Riley growled again, his expression more indignant with every blow. Now he was determined to stay stock still - the strikes to his legs were brutal, and as much as he was enjoying the abuse, he certainly didn't want any of that power coming in contact with his very much exposed and not at all protected dick. The muscles in his thighs rippled and twitched. He distracted himself from the pain by letting his amber eyes roll over Tao's bare torso. It was quite the sight; pale, as vampires always were, and his skin didn't smell like the open, sun-filled air. Most vampires that Riley had met before - and there weren't many of them - smelled musty, like old books. Tao just smelled like himself, if that made any sense.
"I'm strong." Riley hissed in reply, "And I've had worse." Naked and shivering in the woods, fighting tooth and nail not just to survive, but to dominate and to rule. He had spent hours with his back, chest, and face sliced to ribbons, slivers of his ribs and spine exposed to the open air. The majority of his scars had come from those trials, and he had earned the black ink tattoos that marked him because of his endurance. "I've fought the old wood and I've beaten it back." He shuddered, "That's what I am."