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Kennedy

This was not how I wanted to start my day. Binding some idiot demon that was targeting me, but here I was. There wasn’t a point in bringing my coven sisters up to speed. They wanted to be in this coven as much as I did. 

I pulled the black cord from my drawer and laid it next to the name of the demon who we needed to bind. 

Mylak 

The name made me frown. I didn’t know much about him. Only that he was hell bent on killing every last one of us. Since I’d been blessed, if that’s what you would call it, with the powers of spirit, I got the pleasure of seeing everything and everyone coming before they got here. 

I hated it. I longed for when my powers were more controlled. When I was a solitary practitioner. Being a “proper” witch in our world meant you joined a coven and increased your powers or you fell to the rule of the warlocks. Neither were ideal. 

So, I made a choice. 

I wrapped the black cord around the folded paper and pulled it tight. The minute I made the knots, I knew the spell took hold. At least that was done. 

I let the candles burn on the altar with the now bound demon on it. Honestly, I wasn’t much for the gothic look of an altar many expect when you say you’re a witch. I just used a small table I got at a thrift store and candles from the discount store. 

Leaning back on my bed, I studied the flicker of the candles as the reflection of the flame danced on my ceiling. One less thing to worry about. 

We’d have a coven meeting before long and I could explain what happened. No doubt Misty and Lara would be upset, but they’d get over it. Nora was way more levelheaded than the rest. I guess that came from being an Earth witch, but Shana would probably high five me and take me out for drinks. She hated this coven thing as much as I did.

The flames burned down and the room went dark. Finally. I checked the candles to make sure they were really out and fell back into my bed. All that energy to protect people I wasn’t even sure I liked all that much, but at least it was done. 

My eyes grew heavy, and I dozed off. 

Until I felt something wrap around my leg and yank me to the edge of my bed. 

I panicked and my eyes flew open, but before I could react, octopus tentacles wrapped around my wrists and both my legs, pinning me to my bed. A figure loomed over me. I couldn’t quite make out in the dark, but the smell of ocean rolled off him. 

“That wasn’t the smartest move, witch,” he said, leaning forward. Finally, I got a look at his face. His long dark hair fell forward, but his ice-blue eyes stayed fixed on me. He wasn’t a demon. He was a shifter and not a common one. 

“Who the fuck are you?” I managed. 

“You should know,” he said before a tentacle wrapped around my throat. “But if you don’t, you will.” It constricted, and I fought for air. Then my vision went black.

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Chapter Two

My eyes flew open, and I glanced around me. The thick smell of sea water gagged me at first. Yes, I did live in the Pacific Northwest, but I didn’t do much with the ocean. 

Then I realized I was standing with my hands bound above my head in what appeared to be the storage compartment of an old ship. My feet were freezing, and the water lapping against them made it worse. 

I yanked at the ropes that bound my hands, but they wouldn’t move and my magick was pretty useless when it came to this. Spirit was good at figuring out things that were coming, but I hadn’t worked with it enough to figure out anything else it might do. Worthless coven bullshit. 

The ship swayed, and I knew we were sailing. Panic ran through me. If we were on the ocean, that meant I was alone with whoever was on the ship and, for whatever reason, they kept me alive. 

“Hey, someone,” I yelled. I just started screaming. Maybe if I made myself super annoying, they’d come down here and let me go. 

The door at the top of the stairs flew open and that same shifter walked down the stairs. “Do you like your new accommodations?” He smirked as he spoke. I narrowed my eyes at him. He lifted his head, letting that dark wet hair fall back a little. 

If he wasn’t keeping me hostage in the bottom of a boat, he might have been mildly attractive. 

“You’re just planning on keeping me tied like this?” I snapped. 

He shrugged. “Maybe.” 

I stared at him and he laughed slightly.

“What, you don’t like it when someone else tells you what you’re going to do? You witches seem to like to do that to others.” 

My brow furrowed in confusion. “I’ve never told anyone what to do beyond leaving me alone,” I moved my hands for emphasis, “Or to let me go.” 

He took a step towards me. “That’s a lie,” he said before his gaze traveled down my body. “You haven’t been in a coven long, have you?” 

“Long enough,” I snapped. 

He stepped closer. He cocked his head at me. “Then you should know why you’re here.” I shook my head and pulled at my bindings. He glanced up at them and then back at me. “You’ll never get out of those. I tied them myself.” 

“Why would you work with a demon?” I said. 

“What demon?” He said with a laugh. “I hate demons almost as much as I hate witches.” 

“That’s the only reason why you’d take me. To make a deal with my coven for Mylak.” 

He laughed like I’d said the best joke on the planet. “Mylak?” He shook his head. “They really didn’t tell you anything, did they?” 

