by Kate Hill
“I should have tied you up and told Syd to release you only after you’d set sail. How dare you disobey me? I’ve killed men for less.”
“So you got yourself a little protégé,” Chantel sneered. “How sweet. The least you could have done was take the girl to safety after you rescued her.”
“I am safe,” Jolie snarled at her.
“When we return from this journey, I’m taking her to live with a decent family.”
“I won’t go,” Jolie snapped.
“You’ll do what I tell you, girl.”
Andre raised his eyes to the heavens. The very thought of Snaghand raising a child was frightening. The longer he spent with the man the more he began to think he needed parenting himself.
“Now that she’s here, what shall we do with her?” Andre asked.
“We’ll take her back to my island,” Crispin stated.
“Are you mad?” Andre roared. “That’s too far out of our way.”
“Well she’s not coming with us,” Crispin said. “It’s too dangerous.”
Chantel chuckled. “Dangerous? You’ve taught her to be a pirate, for fuck’s sake. What in the world were you thinking?”
Jolie growled in Chantel’s direction. “This isn’t your business, lady!”
Chantel raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“Jolie, you’re tempting me to cut out your tongue,” Crispin seethed.
“I know what we’ll do,” Chantel said. “My island is less than half a day from here. We’ll drop her there and she’ll be perfectly safe until we return.”
Crispin narrowed his eyes in Chantel’s direction. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Keeping my daughter on your island will ensure that I’ll do whatever you want on this journey. Do I look that stupid?”
Andre chuckled. “Well, so far you’re the only one of us who’s been made a fool of by a child.”
“You’re the fool, baldy.” Jolie curled her lip at Andre. “And who the hell are you calling a child?”
“Charming, Crispin.” Andre’s voice dripped with distaste. “Leave it to you to foster a brat.”
“Brat? I’m no --”
“I said quiet.” Crispin shot Jolie a look that actually made her fall silent. “You’ve caused me more trouble than you’re worth.”
Chantel studied Jolie carefully. At Crispin’s last comment, the girl’s eyes brimmed with tears that she quickly blinked back. She stood, glaring at her guardian in a way that Chantel well understood. This girl needed guidance, but most of all she needed another woman to confide in. She didn’t doubt that Crispin cared about the girl’s welfare and perhaps fostering her had fulfilled a need in himself for a parent’s love. Having his entire clan wiped out when he was a child had to leave some pretty deep scars.
“Would you boys leave us alone for a while?” Chantel asked. “Jolie and I need to have a conversation.”
Jolie’s gaze riveted to Chantel with a look of combined anger and fear.
“Maybe you can handle her better than daddy,” Andre scoffed, earning a glare from Crispin before they left the cabin and closed the door behind them.
Jolie stared hard at Chantel.
“You can shift out of your wolf form,” Chantel said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” Jolie stated and reverted to her human shape, the wolfish pelt, fangs, and pointed ears receding. She stood, feet braced apart as if ready for an attack.
“Yes, you are,” Chantel said.
“Maybe a little, but not for my own safety. Everyone knows your reputation for getting what you want.”
Chantel took a seat on the edge of her desk and stared at Jolie in a non-threatening manner. “And you think I want to do something bad to Crispin.”
“Yes. And from the look of things when I walked in, you already have. Or think you have. Crispin has been with lots of women, you know, so don’t think you’re anything special.”
Chantel’s lips flickered in a patronizing smile. “First of all, baby, whatever’s going on between me and Crispin is none of your business. Don’t interrupt me.” Chantel held up her hand when Jolie began to speak. “Second, don’t you think I know how you feel? He’s been good to you, right?”
“Yes.”
“Like a father?”
“Sort of.”
“You know that’s all he’ll ever be to you, a father figure. Probably not the greatest one --”
“Cris wants what’s best for me, and that’s what I want for him.”
“Then why did you stow away? You must have known he didn’t want you aboard because he didn’t think it would be safe for you. If he’s worrying about you then he can’t concentrate on his work and that could get him killed.”
