Caramel: Book 3 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Series

Thanks again for your reviews and for those who took the time to jot me down a little note on my question. This solidified some things in my noggin about the brothers so it’s full steam ahead again. YEAH!!!

General Questions:

Liam is an Ass.
Well I guess it’s just a comment…but he’s used to playing big man on campus and it’s kind of a let down to be less than royal. His honeybee isn’t clinging to him the way he used to so he trying to find so way of getting back to the beginning instead of going forward. Yes X could mindfuck him, but what would be the point? Would that still be love or just an imitation?

Hades is an brat.
Again another comment….and again, he might have been Liam’s cheerleader in the past but he’s had four hundred years of making it on his own and he’s turned himself into the next big man on campus. Now that he’s left all his authority to X. He has no clue what to do with his life…or with Liam, someone he knew but doesn’t really. I think he just needs a slap..or a new boyfriend as ‘k’ suggested…but I do believe that would be a suicide mission for someone.

Ping & Haley kissing in a tree…
Pups are a coming. How many? Don’t know. Could be multiple births like a wolf litter or just twins like a human birth. Working on it. They’ll but cute and fuzzy somewhere along the line.


Karoolaa: I’m not totally sure if I like new title. On the other hand it can be because English is not my native language, so I’m suspicious about creating new words.
I can’t claim to have made up the name. Caramel is yummy candy.I got this little blurb off of http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Category:Caramel_Recipes

Did you know caramel is booming again? It seems it's one of the most popular types of candy today, and just about everyone is jumping on the caramel bandwagon, from candy makers to Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. Their "Karamel Sutra" flavor is one of the company's most popular.

Basically, caramel is just cooked sugar. You can cook the sugar by itself in a pan until it reaches a boil, or you can mix it with a liquid, such as water, milk, or cream. When you boil the mixture it becomes a sugar syrup and the other liquid eventually evaporates, leaving you with a rich, creamy caramel. (Adding milk makes the concoction lighter in color and creamier.) If you use a candy thermometer when you cook your caramel, you should avoid some of the problems some cooks have with the candy. You should cook it to 340 to 350 degrees on a candy thermometer.


Special thanks go out to the loyal who take the time to read and review. I’m getting a ton of hits, so I know that my storyline must appeal. Would be nice to heard from ya! Hint hint. Any hooww kudos to: K; spirit; aurora0821;Lioncourt;bambigirl; laur (hey tell Ana – book 3 is up); Rosemary; meadows-peak; paradox; Step8503 and Sforza


WARNING: VAMPIRE BUNNIES + ONE PUP AND THE MARVEL OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS


Chapter 95: Land of the Rising Son: Part Four

I heard Armor’s voice. What? I turned toward him and my arm flopped onto the bed. Why did his voice sound……..uuuuhhhhh. That’s because he was down there….. “Little One?” How can he be sucking me and talking? I fought my way wide awake. I blinked and focused on the tawny head bobbing up and down on me. “….Haleeeey…”

“Are you awake X?” I touched the side of my head and found my bluetooth stuck in my ear.

“Armor? What…uuuummm. Stop…Haley…Haley.”

“The pup called and asked for permission, Little One. He told me you had a very trying day.”

“Haley…” My voice as a little clearer and I tangled my hand in his hair and pulled him up and off me. Haley crawled up my side and rested his head on my shoulder. He lifted his face up to the microphone.

“Alpha was crying.”

“Oh, Little One…”

“I wish I was home.”

“I miss you too. Let Haley take care of you. He is my proxy.”

“ProXIIIEEEEE?” I hissed and lurched as Haley hooked a finger through the closest nipple ring and pulled and twisted.

I grabbed at my budding nipple and turned on my side away from him, hiking my knees up cradling my harden cock against the bed. Haley gave a soft laugh and began to press sweet sucking kisses down my shoulder. “What is the pup doing to you to make you cry out so deliciously?” I blinked. Armor’s voice took on that husky sex monkey tone I loved to have whispering in my ear…just like now. Oh, my… every inch of my flesh pebbled and went on alert. I glanced at the bedside clock. What the hell? I slept the whole day away. It was 3:00 a.m. in the morning in Tokyo…so what was that at home? About 4:00 p.m.

