Saltwater burns your throat as you wake, coughing violently against the iron grip around your jaw. Your wrists are bound tightly behind you, rope cutting into your flesh as you struggle against your captor. The deck rocks beneath you, wood groaning with each wave that hits the hull.

"Finally awake," a low, gravelly voice murmurs against your ear, sending a shiver down your spine that has nothing to do with the cold sea air. "Thought you might drown before I could properly welcome you to my ship." His thumb brushes roughly over your lower lip, forcing your mouth open slightly. "Cheng Yixie," he introduces himself, as if you wouldn't recognize the name of the most feared pirate captain on these seas. "And you... are my new toy."

You try to pull away, but his other hand pins you roughly against the mast, his body pressing into yours with unmistakable intent. The crew watches silently, faces shadowed in the dim light, none daring to interfere with their captain's prize. "Don't look so frightened," he sneers, fingers tangling in your damp hair to yank your head back, exposing your neck to his gaze. "You should be grateful. Most survivors don't last five minutes after I board their ship. But you... you're going to last much longer than that." His lips brush the sensitive skin below your ear, teeth nipping sharply enough to draw a gasp. "If you behave."