Clove : Book 4 of Lord Emperor Vampire Series

Authors note:
Thanks for sticking with me. My life is hectic and stressful right now. When things get this way, my writing gets dark and I actually was debating about stopping until things cleared up a bit. I didn’t want reality seeping into the Cake Universe. (The last two chappies kind of reflect that.) Eep. I turned to a couple of darker oneshots over in Slash to try and work it would of my system. Hallelujah it worked! Whew. I’m off on stress leave for two weeks, and writing is a stress reliever for moi, so there should be more chappies coming up. Can’t promise if it’s all going to about the brotherhood though. AnK is speaking to me again. Brant wants to live…yadda yadda yadda. It’s all good.

Thanks again to the Loyal who had taken the time to write and encourage me. Duelriel; Rosemary; milkxness;mini.tales;rosei; k; lone_child (welcome);laur; ayachan and spirit

Okay Rosei, “Commando posting” while it made me smile, it does not involve underwear…which actually was an inspiration in this chappie, so this one’s for you. “Commando posting” is me taking my jump drive and hoping on someone elses’s computer and loading up a chappie without their knowledge. (ahem, or permission).
Shh, be very very quiet….

On with the show…


Chapter 172: Fallen Leaves

Yeah, it’s not a family picnic until someone is wearing potato salad. The fact that it wasn’t me was simply amazing. Daniel, not Dan and certainly not Danny, had a wand stuck up his ass. Well it seemed like it to me. So, this was the mage Shayne married. He was tall for a mage. Height had nothing to do with the arcane arts, but damn, I was the shortest male in the family aside from the kids and puppies.

“Haley!”

Okay, I’m not the shortest by a couple of millimeters.

Ike got picked up by the scruff of the neck and pulled away from the table by his Daddy. There was a small yelp because the little pup wasn’t expecting it but then there was nothing. Father leaned over. “Look at Raissa. Memorize that devilish expression. She egged Ike on. She can be such a troublemaker then look so innocent when they get caught.”

I caught Claudia’s eye. She made a little gesture with her head. Well, being a Papa can’t all be fun and games and mental breakdowns. “Raissa. Come with me.” I stood up and eased my way off the crowded bench. She stilled and looked down at her plate. Daniel was still picking bits of potato and egg out of his hair. “Raissa, do not make me come get you.”

She sucked in the bottom of her lip into her mouth and climbed off the bench. The rest of the winglets and puppies had quieted down substantially after Haley hauled Ike off to the figurative woodshed. You could hear the crickets now when I called out my black haired daughter. I walked off toward the opposite end of the house with my less than repentant daughter trailing about twenty feet behind me.

I saw Vladimir get off the bench to follow discreetly. He followed me as was his position as Leader of my Alpha Male pack. A female Alpha trailed him – what was her name again…Nori. She came because Raissa was her charge. I got smacked around as a kid, but that was because I deserved it. I pushed Mom and pushed her until she snapped. I would be the one who ended up crying but I won. Even as a kid, I had a problem with authority. I know Shayne got taken to the woodshed a couple of times too. Still, they were just kids -- baby vampires.

I could hear Ike’s howls as Haley administered Lycan discipline. Raissa jumped at the sound of her playmate’s agony. I leaned against the side of the house and crossed my arms as she slowly trudged toward me.

“:So, you accomplished what you set out to do. Get Ike into trouble with his Mom and Dad.” Raissa halted about six feet away from me. I pointed to the ground right in front of me. She shuffled up slowly.

“No.”

“No what.”

“No, Papa.”

“No, Papa what? No, I didn’t want to get Ike into trouble or No, I didn’t think I’d get caught.” Her head jerked up. It was the latter. “Do you know who you are?”

That puzzled her. “What do the puppies call you?”

“Lady Raissa.”

“Do you know why?”

“Because Momma is Empress and Ded is Emperor. I’m a princess.”

“Yes, you are and right now, you are the bad kind of princess that you read about in the story books.”

You think I slapped her across the face; maybe I did figuratively.

“I’m not bad.”

“When why is Ike crying?”

“Cause his Daddy spanked him.”’

“And why did Ike’s Daddy spank him?”

“Cause he threw potato salad at Frederick.”

