by S. E. Smith
Cara giggled and turned in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a hot kiss to his lips. A low moan escaped her as he deepened it. They both groaned when he lifted her up against him, forgetting for a moment where they were at. It took several long minutes before the sound of Trisha clearing her throat sunk in and Cara pulled back, dazed. She gazed into Trelon’s heated gold eyes and cupped his face between her hands.
“You are the most amazing man I have ever known,” she whispered with a tender smile.
“Does this mean you want me to go to Earth?” Trelon asked in a husky voice.
Cara grinned and shook her head. “No, but thank you for asking. I got even with them. I knew the cheeky bastards were eyeing it so I filled their basket with rotten eggs. The place probably still stinks to high heaven.”
Chapter 4
“Why can’t I look for eggs as well?” Vox demanded an hour later as everyone moved out into the center gardens. He folded his arms and scowled stubbornly down at Riley. “I have been good. I brought your sister and Pearl to you.”
“Your brother kidnapped them,” Riley pointed out dryly. “And Easter egg hunting is for kids.”
“Semantics,” Vox replied stubbornly with a wave of his hand. “Your family is happy and they are here. That is all that matters. Now, I will hunt the colorful eggs with the younglings.”
Riley watched in disbelief as he turned and walked away. She growled low under her breath at his retreating back. She started to take a step forward but Pearl touched her arm, drawing her attention away for a moment. She shot a frustrated glare at her hard-headed mate who had joined the other men that were grouped in a tight circle.
“Let him and the others look for the eggs,” Pearl muttered to Riley. “They don’t stand a chance.”
Riley’s eyes narrowed on the satisfied smirk on her grandmother’s face. The only time Pearl had an expression like that was when she was up to something. That always meant someone was about to get their ass whipped BIG time.
“What are you up to?” Riley hissed, glaring at Pearl.
“It’s okay, Riley,” Cara said with a grin. “The guys are determined they are going to find the most eggs. Pearl and I figured it would be fun to watch them try, sort of like a reality television contest.”
“Yeah, Survivor,” Trisha muttered walking up to stand by them. “I’m betting on the kids. Pearl and Cara have already got them primed. I swear I saw them feeding the kids Pixy Stixs.”
Riley’s eyes widened at the mention of the pure sugar-filled concoction. “You didn’t even let me or Tina have those when we were kids!” Riley said, glaring at her grandmother. “Now you are feeding them to your great-grandson?”
Pearl shrugged as she watched Roam turning around and around in a circle trying to catch his own tail. A huge grin crossed her face when he stopped suddenly and fell over. Of course, the minute he did Amber, Jade, Spring and Phoenix were on top of him.
“All’s fair in love and war. And darling, we are going to have a war. The kids want those eggs. I just gave them the extra umpf they needed to win. They’ll sleep like rocks tonight after the sugar wears off. Now, as for the guys… well, let’s say they don’t have a clue as to what they have gotten themselves into being so damn stubborn. This is going to be more fun than a fight at the bar on a Saturday night,” Pearl said with a smirk.
“You…” Riley hissed, pointing her finger at Pearl. “… are a menace to the universe.”
“Well, someone had to take the position,” Pearl retorted. “Now, let the games begin.”
“You mean the slaughter,” Cara giggled.
They watched as Amber and Jade looked up as Harvey, Carmen and Creon’s symbiot, and Symba, her and Trelon’s symbiot, hopped over. It was so strange to see golden rabbits the size of a miniature pony.
“I think everything is ready. The men are working on their ‘strategy’ to figure out where the eggs might be hidden,” Abby said with a shake of her head as she joined them. “I tried to talk Zoran out of it but he pulled his ‘I’m the King of Valdier’ attitude on me.”
Riley rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Vox did that to me, too.”
“And you let him?” Carmen asked in surprise as she bent to hand small baskets out to the symbiot ‘bunnies’ who would accompany each child.
Riley raised her eyebrow at Carmen and looked at her in disbelief. “Of course not! But the big oaf wouldn’t listen to me so I told Roam to bite daddy on the ass the first chance he got if daddy dearest got in his way.”
