Page 25 of Kiss for My Kraken (Fairhaven Falls #8)

She sat up and he moved back, but he was obviously unhappy about the idea, judging by the way the markings on his skin flashed angrily.

“This way we can control the situation. We’ll be ready for them. Please. We have to take care of this, once and for all.”

“It puts you in danger.”

“Less than I am already because this way I know you’ll be there.”

His markings flashed again, but he finally gave a terse nod. “We will speak to Eric.”

The next night Nina sat quietly in the darkness, her hands folded in her lap. From this vantage point, she could see the dock, illuminated by the soft glow of the dock light. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, carrying the scent of the river.

Ozzie whined softly from his bed in the corner, his ears perked up, body tense.

“It’s okay, boy,” she whispered, though they both knew it wasn’t.

When she’d returned from work, Ben had walked her all the way to her door, shotgun in hand. His tall ears had twitched continuously, scanning for danger.

“Don’t open for anyone you don’t know,” he’d grunted, his red eyes gleaming in the moonlight. She nodded, throat tight, and his usually grumpy expression had softened momentarily. “We protect our own, kid.”

Our own. The words had warmed her even through her fear. After years of conditional acceptance in Haven, where belonging hinged on perfect obedience, the fierce protectiveness of these virtual strangers felt like a miracle.

And then there was Sam. She knew he was out there now, watching from the river, a silent guardian far more dangerous than anyone from her old community could imagine.

She couldn’t see him, but she felt his presence—a comforting pressure in the air, a certainty as solid as the ground beneath her feet.

A twig snapped outside, and she froze, her breath catching. Ozzie growled low in his throat, hackles rising as he padded to her side.

Another snap, closer this time, followed by the unmistakable sound of footsteps—multiple sets—approaching from the forest path.

They’re here.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. The confrontation they’d been preparing for was about to happen. She backed away from the window, mind racing through the plan she and Sam had made.

Let them approach. Stand her ground. Keep them talking until Sam could position himself. Under no circumstances go with them willingly.

She straightened her shoulders and moved to the center of the room, facing the door. Ozzie stationed himself at her side, his warm body pressed against her leg, a small but fiercely loyal protector.

The footsteps stopped on her porch. A moment of silence stretched, taut as a bowstring.

Then came a sharp, authoritative knock.

“Nina.” Jed’s voice, unchanged after all this time. Cold. Certain. “Open the door.”

She didn’t move, didn’t speak. Her hands trembled slightly, but she clasped them together, steadying herself.

The knob turned, testing. Finding it locked, there was a muttered consultation, then the distinct sound of metal on metal—a lock pick.

So much for thou shalt not steal.

The irony might have made her smile under different circumstances.

The lock clicked. The door swung open, and she flicked on the lamp on the table next to her.

Jed stood framed in the doorway, tall and lean, his face half-shadowed in the dim light. Behind him stood two other men from Haven—she recognized her cousin Matthew and Elder Thomas’s son, David. All three wore identical expressions of righteous determination.

“Nina,” Jed repeated, stepping uninvited into her home. “It’s time to come home.”

She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze directly—something women in Haven were discouraged from doing.

“This is my home.”

Jed’s thin lips tightened. “This…” he gestured dismissively at the modest shack, “is a temporary aberration. The Chosen have prayed for your return.”

“I’m not going back,” she said, her voice surprisingly steady despite the rapid thudding of her heart. “Please leave now.”

Jed ignored her, moving towards her as Matthew and David flanked him, their stances widening slightly, blocking the exit.

“You don’t understand what you’re saying,” Jed continued, his tone shifting to the condescending patience he’d always used when “instructing” her. “This town… it’s infected with unnatural creatures. With abominations.”

“Others,” she said firmly. “They’re called Others. And they’ve shown me more kindness and acceptance than The Chosen ever did.”

Jed’s eyes flashed with anger, the first crack in his calm facade. “They’ve poisoned your mind. Turned you against your own kind.”

“My own kind?” A bitter laugh escaped her. “My ‘kind’ is anyone who respects me as a person, not a possession. Who sees me as an equal, not a servant.”

She heard a faint splash from the direction of the river—almost imperceptible, but she knew what it meant. Sam was positioning himself. She just needed to keep them talking a little longer.

