Clove : Book 4 of Lord Emperor Vampire Series

My apologies…this is very short…and holy crappy, it got bad real quick. I was actually sobbing here…. Q&A’s later…
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Hellcats
Morose is back. He is reborn and is just a wet kitten who can’t open his eyes. Until a hellkit is weaned off it’s mother, it cannot scale size or change colors but they can communicate. It will roughly take two months before Morose can show up at Von Drachenfeld.

Deviantart
Ivette has discovered a couple of beautiful pictures by a professional artist that kind of capture an idea of Claudius. Take a look. Thanks for the heads up!!

http://heise.deviantart.com/art/D-14-59629260 and
http://heise.deviantart.com/art/Tame-tigers-the-portrait-20198083

ATOI
Q: Ah…the X-ray vision thing. So there are other abilities such as these? Interesting. Did you think of it before hand, or did you just pull it out of your ass?
A: My ass is very talented because I had no clue what was going to happen. It’s like I’m channeling through my writing this time. The other books had a different feel, this one is harder and it keeps veering to the dark no matter how hard I keep wrenching back to happiness.

Thanks for the comments and kudos and heck. Luv it. Mauh!!: Mihara; darma; Duelriel; Rosei; Marin Liliz; Laur; Crimson Vixen; Rosemary; Ivette; Ciar; Spirit; Natana; dramastarelf; ATOI; and K.
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*SPOILER ALERT*

This chappie was supposed to be light hearted and smexy and full of fun, fun smut. I don’t know what the hell happened it just went off on its own and got all emotional and scary. I don’t know where it’s going. I started the next chappie and it’s still dark. Sex what the hell are you doing!!!


*SPOILER OVER*
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Chapter 162: Cruelty

I woke up as I was gently set on Claudius bed. His hand lingered on my hip, gently stroking and testing. “I’m fine. You healed me up, real good.”

“Your language skills have dropped off dramatically.”

“Skell never had anyone to talk to. They treated him like he had the plague but they still used him every chance he got. Come’ere.”

“I was going to get the bathtub started.”

I gestured with my fingers in a grabby motion. “Get me started first, Sasha.”

He came back and settled beside me on the bed. “I promised the physician that I would have you soak in a hot bath for at least twenty minutes. Then we are to ice your hip.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Be your floation device.”

Oh goody. “Go.” I waved him off. He gave me a rare sweet smile, kissed my forehead and shed his leathers. Ooooh. I am such a pervert. He wasn’t even trying to be alluring and I was all hot and horny. He was naked beneath his jacket. His skin was sweaty and I could detect a sharp odor of clove as he lifted his arms and tossed the jacket toward a chair. I just laid on the bed and watched, biting my lower lip as he bent over and unzipped his boots. Damn, he had a sweet ass. So round, so firm sooooo fully packed. Oh look, the crown jewels and the magical specter work. Which actually was a load off my mind.

Sasha toed off his boots then stood up and brushed at his rock hard abs. “Sand gets everywhere.”

Lucky sand.

I don’t know why I was so light hearted. It was only three o’clock. Three hours had past since we were involved with a death match and then major surgery. I ached. It was nothing like the agony I was in laying out in the forest, but everything worked. My cock pulsed against the front of my zipper. Oh yeah, I’d mangled these leathers. My chest that had been pressed against the healing light shield was fine. Anything on my back burnt away. Hence the ass-less chaps.

Claudius headed for the bathroom. I slipped off to the side and took off the belt. My apron shirt dropped from between my legs and crumpled on the floor. The front of my pants flopped forward as my cock pushed it from behind. I toed off my docs, my socks and began to peel my pants off my thighs. I could hear the water pour into the tub. I wiggled out of the leather and laid back on the bed, well I tried. I sat on my hair had to stand up again pull it out of the way and then laid down again.

My nether regions were bruised – faded to yellow and green but still it was three hours old. A testament to how fucked up I truly when I was laying out there in the woods. I raised my leg and rotated my thigh. It moved normally. Even the physician didn’t think that what he was witnessing should have worked. I really didn’t have a strong clue what X and Skelly did. I was grabbing all the pain and dragging it to me so they could do reconstructive lego building or whatever they did.

It couldn’t imagine trying to build shattered bone by myself. I couldn’t image trying to build a bone shield. What kind of pain did Alarik leave Claudius in after he broke his shield? What did he say? He was out for three days. He built that monster of a shield in three days out of himself. Father did that all by himself. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it had been.

