Page 16 of The Pirate and His Siren

But I know it’s her. “Get back to your stations,” I shout.

My heart does a flip-flop as Luarna’s head appears, and the tension in my body loosens, seeing she’s returned fully clothed.

She raises two large swordfish in both hands, the fish as long as she is tall. “Fish is on me, boys,” she hollers, her face beaming.

I narrow my eyes because if I weren’t falling hard for her, I’d whip her, and not in a good way.

“Fresh fish will be a boon to the lads, Captain.” Roberts steps up beside me.

“Aye, it will be.” Something unsightly begins to fester in my heart as I watch the crew gathering around her, cheering her on.

Arkur takes one of the swordfish below deck.

Maybe it will be nice to keep her…

… permanently.

CHAPTER NINE

LUARNA

We spend our days sailing across the sea, the weather being kind to us, full of sunshine, balmy days, and a calm sea. Not that it matters to Kynan and me, as we spend most of our time in his cabin, exploring each other’s bodies.

At first, I thought Kynan saw me as an easy lay, which I’d been on board with.

A siren is a sure thing, after all.

But the little things he does begin to make me think this is more than just sex for him, like running a comb through my long locks that become a tangled mess after our rigorous lovemaking. It’s a laborious task to work out all of the knots, but Kynan never complains.

But I’ve only ever enjoyed this act with Ikina. My mother used this time to lecture me about the proper ways a siren had to conduct themselves.

He even procures me new clothing from chests he keeps below deck in the cargo hold, which I suspect are meant to be traded, but he gives them all to me. Or sometimes, he will slip me a sweet dessert at mealtimes.

All of this is dangerous territory to tread.

A siren doesn’t love.

Nor does she give her heart away.

Initially, I didn’t know why I stayed aboard theDeadly Destiny, knowing I could leave whenever I wanted—swim away and never look back. At first, it was because Kynan wanted to prove himself, but now he does thoughtful things that keep enticing me to stay.

To distract myself from having possible feelings for Kynan, I throw myself into learning what it means to be a pirate and working on a ship.

Initially, the crew of theDeadly Destinyfound me a bother to have around, but they slowly began begrudgingly accepting me amongst them more each day. Arkur was the first when I started to assist him in the galley, teaching him to fillet the fish I hunted that day to get the maximum amount of meat from the bones. He was often surprised I would shuck mussel shells by hand. I told him we didn’t have tools in the sea to use for our food consumption. Providing food is beneficial to our stomachs and keeps me from drying out.

As a reward for my help, he slyly gives me extra portions.

I learn what it is to sail a ship and pitch in to help where I can. My siren strength is seen as a boon, especially for hauling rigging when it’s time to pull the sails. Even with my siren strength, especially if a gale picks up, it’s back-breaking work, and calluses form on my palms, but I find a strange enjoyment in partaking in the running of the ship.

Instead of spending my days swimming lazily in the sea, waiting to seduce the next male, I’m doing something productive.

My mother would hate it—her daughter conducting hard labor—making it all the more gleeful to do.

The leers and lustful stares have now begun to wane except for a few. One of them is a balding man, Marver, whose remaining locks fall in stringy, yellow strands, his teeth yellowed and missing in several places. His eyes are a murky gray. He is the one who pinched my ass the first day I stepped on board.

Alarn, one of his friends, whose hair is so greasy, I can’t tell if it is originally blond or a light brown, tries to emulate Kynan and his officers’ look with a beard of his own. It appears he can’t grow any hair on his chin, with sparse patterns of bristles here and there.

The other is Dirk, with short brown hair and cropped bangs that fall half an inch down his forehead. His hazel eyes are always bug-eyed and watching me.

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