Page 44 of Crossing Between

I couldn't sleep that night. Despite the exhaustion weighing down my limbs and the emotional roller coaster of the past few days, my mind refused to quiet. I'd told the men I needed time alone, and they'd respected my wishes, though not without concerned glances.

The Essencefeaster's voice from my nightmare echoed in my head: I'm going to take everything you love.

Those words, combined with the horrific message carved into that poor girl's body, kept me tossing and turning until I finally gave up on sleep altogether.

Throwing back the luxurious covers of Varon's guest bed, I slipped my feet into the plush slippers he'd somehow thought to provide and padded to the door.

The mansion was eerily quiet at this hour. I wasn't sure if any of them were even sleeping. Did vampires sleep at all? But I didn't want to disturb them. I just needed to move, to think, to process everything that had happened.

I wandered down the hallway, my fingers trailing along the ornate wallpaper. Despite having stayed here before, I realized I'd seen very little of Varon's home. The place was massive, with corridors branching off in multiple directions like a labyrinth designed for the immortal and wealthy.

As I turned a corner, I heard it. The soft, rhythmic splash of water. Curious, I followed the sound, descending a flight of stairs I hadn't noticed before. The splashing grew louder as I continued down a dimly lit hallway, the air growing noticeably warmer and more humid with each step.

The corridor opened into a cavernous space that took my breath away.

A massive indoor pool stretched before me, its surface reflecting the moonlight that streamed through a glass ceiling.

The room was designed to feel like a natural grotto, with rock formations surrounding the water and lush plants growing in strategic corners.

Steam rose gently from the surface, indicating it was heated.

But what truly captured my attention wasn't the pool itself, but the man standing at its edge.

Elias stood with his back to me, shirtless and wearing only swim trunks that hung low on his hips.

His broad shoulders and back glistened in the moonlight, droplets of water clung to his skin like tiny diamonds.

His long blonde hair was loose, cascading down his back in wet strands.

And there, at the center of his back, his kraken mark glowed with a soft, ethereal blue light that pulsed gently in the darkness.

He was breathtaking.

I must have gasped or made some sound, because he suddenly turned, his eyes finding mine in the dim light. For a moment, he looked startled, but then his expression softened into a gentle smile.

"Couldn't sleep either?" His voice echoed slightly in the cavernous space.

I shook my head, suddenly feeling like an intruder. "I'm sorry. I heard the water and..."

"Join me," he gestured toward the pool with one hand. The movement caused his muscles to ripple under his skin, and I had to force myself not to stare. "The water helps clear the mind."

"I don't have a suit." I was flustered by his invitation and the way my body was responding to the sight of him.

A mischievous grin spread across his face, so unlike his usual serious demeanor that it caught me off guard. "Then swim in your pajamas," he suggested, his eyes twinkling. "Or naked. I'm not picky."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help the laugh that escaped me. "I'll stick with the pajamas, thanks."

For a moment I hesitated, then decided that a swim might help. I was already wearing shorts and an oversized t-shirt that I'd borrowed from Kenji. It would do. I kicked off my slippers and approached the edge of the pool where Elias stood.

"Is it deep?" I peered into the clear water.

"Varies," he pointed. "Shallow there, deeper in the middle. I need the depth sometimes when I..." He trailed off, looking slightly embarrassed.

"When you what?" I touched his arm.

"When I need to fully shift," he shrugged. "My kraken form is rather large."

I found myself smiling at his bashfulness. "I'd like to see that someday."

His eyes met mine, surprise and something warmer flickering in their depths. "Perhaps. Someday."

Before I could overthink it, I sat at the edge of the pool and slipped into the water. The warmth enveloped me immediately, soothing in a way I hadn't expected. It wasn't just physically warm, there was something magical about it, like it carried healing properties.

"Oh," I sighed, letting myself float on my back. "This is amazing."

"Mineral water," Elias explained, gliding into the pool beside me. "From a natural hot spring beneath the property. Varon had it piped up here when he built the house."

