Clove : Book 4 of Lord Emperor Vampire Series

It’s a little short of my usual ten pages, but to make up for that I offer: BUNNIES!!! Ooh yeah, the Hellcats are back too.

Thanks for taking the time to give me feedback on my writing. It gives me a thrill to see reviews, and in all honesty it keeps me motivated to keep pounding the chapters out. I have been remiss in doing all my Q&As, and in keeping with the new code (and possible banning) I will try to keep everything up to date in one posting. I was just lazy. No, I was tired. Sometimes I’m writing late into the night because the plot has finally kicked in again.

ATOI & K – before you get ready to rumble (just kidding) I’ll be added a chappie over in the Rants regarding Marcus/Hades questions. Just too much to say about it here.

Hashmalliam & Endellion questions _ I am not a liberty to discuss at this moment. Let’s just say the LOYAL ask very intriguing questions. I shall say no more at this time.

K: luv u 2

ATOI: Vacation good. Back at work now, bad. Ugh.

Laur:
Q: Skell challenged for 2nd to try to communicate with the brothers and so that the house would be behind him? Or did he try to do that to get to Claudius...its all confusing!!!
A: Lanny told Skell that Hades could beat his brains in. Skell ok’d the plan so Lanny went and issued the challenge to Hades. This was to get him to the brothers. It was Xavier’s idea to get back and finish beating the crap out of Hades to get the House of Assassins behind him. X needs an army behind him to take on Orel Wessel. It is the brothers combined efforts that will try and get the House away from Claudius.

Q: Skell is the baby brother and he can now change back and forth with the other brothers right?
A: While X is in charge, Sex and Azrael will be teaching Skell basic blue blood vampire skills. This goes on in real time, so I don’t have to write about it later. (did I happen to mention that I’m lazy?)

Q; So do X/Az/Sex/Skell want to be Blood Emperor or 1st in the Assassins???
A: The Four Brothers, well really 3, Skell isn’t up to speed yet, want to be Head of the House of Assassins. It is Law that only a Ranked Assassin can challenge for First. Since Hades set the precedent and Xavier forced the issue; First can challenge for Head.

HallowsEve
Q: I thought this line was a bit suggestive "“Candy will be the death of you, baby brother.”" does he mean Lanny or something else?
A: The sweetness of Hades' blood distracted Skell. For a brief instance he faltered and Hades cleaned his clock. I never thought of Lanny, but yeah, he could be the blueberry muffin of death or mayhem further down the road (just typing out loud here.)

Dark Avenger
O: There's one part where you refer to Marcus not being the baby anymore. I think you meant Armor.
A: Actually, Azrael has agreed to stop calling Marcus Puppy. His new nick is Babe…baby isn’t too far from that. I don’t think X has ever called Armor baby. His endearments are more descriptive.

Lioncourt
Q: how the f*** did he (Marcus) get to be First anyway?
A: Xavier disappeared. This left the Head of the House vacant. Claudius was promoted into that position without challenge. Marcus was moved up from second, without challenge, but he has defended his position five times, victoriously. Those who challenged were mentally crushed that there have been no more challenges since.

Bunnilious greetings to the Loyal! Mauh, Mauh Mauh to one and all: K(x3); a.taste.of.insanity (x6); Rosemary; Laur; meadows_peak; HallowsEve; Rainy; Dark Avenger; Natana; Lioncourt and Spirit

So…here’s the latest installment. ENJOY!


Chapter 149: Homecoming

There was too much going on around Claudius and me to remain in his comfort for long. Staff magically appeared and started collecting the broken mirrors. The Men in Black moved workout equipment for them to work unhindered. Let out a big sigh. It felt good to breathe.

“What the hell is going on?” Liam stood up and had Hades propped against his leg. “Xavier!”

Claudius set me back on my heels, climbed to his feet and pulled me up off the floor. When the hell did I end up on the floor? Now the adrenalin rush was over. I took a sidestep and almost fell over. I was weak. So damn weak. How did Skell function like this? Then I got it. This was how they controlled him. Those drugs keep us away, locked in the dark or on the beach while they barely kept his vampire body functioning. It would secure that he couldn’t heal. That he could use the Hand of Light against them. Claudius caught me and I found myself slung up in bridal pose. All the reserve that Skell had, I used up with the Healing Light and the blast of the Hand.

