Evie Stanton"Evelyn…I'm sorry," Thane started, his voice dropping an octave. His gaze fixed on his lap, his hat discarded on the bed. My hands started trembling, but I clenched them into fists to stop it.Not two minutes before he entered his cabin, I started crying again. I couldn't fucking help it. Overwhelmed didn't even begin to cover how I felt. I wasn't in restraints anymore, but I was still trapped. Still headed toward my death. "Sorry? You're sorry?"His eyes flittered over to me, pinning me instantly. "I am.""No." I crossed my arms, voice feeling thick again. God, I hated crying. But it seemed to be all my body wanted to do now that he was in the same room with me. So much for vowing not to cry again. "You're still going to serve me up to a clan of sirens, Thane. Sorry doesn't mean anything." He hummed in his chest. "Why did you protect us? Against Captain Charles? You knew he could kill you."I shrugged. "It seemed like the right thing to do." I paused, taki
Thane DrogosI never considered Evelyn wouldn't want to go home. How could she choose the life forced upon me when she had so much waiting for her in Avalon?Then it began to make sense. A pretty cage is still a cage. And Evelyn's wings were meant to fly.When I didn't answer her right away, she started to ramble, twisting one of her locks in her fingers. She went on and on about how much she could offer me. Maybe she could be a translator or an apprentice, but I wasn't listening. She didn't need to explain her worth to me. I already saw it. From how she asked my mother about the water filtration system to how she learned the mechanics of an anchor. Evelyn helped Shep with the livestock and watered the plants in the galley with One-Eye. I didn't ask her to learn these things or be interested in the ship, but she was.I saw.I tried to stop her from rambling, but she kept going, not noticing. Evelyn's loveliness struck me again. The soft flush on her cheeks. Those
Evie Stanton"Take off your pants, sweetheart."I could barely hear Thane's voice over the pounding of my heart. My entire body wound tight. Trapped beneath my skin, needing just enough friction to set me free. Everything felt like it was burning.Flames lapped at me like water, aching to pull me under.And I wanted it. To be thrashed beneath the surface, fighting for air when bliss encompassed me. But I wasn't there yet. Thane stopped before I could get there. A whine left my lips, and I'm sure Thane enjoyed my obvious desperation. My entire body ached with it. The weight of his body left mine at the command, and I couldn't get out of my pants fast enough. I rolled out of the bed, fumbling with my belt. Pushing my pants down, I stood completely bare in front of him. Somehow, when he looked at me, I didn't feel vulnerable, especially when he let out a throaty noise of approval. I felt powerful. "What a sight," he groaned. "How wet are you for me right now?"My
Thane DrogosI breathed hard against Evie's mouth as we came down from our high. My heart hammered against my chest. My soul slowly returned to my body again. Her delicate hand slid down my chest from the back of my head. The only sound in the room was the thundering of rain against the deck outside. With care, I softened enough to pull myself from her body. She shuddered and groaned, her legs falling limp on the mattress. Her wide brown eyes stared up at me, her face cast in a beautiful flush. She nearly took my breath away.Evelyn's face suddenly screwed up with discomfort. "Are you alright?" I asked, cupping her rosy cheek in my palm, running my thumb along the softness under her chin."Sore," she murmured, leaning into my hand. My heart skipped a beat."Let me get something. I'll be right back," I said, leaning down to press a chaste kiss against her mouth. She reacted, parting her lips to deepen the kiss, but I pulled back. I couldn't help but smile wh
Evie StantonI've never jumped out of bed so fast in my life. Shame flushed over me when I thought about how loud I was. How loud Thane was. How many people heard us!Last night we had the rain to cover up all the noises I made, but this morning, the clear sky. Far enough from land there were no chirping birds for miles. Wind whistled through the tarp covering up the hole in the side of the ship. I felt mortified."Give me a minute," Thane replied loudly. "Don't come in.""Wouldn't dream of it, Cap," Desmond shouted somewhat cheekily.I scoured the floor for my clothes. Where were my pants?Thane threw his legs over the side of the bed, his fingers pressed into his brow. His cabin was in complete disarray, but he didn't seem remotely bothered by it as he plucked some clothes from his wardrobe, passing me a shirt and some loose-fitting shorts. "We need to wash our clothes anyways. Wear those.""Nothing says I just screwed the Captain like wearing his clothes," I r
Thane DrogosWhen Evelyn met me on the upper deck, I had a blunt cutlass ready for her. She eyed the instrument curiously, reaching out and taking it from me. "Is it sharp?" she asked."No. These are for sparring," I answered. I gave the sword a brief swipe, listening to the metal whistle through the air. At nightfall, most of the crew remained under the deck aside from the night crew. A few men did their rounds above the deck, keeping an eye out for any disturbances. Whether it be another ship or mischievous sea gremlins that liked to play tricks on unassuming sailors. Occasionally a siren or two, but they avoided my flag. They feared water dragons as much as they feared Cliodhna, the Goddess of the Sea. Sirens were vicious creatures, but not without their motives. In the water, they'd shout "Oillipheist" in my face like a slur before returning to the depths, so deep the sun didn't touch them. "Mimic my movements, Evie," I instructed, showing her how to stand proper
