Truly spends the rest of the night with Kade, waiting out the storm as she gets to know his fraternity brothers and friends.

The next morning, she lays pinned between Kade and the wall, their bodies entwined together. A sudden barrage of chimes wakes her in the early morning hours, telling her that the phones are back. With a groan, Truly reaches over Kade, and grabs her phone off his desk. The moment she opens her screen, she sees texts and missed calls, not only from her parents but from her brothers, cousins, grandparents, and uncles. "Feck me sideways." She groans, knowing that if she doesn't reply soon, a horde of Davelvons will descend on her. "Kade," she softly whispers, and lays a gentle kiss on lips. "The storm's over, and I need to get home."

"You are," Kade gruffly counters, his voice deeper from sleep.

A smile crosses her face as she runs her hand up and down his side. "I still need to go check on Nutless." When his arms don't move from around her, Truly starts tickling his side. "And ye are about to have people reportin' in, High Cappy."

Not ticklish, Kade merely grumbles into her neck as he catches her hand. "That's High Captain Brovern to you, woman."

"Is t'at so?" Truly chuckles. "And how are ye going to stop me from calling ye, High Cappy."

"Like this," Kade's fingers find her sides and attack.

Truly jerks and screams as she tries to wiggle out of his grip. "I yield! I yield!"

"Who said I offered quarter?" Kade smirks, tipping his head towards Gidon's family flag that shows a devil's skull with the words no quarter over it. Lowering his mouth to hers, Kade kisses her but reluctantly pulls away far sooner than he'd like. "To the shower with you, lass." He slaps her ass. "Knock first and lock the door to the other room."

"Aye aye, Cappy." She smirks, grabbing her clean dress she stole back from Petals and washed. Truly hops down from his bed and knocks on the door first, thankfully finding it empty.

When they're both dressed and ready, Kade musters up the others to check the grounds as they finally release their guests to go home. "You can head back. I have to check the row and discover if there're any injuries or missing I need to be concerned about. It could take hours," he warns, "and likely will spread ta all of Bellamy if not Bristham."

"Bristham shouldn't be a problem." Truly slips on her sandals. "T'ere are older High Captains t'at live here, and captains."

Kade raises a brow. "You're drinking buddies with one?"

"Noh. Me daddy wouldn't let me live here unless t'ere was a high captain older t'an thirty. Lucky for me, t'ere is." She bounds up to him and gives him a peck on the lips. "I can come back later if ye want."

"I can come by when I'm finished unless you prefer..." Heather, fuck. "On second thought, belay that. Call me and tell me if it's clear. I'd rather not be gored by an angry Uni." He grins, using Killian's nickname for Heather. "And I think you'd prefer not ta have a scene."

A sweet haunted laugh falls from Truly's lips. "Bring me black-hearted daddy and let him explain it all to her. T'at should at least tie her up."

Kade gives her a pointed look. "Only if you want the house knowing." Between Dillion and Kill, his own house had blown up like a powder keg in their faces.

"Me sisters are safe knowin', t'ey won't say anything. But I'll text ye-" She stops mid-sentence. "Well, t'at's not at all embarrassing. I don't have yer number."

Pulling out his phone, Kade shoots her his number, then texts her Killian's. "That way you can call your own daddy.

"Just what I wanted." Tru rolls her eyes. "I'll text ye in a bit, but I need to set sail. I have to ruin me cat's life and pull him out of his whoring ways."

"Ruining another's game and breaking hearts." Kade's lip curls. "Spoken like a true Psi." He bends down and gives her a chaste kiss. "Your daddy will be so proud when he finds out."

Truly snorts as she shakes her head and smacks his ass. "I'll talk to ye later, Cappy." When her phone dings again, it pulls her back to reality that she has plenty to deal with on her own. Reluctantly she turns away from Kade and heads up Greek row, already pulling up her father's number.

"For feck sake, why did it take ye so long, lass?" The relief in her father's voice softens his words.

"I just woke up and showered, daddy. Relax." Truly's gaze wanders around the campus, seeing the destruction the storm has left. Large green fronds and tree branches lay strewn about the lawns and streets. There's even a few wayward pieces of patio furniture strewn around the frat and sorority houses.

"Ye alright? Ye aren't hurt, or shook up?"

"Noh, I'm fine. I bunkered down and rode it out with me friends here." Truly bears left and heads to Theta Sig's brick home.

"Did anyone give ye any trouble? No boys stuck in yer house messed with ye?" Her dad's voice turns stern and threatening.

"Yer assuming boys got stuck in our house, daddy." Truly rolls her eyes at his assumption, not that she would know if there was any boys at the Theta Sig house, but her dad doesn't need to know that. "But noh, ye don't have to kill anyone today." T'e only boy t'at messed with me in t'e sense ye mean married me first.

"Good." Truly can hear the sounds of voices around her dad, no doubt people coming to him and reporting on the destruction of the storm. "I'll be sendin' someone up to come get ye and bring ye home where it's safe."

