“Who?”
“Your momma!” he grinned. “Boy she is still one fine looking woman. And no disrespect to your daddy, but if she wasn’t with your daddy, I’d hop all over that little ancient ass.”
Mari slapped him. “Ewe, gross. Now I have to go wash out my ears or something. She’s my mother you moron, don’t say stuff like that to me.”
Triton belted out a laugh. “Let’s go find some place to talk, we have a lot to catch up on, and I need to fill these boys in on what’s happening under sea.”
Rhys snarled when Triton took her hand, leading her away.
“Easy,” Drake said as they turned. “He’s not a threat.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Well for one, they’ve apparently known each other for quite a while and she chose you.” Drake smiled as he slapped his back. “Let’s go, they’re heading toward your place.”
* * * *
Mari frowned at Triton as he started hitting on one of Rhys’ house staff. What he’d just revealed was an attack from the sea was imminent. The darkness was raising his army to try and attack Alston from that angle now. Drake had left to talk to the Elder council about what they’d learned and Rhys stood by the window. “Triton, what does your father think?”
“He’s calling his guards to arms. He’s also been speaking with my aunts and uncles about what’s happening on their ends. They don’t want to get involved; they’ve fought the darkness once with your father and sustained a lot of casualties.”
“Why wouldn’t they want to fight against the darkness?” Rhys asked. “Isn’t it as much a threat to them as us?”
“It is, and my father has made that point known. If we don’t destroy the darkness or find some way to seal it forever, it will come back with a vengeance like it is now.”
“But how do we seal it? None of us has that kind of power,” Mari said as she laid her arms across the table.
“Your father does.”
Mari met Triton’s gaze. “And my father is sleeping.”
“We may have to take the chance of waking him, Mari. Does he know what’s going on?”
“Yes, he’s aware.” Her eyes lowered to the table as she sensed Rhys’ gaze burning into her back as Triton’s eyes narrowed.
“You haven’t told him who your parents are? I thought you were joining as mates?”
“We are but I haven’t had a chance to explain certain—things—to Rhys.”
“Damn, I thought you would have explained everything to him before sleeping with him, because you know what happened before.”
Mari glanced over at Rhys and frowned, turning back to Triton when he busted out with laughter.
“By the Gods, this is great! You haven’t slept with him yet have you? The Terror of Tahiti, The Sex Kitten of Shangri-la, The Arouser of Atlantis…”
“Shut-up, Triton,” Mari growled.
“Oh no,” Rhys grinned. “Continue.”
“No, it’s time for you to go play with Rhys’ servant,” Mari stated as she jumped up. “So I can talk to Rhys.”
“Or other things,” Triton grinned as he wiggled his eyebrows.
“You’re cruising for a bruising, water boy.”
Triton sighed dramatically, the smile still in place. “Water boy? No respect I’m telling you, no respect. So, Lord Beven, do you mind if I partake in some extra activities with your beautiful coven ladies? It’s been awhile since I’ve had the pleasure of loving a Vampire.”
Mari rolled her eyes as Rhys grinned. “What, you can’t be happy with one, oh scourge of the seven seas?”
“They’re adults to do as they will,” Rhys answered as he stepped up behind Mari.
“Excellent,” Triton boomed as he rose. “Mariwen, make use of this night and bed your man,” he laughed as he wrapped an arm around a brown haired female. “And you, my love, can bite to your heart’s content, it won’t hurt me a bit. But just so you know, I may bite back.”
“You’re so overconfident, you horny toad!” Mari called out listening to his laughter.
“Mariwen,” Rhys smiled. “I like it.”
“Well I’m glad, seeing as how it’s my name.”
“So your mother is an ancient?”
Mari’s chest pressed tight against her shirt as she breathed deeply and turned to meet his gaze. “Yes.”
“And my soon to be father-in-law?”
Her eyes lowered. “My father is—my father is…”
“Are you embarrassed by him?”
“No!” Her eyes whipped up meeting his gaze. “I love my father. I’m just very protective over him is all.”