Fear’s crew shouted curses at the dragon soldier who descended the ladder. The huge, dark male stood in front of the prison, feet wide apart and eyes scanning. None of the jeers or taunts appeared to affect him. Raider admitted to a twinge of respect.
The human-form dragon’s eyes fell on him. “You—show yourself!”
He cocked his head up to meet the dragon’s dark eyes, and before the crew could wonder too much at his being singled out, Raider walked to the cage’s door. If the dragoness had begged for his leniency, his rep was screwed.
The dragon opened the door without a word, and Raider was glad. A thick, black, hand wrapped around Raider’s arm and dragged him forward, and the shark-shifter went as quickly as could be reasonably explained by the force. He climbed the ladder at the dragon’s urging. That glorious sunshine slapped at his cheeks, along with the freezing air. The cold coated his throat and lungs.
“Sophia would like to see you.” The dragon’s voice shook the floorboards, it was that deep. He handed the shark a canteen full of fresh water.
Raider drank. “What’s she want?” He hoped not to say thank you. That was all he needed, for the males below to know he’d wussed out.
“That’s between you and Sophia. Just know that whatever occurs between you, I will remain silent.” The dragon’s dark eyes penetrated. His words were spoken like an oath.
Raider nodded his thanks.
The sliding door to the main cabin opened, revealing the dragoness. She wore the same thick woolen dress from the hold, but her hair hung clean and styled over her shoulders. Those dark black locks curled alongside her coffee-colored face.
“Hello, shark.”
Without meaning to, his head ducked in a little bow. “Hello.” Inside he scowled. Only moments outside the dungeon and he was acting in exactly the same way that got him thrown in the hold in the first place.
“Hello, um…I didn’t catch your name before.” She shifted from foot to foot, like she felt guilty for not knowing what to call him. The submissive action sent heat to his loins.
“No, you didn’t.” He meant it as an insult, but it came out a tease.
The tall dragon interrupted. “Sophia asked to speak with you alone, shark. I’ll be right inside that door.” He pointed a charcoalcolored finger to the window on the sliding door.
Raider nodded, as did Sophia. She waited until the dark male had slid the door closed before turning to Raider to speak. When her whiskey-brown eyes met his, she hesitated. “Um, well, I’m sorry about that. Would you tell me your name?”
He thought about it, supposing it couldn’t hurt. She knew much more damaging information about him than his identity. “It’s Raider.”
“Like Raiders of the Lost Ark ?” she squealed, “Cool! I saw it once on AMC, you know. My mom said it was really popular, like, in the olden days.”
He cut her off. “My mother named me after my father. She had a sick sense of humor.”
Sophia responded by shutting up, which Raider appreciated. At first. Then her twisting hands drew out his speech just as badly as her words did. “You wanted to talk to me about something?”
“Um...” She stared at her feet. Clearly, she was cold as fuck out here, as was he. If this was a thank you, she was taking her damn time. “I want to offer you a trade.”
Tiny alarms went off in his mind. The little dragoness only had one thing he wanted, and, like an idiot, he had passed.
“Your freedom in exchange for…Well, I want you to kidnap me.”
Raider narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out her angle. “If I wanted off this boat, I could have run for it a long time ago. And anyway, why the hell would you want me to kidnap you?”
Sophia’s eyes narrowed as well, as she tried to figure him out. “I want you to steal me away on the pretense that you’re in love with me.” When he erupted in laughter, Sophia gasped and her face screwed up in anger. She changed her tack. “Fine! Not that you’re in
The human-form dragon’s eyes fell on him. “You—show yourself!”
He cocked his head up to meet the dragon’s dark eyes, and before the crew could wonder too much at his being singled out, Raider walked to the cage’s door. If the dragoness had begged for his leniency, his rep was screwed.
The dragon opened the door without a word, and Raider was glad. A thick, black, hand wrapped around Raider’s arm and dragged him forward, and the shark-shifter went as quickly as could be reasonably explained by the force. He climbed the ladder at the dragon’s urging. That glorious sunshine slapped at his cheeks, along with the freezing air. The cold coated his throat and lungs.
“Sophia would like to see you.” The dragon’s voice shook the floorboards, it was that deep. He handed the shark a canteen full of fresh water.
Raider drank. “What’s she want?” He hoped not to say thank you. That was all he needed, for the males below to know he’d wussed out.
“That’s between you and Sophia. Just know that whatever occurs between you, I will remain silent.” The dragon’s dark eyes penetrated. His words were spoken like an oath.
Raider nodded his thanks.
The sliding door to the main cabin opened, revealing the dragoness. She wore the same thick woolen dress from the hold, but her hair hung clean and styled over her shoulders. Those dark black locks curled alongside her coffee-colored face.
“Hello, shark.”
Without meaning to, his head ducked in a little bow. “Hello.” Inside he scowled. Only moments outside the dungeon and he was acting in exactly the same way that got him thrown in the hold in the first place.
“Hello, um…I didn’t catch your name before.” She shifted from foot to foot, like she felt guilty for not knowing what to call him. The submissive action sent heat to his loins.
“No, you didn’t.” He meant it as an insult, but it came out a tease.
The tall dragon interrupted. “Sophia asked to speak with you alone, shark. I’ll be right inside that door.” He pointed a charcoalcolored finger to the window on the sliding door.
Raider nodded, as did Sophia. She waited until the dark male had slid the door closed before turning to Raider to speak. When her whiskey-brown eyes met his, she hesitated. “Um, well, I’m sorry about that. Would you tell me your name?”
He thought about it, supposing it couldn’t hurt. She knew much more damaging information about him than his identity. “It’s Raider.”
“Like Raiders of the Lost Ark ?” she squealed, “Cool! I saw it once on AMC, you know. My mom said it was really popular, like, in the olden days.”
He cut her off. “My mother named me after my father. She had a sick sense of humor.”
Sophia responded by shutting up, which Raider appreciated. At first. Then her twisting hands drew out his speech just as badly as her words did. “You wanted to talk to me about something?”
“Um...” She stared at her feet. Clearly, she was cold as fuck out here, as was he. If this was a thank you, she was taking her damn time. “I want to offer you a trade.”
Tiny alarms went off in his mind. The little dragoness only had one thing he wanted, and, like an idiot, he had passed.
“Your freedom in exchange for…Well, I want you to kidnap me.”
Raider narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out her angle. “If I wanted off this boat, I could have run for it a long time ago. And anyway, why the hell would you want me to kidnap you?”
Sophia’s eyes narrowed as well, as she tried to figure him out. “I want you to steal me away on the pretense that you’re in love with me.” When he erupted in laughter, Sophia gasped and her face screwed up in anger. She changed her tack. “Fine! Not that you’re in
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