Caramel: Book 3 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Series

Drive by and drop off…not tired just late for work.. Gack!!
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I must send out apologies. I desperately needed a question answered regarding my plotting and in getting that, I seem to have distressed my readers. Because of this, I will not leave the (ahem) unidentified character dead, the character will be transformed into something else. It will be a while so, don’t abandon my story yet.

Many thanks again to the Loyal who seem to check frequently for updates. Kudos, you make my day with your interviews, even if you make me want to pull out my hair.
Mihara; k; Laur; meadows_peak, rosei; Dark Avenger;a.taste.of.insanity; rosemary and lioncourt (x2)


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Under nominees, I am listed at the bottom of the page in the Best Challenge response category. One night at the Golden Pheasant by Kiix (it’s chapter 79 in Cinnamon with some tweaks to fit the challenge) One vote a week up for four weeks. Any vote would be appreciated.

On with the show…

P.S. I’ve been scary, so I decided to lighten it up for a bit

Chapter 132: When Bloods collide…

“I vote we go to Hooters. Hands up who’s with me.?”

At same time Ping turned and everybody went back to being busy. Crap. “The way you’re carrying on Lord Alpha you would think that it is nothing more than just a reception.”

“It’s not a reception, it’s a buffet.”

“You are not doing buffet with the High Council. It will be a sit down meal.”

“Like I want to hang out with the High Council through a full meal.”

“This is also the Baroness’ wedding. If she wasn’t so sick with your litter she would be here making decisions.” I turned away and looked down at my list of stuff I had been assigned to do. Which was basically sit somewhere out of the way. Et tu Ping?

“Run off to the sperm back again.” I muttered.

“What was that, Lord Alpha?”

“I said, we can use silly string.”

“Is that toxic?”

“It was just an idea…” This is why we skipped prom. Bossy little Lycan. Haley walked by me carrying a couple of cases of blowing bubbles.

“She’s got really good hearing, you should shut up, Alpha Azrael.”

“I heard that.”

I flopped down in a chair. I was still a little weak. The doctors were surprised I was coherent much less mobile. How the hell did I end up doing this? It was X’s wedding. Lanseng went gliding by. He had a flare for this. He tracked down this hall on short notice, rented it for two days and then had sweet talked Hans into creating a confectionary to die for. I glanced down at my knuckles, Hans was pretty damn quick with a wooden spoon. That icing was good though. I’d have to sneak back into the kitchens later for another sample.

Lanseng came back with another chair, set it in front of me and pulled my legs up onto it. He smiled brightly at me then headed off. At least he had calmed down again. He had been truly lost back in the medical center. I closed my eyes for a moment then a light blanket landed on me. “I’m not an invalid.”

“Well, you do a very good impression of one.” A familiar voice sounded above me.

I smiled up at Marcus. “Hey, there babe.”

“You look tired.”

I lifted my face and got a sweet appley kiss. “More.” I whispered against his lips.

“Later.” He straightened, well as much as he usually did and gave a wave to everyone. I spied the big black case behind him.

Lanseng came back “Good. If you would be so kind, Marcus. I will have you solo the wedding march. Azrael, if you are up to it, I would like you and Marcus to test the acoustics of this place. If they are horrible we will have to get a sound system.”

“Just get a DJ in. We can use his equipment. It would be cheaper.” Haley piped up.

“Hell ya, You know Sex and X will want to dance after this.” I untangled myself and stood up, stretching.

“We only have the hall until midnight on Friday.” Lanseng checked his clip board.

“I’m not talking about a rave here. Three hours max.”

“We could do that.”

Ping cut her way in between Lanseng and me, “We need to discuss the menu, Lord Alpha.”

“I just had a thought, Ping. You are thinking like a Lycan. You want meat. I’m thinking like a Vampire. I want blood. This is extremely short notice, aside from me and my never ending hunger, most Vampires eat once a week. This will probably not be their day. We will just be wasting food.”

“So something bloody -- Prime Rib.” Ping turned away and tuned me out.

Why am I even here? I’m like the invisible Vampire. Arms came around me wrapping around my waist and pulling me back to tall, brown and handsome. “This is rather surreal, Azrael. We are plotting your wedding.”

“Xavier’s…not mine.” I reached down and felt the front of my shorts pocket. Bless you Sex. I took Marcus’ hand and pulled him after me.

“Lord Alpha…” Vladimir called out to me. Sixteen pairs of eyes turned toward me. “Where are you going?”

“I’m taking Marcus to the closet in the hallway and we are going to have sex. Lanseng, you’re not invited. Neither are you Vladimir.” Manu set down his silk lily arrangement he was twisting together and trailed after us. The perils of being Blue.