“And why did Ike throw potato salad?”

“I told him to.”

There is was. “If you can do the crime, you can do the time. With the title of Princess comes responsibilities. If you can’t carry those responsibilities, you shouldn’t be called a Princess, nor a Lady.”

Her big blue eyes were tearing at me. This bullying had to be nipped in the bud. I didn’t want to see the kids as out of control hellions when they became teenagers. They were going to have enough trouble with the Blue line gifts when they started puberty. “I’m a good Princess.” She started crying. It wasn’t fakery either. “I’m good.”

Screw your courage to the sticking point. Damn it. I wanted to drop down and wrap her in my arms. First things first. “Ike and the puppies will do whatever you say, Raissa, because you are their Princess. They are Lycan and they want to protect you and keep you happy and safe. That means that you have to protect them too. That is what a good Princess or Prince does for their followers. You keep them safe. You do not send them into trouble just because you can.”

“I didn’t want Ike to get spanked.”

“You knew something would happen.”

“I thought everyone would laugh.” She was trying to stop crying and was stuck in that sucking, hiccupping sob mode.

I shook my head. “If you really thought that, you would have done it yourself. You knew someone would get into trouble and you picked Ike. It’s your responsibility to watch what you say and ask them to do because one day, someone might get really hurt.”

“I’m sorry.” She lifted her arms toward me. Resist. Damn it…she’s trying to wriggle her way out of this. Damn it. I dropped to my knees and gathered her to my chest. “Papa. I’m sorry.”

“You know you should get a spanking.”

“Yes…” Small delicate hands wiped at her eyes.

“So, I am going to do something else.” Her big blue eyes looked up into mine. “Your actions affected a lot more people than you thought. You are going to apologize to Daniel. You are going to apologize to Ping for getting Ike into trouble. You are going to apologize to Haley for making him hurt his son and you are going to tell Ike that you are sorry you told him to do that.”

She nodded slowly. “Then you are going to tell Ded what you did.”

Her eyes got big and round. I knew Father wouldn’t have any problems disciplining his little carbon copy of a girl. I could shoot out an eye, cut off fingers but there was no way I was going to raise a hand to my daughters. Still, I didn’t want a Drusilla running around with the name Von Drachenfeld.

“Then you are going to tell Grandma that you are sorry to have ruined the dinner.”

“All of them?”

“Your actions affect more than you know. Think before you act, Raissa. Be prepared to face the consequences of your actions. Are you ready?” She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “Nori.”

The female Lycan stepped out from beside the shed wall. “Lord Alpha.”

“Please escort, Lady Raissa back to the table and see that she does what she’s promised to do.”

“I’m a good Princess, Papa.”

“Then show everyone what a good Princess does.”

Nori bowed to me and followed my little black haired winglet back to the party. “Little Vlad.”

Vladimir stepped out from behind the wall. “Lord Alpha.”

“How are your injuries?”

“Lord Emper…Lord Claudius healed me well.”

“You understand why that happened.”

“I do my Lord Alpha. It was punishment.”

I stilled. Yes, it was punishment. Skell had picked up on my anger and did something about it. “We both know that you are not truly a mate. However…I will not have my children endangered because of it. You belong to the Empress. You can feel the affection she has for you. You make her happy, happier than I could ever have. Don’t come sniffing around me. Skell has absolutely no problem bringing you to heel. Next time might be a little to much for you to handle. You know how strong he is. We’ve gotten stronger still.”

“You are stronger than Lord Hades?”

“Pretty damn close. Keep your wits about you Vladimir. Keep Claudia safe. That will keep the children safe. You are one of my go-to-guys. I need to know that I can rely on you.”

“I am your Alpha Pack Leader. If I have lost your trust, tell me and I will step aside.”

“I trust you with my children’s lives and that is the most precious thing to me.”

I stuck out my hand Vladimir looked down at it then dropped to his knees. He picked it up and pressed his lips to the back of it. “Run with us again. Run with the whole pack.”

Ah…er… “Okay.”

He kissed my hand again with absolutely no funny business then stood up “The puppies make the run a little more invigorating. Arashi does not by half measures.”

“Oh, I know that.” My knees ached at the sound of her name.

