Chapter Six

Angel and Brendan lingered after Jack had left, observing the soldiers. It seemed they had the day off and were wanting to brag and enjoy every second of it. Two wenches came in, bearing trays of food and whiskey, and began to wash the soldiers while the soldiers nibbled on the food and drank the whiskey. The more they drank, the more they bragged to the women, and Brendan and Angel listened with rapt ears.

It seemed that the Governor had paid them a huge sum of money and had given them the rest of the week off to enjoy it, and all they'd had to do was to get rid of one pesky pirate. They did not name names. They didn't need to. Angel immediately knew they were talking about Will, and the fact did not take long to dawn on Brendan either.

Angel congratulated the soldiers on their good fortune but then asked, "I'm dying to know. Did you kill him, and how?"

"Nah."

"We done something even better!"

"If we'd have killed him, she'd have known and caused a stink."

"Instead, we sold him! Got even more money!"

"Want some whiskey?"

"Sure," Angel said with a grin. One of the half-naked wenches rushed off to bring back some more whiskey for Angel and Brendan.

When the whiskey arrived, Angel toasted the soldiers. "Where do you buy and sell people around here?" he asked. "Reckon I could get a woman there?"

"Sure," came the reply, "but you could probably get one here too."

"I'd rather buy one that I can dispense with. I get a little rough, and they don't always make it. I'd hate to get one of these women here and get into trouble for it, but if I buy one, then nobody gives a rat's ass what happens to them."

Though already his eyes were glowing, Brendan held his tongue and let Angel do the talking. He hated the charade they were having to pull but trusted his friend and knew he had a plan or, at least, the beginnings of one.

One of the guards said, "They're having an auction this afternoon. It gets hot and heavy, and you better inspect the merchandise before you buy it. Some of them got disease that you can't tell till you get 'em. It's at the back of the market, a tent, doesn't have any markings on it. You go into the tent, out the back, and you're on a street. It's blocked off. You can buy anything there! Male, female, goats, sheep, whatever your sexual preference for a hefty price, but you better not go alone. There's a lot of desperate men there that'd just as soon slit your throat as they had to look at you."

"Thanks," Angel said. "I'll do that." He continued to linger a while longer as he did not want to make the guards suspicious, and then, with a signal, scratching his left ear while making sure Brendan was looking, they both got out of the tub and began to dress. They had arranged the signal a long time ago for just such tight times as this.

One of the guards looked at Brendan. "Cat got your tongue, son?"

Yellow eyes flicked up at the guard as Brendan suddenly realized that his silence had made the guards suspicious. This was not the first time that his quietness had brought suspicions, and he knew just how to explain it. With a nervous glance at Angel, he made quick motions at his throat.

Angel looked at the guards. "Can't talk. Mute. Ages ago. He was taken by pirates and almost killed."

"Oh, sorry," came the reply. "Hope to see you guys again later. We'll buy you drinks again."

"Sure thing," Angel said as he slipped his dagger into his boot and headed for the door. Once there, he opened it, allowing Brendan to go out first. "They've done something to Will," Angel said. "We have to find Jack. At least he's alive. Hope to the Goddess he's not hurt or Jack will tear this town apart." He headed for Will's blacksmith shop at a run. When he reached it, he saw the door was ajar. He started sniffing right away.

Brendan reached it almost at the same time. He, too, began to smell out the shop. "Not here. Hasn't been for a while, but Jack has been. To the ship, Brendan," Angel said and started running for the ship.


It was with a heavy heart that the young man opened the door and slipped into the back room of his family's store. As he shut it behind him and leaned against its wooden frame, he wished that it were as easy to shut out the rest of the world. His life had been happy once, full of a loving family and friends, but then everything had changed. Now his mother was always out somewhere, and his father had taken to drinking. The store had fallen onto Dawson's shoulders completely, but that was nowhere near the worst of it. No, the worst of it had came just a few nights ago, and the boy shuddered at the memory. "If you're cold, I can warm ya up."

The strange voice, laden with sultry, husky undertones, brought his head snapping up. His blue eyes flew open only to find themselves looking into a pair of the darkest, most bewitching eyes he'd ever seen. "How'd you get in here?" he demanded.