“I might have liked to have been asked.” Marcus returned tensing his arm.

“I have something you asked for and I would rather not do it in public. Trust me, babe. You are going to love it.” I wiggled my eye brows at him. He relaxed and let me tug him out of the main hall. Again, without cooperation I would get no where trying to manhandle Marcus around.

Actually I bypassed the broom closet. That might have been fine for the Ancient horny toads but Marcus deserved something with a little more class. Ah here we go. It was a small windowless office. It wasn’t much bigger than the aforementioned broom closet but it was an office. I locked the door behind us.

Marcus draped himself across my back. His arms came around and enfolded me within his strength. “I’m not leaving your side, again.” His lips whispered in my ear.

“I don’t want you to, but we both know that Sex won’t want you around.”

“I will have to speak with him. I want to be with you. Two hours is so short.”

“It’s more than I thought we would get.”

“When I heard you were on the medical floor at Shadoe Inc, again. I didn’t know what to do.”

“Not climbing into a bottle is a good thing.”

“Trust me, I was tempted. Old habits die very, very hard. I will be strong for you, Angel.”

“I’m trying just as hard not to be Alarik’s snack pack.”

Marcus whispered, “Father has gone hunting?”

I nodded. “When Sex pops up again, you might have to keep him from running after Claudius. Father was quite clear on what he would do to this body if it shows up.”

“Father is just being protective.”

“I still think he shouldn’t have headed off alone.”

“Baojia is trailing Lord Father.” Manu’s voice sounded through the door. Oh yeah….and damn, those Lycan have got good hearing.

“Thanks, Manu!” I called out through the door.

“I thought Haley was intrusive.”

“Hey, at least, he is on the other side of the door. Speaking of which…it’s time to get down the business.” I looked around and spied a wooden executive’s chair on rollers. I pulled it around from behind the desk and pushed it up to the back of his knees. “Take a seat, babe.”

Marcus looked at me warily but sat his big self down “What?” I gave him a wide innocent smile.

“Okay..” He went to get up. I sat on his thighs, spreading my legs so I was facing him.

“I’m in no condition to do anything naughty….well overly naughty. I think I could have done with another intravenous though.” I leaned forward and rested my forehead on his shoulder.

He brought his arms around me and showed me how gentle he could be. He was continuously surprising the daylights out of me. “Take what you need, Azrael.” He swept his hair back and offered up his long expanse of neck. I just looked at the pulse beating steadily. “Azrael?”

“You would give up your life for me, wouldn’t you?”

“That is a given.”

“No…I don’t think I’d like that.”

“Not your decision, my Blue Angel. If events happen that requires a sacrifice…I will make it, no hesitation or second thoughts. I can tell you this because Armor has the same resolve. Xavier or Azrael even Sex need help, we will be there.”

“Are you and Armor talking now?”

Marcus shrunched up his face, “I don’t know how to say it…we are sharing memories. We are not having a face to face sit down meeting or anything like that.”

“Yeah, that was an experience. We met in the dark. That first time, I was so disappointed. We show up with our abilities. Sex has got the Phoenix wings. You’ve seen him out here. He’s so damn stunning all blue and silver. He lights up the darkness. Xavier is still red; that red hair and red wings. Elegant. Then there’s me. What you see, is what you get.”

“Absolutely Beautiful.” I got a tender butterfly special. “Absolutely deadly. My blue Angel of Death. I am so lucky you came for me. I wish…” Marcus voice trailed off.

I sat up and dug into my pocket and pulled out a plastic baggie. “For this?” Two matching nipple rings clanked together as I shook the bag.

“You didn’t!”

I snatched them back into my palm. “I didn’t. Sex did. I’m taking this as a sign that he is willing to listen to reason. I want you home, Marcus. You apologize to Sex and you ask him to let you back into Von Drachenfeld. It’s not really fitting into Xavier’s plans either to have to find out were Armor is.”

“Please…Azrael, mark me as yours.”

“You are mine, aren’t you?” I started unbuttoning his shirt, letting my fingers get the tactile feel of his skin. So warm, and soft but with muscle tone just below the surface. If he wanted, he could probably get cut real easy. I would have to slap Vampires…and Lycan away from him. I had a big possessive streak running through me. “My big hunk of burning love.”

I pushed his shirt open and off his shoulders catching his upper arms in the illusion of confinement. I’m such a deviant…and so is my love. Now, is not the time. I sighed.
“Do you have a preference which side?”

“I want our rings to touch when we kiss.” He touched my right ring through my tee. My nipple pebbled up with that ghosting touch. “So responsive...”