“What are we doing?”

“I have never tried it, but I do believe it is called phone sex.”

Haley kept sucking and licking my back. One hand came around and stroked under my pebbled nipple the other, for the lack of a better word, petted my neck.

“I think phone sex would be just you and me jacking off while telling each other dirty….oooohhhhh…Haley…please…”

He moved up and whispered into the phone. “I am Sensei Armor.”

I heard Armor’s low growl aroused laugh. Schwing. That little bit of electronically passed on noise finished off what Haley started. “You heard him, Little One. I’m there. Call us Sensei.”

I closed my eyes and a groan slipped out of my mouth. “What am I doing to you, Little One? Tell me in this fuck me now voice of yours.”

“Sensei is kissing the back of neck. You’re moving my hair off my shoulders… one….one hand is trailing my side…touching my waist….your fingers….ooooohhh.”

“What I am doing, X…tell me?”

Haley was driving me out of my ever loving mind. His finger tips were just brushing the edges of my pure white public hair. I caught his hand. “Alpha?”

“Armor…PRETTY! What are you doing?”

“Jacking off like you said…”

“Stop it for a minute.” I heard the telltale squish. Damn this was a good connection. “Armor!”

There was a heavy sigh, “Haley told me about the board room. He told me about the head. He told be about Hades. To have said that you have had a trying day is an understatement, my beloved. Haley called me to ask permission to cover you.”

Cover me?

“He has watched me with you when you are in need of care, and he believes that now is that time. He has asked to be my proxy to comfort you, little one. I am deeply honored that he has done this. It is up to you if you want to accept his offer.”

I turned and looked at Haley, “You want to dominate me?”

He sat up totally shocked and appalled. “Never! You are my Alpha. I would never challenge your domination. As my litter mate, you are weak and need a smile brought back to your heart, as Sensei, I would lay with you, I would cover you…as equals. I do not like to see you cry so hard, Alpha. It tears me up inside to see you like that.”

I whispered, “But, you’re so big.”

“All the better to fuck you, beloved.” Armor whispered in my ear. I shivered.

Haley leaned forward bracing his arms on either side of my head, “I will not hurt you, brother.” Haley lifted up a tube of lube. “I am prepared.”

“You thought you were going to,,,?”

“I was going to ask you to dominate me. But, I would like to ease your pain more.”

I licked my lips. My body was humming right along with the scenario. It was protesting about the stoppage in play. “If you do not want to do this, little one, you can end it now.”

“I’m thirsty.” Haley rolled off completely at home with his natural and aroused state. He poured a glass of water and brought it back to the bed. He went to hand it to me but I lifted my head and extended my neck. He blinked then grinned. He took a big swallow and leaned over, both hands on either side of my head and penguined me. I drank from him. Some water dribbled out of my mouth but he caught it before it got the ear piece.

Armour’s voice sounded in my brain again. “What am I doing?” I shivered and brought my arms around Haley’s sweat slicked body.

“Penguining…” I nipped at Haley’s lower lip as he lowered himself on me and gave me a gentle kiss. I opened my mouth at his gentle prodding and accepted his tongue. He coaxed mine, swirling and sucking. He laid his full weight on me. He moved down licking the underside of my chin making sucking butterfly kisses to my throat. I arched my neck up to him in submission. He stilled for a moment then pushed his knees down onto the bed and gently widened my legs.

“Little one….talk to me…”

My breathing had deepened as Haley began to nibble on nipple ring number one. “Sensai is sucking on my…nipple. His tongue is tracing the ring….uuhhh. Tongue rough, lapping like a cat.”

Haley growled.

“Like a wolf….mmmmnnnhhhh. I’m…hard… uhhh.”

