Page 38 of Rising from the Depths

The disbelief on Jax and Dracchus’s faces became something closer to shock.

Macy glanced at them, chuckled, and extracted herself from Jax’s suddenly slack arms.

“Did I just hear him right?” Randall said, coming up from behind Kronus.

“Kronus has a mate and would like some advice,” Macy said.

“Ahumanmate,” Jax said.

Randall walked past Kronus, eyebrows raised as he regarded him. “Really?” He stopped beside Dracchus and Sarina. “Him?”

Kronus clenched his teeth and fought back the red tint slowly overcoming his skin.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Macy said, glaring at the other males. “We’veallmade our own mistakes, and we can afford to cut Kronus some slack after what he did to atone, can’t we?”

“Macy, we—” Jax began.

“Don’t youMacyme. I’m going inside to gather some things for Eva, and you all better treat ourguestkindly.” She looked at Sarina and held out her hand. “Come help me please, Sarina.”

Sarina pecked a kiss on Dracchus’s cheek before clambering down to the ground. She extended a tentacle and brushed it over one of Jax’s as she passed him, rushing to follow her mother inside.

Kronus watched until Macy was gone, amazed that she had defended him — especially against her own mate and close friends. Though he did not feel worthy of her forgiveness, he was grateful for it. And yet the guilt remained at his core. Eva’s words floated up from his memory.

Because they won’t forgive you, or because you won’t forgive yourself?

Was there a way to forgive himself? Was that possible?

“Eva?” Randall’s brow furrowed. “That’s the girl who survived the razorback attack, right?”

“Yes,” Kronus replied. “Her human male abandoned her…and now she is mine.”

Randall chuckled. “Damn. Good for you. I mean, you’re an asshole, but you’re not a bad guy. Hope it works out well for you. What do you need for her?”

Once again, Kronus was taken aback by the response. It wasn’t exactlynice, but he didn’t need nice. The honesty meant more. “Everything,” he replied after a few moments. “Food. Furnishings. Clothing?”

“You could have acquired that anywhere,” Jax said. “Why did you come to us?”

Kronus met his gaze and held it. “Because I do not know what she needs, and even if I did, I do not know where to get it. Butyoudo. You are part of this place. All of you.”

“As are you, Kronus,” Dracchus said in his deep, rumbling voice.

Kronus shook his head, unable to hold in a scoff. He shifted his gaze away and immediately hated himself for the display of weakness.

Dracchus moved closer, his huge frame impossible to ignore. When he was within arm’s reach, he stopped. Kronus looked up at him.

“None of us has forgotten the things you said, Kronus, nor the things you did. It is the latter that speaks loudest,” Dracchus said. “What you started spiraled out of control and became something you did not intend. I understand that. I have swum those waters myself. But when it came down to action, what did you do?”

“You stood with us,” Jax said. “You risked yourself to come back and warn us, and then stood with us when you were given a chance to save your life.”

Randall cleared his throat. “We won’t forget that. If you hadn’t have come back that night, things would’ve gone a lot different than they did.”

“Your earlier actions were made in fear, and I cannot fault you for that,” Dracchus continued. “You realized you were wrong, and you changed your course. I have been wrong, too. I should have made it clear to you that you are welcome wherever there are kraken. If you cannot feel at home in the Facility, I should have made you feel at home here.”

“I should have, also,” Jax said. Something in his tone called Kronus’s attention to him; the gray kraken wore a troubled frown, and his brow was creased. “I should have made an effort. I’ve learned at least that much from Macy.”

“I, uh…I think I’ve already made my stance clear,” said Randall. “You’re not easy to get along with, Kronus, but whatever issues we had with each other are dead and buried by now. Shit happens. Just have to learn to move on.”

Kronus’s chest constricted, and his throat burned. What wasthis? He’d come to help Eva, not to see that old conflicts were resolved. This was unnecessary, unbidden, unexpected…and it was overwhelming.

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