Caramel: Book 3 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Series

Oh, I gave in and enjoyed a few games of hockey, a night at the casino (lost my $40) and gasp, even went to dinner and a show. Why, you may ask -- because this chapter was friggin difficult and very sad for me to write. If you want to cry, I was listening to “Stay” by Shakespeare’s Sister while writing the dog bits.


SPOILER ALERT
I will have you know that pressure points work. Again, Why? I was a demonstration dummy. I when I say dummy, I mean dummy. Know what the hell you are volunteering for. Holy crapola. They can drop you like a redwood and the pain lingers for hours.

Q & A

Toriew (welcome)
Q: What is Lanseng? Is he a vampire?
The BLOOD is a term I have used to refer to those races that exist in the Cake/Cinnamon/Caramel universe that are non-human. I think someone actually asked this before, but I didn’t answer because I hadn’t worked out much of anything yet. But, some things have solidified so, here I go again.

There are fourteen Blood Races. You have been introduced to Vampires, Lycan, Seers Ocanlov (now extinct) and Hellcats. So that leaves me a whole bunch of other Bloods to toss around later. [Oh, I was so uninspired when it came to naming the demons of fire, I just wrote volcano backwards. XD ]

Lanseng is from the BLOOD COLLECTIVE, known by others as Seers, due to their ability to see the future, the present and the past. As Lanseng mentioned, now that the modern world is so chaotic, they have retreated to quieter areas to basically save their minds from overload. Lanseng was chosen out of all the Collective to serve this generations Hashmallim (destroyer of nations) and his physical form was designed to appeal to the brothers. What else he does….I don’t know yet.


Brittany
Q: Explain how Az is so perfect? Why did he sleep with Lanseng?
Azrael is not perfect. Marcus just finds him to be overwhelming. M asks, and Az makes sure that M receives just what he asked for. M is used to disappointment. If he is happy, he waits for the other shoe to drop. Most of Az/M’s problems are M’s fears and insecurities.

Now, why did Az sleep with Lanseng? Az has his own insecurities. He worked hard and took the time to do it right, when he mind walked the music teacher. He thought it was a great gift, at the time. Having M abandon him in a public venue, basically kicked in his fangs. I had been thinking of having him drunk when he went with Lanseng, but going in as emotional wreckage was a cry for comfort and acceptance and he can’t whine about it later. (or you can argue with me)


Paradox:
Q: I still don’t get the whole “Carmel’ thing.
Well I probably should have used the term “Caramelize” - To heat sugar to its melting point, at which time it liquifies into a clear caramel syrup. This Volume is mostly about the change of the brothers and the pod as events ‘heat’ up around them. In the end, there will be transformations; some sweet; some gooey and some scorched – Caramel. I hope that clears the title up for you.


Thanks to the Loyal who took the time to R&R and give me your opinions of Marcus. I hope that this chappie incorporates your ideals and desires. : Sadistic Masochist; toriew; HallowsEve; Rosemary; Astra; Miles; Romanticfae; bambigirl; cria31; Mihara; Brittany; k; laur; a taste of insanity; rosei; jenna t. (kudos for the longest OMG’s I have ever received.—love it! Sorry about the rootbeer. XD and Soda[ilicous]) Also, Spirit and Paradox

As always, ENJOY!

Chapter 104: Tired

“Marcus, Marcus, Marcus.” I twitched and finally brushed the annoying buzz from my ear. “I had to lay on you to keep you still, Azrael.”

I opened my eyes and blinked at the red eyes staring me in the face. Jees. “Lanseng, what are you doing?”

“You drool.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“You talk in your sleep.” Lanseng brushed his hand across my forehead, pushing my hair off my forehead.

“I know that, sorry.”

“I will make you something to eat. Rest. I will wake you when everything is ready.”

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You should really think of braiding your hair when you sleep. It’s all tangled. I will brush it when I get back.”
He rolled off the bed, turned and tucked the covers around me. What was I? Five?

