Nik awoke the next day to see Holly laying her head on his bump and her tapping against it as if in morse code.
The bump had not changed in size and he was grateful for that. He needed time to assimilate to the idea of more children. Lockhart’s children.
Fuck.
“Holly?” He yawned and his daughter peeked up at him beneath a tangle of auburn hair.
“Daddy?”
Nik looked at her for a moment. He supposed his future children would look as she did. After all, Isabelle had imitated the Lockhart siblings’ traits to originally lure him in.
It had worked. He had gone there prepared to either die or to experience great change. In a way, he had done both. He had died during his baser transition, leaving him to be reborn anew. This had been his great change. It had changed his outlook on life and his priorities. His slate had been wiped clean and he was left feeling freer than he had before.
It was peaceful, until he decided to return here.
He shouldn’t have. He should have stayed with Isabelle, but the desire to see them again had won out, and in the process he had begun to feel the emotions he had left behind, if only temporarily.
Nik patted her head, smiling at her before sitting up to get himself together for the day. Night, whatever.
Holly sat up as well, her hands trying to push the long ringlets out of her eyes. Nik stood up and went to retrieve her bag where he had tossed it down and pulled out a brush and began to sweep it through her hair, braiding it afterwards, though it probably wouldn’t last. She had a habit of undoing his work within the same hour.
It was early evening and the rest of the manor’s inhabitants were just beginning to wake up for the night. They exited the room and made their way to the kitchen for Holly.
Quickly, he made her a small sandwich and gave her a glass of milk.
She beamed at him and began her meal while he sat beside her silently.
“Daddy?” she asked and he looked at her.
“Why don’t you eat? Mommy does.”
He blinked for a moment, “I haven’t thought about it. Your mother likes to eat, though she does not gain any real health benefits from it.”
She chewed her food for a few moments. “Do you like food?”
He nodded, “I do, but I’d rather it went to someone who needs it as opposed to someone that can live without."
She nodded as she ate and Nik looked up to see Theia standing in the doorway wearing a white skirt and a matching dress shirt. He cast her a small smile as he greeted her.
“Good evening.”
She entered and came over to perch on the counter top. “You do know that you can eat with us, right?
Zero shook his head, “We’re fine, go ahead and eat.”
She looked as if she was about to push, but stopped herself. “I wish you’d talk to me.”
Her words shocked him, but they shouldn’t have. Theia had always felt that way around him, they both knew it.
When he was younger he had been far less likely to talk to anyone about anything. He’d felt like his pain was his to bear and his alone. He still felt that way in part, he had Isabelle’s willing ears, but she was one to push off his worries and distract him.
“Nikolai, why must you worry yourself like this? You can be happy if you allow yourself to.” she’d say and in time he had learned to put the remains of his mortal emotions to bed.
They were resurfacing, and he didn’t look forward to the idea of having to face them head on.
Holly looked at the both of them as she chewed, searching for answers that he wanted to keep from her for as long as he could.
Inevitably, she would come to know a side of the truth, which, he wasn’t sure.
Theia sighed before making her exit from the room, leaving them in peace. Nik stood and made his way back over to the fridge. He pulled out a couple oranges and brought them back over to the table.
He peeled one and handed half to his daughter before taking a piece in his mouth.
Holly smiled at her father. “See, food tastes good!”
He smiled at her and ruffled her hair. “You’re right. You need to finish up before you can see Gus, though.”
The young girl grew excited at his words and rapidly finished her meal and began to tug him towards the door.
He let out a laugh and followed her out.
An hour later Nik was keeled over the toilet, heaving up blood into the bowl.
Fuck, no eating then.
He knew that Isabelle had only eaten meat during her pregnancy, but she had told him of the negative effects it had caused her.
Her countless lovers were used till they lay dead in the abandoned homes they stayed in. In an attempt to save their lives they had resolved to eating the flesh of their fellow human partners. It wasn’t pretty, but the only thing that bothered him was how dreadfully messy such an action was. Isabelle claimed that they were amplifiers for their own diets, spreading such ideas and practices into the minds of their lovers subconsciously.
Perhaps he had been numb to it all, but it occurred to him now that the lives of humans mattered very little to him now. It was as if they ceased to have any worth to him, he supposed that was how vampires must feel about them. Humans were a food source, and they didn’t usually survive their encounters with his maker and himself.
Oh, how that thought would have tortured him before. Nik shook that thought off. He had already been reminiscing the past too often in the first place, he didn’t need any more of those thoughts than he already had.
He picked himself off the bathroom floor and washed his mouth out more than once.
It helped and he promptly made his way back to the bed, trying his best to stave off the hunger he was beginning to feel.
Maybe he should make his way into town and feed there.
Yes, that would be best.
He dressed himself in cheap clothing and made his way to Holly and Fitzgerald.
“Can she stay with you? I have to go out for a while and I can’t bring her with me.” he asked the orange-haired noble and Gus nodded while Onoe screeched at the prospect.
