Page 37 of The Baker and the Kraken

“I can only imagine how hard this is, sweetheart.” Calder had never had a parent to lose, but just imagining losing Adam gave him some insight. “But I swear to you that you’ll always have me, and absolutely nothing you do or say or are could ever drive me away.”

Adam sighed again, a shiver running through him, and he buried his face deeper in Calder’s chest once more. “Same. I know I wasn’t very good at that before.”

Calder pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

“But—” Adam started to protest.

Overriding him, Calder said firmly, “You had reasons for thinking what you did, you recognized the error in your thinking, you apologized, and we moved on. We had one wobble, and you’ve been an exemplary partner since then. I can only hope I’ve been doing as well. Let’s move forward together.”

Adam let out a little puff of noise Calder couldn’t quite identify, but what he said was, “I like the sound of that.”

Excellent. And if Adam’s father didn’t seem to be coming to his senses soon, Calder would pay him a little visit.

Adam

The Pacific Ocean in early March was at its coldest, but it wasn’t like people didn’t venture in for surfing, swimming, and other sports. They had wet suits, usually, but since Calder was taking him somewhere where no one would see a kraken, Adam didn’t have to worry so much about people spotting him and wondering how could survive. He’d been practicing a warming charm, although Calder assured him that once they were bonded, his hardiness would be passed on to Adam.

“But does that mean it won’t feel freezing?” Adam wanted to know as he nerved himself to walk further into the cool water.

The warming charm helped, but the one he had was meant for a cold winter day, not immersion in the ocean in March. It was guaranteed to last for hours, though. It was an emergency charm that his father had made him learn, so that if he was ever trapped overnight in a vehicle in a snowstorm, he’d make it through. Adam was confident he wouldn’t be harmed by the cold of the water, but he might have underestimated how frigid it would still feel.

Calder hesitated. “Actually, I don’t know. I’m certain no harm will come to you from the water—I wouldn’t permit it—but I’m… not totally sure about the temperature.”

Adam could only laugh as he was reminded that this was all new to Calder, too. Neither of them had had a bonded mate before. But if he knew one thing, it was that Calder would keep him safe no matter what. It was enough to make him stride all the way into the water, even as he gasped and spluttered.

“Oh, my god, that’s cold!”

Calder, of course, slipped in like it was his second home. Actually, it was probably his first home.

“How do you stand it?” Adam demanded, trying not to let his teeth chatter.

They were up to Adam’s chest now, and he was pretty sure he was losing feeling in his extremities.

Shrugging, Calder admitted, “It doesn’t feel cold to me when I’m shifted. I’m sorry, sweetheart. We don’t have to do this now.”

Adam shook his head vehemently. “No, hey, I really want to see you like this. Once we’re bonded, if it turns out it doesn’t help as much as we’d hoped with the temperature of the water, then I can look at finding a more heavy-duty warming charm, maybe one that’s actually designed for water. I can handle being a bit chilly for a while. You really did this most nights until you met me?”

Calder had already told him he didn’t feel the cold, but it was like Adam’s chilled brain couldn’t quite grasp the idea.

Nodding, Calder explained, “It’s part of the reason I always settle near a coast, if I can. I need to be here for me, and I want to be around to help with cleaning up the ocean. It’s natural to me to stay in that form.”

Adam frowned, digesting this. “Do you want to swim more often? You don’t have to spend the night with me, you know.”

Calder pulled him into his arms and kissed him, which helped him forget for a moment that he now knew what ice cubes felt like.

“Spending time with you is something I cherish. I’m happiest when I can spend time in the water, but that’s still easily achieved. I’d much rather spend a few hours in the ocean while you’re at work and then spend all your free time with you on land.”

Adam… couldn’t really argue when Calder put it like that. But…

“Please just make sure you’re taking care of yourself,” Adam admonished, looking him square in the eyes.

He couldn’t bear if anything happened to Calder because of him.

Calder nodded, a soft smile on his lips. “Of course. Now, are you ready for this?”

Adam exhaled and nodded.

The breathing spell was another one that Adam had been practicing feverishly. Calder had already promised not to take him very deep. And apparently, once they bonded, Adam would be able to breathe underwater just as Calder could in any of his forms.