Candy: Book 5 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Saga

Chapter 217: The Results of Experimentation

I was basically told to stay out of everyone’s way. Oh, it was said politely but with a firmness that belayed the fact that instead of helping, I was hindering things. Which now lead to me and Father sitting on the steps leading up to the Advisory Council building, twiddling our thumbs. Ripley carjacked us. The silver eyed horny toad commandeered our ride so he could get to work on figuring out exactly what or who that little white haired kid was. Now I know for sure that the Loyal wouldn’t have wandered off with the Mage, so he had worked his mojo on them. I wasn’t going to complain...much. Well, I was going to because you shouldn’t be using your allies as test subjects.

“It is too bad The Empress already left.” Claudius’ attention was on the cleverly disguised maintenance crew of Regency Mages ‘cleaning’ the park. They paid particular attention to the ground around the park bench Renfury had drank his sugar. “We could have hitched a ride.”

“She was on her way over to see Renfury’s wife. I might have been a little sloppy in my interrogation. He won’t be right for a couple of days and it just might be a little awkward offering comfort when I’m sitting there.”

The wind came up and dared to mess up Father’s tresses. He pushed a couple of wayward strands back behind his ear. “Your Fey is impressive, Xavier.”

“You know his story.” It was a statement more than a question. Stared forward watching the park. So peaceful. So deadly. So fucked up.

Claudius sighed as the Regency began to pack up and then he stood. “That is his tale to tell. The same as how you became the brotherhood is yours to tell. Well, it appears it is walking time. I have gotten soft. There was a time when I would walk miles, of course mostly it was staggering from one tavern to another.”

“You must have been fun drunk.”

“No, my son. I was mean and the drink made me more so.”

“The way Liam tells it, you could have been the Czar of Russia.”

Claudius tilted his head and looked down at me. “I was just a backwater peasant. I never had dreams that grand. My concerns were more immediate. I am hungry. I ate. I am thirsty. I drank. I thought someone was tempting....I took.”

“Uh huh, I’ve heard the rumours and praise about you, Father. You made a fine Lord Emperor while we were gone.” /Hey, Sex...take over, I need to talk with Skell./

Father shook his head, “I was a poor substitute.”

“I don’t think so, Sasha.” I grinned up at my man as his eyes sparkled. Claudius could call himself lacking in some areas but he was really quick on the pick-up. “You’re nobody’s substitute. When they made you, they broke the mould, cause damn, too many like you running around would just wear me out.”

“Sex.” Sasha smiled down at me.

I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, yes please.”

Sasha caught my chin and raised my face up as he bent over. It is amazing that the world can just fade away from a simple kiss. “Not that I am complaining, but why are you here?”

“Default. X cleared the calendar but Armor is busy all day. Azrael is still wiped. You know how insular Skell gets when Orel Wessel pops up. So...” I climbed to my feet, stepped back once to get to a higher step and wrapped my arms around my Russian stud muffin. “Until we get more info or that surfer shows up with his bag of tricks, I get to stay with you.”

I kissed cloves and I liked it. Ooooh yeah, how I liked it.

“FAGGOTS!”

“GET A ROOM!”

I looked down the stairs to a late model car idling at the curb as five toughs hung out. You are so kidding me. Sasha ignored them and spiked his fingers in my hair and hauled me closer pressing his lips along my jaw line. Gaw, I love being the center of his attention. The world can just fade away when my muzh gets busy.

“FAGS!!!”

“Excuse me, Fallen.” I blinked as Sasha turned around placing himself between me and the asses in the Oldsmobile. I felt him snap his wrist and he caught the blade that he released.

“Sas...”

“I am not going to kill them. I have been attempting something with the blue line. Let us see if I succeeded.”