Nik nodded and exited the manor, his body dispersing into the air to only manifest on the edges of a town far enough away that no brows would be raised.
It was midnight and he walked into one of the thrumming nightclubs, sending out the lure on the unsuspecting humans. It took less than twenty minutes for the mass of people to be overcome and drop to the floor in a pleasurable wave of reaching hands and roaming mouths.
Nik found himself in the center of it all, his power absorbing the lives of quite a few of the party goers. It was a euphoric feeling, to be in his element and know that he could devour them all if he chose.
What a change of mindset!
His clothes were clawed off of him soon enough and the smell of sex permeated the surrounding area around the club, growing stronger every moment.
He stretched out his senses, looking for any nar-dowell vampire. He sensed a powerful presence growing near, but it was neither of the Lockharts. Another pureblood? He increased the flow of his lure towards the presence, intent on drawing it closer.
It didn’t take long to arrive and he smiled at the vampire when it made it’s way over to his position in the center. It was a male with a mass of wavy blonde hair and pale strawberry colored eyes. He was fully matured into immortality and it surprised Nik that Elijah would allow another pureblood within even a distance as far as this one.
The pureblood was stripped of his clothes by the grasping hands, and Nik caught sight of clarity in the male’s eyes. He wasn’t fighting, he was allowing the power of the lure to sweep through his body in exchange for a clear mind.
A vampire whose beast he couldn’t spark. The thought made Nik grin at the male.
“What is your name?” he asked and the male shrugged.
“Does it matter, really?” he countered and Nik shrugged, letting out a chuckle.
“I suppose not.”
Nik reached out and brought the vampire closer, tilting his face to lock lips with the male. He allowed it, clearly letting his body do the talking.
He let Nik take the lead, and Nik felt his form shift back to feminine, yet strangely enough, was not swept to the back of his mind when Naomi would usually take over. Perhaps she was too submissive for this pureblood, apparently he liked the dominance.
Nik shrugged off the thought. It didn’t matter, not really.
Nik quickly sunk down on the vampire’s length, not slowing his pace as he ground into him. The male thrust up and Nik moaned at the feeling. He could feel his hair continuing to lengthen more till it hit his body’s waist.
He feasted on the lives of the humans around them, drinking his fill till almost all had perished to his hunger.
The bodies stopped moving around the pair, all of them slipping into a comatose state or dying completely.
Still Nik rode on, continuing to drink in the pureblood’s power. He was strong and since vampires were not as weak as humans, he would live on no longer how much Nik took from him.
He sunk down once more and locked lips with the male, nipping at his lips until a sharp canine broke through. The vampire laughed and groaned when he felt his partner lick at the wound till it faded completely.
“My, what a situation I’ve lucked into.” the male laughed and continued to thrust, making Nik moan.
“Harder,” Nik told him and the vampire flipped their positions.
It seemed to go on for hours, which it did in part as Nik felt dawn approaching.
His senses caught another presence, another pureblood, and this time, he was sure of who it was. He withdrew his lure and centered it on the pureblood pounding into him to hasten their fucking.
Humans were beginning to wake in the apartments around the club, and he needed to be gone by the time someone came a-looking.
The blonde haired pureblood groaned and his orgasm set off Nik ’s. He unintentionally let loose a wave of power from the club, notifying the approaching pureblood of his location.
He flipped them over and stood up off the pureblood’s cock and cast a smile the male’s way.
“Perhaps, we’ll meet again.” Nik smirked and the male reciprocated in kind.
“Perhaps.”
Nik stepped into the shadows as the door to the club came open, revealing the pureblood prince.
He felt almost obligated to stay, but he didn’t, he dispersed into the shadows, leaving the two purebloods to themselves.
He manifested in his bedroom in the Lockhart manor and settled about washing off the scents and fluids that came along with feeding. Terribly messy, but at least the humans didn’t make a last ditch effort to survive by eating one another.
That was truly a mess.
He finished in the bathroom, passing by the mirror in the process. It occurred to him then that he was still in an effeminate form.
He tried for a moment to shift, but his body failed him once more, causing him to befriend the toilet again.
Perfect.
Alec Clementine figured he’d gotten himself in trouble with another Lockhart. The last time had landed him in a sleep for thousands of years and he was not really raring to go back into that abysmal state.
The incubus stepped into the shadows just as the door came crashing open, pouring the light of dawn onto the massacre that had taken place the night before. He looked down and somehow found a pair of hole-ridden jeans and slipped them on as he gauged the expression on... Elijah? That fucker was still alive? Are you fucking kidd-?
The pureblood turned around and sent him a menacing look of displeasure.
Speaking of pleasure, he’d have to search for that incubus. Gods, was he powerful.
Speaking of powerful, Alec made his way through the corpses to the front where the angry pureblood stood.
Alec tried to play off how on edge being around the other male made him. Who could blame him though? The bastard had knocked him out for what eight (or was it nine?) millennium.
