Clove : Book 4 of Lord Emperor Vampire Series

Can't get the r&r's right now. Will have to get them up when I get a better connection. Whoot! 11,000 hits and this puppy is still so many chappies from the end. Luv Ya Guys & Grrls
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Thanks, muches gracious , meegwetch and anushiik. Need those reviews. My brain is getting sucked out of my ear canal so I need inspiration. Okay, I was crying at the end of this chappie basically cursing OW for being a big big meanie. R&R specialists: Marin Liliz; k (x2); Rosemary; ayachan’ Asyen Mari; mini (welcome); steph291; laur; duelriel; rosei (x2); Spirit; paradox; sesshomarunaraku; and Dark Avenger.

Thanks to the Loyal who had discovered “I was His” and “That’s what brothers do.” Thanks for the reviews and encouragements to move both of these beyond a one shot. Brant just might be coming back for round three. Don’t hold your breath…haven’t touched a letter on the keyboard for it yet.

Now, on with the show…..

Chapter 170: Danger

Princess Sarah Elizabeth stared up at me her eyes distraught and full of tears. She clutched at the dead corpses that had been her father and mother. I held the Glock that had taken their lives. She was in shock. She couldn’t voice her anguish and outrage. I would have to have a word with the Loyal. The Princess wasn’t on the list. She would have been fine if she had been kept away. As it was, I sighed.

“Edward…why? I said I’d wait for you.”

Oh Shit. It was just like Claudia had said. This little human was going to throw her life away waiting for me. Well for Sex. That didn’t come out right. It didn’t matter now anyway. Princess Sarah Elizabeth was a witness to a double homicide. Armor was at my back. She looked up from her knees at us. “Edward?”

“Edward…Momma said you were an captured Angel. You came and saved me from death. Momma tried to free you from Hades. She tried to save you and you killed her?”

“X, I will…”

“No.” I never took my eyes off of Princess Sarah Elizabeth. She had grown into a fine young woman of nineteen; two years older than my nieces. “I am the Angel of Death, Princess. Hades had the right to direct my touch back then but it was not your time to go when you were so small and so young. Hades was my master then; now, I am free of him. Your Mother did help with that. Your Father brought this retribution down on his head. Your Mother would not leave him. You are now alone, Princess.”

“Edward…”

I shook my head. “I am Death. You cannot belong to me. You can never belong to me. Your hourglass has run dry. I would have you close your eyes now, Princess Sarah Elizabeth.”

“Will it hurt?”

I flicked my vision over to soul-o-vision. Her ribbon of soul was bright and pink with love. My throat was tight but I shook my head. Her eyes were closed with the trust of a child. She didn’t even see my lame attempt at comfort.

She whispered softly. “I love you, Edward.”

“Let the wings of heaven guide you.” I jerked her soul out of her body. Her face tightened in a grimace, she clutched at her chest then slumped over between the bodies of her parents.

The line of Winfield was ended.

“Xavier.” Armor’s voice was all concerned.

“Find out who let her through.” I blinked back the tears in my eyes. This was actually a kinder fate than the one that she was preparing to waste waiting for Sex. “Dereliction of duty. Have the Loyal handle it internally, but I want him or them gone from my team.”

“Yes, Lord Emperor.”

“Give me a minute here, Armor.”

He touched my shoulder and squeezed it gently. I acknowledged his support with a quick pat on the back of his hand that was still on my shoulder. “Just a minute to say goodbye.”

Sex…I felt his presence perk up. /We can’t leave anyone behind us any more. They are coming back to bite us on the ass./

/I know that Xavier./ I felt a single tear well over my lower edge of my eye and trail down my cheek. /Thank you for being gentle. I caused enough pain in her life as it was even though I did with good intentions. Sleep well Princess./

“Sleep well Princess.” I whispered Sex’s words to the raven haired little girl who had clung so tightly to a single red rose he had placed in her hair. It never bodes well when humans get involved with the Vampire Nation. I bowed my head in her direction, turned on my heel and marched back out over the bodies of the Winfield bodyguards. They weren’t that good. Well , they weren’t Ranked good. I wanted a cigarette so badly right now.

I left my single tear on my face. She deserved that. I was so tempted to kick in Winfield’s face. He had danced with Shadoe Inc for so long and had gotten away with it that he had thought himself vital to the organization. His arrogance cost everyone. I holstered my Glock and headed down to the limo. Two Loyal had been pulled aside and forced to their knees.