The fact that he's informing Truly, and not asking her irritates her.

"What?!" A frown forms on Truly's face as she walks across Theta Sig's wrecked lawn and up the through the giant pillars to the white door. "Noh! I'm not comin' home. I'm safe here. For feck sake, have a little faith in me. I know how to take care of meself."

Inside, the house is bustling while Truly's sisters are trying to report in and figure out what damage has been done.

"Finn's stuck over near Ravenwood, dealing with some issues t'ere. I don't trust any of t'ose feckers on ye campus. I want ye home."

"Yer over reacting. T'ere's been a fecking disaster here, and yer t'reatening to take a high cappy out of t'e area, just so ye can baby her, instead of letting her do some good here." Truly catches the eye of Theta Sig's President, Courtney. The thin, dark-haired, young woman comes up to her, but stops when Truly holds a hand up to her. "Daddy, I have to go, I have work I got to do meself, and I know yer busy. Leave me here where I can be of use."

She can hear him breath out a huff of discontent, but finally he concedes. "Aye, but I want ye reportin' in often to me or ye mum."

"Aye aye, daddy. Luv ye." Before he gets a chance to say more, Truly hangs up her phone and turns to Courtney.

"Thank god you're here. Can you report in the numbers and damage to the other High Captains?" Truly can tell she doesn't want to deal with the stern men by the look on Courtney's face. Something Truly's used to now, after growing up around so many men with power.

"Aye, get me all t'e names and numbers. I'll send t'em in. I want the list of the missing too, so I know who to look for." Truly gives her orders before bounding up to her room.

She spends her morning sending in her reports, giving orders of things that need to be done through her High Captain I.D. code, and juggling family calls. Truly's mind's spent by that evening. Just when she thinks things are settling down, she receives an all hands notification. Still part of their active military, Truly has to report to the nearest Naval base.

Over the next twelve hours, she uses her naval medic training to the fullest, helping doctors patch minor and moderately injured victims.

It's a little after midnight before she gets back to her room and collapses on her bed, still in her tight black t-shirt and blue cammies.

When Nutless crawls up on her shoulders and starts massaging her back, Truly remembers that she still needs to text Kade. She has no idea whether Heather is here, but given how late it is, the likelihood of her being awake is low.

Thirty minutes later, Kade texts her back.

The next afternoon Kade returns exhausted to Psi, having been out to the Devil's Keys twice, only to have to meet with his family and Raven to argue over what needs to be done. Cleaning up the Keys isn't a simple thing, not with their family articles. Only those who've gotten on an island themselves can step foot on it, and no Brovern can share the knowledge which makes his brothers useless to the effort of cleaning the chain.

Entering his room, Kade strips off his shirt and tosses it on the ground before he pulls out his phone.

Kade drops his phone on the desk and goes to take a shower before passing out in his bed. It isn't until late afternoon that Truly finally makes it by, not bothering to change out of her fatigues, to check on him.

Now that she's a Psi sweetheart, she's able to walk in and up to Kade's room. Even Petals doesn't balk at her walking into the room unannounced. Not to her surprise, she finds Kade still passed out from his long day and night.

"Hello, precious." Truly whispers to Petals, and gently pets the dog, before walking over to Kade's desk to write him a note. She doesn't want to wake him, if he needs the sleep, but she wants to show she cares enough to at least check in on him.

To her surprise, the bathroom door opens, and an athletically built blonde boy with a hint of Scandinavian to his looks stills, eyeing her. His eyes instantly flick to Petals before he shakes his head, muttering softly to himself.

Truly's gaze drops to the towel wrapped around his waist and back up to him. "Sorry, I'll get outta yer hair."

"It's fine." He says with a rich tenor accent typically found in Brovern's Ravenwood area as he opens the closet and grabs a new outfit before heading back towards the bathroom. On his way, he smacks Kade's foot. "You have company."

Kade's eyes snap open and land on her. "Hey." A smile crosses his face as his roommate Gideon disappears into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. "See you've met Gideon." He nods his head towards the other bunk.

"Aye, sort of." Truly's gaze flicks to the bathroom door, before snapping back to Kade. "I was just gonna leave ye a note, and let ye sleep."

Sitting up, Kade runs a hand through his wavy hair as his eyes travel over her partial military uniform. "They dragged you in for something?"

"Aye." She lets out an exhausted sigh. "Navy Medic." She gestures to her uniform. "I was activated late yesterday mornin' and got off about midnight, t'en called back in at o'five hundred. We should be done t'ough, or I'd still be workin' me arse off."

"You can crash," he pats his bed, "or shower."

The door to the bathroom opens, and Gideon steps out before crossing the room to up to his bunk without saying a word.

"Gideon, this is Truly, Tru, Gideon." Kade introduces.

From his bunk lifted above the couch, Gideon lazily waves his hand at her. "Your dog sucks. She just let her walk right in and didn't make a peep."

"Oi!" Truly frowns. "Don't insult me darlin'." She reaches down and scratches the dog behind the ear. "She's a vicious beast."