I just stared at him. I was more confused than ever, but why would the coven not tell me things? They welcomed me, even when I wasn’t sure that was what I wanted to do. They made the transition reasonable, considering the other option. They had no reason not to tell me what they may have done in the past. 

“Oh my little witch, you’re going to learn everything they did before I kill you. Just like the last one.” 

I kicked at him and a tentacle grabbed my leg before I even got close to him and held it. I struggled against it, but he just watched me for a moment, like he was trying to figure out what to do with me. 

“Try to stay quiet, will you? The rest of the crew might grow a little restless,” he said with a smirk before letting go of my leg and turning and walking away. 

I heard the door lock behind him just before the lights in the cargo went out. Leaving me in the dark, wet and alone. 

At some point, I dozed off. When I opened my eyes, there was nothing but swaying on the water. The room was still dark and the small amount of water under my feet was still cold as shit. How long had I been asleep? It had to be just a few hours, but there were no windows and no way to tell what time of day it was. 

The light flickered on and my captor stepped down the stairs. He gave me a long look and when our eyes met, I swore there was something else behind them. 

“Did you come down here to taunt me again?” I said. 

A slight smile crossed his lips before he stepped closer and grabbed the ropes binding me. “if you promise to be good, I’ll find you a better place to spend your time.” 

I huffed. “I’m getting off this ship the first chance I get.” 

He sighed before pulling the bindings off the little hook in the ceiling. My hands were bound, but it was the first time in hours my body didn’t feel so stretched with my hands over my head. “I figured as much.” 

“So, it’s better if you just let me go now,” I finished quickly. 

“That would be hard to do since we are already down the coast past mexico,” He said. 

“That’s not possible. We just left,” I snapped. “I need to go back.” 

“You are not going anywhere. Unless you are a good swimmer,” He said, giving the bindings a yank and pulling me to him. “There are far worse things in this water than me.” 

“Doubt that,” I said, quietly. I was impossibly close to him and it was making me madder by the second. 

“Listen, my little witch, you can continue to fight me and stay down here in the dark or you can listen and actually get some fresh air.” He raised his eyebrows, waiting for me to answer. 

“Fine, but I’m still getting out of here the first chance I get,” I admitted, and he smirked. 

“You’re welcome to try.” 

He pulled me along behind him as he walked up the stairs. I was still in my pajamas, but the legs were soaking wet and every step made it worse. I shivered, and he glanced at me. Looking away quickly didn’t work. I felt his eyes travel down my body and settle on my legs. 

“You’ll need new clothes,” he said. “Or get used to the water.” 

“I thought you planned to kill me?” I snapped before I could stop myself. He locked eyes with me but paused, stopping right at the door to the deck. 

“I am, but it won’t be as much fun if you die of a cold before I get a chance,” he said before giving me a yank and stepping onto the deck. 

The sun hitting me in the face was blinding, but the smell of sea water and the sound of the waves breaking was unexpectedly nice. It was almost like a calm with everything going on around me. 

And then I saw all the eyes on me. The men working on various parts of the ship, pulling lines up with fish I assumed was for food and cleaning the deck to keep the saltwater from eating the wood. They all stared at me in my wet pajamas being dragged along by their captain until he shoved me in front of him and through a wood door. 

I stumbled a little and ran into a table near the wall, but the room was for sure better than the one he’d just taken me from. It was still small, but there was a bed to the far wall against a window looking out onto the ocean and a little table near the door. Further to the right was a desk looking thing with maps and other things I didn’t understand but was sure had to do with sailing this old wood ship. 

“You’ll be safer in here,” he said. 

I turned to look at him as he stepped in and closed the door behind him. “Why do you care?” 

“I don’t,” he said with a shrug. “But if I leave you where I can’t keep an eye on you, you might do something stupid.” 

“Like jump off your old dusty ship?” I said, leaning against the table. 

He took a step towards me. “This dusty old ship is part of the revenge I owe your coven.” He stepped so close his body was inches from mine. “And you for being a part of it.” 

“I have no idea what you want from me,” I said, barely able to get my voice above a whisper. “I didn’t do anything to you.” 

“But you saw me coming,” He said. “Or you wouldn’t have tried to bind me.” 

“I saw Mylak coming,” I said. The truth was, I didn’t see much of anything. It was more of a feeling, but there was no way I was telling him that. The less he knew about how my power worked, the safer I’d be. 

He smiled. “Did you?” 

“I don’t have to tell you anything,” I snapped. He stepped even closer and our bodies were lightly touching. 

“If you really saw Mylak, then you’d know he’s standing right in front of you,” he said with as smile. “You really thought I was a demon?” 

I shook my head. “No, that’s not possible. He is a demon.” 

“Huh, maybe those witches messed with your mind too,” he said softly before his hand pushed a bit of my light red hair out of my face. “Too bad you have to pay the price for them.” He stepped back and walked out of the little room, latching the door behind him. 

