Page 60 of Kiss for My Kraken
“You’ll be building it for someone else,” Nina said quietly. “I’ll be living on the island now.”
“Well, that settles that,” Aidan said. “We should let you two get some rest. It’s been quite a night. We can start salvaging what we can from the shack tomorrow.”
“I’ll help,” he offered. It was the least he could do.
Ben shook his head. “The Halloween Festival is tomorrow. That is—are you still coming?”
He felt a flicker of panic at the thought of exposing himself to the stares and questions of the entire town, but he’d promised Nina…
“I’ll be there,” he said quietly.
“You will?” she asked, searching his face. “It’s not necessary.”
He nodded, more certain with each passing moment. “No more hiding,” he said, as much to himself as to her. “Not anymore.”
The others began to move away, calling their goodnights. Their easy acceptance—the casual way they had incorporated his existence into their worldview and future plans—left him feeling strangely light, almost dizzy with relief.
Nina went to check on Ozzie and Flora suddenly popped up at his elbow again.
“You know,” she said conversationally, “I’ve lived in Fairhaven Falls for a very long time. Seen all sorts come and go. But it’s the ones who think they don’t belong who always find the deepest roots here.”
“I never thought I could belong anywhere,” he admitted. “Not like this.”
Flora smiled, her pointed teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “That’s the magic of this place. It gives us what we need, not what we think we want.” She glanced meaningfully at Nina, who was cuddling Ozzie in her arms. “Sometimes it’s a home. Sometimes it’s a purpose.” Her eyes twinkled. “Sometimes it’s a stubborn, brave little human who turns your world upside down.”
He couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his mouth. “She did that.”
“And you’re better for it,” Flora said, not a question but a statement of fact. “We all are.” She reached up—so tiny compared to his massive body—and patted his tentacle affectionately. “Welcome home, River King. It’s about time.”
With that, she turned and followed the others, her diminutive form soon swallowed by the darkness of the path. He watched her go, her words echoing in his mind.
Welcome home.
Two simple words that encompassed everything he had yearned for. Home wasn’t just his island anymore. Home was here, in Fairhaven Falls. Home was the acceptance in Aidan’s easy grin and Ben’s gruff nod. Home was the kinship in Jekyll’s eyes and the affection in Flora’s knowing wink.
And most of all, home was Nina.
She came back to join him, Ozzie trotting at her heels. The dog had accepted Sam’s true form with typical canine pragmatism—a few curious sniffs, a tentative lick of a tentacle, and then complete acceptance.
“Ready to go?” she asked, her voice soft with exhaustion but her eyes warm.
He nodded, guiding her towards their small rowboat. Fortunately, it had survived the destruction of the dock. He helped her in, then whistled softly for Ozzie, who jumped aboard eagerly.
As he slipped into the water next to it, he returned to his usual form, gliding easily through the water. He looked back thoughtfully at the damaged shack as they left the river bank behind. It should have felt like destruction—like an ending. Instead, it felt like clearing ground for something new to grow.
The night was quiet around them as they glided across the water, the only sounds the gentle splash of water and Ozzie’s contented panting. He put a tentacle on the side of the boat and Nina put her over it. The trust in that simple gesture still amazed him.
“Are you really okay with going to the Halloween Festival?” she asked after a while, her voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t have to if you’re not ready.”
He considered the question carefully, swimming with slow, measured strokes. The old fear still lurked at the edges of his mind—the ingrained caution of a creature who had survived by remaining unseen. But tonight had changed something fundamental within him.
“I want to,” he said finally. “For a long time, hiding felt… necessary. For survival.” He looked up at her, this extraordinary human who had changed everything. “But now it feels more like a barrier. Between me and the town. Between me and you.”
Moonlight silvered her features as she smiled at him. “I love you in any form,” she said simply. “Hidden or revealed.”
“I know,” he said, and the certainty of that knowledge was still a wonder to him. “That’s why I can do this. Because you showed me it was possible.”
They fell silent again as the island loomed ahead, its familiar silhouette a welcome sight after the tumult of the evening. He guided the boat to his small dock and helped Nina ashore. Ozzie bounded ahead, already exploring with enthusiastic sniffs and wagging tail.
