Chapter 36
Spencer had never wanted to kill his brother before. Annoy him? Throw him overboard? Very frequently. But this, watching Edith restrained in silver while Gerald treated her like an object to reclaim, this broke something savage and ancient loose inside him and Mark knew it.
The moment the words left his mouth I think I made a mistake.
Spencer’s rage shifted, not gone but focused, because there were bigger problems currently attached to the boat. Specifically Gerald. The dragon male’s expression twisted with open contempt as he looked between the brothers.
“Pathetic,” he sneered. “All this over a female.”
Edith immediately gasped in outrage from Spencer’s tentacle. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she snapped. “Did you want us to discuss your personality instead? Because that seems significantly more tragic.”
Dave laughed so hard he accidentally smacked the side of the boat with a tentacle. The entire vessel tilted dangerously sideways and the pirate screamed again. Honestly, Spencer was beginning to admire the man’s commitment to panic.
Gerald ignored everyone except Spencer, his gold eyes sharpening coldly.
“You think instinct gives you claim?” he said. “You know nothing about her.”
Spencer’s massive body shifted beneath the waves and the sea churned instantly around him. Because the male was wrong. Painfully wrong.
Spencer knew enough. Enough to know Edith feared returning home more than death. Enough to know she hid herself away for years just to survive. Enough to know she laughed loudly when nervous and insulted people when scared and trusted too carefully despite everything done to her.
Enough… and apparently his Kraken instincts agreed.
Mate.
Mine.
Protect.
The possessiveness rolled violently through him again. Edith blinked down at him.
“Okay, wow,” she muttered softly. “That one felt intense.”
Dave leaned lazily against the side of the boat. “Oh yeah,” the guardian said. “You’re basically his emotional support dragon now.”
Edith looked alarmed, Spencer felt vaguely offended. Brutas, meanwhile, remained focused entirely on Gerald. Ancient eyes cold.
“You bind what does not belong to you,” the guardian rumbled.
Gerald lifted his chin with all the arrogance of a man who believed he was right. “She is dragon clan.”
“She is frightened,” Brutas replied simply.
That silenced everything for a moment. Because unlike Gerald’s polished manipulation or Mark’s guilty hesitation, Brutas reduced the entire situation to its ugliest truth effortlessly.
Edith had run, terrified. And they had tried to drag her back in chains. Mark looked sick.
Spencer’s tentacle curled more securely around Edith as he slowly brought her closer to the water beside him. Closer to safety.
Gerald noticed instantly. “No.”
Magic exploded outward from him again in sharp gold flames. This time, Spencer reacted first.
The sea rose violently, and a wall of water slammed across the deck hard enough to knock Gerald backward into the mast.
Edith cackled. Actually cackled. “Oh this is the best day of my life.”
The pirate clung desperately to the wheel, screaming prayers at multiple religions simultaneously. Mark grabbed onto the railing again, soaked through and furious.
“Gerald, stop!”
“You incompetent fool,” Gerald snarled, shoving himself upright. “Do you have any idea what the clan will do if she disappears again?”
“Yes, and I no longer care!” he shouted back.
Well that was interesting and Edith caught it too. Her expression sharpened instantly.
“They threatened you,” she realised.
Mark looked away, and that told everyone enough.
Gerald’s lip curled. “The clan protects its interests.”
Edith barked out a laugh devoid of humour. “No,” she said fiercely. “The clan protects powerful men.”
Silence cracked across the sea. Because Gods, there was the dragon princess beneath all the fear.
Fearless, proud, and furious. Spencer loved her a little more for it immediately. Which was probably unhealthy given the circumstances.
Dave noticed… again. “Oh you are absolutely gone,” the guardian muttered.
Spencer ignored him with dignity. Mostly because he was currently trying not to murder someone. Gerald pointed toward Edith sharply.
“She is promised!”
“And she said no,” Spencer growled. The words tore from him instinctively.
Not spoken aloud exactly, more like felt. Waves crashed violently around the boat.
Magic pulsed beneath the water. Gerald went still. Because he heard it. Not human words. Kraken intent.
Edith stared down at Spencer, wide-eyed. To everyone’s apparent surprise, except maybe Dave’s… she blushed. Actually blushed.
“Oh Gods,” she muttered. “That should not have been attractive.”
Dave immediately pointed at her triumphantly. “Mates.”
“I hate you,” Edith informed him weakly.
“You love me,” Dave replied cheerfully. Brutas finally moved.
One enormous tentacle rose slowly beside the boat before settling directly onto the deck with terrifying calm. Wood cracked beneath the weight instantly.
The guardian lowered his massive head slightly toward Gerald. “You will remove the bindings,” Brutas said. Not a request. The sea seemed to hold its breath as Gerald looked around finally. Really looked.
At the three Krakens surrounding the vessel. At Spencer holding Edith carefully like something precious. At Dave grinning like violence was a hobby. At Brutas looming over them like ancient judgement itself.
And for the first time, real uncertainty flickered across his face, because Spencer was done being reasonable.