“I wish I could say only for you. It’s Sex’s legacy. My slut indicator: anyone; anywhere.”

“Say it’s only for me.” Marcus sat me up, his hand around the back of my neck and his thumb stroking the skin of my throat that had been so jagged. He pressed his forehead against mine. “Tell me, this is only for me, Angel and I will believe you.”

“We’re back to secrets and lies.”

“No, do you want it to be only for me?”

“Of course…”

“Then where is the lie?” He took the little baggie from my hand and pulled out the ring.

Actually it wasn’t a ring. It was a surgical steel grade bar with something hanging from it that vaguely looked like the Von Drachenfeld glyph. The kicker was the green Swarovski crystal that was set in it. It was damn close to the color of my eyes. “It’s your eyes when you’re lost in passion, Angel.”

Since it was a little bit more complicated to attach this nipple shield, it was going to take both of us. Marcus opened his mouth. I slipped the jewelry into it. I could hear his words from so long ago, ‘ My saliva has healing properties.’ Then he’d do something wickedly horrible.

“I’ll be gentle.”

I started at his neck, kissing my way along his skin. He was tasty. Sinful Marcus wanted to be mine. I ran my tongue along the hallow of his collarbone then down his sternum. I did those butterfly kisses that he would use to tease me as I worked my way to his left nipple. It was budded but nothing like mine. I laved it with my tongue.

“That feels wonderful, Azrael…” Actually he sort of mumbled it because that ring was rather large. Well that put a kybosh on dragging this out. I knew what it felt like to have something too big in my mouth….okay, that didn’t even sound right. I carefully turned my head and tried to gauge if I was parallel. I dropped fang and sucked his dark brown nipple into my mouth. Drool splashed on my forehead. Teasing time was over. I trapped his rising bud with my tongue against the roof of my mouth and suckled hard. He gasped and groaned and more drool landed on my temple. I fanged him through. He hissed. I stuck my fingers in his mouth coating them liberally, I probably could have just used them to wipe the spit off my face. I got the piece and gently worked it through my fang hole, retracting my fang as I pushed the bar through. Marcus handled the the steel ball that locked it securely in place then I began to lave my tongue around his booboo.

I finally gave one last slurp and sat up straight. Marcus was slack jawed. Even drunk, he wasn’t slack jawed. “Marcus?”

“Make love to me.” He had that wanton sex god look about him…and he was wanton me, really bad. He wiped me clean, his hands touching my face with a reverence that was….what scary? No…it made me feel fragile, no that wasn’t it either. Precious. He touched me like I was precious to him. “My Azrael, please love me.”

This was the most erotic thing I’d ever done and I was as unaffected as a wet noodle. I guess I wasn’t cut out to be a smorgasbord. “Babe, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”

“Let me suck you.”

I took his hand and pressed it against my crotch.

“You are so sizzling hot right now, Marcus, but I’m still a few quarts low to make everything stand up and salute.” Marcus had no such problem though. His body was as hot as a firecracker.

“You want me…”

“I always want you, Angel of Cin. We are not done yet” He reached into my front pocket and pulled out the baggie again.

I reached down and grabbed at the hem of he tee and pulled it over my head. I looked down at the plain steel ring on my right nipple. It was nothing special to look at but…his question interrupted my thoughts. “Azrael?”

I reached up and touched it. “This is our wedding ring.”

He took my hand from it and kissed my knuckles, “Think of this as the real wedding ring. That was just the engagement ring. I want us matching, Azrael. I want you to look at me and know that I am wearing your mark under my suit. I would like to be able to think that too when I look at you, no matter which brother is in the here and now.” He reached out with one finger and circled my pulsing nub. “If you don’t want this, I will understand.”

I reached out and caught the back of his neck. I urged him forward. He met me half way. Kiss upon kiss escalated to tongue brushing tongue as his thumb brushed the tip of my sensitive button. I shivered with sensation. “I feel the pride and honor Armor has when he sees Xavier and this…” He brought my left hand up and kissed the golden wedding band on my ring finger. “I want that too.”

“Do it.”

He pulled the second nipple shield out and stuck it in his mouth to sterilize it. There wasn’t any dripping drool this time. Marcus easily changed the old for the new then drew me close. “I want to play with you.” His hand touched the front of my shorts. Nothing was stirring, not even a mouse. “Since I can’t play with you, I’ll play with you.”

What? He turned my wrist over and kissed the pulse point. “Let us get lost in music of our own making.”

He was hard as a rock and he wanted to go and play his violin. “Don’t you want me to…”

“Together or not at all, Angel. This won’t be the first time, I’ve had to…walk it off. I might get crabby but no one has ever died of frustration.”

