Clove : Book 4 of Lord Emperor Vampire Series

WARNING: MUSICAL BUNNIES

Marcus questions will be answered in the next chappie. Why the brothers can’t talk to the hellcats will be next chappie as well.

Rainy: Yes, the brother’s human family will be re-introduced. Right now, the brother’s return is secret. No one outside of the House and Von Drachenfeld knows that he has returned. Until he solidifies his position back in the House, and this way ensures adequate protection for himself and his loved one, he will remain a secret.

K: I hope this chappie gives you a more plausible excuse for Hades not to have challenged Marcus. I would like to hear your views on it. It’s always entertaining and mind numbing – in a good way..:)

Natana: X punching Vladimir in the face wasn’t an accident. He had thought about it but had not really planned on doing it. When the opportunity showed up, he popped Vlad in the fangs. As for not being able to hurt others because of OW; actually they have made it easier—for all the brothers. There will be an impressive body count later in the book. One that X probably would not have approved of pre-OW. BTW thanks for finding the forum!!

ATOI: No, Hades never did anything to Marcus. Vladimir never did anything to Marcus. They just regard him as strange and that boy ain’t right. Which is actually kind of cruel. Is there any wonder why Marcus ain’t right?

Meadows_peak: read on…the titantic has sunk.

Rosemary; Mihara; Rainy; Sasha (welcome); dramastarelf; k; Rosei; Natana; Marin Liliz (welcome, better late than never); Spirit; Duelriel; a.taste.of.insanity; Dark Avenger; darklust (welcome); meadows_peak and Laur.


Chapter 152: Apples & Cinnamon

“MARCUS!”

This is NOT happening again. I can’t believe this. After all…after all we had gone through he was just going to walk away. I don’t fucking think so. I ran after him and kicked out the back of his knee. He dropped to the left. I rode him to the floor. He looked up at me, those dark brown eyes absolutely stunned. He hadn’t expected me to attack him. I shoved my face right up against his.

“What did I tell you? You had your chance to walk away from me. You chose to stay.” Grabbed his head between my hands and grabbed his hair. “You had your chance. You’re mine now. You don’t get to turn your back on me.”

“Azrael…”

“I said, I’d hamstring you.”

He said nothing. He just closed his eyelids. He could have tossed me off him. I had no illusions that I was anywhere near his physical strength. I raised my hand. I wanted to punch him…so badly. My fist actually shook. I sat back on his chest and took a deep breath. “Where’s my cello?”

His eyes snapped open. Apparently that was a question he wasn’t expecting.

“Did you throw that away along with everything else I owned?”

“Music room.”

I dropped my hands on either side of his head and stared down at him. My hair was everywhere like a white waterfall around us. “I fought to get back to you. I walked through hell and when I fell into it…I still fought. I expected you to fight or at least wait…I didn’t once think you would give up.”

I shoved myself off him. I was quivering with anger. I wasn’t mad AT him. I couldn’t get mad at Marcus. It would be akin to puppy kicking. Babe…Puppy. He was still so big…but small and fragile. Wessel. Orel Wessel. I stomped off barefoot heading back to the Music room. Skell and I had that in common. I stole my talent, he earned his but I understood his need for that little brass key the labrats had held over him. Music tames the savage beast and I was pretty damn savage right now.

“Azrael!”

I was done chasing him. Nope, can’t do that again. Won’t do that again. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us. This was his coping pattern. The fact that he wasn’t in a drunken stupor was something. I was going to be leaving again anyway. X had made it clear that we were going off to war. This would make it easier for both of us. Better to leave things all fucked up.

“Azrael!”

I slammed the door to the music room behind me and scanned the room searching for the case. There it was. It was a childish but I flipped the lock on the door. As if that would keep anyone out who really wanted to get it. The door rattled once. I stood there staring at the grain of the wood. All it would take is a snap of the wrist and Marcus could rip that door open. I jumped as the wood cracked in the center of the door panel from were he punched it. I backed up staring at the door but then there was nothing else.

Right.