Vladimir stilled then leapt to his feet. I could actually see him quiver. “Incoming…”

My cell phone went off in my pocket. I grabbed at it. Oh, my presents were arriving. Well Azrael’s presents were arriving. “Expected. Let’s get back.”

“Lord Alpha.”

I turned and looked back at the white blonde Lycan. “The Empress does love you. She made sure that your children knew you, knew of you. Of how special you are to all in your House.”

“I know. They came to me and called me Papa when I was out of my head. They do not treat me as a stranger, which I truly am. You had a hand in that too Little Vlad.”

“I may not show it, but I am a loyal servant, Lord Alpha. Command and it will be done.”

“Keep her happy. Keep her safe. Basically keep doing what you have been doing. Now let’s get back to the party before all the potato salad is gone.”

I was gratified to see Raissa sitting in her chair sobbing her eyes out. Mom was a little put out and I was given a hard yet softening stare. Discipline does wonders. Raissa shifted on his shift. Apparently corporal punishment helps. I looked at Father. He lifted his blood and took a sip but hand gestured two swats. It takes a community to raise a winglet especially when dear ole papa has a gooey center for little girls. Ike’s continued punishment was to have to sit between Yuri and Kaori.

I picked up my coffee mug and tapped a fork against the side. Thankfully no blood spilled out because I know Shayne would have had a shit fit. “I would like to say thank you to everyone for welcoming….me (the winglets didn’t know yet about the brotherhood of VD…eeww VonD. Hmm, I like that.) back into the pod. I have been honored beyond words. Speaking of words, I made promises seven years ago. “Lois, Lane, could you please come here.”

The two girls came toward me. Well they weren’t that much taller than me. “I am thinking of a number between one and ten.”

“Seven”

“Three.”

I reached into my pockets, grabbed the keys and hide them in my fists. “Lane, you get first pick. The number was two.”

She tapped my left hand. I turned my palm over and let the key dangle in front of her face. “Oh. My.God. Oh My God. Ohmygod! Ohmygreakinggod!”

“Lane there will be no blasphemy in my house.” Mom called out to her granddaughter.

Lane jumped up and twisted me around. Women are from Venus my ass. As if on cue, three sets of headlights turned into the lane and started up the long driveway. Lane kissed me, grabbed the key and literally bounced down the gravel path. I turned back to Lois. She was looking disappointed but she forced it back. “Did you forget something?”

“Uncle?”

I help up my closed right hand. She paused and tapped it. I dangled another set of keys down in front of her face. Twin delayed reaction number two. I got tears with this one. “You didn’t have too, Uncle Eddie. I’m just glad you’re home and can see your kids.”

Callia leaned over to Lex and said in a big stage whisper, “Why is Auntie Lois crying?”

Whatever else she was going to say disappeared in a squeal at came damn near close to breaking my eardrum. I got tossed aside like a used hankie. Well I guess, Azrael was right.

Two BMW Cooper Mini’s pulled up into the turnabout. They were absolutely dwarfed by the number of limos. Armor caught me and I ended up plastered to his side. Eh, not a bad place to be. I had no doubt that he wanted to pull me onto his lap and start his penguining program but there were too many little eyes around.

Shayne got to her feet and cupped the side of my face. “You did good, Xavier. Who picked them out, cause I know it sure wasn’t you. I was expecting two station wagons to pull up.”

What the hell is so wrong with station wagons? I got one…I think. Well I hope I still have the Chevy Nomad. “Azrael.”

“Well tell baby brother, he’s got taste. Now, I better get over there before they start doing donuts in the gravel and chipping the black on your limos. Jess, little brother, it looks like a mafia convention. Ever heard of carpooling?”

Oh yeah. Carpooling. I shifted on the bench so I could see Father. “How goes the apartment hunting?”

A look of disgust crossed Claudius face. “Just because I am currently unemployed, I cannot get past the application process. I could purchase some of the buildings I have looked at with making a dent in my savings.”

“I have a solution.”

Claudia and Ping finally gave their approval and the Puppies took off in the direction of the new toys. The winglets just didn’t have the height to make it that fast. It was just us guys at the table. I twisted had stood up leaning over as far as I could on the picnic table before Armor got an arm around my waist and pulled me back. I turned and glared at him.