Now Hades had taught my Russian knife work. While we have fought with the little wily bastard over the years, and quiet earnestly in some regards, without resorting to the blue line gifts of Emperorship, we couldn’t scratch him. Sasha had taught me blades and there were days when he was teaching me, I wanted to bury one in his shoulder. He didn’t believe in sparring. If you had to pull your blades, it was a life or death situation. Always. Stapling me to a wall was just a lesson in keeping my guard up. Been there, done that, won’t do it again. Needless to say, I tried like hell not to practise with the Black Death. I took great care in making sure that I taught the winglets. The puppies just growled at me when I offered. Haley...another sharp stab to the heart. I took a deep cleansing breath. When Sasha was teaching, age and gender did not factor into Sasha’s calculations. He might have said it more eloquently but death was an equal opportunity employer.

I just set my ass back down on the steps to watch whatever lesson, experiment Professor Patent Leather as going to perform. Five to one was great odds for the punks in the bright white sedan…so they thought. Well at least they weren’t stupid enough to get out of the car. The Imperials began converging but staying back enough to step in if needed.

The wonderful world of alliteration of the ‘f’ word continued until a flash of silver caught one of the tuffies eye. It’s all fun and games until someone pulls a knife. The car roared to life. Sasha flashed the blade and I saw a thin blue line extend from the blade to his palm. The blade slammed hard into the rear quarter panel and stuck there. Wow. Sasha flung that thing hard to pierce metal. After that the car just went dead. The engine poured out black smoke from the hood. The car finally quit rolling because the rancid scent of melting tires and burning asphalt sort of melded together forming ACME’s quick drying cement. The doors to the car kicked open and the punks rolled out on the pavement.

The Regency Mages stood there and just gaped. I tried to think of another adjective but that’s what they did.

I jumped up to my feet, “Holy Moly! You’ve made an EMP!” I was jumping around like I was at a concert.

Sasha watched the youths coughing and gagging but seemed none the worse for being partially electrocuted. I think… The Imperials moved in as concerned citizens and dragged them out of the street.

Once the threat was considered neutralized, Sasha turned back to me and there was a big kid in the dynamite aisle grin on his face. My Boy!!!

Yes, Sasha had denied himself everything but the rudimentary gifts of the Blue Line. In penance. In atonement of his sins of betrayal...but it really wasn’t betrayal. He tried to lift my burden and everything went to hell in a hand basket woven by a clandestine underground organization that literately hated my guts. Which really was rather odd. Claudia was the Empress and she was out there under the bright lights of charity doing good deeds, but technically she is considered a Red, she carries the Royal Blue gene. I’m thankful that the Imperials and the Loyal have been watching over her, no real Orel Wessel attempts have been made on her...well until I get info back from the stalker’s lair, I’m going to assume that it was a random incident. Sasha...I think reputation alone keeps Wessel away from him. So that leaves the kiddies...which now that X has seen a white haired green eyed kid, explains why Wessel never made a move on them. They had their own little vampires to mould in their warped and twisted image. I blinked as Sasha ran his thumb along my brow.

“You will get wrinkles.”

“I could be a sharpei and you’d be all over me.”

“True...”

“You’re going to have to show me that.”

“Of course.” He chucked me lightly under my chin and then captured my lips in a kiss. Not so passionate. Not so mind numbing but so sweet and so tender and so loving, tears came to my eyes. “Lubuv moya?”

“I have an erection for you.” I whispered up to him.

“And I have one for you...however...”

“However...I need to check in on the winglets at home. I know the girls came home at about three but Lex and Wolf never made it back till daybreak. Too much pressure to put on a little pup.”

“It was considered a high honor.”

“There is always a price to be paid for honor, Sasha. Wolfgang will be paying it now. Lex wants to help, but...I think they both need a little TLC right now.”
“Agreed.”

A Shadoe Inc fleet car rolled up. A Loyal climbed out of the passenger front and embarrassed us all to hell by dropping down into the usual reverence then attempted a poor man’s Lycan hunch. He climbed back to his feet and then opened the back door. Sasha took me by my hand and lead me to the car. The Loyal snapped the door closed behind us.

/Guys?/ I watched as Manu and Pytor hauled two still hacking humans out of the road way so we could drive past.