“Xavier?”

My voice was even cracked, “Blood.”

“Blood pack!”

I shook my head. My hair braids rattled. “Need human…”

That is why human feeding was forbidden so vigorously. Skell had been raised in isolation. His existence as a vampire was only what Orel Wessel had told him and that wasn’t a hell of a lot. They made him believe he was a mutant. That he was a genetic mistake. I could feel that hot core of anger flare inside me again. I thought it was bad enough to be able to see what Orel Wessel was doing to Skell. It took all three of us to create—for the lack of a better word a ‘mindmeld.’ Then we did that, it was like we had a home projection screen with just as sub par quality sound, that would show us baby brother.

Armor never did anything so horrible to me…to Sex.

The worse part was after Skell got raped by the guards, was watching him just lay there on his cot. Staring blankly at the wall but the rise in music in his head…was devastating. He couldn’t heal. He believed what that ass Andrews told him – that he physically sent out signals for them to rape him. Baby brother would just lay in physical silence and wait for the bleeding to stop, for the pain to dissipate and for the agony to leave his heart; but…but we were privileged to his inner soul. He was a part of us, no matter how many drug cocktails, Orel Wessel shot into his neck. Skell called on music to save his sanity…to heal the tears in his soul Music was his gauge. I didn’t want to listen to when it was pumped to 10 but as the first brother, I had to try and reach him. I don’t know if I ever did, but it seemed like when we would try, he would calm.

Then they tried to take his music from him.

Fucking bastards.

A human pressed close. I jerked my face away. My fangs ached so badly. It’d kill them if I drank. “Xavier…you need to drink…I can sense the weakness in you.” It felt good to hear Claudius badger me.

“In a glass. I don’t want to kill anyone.”

The blood was warm and full of life. I chugged the glass. I was a noisy drinker. I licked my lips. I needed more. Another glass was handed to me. I drank it greedily. And another. Finally some vitality was being brought to my body. It had been functioning on low for seven years. I closed my eyes and savored the richness, the mix of flavors then the scent of Honey filled my nostrils.

I snapped my eyes open and saw Liam standing in front of me holding a shot glass full of Hades. “I never thought I would be anything but relieved when we finally found you, Xavier. I never thought I would feel this….despair. You should never have beaten Hades. Before Orel Wessel, you would never have used the Hand of Light against him.”

I met Liam’s grey eyed gaze. “I was a child…I lived in a glass house and viewed the worked in black and white. My house has been shattered. The world is nothing but shades of grey. I will do what I must to get what I want because it’s my responsibility to make things better.”

Liam thrust the little glass into my hand. “Claudius is Lord Emperor now.”

I took the glass and tossed back like it was a shot of whiskey. Damn, I’d forgotten how potent Hades could be. I shut my eyes and let the energy that was my step grandfather fill my aching void. There I was. Finally after all these years, I felt like myself. Liam was still staring down at me, the pure anger that had burned into his gaze had faded. “Great power, comes with great responsibility. I am honor bound to help those who can’t help themselves. It doesn’t matter if I am called Lord Emperor or not. As Father said, “I have responsibilities I have to uphold.” I met his gaze, “You had it easy, William. They just killed you.”

Pain must have shown in my eyes because I found myself crushed to his chest. “What did they do to you?”

“They did nothing to me. They locked the door on me and my brothers and they raised a fledgling in their image. Skell has been shown nothing but the darkness of life.”

“Skell?”

“There are four of us now.”

“Little One?” I wrenched myself out of Liam’s hold and bolted to my big stupid fuck. He caught me in mid leap and twisted swinging me in a circle as I tried to hug his head off his neck. Oh my god. I missed this big monkey. His arms came up and caught me under my bony ass. I wrapped my legs around his waist. I didn’t give a flying fig who saw me.

“Father…”

“Welcome, Xavier home, Armor. You are the only one who can. I will deal with the aftermath. Come to the Great Hall at eight. There is much to discuss.”

