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 StantonDid I dive off the ship again? Is that why my limbs felt like lead? Pain flittered up my sternum, squeezing and stabbing like knives in my ribs. I groaned, trying to turn onto my side, but an awful ache shot up my side again. Throbbing viciously. Even breathing seemed painful. Everything felt hot and cold at the same time.What the fuck happened?I squeezed my eyes shut before slowly opening them, wincing at the oil lamp. "Ouch. Fucking hell," I grumbled, throwing an arm over my face.The siren. Holy fuck! That's right!My entire body lunged forward as I remembered what happened, but I was instantly struck with stabbing pain that seized my back. I crumbled back down under the furs."Take it easy," I heard Thane's voice as the bed dipped down next to me. I blinked away the sleepiness to get a better look at him.His eyes were red, darkened with purple-blue circles. He didn't look like himself. His lips were pulled tight, knuckles white from how har
Thane DrogosEvery time I looked at Evelyn was a constant reminder I couldn't protect her. The simple fact of Evie getting hurt and me not being there. It bothered me. So much I would avoid being in the same room with her. As soon as I changed Evelyn's dressings, I would leave. I haven't even slept in the same room with her for days. Instead, I bunked with Desmond and Gunner. Couldn't talk to Gunner either.I blew off any questions with wanting to give Evie some space to recover. Not a complete lie, but I didn't want to admit how guilty I felt. Thankfully, we would be pulling into Rapier Port any day now, then we can sell our cargo and go back to safehold.Fuck, what would I do when I got back to safehold? Would she stay with me? Would I continue to avoid her?I couldn't avoid Evie forever.She wasn't even angry with me when she should have been. I couldn't understand why she didn't curse me for allowing her to get hurt. Ramona would do more with less. Box me in with
Thane DrogosI watched as Evelyn's cheeks darkened, almost as crimson as her silk blouse clinging to her shoulders. The blush climbed up to her ears, visible from between curls. On top of the blouse was an emerald corset. The combination brought out the depth of her freckles. So fucking lovely. And she was mine. All mine."Suits you," I stated, my eyes gliding across her garments. It was like I saw her for the first time, who she wanted to be under her fancy dress that night at the tavern. At my words, Evelyn beamed. I could never comprehend how much I loved her smile. There was nothing I wanted more than to touch her. Watch her lips part with every sign. Her eyelids fluttered with every brush of my fingertips.Lust swept across my skin, heat flushing inside me, hardening my cock. God, I wanted her. I wanted to take her into my arms and remind myself how perfectly she fit against me.I tightened my hands into fists. Evie needed to heal, and if I touched her, I wo
Evie StantonWith a pair of familiar leather cuffs, Thane restrained me to the headboard. Fire blazed against my skin, begging to be touched. I complained, wiggling against his grip, but not actively trying to break it. My gaze devoured Thane's naked body. Black, coarse hair sprinkled along his torso, hiding pebbled rosy nipples that I liked to pinch. The ripped curves of his muscle accentuated the areas my fingers craved to touch. His cock stood long and thick against my stomach, the heat of his body pressed on top of me as he cuffed my wrists above my head."I told you if you kept pulling my hair, I'd tie you to my headboard." Thane's velvety voice washed over me, warm as summer rain. "I like pulling your hair," I teased, twisting my wrists in the bindings. He laughed, pressing a kiss against the hollow of my ear. "I noticed." Leaning back, his stark blue eyes gazed at the bindings, a deep reverberation vibrating in his chest. A smirk pulled at the side of his lips. He liked see
Thane DrogosFinally, after two days, we were less than an hour from safehold. Evelyn leaned against the half-wall. Mentally far away. Dreamily staring at the lapping waves. Sea birds chirped above us. Sparrows guiding us home. Her dark brown ringlets curled down her back, over a fitted doublet. A tricorn fathered hat on top of her head. She turned around, striking me down with her wide brown eyes. Freckled cheeks pinkening.The blouse unbuttoned halfway, showing off the gauze on her chest like a badge of honor. Like she had proven herself. To see Evie so confident in her skin, not caring that the wound would scar. She smiled at me.A warm, heart-splintering smile. Evie could make me crumble at her feet, and she wasn't aware of the power she held over me. An infatuation so deep it pained me. My heart fluttered in my chest, but at the same time, I felt so empty without her touch.Her pinky curling around mine would be enough. The desire to be close to her…terrified m
Evie StantonI refused to cry.Even as I thought of the horrible visual of Desmond laying in the puddle of his own blood, Bells crying and trying to hold him. Thane looked utterly helpless as everything crumbled apart around us. Crewmen shot.Rio slashed.Katarina hiding behind the half-wall. I knew Robert would recognize her. He was a friend of my father and perhaps played a part in the insurrection. I wouldn't risk it.And who knows what happened to Samara? The children living there. The old, retired sailors that liked to fish off the pier. Homes were ransacked. Farms burned. Livestock slaughtered. The rage in Thane's eyes when he watched Robert take me away. I saw the determination. Right then and there, I knew he would do anything for me. I saw how badly he wanted to shift. Absolve us of the immediate enemy. And bring up a whole slew of others.I couldn't let him.Not at the expense of everyone else in safehold. It wouldn't be over.He knew that. I knew th
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