Riot held the door to the car open just wincing as the sun slipped out from behind a cloud again. I jumped into the interior so he could get back into the front of the car as quick as possible. Human’s wouldn’t have heard it. Their hearing just isn’t as sensitive. Thip, Thip. The sound of a silencer. Two vampires were sent into the everlasting embrace of Lady Death. Armor climbed in behind me and closed the door.

I didn’t even have to ask. Those massive arms came around me and pulled me to his chest. He said nothing. Touch is a marvelous healer. I just rested my head against his chest and his hand stroked the back of my head. Maybe it would have been better to let her die so long ago. I closed my eyes. No, I can’t start second guessing every decision I have ever made. What was it that Liam had said? You make a decision and you learn to live with the consequences. You can’t change it so worrying about it is draining for no reason.

“Lord Xavier?”

“Pixie Motors on Central.”

The limo began to move. “Do you need distraction my love?”

I allowed myself a slow smile. “At least you didn’t say small distraction.”

“I am not small anywhere.” His chest rumbled under my ear with a gently laugh.

“Oh there is one place.”

He stilled. I started laughing. I pushed myself upright. His hand came up and brushed at the drying trail of my tear. “You are fine?”

“I’m ripped to shreds, Pretty but I’m closer to fine than I’ve been a long time. Come here and lay down. I want to hold you.” Armor leaned back against me and turned me into a travel pillow. I brought my arms around him and rested my cheek against his hair. I just closed my eyes and inhaled his essence. How could I have ever mistaken that apple crap potpourri from Orel Wessel as my Pretty’s essence?

“Little One?”

“Hmmm?”

“Where is Claudius going to live?”

“I was thinking the penthouse at Shadoe Inc.”

“How could he do that?”

“Well, he’d here there as Sex’s boy toy.”

Armor tiled his head a bit and kissed the underside of my throat. “You know he wouldn’t mind being thought of that as long as Sex was with him.”

“There isn’t any room at Von Drachenfeld to give Sex and Father a room befitting them.” Ha, listen to me. Befitting, jees, etiquette of the Ancients was rubbing off on me. Harold and Haruka have offered to give Sex and Claudius their room and to leave Von Drachenfeld, but that’s not right. I wouldn’t want Jack subject to any attacks because of his parents association with the Lord Emperor. Besides, I kind of liked Chesterton playing snuggle bunny with his exotic Asian flower in the hall when he thought nobody was watching. Oh, god, I’m such a pervert.

“As I have said before, how can that heart fit inside that little frame?”

“I’m not little.”

“You will always be my Little One; my precious one; my beautiful one.” Sucky kisses with a hint of fang with each little endearment. Temptation, your name is Armor.

“While I do enjoy playing suck face with you...”

“But…”

“Oh, yeah, you got a butt on you.”

“Xavier.” His tone was warning but his eyes were smiling up at me. I leaned over, smiled sweetly and bit his nose.

He sat up holding his hurt appendage. “What was that for?”

I deliberately wrinkled my brow. “I do believe that your reasoning was…ah, yes. It’s just so cute.”

He rubbed at his nose. “That is just annoying.”

“Well I could get Azrael to break it.”

“Biting is just fine.”

“Oh, come here you big baby. Let Papa X kiss it better.” Armor settled back against me. “Have I changed so much, Armor?”

“You are the same, yet you are not. Those things that cannot change get left behind. I stopped living while you were gone, Xavier. I made promises to you and when it came time to fulfill them, I wavered and Marcus picked up the slack. For the longest time, I worried that Marcus would be the one left behind…instead it was me.”

I wrapped my arms around him. What the hell. I shifted and wrapped my legs around him too. “You are a constant in my life. Some times you can be a constant pain in the ass…or a constant thorn in my side or my constant steadfast companion. I love you, my stupid fuck. I think I love you more now that before because I have seen what life can be like if you are on you’re alone.”

I pressed the side of my head up against him, “I feel harder, Armor. I feel harder on the inside…like I’ve had to shield my heart and soul.”

He settled himself fully against me letting the warmth of his body seep into my chest. “That is to be expected, Little One. You cannot go through hell and back without being scarred. Just because your Phoenix likes you flawless, it does not mean that you carry scars that have not healed. Those are harder to heal because they are deeper. And to answer your question, X. You are still the one that I love. What Marcus spied in you that made him defy the House of Assassins, is still there. What made me defy Marcus just to stay with you is still there.”

My throat was tight. “What?”