A wave of anger hit him at the thought. How dare that bastard? Sure, he was at times a little bit of a dick, but was that a good reason to just fuck with someone’s head like that?
Alec narrowed his eyes.
“My, my. Looks like I’ve been getting luckier and luckier. I mean who’d of thought that I’d have been lucky enough to run into the bastard that put me to sleep for THOUSANDS of years?!”
Lockhart looked for his part, annoyed and mildly curious. Alec looked at him silently for a moment. Could it be? The great Elijah Lockhart without his memories? Oh, he could live with being awoken now. Now only if he knew where that incubus went off to…
Elijah scanned the room and the dead bodies before looking at him. “Is this your doing?”
“Actually no, though it was kinda fun being with the person who did the doing.”
Lockhart looked mildly annoyed beneath his mask, and Alec couldn’t help but smirk at the slightly taller man.
“Who did this then?”
Alec pouted but answered regardless, “An incubus, didn’t ask for a name.”
His follower stepped forward into the room behind her leader. “My Lord, we need to leave before they trace this to us.”
Elijah turned to Alec, “Come with us, we have much to talk about.”
Alec smirked, excited at the thought. Perhaps he could get back at the other pureblood for his pain.
Elijah had taken the other pureblood back to the manor, leaving him to Sparrow to show to a bedroom. He had caught the scent of mint in the nightclub and he couldn’t help but draw the conclusion that Nikolai had been the one who caused the scene.
He had never pegged that Volkov would do such a thing. Nikolai had always been so holier than thou with his attitude at the academy. The hunter had defended the humans from any perceived threat from the vampire class, regardless of any validity. Volkov had been almost ridiculously black and white with his ideals, a tiring trait that was astonishingly predictable for someone as bold as the hunter.
He hadn’t come across the former hunter last night and from what he had been told by Onoe, Volkov had left early on in the evening.
No one had seen him return, though Elijah could sense that he was in the manor.
He opened the door to the supposed incubus’ room and made his way to the bed where a head of silver hair was facing away from him. Nikolai’s daughter was not in the room and he could only assume that she was with the Fitzgerald heir still.
The girl interested his sister more than him, but he still found her existence confounding. She had taken to looking at him with a judgmental stare whenever she could when people weren’t paying attention to her.
It unnerved him slightly. He had seen her heal his sister, but he couldn’t help but wonder if that was only the surface of her gifts.
It mattered little now.
He walked to the side of the bed and he caught Nikolai’s minty scent along with the mysterious sweet scent that came with what he had called ‘the lure’.
Volkov turned to face him, it took him a moment, but it was indeed Nikolai as opposed to his feminine aspect’s persona. He blinked up at him for a moment before sitting up, revealing a slimmer figure and a pair of well-rounded breasts. The blanket covered him from the waist down, and he leant back on his hands to look up at him.
Elijah looked down at him, searching for any hint of Nikolai’s thoughts in his eyes. It was fruitless, the snowy haired male gave nothing away to him.
Another difference in the former hunter.
“Did you feed recently?”
Nikolai smirked at him, “To which instance do you mean?”
“A few hours ago. I caught your scent in the building where dozens of humans had died.” Elijah raised a brow.
Nikolai didn’t even hesitate, “Yes.”
Volkov pouted at the pureblood when he saw anger in his eyes, “Disappointed?”
His eyes narrowed and with a smooth move, pressed the former hunter’s neck against the headboard. Nikolai grasped at his tightening hold, but a faint smile remained on his face as the pureblood prince leaned close to him.
“If you act so irresponsibly again, just remember you are not the only one living here.”
The sentence made the incubus incredibly angry. Gone was any shred of decency as he sneered at the bastard that would dare threaten his daughter. The sneer quickly gave way however to a smug smile as he leaned close to the vampire.
“I should say the same to you.”
The mask of mild annoyance slipped for a brief moment before Nik’s eyes, giving him not only a good look at the real Elijah, but an insight as to how easy it would be to trigger his beast with the lure.
The mask fell back into place. “You would never hurt her. Not even now.”
“Funny how I also thought you better than threatening children. Oh how the mighty hath fallen.” Nik breathed out tiredly.
So damn tired, all the damn time. He had forgotten how tiring it was to pretend that he truly hated the elder Lockhart.
Pain began to pulse through his body then, and he clawed out of Lockhart’s hold to run into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind himself. He fell to the tiles and didn’t make it to the toilet before he began to cough up blood.
The door opened behind him, but he paid it little mind as wave after wave of dizziness washed over him. He crawled around the blood and made his way to the toilet where he stayed for several minutes.
He took deep, long breaths to recover. It was only when he looked up that he saw Elijah with his hand outstretched.
Nik nodded his thanks and stood with his help, making his way over to the sink to wash his mouth out. Elijah watched him with a critical eye, and Nik felt glad that the pureblood didn’t catch on to his growing stomach, of which Nik was sure it had started again.