I laid my leg flat. The physician also now said that I would have to strengthen my bones because of the shavings that were moved around. More exercise. Damn. I laid my forearm across my head and hid my eyes in the crook of my elbow. I must have drifted off because I was startled awake with a kiss to my hip. Hair tickled my sensitive areas. I looked down at Father’s arctic blue eyes. His hands stroked my leg softly then he noticed that I was awake and watching him.

“You could have let me die, Sex.”

“Then what would have been the point of surviving the hell of the past seven years.” His eyes flared blue at my soft words.

“Come, the bath is ready.” He gently picked me up and carried me toward the bathroom. My stomach clenched as we entered but it wasn’t a full blow panic attack. Fuckers. Those fuckers. “You need more blood, my Fallen Angel. You are still bruised. Are you in pain?”

“Nothing like before.” I looped my arms around his neck, and pressed my head against his shoulder.

“You look tired. I will cancel our reservations.”

I shook my head as he sat me on the edge of the tub. “You know by know that the whole of the Nation is talking about us. I’m surprised that our ears haven’t turned red and fallen off. Me and the brothers have caused a faction the House of Assassin and the only way I can think of healing it is to show everyone that we aren’t enemies.”

Father lifted my chin and pulled my face up to look at me, “I was never your enemy, Sex. If you thought that I was…”

I cupped my hand around the back of his neck and pulled his head toward me. I kissed his forehead. He knelt beside the tub. “I’m not going to lie to you Father. You gave me a mortal wound on my wedding day.” He tensed beneath my touch but remained on his knees. “I thought I knew despair before when I wandered alone in the dark. To show me such wonders and to let me bask in the light of your eyes then to kick me back down into the depths was something I didn’t think I could survive. The pain of today was nothing compared to the heart you wrenched out of me. I gave you all that I was. You were supposed to treasure me. To cherish me. It was typical of me to expect too much. It’s all or nothing with me. It always has been.”

“Sex…”

“Actions speak louder than words. You’ve made promises before that you’ve forgotten when push came to shove. I love you, Alexander Kornasov, aka Claudius Du Bussey, aka Sasha Von Drachenfeld, aka Carnage. I won’t ask for promises again. It breaks my soul that you can’t keep them. I give my body into your safe keeping. I give you my heart. Trust is something you will have to earn, Sasha my love….my soul.” I sat up and ran my hand along his hair line, “I’ll keep.”

“I only wanted to protect you. It only seemed logical to place myself in harm’s way. I only wanted you strong, Sex.”

“Mission accomplished. Give me what you can, Sasha. If you can only show me the moon’s reflection instead of the actual moon then I will accept it. I still hold you dear in my heart. I’ve learned my lesson well, I can’t depend on you for my happiness.”

I took his hand and slipped into the water. He knelt before me looking at me with an unreadable expression. “I am in charge of my own destiny, my own contentment, my own happiness.”

“Fallen…’

“Join me.” I slipped to the back of the tub. I had to let go his hand for a moment. I thought he was going to walk out of room but he under his leather pants then stepped into the tub and sat between my legs. His frame was stiff but I wrapped a wet arm around his chest and urged him back to me. He resisted but finally leaned his full weight against my chest, his head leaning back against my shoulder.

“Honesty is cruel.” He finally spoke.

“You could always tell when I’m lying. I will never lie to you, Sasha. I ask too much of everyone. I give all that I have. I expect it in return. It’s disappointing to not be met halfway. But it’s my disappointment…not anyone else’s” I picked up a sea sponge and dropped it into the lightly scented water. Jasmine. I let Sasha’s weight rest on me. I picked up the sponge and began to run it along his shoulder and down his chest.

“I have tried to meet you.”

I set my chin on his other shoulder, “I expected too much of you. You said you have been a bezerker all your life. I shouldn’t have expected you to suddenly begin feeling the highs and lows of emotion. I kind of kicked my own teeth in.”

“I…”

“Ssssh.” I dunked the sponge again and then began washing his perfect chest. “I’m home Sasha. You have no idea how I’ve longed for this.” I began pressing light kissing pecks at his ear, moving down the delicate shell to the fleshy lobe. I ran the sponge down his well defined chest to his six pack to his navel. I left the sponge sitting there and explored that expanse from navel to member. “I love you. Let me cherish you, my black winged boy.”

Sasha arced his head further to the left offering me full access to his neck. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. I hurt him. My words had hurt him but they needed to be said. Honesty can be a bitch. I would make it better. I would make it better for the both of us.

