CURSE OF THE BLOOD MOON

SCARLET

She was feeling the opposite of what a new bride should feel, looking at her name engraved on her husband’s back. She was livid and not giddy. With all the strength she could master she smacked his back, exactly where her name was etched in his body.

“You are insane.” She stomped off to the house away from the giggles.

“Scarlet. Honey.” Stephan couldn’t help but join the others in laughter.

He went after her, but she only left the room when he came in. She went back to the backyard once everyone was inside.

She sat on the bench and looked at the scenery. She was turning her wedding ring around her finger, thinking of what she had just done and what it meant. She was glad it happened but she could still not shake the dark cloud that loomed over her.

“Can I sit with you?” Stephan had changed from his wet clothes and into white pants and a black vest.

“Sure, why not.” She slid over allowing him enough space for his massive body.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I knew you would go against it and I had to do it.”

“Well, it’s not the first surprise you gave me. How comes you didn’t tell me about the wedding.”

“I wanted to surprise you, I never meant to ambush you.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“That’s fine. It worked out well in the end.” She kissed his neck, she couldn’t reach his cheek.

“For a second I thought you wouldn’t marry me,” Stephan confessed then sighed in relief.

“I didn’t think I would either,” she felt his arms tense, “Don’t freak out, it’s just that I have this bad feeling that you are keeping something from me.”

“Why would you say that?” Stephan looked at the ground, he was avoiding her eyes.

“I’m I wrong?” she wished his answer would be yes. She didn’t want to think that she was right all along, and should have followed her instincts before.

“There is something, but I don’t think we should talk about it now.” Stephan tried to deviate from the topic.

“What is it?” her question was met by silence. “Stephan if you honor any of the things we just said in front of our son and family and friends, you will tell me.”

“Those words meant more to me, than my life. I love you and I would never disrespect you or our oath. Why do you think I curved your name on my back?”

“By the crazy way. But I guess it was well-intentioned.” She rubbed his back, sorry for hitting him before. “You need to tell me what’s going on before I lose my mind.”

“Ok fine. Xavier also needs to hear this, but I will tell you first because you are my wife now.”

“This has been a busy year for me. I became a mom, a vampire creature of some sort, and now a wife.” She smiled at how genuinely she was at peace with every transformation.

“And you may become a widow.” Stephan’s voice was heavy with sadness and regret.

“Do you mind running that past me once more? I don’t think I got you the first time.” Scarlet shrugged his arm off her shoulder and turned to face him.

“You need to understand that I did this for you and SJ.” Stephan held her hands in his.

“Tell me what’s going on. Do not lie to me or leave anything out.”

“I made a deal with the devil and I can’t get out of it.”

“What devil, Marquis?” to Scarlet Marquis was the devil who was trying to rob her of her happiness. She was obsessed with Stephan, Scarlet always got that impression whenever he spoke about her.

“She’s part of it but not entirely. I made a deal with the Council that I would train their men.” He paused to see how she would react.

“In exchange for what?” His silence immediately made her anxious, she knew it was something she would like.

“In exchange for letting me spend seven days with you.”

Scarlet pulled her hands free, she did a mental calculation of the days he had been there and how many he had left. “So what happens the day after tomorrow?”

“I go back to Rio and honor my end of the deal.” He followed her, stopping inches away from her.

She had her back turned to him, she was trying to block out what he was saying by not looking at him.

“When do you come back?” she needed to know when she would get her husband back,

“That’s the thing. I don’t know when or if I’m coming back.” He put his hands on her shoulder but she only shrugged them off again.

“You are telling me that after in two days, my son will cease to have a father and I won’t have a husband.” Enraged, she spun around to face him. “So why did you marry me? Why did you let our son get used to the idea of you then take it away from him? Why go through all the pain to scorch my name on your back.”

He took a step towards her, but she moved back dragging her long trail with her. He finally gave up and stood still.

“Because I love you because I couldn’t live there knowing that I could die, knowing that there was a chance I would never see you or my son again.” He flashed forward catching her before she could move.

“I couldn’t die before looking into your beautiful eyes, kissing your lips, having your fragile petite body in my arms. Every single night of the last four I spent fantasizing about making love to you.”

He held her close and buried his face in her hair. Inhaling her sweet scent, wishing he could bathe in the magnificence of it.

“Did you think about me?” She pushed out of his arms, “Did you think about how your son and your wife would feel when you left them again.”