Rolling over in his bed, Gideon's blue eyes stare down at her. "I've seen her sic someone. She shouldn't be even allowing you to do that." His eyes flick to Kade, silently demanding to know what the hell is going on.

"We were hand fasted on Friday."

Having known Kade since they were in primary school, Gideon's eyes comically widen, and he bolts upright in his raised bunk. "You what?!" A thunk noise fills the air as his head collides with the ceiling and he instantly grabs it. "Son of a bitch!" Gideon falls back in his bunk, cradling his head.

Truly snorts, trying not to laugh at Gideon's comical display. "I'd luv to stay, but I've been recruiting volunteers on me breaks. I need ta figure out who's responded and get a fecking list."

"For the cleanup?" Kade hops off his bed. "I can help."

"Aye, for t'e clean up. Yer welcome to come home with me. I could get ye t'e list off me phone, but I want ta get out of t'is uniform. Luv serving me country, but hate the fecking uniform."

"You and the rest of this pirate nation," Gideon mutters from above, showing he must be from one of the older families if he's calling it a pirate nation. "No buccaneer likes the damn restrictive uniform."

"Aye," Kade agrees, the first to skirt the dress code thanks to his High Captain rank. Going to the closet, he pulls out a sleeveless shirt with a V cut front and slips it over his head before he steps into a pair of flip-flops. "Mind the dog."

From above, Gideon flicks him off.

"We're going to have to introduce them, eventually." Truly looks over her shoulder at Kade as she leaves the room and heads down the stairs.

"Not anytime soon..." Shit, what if she prefers living together and not on the Raven or in Libertalia? Kade takes her hand and continues outside, his voice softening as they move away from the house. "Are you saying we need to introduce them because you want to live together?"

"Noh." Truly quickly answer before her tune changes. "Or Aye? I don't know." Her nose scrunches up. "I feel like any answer is the wrong answer. I hardly know ye." Her cheeks pinken, knowing that has to be the oddest sentence to mutter to her husband. "And I was enjoying me independence. But..." she trails off, unsure of how to phrase the next sentence.

"But..." His eyes flick over to her. "You're afraid they'll never approve." I wouldn't, and I'm a damn Brovern.

"Noh, it's not t'at. I don't t'ink they'll take it seriously if we ain't living like a married couple." Truly's free hand runs over his forearm as the head to the Theta Sig house. "T'ey'll want me to break t'e hand fast in the year, and use t'e fact t'at we ain't living together against me."

Kade's lips thin as he gives a small nod. This'll last a year or less than, no matter what I do. I doubt she'd want to be in Libertalia if she's as family-oriented as she seems. The northern tip of Davelon, their school, is on, is already eleven hours from there. Not that it helps with school and I can't go back to Brovern. I refuse to live under his thumb again.

When they get to the Theta Sig house, Truly leads Kade up to her room, the covers on her bed still in disarray from her rolling out of bed at five in the morning. Nutless lays curled up on her pillow, only cracking a yellow eye at them when they walk in.

"I see ye kept me pillow from floating off again. Good lad." Truly smirks at the lazy cat as she grabs a tank top and shorts out of her closet. She glances at Kade. "Make yerself at home. Just watch out for the moving rocks t'is time."

"Ha ha." Kade crosses her room and falls into her chair.

Truly strips out of her uniform and changes into the more comfortable clothes. Before she leaves her closet, she feels around the top shelf until she finds a long necklace box. She grabs it and the towel Kade lent her to wrap up Nutless.

Truly comes out of her closet wearing a white crop top with Atlantis' flag on it, and a pair of blue and yellow booty shorts. It might be a little early to be strutting around in her pajamas, but after the last couple of days, she just wants to be comfy. She walks over to Kade. "I washed yer towel, and I'll have to hunt down yer shirt from the other night." Truly picks the long rectangular box and holds it out to him. "It's tradition for every family member to be given a pearl t'e day they join our family."

She shifts the towel in her arms and opens the box to show a simple pearl strung onto a black leather string. "It's me casual one, me others are feminine lookin'. I can get ye something nicer, or ye don't have to wear it. Me brothers and I don't always wear ours. Ye don't have to take it either, if ye don't want it. Ye got such nice gems, I know this probably looks like shite compared to what ye got." Truly starts rambling.

"Tru, it's fine." Kade interrupts. "I prefer simpler. It's why you see me wearing just me chains and the Kraken's tear. Besides this," he flashes his family's ring. "I only have the rest in my chest because I'm required to." Someone has to take the full brunt of the curse, and that burden fell to me.

Placing the lid back on the box, Tru shifts the towel out from under her arm, and sets both on the table next to him. "Like I said, ye don't have to wear it. It's just a way we welcome ye to t'e family." A playful smile curls the corner up her mouth up. "It's to help compensate for being related to us."

Kade raises a brow, not sure why he'd exactly have to be compensated. "You mean a dowry?" Taking the pearl trapped in a metal half circle, Kade clasps the leather cord around his neck, letting it fall against his clavicle where it joins the mixture of silver and gold chains as well as the Kraken's tear that already hangs around his neck.