He gave me what I needed in Hades club. He needed me now. My boy, my son needed something different. I made him. I made him out there on that dark night. I pressed my temple against his and gently whispered, “Let me in, my love. Share with me…”

I could feel his new shield slam down hard.

“Let me be the first. Let me be your first. Pulhazha,” Tender suck kiss on his temple. “Pulhastha…’ Another gentle touch at the corner of his mouth. I dropped fang and
Lightly scraped his jaw pulling it back to his throat. “Pulhazha.”

“I do not want to disappoint you again.”

“You can only give what you have…It’s my fault for asking for more. Show me what you can, Kitty.” I let my hand trail down to his stiffening member. It reached up for my caress. Our hearts were wounded but our bodies…could begin the healing. Right? Oh please let this be right. “Show me what love you can…let me cherish you…Alexander.”

Uh…what the hell? One minute I’m stroking my love…the next I’m alone in the tub. The only evidence I had that I had shared a tub was the rock hard erection I had and a trail of wet footprints walking away from me.

Son of a bitch.

I waited in the warmth of the tub for his return. It was more than twenty minutes and he still didn’t come back. I leaned back against the lip of the tub and stared up at the shower head. Laughter broke out of mouth. It was either that or wail. As it was, it was sort of maniacal. I sacrificed my body to save his life. I offered everything I was even though I knew that he couldn’t match it. I was willing to take anything…anything little thing at all and he left. I fell back against the porcelain and held my stomach. Why did I think that this would be good? Why did I even offer?

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…that chant ripped through my head.

My white wings ripped out of my back with enough force to knock the glass shower partion crashing and shattering to the floor. Stupid whore. I’m just a stupid whore…than even an emotional cripple can’t bring himself to fuck. Stupid…stupid…I turned into a whirlwind of destruction. I walked through glass not feeling the slices to my feet, slipping slightly in the blood pouring on the ceramic tiles. I forced my wing tip through the floor length mirror. It showed a shinny white whore with stringy white hair and blue blue eyes. I snarled and fangs flashed back at me. I ran at it and slammed my fists against it until pieces began to rain on the floor.

Everywhere I walked I left a trail of blood and tears. Everything I touched I destroyed, intentionally. Blood streamed down my forearms and hands. I ripped apart books, I threw vases. I found his bloodmark and when it opened, I shredded his closet. The scent of him filled my head. I tore everything apart.

I survived for him. I endured for him…I shattered my bones for him and he fucking left me again. Stupid…I’m so damn damaged. My brothers couldn’t even give me away. I grabbed a leather coat from off the floor and willed out nails. I lit the tips with Hand of light and was going to shred it when I saw what it was…My light flickered out. It was the first thing I ever gave him out of money that I had earned. This was mine. I slipped it on over my nakedness. It hung heavily on my wings. It was butter soft and supple. Jet black. Soft. I…thought it reminded me of his hair. I ripped it off my shoulders and flambed it. The fire alarms went off.

I stood naked in the sprinkler system, blooded and bruised. My hip hurt. I started to cry. It was a deep rooted ache…my hip. My chest was just cold.

I’ll keep my heart then Father. I’ll keep my love. I don’t need you. I won’t need you. Orel Wessel doesn’t have to send out snipers…but then you’ve been the best killer out there for two hundred and twenty-seven years, Claudius. You did what Orel Wessel couldn’t do. The Elevators were locked. I turned and stalked toward the wide panoramic window that took up most of the living room. It was bright and sunny. Mock me more. I spied another gift I had given him. I grabbed the edge of the gong and wrenched it free from its stand. It was heavy but I picked it up and threw it like a two hundred pound Frisbee. Glass shattered. The gong rang then echoed out of sight as it spiraled to the ground.

You broke me, Claudius.

You win. I’ll stay broken. It hurts too much to pick up the pieces with bloody fingers. I stood at the window’ seal and felt the wind tinkle my wings. I liked it better when it sounded like leaves. My hair hung in wet hanks around my head. The warmth of the late summer wind did nothing to warm my chest. It was as if something had been dropped in carbonite. I heard Vamps climbing up the stairwell. I heard them coming into Claudius’ penthouse and slide to a stop at the sights of my destruction.

I heard the familiar click of safeties coming off. “Hands up!”

“It’s Lord Xavier!”

“What?”

“Who the hell else has white wings and hair?

I lifted my hands and looked at my palms. There were sliced up pretty bad. I looked past my hands down to my feet. They were pretty bloody too. You know what, it hurt. I was done here. I stepped off sill out into the light of day.

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