“Marcus has made you the caregiver. Accept that someone wants to do something for you. Go back to sleep.” He pulled on a strand of white hair. Oh yeah, I’m back to normal…well as close to normal as I was going to get. Lanseng was right. I was still tired. I yawned and wiggled over onto my stomach. I could use more shut eye. I drifted right back to sleep.

/Alpha…Alpha…ALPHA!/

Huh? What? I lifted my head up and was blinded by my snowstorm of hair. I rubbed at my eyes.

/ALPHA!/

/Haley?/

/Get up! Get out….watch out!/ I barely had time to turn when I got hit with a grey Lycan form. He took me clean off the bed, along with the sheets and pillows.

“What the fuck?” Haley landed on top of me and he changed back to his human like form.

“Stay still.” Haley hissed down at me. I couldn’t see him because I was trapped in the sheets and covers.

“AZRAEL!!” Marcus bellowed from the doorway.

Oh, Holy Crap.

“I know you’re here. I can smell you. Haley…what are you doing? I told you to stay in the car.”

“Claudius told you to stay in your room.” Haley returned flattening out on me.

“Get off me.” I pushed at Haley. He wrapped his arms around me effectively trapping me in the blankets. “Haley!”

I heard a yelp and fought my way out of the blankets to see Haley bounce on the edge of the bed where he had been thrown and disappear off the side. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

I got a hand around my neck and Marcus jerked me out of my bunting bag. He hauled me forward and dragged his nose through my hair. “You reek of him.”

“It’s his bed.”

“What the fuck are you doing in his bed?” I got shaken like a rag doll. I knew Marcus had a temper. Armor had it, so it was only normal that Marcus would. Crap, I had forgotten how strong he was. I brought my hand up and wrenched at his thumb pulling it back with even pressure. He hissed and let go. I dropped ass first, naked on the bed.

“Answer me, Azrael!”

Lanseng’s voice came from the doorway. “Lord Azrael does not answer to you, Puppy. You ran away. I’m his new dog now. Shoo, you’re not wanted here.”

I glanced away from Marcus’ rising fury to Lanseng’s calm face. He set the tray down on a dresser and came fully into the room. “Azrael is MY Master now.”

Haley popped back up, latched onto my arm and hauled me off the bed in the opposite direction. I was starting to feel like a ping pong ball. With a sore ass. The wooden lip around the bed was a killer. I tried to struggle to my feet but my Lycan kept dragging me backwards.

“Haley, enough!”

“You can’t interfere. Lanny challenged Sensei Marcus.”

“Challenged Marcus….Lanny?” I’m not the brightest corn flake in the box first thing in the morning. “What the hell is going on!”
“You fucked around on me.” Marcus returned flashing his eyes at me. His brown eyes were hard buttons surrounded by a circle of red flame. He was disheveled still in his tux. His hair was everywhere and looked like it was littered with twigs and other park debris. He pointed an arm at me. “You FUCKED around on me!”

“YOU threw him away.” Lanseng pulled Marcus’ attention back to himself.

“I didn’t throw him away.”

“You tore out his heart and left him in the cruelest way possible. You left him on stage. He could only stand there in front of hundreds of eyes and try to hide his agony. I rescued him.” Marcus had no reply for that. “He is now mine.”

“He exists because of me. He will never be yours.”

I stilled for a moment. So, my Puppy did listen to me. Half the time at least., I don’t really know. I think he just indulged me. He called me Master, but I knew who was really in charge. Marcus called the shots and I danced to his manic tune. I lived in fear of his leaving me alone with his whips and chains. Damn it, Lanseng was right.

“I own him.” And he knew it too. Bastard.

Lanseng’s voice changed, moving from a superior indulgence to a cool winter breeze. “Whose house is he in? Whose bed? Whose scent his he marked with?”

“You have been sniffing around since the beginning.”

“I have not set foot back in Von Drachenfeld since the Engagement Party. Do not try and shift the burden to Azrael when the fault is your own.”