“Sex.” Sasha’s voice just set me all a twitter.

“Marry me.” He looked at me like I gut punched him with out warning. “Sasha, marry me.”

“That is not smooth, Sex.” Armor murmured.

“What?” I glanced back at Armor with puzzlement on my face. I turned and met Sasha’s arctic blue eyes, “You said you loved me. What’s the problem?”

“I will marry you Sex but I want to be wooed.”

Wooed. Wooed? I’d woo you right now. I’d woo your black wings up into a Trans Am logo. I’d woo your cute little firmly packed…I got pulled back to the bench -- hard. “Save it until you are alone, Sex.”

What? That would mean me jerking….ooohhhh. I turned and looked down at Dad. He had his hand up against his forehead. Thankfully Mom had gotten up and trailed after the womenfolk. Daniel was turning red and looking like he was wishing he was someplace other than here. X was right. The man had a wand stuck up his ass. I don’t know if he had a problem with my sexuality or just the fact that he had married into a family of Vampires, Lycan and Seer. “Spit it out Daniel, I know you’re dying to.”

He narrowed his lips.

Dad took a deep breath. “Sex.”

“What? He’s been nitpicking everything since we got here.”

“We….that is the problem I have. No one informed me that you were a….” He stuttered over the right thing to say-or the wrong thing.

“Freak?” I supplied in a sugary tone.

Sasha stood up. “Sex.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth. Multiple personality disorder. There are drugs that could…”

“Hello! Drugs are the reason for this little shindig. Drugs and torture are the reason there are four of us now instead of three.”

I got an arm around my waist and pulled off the bench. Sasha raised an eyebrow as if to dare me to do something about it. He turned, keeping me tucked up against him like a two year old and his favorite blankey. Hmmm, clovey goodness. I glanced up at Sasha. He had a gleam in his eye as he hauled me off to the woods. Woods is good. I could do wood. Haha, made a funny.

“So what about those Dolphins?” Dad asked in a loud voice radically changing the subject.

“Dolphins? The fish?” Armor inquired

“Dolphins are mammals.” Daniel corrected

“I’m talking about the football team.” Dad exasperated.

That was just sad. The only one Dad could talk sports to was a Hellcat Queen. Speaking of Hellcat, where was Nightshade?

/I’m here. I’m just watching something better than the porn channel./

/Let me guess, horny shepherd and his lamby./

/Ya you think that it would fall off by now./

/Eeewww. Where are you?/

/Straight up, five rows in, three over, big piles of writhing leaves. Gees, you could probably hear them by now. Slap a binding down on them./

/You’re the pervert listening to them./

/Watch who you’re calling pervert, Sexy./

“Are you speaking to Nightshade?” Sasha asked pulling me to a halt.

I took his hand off my waist and pulled him after me. Sure enough five rows up and three rows over the biggest pile of leaves I’ve ever seen was writing and crunching and moaning. Red kitty was crouched up on a limb, lazying balancing herself on the branch. Her paw came out and lightly tapped the top of my head. I reached up and poked her in the belly. Her claws came out.

/Ow, you win./

/Naturally./

“Oh for…Hades!” Claudius pulled me in front of him and wrapped his arms around me – one at chest height, the other down my pants. Okay, it was kilt pose but the heat from his two finger tips was enough to make me want to dive into the leaf pile. “HADES!”

The rustling of the leaves stopped. “Who was that?”

“I think it was Claudius.”

“Shhhh. Maybe he’ll go away.”

“Why did you bother coming out here if all you are going to do is fornicate?”

“That’s Claudius.”

“Oh for…” A large mound of leaves shifted and a ready mussed up blonde stat up “What? What is it that it can’t wait for…” He voice trailed off into a gasp as the leaves mad a crunching sound.

Ewww, Hades was impaled.

Sasha’s hand came over over my eyes. Don’t look Eythel! Too late. “Will to have some control please. What would have happened if it were the children?”

“Well peeking thomasina up there should have warned us.”

/Don’t drag me into this. I’m just hanging out./

William shifted Hades off him and indulgently picked dried crunchy leaves off his lover’s face. “Lord Claudius is right.”