Emma’s soft giggle drew smothered laughs from the other women as they turned to watch the guys plan their opening battle. They had no idea that the odds were stacked against them. The kids already had their eyes on the colorful prizes and they weren’t about to let anyone else get them – not even their dads.
Chapter 5
“Okay, on the count of one hundred you guys can go,” Abby called out.
“One hundred! Why are they getting to go now?” Vox demanded, pointing to where the kids, along with a symbiot bunny, were either crawling or wobbling toward the lush flowerbeds.
“Because they are kids, you dope!” Riley snapped. “It’s called a head start.”
“Personally, I think they got the head start when Cara and Pearl gave them the sugar candy,” Trelon muttered as he watched Amber and Jade race across the thick grass on their hands and knees squealing with glee.
“Trelon!” Cara rebuked.
“What? We’ve never done this either and our dragons love eggs,” he complained. “Shouldn’t that count for something?”
“He’s right,” Kelan finally admitted, rubbing his stomach. “I’m hungry and my dragon thinks the colored eggs will taste better for some reason.”
“Is that what he’s complaining about?” Paul muttered with a frown. “I thought he was just making it up because you guys were grumbling.”
“Daddy!” Trisha laughed. “Not you too?”
Paul had the good grace to look embarrassed. “It’s not me. I’ve done this a hundred times. It is the smell of the eggs. It is driving my dragon nuts.”
“Why aren’t we having the same problem then and why is Vox having issues? He’s not a dragon,” Carmen asked watching as Creon edged a little further away. “Creon, don’t you dare!”
Creon froze, his eyes darting to where Spring and Phoenix were pulling a couple of eggs out from under a bush. “I’m just keeping an eye on the girls,” he said defensively. “They looked like they needed some help.”
Carmen glanced at where the girls were babbling back and forth to each other then back at Creon with a raised eyebrow. He flushed and grinned at her. She couldn’t resist walking over and wrapping her arms around him. Rising up onto her tiptoes, she brushed a kiss across his lips.
“You are a terrible liar,” she murmured.
“Only with you,” he replied, pulling her closer. “You can always distract me though.” A shiver raced through Carmen at his suggestive voice.
“So, why are the guys and Vox having problems and we aren’t?” Ariel asked folding her arms and shooting a look at Mandra who was watching the kids like a hawk.
“It’s a male thing,” Morian replied. “To them, it is like the chocolate you brought back from Earth. My dragon goes nuts over that. Except for the Maratts and Grombots, I’ve never had a reaction like that before. Their father was the same way with eggs that were boiled.”
“So, how do you explain Vox?” Trisha asked looking at where Riley was holding on to the back of Vox’s shirt as he twisted and growled.
“It’s the hunt,” Riley replied, tossing her thick curly blonde ponytail over her shoulder as she glanced at Trisha. “His cat loves the hunt.”
“Haven’t you reached one hundred yet?” Vox impatiently growled to Abby.
“One hundred,” Abby called out with a laugh.
“What the... Vox, you are such a dweeb sometimes,” Riley called out as her mate shifted and she found herself gripping
thick fur. “Oh!” She gasped as he pinned her underneath his massive body.
She fought back a giggle when he ran his rough tongue over her cheek before twisting and darting to where Roam was disappearing under a thick bush. She sat up and shook her head as she watched her overgrown mate bounce across the open grass. God, she loved that big cat.
“Well, I don’t know about you ladies but I think a nice cold drink is in order,” Pearl called out as she settled into one of the many seats lining the area. “Now comes the entertainment.”
Riley glanced up at Ha’ven as he offered his hand to help her stand. She smiled her thanks before glancing around at all the women who were chatting and laughing. Her eyes moved back to the bush where her mate’s well-rounded ass was up in the air.
“It’s different but good, the way things are here,” Emma said quietly, rocking her tiny daughter in her arms.
