Raised in an orphanage after being found abandoned on the London docks as a newborn baby, without a known last name nor date of birth, Theodore has but one friend, Seth, a fellow orphan. Destiny takes Theodore away from Seth and back to the sea when he comes of age and is found an apprenticeship on a vessel in the English merchant navy. Thor, as he becomes known aboard ship, soon falls for Miguel, the handsome boatswain. However, his life is turned upside down when their ship is raided. Miguel is torn from his life and Thor is taken hostage and forced into the life of a pirate aboardThe Dragon. Both attracted to and repulsed by the evil Captain Wyvern, Thor finds the large dragon tattoo -- the symbol of the rank of the ship's captain -- taking hold of him and binding him to the man. Fate intervenes once more and Thor is elected captain ofThe Dragonwhen Wyvern is killed during a raid. Dismayed by Wyvern's ruthlessness, Thor is determined to show humanity to those vessels his crew plunders now that he is in charge. But despite his growing wealth, power, and reputation, Thor is restless and unfulfilled. He feels his life is not yet complete and somehow reaches beyond the decks of the pirate ship he now captains. A raid on a Dutch merchant ship brings yet another twist to Thor's life when someone from his past is found on board. Thor now has to face hard choices, the most difficult of which involves deciding if he can leave the sea and make a new life on land with his rediscovered love. But with a price on his head and a large tattoo of a dragon on his body, can Thor escape his past life of a pirate?

The Dragon

Before anyone responded to the order, however, a sailor who had concealed himself in the rigging, dropped from the yardarm of the mizzenmast, grabbed the captain of The Dragon around the neck from behind and plunged a dagger into his back twice before pushing him away.


For a moment, time seemed to stand still—no one moved, no one spoke. Then Wyvern slowly, unsteadily turned around and lunged, with cutlass drawn, toward the young man who had assaulted him.


“You mangy cur!” Wyvern shouted and coughed up blood.


The pirate captain faltered, and Thor rushed to his side to support him. Wyvern looked into his face, started to speak, and then slumped forward. Thor sank to his knees, laying his captain on the deck, staring into the man’s now sightless eyes.


Chapter 21