I closed my eyes, surrendering to the sensation of weightlessness. For the first time in days, the tension in my muscles began to unwind, the knots loosening as I drifted.

I felt Elias swim up behind me, his fingers brushing along my arm so lightly I might have imagined it. "You're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders," his voice barely a whisper.

"Isn't that what Soulbinders do?" I didn't open my eyes. "Carry the weight of souls?"

"Not alone. Never alone." Elias' voice was soft but firm.

His touch was gentle as he guided me toward the shallow end of the pool. We settled on a submerged ledge, the water reaching just below my shoulders. I looked up at the glass ceiling, at the stars visible through it, and felt suddenly, overwhelmingly small.

"I'm scared, Elias," my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared of being consumed. By the Essencefeaster or by my own magic."

He was quiet for a moment, his presence beside me solid and reassuring. "I understand fear. More than you might think."

I turned to look at him, surprised by the vulnerability in his voice. "You do?"

He nodded, his gaze fixed on the water's surface. "I fear not being good enough. I fear losing the people I care about." His eyes met mine. "I fear failing those who depend on me."

"You don't seem afraid. You always seem so certain."

A sad smile touched his lips. "That's because I've had years to practice hiding it."

I reached out, my fingers finding his beneath the water. "You don't have to hide from me."

His hand turned, palm up, to meet mine. Our fingers intertwined, and I felt that same electric current pass between us that I'd experienced the first time we touched. The mark on my side flared with warmth.

"You're not alone in this, Zoey," his voice low and intense. "I've seen your strength. When you freed those souls at the police station, when you faced the Essencefeaster in your dreams. I believe in you."

Something in his words, in the sincerity behind them, broke through the last of my defenses. I moved closer to him, drawn by an invisible pull that I couldn't, and didn't, want to resist. Our foreheads touched, our breath mingling in the small space between us.

"Elias," his name a question and an answer all at once.

His hand came up to cup my cheek, his thumb tracing the curve of my lower lip. This time, I was the one who closed the distance, initiating the kiss that had been building between us since I'd found him at the pool's edge.

His lips were cool against mine, a contrast to the warmth of the water surrounding us. He tasted of salt and something more primal, the ocean, I realized. He tasted like the ocean.

The water rippled around us as our magic flared.

My golden light met his deep blue power.

The two energies danced together, intertwining like lovers in a ritual.

My power responded to him, to his kraken, in a way I'd never experienced before.

It was as if my magic recognized his on some fundamental level.

As our kiss deepened, I felt his control slipping. His arms, which had been holding me gently, began to shift. Tentacles emerged, wrapping around my waist and shoulders, the suction cups creating delicious points of pressure against my skin through my wet shirt.

When we finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, his eyes had changed. No longer their color, they glowed with an otherworldly yellow light. His kraken peered out at me.

" Mate ," he growled, his voice deeper, rougher. " Mine ."

The possessiveness in that single word should have frightened me, but instead, it sent a thrill racing down my spine. I knew it wasn't Elias speaking, not entirely. It was his kraken, the primal part of him that recognized me on an instinctual level.

Elias blinked hard, visibly wrestling back control. The tentacles around me loosened slightly, though they didn't withdraw completely.

"I'm sorry," his voice strained. "I can't. I can't hold back for long. We should cool down."

I shook my head, placing my hand against his chest where I could feel his heart racing. "Don't apologize. I want to know all of you, Elias. Including your kraken."

His eyes widened slightly. "You...what?"

"I want to meet your kraken," I spoke more firmly this time. "Properly."

He stared at me for a long moment, searching my face as if trying to determine if I was serious. Whatever he saw there must have convinced him, because he gave a small nod.

"Are you sure?" His voice was barely audible over the gentle lapping of the water.

In answer, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his again, a soft, reassuring kiss. "I'm sure."

