Page 117 of Crossing Between
"Room for one more?" Zoey's voice light and teasing as she sidled up next to me at the sink.
I glanced down at her, my chest tightening at the sight. She'd borrowed one of my t-shirts after spilling sauce on hers during dinner, and it hung on her frame, slipping off one shoulder to reveal the smooth curve where her neck met her collarbone. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, several strands escaping to frame her face.
"Always," I replied, shifting slightly to make space. "Though I'd expect you to be taking advantage of your champion status to avoid chores."
She laughed, the sound like music. "Champion only until the next rematch. Besides, many hands make light work, right?"
As she reached for a plate, her arm brushed against mine. I felt it instantly, the warm, pulsing sensation radiating from my mate mark. Unlike the painful burning when we'd first met, now it felt like sunshine spreading throughmy veins, a gentle reminder of our connection. I'd grown to love that feeling, to crave it even.
"I'll wash, you dry?" I suggested, passing her a clean plate.
"Deal."
We fell into an easy rhythm, moving around each other as if we'd been doing this dance for years instead of just recently. When she stretched to put away a glass on a high shelf, I reached above her, my chest pressing against her back as I easily set it in place.
"Show-off," she muttered, but I caught the smile in her voice.
"Just using my natural advantages," I teased back, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before returning to the sink.
Her scent enveloped me. My mark pulsed again, content and warm. The Kraken inside me, usually restless and hungry, settled into a satisfied purr.
I glanced over my shoulder toward the living room and couldn't help the low chuckle that escaped me. Varon had Kenji pressed against the wall, one hand tangled in the oni's dark hair as they kissed with the same intensity they brought to everything, part passion, part battle for dominance. Kenji's hands were gripping Varon's hips hard enough to bruise anyone who wasn't a vampire, pulling him closer even as he bit at Varon's lower lip.
"What's so funny?" Zoey asked, following my gaze. "Oh."
Her soft exhale held no surprise, only appreciation. She leaned against me, her hip pressing into mine as we both watched the scene unfold for a moment.
"They're something else, aren't they?" Her voice carried a note of wonder.
I nodded, feeling a rush of affection and desire so strong it almost overwhelmed me. "They always have been."
Zoey sighed happily, resting her head againstmy arm. "I still can't believe this is real sometimes. All of you, it feels like a dream."
The raw honesty in her voice struck a chord in me. I turned back to the dishes, needing the mundane task to anchor me as emotions threatened to overflow.
"I know the feeling," I admitted quietly, scrubbing at a stubborn spot on a plate. "For years, I watched them, loved them from a distance, never thinking...."
I trailed off, remembering those long years of silent longing. Watching Varon's careful control and wishing to be the one who could make him lose it. Seeing Kenji's boundless energy and wanting to be the one he directed it toward. Always holding back, convinced my Kraken nature would be too much, too dangerous, too monstrous.
And then Zoey had walked into our lives, somehow connecting all the pieces that had been floating separate for so long. My mate, my kærasta, the missing part of my soul.
"Never thinking what?" Zoey prompted gently, taking the clean plate from my hands.
I met her eyes, letting her see everything I usually kept hidden. "Never thinking I could have this. Any of this. All of this."
The truth of it settled in my chest. Here I was, doing dishes with my mate while the two men I'd secretly loved for years made out in the living room. It was domestic and bizarre and perfect in a way I couldn't have imagined.
"The universe works in mysterious ways," Zoey's lips quirked up in a smile as she dried the last plate. She set down her towel and turned fully toward me, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from my face. "But I think it got this one right, don't you?"
In answer, I leaned down, capturing her lips with mine in a kiss that held all the words I couldn't yet say.My mark hummed with contentment, spreading warmth throughout my body. Behind us, I heard Varon's low growl and Kenji's answering laugh, the sounds of my chosen family, my pack, my everything.
For the first time in centuries, the kraken inside me was at peace. No longer fighting for control or threatening to consume me. Instead, it curled contentedly around my heart, finally home.
Epilogue
ZOEY
The slap of flesh against flesh filled the room, a symphony of raw, primal need. I was on my knees, my body leaning into Elias who was at my side, the heat of his skin searing mine. Kenji's hips slammed against my ass, his thick cock driving into me with a force that left me breathless and begging for more. Every thrust sent waves of pleasure crashing through me, building to an almost unbearable intensity.