Riley glanced at the quiet female that Vox had told her so much about. She knew that Emma had been through a lot and was amazed that the delicate human could bring someone as dark as Ha’ven Ha’darra to his knees with a smile. She grinned when Ha’ven slipped his arm protectively around Emma and pulled her and their daughter closer to him.
“So, how did you miss the desire to join the hunt?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.
Ha’ven chuckled. “Who says I missed out?” He replied with a twinkle in his eyes.
Riley’s eyes widened when he held his hand up and a glittering pink egg sat in the palm of it. All of them gasped when a moment later it disappeared. Riley’s mouth dropped open when it reappeared between Alice’s tiny hands.
“Ha’ven!” Emma breathed out in awe, staring in amazement at her daughter.
Ha’ven’s face glowed with pride as he tenderly ran his finger along Alice’s smooth cheek. He blinked back the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. Wrapping his arm tighter around his mate and daughter, he looked at Riley with a serious expression.
“Please…” He started to say before releasing a deep sigh and explaining. “Not many people are aware of what we can do”
Riley shook her head and glanced about with a mischievous grin. “I won’t say a thing. Mums the word.”
“I think we will retire to our rooms,” he said with a grateful smile as Alice yawned.
“Thank you, Riley,” Emma whispered softly, turning back toward the palace.
Riley watched as they quietly slipped down the garden path. She shook her head in wonder. If she thought she had her hands full, she could just imagine what Ha’ven and Emma were going to face. At least she could put a leash on her guys when she needed to. Just as that thought crossed her mind, she heard Roam’s loud hiss followed by Vox’s loud roar. Turning, she covered her mouth to keep the laughter from exploding out. Roam’s small, sharp teeth were firmly attached to the back of Vox’s pants. Roam was growling and pulling his dad backwards as Bálint, in the form of a dark purple and gold dragon, scooped up two eggs just out of his reach.
“Oh god,” she laughed. “The men vs the Dragonlings plus one cub.”
“Told you it would be better than a fight at the bar,” Pearl called out. “Dragonlings two, Vox zero.”
“Damn it, Roam. You got flesh that time,” Vox cried out, rubbing his ass.
Chapter 6
Trelon grunted as he crawled under another bush. He was glad his hair was still short otherwise it would be a tangled mess. He was covered in dirt and leaves. Jade and Amber had found a way to get to every damn egg before he did. It was like they were those damn sharks that Cara told him about, circling him and waiting until he found an egg then moving in for the kill.
Not this time, he growled under his breath as he worked his way toward the bright green prize. This one is mine. I’ll be damn if they get this one.
“Trelon, you might as well give up. They aren’t going to let you win. Jade baby, Daddy is going to get the green one,” Cara laughed out in hysterics as Jade wiggled her little butt and swished her tail back and forth as she prepared to pounce on her dad who half way under the brush.
Trelon glanced over his shoulder and scowled at Cara as he wrapped his hand around the bright lime green egg. He turned back and grinned at Jade who was staring at him with an intense expression before she sat down in front of him. He smiled victoriously as he held it up between his thumb and forefinger.
“This one is mine,” he growled in triumph. His eyes widened in disbelief with the egg suddenly turned to ash. “Hey, that’s not fair!” He cried out as Amber snorted a puff of smoke at him. Jade just grinned, showing off a mouth full of colorful eggs.
Trelon lowered his head to the ground in defeat as Symba hopped over and Jade shot the eggs she was hoarding in her mouth into the basket. With a flick of her tail, she climbed over his shoulder and down his back after her sister. He groaned as he lifted his head to look at the black ash where the one and only egg he had been able to retrieve before the girls did lay scattered on the soft ground.
I wonder if the other guys are having better luck than I am, Trelon wondered dejectedly as he turned and sat up.
Chapter 7
Zoran glanced around to see if any of the kids were close. He had found ten eggs so far. He carefully slipped the last one he found into the hole in the tree where he had been placing his hoard.
Mine! His dragon rumbled in a low voice.
Ours, my friend, Zoran smirked. We’ll retrieve them when no one is looking.