“You can’t leave me like this.” Hades whined.

/Puppies incoming./

“Private time is over. You are going to have five very inquisitive noses sniffing where you don’t want them.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hades panic. “I can’t find my pants. William!”

Claudius sighed. “I never thought I would ever see Hades like this?”

“We’ve both seen him bare assed.”

“No, I mean caring about what someone would think of him.”

“I’m not a total pervert.” Hades returned reaching back into the leaf pile. “Got it.”

William snagged tiger print briefs out of Hades hand. “Those are mine.”

/10./

I snorted.

/9/

I heard a single puppy hunting howl that was suddenly picked up by all of them. Wait, there were a couple of little vampire howls mixed in there.

“Winglets approaching.” I mentioned politely.

/8/

Sasha pressed a kiss at my temple. “My Fallen, go and distract them.”

“Are you going undies diving?”

“I do not think so.” Sasha was so offended I have to laugh.

/7/

I copped a feel of that magnificent ass then blew back a kiss as I flipped out my wings. Another shirt ripped all to hell. They were in tight formation. Hmmm, I was going to have to get them to fan out. We didn’t need another incident like the first Alpha pack Xavier light sabred into charbroiled slabs of Lycan. Eeeww…Lycan stakes. That would be like eating Scruffy.

I jumped out at them. Wings up and wide. Tuff little puppy howls turned into yips and yelps and them basically falling over each other. They might look like tweeners, but they were still babies. Six years old. Arashi recovered first. I expected that. She growled and puffed up to reclaim her face. I snatched the white braid out of her hair. “To the victor go the spoils.” I stuck my tongue out at her. I noticed two of the Alpha females watching from the darkness. That was good. “Catch me if you can.” Arashi leapt at me. I dodged and wiggled the braid in the air.

/Who ever catches me gets this./

/That’s mine!/ She snarl growled at me.

/Is it?/ I growled back.

Yuri shoved her way past Arashi and brushed by my leg as I danced sideways. Lex came running at me a big smile on his face. I turned and headed back toward the house. Merrily leading them back to the safety of the picnic. I didn’t need to see Hades in the all together. I sure as hell knew that my kids didn’t need to see Prababka cavorting like a satyr in the fall leaves.

I skidded to a halt. No. I got ran over by a Lycan freight train and a winglet caboose. They wiggled and yipped and crawled on me. Someone stood on my wings. “Sssshhhh.” I pushed my way back upright.

/QUIET./ The puppies feel silent. I grabbed for my kids and scanned the area again. There was someone out there. Someone who shouldn’t be out there. /Alphas to me! Puppies, take the Lord and Ladies back to grandma. Now!/

“Papa!?” Les cried out.

“Ssshh, take your sisters back to Grandma. Now. Don’t stop, don’t look back.”

“Papa?”

“Now. Amara and Akane will help you.” The female Alphas came out and tested the air.

“Good hunting, Lord Alpha.” Akane offered then shooed the all the kids ahead of her.

/Nightshade!/

/You have to see this…it’s like watching a train wreck, you just can’t pull your eyes away./

/Incoming!/

/I sense nothing./

/Maybe my scanning range has gotten bigger too! Northwest…about half to three quarter mile out. I have a single ping./

/On it./

The wards hadn’t gone off. It wasn’t a Blood. I stood and closed my eyes concentrating on that intruder. Human. Reconnaissance. Orel Wessel. I snapped my eyes open and felt my blue flame fire up strong. They dared to encroach on my sanctuary. I heard the Male Lycan Alphas come up behind me.

“Lord Alpha.” Vladimir knelt beside me. The rest of the pack dropped into reverence as well.

“We have an unwelcome guest. Shade is on interception. We would extend our hospitality. I can only sense one. Make sure that is all that there is. I need him alive.” Clothes few everywhere then multicolored wolves disappeared into the woods.

A single recon. They were spreading themselves thin looking for their lost little pet. I let a small smile cross my face. Maybe it was time to let my former masters know that their tame skinny Afghan hunting dog had gone feral. Under this hair was a bulldog. Once I sank my teeth in I was never letting go.

First, I’ll pick up the rest of VonD and then we would trail my Lycan. So it begins.

Killing Time. Tick Tock.