Haley wasn’t stronger than me; he was just five times faster. He was here, he was there, he was everywhere and I couldn’t get up off the floor without tossing his skinny ass across the room. He’d been thrown twice. Marcus didn’t hold back when he did it. The Pup was going to be bruised. Haley wrapped his body around me and I finally just stopped trying to prevent the upcoming battle royale. We were going to be unwilling front row spectators.

Haley held me tight and whispered into my ear, “This isn’t your fight, Alpha. They have to finish the challenge.”

“I will never make him feel despair. I will never make him cry. I will not abandon him when he needs support the most.” Lanseng walked into the center of the room. He was like a strip of willow compared to a wide walnut tree.

“Azrael will never have to bend over and endure for me. He will never know the pain of watching the love of his life, walk away without a backwards glance…a second time.”

“I never walked away….”

“No, you ran…like the spoiled child you are.”

Whoa. What the hell just happened? Even Haley gasped.

One second Marcus has got a rage on and he charges at Lanseng. The tall Seer just seemed to take one step sideways, catch Marcus in a hug around the head then he lowered my Puppy unconscious to the carpet.

What the fuck was that?

Lanseng brushed his hair back behind his ears, “That was somewhat disconcerting. I mean Marcus coming here this early. I told you that my timing is not precise. I was not expecting him until after you ate.”

That snapped me awake in a big hurry. “What? Marcus!” Haley let me go. I scrambled over to my fallen Vampire. Lanseng snagged me around the waist and pulled me backwards. Damn, he was strong.

“You rushing to his side would defeat the purpose of this lesson, my Lord.”

“Lesson? What the hell did you do to him?”

“He is fine. I just used some pressure points against him. I told you that I would fight. You are the one who made the assumption that Marcus would win.” I stared back and up at the top of his blue hair. He looked down at me and stroked a single finger through my hair. I shuddered…and not in a good way. He just calmly took my big 6ft 4, 200lb+ Puppy off his feet in less than a hearbeat.

“What the hell kind of lesson were you trying to teach him?”

“That he is not irreplaceable. Be calm, my Lord. He will only be out for about five minutes, then he will only have a headache and maybe some deserved heartache.” A large hand came up and cupped my chin from behind and he pulled me tight against him. A thumb ran along my jaw and then it halted. “I pressed here on him.”

“You are Sensei now?” Haley spoke as he knelt beside Marcus and looked up, way up at the Seer. His hands stroked the long sable locks and rubbed a comforting circle on his back..

“No, little Pup. Marcus will remain your Sensei.”

“I thought you said you knew you were second.”

“I will never be first in your heart Azrael. However, Marcus was not going to listen to you. He had never truly listened to you. Unfortunately, actions speak louder than words—and his actions scream abandonment. So your actions, through me, must drown out his.” Lanseng leaned over and whispered through my hair, “You call yourself a matched pair…but you’re not. You are a coin. Marcus is one side, you are the other. At the moment, you are together but you are back to back. One of you must bend to see eye to eye and, my Lord, the one who has to bend is not you. You have bent enough.”

“If your Marcus wants you, he will have to get around me. I will not accept a half hearted attempt from him. Right now, he is not worthy to even stand behind you. But he will be. I will make sure of it.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“You forget. I have Seen. The Marcus that stands with you…is not a puppy—he is a mastiff. He is loyal. He is steadfast and he will be the shield for your children. They will love him like a big brother and he will protect them like they are his own. He can be more than Armor -- but he is not there yet. I will make him worthy of you, Lord Azrael.” Lanseng stroked my throat, which hurt like hell, and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my head. “You are bruised. This will not happen again.”

Marcus groaned but didn’t move. Haley looked down at him distress plain on his Lycan face. The big vampire groaned again and began to move slightly.

“I need your help, Angel of Death. You must stop giving him the moon and stars. He should earn that from you. In the end, you would be a pair. The results are worth it but the journey will be painful.”

“Is this the traumatic part you talked about yesterday?”

“No.” Lanseng watched Marcus carefully, “And do not ask, I won’t tell you. It is part of the Collective’s code.”

Oh good lord. I ran a hand down my face.

