“Then again taking it slow is also a great thing…” Shade wiggled in a futile manner.
“You are right they are waiting!” she squealed as he planted more kisses on her jaw and shoulder. He nipped her back and she giggled.
“Alright let us go…” he replied huskily.
“Let’s go,” she corrected.
“Let’s go before your brother comes looking for us. He may not like what he sees, little one.”
Shade ran to the bathroom and nearly fell into the sink when she saw her reflection. Her hair was everywhere and her face was flaming red from their intense kissing. Her lips were swollen and tender. Shade had never felt more alive or more content in her entire life.
She swiftly brushed out her hair and splashed cool water on her face.
When she returned Damon growled deeply and pounced on her causing her to yelp. She loved this fun loving and affectionate side of Damon, even if the broody one was sexier.
Damon took her hand in his and pulled her to the patio. When they reached the first step he swept her up on his back and jogged around the side of the stone house to the path Shayla had told them they would find. Trees were everywhere, from tropical palms to pines and firs. It was more of a chaotic maze then anything. Damon held her tightly to him as he made his way down to the beach. Shade was worried he would stumble on the rocks. It was a long and painful looking way down.
“There they are,” Shayla called. Mikhail looked at the obvious couple and released a held breath. Shade was no longer his baby sister. It was apparent from the way she shined and her swollen lips. The two had been making out.
“Now that you two have that out of the way we can continue. Shade I want you to shadow me as I engage Mikhail. Damon please point out various moves to her. I will go slowly for her but she must pay attention.”
Shade dropped from Damon’s back and tried to hide the blush that broke out on her face.
“Are you ready girl?”
“Her name is Shade, Shayla, please call her that and not girl or vampire,” Mikhail said. Damon agreed.
“Fine, Shade can we begin?”
“Yes, Shayla go ahead.” She made a point of saying her name.
Shayla danced dangerously around her brother Mikhail. She landed three hits before Mikhail could even get in the right direction. It was obvious that her well trained brother was nowhere near the level of Shayla.
Damon pointed out particular moves as the female wolf had asked and even positioned Shade to mimic her better. Shade found it extremely irritating and a waste of time. She followed the best she could but the sun was draining her energy.
Several hours later it was dark, the moon high above them made the ocean to her right sparkle. On land with Damon beside her she did not fear the water as much.
A salty breeze would dance randomly by stirring the hair from Shade’s neck providing a moment’s worth of refreshing contentment which would distract her.
Another two hours of strenuous training and Shayla said they could take a break. Shade was shaking her head but at this point she felt she had caught on to something. She was not completely sure yet but even Damon and her brother Mikhail seemed excited and pleased with her hard work.
Shade watched Damon gulp down two glasses of blood. Shayla looked at him curiously but must have spotted the fang marks on his neck because she said nothing. She knew he should not need a drink again after this morning’s two glasses of blood.
After Shayla and Mikhail scarfed down two rare steaks they went back to the beach and Shayla once more shared some moves with her. Shade wanted to scream at Shayla for being so pushy but neither of the guys complained so she did what she could have never done as a human.
The flips were almost impossible. Shade could not clear the ground enough. Damon realized it was fear that held her back. He told Shayla to let him work with her a bit because he was sure he could get Shade to do it.
She had just landed on her rear for the fiftieth time. She would much rather be back in the room on the bed making out with Damon. The moonlight reflected in his eyes. His earrings sparkled and attracted her attention many times. He was just too sexy.
Damon was trying not to laugh at Shade’s irritation. She was just so cute trying to kick up at his arm. He was not as tall as her brother either. Damon was built well, his muscular body defined as any vampires. He had been stronger than most men before being turned. He had worked the fields and was called on to move or carry logs for the older men. That was back in the early thirteen hundred’s. Since then he had tracked and hunted rogues and feral’s all over the world.
He helped Shade up and whispered to her that she was doing well not to worry.
Shade mumbled under her breath that he was blind.
Shayla watched Damon work with her for a few moments and noticed Shade glancing over at them every few minutes so she agreed with Damon and told Mikhail they would leave them alone.
“We will begin again tomorrow evening,” Shayla told them.
Damon nodded but Shade merely growled.
Once they were out of eyesight Damon picked up Shade and put his head to hers.
“Stop trying so hard. You are not human, love. It is not hard. You just have to clear your mind, trust me, and do it.”
Shade took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt Damon’s hand on the small of her back for support. She leaned to the right slightly and crouched forward before launching up and over. Damon applied slight pressure at the crucial moment and it was enough to propel her over and onto her feet. Her knees buckled but she did it.
