Chapter 3 #3
I’m going to have to tread carefully. But even as I come to that conclusion, I can’t help but become captivated by Kaleb Dumas.
He has a sassy and sweet personality that draws me in.
I want to linger in this moment and get to know him.
I want to find out if he’s the beautiful stranger from my dreams.
As if he’s unable to fight this crazy magnetic pull between us, he leans forward. “What’s got you smirking over there?”
“What would you do if I said it’s you who has me smiling?”
That tempting blush returns as he peers down at his drink.
Deciding to test the waters, I do a partial shift, letting my kraken show through my eyes.
To most humans, I know the change from brown to golden swirls that glow can be frightening, but luckily for me, I can always blame it on the strobe lights.
“You know,” he says, still looking down. “I love the mask you’re rocking, but honestly, it doesn’t look like much of a costume,” he jokes. “Not to mention, I’m sure it hides a really handsome face.”
I chuckle low in my throat, my kraken preening that he finds us attractive.
Mate. My pulse picks up speed as I take in what my kraken just said. Mate. My fated mate. Could it be true? I shove the thought away. The longer I chat with Kaleb, the more I want him to be the man from my dreams.
“Is this your way of saying you want to see me?” I place a hand on his before toying with his bracelets. “Well, go on. Look at me, beautiful.”
His ocean-blue eyes trail up to mine. He gasps, leaning forward on his stool so that our legs are touching. He studies the golden light reflecting in my gaze. “Your eyes.” Tentatively, Kaleb reaches out before digging his fingers into my hair. A shiver slides down my spine.
Kaleb easily finds the ribbon that holds my mask in place. He tugs lightly, and suddenly the mask is falling, dropping away and exposing my face to my potential soulmate. Damn. No fucking pressure or anything.
His breathing becomes shallow. I can tell he likes what he sees, and the feeling is mutual.
There’s the tiniest little scar just above his lip. I’ve never particularly cared for scars before, but somehow this mark adds to his beauty. I trace the tiny spot with the pad of my finger before wandering down to the curve of his lips. “You’re the most stunning merman I’ve ever seen.”
The words slip out before I can stop them. His large eyes widen with shock. Pupils dilating and swallowing up the blue.
I’m probably pushing my limits here, but I reach for his hand and ask, “Do you believe in magic?”
Kaleb nods, looking hypnotized.
Small magical sparks fly from his fingertips, but he doesn’t seem to notice. I’m both surprised and thrilled when Kaleb doesn’t pull away from me as he glances into my golden gaze. Instead, he closes the distance between us.
Kaleb’s lips press against mine. Soft and tempting. The world around us falls away. The music fades, and I swear, the people dancing around us disappear. My entire world rights itself as I focus on Kaleb.
Power unlike anything I’ve ever felt before swirls between us, stealing my breath. I should pull away, but I can’t. My palms grow sweaty.
His magic is intense. How does he not feel it? And why is it so unstable?
A sense of panic fills my chest, causing my kraken to thrash against me.
Kaleb is so damn powerful. I deepen the kiss, letting my magic explore.
He moans against me, climbing onto my lap.
Panic and lust twist together with desperation and fear.
To my dread, I can tell Kaleb’s magic is ready to combust and has nowhere to go.
It’s terrifying.
If I don’t try to help Kaleb now, there’s a good chance the magic might burst out of his body, hurting him and those around us.
Tentatively, my inner kraken and I simultaneously extend our magic, reaching out like one of our tentacles.
Desperate to help, our magic wraps around Kaleb’s as we guide as much of the unstable power toward my body instead.
He continues to kiss me, unaware that he’s a ticking time bomb. “Feels so good,” he whimpers, unknowingly pushing even more of his magic into me. I take it. I take it all willingly, praying I’m not too late.
Bright green tendrils of chaotic magic burst from his body, his fingertips, and his lips.
Usually, something like this would be dangerous to anyone else, but my inner kraken rubs and clicks against the magic, savoring the sensations.
The power shoves its way violently into my body, lighting me up inside.
Kaleb gasps, scrambling off my lap, but it’s too late.
Electric jolts hit me like a lightning strike to the chest. Images, memories, and dreams flicker across my mind at a rapid pace, while, at the same time, I’m thrust out of my chair and slammed into the nearby wall. My legs crumble under me as I fall to the ground and sit there, stunned.
“Wha-what just happened?” Kaleb stares at his trembling hands. Tears fill his pretty blue eyes before he takes off. With his chaotic magic still swirling inside of me, I can sense his emotions plain and clear.
Fear.
My inner kraken urges me to stand, to go after him. But I’m still too shaky to move. There’s one thing I know for damn sure. Kaleb Dumas, the heir to one of the most important covens in the world, is the man I’ve been dreaming about for years.
Kaleb is, without a doubt, my fated mate.