A wave of thirst began to burn his throat and he met Elijah’s eyes in the mirror just as a sharp canine broke through the skin on his lip. The blood flowed down his chin as he turned to face the vampire, and it was only when his back hit the glass of the mirror that he realized Lockhart was closer than he appeared.
Nik let out a shiver as he felt a tongue lick up his jaw to taste his bloody lip. His breath shook and he ran a hand up his former enemy’s chest to encompass his neck.
There was a brief pause, then their lips met.
Nik was struck by this feeling of rightness. Perhaps it was the work of the pregnancy, but he wasn’t totally as sure as he would’ve liked to have been. He needed this, regardless of how innately wrong this was. He had loved Theia, they both had, but a part of Nik knew that he had cared for the bastard that was the elder Lockhart.
Elijah didn’t feel the same, of that Nik was sure. He had meant nothing to the vampire prince, and his pain had meant nothing to him. His brother’s life hadn’t mattered to him, nor had his family of whom Lockhart had released the Rogue upon, leading up to the death of all that he had known.
It had caused him misery when he was human, but now it was only another hollow pain beating at the back of his head beneath heavily built walls.
Nik moaned against his lover’s mouth, letting him take control. He had the distinct feeling that if he had been wearing clothes, they would have been destroyed by the pureblood’s claws.
His canines elongated as the burning in his throat doubled. He had forgotten what it had felt like. The burn.
Lockhart nipped at his throat and Nik arched it in response. He barely felt the sting as he busied himself by sweeping off the other’s jacket and shirt, stopping only momentarily when he felt Elijah withdraw. It was a slow caring touch that Nik pulled away from before pulling the vampire’s face to his their tongues tangling again till he tasted drops of his partner’s blood spilling into his mouth.
He moaned and opened his legs to him, nimbly undoing Elijah’s pants and belt, and revealing his lover’s cock. Nik kissed his way up the other’s neck, nipping lightly at the flesh as he held the cock to his ready entrance.
“Fuck me,” he purred and moaned when he felt himself being filled.
He felt Lockhart grasp his hips to gain better access and he allowed it, too preoccupied with the vein straining against his throat.
It was mid-thrust when Nik struck, making the other groan while Nik moaned at the relief to his burning throat.
He drank for several moments, taking his fill till he felt the pureblood begin to draw back and pull him back into the actual sex.
Their breathing had become ragged and Nik moaned, letting out a small whimper at the feeling of being withdrawn from before the following thrust.
Elijah’s hands had traveled up to encompass his feminine form’s breasts. Nik wrapped his legs around the pureblood, desperate for more.
He felt energy begin to pool within him from the pureblood, and it quickly dominated the energy received from the feed he had at the nightclub.
“Fuck,” Nik moaned as he felt his end approaching.
He came, milking his lover and triggering the other man in the process.
Sometime later after a long shower spent with more sex, they had made their way back to the second bed which had somehow become the normal place to land.
Nik had ended up dressed in his shirt, not that he had a problem with that as for some probably stupid reason, his scent calmed him even if the male himself didn’t.
His eyes were closed and he felt Elijah rubbing small circles over his stomach just above the source of the thumping which had been growing even stronger and steadier since they had made their way into the bed.
“Can you shift?”
Shit. Shit. Shit. Theia.
He felt himself began to panic a bit before Lockhart’s infernal rubbing calmed him once more.
Fuck, how would he explain this to Theia? How long could he keep this pregnancy under wraps, anyway?
Maybe he could leave, just he and Holly. She would miss Fitzgerald, but they would be safer if they were with Isabelle and her immortal lovers where he could make it through the pregnancy with all he needed.
“No, I can’t.” he said and Elijah nodded as if he expected as much.
Nik sighed, his head falling back against the pillow. He wasn’t really touchy-feely with his lovers but he couldn’t deny that Elijah was different.
He leaned into his ear and his voice was cold.
“How do you know Alec?”
Zero fought back a shiver at the harsh tone before turning to face the pureblood prince. “Alec?”
His look of confusion annoyed Elijah clearly and he stopped his rubbing, pulling back.
“The other pureblood you ‘fucked’.” He elaborated and Nik rose a brow at that.
Part of his mind was slightly turned on by the vampire’s curse, but the main part was almost indignant, but he figured that would not be in his best interest.
“Hmm. I didn’t bother to get his name.” he remarked and his partner’s eyes narrowed.
Was that, dare he say it, jealousy?
Nik wasn’t used to such a concept. None of his lovers had ever particularly shown such an emotion and it shocked him, but it shouldn’t have. Lockhart had shown evidence of being very jealous and possessive when it came to Theia and it shouldn’t have surprised him that he was just as possessive with his lovers.
“So it was not your intention to meet again?”
Nik shrugged, “I very rarely ever plan out my meetings.”
It didn’t appear to satisfy the vampire prince and he stood from the bed, revealing his muscular frame to Nik’s eyes again.
