Chapter 3
Multitasking
My eyes fluttered open to the sight of Satel’s lust-darkened eyes and messy hair- thanks to our actions last night. I almost wanted to laugh at the fact that I managed to get Mr. Perfect Hair’s strands tangled, but my mate sharply brought me back to reality by pressing up against the cradle of my hips. I made an embarrassing noise in the back of my throat as my head tossed back against the pillows.
Elit above, he was in the mood this early in the morning!?
No, wait- I glanced over to the window and noticed that it wasn’t that early. Damn it, I must’ve slept in.
“Wot time is it?” I asked groggily, wondering how in the five hells I managed to get up so late. …I suppose it wasn’t that much of a mystery- Satel has been keeping me up rather late for the past few nights. He was getting unusually insatiable in bed, like he couldn’t stop once we’d started.
If I didn’t enjoy it so much, I would be getting worried about it. Since falucite couldn’t receive pleasure without the aid of their mates, I had to assume that I had some part in it – was I just becoming a tease again and not noticing? – so I probably did entice him on more than one occasion. Though it wasn’t like I was stopping him… unless I was in the middle of important business, like last night. He knew when to quit, though he did have his moments of being pushy when he knew I was free.
Satel decided to lick me from my collarbone to my jaw in lieu of an answer. When he pulled back, he had an evil grin on his face before he nuzzled me.
“It doesn’t matter- I’ve no plans to let you go,” he purred as he shifted again to rub his hardness against my belly. A flare of heat ignited in me and I knew I was only seconds away from shamelessly agreeing with him.
But I attempted a half-hearted refusal since I knew the men were expecting me out on deck soon. The perks of being the captain meant I could sleep past dawn if I wanted to, but I still had the responsibility of at least showing up.
“Ah can’t stay. Rutan an’ the others need me- ye know they’d get lost wit’out me.”
“But I need you too, ‘Tia-dear.” The blond man pouted as he lowered his head to gaze at me from under his bangs. “They can find their way on their own- I however can’t live without you.”
Oh please, what a drama queen! At least, that’s what I wanted to tell him, before his hot mouth blazed a trail from my chin to my lips. I was gone the moment his tongue sought out to rub against mine. I raised my hands to cup his face, deciding that I could afford a few more minutes in his arms. Besides, we’d already mated most of the night- we couldn’t possibly have enough energy to go more than once right now.
By all rights I should be too tired already, but somehow his touch alone made me yearn for it.
Our kissing quickly became heated and demanding as his hands trailed down my sides and my fingers once again tangled themselves in his long hair. My legs eagerly wrapped around his waist, wanting to draw his body closer to mine. I then shifted my hands so I could dance my fingers over the sparrow wings on his back.
Over the years I had gained more ink on my skin, and he ended up copying me- getting matching ones on the same areas. We both had the symbolic wings of freedom on our upper backs, a rudder wheel on the back of our right hands, and twin anchors on our left. The only ones he didn’t have were my old armband tattoos and the crest of Elati that was on my ankle.
We were careful about where we placed our ink, as it was not proper to be covered in them before ‘polite’ society – or the clan – so all that we had were easily covered by clothing or gloves. But sweet Loerati did I love seeing him in tattoos!
Alas, the fire quickly growing between us was thoroughly doused as someone began banging on the door repeatedly like a drum. Satel pulled back to glare venomously at the intrusion while he also attempted to cover my body with his own. I assumed he did that in case one of us forgot to lock the door and he didn’t want anyone to see me nude.
“MMMMMMAAAAAAAAAA!” a little voice screeched. Ah, Rutan. I let out a tired grin and looked up at my mate, only to be startled at seeing his expression darken further. His eyes narrowed and a sneer appeared at his lips, as if he was upset to hear the boy nearby. Satel never did that before- he trusted Rutan and loved him like his own.
Did Rutan do something to make him mad? It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility, but they seemed fine last night.
“Wot’s wrong wit’ ye?” I inquired, trying to get his attention back on me.
“Nothing…” he ground out, “Let’s ignore him.”
Surely that reaction didn’t come from mere frustration that we were interrupted? I was a little disturbed at the thought of there being discord between my mate and son. Rutan looked up to Satel- he even seemed to like him more than me, and I’m his biological mother! What reason would Satel have to be cold or hostile to a little human boy?
I almost would equate his actions to jealousy, but that didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t like I gave more attention to the other- I made sure to spend an equal amount of time with both my boys. …Though I kind of wished we spent more time together as a family.
“Are ye feelin’ okay?” I continued to question him as I ran my fingers along his shoulders and arms. I wasn’t concerned about Rutan since this was normal for him- he always saw it fit to wake me up if I happened to be late, so I knew his tone wasn’t of actual panic. I didn’t exactly want to ignore him, but I didn’t want my suspicions about Satel to be true and exacerbate it.
“Never better,” he reassured me with a real smile before he kissed me on the cheek. “I have you with me, after all.”
It was sweet to hear that, but his answer did nothing to answer my concerns about him. I felt that I had just witnessed something that I needed to address, but I had no clue how to go about it.
Suddenly the pounding noise started up again, but there was another’s accompanying Rutan’s, just slower and stronger. I winced sympathetically at Satel’s disappointed expression as he realized that there was yet another distraction calling for my name.
“Capt’n! Are ye awake yet? We need ye on the quarterdeck- we don’t know where ye want us ta go!” Rohje shouted from beyond the door. I mentally cursed when I realized that I did forget to mention our next destination. I had been so busy planning for the raid for the past week that I hadn’t given it much thought.