He reached up and rubbed his thumb along my forehead. “This. Your brilliant mind and force of will. You body now matches your mind…the mind that so entranced this body that the second brother came out to stay. Your heart is pure. The darkness that was there was not yours. Liam unknowingly set that inside you. You are more than I deserve, Xavier.” He tried to moved away but I tightened my grip on him. Where could he go anyway? We were in a moving car.

His right hand laid over my clasped ones. “I thought I could be your Father. I brought you to this life and this world and failed miserably at showing you how to survive in it. I thought I could be a protective influence to your children. As babies, I was fine with them but when they began to totter, and walk and speak, little things about them would remind me of you and it was like a slash to my heart. I just could not take it any more. Before the winglets turned three, I left Marcus in complete control. I did not even help him when he called for me.”

I rubbed my hands in a circular motion on his chest. I was mussing up his professional threads but I needed to get through to my big monkey. “Listen to me. Marcus is two hundred and thirty-nine years old as a vampire. You are eleven. You cannot count one day out as a full year. It’s as Father said: “We were the blind, leading the blind.” Sometimes Humans lose their mate, and the soul is shredded and unable to recover leaving the children to suffer. You had the good sense to step back and not make my children suffer my absence.”

“I would never harm your children!”

“You’ve proven that, Pretty. When you had taken all you could to the snapping point you let Marcus become their Uncle. In turn, I think that having babies in the household guaranteed that Marcus would grow up. All in all, I think things worked out well. And you…you appley scented hunk of burning desire, you distracted me again.”

“Yes…but what I have said is also the truth.”

I kissed the side of his hair. “I know. Armor…I never thought I would say this…but would you mark me as yours again?”

I ran my hand down to Marcus’ nipple shield and felt the little bud there. “I want your ring through my push button start..”

“Are you sure?”

“Sex told Father that if they weren’t back together then what was the point of surviving all those years. Somehow, we all subconsciously worked at keeping the branded glyph but every other mark on our body was healed long ago. I think it’s because it hurt so damned much and I really didn’t like the smell of burnt flesh especially when it’s my own.”

“What about Sex and Father?”

“I just think we should be grateful that they are not into body modification. I think Sex might end up in a leather collar this time though.” Armor shifted and that started the outboard motor putting slowly to life. I buried my face into the crook of his neck and inhaled. Safety and sex. What an irresistible combination. Hmmmm, nobody was around this time either.

Then my big man derailed my love train.

Armor held up a ring between his thumb and forefinger. “You were carrying it with you all this time?”

He moved his fingers and the ring turned into twins. “Pretty.” My words were barely above a whisper of breath.

“I wish you to mark me in the same way.” He took one ring and set it on his tongue then closed his mouth. He was still laying back against me, looking up at me with those hot chocolate brown eyes. He lifted his arm and placed the ring in my mouth almost like a communion wafer. I gave him a tight embrace then let him pull away.

He knelt on the floor and looked over at me. His eyes had a narrow ring of red flame around his brown orbs. His hands reached up and set on my knees. I shifted so I was facing him directly. His thumbs made a circle on the inside of my knees then he pressed them open, slowly…his eyes never left mine. Once I was at full extension, he knee scooted forward until his groin was pressed up against the bench of the seat and my inner knees were against his hips. One hand started at my ankle then skimmed upwards sliding into my pant leg, touching my warm calf , slipping out of the material, cupping my thigh on the outside and running up toward my pelvis. The bastard slid toward my ass leaving my hardening cock to continue to entertain itself. A warm hand slipped into the back of my shirt gently coaxing the material free of my waistband. Finally, he touched my bare back slipping upwards until the tips of his fingers tapped my wing scars.

He drew his hand around my chest brushing lightly against the edge of Marcus and Azrael’s metal shield. That little movement was enough to shift my pebbled nubby and boing!! I was now at full attention in a pair of dress pants that were now obviously too tight. I flipped the ring my mouth with my tongue as the Armor’s other hand began it’s trek up the Amazon. This one brushed over my tent then worked over my waist, pulling my pale peach dress shirt out of my belt. Slowly, one button flicked open. Armor leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to my newly exposed flesh. Oh. My. Seduction.

