The Different Ship
17

Azhar stood on the bow of the ship as it docked, he was surveying the port seeing what they could take when he saw a delivery cart pull up to a restaurant. A smirk shifted over his lips as he stood there with his hand on Rune’s hip, her watching also to see a male get out. She pulled from his grasp and looked back at him.

“Stay and wait for my signal.” She said with a smirk as she jumped from the ship to the slip ramp and began to walk up the wooden walk way to him. She had helped them with runs like this when she was in disguised, this was Rune. Her hands snuck up to her hair and pulled it down and popped the first three buttons on her top showing a good amount of cleavage.

“Excuse me sir, I seem to be a bit lost…” she said walking up to the man. She put on a innocent face as she spoke in a sweeter tone.

“My, my, what an actress I have on my hands…” Azhar said to himself narrowing his eyes and watching her closely. The man turned to her, his eyes instantly dropping down to her bust. He was a shorter man, greasy hair that hung to his shoulders and a round figure. His beady green eyes looked her over slowly and walked closer to her.

“Oh well aren’t you a pretty little thing, but what seems to be your issue again honey? I seemed to have been a tad distracted.” He said walking more toward her leaving the cart unattended. Rune made herself blush and looked at the ground, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“W…well you see, I was brought here on a ship. I seem to be lost and I can’t get back, I think they may have left me…” she said sounding even more vulnerable, the man licked his lips and chuckled looking her over, his eyes not missing an inch of her curves or body.

“No worries my lady, I can help you around. Maybe take you back and show you a good time?” he asked her, reaching up to touch a strand of her hair and shuddering. She blushed more and lowered her tone more, even though with what Azhar was he could still hear every word.

“You would really? I suppose I could after all your trouble with helping me…” she told him, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck to tug him more away and using her finger to wave at them to signal them to get it. The man placed his hands on her hips and pressed flush to her, his mouthwatering. This caused Azhar’s lip to snarl in jealousy before he nodded to his crew to head down and get it. They moves swiftly and silently emptying out the cart and taking it back to the ship one armful after another. Once they finished and the last of the crew made it back up onto the ship. Rune giggled and glanced over briefly, her hips swaying in his hands getting antsy as she looked back up at his crooked smirk.

“That’s enough you better get your blonde ass up here before I go down there and kill him for touching what is mine.” He said, she then pulled away from him and shook her head.

“Wait never mind, I know where my ship is. I remember now but thank you sir.” She said with an innocent smirk before she shot off to it at the same time another one pulled up into the slip beside it concealing it from the man’s view. She walked aboard the deck, her boots thumping on the wood causing the crew to erupt in cheers for her, she bowed. Azhar walked up to her as she straightened up and grabbed her face, not to hard but enough to get her attention.

“Blinding show, do not do it again. You are mine and if he or any other man puts his hands where they don’t belong again I will rip them off and shove them down their throat.” He snapped at her, the crew froze and looked between both of them. Arab watched them both closely to see how she would react to him.

“Excuse me? I think I got what I needed for my crew and this ship. I don’t think I asked for your permission or opinion Azhar, nor do I care for it.” she declared to him narrowing her eyes also and swatting his hand from her face. The whole ship gasped, Arab’s mouth dropped. No one has ever went against Azhar’s word other than Rune and she wasn’t even a supernatural creature.

“Then I guess I will be spending the night claiming you again and making sure you know what is mine.” He said to her stepping closer to her. She raised her eyebrow and chortled slightly before shaking her head, pressing her chest into his.

“I’d like to see you try, after that stunt you just pulled I don’t think you deserve anything… captain.” She hissed slightly and shoved him back with her fingertips; he stumbled slightly then stood there in shock as she began to pull everything out and put the crew to work to put it away.

“Alright we have food now, we need to do a few more runs. After that I want you to gorge yourself on land before you collect for the sea, but only take what you need! Don’t kill if you can, if you feed now you won’t drain them when they come on board and can reuse them later when you need it!” she explained to them, they smirked and chuckled before looking at one another.

“Aye-aye ma’am!” they all called out to, she chuckled and waved them off before grabbing some supplies to move it below deck and put it away. Azhar followed behind her stunned at her order to them also.

“Rune, why would you tell them to do that, no, better question is why I never did.” He grunted and crossed his arms. She shrugged and looked back at him, setting the crate down she had grabbed.

“You with blood is like humans with food even though you guys eat food too. That’s not the point, I assume they are draining them when they get hungry on board, well that is due to they don’t feed normally. If they are to eat on land before they come up and take what they need for the journey, they are less likely to drain said person, thus being able to reuse them and not go hungry.” She explained to him, Azhar chortled and moved to help her.