My mate was stone faced as I gave him an apologetic look. I knew he wanted to spend more time with me, but I really had to go. It wasn’t as if I never spent time with him- it was just that I was only free after dark. This was never a problem before, since he had his own job to do… come to think of it, why wasn’t he already gone? Did he have a day off?
“Ah have ta go,” I said to him in a regretful tone.
“No. You’re staying put,” he insisted sternly, shocking me. Upon seeing my expression, he tilted his head down to get me to look before he thrust his hips slightly forward to remind me of his predicament.
He was stiff and unable to relieve the problem by himself. Either I had to give off the vibes of being very repulsed or distressed in order to soften him up- or I stay behind to satisfy him. I wanted to do the latter, but the incessant noise on the other side was stressing me out to where I didn’t feel completely comfortable. To make matters worse, I couldn’t tell them to go away or reassure them that I would be out soon. Perhaps Rohje would understand, but Rutan would stubbornly remain where he was and remind me of my supposed ‘promises’ to get out.
“Okay, okay… try thinking o’ something disgusting,” I offered, hoping that it would help. I heard it worked for the others when they had little problems they wanted to get rid of quickly. Actually, I suppose it wouldn’t work that way, since I was the one who had to convince his body to back off. Imagining gross things could easily be ignored when he could still smell me.
“Why would I do such a thing when I have a tempting visage right before me?” he inquired as he found my hands and held them down so I couldn’t get far.
“Ah won’t be needed once a course is decided- jus’ wait fer me an’ ah’ll be back before ye know it,” I added, hoping to reason with him. If he could have a day off, then I can get one, too.
“But I don’t want to wait,” he relied in a patent tone as he leaned down to touch the tip of our noses together. “I’m not letting you go, and I mean that.”
“MAAAAAA!” Rutan continued to wail, followed by Rohje’s irritated calls to get me up.
“ALRIGHT ALREADY! AH’LL BE OUT IN A MINUTE!” I roared, wanting those two to finally shut up. No sooner than after my outburst, Satel sealed his mouth over mine and stole another heated kiss.
Damn it all to the five hells! Since when did getting out of bed become such a hassle!? I wasn’t sure why Satel was demanding my attention so forcefully, but I had my priorities. No matter how much I liked his attentions, we were both going to have to wait until I’d completed my duty to the others.
My heart began to race in both guilty excitement and panic when I felt the man shift his lower body so our groins were even. I had only a matter of seconds to stop him before it was too late- and if I didn’t know Rutan was still out there, stubborn little brat, I would’ve let it happen anyway.
“The smell o’ rotten moaghos, sweaty unwashed pirates on a hot day, fish guts served wit’ cow intestines,” I listed rapidly the moment his lips left mine. I recited the things that made me sick, hoping to turn my own mind and body off from arousal, thus stopping him in his tracks.
But he just gave me a confused look. “What are you…?” I cut him off with another barrage of imagery.
“Me crew moonin’ the army, Didra’s failed experiment wit’ the grey an’ hairy blob… old naked people! Think o’ all that old wrinkly-”
“Okay! Stop! Just…stop,” Satel requested when my body finally reacted to the near traumatic images. I let out a sigh of relief when he pulled back and bowed his head in defeat.
This was one bitter victory, considering that I didn’t like refusing him like this, but I really couldn’t stay. I should’ve moved out from under him when I had the chance, but he didn’t give me enough time before he collapsed like he was exhausted. Feeling slightly bad, I stupidly stroked my fingers through his hair to comfort him in his defeat.
No sooner than after I had done so, I realized that his face was pressed between my breasts and that he was smirking against my skin.
“Satel!” I wailed in disbelief when his softening member sprang to life again.
“I can’t help it ‘Tia-dear,” he whined pitifully as he raised his face a little. Since when did it take so little to arouse him!? Used to, he could see me naked without a single twitch, but now I can’t even expose a little leg without him practically jumping me.
“Ye can too, ye jus’ don’t want ta,” I snarled as I used all my strength to try and lift his upper body from mine. He let me push him up, perhaps trying to make amends- and let me escape while I had the narrow window of opportunity.
“MA! ARE YE UP YET!?” Rutan shouted, as he resumed his pounding. Rohje was apparently satisfied with my answer and had left, but my son didn’t seem to believe I would get out unless he continued to badger me.
“AH SAID GIVE ME A MINUTE!” I yelled back as I somehow shoved Satel on his back beside me and tried to scramble out of bed.
“YE SAID THAT A MINUTE AGO!”
I paused long enough to glare at the door. That brat was starting to get too cheeky for his own good- I’m proud to say that he learned from the best.
“Too slow,” the blond man purred as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back on the bed. I let out a shriek – something I hadn’t done in years – before I frantically grabbed the edges of the bed to pull myself free.
I felt a delightful tingle as his tongue blazed a fast trail from the top of my rear to my mid back. Damn it, I shouldn’t let myself feel anything right now!
Somehow, I managed to free myself with a desperate pull and fell promptly to the floor. I landed painfully on my side, but I recovered fast enough to crawl as far from the bed as I could before I dragged myself up. I had to use my desk for leverage since my muscles were stiff and my legs were tired. …For Maker’s sake- how much sex did we have last night? This was getting ridiculous.
