Scarlet’s hand shot back to the wheel, she turned her head to the back. It wasn’t a voice she recognized so she knew it was one of the vampires who were here to kill them.
“Why is it that every time I look for Stephan’s breaking point, I am always meeting beautiful women?” Zen had a grin on his face, a light wind blew against his long leather coat.
“What do you think men, should we kill them to spite those men who dared to fight me, or should we keep them as pets?” Zen was talking to the two mean-looking Vampires at his side.
Kayla and Nikki didn’t speak back to him. She knew what he wanted, he wanted to kill Stephan’s mate but he didn’t know who she was. She planted the thought in Nikki’s mind.
“I am looking for Scarlet and Kayla,” Zen said in a cool tone that almost sounded friendly.
Scarlet’s body froze at the mention of their names. He knew them. Her hand shook at the ignition. She was ready as soon as Kayla was.
“The other day, I was at the diner. I met this lovely young lady I think her name was Marcie. She was such a delightful girl.” Zen was smiling, he was basking in the death of Marcie.
Kayla’s fists clenched at her sides. She was calculating her distance from Zen and how fast she could get to him before his henchmen killed her.
“She kept on calling Scarlet and Kayla when I asked her to call Stephan. So I think that these two women have something to do with him.” his gaze turned to them a deathly grin creeping on his face. “I am going to kill them.”
Zen looked over them to the car, he could smell a human but wasn’t sure who it was. He only knew it came from the car.
Scarlet sank deep into the seat not letting her grip on the wheel or key drop.
“I am Scarlet, what do you want from me?” Nikki spoke up, trying to distract his attention from the car.
“You are Scarlet, so you must be Kayla.” he turned his head towards Kayla. “A beast and a vampire, Stephan knows his stuff.”
He turned back to where his men stood, “Kill them.” Zen ordered their death in such a casual way, a grin on his face.
Kayla and Nikki stood back to back as the vampires circled them. Kayla was in her defensive crouch while Nikki waited for the opportune time to phase.
Zen stood back and watched an amused look on his face, he thought about the human, who was evidently in the car, he decided to leave her alone. She could tell Stephan what had happened to his two female friends. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard and smelled the scent of the others. They were headed towards them and fast.
“Kill them now, Stephan is coming.” His relaxed voice turned to that of urgency.
Kayla used the distraction to her advantage. Her defensive instinct took over, evident in the shouldering red color her brown eyes had turned into. She bounced off the car so that she could land on the vampire’s shoulders. She wrapped her thighs around his neck and forced her body backward. She flipped her body and he followed. As soon as his body crushed on the ground, Kayla locked his head with her knees and brought her elbow down forcefully on his head. She crushed his head and watched as half slid off on the side.
Nikki wasn’t as fortunate, she attacked the vampire head-on and tried to phase midst the attack. The vampire grabbed her neck and lifted her off the ground. Her once black eyes were fading back to their original green. She was choking.
Kayla stood between them and the car. She wasn’t sure of what to do. She wasn’t willing to leave Scarlet unprotected and didn’t want Nikki to die. She decided to tell Scarlet to drive off, she had heard Zen’s earlier thought and knew he wouldn’t bother to go after her.
Drive off NOW!
Scarlet GO!
Scarlet turned the key in the ignition she had heard her loud and clear. She was glad that Kayla was able to kill one of them but now Nikki was in trouble.
Kayla charged at the vampire who choked Nikki, but Zen caught her mid-air and shoved her into the vampire’s other hand. “They are here. We are going to need them alive after all.”
Scarlet looked up the rearview mirror and saw the twins first, Stephan and Solara, and the beasts followed behind.
They stopped a distance away, they didn’t want to agitate the vampire and cause him to kill them.
“Nikki, Kayla are you all right?” Vincent took a step forward.
“Nikki?” Zen chuckled once when he realized the deceit. “So if you are Nikki, so that means the human is Scarlet, am I right?” Zen kept his eyes on the bigger group looking for a confirmation of his assumption.
SCARLET GET OUT OF HERE!
Scarlet stepped on the gas of the already roaring vehicle as hard as she could. Zen had found out the trick they had played on him and now she had to get out of there as fast as she could.
Stephan ran for the car just as Zen headed for it. He dropped his foot on the bonnet of the already moving car, the force sent it up flying. The others watched as they expected him to let it crash into the ground.
Zen caught the car in his hands as it came rushing down. “So this is what you have been up to Stephan. A human isn’t that a downgrade.”
“Put her down.” Stephan had stopped as soon as Zen had caught the car. He could see Scarlet still in a sitting position, she had her seat belt strapped on.
Tears streamed down her face, Scarlet had never thought that this was how she was going to usher in the New Year.
“Stephan!” Her hand stretched down at him.
Stephan looked at her for a second then shifted his gaze to Zen. He didn’t want him to see how much she cared for her. “Put her down Zen.”
“Don’t worry, I will in a minute.” Zen was taking slow steps towards the edge peer. “Don’t you think this is poetic, a romantic tragedy at the very least?”
Stephan knew what he was referring to but he ignored him. He didn’t want Scarlet to be more terrified than she already was.
“This is the exact spot where your other mate died. Not the exact spot but give or take a couple of meters.” Zen continued to slowly move towards the edge, his eyes never leaving Stephan. “What was her name again, oh yes, Sotera.”
Solara stepped forward when Zen mentioned his sister. He didn’t move far from where Kayla dangled from the arm of the vampire.
How do we get you down, any ideas?
No don’t worry about me, go to Stephan make sure Scarlet is safe
Kayla?