“I’m willing…”

“Thank you for offering Azrael. You have no idea how much that means to me.” He set me off of him a little too easily. My legs were a little shakey but held my weight. He dressed me back in my tee. He reached behind me and pulled my hair out of the neck. “So beautiful. This is what I saw when I found you.”

‘What, a glass of milk?”

“Well, not silver and white but ethereal and beyond my reach.” Marcus leaned in and kissed my temple. “I am glad Armor never gave you the Covenant. I couldn’t bear it if you left us.” I blinked. That was the first time, Marcus has referred to himself as plural..

I reached out and laid my palm over his body piercing. He was so sexy right now and compared to me dark and exotic. “Mine.”

His eyes got darker with simple desire. “Mine.”

“Are you done yet!” I rolled my eyes as Manu’s voice called through the closed door.

Lycan underfoot. They were just as bad as babies. “What’s going on!”

“Lanny and Ping are getting into it.”

Oh crap. I haphazardly buttoned Marcus’ shirt. I started for the door and got pulled back against his chest. I could feel the piercing against my shoulder. I shifted my torso, rubbing against his little brown pebble. “Evil…thy name is Azrael.” He groaned and lowered his head to whisper into my ear. “If you ever get the urge to pierce something else…” He held up the removed ‘engagement ring’ with two fingers, “I will hold onto this for you.”

“Babe, my ears are pierced, my nipples are pierced. I am not adding any more holes to this body.”

“I said if.” He licked that spot just behind my ear. Well that could be considered a jump start point.

“Lord Alpha!”

“I’m coming!” I yelled back.

“I wish.” Marcus laughed in my ear and moved past me toward the door, snagging my wrist as he went.

I skidded to a halt when we made it back into the hall. I don’t know what I expected. Well I thought there would be some rolling around on the floor and Lanseng blue hair laying in chunks around the room. I didn’t expect this. Ping was standing on a chair so she could meet Lanseng almost eye to eye.

“Oh for….ENOUGH!” Both of them turned towards me. “Cell phone.” I held out my hand. Manu set one in my palm. I called Von Drachenfeld and then punched in the extension I wanted.

It rang three times before it was picked up. “Chesterton.”

“Lord Emperor.”

“How is your confinement sitting with you?”

“Rather boring Sir.”

“I’ll shorten it, but you might want to stay were you are when you hear the alternative.”

“Alternative?”

“You take over as my Wedding Planner.”

“That’s all, Sir?”

“Lycan’s are planning it right now. A Seer is organizing it and I’m about to have a migraine. I’ll give you full authority. I just want something nice that the Baroness would like.”

“I’d be honored, Sir.”

“You say that now. Wait till you get here. Get here as soon as you can. The Loyal know where it is.”

“I’ll be there in the half hour, Lord Emperor.”

“Oh, Chesterton.”

“Sir?”

I dropped my voice and turned my back to Marcus, “Can you bring me some of Hans icing?”

Marcus grabbed the cell phone out of my hand. “Harold, don’t listen to him. He hasn’t eaten yet. That’s fine. See you when you get here.” The cell phone snapped closed. “Do you want to rot your fangs? Gees, Azrael.” He leaned over my back and hugged me tight, “if you won’t take care of yourself, I’ll have to do it for you.”

“Well handle this.” I gestured at Ping and Lanseng.

“Okay. Dinner break! Someone want to go and get KFC?” Marcus swung me around toward the cello case. “Music soothes the savage beast. Start soothing.”

I got a swat to my ass. I think my eyes bugged out of my head. “That’s what you get for being so fuckable.”

“Marcus.”

“Love you.” He blew an air kiss at me then turned back to the Lycan and Seer. What can you say to that? Manu smirked then walked past me back to the brides silk flowered bouquet he was working on.

I got my case and hauled it up to the front of the hall and shoved it up on stage. I tuned my cello and flexed my fingers and wrist. I ran scales. I didn’t mind all the classical music that came with the knowledge and talent I picked up but that really wasn’t US material. I smirked a bit and began to play “Dirge” from the Death Note original sound track. It was dark but contemporary and it was short. I flexed my fingers and started another tune, “Evanescence – My Immortal”. I had heard the a couple of acoustic versions of this song in piano and in guitar and thought was absolutely beautiful…and sort of apropos. I just played until the unmistakable scent of all that is Kentucky, all that is fried and all that is chicken. I looked up to see everyone sitting in front of the stage staring at me. They all started clapping. I felt my face burst red. I set the cello back in the case, letting my hair fall around me and hide me. Crap, I forgot where I was.

I got tackled off my chair. Two hundred and forty pounds squished me into the stage floor. Oof.