I stood there, more confused than when he’d stolen me out of my bed.

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Chapter 3: Mylak

Stepping out of my quarters, I was met with the entire crew staring at me. Some with smiles on their faces, clearly enjoying the idea of killing a witch that had something to do with the curse we were all under. Others looked like they were just curious about my next move. 

I honestly had no idea what that was going to be. When I took that witch, I was hell bent on throwing her into the sea as soon as I stripped her of her powers, but then I saw her and now I wasn’t so sure. 

The crew couldn’t know that or there would be a revolt and I’d lose the one thing I had left. 

My ship. 

I walked to the edge of the deck and let my hand run on the delicate treated wood railing my father had carved so many years ago. This ship, while looking like it, should be in an old pirate film, a direct link to the old ways of our people. 

But that was a long time ago and so much had changed. We became the roamers of the seas and the old ways turned into a cage they could never escape. 

“Captain, what do you plan to do with the witch?” The sound of my first mate pulled me out of my thoughts. I glanced at him before turning back to the waves. 

“What I have to,” I said. 

“Will it break the curse?” He asked, and I thought about it. The last time we got our hands on a witch from the coven, the curse only got stronger. The time limit on when we could be near the coast became shorter. 

“I don’t know.” I answered. “But this time we have leverage.” 

“So, you plan to use her,” he said. 

I turned to him and smiled. “Yes, but not in the way you’re thinking.” 

He nodded. The look on his young face seemed unsure. 

“Don’t worry. Just because I say I’m going to throw her into the water doesn’t mean I will right now,” I said, making sure my tone was low to keep the others from hearing. “I know how you feel about killing.” 

“It doesn’t matter how I feel as long as we can get this curse gone. “He sighed. “I miss my family.” 

“That place isn’t how it used to be. The shifters there are different now,” I said. “More like their animals than human.” 

“I’m not sure that’s a bad thing,” he said. “The more human you are, the more you fight doing what you have to.” 

I put my hand on his shoulder. “We shouldn’t ever give in fully to the animal inside us.” 

He nodded, but there was a look of confusion on his face. I knew it was because I normally was tough with the crew and said it was needed to keep us alive, and it was. The more feral we appeared at the warlocks, the more they’d just leave us along. Then all we had to deal with was the covens, the witches that hated what we were. 

Or hated how we rejected them. 

“Don’t worry, Garin. I have plans to get everything we want and more.”

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Chapter Four: Kennedy

The minute Mylak left, I tried the door, but it was latched as I had expected. The sway of the ship was a bit more up here on the same level as the deck, but it wasn’t so bad I couldn’t stand. That was nice at least, and the room was dry and warm compared to downstairs. 

I sat on the bed and rubbed my arms, trying to decide what my next move was. It was clear my vision messed up, and I bound him in the wrong way. Although the more I thought about it, the more I was confused. Binding him should have kept him away from the coven, not brought him right to me. 

I stared out the window for a while and thought about what my coven sisters might be thinking. Were they looking for me? Did they want to help me or find me? I was new to this coven. Someone they plucked out of a lineup of other witches who could fill the spot. I was so eager to be a part of something and avoid a warlock marriage; I didn’t even think about why they needed a new one. 

What if he was right, and they had cursed him and his crew? They had to have a good reason, right? Doing something like that meant he’d done something terrible to them, which tracked considering he’d choked me out in the first minute of knowing me. 

I could do a spell, but he might be able to sense it. I didn’t know how in tune the shifters were with magick. Maybe it was worth a try. 

I made my way to the table with the maps and some papers on it. The simplest way to send a spell was to simply write a message and send it on the wind. Air wasn’t her thing, but maybe I could pull enough of it to send this one little message and get the help I needed.  

My hand stumbled on the papers as my eyes took in the maps. They were of all over the world, but there was one map that looked like it didn’t belong. I pulled it out and studied it. None of the landmarks on it made any sense. It was almost as though it was in a different world. 

I set it down and pulled the paper and pen to me, quickly writing the message about what happened and a tracking rune. I also drew on my arm. I folded the paper into a small square and cracked open the small round window in the room. 

I took a deep breath and called to the wind to help deliver my message and thought of Shana. The little paper floated from my hand and carried on the wind until it was out of sight. Now there was nothing left to do but wait. 

I hugged the bed and watched the sun go down. My stomach ached with hunger. I didn’t know how long I was stuck on this ship, but if I didn’t eat something soon, I wouldn’t be as nice to be around. 

The sound of the door opening made me glance that way and Mylak walked through carrying a plate of food. I stared at him, confused. Why did he care if I had something to eat or not? He kept saying he planned on killing me, so what was his deal?

“In case you want it,” he said, setting it down on the little table. “It’s all we had left for the day.” 

