Page 4 of The Kraken's Queen

I didn’t know what to expect when I agreed to take a human mate. All I knew was that the fate of my kingdom relied on this match. My power and the destiny of my kingdom are dependent upon a human mate. Both the Dragon King Malix and the Wolf King Rip are proof of this. The reason their people are still alive is due to the bonds the humans made with their kings. They provide their own magic unique to humans and strengthen their people.

My hope is that my human bride can provide the strength and safety my people need. But knowing my pairing with Erin will be difficult…it’s a selfish thought. The woman before me is terribly hurt. Seeing her healed should be my priority right now.

“She fights her own nightmares,” Ender goes on before my mind can stray further. “You will not win her heart by force, Kraken King. You must show patience, empathy, and kindness. Show her she can trust you, and then never break that trust.”

My eyes narrow as unexpected anger floods my body. Who is Ender to tell me how to treat my wife? What type of kraken does he take me for?

“Erin will receive what she needs. She will be safe here. No harm will come to her.”

“I hope that is the case. The two of you are destined for greatness, but the opposite is true as well. Cherish her, because any moment can be your last.” Ender’s voice teeters on the precipice of emotion. Like he understands lost love all too well. Perhaps he does. The Guardian is a mystery, but I find it hard to believe this stonelike man is capable of such a deep and complicated emotion.

Finally, The Guardian extends his arms, handing Erin over. The woman’s head rolls to the side, her hair falling away from her face. The bruises on her neck are darker than I initially thought, and one of her eyes is almost swollen shut. Her lip is bruised, dried blood coating her bottom lip.

Who the fuck did this to her?

“Do you have somewhere on land to take her?” Ender asks as I pull Erin to my chest. The woman doesn’t so much as stir.

“Yes, I’m taking her to my kingdom’s emergency shelter on land.” Specifically, my sister’s cabin, but I don’t dare give The Guardian too much information. Luckily, I had the foresight to plan a place to take my human wife before exposing her to the underwater kingdom. My sister, Atina, lives on land amongst other cabins I’ve set aside in case my people must flee the ocean. She graciously offered up her home, a half-mile walk from here. I could have met Ender there, since it’s close to the ocean as well, but I didn’t want him to see our land shelter.

Because I don’t trust Ender.

“Very good. I’ll be in touch, Kraken King,” Ender says, and before I can say another word, The Guardian opens a shimmery white portal and steps through. It closes behind him, and I’m alone with my new wife—a broken woman I hope becomes the queen my people and I need.

Chapter 3

Erin

The first time I ever broke a bone was during recess in fourth grade. I’d been in the middle of showing off on the monkey bars to a group of cool kids I desperately wanted to impress. I attempted to hang upside down on the bars but didn’t quite manage to get my legs above me. My hands slipped, and I went crashing down to the ground as kids laughed.

I remember the distinct sound of my bone breaking, the crack and the instant pain that followed. To add insult to injury, I cried in front of the group, and they never let me forget it.

The injuries kept coming after that day. My mother used to lovingly tease me that I collected injuries like they’re going out of style, that I always seemed to find the most interesting and unique ways to hurt myself. It was funny at first, something we could both laugh at.

Until it wasn’t.

Until those accidents changed to rough hands on my cheek and dirty boots to my ribs. When my cries becameso much more than just pain. Embarrassment and self-loathing joined the party. Pieces of me began to break, but I couldn’t find ways to heal those parts of me. No amount of medical intervention could fix the scars marring my heart. Especially when I avoided doctors. They’d ask too many questions I simply couldn’t answer without lying. When you’re scared for your life, the truth means death.

Thoughts of James and his cruelty jolt me awake, and I gasp. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust, but when they finally do, I look up at an unfamiliar ceiling. The air is crisp, and I notice a large woolen blanket has been placed atop me. I’m in…a bed?

Not my bed. This one is much softer and smells of vanilla and coconut. I take in a deep breath and wince. My ribs hurt, like a lot. They aren’t broken, though, because I can still move without being completely incapacitated.

Slowly, I pick myself up to a sitting position, leaning against the wooden headboard to survey the room. My brain is slow to fill in the gaps of my memory. James coming home in a bad mood, drinking anything he could find in the house. I was wearing makeup, which I know is stupid, but I had the urge to make myself look nice.

James got angry when he noticed and accused me of cheating. I remember the first slap, and then another…but the last thing I remember before I gave in to unconsciousness was The Guardian coming to take me away. Which means…

I’m no longer in Grym Hollow.

The room is cozy, fitting only the bed, anantique-looking vanity with a jewel-encrusted mirror, and a slightly ajar door leading to a bathroom. There’s one medium-sized window that’s pushed open. A salty, almost fishy, but not unpleasant, smell wafts in. Are we close to the ocean?

I’m busy trying to figure out where the hell I am when the door opens, and a large man walks in. Seeing this stranger makes me jump, and I open my mouth to scream, but a breathy whimper is the only sound that comes out. The stranger tenses and halts. He holds a hand up like one would do when approaching a timid animal.

Is that what I am now?

The man doesn’t attempt to get closer, but he doesn’t leave either. I grab the closest thing to me, which happens to be a pillow, and hold it in front of my body like a shield. His eyes flicker with something akin to pity.

“Erin, my name is Allarick. Ender, The Guardian, brought you here.” The man’s voice is low, sounding like soft velvet. There’s a slight accent that I can’t quite place but sounds like a cross between South African and Australian. Two accents that shouldn’t go together, but on him, it’s…nice.

Then his words sink in. Ender brought me here. My contract flashes in my mind, specifically the part I’m meant to uphold.

---