Candy: Book 5 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Saga

Attention: Loyal and True. I need some assistance with some Hungarian. As you may have read, I have the origins of the Northern Pack in Hungry, eventually they migrated to England then over to the New World. Much like my foray into Russian, It will be just some key phrases. If you are interested, please give me a shout on kiix@hotmail.com. Thanks!!

Mucho likey the hits and the kudos. I am a glory hound...sad I know, but that's the way I am. Ana; meadows_peak; jewel2656; duelreil; steph291 (x2); rosemary; lavcea; blaze; lone_child (x2); marin liliz; spirit of beyond; and laur. Muah, Mauh Mauh!


Chapter 188: Fathers and Syns

There was a moment of silence in the room then Marcus stepped beside me. “Technically, the kids were arrested last night when you and Sex were supposed to be in charge.”

I blinked at Marcus’s slight admonishment to a pissed off and wet former Master Assassin. Gack! Babe are you trying to get your head knocked off?

Liam had the good sense to say nothing. I swear I just got burnt with the ice of Father’s gaze as stared over at me. The atmosphere of the lounge got Antarctic. Then there was a big sigh and Claudius flopped down into a club chair. I say flopped because it looked like his legs just gave out from under him. “Yes. He just guarders all my attention when he is here.”

That was unexpected. Then again; not so much. Arctic Father had melted like the ice caps under the influence of global warming. Sex just had that kind of effect on everyone. He was such a personable entity that you just couldn’t help just warm up to him. Crap even in the beginning when he was as creature of desire and fancy, you couldn’t help wanting to be in his sphere of influence. Don’t doubt me, if I could have found the little menace of frenzy in the darkness, I would have kicked his ass hard. Then I would have taken care of the little mess. Sex. You knew exactly where you stood with him. Good or bad. Apparently Sex had taken Father off his feet yet again. Don’t think I really want to know what the heck they get up to.

Marcus arm came around my waist and he stepped into me. I could tell he had been expecting Father’s discipline by the sigh had escaped his chest.

“What did Elder Brother do to you now, Father?”

Father opened one eye and then shook his head. His towel landed on a wooden parquet end table. “Yes, Sex and I should have kept an eye on things…instead of on each other.”

I offered up the good news, “Claudia’s stalker has been dealt with.”

Claudius sat up. “Excellent. I take it Alpha Leader tracked him down.”

“And Marcus fucked him up.”

Liam shook his head then leaned over and snagged the towel off wooden end table. “You know that I’ll get blamed for this if you bugger up his furniture.”

Father tilted his head and regarded Liam with the same cool eye. “Do you know what Lex and his cohorts have been up to since you are the one he is running to for assistance?”

“Ah, don’t be pulling me into a parenting dispute.” Liam shook his head and tossed the damp towel over his shoulder.

Marcus added, “You’ve been already been pulled.”

Liam straightened up, “I take it back, you do have a sense of humor. Well a better one than your other half. I still don’t know what Xavier sees in him, ‘cause it sure isn’t chuckles and giggles.”

“Distraction isn’t going to work, Praded.” I folded my arms over my chest.

“Your guess is as good as mine. My Honeybee and I were a little busy last night. I heard the phone but I was in the middle of a particular maneuver that really couldn’t be delayed.”

Ooooh, I so don’t want to hear about Ancient kink.

“When Hades got up this morning, he played it back and tore out of here to rescue the little lambs. He still has that protective streak in him that I so liked about him.”

“Why did you not inform me of the incident when I arrived this afternoon?”

Liam flicked his eyes down to his syn. “Lex asked for Dedushka, not Ded.”

“Still…”

“I would have told you once Hades brought them back safely and I found out why a Vampire, a Lycan and a Human were arrested in a police raid at two a.m. in the morning.”

Claudius returned coolly, “That would be something that I would find out.”

I arched an eyebrow in my Father’s and Grandfather’s direction. “Actually gentlemen, he’s my son, so it’s my job to find that out. I’ll take the responsibility for all of us slacking off.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Azrael.” Hades walked into the lounge with two of the three amigos in tow. However, my white haired miscreant was missing. Hades glanced back. “Lex, get your ass in here now!”

