Caramel: Book 3 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Series

k: you are one observant cookie. I like u. Remember I said Caramel is about heat being applied to the pod. Maybe not all heat is external…that’s all I’m saying for now.

Sforza: Yah, I had the same thought. Room is at a premium at Von Drachenfeld. Read on, read on.

Sesshomarunaraku: good idea. However, the brothers are trying to keep from going to a full scale war. Right now it’s a petty squabble that the Hunters and other Bloods are interested in but it’s not a huge arms race yet. Also, while the Hellcats long for death, they seem to want to give their memories to X. So whole scale slaughter doesn’t seem possible. But couldn’t you just see red panthers and tigers tearing across a field somewhere.

SODA: Sex and Az never could talk to Shade. Only X can. In Cake, he wrote his name in blood on her forehead and that was a magical binding. As the brothers are individual entities, they are locked out. As an animal, Haley can understand Shade, but it’s not like the sparkling conversation she has with X.

Thanks again for all the words and comments and OMGs, WTFs and concern about the state of Sex’s member: Bambigirl; Tsuki The Moon; Jenna T.; Rosei; Miles; Minako; J; toriew; newmoon; Hallowseve; Laur; Rosemary; a taste of insanity; Astra; Spirit; Mihara; Steph8503; and Meadows_peak

ENJOY!

Chapter 110: Alpha

I think my jaw must have hit the mattress. I couldn’t have heard what I thought she said. A big sandy blonde Lycan moved forward stripping off his shirt. He reached the foot of the bed and paused there. Holy, crap, I did hear what I thought she said. Claudius finally snapped into action. I just sat there bare assed and stared.

“I have never heard of this.” His voice was loud and commanding.

Ping just crossed her arms as if to say get on with it. I haven’t got all day. I could hear the ticking of a clock somewhere in the room. Boom, boom, boom. Haley busted out laughing. He turned and caught his matebond around the neck and brought her close for a hug. “I told you he would believe you.”

I just got pranked…by Lycan, before breakfast, while buck naked. Still buck naked. There are times I’m glad my hair is long, I was able to kind of hide behind it.

“What?” Claudius climbed out of bed and stalked Haley. The big blonde Lycan still stood at the end of the bed with his shirt off looking at me as if I was an all day sucker…and not the prankable kind.

Nightshade just did that little chuffing noise and walked out of the bedroom ignoring everyone. I took that as a sign that if there was going to be any trouble, Claudius would be causing it. Haley ducked behind Ping holding his hands to his ears. Claudius towered over the black haired Alpha female. He glared down at her. She glared up at him not backing down one inch.

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Everybody turned and looked at me. I pushed my hair out of my face. “Get out.”

Haley came around Ping and knelt on the bed. “I’m sorry, we teased you. I forgot you didn’t have your blood yet and you are sourpussy before your mug. But, you must dominate the Alpha pack leader. He will dominate the pack as your proxy.” He looked over at Claudius, “You cannot use a proxy. We must witness your domination.”

Ping turned from Claudius and stepped up behind Haley. She laid her hands on his shoulders. “We are creating a new Pack. It has not been done often, but there are rules that must be followed. This will be the first time that a non-Lycan is head of the pack. Everything must be to the letter of the law. There can be no room for challenge.”

“This is Vladimir. Just Vladimir. When you run with the Alpha Pack, you lose your surname. He has answered the Call and has emerged as the victor in all the trials to become Pack Leader.” The blonde Lycan bowed to me. “He will offer the position. Your Zsigmond and your Elek will bear witness. It is customary to have the rest of the pack witness this but not necessary.” Ping turned and sniffed at Claudius, “Your matebond can stay as well.”

I blinked slowly. That wasn’t much of an improvement from the shock a few moments before. “Now?”

I watched mildly horrified as Vladimir finished stripping off. He climbed on the bed, his eyes still glowing feral gold. He pulled at my sheet. I hung onto it with a death grip. “I am honored to submit to you Alpha Sex. I will serve with all my ability.” He reached out and picked up a few strands of my hair and brought it up to his nose. I know damn well that wasn’t were he wanted to be sniffing.

Er…

Claudius reached out, grabbed my arm and dragged be across the bed toward him. He wrapped a protective and possessive arm across my chest. Vladimir had the presence of mind to let me go. Getting into a fight with the matebond is probably not a great way of endearing yourself to your Pack Head. “You will have to excuse us for a moment. Haley, could you get Alpha a mug of blood.” Claudius dragged me off the bed toward the sanctuary of the bathroom.