I turned and headed for my cello. Someone had been taking care of it. Based on Marcus’ reaction, it was too much to hope that it was him. It was probably Father. I felt angry. I closed my eyes. And hurt. I wanted X’s big reunion. I wanted flowers and candy and Marcus’ sweet lips. Instead, I got disappointment…again. I guess I was never going to learn. I was going to keep crawling back to him over and over again.

Marcus. Why can’t you be MY big stupid fuck?

I spied the black diary still sitting on the piano bench. What was that, Father wrote? “A light has gone out in him.” I touched it. It felt wrong. This was baby bro’s feelings. Well he had no privacy what do ever. Sly little bugger. I don’t think Father would have reacted so violently if this was just bullpucky. Well, it looks like I was going to be the one to read this. Sex was not going to be coming in this room when he got here.

I let a sad smile cross my face. It seemed out of all of us only X had a stable relationship which was probably like one out of a billion. When the hell do multiple personality fractures find a perfect match with a dual personality?

I stretched my body. That felt good. I even wriggled my fingers.

I took the diary back over to the leather chaise and flopped onto it. Since that punch to the door, there was no other noise out in the corridor. I looked over at the cello. I had a core of anger, mixed with disappointment and hurt that I needed to keep for a bit. When I challenged Armor, I was going to need everything I had. If I played, I would lose that core. We had to win - or it was going to be a year between challenges.

I cracked open the diary. Father wrote generally once a week, wrapping up everything in an ink bow. If something happened that was significant, he added that as it’s own entry. Chesterton and Haruka got married in the Great Hall. They had asked for family to be in attendance and that family was us – Von Drachenfeld. That was nice. The Chairman of the Board had actually personally asked Father to step into the vacant roles of CEO of Shadoe Inc and Head of the House of Assassins. Reading his penned mixed emotions, left me wavering in my Father-is-a-dink cheering section.

Then I hit a page I knew would have to be in there, on its own. Marcus’ first challenge to his rank as First. Hades hadn’t come back to the House yet. It was Third. House name Nightengale. She was a piece of work. A nasty piece of feminity who the rest of the ranked really didn’t give a hoot about. Marcus took her out on his way to number two. Quick and easy. She claimed foul to anyone who heard her until finally the Board of Director’s sanctioned her. Even still, she gave attitude. Marcus crushed her. He mindfucked her hard. Well Father writes is so elegantly but that is just what he did. It wasn’t a simple shield break. What he did to Xavier was a simple break. What he did to Nightengale…served the bitch right. Take your beating like a man. The Board of Directors finally intervened after three weeks and Marcus was ordered to fix her. He needed Queen Nightshade to do it.

The next number three, Summoner tried. And the next. And the next. Then the last, dated almost five years ago. Tristan. I don’t remember a Tristan. Oh. I guess I’ll never need to because Marcus killed him in the challenge. Marcus sent a message. He mindfucked him…then dismembered the living corpse before the assembled rank.

Father wrote:

“I wished it was Armor who had done this. I am a horrible father to say this but I fear for my sweetness and light. He is changing. Others who are not so close to him would not see this but he is growing colder. His music, when he does play, is forlorn. It tears my heart to hear it. There is nothing I can do to ease his pain. His soul cries for his Angel of Death. The things I have seen his accomplish in Azrael’s name is more than I could have ever hoped for.

Once I wanted him to be whole. I gave up on that ever happening. Maybe it would have been kinder to leave him as a human. He would have passed on so long ago.

Azrael, my son, the Angel of Death you have left your mark on Marcus. I deem that to be a good thing. I only heard your music intertwine once and it nearly brought me to tears. It was more than music. It was souls singing to each other. Your song has been silenced. Marcus’ music is fading away. My sweetness and light is fading away and I can do nothing but stand here and watch it and know it is all my fault. My son…my precious Eldest son is dying and it is my fault. I am sorry Marcus. I am sorry Azrael. I am sorry for causing this.”

I dropped the diary on the floor when there was a knock on the door. My throat was tight. There is a reason why you shouldn’t read another person’s diary. I raised my hands to my face. Claudius has never been a power hungry megalomanic. I just allowed Sex’s agony to sway me. It was a mistake. Claudius made a mistake. Sex made a mistake. Orel Wessel was just waiting to capitalize on it.

