CURSE OF THE BLOOD MOON

He knew the repercussions of breaking it and he was also aware that Marquis was somewhere planning her revenge. He was determined to keep her away from it all. Marquis was something he could handle without raising any alarm. So for the moment, she was on a need-to-know basis and his vampire stalker was something she didn’t need to know about.

“This is the first day of forever Mister Jeraldi. Are you ready for it?” Scarlet smiled up at him. The thought of their lives together in each other’s arms with their son beside them was electrifying.

“That I am Mrs. Jeraldi, and the first order of business is to keep our son from being shipped to Argentina.” He chuckled.

Stephan finally felt at home, enlivened about his new life with his family.

They found everyone out back at the edge of the forest.

“He was watching the fitness channel this morning. Stretching is very good before running apparently.” Vincent filled him in.

He didn’t think Stephan realized it, but ever since he came back home, they had been all happier.

“Kayla still thinks he’s up to no good.” Solara chuckled his arm firmly around Kayla’s waist.

“I know he’s up to no good.” A smile spread across her face when she saw Scarlet glowing with happiness.

Stephan and Scarlet walked around the small crowd. Their son was covered with dirt, as he did crunches on the ground.

“Exactly where is he running to?” Scarlet asked Vincent.

“When he woke up this morning Solara told him Stephan was back, so he’s getting ready for his hunting trip.” Vincent filled them in.

Stephan was amazed by how much he remembered. He had made that promise to him, not knowing if he was coming back home, but determined to return.

“SJ.” He called out to the determined little boy.

His dirt-covered face shot up, and a smile crept on his face. He sprang from the ground and ran into his father’s arms. Scarlet took a step aside afraid that he would cover her white cotton t-shirt with mud.

“Can we go now? You promised as soon as you got back we would go hunting.” SJ bounced in his arms.

“Sure as soon as we wipe the dirt off your face.” SJ looked at part of the ground he was playing on.

Scarlet ran into the house and came back with a wet towel. She wiped the brown off his face, revealing the pearly skin he had gotten from her. She pushed his long locks off his face.

“Maybe we should cut it. He can’t even see.” Stephan pushed SJ’s hair back, but it poured back to his face.

“Don’t even think about it Jeraldi.” She loved how he looked, his dark hair falling around his small pearly face. He looked so cute. She took out her hair tie and pulled SJ’s hair back and secured it. ’If you want his hair out of his face, it’s out of his face.”

“I think you are ready. Your face is clean and you can see. Scarlet, you want to come with?” Stephan pulled his shirt over his head and remained with a pair of shorts.

Scarlet looked at her son, struggling to remove his shirt with the same ease as his father. She pointed at the trapped boy for Stephan to help him pull off his shirt.

When he had his back turned to her she admired the scars on his back. The memory of the previous night came back to her and she blushed.

“I’m not allowed to go remember. You said I would coddle him.” She grinned at him. “Take him, he needs to spend some time alone with you.”

He kissed her cheek. “Ok we won’t go far, when we come back we can all go.” He turned to his son. “Are you ready?”

SJ took off into the thick forest and Stephan watched amazed at how fast he was.

“I guess he is.”

“Don’t just stand there go after him. You’d better bring him back in one piece.” Scarlet encouraged.

They went back into the house after he had disappeared into the trees after his son.

“Kayla, could you help me set up SJ’s room.” Scarlet thought it was about time he had a room to himself, especially since Stephan was back.

“You are happy.” She remarked as she carried the extra bed out of the room.

“That I am. I feel so refreshed. This is the beginning of my happy life.” Scarlet gloated.

“It’s about time we got some peace around here.” Kayla was relieved.

“Yes, it is. SJ is happy to have his father back. It’s amazing how he behaves like he never left in the first place.”

“That little boy is stronger than all of us combined.”

“That he is.” Scarlet turned to the window when she heard his little laughter rip through the air.

They went down to meet them. Stephan was carrying him on his shoulders and SJ was waving his arms around like a boxing champion.

“Are you sure he has never done this before?” Stephan asked as he tightly held on to SJ’s feet. He was bouncing up and down he was afraid he would fall.

“Very.” Solara said, “We don’t let him out of our sights. Why how did he do?”

“He hunted like a pro.” Stephan was proud, he was there for his son’s accomplishment.

Scarlet and Kayla walked towards them clapping.

“Beginners luck, just like his mother.” Vincent put in a hint of jealously lining his tone.

“Hey, don’t hate. He’s just as smart as his mom. Aren’t you?” She high-fived the excited boy.

“You hunt?” Stephan was surprised.

Scarlet hadn’t hidden the fact that she wasn’t excited about being a vampire. When he left she was still resisting it, and now she was hunting.

“She’s amazing. She hunts with her eyes closed, literary.” Solara added.

“What?” Stephan lifted his son off his shoulders and onto the ground.

“I’m awesome like that.” she grinned.

“I’d like to see that.”

“Let’s go.” Kayla urged.

Victor, Vincent, and SJ took off for the forest first, Kayla and Solara following closely.

Scarlet was about to run when Stephan caught her and pulled her in his arms. “How are you feeling right now?”

“I don’t think there is a word for it. I have everyone I love here, I miss Eric though. But I’m happy. What about you?”

“My heart is about to explode. It’s grown ten times the size it was already.” He leaned down to kiss her.

Stephan felt a light tug on his shorts, he looked down to find his son trying to get their attention.

“Let’s go, you are going to miss it.” he was jumping up and down in excitement. He took Scarlet’s hand and tugged her behind him.

“Are you ready for forever, Mister Jeraldi?”

“Mrs. Jeraldi.”

After a quick kiss, they ran into the forest, their son running in between them. They ran into the beginning of forever.