Chapter two
KRAK'ZOL
She fights the water like it’s an enemy to be conquered, all wild grace and desperate strength. My little warrior, still battling even as I guide her deeper into my domain. Her pulse thunders against my palm where I cradle her neck, the rhythm of it calling to something primal in my blood. Mine . The word echoes with each beat of my hearts.
The enzyme transfer burns through her system as she clings to me, her fingers digging into my arms with desperate strength. Her heart hammers against my chest—a rapid, human rhythm that betrays her terror despite her attempts to hide it. Most would have succumbed to blind panic by now, lost to the primal fear of drowning, but she fights it. Even as she trembles, she keeps her movements controlled, measured—a warrior’s discipline warring with basic survival instinct.
I feel the exact moment the change begins to take hold—her grip loosens slightly, her body’s desperate rigidity giving way to surprise as she takes her first underwater breath. The alarm doesn’t leave her eyes, but something else joins it—a flash of wonder, quickly masked by that steel defiance from the shore. Even facing her fear, she refuses to break.
The press of her small body against my chest ignites something primal within me, and I tighten my grip possessively, letting her feel exactly how easily I could overpower her. Her nails bite deliciously into my scaled shoulders, the sweet sting of her defiance making my blood surge hot. A growl of pleasure rumbles through me at her fierce response—even now, fighting the inevitable, she burns like wildfire in my arms. Such a savage little warrior, marking me as if she could claim me before I claim her.
“Breathe,” I command through our telepathic connection, the ability another gift of the enzymes. “Your body knows how, even if your mind resists.”
Her response comes sharp and clear, that fighting spirit undiminished by our descent. “Easy for you to say, scale-face. Some of us weren’t born with gills.”
A rumble of amusement vibrates through my chest. Even facing transformation and the unknown depths, she maintains her spark. The urge to claim her fully, to mark her as mine, grows stronger with each passing moment. But no—she must come to me willingly. The chase makes the conquest sweeter.
The phosphorescent crystals embedded in the cavern walls cast an ethereal blue glow across my private sanctuary, illuminating pools of crystalline water and smooth stone formations that have taken millennia to form. As I set her on her feet in this hidden chamber, she immediately retreats, those fierce green eyes scanning every shadow and exit point with tactical precision. Her warrior’s instincts make my blood sing.
“Welcome to my personal domain within the Abyss,” I rumble, watching how the bioluminescent light plays across her sun-kissed skin. She’s beautiful in her defiance, chest heaving slightly from our underwater journey, dark hair clinging to her neck in wet tendrils. “Few surface-dwellers have seen these chambers.”
She backs away until she hits one of the spiraling crystal columns, maintaining that calculated distance that makes me want to close it. Her eyes narrow, assessing me with the sharp gaze of a warrior. “Before we continue this little tour, how about we start with names? I’m Lieutenant Imogen Vance.”
“Imoooogeeeen,” I repeat, savoring the way her name feels on my tongue. “Imoo-geen.” My pronunciation draws a fleeting look of surprise across her face, quickly masked by her usual defiance.
She blinks, a hint of amusement breaking through her wary expression. “Close enough, I suppose. And you are?”
“I am Krak’zol, King of the Leviathan,” I reply, allowing a hint of pride to color my tone. “Ruler of the Abyss and…” I pause, meeting her gaze intently, “your mate.”
Her eyebrows shoot up at that last part, but she doesn’t comment on it. Instead, she crosses her arms, all business once more. “Fascinating introduction, Your Highness. Now, where’s Samantha?”
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. They guard 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.”
The mere suggestion makes my tail lash beneath the water, but I force my voice to remain steady. “Then you remain under my protection until the conflict resolves.” The words scrape against my throat like coral, every instinct rebelling against the thought of letting her go. “I am many things, little warrior, but I am not a monster who would force an unwilling mate.”
Something shifts in her scent—a softening of that delicious defiance. “No, just one who kidnaps them and changes their biology without permission.”
I rumble low in my chest, pleased by her continued fire even as she sways slightly with exhaustion. “To save your life,” I remind her, fighting the urge to trace the new, silvery patterns emerging along her throat. “The changes are…permanent, but they will not harm you. They allow you to survive here, to become what you were meant to be.”
Her hand rises to her throat, fingers brushing the delicate gills. The simple gesture makes my claws itch to touch her there, to feel her pulse beneath my hands. “Like breathing underwater?”
“Among other things.” Unable to resist any longer, I capture her small hand—so fragile, yet capable of such strength—and press it against my chest where my hearts thunder their claiming rhythm. “You will be stronger, faster, more resilient. Your senses will sharpen.” I lean closer, inhaling her changing scent. “And you will feel the bond between us, though you fight it now.”
She doesn’t immediately pull away, and my inner beast purrs with satisfaction. But her next words remind me of her stubborn nature. “I need to see Samantha. Make sure she’s really safe.”
“Of course.” Though every instinct screams to keep her close, I force myself to step back. The space between us feels like physical pain, a chasm carved out of my very essence. I found myself adopting her stance when she crossed her arms, my own massive arms mimicking her defiant posture without conscious thought. She must be mine, and soon.
“But first, you should rest. The transformation takes its toll, and there are things you must learn about surviving in the Abyss.”
A yawn breaks through her warrior’s facade, and I resist the urge to gather her against me. “Fine. But tomorrow you start explaining exactly what’s happening to my friends.”
“Agreed.” I guide her toward my private chambers, where living coral bathes the space in a soft, pulsing glow. The sight of her in my domain sends a primal thrill through my blood. “Sleep, little warrior. Dream of the depths that are now your domain.”
She arches an eyebrow, exhaustion unable to dim her spirit. “You always this dramatic?”
“Only for you,” I purr, savoring the way her heart rate spikes at my words. “Rest. I will keep watch.” For at this moment, there is no monster, no king, only a warrior desperate to keep safe that which has become more important than anything in all the oceans of the Abyss. Her beauty shines upon me, and for the first time in millennia, I am not sure that I am worthy of her. I will spend eternity in her service if that’s what it takes.
As she settles onto the bed of sea-silk and living moss, her eyes already growing heavy, I position myself between her and the entrance. My little warrior may not yet accept her place as my queen, but she will. I have waited centuries for her—I can be patient a while longer.
I watch her breathing even out, memorizing the way the bioluminescence plays across her features. After all, the hunt is half the pleasure, and she is proving to be the most intriguing prey I’ve ever pursued. Soon enough, she’ll realize she’s not just surviving in my world—she’s meant to rule it.