Jolie’s eyes blazed with a combination of anger and guilt. “I’d never hurt Cris.”
“Not intentionally. Why did you come here, Jolie? What’s the real reason?” Chantel’s gaze bore into the girl’s in a manner most people couldn’t resist. She knew the power of her eyes, the almost magical lure they had over people. Unfortunately Jolie was surprisingly resilient.
“Because --”
“Yes?” Chantel continued. “Why?”
“Because I know about Morall’s Treasure. Cris’ grandfather and father died trying to find it and I don’t want him to --”
“You don’t want to lose him.”
Jolie shook her head. “This might be the last time I’ll ever see him.”
Sighing, Chantel stood and placed a hand on Jolie’s shoulder. The girl flinched a bit, but didn’t move away from her touch.
“I’m not much for confessions myself,” Chantel said, “but I’ll tell you this. Since meeting both Crispin and Andre, I like them and I wouldn’t want to see anything happen to them either. Not only that, I’m a just a little keen on staying alive myself.” Chantel winked and the girl narrowed her eyes, as if questioning whether or not to trust her. “I know that together the three of us can find Morall’s Treasure. We’re watching each other’s backs, which is something their relatives and mine didn’t have when they went for it. I don’t know you and you don’t know me, but for the short time I’ve been with Crispin, I’m starting to know him. Unless he cared about you a whole lot, he wouldn’t be trying to protect you. A man like him doesn’t just pick up strays for no reason. He must love you like a daughter. Maybe that’s not what you want to hear…”
Jolie stared at her in shock. “I didn’t --”
“I know. A man like him is easy to fall in love with. This might sound like a pile of horseshit now, but I’m telling you the truth when I say one of these days you’re going to find the right man for you, Jolie. And he won’t be any kind of father figure. Now, if you go to my island I know you’ll be safe and you might even have a good time. I have a houseful of servants and there’s a wolf clan that has lived in the woods for centuries. You won’t be lonely and Crispin won’t have to worry about you. What do you say? Will you go like a woman or make a fuss like a brat?”
“Don’t patronize me!”
Chantel’s grip tightened on Jolie’s shoulder and her gaze hardened. “I don’t patronize anybody. I don’t take shit from anybody either. What’s your answer?”
Jolie sighed deeply and nodded. “I’ll do it for Cris, but if he gets hurt on this voyage, Fire Eyes, I won’t be so easy to control next time we meet.”
“Fair enough.” Chantel released Jolie’s shoulder and extended her hand. After a moment’s hesitation, the girl shook it firmly.
By dusk they’d arrived at Chantel’s island and Jolie was placed in the care of her servants. Chantel made sure the house guards were on extra alert. Though she believed she had gotten through to Jolie, Chantel knew any girl who had survived a massacre and been taught by a pirate could cause plenty of trouble if she got the urge.
As they sailed away, Chantel and Crispin stood side by side near the rail while Andre took care of some business below deck.
“Whatever possessed you to
make a pirate out of that girl?” Chantel asked.
“I didn’t make a pirate out of her. I taught her about the sea and how to defend herself and…” His voice trailed off and he shook his head. “And I made a pirate out of her.”
“You should have found a family for her sooner.”
“I know! It’s just --”
“What?”
“She was very ill at first and she recovered on my island. One of my maids, an older woman, took care of her and it was almost like --”
“Having a child of your own?” Chantel ventured.
His eyes narrowed. “Stupid really. A bastard like me wanting to raise pups.”
Chantel smiled. The more time she spent with Crispin and Andre, the more endearing they became. “It’s not stupid. We’ve been at sea for a long time, you, me and Andre. Maybe you’re getting the urge to settle down.”
“Never. I’d be bored to death. Now I’m afraid Jolie might be, too. I hope I haven’t ruined her chances of having a decent life.”
“You haven’t as long a she finds the right kind of mate. Your impulse to help her was a good thing, Crispin.”