"Noh, not really. Ye can take it as more like what off islanders call wedding rings. Except ye don't have to wear it all t'e time, and t'e babes of t'e families get 'em too."

"Ah, well." Kade removes a necklace he just recently had made for himself, a simple pearl and star ruby along with a silver piece nearly the same size, with an image of the Black Raven on it. "If yer family's tradition involves the stones we're tied to, I have this." He holds up the simple double leather necklace with the two gems on it. "It's simple, but it has a star ruby and a single pearl like your family seems to favor."

"T'ank ye." Truly takes the necklace and examines it, before putting it on. Her sister-in-laws never gave Ronan or Declan a gift in return, but their families aren't Atlantean, and they don't have as high of a standing as her own. "It's lovely."

Truly walks over to her desk and plops down in the dark blue velvet desk chair. She goes through her texts and emails, scribbling down names that replied to her pleas for help messages she sent out on her lunch break. "I got a lot of replies, and me professor sent out an email asking for volunteers."

Kade raises a brow. "I suppose if your photography teacher's into nature, that's to be expected. Every marine biology, botany, and zoology teacher's been tripping over themselves to reply. Access to the Devil's Keys is rare and we've got a few species that can only be found there."

"Noh." Truly's gaze turns up to him after replying to her professor's email that she'll go. "Professor Slanter. Me zoology teacher."

Fuck, I should've realized it was just an elective and not her major. "Is that your major? Zoology?"

"Aye." Tru sets her phone down on the desk and curls her legs up in her chair. "Why? Don't seem t'e type?"

"I just thought photography was for some reason. I'm used to them helping each other, I guess."

"Photography is useful in the field, and I like art. I draw and paint in me spare time." Truly drops one leg down and swivels back and forth in her chair.

"Yeah? Any good? Griffin's an art major. The American you met on the other side of the shared bath."

"Aye, we take a class together. And, aye, I'm good." Truly turns her chair to grab a large art tablet. Before handing it over to Kade, she pauses. "Don't laugh."

Taking it from her, Kade flips through the pages only to raise a brow at her when he finds several images of her fellow Theta's in what looks like various compromising positions given they appear to be undressed, even if they're not actually on full display. When he finds a picture of Heather, Kade's lip curls. "Kill would pay you for this." He flips the pad around to show her. "Especially if you finished it. Do you have a thing for naked women, Treasure? I don't mind if ye do." A grin crosses his lips. A part of him hopes she'll turn a cute shade of red.

"Noh." Truly blushes, to his delight. "I like naked people." Her eyes widen as she turns a deeper shade of red. "I didn't mean it like t'at! I find naked people beautiful. Oh god!" she groans, realizing she's only making this worse. "Art! I like drawin' naked people as art!" When that sounds no better, Truly turns and buries her face in the chair.

A boisterous, deep laugh bursts from Kade as his head falls back. "I like admiring a naked lass's form too. Particularly yours."

"I said not to laugh," Truly's muffled voice comes out from her hiding position.

"I'm not laughing at your art, truly," Kade's lip curls up. "It's beautiful, like that pretty shade of red you're wearing."

Truly pulls the pillow out that she keeps on her desk chair and chucks it at him, before sticking her tongue out, like the mature nineteen-year-old she is. "Ye arse."

Kade smacks the pillow away and rolls his eyes. "I've been called far worse. Ye are good though, Tru." Picking her pad up from where he dropped it, Kade flips through a few more only to still when he lands on himself sitting stark naked save a bed sheet across his lap. He's in a room he doesn't recognize, looking over his shoulder at a shadowed figure that is obviously a woman under the sheets.

A sense of unease fills him as his stomach drops. Whose room did she see me leaving? The pose she's drawn is one he's done a hundred times right before he's gotten dressed and slipped out. His mind tries to jump to the last time he'd been with a Theta besides her. Spring? Maybe this summer? Was she even here then? He attempts to recall if someone has recently walked in on him.

A frown crosses Truly's face. "What's t'e matter?"

"When did you draw this?" Standing up, Kade walks over and places the drawing on her desk before her.

Truly's blush quickly returns. Feck me sideways, I forgot it was t'ere. "Last week." Truly reaches out and quickly closes the art pad.

Zeta's Eps were his thing last week and, well, the week before that too. She must have been at their house. That or seen him in passing one night, one of the Zetas had had a main floor room.

Kade's lips thin. "Did ye see me at the Zeta house? Is that why you drew it?"

"What?" A confused look passes over Truly's face as her gaze shifts from him to the pad. "Noh. It's-" She cuts herself off, growing redder by the minute. "It's from a dream."

He raises a brow. "You were dreaming about me naked? In another's or your bed?"

Truly clears her throat and picks up the list of volunteers, and shoves it at him. "So, here are t'e volunteers I promised ye. I donno if ye want t'em all. I'm sure ye'll have a surplus of volunteers from t'e science department."

