Vicious In Love - D.D. Dass (book club suggestions txt) 📗

look at him, unable t even tear his eyes from Beth’s pained expression.

“Well, my lords, as I was er saying,” he tugged at his cravat, visibly uncomfortable. “I, well I am unsurprised that ‘tis finally upon us, albeit she is bleeding profusely and I’ve not yet collected a male from the Fourth realm…” Nick opened his mouth to reply but Ian was quicker, possessiveness and arousal raw in his voice.

“She fell,” he snarled, taking a step closer, glaring. “Without another remark you will mend her and give us the damned morphine or else I will rip your eyes from their sockets!” The other leader sighed, towing Ian by the shoulders away from the cringing doctor.

He knew he had to leave, to get away from her and that scent. It was driving him passed the brinks of insanity.

As he reached the door handle, he spoke quietly. “Heed my words well or you shall face the consequences. And what consequences they will be.”

He forced himself from the room with as much of himself was left.

 

∞∞∞

 

Nick glanced at his daughters thrashing form. He couldn’t breathe. His lungs were heavy and his throat unbearably tight. Nothing made a lick of sense to his muddled thoughts as they were pulled in a million separate directions. The impulse to defend Elizabeth from looming males was indomitable. She was hurt, and he was the only one at fault.

The leather chair he’d forced his hefty form into somehow became tighter, squeezing until he fidgeted, face shamefully hidden in his hands, nails digging into his forehead as he tried to replace the image of his daughter, his precious little girl, harmed by her own sire.

The thing was, Nick knew abuse, was a victim of it by his own father and those ways were a show of strength through the century of his adolescence. It left him with his own sins, but he’d found Verona soon after. His irryn was all things lovely and he would forever love her for releasing him of those sinful chains.

His irryn who loved him unconditionally, who guided him, who’d given him three young despite the risk, she was his strength. The loss of Malia would never fade, but he took it proudly, a keepsake of his daughter, to focus on Ian.

He considered the younger his son, though it was too far from truth.

By the time Nick met the scrawny, scarred boy with dull green eyes, he’d already lost too much. He sometimes blamed himself for what Ian had gone through, because if he’d bothered to ask Krait about his son a bit more…If he’d given the effort to demand an introduction…Those dull, helpless emerald eyes took him back to nineteen seventy three.

Months had long passed since Nicholas becoming the young’s parterra. Yet no more than two words had been spoken between them and those two words were simple acknowledgements, “my lord” or trainees instructions. Even so, Nicholas could find no fault in the young Lord fore he exceeded the expectations of the ramai, kept his head held higher than male’s two sizes of him.

The son of Payne was presenting his heritage; his blood was thickening and amounting to that of the warrior whom had sired him.

There was far more of it however. The boy was perfunctory, verily. There was a thing about the sights of pools, tubs, any large quantity of water that left him distant from even himself. He would never linger in a bedchamber for long without becoming almost mad within himself. He did not speak unless spoken too, and that was hardly a time.

He was scarred.

Sunrise was approaching by the time Nicholas returned to the Civilization. His instincts blared. In the two years the male had been preparing the untransitioned, he’d grown oddly attached. Throughout their time together, he was mostly silent, ignoring those around him even when they found pleasure in tormenting him.

It was natural for Nicholas to want to teach those morons a lesson, but he knew Ian would not appreciate his interceding. So, he watched. He watched the boy, who knew best how to fight, take what was thrown at him. Words, fists, dirt…He did nothing but fester in the pain.

But Nicholas didn’t dwell there in that moment; instead, he shook himself and slipped through the already ajar door, below the grounds sector. A feeling close to panic washed over him at the sounds of laughter in that direction,  where it was forbidden for anyone but leaders to enter…These males were not leaders.

The atmosphere was heavy with the smell of blood. He was red.

At the landing, Nicholas held himself perfectly still, catching sight of three transitioned males hovering over Ian, whose back was to the wall, legs held to his chest, eyes trained on the…pool. His emotions were veiled well, but not enough. The slight shake of his hands and the wideness of his eyes gave him away.

As Nicholas continued to stare, one of the three spoke. “Bet you begged for Daddy to touch you…Didn’t you, Derik? Ian remained silent but Nick had to bite back a snarl, feeling revulsion merge with his anger, his inner Vampire encouraging him to spill the blood, to have them beg for him to spare them.

The others broke into more laughter and the one made his way to the pools edge, splashing Ian, who blinked in confusion, raising his emerald gaze to the male’s twisted features.

“Say somethin’ you little bastard. C’mon, do it.” As he taunted, his meaty hand wrapped itself around the boy’s neck, lifting him off the ground to snap back into the stone wall. Ian’s eyes focused on the pool again, but Nick knew he could feel the pain at his skull, which had cracked under the force. His blood was strong, and rich in the air.

“Des, we’ve had our fun…If the Lords return to find the little prick in two pieces, we shall have our balls fed to us,” the one that remained on the sidelines uttered, voice shaky and nervous as he took a step back.