“Lord Azrael.” I popped up head up from my hands. I was crying. I could thank Marcus for that little miracle.

“Chesterton?” I climbed to my feet and padded over to the door. I clicked the lock and swung it inward. There was splintered wood sticking out from where Marcus’ fist smashed into it. Chesterton stood there in all his butler finery. He squeaked as I hauled him forward and hugged him hard.

“My Lord….please…” He gasped out. Crap. Don’t need to snap the man who keeps Von Drachenfeld running in two.

“Sorry…glad to see you again Chesterton.”

“I am happy to see you as well Sir. I have something you need to see.”

“I’m in the middle…”

“You need to see it now” His tone was urgent and brooked no dillydallying. I blinked once, wiped at my face. Chesterton handed me his handkerchief from his breast pocket. “You need to see this, Azrael. Maybe you can stop him.”

“Stop who?”

“Marcus.”

I stopped. What? “AZRAEL!”

I looked over at Chesterton. He had never yelled at me before. “Move it…Sir.”

Chesterton motored through the hall like a speed walker. I had to work to keep up with him. We ended up running down about six flights of stairs. What the hell was going on? Chesterton held the firedoor open and pointed down the hall. Boxes were flying out of an open door.

“What?”

“Marcus had everything moved down to this level…”

There was another loud crash. Men in Black were littered in the corridor out of the way of the boxes and their spilling contents. I hopscotched across the way to get into the door and then dived to the left to avoid another tossed box. The room looked like it was a pretty fair size and it was, or it had been packed with boxes. Marcus was ripping them open then tossing them aside as he peered into it.

“What are you doing?!”

He stilled and turned around to face me. “I can’t find it. I put it away but now I can’t find it.”

“That still doesn’t explain all this stuff in the hall.”

“It’s yours.”

What? I seem to be stuck on that word.

“Marcus!”

“I couldn’t keep your things in my small room.”

What? “I didn’t have this much stuff!”

He turned and straightened up. All the way up. I was proud of that in a begrudging sort of way. “I bought things for you that I thought you would like. There were so many babies and they needed room, so I gave Harold and Haruka my room. I took Sex’s old one. But we are going to have to move…”

He ripped another box open. Clothes and other stuff fell out. He tossed it aside. “Marcus, will you stop and talk to me. What are you looking for?”

“My violin.”

I sat my ass on an unopened box. “You’re confusing me.”

Oooff. I got tackled back into more boxes and the whole stack collapsed on us. I was pinned under Marcus but he took the brunt of the fall. “I never threw anything away. I just couldn’t keep it all with me. I waited. I never gave up…I waited, Azrael.” I got crushed in an embrace beneath boxes and boxes of stuff. Oooooohh. He was going to pop my head off my neck he was squeezing so tight.

I croaked out, “Marcus…”

He was like at 240lb puppy, crushing me under wiggles and affection. Suddenly he must have heard my groan because he did a push up off me creating a little haven between us. “I waited. I waited for you Azrael.” He lowered his face and gently kissed my forehead. “I knew you would come back…I knew it, even though I couldn’t find you, I knew you were out there somewhere.”

“Marcus…Marcus…” He opened his brown eyes and looked down at me. “What the hell are you doing? Father said you lost your music and your art.”

“I didn’t lose them. I put them away. How can I paint happy portraits when my heart longs for you? How can I play joyous music when my soul weeps? When you came back, I would play and paint again. I would show you that I waited for you. You never let me finish when you knocked me over, which hurt by the way. You can move just as fast as Sex when you want and…”

I don’t think he has ever talked so quickly or so much. “Marcus…Marcus….SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE!”

He did.

I kissed him. Crush me, Marcus. You can crush me now and I would gladly die beneath you. It was a welcome home kiss. A nice-to-see-you kiss. A what-the-hell-are-you-still-doing-in-your-clothes kiss.

“No.” He pulled his lips away from mine.

No? What the hell do you mean no?

He did a push up and then climbed to his feet shoving the fallen boxes off of us. He reached down and dragged me to my feet by my waistband of my jeans.

“Not until I find my violin.”

“Not until what?”

He turned and caught my face in his hands. His eyes were teary but happy. What the hell was that upstairs in his bedroom? Was that Armor? Could it have been?

