Blood Revenge

Chapter 2

The day of Anders' party, Iwoke up in an excellent mood. My skin had begun to tingle in thewonderful way it always did when Reif was close. I knew he was duehome from Lunda that day and I couldn't wait. I rolled Anders'head gently off my stomach and slid down to kiss his lips softly.When he woke and started kissing me back, I smiled around his lipsand climbed on top of him to straddle his waist. When I finally brokethe kiss, purring like a satisfied cat and sliding my body over his,he grinned and clutched my upper arms. "What was that for?"

"Happy Birthday," I hummed.

"I've gotto grow older more often." He smirked. "Do I get my present now?"His mirth was so childlike, it made me fall in love all over again.

"You have to wait until yourparty," I teased and watched his mirth switch to a pout, then adevious grin in no time at all.

"In front of all of thosepeople? My, my, Ana," he teased me back.

"Be careful or you'll get nopresent," I threatened.

"Must you torment me so?" Hepouted and this time it stuck.

I tapped his lips teasingly andslithered off of him, my bare feet hitting the floor. "I have a lotto do before your party. Can I trust you to behave and stay out ofthe hall until then?"

He rolled his eyes as I slippedon one of my over-sized shirts and a pair of leggings. "Yes, littlewarrior," he promised grudgingly.

"So help me, if I catch yousneaking around with your sodding invisibility spell," Ithreatened.

"It's no worse than when youuse your bond mate as a mole," he countered.

It was a fair jab. Ever since I'dfound out Reif and I could share our vision, I'd used it to my fulladvantage. "Little mage bits..." I warned and went about mybusiness.

The closer to party time it got,my body started to hum. Reif was so close my teeth gritted to staveoff the buzzing, as I changed into my dress. I blinked, waiting formy eyes to focus on whatever he was seeing as I channeled ourconnection. I blinked again, shutting it down almost immediately whenI realized he was about to burst through the door I was pressedagainst. I hopped aside in my bare feet, just in time as the doorswung violently open. "Stasia!" he called as he blazed in theroom, his powers like a wave of heat following him. He looked in apanic as he glanced around frantically.

"I'm here," I said, sharinghis anxiety. Reif spun at breakneck speed in my direction thengathered me urgently up in his arms. He had been away at Lunda longerthan usual, taking care of his kingly duties and any time apart forus was like torture. I sighed deeply as his bare skin mingled withmine. As if I'd breathed the air into his lungs, he sucked in abreath exactly as deep as my sigh at the same time. His intention wasto pull in every facet of my scent.

Oh his lengthy exhale, hemurmured, "Am pierdutatat de mult, Salonul mea de Sange...I'd almost forgotten."

I giggled ecstatically as hebreathed on my ear and down my neck. "I missed you too. How'rethings in Lunda?"

"Lonely," he confessed,finally releasing me so I could breathe. "How fares everyone here?"

"Dante is growing like a weedand Steph is getting more and more like her father every day," Isaid.

"I disagree. I see much of youin her, Stasia," he smiled lovingly, brushing a stray hair from myface. Suddenly, he stepped back to take a look at me. "Your dressis exquisite. Anders willbe pleased."

"Julius outdid himself," Iagreed. Reif was still dressed for travel in his usual black onblack. I smiled. "You came straight from the gates."

He looked down and blanched. Hehad the look of one shamed as he said, "I fear I may have trackedmud all of the way here from the steps." He shuffled his feet.