I rested my forehead against the crook of his neck. I felt his rumbly reply. My apple orchard. I inhaled his heady scent. Orel Wessel tried but they didn’t get it right. There was something else about this vampire of mine. He turned and carried me out of the gym.

“I’m too heavy.” I muttered making a token protest.

“I have told you, Xavier. Now, that I have found you, I will never let you go.”

I raised my head and whispered into his ear. “I need you. I need you to be inside me. I’ve been so cold. Re-light my fire, Pretty. Make me warm again,”

I just clung to him like a burr. I don’t remember Von Drachenfeld being so large but it seemed like it took an eternity to get where we needed to be. Armor carried us to his bedroom. Slowly, he slid me to my feet, but he hunched over, catching my chin, pulling my mouth up to his. Oh. My. God. His lips were pure sin. I spiked my hands into his hair. A hand spread across my ass and jerked up against his body. His cock was hard and ready as it pressed into my stomach.

“I want to be gentle.” He broke out kiss and smiled sweetly down at me.

“I don’t want gentle. I want you.” I leaned harder into his body and wrapped my left leg around the back of his right thigh.

“X…..beautiful…don’t. I don’t want to rush you.”

“You’re about ten miles behind the erotic train, Pretty. Hurry up.” I licked at that junction between his ear and his neck.

One minute I’m trying to get Armor’s motor started , the next I’m up against the wall with a tongue down my throat. Armor ripped my t-shirt open with one hand. I got shoved higher up the wall and his mouth latched onto my tight nipple. My left nipple. The nipple that totally shut down all higher cognitive capabilities. Holy… My pants twisted down around my ankle. How the hell did that happen? Didn’t care. I kicked my pants off.

“Please, please, please…”

I grunted as he brought my legs up around his waist, and he pushed a digit deep into my portal. “Little One…”

I tuned my head and fanged him deep. He took it to be a green light. This wasn’t a calm meeting of the minds. His apple essence ripped through my senses. I got more excited. I didn’t think I could. His hard cock knocked at the back door then I tore my fangs free from his neck as he sank deep inside me. Aaahhhh I threw my head back and tried to remember how to breathe as my portal took him deep. He thrust forward. He bit my chin. I bared my fangs and snapped at him then turned my head to the left. His fangs buried into me.

Huh, huh, huh.

Each thrust drove me hard against the concrete wall. The back of my head smacked against the wall. I forced out my wings as a cushion. I groaned as Pretty wriggled his head and opened my fang holes a little wider. His thrusting sped up as he used the wings as a spring. They pushed me back deep onto him. AAAAHHHHHH! A cushion for the pushing. I think my eyes rolled up into my head.

“I. Missed. You. Every. Day.” My answer to his every word was…nnnuuuhhh. He hit my prostate with every thrust.

I erupted with a loud cry. My wings fluttered and beat against the wall. He dropped his fangs from my neck and grunted in my ear. “Beautiful…” He groaned lowly as I tightened my portal around him then pulled me away from the wall, wrapping his arms around my back, under my wings. I pulled his head toward me as he jutted deeper and released.

I kissed him. My neck hurt like a bitch. I let my tongue slip into his mouth and our essence blended together. Apple cinnamon. Slowly, he eased back on to the bed. I unlinked my legs as he lay prone, holding me on top of himself. I was warm. My wings lay spread on either side of us creating a cocoon of the scent of sex.

“My stupid fuck.”

“I never thought I would hear those words again.” His arms crushed me tight to his chest. He speared me again. I gurgled. He laughed. He thrust up into me. I cried out and shivered. “Would you like me to stop?”

Could the world stop revolving? My wings lifted up as I pushed myself up using his chest. I sank down on his spear of pleasure. My wings tingled as I shuddered.

“Little One…” Armor’s eyes were glazed red. I could still taste his blood on his lips. I ran my tongue around my mouth, lapping at all the purse essence still clinging to them. “I love you.”

I lifted myself up and dropped down on his thighs. Huh. I did it again. HUH.

I felt his hands on my hips keeping me steady. “Look at me, beautiful. Show me your…..uuuuuhhh. Show me your blue eyes.”