Ignoring the list, Kade leans over, so he's eye level with her. "Yours, I take. Now ye've got me wondering what kind of dreams you were having about me, Treasure. Were you moaning me name in your sleep?"

Unable to meet his gaze, Truly focuses on the notebook, praying he'll switch the subject. "Can ye forget I told ye?"

"And deprive myself one of your cute blushes?" A lopsided grin crosses his lips. "What kind of pirate would I be if I did that? What were we doing in this dream of yers, Treasure?"

"Kade, stop." She groans and pushes him away before escaping this embarrassing situation by climbing up on her bed next to Nutless.

Damn, I pushed a bit too far. I need ta make this right. "I like seeing you blush, Tru." Drawn to her, Kade leans against the bed and reaches out to cup the side of her face. "But it's become really clear to me today just how little we know about each other." I don't even know your family name or where in Davelon you're from. A soft laugh escapes his lips. "I don't even know how many brothers you have or your last name. Or where on Davelvon you're even from. You don't sound like you're from Bristham or Rimmeny where Raven is."

"I'm not from Davelvon." Truly reaches down and pets Nutless next to her. "I'm from Bovern, East Haven."

What? Kade's brows turn slightly down. He'd grown up in Northern Broven, Ravenwood, to be exact. It might be five or so hours from East Haven, but he's gone there enough to know her accent isn't quite right for there either. "Which part?"

"South-West coast."

By Emerald Isle then and the Davelvon's. It would explain the Irish since they keep bringing them in. "Was your family part of the Sapphire's crew? They all settled near there and a lot of them were Irish."

"Aye." Truly nods her head. Her family was more than a part of the crew of the Devil's Sapphire. Orison Davelvon was the captain of the ship. "And I have four older brothers. I know ye have two, t'ough I'm not sure if t'ey are both younger. I know Brayden is, but ye never said if Draken was younger or older, but I assume older with t'e way you've spoken about him. I know t'ere is a man ye call Raven t'at yer close to, but I take it he's not a brother. I know ye lived in Ravenwood for a while, t'en I take it ye moved to Libertalia for a while before comin' here. Yer a High Captain t'at loves the Black Raven. Ye love yer rum, and are a man that needs to see t'e facts. If ye can't touch, taste, or see it, it's not real. Yer major is in marine biology. Yer not close to yer family, save ye mum. Despite being on the outs with ye daddy and brothers, ye still respect t'eir traditions, t'ough ye want to prove yer myths wrong. Which I can only assume comes from ye mum's influence. Being half-Korean, I'm guessing ye mum fueled your love for education, but taught ye to respect traditions. I also gathered t'at ye like to take dangerous risks. Anyone who's willing ta climb Calypso's Cruelty would have to." Truly feels ridiculous for knowing more about him than he does of her. I probably sound like a stalker, but it's only because I've asked questions, paid attention, and listened.

Fuck. Kade's hand drops as his gaze does, too. I said I'd try to. I haven't even bothered to ask her anything about herself. Way to be a fucking Brovern, Kade. "Now I feel like an ass." He drops his head a bit. "Ye learned that much about me from just my room and the two questions you asked?" His eyes flick up to her. "While I only know you don't drink coffee, are easy to embarrass, and take photography. That and you have some OT-Nu for a brother with an ass of a pledge. Well..." His eyes drop to Nutless. "And you have a chicken shit for a cat and I think a dog...?"

"Aye." Truly nods. "A Doberman named Navi."

His eyes run over her. "I thought you were from this island since you knew the bartender and called yourself a cailleach. Nowhere else calls them that, but apparently I was wrong about that." About a lot of things. He inwardly sighs as he pushes up and turns to lean his back against the bed.

"I don't t'ink yer an arse." Nutless moves into Truly's lap and fills the room with his roaring purr. "I watch and listen to people, t'ough most don't realize since I'm constantly muttering and singing to meself. It's why I paint t'em without clothes on. I try to see people's true selves. Most people don't listen anymore. So I don't t'ink yer an arse."

"Growing up, I learned to tune people out, especially when I started coming of age." If I didn't, I'd have been nothing but a puppet. As his mind drifts to his older brother, his eyes shift back to her. "And you're right, Draken's older. Brayden and I are merely extras ta bolster the line's numbers. It's why me father married. There were too few of us. You're the youngest then, or is there another girl?"

"Noh, I'm t'e youngest. Me mum was done after me. I was a bit of an accident, anyway." Her lip lightly curls up. "A happy oops, as me granddah says."

At the mention of her grandfather, his own stern, aloof one comes to mind. "I only ever saw mine at the yearly events. When he sailed the Black Raven with my father and Draken, after they became the new heirs." Shifting his weight, Kade sits on the edge of bed. "I take it yours interacts with you, probably both."

Truly shrugs her shoulders. "A little. Both me mum and me daddy's parents live in ta motha land now. We only see t'em when we go visit." When Nutless bites her hand, demanding more attention, Truly's gaze shifts off Kade and glares down at the damn cat.

