THE MOON SO HIGH
“Stephan!”
Kayla walked into the room with an angry look on her face. She stopped when she saw Scarlet neatly tucked into his arms. She was still asleep, but she saw her eyes looked swollen. He was gently stroking her hair and didn’t look up.
“What is it, Kayla?” His eyes never left her. He spoke in a low tone. Kayla didn’t need him to raise his voice, her hearing was perfect, but he didn’t want to wake Scarlet up.
“When did she fall asleep? I could hear her crying in the shower for a while last night.” She went and sat at the other side of the bed. Scarlet looked rested and relaxed, she didn’t want to imagine what she would be like when she woke up.
“Around four in the morning.” He kissed her forehead and breathed in the scent of her hair.
“What’s going on down there? Why are they back?”
“How did you… what the hell am I asking. He wants to speak with you. He said it’s important and you should go see him now.” Kayla was twirling a strand of Scarlet’s hair on her finger.
“Tell him to come some other time. I don’t want to leave her.” He watched as Scarlet’s chest rose and fell while she breathed. He appreciated that simple movement of her body. She was breathing, she was alive.
Kayla could sense his resistance, but he had to talk to Xavier, she would volunteer but Nikki’s thoughts annoyed her.
“Solara is down there with him now. You should go. I will stay here with her.” She patted on the hand he had in her hair.
He heisted for a moment before he sighed and eased away from her. He froze when she stirred but she didn’t wake up.
“If she wakes up…”
“You will be the first to know.” She cut into his sentence as she pulled the duvet to cover her, trying to compensate for his warm body.
Xavier sat in one of the armchairs while the other three stood in strategic places in the little room. Stephan wondered who they expected to attack but after the previous night, he couldn’t blame them for having their guard up. Xavier stood up when Stephan got closer. He nodded his head in greeting. “I know that it isn’t the best time, but I thought we should talk.”
“I’m listening. Before I forget, I wanted to thank you for all the help you gave us yesterday.” He stretched out his hand and Xavier shook it.
“We aren’t here to harm you or the life you have made for yourself. I hope you understand that now.”
Stephan acknowledged the other three beasts in the room. “Thank you, all of you. But you need to understand that I left your world along time ago. Wars and battles aren’t my things anymore.” He stretched his hands out, pointing around the room, “this is, so I am sorry I can’t help.”
Solara walked to the middle of the room. “What he means is that we won’t join in the fight. But whenever you need our help we will be there. It is the least that we could do.” His gaze fell on Nikki a look of wonder on his face. He stood at Stephan’s side trying to act as a buffer of some sort, blocking her direct view of him.
“Stephan maybe you should go put on a shirt. Especially since we have guests.” Solara put in.
Solara elbowed him and Stephan followed his eyes to Nikki. He had gotten reactions like this before from women, he never cared for them. Stephan could smell her want. Their bodies worked just like the humans, but their emotions were stronger and more evident. He could smell it on her but ignored it.
“Xavier and I are almost bringing this visit to a conclusion. Isn’t that right?” Stephan said.
“Yes.” Xavier chuckled. He knew perfectly what they were talking about. He shot a glance at Nikki who stood at the far end of the room.
“Now that Zen has found you I’m sure that the rest are not far behind.” Stephan had a look of shock on his face.
“They know about the hunters sent after you. He thinks that Zen is leading them. But instead of capturing you, he knows Zen is going to kill you and they are not willing to let that happen.” Solara filled in the gaps for him.
“You are a mind reader aren’t you? Well, he told you everything. I just wanted to know what you plan on doing.”
“Solara, Vincent.” when he mentioned his name he realized that Vincent wasn’t there, “and I have already discussed that. We have a plan but it involves other vampires.”
Xavier’s upper lip raised in a snarl. “You are still going to trust them after they have proved over and over that they can’t be trusted.”
“I should take offense but I won’t. I understand that our kids have never played well with each other the closest our kind has been to each other is in Stephan,” He chuckled “But we need the backup. These vampires once served under the Conselho but defected. They are our best bet.” The previous night had made him see Mathias in a new light. Although he wasn’t sure how deep his deception ran, he hoped his hate for the Conselho ran deeper.