A coy smile played across dark lips. "You didn't even have your door locked. Not," she added in admission, "that that would've stopped me." She slid off the box she had been sitting on and started toward him.

The way she moved reminded him of a cougar on the prowl, and the sexy way her body, which was barely clad in tight, black leather, shifted as she slid smoothly toward him made his heart skip a beat and then rage with all the loudness of thunder in his ears. "W-Who are you?" he managed to gasp out.

"Name's not important," she purred in answer to his question even as she reached him. She made as if to slam her fist next to his head, but her palm fell silent on the wood. Still, he jumped, and her smile grew at his reaction. "Call me Faith. Call me Dream Weaver. Call me after the little, innocent town girl you've got the hots for. I don't give a damn. I'm not here to play names."

She leaned forward, and he found his betraying eyes gazing down at her arched bosom. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. When he reopened them, he found that she had moved even closer to him, so close indeed that her lips were mere inches from his. He started to slide out from under her, but she blocked him, effectively pinning him to the door with one arm on either side of his quivering body. "Then what are you here for!" he demanded, his mind, blood, and heart all racing at once.

"To make your dreams come true," she growled seductively, her breath brushing over his lips. "For this." Her hand found the rising bulge in his pants. He jumped as she caressed him there, but as his mouth started to open in a sharp exclamation, her lips took his, silencing him.

Dawson Leery had never before met a woman like the one who now stood before him, her body arching into his while her lips drank deeply of his and her hand squeezed his member. Unlike most other men his age, Dawson had never even dreamed of a woman like this. Her first touch had scared him to his core and brought back memories of the other night, but her first kiss made him ache for more.

He still had no ideal what to do with or even about her, though. Part of him wanted to throw all caution to the wind and take this once in a lifetime chance that he, by some unthinkable twist of fate, was being offered, but another part was still scared. What if there was something more to this than she was showing him? What if they were caught? What would happen to his pristine reputation, to his engagement to Josephine? What if his father was the one to walk in on them? He was still quivering as he pressed one hand against her breast, and though he almost lost his nerve at the way her hardened breast felt in his hand, he pushed her away with all the strength he had.

She fell back only a few steps and did not even have to try hard to maintain her balance. Her dark eyes were quickly filling with anger as they looked up at him from underneath a shock of black hair. "Don't tell me you didn't like that," she growled challengingly.

Seeing no reason to lie but not daring to try to speak the truth, either, Dawson gulped even as he shook his head. "Then what," she demanded, "the Hell is your problem!"

"Why?" he managed to ask.

"Why what?" she snapped.

"Why do you want me?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. None of her previous targets had bothered to ask her such a question. She was sure they had probably wondered what would attract a woman such as she to their cowardly hides, but none had ever voiced it. Looking back at the blonde, she lifted her muscular shoulders into a rolling, careless shrug. "I want a ride, and you looked like the best horse this damn port had to offer."

Dawson's mouth fell open at that, and for a moment, he could not think of a response. Then finally, he found his voice again. "I'm . . . not what you think. I'm a virgin."

"I know," she said with a shake of her head and a grin. "I like 'em just your style, boy."

"Don't you even want to know my name?"

She shook her head again while exclaiming, "Hell no!" He started to speak again, but before he could, she had pulled off her shirt, kicked off her boots, and shimmied out of her pants. He could not even think as he stared at the amazing beauty before him, and he was even only vaguely aware of the rising pain in his pants. "Look," Faith told him, holding her arms open wide so that he could get a good look at her. "This is what I'm offering you. A ride of a lifetime with a woman unlike any you've ever known and ever will know. I can teach you things in five minutes -- heck, in a minute -- that you'll never get the chance to learn in the rest of your life. I can make any of your fantasies come true. And there's no strings attached. You'll never even see me again after today."

Dawson was stunned speechless. This all seemed too good to be true. He had to be dreaming, but as she closed the distance between them again and caressed his sword once more, he realized that her touch was too good not to be real. "So what do you say, choir boy? Want some help with that or do you just wanna jack off all by yourself in the corner again?"