Hmmm, so this is what hangdog expression looks like. Both Jax and Wolfgang were standing behind Hades wanting to be any other place than where they were right now.

“Alexander.”

There was hangdog expression number three but he had a fire in his eyes. “You said you wouldn’t tell Papa.”

Hades turned on his heel and glared up at the young fledgling. “I said no such thing. I do believe my only words to any of you were, “Get your ass in the car, I paid your bail.”

“Linc and Pilot?”

“They’re still there. I’d let the Loyal sort out their own internal issues.” Hades just let his eye slip over his young followers.

Lex’s head popped up. “What? What does that mean? They didn’t do anything….”

“Apparently.” Lex just stilled as Father’s voice sounded from the club chair. I watched as he stiffened to his full height when he realized that Ded was here as well. “They should have ensured that you were not arrested to begin with.”

Marcus leaned over. “Don’t you remember what you were like at nineteen?”

I think Marcus was trying to diffuse the situation a bit. It was a gallant effort but everyone who truly cared for our wayward little syn was here and in Von Drachenfeld, caring also meant discipline.

“X was getting his ass beaten for being different.”

“And you?” Marcus gestured over to Hades. “What were you like when you were nineteen.”

“I haven’t reached nineteen. If you’re talking as a Vampire, I was under his thumb.”

Oh, there was a little trouble in paradise. They were using pronouns for each other.
Liam took the damp towel from his neck and made a show of wiping his hands. Hades’ watery blue eyes narrowed. Oh crap. One fire at a time guys.

“Liam, you?”

“I wasn’t in trouble with the law if that is what you’re asking. I was the Law.”

“Father?”

“I should have been strung up in the hanging tree by then but nobody had the guts to try it.” Claudius said that with such scary nonchalance.

I thought Jax was going to faint. Wolfgang was quivering but his eyes were flashing feral greenish gold. He was ready to defend his comrades. Good. He still considered himself an Imperial.

“And you Babe?”

“I locked myself in my room and was learning the violin.”

“And the point being?” I leaned against him.

“We were all doing things differently at their age. I don’t think we turned out that badly.”

“But that was then, this is now.” Hades pointed out.

All eyes turned and looked at me. “The fact that you couldn’t call home and ask for help tells me that you know you are doing something you shouldn’t be. Dedushka did not call us to meet you here. Ded was here on his own business. We came to pick him up. Still, all three of you are under our roof. Wolfgang, you are here because your Father trusts Lord Alpha to watch out for you. Jax, your Father scares me. That should tell you something.”

The black haired young man ducked his head a little further to the floor. Wolfgang had his Father’s multi-tonal mess of hair. I guess you could say he was a dirty blonde Lycan “Now, what the hell is going on?”

Nothing. The teenager shuffle started up.

Fine. I’ll take care of business with my wayward winglet first. “Hades, did you get your shooting range set up?”

“Of course. Lower level. You know the codes.”

“Alexander…” I turned and headed for the hidden stairwell back to the right of the wall of sound. I turned and he was still milling with his buds. “…you won’t like it if I have to come and get you.”

Wolfgang shoved him forward. He squeaked across the marble tile in his canvass runners until he hit the carpet. I opened the door and waited for him to lumber in front of me.

“Down.” He started down the stairs. I shut the door after me and followed him.

I wasn’t Xavier. Little heartfelt talks weren’t going to work with me. Sex just wanted to wrap him up in a warm blanket and send him to bed. Skell….a little to harsh with the discipline…so that left me.

Alexander was a blend of all of us the best of us. Even with this little anomaly, he was a good kid. Yes he had a temper and he got destructive when he lost it – Little Deadly kind of destructive but for the most part he was a happy kid. He trailed around after all the Papas growing up. I think he liked X best, but that’s only natural. They could talk computers for hours on end. That just bored me out of my gourd.

Alexander had even hung out with Father. Every one of the winglets and the puppies who wanted to got music lessons from Claudius and Marcus. We had some talented musicians within the House. Callia had the voice of an angel. Which was a hell of a surprise because we couldn’t’ sing to save our lives. She got that from Claudia and her mother, Genève. You didn’t want Claudius and Xavier singing - anywhere. Still, Callia and Raissa were more of a handful than Alexander until a few months ago.