“You do not have to talk, X. Make your sexy noises. I know your body. I know the sounds you make when I do certain things.” Haley stroked my flesh like I was something precious and delicate. He was driving me nuts. He kissed his way to my stomach. I gasped as he flicked his tongue into my navel then began to slowly imitate what he was going to be doing. “I am flicking my tongue in your navel…”

That was spooky. And sweet and sooo damn erotic.

Haley took my cock into his hand and began lapping his rough tongue against my sensitive head. I tangled my hand in his hair. He drew his head back until only the tip of my weeping crest was in his mouth. He pushed my hands back toward my nipples. His eyes flashed feral gold as his tongue poked at my slit. I gave a cry and trashed my head. “I’m sucking you…I love the scent of your…the sweet and hot cinnamon.”

My portal was invaded with a lube slick finger as Armor’s soft chuckle ripped through my ear…”You’re my sweet, hot bundle of cin. Taste your hair…my cin, my desire, my hot fuckable beloved.”

I arched off the bed as Haley found my prostate and began to torment me. “Aah…I can see you, beautiful. You have a flush of desire across your cheeks. Right now your eyes are dark, so green…as I work my finger in and out of your portal.” Haley hiked my right thigh over his shoulder and moved forward spreading me wide for exploration. I groaned as a second digit joined the first.

“Beautiful…take your hair where you sucked it and run that over your nipple…my nipple that I marked.” My mouth was hanging open. Haley had me panting. Another digit spread me…I felt so full almost overly so. I grunted.. “X, make Haley stop if he’s hurting you….”

“Too fast….” I closed my eyes and tried to relax.

“I’m sorry, Alpha.” Haley stilled but reached around my thigh and began jacking me. I couldn’t have stayed quiet if my life depended on it. My hands gripped the bed covers. I began pushing back against my friendly invaders. My breath was heavy and the blood pounded in my ears. “I’ll go slow, Alpha.”

He pulled his fingers free and he maneuvered awkwardly on the bed to get lube on his hard cock. I lifted an arm and hid my face in the fold of my elbow. Haley was thick. Thicker than anything I had ever taken before. Thank the gods he wasn’t overly long. “I am starting to work my cock in your hungry portal.”

Oh god, shut up..shut up…shut up! I groaned and grunted and panted as Haley pushed against my portal. Haley widened me. Oh god…I sounded like a pregnant woman in labor.

“X…” I moaned as the head of the Lycan cock slipped in. “X…”
Huh……breathe…..Haley pushed forward again. AAHHHH.

“X!” I arched my back. I didn’t know if I was trying to get away or make it easier for Haley to hit bottom. Haley held my hips and pushed all the way in. Then he stilled. His hand stroked my cock and patted my stomach actually, he rubbed my stomach in a circle

“Are you in pain, little one?”

“A bit…it’s getting better.” Haley turned his head and began licking at the back of my knee, working his way to my inner thigh. The sting of his penetration was easing. He planted suck kisses on my flesh then bucked forward slight. ARGH!

“Haley, get off him!” The sensitive Lycan ears picked up Armor’s distress. He began to pull back.

“No….just…wait…It’ll get better….just…go slow.” A loan rumbling moan escaped my chest. I just laid there making noises.

“Little one…don’t do this…” I swear I could feel Armor’s hand on my face. I licked my lips and hunched my hips up to Haley. Huuuunnnn. Pant, pant. Hunnn, pant, pant. I found a rhythm that wasn’t killing me. Haley took it over. Huh…huh…huh…
I got pleasure out of it. I lost myself in the sensation. I knew Armor was talking but I couldn’t understand him. My voice rose as Haley stroked my cock to completion. AAAAHHHHHH. I thought it was impossible but I ended up tightening my portal around him. Haley rolled me higher, almost folding me in half, my other leg came over his shoulder and he began to piston out of me. He howled as he found his release. He reached down with both hands and pulled on my rings. I tightened unbearably on him and he stroked against my prostate. I saw stars and joined his howl…then I began to drift…surrounded by sexual satisfaction.