I must have done something right because my world tilted on it’s axis and I on my back, my thighs were spread wide, my hips cantilevered skyward and Armor was jockeying me hard down the home stretch. I squawked when Armor reached between us and started petting my forgotten cock. I was hard and slick with my own precum. Pretty began an alternating rhythm, thrust, stroke, thrust stroke, stroke, stroke …gaaah He pinched and twisted the start button. I exploded, I tightened and I gave a throaty orgasmic cry all at the same time.

When I could think again the only thing that floated in my mind was ‘Amazing.’

Armor squished me to the mattress. His chest heaved. I clung to his sweat slick skin. Mine. He was mine. I was his. I was home….and ew. I was messy. I felt my body release my love then fluids began to seep. I dissolved my wings. We dropped a little deeper into the mattress.

“I love, X.”

“I love you…”

“You can call me it again.”

I left a lazy smile cross my face. I pulled an arm free and twisted a long of his long apply scented hair around a finger. “I love you, my stupid fuck.”

“Again…”

“Beloved.”

“I think I like that better.” He eased up a little higher and began pressing gentle kisses to my swollen mouth. My lips tingled with the taste of him, the feel of him the scent of him. Twice in rapid succession and I felt a rapping at my chamber room. However, I felt really gross.

“I made the mess. I will clean it up.”

I will never get used to be hauled around like someone’s playtoy…but I will admit that I missed it. Armor swooped me off the bed and carried me all manly and chivalrous to the bathroom.

Apparently, the shower is a trigger.

Why? I as backed into the far corner, crouched like a beaten child with my hands over my head. My whole body shook and it wasn’t from the cold. The shower was actually on the warm side. But I felt so cold. Damn them. Damn them to fucking hell.

I found myself on Armor’s naked lap under the warm spray. He cradled me with his body, holding me with his arms and legs. Protecting me. I cried. I cried because of the years I had lost. The firsts I had missed out on with the triplets. The milestones in my family’s life that had gone by me un-celebrated. But mostly, I cried for baby brother.

I knew I wasn’t alone to face this….body feeling. This had been engrained into muscle memory. The pain and anguish. It was even worse when there was ejaculation. It just meant the title of demon whore was deserved.

“Promise me, Armor. Promise you’ll never let me go, no matter what I have to do.”

His lips pressed against my temple. “On my heart, I swear. I will follow you to into the depths of hell.”

I took a deep breath. I knew I was with Armor. I knew the warmth beneath me with my big hunk of Vampire. I also knew he was ‘only human’. Frail and weak. He was as good as his word. He would follow if he could but if he lost me…if they took me again… “You can track a soul?”

There was a pause, “Not me. I think it is within Marcus’ abilities. I do not think he has ever tracked a soul.”

“They wiped me out completely Armor. I was supposed to be the number one brother and I fell in three months. Whatever drugs they were using locked me up completely within three months. Azrael lasted for nine. Sex…the things these did to him…are unspeakable. If you cannot follow, kill us. Have Marcus track the pieces of soul you have given to us, to me and to Azrael. Surely that still exists even if our individuality is gone. Don’t let them do that to us…and to baby brother again. It would be an act of kindness to kill us.”

Armor hugged me tighter to his chest.

“I used to love the shower. We did our best work here.”

“Then we will take it back. Do what you will with me, Little One. I will gladly accept any sign of affection from you.” Unconditional love. He has always given me, shown me unconditional love, --even when I didn’t want it. I brought my arms around him and hugged him for all I was worth.

“Thank you…”

“I did little to nothing.”

“No, for taking care of Skell’s need. You showed him something he has never seen before.”

I moved as his chest rumbled with laughter, “An A-1 blow job?”

I had to laugh at that. “Well there was that, but you showed him acceptance and caring. And as much as he liked the attention….I need you to take these frickin’ whips out of my head.”

“That was not what I was expecting, Little One.” I could feel Armor stirring back to life. I got all warm and fuzzy inside.

“Are you happy to see me, or that a bar of soap in your lap?”

“Forever and always…and it’s a loofah, no mere bar of soap.” His eyebrow arched imperiously at me but it was tempted with a sweet smile.

I climbed to my feet. “X?”

