Read Hook's Pan for Free Online Page B

finally let it go. Opening the desk drawer, James pulled out the locket, closing his eyes as he tucked it close to his heart.
     
    A loud crack, as of thunder, rocked the ship, tossing him and the locket to the ground. The movement was so violent; he accidentally sank his teeth deep into the edge of his mouth. All around the cries of his men rained down as his boat listed and heaved on the violently turbulent waters.
     
    “What the devil?” he muttered, crawling to his knees as he licked the blood off.
     
    It took a moment for him to gather his wits. Rubbing the back of his skull, looking around for whatever may have caused the disturbance, he was wholly unprepared for the sight that met him.
     
    Lying in a small heap not a yard back from his desk was a green tangle of spindly legs and arms. A sliver of blue winked out of existence through the air and immediately he knew what it was—the sealing up of a fae portal.
     
    Lip curling with triumph, he shot to his feet, yanked his sword from the wall, and with sharp, precise movements walked up to the blond haired devil, pointing the tip of his broad sword into the base of the bastard’s neck.
     
    Danika had found Pan for him. She’d told him to wait and not to act rash; she’d had a plan. And it was a bloody brilliant one. She must have convinced Tinker to give the hellion up. Tapping his hook onto his pant leg with anticipation, he licked his teeth.
     
    “Move, and I’ll take your head from your neck, Pan.” He spit, and then laughed as the figure froze, attempting to curl in on himself like the coward that he was.
     
    “ Ohmygodohmygodohmygod !” the voice screeched, drawing his arms over his head as he attempted to curl into an even tighter ball. “This isn’t real, this isn’t really happening. Oh. My. God.”
     
    James’ eyes narrowed because that voice was not Pan’s squeaky blustering. That sound belonged to a woman.
     
    Who would dare trespass in his room? He should ask her, but he found he did not care, because she was dressed as one of Pan’s boys and so therefore was his enemy. Raising his sword, he prepared for the downward swing when a brilliant flash of twinkling magenta floated through the air like millions of lightning bugs.
     
    “Stop!” Danika waved her hands, zipping in front of the huddled mass. “James, no…this is Talia. You must stop, you must!”
     
    Everything inside him stilled, the world shifted on its axis, and the sword clattered to the floor. Heart seizing, he dropped to his knees and scooped the trembling woman into his arms.
     
    “Can this be?”
     
    Danika’s lips compressed. “There’s a wee problem. Well…” she chortled, “a big…big problem. You see, Hook—”
     
    He was not listening, his eyes devoured the form in front of him hungrily. Her body was small, and covered in forest green—Pan colors and she wore legs. Talia had always wished for legs, but could never transform. There were so many questions to ask, so much he had to know, but right now the only thing that mattered was tasting her again. It’d been so long, too long and she looked scrumptious. His body flared to life, ready to claim his mate and finally make her his.
     
    “My Talia, my beloved,” his voice broke as he ran his fingers through her thick, golden hair. Even that was different; when last he’d seen her, her hair had been the green of leafy kelp. “Look at me, loveliest, look at me.”
     
    But when she turned to him, he hissed and scooted back, letting her drop like a stone to the floor.
     
    Her eyes were green.
     
    Talia’s had been blue as the sea she’d hailed from. Everything looked different because this wasn’t Talia.
     
    “Who the devil are you?” He swore and yanking up his sword, brought it once more to her neck, then eyed Danika hard. “Tell me who she is, or I’ll kill her, I swear it.”
     

Chapter 5
     

     
    First thing Trisha noticed was the eyes. So dark they appeared like liquid ink in the