How Dark Is the Night?

“Ok, I think we are good to go.” I said as I stepped inside and shut the patio doors.

“How did it go with mom?” Pete said wrapping his arms around me.

“Well, she doesn’t like the fact that I am fighting but she understands that I have to. She is worried about you, Pete. If we catch a break I think we need to visit her.” I said turning my head to kiss Pete.

“Maybe.” Pete said stepping away.

Everyone grabbed their weapons that Patrick brought over. We all decided that our meeting place from now on would be at Patrick’s. It is where we used to hang out and grab weapons before anyways when all the boys lived there.

We all left, taking four cars this time so we could cover more ground. At least one of us in each group had a cell phone. We were going to patrol in threes in one area, covering at least seven streets that were hotspots for vampires.

I wanted to know who turned Pete and Erelin. We have no name because amazingly somehow both Erelin and Pete don’t remember his name. I always assumed a vampire knew who sired them. We all knew Beckett sired Pete and Brendon. Natasha sired Nick. But somehow Erelin and Pete were excluded from knowing.

Pete and I stopped our car on one street that broke off into two streets. I was letting Kat take the other street off of ours. Everyone else would cover the rest in this area. I was counting on Kat to do a good job and find out any information she could.

“Ok, I am heading off. I will not let you down and I will scream if I need help because I know Pete will hear me.” Kat said.

“Just be careful. If there is no vampire activity come back to the car.” I said.

“You got it.” Kat said taking off towards the next street.

“So, what do you want to do now?” I asked Pete as we walked down our street we were looking for vamps on.

“First off, I want to do this.” Pete said grabbing my hand as we walked. I looked at him and smiled.

“It feels like old times.” I said laughing.

“It sure does.” He said stopping us in the middle of the street.

“What is it?” I asked thinking he saw or heard something.

“You look so pretty in the moonlight.” Pete said pulling me close to kiss me. He was about to kiss me however when I felt something.

“Pete, watch out!” I said pushing him to the ground before getting tackled by a vampire that held a stake in his left hand.

I fought off the vampire who was trying to stake me and rolled him over pinning him down. I was pissed. No one tries to stake my husband.

“Who sent you?” I yelled as Pete got up and kneeled beside me.

“I don’t have to answer that. Your hubby knows.” The vampire said.

“I remember you. You were one of the vampires that held me down when Erelin was attacked.” Pete said rolling him over onto his back now where he could face us.

“Don’t worry. Your precious slayer is going to die for killing Dracula. You will remember everything soon.” The vampire snickered.

“I have had enough cryptic talk.” I said punching the vampire in the face.

“What can I say? My wife likes to hit.” Pete said watching the vampire jerk from the punch. “If you think you can threaten us, think again.” Pete said pulling up the vampire and throwing him into a streetlamp.

There was a rage brewing inside of Pete. I mean I have seen him kill vampires and protect me before but he was acting so differently. The vampire only laughed.

“You can kill me. You are wasting your time. I will not talk.” The vampire said.

I watched Pete beat the vampire up before I had to step in. I didn’t like vampires and I wanted answers but Pete needed to quit. It was like he was enjoying beating this vampire to a pulp. He needed to stake him already.

“Pete, stop!” I said pushing Pete away from the vampire. “We aren’t getting anywhere here.” I said grabbing the vampire as he slowly tried to escape. “Not so fast!” I said turning the vamp around and staking him in the heart.

“What the hell was that?” I asked yelling at Pete.

“What?” He replied. “The vampire wasn’t going to give us the answers we needed so I wanted to beat it out of him.” Pete said shocked I was pissed.

“That wasn’t all necessary. You could have punched a few times then I don’t know, stake him!” I said walking back to the car. I was mad.

“Amanda, look…” He tried to say.

“Save it Pete!” I snapped. “What is wrong with you? You snapped back there. Never have I seen you act like that in all of our vampire fighting days. It was like you had a rage in you, Pete. You scare me. Your eyes changed again.” I said fighting back tears. I was definitely upset.

“Amanda, I am sorry.” Pete said grabbing me by the car and turning me around.

“Do I have to protect myself from you? What has he done to you Pete? I don’t want to lose you. If you turn on me, I don’t think I can bring myself to stake you.” I said with tears forming.

“You want to know?” Pete asked.

“Yes. Tell me what you are feeling Pete.” I said concerned.

“There is a war brewing inside of me. I am me but it is like there are two sides to me. It is a conflict way worse then when I was a vampire before. Erelin doesn’t have it I don’t think. I try to fight the vampire in me but it is way different then before. This vampire that made me, I should know his name but I can’t remember. He said I wouldn’t be good again. I am struggling. If the vampire takes over this time, I am gone. My soul and vampire are fighting where as before I controlled the vampire.” Pete said facing me with his arms on my shoulders.

“I am fighting hard with everything in me to stay Pete; your Pete. I can’t do it alone. I need you to help me. I can’t lose you and if I turn bad you have to kill me.” Pete said shaking me.

“Don’t talk like that. It is not going to happen. I won’t let it.” I said. “Me and this baby needs you. Alex needs its father.” I whispered.

“Alex?” He repeated.

“I thought if it was a boy we could name it Alexander or if it was a girl, Alexandra. I always imagined a little Alex running around.” I said smiling.

“I like that name. Alex Wentz.” He said pulling me into an embrace and just holding me for what seemed like minutes.

“Pete, you are crushing me.” I said with him letting go.

“I’m sorry.” He said pulling away.

“I love you and you are not a monster. You will fight this and beat this.” I said reassuring him. “Always think of me and our love.” I said kissing his cheek.

“Slayer!” I heard a vampire say attacking me from behind and pulling me farther away from Pete.

“Not now!” I yelled at the vampire. I turned and broke free from his grasp only to be knocked down to the ground with the vampire turning my stake onto my chest.

“No!” I said trying to fight him off and from staking me. Then Pete came behind the vampire grabbing him and turning him away from me. He then staked him.

“That was close. Are you alright?” Pete asked helping me up.

“Yes.” I said smiling. Score is at one to one so far.” I said keeping count for the night.

“Oh, so we are keeping count on how many vampires we kill tonight?” Pete asked shoving me up against our car.

“Yes and looks like we are the bait.” I said laughing and wrapping my arms around his neck.

“I can deal with that.” He said leaning into me.

“Good, because you know I will win.” I said whispering in his ear.