Elias took a deep breath, then closed his eyes. I watched in fascination as the transformation began. It wasn't violent or jarring like I might have expected. Instead, it was fluid and graceful.

His skin shifted, taking on a grayish-blue hue with patches of iridescent scales that caught the moonlight.

His tentacles emerged fully now, not just from his arms but from his back as well, unfurling like ribbons in the water around us.

They were beautiful, powerful, and elegant, with suction cups that glowed with the same blue light as the mark on his back.

When he opened his eyes, they were completely transformed. Large, luminous orbs with vertical pupils like a cat's, glowing with that same ethereal light. His face remained recognizably Elias, but with subtle changes. His cheekbones were more pronounced, his ears slightly pointed, his teeth sharper.

" Kaerasta ," his voice was deeper, more resonant, I could still hear Elias in it. " My mate ."

I reached out, my hand hovering just inches from his face. "May I?"

He nodded and I gently traced the new contours of his face, marveling at the smooth texture of his skin, the subtle pattern of scales along his jawline. He leaned into my touch, his eyes half-closing in pleasure.

"You're beautiful," I meant it. There was nothing monstrous about him. He was otherworldly, yes, but in the way of ancient, powerful things that commanded awe rather than fear.

A tentacle curled around my wrist, the touch delicate despite the obvious strength behind it. Another wrapped around my waist, drawing me closer to him. I went willingly, fascinated by this new aspect of him.

" Mine ," his kraken, but this time with a note of wonder in the word. " Found you. After so long ."

"Yes," I agreed, understanding instinctively that this was important to him. To both parts of him. "I'm here now."

His tentacles cradled me, lifting me slightly in the water so that we were eye to eye. I could feel the controlled power in them, the restraint he was exercising to hold me gently. It was humbling and thrilling all at once.

" Protect ," the kraken promised, one tentacle brushing my cheek with surprising tenderness. " Cherish ."

I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against his. "I know you will."

We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, suspended in the water, connected in a way that transcended the physical. I could feel his kraken's consciousness, ancient and vast, brushing against my own. He was curious, protective, and possessive, but never threatening.

Gradually, I felt the shift as Elias reasserted control. The tentacles remained, but their movements became more deliberate, less instinctual. His eyes shifted back toward human, though they retained an otherworldly glow.

"Thank you," his voice was his own again. "For accepting him. For accepting me."

I smiled, running my fingers along one of his tentacles. "Thank you for trusting me enough to show me."

He pulled me close and wrapped me in a gentle embrace. I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"The water's getting cold," he murmured after a while, his chin resting on top of my head.

I hadn't noticed, but he was right. The pool's warmth had dissipated somewhat, or perhaps we'd simply been in it too long. I nodded against his chest, reluctant to break the moment but aware that we both needed rest.

He helped me out of the pool, his tentacles giving me a boost that made me laugh in surprise. Once we were standing on the tile, he wrapped a large, fluffy towel around my shoulders.

"Better?" His own towel was draped casually around his neck.

"Much," I was shivering slightly as the air hit my wet clothes. "Though I'm going to need to change before I catch a cold."

He nodded, his expression growing serious again. "I'll walk you back to your room."

We made our way through the quiet mansion, leaving damp footprints on the marble floors. When we reached my door, I turned to face him, suddenly shy despite everything we'd shared.

"Thank you," I fidgeted with the edge of my towel. "For the swim. For everything."

His smile was gentle. "Sleep well, kaerasta ."

As he turned to go, I reached out and caught his hand. "Elias?"

He looked back, a question in his eyes.

"What does that word mean? The one you keep calling me?"

His cheeks colored slightly. "It means 'sweetheart' or 'lover' in the old language of my people."

"I like it," I admitted, warmth spreading through me at the endearment.

His smile widened, and he squeezed my hand once before releasing it. "Goodnight, Zoey."

I started to watch him walk away, his wet hair leaving a trail of droplets on the carpet.

"Elias?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"I don't want to be alone tonight, please."