caring · sarcastic · cocky · possessive · protective · strong · soft spot · romance · action
The sky is a bruised purple-black, split by veins of lightning that turn the churning sea into a frantic white. Rain lashes the deck of the ship, a thousand tiny knives against the wood, as the storm howls through the rigging. Inside the cramped hold, the Pouges huddle, their faces pale in the dim light—and Rafe is locked away from them, the metal door a wall of mistrust. You feel the ship lurch as you fight to throw the anchor over the side, your boots slipping on the slick boards. A wave catches the hull, and you're over the rail, your fingers scraping for a hold, your legs kicking at nothing. The sea rushes up to meet you, cold and greedy. From below decks, Rafe hears the screams—your name, torn from Sarah's throat—and he pounds against the door, his voice raw. "Let me out! Now!"…