I brought my hands up and touched his sable locks. I got a tongue poked into my navel. I gasped. Armor sat up and his eyes were more intense with his scarlet flame. He reached out and loosened my grey tie. He leaned closer. I raised my face up to receive his kiss. I didn’t get one. I opened my eyes as the tail of my tie brushed over my cheek. Before I had a chance to grunt something, he had my wrists tied together. He watched me intently. I could hear the sound of my ring flipping around his talented tongue. He pushed my bound hands behind my head to rest at the nape of my neck. I felt so exposed right now. My thighs were opened and I couldn’t close them. The way my arms were displayed left my chest vulnerable Armor went back to slowly peeling back layers. A button. A kiss on the newly exposed skin. A button. A lick. A button. A hint of fang. A button. He suckled on my right nipple I squirmed on the leather seat. A low groan broke out of my throat.

He leaned over to the left. I clenched my teeth together but he only blew a stream of warm air across it. It still reacted with the slight stimulation. A button. A sucky kiss. A button. A hicky on my collar bone. Finally. I don’t mind being treated like an all day sucker…but this was too much. Armor pushed my suit jacket back and opened my shirt wide. His hands came around my back cradling me like I was something fragile and precious then he pushed me forward. He dipped his head and suckled at Marcus’ ring for a moment.

I was about to drop my ring out of my mouth and make a complaint about teasing when Armor got jiggy with it. Suck, suck suck. That had nothing to do with sterilizing the area. He was trying to make me cum in my pants. ..and he was going to do it. I went to bring my hands back down, but I was met with resistance. He had the end of the tail in his hand. If I wanted to expend the effort, I could break free. I arched up into his mouth as his tongue came out and slapped at my pebble of desire. The ring in my mouth slipped back further towards my throat. I flipped my head forward then dropped a little fang to snag it and keep it from choking me.

Armor continued to torment me with his nipple abuse program. He began to rub at me with his free hand. I groaned deep in my throat. I don’t know if it was in protest or in satisfaction. He took pity on my and freed my cock from it’s confines. I should have known. He began jacking me hard and fast. I had no where to go but up. My hips bucked up into his hand and also against his stomach. His talented mouth continued to torture me. I couldn’t open my mouth because I’d lose the ring. Oh….oh….I…. I ejaculated. He fanged me through my pulsating nipple as my orgasm ripped through me. I was lost in pleasure and a sharp spike of pain. I could feel my offering land on my chest. My nipple pulsed with heat as I felt that talented tongue work that surgical steel through my newly pierced hole. I tried to keep my torso still. Fat chance.

Finally I stopped spagging and laid flat on my back on the seat. Armor licked my cooling cum from my skin. My hands were still trapped behind my head. I jerked on my arms. Warm brown orbs filled with satisfaction looked up at me from my bared stomach. He kept eye contact as his tongue flicked out and cleaned out my navel. He sat up. He leaned over me, allow his hair that I had pulled loose before he secured my grabby hands to trail my body. My normal shell pink nipple was red. Red and Swollen.

“With this ring, I thee wed, yet again, Xavier Von Drachenfeld, First in my heart, First in my Soul.”

First my ass. I jerked on my arms. He leaned over and pressed a soft gentle kiss on my new adornment. That sent a shiver of sensation right from the roots of my hair to the bed of my toenails. He reached up and untangled my hands from my tie. He brought my hand to his mouth and he lapped at the red marks around my wrists. Once he let my hands go, he tucked me back into my pants. His mouth had cleaned me up before he freed me from bondage. I forced my wings out hard. It forced me forward knocking the big guy back onto his ass. I did one of Azrael’s little tricks. I jammed my wings up against the roof the pinned Armor’s hands to the carpet.

His expression was stunned that turned to amusement then to uneasiness when he found he couldn’t get his hands free from my feathered grip. I wasn’t so patient. I ripped his dress shirt open with my hands. His own dark brown chocolate covered peanuts called for reciprocation. I descended like a sultan on his favorite concubine. I know my eyes were blue…bright blue line gleam as my desire and want was sweeping over me. I took his nipple into my mouth and suckled hard. He twisted his torso away but he really ended up pushing his sensitive little patch deeper into my warm moist cavern. I was beyond teasing. He cried out as my fang razored through his nipple. My tongue worked that ring into his piercing.

“Xavier!”

I tasted a bit of his blood…his blood essence. It rushed to my head, filling my senses, driving up my flame. I lapped at his nipple healing the area but I wanted him. I forced my knee between his thighs pushing down on his inner flesh pinching it with my weight until he opened his legs. “Xavier…”

I twisted my hip until my upper thigh was rubbing up against his cock. He jerked on his arms but my wings held him. I raised my head and stared at him. Mine. I reached down pushing my hand into his waistband, catching his warmth in my palm. Mine. He was mine.

“Xavier…stop…Xavier!”