/We’re good. We will take care of the trash. Do not leave your Father’s side./ Sang Kyu ordered rather forcefully. /My Liege./

Liege. Oh gees. /Will do. Say hello to Bruce./

The big scarred Lycan coloured up like a red red tomato. I sat back down and then snuggled over to my hubby’s side. His arm came up and over my shoulder pulling me tighter. I was debating at how naughty I could get between here and home when Sasha’s cell phone went off. He shifted me slightly and pulled it. A text message. Wow. I wish I could say my Russian’s penchant for overstuffing every available nook and cranny with...stuff was curbed. I noticed with the older Ancients, if that is such a term, that they were all rather fascinated with modern technology. Almost entranced by it, well Hades and Liam definitely were and Marcus because he did a lot of his background research on computer. My dark assassin preferred the newspaper and calligraphy as a hobby until I broke open Pandora’s Box. It wasn’t until I showed him the wonders of Ebay and the world wide web which opened up whole new vista’s of shopping that he really got into computers. I’d created a monster.

“Excuse me, Fallen. I have been outbid.”

He pulled his arm off my shoulder and started tapping on the tiny keyboard of his multifunctional ying yang included gizmo cell phone. I’d been sent back to the cheap seats. I crossed my arms and looked out the window. I put a pout on my face but inside I was smiling. He was happy when he locked in a have and have not auction ending in seconds. “You know, we have limited space, muzh.”

“Shush...I only have.....yes!!!” It was just a day of firsts. Ooofff. I was pinned down on the seat with black hair falling around me, the warm scent of cloves assaulted my senses. “Now before you get all pissy...”

“I don’t get pissy.”
“Naggy, then.”

“Naggy is not a word.”

“Before you show me that I have pressed your patience to the nagging point, I will have you remember something very important.”

“What could that be?”

“Vintage fully restored Indian Motorcycles do not grow on trees.”

“You bought it online?”

“I was victorious. It was a long and bitter battle, but I want to see you on my left as we sail down the highway on a warm summer night with the moon near its zenith.”

I looked up at him with wide owl eyes. “Fallen?”

“You should be writing this stuff down.”

“It is easier now to speak what is in my heart, because you have given me light to see what is there.”

Squishy...I was a big squishy puddle. “We could go for a ride now.”

Sasha sat up and then pulled me beside him, tucking me back under his arm. “That will not happen for a while. You will not get the keys until you have your license and pass a rider safety course.”

“What?”

“That auction I just won is a helmut for you.”

“But....”

“I will not lose you again, Fallen, for any reason. If you force me to, I will take my gift back.”

“But...”

“You sound like a motor boat.”

I canted my head back and looked at Sasha. He was in a good, self-satisfied mood. Not that it was a rare thing but I assumed that the Blue Line EMP was significantly harder to do than what he let it on to be. “I take it you have a driving school in mind.”

“Barring everything happening, you have your first lesson on Saturday.”

“Okay.”

We just basked in each other’s presence. We didn’t have to be humping each other stupid every second of the day...not that I didn’t mind, and I didn’t hear Sasha complaining. Just feeling his warmth against my side was enough to get me sighing in contentment.

X was off trying to find out more for Skell. He still found it rather disconcerting that he fell so quickly when we were captured. I personally thought it was because he was the most public figure of us that Wessel was prepared for him. Azrael...the second most public, reputation and probably first hand surveillance was his downfall. Me...they finally cut me off at the knees but I was unpredictable – ever changing as the wind and not above using my sexuality to get what I wanted. I knew they had taken ‘medicinal’ samples from me. Get a check up, get a jerk off into a paper cup. When they did it, I was a drooling idiot. I couldn’t have stopped them anyway. I never thought that they would be doing a ‘boys from brazil’. Even if Six, was mine, he was human because...well no young fledgling could stand in the light. Vampire or Human, Chippie was right Orel Wessel had no right to be holding Bloods against their will.

The only draw back was that the brotherhood had destroyed their main compound. They didn’t rebuild. In fact Orel Wessel had gone underground. So, somewhere there was another one of those hell factories. I’d have to get intell on it. We might have to do some raids, get some high ranks and do a little bit o’ soft shoe through their brains. Which brings us back to our little magical problem.