Evie StantonTwo days.Two days of cutlass lessons with Gunner.Two days of me doubting everything.My stomach churned. What was I doing here? Now, I wore a cutlass on my hip like most of the crew. I had been getting used to the additional weight as I moved around on deck. Katarina even tailored one of Rio's trousers to fit me better, a white blouse parted in the middle. I looked like I belonged on deck with everyone else.I was no longer the Stanton Princess. I was just Evie. The translator. A pirate.My conflicting feelings never went away.I didn't feel like a pirate. More like an imposter. Everything felt different for me now. No longer in constricting corsets or puffy gowns. I wasn't being forced into etiquette lessons or an arranged marriage. I had the freedom to figure out who I was.But I was still trying to discover that for myself.The lookout in the crow's nest signaled we were approaching the merchant vessel. Thane wanted me to stay on the Sea Ser
Thane DrogosThe merchant vessel had surrendered. We easily overwhelmed their security team with minimal damage. These merchants knew what was best for them. My crew went to work gathering the cargo for transport. Routine.Easy. Until the warbling of a siren song started emanating from the water. I reacted a split second before merchants started diving overboard. My crew fought not to join them in the salty grave. "Safeties! Now!" I ordered, my voice cutting through the siren song haze. They blinked away the thrall temporarily. My crew always carried safeties in case of an attack. They were rare, but when a clan of sirens got their sights set on a ship, they would sink it. Ravenous and violent.With my voice, everyone had about a five-second window of clarity. Securing themselves to the main mast or support ballasts. Hold out until I could handle it. My mother left my side, immune to the song as I was. But we left our ship defenseless. Fuck. My crew was trained
Evie StantonThane spent the better part of the early morning and afternoon bringing gold up to the surface. He seemed too restless to get a proper night's sleep. To be fair, I couldn't sleep either. Not only had we fucked the entire night away, but I felt different.I couldn't put my finger on it. I felt stronger. Like I was high on adrenaline. Buzzing helplessly. I was in Thane's bathroom, taking one last bath before the journey. I got out of the water, drying and dressing in my comfortable pants and slacks. Cutlass on my hip. The woman in the mirror looked different. My hair was silkier. My skin looked healthier. But the oddest part was my eyes had blue flecks in them now. I leaned in, looking at my appearance, bewildered. I wanted to talk to Katarina, but at the same time, I wanted to avoid Katarina. What was I going to say?How would I even begin that conversation?Hey, so last night, your son brought me down to see the hoard, and then we proceeded to have sex on litera
Thane Drogos"Have you ever wanted to ride a dragon?" I asked, wading in the deep water. I noticed how she eyed me, eyes darkening, desire present on her face."I believe I already have." Evie raised an eyebrow, chewing on her lower lip. I laughed. God, I loved her. "Then how about this—have you ever wanted to be fucked by a dragon on a mountain of gold?"Her mouth dropped open, eyes widening as she put two and two together. "You're taking me to your hoard?"I grinned. "Yes, I am. We have to empty it tomorrow morning, so this will be the last time you can see it."She tilted her head, curiosity forever present in her wide eyes. "But isn't it really deep down there? I'll drown.""No, you won't," I stated confidently. "There's this fascinating thing I can do with my mouth." "There's a lot of things you can do with your mouth," she giggled.I rolled my eyes, teasing, "Evelyn Marie Stanton, get your head out of the gutter and get into the water."Ever the brat, she tossed her
Evie StantonThane eyed me intensely as I signed the marriage certificate. Desmond sat next to me, signing as our witness while Katarina prepared the paperwork and officiated to make it legally binding.I knew my parents would refute it, so we had to do everything possible to make it iron-tight. I passed Thane my quill for him to sign next to my signature. "Are you sure you don't want a traditional wedding?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips.He already knew my answer. "Honestly, fuck weddings," I grumbled.Thane made a throaty noise, eyes flickering with amusement. "White dresses never suited you anyways," he agreed cheekily. Desmond wheeled out from under the desk. "I still wish I could've been there. Sounded like a good time.""You always did love a little chaos," Thane retorted.At his statement, Des grinned. Katarina, on the other hand, didn't share the same lightheartedness. She had opted to go with us back to Avalon. It couldn't be easy, but she wa
