The Dragon's Vamp(16)
“Yes, what about you, any ill effects of my blood?”
“No, except I noticed it started heating as your passion rose. It was lukewarm when I started and by the time we finished it was almost to the scalding point.”
“I didn’t hurt you did I?” Mari’s eyes widened.
“No, love, I’m fine.” Kissing the tip of her nose, he nipped her softly. “Don’t you think if it was giving me pain, I would have stopped?”
“I suppose.”
“I will say this though; I can still feel your blood flowing through me like the damn Energizer Bunny,” he chuckled.
Mari grinned. “Little hyped up are you?”
“Hell yeah!” Rhys chuckled as he swung her up, turned, and laid her under him on the bed. “Ready for round two?”
Mari giggled as he wiggled his eyebrows. Cupping the sides of his face, she met his lips as he thrust up into her wetness.
* * * *
“That’s it, Livi, concentrate,” Mari whispered as her young charge worked on her chakra balls.
“It’s hard.”
“I know, but you’re doing great. Just hold it for one more moment.” Glancing at Livi she smiled as the child pushed herself to finish her task. “Okay, Livi. Open your eyes and look.”
“Wow.”
“See what you can do when you practice?”
“It’s huge.”
“And you held it for two minutes; a new record for you, little girl.” Mari chuckled as she sat back. “Now think about dispelling the energies evenly.”
Livi looked over at her with a grin. “Can’t I just toss it at Triton and knock him into the lake?”
“Mischievous child,” Mari said then laughed. “Yes, when I call to him and he turns, knock him with it, alright?”
“I’m with ya.”
Mari stood. “Hey, water boy!” she yelled. “Want to help her train?” she asked when he turned.
“Sure,” Triton called back.
Mari stepped aside, grinning as his eyes widened when he realized the energy ball was coming at him. “Ooooo,” she groaned. Her head went back; left eye squinting with the pain Triton must have felt. The hit knocked him back, driving him to the middle of the lake and into the water. “Damn that looked like it hurt,” she mumbled and then busted out with laughter when Livi giggled. Mari stopped laughing when he didn’t come back up right away.
“Do you think he’s alright?” Livi asked.
“Yeah, he’s Prince of the Oceans, he can take a little lake water, which means—look out!” she yelled as a barrage of water balls came at them. Livi screamed as she ran behind Mari. “Don’t hide now kid, this is his version of a snow ball fight!”
* * * *
“How in the hell can you three be so…” Rhys growled as he turned to look at Mari, Livi, and Triton who were all soaking wet. “Damn. I’m so pissed I don’t even know what I want to say!”
“Irresponsible would be a good start,” Drake Roven supplied.
“Irresponsible!” Rhys yelled. “We’re in the middle of an Other Kin war and you three are having a…a damn water fight with no care to your surroundings! Who knows what kind of creature could have sprung up on you from the depths of that lake?”
“There were no threats,” Triton said nonchalantly as he rolled his eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me damn it! You had my woman and Roven’s daughter out there with no security back up to watch your asses! When word came over of an attack on the three of you we just about shit ourselves trying to get to you because we knew there were no teams in that area!”
“Ah, I think you better settle down a bit,” Drake whispered. “Mari’s dry which means you’re pissing her off.”
Rhys’ gaze flew to Mari. She was indeed dry, her hair blowing with the breeze. “You cannot be mad at me for your actions!”
“You better stop yelling at me,” Mari said softly.
“Do you know how damn worried we were? All we saw were water balls and the glows of energy balls being dispensed. We had no idea what the hell was happening out there.”
Mari sighed as her gaze lowered. “Rhys, you know with Triton and I nothing can get by us. We’d never let anything hurt Olivia.”
“No, Mari, I don’t know that,” he stated as she lifted her eyes to his again. “Because you have yet to show your full powers or capabilities in human form, never mind shifted.” His chest ached as she lowered her gaze again. He wished like hell she’d trust him, especially with her powers.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Rhys. You don’t understand what a shift for me involves. As I haven’t shifted in centuries, I’ll be hungry. It won’t matter that I’m sated in human form. Once I hit dragon mode, the beast will be going for the first meal it can find and Alston’s dairy population will go down considerably. I suggest if you want me to shift, you put me in the middle of the field, where I can eat and leave.”