No woman had ever invoked the feelings this stranger already had in him. No other woman had ever even heated his blood. Despite his fears, Dawson found himself nodding. Faith had him naked and on the floor before he even knew what hit him.


They ran for the ship as fast as their feet could carry them, their bodies a near blur to any one who looked up at the passer-bys. Angel's mind was focused only on reaching Jack so that they could find and rescue Will before he could be sold into Gods only knew what, but Brendan remained more alert. The guards had angered the wolf inside the man, and he had been struggling to keep his beast in control ever since the bath house. The wench who had brought their whiskey would realize later that his bottle had gone completely untouched, but none of them would ever realize the danger they had just been in not only from Brendan himself but from his companion, a Vampire, as well.

His senses were already on full alert long before they reached the ships, and a mixture of urgent scents hit his nose even as Angel started to dart up the plank. Brendan quickly reached out and grasped his arm. "Jack's here," he whispered, "but the others aren't. Whatever happened, they left in a hurry. Jack's not alone, either. There's a female I haven't smelled before. She's rich, though, not a harlot or even one of our kind. And Jack's in trouble." With a nod toward the Pearl, he added in explanation, "There's six or seven different smells coming from there besides theirs. Strong men. Angry men. And confusion," he added with a creased brow.

"We should split up and come up at different parts of the ship. Hide and see what's going on," Angel said. "Keep me in your smell and your ears alert. I will send you a signal if we are to attack. Whatever you do, do not endanger Jack." He didn't need to tell him that. Jack was like a brother to both of them. "And don't endanger yourself," he added. That he did need to tell him, because he knew Brendan would take any chance he felt he needed to protect Jack and did not feel his own life worthy of protecting.

He squeezed his arm gently. "We need you, and we do care about you," he emphasized. He had to keep telling Brendan that, because Brendan never felt he was worthy of any one caring. His past life had been such a mess. "Good luck, buddy," Angel whispered. "Listen for an owl." He slipped quietly aboard the Pearl. No one saw him, but he saw them. He heard them. He saw Jack try to fight them and be taken down to his knees, and he growled his frustration. He wanted to attack all of them at one time, but then he saw Brendan also sneaking aboard. Brendan had a better shot. Angel waited. When Brendan attacked, he would attack. He just hoped Brendan had a plan.

Jack had watched the shadows as they turned into two of his most trusted men. He did not give them away, and he did not try to rise. He knew if he did, his jugular would be cut.


Brendan had taken the hard way up the ship. Instead of just slipping onto it as Angel had done, he had climbed up it while holding his dagger at the ready in between clenched teeth. When he had first reached the top of the side, he had peered over it, but when he had seen Jack in trouble, he had known he had to do something. He stayed with the shadows as he flipped silently over the side of the ship and remained just as quiet as he closed in on the guards.

By the time Brendan had reached nearly directly behind the guards, he had a dagger in each hand, but the wolf was even closer to his surface as he had watched the guards berating the first man who had ever dared to take a chance on his lowly, worthless hide. His yellow eyes were blazing and his fangs glistening when he let out a growl that shook the entire deck of the ship. The guards jumped, letting out screeches that sounded far more feminine than they looked, and he plowed in, bringing the butts of his daggers hard across two heads at once.


It started with a kiss as Faith again conquered his lips with her own, her tongue plunging farther down into his mouth than he'd thought could ever even be possible. Their tongues twisted and rubbed against each other as they danced in a heated fencing session, but all too soon for Dawson, Faith's mouth left his. Though his red lips were bruised from the intensity of their kiss, they ached for further attention from her. He started to call to her, wondering what she was up to, but even as he remembered that he did not know her name, his words froze in his throat as her tongue ran over his neck.

She littered his tightened throat with kisses and licks that scorched every inch of his lightly tanned skin that she touched. She sucked the base of his neck for a moment before beginning a series of kisses that ran further down his bare chest. The sensations she invoked in his quivering body and the thrills she sent coursing through his blood left him helpless to do anything more than lay back and enjoy every second of this wild beauty's attention.

