---Cain's POV---

He felt delightful.

His slender form was light in my arms, the short hairs brushing against my shoulder as his even breaths slipped from his lips and brushed against my throat. Behind me, the crew withheld their usual lewd comments when they spotted something as gorgeous as Orion.

And for good reason.

Aiden did help in knocking Orion down and managed to bind him to ensure my little treasure couldn't get away. But still, the rage that I had felt at seeing Orion on the floor, his nose marred by blood and eyes dazed...

If I had a blade in my hand, Aiden would've lost his life that night. And he knew it. And so did the men. They were murmuring softly, eyes vigilant as we hurried back to our ship and made sure that none of the towns folk spotted us.

Occasionally their eyes drifted to Orion, gaze skeptical and confused yet they knew not to linger. They all knew that Orion was more valuable to me then all their lives combined.

It was pure luck that we had even seen him on the beach. One of the men had spotted him sitting on the edge of the beach, out of sight from the buildings, seemingly drinking from the ocean.

Looking down, I kept my facial expressions stern so the men wouldn't try anything but my heart started racing at Orion's perfect features. My eyes fell to the gills that flared ever so slightly with his breaths, a smirk curling my lips as I stepped aboard and headed for my quarters.

My right hand instantly took command, barking orders at the crew to lower the sails and head to open sea. I had my prize, my one and only treasure. And I was going to make sure he'd never escape me again.

After I walked into my quarters, I kicked the door shut with a resounding slam, making sure that any of the crew's curiosity wouldn't rear its ugly head. The moonlight barely illuminated my quarters but I was familiar with these surroundings.

With little to no effort I made my way towards the bed, depositing Orion and making sure he was still unconscious. The subtle movements of the ship along with the voices of my crew alerted me that we were heading for open waters but my attention was focused on the beauty beneath me.

Though, a scowl easily formed as I saw the strike of blood marring his perfect complexion, my hand twitching as the urge to toss Aiden out into the sea was starting to become more intense. With a frustrated growl I decided against the idea, moving around the cabin to light up a few candles so I could see what I was doing.

A short knock pulled my attention to the closed door before I stomped over and yanked it open. The candle flame danced in the violent gust of air, the light dancing off of the scars on Archer's face, a smirk baring his teeth as he held up the chains dangling from his hands.

"Since you didn't make any notion of taking our guest to the brig, I thought you might need these, Cap 'Tn." He drawled, grin widening as I scoffed and shook my head in amusement. Archer didn't even attempt to look in my quarters to catch an eyeful, which was why he was my right hand.

He was one of the very few men I'd trust with my life...and perhaps the only one I'd trust around Orion. "I've alerted the cook to bring future meals to you sir, as I very much doubt you're gonna starve 'em to death." He sucked his teeth, clicking his tongue for a second as he scowled over his shoulder.

"You think the crew is going to try something?" I questioned, stepping further inside and allowing Archer to walk in, though he only took a few steps so he was able to close the door behind him.

He barked out a laugh, shaking his head, "After you tossed out the last of those mangy dogs that tried to kill you? I very much doubt it Sir. Though, lust is a powerful force and some of the men might become desperate enough after they spend too long without a willing woman... or man."

Archer made a fair point and I felt my muscles tense as I chained Orion securely to the wall, making sure he could barely move off of the bed. The cuffs didn't pinch his skin and as I turned around, I rolled my eyes at Archer.

The sneaky bastard only smirked as he held out a rag and small bucket of clean water, obviously knowing just what exactly Orion meant to me.

"Honestly Cap, I wouldn't be too worried. After your display with the mutineers and the fact you punched Aiden for laying a hand on the lad," Archer chuckled, jerking his chin towards Orion, "You can be assured the lad 'll be considered royalty on this ship."

"Get out of here, you asshole." I groaned with a roll of my eyes.

With a mocking bow towards us, Archer backed out of my cabin, closing the door quietly behind him. I smirked and laughed to myself before cleaning Orion's face as best as I could. Afterwards, I blew out most of the candles and stretched out beside the beauty, smiling as he sighed and leaned closer against my warmth.

I've got you now Precious, and I sure as hell ain't letting you go.

---Orion's POV---

A few seagulls squawked loudly, making me jolt awake with a start. I blinked rapidly against the bright sunlight on my face, raising my hands to block the light, only to frown at the sudden resistance I felt.

My ears picked up on the rushing sound of the sea, waves crashing against the ship as it groaned slightly, the wood protesting against the barrage of seawater it endured. Slowly my eyes adapted to the light, only to watch it gleam off of the metal shackles around my wrists.

"Shit!" I cursed, yanking at the chain and tracing it to where it was fixed, only to curse once more as it was attached to a metal loop, solidly embedded in the wood. Normally it wasn't an issue, as I was fairly strong and such a chain could be broken with some effort.

But with my prolonged stay on land and lack of true sustenance I needed, I've become weaker than I'd like. Weak enough for these pirates to successfully trap me, it seemed. I pulled at the shackles a few more times, testing the metal but I didn't dare to bite it.

My nose curled at the thought, especially not knowing where these chains had been and whom had previously worn them. A chuckle made me jolt and look up, surprised that I hadn't noticed the massive man sitting a few steps away.

"Good to see you awake, sweetheart." He greeted, observing some maps and scribbling down notes before pushing himself up. I backed up on the bed, hissing sharply when he sauntered closer.

His eyes gleamed as he observed me, a smile slipping on his lips as he leaned against the wall. My gills flared as I sniffed the air, detecting several crew members outside. My eyes flickered back to him before widening as he stood right beside the bed, leaning closer.

I hissed and snapped at his fingers but froze when he avoided the bite and instead grabbed my jaw. His fingers seemed to burn against my skin as I gulped nervously, his hold preventing me to open my jaw without hurting myself.

He tutted, clicking his tongue as I kicked at him to try and wriggle out of his hold. Instead, he grabbed my ankle and gave it a yank, making me slide down the bed with a startled yelp. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to bite me, sweetheart."

His tone was polite enough but still, I could detect the barely there threat. I had no idea what these pirates were capable off, as I had avoided them as much as I could in my life. How could I've been so reckless to become so weak that I couldn't defend myself against a mere human?

My heart was racing in my chest as I observed him. There wasn't much I could do to defend myself, especially when I was this weak. My brows furrowed as I thought back of the countless of tales I heard about pirates and scowled back to Cain, trying to find a way out of this mess.

His fingers gently raised my jaw up and I only had time to widen my eyes before his lips formed against mine. The kiss was hot and rough, stealing my breath as I hissed halfheartedly, needing to breathe through my gills as he simply devoured me.

Eventually I had to bite his lip just to be able to breathe, hissing in between breathless panting. Cain almost seemed in a daze, his tongue flicking over his slightly bleeding lip before he grinned. I could just imagine how my lips looked, as they tingled and felt swollen.

My eyes burned with anger as I glowered at him, hissing in distaste.

That bastard pirate stole my first kiss!

I glowered at him but he only smirked back, giving me a lazy wink before he turned to leave the room. Unconsciously I licked my swollen lips and mentally cursed as I could still taste Cain on my lips.

Curse those bloody pirates!