I kept it together under we got out of sight. Oh my god. Oh my god, ohmyfuckinggod. I started to hyperventilate. “Sex…” He sat my ass down on the toilet and pushed my head between my knees. “Breathe….”

He knelt beside me and rubbed his hand on my back. “Relax….breathe…there, there.”

There, there? What the hell? I swallowed a couple of times and then sat up, shoving my hair out of my face. “Where the hell is security?”

“I was thinking that myself. Waking up in a room full of Lycan is not what I envisioned for this morning.” Claudius caught my chin and pulled my head up. “Are you all right now? You paled even more than I thought you could.”

“This was not how I thought this morning would be. I wanted you to cherish me again.”

There was a knock at the bathroom door. The door opened a crack. “Alpha?”

Claudius stalked over to it and wrenched it open and hauled Haley inside. He slammed it shut in Ping’s face and locked it. His hand closed around the back of the pup’s neck and he force marched him to the throne. Ha ha. “Explain to Alpha what is going on.”

Haley offered the black coffee mug. I took it from him feeling a little weak and my hands trembled. Claudius saw my hands shake and Haley yelped as he got rattled. “Look at what you did to Sex. You scared him with your joke.”

There was a pounding at the door. “Haley!” Ping. She rattled the door again.

I set the mug on the floor and rubbed at my temples. “Sasha, let her in before she breaks down the door.”

“You will answer Alpha, Haley.”

Haley dropped to his knees and slowly scooted forward until he could set his head against my knees. “I thought it would be funny. You like to laugh Alpha Sex. I didn’t think it would scare you. I didn’t think you get scared of anything.”

You can’t stay mad at the pup. How can you? Everything he thinks and feels is there on his face. I brushed lightly at his thoughts. What he said was what he felt. I reached out and tousled his hair. “I am….” I almost said human. What the hell had X said, this body was a combination of four bloods. What the hell am I? A low whine sounded. Haley looked up with tears glittering in his eyes.

“I get scared, pup.” Ping stalked up to Haley and stood behind him, ready to defend. Claudius took position between the female alpha and myself – ready to defend. “I was very happy last night. I didn’t think I would have to have my guard up this morning. You startled me.”

“I’m sorry. I thought it would make you laugh.” He buried his head against my leg. I reached out and lightly scratched behind his ear. Ping physically relaxed. I could hear the “oh, Haley” in my mind.

“I have a whole bunch of Lycan who want me dead. The Hunters had told me that if our little conflict spills into the human world, the ones they will be coming after is me. I have Eleks working some plot against me. I’m a little jumpy, Pup.”

Ping stepped forward then lowered herself beside Haley, “That is why I am here early, Lord Alpha. Only an Elek can take down an Elek. Britta doesn’t know that you have the Imperials. She is only concentrating on my matebond. She only sees you as her main obstacle.’

‘We need to move quickly against those she has deployed. Your building is watched. Your movements are tracked. Once you have dominated the Pack Leader, he will dominate the others and they will be bonded to your service until the end of their days. Once Britta realizes that you have a pack…it will not be pretty. Your Female Alpha pack should be here by the end of the week.”

“I have to dominate the female pack too?”

Ping looked up shocked. “You touch a female Lycan sexually, you are dead. You touch a matebonded female, Lycan or werewolf, you are dead.”

“Because he’s a vampire?” Claudius questioned.

“Because he is male. Only Lycan females designate dominance, mating rituals or matebonding. The male is grateful to have been chosen. You don’t know our ways?”

I shook my head.

“Haley will become your tutor. He is young, but not without redeeming qualities.” Haley popped his head off my knee. “However, I have to claim this fiasco as mine. Haley is my mate. All he does falls under my governance. I offer my apologies as well. This was a shallow jest.”

Ping lowered herself into reverent pose and then touched her forehead to my feet. Her long blue black hair tickled my feet. “I should have counseled my mate. Historically, those who catch Britta the Elder’s attention do not last long in the world. Both Haley and yourself Lord Alpha, have lasted longer than others in recorded Lycan history.”

That did not set my stomach at ease. Ping raised herself back to her knees and pulled Haley back and off me, subtly re-establishing her claim on the pup. Claudius came and stood by my side, dropping a hand to my shoulder. I reached up and patted his hand. “I’m okay.”