My hearing came back. I heard that telltale hitch in his breathing. “Come on me, beloved.” Armor groaned his release into my ear. Haley tucked a towel under my ass then climbed up and gathered me tight against him. He lowered his head until we rested our temples together, the bluetooth trapped between us. I could feel his face break out into a grin.

“Sensei had fun too.”

I could hear his throat grunt as his body spasmed. I closed my eyes and I could see him in my minds eye, his head tossed back…that sable hair tousled and stuck to his sweat slicked flesh. His eyes would be so dark. You could just stare into those warm chocolate eyes forever. His breathing evened out.

“Hey, Pretty.” My voice was low and still colored with arousal. “You are worth $3.99 a minute.”

“You can call me anytime, X. I will even take a cheque from you.”

I laughed. I was going into boneless chicken mode and he knew it.

“Rest, Little One. Don’t rush back. I miss you, but you need a vacation, even if it is just a day. Bring me back something nice.”

“I’m not nice?”

His voice dropped to that low sexy drawl. “Nice…never, spicy…always. You add flavor to my life, my touch of Cin. I never knew how bland it was until you got here.”

“You ass!.” I stared crying.

Haley pulled the phone out of my ear. “You made him cry again! Good tears? Oh. Yes, Sensei. Okay, bye.” Haley pulled me close and nuzzled my neck just were it met my head and hair. He planted a sucking kiss there then licked at it with his tongue. “That was from Sensei…he said you sounded beautiful.”

I reached up and patted Haley’s head. “You make a good proxy. I’m really tired…I’m going to have get takeout...when…I wake…” I slept.

X had more than enough of Japan. Azrael was moping because he missed Marcus so I got to run around the city. Sex in Japan. I laughed out loud. That sounded like some documentary….or a really hot AV dvd. Hhhmmm. Too bad, Az didn’t want to come out. Look at all the bondage gear on display. Little brother perked up but I gripped with my finger and toe nails – I wasn’t budging. He had his chance. The rest of the day was mine! And Haley’s. Riot was just a stick in the mud -- too damn young to be so crotchety.

When I finally woke up, the sun was high in the sky and I was paralyzed from the waist down. Oooohhh…what a wake up call from X. This was payback for me and Sasha being a little too boisterous and energetic. Haley was kneeling beside the bed, his chin resting on his crossed arms. His eyes were sad and full of tears.

“Pup?”

“Alpha Sex, I’m sorry.” He lowered his head to the mattress and began a low grating whine in the back of his throat that set the hairs on the back of neck on end. I shuddered. That sound was like nails on a chalkboard.

“Stop it, please.” I lifted my arm and patted his head. “What are you sorry about?”

“I cleaned you while you slept. I said I would be gentle. There was blood. I hurt you.”

I never lied to Haley. Didn’t think it was right to start now, either. “You hurt Brother a little, Pup. You are, would you say, average for a Lycan. You are wider than humans and vampires. It wouldn’t have mattered how much lube and preparation, there would have been a little tearing. What is blood to a Vampire?”

He lifted his head up from the bed. Lycan tears are a killer. I brushed them away with my thumb. “Trust me on this. If X didn’t want you to cover him, there was no way in hell you would be doing him. He trusted you and you gave him the comfort he needed. Now he’s sleeping and I get to play.” I groaned lowly. “I need to heal. I need blood after this, Haley.”

“The Corporation sent over some donors for everyone.”

“Donors?”

“I think takeout is not looked on well here. These are willing humans.”

Well that was refined. I concentrated on the Healing Light and burst into blue flame. Haley reached out and grabbed at the flaming illusion and did that muttley snicker when he couldn’t catch any of it. It was like watching a kitten bat at the curtains. The flame gradually burnt itself out when no more injuries were hampering me. I rolled on my back and stretched. My fingers tapped the headboard. My toes spread and then I just kicked my legs for the hell of it.

Haley laughed at me. “You are so different from Alpha.”