When I glanced back to make sure Satel hadn’t followed me, I was struck with a wave of lust and found myself staring heatedly at him. My mate was on his belly on the bed, the covers coming only up to his lower waist. I noticed his arms were extended out, perhaps from trying to reach for me when I had fallen, but now he was propping himself up to watch me.
His eyes had darkened to a chocolate brown as he gazed at me through narrow eyelids- well I could only see one eye, as the other was covered from his loose platinum blond strands. His brow was furrowed like he was angry, but the presence of that damned evil grin changed it to something more predatory.
My belly clenched at that hungry look, and before I knew it I felt a warm reaction that was sure to get his attention. I gulped when he caught a whiff of me and his smile widened, revealing four of his eight sharp fangs. Shit, shit, shit!
I needed to put on some clothes fast- my eyes darted over to my underwear, still on the floor from last night. They had magicks in them that cleaned them overnight, but it seemed they hadn’t put themselves away yet. Satel liked seeing our clothes on the floor in the morning, so he made his magicks work close to noon before any clothes not being worn were put away in our trunk. As for now, I was grateful to see them close by, because I didn’t think I’d have a chance in reaching the trunk now- it was under the bed.
Fashion had long since changed in six decades. Women’s underwear were getting smaller and smaller, and we seemed to be wearing less clothing. It was sometimes hard for me to adapt, considering that I grew up in a time where ladies shouldn’t show more than their elbows and necks, but since I’m a tough pirate, I stopped caring about my appearance a long time ago. These days, I’d just wear whatever Satel brought home.
Instead of pettipants, I now had panties, which were basically tight shorts that came to my mid thigh. I quickly pulled them on to help stifle the scent of my arousal and then reached for my old camisole. They were no longer necessary as undergarments, but I couldn’t bring myself to let go of everything. I showed off more cleavage than I was accustomed to, so I wanted more layers to feel comfortable about it.
However, Satel growled when I was about to put them on. Oh right- he hated my camisole just because it added another layer. I stalled long enough to spare him a glance and was mildly shocked to see he had climbed out of bed. He stood before me in all his naked glory, not one bit concerned about modesty. Oddly enough, I felt a blush come to me.
I was used to seeing him like this, and it wasn’t the first time he’d look at me like he wanted to devour me, but something about the situation made it different. There was something animalistic about his actions and behavior, and it turned me on more than ever. To earn myself some time, I threw the camisole at his head and rushed over to my leggings to put them on.
“Nnk!” I squeaked just as he crossed the room and grabbed me from behind. I had just managed to pull the tight black material over my hips before my back was plastered against his form. I arched my neck when his mouth clamped down on the skin in a heated kiss. Ooh, why was he too hot to resist!? I found myself losing the battle as his hands covered my chest and my back bowed enough to where my bottom was grinding against him.
Rutan unexpectedly saved me when he called out to me again, this time using obscenities he learned from the crew and myself. It was enough to break the spell Satel was putting over me and I turned in his grasp enough to place my hands on his chest and mouth.
“Ye know, fer someone who’s grounded fer disobeying me orders last night, ye sure are eager ta see me!” I called out to my son as I desperately tried to get out of my mate’s arms. Considering the boy’s loud voice was the only thing keeping me from succumbing to Satel’s seduction tactics, I really shouldn’t be sending him away with a threat, but it was getting really annoying dealing with two things at once.
“Eep!” Rutan clearly got the message and stopped knocking. I couldn’t tell if he had truly forgotten about last night, or if he was hoping he wasn’t in trouble.
Satel was clearly enjoying my struggles too much- he was licking and nuzzling the hand at his mouth as his other arm held me in a vice grip. Some part of me was actually having a little fun resisting him, but I forced myself to stay serious. Oh what the hell- I might as well really make him pay for this.
I leaned in and licked the crook of his neck, teasing it for a moment before I gently sank my teeth into his skin.
“Mmrph! ‘Tia!” he shouted, voice muffled behind my hand. His eyes closed in pleasure and his grip loosened on me for just a second- enough for me to break free.
I pushed him away and immediately ran to my shirt and bodice. I snatched them up from the floor and kept moving, knowing that he was going to chase after me the minute he recovered. I watched his movements carefully, preparing to dodge any attempts to capture me, as I pulled on my shirt and buttoned up. I ended up jumping on the bed and walking across the surface when he tried to corner me.
By the time I reached my desk, I had my bodice on and zipped up before I reached in and pulled my breasts into the proper cups within the stiff outer restraint. Some part of me realized that such a move probably drove my mate wild, but I had no choice. I wasn’t even dressed properly, but at least I was now presentable- the only problem now was that he was blocking the way to the door.
“Why did ye bother ta put something on, lassie? Ah’m jus’ gonna take it off,” Satel muttered in a deep tone, mimicking my accent. While he spoke to other seafarers that way, he only did this sparingly to me. That’s because he knew it made me weak at the knees to hear him whisper the dialect in my ear. I’ll be doomed should he be able to corner me and whisper something to me with that accent.
“Oh? Ye don’t think it’s fun ta peel them off me again?” I questioned as I held my arms out to the sides like I wanted him to come get me. I had one last trick to try, and if it failed, then I’d be willingly at his mercy- though I’d also be disappointed in myself for not keeping my priorities straight.
Satel didn’t rush over to me- instead he stalked closer like a true predator. I held as still as I could as I waited for him to reach out to me. At the last second, I grabbed the wrist of his extended arm and yanked him forward- at the same time, I moved my body to whirl around him and press up against his back.
