Page 2 of Taken By the Leviathan King

His only response is a rumbling sound that vibrates through his chest and into mine where he holds me pinned against him. The grip around my waist tightens, and my feet leave the ground. Despite my training, despite everything I know about staying calm in crisis situations, my heart thunders against my ribs. Every point of contact between us burns, and I can’t tell if it’s from anger or something far more dangerous.

Then I catch a glimpse of the churning ocean below, and real fear claws its way up my throat. I can’t swim—never learned, never needed to in our dying world of toxic seas. The thought triggers a fresh wave of struggle, my body moving on pure instinct against his iron hold.

“Your fear is palpable, little warrior,” he growls, his breath hot against my ear, voice deep enough to shake something loose inside me. “But it will not save you.” The way he says it—like apromise rather than a threat—sends an unwelcome shiver down my spine that has nothing to do with fear.

I meet his gaze, green eyes locking onto his molten silver. “And what makes you think I’m afraid?” I retort, forcing my voice to stay steady despite the tremor in my core.

The alien king smirks. “It’s not just fear I sense radiating from you, little warrior. You can either drown here or trust me. Your friend is safe—at least for now.” His tone is low, gravelly, but there’s an undercurrent of reassurance that catches me off guard.

The shadows in his eyes dance with something that sets my tactical instincts screaming. “Breathe? That’s your grand solution? Because last I checked, humans aren’t exactly equipped for underwater adventures without—”

“I must transfer specialized enzymes through membrane contact,” he interrupts, his massive frame blocking out what little light remains. “A simple procedure.”

My eyes narrow. “Membrane contact? Why do I feel like you’re leaving out some crucial details here— like I’m going to wake up with gills or start craving raw fish?”

A blast hits so close the ground trembles beneath us. The alien king’s expression shifts to one of predatory intent that sends heat rushing through me despite my better judgment. Damn him and his stupidly attractive alien face.

“Trust or drown,” he growls. “Choose.”

Another explosion rocks the cavern. Well, hell. I give him a sharp nod, expecting... I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t the searing kiss that follows.

His mouth crashes into mine, hot and demanding, sending electricity straight down my spine and a shiver down below. Before I can process the fact that I’m kissing an alien king—and worse, enjoying it—he yanks me into the depths. The shock of the cold water is immediate but then replaced by somethingalien, something… right. A tingling starts in my toes and moves upward, prickling across my skin like static.

Before I can process the fact that I’m kissing an alien king—and worse, enjoying it—he yanks me into the depths.

My last coherent thought as the water closes over our heads is that I have no clue how this is going to work, but I’ll be damned if I let him think he has all the control.

Chapter two

KRAK'ZOL

Shefightsthewaterlike it’s an enemy to be conquered, all wild grace and desperate strength. My little warrior, still battling even as I guide her deeper into my domain. Her pulse thunders against my palm where I cradle her neck, the rhythm of it calling to something primal in my blood.Mine. The word echoes with each beat of my hearts.

The enzyme transfer burns through her system as she clings to me, her fingers digging into my arms with desperate strength. Her heart hammers against my chest—a rapid, human rhythm that betrays her terror despite her attempts to hide it. Most would have succumbed to blind panic by now, lost to the primal fear of drowning, but she fights it. Even as she trembles,she keeps her movements controlled, measured—a warrior’s discipline warring with basic survival instinct.

I feel the exact moment the change begins to take hold—her grip loosens slightly, her body’s desperate rigidity giving way to surprise as she takes her first underwater breath. The alarm doesn’t leave her eyes, but something else joins it—a flash of wonder, quickly masked by that steel defiance from the shore. Even facing her fear, she refuses to break.

The press of her small body against my chest ignites something primal within me, and I tighten my grip possessively, letting her feel exactly how easily I could overpower her. Her nails bite deliciously into my scaled shoulders, the sweet sting of her defiance making my blood surge hot. A growl of pleasure rumbles through me at her fierce response—even now, fighting the inevitable, she burns like wildfire in my arms. Such a savage little warrior, marking me as if she could claim me before I claim her.

“Breathe,” I command through our telepathic connection, the ability another gift of the enzymes. “Your body knows how, even if your mind resists.”

Her response comes sharp and clear, that fighting spirit undiminished by our descent. “Easy for you to say, scale-face. Some of us weren’t born with gills.”

A rumble of amusement vibrates through my chest. Even facing transformation and the unknown depths, she maintains her spark. The urge to claim her fully, to mark her as mine, grows stronger with each passing moment. But no—she must come to me willingly. The chase makes the conquest sweeter.

The phosphorescent crystals embedded in the cavern walls cast an ethereal blue glow across my private sanctuary, illuminating pools of crystalline water and smooth stone formations that have taken millennia to form. As I set her on her feet in this hidden chamber, she immediately retreats, thosefierce green eyes scanning every shadow and exit point with tactical precision. Her warrior’s instincts make my blood sing.

“Welcome to my personal domain within the Abyss,” I rumble, watching how the bioluminescent light plays across her sun-kissed skin. She’s beautiful in her defiance, chest heaving slightly from our underwater journey, dark hair clinging to her neck in wet tendrils. “Few surface-dwellers have seen these chambers.”

She backs away until she hits one of the spiraling crystal columns, maintaining that calculated distance that makes me want to close it. Her eyes narrow, assessing me with the sharp gaze of a warrior. “Before we continue this little tour, how about we start with names? I’m Lieutenant Imogen Vance.”

“Imoooogeeeen,” I repeat, savoring the way her name feels on my tongue. “Imoo-geen.” My pronunciation draws a fleeting look of surprise across her face, quickly masked by her usual defiance.

She blinks, a hint of amusement breaking through her wary expression. “Close enough, I suppose. And you are?”

“I am Krak’zol, King of the Leviathan,” I reply, allowing a hint of pride to color my tone. “Ruler of the Abyss and…” I pause, meeting her gaze intently, “your mate.”

Her eyebrows shoot up at that last part, but she doesn’t comment on it. Instead, she crosses her arms, all business once more. “Fascinating introduction, Your Highness. Now, where’s Samantha?”

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