“I am different. I want to see things. I want to taste things – no McDonalds today. I want to hit a karaoke bar and see how things are really done. I want to go shopping and buy my Sasha some naughty things….and maybe something nice for his new office. What about one of those big gongy things? You think he’d like that?”

“He might play it.”

An image of a sweaty almost naked man from old movies popped in my head. I could see Sasha in a lion cloth, oiled and gleaming, holding one of those oversize drum sticks. His hair would be free and his eyes…glacial blue with an inner core of heat. Damn it. I just popped a woody. Gongy thing it was.

“Alpha!”

“What? I’m not going to die, if I don’t get off. Besides, I’m hungry human and vampire style. Let’s get to the donor then we’ll get dressed and head out.”

I snapped up a nice fluffy bathrobe. Ooooh soft. It was like wrapping yourself in a marshmallow. Haley had pants on and he beat me out of the room. A plain young woman sat in the sitting room but rose to her feet gracefully when I entered the room. She bowed low at the waist then rose, unfastening her collar and flipping her hair back.

She was another petite thing. I felt tall. As X says, living in the land of the giants makes one lose prospective. Gees. even that blue hair freak, Lanseng was taller than me. Actually he was taller than Armor. I could have my own basketball team soon. The creepy smirky smile of his and the fact that he doesn’t make any noise when he walks.

“I am honored to be chosen as your donor, Blood Emperor. I also bring a gift from Ms. Nakamura.” She held it out. Haley took it.

“Hair dye?”

“A rinse. The police are searching for a white haired man who was rampaging down in the market place, the over at the docks. Ms. Nakamura said that it would go well with you skin tone.”

“Thanks…May I?”

“This is what I am to do.” I brushed her thoughts as I moved in. Her family owed money. Lots and lots of it. It was either be a donor to the ruling elite or work off the debt in a whore house. There was a chance of donating too much. If a donor died, the debt was clean…only if were a proven that a vampire did it. It happened a little too often. I eased her panic as I bent and licked her neck. I kissed the spot first then dropped fang. She….Haruka, had no choice and little options. I kept the pain from her as I only took what I needed to recharge. I laved her wounds closed.

“You are at my beck and call all day?”

“For your stay in Japan, Blood Emperor.”

“Okay, go home.”

She blinked at me. “Sir?”

“Come back about 10 p.m. tonight.”

“Yes, Sir.” Bowed, buttoned her collar and smoothed her hair. She bowed and left the room.

“Alpha Sex?”

“She is not a willing donor, Haley. She is working off a debt. She despises me- well not me but my kind.”

“She is a prisoner?”

“Worse, she is a slave. All the donors are slaves. I’ll do this.” I shook the bottle of dye, “I want you to tell the crew that only nibble and only with kindness. They are not willing but they also can’t say no.”

“Yes, Alpha Sex.”

“And put a shirt on before you head out of this room!”

I headed to the bathroom and followed the instructions on the bottle. While waiting for the mandatory ten minutes, I srubbied myself sparkling clean. Jus for the hell of it, I rubbed the dye into my public hair and eyebrows. Collar and cuffs are matching. I laughed the washed everything off.

I had streamed up the mirrors. I waited a bit as I brushed my teeth the finally used my hand and wiped the steam away. I looked in the mirror shocked. It looked like I lost a fight in the men’s washroom and got my head stuck in the towel bowl. My hair was frickin’ blue! Tidey bowl blue! And my eyebrows. GACK! Sonofabitch.

Haley busted out laughing when I came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist. “You look like an anime character!”

“Shut it, you little rut master. So, I’m in disguise. All X packed is suits. This blue is not going to go with anything he packed.” I rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a pair of Champaign silk boxers. X switched to these on doctors orders. Allow the body to breathe – fights the post burn hypermetabolism. These were H.O.T. I loved the feel of silk riding my ass.

“You dyed down there?”

I pulled my boxers up. “Yeah, I did. You got a problem with that?”

Haley looked at me with bit of confused look on his face. His voice was small and low “No, Alpha Sex.”