“The devil speaks through you,” Jed said, shaking his head sadly. “Just as Elder Matthias feared.”

“No, I’m speaking for myself. For the first time in my life.”

Matthew stepped forward, his round face pinched with concern. “Nina, please. Think of your mother. She’s sick with worry.”

A pang of guilt shot through her. Her mother, weak and compliant after years under her father’s thumb, had never stood up for herself or her daughter. But she was still her mother.

“Tell her I’m safe,” she said, softening slightly. “Tell her I’m happy.”

“Happy?” Jed spat the word like a curse. “Living amongst demons and monsters? Betraying everything you were raised to believe?”

“Yes, because I’ve found the truth—not fear dressed up as religion.”

Jed’s control snapped. He strode forward, grabbing her arm with bruising force. “Enough! You’re coming with us tonight. We’ll cleanse whatever influence these creatures have over you.”

Ozzie lunged, teeth bared, but David was faster, catching the dog’s collar and yanking him away. Ozzie yelped in pain.

“Let him go!” she shouted, struggling against Jed’s grip.

“The dog stays,” Jed said coldly. “It’s been contaminated too.”

Fury surged through her, and she twisted violently, bringing her heel down hard on Jed’s instep. He grunted in pain but didn’t release her.

“Matthew, get her things,” he ordered. “David, start the van.”

“No!” She fought harder, clawing at Jed’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”

Jed’s face darkened. With his free hand, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small vial. “We prepared for this,” he said grimly. “For your rebellion.”

Terror raced through her at the sight of the vial. Sedatives—the same ones they’d used on Sister Rebecca when she’d had her “nervous breakdown” after questioning Elder Matthias’s teachings.

“You can’t do this,” she gasped, redoubling her efforts to break free. “This is kidnapping.”

“It’s salvation,” Jed corrected, attempting to uncap the vial one-handed. “Philippians 2:12—'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.’”

Somehow she managed to knock the vial from his hand. It shattered on the floor, filling the air with a sharp, medicinal smell.

Jed’s expression hardened from righteous to dangerous. “The hard way, then.”

He yanked her towards the door with such force that she stumbled, nearly falling. Matthew moved to help, grabbing her other arm.

“SAM!” she screamed, abandoning any pretense. “SAM!”

“Shut her up,” Jed hissed to Matthew, who clamped a hand over her mouth.

She bit down hard. Matthew yelped, jerking his hand away, and she used the momentary distraction to kick at Jed’s knee, connecting solidly. His grip loosened just enough for her to wrench free.

She darted towards the door, but David blocked her path, his face grim but determined.

“Please,” he said, almost apologetically. “Don’t make this worse.”

“Get out of my way,” she demanded, backing towards the window instead. “All of you, get out of my home.”

“This isn’t your home,” Jed said, advancing on her again, limping slightly. “Your home is with us. With me. Your intended husband.”

Her back hit the wall. There was nowhere left to run. Jed reached for her again, his fingers closing around her wrist like a vise. With her free hand, she grabbed the nearest object—a heavy ceramic mug—and smashed it against the side of his head.

He staggered back, blood trickling from a cut above his ear, his expression stunned. Then fury transformed his features into something barely human.

“I’ve been too lenient with you,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “That ends tonight.”

“SAM!” she screamed again, louder this time. “SAM, HELP!”

“Who the hell is Sam?” Jed demanded, pressing a handkerchief to his bleeding temple.

As if in answer, a sound came from outside—not a splash, but a roar. Deep, primal, earth-shaking. The windows rattled in their frames. The floorboards vibrated beneath their feet.

All three men froze.

“What was that?” Matthew whispered.

Ozzie, who had been struggling against David’s hold, suddenly went still, his ears perked forward, tail wagging frantically.

Another roar, closer now, accompanied by the sound of churning water—as if the river itself was rising up in fury.

“The Others,” David breathed, backing towards the door. “They’re coming.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jed snapped, though his voice wavered slightly. “It’s just some trick to?—”

The rest of his sentence was drowned out by a thunderous crash as something massive struck the porch outside. The entire shack shuddered. A glass fell from a shelf, shattering on the floor.

She smiled, a fierce, triumphant expression that made Matthew take a step back.

“You wanted to meet the monsters of Fairhaven Falls,” she said, her voice steady now, charged with a power she’d never felt before. “Well, here’s your chance.”