He glared at Nik beneath his mask and Nik kept a mask of indifference over his face as well, only he knew that the pureblood could not read him half as well. He had changed after all, and neither he nor Theia had known Nik’s inner thoughts as well as they had thought.
Elijah appeared to calm himself after a moment, sighing.
“What do you plan to do about your shift?”
“I should probably tell Theia, the rest will find out inevitably and she would be hurt if I didn’t tell her.” Nik sighed, sitting up when all he wanted to do was go back to bed and sleep for a week.
He had fed twice within twenty four hours, but he was so tired of dealing with this bullshit. Going back to Isabelle was sounding better and better, but he knew that even Elijah deserved to know he had children. Just not now.
Nik sighed, sliding off the bed and slinking to the dresser and digging into Holly’s bag for women’s clothing. He pulled out a pair of tailored skinny leg pants and a simple black top, digging in again for a pair of shoes.
Stripping, he handed Lockhart back his shirt and pulled on the clothes, eager to get it all over with so he could go sleep.
Nik walked beside Elijah in the hallway leading up to Theia’s room, a feeling of uneasiness settling inside his mind. He couldn’t think of a reason as to why, but the prospect of telling his former adoptive sister more than he wanted her to know bothered him.
He followed her actual brother into her room, not giving any response when the door closed quietly behind his back.
Theia sat in one of the chairs by the window, her hair pulled out of her face as she tapped a pencil against her lips in concentration. She looked up when the door shut, her eyes catching sight of Elijah first, a smile making its way onto her face. She blinked when she caught sight of Nik and a look of confusion came over her face.
“Nik?”
He tossed her a kind smile, “Hey, Solnishko.”
Her brows furrowed and she stood up, her skirt billowing a bit as she moved closer to them. The elder Lockhart stepped away and gave them space.
“You’re… a girl?”
Her words hit him and he let out a laugh, only mildly annoyed when he heard it himself.
“Only sometimes.”
An annoyed look came over her and she looked up at him, still shorter than his current body by a few inches.
“And you didn’t tell me?”
He had never heard Theia truly angry, but he was fairly confident he had nothing to worry about.
After a moment, Nik shook his head. “Only your brother and Holly knew out of everyone here.”
Elijah looked at him casually, “The pureblood you met last night is now staying with us as well. I take it he knows of your form as well.”
Nik nodded and felt a sharp sting as Theia slapped him suddenly. His face did not move, and he felt the blood that had been drawn by her nails slip down his jaw. Within seconds he felt the wound heal, his skin stitching itself back together.
He looked down at her with a glare. He shouldn’t have been so angry with her, he’d known she was prone to such outbursts, which before he would have felt he deserved, but not now. The thumping grew faster and he let loose his senses as he sent out a small wave of power.
She didn’t pick up on it, but her brother did. Elijah swept her behind him in a single smooth movement, placing himself between Nik and Theia.
Elijah for his part, was silent for several moments, waiting to see if Nik would react violently. Part of him desired the death of someone stupid enough to lay a hand on him anger, while the other part, the old side of him, staved off his anger with old ideas of how Theia hadn’t meant to hurt him, not really.
Nik wanted to believe that side, he really did, but his new outlook revealed a more negative side of the small brunette. Something he would have denied before.
Nik drew a hand up to his bloodied jaw and pulled it back to reveal blood staining his skin. He narrowed his eyes again at the sight, such a stupid little girl.
It occurred to him that he now understood how Isabelle would kill off her former lovers when they angered her. They had outlived their use and he knew now that to put up with those lovers would only stir his anger toward them.
Theia seemed to regain herself and she looked around her brother’s arm to take in Nik’s expression for herself. He caught her eyes and even she could notice the deadly look in them.
“Please don’t be that stupid again, Theia. I assure you that it would be a mistake on your part if it were to happen again.” Nik stated flippantly, the glare dropping off to reveal detached (or was it sad?) eyes.
“Are you threatening her, Volkov?”
Nik turned around, tossing one last remark into the stale air before he left.
“Just fair warning.”
Elijah left his sister an hour later, having calmed her of her worries.
She seemed rattled, perhaps because Volkov had never actually gone so far as to threaten her before.
He had sensed Volkov’s power for a brief moment. It was like he was a snake in Elijah’s garden just laying in wait to strike. It bothered the pureblood, but he was careful not to let Theia see.
Never mind the thought that he too would have gone after whoever dared to strike him in anger. Nikolai, from what he could tell, had merely given Theia a warning, one he warned he would not give for a second time.
The pureblood prince believed it. Even in his feminine aspect, the former hunter still had that violent edge to him. The only thing that shocked him was the fact that Theia had been the target of his anger.
Volkov had loved Theia once, but it appeared like he didn’t care for her as much anymore. It seemed to him that Nikolai cared for her only in a distanced manner.
Elijah stopped for a moment. He was missing something.
It annoyed him immensely.
He thought back to the time he had spent with Nik. He had been clear-minded then, surprisingly so.
