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