I grinned when I successfully restrained him, though I had only one arm trapped behind his back. My mate was both pleased and turned on by my aggressive maneuver, and even let me push him forward until his front was pressed against my desk.
“I love this forceful side of you my sirsa,” he growled in delight as he smirked knowingly at me from over his shoulder.
I didn’t say anything in reply- instead I planted my bare foot on his bottom and sprung myself away from him and towards the door. I ran over as fast as I could and fumbled on the lock before I realized that he wasn’t coming after me. He wasn’t really trying to trap me, though his wanting to play apparently was his way of trying to convince me to change my mind.
If he really wanted to stop me, he could’ve used his magicks a long time ago and immobilized me until I was in his grasp.
Frankly, I didn’t want to go, but I knew I had to. I had my responsibilities, just as he did. I glanced back at him as I cracked open the door and found that he wasn’t that upset that I was leaving him. Actually, he had a dirty grin on his face as he rolled his hips against my desk. He was giving me a blatant message that he wanted me right there- still hoping that I would change my mind and come running back to him.
I blushed again even though this was nothing new either. There was something new and exciting building between us, though I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what and why it hadn’t manifested long before now. It was getting hard to resist him- not that I really wanted to. I was somewhat concerned and scared by how fast our relationship seemed to be changing, and yet… my body wanted to ignored it all and enjoy it while it lasted- if there is an end to it.
It took all of my will power to slide between the small opening I made for myself and leave the cabin. My mind was cheering that I made the right and logical choice while my body cursed profanities at me for leaving my mate in that state of arousal. My last view of him as of him smirking darkly and I picked up a promise leaving his lips.
“I won’t wait long.”
I wasn’t sure what he’d meant by that. I breathed a sigh of… I wanted to say ‘relief’, but I felt disappointed in myself more than anything. I took a moment to compose myself, knowing that I needed to put on my ‘captain face’ rather than walk out there like I had just been mauled by a wild animal.
“Now where did that little brat go?” I murmured to myself as I cracked my knuckles. The first order of business was to mete out my punishment to Rutan before we decide on a course.
But as I took my first step towards the entrance of the hall, I realized that I had forgotten to put shoes on- and I didn’t have my skirt on. I was also lacking my hat and my hair was still a mess. I fearfully glanced back to the door. It was too late to go back now- if I did, then I was sure to never get out again.
“…Son o’ a mermaid’s whore!” I cursed loudly before I stormed out into the open. Who cared if I was underdressed- if anyone wanted a fight, then I’d kick their ass.
However, Satel actions this morning were only a prelude of what was coming. He really couldn’t help himself- and he was far too distracted to realize what was going on. I was about to learn that the innocent falcie I had spent my life with was never coming back…
I was crouched down and staring straight into the youthful face of my son as he glared back at me. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt when he’d proclaimed that he had a very good reason for disobeying me last night, and I was waiting for said reason. But, it seemed to be a bluff as his lips remained sealed.
“Ye don’t have a good excuse, do ye?” I muttered before Rutan’s lips thinned further. He slowly shook his head before his eyes darted down to glare at the floorboards.
“But ah really was sorry fer arguin’ with ye- I got ye an apology gift!” he protested as his small hand reached for the jewel from within the pocket of his long vest.
“Aye, a gift ye obtained after disobeyin’ me anyway,” I muttered dryly as he tried to hold it up to my face.
“So ye don’t want it?” the boy asked in a hopeful tone, his eyes lighting up some at the thought of keeping his bounty. I held back my grin and sighed. He definitely was Pappy- already obsessed with his shinies.
“Ye can keep it- ah already forgive ye fer talkin’ back ta me yesterday.”
My words brought a smile to his freckled face, lulling him into a false sense of security that he was going to get away with his crimes completely. I waited until he stored away his new treasure, and then reached out to grip the shell of his ear to get his full attention. He winced and acted like I was hurting him, but I knew better- I wasn’t pulling or using an excessive amount of pressure.
“O’ course, there’s still the matter o’ ye sneakin’ out last night,” I added with a grin. “When a capt’n gives ye an order, ye must obey it. Yer a talented thief now, my lad, but ye weren’t ready ta go on a raid by yerself. Ye proved that ta me last night-”
Rutan quickly showed offense to my remark as he shook his head to dislodge my fingers and interrupted me with a glare. “How so!? Ah got a shiny all on me own! Ye saw it!”
I huffed and flicked him sharply on the nose. “Yer stealin’ prowess ain’t bein’ called into question, dummy. We trapped the town an’ ye didn’t know where- ye could’ve tripped ‘em an’ got hurt. An’ ye didn’t know ta come back ta the ship when the signal went off. We needed ta leave quickly, but we almost got caught ‘cause o’ ye,” I listed, unable to hide my irritation with him. I then delivered my ‘killing blow’, “Worst off, ye don’t pay attention ta yer surroundin’s! An enemy was ‘bout ta attack ye, an’ ye didn’t notice- yer lucky ah found ye in time ta save yer scrawny ass.”
Though since he hadn’t seen the body at the time, he had no grounds to believe me. Thankfully, he wasn’t old enough to realize that I could be making up stories to play with his sympathy and whatnot- he trusted me to tell him the truth, even if he didn’t like what he’d heard. Though he was sent to bed when we got back, he knew we were under fire and that only Satel and I could prevent the ship from getting damaged- even he was smart enough to figure out that his actions put everyone at risk.
