Kate and the Kraken: A SciFi Alien Romance (Alien Abduction Book 11) Read online

  And discovered she wasn’t dreaming.

  A giant tentacle was wrapped around her waist, the tip curling up onto her breast. Oh my God. Something must have crawled up out of the opening in the cave floor. Was it going to pull her back into the water? Forcing herself to breathe slowly and calmly, she tried to slide out from under it, but as soon as she moved it tightened around her. The grip wasn’t in the least painful—in fact, it felt disturbingly erotic as it tightened around her breast—but it was clear that it had no intention of letting her go.

  The rest of her body was pressed up against A’tai. He wasn’t moving, so he must still be asleep. Since they were in his territory, hopefully he had some idea of how to deal with the creature.

  “A’tai,” she whispered, then paused to wonder if the tentacled creature could hear. When neither one reacted, she tried again, louder this time. “A’tai!”

  He sprang into wakefulness, moving in front of her with shocking speed. As he did, the tentacle disappeared and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  Until she realized that it had reappeared under A’tai, along with several more. For a horrified moment, she thought it was attacking him, and then she saw that his legs had disappeared, replaced by tentacles.

  “What is it?” he demanded, scanning the cave. “Did something threaten you?”

  “You—you’re part octopus.” Her voice came out shaky and breathless, even as part of her mind was immediately sidetracked by curiosity as to what type of evolutionary path had led to this.

  “I don’t understand. There is no danger?” He looked confused, but after another glance around the empty cave, he lifted his body into a standing position. His tentacles wound together and formed what looked like human legs as he hurried back to her side.

  “How do you do that?” she asked.

  “Assume a land form?” He actually looked confused. “Is this not common in your world? Like this octopus you mentioned?”

  “Umm, no. It’s a sea creature with tentacles, but much smaller. And not intelligent.” Although they had shown significant puzzle-solving skills.

  His confusion turned to outrage. “You are comparing me to a lower life form?”

  “Of course not. But perhaps there was some common ancestry. Or I mean, there would have been if you had been on Earth.” She glared at him. “You have to give me a minute here. We don’t have people who change forms, except in fairy tales.” And some of the romance stories she read late at night.

  “I see.” He sank down on his knees beside her. Not knees, she reminded herself, even though the movement looked remarkably similar.

  “You said this was your land form. Why did you switch while you were sleeping?”

  “I did?”

  “You most certainly did. I went to sleep with a man and woke up with a tentacle around my… waist.” She could feel her cheeks heating, but decided not to mention where else his tentacle had ended up.

  The pale blue she had noticed before flickered across his skin. Definitely embarrassment, she decided, remembering that octopi could change color in regards to stimuli. What other reactions might he have? She suddenly remembered the gold that had shimmered across his skin just before he left her the previous day. What did it mean?

  “I apologize if I startled you.” He seemed sincere, but she noticed he didn’t attempt to explain why the transformation had occurred.

  “You can choose to use either form?” Now that she was over her initial shock, a number of questions bubbled up.

  “Of course. The transformation is instinctive, but I can always control it if I wish.”

  “That’s fascinating. Is there an evolutionary reason for the two forms?”

  He sat back on his… feet and smiled at her. Those sharp pointed teeth made more sense now.

  “There is a legend. Matua, the Elder Sister, created us from the sea foam as it sparkled in her rays. But Latiti, the Little Sister, was jealous and wanted us to visit her land, so she gave us the ability to form legs and breathe air.”

  “That doesn’t exactly strike me as a scientific explanation,” she said dryly.

  “Perhaps not, but it is a more interesting explanation than the fact that the ability to adapt to both environments undoubtedly provided a better chance for survival.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” she laughed. “May I see?”

  She extended her hand without really thinking about it, but saw his body tense. Instead of responding verbally, he simply uncurled a single tentacle and offered it to her. The movement was so graceful and natural that she didn’t find it alarming, especially since he simply held it out and waited for her to touch him.

  A little cautiously, she stroked her hand along the back. It felt almost identical to the skin on his chest, just slightly rougher, the texture more obvious here. But when she slipped her hand underneath, the skin there was velvety soft. A row of equally soft, flexible suckers ran down each side—which technically made them limbs rather than tentacles. As she brushed across the suckers, she felt him shiver and looked up to find him watching her, his face intense.

  “Are they sensitive?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you -”

  “You’re not hurting me,” he said firmly, curling the limb around her hand.

  One of his suckers pressed against her palm in what felt like a kiss, and it was her turn to shiver. Why did that feel so good? Her fingers closed around him, and she saw that wash of gold flicker over his skin. Hmm. Purely in the interest of science, she tightened her grip, then dragged her hand down to the narrow tip, letting her fingers trail across the underside.

  He groaned, and the gold became more distinct before he pulled away from her, tucking his limb back in place.

  “You taste delicious,” he said. “But if you want me to keep my promise, I think it’s time to end this exploration.”