When she reached his first nipple, she ran her tongue around its outer edge before licking its center and bringing a shudder of delight from her prey. She sucked his hardened nipple into her teeth and nibbled on it. Though it hurt somewhat, he even found the pain immensely enjoyable and gave a soft cry of dismay when she released it. He sighed with pleasure as she then moved on to using the same procedure on his other nipple.

Releasing his left nipple, Faith slid further down his body, raining a series of scorching kisses down his stomach. As she slowly slid over and past his rearing stallion, her taut breasts caught his erected member between them and squeezed tightly. She lowered her head, and her tongue darted out to lick the bit of juice that poured over the edge. His sword quivered as her tongue lapped the beginnings of his nectar not only from its tip but from her own breast, as well.

Dawson was panting hard now, and his sword shook with such speed that Faith knew it would not be much longer now. She slid further down his body so that she was crouched just over his knees and lowered her head. Her tongue tasted of his tender skin as she kissed the inside of his calves, and he let out a yelp of surprise as she suddenly nipped him. Her hands groped his testicles, and she squeezed them slightly even as her mouth returned to his sword.

She kissed its tip before running her tongue all around its sheath. She finally began to lower her lips around his quivering member again, and her teeth gently grazed him as she sucked his tip. Her tongue wrapped around his sword and her teeth grazed his delicate skin there as she lowered her mouth slowly but steadily over his stallion. As she sucked harder, his moans grew louder. Her hands had been caressing his balls, but as she squeezed his testes once again, her liquid reward flooded her mouth.

Her teeth held to his member as his juice filled her mouth and poured down her throat. His yells of delight far beyond anything any of Port Royal's men had ever experienced before shook the windows of the shop and spooked its customers. They dropped whatever they had been holding and ran from the store as if it were possessed by Demons from Hell, but though Faith heard and did not care, the sounds went completely unnoticed by Dawson.


Angel had been about to jump into the fray when a woman's voice reached his ears. He could see that Brendan had the situation well in hand and that the minute Brendan had attacked, Jack had been released and jumped to his feet, sword in hand, fighting the guards. Angel figured the woman needed rescuing first. He didn't see anything Jack couldn't handle with Brendan's help, but once he had the woman, if they still needed him, he was more than willing and able to kick their butts. "Stand and deliver!" he said to the back of the burly guard who had the woman cornered.

The captain's blue eyes glanced over his muscular shoulder at the stranger who stood behind him. "Stand down, peasant. This does not concern you. This lady is the Princess and my betrothed, and her father wishes her home. Do not attempt further intrusion unless you wish to taste the steel of my blade in your final moments!"

Angel looked frantically around for a sword. The only weapon he had was his dagger. He usually didn't carry a sword, but he knew how to use one expertly and had often fenced with Brendan. He didn't say anything but dodged frantically for the weapons' room and, grabbing the first sword he saw, was back at the captain's side in three shakes of a lamb's tail. He roared, "Turn and face my steel and leave the woman alone! She doesn't seem to want your attentions!" He had moved so quickly that he had been a blur and the soldier had hardly known he was gone before he had returned.

The captain drew his own sword even as he turned to meet the stranger. "I will tell you one final time. This does not concern you."

"I'm making it my concern," Angel said. "You can not treat the woman as though she was your own slave; rather she be a Princess or not doesn't matter! She has a right to choose her own destiny, and apparently she doesn't want you!" He raised his sword and met the captain's sword in mid-air. He fought like a Demon possessed, and in mere seconds later, he had disarmed the captain, throwing his sword over the side of the ship and pressing his own sword against the captain's jugular. "You should've left when you had the chance, ya scurvy swine! Now you're going to meet your maker!"

Frantic hazel eyes had watched the two men's every movement as they had fenced over her destiny, and though she did not wish the man she had known all her life to be harmed, she had desperately wanted the pirate to win for she knew what would happen if he did not. When she saw that he had, her heart had leapt in hope, but terror flooded her soul when she heard the pirate's words and realized that he might not be the hero that she had thought but merely a pirate out to rid his ship of intruders. Knowing that she was putting her own self in danger, she still ran to his side, holding out a hand and exclaiming as she ran, her other hand picking up her dress' skirts so that she did not trip over them. "No! Please, no!" Tears ran down her face even as she reached the pirate and dared to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Please, do not kill him! He would not have harmed me, only forced me to return to my home and do what he thinks is best for me!"