Damon clapped and helped her up again.
“Much better Shade, again.”
Shade did it at least twenty more times and all but four she landed on her feet. She lost the fear of falling on her face and before long was doing it on her own.
An hour later she could flip around Damon as he lunged for her without using her hands on the ground for support. Her form was better now and not clipped. She could move around him gracefully barely touching the ground. It was only one flip of many but she was proud.
Damon showed her several more but only one was as good if not better than the first. He changed tactics and showed her a few moves she could add to the flips to make them lethal.
She could not take an ancient down but definitely any humans or newborns. Her slim build made the spin kicks and flips easier for her than Damon, although he could if he chose.
Shade was gaining confidence quickly and moving much faster now that her brother and Shayla were gone. They worked on various types of disarming techniques until Damon felt the sun rising. They had worked far into the night and Shade was getting slower. She needed more blood and some rest. Her body was still improving and in a few weeks she would be doing everything he and Shayla had shown her with ease.
“I need more blood Shade and we both need a shower. We can continue tomorrow.”
Shade smiled brightly at him. She was grateful he felt the same way. She had become quiet since she first met him and was curious as to why. Normally she had no problem opening up to her friends.
She lost that train of thought when Damon ran to her, scooped her up, and ran with her around the house and up the patio to the kitchen. Shade giggled like a child, so tickled with him.
He made his self another glass of blood and then took Shade to their bathroom.
Shade looked frightened at first until she realized he was not turning the light on. He began adjusting the temperature of the water and taking his own clothes off.
Shade simply stood there unsure of what to do. She had been caught up in the moment earlier that day but now she was back to being hesitant.
Damon turned Shade around to face the other direction before she could catch a glimpse of him in the dark bathroom. He slowly began peeling her clothes away until she stood in only her under clothes. He gave her a second to adjust, never touching her except only when necessary. When he had taken her shirt off she had raised her arms to a
ccommodate him slowly becoming used to him.
Damon knew this was hard for her and he wanted to help her anyway he could.
When he had her completely naked he steered her to the shower and let her get under the warm water. Shade let it flow over her washing sweat and sand away down the drain. He was still not touching her, keeping his hands to himself completely.
Shade reached blindly for the shampoo on the edge of the tub but before she found it he had reached for her hair and used it to gently pull her closer to him, out of the water. She felt his hands start massaging cold shampoo into her wet hair. He still had not reached for her. When he was through he adjusted the position of the spray to rinse her hair. She heard him began washing his self.
Shade found the soap and quickly cleaned herself off and rinsed. When she reached for the shower curtain Damon took her hand and pulled her around to face him. He looked like a small boy afraid of getting a harsh reprimand or punishment. He pulled her closer to him and found her lips in the dark. No other parts of their bodies touched.
Damon whispered for her to bite him. Shade hesitated but she imagined earlier when she had tasted his blood and her teeth slid out. She realized then they would have to touch in order for her to feed. Damon pulled her into his arms quickly, then took her hands and placed them around his neck. Shade stayed absolutely still. The front of her body was pressed to his but he was not like earlier. He was only worried about her now.
She pierced the skin below his jaw line and took a small amount of blood. Damon’s hands stayed on her shoulders the entire time.
After a moment he pushed her back and shut the water off.
Damon was trying to make a point that he was waiting for her to make the next move but that he would not let her recede from him and lose any ground they gained.
As she reached for the towel Damon’s hand shot passed and then used the towel to dry her hair thoroughly. Shade stood beside him as he dried her back off and then handed it back to her. He made no sound the entire time, hoping it would make her at ease if she felt she was alone. She dried off and wrapped the towel around her as Damon took the second towel and dried himself. He followed her example and wrapped the towel around his waist. He took her by the hand and led her to the bed.
Shade balked at the edge of the bed. Damon merely picked her up and tossed her to the opposite side. She let loose a high pitched squeak while she was in the air. Before she regained her senses they were both under the blanket with her towel falling off around her waist.
Damon pulled the blanket up and scooted closer to her.
Shade stiffened at his touch.
“Shh, I am not going to try anything Shade. I am moving closer to you. I just want to feel you next me like every night, love.”
Shade relaxed as she took a deep breath. He was Damon and they loved each other.
Shade abandoned all restraint, rolled to him, and wrapped herself around him. She found his mouth and kissed him as she had been wanting to since they went to the beach.
Damon was completely enthralled with Shade, so much so he barely noticed when she climbed on top of him minus the towel, her chest pressed onto his.
