“How could you even think that I would abandon you?” Victor’s voice was raised, something Vincent had said offended him. The conversation had turned verbal and everyone listened intently.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to doubt you.” He placed his hand on his shoulder and turned to Stephan. “As you have probably realized by now, this is Victor my brother. He says that the hunters are on their way. They are here for you and you alone.”
“What does that mean, you alone?” Scarlet was looking up at Stephan.
“It means that they don’t plan to leave anyone alive,” Xavier spoke before anyone else.
Solara flipped his phone open and dialed Mathias. “They are here. Yes. I don’t know, just hurry.” He wrapped his arm around Kayla’s waist when he finished.
“How many are they and who is leading them.” Stephan was walking across the room with Scarlet at his side, dragging her along with him.
“About twenty-five and Zen is leading them,” Victor responded without hesitating.
“Zen.” Scarlet could feel her body going weak. Her breath caught in her throat as she began to hyperventilate. Her hand was rubbing up and down her belly.
“Scarlet?” Stephan was staring at her, he was worried. He looked at her hand rubbing over her belly but was distracted when her breaths became shallow and hard.
“Relax, Scarlet everything will be alright.” He was holding her closer and talking into her hair.
Kayla appeared beside her and her face scowled. She couldn’t access her mind. “Come with me, Scarlet. Let me take you upstairs so that you can calm down.” She was trying to hint that the stress was not doing her any good. She took her from Stephan’s arms and supported her up the stairs.
“Stephan?” She turned her hand stretched out towards him and the other never leaving her belly.
“Go with her. I will be up as soon as I can. Kayla, Nikki wait until we have them distracted them to make a run for it.” He tossed her, the keys to the mustang. He knew they wouldn’t be able to trace their scent in the car. Nikki followed them up the stairs to her room.
Stephan turned back to the other men to the room as they planned how to proceed. They were seven of them at the moment, they would have to hold them back until Mathias and his men arrived.
“How long did Mathias say they would take?” Stephan directed the question to Solara.
“Fifteen minutes tops. They are running as fast as they can.” He was glad they chose to run. He wasn’t about who would see them but how fast they would get there.
“Solara when Mathias and his men get here, tell Kayla to take Scarlet. Take her to the Warf and stay with her there until I come and get them.” Scarlet was his main concern, he knew they were after him but the others who stood with him were more important.
“Sure.”
“We need to lead them away from here. There are too many humans here.” Xavier was the only one who thought about the audience they would undoubtedly attract fighting.
“I passed a beach on my way here,” Victor suggested. But Stephan shut it down. He wasn’t going to let the one place that he and Scarlet had turned into a battlefield.
“What about Red Wood. Not many people are there and there are enough trees to cover us.” Vincent’s suggestion was more to his liking. “My brother and I will make sure they follow us. The rest of you can get a head start.” They were the only ones who were fast enough to outrun them.
“I’ll call Mathias.” Solara walked to the side to make the call.
“I will be right back.” Stephan went to Scarlet’s room to inform them of the new plan and also to check on her.
She was sitting on her bed, staring into thin air. Kayla had her arm around her. She jumped to her feet and rushed into Stephan’s arms when he walked in.
“What’s going on? What’s happening?” She was anxious but was at least composed.
“We are going to lead them to Red Wood. Vincent and Victor will hang back for a while to make sure they follow us. Then Kayla and Nikki will take you away from here.” He stroked her hair from her face.
“Solara filled me in already.” Kayla stood when Solara and Vincent walked into the door.
“We need to get going, Stephan. They are almost here.” Solara deeply kissed Kayla before releasing her.
Stephan grabbed his flannel trousers and disappeared into the bathroom to change.
Vincent hugged Scarlet and Kayla at the same time. “Be safe sisters. As soon as it’s over we will come to fetch you. Kayla, keep her safe she is more fragile than the rest of us.”
“Sure. You better keep yourself self safe too.”
“Watch each other’s backs.” They kissed his cheeks and let him go back downstairs.
Stephan emerged from the bathroom, clad in nothing but his trousers. She ran her hands over his bare chest and hugged him. “Be careful.”
“Don’t worry about me.” Stephan kissed her and hugged her as tight as he could. Taking all that he could from her.
She thought about telling her about the baby but decided not to. He needed to have a clear head. He kissed her forehead and followed Solara to the living room.
Scarlet dropped on the bed, she was getting dizzy. She didn’t know whether it was all the danger approaching or if it was the pregnancy. “Kayla I need to leave here.”
“We will as soon as they tell us.” Kayla sat beside her.
“No, I mean that I need to leave.” She looked at her friend in the eyes. She made it simpler for her to understand. She thought about Washington.
She didn’t want to leave, but she had to. This was the perfect opportunity, Stephan wasn’t there to stop them. She knew he would understand why she left. Her safety was more important.
Kayla took out her bags from her wardrobe and started packing in super speed. She threw her clothes into the bags, emptying her draws one by one. She took out her toiletry bag and dropped everything on the bathroom shelves in it. Scarlet helped her zip up the three bags.