“I must say very well put Rune, very well planned and thought out. I don’t want you going out when they are on their blood run. They are my crew, but to be frank I don’t trust them.” He said walking over to her to wrap his arms around her waist. She grunted and pulled away from him, shaking her head.

“I will be fine, I need a few things anyways. You can stay on the ship since I think you have had more than your fill? I mean that is where I got my idea from.” She said cutting her eyes over to him. He shook his head and held his hands up in a defensive manner.

“Fine just be careful I guess? Don’t let one attack you and I will. I have somethings to figure out. Once we back on the sea we are going to see and mix up positions with the crew since four are gone we need to move things around. Yes you are right about my fill and you know I will do it again.” He said before turning on his heel to walk above the deck.

“Be safe my little siren. I don’t want to have to kill someone for touching you.” He told her looking back over his shoulder with a smirk. She rolled her eyes before walking up behind him to head off the ship.

Time passed as she went on her run to gather what she needed. Her list containing some fresh clothes to fit her, some paper and quills, and some books on supernatural beings the man at the book store thought she was crazy but she took all he had. As she walked down the darkened street someone ran into her knocking everything from her grasp. It spilled to the ground and she huffed in a vexed manner and bent down to gather her things.

“Okay, next time watch where you are going you asshat.” She snapped out before looking up to glare at the person who was guilty of doing it only to freeze gazing up in terror. The man she had ran into was one of the men from Galahad’s crew, she remembered him clearly. He was the one that made the make shift moon table to turn her. She swallowed thickly as he smirked at her, knowing she remembered him.

“Why dontcha watch where ya goin lass, don’t wantcha in tha wrong hands again… he chuckled leaning down in her face before sniffing and scrunching up his face in disgust. Rune was shaking and couldn’t move, frozen at his will.

“Ya smell disgustin’ and looks like he gorged himself like tha nasty leech he is…” the man said poking at the faded puncture bruises on her neck. She made a small choking noise at his strong handed jab.

“Looks like I gotta tell cap’ he ain’t going be happy with this one bit, but he will have ya soon enough so he can reclaim ya.” He said before walking off, disappearing down an alley way. Rune stood there in shock before she turned, sprinting down toward the ship with tears in her eyes. She covered the mark with her other hand and boarded it quickly running past everyone. She didn’t stop until she reached the cabin where Azhar was, she shoved his door open trying to compose herself, her hair wild and messy from running. She was tremoring with fear; Azhar jerked at the sudden noise and looked over.

“Rune is there a reason you slammed open my door like that?” he asked her nonchalantly before turning back to the papers on his desk. She let everything clatter from her hands and shut the door and locking it.

“A…Azhar… they are here… oh… god.. they are here!” she stammered out, sliding down the door and breaking into broken sobs. He looked over as she covered her face, his eyes widened as he shot to his feet and walked over to her, kneeling to look her over.

“Who Rune, who is…” he trailed off when he noticed the scent that she bared. Even by knocking into Galahad’s crew member momentarily it was strong enough for Azhar to notice. A growl escaped his throat before he lifted her into his chest and walked out.

“Arab!” he called out harshly looking around for him as soon as he stepped out on the deck. Arab ran up to him with a confused look standing in front of Azhar holding a sobbing Rune on his shoulder.

“Yessir?” he asked him before swallowing thickly as he caught the look his face held, it was the same one that he had when Rune was taken from the ship.

“Is everyone on board?” he asked him narrowing his eyes at him, Arab looked around and began counting before nodding.

“I think so, what happened ta tha lass?” he asked him concerned. Azhar snarled and looked around before leaning into him, his body very rigid, and his voice low and stern.

“Drop the damn sails now. No questions just do it. We can’t stay in this port any longer.” He told him staring him down. Arab gave him a nervous nod before he gathered everyone to quickly pull the anchor and drop the sails. They worked quickly and the ship moved hastily from the port to the open seas. Azhar turned and walked back into his cabin with her. He stopped and realized she was no longer moving; he looked over to see she had fallen asleep. Still sniveling and shaking, he took her back to lay her in his bed. Her tear stained face made his heart wrench, fear woven deep into it as clear as day.

“Don’t worry Rune we left, tch the damn mutts on my turf again. Something has to give.” He said to himself before he shook his head and went to turn as a small whimper escaped his partner so he lifted her and laid down letting her rest on his chest.