Page 33 of Lover from the Waves

A deep, thoughtful hum rumbled from Ector’s chest. He picked Kathryn up and shifted his body; when he lowered her a moment later, his tentacles were beneath her, and her back was leaning against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and coiled a couple of his tentacles around her legs, blanketing her in his warmth.

“It may be selfish,” he said after a long silence, “but it is also right. One of our traditions has never changed, even after contact with humans. Hunters always eat first.”

Kathryn chuckled and turned her head to look at him. “I think I know where this is going.”

His lips curled up, and he chuckled as well. “Then I can save some of my breath. You need to take for yourself sometimes, or you will have nothing to give.” He raised and hand and ran his claws through her hair, gently working out the small tangles. “You have given much, Kathryn, to everyone you care for. If this is what you need in return, who is to argue?”

Kat searched his golden eyes. They were so gentle, so caring, so expressive…and she had a sense they were only for her. Her heart fluttered, and she was all the more aware of how he held her.

“And what about you?” she asked. “Why did you volunteer to go on this crazy adventure with me?”

Ector shifted his gaze toward the fire. The flames reflected in his eyes, making them molten gold—but they remained as welcoming as ever. “I have felt much the same as you as of late. Lost. Without purpose. I look upon my people with pride for all they have accomplished, for how far they have come, and I know they no longer need me to move forward. I have guided them as best I can for a long while, but all the younglings I taught are grown. They are intelligent and creative, and they are shaping our future. They have outgrown me.

“I have been their teacher, their elder, for so many years… They have already innovated on the things I taught them, have already improved. They have surpassed me. I cannot hunt with them, for I know I would only slow them down. Their wisdom is greater than my own. What role do I serve in this world? What is my place?”

Kat’s chest clenched. Ector understood everything she felt; he’d experienced it himself. Learning that he was going through the same thing, that he had the same feelings, the same doubts at a similar point in his life eased the burden of worry she’d been carrying. She wasn’t the only one.

He nodded and returned his gaze to her. A new light was in his eyes. “But it would be dishonest to say that those are my reasons for coming. I have only one reason, and it is the only one that matters to me now.” He curled a clawed finger beneath her chin. “I came for you.”

A new flood of tears flowed from her eyes. “For me?”

With a gentleness belying the immense strength she knew he possessed, Ector wiped the tears from her cheeks with the pad of his thumb. “For you.”

“But why? You didn’t know me. We barely ever spoke, and I swear I must’ve insulted you during the Dryfall festival.”

Ector chuckled, shaking his head. “I have always thought you were beautiful, Kathryn. Your hair especially has always drawn my eye.” He caught a strand with his claw and lifted it, rubbing it between his fingers. “For a long while, I thought my mating days were well behind me. Even living amongst humans, I did not realize there could be more for me than duty to my people. But what pushed me to speak to you…it was that wistful look in your eyes while you were staring out at the sea. That yearning for something more. I felt it within myself, too.”

She smiled wide and turned until her body to face his, straddling his lap. He dropped his hands to her waist and curled his fingers around her. There was a possessiveness in the way the tips of his claws pressed against her through her shirt and shorts, a whisper of danger that created delightful tingles on her skin.

Taking his face between her hands, she pressed a kiss to his lips. “I am so very glad you did. When you touched me…” Heat blossomed on her cheeks as she traced the tip of a finger over one of his siphons, which widened and contracted. “It was the first time I felt desire in a long, long time.”

Ector’s nostril’s flared, and his pupils dilated. His grip on her tightened, and he dragged her closer, grinding her covered sex over the solid bump beneath his slit. Kathryn’s breath hitched from the friction against her clit.

A low growl rumbled in his chest. The sound vibrated into her, making her nipples harden and ache.

It was at that exact moment that her stomach decided to grumble loud enough to overcome the sounds of wind, fire, and sea.

Kathryn stilled, eyes wide, before laughter burst from her.

“Seems my female has other needs I must tend to first,” Ector said, trailing his tentacles over her bare legs.

Damn you, stomach.

Kat sighed morosely, brushing her thumbs just beneath his bottom lip. “I suppose we should eat before the meat burns and it all goes to waste.”

With a muffled groan, Ector lifted Kat off him and set her on the ground in her original spot. His tentacles lingered on her legs as though he were reluctant to break contact with her. She felt the same reluctance. Her eyes dipped to his slit; it was partially open, and the dark, glistening head of his cock was visible. Her sex clenched with the need to feel him inside her. She caught her lower lip between her teeth.

“If you keep staring like that, our foodwillburn,” Ector said huskily. “And I will not let my female go hungry.”

Kathryn snapped her eyes up to his, seeing her desire reflected in those golden depths. She really was tempted to say food be damned, but he was right. It’d been a long day and they needed to eat.

She grinned. “Okay, okay.”

Kathryn leaned closer to the fire and plucked out the skewers one at a time, using her knife to ensure the meat was fully cooked. The thicker fillets were still raw on the inside, but she passed those that were done to Ector, who propped them up against the rock. When she was done, she settled back down against her backpack, and she and Ector ate in companionable silence, listening to the crackling fire and crashing waves. The meat was flavorful, but tough—though Ector didn’t seem to have any trouble tearing into it.

They ate until they were full—with Ector eating at least three times as much as Kat—but there was still a lot of meat left over. She could’ve smoked the leftovers, allowing them to be taken on the next leg of the journey, but that would’ve required digging a pit, filling it with coals, and tending it for hours to prevent flare ups and ensure the meat cooked properly. With it already being so late—and Kat already being so worn—it simply wasn’t feasible. Throwing it all away didn’t sit well with her, but she didn’t feel like she had much choice. She had Ector take the remains farther inland, unwilling to keep a pile of raw meat near camp. And at leastsomethingwould eat it this way.

Kathryn was tidying up their little camp when Ector returned. The twin moons, both bright crescents hanging over the jungle, cast a silvery glow on him that highlighted the edges of his form, allowing her to appreciate it anew. His eyes reflected the light, and Kathryn knew they were focused on her. Warmth pooled low in her belly, and something more spread through her chest, making her heart flutter and her pulse quicken.

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