Sarah Monahan. Poor little orphan Annie with a sizeable fortune at her disposal from her father’s underworld dealings. Once X made sure Monahan was dead after a year as a basket case, he had put everything out of his head. Sizeable fortune, undying hatred, sorceress, Serephina was ripe pickings for Orel Wessel. Maybe she sought them out herself. She had been accepted into the Regency Mage Academy. She might have heard about Orel Wessel from there. It was big news through the Empire when Von Drachenfeld wiped them off the face of the earth and fully resurrected an older Blue Line Vampire. Maybe she finally but two and two together and came up with the Red Angel of Death who had killed her family.

X was right. We couldn’t leave anyone behind. Look at what happened with Princess Sarah Elizabeth. That was my fault. My guilt twisted her life. It might have been kinder...no, it would have been kinder if I had let her soul leave when she was a child. She set her sights on the moon (me) even though she was never going to achieve it. The years I thought I was giving back to her were basically wasted and warped.

The ride was uneventful. The ride up to the penthouse was uneventful. By choice. If I started up my Sasha’s engine, I would have to drive the 1000 miles it would take to calm him down. I’m not a tease...I mean, I’ll...I don’t know what the hell I mean. I start something. I finish it with a smile on everyone’s face.

The corridors were quiet. The whole place was subdued. The staff had known my little bundle of fluff. They knew that a Lycan funeral wasn’t a place for humans but they needed to say good-bye. I sighed. I was going to have to arrange a memorial service. Sasha kissed my forehead and muttered something about checking e-mails. My technophile.

Where would Lex and Wolf be? I think the music room would be a forgone conclusion. I doubt the entertainment room would be someplace else they would hole up. Wolfgang would be reacting like a wounded animal. He would want someplace dark and quiet. Lex’s quarters. I headed down the hall to the stairwell. I heard the whine of cameras as they tracked my motion down to the winglet’s floor. All of them should be asleep. It was still only about 11:00ish and this was the first funeral/wake they had gone to. I’d check in on my baby girls after I saw to Lex and Wolf.

“I thought you said you had beer!” Jax came out of the small kitchenette area of Lex’s side of the floor holding a wine bottle. He skidded to a halt when he saw me standing there. “Uh, Lord...”

“Jax.” I held out my hand for the bottle. I might be the poster child for fledglings gone wild but my children and charges were repressed. No underage drinking under my roof, and my roof extended down 21 floors. “And what is this Lord crap?”

“Uncle...Eddie.” Jax paused then handed the wine bottle over to me. Hmmm, Claudia’s private stock.

“Drowning your sorrows?”

“Ah...eerr...”

“I’ll be the first to tell you it doesn’t work. You just wake up feeling like crap and still dealing with the crap that sent you drinking in the first place.”

“Ah....”

“Wolfgang and Lex...”

“LEX YOUR DAD IS HERE!” I blinked at Jax as he yelled toward the bedroom. Okay, that was a warning. What the hell was going on? Jax actually tried to get in my way as I headed for the bedroom. I easily sidestepped him and walked into the bedroom. Oh....averting my eyes.

“Papa!”

I pivoted on my heel and headed back out to the lounging area.

Jax was kind of dancing from foot to foot. “Jax.”

“Yes, Sir?”

“You want to go up to the kitchen and get me a six pack out of the fridge. You might want to take your time doing it, unless you want to be here.”

“I’m gone.” Jax bolted out of the room.

Oh my god. I sat down on the pale blue leather couch and dropped my face down into my hands. I thought I was prepared for this. I knew it was a part of life, but I was shocked. I thought finding out my baby girls were out spreading their feminine wiles....oh, gaw that sounded bad. There was the sound of shuffling and grunting and the distinct sound of a body falling out of bed. My little boy was a man and unless I was mistaken, so was Wolfgang.

“Papa?”

“Get dressed, both of you. We need to have a talk.”

“I can explain.”

“When you’re dressed.”

