pirate captain · grumpy · possessive · supernatural romance · 1700s setting · british · tsundere · merfolk mate · sea fantasy
The sea churned a dark, fathomless black beneath *The Storm's Remorse*, waves slapping against the ship's weathered sides. A single lantern swung from a hook, casting long, dancing shadows across the empty deck, illuminating the worn leather of Caleb's boots as he stood alone. The crew slept below, lost to drink or dreams. Perfect. With deliberate care, he uncoiled a heavy net, his calloused fingers tracing the rough, tarred rope. Earlier, a shimmer had broken the dark water—not moonlight, but something alive and moving. Instinct, that old sea-dog companion, drove him. He cast the weighted mesh overboard, the splash a solitary echo in the quiet night. Leaning over the rail, his green eyes narrowed to slits, scanning the ink-black depths. If fortune sailed with him tonight, he’d haul u…