Page 3 of Taken By the Leviathan King

I gesture to the intricate network of tunnels branching off from the main chamber. “Your scientist is safe, being tended to by my most trusted guards in the eastern wing.” When she moves to charge in that direction, I block her path, enjoying how she bristles at my proximity. “She’s unharmed, but you’ll see her when I’m satisfied you understand your position here.”

“My position?” She lets out a sharp laugh that echoes off the cave walls. “Let me guess – prisoner? Hostage? Unwilling guest?”

I lean closer, inhaling her scent – a mixture of determination and that intoxicating spark of attraction she’s trying desperately to hide. “Mine,” I growl softly. “You’re mine.”

The way her pulse jumps at my words is far more satisfying than her scowl of denial.

“What the hell did you do to me?” she demands, hands running over her throat where the newly formed gills flutter with each breath. “And where’s Samantha?”

“Your friend is safe.” I move closer, enjoying how she tenses but refuses to retreat. “As for what I did—I saved your life. The enzyme transfer allows you to survive in my world.” My world that beats only for her now, I realize with a jolt that shakes even me. It hums with the same frantic, wild energy I’m only now recognizing in her.

She tilts her head back, letting the water flow over her face. It used to be a source of panic, a reminder of her helplessness. Now, it tickles along her skin, a playful current that dances around her newly formed gills. It felt…right. Disturbingly so.

My gaze trails over the subtle changes already manifesting—the faint shimmer of scales along her shoulders, the slight webbing between her fingers. “You’re becoming something more.”

She barks out a laugh, but there’s an edge of uncertainty to it. “Something more? I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for any of this.” Her hand strays to where her weapon should be, finding empty air instead. “Take me back. Now.”

“No.” The word comes out as a growl, my possessive instincts flaring. “You are mine now, little warrior. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be.”

“Yours?” Her voice drops dangerously low. “Listen carefully, your highness, because I’m only going to say this once. I don’t belong to anyone.”

I close the distance between us in two strides, backing her against the crystal-studded wall. She doesn’t flinch, even when I cage her with my arms. “Your heart says otherwise,” I murmur, inhaling her intoxicating scent—salt air and defiance, with an undertone of something sweeter that makes my fangs ache. “I can hear it racing. Is it fear that makes it beat so fast? Or something else?”

A flush creeps up her neck, but her glare remains steady. “Maybe it’s plotting your imminent demise.”

I laugh, the sound echoing off the cavern walls. “You are magnificent.” And the terror warring with the fierce spirit blazing behind her eyes makes my heart ache. That she is fighting is more inticing than her surrender. She hates how her pulse quickened when I touch her, how her skin prickles with awareness. It is a betrayal of everything she stands for, a weakness she cannot afford to let me see. It’s a secret I will relish unveiling.

Unable to resist, I trace one claw along her jaw, careful not to break skin. “But you still don’t understand what you are to me. What we are to each other.”

“Then enlighten me,” she challenges, though her breath catches when my claw grazes a sensitive spot beneath her ear. “Why me? Why now?”

I consider my words carefully, knowing they could either draw her closer or push her away. “The Leviathan Kings of the Abyss have ruled these depths since before your kind learned to walk upright. We are warriors, conquerors, death given form in the deep.” My voice drops lower, intimate. “But even we have our matches. Our perfect companions. The ones who can stand beside us, rule with us, challenge us.”

“And you think that’s me?” Her skepticism is clear, but there’s curiosity there too. “Because I kicked up a fuss about being kidnapped?”

“Because you face threats without flinching,” I correct her, letting my tail curl possessively around her ankle. “Because your spirit burns fierce and bright, like the deepest flames of our volcanic vents. Because from the moment I saw you, everything in me recognized its match.”

Her expression shifts, wariness warring with something deeper. “That’s... poetic for someone who just dragged me underwater against my will.”

“Would you have come willingly?” I counter, watching the play of emotions across her face. When she remains silent, I continue, “The other ocean kings plot against each other even now. Your presence here serves multiple purposes—your protection among them. We Leviathans rarely surface for these…political gatherings. The timing of your arrival is…convenient for some.”

This catches her attention. “Protection? From what?”

“From those who would use you as a pawn in their games.” My jaw tightens at the thought. “The Quxon are not the allies they pretend to be. Their hospitality masks darker intentions.”

She processes this, her tactical mind working behind those fierce eyes. “The attack on the beach—that wasn’t random, was it?”

“Doubtful.” My hand slides to her waist as she sways, her body still adjusting to the pressure changes. When she tenses at my touch, I resist the urge to pull her closer. “They meant to take you themselves. I merely acted first.”

“How chivalrous,” she mutters, but there’s less bite in her tone. “And Samantha? What do they want with her?”

“Your friend is with the Kaerius, Ruler of the Ondrithar. Leviathans have…an understanding with his people. Theyguard the sacred waters, and we ensure the depths remain undisturbed.” I trace the ever-so-slight emerging pattern of scales along her collarbone, fascinated by how her body accepts my claim. My finger pauses as I consider the politics at play. “Though I suspect his interest in her goes beyond mere diplomacy. He seeks a mate of his own.”

Imoogeen shivers under my touch but doesn’t pull away. “And what do you want with me? Besides this…mate business.”

The question draws a possessive rumble from my chest. “Everything,” I admit, voice rough with honesty. “Your strength, your fire, your trust. I would have you rule beside me, help me unite the warring factions of my people.” My claws flex against her hip. “But more than that, I would have you choose me, as I have chosen you.”

She studies me with those fierce green eyes that first caught my attention, her gaze as sharp as any predator’s. “And if I don’t? Choose you, I mean.”

---