We had ‘the talk’ a while back. Actually X did the talking and he stammered and turned beet red and basically psychologically scarred Lex for life. Armor wasn’t kidding when he told X that he was virgin bait. Once with that girl in college, the rest of the time it was solo performances in the shower. I didn’t have any memories of Dad sitting me down and telling me the facts of life, probably once more because of my winning personality. Armor just did it. My goal at the time was to piss him off and make him lose it. I was not the role model to be giving lectures on sex and the single vampire and wolf pup. I took a few deep breaths.

“Papa?”

“Can you both come in here and take a seat?”

Wolf’s face was colored pink. “Huh, I’ll stand.”

Oh gees.

“Where’s Jax?”

“Is he part of this too?” I caught the quick look between the two of them and barely stopped from rolling my eyes. Holy moly. I reached over and picked up the receiver from the house phone. “Kitchen, please. Hans, is Jax there yet? Yes, I told him to pick up a six pack for me. Better make it two and send him back here immediately.”

I hung up the phone and sat back trying to make myself appear nonchalant and in control. Inside I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. My babies were having sex. My puppies were having sex. My baby and my puppy was having sex together....and apparently with my human charge. “So, my eyes weren’t deceiving me, where they?”

“Uhhh...”

“You and Wolfgang were having sex.”

They both colored up and looked at the floor. The carpet wasn’t that awe-inspiring. “Not really.” Lex finally stammered out.

“Define, not really.”

“Lex was comforting me, Alpha.”

Oh gawd....this was the draw back of having a blended family. Vampires and a Human were raised in a Lycan setting. They had always all slept together in one form or another. All the puppies on the bed, or if my little winglets were missing there were intermingled in the puppy pile. Hell, Jax was in the middle of the puppy pile half the time anyways. I knew what comforting meant to Lycan and looking at Wolf, this little pup needed all the comforting he could get. Out of the first litter there were two Alphas. Yuri and Yuki were on the high end of the beta scale. Wolf was always the smallest and weakest of them. I knew Haley had worried about him. He had been the runt of the litter. I think that’s why Haley had given him his father’s name. Wolf had a lot to overcome and to lose his Father so young in a pup’s life was a harsh blow.

I got up and walked over to Wolf. His tawny eyes were so much like his father. “I am sorry for your loss, Wolfgang. I loved your father very much.”

Maybe it was the strain of having to be strong for the younger pups in his pack, or the tension of having to sing at his Father’s wake or maybe my son’s attempts at comfort finally reached this little wolf’s heart. I held him as he broke down and sobbed. I stroked his head and held him close has his body shook. Lex came around the couch and we made a vampire sandwich. Lycan are touchers.

I caught Jax by the back of the neck with my free hand and pulled him into our little cocoon. This is what friendship should be. Lex and Jax were there for their friend. Maybe a little more than I would have liked but they seemed to be doing this as a pack mentality. I don’t know how long we stood together but we did it as long as it took. I had snot all over the front of my vest. I pet Wolf’s head and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Better for the moment?”

He nodded then noticed he mussed my suit. “Sorry.”

“That’s what dry cleaners are for. Okay, break it up, let the boy have some room to breath. Jax, give everyone a brew.”

“Papa?”

“Special occasion.” I waited until Pack Von D all had a beer. “Don’t think you can be raiding the Empress’s private stock and not have anyone know. My beer is off limits after today. Understood?”

“Yeah.” Human.

“Yes...” Lycan.

“Thanks Papa.” Winged brat.

I popped my tab on my can and lifted my hand up in salute. “To Haley. Best damned friend a guy ever had.”

They lifted their own in a toast and I watched with a critical eye as they call seemed to have no problem drinking my beer. Hmmm, a little to easily. Methinks beer is not as foreign a beverage as I have been lead to believe. I eased back on the lounger and spread my arms wide, resting my elbows on the edge. “So, boys, let’s talk about condoms.”

Snot and beer. The dry cleaner was going to have fun with me. I looked over at the pack as they squirmed and turned various shades of pink to red. The dry cleaning bill was a smile price to see Wolf’s spirit rise just a little. Everyone commended his voice when he sang. That was because he allowed his emotions to pour through. He was sad but he had stopping pulling away from his friends and family. That was good enough for now. Let the healing begin.


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