Space Enough to Grow

My anger did not go away after Tj left. I just glared at the ground trying to process what the hell his problem was. Why was he acting like he knew me better than I know myself. I know what I'm getting myself into. I know what I want. I want to be with Kade and I want to take care of my son. These aren't things I'm doing because I have to. In the beginning it may have seemed that way but now that Alexander is here, it's not something being forced on me. It's what I want. I love Kade and I love Alexander. I don't see how or why that is so hard to grasp. Tj is just being a pain in the ass. Why? I don't know.

But I don't care. If he wants to be negative, he can do it in hell for all I care.

I let out a soft sigh as I gazed at Alexander. He was watching me with concern in his ocean eyes, Tj and I's little falling out must have woken him. Already, I could feel my anger melting away gradually. The things my sweet does to me. With a soft chuckle, I picked him up from his seat and went to grab a bottle. I cradled Alexander carefully in one arm before raising the bottle to his lips. Immediately he began to drink the contents, his eyes closing with ease.

Alexander was 4 weeks old now but he seemed older. Austin explained to me that it's the vampirism inside of him the makes him grow so quickly. But it still amazes me. He's an amazing boy.

I began to exit through the dining room to head upstairs to check on Kade but before I could, there was a knock on the door. I sighed and immediately thought it was someone else out to ruin my day. I rolled my eyes and reluctantly walked to the front door. I let the bottle rest on Alexander's body and opened the door revealing Austin and Alan. Alan smiled widely as he saw Alexander.

"Hey Chris" Austin greeted as I let them both in. I smiled as Austin stroked Alexander's cheek softly.

"Hey guys. What's the problem today?" I asked with slight humor. I resumed feeding Alexander.

"What makes you think there is a problem?" Alan challenged me and I scoffed.

"Because there is always a problem. Especially now that this little one is here" I said as I led them into the living room. I of course was not blaming Alexander for anything, but it's true.

"Okay good point" Austin admitted as he sat down and I hummed in victory before taking Alexander's empty bottle and sitting it on the coffee table. I sat back and shifted Alexander so that he was laying on my chest, his little head nuzzled into my neck. His skin felt so soft and warm against mine but I felt electrified.

"So...what's going on?" I asked. Austin looked a little uneasy. Alan did as well so it couldn't have been a simple problem.

"It's nothing to be really concerned about. Things have just been weird lately...yesterday Kellin stopped by our house, asking about you" Austin told me and I was puzzled.

"Kellin from the slave house??? What did he want??" I was very alarmed and curious. What did the slave house people want with me?

"He was just asking where you were. Ever since you fell off the grid a few years back, they stopped keeping tabs on you. Until you resurfaced and bought Kade. But I know that doesn't explain why he was asking for you. He was just asking where you were" Austin explained to me.

"And what did you tell him?"

"Nothing. Said that I didn't know where you were but that you only send postcards" I sighed in relief. Well at least they don't know. But I still wanted to know what they wanted with me. Did they know about Alexander? Did they want Kade back? I had no idea and it was disturbing me a little.

"Great..as if my day couldn't get any worse" I sighed and kissed Alexander's head, holding him just a little tigher.

"What do you mean?" Alan asked me and I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Tj stopped by a little bit ago and was being a drama queen. Trying to say I wasn't cut out to be a dad blah blah blah...."

"Why would he do a thing like that?" Austin sounded confused and I shrugged.

"I don't know why. But Tj has always been sketchy as fuck" Alan chuckled quietly to himself as my words.

"Maybe he's jealous? He has had moments of jealously before, especially over you. I mean you have an actual family now so it could be possible"

"He is part of my family. Has been for years...you know what? I don't even care. I have bigger issues so him being a jealous bitch can wait another day" Just as I said those words, another voice chimed in.

"Don't use that language around our son Chris" We all looked to the doorway and saw Kade standing there in his shorts and shirt, his hair slightly tousled from being asleep. He had a sleepy smile on his face.

"Oh he's asleep. Calm down Kade" Kade stuck his tongue out as he walked over and sat next to me, stroking Alexander's head and giving him a soft kiss.

"Well its good see you out of bed for once Kade" Alan said playfully and we all laughed a little. Kade grimaced but you could see he was hiding his laughter.

"Well taking care of this slob and a baby is a bit tiring" I was offended.

"I am not a slob!" I said as everyone began to laugh at me now. Kade smiled sweetly at me and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Of course not dear" Kade kissed my nose and we began to chat about nothing in particular until Snow came prancing in, meowing loudly. I looked at him and immediately saw that he was looking stressed out and on guard. He began to paw at my legs in a certain urgency and I knew something was off.

"What is it Snowball?" Kade chuckled as he went to pet the kitten. He brushed up against Kade's hand with force and was meowing louder. I tilted my head at the cat before I remembered the last time he was acting like this. My eyes widened.

He's warning us!

I stood up immediately and gave Alexander to Kade who took him immediately but looked at me confused.

"Alan take Kade upstairs and keep him there until Austin and I get back!" I instructed him. They all looked at me like I was crazy but nonetheless they began to move.