Evie StantonI didn't understand why Thane was looking at me like that. Why he shared a look with Katarina before she left, leaving us in this awkward silence. I thought he wanted to marry me. Wanted a whole future together, and now he was telling me he didn't?I felt so vulnerable. Putting my heart on the line for him like that. Thane closed his eyes tightly. A few deep breaths.Suddenly, the space between us felt like a giant chasm. I wanted to reach for him. Leap across the canyon. Pull Thane back out of his thoughts.Back to me.His eyes opened, and he gazed at me, a deep-seated pain washing up on the surface of his vibrant eyes. A glossiness formed in his eyes. The silence felt heavy. My gaze softened. My arms fell to my sides.He didn't say anything, taking a seat at the table like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Thane let the heaviness settle over him, leaning back against the chair, legs stretched out in front of him.His gaze never left me,
Thane DrogosEvie swiped her blunted cutlass at me, meeting me strike for strike when we sparred right outside our cabana. The sand between our toes. Glimmering waves crashed against the coast behind her.Her blouse dipped past her collarbone, revealing the valley of her breasts where a tri-claw scar marred her skin. I hardly thought of it as a flaw, only a reminder of her courage. Despite how small and delicate she might seem, she was fearless. A warrior honing her skills.The sun lowered in the sky, just over the horizon, casting her in a warm orange light.Without sunlight, we couldn't train much longer, but that didn't slow Evie down. She was becoming quite adept with a sword, confident enough to deflect my attacks and react with a carefully timed counterattack.We had arrived back in safehold about a week ago. Everyone welcomed Evie back with open arms. Even Desmond, who wasn't bedbound anymore even if he did have to use a wheelchair. He could wiggle his toes, but ove
Evie StantonI stared wide-eyed at Thane as he ripped my corset in half with his bare hands. Easily tearing the lace holding the steel ribbed bodice together. My breath caught, thighs pressing together as a rush of pure lust washed over me again. The burning desire coiling between my legs roared to life again, even as my arms trembled like I was cold.I blinked once. Twice. Completely dumbfounded and painfully turned on.He pulled the destroyed corset off of me, tossing it behind him nonchalantly. Underneath it was an embroidered blouse that dipped under my collarbone, white satin buttons up the front of it. Long-sleeved and itchy around my wrists. I arched my back, wordlessly encouraging him to rip the next garment off of me. "Take this blouse off me," I whispered fervently.Stark blue eyes devoured me as he leaned down, propping himself up on his elbows on top of me. His shirt was completely wet, making me wonder what happened when he wrenched a completely different
Thane DrogosAfter catching up with the ship, I emerged from the water, shifting, the dragon returning to its place right under my skin. Evie stared up at me, no longer afraid, but fascinated. Life had come back into Evelyn's face. Her adoration for me was clear all over her face.Finally, I felt whole again. That Evelyn-shaped cavern in my chest vanished. I dressed in my cabin, eager to get back to Evie. I think she'd enjoy some of the changes I made in my cabin for her to make it our cabin.I met Evie on the upper deck, looping my arm around her waist while she engaged in friendly conversation with Rio, a cup of bourbon in her hand. Celebratory drinks.We joined other crewmen in joyous conversation. The crew seemed as satisfied as I felt. Justice had been served. Both Robert and Charles paid the price for their sins.It wasn't over.Not by a long shot, but I'd take the victory before planning the next move. This time against Richard and Beatrice Stanton. Rio left
Evie StantonI was ready. For death or liberation.My choice. Thane's cutlass was heavier than mine, but I held it with finesse. I knew the common people were watching over the guards' shoulders at the doors. Whatever happened, my father's reign was over. "Then kill me, motherfucker," I snarled, taking a stance in front of Thane. The crew that I loved so much. They were my people. Katarina took a step forward, beside me. My mother had fled to the altar, standing beside Robert as the officiant took his chance to get the hell out of there.My father didn't look like himself anymore. A mad contortion of himself. Angry and deranged. But perhaps this was what he always looked like. Just hid it well. His hair, usually unkempt, fell into his bloodshot eyes as he grasped at his chest."Kill them!" he screamed. "Kill them all!"All the sailors behind me shifted their stature. Ready to fight. To be honest, I wasn't sure I could fight in this god-awful dress. The petticoat w
Thane DrogosSeeing Evelyn again, after an excruciating month, felt like coming up for air. I had been dragged beneath the waves, smothered in darkness and icy water, fighting my way back up to the surface. Then I saw her.In a white dress that didn't suit her at all, a shawl over her shoulders, hiding all of her skin. Her face was hidden from me behind her veil. She marched down the aisle to a man that wasn't me. A man that didn't deserve her. Richard wore a crown atop his head, but it wasn't lost on me how hard he gripped Evie's arm like she would run at the first chance she got.My fingers played the keys, but my eyes wouldn't leave her. Her shoulders were set back, chin held high as if she walked toward the gallows. Pure resignation. She accepted her fate. But she wasn't broken. In an act of defiance, she shed her shawl, revealing her scars, the mauve claw marks from the siren attack. The dress dipped down in front, showing off the freckles sprinkled across her collarbone. The