by Annie Buff
"Are ye hungry, Angel, yer son wants pancakes and Imma pretty sure Marcus is preparing a feast."
Pancakes she mused, "Yes, definitely. However my nerves are a bit on edge. Let's start with coffee and go from there. Sound good love?"
"Aye, anathing for me angel. Wanna talk?"
"No, not yet. Let's let my stomach calm down. Maybe what I need is scotch instead of coffee" she laughed.
"Mama!' Michael came running. "I am gonna git panscapes!"
He was so excited and his speech was getting so good she knew exactly what panscapes were. She giggled and scooped up her tiny tornado, which wasn’t exactly tiny anymore. Lese smothered him with kisses and he giggled.
"Mama, is Papa still stick?" Poor Michael had no idea what was wrong with his Papa, only that he missed him.
"He's feeling a little better. I'll ask him to come eat. Ok little man?" Annalese used their bond. “Hey big guy, someone is asking for his Papa. Do you think you could come down and be with us?"
Nothing… no answer. She could feel the bond open but he wasn't talking, the saving grace was he hadn't put the walls back up. She was still reading his emotions. He finally spoke "For you, I will come down. I told you, anything for you."
"Ok little man, Papa is going to shower and he will be down. Let's go in and get you cleaned up."
True to his word, Vlad joined them for breakfast. They all ate together just like a family. Michael had climbed on his Papa’s lap and was feeding Vlad pancakes. He was graciously accepting them even if Michael was stuffing them in faster than he could chew.
"Aye T, would ye have a minute fer me after me son is done feeding ye breakfast?" Lach laughed at the sight of Vlad, the most frightening being on the planet, being force fed by his grandson. It was a sight to behold. How a terrifying destroyer could so quickly be reduced to a pussycat.
"Of course, I'd say I've had more of these things than I need. And I can say with absolute certainty that I am going to need a drink… at least one."
Lese removed Michael from his Papa and took the sticky child up for a bath. Lachlan and Vlad made their way to the library. The silence was deafening.
Vlad began slowly, "So I'm sure Annalese has told you."
Lachlan held up his hand. "T, stop. She didna tell me anything. I asked her if she wanted to talk. She said no. I respected that. When she or ye are ready, we'll talk. But what I did want to ask ye about was Mehmet."
Vlad did his eyebrow thing. "Mehmet? What would you need Mehmet for?" Vlad had quite the puzzled look on his face. Mehmet was the oldest of his kind. And he knew pretty much everything. Kind of like a vampire scholar.
"T, how much does Mehmet know about us. I mean all of us. You and Lese? I wanna talk to him but I didna wanna do it before I asked ye about this."
"Everything, all of it. I left nothing out." He took a sip of his scotch. "Why do you ask, Lach?"
Lachlan sipped at his own scotch, "Well T, there’s something I wanna ask him to look into, but I didna wanna do it unless he was aware of our situation. I doona wanna say just yet, until I know if it’s possible."
That gave Vlad something to ponder. What in Hades could Lachlan want with Mehmet; could it have something to do with the council? Annalese had thought he wasn’t fully mated and if that was the case the council had no authority to interfere. He and Sophia could just part ways. Vlad would always make sure she was taken care of, if he lived another thousand years he wouldn’t run out of money. He decided to excuse himself and go to the garden to think.
Instead of finding solitude on his bench, he found Annalese. Vlad settled in beside her, just sitting in silence. After a bit he laced his fingers with hers, but he still stayed mute.
"Ever since the night of Michaels birth,” Annalese confessed, “this is where I come to find my balance. This place always calms me, shows me every little thing, the magic, the beauty of it all. Tonight it’s not working, maybe it’s my nerves. I know the council is in two days and I am so nervous for you. What can they do to you anyway?"
"Ah yes, quite a bit I'm afraid. I can be sanctioned financially. They could decide not to break the mating, or they could break it and forbid me from taking another mate. Not that I would ever want anyone but you my dear. No, my own belief is that it will be monetary. A payment in the way of a fine to them, and a fund for Sophia; of which I would do anyway. She stood by me through quite a lot of shit. I owe her that much. I noticed you did not eat this evening. You need not be nervous, I will be fine. Please..." He leaned over and kissed her. Not a toe curling kiss, no this kiss was so full of love Annalese felt it everywhere. "Now my dear," as they broke apart, "come, let us feed you." Vlad took her by the hand leading her back to the castle. When they made it to the kitchen he set her on a barstool and started preparing her an omelet.