“I cannot love you properly until I have my violin. I promised you that I would be stronger for you, my Angel. My pale beautiful Angel of Death. Help me find my violin. You know what it means to me. It falls second to you. I want both of my passions in my arms at the same time.” He leaned over and kissed me sweetly.

Well, damn.

I twisted and yelled at the men in black in the hall way. The faster we found his violin, the faster I got my Babe in my arms. I turned around and got hit in the face with a white tee. “I saw that and thought of you immediately. I know you usually like dark colors but it only came in white.”

I peel the shirt off my face and read the red crayon scrawl across the chest. “No I did not escape, I have a day pass.” I look up but he was ripping the next taped box open.
“Got it!” A man in black at the door hoisted the case high.

I got a shoulder to the midsection. I wasn’t expecting and it wasn’t a touch football tackle. I thought I was going to throw up. Marcus snagged the case wrapped an arm around the back of my legs and took off down the hall. I bounced on his shoulder -- not as much fun as depicted in the movies.

“Marcus…” Bounce, bounce…”Marcus, I’m going to hurl.” He slowed to a brisk walk but made no move to drop me back to my feet.

“Put me down.”

“Now that I have you, what makes you think, I’m ever going to let you go?” Well that warmed the cockles of my heart. Didn’t settle the stomach.

“I’ll settle for bridal pose. I’m really going to be sick if you keep this up.” I ended twisting around and landed on my back across his forearm. “Thanks.” I took his case and hugged to me with one hand and used the other around the back of his neck.

I ended up pushing the elevator call button with my elbow. “Marcus…”

“I love you Azrael.”

The elevator door opened. Liam stood there looking down at some papers. His grey eyed gaze peered up once then looked back his papers then popped back up to us again. He backed up to let us in. There was no way in hell Marcus was going to put me down. Okay…just brazen it out.

“Good afternoon, Liam.”

“So it seems, Azrael. Lord Marcus.”

“Liam.” Marcus returned. His mouth hadn’t stopped smiling since he tried to hymlick my blood shake out of me.

“Lovely weather today.”

“Stuff it.” I muttered my face turning red

“Oh, I think that going to one of you two. Maybe both.” The elevator made a ding and slid open. “This is my stop, Lords.” Liam stepped out of the car and the doors slid shut, but not before he broke out into a loud laugh.

“Put me down.”

“I said no. I like you in my arms Azrael. I love you in my arms. If you fight me you could get loose, but…don’t you like being here?”

I laid my head on his shoulder and savored the essential Marcus rising up from his skin and hair. I missed this. X was right. Orel Wessel didn’t have the scent right. I licked his neck. He stumbled and I thought we were both going to crash. “Wait until we get to our room, love.”

“I don’t want to wait.” I reached up and nuzzled the back of his ear.

Marcus twisted his head but ended up pushing it toward me. I placed a sucking kiss there. He kicked open his bedroom door. It slammed back with a crack. Did he just break another door? I slid down his body as he dropped my legs. The violin case crushed between us. I got a Marcus special. I got a number of Marcus specials in a row. When I came up for air, Marcus the vampiric octopus was naked…and damn, so was I. He was good.

“Azrael…” A sucking kiss was placed on the lobe of my ear. “Azrael…” A tongue traced my pulsing vein to my neck. I turned my head and offered up my throat. Marcus didn’t need a second invitation. He dug into me like a starving man at an all-you-can-eat buffet. I raked my fingers up his spine from his low back. I could feel him sucking at my blood. He moaned lowly in his throat. It was almost like a purr. He pulled his head back his lips stained crimson with my life’s fluid. “Mana from heaven. Azrael Ambrosia.”

“You’re making me blush.”

Marcus pressed his lower half against me. “Do you believe me? Do you believe I waited for you?”

“I never owed that much stuff. You could have filled my crap in three boxes.” I got kissed again. I licked myself from his lips. Apples and cinnamon.

“If I saw something I thought you would like, I bought for you. I will give them to you. I will tell you what I was thinking as I bought it when I give each and everyone to you. I missed you so much. Please tell me you at least thought about me.”