Kade gives a small nod. "Mine barely had time for Draken and my father. I've never met my halmeoni, mother's parents," he corrects in English. "I'm forbidden to leave the isles, save to sail the nearby seas. Mama Adébáyọ̀'s afraid something bad will befall me like it did Drake and my great uncle."

"T'at's how it happened?" Truly's head snaps up, surprised. She knew that a different Petrovich line took over, and that they were created from some mishap, just not how.

"You mean my great uncle and his son? Aye, supposedly. My father says they were summoned to Russia and never returned. We grew up being told they were too carefree and because of it they died."

'You must be vigilant. Find ways to fight the wanderlust,' his father's voice decrees in his mind. 'You will train like Draken and strengthen the line. The Brovern line cannot die. You will each see that at least one girl has your child. It's your duty as a Brovern. I didn't suffer that woman for nothing.'

'You must be vigilant. Find ways to fight the wanderlust,' his father's voice decrees in his mind. 'You will train like Draken and strengthen the line. The Brovern line cannot die, you will each see that at least one girl has your child. It's your duty as a Brovern. I didn't suffer that woman for nothing.'

Truly nods her head. "I had to learn about t'e original fours lineage in school, and knew that something happened, just never exactly what. I just knew the line switched to ye daddy. Nikoli, right? I have to admit, yer line gave me a bit of trouble in school. I had to study it a little more t'an the rest."

"Aye, that's him. And you're not the first I've heard that complaint from." His lip lightly curls, knowing his family's line's far more fucked up than any realize. "Wanna know a bit of irony?"

"What?"

"There aren't two lines. There's seventeen. The rest no one bothered ta claim. They're logged, though. With a nice tidy check of yeah, they're mine, but I don't want em. It's all in this enormous bloody log book we're expected to use still.

Truly's eyes grow wide. "T'at is a lot to keep track of."

"Aye, and far too many greedy hands, so we don't. Not after the first's been cast away."

"Well, to yer famili's credit, greedy hands were a problem with several of the originals. All but Bonnie, course it was pretty obvious who her children were, where for Brovern, Davelvon, and Stonewall... not so much."

Kade smirks and lightly chuckles. "I donno what you're talking about. We Brovern's wash up on the keys bastards of the sea."

Truly snorts. "Practically makes ye royalty t'en."

"Aye, if you mean royalty cursed." His mirth fades a bit.

"Well, ye aren't the only ones. Poor Winter's line can't go swimmin' in the sea. I'd say end me now if I was t'at family."

Kade's lips turn a bit down. He's seen Ghedi's frustration. "Aye. I can't imagine not having the Black Raven and being forced to stay ashore. The restrictions I have are bad enough."

"Ye said yer close to t'e Adébáyọ̀s. How did ye become close to t'em? I didn't t'ink t'e families hung out." She knows her family doesn't interact with the others.

"They do, along with the Tenley's. I met them through Raven. The older I got the more Mama Adébáyọ̀ took an interest in me. That and they control what goes into our vaults. Mama Adébáyọ̀ picks stones to protect us at birth. They're returned to the Stonewall's upon death before they bury us." Well, the few who did on land.

"Who is Raven to ye, t'en? Ye never said, but ye talk about him a lot."

Reaching down, Kade spins his family ring. "He's the last male Tenley." His voice turns soft. "The one who taught me I was more than just a number to bolster our ranks. A replacement in case I was needed ta keep Petrovich the main line."

"Oh course yer more t'an just a replacement. By t'under, is t'at what ye were told?!" Truly shakes her head. "T'at's fecked up, Kade. Ye aren't a replacement part."

"Aren't I?" Kade raises a brow. "Perhaps not ta me father anymore, but for Drake I am. Half the line dying in a single day messed with me father's head, I agree, but my grandda was just as bad. The families surrounded by the myths tend to act a bit extreme when something befalls them.

Truly nods her head. "Aye." That she knows for a fact. The myths around her family have hindered her life, but only because the Adébáyọ̀s see her as a threat to the island, and in turn cause the males in her family to be overly protective. "Do ye know anyone from t'e other families?"

"Mine? Or do ya mean the other three?"

"The other t'ree original families." Truly shifts on the bed to turn towards Kade, disturbing Nutless enough that he gets up from her lap and jumps off the bed.

"Aye, I'm closest to the Adébáyọ̀'s. They let me get into the most trouble. Mama says it's in my blood and I can't help it. Her son Ghedi's the one who lets me go places she won't." A breathtaking smile crosses his face as he remembers all the times he climbed up to the Calypso. "The marooned ship, for instance. If he could've gotten out there with me, he'd have been at my side."

"But ye don't know t'e other two?" Tru moves to the edge of the bed and lets her feet dangle over the side.

"I've had some fun with Bonnie from time to time. She's Bray's Crawford's daughter. She's a wild one with a great sword arm. Real hellion, but she can't outsail me." A smug grin crosses his lips.

A smile crosses Truly's face as she stares down at her feet. "And t'e Davelvons?"

