Page 75 of Found at Sea
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Kellan
After leaving Fletcher, I waited a bit before searching for Alek. He wasn’t on the ship, so I concluded he’d gone ashore with the rest of the crew. The fact I even cared enough to seek him out was a strong indicator of how much I actuallyhadchanged in past months. However, the knowledge didn’t bother me as it used to do when I’d noticed the changes; small at first but increasing as time drew on.
If time had the power to make monsters of men, perhaps it also had the power to redeem them.
Leaving the ship, I halted in step before continuing on. It’d been years since we’d docked in Bone Bay. The last time we’d been there, a few men in my crew had gotten their throats slashed open. Three more men had soon taken their places once I’d announced I was recruiting.
Finding a crew was easy; the difficult part was keeping them.
The two places Alek would be were either the tavern or the brothel, so I decided to try the latter first. If I knew Alek like I thought I did, I knew he’d be fucking his way into oblivion by now.
As I walked down the dirt path through town, wenches rubbed up against me, trying to entice me to pay them a visit. I kept walking, preferring to pay them no mind instead.
The doors to the tavern burst open as one man was shoved through it. Two men came out after him, both swaying with drink and slurring their words.
The man on the ground sat up and was about to stand when one of the others shoved a dagger into his chest.
Not fazed by the violence, I continued toward the brothel.
A handful of wenches stood outside the establishment, some wearing dresses that covered most of their bodies, while the rest wore ones that showed their every curve and the outline of their beaded nipples.
One of the brunettes in a thin dress leaned against the stone wall and spread her legs, showing me what lay between them. She ran her fingers through the dark hair of her privates before moaning as she pleasured herself.
“Do you wish to help me finish, handsome?” she asked in a breathy tone.
Ignoring her, I entered the brothel. Along with half-naked women, there were also men, though not as many. Candles lit the room, as did natural light from the tall windows where other women stood on display for any wanderers to see and be beckoned to come inside. It reeked of floral scents and sex.
“Fancy seein’ you here, Captain.”
Following the voice, I looked to see Dax sitting in one of the plush chairs covered in silk. His pants were at his ankles and a wench sat on his lap, grinding herself on his erect dick.
“I’m not here for pleasure,” I said, narrowing my brow. “Have you seen Alek?”
“He could be in the back alley with his guts hanging out for all I care.” Dax smirked before slapping the wench’s ass and looking up at her. “Quit foolin’ around, woman, and wet my prick.”
The blonde positioned herself over his glistening cock before slowly sinking down on him. Dax tilted his head back and groaned. His eyes flashed to mine, and he held my gaze as the woman rode him.
I looked away, not interested. He was abhorrent most days, but perhaps that’s why we’d once had a toss between the sheets. I used to be the same. I still was in a sense.
Continuing through the room, I debated if I should just leave and grab a drink in the tavern before returning to the ship. If Alek was busy fucking, I didn’t want to ruin his good time. I supposed I didn’t thoroughly think it through before tracking him down. All I’d been thinking about was Fletcher and how upset he was. And I’d wanted to fix it.
It was during my search of the men currently being fucked senseless by whores that someone tightly gripped my arm and turned me around.
Alek stood inches from me, and his eyes were purple. Not the gold or silver like I’d seen in the past, but a color I hadn’t seen in his eyes before. It wasn’t a good sign. His powers were getting stronger.
“What are you doing here?” he growled in a menacing tone. He’d surpassed anger and gone right into a lethal rage. But why? “Does Fletcher know you’re out whoring around on him?”
“I’m not here for the whores,” I spat back at him, yanking my arm from his hold. “I came for you.”
Alek’s eyes returned to their normal shade of blue, and he rubbed at his temple before focusing on me. He looked exhausted. Weary. “I’m sorry. When I saw you in here, I thought you were being unfaithful to him, and I knew how much it’d break his heart. I just reacted.”
“Come have a drink with me,” I said, hiding my worry behind a smile. “We can talk there.”
Once outside, I breathed in the fresh air, grateful to be away from the stuffiness of the brothel. I used to spend most of my time in those establishments, but now I couldn’t care less if I ever stepped foot in one again.
Alek was quiet as we headed toward the tavern.