His brown hair hung around his face. Changed? He talked more. He was more expressive. He eyes shone with emotion. Even though he said it a couple of times already, love beamed out of his eyes. “In charge; in the dark, or on the beach, you were in my heart and on my mind, Marcus.”

The world spun on it’s axis and I was now on top, sprawled in naked splendor. “Every hour and every minute, I missed you. I want to do so many things. I want to play for you. I want to find out every detail about what happened to you. I want to find out why I couldn’t find you. I want you to love me.”

“Can I make a suggestion?”

“Ask me for it, Azrael and I will give you the moon.”

“I think someone already tried that. I do believe they were tried for fraud.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes, I do. I want you. Marcus.”

“Do you love me, Azrael?”

“Yes.” I concentrated and the white wings slid out painlessly. His face light up with wonderment. “I love you, Marcus.”

“Yes.” His voice was soft. His eyes had teared up. I got arms around my head and he hugged me to his own neck. Holy moly that boy is strong. “Yes, my Angel.”

Since he was trying to smother me, I opened my mouth and dropped fang right into his jugular. His blood sprayed into my mouth, coating everything in his appley goodness. I drank Father’s way, five pools. His hold loosened. I eased back to drink in his appearance. I stilled. He still had the nipple shield on. Seven years later, he still wore my mark. My eyes burned with unshed tears. He reached out and stroked his thumb over my right nipple. I shivered but it wasn’t as sensitive as the left.

“Everything healed up.” I laid my hand over his. “Our mark is gone.”

His words were a whisper. “I can still see it.” He suckled me. I ended up with my hands on either side of his head trying to keep a pushing up going while squirming in ecstasy as his tongue tortured me. I went to sit up and his hands encircled my shoulder blades and pulled me down to him.

“Marcus!”

“Take me to paradise, Angel.” I opened my eyes and saw the pale crimson flame flare in his eyes. His whole face flushed. The tips of his ears were red with passion.

“You got a seat belt?”

“Huh?”

I flashed fang at him and spread my wings wide. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

“Bump me, Azrael. Bump me good.” Marcus spread his arms out on the bed. “Give me your wings, sweet angel.”

There were so many questions I wanted to fire at him. But then I noticed he had one fist clenched around the handle of his violin case. I felt my heart swell. And something a little lower. He wanted his two loves in his arms at the same time. Marcus…my Marcus. He was more than X’s stupid fuck. He was my god of music and love. “Azrael?”

I traced his eyebrow with my fingers. He was stronger. He knew who he was. He embraced who he was. Good lord, he stood up straight. “I love you.” Those words were powerful but they didn’t encompass what I was feeling right at that moment. I don’t think words could but then actions speak louder than words.

I moved my wings forward and set the elbow lightly in the palms of his outstretched hands. My feathers brushed against his violin. I didn’t put any pressure on his palms at all. This was our version of holding hands.

“I love you, Marcus Von Drachenfeld. Let me kiss the ways.” By all rights we should have been in a frenzy. We should have been tearing each other to shreds but the physical need X and Armor had already diminished. This coming together was as gentle as summer’s rain. I re-learned my lover’s body. I found that spot behind his left ear. I sucked at it and my big brown vampire shivered and moaned. My wings sounded like glass wing chimes as I licked his neck. I sucked a hickey on the front of his throat.

My own nipples were tight and throbbing. I twitched as I shifted down his body and I ran my right bud over the warmth of his nipple…our nipple shield I wanted to linger everywhere but apparently our physical excitement was growing faster than I could control. I could feel Marcus’ own cock pulsing against my stomach. I reached down and took both of us in one hand. I stroked us rubbing the back of knuckles against his stomach. His hips hunched forward and up. If I wasn’t using my wings as a tripod, he would have flipped off like a cowboy at a bull riding rodeo. As it was I slipped back to my knees which I used like a door stop against his ass. His hips were cantilevered up now. I didn’t even touch myself as my cock tapped against his portal. I shut my eyes and gritted my teeth. I was at my target too quickly. I didn’t even get a chance to open him.

“It’s okay.”