“Truly?”

“As close as I’m going to get for a bit.” I moved to get my mug. Ping reached out and offered it up to me.

“I have seen you in action, Lord Alpha. Dominate Vladimir mercilessly. You must show your Alpha Leader that you are worth protection. You will also show to the rest of the pack that you can offer protection if it is needed. You cannot falter on this. You cannot fail. Once you show your initial dominance over the Pack, you can have a proxy – it would be Haley as your next ‘top dog’ to do the deed from then on.”

Oh crap. I took a glup of warm blood. Jees, I just kicked off my training wheels.

“Can you give us a moment, Elek, Zsigmond.”

Haley climbed to his feet, his naked self not at all a bother. Well at least to him. I caught a gleam in Ping’s topaz eyes. I had no doubt they would be turning feral gold soon. He held out his hand and helped her from the ground. I bit back a smile as he fell back behind her right shoulder. He knew his place in the world.

/Lord Alpha can dominate Vladimir. I saw him work at the warehouse./

/That is nothing. You should see him burn./

They closed the door behind them.

“What was that about?”

“Ping and Haley are card carrying members of my fan club.”

“Come here.” I set my mug on the back of the toilet tank and stood up. Sasha wrapped me a warm embrace. He buried his face in my hair and breathed deep. He rubbed his hair against my own then began kissing my neck. “Good morning, my Fallen Angel.”

“Oh, yeah. This was the way the day was supposed to start.”

I jerked as my black haired kitten began batting at my left nipple ring. “Sasha….”

“I would rather have you under me, but this is a duty that the Lord Emperor must perform.”

Huh? He tore into my mouth with his usual gusto. His tongue running along mine, twisting around it, mimicking what I had done to him last night. I groaned as my body responded to him. He pinched my pebbling nipple as his other hand trailed down my spine into my crevasse leading to my portal. My hips jerked forward and I ground my awaking cock into his thighs. A moan was swallowed as soon as it formed in my throat.

Sasha broke our kiss and began rubbing himself along the opposite side of my body. He was scent marking me. “Sasha?”

He stilled, pulled his tangled black hair out of the way and offered up that delicious expanse of skin that was my playland alone. “Drink, Lubov moya. Let me fill your veins and run through your body as you claim that Lycan.”

I pressed my nose to his flesh. That clovey goodness filled my senses. I loved that scent intermixed with little flashes of cinnamon. I dropped fang and sank them as gently as I could. Sasha groaned but twisted my nipple ring. I bit him hard. He gasped then groaned in pleasure. I took ten savored swallows. I could feel his smile even though I couldn’t see his face. My kitten was jealous. I let my fangs retract and I licked at his neck. Tasting him, touching him…I sucked a hickey were I had bitten. I forced my head back from him. I was hard as a rock and twice as sensitive. I panted as if I had just run up eighteen flights of stairs.

“I trust you, Sex.” Sasha brushed my hair back behind my ears. His eyes dark and exotic. He was just was aroused as I was. “That Lycan, I don’t. He homed in on you too quick. He touched your hair.”

Sasha turned me around and pressed up against my back. His words were whispered through my snowdrift of a do. “Lycan domination has nothing to do with sex. This has nothing to do with what we share. Know that I understand that, lubov moya. This is work. However, if Vladimir touches you again, I will make him stop even if it means the removal of his toes from his paw.”
I shuddered. Carnage whispered that last bit in my ear. I got a tender hug and another soft kiss at the nape of my neck. My Sasha was back.

“Take your wings and your flame and claim your Imperial pack, Sex. Remember, do what you must; to get what you want.” Sasha tightened his fist in my hair and turned my head toward him. “What do you want?”

“Peace.”

“What must you do?”

“Get my own Imperial Pack.”

“Let us try again. What must you do?”

“Dominate a Lycan.”

“Again, what must you do?”

“Fuck Vladimir.”

“Yes, My Blood Emperor. Tell me again. What must you do?”

“Fuck Vladimir”

“What do you want?”

“Peace…”

“Get your flame on, Blood Emperor. We still have to get to the assigns this morning.”
Claudius stepped around me then lowered himself into reverent pose. His black hair hung around his head and swept the floor.

“You were my First, Sasha. Remember that.” I took a deep breathe and reached for the bathroom door. I willed out my wings and pulled the door open.