“We take it back. As I recall, you drown in a tub.” I stroked my hand down his water slicked skin. “Be careful with me, Armor. Most of the worst things happened in the showers. Don’t come at me from behind. I honestly fear I might hurt you. Blast first, ask questions later.”

He blocked the shower head with his back as he bent down to kiss me. Just our lips at first, tasting each other. There was something indefinable to Armor’s essence. They didn’t have it right. Our kisses got deeper. Open mouths slightly, the tip of the tongue darting our to sneak against the other tongue. I dropped fang and scraped it along his lower lip, making blood well up in his lip. I sucked it from him.

“Do you want to take me, Xavier?” His eyes were banked red. There was a flush of pink in his cheeks. His lips were red and swollen. I thought my heart was going to fly out of my chest.

My words were barely a whisper. “Love me, Beloved. Make me forget. Make me remember. Make me whole again.”

I was cleansed as if I was a precious work of art. Every inch of me was touched with such reverence. I cried. Tears ran down my face as I was treasured. I felt treasured. Armor reminded me what it was to be loved. I nestled into his arms not really remembering feeling sated and safe in such a long time. He tucked a hand towel on his bicep, pressed my head against it and curled around me.

I was truly home.

I felt like mosquitoes the size of VW beetles were ripping my forearms off. Crap. I opened my eyes to see two hellcats sucking on me. “SHADE!” It was happy yet appalled that she and Snowflake were sucking off me without permission.

/You’re lucky I’m not sucking your throat, you bastard. Where the hell have you been for the past seven years?/

Ow…ow.. “Sonaofbitch…”

/Shut up and bleed./

Armor held me propped against his chest. “Chesterton and his art of making essence kept Her Majesty and Snowflake alive but it is akin to blood packs.”

I winced as Shade ripped a fang sideways to get more blood flow. “Ain’t nothing like the real thing?” I smart alecked through clenched teeth.

I got a red tail off the midriff. She didn’t seem to be weak. This felt horrible and I wasn’t fully charged to begin with. When I got light headed slumped back on Armor, he pulled my arms away from their hungry tongues. He looked at the damage. “This was unnecessary, Your Majesty.”

/I’m sorry. I was pissed. Nothing. For seven years, I’ve been searching for you and you couldn’t tell me to came back? I had to hear about it from Liam and Cilly./

Armor licked at my fang slices. Can you say pour hydrogen peroxide into a still bleeding wound? I was still emotional. Yeah, that was it. I cried, again. I got a mouth full of red fur as Shade ran her head at my chin. I couldn’t help it. I gagged. I expected another hellcat whack but instead, the Queen of the Hellcats, morphed down into a red kitten then walked up my chest and settled in the crook of my neck. Her purr rang in my ears. The white hellcat dropped down to a full grown fat cat, curled into a ball and immediately dropped into a full belly coma.

/Welcome home, Xavier. You’ll be beaten later for making me worry./

“Thanks, Shade. It’s good to be home.”

Home wrapped his arms around me after he sealed my leaking arms. Sometime after I feel asleep and drooled on his arm, he had started unbraiding my hair. Shade made herself to home in my white wavelets. A little red paw came out and hung off my shoulder touching my throat as almost to assure herself that I was there. /I’m here, Your Majesty./

/Don’t leave us again, Lord Emperor./

I felt a sharp pang in my chest. /I’m not the Lord Emperor anymore./

/Yes, you are. Don’t argue with me. I’m pissed at you but I’m trying to magnanimous about it so just say you won’t leave and go back to sleep it’s the middle of the night./

I reached up and scratched at her small red kitty head. “I’m not going anywhere, Shade. I’m right where I want to be.” I pressed my head back into the crook of Armor’s shoulder. Shade shifted and draped her little kitty body so she was kind of sleep sitting on my extended neck. I got a tender kiss to my temple.

“You are right where I want you to be as well, Little Beloved. Sleep. I have you.” A big mitt sprawled across my stomach. The other opened over my chest, the center of his palm was over my beating heart. “I have got you.”

I let out a slow deep breath and let sleep cradle me again. Yeah, Armor’s got me and I couldn’t be more content. I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

* * *