"For you, I will spare him, but if he comes back aboard our ship, he can expect to die." Angel dropped the sword, picked up the captain, and threw him over the side of the ship. "And don't come back!" he said as he brushed his hands together as though he had filth on them.

"Now, my lady," he said as he gave her a rather stiff bow, "I know you are supposed to be a Princess, but it doesn't matter. You have the right to choose where you want to go. If you want to stay, you'll have to see our captain, but if I can help you, I will." He tried to keep himself separate from her as he did not want her to know that he was very desirous of her. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and it had been a long time since he'd had a woman.

"Now I have to help my captain. If you'll stay here, you'll be safe." Angel picked up his sword and leaped downward where he had last seen the fighting only to see Jack booting the last one over the side of the ship.


Sweat glistened on their naked bodies as they lay together on the hard, wood floor. Knowing the boy needed a bit of time to recuperate, Faith had laid down beside him and had even allowed him to wrap an arm around her body. She was already tiring of waiting now and ran a hand over him, suggestively caressing his lightly muscular chest.

Dawson was still panting hard and all his senses were still whirling from the pleasure he had just experienced from this strange vixen who lay next to him when she started rubbing his chest. "Huh . . . Hum . . . " he started in between pants. "I . . . I can't . . . Not . . . Not yet . . . "

Faith grinned at the words she had known were coming. "That's what you think, lover," she purred to him as she flipped herself up to where she straddled him once more. She ran a hand through his thick mane of blonde hair as she gazed down at him. "Here," she whispered seductively, her voice on the brink of a soft growl, as she leaned back down over him. "Try this."

Dawson opened his mouth to ask her what she wanted him to try and suddenly found one of her breasts in his mouth. He was so surprised that he closed his lips around it without even thinking. Her breast already tasted so sweet that he couldn't help giving it a lick, and a sigh of pleasure broke from her dark lips as his tongue ran over her nipple. Slowly, Dawson began to suck her breast, and his staff instantly began to respond and rise back up. As his suckling grew harder, Faith caressed his chest, her fingernails playing across his skin like other women's fingers might play a well-tuned instrument.


Jack was rewarded with a satisfying smack as the soldier hit the dock. "That one won't be coming back any time soon. Thanks, my friends, for the timely rescue."

The fighting had brought the wolf even more to Brendan's front, and he was barely able to hold it back. As the others talked around him, he stood, looking in horror at his hands that were covered in blood that was not his own. During the midst of the fight, Jack had had to take one of the guards from him and thrown him into the water, and Brendan had nearly lashed out at his captain when he had done so. His chest heaved, and already his skin itched. He could feel the howl building in his throat even as he hit his own head with all his strength. Brendan fell onto the deck and slid against it until his head collided with the side of the ship. The last thing he heard before unconsciousness took him was a startled, feminine gasp from above.

Jack realized that Brendan had knocked himself out. He was not afraid of the wolf. He was not afraid of the man. He cared about the man, and he realized that the wolf was a valuable ally but that sometimes he got out of control. This time, he had not killed any one, but he had really torn them up. They would not be coming back. He reached down and touched Brendan's head gently. He knew Brendan could not hear him as he thanked him again. He'd thank him when he woke up. He was thankful for Brendan, Angel, and most of his crew. He had a few he didn't really appreciate yet. They were still not completely family, but these two definitely were.

He turned startled eyes toward the female. He had known she was up there and that Angel had gone to rescue her, but he had not expected her to turn out so beautiful. Even though he could recognize her beauty, she did not do anything for him, but he could tell Angel was enamoured already. He wondered if Angel had vamped and bit the captain even though he realized that Angel was in better control of his Demon than Brendan was. Angel's clothes were in tact, so Jack figured he had not.

Jack now looked at the woman. With a bow, he said, "Welcome aboard, Your Majesty. Captain Jack Sparrow at your service. What can we do to help you?"