“Just wonderful. I created a monster.”
“No. Just a girl in puppy love.”
He wrinkled his nose. “What?”
Curling her lip, Chantel shook her head at him. “Are you a complete fool? You have no idea that girl thinks the sun rises and sets on you.”
“She’s little more than a child.”
“She’s on the verge of becoming a woman. You rescued her from a horrible situation. You’re too old for her, but you’re what some might call handsome.”
“What some might call handsome?” He grinned. “How about what you might call handsome?”
She shrugged, wanting to tease him a bit. “Maybe. Follow me below. In order to be sure, I’ll need a closer look.”
Chapter Four
Andre was about to go topside when he saw Chantel and Crispin heading for the cabin.
They paused and Chantel asked, “We’re turning in. Want to join us?”
The thought of another good fuck made Andre’s pulse quicken, so he followed his companions. As soon as they reached the cabin, Andre kicked the door shut behind them and reached for Chantel. With a lustful chuckle, she pushed away from him only to grasp his crotch in one hand and Crispin’s in the other. Both wolves growled and Chantel purred with appreciation for the savage, masculine sounds.
Though she’d only been with them a short time she was getting to know them, their similarities and their differences. Even their growls were distinctive.
She tightened her grip on Crispin who grasped one of her large breasts and began licking and kissing her neck. Andre buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply while at the same time fondling her buttocks. Using his claws, Crispin tore the front of her shirt open, not so much as grazing the delicate flesh beneath. Sinking to his knees, he ran his lips over her belly while at the same time unfastening her trousers and sliding them down. Chantel moaned softly when he caressed her thighs and cupped her soft mound, kneading with the perfect pressure. He retracted his claws and pushed his fingers into her damp pussy. Chantel instinctively spread her legs to accommodate him, loving the way he stroked and explored.
Andre moved behind her. His steely frame was perfect to lean against while Crispin continued teasing her so expertly that her knees practically turned to water. When Crispin knelt in front of her and his warm, wet tongue began lapping her clit, she gasped and closed her eyes, allowing Andre to almost completely support her. He cupped her breasts and squeezed them in a gentle rhythm, then took her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers and pinched them a bit, not enough to hurt but enough to send a lightning bolt of pleasure darting from her breasts to her pussy.
“Yes, oh, yes,” she breathed, unable to keep from squirming with desire. “If I knew you two would be this good at making love, I’d have tracked you down long ago.”
“If I’d have known you were so wonderfully fuckable, I’d have done the same,” Andre purred, then took her earlobe between his teeth and nibbled, sending a quiver of lust down her spine.
“Umm,” Crispin murmured, his mouth too busy with her clit to respond in words. He reached around with his good hand and grasped her buttocks. Her legs trembled so much that if the men hadn’t been supporting her she probably would have collapsed. Moaning incessantly, she grasped handfuls of Crispin’s hair and he grunted with pleasure.
“Harder,” he said quickly between licks and sucks.
“Hmm,” she purred, her fingers tightening on his unkempt auburn hair. It felt thick yet silky between her fingers. She pulled slightly and kneaded his scalp, dragging another pleasured growl from his throat.
Andre licked her ear and rubbed his thumbs relentlessly over her nipples. When Crispin’s finger dipped between her ass cheeks and teased her taut sphincter, she cried out and jerked into a breath-stealing orgasm. For several moments she didn’t know or care where she was. All she knew was that her breasts, clit and asshole were being fondled simultaneously and the pleasure was unimaginable.
Even when Crispin moved away from her, she didn’t stand, but allowed Andre to lift her in his arms and carry her to the bed. Finally, with a thoroughly satisfied smile, she glanced at her wolves who lay on either side of her, their heated gazes upon her.
“I believe I owe you two something,” she said.
“It would seem,” Crispin replied.
“And I’m about ready to collect.”
“I’d like to pay you both at once,” Chantel said, her pulse racing with ideas.
“How would you like to do that?” Crispin asked, his eyes already aglow with possibilities.