I did it.

I swallowed down my bile and stared at the elevator doors. I could hear Claudius’s whisper in my ear that this was just business. Just business. The elevator door open and I bolted. Hades stood as I rushed passed. I barely made it to my private bathroom and I got sick. Just business…that was rape. I raped Vladimir. I threw up again. I dropped to my knees and started to shake.

Tears burnt at the back of my eyes. I wiped at them angrily. I didn’t deserve to cry. I wasn’t the one violated this time…bastard…I was just a fucking bastard.

“Lord Sex!”

“Go away…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Hades…go away.” My forehead was cold and beaded with sweat. I closed my eyes and just whisper. “please…just leave me alone.”

I threw up again ended up clinging to the porcelain bowl. It was took much effort to try and keep the anguish in. I started crying. I forced that blonde Lycan into submission, held him down with my wings and…..and… I leaned back over the bowl.

Father had tried to follow me, but Ping blocked him. Now the deed the was, done my Proxy could witness the official creation of the pack. I just had to try and pull myself together. All I had on was the white pants from the photo shoot. I should get up and shower. I could smell Vladimir’s scent mixing with Sasha’s and mine. My stomach rolled again. I vomited until there was nothing left in my stomach then just weakly lay on the cool tiles.

“Sex.”

I opened my eyes and stared at brown dress shoes. I followed the shoes to the trousers and up massive legs finally resting on chocolate brown eyes. “Father called me. We need to get up off the floor. Sex?”

Armor. I turned my eyes away from him, sightlessly staring across the tiles. My voice was stressed emotionally and was barely over a whisper but I knew he heard me. “What you did to me, daily. How did you live with it?”

Armor crouched beside my head. He balanced his huge frame on the balls of his feet and he rested his forearms against his knees. “I kept my goal in sight. Yes, I did horrible things to you, more than Xavier but I wanted to get you to be the best you could be before birthing you. As for living with it…I drank, Sex. I drank myself stupid almost daily to deal with your distress and your tears.”

“…and you just kept doing it.”

“I had my goal. Father just mentioned what you had to do. Remember what your goals are. Tell me, Sex.”

“I had to fuck Vladimir to try and ensure that there might be peace.”

“This has turned into a fangs race, Sex. Even if you gave Haley back to Britta, she would not forgive you for standing against her. You have shaken her power base. You and your brothers have taken out her greatest creation – her Male Alpha Pack. You have kicked out the supports of the platform of her next plan before she even had a chance to establish her next attack. There can be no simple peace between you and the Lycan. What you did upstairs, Britta has driven you to do.”

Armor extended his hand. “They may look human; but they are not, little brother. Remember what dominance means to Haley. It is comfort. It is belonging. By your dominating the Alpha Leader, you have welcomed him into our strange little pod. He will in turn extend your welcome down the line.”

You are not alone, Sex. Without making the effort, you draw people to your light. There are so many who want to take care of you and your brothers. Marcus may have found you. I may have transformed and changed you, but all this.” He gestured to the whole of the building, “is your doing. When you are weak, allow others to give you their support. Take my hand, Sex, use my strength until you can stand on your own again.”

I reached out and put my hand in Armor’s huge paw. He gently pulled me back to my feet. “Keep your eyes on your goal.”

“Do what I must, to get what I want.”

“That is Father’s mantra.”

“It works.”

“Let us get you cleaned up. I will do the assigns for Father. I do not know how long the Pack creation will take. Do you want a drink?”

I shook my head. “That is not my way. I never thought I would say this to you Armor, but…thank you.”

He bowed his head in my direction. “Do you need help into the shower?”

“I’m okay….Can you tell Hades, I want to speak to William. Von Drachenfeld needs to get bigger I have a feeling, I’m going to be up to my ears in Lycan.”

“By your leave, Lord Sex.”

I turned the shower on and stripped off. I let the warm water pound on my shoulders and head. Let the waters wash me clean. I twitched as my nylon scrubbie moved my left nipple ring. I glanced down. One token from Armor. One token from Marcus. I touched the thicker gold collar at my neck and let my fingers stroke the locket. I had a trinity of love. A truly bad person wouldn’t have love times three.

Do what I must, to get what I want. I have to remember my goals…Peace. The only way I was going to get peace was to kill Britta the Elder.

Uh…where was hell was Xavier’s wedding ring?