This orchard was mine…I wouldn’t share. I shouldn’t have to share. I’m not going to share. Mine. Mine. Mine. I ground my hip into his groin. And started rubbing at his stiffening member. I shifted letting my fangs drop to scrap at the crook of his neck.

“Xavier!” I raised my head and looked at mine. His eyes were blazing red. It wasn’t lust. It was anger. Good. I didn’t want t submissive under me. I yanked at his cock. He grunted and instinctively curled in on himself. I fanged his neck. He gave out a yell and tensed his neck muscles trying to force me off him. I bit deeper almost jumping into a second orgasm just from the potency of his essence.

The limo lurched as it hit a pot hole. It was enough to dislodge my left wing. His arm came up and shoved hard at my left shoulder. I hung on with my fangs as I pulled my hand out of his pants. I was going to have to show him that he was mine. His hand tangled in my hair and he tried to peel me off his delicious throat. “STOP IT!”

I wriggled my head and widened my fang holes. A thumb jabbed me in the eye. I pulled off his neck. I got hit hard in the chest knocking me off his chest. I turned intending to…I got a hard slap to the face. I got another one. I got hit again and again. I turtled bringing my wing up and over me.

What the hell? My face stung. Armor ripped my wing back and a hand closed around my throat. I grabbed at his hand as it closed tighter and he rammed me hard on my back onto the floor. Blood poured from his neck. Oh my god…what happened? What..what did I do? His eyes were the darkest red I have ever seen. Fear filled me. This was just like that first year. I’d pissed him off and now, I was going to endure the consequences. I forced myself to relax under his hold. It wasn’t too vicious if I gave in right away. My face ached. My shoulder hurt from were he punched me. My wings glittered out of existence. I couldn’t meet his eyes. I closed my eyes as tears began streaming back toward my ears. I raised my arm and covered my eye with my forearm.

What have I done? What have I done to my heart, my love?

The grip on my throat lessened. “Xavier?”

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry.” Armor let go of me and moved to the other side of the limo. I curled in on myself. It was like blood starvation. Everything just dropped to the instinctual. I was going to claim my mate whether he wanted it or now. Where the hell did that come from? Where did it go?

I heard Armor hiss. I sniffed and turned my head. He had a hidden compartment open and was cleaning his neck with some antiseptic and water in a small basin. His skin was jagged. I ripped him jagged. I raised a hand to my mouth. I

“Do NOT move.” I stilled. His voice was hard and low. I think my face was broken. Nothing more than I deserved.

“What was that?”

I grimaced as I lay my cheek on the carpet.

“Xavier…what the fuck was that?”

“I don’t know. Everything was fun and games and then…I had to own you.” I brought my hand up to my newly pierced ring. Everything was fine until this. I touched the metal and felt a shock all the way down my spine to my groin and up my back to my brain. I stared across the carpet to the right door.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yes…I didn’t care. I had to claim you.”

“X…”

“I’m sorry, Armor. I’m sorry I tore your neck.”

“Has this happened before?”

To Skell. He would wake up from this frenzy and have a dead raped fledgling in his bed. Oh my god. If Armor hadn’t had the strength to beat me off him…I would have killed him. I began to keen. I would have killed him. My crying intensified until I was out of control with sobs. He gathered me up, pulling me back to his chest. I resisted weakly. I wasn’t to be trusted.

His arms came around me and hugged me to him hard. “Do not cry, Little One. You are fine. I am already healing. Your tears are sharper than knives, Beautiful.” He pressed a kiss to my temple and then pressed his head along mine. “There is something still going on with you, Xavier. We will discover what it is. Sssshhhhh, you are not alone. I have you.” He began to rock me gently. “I have you now, Little One. I will never let you go.”

I blinked through my tears. I didn’t know what triggered that frenzy. What other triggers did Orel Wessel set up in me? It was just hammered home with four slaps to my face. I was a danger to everyone around me. What would happen if this…attack came on when I was with the winglets? If I harmed my children…if I harmed my children… I know Armor was upset and still angry but he held me tight to his chest, his strong arms around me as if they were enough to keep the world at bay.

My big man, my Pretty was still there even though I had ravaged his neck so viciously. I sniffed back my tears and controlled my shaking but inside I had faced an undeniable truth. I was a Phoenix bomb waiting to go off. Until I figured out what the hell was going on, everyone’s safety was in jeopardy. I was so grateful to be home, but I couldn’t stay. Fuck you, Orel Wessel. Fuck you to hell and back and fuck you some more.

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