Lanseng returned to his full upright position. “I must lay down the law, Angel of Death. Will you back me? I can do nothing if you undermine me.”

I nodded. “Haley, come here.” The Lycan pup reluctantly climbed to his feet and walked toward us. Lanseng’s arm reached over my shoulder and pat Haley on the head. “There is a bathrobe hanging on the door in the bathroom. Could you bring it for Lord Azrael. Then you can penguin his breakfast.”

“Really?”

Gees, X what the hell did you start? I nodded. The pup tore off to the other room. I flinched as a thumb ran along the bottom of my eye.
“You said you cry tears for him no more.”

“You said that?” Marcus slowly pushed himself off the floor back until he was sitting on his knees. “Azrael?”

“Maybe I can’t learn as quick as Sex and Xavier, but I do get it, Marcus, eventually. Actions speak louder than words. Father said that to X when you first came back, when I truly came into my own. You have to be shown things.” I reached up and back. Lanseng lowered his face into my palm and nuzzled. “What does this tell you, Marcus?”

“You’re trying to make me jealous.”

“No…you’ve left me behind, Puppy. Even after to you promised, you left me in the spot light to the mercy of the crowd.”

“I…didn’t mean to. I just got upset…your playing…”

“Enough, Marcus.” I couldn’t even get angry at him. He knelt on the rug looking up at me with little boy lost eyes. I wanted to step forward and drag him close. Lanseng tightened his hold on me slightly. “I can’t take it anymore.”

Haley came up and helped me into a fluffy pinstriped bathrobe. He gave a whine and pressed against me. He wasn’t really sure what the hell was going on. I wasn’t too sure either; but, I think we were breaking up.

“Everything always comes back to X. I’m not Xavier, Marcus. I am a distinct entity.”

“I know that….”

“Really? Everything you have ever asked for, I gave it you. Something you coveted, I got it for you. You asked me to play the cello. I did it.” Haley bumped me then wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his head against my chest. I brought my arm down and held the pup close to me. “I have shown you how much I loved you…and it was never enough.”

“Master….”

“No. NO!” Damn it, I was tearing up again. “You were challenged and you lost. Lanseng is my dog now. You’re…..you’re just a stray. I brought you in and tried to love you but you just kept biting and drawing blood. You didn’t want to be mine.”

“Az….” He reached out a hand toward me…”I didn’t know what I was doing last night. I didn’t think it would have hurt you. I just had to get out.”

“You didn’t think it would hurt me? Let me show you how it feels.” I pulled Haley along with me as I headed for the bedroom door. Haley grabbed at the plate filled with a western sandwich and the glass of orange juice and followed me down the stairs.

“AZRAEL!”

My vision blurred completely. I was hungry. Yeah, that was it. My blood sugar was low. I used the sleeve of the bathrobe to clear my eyes.

“I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU, AZRAEL. NOT XAVIER. NOT SEX. I LOVE AZRAEL!.”

Lanseng’s voice sounded in my head, /Keep walking, My Lord. I think he is finally beginning to understand./

“AZRAEL!”

The Loyal were startled when I wrenched the door open and stalked outside. I could still hear Marcus calling for me. Saying all though things I wanted to hear, but not like this. Never like this. I almost beat the Loyal to the limo. He pulled the door open and I stepped in followed closely by Haley and my promised penguin breakfast.

“Lord Azrael?”

“Home.” I shut the partition and blinked back the sting in my eyes. My nose was starting to run and my throat was tight, probably from where he choked me.

Haley set the food on the floor and pat my head.

I. Don’t. Cry.

“I won’t tell anyone, Alpha.”

That was the last thing I needed to hear from anybody. I buried my face in my hand and started to wail. It hurt so much. How could anyone keep breathing when the pain was so intense. I found myself pulled against the Lycan’s chest. My head on his lap as water leaked freely from my eyes. Haley rubbed a hand at my back and just held me as…I cried.