His lip jutted out as he realized what exactly he did wrong. Had I not been out looking for him, I would’ve been here to protect everyone, and we probably wouldn’t have had a confrontation at all. I didn’t teach the boy to search for self-glory- he was raised to act on the behalf of an entire community. He knew that if he messed up, then the entire crew could be hurt because of him and would be disappointed in him.
But I did understand what he was trying to prove. He thought he was ready to handle the big tasks the grown ups did, but he thought wrong. All he did was worry me and became a slight burden to my plans. Thank Elit Satel came home in time to help. I didn’t want to think how it would’ve turned out if I had to completely obliterate the town and everyone in it in order to get out.
“Ah’m sorry Ma…” Rutan mumbled, his voice cracking with emotion. This time he was holding back real tears. He then glanced up at me pitifully and tried to explain himself. “Ah jus’ want ta help out like the others. Ah don’t get why ah’m not ready! When will ah be!?”
“Ye’ll be ready when ah say ye are,” I told him as I placed my hand over the wine colored bandanna that was covering his hair. “Ye don’t need ta rush- ah will teach ye wot ye need ta know ‘cause someday ye will be capt’n o’ this ship. But fer now, enjoy yer childhood while it lasts. Once ye become an adult, there ain’t no goin’ back.”
“Ah know, Ma… but ah want ta do more fer the crew,” he muttered, showing off his stubbornness.
“Ah know ye do, an’ ah do see that yer gettin’ better, but ye need ta ease into it. We can’t afford mistakes, so when yer ready fer a raid on yer own, ye need ta know everythin’, okay? Those lessons ah give ye are all fer trainin’ ye ta be the best pirate ye can be,” I said soothingly, before I pushed myself up to stand. “But fer now, yer still jus’ a brat an’ yer ‘bout ta be punished- HEY FISHGUTS!”
“Wot!” a voice called back in response.
Fishguts was the ship’s cook- a well muscled man with a chubby face and belly, since he was originally a fat man before joining the crew. I pretty much saved him from an execution many years back and he decided that he owed me his life in return. I had no idea what he did to earn his punishment or what he was before he joined, but he’d only proven to be a loyal man ever since. He didn’t seem to be a pirate before he met me, but he did look the part with that scar he had on the side of his head. It extended from the top of his cheek to the side of his bald head.
“Ye get this one fer a week- work him hard!” I shouted while pointing down at my son. All because we came to an understanding didn’t mean he shouldn’t be punished for what would ordinarily be an act of treason against the captain. If I let him off completely free, then he’ll never learn obedience.
Fishguts let out a cheer, happy that he was getting some help around the kitchen. “Ah hope ye like washin’ the dishes, Rutan!”
“But Maaaaaa!” the boy whined, thinking his punishment to be too cruel.
“The kitchen or the brig- yer choice,” I replied sternly, being completely serious. I had no remorse for even suggesting the brig, as Pappy threw me down there a few times (at my choice for punishment) when I was little. While this wasn’t revenge, I had to agree that his old tactics of controlling me worked wonderfully on him.
“The kitchen…” he mumbled dejectedly. I had to wonder why he never chose the brig- did he have some fear of it or something?
“Now that that’s settled,” I announced before let out a whistle to get the attention of Rohje, Hammer, and Fishguts. I then gestured for them to follow me up to the quarterdeck to discuss more serious matters.
I considered them my top officers of the ship, though Fishguts was actually standing in place of my first officer until he was of age to attend the meetings. Since Rutan was my undisputed successor, it was only right to grant him the title of first officer, since they were the ones that succeeded the captain.
When we reached our destination, I waited for Rohje to get a map and toss it to the floor. We then stamped a foot at each corner to keep it from flying off.
“Gentleman, man whore, an’ Mr. Guts,” I began courteously as we all bent down to view the map. “We still have ‘bout a month until the annual meetin’ o’ the capt’ns. As it’s in the Sea of Loerati, we don’t have time ta wander ‘bout, but if there’s anythin’ important like supplies or an’ extra raid, speak now an’ we might be able ta get it on the way.”
The Annual Captain’s Meeting was something I devised, where pirates from all over the world gathered to either introduce themselves to me (if they were new) or petition for my aid. I felt it was unfair of me to stay within my home waters of Elati and made it a point to sail through all five seas and help any pirates in need. Though I did have to be careful when sailing into Tiata and Naia- due to their grudge with their sister, my powers could be stifled if I ever gave them reason to. But otherwise, I found that they left me alone as long as I wasn’t trying to bend the Natural Order or attempt world domination.
“Pub visit?” Hammer asked in a hopeful tone after they thought about my offer.
I shrugged lightly. “Ah said ‘important’,” I respond flatly, knowing that he was going to ask to go to every port town with a brothel or tavern full of dancing girls. Though I supposed one break wouldn’t hurt, we were going to an area with very few people, so there weren’t many places to dock and relax.
“Ah don’t care where we go- all ah ask is fer one stop at a place ta restock the food resources,” Fishguts reasonably requested.
“Are we getting’ low?” I inquired, wanting to gauge the urgency.
The scarred chef shook his bald head. “Nah, ah’m suggestin’ jus’ ta be safe.”
I mentally put finding food restock ports under ‘mid-priority’ in my list. We could get that out of the way at the same time for Hammer’s pub visit.
“So are we headin’ ta Syrde? Might as well wait fer some o’ the others ta show up an’ go wit’ them,” Rohje suggested. Syrde was an island quite some ways off Rynrir, and was located right on the border of Elati and Loerati. It was definitely on the way, and any pirates from Elati’s sea that were attending were sure to gather there before heading to the meeting point.
