Chapter 89: THIRD POV.

Jacob’s brows furrowed together. What did she mean by him finally waking up? He took a quick look out the window and saw that the sun was barely rising over the vast water.

The sky was still a pale mix of gray and soft orange. The morning had just started.

To think she had the nerve to sneak into his room so early in the morning.

Worst of all, he hadn’t noticed her entrance at all. He had been sleeping so deeply that she must have just walked right in, sat down in the chair, and watched him.

Who knew how long she had been sitting here while he was completely defenseless? If she had been an enemy instead of an odd ally, he could have been killed before he even blinked his eyes open.

The thought made a cold shiver run down his spine, but it also made him incredibly annoyed.

"Didn’t your parents teach you that it’s improper to come into another’s room uninvited?" he grumbled.

He didn’t move an inch from his position on the mattress, still clutching onto the thick bedsheets and pulling them all the way up to his chest.

A warm shade of red was spreading across his face, creeping up his neck to his ears.

The embarrassment wasn’t just from her sudden presence; it was due to the fact that he’d gone to sleep completely naked last night.

After everything that had happened with the pirates and the changing of ships, he had just wanted to strip off the heavy, unfamiliar clothes and rest.

While back in the sea, he hadn’t thought much about modesty or clothes.

Since he spent most of his time in his merfolk form, he felt like he was only bare-chested, which felt entirely natural down in the deep water.

But now that he was above sea and living among people again on a wooden vessel, he was much more conscious of his body.

And having a giant tiger-woman staring at him while he was under a thin sheet was pushing his comfort zone way too far.

"Why make a fuss about it?" Priscilla said.

She blinked her eyes in genuine confusion, her large furry ears tilting sideways.

She clearly didn’t understand why he was acting like a scared child.

But then, as she spoke, her gaze drifted down from his face to his body under the covers. Her golden eyes paused at a certain energetic point under the blanket.

Specifically, his little brother beneath the sheets was standing triumphantly in the early morning sun, a perfectly natural but highly embarrassing consequence of waking up early.

"Stop looking!!!" Jacob yelled, his voice cracking slightly with pure rage.

He grabbed the sheets with a death grip, pulling them tighter and twisting his body away from her line of sight.

His face was turning even more embarrassed, burning so hot he felt like steam might start coming out of his skin.

Priscilla flinched at the sudden volume of his voice, her shoulders jumping slightly. She quickly turned her head away, looking toward the wooden door instead to avoid his glaring eyes.

"I don’t understand why you’re so angry, it’s not like it’s much to look at anyway," she mumbled beneath her breath.

She crossed her arms tightly over her white-furred chest, her long tail flicking with irritation against the leg of the chair.

Obviously, she didn’t like being yelled at, especially since she considered herself the grand captain of this whole operation.

While she did whisper the words very softly, Jacob’s sharp, supernatural senses heard it nonetheless. His ears caught every single syllable clearly.

His eyes twitched violently as a throbbing vein emerged on the side of his face.

His knuckles turned white from how hard he was clutching the blanket around himself.

Did she really just insult his manhood while trespassing in his bedroom? The sheer nerve of this woman was unbelievable.

"Get out!" he yelled, absolutely furious by her brazen nature, pointing a shaking finger toward the exit, his teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached.

He had thought Persephone was a massive headache with her constant demands and godly temper, but this woman was too much!

How dare she say something like that to him after breaking into his room?

"Fine, I’m leaving. But you better hurry on out. You’re my first mate now, so don’t forget. You belong to me," she harrumphed while pouting like a spoiled child.

She stood up, her tall frame casting a long shadow over the bed, though she did leave right after, her heavy boots thudding against the floorboards as she marched out and slammed the door.

The moment the door closed shut behind her, the latch clicking into place, Jacob let out a massive sigh of relief.

He let his head fall back against the pillow, his shoulders finally dropping from their tense position.

’Insufferable woman...’ Jacob grumbled inwardly, staring up at the wooden planks of the ceiling.

He rubbed his temples with his fingers, trying to soothe the headache that was already forming.

Alas, there was nothing he could do to her since he needed her help.

Without her navigation skills and her big ship, he and the rest of the freed captives would just be floating targets in the middle of a very dangerous sea.

He had to play along with her pirate fantasy for now, even if it killed his pride.

Although now, at least, he had some peace of mind. The room was quiet again, and the morning light was soft through the small glass window.

Jacob eventually got up from the bed, making sure the door was firmly shut and locked if possible.

He reached for the clean clothes that had been provided for him.

He pulled them on quickly, feeling much more secure once he was fully covered.

He then strapped his belt tightly around his waist, took a deep breath to settle his remaining anger, and stepped outside of his room.

The morning air, though salty, was refreshing nonetheless.

He walked down the corridor, gradually making his way above deck to see what the rest of the crew was doing.

The fresh morning breeze hit him the moment he stepped outside, blowing his hair across his face.

The sun was a little higher now, casting a bright, golden path across the endless blue water.

The deck was mostly quiet, as most of the men were still sleeping off the heavy ale from the celebration the night before.

There, he saw Priscilla standing at the very forefront of the ship, right by the bowspirit.

She was leaning slightly against the rail, silently gazing off into the water-covered horizon.

The wind was whipping through her long coat, making her look like a true figure of legend.

Jacob ignored her entirely. He didn’t want a repeat of the conversation from his bedroom.

He walked over to the side of the ship, far away from her position, and leaned heavily against the wooden railing.

He stared down at the white foam created by the ship’s hull as it drifted slowly through the waves.

He honestly hoped they wouldn’t encounter anyone all day. No pirates, no monsters, and definitely no more bossy women.

He just wanted a quiet, boring day on the water to figure out his next move.

"First mate!"

Of course, she wouldn’t let him be either way.

He could never just get a single moment of peace. Jacob groaned under his breath, closing his eyes for a second in sheer frustration, before leaving the railing.

He walked across the wide deck, making his way directly to her side.

Seeing her standing in place like that, with the wind in her fur and her hand resting near the hilt of her sword, was quite fitting and inspiring.

She really did look like a grand captain out of a storybook. Of course, Jacob couldn’t care any less about how inspiring she looked. To him, she was just a giant headache with stripes and an attitude problem.

"Yes, Captain..." he said reluctantly, dropping his voice into a flat, unenthusiastic tone.

He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting to hear whatever nonsense she was going to spout now.

"Do you know why I called you here?" she said without turning around. She kept her eyes fixed on the distant horizon, her back perfectly straight and her expression serious, as if she were contemplating some deep, world-changing strategy.

Jacob’s eye twitched with fresh irritation at her dramatic behavior.

She was acting like a seasoned commander, completely ignoring the fact that she had been a total mess just an hour ago.

He took a slow, deep breath, letting the cool sea air fill his lungs to calm himself down before he said something that might start an unnecessary fight on the deck.

"No, Captain... I don’t. Please enlighten me," he said, his voice dripping with forced politeness.