“We had to get all the help we could, to protect the girls. But since Kayla’s transformation, has made it easier for us. She is going to take care of Scarlet…” a snarl from the other end of the room interrupted him, it was Nikki. “Scarlet and Kayla will leave before they get here, and the rest of us will face the hunters.”
“All three of you. I am assuming that since I can’t see any of the Vampires here, you are all alone in this.” He looked around the room at his men and nodded. “We will help you, with or without the vampires’ help.”
“Thank you, but I have a feeling that Mathias will be willing to join the fight.”
“Mathias?”
“Yes, do you know him?” Solara stepped forward his curiosity peaked.
“I had the pleasure of meeting him once. From what I saw the only negative thing about him, is his bad choice of company.”
“Zen and Mathias used to be acquainted. But he tried to steal his coven from him so you don’t have to worry about that.” Stephan was glad that Zen’s mistake would work in his favor.
***
Scarlet woke up to find Kayla staring at her, but Stephan wasn’t there. She didn’t know why but she panicked when she didn’t see him.
“Relax, he is downstairs. Xavier came to see him and they are talking in the living room.”
She sat up and the duvet slid off her naked body. She remembered the previous night, how she fell asleep in the shower and how relaxing the water was. But she wondered why Stephan hadn’t bothered to dress her after that. She grabbed his shirt off the headboard and put it on.
She looked out of the window, it was a beautiful day that Marcie had missed out on. She wasn’t sure how she felt. She couldn’t go into the diner that day. She couldn’t face the people who would be there. Their tears, their questions, she couldn’t handle their grief.
“Why is he here?” She was walking into the bathroom, then she stopped. The door was missing. She saw pieces of wood carefully stacked at the side. “I hope he came to fix the door.”
“I don’t think so, but we will ask.” Kayla leaned on the frame and watched her friend clean up. “He is here about the hunters. They are making a new plan about that.”
She turned the tap off and tossed her toothbrush into a cup. “Well, let’s go see.”
“Scarlet, Joany called. They found her and she doesn’t want us to come in. We won’t be facing anyone’s grief but our today.” Kayla gave her a weak smile.
Scarlet hugged her, and they stood in silence for a few seconds. She pulled back and pointed towards the door.
“Lead the way.”
***
“I think we should go see him, to talk to him about this.” Xavier’s crossed his hands on his chest. He was sure that there was a chance of being attacked but with Stephan there they would listen.
“We shouldn’t waste any time. I will only bring Sam with me. They won’t see the two of us as a threat.” He turned to Nikki and it was evident she wasn’t too pleased with the arrangement, “the two of you will stay here, make sure their mates are safe. You should also leave Vincent behind with them.”
“Where is Vincent?” Stephan asked Solara, his absence was unusual.
“Joany called earlier on to ask the girls not to come in, that there had been a break-in. Vincent went to the diner to see what was happening. I didn’t try to stop him.” Solara shrugged.
“You should call him back. I would feel more at ease with him here.” He looked up to Nikki, he wasn’t sure how safe Scarlet would be with a jealous beast with her. He would feel better with Vincent backing up Kayla.
“Sure.” Solara used his phone to call Vincent and walked to the window to speak to him.
“We will leave as soon as he gets here.” Stephan could hear movement from upstairs, Scarlet was awake.
Solara turned away from the window, “He is on his way. He will be here in two minutes tops. I will just let Kayla know that we are leaving.”
“Leaving, for where exactly.” Scarlet emerged into the room, her legs peeking out of Stephan’s triple XL t-shirt.
Stephan stretched out his arm to her. She walked toward it and tucked herself into his side. He kissed the top of her head, inhaling his favorite scent. It was like taking a fix. He couldn’t go a day without it.
“Where are you going?” Kayla asked.
“Red Wood City,” Stephan answered. “We are going to see a vampire called Mathias. We need his help with the hunters.”
She didn’t like the idea of him being far away from her, not after last night. Part of her thought that he would come back, and this time she would be hanging from the ceiling. Stephan hadn’t told her anything about Zen yet. She wanted to know but was not ready to hear it.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” He was whispering in her ear while kissing along her neck. She nodded in response.
“Nikki would you like to step outside.” Kayla’s voice was edgy. She was tired of her attitude and her murderous thoughts. She was folding the sleeves of her shirt up. “If you are going to do all that planning in your head, don’t let it go to waste.”