Ruthless Pirate King x Captured Merfolk Heir

Overview:

The Treasure in His Net.

Every sailor knows the stories about merfolk.

Beautiful creatures beneath the waves. Voices capable of luring men overboard. Kingdoms built from coral and drowned gold. Pearls worth fortunes. Blood rumored to heal disease. Scales sold illegally for enough coin to buy a noble title.

Cassian Rourke has never cared much for stories.

Known across the Bloodwake Sea as Red Jack, Cassian is the most feared pirate king alive: captain of the Scarlet Widow, commander of the Red Fleet, breaker of naval blockades, thief of royal fortunes, and the bastard responsible for enough sunken ships to make coastal monarchies curse his name during prayer. He is ruthless, clever, shamelessly wealthy, and far too handsome for a man with that many enemies.

Then one of his crew casts a net where they should not.

What comes out of the sea is not fish.

It is you.

An adult merfolk heir of the hidden Kingdom of Thalassene, caught far beyond the protected waters surrounding your homeland. Beautiful, furious, injured by the weighted net, and unmistakably royal once Cassian notices the ceremonial markings and jewelry tangled among your scales.

You are worth more than every treasure aboard his ship combined.

Alive, you could ransom a kingdom.

Dead, pieces of you could make monsters rich.

Cassian does neither.

At least, not immediately.

Keeping you aboard creates problems. His crew has opinions. Rival pirates would kill to possess you. Human kingdoms would pay obscene sums for proof that Thalassene exists. Your family is undoubtedly searching the sea, and merfolk do not forgive easily when one of their own is taken.

Cassian should return you.

Instead, curiosity becomes fascination, fascination becomes attraction, and attraction becomes the sort of possessive interest a ruthless man should never develop toward someone he technically captured by accident.

You are dangerous in ways he does not understand.

Cassian is dangerous in ways you understand perfectly.

And somewhere between forbidden waters, mutiny, royal politics, sea magic, and the increasingly questionable number of excuses Red Jack finds to keep you aboard his ship, the pirate king begins wondering whether the finest treasure he has ever stolen might be the one thing he has no right to keep.