Page 54 of Kraken the Seal

No, this couldn’t be how it all ended for us!

Chapter 18

Delmar

Whatever they'd blown in my face was effective. I could hear everything, but I couldn't move. Not even my kraken could save me. My beast was fast asleep, dreaming of eating swordfish.

It was amazingly horrific to hear my mate fighting to save me. My eyes wouldn't even obey me so I could only see her being carried away out of my peripheral vision. She was kicking and screaming, making the men dragging her struggle to keep their grip. I was so proud of her, especially the way she told Norris that she'd end him.

I wished I had enough control to do her bidding.

How had things gone so wrong so quickly? One moment I thought that the worst thing was that I needed to put up with annoying selkies, now I was in a fight for my life.

Norris, Mark, and Rick appeared in my vision.

“I can't believe that worked,” Rick whispered.

“You shouldn't doubt me,” Norris said.

“What are you going to do with him?” Mark asked, his gnarled figure holding onto the back of a chair to stay standing.

“Mayor Norris?” There was a new voice outside my vision that made all the men look over.

Norris smiled at the person. “Good, you're here. Did you bring Al and Bruce?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Take this monster to his own boat,” Norris said, nudging my side with his toe. “Sail his boat far out to sea and have Bruce follow you with his boat. Make sure this thing is dead, then set his boat on fire. Stay out there until his boat is ash and sinks. Understand?”

I didn't like this plan at all.

“H-h-h-he isn't dead?” the guy stuttered.

“I'm not sure,” Norris said. “I don't think he's breathing, but these abominations are cagey. Cut off his head. Nothing can survive that. But not here. I don’t want a mess.”

It's true I wasn't breathing, but my body could go a long time without air, even in my human form. Unfortunately, Norris was correct, I couldn’t survive having my head separated from my body.

At least they weren't doing anything to me right now. I was sure that given enough time, I could shake off the effects of the magic powder.

It was a waiting game ofcould I recover from the magic before they did something I couldn’t survive?

There was a hesitant silence from the new guy, and Norris stepped away from me and spoke to him with quiet intensity.

“You understand that we can't let this monster remain alive, right? This is for the safety of the colony. I'm trusting you with one of the most important tasks I've ever asked of anyone. Because of you, we will gain a precious female to our colony and make the world safer.”

The guy pulled in a shaky breath. “Yes, I can do this. I won't disappoint you, Mayor Norris.”

While they talked a little longer, Rick crouched down next to me.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered, then dropped a piece of cloth over my face so I couldn't see anything.

Many hands picked me up and carried me. I felt the cool night air on my skin and then I was dropped on a hard, corrugated metal surface. When I heard the engine start, I knew I was in the bed of a truck.

The moment the vehicle started moving, the fabric on my face blew off, and I could see the night sky above me. I focused on trying to move any part of my body. All too soon, the truck was pulling to a stop and shutting off. The tail gate was dropped, and I was roughly pulled from the bed by my feet. After I landed hard on the ground, they dragged me from the parking lot to the docks. They were equally as rough getting me onto my boat.

I might not be able to move, but I could still feel pain. They were probably enjoying this game of “abuse the helpless monster,” but they didn't realize that the pain was helping. Every jolt seemed to bring my body back to me. By the time they started up my boat's engine, I could move the big toe on my right foot.

“How far out should we go?” one of them asked.