  “I was just testing your response to stimuli,” she said, hoping that she wasn’t blushing. But then she thought back to his words the last time she’d been awake. “You said you wanted a physical relationship with me.”

  A definite flicker of gold. “Yes.”

  “Is that even possible? Given our… differences?”

  “Oh yes. I assure you I can pleasure you.”

  His eyes gleamed with hunger, and she felt an unexpected pulse in her long-neglected clit as she imagined those small sucking kisses all over her body. For once, she had no response. For a long moment they stared at each other, and she could see his skin shimmer. But then he shook his head, and turned away.

  “You are dangerous to my self-control, amali.”

  “Amali?”

  “A type of coral. Soft and beautiful—and deadly.”

  That was actually rather flattering. It made her feel like some type of femme fatale instead of boring old Kate. She smiled at him. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You should.” He glided over to the water. “Now I must check on the storm. And perhaps more fish?”

  As delicious as the fish had been, the thought of a steady diet of it didn’t thrill her. But it would have to do until they reached land. A sudden thought struck her.

  “When we leave here, where are we going?”

  “To one of the southern islands. I have a… home there.”

  “On the surface?”

  He laughed. “Yes. My people spend most of their time there. Latiti was right about the lure of the land.”

  That part was a relief, but an island sounded kind of isolated. “Is the capital on the island?”

  “No. You do not need to worry. It is very quiet and isolated.”

  With a reassuring smile, he slipped into the water. She scrambled over to the hole just in time to see all of his limbs gracefully unfurl before he disappeared from sight. With a sigh, she sat back. Normally a quiet island would have sounded wonderful, especially if the slavers were looking for her, but if she was that isolated, how could she gather information about t
his world? And more importantly, how could she find her friends?

  A’tai did seem very intrigued by her—and concerned about pleasing her. Maybe it was just because she was different, but if she could take advantage of that interest, convince him she wanted to see the capital…

  She’d never even considered using her feminine wiles on a man before, but then again, A’tai wasn’t exactly a man. And the thought of becoming more intimate with him wasn’t exactly unpleasant. Her traitorous body definitely agreed. A speculative smile curved her lips as she went to collect more water.

  Chapter Seven

  Seems I am destined to spend all of my time around Kate with my moa threatening to emerge, A’tai thought ruefully as he swam away from the cave. Just the memory of her soft little fingers stroking his suckers made it throb. When she had asked him if they were compatible, her eyes so wide and green, he had been on the verge of showing her exactly how well their bodies would fit together.

  But then a flicker of doubt crossed his mind. He had seen enough while he cared for her to know that her cunt was as small and delicate as the rest of her, and his moa was not small. He would have to prepare her well before holding her in the mating position. The thought of that preparation made him throb again, and he forced his mind back to more practical matters.

  Kate seemed anxious to be on land once more, so he would check the condition of the waves first. He emerged to find that both suns had risen. Long, rolling swells surrounded him but they would be easy enough to navigate, even on the surface. The trip to Ataian would take no more than a few hours, so he decided not to stop and fish. Simea would have plenty of food for them.

  As he surfaced in the cave pool, he saw Kate standing by the far wall of the cave, using the thin trickle of fresh water to bathe. He froze as he watched her wipe a wet hand across her neck, then down under the short gown to trace her breasts. His moa jerked against his sheath when her hand started to descend further, and he forced himself to interrupt.

  “We have bathing facilities at my home.”

  She jumped, but then she turned to face him. The dampness made the thin material cling to those intriguing breasts, and he could see every detail, even the impudent peaks pressing against the fabric. He ached to explore those tempting little buds, to find out if they were as delicious as the rest of her skin, but he confined himself to a visual exploration. Somewhat to his surprise, she let him look. Although the pink glow of the susulu made it difficult to know for sure, he could have sworn that her color had deepened. Was that a sign of her arousal?

  But then she twisted her hands together and he saw them tremble. No, she wasn’t ready. He would have to be satisfied with the fact that she seemed to be adjusting to him.

  “The seas have calmed,” he said as he rose into the cave and assumed his land form. “This would be a good time to resume our journey.”

  “To your island?”

  “Yes.”

  “How far is it? I can swim, but it’s been a long—”

  “I will carry you,” he said firmly. He would not permit her fragile body to be at the mercy of the water.

  “Won’t I be too heavy?”

  He forced himself not to be insulted at her assumption of his weakness. She was still new to their ways. “Not in the least. But…”

  “But what?”

  “This cave is quite a long way beneath the water. In order to rise slowly and carefully to the surface, we will need to share breath.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I will take in oxygen through my gills and breathe it into your mouth.”

  “You have gills?” Her uncertainty vanished as she inspected him curiously. “Of course. That makes perfect sense now that I think about it. May I see?”

  He made himself stand still as she approached and raised her hand to his neck. A male’s gills were his weakest point—if an enemy clawed them open, he would be unable to breathe beneath the waters. In the old days, only the most vicious fighters would dare such a move. But this was Kate, and he breathed in her tantalizing fragrance as she brushed her soft fingers along the fragile slits No one had ever touched him there before, and a sudden bolt of unexpected lust washed over him.