I glanced at the plate of bread and some hearty vegetables and felt my stomach rumble. “Fine,” I said simply.

“What is not good enough for you?” He grumbled. 

“I figured you wouldn’t care if I ate,” I said simply, picking up the bread and biting off a bit. 

“You can’t die yet,” he said, leaning back and watching me eat. 

“If I’m your key to breaking this curse, then you could just kill me and call it a day,” I said, taking another bite. 

“Who said you were the key?” He kept his eyes on me and I felt myself shiver under his gaze. He wasn’t a magick user, but he had power. I couldn’t quite put my finger on. 

“Why else take me?” I said. “You could have taken me to the coven and used me to get them to lift this curse.” I waved my hands around. 

“I can’t stay on land that long. The longer I stay on land, the more animal I become,” he said, leaning forward. “That’s the curse.” 

I blinked at him and took a bite of the potato to give me time to think. If that was true, then I’d never get back to my home again. I’d be stuck on this ship forever, or at least until he threw me over the railing. 

“So, how do you get it to break?” I watched him as I spoke. 

“The blood of one who cursed us,” he said simply. 

“But that’s not me,” I said, and he raised an eyebrow.

“No, it’s not.” He didn’t elaborate.

“So that still doesn’t answer my question,” I pressed. 

He sighed. “Why do you need to know everything?” 

I furrowed my brow. “I’m the one you took. I have a right to know why.” 

“Where you are, your coven will follow,” he said. “Now, hurry up and finish eating. We get up early.” 

I stared at him, and he rolled his eyes before pointing at the bed. “That’s my bed, but you’re in here, so we have to share.”

“Absolutely not,” I spat. 

“It’s either that or you can go back below deck, but I can’t be sure my men won’t want to come visit,” he said with a smirk. 

I huffed and threw the rest of the potato on the table. “So, it’s either sleep with you or risk sleeping with them?” I shook my head. “I can sleep on the floor.” 

“No, you won’t be doing that,” he said. “I’m a man of honor,” he mocked. “I promise I won’t touch you unless you want me to.” 

“You’re safe there,” I snapped. 

He laughed. “I will take the side away from the wall to keep you from doing anything stupid.” 

“What if I need to get up for something?” 

“It’s that or I’ll tie you to the bed,” he said with an even larger smirk. Something told me he liked that idea more than he was letting on. 

“Fine. I guess I don’t have a choice,” I said quietly. 

He motioned for me to get into the bed and picked up the food from my plate and dumping it into what had to be a trash can of some kind. He walked out with the can and came back a few moments later. 

I crawled into the bed and turned towards the wall. I was not about to look at his stupid face. 

“Sleep well, my little witch,” he said before the bed sank just a little and I felt him lay down beside me. 

I waited for what seemed like forever for the steady sound of his slowed breathing before I slowly turned towards him. 

He was lying on his back with his hands on his chest, but if I was careful, I could climb over him. I held my breath for a moment, thinking about if this was really a good idea. He could wake up and decide to throw me back into the cargo, worse, over the side of the ship. 

But I had to try. 

If I could get out of the is room and to the deck, there would probably be some kind of life boat I could steal and get to land. If I could figure out how far I was from it. 

I carefully put my arm across his chest, being careful not to touch him and then my leg. I was on the edge of the bed, but if I was careful, I’d be okay. 

The moment I put weight on my leg, it slipped off the bed and I came right down on his chest. 

His eyes flew open, and he grabbed my arm and rolled over on top of me. My leg hit the wall and pain shot through me, but it was the weight of his body on mine that had my attention. 

His face was inches from mine and he shook his head. “That was not a good idea, witch.” He had both his hands on my forearms, affectively pinning me to the bed. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. What could I say? He’d caught me before I could even get close to executing my plan. 

His eyes fell to my lips as he held me there. I was completely at his mercy and he knew it. 

“I guess I will have to tie you to the bed,” he said, letting his gaze meet mine. There was something behind it. Something more animal than human that it seemed he was holding back. 

He let go of my arm and grabbed the rope he’d used to tie me to the hook in the cargo area and wrapped it around my wrists before knotting it and wrapping the other end around the simple but strong looking wood headboard. 

“I can’t have you running away in the middle of the night, now can I?”

He propped himself up, still over me, and looked down my body before glancing at my already swelling ankle. “See what happens when you don’t listen?” He gently grabbed my leg and studied my ankle before setting it back on the soft bed carefully. “It looks just sprained, but I’ll have the medic look at it better in the morning.” 

He lay back on the other side of the bed and sighed. “Why are you so much trouble?”  

“If you would just let me go, I wouldn’t be your problem anymore,” I snapped, yanking my hands down, so they were at least near my face. 

“Then I couldn’t get what I want,” he said, turning his back to me. “Go to sleep, witch.” 