It shocked him when Volkov slipped out of his hold and bolted into the bathroom where he heard retching a second later. The smell of blood permeated the air and he opened the door to see the snowy haired ex-hunter crawling away from the blood beside the tub to the toilet where he stayed for several minutes. He leaned against the wall for support and stilled, calming himself.
Elijah stepped into the room, his prior threats somehow slipping from his mind. He held out a hand to Nikolai and the other had taken it, appearing grateful.
He stepped back when Nikolai walked over to the vanity and began to desperately wash out his mouth in an attempt to settle his stomach.
After, Nikolai stood stock still, looking at him through his hair in the mirror, analyzing him as if he were an unknown variable in some great game of his.
He saw a brief flash of red flashed through opalescent eyes before the smell of fresh blood made its way to him. He turned Nikolai around before he had fully noticed that he himself had moved.
Nikolai shivered beneath him as Elijah licked the blood off of his jaw.
The pureblood heard Nikolai’s breath turn ragged and felt a hand crawl up his arm to encompass his neck, a surprisingly gentle touch coming from such a violent person.
He paused and then attacked his mouth with veracity.
Elijah had thrown all sense out the window and felt himself let go of his stress, relaxing for the first time in who knew how long.
Volkov moaned against his mouth and Elijah let his hands trail down the pale neck of his lover. He nipped his way down to the base of his throat and Nikolai arched against him, revealing his vein to the pureblood.
Elijah sunk his teeth into Nikolai’s neck, losing himself to the taste, but not so much as he failed to take it in it’s glory.
He tasted not of mint, but of a harsh sweetness that burned its way down his throat like whiskey.
What was that? That beating? It wasn’t Volkov’s heart, his was nearly covering it, but the beating was loud enough that he felt it through the former hunter’s flesh. He withdrew from the incubus’ neck, only just then noticing the partial nude state he was in and probably was going to get worse.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by the feeling of Nikolai’s lips touching his again, and the feeling of open legs surrounding him.
Elijah sat back in his chair before his desk, drinking a glass of bloodwine. It was more out of habit now than actual need, but that thought struck him rarely.
The beating. Could it be?
“Sparrow.” he called and she stepped out of the shadows in the room.
“Retrieve the box Mieren gave me.” he commanded and she disappeared to complete her orders.
He stretched out his senses, catching Nikolai’s with relative ease. Clementine had made an appearance yet again, this time having apparently run into the white haired male.
Lockhart came across them in the hallway a minute or two later, catching a glimpse of Nikolai’s more delicate frame being held against the wall by the blonde haired pureblood.
He didn’t step out of the shadows, but he knew Nikolai sensed him, his eyes glancing back at him briefly before looking back at youthful looking vampire.
Volkov sighed at the male, “Not now, I have someone to pick up.”
The pureblood pouted and he saw Nikolai smirk.
“Soon?” Alec whined quietly and Volkov slipped away, walking down the hall.
“Maybe.” He tossed over his shoulder at him, but Elijah knew it was meant for him as well.
Alec sighed as if to himself. He had only just managed to get out of his room, Lockhart’s blasted bodyguard had kept him under lock and key for the past night.
He was glad to have come across the incubus again, though he confessed that running across such a creature under Elijah Lockhart’s watch surprised him. He had always assumed the pureblood to be ‘above’ such pleasures.
He didn’t flinch when he felt the forgetful pureblood step out of the shadows.
“Who might you be babysitting? It certainly isn’t me as you’ve left your follower to annoy the fuck out of me without even opening her mouth.” Alec pondered.
Elijah said nothing and Alec let out a laugh.
“Maybe babysitting isn’t the correct term. I never took you as one to be the target of an incubus, but then again, I also never believed you would knock every useful detail you picked up when we were younger out of your head.” Alec felt crimson colored eyes lock on him.
After a moment Elijah spoke.
“How do you know about him?”
Alec turned and faced the brunette. “I encountered a succubus before you knocked me out.”
Elijah escorted him to an office, his, Alec assumed.
“What was her name?”
Alec shrugged but told him nonetheless, “Belle.”
“Isabelle?” Elijah prodded but Alec rolled his eyes.
“She gave me a name, I didn’t ask for more. Whatever she told me was up to her, not that I particularly cared. It was fun, so I didn’t question it.” Alec told him, leaning back against the chair he was sitting in.
Alec had to give him credit, Volkov had a good poker face. Even if he didn’t remember his past life he still kept all he knew a secret, though he probably wouldn’t ask if he did know what a succubus was.
“You’ve never met Nikolai before last night?” Elijah questioned.
Alec sighed, “I wish I had, he knows how to prolong pleasure very well.”
A flash of cold fury was seen in Lockhart’s eyes, but it fled as quickly as it was spotted. Alec bit back a grin, found a sore spot, eh?
A wash of heat swept through the room, alerting them both to the resident Incubus’ hunger. Alec frowned.
“I’ve never heard of even a baby incubus being so hungry so often.” he allowed.
