akiss.

The heat in Kronus’s chest flared and spread throughout his body, making the surface of his skin itch. He turned his head away from the humans in the water. Their mating habits and relationships meant nothing to him; he’d come to The Watch only because the Facility, the place where his people had lived since their creation, could no longer be a home to him.

Kronus was not worthy of that place anymore. He couldn’t look at its walls without rememberingeverything— the betrayal, the pain, the loss.

The other kraken remained nearby, but Ozcar and Breckett had moved into their respective boats. Breckett worked alongside another older human, Wade, to secure the rigging of their vessel. Most of the other fishermen had also moved into their boats.

Vasil was staring at Kronus. Quiet Vasil, as observant as Arkon but always outside everyone’s notice. Though he’d been one of the kraken captured by hunters two years before, Vasil hadn’t broken under the mistreatment he’d suffered at their hands — unlike Neo. Neo, who’d—

No. There is no point in following that line of thought.

Vasil flicked his eyes toward the humans in the water. When he returned them to Kronus, the question within them was clear —are you with us?

Clenching his jaw again, Kronus tightened his grip on his harpoon gun. He had a duty to fulfill. He had people to protect and feed, even if they all weren’thispeople. Once that was done, he could return to his house atop the cliff, to the thoughts that often consumed him when he was alone.

Holding Vasil’s gaze, Kronus nodded.

Eva raised an arm to shield her face from the wave of water Blake sent her way, which dampened her hair as it splashed over her. She laughed and returned fire, which resulted in peels of laughter from Samuel and Blake and giddy shrieks from Hailey and Addison.

A sense of lightness permeated Eva. She’d never imagined her life could be so perfect. While she missed her family, who still resided in Emmiton, her move to The Watch had been worth it. Just being here, in this moment, with her friends beneath the warm, bright sun made it all worthwhile. She didn’t have a care in the world, and she was joined to the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

When she glanced at Blake, she found his gaze already upon her. He winked and ran his tongue along his upper lip. Her own lips curved up as lust sparked within her. She could easily imagine the titillating thoughts coursing through his head — similar thoughts were flashing through hers. There’d scarce been a day during which they’d kept their hands off each other since their joining.

“It’ssogood to have the day off,” Addison said, tilting her head back and closing her eyes as she treaded water.

“Are you serious?” Hailey smacked the surface of the water, splashing Addison in the face. “Even on work days, you’re always slacking off!”

Addison sputtered, wiping the moisture from her face. “Sam,” she whined, “are you going to let her talk to me like that?”

Samuel swam up behind her, grinning. He leaned his head forward and brushed his lips over the shell of her ear. “Well, sheisright.”

Addison scoffed and turned, slapping his shoulder. “Jerk!”

Samuel laughed and swam away.

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