CURSE OF THE BLOOD MOON

“You have a strong chest don’t you?” Stephan moved to their side, he wrapped his arms around Scarlet’s waist, after pulling hers off the little boy.

SJ used his fist to drum his chest, like an ape. They all laughed. He then turned and leaped off the counter. Scarlet tried to catch him before he reached the ground but Stephan held her back. SJ sped off in the direction of the TV room.

“You have to let him grow and learn. You can’t coddle him, not at the rate he’s growing.” He tightened his arms around her.

“You want to bet.” SJ was always going to be her baby, even when he was as big as his father, and she would cuddle him as much as she could.

“Where is he off to anyway?”

“Play station. He can only play after he eats.” Solara had insisted on it when SJ had become addicted to it. He had often gone without food because of it.

“I missed holding you like this, amongst other things.”

Scarlet could hear the hint of mischievousness in his voice. She knew what it means but she couldn’t oblige him, not when their son, ran around the house as he did.

“That is only advisable when your son is asleep.” Solara filled in the blank that Scarlet had left. “He’s usually everywhere at the same time.”

“He’s a handful, but he’s my handful.” Scarlet beamed with pride.

“He is not the only one. What happened to the tree?” Stephan made fun of her.

“I was pissed and I didn’t know I could do that. I guess I have changed.”

“Yes, you have,” Stephan’s mellow tone had changed to a serious one. “You need to embrace that change or this will change even more. But for the worst.”

“I know what you are getting at, and just as I’ve told K, the answer is no.” She knew he was referring to her diet. She just didn’t expect him to bring it up so soon.

“Scarlet-,”

She cut him off, “How about instead of arguing about this, we go watch the boys play, whatever they are playing.” She took off before he could say anything. She used her speed, thanking it for a second save that day.

***

They watched SJ and the other boys play in the yard.

“Victor seems more at home now.” Stephan was stunned at how he was able to adapt to a life without violence so fast. It had taken him a while to be neutral.

“He does. It helps that he’s back with his brother.”

They sat in the TV room watching action movies and cartoons. SJ snuggled in between his parents, he was slowly nodding off but he fought the sleep.

Stephan watched his son fight a losing battle, and when he used his fingers to keep his eyes open, Stephan cradled him in his arms. It only took him a second in the comfort of his father’s arms to fall asleep.

Scarlet and Stephan took him to their room to sleep. He slept between his parents.

“He looks so peaceful when he sleeps.” Scarlet stroked SJ’s petal skin.

“It’s amazing how much he’s grown. Scarlet, we need to talk about you feeding.”

“Not now, he’s sleeping and I don’t want to wake him.” Scarlet wasn’t going to talk about it. She was going to use any and every excuse she had to stay off the topic.

“You can’t starve yourself.” Stephan was getting irritated by how stubborn she was being.

“I’m not. I’m eating just as used to before the baby.”

“You aren’t human anymore.”

“I choose to be. I don’t want to talk about this. I’m going to sleep.” She sank into the covers and closed her eyes. As far as she was concerned the conversation was over, and she wasn’t going to debate anymore about it.

“You sleep?” Stephan was stunned, he had never met a vampire who could sleep. This wasn’t normal, but many things about Scarlet’s transformation weren’t normal.

“It’s strange, I know I’m not supposed to but I do.” Scarlet was glad for the few hours of sleep and relaxation she had. She cherished it even more than she had when she was still human.

“There are many other things you aren’t supposed to do but you still do. Like, being able to survive without feeding.” Stephan hadn’t given up on the subject. He was determined to make her see reason.

Scarlet didn’t miss the sarcasm in his voice and it only annoyed her more. “We aren’t back on that again, are we? I’ve told you I just can’t do it.”

“Why not?” he failed to understand, sure drinking blood wasn’t the same as sipping red wine, but she wasn’t human anymore and the new her needed the blood. “The sooner you accept what you are and what you have to do to survive, in your new body the better.”

“Accept it?” Scarlet pushed herself up, “Accept what exactly? Accept the fact that I don’t know if I’m dead or alive. Accept that because of this, I killed two people. Accept the fact that because of me there is a mother without her son and a son without his mother. No, I’m sorry I can’t accept the past six months of my life.”

SJ stirred and Scarlet had to lower her voice, “I have my son and he has his mother. There are two families out there who can’t say the same thing.”

“How long are you going to feel guilty about that? You can’t change what has happened, you need to move on with your life.”

“Stephan not everyone is built like you are.” Scarlet slowly climbed out of the bed and stormed out of the room.