I huffed and shook my head. I was so screwed.

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Chapter Five

When I opened my eyes, I was alone in the bed, my hands still bound. I sat up and leg my legs hang over the bed. At least it was warm in here. 

I glanced at my arm and slid the fabric of my pajamas up to study it. Nothing changed in it, but I wasn’t sure if it would, even when they used it to find me. 

But then what? Once they knew where I was, they had to get here and who knew how that would happen. I closed my eyes when I realized maybe that was his plan all along. Maybe he wanted me to lure them here so he could kill us all at the same time. 

I rubbed the rune, hoping it would come off, but it didn’t even smear. The magick locked it in place. Now they’d come and I would have to deal with the consequences of that choice. 

I fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. The sound of the door opening making me turn my head far enough to see an older man walk into the room. He looked at me and then at my legs hanging off the bed. 

“The captain tells me your ankle is hurt,” he said, his voice raspy. No doubt from years on the ocean. 

“I’m fine,” I said, without moving. 

He hobbled over and knelt down at the edge of the bed, taking my foot in his hand. I winced at the sudden movement, and he glanced up at me. 

“You have some swelling, but it should heal in a few days, “ he said, letting my foot go and standing. “Elevate it when you can.” I sighed, and he shook his head. “You witches are always so hard to handle. You know the captain didn’t have plans to bring you here. He went to your home, ready to kill you.” 

I sat up and looked at him. His face was older and his small wisps of grey hair were pulled away from his face. “So, why didn’t he?” 

He shrugged. “He couldn’t once he realized you were just as innocent as him.” 

“He’s far from innocent,” I snapped. 

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” the old man snapped. “Every time he goes on land, he becomes more of his animal. He risks everything so we can keep our humanity until we can return home,” he said before shaking his hand and walking away, slamming the door behind him. 

Clearly, I pissed him off. I was getting good at that. 

I laid on the bed and stuck one of the pillows under my ankle to help keep it elevated, not expecting much from Mylak. He was probably so mad at me for trying to get away, I’d be lucky to see him again until the rest of my coven got here. 

I thought about what the medic said. He wasn’t being honest with me. There was no way a man that planned to kill me when he first met me would just take me instead. He hated me and made it clear he wanted me dead more than a few times. 

But there was something in the way he first touched my hair and the way he hovered over me like he wanted something more but was holding himself back. A part of me wondered what he would have done if I’d kissed him. If I’d put my hand on his chest when he was so close to me at the table. 

What would his hands feel like on me? 

I shook myself out of the thoughts. This was a dangerous road and not one I wanted to take while I couldn’t get off this ship. While I was so close to him every night. 

Right on cue, the door opened and Mylak walked into the little room with two plates in tow. He kicked the door closed and sat them down on each side of the little table. 

“I can’t get over there,” I said, holding my bound hands in front of me. 

“I’ll untie you if you promise not to try to throw yourself overboard,” he said with a slight smirk. He was enjoying this.

I made a face and shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.” 

His gaze slid to my foot and then back to my face. “Doubt you’d outrun me with that ankle.”

I glared at him and his smirk got larger, but he took the two steps it was to get to me and worked the knots loose around my wrists. I rubbed them once the harsh rope wasn’t against them. He stayed right in front of me and let the rope fall to the floor. Since I was sitting and he was standing, he looked a lot bigger and more intimidating than ever before. 

I raised my eyebrows, and he laughed. “What, are you worried I might push you down and have my way with you?” 

The statement sent heat through me. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be under him. At his command, while he did whatever he wanted to me. 

He leaned down and put his hands on either side of my body. His face dangerously close to mine. “Is that what you want?” 

“No,” I said a little too fast. 

He smiled and lifted his right hand, running it through the ends of my tangled hair. “Are you sure?” 

I opened my mouth to give him a smart ass remark, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to say I wasn’t sure. I wanted his lips on mine, even if it was only one time, just to see what it felt like. 

He leaned in and pressed his lips to my neck. “I should want you dead, but all I want is to touch every inch of you. I want to see that hair laid out on the bed and the face you make when you cum.” 

My breath caught. 

“But I shouldn’t,” he said, kissing my collarbone. 

“No,” I whispered. “We shouldn’t.” 

He grabbed my arms the moment I said that and pulled me to him, his lips crashing into mine. 

That kiss was everything I knew it would be. Everything in my mind had thought a kiss from a man like him would feel like.

Hard and commanding. 

Rough and in control.  

“Kennedy,” he said against my lips and my eyes flew open. 

What am I doing?

I pushed him back and leaned away from his looming body. “I can’t.” 

His breath was heavy and his eyes looked as though he was running it through his mind on whether he would push it or not. Then he stood and just walked out of the room without saying another word.