Damon rolled onto his side and pulled her with him. He was not going to take anything from her tonight. Shade whimpered but deep down she was grateful.
They lay together quietly cuddling and soon both were sound asleep.
The next few days rolled into one with Shade learning what she could do as a vampire. She became quite lethal even in her small form. She was in some ways more so because she was harder to catch. She could slip through nearly anything. When her brother tried catching her she was there one second and behind him the next simply by twirling or flipping around him. She could avoid most attacks by bending or leaning one way or another.
Damon was quite proud of her.
When Gideon finally called he said that he could have the money delivered straight into the Columbian port. Damon told him he would meet him there at the designated time.
Shade was enjoying her training by this point but also was ready to get off the island temporarily.
Shayla called them to the library to discuss what they would do next.
“I will more or less drain my account. With them hunting me I cannot count on it being there any longer. Gideon told me they have officially counted me as a rogue. I am to be killed on sight. No one knows anything about Shade but Mikhail and she have been reported missing. The search is not big it seems only one person reported them. Gideon did not file as her Master because he felt that would draw attention to me.”
“I agree,” Shayla said.
Mikhail nodded.
“Therefore she is an illegal.” Damon waited while they considered that.
“Shade and I will go on the ship to pick up the cash and the next shipment of blood. Gideon is driving in to meet me so no one knows he is headed to Columbia. His newborn is carrying half of my money and he has the rest.”
“Is it safe for her to be out in public if she is an illegal shadow creature?” Shayla asked.
Damon shrugged. He knew the answer but it was pointless to convey.
“Makes sense to do it that way. What are you planning when you get back?” Mikhail asked.
The Lykan couple did not seem as close as Shade and him but not all couples were. He also knew the pup held a grudge towards his mate, which Damon completely understood.
“We will begin hunting the overlords, from minor royalty to the princes. She is not ready but I have no choice. I will wait as long as I can then go to each of their homes and take them out. Death is the only way we can be free and our world can balance itself out. In time Shayla can take a more permanent role in things.”
“It will take time,” she replied but was nodding.
“Maybe years, but once we will kill enough of them they will back off and leave us alone. I figured we could take two or three out and then disappear for a while and then go back out again when things calm down.”
Damon’s plan was sound but long term.
“Gideon said that the Royals are coming together soon in one location. They will be there for one night only. They will sleep nearby and if he attends he should be able to locate where their lairs are. That or find a way to take them out at the meeting.”
“That is really good news. I fear though that they will come down harder on you at first until your point is made,” Mikhail replied.
Damon nodded.
“You’ll of course keep us out of it. Shade and you both have a place to stay as long as you are not followed here. I’m taking extreme risks by this.”
Damon agreed with her. Even though she sounded bias she was right. There was no point in involving them or the innocent humans on the island.
They came up with various ideas about how to take out the Royals all in one hit. Damon was a fighter and did not care for technology so he dismissed most of the ideas. He knew though that he could not take on the Royals face to face. He was starting to think Mikhail’s idea was the best. Find out where they were meeting and blow it up.
Damon would think on it while he and Shade went to meet Gideon.
They drove back to the boat dock and waited while the ship came in from sea. Shade hid her face behind Damon’s arm. She would never get over her dislike of water. She was worse than a cat.
Shade chatted the whole way to the boat and as they parked the car. They headed up top to wait out the short distance to the Columbian port.
“I think Mikhail is not happy.”
“I agree, babe. He is at odds with his sire it seems.”
“I think she was being selfish when she bit him. She could have approached him and told him everything,” she replied with a death grip to his arm.
They still had not made the last step in the relationship physically but they were completely comfortable with the other. Shade had absolute trust in him now. When the time came for them to go the next step she was sure she would be ready. There were times she
wished he would now.
Damon was just as tempted as Shade to explore each other more fully but he wanted her to be at her best when they faced the Royals. He was sure they were expecting something. He just would not attack immediately. Let them think he was going to just stay hidden so they would drop their guards. He had learned quite a bit from Shade about slang and how modern people socialized. She had even taught him to text. He still preferred to call and get it over with.
She was also learning how to be a vampire. She could drink from a cup without any problems but they had learned that they both preferred her to drink from him. He had not bit her yet but was always tempted.
As they came close to the shore they walked back to the car in one another’s arms. Shade reached for him when they got to the car. Damon obliged her gladly and picked her up. He reached for her lips and showed her again how much she truly meant to him. His kisses wandered aimlessly from chin to the sensitive area behind her ear. She would shiver in anticipation and nearly faint from the absolute pleasure.
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