CURSE OF THE BLOOD MOON

Stephan turned his whole body to face her, he stared at her in amazement and black suspicion. He could hear and smell them from a distance without a problem, but it was his nature. He was a creature but Scarlet was human and the magnitude of her senses wasn’t normal.

“Babe, how can you hear and smell Kayla from here?”

Scarlet looked at him then wrapped her slender arms around her belly. Apart from the overpowering and murderous need for human blood, she enjoyed the little accompaniments that came with the pregnancy.

“My little man over here kind of gave my senses a boost. I figure it’s his senses that are that powerful, but for as long as he is taking up residence in my womb, I get to share them.”

“Oh!” that was all he could say as his gaze shifted from Scarlet’s face and where her arms wrapped themselves lovingly.

“Oh! Feel this.” she yanked his arm and placed it on the side of her belly. “He’s awake and that is the reason my senses are sharper.”

Stephan’s body stiffened, waiting for her eyes to change color and her strength to multiply. He posed his body as if he was ready to leap on top of her and restrain her.

“Don’t worry when he doesn’t smell human blood close by he is calm.” She gave him a reassuring smile and cupped his cheek.

“I can see that.” He kissed into his palm and relaxed. He wanted to enjoy this moment with her and their unborn son.

“I wish we could stay like this forever, all this peace and not a problem in the world. But, after the baby is born, there is no compromise in that.”

“We will have that life, very soon. Don’t worry about the baby I’m sure after he’s born we can tame his thirst and teach him to put his strength and talents into better use.”

“I’m sure you can but that’s not what I’m referring to. The kid is sitting on my bladder.”

Stephan couldn’t help but laugh, he never thought that there were any other sorts of discomfort in pregnancy, but now he had discovered one and he hoped to discover more.

“Please help me up, before I turn this bed into a urinal.”

In one swift movement, Stephan carried her out of the bed and into the bathroom.

“I’ll leave you to it.” he turned around and was about to close the door when she called him.

“Before they come in could you send them across the street for some chicken please?” She brought her hands in front of her chest and held her palms together as if she was in prayer, and then pouted her lower lip.

“Sure love. I’m glad that you are finally hungry.”

He closed the door and sat on the bed waiting for Solara and Kayla to walk in. They had stopped at the door to talk to Nikki, no doubt about the baby and Scarlet.

“Scarlet wants some chicken from across the street, which one of you wants to volunteer and get for her.” Stephan ambushed them with the request before they were even fully in the house.

“Why don’t you get it?” Kayla had a reflex answer to everything and this was one of them.

Stephan didn’t have a good reason besides that he didn’t want to leave Scarlet’s side. “Because I’m the father of the baby.” it wasn’t a good argument but it was the only one he had.

“Unless you are round and swollen,” Kayla walked to him and patted his fine strong abs, “Nope, you are not, so try another one mister.”

“Stephan why don’t we go, I have something I need to show you.” Solara knew Kayla would win the argument, she always did, and decided to save Stephan the embarrassment of retreating.

“The house?” Stephan asked.

“We have narrowed them down to three, Kayla and I can’t decide so we wanted your input.” Solara handed him the three pictures.

“She wants my input?” Stephan was getting suspicious. The reason he let Solara and Kayla pick the house was that she always wanted her way, and that way if there was anything wrong with the house she couldn’t give anyone lip.

“Yes, I did. We are all going to live there. Where is Scarlet? She should have a say in this too.” Kayla had looked in the bed and didn’t see Scarlet where she had left her sleeping.

“In the bathroom,” Stephan told her without lifting his eyes off the paper.

“I guess her bladder isn’t what it used to be. Just pick one that you like, and then we will vote.” Kayla turned back to the two men who were comparing the three choices.

“What’s available now?” Stephan was more concerned about them moving in as soon as possible than he was the landscaping.

“All of them. The price is a bit steep, so the agent said that they are all available. She wanted us to go down there and look through them, but Kayla said that she couldn’t leave Scarlet.”

“That was why I asked her to send us pictures of the interior.”

“When is she sending them?” Stephan handed the photos to Kayla.

“She is going to email me in two hours.”

“Ok, Solara and I will go get the chicken. You and Scarlet decide where you want to live.”

Kayla helped Scarlet into the bathtub, she was feeling sweaty and sticky.

“It’s going to be great, our own house.”

“Yes, it is. Speaking of I need to go get those pictures of the houses. Will you be ok?”

“I will, I just want to soak in this for a while.”

“I’m taking Solara with me, but Nikki and Stephan are outside.”

Scarlet thought of Stephan and Nikki alone in the living room “Oh joy.”

“Don’t be like that, you know you can trust him.”

“What if she distracts him then comes in here and tries to drown me or something?”

“I will kill her the second she thinks of it. I’ll ask Stephan to come in here with some more chicken.”

“Thanks.” Scarlet stretched out as far as she could in the little bathroom.

***

Stephan walked into the bathroom with the bucket of chicken, “I don’t think this is hygienic, but here you go.” He sat on the toilet seat and held it out to her so that she could pick a piece.

“Thanks. I have a buffer against all germs.”

“Why would you think that Nikki would want to drown you in the tub?” he had heard them talking about it, Nikki had overheard the conversation too, but it only brought a weird smile to her face.

“Oh please, are you seriously asking me that question. Besides she has been giving me killer eyes since we met. If eyes could kill, I would be a rotting corpse by now.” Scarlet took a bite of chicken.

“It’s not like that.” Stephan knew very well that it was, but he didn’t want anything to distress her, in the condition she was in.

“Kayla told me about the forest visit she paid you. I get that she was concerned about you, everyone was.” She a piece of the chicken and ate it, “But for the life of me, I can’t find a reason as to why you were naked. Care to explain Jeraldi.”

He never liked it when she used his last name, it was always a sign of trouble. He knew that there was something more going on in the bathroom when he couldn’t hear them talking. Kayla’s gift came in handy, he was only disappointed that his buffer son wasn’t awake during this whole time.

“Well I had just phased, I didn’t want to ruin my clothes. They were the only ones I had. And she was hiding behind the tree.” He assumed this was the only bit of information she lacked. Everything else she got from Kayla who in turn got it from Nikki’s mind.

“Ok, I’ll buy that.”

“I’m sorry about that, but why would Kayla tell you this.”

“Because we do not have any secrets. That is how our relationship survives.”