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Chapter 6: Mylak

I was barely able to pull myself away from her before I did anything stupid. When the cool sea air hit my face, I took a long deep breath to calm my shifter side. It only saw the women it wanted to have and nothing else. Not the fact the entire crew was hoping I’d just kill her. Not the fact she was the enemy in a longstanding war with her coven. All it saw was the woman he wanted to claim. 

I slammed my hand on the wood railing and closed my eyes. When I opened them, a tentacle was wrapped around the railing inches from my hand. I’d almost lost control. If I was being honest, I was flirting with control since I’d grabbed her from her home. Making her sleep in my quarters was just one of the many mistakes I’d done. 

She had no idea how much I wanted to hold her down and fuck her when I felt her try to climb over me. The thought of her naked body under me made me almost feral. 

“Captain, the witches are coming soon,” Carib, my first mate, said from behind me. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes, I checked the magick in the air myself. It’s building, just like you said it would. They should be here in less than forty-eight hours,” he said. 

“Good. The sooner I can get this woman out of my life, the better,” I said. The tentacle slipped back under my coat and my body calmed down. I only had to deal with her for a little longer and then I’d be rid of her and her coven forever.

I was barely able to pull myself away from her before I did anything stupid. When the cool sea air hit my face, I took a long deep breath to calm my shifter side. It only saw the women it wanted to have and nothing else. Not the fact the entire crew was hoping I’d just kill her. Not the fact she was the enemy in a longstanding war with her coven. All it saw was the woman he wanted to claim. 

I slammed my hand on the wood railing and closed my eyes. When I opened them, a tentacle was wrapped around the railing inches from my hand. I’d almost lost control. If I was being honest, I was flirting with control since I’d grabbed her from her home. Making her sleep in my quarters was just one of the many mistakes I’d done. 

She had no idea how much I wanted to hold her down and fuck her when I felt her try to climb over me. The thought of her naked body under me made me almost feral. 

“Captain, the witches are coming soon,” Carib, my first mate, said from behind me. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes, I checked the magick in the air myself. It’s building, just like you said it would. They should be here in less than forty-eight hours,” he said. 

“Good. The sooner I can get this woman out of my life, the better,” I said. The tentacle slipped back under my coat and my body calmed down. I only had to deal with her for a little longer and then I’d be rid of her and her coven forever.

I was barely able to pull myself away from her before I did anything stupid. When the cool sea air hit my face, I took a long deep breath to calm my shifter side. It only saw the women it wanted to have and nothing else. Not the fact the entire crew was hoping I’d just kill her. Not the fact she was the enemy in a longstanding war with her coven. All it saw was the woman he wanted to claim. 

I slammed my hand on the wood railing and closed my eyes. When I opened them, a tentacle was wrapped around the railing inches from my hand. I’d almost lost control. If I was being honest, I was flirting with control since I’d grabbed her from her home. Making her sleep in my quarters was just one of the many mistakes I’d done. 

She had no idea how much I wanted to hold her down and fuck her when I felt her try to climb over me. The thought of her naked body under me made me almost feral. 

“Captain, the witches are coming soon,” Carib, my first mate, said from behind me. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes, I checked the magick in the air myself. It’s building, just like you said it would. They should be here in less than forty-eight hours,” he said. 

“Good. The sooner I can get this woman out of my life, the better,” I said. The tentacle slipped back under my coat and my body calmed down. I only had to deal with her for a little longer and then I’d be rid of her and her coven forever.

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Chapter Seven: Kennedy

I hobbled over to the table after Mylak was gone, but my hunger was gone. It seemed eating without him here felt wrong. I pushed the food around for a bit, hoping he’d come back before abandoning it all together. 

I shouldn’t want to have him come back and wait to sleep next to him. He was still a stranger, but there was something shifting in the way he looked at me and the way he made me feel. I couldn’t explain it, but it was there, and I wanted it to stay. 

I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. What is wrong with me? 

One minute I was worried he was really going to kill me and the next, I wanted to be in his bed with him. 

Things were seriously messed up, and I was stuck in the middle of it. I still had no idea what my coven did to him that made him do this or what the medic meant when he said Mylak was the one that was taking all the risk so they could keep their humanity. 

“I can’t just stay in the dark,” I said to myself. I needed answers, and he was going to give them to me. 

I hobbled to the door and pulled on the latch. It popped open, and I stepped outside. The warmth of the sun hitting me made me close my eyes for a moment. At least until I felt a hand on my arm pulling me back into the room. 

“What the hell are you doing?” 

I opened my eyes and glared at Mylak. “I’m getting answers,” I said. 

He closed the door and shook his head. “You are going to get yourself killed.”

“You mean before I can help lure my sisters to you?” I crossed my arms, and he snapped his gaze to mine. “You know they have power. Why would you want to pick a fight with them?” 