Which lead us to the lower level of Hades liar and his state of the art shooting range. I punched in the codes to get access and lead my son inside.

I set my Glock on the counter before Lex. “Impress me.”

“Papa…”

“Show me that you haven’t forgotten everything I tried to teach you.”

Lex put on the goggles and ear protection. He checked his weapon then fired off a tight kill grouping at the target. I pushed the switch and drew the paper target towards us. My boy was a marksman.

“Papa…about last night…”

“I have a question for you, Lex. You’re still considered a fledgling. Technically so am I, which is why your Mother is Empress. But you at nineteen is a blink the eye to the Vampire, but you are a young man in the Human world which we both must live. So my question to you is, what do you consider yourself, a boy or a man?” Lex set the gun on the counter and looked down at his hands. “I’m not trying to be a bastard here, Alexander. What you say will set our tone for the next few years.”

“I’m ready to be a man.”

I picked up the Glock, set a new clip in place and stepped over to the next target. I shot off the entire clip then dragged the target up to us. A tight grouping over the heart of my opponent. “A boy is protected. A man protects. A man needs this skill to protect…”

“The Nation.” Claudia’s blue eyes matched me evenly.

“The Nation is my concern, Alexander. A man protects his family. A man needs this skill…” I lifted the gun between us then flicked my wrist so my dagger slid in to my grip. “and this skill to protect his loved ones from this.” I set the Glock back on the counter and pulled out the last disturbing letters from Huntington. I had phoenixed the rest. I didn’t want them laying around for unsuspecting innocent eyes to find.

“This came for your Mother. She read them.”

I handed the pieces of paper over to my taller carbon copy self. My little white winglet had kept growing to reach six foot one by the time he was sixteen. He was still too lean but he took good care of himself. Well he used to until he started sneaking around about four months ago. I thought he had found himself a friend. I still wasn’t sure if he was into girls or boys – not that it mattered with this pod. Now, I’m not so sure what he’s been up to but I was going to find out. I had to.

He got sick. I held his hair back as he wrenched into the trashcan. Those letters turned my stomach and I had killed and maimed in the most horrific ways in the name of my work. I rubbed a circle on his back. I waited until he was done vomiting and he sat back up. His face was paler and his hands shook. “That’s….disgusting.”

“Vladimir tracked him down. Uncle Marcus mindfucked him hard. You know what’s worse, Alexander. He started looking at Callia.”

His eyes snapped up to me. “She didn’t read that…”

“The Pod closes ranks around our loved ones when there is danger. Lanseng warned the Empress and she intercepted all correspondence before your sister could get to it. In this day and age and the way Papa X was raised we know that women can dish out some major whoop ass; but it is still instinct to protect the womenfolk…and my children.” I brushed more hair off his forehead and tucked it behind his ear. “You’ve pulled away from us, Alexander and we had to close ranks without knowing where the hell you and your motley crew were. What if this sicko didn’t care where he got his blue eyes for his jar?”

“You know as well as I that there are people out there dying to get their hands on us. They stole the first six years of your life from me and my brothers because we were stupid for just a moment. A moment, Alexander. We stepped out of sight of the pod for a moment and we lost so much. What are you doing? Why are you sneaking around?”

Lex crushed the letters in his hand and looked down at his knees. “Wolf, Jax and me started up a band. Last night was a open mike contest. It got out of hand with some rival gangs and the police showed up. I couldn’t leave Jax there. He’s only human…he couldn’t get out by himself.”

A band? The wayward trio was some garage band?

“Papa…Jax isn’t going to live as long as us. We are just trying to get some good and fun memories.”

“We…meaning Wolfgang and you.”

“You know that Jax isn’t service material. He doesn’t want to be Von Drachenfelds’ next major domo.”

“You’re doing this out of pity?”

“NO! That isn’t what I meant. Gees, Papa. If Jax heard that he’d kick my face in.”

“So then, all of you want to be rock stars.”

“Stupid isn’t it.”

“Kind of human of you, isn’t it?”