"Holy crap Vlad, you cook?" She was so shocked and he couldn't contain his amusement.
"Well yes of course I can cook. I will be six hundred fifty-seven next week. I had to survive you know. Marcus has only been with me about twenty years." Vlad had diced ham, onions, red bell peppers and mushrooms. He put these in a pan to sauté as he whipped the eggs. "I am quite handy in the kitchen when the need arises."
Annalese spoke to Lachlan through their bond, “Did you know Vlad cooks?” It only took seconds for him to respond,
“Holy shite! This I have ta see.”
It took all of two minutes for Lachlan to be in the archway of the kitchen laughing. "Where's me fucking camera when I need it, nobody will ever believe dis!" Vlad just flipped him off and continued his master chef skills, and he was grinning.
Lese ate about half the food, Lachlan and Michael finished it off. Then she excused herself to their suite. She was tired, still queasy so she thought a bath and some peppermint tea might help.
Michael had gone to play and his nanny was caring for him so Annalese could relax. Lachlan had gone into town to handle a few things, but he had asked Vlad to keep the link open in case it was needed. Vlad had no idea why it would be needed but he complied anyway. He decided the library was the best place to spend the rest of his night. With the fire lit he went for the scotch and "Fuck! Lachlan!" Vlad opened his mind, "Look here you Scottish bastard, we are out of booze! I will be expecting six cases when you arrive home!" He was trying to be a hard ass and failing miserably at it.
"Aye T, if ye didna drink so much we'd nay be oot, fucking Romanian bastard!" They were both silently laughing, Vlad hadn't laughed in weeks and it felt damn good. "Therra six bottles of Bulliet bourbon behind the dragons, emergency... booze. So quit yer belly achin ye ancient shite!" That made Vlad laugh out loud; Lachlan always knew how to make him feel better.
"Hey Lach," and he waited for only a second.
"Aye T. What?" Vlad gave him the response he knew was coming.
"Fuck off." He continued to laugh as he broke the connection. He found the bourbon behind the sculpture, just as Lachlan had said. Thank the gods, today had been emotionally trying. He had kept his walls down, but tried very hard to push his emotions aside. Vlad pulled the cork and swallowed straight from the bottle. A glass would not be necessary as he had no intentions of leaving any liquid in the bottle.
He settled in the chair facing the fire and let his eyes close, Vlad was silently praying for good results at the council when he heard her. "Vlad, can I come in?" Why on earth would she be asking him that? This was her home too.
"Oh my dear, you need not ask, come." He motioned for Annalese to take the chair next to him. She shook her head, "Your lap, please, just hold me Vlad." Oh for the love of everything sacred, she really was trying to kill him but he opened his arms anyway. She climbed onto his lap and laid her head on his chest.
"Annalese, you are in sleeping clothes, are you alright my dear?" She nodded, not saying anything for several seconds.
"Yes it was just after my bath and tea. I thought I have no plans to go out so why not. I think the stress of the last few weeks has caught up with me, that and I haven't be
en taking blood like I should."
"Fuck, why not? It is me is it not? I have been the cause of your stress, and for that I am so sorry." He hadn't given it any thought, but he should have. Annalese was used to taking blood from both men. And since he had been unavailable, she wasn’t getting what she needed.
"Yes, but not in the way you think. Lach thought if I only took from him it might weaken my bond with you. Honestly I wasn't sure but I was so afraid of not feeling you at all I haven't had blood in weeks." She didn’t understand, but Vlad would clear it up immediately.
"Dear Annalese, our bond will always be strong, it would have made no difference and you are ill because of it. You need blood, take mine. I will do my best to behave." She smiled and shut the double doors to the library. She had the Vlad grin when she turned back towards him." What is that look for my dear?"