“Who said I was picking a fight?” He pulled me to the bed and forced me to sit. “You shouldn’t be walking around on that or it’s going to take longer to heal.” 

I ignored his statement and pressed on. “The only reason you’d keep me alive is to lure them here.” I shook my head. “It’s suicide.” 

“And you care?” He said, leering over me again. I felt myself thinking about the moment we’d shared only a little while ago. 

“It seems self-defeating,” I said. 

He crouched down, so we were pretty close to eye level. I was captivated by those soft blue eyes as he searched for a way to answer me. But it almost didn’t matter. The truth was, I did care about what happened to him and didn’t want my sisters to hurt any of them, but if he fought them, there wouldn’t be anything I could do. 

“I have my reasons,” he said softly. “I did plan on killing you, you know.” 

I just watched him. I mean, what can you say to something like that? 

“But I didn’t expect you.” 

“You mean my sarcastic come backs or the way I bumble getting away and mess up my ankle?” I smiled slightly. 

His hands settled on mine. “All of it.” He glanced up at me before leaning in, just inches from my lips. “I was being honest, you know. When I said I wanted to see your face when you cum.” His hand slid around my body, pulling me to him. “And I don’t think I can stop myself until I do.” 

I let my hand grab his shirt and pull him closer. “Then don’t.” 

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Chapter Eight

The last thing I expected was to want to be near the shifter who kidnapped me, but right now, while my head laid on his chest, there was nowhere else I wanted to be. 

The slow rise and fall of his breathing was a stark difference from who he was only a little while ago. I let my fingers run over his bare chest. His arm was around me, pulling me close, and it was easy to let myself think this would be the way it was. 

The vision that knocked me on my ass said otherwise. 

It was fast and powerful. More so than I’d had in a long time. The soft blond hair of Shana standing beside me and the rest of my sisters across from us. Mylak standing in the middle. 

He met my eyes, and it wasn’t pain or anger that ripped through me. It was fear, but not for himself, fear for me. 

I fell back, and the vision faded, leaving a huge headache in its place. I didn’t even notice Mylak’s hand behind my head until I opened my eyes and he was staring at me with concern. 

“What happened?”

“A vision,” I said simply. “They’re coming.” 

“I know,” he said. “It’s okay.” 

I pushed his hand away and forced myself to sit up. “No, it’s not okay. They won’t care that you didn’t hurt me. They are going to see this as a direct attack on the coven. It’s how covens work.” I ran my hand through my hair. “The coven comes first to them. They aren’t going to care about…” I stopped. How could I describe what this was to him or anyone else? Yeah, we had sex,, but I still had no idea what that meant to him. Maybe it was just a way for him to get back at the coven in another way. 

“About this?” He finished for me. “Kennedy, I fought myself so hard to not want you, but it was a losing battle. You’re mine and no one will take you from me.” 

“But-,”

“No one,” he said. “Get some sleep. They’ll be here tomorrow.” 

I snapped my gaze to him. “How do you know?” 

“I just do.” 

When I woke up, he was gone again. This was becoming a habit I didn’t like. I pulled myself out of the bed and walked carefully to the door. My ankle was so much better than the last few nights and it was nice to put at least a little weight on it. 

The door opened easily. When I walked through, I expected the sun to blind me, but to my surprise, the sky was dark with clouds and the waves seemed stronger than the last few days. 

I saw Mylak standing a few feet away talking to a member of his crew and walked up to him. He finished his conversation before stepping towards me and pulling me to him. 

“The crew doesn’t know about this yet,” he whispered in my ear. 

“They do now,” I teased, and he shook his head with a playful smile. 

“I guess they do,” he said. 

“Where are we?” 

He pointed to the front of the ship. “We’re on the edge of the earth realm,” he said. “Once we pass through, we’re back in my home.” 

“Wait, there’s another whole realm?” I put my hand on his chest as I spoke and pulled myself back a little. 

“There are a lot of them. Some are closer than others, but this one is where the shifters originally came from.” He sighed. “The only problem is I can’t pass through. The curse keeps me from it.” 

Finally, I had the reasoning for all of this. “You just wanted to go home?” 

“I mean, I don’t. My people are more animal than human now. I like having my humanity. I like having you.” He smirked. “Plus, I have so many more ways of getting you to cum I want to explore.” 

His words made me bite my lip. 

“So, why are you here, then?” 

“My crew can pass. Once your coven ends the curse,” he said. 

“But you know they won’t,” I said. 

“They will.” 

“And then what?” I asked. I was so confused on his aim here. If he got them to end the curse, he’d be free, but I’d have to go with them. Everything would be over. 

“You’ll see.”