“Don’t say it like it’s a bad thing…being human, I mean.”

“Hey. I was born human. Yes, existence is fleeting and you feel it passing. Yes you want to leave your mark in the world. Everyone has had the dream of being on stage, blinded by the spotlight, surrounded by adoring fans. Who are you, Alexander?”

Lex canted his head forward to toward the floor. “Prince Alexander Xavier Von Drachenfeld.”

I squatted in front of him resting my forearms on my upper thighs. “Fortune and glory, my Prince sparkles and beckons with promises that are harsher to endure than you would think. Xavier and Sex found that out with the modeling gig. That damned kilt poster is still floating around and that was before you were a twinkle in your mother’s eye.”

His head popped up and I caught a glimpse of Father’s glint. “Are you telling me to quit the band?”

“Hell, no. If you’re good, go for it.” I reached out and ran my thumb down his cheek, “Just remember who you are. You are a still a fledgling even you look adult on the outside. You might be blue-line but you can’t go out into the light of day. Wolfgang might not be an Alpha but he is of Britta’s bloodline and he is still young enough to be swayed by the moon. Both of you have enemies just because of the family you were born in. Jax is your charge, Alexander. Technically Wolfgang is a comrade, but right now, you have to be strong enough to protect them both. That sucks, I know, but that is how it is.”

I stood up and offered a hand down to him. He grabbed it and I helped pull him to his feet. I took the papers from his hand and opened my palm. I concentrated and phoenix flash flamed them to ashes. “There are those out there who don’t want to walk in the light. They hide in the darkness and they drag those who shine the brightest down. Keep your eyes about you. Let the Loyal do their job. Let those who care for you…care for you.” I dumped the black specks into the trashcan. “Protect our pod, Alexander. Be it blood relative, heart mate, soul mate or friendship. Never let anything take them away.”

“Give me your wings, Papa Azrael.” I watched as my heart filled with pride as Alexander withstood the pain of calling on his wings. His height he inherited from his Ded. His eyes he got from his Mother. The pure whiteness of his hair I lay at Liam’s hentai feet…but the wings. Those wings I claim. Right now they were pigeon gray but they were already showing signs of change to white; not a pastel white, but a snow white; a virgin white; a pure white.

Liam in his usual keep the information to himself mode lovingly told us that the winglets were in for a hell of a time when they hit puberty. Not only would the blue line gifts appear but the wings as well…just like my ‘awakening’. I remember wishing fuck no. The absolute agony of fully formed wings ripping out my back was something I didn’t wish on the winglets. I thought I was going to die that day. The day Armor proved that he loved Xavier unconditionally. He took a spike to the chest. A little harder and it would have pierced his heart and that would have been the end of him…and my Marcus. I was there that day. That was MY birthday. I came forward fully formed and full of the desire for life. I wasn’t dying there. I knew Armor belonged to Xavier but I knew he wasn’t alone. I saw Marcus when Armor was unguarded. Humming while combing X’s hair, I knew that wasn’t the trainer, X’s lover. I saw my gentle giant and I wanted to own him. I thought of the way he defended me to Father upstairs in words and deed. He owned me. The sound of fall leaves snapped me back to the sight before me.

Both his sisters had matured quicker. Callia was thirteen when the blue line emerged. In females, it was tied to the beginning of their cycle. Technically, my baby girls were ready to have baby girls. They would have to get past multiple sets of grandparents before that happened. Raissa followed not so far after. It was horrid. All of us fell apart, except for Skell.

Claudia had given the girls “The Speech”. X had imparted Liam’s words of wisdom but no one expected it to happen so quickly. Skell was like a battlefield paramedic. He dried the bloody feathers wiping them clean then fed Callia from his wrist. “My girl…even though it hurts now…think of what is like to fly. The wind in your face. The way your body lightens so you can travel on the thermal winds. Drink deep my baby girl. Well I guess I can’t call you that any more…you’re a lady now.”

“I’ll be your baby girl, Papa Skell.”

“Shhh, drink.” Skell just let us all share the moment, which was odd but right. He held her as Claudia hugged her from behind us. Her hands stroked the pitch black hair…and the pitch black wings. “Empress…you have yourself an angel.”