“Hmm…mebbe, but ah don’t want ta wait long. We may have seen Fiet yesterday, but we can be sure he’ll show up at the last possible second- if he even has time ta come,” I muttered, uncommitted to the idea. Syrde had supplies, food, a pub, and it was pirate friendly, despite the fact that the nearby kingdom in Rynrir knew about the place. I didn’t mind staying a few days, but certainly no longer than three.
All because I can make the ship sail faster with my magicks didn’t mean that I wanted to constantly strain myself to meet deadlines.
“Bleh… Ah’m tired o’ Syrde- the lasses there ain’t so pretty anymore,” Hammer complained before he tried to suggest other places to go instead. It wasn’t long before Rohje started a mild argument with the boatswain to convince him that his idea was better.
I was trying to listen intently, as the final decision was always mine to make, but I was pulled out of my concentration when I suddenly felt something hard press against my rear. I almost toppled forward, but strong hands gripped my hips to keep me in place. I slowly glanced over my shoulder to see who was behind me.
I was expecting my mate to be there, considering any other man knew he would be dead if he attempted this, and I was not surprised to find that I was right. But I was stunned to know he came up fully dressed and still very hard. He certainly hadn’t waited very long… I suppose I should’ve known better.
Satel smiled pleasantly at me before he rolled his hips and ground himself against me again. For the third time that day, I blushed as I turned my head back to the meeting. I was incredulous that this was even happening- was Satel really behind me, grinding against me in public? I glanced at the others and noted that everyone was totally oblivious to the falucite’s presence.
I hoped that meant he’d cast an illusion spell on everyone so they couldn’t see him… Or perhaps they were really that engrossed in deciding where to go. More importantly- why was I letting him do this!?
But what could I do? Pushing him away or yelling at him would only bring attention to me. I struggled to ignore him and catch up on the conversation. Surely he wouldn’t let himself be caught humping me like some desperate animal- he had to be concealing himself. So long as I didn’t give him away, no one would know…
Though it was getting really hard to focus on the meeting. I couldn’t ignore the creep of excitement in the back of my mind and the slight warmth building up in my lower belly. Though I didn’t want to get caught, I did want to see if I could get Satel to come undone. I found that I liked the rare times I could satisfy him without him having to do the same to me first. Not that our love making was a contest, but I didn’t want to seem as if I was the only one getting the full enjoyment out of it.
“Yeah well, ah still think we should stay ‘round here fer a bit longer,” Hammer insisted before he turned his head towards me. “Wot ‘bout Bardam?”
“Wot ‘bout him?” I inquired as I kept my head down as if I were looking at the map. I didn’t want them to see my face in case I was expressing what I was feeling. No need to invite unwanted questions.
“Innit odd he showed up like he did? Shouldn’t we find out wot he’s up ta before we forget ‘bout him?”
Actually, Hammer did have a good point- it was odd that Bardam showed up at all, but on top of that he seemed to have waited for us to make the first move. Even if I agreed that his getting engaged was a fluke, he should’ve been acting as though he wanted us to stay away from Lostil, and not as if he wanted us to commit the crime. I felt like I had been set up for a trap somehow, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“Ah’m curious ‘bout him, too, but we have a long way ta go an’ we can’t afford ta waste time. That landlubber prince is gonna be grounded fer a while anyway, an’ ah doubt he can follow us out o’ the cove no matter how many wenches he promises ta marry,” I replied stoically as I tried to ignore Satel’s hardness behind me.
The blond man made a particularly strong thrust that almost toppled me over, had his hands not been there to steady me. That was a close one…
“Well can’t ye use yer magicks ta make the trip shorter? Ah know ye have limits an’ all, but surely we ain’t that behind schedule ta not at least gather some information,” Rohje replied, now agreeing with the boatswain.
“Sure- if we’re talkin’ ‘bout reachin’ Syrde, but getting’ ta the meetin’ place would take much more outta me,” I said in dismissal as I carefully pushed back and met Satel’s thrust without them noticing. On the east side of Rynrir was a long peninsula that was in the shape of a fancy boot. To get to where we were heading, we would have to get around that entire stretch of land- that could take a better part of two weeks, whereas Syrde was only a four day trip from where we were.
“Aye… but still, ah jus’ can’t ignore this feelin’ in me gut that somethin’ wrong happened last night. Ain’t there any way we can get some information? Ah’ll probably feel better if we hear some kinda news that explains wot happened,” Hammer added, temporarily pulling me back to the problem at hand.
Hammer was a goof off about forty percent of the time, but he was serious about his work when it mattered. He also made a habit of being a mystical creep with Oracle-like senses that had helped us out in the past. When Hammer gets a ‘feeling’ it’s something I can’t ignore… though there were a few times when he faked it so he could see some girl at a port.
“Ah’ll admit that this bothers me too, but ah guess we have no choice but ta ignore him fer now. Even if he had somethin’ planned, he can’t get ta us now. Capt’n grounded him outside o’ his kingdom. It’ll be a while before he can sail again,” Rohje pointed out, taking my side now. That boy…
The teasing was too much- I had to move. I stood up to my full height and couldn’t resist deliberately pressing against the man behind me, earning a quiet growl near my ear. The others glanced up at me briefly when I moved but soon turned their attention back to the map. That proved they couldn’t see Satel then, since if they had they would’ve freaked out- he does that to people.