Licking her lips, Chantel positioned herself over Crispin on all fours, her head just above his swollen cock. She lowered herself to her forearms, her buttocks thrust in the air.
“Andre, fuck me from behind while I suck Cris until his pretty violet eyes cross.”
Crispin chuckled but his gaiety soon turned to a yelp of animal pleasure as she took his cock head between her lips and began sucking with a vengeance. He moaned and clutched her hair, his hips thrusting, though she sensed he was restraining himself to keep from ramming his cock too deeply into her mouth.
She felt Andre’s hands caressing her bottom while he knelt behind her. A ripple of pure desire rushed down her spine as he began licking her buttocks. When his tongue darted between her ass cheeks and teased her sphincter, she moaned deeply. He lapped the sensitive ring of soft flesh and tensing muscle until she trembled and nearly collapsed atop Crispin. The vibrations from her moans of pleasure must have aroused Crispin even more because the rhythm of his hips quickened and his grip on her hair tightened.
“You have a beautiful, talented mouth, woman,” Crispin murmured.
“And an incredible ass,” Andre added. He gave her bottom one last lick and squeeze before grasping her hips and easing his cock into her.
The entire situation excited Chantel so much that she was once again on the verge of orgasm. Andre’s wildly thrusting shaft filled her pussy and Crispin’s thick cock filled her mouth. By the sound of their ragged breathing, they were as close to exploding as she was. Still they kept their climaxes at bay, trying to prolong their pleasure. And they did. For nearly a whole minute more. Crispin came first, crying out and arching off the bed as he shot his essence into her mouth. Chantel had just enough time to swallow before she came, too. Her frantic pulsations thrust Andre over the edge and he grunted, his hands clutching her hips as he climaxed hard, his hot, damp body straining against hers.
When Andre finished, he released her and for several moments the three lay in a panting, sweaty heap, their limbs entangled and breaths fanning each other’s heated bodies.
When they recovered, Chantel stood, walked to the desk and retrieved the map. She returned to bed, crawled between her wolves and sat with her back against the headboard. The map rested over her thighs. Andre also sat up, dra
ping one arm around Chantel while Crispin turned on his side and raised himself on his elbow. All three stared at the place on the map Chantel pointed to.
“Anna’s Wood Island. I know you boys are familiar with that place.”
At the mention of the island where Andre had lost his eye, he repressed a shiver. The sensation annoyed him. Not that he was afraid of confronting the Hide Marshers again, but he wasn’t a fool. The lizard-like creatures were far stronger than wolves and almost impossible to defeat.
Years ago, Andre had confronted them when searching the island for Morall’s Treasure. He had narrowed down the location of the treasure to the Archipelago of Shadow, but without the map he was forced to search each island. Partway through the forest on Anna’s Wood Island, his party had been attacked by Hide Marshers. Nearly all his men had been slaughtered, and Andre had sustained several arrow wounds and lost his eye to a silver dagger wielded by a Hide Marsher.
He’d fought many times in his life, but that was by far the worst situation he’d ever faced. The Hide Marshers had eaten many of the crewmen right there on the battlefield, most of them still alive. Such an act was despicable, even to wolves who killed their prey before devouring it.
“This isn’t going to be easy,” Andre said. “I think we should leave this island for last.”
“That makes no sense,” Chantel said. “It’s the first one we’re passing.”
Andre glanced at Crispin for backup. The man’s brow furrowed and his eyes took on a sly expression. He glanced at his maimed hand and said, “I’m not looking forward to revisiting Anna’s Wood Island either, however I agree with Fire Eyes. Doubling back simply to avoid the Opal Criers would be stupid. What’s the point of postponing the inevitable?”
“It’s not the Opal Criers I’m worried about,” Andre snapped. “It’s the Hide Marshers.”
“The Hide Marshers are a concern, but I know from personal experience the Opal Criers are far worse. The Hide Marshers eat you right away, but the Opal Criers prefer torture.”