Sorry for the wait! With the end of the month and the holiday, I got busy :) but im getting back on track now. Hope you guys are still with me! Enjoy! Please leave a review so I know whether or not to keep updating :)

Chapter 4:

Tala expected Hook to shove the fact that he rescued her in her face every chance he got, but he was surprisingly quiet about it during the week following. He never mentioned it to her, not once, other than the night of when he told her that trusting him was the only way to stay alive.

However, it seemed like being on the ship was becoming more and more dangerous for her the longer they were at sea. The men began to become irritated with her, as if they were driven to anger just by her presence. When she complained to Hook, he brushed it off. He said it was just the men being ornery because they could only look and not touch.

Tala was beginning to resent being the only female on the ship. They clearly didnt want her there anymore than she wanted to be there. It was frustrating, to say the least, for everyone involved except Hook, it seemed.

Finally, tensions boiled over, and not even Hook could ignore the problem any longer.

It began with the simplest of mistakes. Tala had been on the deck, scrubbing at the hopelessly rotted wood railings. An usually large wave rocked the boat a little harder than normal. Without steady sea legs, Tala stumbled a little and bumped into one of the men working nearby.

"Watch it, little missy!" He barked at her angrily. Tala wasn't the type of person to accept being shouted at so needlessly. As much as her father warned her against her temper, she never did learn to control it. She stood upright and glared directly at him fearlessly.

"Watch your tongue," she snarled at him, almost animalistically, "before you lose it." She turned to walk away, which was as much control as she could show in that moment. The pirate decided that instead of letting her leave, he was going to teach her a lesson.

"You're the only one in danger of losing something," he seethed, grabbed the end of her long braid. He tugged on it hard, causing her to have to bend backwards a little to ease the pain. With his free hand, he dug out a blade from his belt. With one fell swoop of his arm, he sliced through her braid.

The impact jerked on her scalp, but then the weight fell away. Tala took a few steps away from him, her head tilting forward. A shaky hand lifted to touch her hair, or lack thereof. Instead of the long, tight braid she had, Tala was left with free flowing black waves that sat just above her shoulders.

Fury and embarrassment washed over her. Long hair was a symbol of wisdom in her tribe. The longer it was, the older you were, the wiser. The women adorned their long raven locks, and Tala had, too. Now, her braid was gone. She figured her hair was probably not even long enough anymore to put into a proper braid.

Without thinking, she turned to the filthy pirate, and she pounced like a wild animal onto him, startling him enough to knock him flat on his back. She immediately reached for the braid he still held in his hand, ripping it from his grip.

Frantic now, and ashamed, he rolled onto his stomach and tried to scramble away. Tala grabbed both ends of her braid and threw it over his head, pulling back once it slipped down around his throat. She pulled back as hard as she could, pressing her heel into his back to gain extra leverage. She had every intention of choking him to death with that braid.

Luckily for him, Tala was pried away. Something cold and metal had hooked the back of the leather band she wore around her neck, and when it pulled back, she had no choice but to let go and follow it. Once the man was dragged away from her reach, Tala was released.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Hook's deep voice bellowed across the ship's deck. Every pirate was still now, eyes locked on their Captain that stood in front of Tala. She glared up at the pirate who cut her hair, one hand rubbing at her throat.

"Your little savage attacked me!" The man screamed, coughing and sputtering. Hook looked back at her with a raised brow, noticing the braid dangling from her hand. His attention turned back to his crew.

"And her hair?"

"She left me no choice!" He lied to Hook, face red and bloated. "The little bitch tried to kill me!" Hook stared at the pirate for a long moment, a look that unnerved everyone within his line of sight.

"Are you trying to convince me you cut her hair because you were trying to save your own life? Not her throat or her gut, but her hair? That was your lifesaving plan?" Hook seemed almost amused at the crew members silly lie. "To the plank with you."

The man's eyes widened.

"What?"

"I said to the plank," he said coldly. "Need I say it again?" The men around him hesitated for a moment, then two of the pirates grabbed the doomed man's arms. As Hook turned around, the man was dragged to the plank. The pirates jeered and poked at him until he slipped off. The last thing Tala heard was a loud splash before Hook grabbed her by the elbow and practically dragged her back to his cabin.

Once she was shoved inside the lavish room, the door was closed. Hook stood there, his intimidating frame blocking the exit, not that she planned to leave. For once, she was more comfortable inside of his cabin than outside of it.

She was still angry, still hurting over the loss of her braid. It wasn't just her hair. Tala felt like she was little by little losing herself, her heritage. Her clothes were gone, the paint was washed from her face. And now she'd lost her long hair. She wanted to be Tala the wolf again. Not Tala the pirate.

"This is your fault!" She snapped at him, throwing the braid in his direction. "I have lost everything because of you." There were tears in her eyes now, and it softened Hook's expression slightly. "What will my people think when they see a pirate instead of Tala? There's no place in our tribe for a filthy pirate." Her voice was shaky at best.

"The length of your hair does not define you," he told her softly, tapping his hook against the dresser beside him. "You are no more a pirate than I am a savage." She turnef her head away from him, hands flying up to touch her now much shorter hair. Her chest was heaving, and Hook knew he had to act quickly to avoid a full blown fit.

He stepped forward, then reached out to grab one of her wrists in his hand. He lowered it from her hair, then pushed the other away with his hook gently. His fingers ran through her dark waves, then trailed down the side of her neck. She tensed at his touch, eyes fixated on his.

"I think it suits you quite well," he commented with a grin. "You are worried for nothing, love. Your family will be so thrilled to see you that the length of your hair wont matter a bit to any of them. They love you, little wolf, not your braid."

She calmed down slowly, as his words sank in and her mind convinced her of their truth. Her breathing slowed, and the tears faded away.

Hook dropped his hand away from her, moving towards his bed. He sat on the edge of it and began to undo the straps on his boots.

"Would you prefer to stay here for awhile, little wolf? I imagine your ordeal with that brute was frightening. My men can be a little abrasive."

"I donot intend to ever share a bed with you, Hook," she frowned at the suggestion. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I never intended to share this one with you either. You can curl up on some blankets on the ground like a good little pup." He grabbed some of the pillows from his bed and tossed them on the floor at the end of the bed. "There are some blankets in the trunk over there."

Tala grimaced, but knew that she was safer under his watch. He needed her, and he wouldnt dare lay a hand on her. She couldnt say the same about his crew. She sulked to the chest, throwing it open and pulling out the blankets that were folded away inside. She kicked it closed, then began putting together a pallet for herself on the rug at the foot of his bed.

"Are you comfortable?" Hook asked. Tala settled into the pile of pillows and blankets, which surprisingly weren't entirely unbearable.

"I am fine." She pulled the blanket up over her shoulder and rolled onto her side. "Thank you, Hook. For your kind words."

"The truth isnt always kind, so consider yourself lucky this time," he chuckled, settling into his own bed. "Rest now, pup. Our journey is not over just yet. There's still much to do."

"Then you'll take me home?"

"Yes. When it's time."

"Promise me," she demanded, fear lacing her words. She would not let him keep her as a hostage on his dirty ship forever. She would sooner jump overboard then spend her life amongst his filthy, rabid crew.

"I'm a man of my word. You'll be returned when it's time."

"That time better come soon."