He had seen what was happening with Vox and Trelon. The dragonlings and Vox’s son were teaming up to work against them. If he didn’t know better he’d think they were actually able to understand the babble between them.
He had been smart, though. He had taken a different approach. He carefully marked where each symbiot had returned from and decided he would concentrate on one area. He was surprised he hadn’t found more eggs but the damn golden rabbits kept moving them whenever he was sure he was close.
He hadn’t seen Zohar. He wouldn’t be surprised if Trelon’s demons hadn’t terrorized his son into staying close to Abby. He felt a tinge of guilt before he pushed it aside. Zohar was really too young to understand what was going on. Next year, he’d have better control over his dragon and he’d help Zohar find some eggs. Hell, he was even going to share one from his hoard with his son. He’d even let Zohar pick out which one he wanted. Zoran rubbed his hands together and grinned.
Now, let’s go see if we can find some more, he chuckled to his dragon. I’m sure we can find a few more before the women call us in.
More, more, his dragon called out, bouncing inside him.
Zoran bit his lip so his laugh wouldn’t give away his hiding place. He hadn’t felt so young in years. In fact, the last time was when he and his brothers had found a stash of Maratts and Grombots when they were still younglings. The damn things had scattered in a hundred different directions and they had spent a fun-filled afternoon chasing them.
He moved quietly off. There was still another section he needed to check. He was so focused on finding the rest of the hidden eggs he never turned around. If he had, he would have seen the little dark brown and copper dragon peeking out of the hole, the remains of a bright blue egg shell around his grinning mouth.
Chapter 8
Kelan flexed the muscles in his shoulders. He and Mandra were working together. They figured that Jabir was too small to do much and Bálint was helping Roam. There was no way they could miss getting some of the colorful treats and they were not about to be out done by a bunch of toddlers!
He had tried to talk Creon and Zoran into joining in with him and Mandra so they could cover more area but both men had declined, saying they didn’t need any assistance in finding the eggs. He felt slightly guilty about not encouraging Trelon to join but he figured they needed someone to distract Jade and Amber. A slight shudder ran through him when he heard Vox’s loud yell again. He sniffed and grimaced when he caught the odor of burning hair.
“I think your son just lit Vox’s ha
ir on fire. I saw him with his head in the fountain,” Mandra chuckled. “Before this is over, he’s going to have shorter hair then Trelon.”
“From the number of times I’ve heard him cussing and my last glimpse of what the back of his pants looked like, he isn’t going to be sitting down either,” Kelan laughed. “So, how many eggs do we have?”
Mandra frowned and looked around for his symbiot. It had changed into a strange looking rabbit. It still had long ears and big back feet but this one had a pouch on its stomach, smaller front legs and hopped upright. It had followed them around as they collected the brightly colored eggs. Unable to hold them all, they had decided the pouch was the perfect place to keep their prizes safe.
“I don’t know,” he said, turning in a circle. “It was here a few minutes ago.”
“That’s okay,” Kelan said wearily. “I think we’ve found all of them in this section. I wonder how the rest of the guys are doing.”
Mandra shrugged. “Personally, I think Paul and Ha’ven were the smart ones,” he responded with a tired grin of his own as he wiped at the dirt covering his arms.
Kelan grinned. “Dola promised to make Paul a dozen which is why he is sitting out. I think she did that because she knew he would find them all before we could since he has done this before. Ha’ven is still in shock over having a daughter. Creon is the same way which is why he is hunting in the same section as Spring and Phoenix. I bet he is happy those two aren’t as bad as Trelon and Cara’s two.”
Mandra shuddered. “I’m just thankful that we only had the one. Jabir is as bad about animals as Ariel. I swear I find a different one in his crib every morning. How the damn things keep getting in I have no idea. Asim is trying to figure out how the creatures keep getting out of their enclosures but he hasn’t had much luck yet.”
“Well, I think we’ve got enough eggs between us,” Kelan replied, stretching his long arms over his head. “I need a shower. Those damn ‘rabbits’ made sure that some of them were hard to get to.”