CURSE OF THE BLOOD MOON

“We have a problem Solara.” Vincent put his phone on speaker and placed it on the table.

“What is it?”

“Zen was here, and he wants Stephan.” Xavier filled him in, giving him the basics.

“Hold on, I got you on speaker so Stephan can hear. Go on.”

“He says that Marquis wants you back in Rio. And you have until the end of the week to get there.” Vincent and Victor were well acquainted with Marquis and knew the lengths she would go to, to get what she wanted.

“Why is it about the hunters?” Stephan’s voice boomed through the phone.

“No. He says you know what it’s about. What should we do?”

Stephan was worried, he didn’t have the time to deal with Marquis. He knew what the female wanted and contrary to what she thought, she didn’t own him. He couldn’t leave Scarlet’s side, not now when she could go into labor.

“Do nothing. I want you guys to drive up to Washington. Our cars are at the airport parking lot, the keys are inside.” Stephan was glad that Solara had come up with the idea to move to King County.

“What about everything here.” Xavier was concerned that Zen would take it out on the locals if he didn’t find them there.

“Zen won’t bother coming back if he doesn’t think I will go back there. Pack what’s important and make sure you aren’t followed.” Stephan didn’t want them to bring any unwanted guests with them. The purpose of a fresh start would be defeated, if they brought the past with them.

As soon as he hung up the phone, Solara left for the coffee shop, to use the internet. He needed to find a real estate agent, who could find him a house before the weekend. They only had two days left and he knew they would have to work fast.

Stephan walked into the apartment and informed Kayla what was happening. She followed Solara to the coffee shop, to make sure he got the right house for all of them. They would need to get a bigger house considering their small family had grown and was continuing to grow.

Stephan climbed into bed with Scarlet and pulled her close to his chest. He caressed her belly as she slept soundly. She didn’t look as distressed as she was when she was awake and hungry for the officers’ blood.

“I’ll leave you guys alone.” Nikki left the apartment, as much as she was concerned about her welfare, she couldn’t bear to see them like this. They sat lovingly, in each other’s arms. Living in their world where only the three of them existed.

Stephan didn’t look up when she left, he was concentrating on Scarlet’s face and the beauty and the innocence of it that caught his eye the first time. He listened to her slow steady breaths and the deep thumping rhythm of her heart.

Then to the light flattering beat, he had heard once before, and Scarlet ever so convincingly told him it was her stomach crying from hunger. They were going to have a son and he would damn himself before missing the life they would have as a family.

Marquis wanted him and she always got what she wanted. He had been away from her clutches for almost ten years. He had often wondered why she had taken so long to claim back her creation, but now all he wanted was for her to let him be.

This was his life now, he had dedicated his life to this one woman, and he wasn’t about to break the bond they shared, by lying with her and betraying Scarlet’s trust. Marquis would have to find another toy to play with, and a warrior to command their army.

Stephan had finally found his place in the world, and he was determined to cling to it ’till his last breath.

He felt her stir and knew she was awake, her eyes were still closed probably because she was afraid of what she would find. He didn’t move because he didn’t want to rush her, he continued holding her in his arms gently stroking her round belly.

Scarlet opened one eye first peeking under its lid. From the position she was in she couldn’t see anyone else in the room. She felt Stephan’s arm tighten around her, pulling her even closer and the other still caressed their son through her skin.

She opened her eyes sure that everything was alright and there wasn’t a dead body waiting for her to regain consciousness. Scarlet turned to look at Stephan and met his steady adoring gaze on her. She smiled up at him and admired his beautiful face framed by his long black hair.

“I’m I right to assume that all the humans left here intact.” She chuckled.

It was only funny because she was sure that she hadn’t killed anyone. She was still in the white shirt she wore earlier, there wasn’t any blood on the floor and there wasn’t a squad of officers camped outside her door. Scarlet wasn’t sure if found out if she would be taken to prison or a mental asylum. Her motive wouldn’t check out amongst the sane, and no judge would let her wander about if she told him the truth.

Stephan was irritated by her comment. He didn’t like it when she referred to herself as a danger to other humans, no matter how true it was.

“Yes, they did love.”

“That’s good news.” She snuggled into his arms, her belly coming between them.

“You are getting too big to cuddle.” He grinned at her when she frowned at him.

“Ha! Ha! May I remind you, that you were involved in my growth just as much as I was?”

