The moment I’d received Wendy’s message, I’d wondered what she would look like with the changes befalling Neverland. I should have expected she’d be even more beautiful, even more fierce. I’ve never intruded on her unless she calls, no matter how much I long to. She thinks I’m an insufferable pirate, and that’s true, but I always wanted to win her trust in other ways.
The Captain of the Seas gestures down her body – which I’ve already taken a long look at – and then to her men, the look on her face challenging. She points to me. “Isn’t it obvious? Something is wrong.”
I trail my eyes down her form again and she shifts on her feet. Good, let the Sea Captain have a reaction. It’s only fair. “I don’t think it’s wrong at all,” I purr, and her men immediately erupt in swears and threatening shouts. Always protective of their Captain.
Wendy holds her hand up and they stop, a smile on her face. I don’t think it’s because she likes my words, however. It’s more like she’s amused by my attempt, and that only challenges me more. Wendy always knew how to set my blood on fire. “We’re going on land to speak to the others. While growing up isn’t such a nightmare to me as it probably is to Peter, we still need to discuss what is happening. Certainly you can feel it. Neverland is sick, and the land doesn’t just get sick because of a fluke. There’s some new threat here, and we must address it.”
Oh, Peter is most definitely having trouble with this change, I think. Out of all the creatures of Neverland, he’s the only one who truly never wanted to be a man. I can’t wait to see how he’s handling everything, and secretly hope he’s far worse off than any of us.
Her challenge still rings in the air between Wendy and I, the smug look on her face making me itch, making me want to turn it to one of pleasure. So many years of dancing around the attraction, fighting it, has left me with an emptiness. We’ve wasted so much time, have so much history. I used to be afraid of such feelings. That was a mistake on my part, because the moment I started aging, with the thought of death on the horizon, my biggest regret was not making my intentions clear. I’m going to change that.
I raise my brow, balanced on the plank, in the classic power pose I know she hates. “And what if I don’t care about these things? After all, me and my crew are far removed from the Neverland you sail.” A chorus of agreements go up from my men as a wicked smile curls my lips. “What are you prepared to offer to get me on land with you?”
Chapter Five
I scowl at the same time as my men all raise their weapons and train them on Hook’s crew yet again. Each of them senses the threat in me; we’ve spent so much time together they can react with the tension in my shoulders rather than any actual command.
Hook just stands on his balustrade in front of us, his posture one of the things that’s always annoyed me. He’s baiting me, that much I can tell, and I’m tempted to rise to it. It’s been so long since I’ve had such excitement, but there are more important things to focus on. Hook may not think the threat is real, but I can feel it in my bones; Neverland needs our help.
I raise my pistol and train it on the infuriating pirate in front of me, intending to only threaten him and get on with it, but I can’t help the playfulness that comes out any more than Hook can resist the challenge. “How about you get to live?” I purr. The barrel of my gun is trained right on his chest. My hands don’t shake; they haven’t in a long time.
Hook doesn’t flinch, his arms relaxed at his side. He never reaches for his weapon, but he’s never needed to. His words are his weapon. “Come now, Wendy Bird. You know neither of us can die.”
I know the words are teasing, but underneath, I sense the sadness we’ve all felt at least once. Not being able to die means we’re doomed to this world forever, never moving on, never growing up – until now – and never leaving. Neverland has become our prison in a different way than it is for everyone else. Now isn’t the time to address that pain, however. “That was before the magic here started acting weird and we started to age. Are you prepared to test that theory with your life?” I pull the hammer back, my finger on the trigger.
Ever the cocky pirate, Hook raises his brow, a smirk on his face. He’s completely confident I won’t pull the trigger at all, but he should know better. “Yes.” The single word echoes across the space between our ships, his challenge loud and clear.
I don’t wait for him to call my bluff or hesitate at all. I aim the gun to his shoulder and pull the trigger.
Chosen by Neverland, we’re given certain powers and roles. While I’m the Captain of the Sea and can sail a ship with my eyes closed, I’m also a little faster than normal, a little stronger, and in rare instances, I can control the ocean itself. I’ve never been able to master the skill, only successful when my emotions are high, but I’ve come to realize maybe that’s the power. It’s a last-ditch effort, not meant to be taken advantage of all the time.
Hook has some of the same powers, his speed, his abilities as a captain, his strength, and some commands of the wind. I’ve always thought we were meant to be two sides of a coin, or perhaps two magnets constantly pulled towards each other but also forced away. His powers mean he’s able to easily dodge the bullet I’d aimed for the flesh of his shoulder, his movements a split-second too fast for my pistol. I also knew he’d dodge it, but it still proves my point. He doesn’t have to know I intended for the bullet to never hit its mark. It embeds in the mast of his ship with a splinter of wood. A few of the men look at the bullet hole, their brows raised.
“You tried to shoot me,” Hook growls, but he doesn’t sound angry at all. Instead, his eyes grow more heated, doing things to me that he has no business doing. I’d had a crush on the pirate when I first came to Neverland, but he made it clear he wouldn’t pursue me. Fucking pirate made sure to mention it in the worst way possible, too. So he has no right to look at me that way. The magnet thought comes back full force when I can’t tamp down on the feelings I shouldn’t have.
“Next time, I’ll make sure you can’t dodge it,” I promise. “Now turn your ship around and dock it. We have business to discuss.”
His sexy grin, the one which always makes my stomach flip, spreads across his lips, and I know he’s thinking about something far dirtier than steering his ship. “Aye, aye, Captain.” His words are somewhere between a purr and a growl and if he wasn’t looking at me, I would have clamped my thighs together, but I won’t give him the satisfaction. He’s playing with me, the blasted man. Two can play at that game.
I watch as his crew maneuvers the ship around until it’s no longer blocking the passage, but Hook doesn’t move from his position, his eyes staying locked on mine, fire dancing in his depths. I raise my chin in challenge, holstering my pistol.
If it’s a battle he wants, then a battle he’s going to get. He may be the Captain of the Stars, but I’m the only Captain down here, and I won’t bow to any man, no matter how dashing he looks with his metal hook and his pirate hat.
Still, the image of him shirtless and wearing only his tricorn passes through my mind and I curse. Traitorous body! I turn away first, but only because I refuse to let Hook see my blush.