I reached out and knuckled the top of his head. “You’ll know when I’m serious, Haley. That would be when I either fucking you, or I got a knife stuck in you somewhere. Most of the other time, I’m pretty easy going. I don’t want to wear a suit.

“There is a designer boutique in the lower lobby. I saw it when we came in. It was closed though. It might be open now.”

I pulled on my socks, tied up my docs, wrapped my marshmallow around me, handed Haley my wallet and we headed out. Shopping, dining, dancing, touristy things. We never did that as a human. I…I looked out the glass elevator at the innards of the hotel. I never did that, because Liam took my vision. That was a cop out. Blind people did amazing stuff everyday. I was just tired and scared. I didn’t do what I wanted because I was afraid. Then I ran away and left X in charge. I was such a fucking coward—even if I had only been a kid.

There was a whine and then Haley plastered himself to my back, hugging me tightly. “Alpha Sex, you are so sad.”

“You feel that? I’m sorry.” I resurrected that inner shield to keep my emotions from leaking out and tainting everyone’s day.

“What are you thinking?”

“All the things I missed out one because I was afraid. Don’t let fear keep you from what you want, Haley. Regret is a heavy burden to carry and you can’t do anything about it.”

“You’re serious. Are you going to dominate me now?” I glanced down and Haley looked up at me with wide innocent, blink, blink, teasing eyes.

I shook off my melancholy attitude. Grinning down at him, I twisted fast and pressed him up against the elevator wall. He gave a startled yelp then I leaned forward, situating my thigh between his legs and pressing my hip up into his stomach. “And what would you say, if I said yes.”

“Okay.”

I leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I like you Haley. You make me laugh.” The elevator doors slid open and I turned my head to see a young family standing there staring back at us.

“Going up?”

I shook my head, “Going down.”

Haley muttley snickered as the doors closed and he reached up and nipped the underside of my chin. Owww. “I think they were looking at your blue hair more than where your hands are. This floor has the boutique I told you about.” The elevator doors opened and Haley grabbed my hand and yanked me out after him.

It takes a lot of money to dress this trashy. I had a touch of spandex in everything and it clung where I wanted it to. Haley actually has a good eye for clothing. What the hell goes good with blue hair? Apparently a lime and black striped long sleeved shirt, black linen look cargo pants with tons of pockets and all kinds of straps that could make them into clam diggers. Not that I needed them anymore, but I found a funky pair of my favorite, sun glass goggles. Haley came up and tied a bandana around my head. I looked in the mirror in the dressing room. Damn, I’m incredibly fuckable. Sasha. I was going to have to wait a week again before I could plan his seduction. Damn it. Just thinking of him and I’m hard as a rock.

Think unsexy thoughts. Think unsexy thoughts….there we go. I ripped back the curtain and did my supermodel strut for Haley. He gave me the all clear sign. I paid for my new threads. Tokyo awaits!

We were being stalked. As soon as we left the hotel, both Haley and I felt the presence. I had a vague idea of who it was, but I wasn’t going to mention it until we got confirmation. Ping, Haley’s kryptonite. Sure enough, I caught a glimpse of her as she tailed us. Well she could catch up when she wanted to. I had shopping and eating to do.

Japan is a funny place. Except in the high traffic touristy areas, nobody paid us no mind –but for the blue hair. When we went off the beaten path into the true heart of the city, they kmew we weren’t human. I don’t know if they guessed who walked among them, they just knew we were different. They took my cash and credit cards but you got the vibe that they just wanted you gone. Well that sucked the joy out of shopping.

Everything I bought I arranged to have delivered to the hotel. Finally I sat at an outdoor noodle bar thing. The rest of the patrons took off. Oh, come on. It’s not like I have the plague. “What would you like Master Demon?”

“Am I that noticeable?”

“We have heard a tall thin demon with white hair has been killing people all across the city. They are afraid.”

“But, I’m done now.”

“The scent of death hangs on you, Master Demon….and your wolf.”

“Can we eat here, or would you prefer us to move along?”