"I sail and drink from time to time with Angus. Shane, I've known since he's resided over a family matter Mama Adébáyọ̀ just had to bring up the day I came of age."

So daddy's met ye. A light chuckle escapes her. "I suddenly feel so sheltered. I don't know anyone."

Kade raises a brow, surprised she doesn't at least know a Davelvon if her family's part of the original crew. "I thought the Davelvons at least associated with their old crew. Gideon's family descends from Drake's first mate. I've known him since primary. He's one of the few I trust to always have me back. He even helps me sail the Black Raven. Perhaps the Davelvon's think they're above their own crew now too."

Truly lightly laughs. "Ye don't t'ink much about t'em do ye?"

Bloody fool! Think before you speak so casually about the other families. Tru's not a fellow heir. Don't bring up things they mention in confidence amongst themselves. "No," Kade sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have phrased it like that. It makes it sound like strife when we've had an accord for centuries. It might sound weird to an Atlantean since we're each members of founding families, but I've only met their Lieutenant Governor a few times. The first time was when he proceeded over my coming of age with the other three. He's always seemed stern, but fair, like Bray Crawford. Both have helped me out from time to time with a few things. Other than sailing and drinking with Angus and the myths I take as a grain of salt, I honestly can't say I know much about them. Like most, I know they're reclusive and have never taken an Atlantean woman as a wife." Kade shifts towards her. "I know the other families take a bit of offence to their choices in wives, but after five hundred years it does kind of come across as no woman here is good enough in a Davelvon's eyes to marry."

Pushing himself further back, Kade rests his back against the wall. "As for my family, the private lives of the others have never really mattered to us Broverns. We don't exactly settle down with anyone, but I suppose that fact makes a difference to the other two houses. They can just blame our curse."

"Aye, I suppose so." It also doesn't help that the other two think me family are a bunch of soulless sirens.

As Truly sinks a bit into herself, Kade realizes the stupidity of his words. Fuck, I just grouped myself with the rest of my family after I told her only days ago I'd try. Reaching out, he takes her hand and intertwines their fingers. "I know I just grouped myself with them, but I don't plan on being like them, Tru. I want to settle down with ye." I need to do it. "Forget the other families. I want to know about you, Treasure. What made you pick Zoology? When you're not studying or working at the shop, what do you like to do other than paint and draw?"

"Before I started spending me summers servin' on Navy ships as a medic, I would go to t'e Davelvon reserves to help some of the zoologist t'ere with t'eir research, and helpin' rehabilitating animals. I luv animals so much, I knew I wanted to do t'at, forever. Plus, we have the rarest breeds of animals on t'e planet, some t'at ye can't find anywhere else anymore. I wanna help preserve t'ese endangered species." Truly's gaze drops to their clasped hands, as her thumb gently runs across the back of his hand. "And me free time is pretty much obsolete. Studyin', work, and Theta Sig takes up me free time. Sometimes I make charms for people or read tea leaves, but most don't know I'm a cailleach t'ough."

"So when you graduate, are you planning to work at one of the reserves or do you plan to go elsewhere off island?" Where I can't follow no matter how much I'd like ta leave.

"I want to stay on t'e islands." A serious look passes over her face as she scoots back next to him. "It's part of t'e other reason I chose Zoology. T'ere's been talk amongst me family about possibly havin' me move to Ireland where me mum's from. I don't t'ink me daddy or brothers would follow t'rough with t'at, daddy barely let me come to school here, cause it was too far."

"And if you chose to stay past the year, do you want to live near them in East Haven?" A hint of unease fills Kade as his eyes flick to her. He might be a Brovern, but living on that island means returning to his father's rule.

Truly shrugs. "I haven't really t'ought about it. I was waitin' to see where the fates took me. Me t'ird oldest brother is a lot like ye. Sensible, logical, scientifically minded, and me decision makin' drives him mad." Truly's voice shifts into a mocking tenor tone. "Ye shouldn't let t'e tides make yer life choices, Truly."

"So what you're saying is he'll likely hate me." Kade flashes her a playful grin, even as the realization sinks in her family will likely never approve of them. Suddenly needing to have her closer, he tugs her arm, shifting his weight a bit so he can slide his free hand under her and lift her over so that she straddles his lap. "Given you based everything on a mirror and your tingles."

"I donno if he'll hate ye, at least not for t'at. He'll give me a good tongue lashin' for it, t'ough. I'll warn ye, me daddy or any of me brothers aren't going to like ye cause ye stuck yer ship into me port." Truly lightly blushes. "T'ey're protective, and have discouraged any relationships in hopes of never seeing me get hurt."

So being a Brovern will matter. Breaking hearts is one thing we're good at. We'll have what we have. I'll not tie her down or press for her staying with me. "I happen to enjoy docking in your harbor and I think you feel the same." A smirk crosses his lips.

Truly snorts, as a grin spreads across her face. "Aye." Her gaze falls to his lips. "But maybe don't tell me daddy and brothers t'at. Or me cousins, for t'at matter. Ye might not live." She's partially joking, though she knows they won't be happy that she got herself married to a man she barely knows.