To further ensure that they wouldn’t notice anything, I placed my hands over his at my hips. It was a familiar stance that I knew no one would think strangely of, though I had to be careful and time my thrusts against him. While the act wasn’t doing much for me in terms of direct pleasure, I still felt aroused.
Some part of me felt terrible and ashamed that I was allowing this when I knew it was wrong, but for some reason I just couldn’t tell Satel to back off. I was still enjoying this on some level, and it was partially my fault because I also had a hand in this. I wanted to pass this all off as us exploring our sexual appetites, though I could also concede that we might have a problem. This couldn’t possibly be normal, even though I didn’t feel too concerned about it. I better talk to him about this later and try to work this out…
“Well ah’d like ta investigate an’ counteract wotever he’s up ta, but ah can’t be in two places at once. Ah’m afraid he’s gonna have ta wait ‘til after the meetin’,” I muttered derisively while wriggling my hips slightly. “If we’re lucky, mebbe his soon-ta-be wench will keep him too busy ta be bothered wit’ us.”
“…Provided she’s daft enough ta stay wit’ him. She heard his priorities last night- she probably called the whole thing off,” my quartermaster mused with a grin.
“Poor Bardam,” Fishguts commented with false sympathy, “Probably the first o’ many potential wives he’ll lose ‘cause o’ the capt’n.”
Hah! I’m a marriage destroyer and I didn’t even have to sleep with the groom! Maybe I should make a habit out of knocking some sense into women before they make the mistake of marrying idiots.
For once Hammer didn’t follow the humor or make any comments about how ‘boring’ or ‘stupid’ monogamy was- he must’ve really been concerned. “That pretty thing also concerns me. Wot’s that landlubber hopin’ ta accomplish by tyin’ the knot if he doesn’t really want ta own a wench? Seems like a waste ta do it solely fer bein’ able ta sail the entire cove. …An’ wot’s more, he didn’t even seem interested in the land.”
“Ah guess ye have a point there. There’s somethin’ beyond fishy ‘bout last night, an’ some part o’ me worries that someone tipped him off ‘bout where we were goin’,” Rohje said as he glared down at the map. “Ah would almost suspect Fiet o’ foul play, but… he has a blood grudge wit’ the prince, so ah doubt he’d work wit’ him ta get rid o’ the capt’n.”
I could see the other captains wanting to take advantage of me, if they could, but they knew better than to off me. Even Fiet knew better. Many witnessed the time some upstart tried to shoot me, only to have it hit my water armor and be killed seconds later by Satel. Even if they didn’t have to contend with the fear of a falucite’s wrath, my potential murderer would have to face Cyirlie instead. She was ten times more frightening that a blood lusting Satel. She didn’t care about me, of course, but she’s the one who would have to raise Rutan to adulthood in my place- that alone would be enough to send her on a rampage.
My thoughts were soon put on hold when I felt teeth clamping down on the side of my neck before the man behind me shuddered violently. No way… did he just…?
I kind of knew that our actions would lead to this point, but I was still stunned that it did. I soon felt a fierce pride that I was able to get him to finish without having to do more than grind against him. Amazingly enough, the men were none the wiser as Satel pressed against me fully and wrapped his arms tightly around me as he rode out his release.
…And to think that once upon a time I’d get flustered if he kissed me in front of others. Over the years, I grew quite comfortable about my relationship with Satel to the point where I wasn’t embarrassed about public contact, though I did try to discourage long periods of kissing in front of my men. I didn’t think it was right to flaunt affections in front of those I’d consider ‘business partners’ in this profession.
My breath hitched slightly when his teeth let go of me, then he finally relaxed his body and sagged against me.
“Er…Capt’n? Are ye alright?” Rohje inquired with concern, hearing the small noise I’d made. Damn his ears…
“Uh… Yeah- ah was tryin’ ta keep back a yawn. Ah’m still a bit tired,” I lied, my voice calm and collected like I hadn’t been doing something kinky right in front of them. Though I didn’t want a repeat performance, I seemed to be doing well in this. Maybe I had a knack for doing two things at once? …Probably not- I hated the stress this was putting me through.
“Ye don’t look well. Are ye sick?” Fishguts asked as he held a hand out in the air. He probably wanted to feel my forehead, but stopped himself in case I didn’t want the contact- or out of fear that Satel might find out. For some reason, my mate was getting a little territorial and didn’t trust any man to get close to me, save for Rutan- and Rohje, though I had no idea what the young lad did to earn his trust.
“Ah’ll be fine. Ah jus’ need a nap when this is o’er. Had a hard time gettin’ out o’ bed this mornin’,” I replied in a wry tone, knowing that they’ll never get the truth in what I had just told them. “Now, where were we?”
“If I may interject, ‘Tia-dear,” Satel suddenly said as he removed his magicks and draped himself over me like a cape.
Hammer and Fishguts bit back a cry of surprise as they backed away while Rohje stood his ground with a wary look on his face. Over the years, Satel had pranked almost all of my men when he was bored, and threatened them when he was irritated. Since everyone knew very well what he was, they didn’t dare cross his path. I knew Satel wouldn’t kill them, so I left things as they were. It wasn’t as though I needed fear from my men, but having rumors of living with a ‘deadly’ falucite did help protect the ship.
“Wot is it?” I intoned, hoping I came off as annoyed and unimpressed as possible. Satel only smirked, knowing I was only putting up a front so I didn’t look ‘lovey-dovey’ or intimidated in front of my men. Though in this case, I was making extra sure no one figured out that he had been behind me the entire time, doing things that should only be performed in private.