Angel moved over to check on Brendan. He wondered if he should carry him to the sleeping quarters but then realized he didn't want to leave the woman alone with Jack. He knew Jack had quite the reputation with the ladies, and he didn't want to take a chance of losing his new charge to Jack. He could move Brendan later if need be.

As she looked down at the two handsome men and the third who had, for some bizarre reason, knocked himself out, she wondered a million things. She wondered who they were and why they had rescued her. She wondered if her rescuer's telling her bethrothed not to return would do any good or if her begging for his life would only assure that he would continue to come after her instead. As she realized that she was looking down at the trio, she also wondered how in the world she had managed to get herself up as high as she had. "Th-Thank you," she called down to them. "Y-You've already done so much. How can I ever possibly repay you?" As she listened for their answers, she started to climb down, never realizing the view her dress, with its low cut and side slit, afforded them.

Jack did not watch as the woman descended but turned to check on Brendan. Angel's eyes were glued to her shapely legs and ankles. He found himself almost salivating. Assuring himself that Brendan was only sleeping, Jack turned back to the Princess. "Do not worry about repaying us, Your Majesty. You owe us nothing, but we do have to do something about your would-be abducters. We didn't kill any of them, but we did hurt the heck out of them. It won't keep them for long. Your would-be intended will get another group and come back again. We can't leave port right now, so it's only a matter of time before they will return. Is there somewhere that we can take you perhaps that you'll be safe?"

Hazel eyes looked down at the captain as he spoke to her, but the simple act was her undoing for her foot slipped from its place even as she was trying to make her way down. With a gasp, she found herself falling.

Angel leaped toward her and caught her in mid-air, bringing her back down with him to the ship's deck. He held her a moment longer than necessary before allowing her to slide down his body to the deck, never saying a word but gazing deeply into her eyes. Damn, but she was beautiful! If he was anything more than a lowly pirate, he would dare to make a move on her. As it was, he was enjoying every second of being in her presence.

The strong arms that had suddenly wrapped around her and whisked her to the deck's safety had caused her heartbeat to quicken and stolen her breath. Though she knew she shouldn't, she relished the feel of the stranger's arms around her and found his dark eyes and handsome face even more bewitching. The feel of his hardened body as she slid down him made her heart thunder at the speed of lightning and filled her body with feelings unlike any she'd ever known before. Her arms had somehow ended up around his neck, and even now, though the fingers of one hand gently rested on his cheek, she was hesitant to move them.


She could feel his rising sword from where she straddled him, and as he grew stiff enough once more, she pulled back slightly from him. A sound of wordless complaint broke from Dawson's lips as Faith brought her breast out from his mouth. She silenced him with a kiss before sliding back down his body. She lifted herself over his member, and he gave a cry of mixed pleasure and pain as she lowered herself down his staff. She did not stop until he completely filled her and then began to rise up and down on his sword.

Her smile grew with pleased approval as she found that he was not as timid this time around as he had been when she had granted him the blowjob. His hands reached up and, taking one of her arched breasts in each hand, he began to caress her taut skin. He squeezed her gently. His fingers and palms caressed her bosom, and his thumb ran circles over her hard nipples.

He leaned forward to meet her, sending his sword plunging even higher up into her sheath, and her lips were waiting for his when he reached her. She let him do the leading of their kiss this time as his lips touched down upon hers. His tongue quested permission between her teeth, and she welcomed him into her contours. As their tongues danced, his hands slid from her breasts to her back. They caressed her skin as they slid down the small of her back before cupping and squeezing her buttocks.

She had continued to slide herself up and down his staff, and as his bucking grew and she continued to ride him, her arms wrapped around his torso, bringing his body even tighter against hers. In between their heated kisses, as their lips had to break apart for gasps of oxygen, their cries of pleasure grew until they rattled the very windows of the shop. She squeezed his staff, and as he shot up into her and they cried out together, her figernails scratched his back, marking him as hers. The mark would turn out to last much longer than either had ever intended.