“I remember and I cherish every single moment of it.” he kissed the top of her head. “Thank you.”

“For what, exactly?” Scarlet looked into his eyes and watched them soften.

“Everything. Loving and tolerating me, and” His finger tapped her belly, “for the baby.”

“We had an equal share in that one.”

“But you are the one making all the sacrifices because of it. Leaving your work, bearing all the pain and the guilt. Loving him and protecting him as much as you do now. Risking your life to bring him into this world.”

“When you put it that way,” a tear trickled down her cheek. She loved being with him like this, seeing the proof of his words through his eyes, “you do have a lot to thank me for.”

“That I do.”

“Do you remember the day we drove from the hospital when I got sick?”

“I do. You freaked me out that day, I’ve never seen you that sick before.”

“Do you remember what you said about kids?”

“You were on a fishing expedition. I should have known something was up, you never asked me those questions before.”

“You had the wrong answer for all the questions I asked you. But I couldn’t help but be amused. I wanted to tell you there and then hoping you would pass out from the news.”

“How are my answers now?”

“Improved. You are going to make a great father, you shouldn’t sell yourself short like that.” She put her elbow down on the bed and supported her head. She wanted to look straight into his eyes.

“In the world that I live in, the one that I dragged you into, a child isn’t safe.” Stephan’s fear was solidified by the threat Marquis had sent to him.

“But you will protect him and you have Vincent, Solara, Kayla, and the others to back you up. Don’t worry about that.”

“Besides the child has you. You are by far the bravest human I know.”

“I’m the only human you know.” Scarlet laughed at how true that was. “Kiss me.”

“I don’t think Kayla would like that, she already thinks I’ve done enough.” He laughed with her. Every time he pulled Scarlet in his arms or bent down to kiss her, Kayla would pat her belly and remind him of how much he had done.

“She isn’t here.” Scarlet sat up in amazement this was the first time Kayla had left her alone since she had arrived. “By the way, where is she? She’s been glued to my side this whole time, it weird not having her so close by.”

“She and Solara went down to the coffee shop for a second.” Stephan looked down avoiding her questioning gaze.

Scarlet was sure that there was more that he wasn’t telling her, “Let me guess, they went to get a cup of coffee.” She said sarcastically. She used her index finger to raise his head so that she could see his face. “Spill it Jeraldi.”

Stephan didn’t think telling her about Zen’s visit was wise especially in her condition, so he told her the good news. “We are getting a new house in King County.”

“Are you kidding?” Scarlet pushed herself up, Stephan helped her into a sitting position. She couldn’t move as fast and as easy as she used to. “Yes! But what about the others aren’t they waiting for us back home?”

“They are driving here. I thought we could all stick together, we are much safer that way. And besides, I don’t think Vincent and Eric want to be away from you any longer.”

“A house of our own.” Scarlet’s clapping hands froze mid-air. “To buy a house we would need money. Money that we don’t have.” Her happiness was extinguished immediately, they couldn’t afford to buy a house especially one big enough for all nine of them.

“Don’t worry about money, ever. Solara and I have some money stored away.” He had never told her exactly how much money he had stored away, he never thought it was necessary until now.

“Huh? I won’t ask anything beyond that.” Some of the things he had already revealed to her were scary and she didn’t want to question him about his money. “So I’m guessing Kayla is making sure he gets a beautiful house.”

“I think so.” He chuckled, “I’m confident Kayla will pick what’s best, considering he’s sparing no expenses.”

“I like the way that sounds. I hope we are pitching in and by us I mean you.” Scarlet wanted the house to feel hers as much as it would Kayla and that would require them to chip in.

“We are. Solara decided that he would pay for the house and I would pay for the rides. So yes, we are contributing.”

“That’s good.” Scarlet went quiet for a minute and listened. Her heightened sense of hearing was one of the things that came hand in hand with the pregnancy. Her senses were sharper than any normal human being.

“They are back. And why is Nikki sitting outside?”

Stephan was confused, he didn’t know who exactly she was talking about, and didn’t care to answer why Nikki was seated outside. That question shared an answer with many other questions, like why she insisted to impose herself on him. He ignored it and paid attention to the former question.

“Who’s back?”

“K and Solara, can’t you hear them come up? Kayla’s perfume is pretty potent right now, I think she uses too much.”