“I might have some idea as to what’s going on with Bardam and the town you raided last night,” he offered as he rubbed his cheek against mine affectionately. “Apparently the Asadorm and Fodaren clans were working on an arranged marriage and likely told Bardam what was happening, since he was apparently one of the pets involved.”
The others were confused at the reference to the falucite clans, but I understood what my mate was trying to say. As far as I knew, Bardam was a noble ‘pet’ owned by the Fodaren clan. And though we were in their territory, apparently that girl from last night belonged to Asadorm and was told by them to accept a proposal from Bardam.
Being a fellow falucite, Satel assumed a small role as a liaison so that all clans understood what the Lord of the Sea did and why. This was so they wouldn’t interfere with my work and so I wouldn’t interfere with theirs. As far as the clans knew, Satel was officially mated to Elati’s priestess (though it wasn’t true), so thus it made sense that he could speak on matters of the sea.
Asadorm and Fodaren were likely aware of my plans through Satel and trusted that I wouldn’t harm their pets. Perhaps I could see them telling Bardam about my next planned raid to prevent the man from becoming surprised and stopping me, but…
“Alright, ah get that, but if Bardam really knew that much, then why did he still attack?” I asked as I tilted my head to get a better look at him.
“That’s what I’d like to know myself. I can assure you that he acted on his own- outside of the clan’s wishes,” Satel replied, sounding a little curious and concerned over the prince’s behavior. He then gave me a smile and purred, “But I can find out for you. I’m sure the Fodaren clan wouldn’t mind explaining why their pet had to threaten a servant of a goddess.”
…Not that Bardam would be in trouble or punished for his actions if he did attack me deliberately- after all, it was my job to pester humans and start fights. However, I did agree to not hurt any noble pets that were protected by the falucite, so last night could be considered a breech of contract. Satel would have to visit them anyway to defend my position, so Bardam will eventually have to explain himself to his masters- preferably in front of my mate so we can all figure out what’s going on.
“Ye don’t mind? It would be a big help- an’ we can continue on ta Loerati while ye do that,” I added as I glanced back at my officers. Hammer seemed to be the only one disappointed, though I had a feeling it was more about where we would be going next. I honestly had no idea what he had against Syrde now… No wait- come to think of it, there might be a lass there that thought he wanted to get serious about their relationship.
“Sounds like a plan ta me, Capt’n,” Rohje replied as Fishguts nodded and Hammer remained silent. Gutless bastard didn’t want to admit the real reason he wanted to avoid Syrde- I told him open relationships were nothing but trouble… well, only if the girl doesn’t know it is one. I hope that lass slaps him senseless when she finds out.
Though everything was decided and the meeting was technically over, I still felt that I had a few orders to give out, but apparently Satel had other plans. He kept me firmly against him – possibly to hide a certain mess – and shot a threatening glance towards the others.
“Alright ye lot- ye know wot ta do from here on out,” he called out in his seafarer accent before he added, “The capt’n promised ta spend the day wit’ me, so don’t bother us unless ye don’t mind losin’ a limb or two.”
I didn’t get the chance to see their reaction as he teleported us back to my cabin right after his threat. I was a little annoyed that he pulled me away without giving me the chance to dismiss myself, but I was more curious about his insinuation that I was to spend the whole day with him.
“…When did ah make such a promise?” I inquired as he placed me on the bed. Something about it was vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember why or when I’d made it.
“Really ‘Tia-dear? You honestly don’t remember?” he inquired as he walked over to the door and locked it. Once he saw the blank look on my face, he let out a sigh and gave me a hint. “Think my dearest- what will happen roughly six months from now?”
I racked my brain as I wondered what the future had to do with today. I knew that in six months Satel’s two hundredth birthday was coming up- it was hard to forget with the way he wouldn’t shut up about it. Two hundred was the official age of adulthood for his kind, so naturally he was excited to finally be considered one. But as for today…
“Oh shit,” I cursed as it came to me. This was the day Satel officially ‘retired’ from the clan. Since he was to eventually leave his family and start a settlement, the elders usually relieve falcie of their duties before said birthday so that they could find and prepare the land they intend to stay on. I told Satel that when that day came, we’d spend all day together to celebrate and talk about the future.
No wonder why he was still here and manhandling me like he had every right- I had given him permission.
“Ah’m sorry Satel- that damn raid had been on me mind all week an’ ah almost forgot,” I replied with both repentance and an undertone of relief. I was glad to know that there was a reason he was acting this way- for a moment I thought we had a serious lust problem going on.
“At least you didn’t need much to remember- and the day hasn’t been wasted despite your little break,” the blond remarked in a light tone as he crossed his arms and walked over to the bed. It sounded like he forgave me, but I soon picked up his real intent when he suddenly met my eyes and smirked. “I know what you can do to make it up to me. I think it’s time for your hour of worship, my queen.”
I smirked at the ‘trigger phrase’ he’d always use before we played out his favorite role play. Though I was a little tired, I let him undress us and take full charge of the activities. There was nothing wrong with letting him celebrate this important day- but after this, I was going to need a long nap. As long as there was a reason behind his actions – and as long as I didn’t mind it – then there was no reason for me to be concerned with this little change in our relationship.
Though it would turn out I didn’t need to be worried, I was still far in over my head. The changes I’d noticed were only a prelude of what was to come. I honestly never thought it would be so exhausting to be his mate…
atecwriter 