They both stood, Elijah glaring at him as they both followed the heat to what appeared to be a basement, passing a handful of panting aristocrats along the way.
Elijah stopped to question one bearing the Clement last name. A descendant of his perhaps? He glanced at the petite male figure and spotted the unique shade of crimson colored eyes that had been a dominant trait in his first wife that he recalled had passed down to their children as well. Alec put that thought to rest before following Elijah down the steps into a private library where the source of the heat sat reading from several books.
Nikolai looked up at them with a raised brow. “Yes?”
Alec smiled at the tone directed almost entirely at the brunette. He had done something to piss off the incubus, but Elijah appeared to know nothing.
His grin grew at the idea. No one who pissed off a succubus kept their status as members of the living, but what about an incubus? He had never met one beside Nikolai and the prospect of witnessing such anger excited Alec.
Lockhart stepped further inside the room, allowing Alec to slip in beside him.
They approached the incubus, bodies beginning to register the lure billowing towards them now.
“You are setting off the nobles.” Elijah mentioned and the incubus shrugged in response.
“Holly is in bed, I have no real need to care any longer.”
Alec pouted, “Who’s Holly?”
Nikolai looked at him, a small smirk making its way onto his delicate face. “Don’t be so jealous, she is only my daughter.”
Alec leaned down across the table to look at him in the eyes. He felt the incubus grow curious as he moved.
Elijah turned toward Nikolai, his eyes narrowing. He grew jealous of Volkov’s attention to the annoyance that was the other pureblood.
What had Volkov said hours ago? ‘How the mighty hath fallen?’ Mighty indeed.
He took hold of Nikolai’s chin and forced the ex-hunter to look up at him. “Why are you doing this?”
Volkov frowned at him, his eyes narrowing at the brunette, and in effect, ceasing to pay any attention to Alec.
“I’m not doing it on purpose!” the former hunter snapped.
Elijah raised a brow at the response, clearly not believing him. Nik glared full on at the pureblood, unintentionally letting out another pulse of power from the lure. The room’s occupants’ breathing turned uneven and harsh. Alec loosened the collar of his shirt while Lockhart just stood there, watching the incubus wrestle for control.
The pulsing did not let up and Nikolai looked like he was about to lose any semblance of hold he had over his power. Alec approached the two, reaching out to touch the female arm of Nikolai’s.
He allowed it, though Alec knew it was relatively meaningless to him. The touch made Alec feel the lure come over him and he blissfully gave himself into, leaving it to Nikolai as to how far they would take it. He bit back the lust for a moment, “Why? Why are you so hungry? It makes no sense.”
His mutterings triggered the brunet to action and Elijah touched his hand against the incubus’ face, not pulling back when desire swept through his system. He wanted to at least maintain his mind throughout it all, if he had no other way of control.
Alec pulled at his shirt and buttons popped out, leaping bounds across the carpet to all corners.
Nik was the only relatively level-headed being there, but the hunger ate at him with large snapping jaws. He quivered beneath Elijah’s light touch, feeling the thumping come to the forefront for a moment, before his heartbeat overcame the sound with a strange sense of dominance.
Elijah’s jaw had slacken as if he heard the sound himself, but Nik shook off the thought, wanting to just get on with it all.
Sex was supposed to be fun, but having had it so often recently had made it lose some of its ‘fun factor’ for him.
Nik pulled the loose top off his slim frame and dropped it to the ground, inviting them closer. Elijah looked at him with critical eyes and his eyes ran over Nik’s partially revealed body. Alec pulled him up and onto the table, the blonde haired pureblood running his hands over his breasts and kissing a line up Nik’s neck.
The incubus allowed it while he cast his curious gaze toward the pureblood prince. Lockhart watched them calmly, though Nik could spot a heated flush on his skin and sense his lust.
He didn’t want this, and it annoyed Nik.
Never wanted, not truly…
The thought burned him and he felt his heart pound at the very idea.
Elijah approached them as if the lure had won him over. His gate was predatory and Nik bit his lip lightly at the image. In a flash the pureblood was there, clutching Nik’s hair in a tight grasp and tilting his face up to meld their lips together.
Alec unbuttoned Nik’s pants, never ceasing his light kisses, trailing them down the curve of his spine. He traced circles around Nik’s aroused nipples, never giving him the satisfaction of the actual touch.
Nik’s hands pulled off Elijah’s jacket in one smooth move, unbuttoning his partner’s shirt shortly thereafter. Nik felt Alec cease his movements to remove his own shirt, tossing it over the scattered books on the floor.
Funny, he hadn’t noticed them fall.
Elijah’s hands traveled down his body to his legs, undoing pulling Nik’s pants down his legs, his hands making skin explode into goosebumps.
Nik pulled the brown haired pureblood closer, kissing a trail up his neck as he undid the other’s pants. Alec chuckled in his ear and pulled Nik’s face around to devour his mouth, nipping at the lips of the incubus.
