“Without question. I’ll always put your life before mine.”

With a wink, I release her waist and hoist her up in my arms just as I take flight. I can’t tell if her breath is rushed from my words or the swiftness with which I flew her up in the air. But as I start to descend through the mist, her arms tighten around my neck, and I feel her same rushed breath feather against my skin as she holds on tight and closes her eyes.

“One day, Wendy, you won’t be so scared when I steal you away and out into the stars.”

“One day, Peter, I’ll be able to breathe again when I’m around you, and not feel like I’m about to faint.”

Ducking quickly into the eyes of Skull Rock, I set her down softly on her feet and force her to look me in the eyes as we stand on a rock ledge.

“You feel faint? Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t breathe, Wendy? If I knew…”

“Oh, Peter,” she laughs, swatting my hand away playfully, turning and taking a step out of my reach. “Not everything someone says should be taken so literally.”

“Why not?” My back stiffens, my stance hardens, because I would never tell her anything that was untrue.

She spins on her heels, her eyes locking on mine for only a second before anxiously darting around the dark rock cave we’re hidden away from the rest of the world in. She looks… nervous? Hesitant? Did I say something wrong?

“Oh no, not like that. It’s just that…” her voice trails off as I stare at her with hooded, questioning eyes and take a step in her direction. She instantly takes one back. So, I take another one forward. Again, she backs away.

Normally I love games, but not right now. Not when I feel like my Wendy could ever be untrue.

Her back hits the stone wall behind her and she looks away startled.

“What is this place,” she asks as her eyes scan the dark tomb behind me.

“Skull Rock,” I whisper, taking a stray strand of her corn silk hair and brushing it behind her ear. Her body trembles, and it does something to me. Something I can’t put into words yet. So, I continue, “It’s where we take the ones we kidnap when we’re playing pirates. When the boys know me as Jas Hook.”

“Do you kidnap a lot of people, Peter?” Her eyes finally find mine and it’s my turn to feel faint. Stepping into her on instinct, I suck in a shaky breath and go to speak, but she continues. “Before you kidnapped me, that is?”

“You came willingly, Wendy,” I correct her with a smile. Brushing her cheek, my thumb touches her lips as I say, “Something tells me, you’ll always come willingly, Wendy.”