I never did anything so wrong to deserve this kind of punishment. The Stone of Punishment hurt but that pain was fleeting and just on the surface. I felt. I just felt. Oh, god. This isn’t the traumatic part of the day. What the hell else can go wrong? The back door opened. We were home. Oh, shit. I buried my face tighter into the Pup’s stomach. I couldn’t face the world just yet. Haley leaned over and covered my head. The door shut. I raised my sleeve and wiped at my face. What had X said? “There should be a point when the tears should dry put; but no, you just keep making new tears.”
The limo door opened again. The car shifted as someone climbed in. “Why do I think that this is the fault of my wayward son?”

Father.

I sniffed and sat up. I cleared my throat to say something pithy and sarcastic, a sob broke out of me. I buried my face back into my hand. Father caught me and I found myself dragged back against him. His hand rested on my chest, holding my heart into the gaping chasm where my metaphysical heart used to be.

“I received a call from the Loyal that you were in distress. You are worse than distressed, Azrael, you are floundering. What happened?”

I couldn’t make a coherent sound. Father looked to Haley. “Lanseng challenged for Marcus’ position and he won.”

“We are not a pack, Azrael. These rules do not apply to Vampire. If you want Marcus, you keep him.”

I shook my head. Haley spoke up again, “Sensei needs to grow up.”

I could feel Claudius’ confusion. I coughed a couple of times to clear my throat. “Marcus is where he wants to be and we let him stay there. He’s played us and we let him. I won’t go on like this. I need him to be strong with me, if he won’t, I’ll have to stand on my own.”

“What if he cannot?”

“Marcus can do whatever he sets his mind on. He just keeps setting it on Xavier.”

“What has the Seer to do with any of this? Marcus is your husband.”

Haley spoke up, “Puppies can’t stay puppies forever. He’s too big to be a puppy. Azrael needs a good dog. A dog who can listen. A dog who wants to stay. A dog who doesn’t need to be leashed to his side”

“You are mixing metaphors and confusing the daylights out of me. Where is Marcus? I told him to stay in his room.”

“Marcus came after me.” I gestured to the bruises on my neck. Claudius hissed and I could feel him get still.

“What is this dog business? I know you called him Puppy.”

“Alpha has a new dog.”

“What?”

“The Seer.”

“The Seer has Azrael’s new dog?”

Haley shook his head and then reached out and cupped Claudius’ face. “Puppy ran away. The Seer stepped in and took over Marcus’ position and defended it. He is Azrael’s new Puppy.”

“Son?”

“We broke up. I’m with Lanseng now.”

“And these?” Claudius wiped at my tears with a clean white handkerchief.

“There are because, I still want to run after the bastard and beg him to keep treating me like garbage. I am the third brother. I’ve pissed off Xavier protecting my Puppy and what did I get in return? He leaves. I’m tired, Father. Is it okay to be this tired?”

“I am sorry, my Son. I did not see this. I would wait impatiently for you to be gone so I could have time with Sex. You can paint me with the same disregard.”

“I’ve got things I’ve got to handle today, Father. Sex won’t be coming out until the late afternoon.”

“If that is what you must do…”

I took the hanky and scrubbed at my eyes. They were red. There was no hiding them. Something slimy bumped against my lips. Haley had that cold western sandwich in his hands. “You promised.”

“Let’s go to the kitchen and get something warm. You can penguin there. Tell Hans, I want a big breakfast.” Haley dropped the sandwich and crawled passed us to the door. He paused then came back and kissed me on the forehead.

“You can have Sensei back when he’s grown up. Don’t cry any more.” Haley opened the door and slipped out. Claudius reached into his jacket and pulled out his sunglasses and settled them on my nose.

“Are you ready?”

“Where do you want me to be for punishment?”

Claudius reached out and touched the hand print on my neck. “You are emotionally fragile right now, my boy. I think you have been punished enough. I do not need to add to your stress. What do you need to do today?”

“Britta is on the move.”

The temperature in the limo dropped a few more degrees. “Come, Angel of Death. Let us get you prepared to face the day.”

I didn’t think I could handle much more drama in my day. I was wrong.