Page 12

Bruce rolled out the aged, yellow parchment and spread it across the table in the captain’s cabin.

The boat rocked slightly with the ripple of the waves, and items that had not been stowed away rolled this way and that.

The cabin itself was sparsely furnished, with only a table, a few chairs, and a small bed off to one side.

The window let in the early morning light, the dawn a stunning mix of colours, but the sight was forgotten by the crew as they looked to their captain.

“This is the target,” the captain pointed to the centre of the map using a small dagger.

All five members of the crew pressed against the table to look closer, until one started to cough. Each cough echoed and sounded more like a squawk.

“Come on, Pansy, cough it up,” the crew member next to them patted their back.

When all had quietened again, the captain continued.

“We must strike hard and fast, get in and out before they deploy their weapons.”

“What weapons? You never said anything about weapons.”

“You said this was a no risk job.”

“I just came to get out of that shit hole we lived in.”

“I came for the food.”

“Have you lot bloody finished?” the captain shouted. He made to stab the table with the dagger, only when it hit the table, it flew out of his hand and out through the window into the water.

“Did you mean to do that?” one asked, and they all looked at the captain who was just as shocked as them.

“Anywho, back to the plan. We get in, grab it, and get out, back to the boat and we leave. No fannyarsing about.” They all nodded, standing a little taller. Until the smallest of them spoke.

“What are we stealing again?”

Groans erupted from all the members, and one took the opportunity to slap them upside of the head.

“We wait for night fall,” the captain stated. “Now, go and prepare.” Turning his back, he looked out of the window. Standing tall, the captain placed his arms behind his back, looking every bit the part of a pirate.

As the others shuffled off to "prepare", they couldn’t help but chatter.

“No, seriously, what are we stealing again?”

“Do you ever listen?”

“Yes, but the captain never said what we are stealing.”

“Of course he did.”

“Then what is it?”

“Errrrr… I errr, nope, I don’t know either.”

“See, how the hell can we prepare when we don’t know what we are stealing?”

“Shhh, don’t let the captain hear you, just go with it.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“Naa, that’s wind, fart it out and it will be fine.”

“Anyone got a biscuit?”

As the light of the morning streamed into the nursing pool, Jessica’s body protested, she had been up all night.

The night had been long and arduous. In total, ten hatchlings had broken free of their shells and were now splashing away happily within the pools.

Jessica may have been bone tired, but she was deliriously happy.

She had helped these beautiful babies come into the world and they were stunning.

They were each different in colours and markings, with blues and greens all the way to purples and reds.

So many variations, their little faces and wide green eyes nearly gave Jessica cuteness overload.

“Are. You. Well?” Dave asked as he approached from carry the last hatchling of the night to the pool.

It had taken him a good ten minutes to detach each of the little tentacles from his arm.

Each time he detached one, another stuck back on.

This little one had been one of the smaller eggs and now saw Dave as more of a mother figure.

It was so adorable that Jessica couldn’t help but smile.

“I am tired, but I’m great,” she admitted and blinked sleepily.

“Thank you,” Dave said, and Jessica turned towards him.

“There is no need to thank me, I should be thanking you.” And that was the truth. Being present at such a time was an honour and a privilege.

Turning, she faced Dave, his handsome face and stunning green eyes were hidden by the fall of his hair over his face. Gently, she reached up and pushed it away.

“Thank you for letting me be a part of this,” she stated, yet when she went to move her hand away, he held it in place, holding it to him as he rubbed his cheek against her palm.

Tingles erupted at his touch, making her heartrate increase.

Jessica didn’t try to pull her hand away.

In fact, she wanted to get closer. Since the very first moment she saw Dave, she had been attracted to him, who the hell wouldn’t be?

But since they had started to deal with the hatchlings, seeing him act so gentle and kind was the biggest turn on for her.

She knew he was a Kracken himself and, surprisingly, that didn’t bother her. In their world, shifters were the norm.

"Dave?" she asked gently, and waited for his green gaze to meet her own. The world disappeared, it was only them, even the sounds of hatchlings splashing had vanished as if they had been placed into a bubble.

"Would you…" She paused, changing her mind because she didn’t want to come off as rude. Biting her lip, she stopped herself blurting out the words.

Instead, a large palm cupped her cheek and tilted her head to look up, once again green meeting green.

"Ask," Dave stated simply, his voice deep and calming.

"Can I see… you?” She blushed. "Your true self?"

Dave’s eyes widened, yet he didn’t pull away, she watched as he frowned, looking away before he met her gaze again.