Nik moaned and he felt Elijah’s fingers tease his entrance, flicking at the little nub that came along with this form. He felt himself grow wet at the relentless touches, gasping into Alec’s mouth, providing him with more of an opening.
Nik rolled his hips into Elijah’s hand, his breathing ragged as he felt a finger sink in with ease. Lockhart nipped at the outer line of Nik’s throat, the feeling sending the other reeling.
Nik pulled back from Alec, lifting his hips and providing an opening for the blonde vampire to move and slide underneath. Nik grasped hold of the pureblood prince’s neck and kissed him, only gasping when he felt Alec sink into his body. He felt Lockhart growl against him mouth, and it sparked his desire again.
Without having registered the movement, Nik sucked in a breath when Lockhart thrusted inside his other entrance.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
His body felt full as Elijah pulled him in again, engulfing his mouth, and in the process cutting himself on Nik’s sharp canines.
He dug his nails into the elder Lockhart’s shoulders, drawing blood.
A passing thought made its way through his mind. What were the nobles up to?
Nik narrowed his senses on the sitting room above them. But was drawn to the hall outside the library instead. He grinned at the energy that began to seep into him then, and he made the snap decision to welcome Theia into the foray.
He wrapped one of his arms around ’s neck and held out his other hand to Theia.
She stepped into the room absentmindedly. Nik allowed the lure to turn on her, though he held it tight under his command, not wanting a repeat of catatonic Theia.
He thought back to the slap that happened a mere couple hours ago. He narrowed his eyes at her, though she seemed not to notice. Why would she? She was never the brightest when it came to sensing danger.
She touched his hand and he let a piece of his never-ending lust sink into her. She licked her lips and the heat was clearly getting to her.
Alec appeared to notice her as well, he even sent her a wink and a wicked grin as he thrusted inside Nik again and again.
Nik pulled Elijah back to kiss him again, searching his gaze for any clarity.
Possessiveness shone in his eyes and he appeared to be clear-minded, or at least more so that he had been in their first sessions. Nik moaned, rolling his hips against both of his other partners.
The blood heightened the whole experience for him, clearly triggering both the purebloods as well. Their thrusting sped up and Nik let his head fall back against Akira’s chest, moaning when he felt teeth sink into his skin once, then twice as the other pureblood drank from Zero as well.
The thumping became louder once more as if the lives within him were feeding as well.
Nik for his part met eyes with Theia before closing them again and giving into the hunger, feeding ravenously on the expelling energy from the males.
Theia stayed where she was, as if she were entranced. Nik met eyes with her again and he analyzed her carefully even as both males were near their ends.
She was feeling the effects of the lure, even though he had kept it away from her on purpose. How fascinating.
Her skin shone with a light sheen of sweat, and he sensed how easy it would be to sweep her in as well.
Should he? It would be so easy.
Nik willed the lure to prolong the pureblood males’ ends as he considered the thought. He wondered how Elijah would react, but he knew that if he so desired it, none of them would remember this.
Nik looked back at Theia , as he felt her draw nearer. Elijah appeared to notice her presence then, he even went so far as to follow Nik’s line of sight to see Theia behind him.
His breath hitched as he felt Elijah stop his thrusts, as if the sight of her brought him out of it all.
Always alone.
Zero let that thought go, desperate to escape it.
The thumping grew violent and angry, and he lashed out with his lure without any intention.
Elijah and Theia were the victims of his anger and as soon as they made contact, his lure sent them spiraling with a heavy dose of lust in all directions.
Nik watched as Elijah slipped off her dress’ strap, sending the fabric to the floor and leaving Theia in just her panties. She had never had any need for a bra, and it appeared she agreed with that sentiment as well.
He watched as Elijah hefted her up into his arms, her petite body wrapping around his easily. They kissed each other as harshly as anyone who was under Nik’s power was prone to do.
Nik wanted to pull the lure back, but it was as if it wanted to test the Lockharts, to see how far they’d take it.
Was that pain caused by that thought?
Nik felt Alec slip off the table and flip him around so that he was face down on it with his legs braced on the floor. The blonde pureblood continued his thrusts, increasing the force behind them.
It was only when Nik felt Alec wipe off the wetness on his cheek that he realized he was crying for the first time in who knew how long.
“Don’t worry, my little incubus.” Alec whispered, rubbing a hand over the more apparent bump on his abdomen as he did so.
“I’ll make sure you’ll get all that you need and more.”
Nik rocked back against the male, desperate to forget and just feel.
He let go a wave of his power and he felt the Lockhart’s pleasure through his lure. Soon after, he heard Theia give a sharp hiss before only moans were heard from the two.
Nik felt more tears rack down his face.
Why? Why? Why?
“Harder,” he commanded and Alec chuckled in his ear.
“As you wish.” the blonde agreed before speeding up his pace, pulling out to the tip till ramming back inside Nik’s entrance.
So he fed, even as a dreadful stillness burrowed its way into his chest.
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