“Are you going to tell him?” Nikki spoke. She was leaning against the window. “Are you going to tell him that you are leaving him… leaving with his child?”
Scarlet and Kayla froze, they stopped what they were doing and stared at her in disbelief.
“I am a female, with an exceptional sense of smell. I know when a female is carrying and besides your hand is always protectively placed on your belly.” She looked straight at her belly, where Scarlet’s hand only proved her right.
“I know that there is no love between us, but you can not tell him.” Scarlet walked around the bed.
“I know you are only trying to protect your young, how can I hold that against you?” Nikki seemed more humane than she ever did the last couple of weeks.
“Good.” Kayla spat out as she continued to pack.
“You do know how dangerous this will be for you. My kind barely survives childbirth and you are human, besides you are carrying both a vampire and a beast.” Nikki took a step towards Scarlet.
“How about we worry about that bit later, Scarlet knows what she is doing. So can we make sure that there is a baby to deliver by getting ready?” Kayla piled the bags near the door and waited for the signal.
“You are right.” Scarlet slipped on a hoody and a pair of tennis shoes, she wanted to be as comfortable as possible. She didn’t want anything to restrict her movement.
***
“Let’s go.” Xavier, Sam, and Eric took off their jackets and shirts. They were clad exactly like Stephan apart from the different color trousers, and Sam’s dark skin.
The four of them and Solara began running in the direction of the Redwood forest. Zen’s thoughts were close enough for him to hear. Mathias and his men were already there they were waiting for them. Vincent and Victor stood in the streets a distance away from the house but close enough for Kayla to hear their thoughts. They wanted Zen to see them and follow them.
“Kayla, we are off.” Vincent thought out when Zen and his men chased after them.
“That’s the signal come on let’s go.” Kayla picked up two bags, Nikki picked up the others. Scarlet grabbed her purse and her phone. She needed to call the airport and change her flight.
They packed the bags into the boot, Kayla drove and Nikki rode in front with her. Scarlet made herself comfortable in the back, her phone on her ear. “Hello, I would like to change my flight to Washington to today. My name is Mc Kyle Scarlet. Do you have anything for tomorrow morning? Eight o’clock, yes that’s fine.”
“Tomorrow eight o’clock.” Kayla echoed what she said. “Don’t worry we’ll make sure you get on that flight. In the meantime let’s get to the Warf.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence, Kayla exploiting the car’s full potential.
***
Stephan, Solara, Mathias, and Xavier stood at the center in the small clearing Mathias was able to find and the others stood behind them. There weren’t many trees around but it was the best they could find. Besides it was ten miles away from any civilization, it suited just fine. Their numbers had grown to thirteen, twelve less than the hunters but enough for a fair fight and possibly a win.
“How far?” Stephan’s head leaned towards Solara.
“I can almost hear the twins.” Solara’s eyes narrowed as he tried to concentrate. Because of the distance between them, he was having a hard time trying to find their thoughts.
“They are getting clearer. Any second now.” Solara changed his stance to a low crouch.
His fists clenched at his side. Solara’s gaze was intense as he stared straight into the trees.
Stephan knew it was time when Solara’s lips pulled away revealing his teeth, a low snarl erupted from his throat. Stephan took a step forward he didn’t want Solara to attack first it would be a careless move. He needed to see them, if not all of them then most of them. Stephan needed to know where Zen was first, he planned to kill him first.
The twins ran past them and turned to a stop behind them. They had also bent into their attacking posture growls coming from each of them.
Zen and his men ran into the clearing. They stopped a few feet away from where Stephan stood. “I see you have brought more fools to die with you.” He lifted his right hand and signaled his men to attack.
Stephan didn’t move, he watched and waited. He could hear Xavier telling the other beasts not to go on all fours. He was right they needed the use of their arms.
Stephan could feel the heat rise in his body and hear him and the other beasts’ bones crack and bend as they took shape. Xavier, Sam, and Eric moved next to him, they took the form of wolves but on two legs. Their bodies were robust and hairy. Their hands turned into lethal claws. Their mouths hang open revealing the long sharp teeth hiding underneath.
The form was appropriate. He took the same form, but he wasn’t hairy as they were. He kept his pearly white skin and his face. The only thing that changed was his body shape, he seemed taller although he was slightly hunched over. His arms were longer and bigger. His nails were long and black and his eyes had turned pitch black with a ring of red around them.
His chest heaved as his left leg stepped back. He steadied himself, ready for the impact of their bodies against his.
The vampires rushed at him, hitting themselves against his hard body. Stephan wrapped his arms around the three who pushed against him. He squeezed as tight as he could, crushing their stone bodies. Once he had them in halves he tossed them aside.
Solara moved through the fields, anticipating and knowing their every move as they thought it. He used this against them and was able to kill them faster. He ripped them apart from one by one adding on to the pile Stephan had started.