“I will never regret asking you to do this.”

“You’re killing me.” Marcus shifted enough to allow me to breathe but then cut off my oxygen with ardent kisses. My face was still hot with embarrassment.

“You are something else when you play. I am honored to listen to you.”

“I thought you were going to play with me.”

“I just had to listen to you. I wouldn’t have even dared to join you. After you eat, we will duet.”

“Do it?”

Marcus bit my nose. Crap. He took my hand and pulled me up. Haley pushed a plate of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, biscuit and about twenty honey packets which Marcus flicked off the stage before I could get my mitts on them. “I was serious. If you will not take care of yourself, I will do it for you. Thank you Haley.”

“I don’t have any blood.” Haley looked a little distressed as he said this.

“That’s okay. Chesterton will bring some when he gets here.”

“I like listening to your play, Lord Alpha Azrael. I want to sing along with you.”

“You can sing?”

Haley looked at me as if I was really slow. “I’m Lycan. We live off our voices.”

“You can sing with us later. We will play again after everyone is done eating.”

Haley beamed a happy smile at us then tore off to settle in beside Ping. Marcus arranged himself so he was my lounger. I leaned back against him as I dug into my plate.

“You need a better shield, Azrael. I have glimpsed what you have made and it is adequate enough for most vampires, it keeps me out completely and I am considered strong.”

I paused in chewing my extra crispy chicken skin. He leaned forward and pressed his face along the side of my hair. “I don’t want you caught in a binding ever again. He took a lot of blood from you.” A thumb ran along my neck. “You know how I disappear? When you couldn’t find me when I was….

“Out of your gourd.”

“I nice way to say it. I blood my shield, but it is a continuous…steam.” He sighed, “It’s like those blood fountains you had at your engagement party. It is continually renewing itself. And…I use a blood mist to scatter any one’s attempt at searching. I can feel someone searching for me, but they cannot lock onto me. I don’t know if it would work against Alarik, but anything would be better…”

“That what hasn’t been working.”

“Right now, he’s just playing you, Angel. He’s just tormenting you. If he decides to break your shield…what I did to you, well Xavier, would be nothing. Father was probably thirty years as a vampire when that happened, so he was stronger. I honestly don’t know if you would survive…and I know I wouldn’t want to if you left this world.”

I reached up and petted the side of his head. “I have no plans on going anywhere, Marcus. I’ll work on my shield. Show me how to pinpoint people.”

“Okay.” Marcus sat up. “Lord Alpha needs to practice mindwalking. Do you mind if he tries with you?” Lanseng was the only won who declined and I was okay with that. I really never wanted to test his shield, I had a feeling he could slap me into the concrete. “If you feel, Lord Alpha touch you, raise your hand. That will mean, he will have to try again.”

It sounded easy. It wasn’t. I had a headache that the effort only made worse. I couldn’t even get a toe hold in someone before their hand went up. I was just disappointed and exhausted when I finally leaned back against Marcus. “One more time.”

I let my mind sweep the area. I knew there was six Lycan, a bright and blinding light that was Lanseng…I could feel Chesterton coming up to the outside doors. I concentrated on Ping. Gently…entering just like a breast stroke, sweeping thoughts around me, wrapping them around to to hide my present. Her main thought was about the moving little babies in her…..

Her hand went up.

Damn it. I gentle pulled back. My temples were throbbing. “Chesterton’s here.” A few moments passed then the doors opened and the major domo came into the hall.

Marcus wrapped his arms around me. “You did it!”

“What?”

“You cannot sneak up on a Lycan. If you were attacking them mentally, you would have to smash them with a hammer blow. Just the way they are made doesn’t allow you to crept into their thoughts.”

“I got a headache from doing this.”

“But you found Chesterton. You knew it was Chesterton. All you need is practice and you need it now.”

“You set me up.”

“Yes, I did because I know you are capable of succeeding, my beautiful Angel. And because you succeeded, you get your reward.”

“What reward?”

Chesterton walked up to the stage and handed Marcus a Tupperware container. I shifted as Marcus ripped the lid off it. The aroma of Han’s sweet icing made my fangs ache. He scooped his finger into the creamy white mixture and brought it up to my lips. I licked the icing and opened my jaw when he tapped it against my lips. I sucked his index finger into my mouth.

“Congratulations, Sir.”

I just laid back against Marcus and nodded with a finger still stuck in my mouth. I closed my eyes savoring the mix of sweet cream cheese icing and apply essence…and that was the last thing I remembered.

* * *


Azrael’s & Marcus’ body jewelry
http://www.bodycandy.com/cgi-bin/item/3392