I snapped my eyes open and matched his warm melted chocolate gaze that was tinted with red flames of desire. “You know I like pain. This will only hurt for a moment. This way I will know it’s not a dream.”

“I don’t like hurting you, Babe. You know that.”

He bucked his hips back at me. My mouth completely dried up as he pulled his spread muscular thighs back toward his chest. His face was flushed pink. I groaned as his tongue came out and moistened his lips. “Make love to me, Azrael.”

I reached down and jacked myself. I couldn’t just ram it in. I didn’t want our first time back together a violent encounter -- that fucked us over the first time round. It took a lot of work to get back to fine. My precum leaked out of me. I rubbed my fingers in my natural lubricant.

“Here I come, Babe.” I pressed my middle finger against him then into the warm depths of his cavern. I leaned over and licked at his pulsing red cock. He writhed on the bed. God that was sexy. I took him into my mouth as I twined my fingers in his portal. I arced one finger and found his sweet spot. I missed my big Vampire’s voice. His cry of pleasure. I choked as he rammed his cock down my throat.

“…sorry….”

I cleared my throat and then replaced my fingers with my stiffened cock. I was home. I was finally home. I knew my eyes were flaming blue from our foreplay but I felt them flare as I began rocking my hips. I flared my wings, spreading them so the light from the overhead fixture was diffused. “Let me….let me hold you…” I shifted my wings. This was the only time I wished I was taller. I wanted to kiss him while I worked my member in his portal.

Oh yeah, he was a mind reader. He curled toward me and our lips and tongues parodied what was happening down below. I took my right hand and curled it around his fingers in the case handle. His portal squeezed me tight. Oh, god. I…was….going. I reached between us and began stroking him. I wanted to last. I wanted us together. His breathing changed. Twelve times twelve is…oooooh. Twelve times twelve…..Marcus.

He reached up and pinched my left nipple. I spagged. White light of pleasure ripped through me and out of me. I shivered as a shaft of heat shot up my spine and sent my wings straight out and back My rhythm had fallen apart but I kept thrusting. “Come to me, Marcus.”

The sensation was getting too intense. It was turning into pain as I kept my cock shafting him. There it was. That hitch in his breathing. I bucked forward then keeping pressed against his ass I rotated my hips. He cock erupted splashing over my stomach, and his. His portal tightened hard around me and I gave a cry of absolute pleasure. His fingers tightened around mine and pinched them against the plastic handle of his violin case.

I collapsed on his chest. I felt like boneless chicken. I just draped myself over his sweaty sexy body. My wings shivered in a tinkle of glass then I let them slide off the bed. With one hand, Marcus hooked me under my wing and hauled me up his chest. “Welcome home, Azrael.”

I slipped my sweaty body off to his side and pulled our linked hands to his side the leather of the violin case trapped on one side. I angled my right wing over us as he wrapped his other around my waist and hauled me closer. Marcus was surrounded by his loves. I raised my leg and laid it on his thigh. Apple and cinnamon was heavily scenting the air. It felt damn good to be home. “Marcus…Marcus….Marcus.”

“Angel?”

“I just like saying it. Marcus.”

“Say it all you want. I have missed you, Azrael. I have missed you so much.” He tightened his arms and dragged us both closer.

“Marcus…I love you. I missed you to.” I laid my forehead against his chest. “Just the thought of you kept me anchored to this world. You are my salvation.”

There was a brief moment of silence then he spoke lowly, “You are going to challenge me, aren’t you?”

“I have to.” I returned with a tired and resigned voice.

“Sleep. Time has no meaning inside this room. Let the real world take us when we leave here. Right now, it’s just Azrael and Marcus, lovers and friends, life mates.”

“Life mates, I like that.”

“Forever and always, my Angel. Forever and always.” I closed my eyes and savored our stolen time. I had to challenge for First. More was at stake than just me and my man. I agreed with X. I couldn’t be happy, truly happy if I did nothing. It didn’t matter if Claudius wore the black wings. I saw what Orel Wessel did to lost fledglings. It was my responsibility to do something about it. I had to, cause no one else was going to step up.

“Forever and always, Babe.” I horded all the satisfaction and contentment I could. Later tonight, I would have to beat this body to a pulp. “Forever and always.”

* * *