Page 47 of Rising from the Depths

Time passed as Kronus held her limp form. They breathed heavily, unmoving but for their heaving chests.

Eva rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and inhaled in his scent. “You, Kronus,” she whispered. “I belong to you.”

Chapter 14

Kronus turned his head to the right as he floated out of sleep. Grayish early dawn light filtered into his den through gaps in the front window curtains. Though he’d risen around this time on most days, he considered it too early now — why leave bed when Eva lay tucked against him, enwrapped in his tentacles? Her body heat was blissful, and though the bed had been sized for a single kraken, it wasn’t crowded or cramped. He enjoyed the feel of her skin against his.

She’d spent three nights with him, and they’d shared the bed during each, savoring one another’s closeness and exploring each other’s bodies with hands, fingers, and tentacles.

His eyes roamed around the room once they were adjusted to the faint illumination. The furnishings, which remained sparse, were blanketed in a calm, comfortable gloom. Many of the shadowy forms were familiar sights upon waking, but the few additions and rearrangements made the space feel new and exciting. Knowing the cabinet — which she called thearmoire— contained her clothing now, or that the pantry was stocked with abundant food suitable for a human, was an unexpected source of satisfaction to him.

Eva had been through two full days in his den now. Though she was still somewhat clumsy, she managed to move about with little assistance — even without her prosthetic leg, she’d regained enough strength to walk using only one crutch.

He’d faced two struggles, neither of which should have surprised him. The first was a struggle to avoid mating her constantly; the dwelling wasn’t large, and they must’ve come together in nearly every possible place within by now. He had to remind himself often that she was human; even were she not still recuperating from her injury, she needed rest sometimes.

Her own seemingly insatiable appetite for him didn’t help his self-control.

His second struggle felt less immediate but proved no less difficult. He found himself instinctually compelled to help her witheverything. Oddly enough, the conflict was in part between those instincts and his pride — both in himself and in her. She was a female whose capability had been diminished by her wound, but she was not helpless. There was a difference between lavishing her with pleasure and coddling her, a difference between providing for her needs and treating her as a helpless creature. Sometimes, those distinctions seemed uncomfortably subtle.

He tightened his hold on her slightly. Her head was resting on his shoulder, and her slow, steady breath was warm across his chest. Absently, he trailed the tip of a tentacle along her calf, relishing the slightly salty flavor of her skin.

The speed with which she was adjusting to her new life, her new situation, was astounding, and he was proud of her for it. She smiled often, even through some of the difficult moments. Kronus found himself smiling more in turn. He’d noticed her wistfully looking out toward the sea on a few occasions, and he could only guess at her thoughts in those moments, but she always perked up when she turned her attention to him. Her rapid adaptation put him to shame; even after nine months, he still wasn’t fully adjusted to life in The Watch. Eva was an example worthy of emulating.

Despite Kronus’s best efforts, he knew he was sometimes terse, knew he let frustration color his speech when he felt overwhelmed or uninformed. Those instances occurred most frequently when discussing human matters. Eva responded to his gruffness in two ways — she gave it back to him tenfold or joked and teased until she coaxed a smile onto his face. In either situation, she never backed down.

A new side of her was awakening a little more every day — cheerful, playful, and sometimes carefree. He’d not seen her in such good spirits before. Upon reflection, he realized it must’ve been how she was before the attack; this wasn’t anewEva, though she’d undoubtedly been altered by her experiences — muted, perhaps, but not broken. Not anymore.

Kronus turned his eyes back toward her. More of his tentacles were moving now, gliding over her smooth, warm skin, his suction cups gifting her with what she calledlittle kisses. She stirred, burying herself more snugly against him, and drew in a long, deep breath that she released as a sleepy, contented sigh. Her tousled hair tickled his arm and chest; despite how strange hair had been to him since he’d first seen Macy years before, he’d found that he enjoyed the feel of Eva’s hair.

She did not wake, and he was willing to let her sleep a while longer.

If he’d ever known happiness, it must’ve been during his earliest years of life, before he was sent to live with the hunters, who turned even play into training and lessons. Such was well beyond the power of his memory. The first glimpse he could recall of happiness had been from Jax and Macy. In hindsight, that might have been part of why he’d so strongly opposed her presence in the Facility; he’d been jealous of the happiness the couple shared.

But now, he finally knew what it felt like firsthand. He had Eva to thank for that.

Every day, she grew a little stronger, he grew a little prouder, and they grew a little closer.

Kronus trailed a tentacle farther up her leg, running its tip along her inner thigh. He’d known hunger before; the hunters who supplied food to the kraken were skilled and dedicated, but they did not always meet success. Their people had endured lean times. But the sort of hunger he felt for Eva was unlike any he’d ever experienced. Tastes of her left him constantly wantingmore; his appetite for her was insatiable.

His tentacle worked its way to the apex of her thighs to brush over her folds. Her scent and taste flowed across his suction cups; feminine, sweet, and alluring. He groaned softly. Though his suction cups picked up her flavor well, their touch didn’t feel intimate enough, didn’t feelrealenough.

Kronus’s mind leapt back to the conversation he’d had with the other males before Eva came to share his den. Dracchus’s words resonated above all else.

The tongue works very well. And the taste…

When he increased the pressure of his tentacle, Eva released a whimper and squeezed her thighs together around his limb. Her scent intensified.

He wasted no time in consideration; he’d not yet tasted her directly, but he would remedy that now. He would see just how well his tongue worked for her.

Carefully, he disentangled himself from Eva and the blanket that had somehow twisted around them. He managed to do so without waking her; Eva’s features were drawn for a moment, as though in confusion or mild distress, but she rolled onto her back, and her expression relaxed again. He anchored his tentacles around the posts at the foot of the bed and drew himself down slowly, unable to pry his gaze from the majesty of her naked form. No matter how she saw herself, she was perfect in his eyes. It took all his willpower to keep from running his hands over every bit of her body.

Not now. Not yet.

He positioned his torso over her legs, propping himself on his arms, and stared down at the patch of hair on her pelvis. Leaning on one hand, he parted her thighs. They fell to either side with little coaxing. Her sex lay open to him, its petals pink and wet, perfuming the air with her scent.

Kronus closed his eyes and inhaled. Fire blazed through his veins, and his cock strained against his slit, blocked from emerging by the bed. As much as he longed to enter her again, he wanted this taste of her more.

When he opened his eyes again, he lowered his head between her thighs and slid his tongue into her folds. Her salty-sweet flavor swept through his mouth, momentarily obliterating his memory of all other tastes; none could compare to hers. Nothing could come close. Sliding his hands under her backside, he lifted her pelvis off the bed and pressed his mouth to her sex. He greedily lapped her nectar as he worked his way up to flick his tongue over her clitoris.

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