"Oh my sweet, sadistic man. If I need to explain I've been doing something terribly wrong." He knew exactly what she wanted. Vlad stood, unbuttoning his shirt, as soon as his trousers hit the wood floor his erection jutted out, asking to be touched. Annalese reached for him, gently stroking and drawing whimpers from Vlad. Listening to him made her even more aroused than she was, and being with him always had her heated to the core. "Knife?" She asked him.
"Not needed my love, watch." he raised his hand and his index finger turned into a claw.
"Hmm neat trick. What else can you do?" He had many talents, none he wanted to discuss at the moment. All Vlad wanted was to be deep inside of her.
"I can do many things but right now all I want is to be buried balls deep inside you, come here my love." She let her nightgown drop to the floor. Vlad pulled her onto his lap and slowly lowered her down. She was so wet she slid easily until he filled her completely. Annalese stared into his eyes and spoke softly,
"Vlad, remember I won’t break, I loved how rough you were today, please." Oh how he loved this woman! Vlad had always worried about being too rough in the past, but with her, she was asking for him to be rough, raw. He helped her slide up and down his huge shaft, harder, rougher with each thrust. Impaling her on his dick. "Oh god Vlad, yes, yes!" He could lose it and come now she felt so good, and the moaning was killing him. Annalese whispered in his ear, "God Vlad, you feel so damn good. I love the way your dick feels inside me. The burn is so freaking amazing!" She had upped the ante with dirty talk and Vlad had to grit his teeth to not explode inside her at that moment.
"Now Annalese feed my love." His claw sliced a path across his neck and she latched on, sucking his life force in. "Fuck Annalese, you are so perfect. So god damned tight, so beautiful. Yes that’s it baby, take what you need, fuck you feel so right." He kept up the rhythm, taking her up and slamming her back down. Vlad could feel her body start to tense up, he knew what was coming. "Oh baby yes, that’s it, I can feel you Annalese, come for me baby." And that’s exactly what happened, her head fell back and she was shouting his name and moaning incoherently. With one more pounding thrust Vlad found his release. His warm seed jetting into the depths of her womb, both panting, sweat glistening on their skin.
Vlad brought his lips to hers, "Gods woman, you are incredible. This," he waved his hands at their joined bodies," is why I do not sleep. Being so close to you, connected like this is all I think about. I love you Annalese. By the gods I always will."
She leaned into him and held him tight. "I meant what I said earlier, I'll find a way. I need you just as much as Lachlan. I love you Vlad, so very much." He stood and she wrapped her legs around him, wanting to stay as one for as long as possible. He opened the private door on the opposite side of the library and took her to his chambers using a private walkway he had built for privacy. There he bathed her and made sure she was settled in her suite before returning to his own. She was asleep before the door shut; he looked in on Michael who was also asleep. He thought it odd until he checked the time. Five-thirty a.m. and it was then he realized no Lachlan.
Once he was back in his chambers he opened the link, "Lach, is everything alright? It is nearly dawn." Vlad only had to wait a minute for Lachlan to answer.
"Aye T. I'm fine, just working on a little something. Is me angel sleeping?" She was and quite peacefully.
"Yes, she is not feeling well, please Lach, do not hesitate to give her blood. My bond will always be there." Lachlan explained that they weren't sure and now that he knew it wouldn’t happen again.
"Oh T, I'm goona be a few more hours, can ye take care of our family. Stay with her." Holy fuck, she was Lachlan's mate and he said our family. Holy Hades!
"Of course Lach, you know how I feel about her, and Michael. And yes you too you damn ugly Scot!" They broke the connection and Vlad stepped under the spray of his shower feeling better than he had in a year. Not quite normal, but definitely better. He dressed in only pajama bottoms and walked back down the main hall - back to her.
Vlad tried so hard to slip in unnoticed but she woke. "Hmm Vlad, what's wrong?" She was absolutely beautiful when she was half asleep.
"Not a thing my love; your mate is tied up and asked me to take care of our family. That is what I am here to do, I have already checked on the little Prince. Now come here and let me hold you."
FINDING THE LOOPHOLE
Lachlan and Mehmet had been in Mehmet's study for so many hours they'd lost track. "Aye there's got to be something - one way or the other. Fuck!" It was making him crazy, they had searched hundreds of documents and found nothing either way.
