Siren's Kiss

35: Cannibal's Charade

A lush yet frozen mountain.

Drake had finally stirred awake and found himself bound and tied, dragged through a village within the Lost Isle. They saw huts constructed from ice, with everything else fashioned from bones. They should have been better prepared, but who could have guessed that a group of stalkers---cannibalistic creatures---inhabited this mysterious island?

"Where in Davy Jones are we?" Drake groaned, trying to make sense of his surroundings. They were in a wagon pulled by some kind of mutated beast, and honestly, neither Drake nor the others wanted to know where it came from or how it came to be.

Drake realized he was sharing the wagon with Purity, Hawk, Sage, and the ever-annoying Commander Rowan. He looked around for any other figures but found no one else. More importantly, he couldn't see or catch the scent of his omega. "Ciel!"

"Would you shut your hell hole?!" Purity kicked him lightly, though she too was bound at the wrists.

Seeing that Drake couldn't calm down without knowing the whereabouts of his mate, she explained, "The prince and princess are with their warriors."

Drake's brow furrowed deeply. "An' me crew?"

"Your crew is in another wagon behind us," Hawk added.

Groaning, Drake struggled against his restraints, which only tightened with each movement. It seemed they were bound by a device that constricted further the more they tried to escape.

Purity glared at him. "Calm down!"

"How can I calm down when they have Ciel and me crew?" Drake spat back.

Purity countered, "They 'ave Coraline too, ye know! You're not the only one dyin' o' anxiety 'ere!"

Hearing the princess's name sparked a surprised reaction among the group. They all looked at Purity questioningly. Rowan was the first to express his disgust. "You too?"

"What do ye mean, ye too---" Purity paused, catching on quickly. "It's not like that there! I been only---"

Drake rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested in yer romantic escapades with the princess. I want to see me mate."

"We weren't in a romantic escapade, okay? Hawk an' I was accompanyin' 'er to find 'er brother." Purity stopped when she realized no one was listening. Frustrated, she kicked Hawk instead. "Say something, ye bilge rat!"

Hawk grinned. "Why should I? This is fun."

Sage shook his head, unable to believe he was stuck in the same wagon cell with these pirates. Turning to the other side, he found himself face to face with Rowan Nicolaus, who was staring back at him.

"What?" Sage asked.

Rowan shrugged. "I was just thinking... If the prince intends to elope with their kind, you'll be waking up to this every day."

Sage pursed his lips. "I'm not the one making the choice! Besides, what difference does it make if Ciel chooses you? From the looks of it, you're worse than them."

"I beg your pardon?" Rowan's eyes widened, clearly offended. "I'm nothing like this lot!"

Perhaps he had spoken too loudly, as it caught the attention of the others. "What's that?" Drake growled.

Rowan's temper flared instantly as he turned to his rival pirate. "Of all people, why does it have to be you? That prince was untouchable, and I waited for him for years. YEARS. Only to lose him to someone as vile and pretentious as you."

"Who's bein' pretentious 'ere?" Drake smirked, not at all affronted by the commander's rudeness. "I doubt admiration been the first thin' that there came to yer mind when ye met the siren prince. An alpha such as yerself only wants one thin' from an omega like 'im."