Jack, noticing the play between Angel and the Princess, spoke. "I have a lot of things I have to take care of. Angel, I am putting you in charge of the Princess." He heard a low moan and looked down to see that Brendan was stirring. "I have to find Will. Some one has taken him. If they've hurt him, I'll kill them!"

Brendan was only barely aware of Jack speaking from somewhere above him as he began to come to, but the Captain's voice reminded the Princess that she was not alone with this handsome, heroic pirate who was also a stranger to her. Though he had saved her life and rescued her twice now, she still did not even know his name. Crimson flooded her cheeks as she forced herself to step back from him.

Angel was lost in the scent of the woman. It was heavenly, and he had not had a woman in a long time. Thanks to Jack, Angel was able to go about in the daytime. He did not know how Jack had achieved it, but Jack had gained an amulet that, once placed on Angel's neck, gave him the ability to go out in the daylight. That had been over a year ago, and Angel had not had a woman in all that time. His loins let him know that now, but at Jack's words, he sobered himself and released the woman. "We know what happened to Will. He's alive, but he's been sold and is going to be auctioned. We know where it's going to take place."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Will was alive. "Do you know where he's being held?"

"Yes," Angel said. "Brendan and I will go with you."

"No," Jack said. "Brendan will go with me. You need to stay here and take care of the Princess."

"Jack . . . " Angel said in a strange voice. "That might not be such a good ideal."

"It's not a good ideal for you to bring the Princess to an auction . . . " Jack started only to be interrupted by Brendan who was finally sitting up.

As he had been breaking through to return to consciousness, Brendan had listened to Jack's and Angel's voices above him. He could smell the racing of Angel's heart and hormones, as well as the Princess', but nonetheless had to agree with Jack. "And it's a worse idea to leave her with a wolf."

"The others will not return for quite a while," Jack said. "They had to go on a rescue mission. I could use their help, but until they return, we are all there is. If you can't control yourself, Angel, maybe you should let the Princess lock herself in my cabin? Stay seperated from each other." He, too, could tell there was something going on between them.

Women! They were always in heat, and men were always wanting to enrage the beginning flames in hopes that the fire would consume both of them! He had sought that himself, but no matter how many women he had bedded, none of them had managed to put out his flames. He shook himself mentally. He was having to come face to face with something he had feared was happening to him for a long time. He feared the only one who could put out his flames was Will, and he knew that the chance of that was about as good as a snowball in Hell surviving.

"Lock yourself in!" he said. He had once heard a doctor describe to a woman a way of keeping her legs tied together but thought better of telling the Princess. She might take him to be a very crude man indeed, and Jack really wasn't when concerned with women. "Just give me a moment," he ran into his quarters and searched around in his dresser drawer until he came up with a hefty sack of gold coins just in case he needed it to buy Will. There was more than enough gold in there to outbid any one in this Gods-forsaken town of Port Royal, including the Governor.

He had been about to take part of it, pay another old friend a visit, and order another sword. He had been doing that for a long time. Miles had been placing orders with Will, paying him in Jack's gold, and giving the swords to Jack. He had quite a few of them hanging on his walls. He was proud of each and every one of them. Will was quite the craftsman, but he had no ideal that it was Jack who was buying the swords. In fact, Will was becoming rich making Jack's swords though never knowing that Jack was getting them.

Jack had wanted to just give the gold to Will out right, but he knew that Will would not accept it. He thought himself to be very clever in getting the gold to Will. He put the gold into a pouch and slung it over his shoulder. He picked up one of the swords and replaced his every-day sword with it. This was a special sword; it was extremely strong for longer duels and overly sharp. He would take great pleasure in using it against any one who had touched his Will.

Straightening his clothes and cleaning up his appearance, he slipped his hat on his head and stepped back out. "Are you able to travel yet, Brendan? And you may use my cabin now, Princess." He figured when he got back, Angel and she would be wrapped up together, but he was not overly concerned with it at the moment.

Brendan had nodded and started to answer Jack, but the Princess had spoken more quickly than he. Though she wondered why the captain was offering her his cabin for she had not eavesdropped on the men's conversation out of the manners that had been trained into her throughout her entire life, she did not ask him about that but merely nodded. "Thank you, Captain, though, please, sirs," she added in indication that she was speaking to all three, "there is no crown on my head nor do I wish there to be. My royal title is part of the life that I do not wish to have to return to. Please call me Cordelia."