With a single nod he released her cheek, the loss of his warmth was instant, but it didn’t last for long as he took her hand and pulled her out of the nursing pool. Jessica had a job to keep up with Dave’s giant steps, but once they were out of the caverns and onto the small cove, he stopped.

His chest heaved in and out and he looked a little lost. Jessica placed her hand on his arm and smiled.

Nothing needed to be said as he moved. He gently lifted her by the waist and walked across the sand to the shore, by a group of large rocks jutting out from the water. As if she weighed nothing Dave placed her on a rock, high enough that she didn’t get wet before he stepped away.

Jessica expected to see Dave shift, ripping through his clothes and bursting into Kracken form, but that didn’t happen.

Instead, she got more than what she bargained for and was prepared for. Slowly, Dave stripped. First the jumper, which was then folded and placed onto another rock, then his shoes and socks. Each movement was slow and careful, as well as painful in anticipation for Jessica.

Then his T-shirt went, revealing a torso that should have been banned, it would be her downfall and if any other woman saw it, it would be hers too.

Muscles jumped and flexed. Pectorals that looked as if carved from stone that led to the world’s finest eight pack.

Biceps flexed and his skin gleamed in the early morning sunlight.

When he moved just right, his skin had an iridescent sheen to it.

Jessica was so focused on the ripple of pecs and abs that it took her a long few moments to realise that he had continued his strip tease, and now standing gloriously naked.

“Holy shit,” she breathed out as her eyes wandered lower. Considering they were in her skull, she should have full control, but she didn’t. They wandered and stopped and stared.

Dave was a Kracken, yes, he also was a Kracken as a human too. Long, thick, and guaranteed to make a girl’s eyes water.

Jess, stop looking at it, eyes up, girl, stop it… seriously, stop looking at it.

With more force than she ever thought she would need, Jessica lifted her eyes to meet Dave’s. She expected a touch of embarrassment yet there was none, instead he tilted his head almost like a dog does and smiled.

“Okay?” he asked. Oh, she was more than okay. The day was starting off fabulously.

“Yes, I’m okay,” she replied and smiled back.

“Not find me… disgusting?” he asked and now she saw it; the uncertainty in his voice, his eyes showing a sadness that Jessica had missed.

“No, god no. who called you that?” She jumped off the rock and into the water, only she didn’t expect it to be so deep.

But then again, she wasn’t a giant Kracken man like Dave.

In a flash, she was held against a naked chest with his “tentacle” smacking her leg.

It thumped against her thigh like an elephant’s trunk.

“You okay?” he asked as he swept her hair away from her face.

“Yes, sorry, didn’t realise it was that deep.” She patted his chest, unable to stop herself from touching his skin, or the muscle for that matter. “Who said you were disgusting? ‘Cause they are very wrong.”

“Everyone tells me to dress, they turn away quickly, not wanting to see me,” he admitted, and Jessica fought the need to giggle.

She knew exactly why, any man that looked the way Dave did was going to get ogled. But because he was family the guys here were trying to give him the respect he deserved.

Although Jessica would be having words with Maeve when she next saw her, she could have forewarned her about certain details.

“You are perfectly fabulous to look at, Dave, as human.” She grinned. “The jury is out on your other side.”

Placing her back on the rock Dave stepped back. With one of his devastating grins he dived beneath the surface of the water. Jessica had wanted to see him shift, but that was something she could always request later. A few minutes passed and nothing, Jessica started to worry. Then she felt it.

A gentle grip to her ankle alerted her to a tentacle as it slid up the rock to her and wrapped around her leg.

Soon, it was followed by the others, all sliding slowly up the rocks until they surrounded her.

She found herself picked up and carried in a cradle of long limbs, before the bulk of Dave finally made an appearance and, in turn, made Jessica’s dreams come true.

His bulk was a multitude of colours; blues and greens that got darker and more intense closer to his face.

Scales with flecks of purple and orange framed his eyes, and every single part of him down to the end of his tentacles held that iridescent sheen.

But it was his eyes that held Jessica captive.

Green, deep, dark, and mesmerising. They promised her the secrets of the sea, and yet also a fragility that Jessica wanted to protect.

Seeing a full-grown Kracken for the first time was everything she had hoped, knowing who he was made it all the more special.

Yet there was one thing that played on her mind and in her heart.

Was she falling for a Kracken, and how could it happen so quickly?

Ignoring that for now, she stroked a hand up and down the tentacle that was wrapped gently around her waist, and placed the other hand on Dave’s head. Beaming, she couldn't hold back.

“Holy fucking shit, you are amazing.”