"Chris what's going on?" Austin asked me as Alan took Kade's hand and led him towards the stairs. I ran over to my closet that was underneath the steps and opened it, grabbing one of my homemade stakes for Austin and one for myself. I looked over at Austin.

"Remember that girl I killed a few months ago that was spying on us?" I asked him and he thought for a moment before before nodding.

"Snow was going crazy like he is now" Austin was confused before realization crossed his features. I nodded before we both ran out the door.

The second we entered the forest that surrounded my home, I was hit with an unusual scent. One that smelled of pure blood. The smell that belonged to a vampire. Since we drink blood to survive, we smell very similar to blood. It's how we are able to track each other. Humans differ, they smell sweeter than vampires do because they are alive while as, we aren't. So we can be told apart very easily.

"Smell that?" Austin said and I nodded before we took off, following the scent that led south, deep in the forest. The trees were huge and thick, close together making the forest very dense but it was no issue to us, we just had to pay more attention as we ran.

The wind whipped past my face as I launched myself up into a tree, landing on a thick branch and letting my senses take over. The smell of blood was getting stronger and my fangs shot out with the thirst and call of the impending kill. I opened my eyes and saw that there was a clearing that had a small stream cutting the clearing in a perfect half. I could hear the water rushing to confirm my thoughts.

"It's getting stronger! We're getting closer!" Austin shouted from below me. I let my senses control me and I jumped out the tree, my body flying through the air like a bullet. I could almost taste the blood on the tip of my tongue. There was a giant fallen tree coming up ahead and things seem to move in slow motion as Austin skillful pressed his palm against the wood and hopped over it gracefully. I jumped up, grabbing onto a branch and swung right over it, landing in a crouched position before resuming my run. The stream was maybe a mile away, I could see the water flowing down it slowly and gradually. Austin and I picked up the pace, running nearly impossibly faster than before.

The stream came closer, just feet away. Right as we reached the edge, we both made one powerful leap, clearing the stream in one bound. We landed with harshness and paused. The scent was at its strongest...I could tell it was. Austin and I looked around for the invader but we saw nothing. It was very quiet, the only sound was the stream behind us.

"I don't understand..the scent leads here..."Austin said to himself before going around to search for anything. I did the same, looking behind boulders and trees, anything that could provide a proper hiding place. I was very agitated because Snow did not warn me for no reason and there shouldn't have been the scent of blood that was way too close to vampires. If it was an animal or human smell, that would have been a different story. I went to look behind another tree until I heard shouting behind me.

"CHRIS LOOK OUT!!" Austin screamed. I whipped around and my eyes widened as a crazed figure was running towards me, growing and snarling with his fangs exposed. With no time to aim as his heart, instead I raised my fist seconds before he approached me, punching forward and knocking his head clean off his shoulders. The body dropped and his head landed a few feet away from me. But I couldn't stop and think, there were more. Austin was fighting two skillfully so I focused on the three that were running towards me. I closed my eyes and once again let my senses take over, this time completely.

My body went on a monstrous autopilot as my hand reached out. I grabbed one by the hair, it was a woman this time. I spun around and smashed her face into a boulder. Her head immediately became nothing but skull pieces and mush as I threw her body to the ground. The thirst was overtaking me and I loved it. The other two screeched at my actions and without even thinking, they charged at me in a vain attempt to avenge their fallen friends. I turned immediately and ran towards a tree, making sure they were following me. With a fanged smirk, I ran up the tree a few feet and pushed against it, flipping backwards and landing crouched. One vampire ran into the tree and smacked it hard. The other paused behind him. I ran up and kicked the woman hard enough to knock her against the other. I growled menacingly as I raised my stake and threw it in a perfect spiral, impaling them both in the heart, hearing them both scream in agony as their bodies began to die. But it wasn't over. I turned as I heard someone running up behind me. I ducked down as they swung at me and grabbed their arm and yanked their body against my own, my fist going right through their heart. They looked up at me with wide eyes as I yanked my fist out, their heart dropping to the forest floor. It was a girl, who looked no older than 17. She stared into my eyes as her skin began to turn grey, the life leaving her body completely. I watched as I let her body fall to the ground. She no longer moved. But the monster inside me did not care

"What the hell was that?!" Austin shouted and I turned, gaining control over myself again. I looked around to see that he had taken out 4 himself. So there were 9 in total.

"An ambush?" I suggested slightly breahtless. Why were there so many waiting for us? And what were they waiting for?

"Maybe...but they were fairly young. I could tell in the way their eyes looked...crazy with thirst" Austin said to me and I recalled the same look. No old vampire would act so violently. Or at least act the way they did. It wasn't making sense. Why would vampires who don't know me from Adam attack so suddenly?? Unless...they weren't pulling the strings.

"Wait a minute...how far are we from the house?" I asked Austin who looked at me puzzled. He thought for a moment before answering.

"We were running for a few minutes so miles at most. Why?" He answered and my heart sank in my chest and my eyes widened in terror. It all started falling in place. The vampire attack, being away from the house..

"Chris??" Austin said cautiously and I looked at him, scared.

"They were drawing us away from the house!!!! It was a distraction!!" I screamed at Austin who stared at me in terrfied confusion.

"They weren't after us! They're after Kade and Alexander!"