Don’t argue, Vincent’s think of something.
Solara left Kayla and Nikki to Vincent and the rest. He moved to Stephan’s side. He looked up at Scarlet, he could see the fear in her eyes. She stared at Stephan. He could hear her tell herself that she was going to be fine and that Stephan would save her.
Solara was thinking of a way to get Scarlet out of the car. His head turned back to Kayla, he was annoyed to find that she was still in the hands of the vampire and the others were just staring at them.
Kayla tells her to jump out of the car and I will catch her.
Ok, what about Stephan don’t you think he should be told of your plan?
Solara lightly tapped Stephan’s shoulder. They needed him to let his shield down so that Kayla could explain to him what he wanted Scarlet to do.
When Solara saw Stephan’s fist clench and his body stiffen he knew he had been informed. He didn’t want his permission, he just needed him to know.
Did you tell Scarlet?
Oh, No! I can’t tell her, she can’t hear me.
Kayla was clawing at the vampire’s hand but his grip only tightened. She had to get away from him.
What’s wrong Solara, Kayla what’s going on?
Stephan shot a look at Solara for a second. Scarlet was still in the car.
She can’t hear me. I can’t access her mind it’s a blank.
Scarlet saw the looks of terror on their faces. She knew they were silently planning something, but Kayla looked distressed. Scarlet wondered why they weren’t telling her anything.
She saw Kayla looking straight at her, her forehead showed signs of straining. Scarlet realized where the problem was. The baby must be awake that was why she could hear what Kayla was trying to tell her.
Her hand dropped to her baby bump as she caressed the buffer inside her. They would have to come up with a new plan.
Kayla got desperate. She and Solara could see Zen’s plan. He was going to hurl her into the ocean. Scarlet needed to jump out of the car as soon as possible before Zen got to the edge.
“JUMP SCARLET JUMP!”
Kayla resolved to use the only means of communication they had. She shouted as loud as she could to her friend who was being held six feet above the ground.
Scarlet heard her and sprang into action. She knew one of the men would catch her as the other restrained Zen. She rushed to undo her seat belt, but it was too late.
Zen took a step back and turned toward the water, with all the strength he could master he threw the car as far as he could.
Scarlet felt the force then, felt the car soaring into the air. She wrapped her arms around her lower body as she bent over. She could see the water rushing up to meet them. She hit her head on the wheel and passed out on impact.
A few seconds later they heard the car splashing into the water. Stephan and Solara dove into the water and swam to where they saw the car land. They forgot about Zen who immediately became Xavier and Sam’s problem.
With all the chaos going on the vampire didn’t know what to do.
Kick yourselves against his body as hard as you can
Kayla could hear a voice that sounded so much like Vincent. It was Victor. Vincent quickly picked up on his idea.
Tell Nikki that on the count of three you both kick yourselves against him.
Nikki on three we kick into this idiot. You got that.
Kayla could see her strain to breathe, she knew in a few more minutes she would be out cold. Nikki nodded against the pressure around her neck. Kayla did the counting to make sure they all heard. They didn’t want to give the vampire any warning. He could tighten his hold and choke Nikki.
One Two Three
Nikki and Kayla kicked as hard as they could. They heard the sound of their feet crushing into his sides. This was followed by the sound of a stone crushing, as Victor and Vincent ran into his arms that unbelievably still held them up in the air. Kayla and Nikki fell to the ground, Vincent and Victor shielding each of them.
They watched as Eric leaped into the air, phasing into a wolf mad mid-air. His animal jaw trapped the vampire’s head in his mouth and broke it free from the rest of his body.
Eric landed on the other side as the blue-eyed, blonde-haired boy they knew. The vampire’s head rolled on the ground at his feet. His body still stood not affected by the lack of arms or head. Vincent took out light and set him on fire.
They ran to the edge of the peer and looked into the water, hoping that one of the two men would surface with Scarlet.
Kayla closed her eyes and focused her attention on the ocean, hoping she could hear a thought from any one of them. She could hear Stephan swearing and making promises to the almighty. She could hear Solara urging Scarlet to hold on for just a second.
Stephan emerged from the water with Scarlet in his arms. He and Solara swam side by side as they pulled Scarlet through the water with them. When they got to the peer, Kayla took Scarlet’s lifeless body from them and laid her on the damp wood.
Kayla sat holding Scarlet’s hand as she watched Stephan try and pump life into her. He pumped her chest as hard as he could as Vincent blew into her mouth.
“You are going to crush her Stephan.” Nikki’s voice filled the silent air. “You are going to kill her if you keep doing that. You are putting too much pressure on her.”
“I can’t hear anything, not her heart, not a pulse or her thoughts. Her body is so cold.” Kayla held her hand tightly in hers as her eyes looked over her friend’s cold lifeless body. Her eyes stopped when they got to her belly.
Stephan knew he had failed once again.
Kayla watched as Stephan tirelessly pumped his hands against her heart. His hands were so close to their child. The child she was protecting. The others stood around them and watched as he desperately tried to bring the dead back to life.
Scarlet’s hands lay limply palm up at her sides. Her body stiff and pale and her eyes closed from the world.
Unimaginable grief tore through Stephan as he moved slowly away from her body. He bellowed from the weight of guilt and pain that assaulted him. Once again his love had taken away a life.
Kayla’s eyes rested on the little bump, a tearless sob escaped her lips. The baby she fought so hard to protect was dead just as she was. A whisper seeped through her lips. “Scarlet.”
M. O. KENYAN
BLUE MOON
1