Page 40 of Rising from the Depths

“Build?” Kronus shook his head. What good were answers that only raised more questions?

“It’s really sensitive, so you have to start off easy most of the time.” Randall was speaking faster and faster, eyes shifting to Jax’s den repeatedly. “You can use your fingers — just watch those claws — or your tongue, or whatever, okay?”

Kronus’s brow rose. “Tongue?”

“You just give it some attention…”

“The tongue worksverywell,” Dracchus said. “And the taste…” He growled low in his chest and turned his head as though searching, but unlike Jax and Randall’s, there was only eagerness on Dracchus’s face.

The thought of using his tongue was intriguing; though he’d mated with several kraken females, they’d never used their mouths on one another. He knew humans were fond of kissing, but he’d only seen them do so lips-to-lips — or to other spots on their heads.

“I am not sure I understand all this,” Kronus said.

“You will,” Jax said.

“It’s not complicated,” Randall added. “You’ll be fine, and it will make herveryhappy.”

“But—”

A series of excited chirrups from Ikaros called everyone’s attention toward the prixxir. Eros and Jace chased after the animal as it darted toward a trio of approaching females — Rhea, her daughter Melaina, and Larkin, who was both Dracchus’s mate and Randall’s sister.

“Ikaros!” Melaina shouted, her tentacles lashing over the grass in her rush to meet the prixxir.

“Melaina’s here!” yelled Sarina, who bolted out of the house and across the grass like a silver darter. Macy stepped outside behind her, smiling as she looked toward the other females.

Larkin grinned at Dracchus and ran toward him, crossing the distance swiftly. She leapt at her mate, and he caught her with a growl, slamming his mouth against hers. Kronus watched as Dracchus carried Larkin toward their dwelling.

Larkin tore her mouth away from Dracchus’s. “Wait! Wait!”

Dracchus growled again and halted. “I’ve waited long enough, huntress.”

“My, you’re frisky. Wonder what got into you.” Larkin grinned.

“I am more interested in what is about to get intoyou, female.”

“Oh my God,” Macy said, cheeks flaming. “Dracchus! What did I say about talking that way in front of the kids?”

Dracchus’s eyes narrowed under his falling brow. “Why must we delay?” he asked Larkin.

“Rhea has something amazing to tell everyone,” Larkin said, her grin broadening.

Kronus swung his gaze to Rhea, who had taken a place beside her mate. Randall had his arm around her shoulders, and she had hers around his middle.

Randall looked at Rhea, brows raised. “What is it?”

She smiled widely, took his hand, and placed it over her abdomen.

For a moment, Randall’s features were drawn with confusion, and then his eyes widened. “You mean… We’re going to…”

“A youngling,” she said and reached up to caress his cheek. “Ours.”

“I’m going to be an aunt again!” Larkin yelled with a whoop.

The ensuing excitement and celebration were overwhelming to Kronus; he’d only seen a similar situation once before, after the kraken had come to The Watch to make peace with the humans. This was far more intimate. He felt like an intruder on the moment, but he cast that aside.

A new youngling wasalwaysa cause for joy. Rhea was a fierce mother, and Randall, despite being physically slower and weaker than a kraken, was a skilled hunter and an unwavering protector of his mate and her daughter. It had never seemed to matter to Randall that Melaina had been sired by another male.

A warm, tingling sensation sparked in Kronus’s chest and slowly spread outward. It took him several moments to guess at its nature.

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