Kade's expression turns serious. "Even if they force you to cut the knot or if you chose to do it yourself one day, it likely won't be as clean as they're hoping for. Involving with my family or any of the other three comes with its own headaches, particularly mine. You could find you're leaving with a bit of me in you." His eyes drop to her stomach. "And our laws get archaic to most when it comes to the lines."

"I hope it doesn't involve birth control." Truly's brow raises. "I've got the Nexplanon implant."

"Against that? No," Kade shakes his head. "We're highly encouraged ta have children. Pressured more like ta have a bastard or two, but there's nothing that forces it. You could even abort me child. It's custody that gets tricky. My Omma can never make a decision about us alone, my father always had the final say. Even if we'd been just bastards, it'd be the same."

"And do ye?" Truly grows slightly uneasy, afraid of what the answer may be. The idea of being tied to a man that has a child with someone else isn't the ideal situation for her. "Do ye have a kid with another lass?"

Kade's lips thin. "I have an accord with a lass named Hope over her daughter Hailee, but she's not mine. She's Ravens. I help teach her the traditions and have a degree of control over her because of it. Since she sees me more than him, she calls me daddy by mistake. She's claimed with a stipend and bears the Tinley name. I can prove it. She was born around the time I joined me Omma and Raven took me under his wing."

"Ye don't need to prove it. One of me cousin's kids calls me Aunty Tru cause we hang out a lot. But I can prove t'at he's not really me nephew if ye need." She teases, showing she gets the concept that young kids can mistake relationships to them when you're around a lot.

Briefly taken aback, she believes him so easily Kade's eyes widen. "Besides my Omma, you're the first to just take my word for it. Most just assume she's mine and I refuse to claim her."

"Doesn't really make sense for you to not claim her." Truly shrugs. "What would ye gainin'? Not takin' responsibility? Ye just said ye help care for her, and teach her about yer traditions. So t'en t'e embarrassment of havin' a bastard? Not only does our culture not look down on it, but ye family doesn't either. So why lie about it? Plus, ye married a crazy lass to fulfill a bet. Ye don't shirk responsibility."

"Aye," a playful look crosses Kade's face. "I did, didn't I?"

Truly's lips purse and slugs him in the arm, but not hard enough to even notice. "Ye could've said, yer not crazy."

"You married a Brovern, most would say ye are." His fingers absentmindedly slide up and down her back. "Would you have ended it if Hailee had been mine?"

"Noh." Truly runs her hand over his shoulders. "My reaction might not have been great. T'e idear of being a step-mum at nineteen isn't exactly what I want, but I would have went with it."

"And being a mother? Do you want children, Treasure?"

"I, uh." Truly stops to think. "I never really t'ought about it. I suppose, eventually. I'd like to be closer to finishin' school. So not for another two or t'ree years. Do ye?"

How the hell do I say I never planned on settling down. Leaning his head against the wall, Kade briefly closes his eyes. "You know the promise I made my Omma. To not be like the rest." His cognac eyes open. "I figured I'd do it by embracing my wanderlust once I got my degree. Take the Black Raven out and be like Drake," he flashes her a small smirk.

Truly's eyes narrow. "Ye are goin' to revert back to fifteen-hundred style piracy in a modern day era? I don't t'ink ye'll make it, luv."

"Eh, I figured I'd test those Bermuda Triangle myths. See if sailing through her takes me back ta join the others." His lip curls up, showing her he's teasing, but in truth he wouldn't mind. He's suited for the time. "Worse case, I could always liven the island up for ye all. Test the navy's reaction time and all that by bringing a fleet home after me."

An amused smile crosses her face as she shakes her head. "Well, best of luck with t'at. Leave me a letter if ye make it, and tell me how it goes for ye. I think I'll stay here in the present where witches aren't burned, toilets flush, and I can take me baths daily."

"So much for having me back." Kade tickles her sides.

"Stop!" She wiggles on his lap and tries to push his hands away.

Stilling his fingers, Kade's expression turns serious. "I don't want to sire a bastard who has to worry if I want them or not. The years I've spent with Hailee though..." He rolls his bottom lip as his hands slide down to her ass and softly knead it. "I like watching her grow, like being with her. I wouldn't mind having a child with me wife, with you, Truly."

Truly slowly nods. "I love me nephews, I just never t'ought I'd have t'e opportunity to be a mum. I like t'e idea of being a mum. Not right now, t'ough. Me dog and cat haven't even met Petals, and we don't live together. I t'ink maybe we should reach t'ose points first." Truly's arms wrap around his shoulder as she leans in closer to give him a teasing kiss.

"What happened to for glory or gold?" He mutters against her lips before returning her kiss with a teasing one of his own. "Are you sure you're an Atleantean?" He grins against her lips. "Maybe I should leave you here when I go to Deadman's Cay in the morning. I wouldn't want you ruining your pretty nails or getting lost on me." 

🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