Page 28 of Kept By the Kraken

He takes hold of my hands where they rest on his hips, pulling me closer. “So, we’ll go to town tomorrow?”

I place a kiss on his back and then pop around him and dart into the kitchen, calling over my shoulder. “Yeah. And maybe tonight we can figure some stuff out. How does the mind link thing work? What would happen if I got pregnant? Would the baby be a kraken or human? Both? Does being your mate mean we’re, like, married?” The questions roll of my tongue, but I have a hundred more. Those seem most pressing.

When he doesn’t answer, I poke my head out of the kitchen to find him holding his stomach in silent laughter.

“What? Those are normal things to wonder about.”

“Wildcat, as long as you’re not planning to leave, you can ask anything you want.”

“Good. You can answer my questions over dinner.” I hand him a bowl of stew and carry my own to the little blanket setup he’s built in front of the fire.

We settle and dig in, both of us hungry after our time in the water. He eats his way through three helpings and most of the bread in the time it takes me to finish my bowl. I stare at him in wonder as he takes the remaining piece of bread and wolfs it down in three bites.

“It’s shifter metabolism. I eat. Often.” He sets down his empty bowl and spreads his legs, patting his thigh. I shift until I’m lying beside him with my head resting in his lap.

“I see that. Will that happen to me?” I look up at him.

“Your appetite shouldn’t change, nor your appearance, though you’ll no longer age as a human.” He runs his hands through my hair, massaging my scalp.

I make a contented humming sound and close my eyes. “What does that mean?”

“As my mate, you will age with me, and I put on time slowly. My kind don’t usually die of age but battle. But like me, you’ll heal faster. The great danger is an anointed blade. But those have been eradicated and lost to time.”

“So I’ll be twenty-nine forever?”

“No, but you’ll look it for many lifetimes.”

I open my eyes and he studies them, searching for something.

I let my mind play out the scenario and realize it’s kind of amazing. Like a pick-and-choose adventure story. “Think of howmuch we’ll see of the world. Do we always have to stay here, or can we travel?”

His lips tug up into a surprised grin. “We can go wherever you want. Explore anywhere there is a sea.”

“But what about babies? Do you want them again?” I’ve always wanted children in the abstract, but I was never in a hurry with Daniel. But Bjorn already had a family. He may not want to have children again.

“Yes, I think so, though I need time. My Beast would have you bred today, but for you to become pregnant, your body will have to accept my seed. It’s the way of kraken. Only the parent carrying the young makes the choice. But to answer your earlier question, my young will be a shifter if born male.”

I sit up and cross my arms. “Why only males?”

“That is how the gift is passed among my people,” he explains with a shrug. “The dragons are the female fighters. They carry their line, though their mating magic differs from kraken.”

His answer sets my head spinning with more questions. “Are there any dragons left? Could we meet one?”

He laughs as he pulls me into a quick kiss. His hands find their way to my ass, just holding me there. “Maybe one day. The last dragon joined with the wolves to create a shifter settlement long ago.”

I think aloud. “I have to finish my project. I’ve committed to it. But after, we could travel?”

“After, we can do whatever we want.” He kisses the crown of my head. “I’ve got money saved and we can get you identification papers.”

“That’s going to take some getting used to.”

“Doing what you want?” he asks, his face full of confusion.

I pull back from his arms. “Pretty much. Come on. Let’s clean up the dishes, then we can come back and snuggle on the couch. I have more questions.”

“Not this time. It’s my turn to ask you.”

Chapter 16

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