Page 2 of Kiss for My Kraken
“No problem.” His smile was unexpectedly charming despite the tusks and the sharp, intimidating array of teeth, and she managed to return it before he nodded and went on his way.
That encounter had turned out to be quite typical. She still hadn’t encountered many Others, but on the whole, the onesshe met had been polite and friendly. Maybe the fact that Fairhaven Falls welcomed them was a good sign. She also had the impression that it was becoming an attractive tourist destination, so perhaps they weren’t already closing down for the season.
“Maybe this will work out, Ozzie.” She scratched behind the ear that always flopped over as he nuzzled her hand. “Maybe we could settle down here.”
It was probably a foolish dream. In the two years since she’d escaped the stifling embrace of Haven’s Grace, she hadn’t spent longer than six months in any one place. “I suppose if it doesn’t work out, we’ll just have to head south.”
So far, she had always stayed either in the mountains or close to them; they were one of the few things she remembered positively from her childhood. But if she couldn’t find work, she’d have to keep moving. Tourists went south for the winter; maybe she should as well.
She sighed and went back to the car, unrolling her sleeping bag on the wide backseat. The size of the backseat was one of the few advantages of the ancient car. But despite the long day’s drive, she wasn’t quite ready to turn in. She wandered back down to the water’s edge, looking across at the island. A faint mist had risen over the surface of the water, and it made the island look even more mystical, like Brigadoon emerging from the mist.
The river curved away to the right, but she thought she could see lights reflecting on the water. If the town were that close, maybe she could walk into it and save some of her precious gas. She made her way over to the edge of the clearing and found what looked like a trail along the edge of the water. It might simply bean animal trail, but it was headed in the direction she wanted to go.
The distant sound of music—the opening chords of a classic rock song—suddenly drifted down the river, then abruptly ended, as if someone had opened and closed a door. Curious, she leaned a little further over the riverbank, trying to see if she could spot the source of the music. Just as she was straightening back up, what felt like a small hand pushed between her shoulder blades, and she was falling. Her arms pinwheeled, trying to find something to grab onto, but it was too late, and she hit the water with a loud splash, the icy waters closing over her head.
CHAPTER 2
An unusual feeling of panic swept over Sam as the small human female fell into the water. He’d been floating beneath the surface, observing her ever since she arrived. The headlights at the old landing had initially aroused his curiosity. Hardly anyone ever used that ramp anymore, especially not at this time of year. He’d come closer, watching the human female climb out of the car, looking ridiculously small next to the ancient whale of a vehicle. There was something about her which caught his attention. Perhaps it was the tired droop to her slender shoulders, or the indefinable air of loneliness which surrounded her—a loneliness he knew all too well.
Instead of swimming away, he’d remained. He told himself it was just to make sure she wasn’t going to cause any harm to his river, but it was something more—some pull he didn’t understand. He watched as she consumed her meager meal, even sharing part of it with the dog. He knew humans ate less than most Others, but even for a human, the meal seemed inadequate. He actually considered catching some fish for her,but humans were also notoriously fussy about their food, and he couldn’t imagine she’d be eager to consume raw fish.
I could bring her something from my cabin, he thought before he came to his senses. He had no responsibility to feed this female, and what was he going to do? Throw it up on the riverbank for her to find? Reveal himself and undoubtedly frighten her half to death?
I should leave.But he didn’t. He listened as she talked to the dog in a sweet, melodic voice, frowning when she mentioned moving on. Not that it should matter to him, but where would she go?
His uneasiness grew when he saw her make preparations to spend the night in her car. This spot was safe enough, and he would keep watch to make sure of it, but it didn’t seem like an appropriate location. Once more he thought about his cabin, before shaking his head at his own foolishness. Not only would that mean revealing himself, but no one ever came to his home. Even his very rare visitors only made it as far as the dock. As far as he knew, none of them were even aware of the fact that he spent any time out of the water. Although nothing was ever guaranteed in Fairhaven Falls.
Once again he told himself he should leave, but he was still there, observing, when she suddenly fell into the water.Fuck!
He was almost at her side before he reconsidered. She would be terrified if she saw him. He waited instead, expecting her to come spluttering to the surface, but the water remained undisturbed. He swore again, and dove for her. She was on the riverbed, her eyes closed, her body not moving. He snatched her into his arms and raced back to the surface, but she didn’t react to the night air on her face. Frantically, he pressed his mouth over hers, breathing into her lungs. One breath, two, three, andthen she choked and spluttered, coughing up the water she’d swallowed.
He held her until her breathing eased. Then she looked up at him, and their eyes met. Even in the uncertain moonlight, he could tell they were grey—a clear, cool grey. He braced himself for fear, expecting her to scream and struggle. Instead, she smiled, a sweet, wondering smile.
“Magic,” she whispered, and then her eyelids fluttered closed again.
He started to panic again, but she was still breathing, her chest rising and falling, and he could feel her heart beating. Now what? His first instinct was to take her to his cabin, but he knew nothing about human females. What if she was seriously ill? What if she needed medical attention? How could he get it to her?
The sound of barking distracted him. Her dog was eyeing him from the riverbank, looking as if he were on the verge of jumping in. The last thing he needed was a second rescue.
“Stay there,” he ordered.
Somewhat to his surprise, the dog not only obeyed, but stopped barking, although he kept watching him intently. The river path gave him an idea, and he swam quickly downstream, the dog following him on land. He kept the female cradled against his body so that his body heat could offset the coldness of the water, and made sure her face was clear of the water. The Moonlight Tavern appeared around the bend. Normally there would be a variety of people out on the back porch overhanging the water, but it was unusually quiet tonight.Fuck.
He raised himself out of the water far enough to deposit her on the porch, still fighting the urge to take her back to his cabin instead. The dog joined them, whining anxiously as it licked her face.
“She’ll be all right,” he found himself saying, and ran a quick hand over the dog’s head before he remembered that most smaller creatures were afraid of him. But the little dog nuzzled against his hand for a second before whining again. “Now you should bark,” he said and slipped back into the water.
The dog obeyed, erupting in a series of rapid barks as Sam submerged. He remained there, watching carefully, as the door opened. A big, red-haired werewolf stepped out and frowned at the dog.
“What’s wrong, boy?” he began, and then saw the female. “Oh, fuck.” He knelt down over her and yelled over his shoulder, “Get the doc!”
Sam knew the other male, just as he knew most of the people in town. Aidan was one of the park rangers, and he was a decent male, unusually good-natured compared to most of the wolf-shifters who hung around the tavern. But he still found himself fighting the urge to snatch his female away from the other male
She’s not my female, he reminded himself, even though he could still taste her sweetness on his lips.
Several more people spilled out onto the porch, including the town doctor. And once again, he had to fight his instincts. Doctor Jackson might appear to be a normal human male, but he was nothing of the kind. One of Sam’s tentacles actually broke the surface of the water before he pulled it back. As dangerous asthe doctor could be, this wasn’t one of those situations where his darker side was likely to emerge.
“Let’s get her inside,” the doctor ordered.