Jack nodded and lowered his hand to Brendan. "If you think about somewhere that you want to go while we're gone, you can tell us when we return. Angel will guard you and make sure no one disturbs you. I would suggest you rest. Angel, when the others return, have them get ready to leave. It is not safe for Will to be here, and I want to get the Hell out of here. I'm taking him with us."

Angel said, "I will tell them, and we will be ready." He was surprised Jack had managed to clean up so quickly and thought he looked rather dashing.

Brendan accepted Jack's offered hand and the captain's assistance in aiding him to return to his feet. He started to bow to the Princess but stopped himself as he realized that that, too, would be part of the life she was seeking to put behind her. Instead, he tipped his head with a polite, "Madam," as he would have to any other woman and turned to leave.

"Lead me quickly to Will," Jack said. "We will do what we must, but we will not leave there without him." Without another word, Brendan took off and Jack followed.


As they lay together afterwards in the glow of the glorious love-making they had just experienced together, Dawson found himself wishing that the moment could last forever. Though he still did not have any inkling of her name, the woman he currently held in his arms had filled him completely and had not only already made him feel more pleasure than he'd ever dreamed possible but had also made him happier than he'd ever been in his entire life. He opened his mouth to ask her again for her name, but it was at just that time that he heard his own called from inside the shop. "Dawson?"

"Oh God," the words slipped out before he could stop them, and her dark eyes slanted questioningly up at him. "It's my Father," he explained. She saw the fear on his face and heard the terror in his voice but did not bother to ask him why his father's voice would bring such a reaction from him. Instead, she rolled out of his arms and started for her clothes.

He reached up to her and managed to grab her hand. She looked down at him, her glare demanding an explanation. "Please," he whispered, "don't . . . " He was so shocked at the harsh emotions that flashed in her eyes, telling him that what they had just shared meant nowhere near as much to her as it did to him, that he released her hand.

Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and Dawson's mouth moved in a silent gasp as he realized that he had not even bothered to lock the door. He rolled to a standing position and nearly fell over his own feet as he rushed to snatch his clothes back on. He was still struggling to button his pants with trembling fingers as the door was opened with such force that its slamming against the wall echoed through the store.

Dawson dared a glance at his father, and a wave of horror hit the young man at the angry glower on his father's reddened face. He glanced at where his wild beauty had been, but she was gone and the back door hung open, still swinging in the breeze, from where she had fled through it. "D-Dad," Dawson stuttered, looking back up at his father. "I-I can explain!"

"No need to," Mitch Leery snapped as he strode purposefully into the room. "It's pretty damn obvious, Dawson, and just what I thought I'd find. You won't give your dear, old dad the one thing he asks from you, so you go out, pick up some whore, bring her back here, and fuck her in my store!" he roared. "It wasn't even that damn Josephine that your stupid bitch of a mother set you up with, was it!" he demanded. Dawson shrank back from his approaching father. He could smell the alcohol on his breath even from that distance. "Answer me, boy!" Mitch demanded, his eyes blazing.

"N-No," Dawson whimpered in response. He tried to back further away, but his father reached out, grasped him by the shoulders so hard that his grip would leave marks, and snatched him to him.

"You're mine, Dawson," Mitch hissed in his face, his foul breath spraying spit across his son's face. "All mine! But if I can't have you, I'll just sell your sorry butt!" With that, he turned and threw his own flesh and blood so that the boy landed in front of four other strong, burly men.

Dawson's terrified heart roared inside his chest as he looked up at the four men who towered above him. He'd never seen any of them before, but as he heard his father telling him that he was theirs for the sum they'd agreed upon, he knew what was going to happen to him. He also realized, or so he thought, that his life was over. The one thing Dawson failed to realize was that he had hit his head on the door at such an angle that blood was beginning to trickle from the wound. His world suddenly grew dark, and the last thing Dawson saw before he passed out was his father accepting money from one of the traders who stood over him.

To Be Continued . . .