Page 53 of Kraken the Seal

“I can’t believe you won’t accept your place in our colony or give us the necklace,” Norris said with a genuinely regretful look. “I was afraid of this.”

Those words should've made me wary, but I was in a rush to leave. Except when I turned with Delmar, the men who'd served us a little while ago rushed up to block our exit.

“Move,” Delmar said, standing tall and letting several of his tentacles slither out from under his shirt. “Or I'll move you.”

The men looked nervous, but they both brought their right hands up and blew a white powder into Delmar's face.

At the same time Delmar gasped and staggered, Norris and Rick jumped up and grabbed me.

“Delmar!” I cried out as he dropped to his knees. I pulled away from the hands holding me and grabbed him as he slumped over. He was heavy, but I was strong. I was able to ease him to the ground. His eyes were open, but they were unfocused.

“What did you do?” I shouted.

“Neutralized him,” Norris said as he grabbed me again. Without a second thought, I balled up my fist and punched him in the crotch. The impact felt good and had the immediate effect. He dropped to his knees with a loud cry of pain.

Rick froze, unsure what to do now that Norris was on the ground groaning.

“Stay back,” I snarled as I grabbed my purse. “Or I’ll put you on your knees too.”

His eyes went wide, and he stepped back as I pulled out my phone to call 911. One of the servers grabbed my phone before I could even unlock it.

Getting my legs under me, I drove my shoulder into the server with my phone. We went down in a tangle of limbs, and my phone went skittering across the floor.

It was then that I realized that I needed to get out of here. If I stayed, they’d overwhelm me, and I wouldn’t be able to get Delmar help.

Moving my eyes from the phone to the front door, I scrambled off the server who was trying to remember how to breathe. I didn’t get far. Someone tackled me from behind and rode me to the floor.

This time it was my turn to lose my breath. My arms were jerked behind me, and I felt something like a zip tie being wrapped around my wrists and tightened.

Whoever did that kept a knee pressed on my back so I couldn’t move. Despite that, I thrashed and cursed.

Norris’s shoes appeared in my field of vision.

“I’m sorry it had to be this way,” Norris said. “I’d hoped you’d agree to join us voluntarily after you spent some time in the town. But I can see that your life with the humans has blinded you to your true duty as a woman. I’m sure your seal will help you adjust to your role within our colony.”

Ignoring the pain in my shoulders, I lifted my head up enough to look him in the face. “You’ll regret this.”

The asshole had the audacity to laugh.

“I don’t see how,” he said. “I have you, and I’ll go down in our history as the second selkie to defeat a kraken.”

He looked at the man kneeling on me. “Take her to the basement and stay with her until her future husband arrives to collect her.”

“Who is that going to be?” Rick asked.

“I decided to give her to Frank’s son, Cliff. He’s the only selkie in the colony prepared to make her obey. It’s all been arranged. The only thing left to do is dispose of this monster.”

Panic made me push back my anger. “Hey! Norris!”

He crouched down, putting a finger under my chin. “Yes?”

“Let Delmar go,” I said. “I’ll stay and whatever, but don’t hurt Delmar.”

Norris shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let him live.”

Deep rage roared back to life. “I'll end you!”

I went back to thrashing and even managed to buck off the guy on my back. Then two of them were grabbing me, and the last thing I saw was Delmar, still frozen and helpless on the floor.