Mehmet said "I have no clue why you would want to share your mate, but if there's something to be found, trust me I will find it. I know we are on a bit of a time constraint, fear not my friend. Oh and I would like to join you at the council; if for nothing more than to show my support for Vlad."
Lachlan nodded; Vlad would need all the support he could get. He had a feeling Sophia was going to get nasty. "Aye, thank ye Mehmet, can ye take me back. Tis verra late and I need to get back to me family."
The old Turk had such an evil grin on his face, but Lachlan didn’t have to wonder long. "Well if you are into sharing, I certainly would not mind borrowing her for a night, or a year." His laugh was slightly maniacal. Mehmet was one scary son of a bitch.
"Nay, not goona happen old friend, t'was her choice not T's. She chose him, and you know my friend for what she wants, I'd move the rock of Gibraltar to give her, plus you'd scare the shite out of her." It was Lachlan's turn to laugh, and then he had a thought. "Hey, something just occurred to me, can ye get a hold of the Iscariot Parchment?"
Well that was one item the ancient hadn't thought about. "I think I can, yes. And I have a feeling you may be on to something. If memory serves me correctly, Judas took a mated woman as his mate, which would make him the second. Let me dig; like I said if there's something to be found, I will find it. Now let's get you home."
The next twenty four hours were a blur. Vlad’s mind was on the council. He stayed in his chambers, needing to find focus. Standing up in front of five council members was the last thing he wanted to do this night. Vlad would much rather cut off an arm, it would grow back and probably be less painful. Even though he had sequestered himself, he kept his link with Annalese open. She spent hours just talking to him. She was still feeling off and he was kicking himself in the ass for it. He had explained to both she and Lachlan that he being a true born his blood ties were so much more powerful that she could never lose her bond with him.
Lachlan had said Mehmet would be joining them, to lend his support. That gave Vlad cause for concern. Mehmet was intimidating all on his own. He was usually quiet, but once in a while things would fly out of the old Turk's mouth that could scare the nastiest of demons back to the pits of Hades. Vlad shot up a prayer to whoever was listening that his dear friend would just be his silent, intimidating self. Prayers, too many this week. He had prayed more this week than he had in a hundred years. Sundown was upon them, and it was time he readied himself.
Mehmet met with Lachlan and Annalese in the garden. The
re were things to discuss out of earshot of Vlad Tepes. Mehmet knew instantly when they met up Annalese wasn’t ill. He'd save that tidbit for later. "Ah my Princess," he bowed knowing it tested her patience. He was laughing as he did it.
"Ugh, why does everyone think that’s funny?! You know that makes me crazy right, and oh yeah I'm not afraid of you anymore. I am a mother, and that boy," she pointed at Michael running and getting into all the flowerbeds," is by far scarier than you could ever be." They all laughed and Lachlan motioned for them to sit.
"So Mehmet, it’s do or die time. Is there anathin we can use in T's defense? I love Sophia, but T's me sire and me best friend. That trumps me love for her. He hasn’t come down for almost two days. Me angel says he's ok, but Imma bit concerned anaway." Mehmet understood that. Vlad wasn’t actually social but this behavior was definitely not normal, even for the Dark Prince.
"I know I will regret saying this for however long I shall live but here it goes: You my friend are a fucking genius! You were so right it actually scared me. I found everything we need in the Iscariot Parchments. They held all the answers, so my lovely Annalese not only can you have a second mate, it's the law. An old one, but law just the same."
Annalese sat in shock; this is what Lachlan had been doing, what he'd been so secretive about. "Oh God Lachlan, I can't believe you did this, why?" She had tears streaming down her face and he reached over and brushed them away.
"Ah angel, why? All I want is for ye to be truly happy. I know without one doubt ye love me, heart and soul. But ye love T too so why wouldna I wanna give ye whatever makes ye the happiest."
Annalese jumped into Lachlan’s arms and just held tight. "Oh Lachlan!" And she nuzzled even closer.
Mehmet explained how once it's written; vampire law couldn’t be changed, done deal. That’s how it worked in their world. "And are we keeping this little tidbit to ourselves or are we going to let the Prince in on it?" Mehmet figured this would be their ace in the hole if they needed it, but Lachlan may have other ideas.