Closer to Nick, who could smell the fear consuming him. It stuck. The other male, Des, ignored him, pressing closer to Ian.

“I would see it fit for you to release me now,” the boy finally voiced. Des snarled in response.

“Would you? It would be a pleasure, my lord,” he spat it at him. The male released his hold on Ian’s neck only to grab a fistful of the boy’s uncut hair. The boy’s eyes widened further, a look of complete horror fixing his features. His mouth fell open, as if to scream, but no sound came fourth. Nick growled, taking a step forward, the last string of his self-control cut but –

The male, Des, took the moment to lift Ian’s smaller frame, and fling him at the water. Nick pounced for him, terror twisting his gut for the male who was so frightened of pools. The water…the water that had the power to destroy anything left of Ian.

But he was too late; the boy went under….Everything fell silent for a second before the agonized wails and screams tore through the air.

A different, female shrill brought the memory to an end as he blinked it away, ignoring his vibrating phone to rise from his chair and stride over to the Doctor, who was bandaging his daughter’s temple.

His heart shattered all over again, taking in the damage he’d done. Goddess, how could she forgive him for that? She was trembling and Nick wondered how long they had until she had to be given blood…Until she completed the tran –His phone started up again and he growled, ripping the damned thing from his pocket and answering without bothering to look at the caller I.D.

“The hell is it now?” It wasn’t meant to come out so threatening but…

“Father,” his son’s voice was tight. “Um, Mother…she’s…Goddess, she’s gone into her need?” Nick stopped breathing. 

“Tallis,” there was a stifled groan and Nick was back in motion at once. “Aye, listen to me, Tallis. Get your ass out of the room, now. I’ll be there in three.” He didn’t wait for a reply, storming out into the hallway where he knew Ian would be.

The male’s head was in his hands, broad shoulders caved in before he straightened defensively to glare at Nick with growing resentment. He didn’t know when something had formed between his daughter and his best-friend, and fuck, it pissed him off, but all he could see was the boy he’d raised, with the green eyes that suddenly didn’t look so distant anymore.

“Derik,” he breathed, feeling a crumpling anguish at having to choose between his irryn and daughter. “I need you.” 

∞∞∞

  

Ian’s entire body seemed to constrict as he groaned, his hips unconsciously bucking as the potent pheromones followed him from the room. For fuck’s sakes, he needed out. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to even think about walking away from her, not when she was needing.

Not for you, his demon hissed, she’s needing for a male of worth.

His teeth gnashed as he covered his face with his hands.

This could not possibly get any worse. And as if fate was screwed with him personally, Nick pushed his way into the hallway. Anxiety poured out of the male and straight into Ian, who tried not to glare, but the self-loathing crawled up his throat. Removing his hands, he stared impassively at his best-friend –a male of worth.

“Derik,” Nick muttered. “I need you.”  Ian jaw worked.

“Whatever for?” it was a hiss, livid with the reason that every time he blinked, the image of Beth, face scrunched in pain, was all he could see.

Nick’s hands curled into fists at his sides. Ian wanted his own hands around the male’s throat much the same. The tension was tangible in the air and he had to shut his eyes against the emotional-overload. She was not his to care for.

“Take care of her, Ian. Please.” His eyes snapped open in disbelief. What the hell is he goin’ on about now? Take care of her…? Beth?

“Begging pardon?” His tongue was heavy in his mouth. His mind had never been so well…fucked over.

He was so caught up in the voices in his head that he didn’t detect the upcoming attack until it was too late and hands wrapped around his throat, cutting his airways as his back made contact with the wall, which gave a weak tremor in response. Ian glowered, grudgingly denying the Vamp instinctive reprisal. With effort, he commanded his arms to relax at his sides in surrender. He didn’t want to fight Nick this way, not over this. 

“I can’t stay,” the pain –much like what Ian was feeling –shocked him, but before he could ask, Nick continued. “It’s Verona. She’s gone into her need and…and I have to go to her. I would offer the amercement, if you will it. Just take care of her.” Instantly Ian’s hand clasped over the other’s shoulder in reassurance.

Nick could be an utter ass at times, but from the very beginning the male had saved Ian from himself and for that, he was beholden.

“See to her then,” he said.

The other hesitated. “Don’t make me regret this.” Ian squeezed his eyes shut in guilt.

“Don’t trust me…” It was only after Nick traced, the words came out. Damn it all, he was a complete…There wasn’t a proper word for the self-loathing.

“Monster, monster, monster,” he growled, never hesitating to hurl the door open.  The doctor was brushing the dark hair from Beth’s flushed face and Ian just barely held back a growl, possessiveness threatening to overtake his sense.

“Are you quite finished?” His voice remained disciplined.

The doctor’s mouth opened to reply but a scream ripped through the room, demanding his attention, which was already focusing on Beth. Ian stared, unable to move until the screaming ceased and the doctor glanced back up at him, never meeting his eyes.

“Left breakfront, the morphine is located, if you will my lord. It shall ease her for some hours until I can contact the Chosen.” Ian forced his legs over to