  Her eyes widened. “Does that feel good?”

  “They are sensitive,” he said noncommittally as he gently drew her hand away. “Are you ready?”

  Her lips twisted. “It’s not like I have anything to pack.”

  She would soon, he vowed. Clothes and jewels that suited her exotic beauty.

  “Put your arms around my neck.” He leaned down and scooped her up. The exquisite softness of her body pressed against his distracted him to the point where he almost missed her nervous gasp. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Are you sure this is going to work?”

  Her face was so close to his, her eyes wide and scared. He put his arm beneath her round little bottom, pulling her closer to him. To his delight, her legs came up and encircled his waist, her sweet little cunt pressed against his stomach.

  “I’m sure. This is how I brought you here. Just hold on to me and put your mouth against mine.”

  Her little pink tongue swiped across her lips, and then she obeyed. He gently pushed her lips further apart until he could breathe into her mouth. To his shock, her tongue flicked against his, soft and smooth and delicious. Did she remember exploring him that way when he carried her to the cave? But this time he knew she was conscious, and with a groan, he let himself explore in return.

  She clung to him, just as she had done before, and his limbs started to unfurl. One came up to curve under her ass, tasting the soft curves. It wasn’t until another started to curl around her leg and he realized that he was on the verge of putting her into the mating position that he came to his senses. He made himself raise his head.

  Her eyes as dark as the stormy sea, she stared up at him. Her lips were damp and swollen, impossibly tempting, but she spoke before he could taste them again.

  “I-I thought we were leaving.”

  “We were. Until you kissed me.”

  Even in the pink glow, he was sure her cheeks grew darker.

  “I was… curious. Your tongue—you have suckers there as well?”

  “Yes. Does it disturb you?”

  She shivered, and he could feel the hard points of her breasts pressing against him like heated pebbles. “No. But maybe we should actually leave this time?”

  “Then as soon as our mouths touch, I will take you into the water—before we are distracted again. Do not be afraid, amali.”

  She nodded and he pressed his mouth to her once more, and dove.

  Kate fought back an immediate sensation of panic as the water closed over them. Her arms and legs were wrapped so tightly around A’tai she was surprised he could move, but he didn’t even pause. His limbs flared out beneath her, expanding and contracting in a rhythmic pulse that drove them through the water with astonishing speed. His mouth was still pressed to hers, and after her initial panic faded, she could feel the faint rush of oxygen into her lungs.

  As she relaxed, she thought back to their kiss. She really had been curious, and still trying to decide if she could be the seductive type, when she stroked her tongue against his. But then he had responded and all thoughts of seduction flew out of her mind. All she could do was hold on as he took over. And that tongue—teasing, sucking, setting her nerves quivering with excitement. Her nipples had tightened, and she could actually feel herself dampen. She had been on the verge of writhing against him when he lifted his head.

  The only thing that had stopped her from melting with embarrassment was that he was clearly equally aroused. His skin was flushed gold, and she was sure that one of his limbs had been curled around her butt, pressing those soft, sucking little kisses to the sensitive flesh. What would they feel like against other, even more sensitive areas? The image sent a fresh rush of arousal to her core and he jerked against her.

  How could he p
ossibly know she was aroused? And yet, she was sure that she had seen the flicker of gold across his skin.

  Determined to divert her mind, she turned her attention to the surrounding water. Despite the jade green tint, it was remarkably clear. A variety of brightly colored fish and plants surrounded them. Even though she had specialized at a microscopic level, she recognized the signs of a vibrant and healthy ocean. Although they were moving swiftly through the water, there was an almost hypnotic quality to their journey, and she found herself relaxing into A’tai’s arms as he swam.

  When he finally breached the surface, the air on her face felt strange, and it took a moment before she thought to pull away from his mouth. He smiled at her.

  “Is this better?”

  She took a deep breath of the warm, salty air, then smiled back. “In some ways. But I… I enjoyed our journey.”

  “As did I. But I think we can accomplish the rest of the journey on the surface, unless the waves increase.”

  As far as she could tell, nothing surrounded them but endless rolling green waves. If she’d been on her own, she would have been terrified. But A’tai’s presence put her at ease. She was quite sure he would take care of her.

  “How do you know which way to go? Because of the suns?”

  “Somewhat. But more from the feel and taste of the currents.”

  Wasn’t that an octopus trait as well? The ability to taste with their suckers? No wonder he sensed my arousal, she thought, her cheeks heating.

  He didn’t seem to notice, adjusting their position so that they were horizontal in the water. He still kept her cradled against his chest as he started swimming again, and she noticed that he kept his head positioned to shield her from the oncoming waves. The sky overhead was a pale aqua, gradually lightening as the last of the storm clouds blew away.

  Even though her work revolved around the ocean, she rarely made it out on the water anymore, and she realized she had missed it. She relaxed against him, watching sleepily as the water rushed by and birds circled far overhead, content to let him carry her across the water.