Claudia kissed Skell. “They’ve always been angels. All my babies.”

I remember Skell just radiating happy. I guess he was like Sex in that regard, when he did share, it was wholesale. “You do know you’re not dating until you’re 100.”

“Okay, Papa.” Callia murmured then fell asleep.

Raissa was made of sterner stuff. It still left me in an old my god moment. X had just switched out and I was wanting some coffee. Marcus wasn’t around yet, so I was reading the newspaper when Raissa came marching in. She was in pain but she had a big grin on her face. “Look!” I thought she was going to faint because she paled so much as she spread her wings wide. I was glad I was there because X would have had a heart attack. “I think I got some gold in my wings. Help me clean them up?” Raissa had X’s original copper penny hair but her wings were metallic – copper, gold, silver and a light sheen of jade. The light played upon them sending sparkles off her feathers. Liam informed the family that those were Sigmund’s colors. Sigmund had looked like a jewel glinting in the sky. “Wickedly cool. Callia’s just black.”

“Raissa!”

“Well she’s been bragging ‘I got my wings first’. Nah. I got Technicolor, she’s just black and white.”

It was hell teaching them how to fly. Father was dying inside each time one of his precious little vnuchka clipped a branch or hit the ground. The brotherhood wasn’t doing too well either. Finally Liam showed up one day and took everyone in hand because Callia was walking around with black eyes and Raissa had dislocated her shoulder when she hit a tree trunk.

All the while, Lex sat with his human grandfather and watched football or baked cookies with his grandmother. He didn’t sprout when he turned fourteen; nor fifteen. He got a growth spurt when he turned sixteen but no wings. Liam just shrugged and said it was different for boys and they would come in when they came in. He also pointed out that not all blue line had wings. Sixteen years, eight months, fourteen days, I had a male winged get. Either of the girls cried but both Sex and Lex hugged each other and wailed. He was entitled.

I willed my wings out. My boy was so tall. I wouldn’t doubt that in time his wings would be like Liam’s from the beach days.

“I never meant to make you worry, Papa. I just thought you would get mad.” I gathered Lex into my arms and gave him a hug. He still had to work at it but he enfolded his wings around my back. I hiked my wings wide then enfolded him. Raissa had called this our pillow hug. The name stuck.

“I won’t get mad. Xavier might. Ded might. Are you good?”

“We’re getting better. I thought we could have won last night.”

“Set up at the party tonight. Play a couple of songs. Maybe that will change Xavier’s mind.”

Lex’s wings shivered. Autumn leaves and rain sticks filled the shooting range. “Papa, what’s going to happen to Linc and Pilot?”

I gave my boy one last hug and dissolved my wings. “That is a Loyal affair. From the beginning, I have allowed the Loyal to pass judgment on their membership. I’ve demanded removal of some Loyal at different times, but it is the decision of the membership as a whole as to what happens to them.”

“Will they get killed?”

“Maybe. Maybe just sanctioned. Either way, the Loyal are there for your protection, and the projection of your companions.” I reached over and picked up my Glock. “Here. This is yours.”

Lex just looked at me then reached out and took it. “Don’t tell your mother.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Oh, Ded is probably going to rip you a new one but I’m good.” I slid my dagger back into the sheath. “Alexander, we are the front line. If someone wants to get at the pod, they will have to come through me first. If they get past me, you are the next defense. Protect the family.”

“I will.” Lex’s wings shimmered away in bright light.

“Anyways, welcome to the club.”

“The club?”

“I got police charges too.”

He looked at me totally shocked. “You do? For what?”

“Prostitution.” I turned and headed back to the stairwell.

“WHAT!!!”

I laughed as I took the stairs two at a time. I suddenly felt like a heavy load had been lifted from my shoulders. My boy wasn’t doing anything weird. He just wanted to be a rock star and what normal Royal blue line Vampire boy didn’t want that. Hmmm, could they use a cello and a violin?

________________

Index of Russian Familial Terms

Syn = son
Ded = grandfather
Vnuchka = granddaughter
Dedushka = grandfather (grandpa)
Praded = great-grandfather