Rough Waters

Chapter 20

Kai's POV

     After being in the port for about a week, I'm pretty much healed. Of course, I still have some marks and a lot of scars, but I'm good. I've also noticed that my tail has healed. The scales will never really grow back, so it'll make swimming difficult, but I can manage.

     I'm snuggled up in Max's chest when I wake up from my nap. When I wake up, I realize Max is playing with my hair. I hum and smile, opening my eyes and looking up at him.

     We've gotten really lovey-dovey, especially since most of the crew members aren't on the ship. They're probably planting their seed in new soil... If you catch my drift...

     "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty, " Max coos. Such a scary pirate...

     "It's not morning, " I say, a bit confused. It's clearly night. Max just sighs and leans down to kiss me, his lips massaging mine.

     We've been touching and kissing, and I know Max is waiting for the right time to go all the way. We've been talking about taking our relationship further.

     For mermaids, we meet, we maybe court each other for about two days, and then we make babies and we're bonded for life.

     Pirates seem to do it a lot quicker though, and they tend to leave their mates right after the lovemaking.

     Why is Max taking so long?

     As we kiss, I roll us so he's on his back, and I'm straddling his hips. I break the kiss.

     "Do you love me?" I ask, it being an innocent question.

     "Why would you ask that?" He asks, trying to pull me down to kiss again. He avoided it... I gently grab his wrists.

     "Do you love me? Yes or no? I'm not going to tear my heart into pieces because you're indecisive and you could eventually say you didn't want me after all." I say firmly. Max just looks up into my eyes, I guess seeing how serious I am about this.

     "Well, Kai... For humans, love can be a strong word..." Max says.

     "Just fucking answer! If I bond with you and you come to hate me, or you never loved me, my heart will literally break and I will die!" I say, my eyes getting watery. Max just looks up at me with surprise on his face. He doesn't answer. "Just forget it," I say, letting his wrists go. I get off his lap and just walk out, and run off the boat. I hear Max calling out for me.

     I'd jump into the bay, but I can't risk being seen. I look at the crowd on the docks and just duck in, slipping past people. I manage to lose Maximus, his calls getting more and more faint.

     As I trot off, the crowd gets thinner and thinner. I go past many closed businesses.

     As I slow down, I'm suddenly grabbed and pulled into the darkness. I try to scream, but my mouth is quickly covered and a blindfold is put over my eyes.

     I try to writhe around and kick at my assailant, but there must be more than one. They tie my ankles and wrists together.

     "Goodnight little fishy, " I hear a voice say.