I sighed. He was clearly not going to tell me anything else. “They’ll be here soon.” I rubbed the rune on my arm absently. This was what I wanted when I first met him. To be free of him and to get back home, but things had shifted so much. I saw who he was and what he was capable of. He wasn’t the horrible thing they made him out to be. Whatever caused my coven to curse him had to come to an end. Even if that meant I demanded it of them. 

I was going to set him free, one way or another.

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Chapter Nine

The sunset on the water was the most magnificent thing I’d ever seen, but something told me there was nothing but confrontation coming for the rest of the night. 

I rubbed my arms as the wind swirled around us and the water moved more violently. 

“They’re coming,” I said, and Mylak glanced at me. 

“I know.” 

As soon as he finished his word, the pull of magick overwhelmed me. Once I figured out what direction it was coming from, I met Shana’s gaze. She grabbed my hands and pulled me to her. 

Mylak stepped beside me, but he was pushed back with the force of wind she controlled. “Kennedy, I’ve got you.” 

“Shana, it’s not what you think,” I said. 

“It looked like he took you and you’re his prisoner,” she said. I yanked my arm from her and she fixed her dark eyes on me. “What are you doing?” 

“The coven cursed them,” I blurted out. Before I could say anything else, Nora, Lara and Misty appeared on the ship. 

“We know,” Misty said. “You should stay out of things you don’t understand.” 

I stepped back and shook my head. “No, cursing is not the answer,” I said without thinking. 

“Kennedy,” Mylak said, stepping in front of me. He glanced at Misty and then back at me. “Release the curse.” 

She narrowed her eyes at him. “No.” 

“Release it for my crew. They just want to go home,” he said. 

“You’d stay cursed for them?” She said, crossing her arms. 

“I’m the one you wanted to curse. I’ll take it on my own.” he glanced at me and I realized this was the scene I’d seen in my vision. The same pain in his eyes. The way he looked at me like he wanted to say more, but wouldn’t. 

“You’ll be on the ocean alone,” she said. “You really want that?” 

“He won’t be alone,” I snapped. All of their eyes fixed on me. “I’ll stay with him.” 

“Absolutely not.” Shana said, stepping in front of me so I had to look into her eyes. “What are you saying?” 

“I don’t belong in your coven. I never did. Let me live my life with who I want,” I said. “Shana.” 

She glanced at me and shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re doing.” 

“I do. This is where I’m supposed to be.” 

“You’ll be connected to a shifter for the rest of your life,” Nora said. 

Misty stepped closer and cocked her head. “If Kennedy stayed and we let your crew go from the curse, then you’d owe us.” 

I glanced at Mylak realizing what my pleas had done. It was not what I wanted to do to him. I wanted him to be safe and not alone, but never did I think it would put him in debt and not to them. 

“Kennedy, if you want to stay, you are released from the coven, but you owe us just as much as he does,” Misty said. 

“What did he do that was so bad?” I barely said it, but it had to be something big. Covens didn’t spend that much energy on someone they thought was not a threat. 

“He took my sister and gave her to his king,” she said with sadness in her eyes. 

“What?” I snapped my gaze back to Mylak. “Why?” 

“It was a long time ago. I was a different person,” he said. “I’m not proud of it, but it happened.” 

I glanced back at Misty. “I’m sorry.” 

“Me too.” She sighed. “Make your choice.” 

I thought about what she’d just told me. It was a lot, but at the same time he was more than that. He was caring and took responsibility for his crew. He cared what happened to them more than himself. Maybe he had changed. 

“I’ll stay,” I said quietly. “Release them.” 

“Are you sure?” Shana questioned. She was the only one that really saw me in this coven. She cared about what happened to me, but this was my choice. 

“I’m sure,” I said, and I saw Shana’s face fall. This wasn’t her choice. It was mine, and was doing what felt right to me. I couldn’t live with myself if Mylak was alone after everything. If I went back with them, I’d be just as alone. 

“Tell your men they can step on land without issue at midnight. We’ll do the ritual to break their curse. Yours will stay,” Misty said. She glanced at me and shook her head. “I thought better of you. That was why we picked you.” 

“I guess you picked the wrong person,” I said, keeping my eyes on her. 

“Maybe,” she said before she and the others disappeared. 

“What the fuck did you do?” Mylack grabbed my arm as he spoke. “You were supposed to go with them. You don’t belong here.” 

“This is the only place I’ve ever belonged.” I put my hand on his chest. The anger in his eyes faded. “With you.” 

“That was the most reckless, stupid thing to do,” he continued. “You have a life.” 

“Then you shouldn’t have stolen me,” I said with a slight smile. “This is my life now.” I shrugged. “Besides, you have plans for me, remember?” 

He raised an eyebrow. “Since it will be just the two of us on this ship, there would be no reason for you to wear clothes,” he said with a smirk. 

“Oh, so it’s going to be like that?” 

“Exactly like that.” 

The End…

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