“You have money?”

“Yes.”

“Then I am honored you chose my establishment. Sake?”

Hell, no. “Tea please. Haley? Tea for him too.” I raised my voice, “Ping, what do you want to drink?”

She stepped out of the shadows and approached us. “Tea as well. You knew.”

“You don’t track well.” Haley mumbled.

Ping turned her head around and glared at him. “I don’t run in the woods.”

“Then you’re not a real Lycan.”

Holy shit, Haley. “Do not judge me by your Northern Standards, pup. The Eastern Pack has been running long before your Northern one was even whelped.”

Ping deliberately took the chair next to mine. “I’ll take whatever your best is. Three bowls.”

“Why are you trying to scent mark my Alpha?”

I stared a bit as Ping leaned into me and sniffed. “You have scent marked him…jealous?”

“He is my Alpha.”

“He’s not even a werewolf.”

Can you say, monkey in the middle? The proprietor was standing stock still, blanching in fear as the conversation went on. Then I realized it was all in Lycan. I snarled at both of them to knock it off. Ping looked at me surprised and Haley just smirked. Oh god. I was surrounded by horny teenagers. Billiam and Hades now these too.

The man set the bowls down in front of us then backed away. “You’ve scared him. I’m having enough trouble blending in as it is.”

“Then why did you dye your hair blue?”

“None of your business.”

“Haley!”

“What do you want, Ping?” Haley turned his seat and stared at her.

“You.” I don’t think either of us expected that. “You are my mate.”

I couldn’t come up with anything better than, “Huuuh?”

“I have already claimed you to my father. He will be coming to see you tonight. He has wanted me to pick my life mate for years now. So I have.”

“I’m not Eastern.”

“I have learned that you are not Northern either, pup. Word gets around quickly in our Lycan Blood Nation. You were a prince, one of few who have survived. Britta the Elder had plans for you but she ruined them when she placed a brand on your shoulder. It does not matter to me that your flesh has been marred. Your blood still runs royal…as does mine. Our pups will be Alphas, minor royals in the Eastern Pack but they will be Alphas.” She got up from the chair and tossed a number of bills on the counter. “Lunch is on me.”

She reached over, turned my chin and planted a lip lock on me worthy of Claudius. Her tongue came out and flicked over my upper lip. “Take care. We will come to your hotel room tonight about nine o’clock.”

We were both dumbfounded as she walked away. Riot tore around the corner barely missing her. He spied us and came running up, his parasol high over his head. “You cannot run off like this Blood Xavier.”

“Alpha Sex.”

“Lord Sex. It is not safe for you to be wandering alone.”

“Take a seat, have some noodles. Haley what the hell just happened?”

“I just got claimed.”

“Then why the hell is she all over me?”

Haley turned to me his eyes confused and troubled, “She cannot touch me until the rites have been read. What she does to you, as my Alpha leader is what she wants to do to me. She is coming into her mating season…that is why her scent sends me…over the edge.”

“She decides all this just because she smelled you once?”

“We are Lycan, Alpha Sex. We might masquerade as human but we are not. It is our way that the female rules. She has chosen based on my scent. I have no options.”

I picked up my tea and took a drink, “No too much difference in the Vampire world either.” I lifted my tea cup. “Here’s to bachelorhood, sweet as it is however fleeting.”

I took a drink of my cooling tea and spied the sake bottle. No…don’t need to follow up X’s excess with more. Besides, Sasha wasn’t around to throw up on. I reached out and pulled Haley to me. “We’ll think of something, little pup.” I kissed his temple. “Let’s finish eating. There’s still more stuff I want to see and do.”

Haley nodded and dug into the bowl. I ate my own thoughtfully. This actually might not be bad for Haley. He could be part of a pack again here. He could be someone’s beloved son, husband and father. Ping said they didn’t care he had been branded. Maybe this was a good thing. He could be born anew here. He could become a son of the Eastern Pack here in the Land of the Rising Sun. Maybe, Ping was best for him. Maybe. We’ll see.