Blood Moon [a Twilight Saga FanFiction]

Confrontation

Living with Natalia was interesting. Like my niece, she was not very happy at all with her change, and it took her a full week to be able to look at, or be in the same room as Verity without growling at her.
     She forgave Igor even sooner than that, he had just been doing what his children asked, after all.
     Igor continued to work during the 'search' for Verity and Natalia. Though we pulled Johann out of school for it, saying that he was too distracted to focus on schoolwork until his sister was found and that I was going to homeschool him until then. When in truth Natalia refused to leave Johann's side and I was only staying home for the story, and until she calmed down around Verity, keep a fight from breaking out.
     "Don't go on your regular hunting route today," Verity warned Johann and Natalia one morning.
     "Why not?" Johann asked.
     "There will be hikers too close to the path."
     "Hikers?" Natalia repeated, looking up from her lap.
     "We'll avoid them," Johann stated.
     Natalia had looked at Johann, the look in her eyes grabbing my attention. So when they left for a hunt a few hours later, with a nod from Verity of approval, I followed.
     It didn't take me long to catch up with them, following their scent, all too soon I heard them.
     "Nat, come on. Verity warned us-"
     "Verity, shmerity. I've got this," Natalia argued. "You don't believe me?"
     "Of course, I believe you. But... remember Verity's talent? Her warning concerns me for the both of us."
     "So we'll be cautious. Our usu... who's that?" Natalia had finally heard my approach and began growling.
     "It's just Elizabeth," Johann said softly. "Are you joining us?"
     "I'm overdue, I hope you don't mind?" I asked and looked at Natalia as I approached.
     Her eyes narrowed.
     Johann laughed then turned back to Natalia.
     "Nat, please, let's just try this way."
     "But I want to stay on our usual path. There's so much feed there and I'm not in the mood to explore today," Natalia whined. "I've got this. I know I do."
     I rested my hand on Johann's shoulder and smiled at Natalia, on edge.
     "We'll have to be extra careful. Without Verity here we won't know when we'll come across the hikers. We must make sure they do not see us," I said.
     "See, Liz says it's okay. Let's go!" Natalia ran ahead.
     "Nat, wait!" Johann yelled.
     I could hear her laughing as she ran ahead.
     Johann looked at me, fear in his eyes.
     "We'll be okay," I reassured him.
     I had taken Verity's scent, I knew when we'd pass the hikers and I knew that Johann and I would be too focused on Natalia to lose our heads to it. Natalia on the other hand.
     It's why Verity had wanted me here. Knowing Igor's training I would be able to stop her.
     I just hoped it wouldn't come to it.
     At the first group of deer, I only finished one of the grazing creatures, Johann too. Natalia began chasing down those who had run.
     That is how it would happen. According to Verity, she'd chase, we follow. She'd catch the scent of bears then break off to drain the carnivore, and then before Natalia could even reach the bear and her cubs, the wind blows the scent of the hikers into us.
     "Nat!" Johann yelled and ran after her. "Be careful!"
     I knew I had to get ahead. I ran in the direction of the hikers, but not to them but to be able to cut Natalia off.
     And then the wind changed.
     I smelt the hikers, heard them even a little further upwind they wouldn't hear us. Good.
     Natalia's hungry growl was deep. Throaty. A real threat.
    She didn't even break to think as she ran for her kill, with me in the way.
     "Natalia, stop," I held my hands towards her. "They don't deserve to die."
     "They're mine," she growled.
     "No, they're not. Natalia, you're better than this. You're not a killer."
     She growled.
     "Hold your breath and we will help you get away," I said and began to slowly approach her.
     At first, she did. Then Johann brushed her hand, she gasped and screamed. The hikers heard her.
     "What was that?" one of them asked.
     Dammit.
     In her thirst, Natalia raced forward, straight through me. Thirst and the desire for the kill in her eyes.
     I managed to sidestep out of her way, except now she saw me as a threat. Something that'll get in the way between her and a meal.
     Good.
     She threw her hands out to hit me. I wasn't as quick, so knew I wouldn't be able to duck or back away in time, however, I could grab her hand. I threw her over my head onto the ground behind me where I immediately pulled her back up to her knees, gripping her throat tight enough to cut her airways.
     "Natalia, enough," I said into her ears.
     She screamed again, savagely clawing at my arms around her neck.
     "Don't make me do this."
     Quick breath in, I knew her plan. I changed my grip in time for her to move her hands around my shoulders and roll to flip me onto my back.
     I used the momentum to push her back towards the house and away from the scent and approaching hikers. While she was still getting her balance, Johann ran, cut off her airways again and began dragging her back to the house. She didn't fight him.
     Back at the house, Igor was home, waiting for her. The expert with newborns.
     "Are you alright?" he asked me first.
     "Your past comes in handy sometimes," I said and brushed his arm as I stood beside him.
     "Let her go, Johann. The air is fresh here," Igor instructed.
     Once he did, Natalia turned and ran right back. Igor was more experienced. He was able to cut her off and throw her back to the house. I was able to catch her before she tore through anything.
     "Natalia, that's enough." Igor's tone was final. He meant business and I knew he'd tear her head off if he had to. I'd rather he didn't, but I understood.
     "I hate you," Natalia growled. "I hate all of you! You're stopping me from my nature! None of you understands! I want to feed! I want to taste human blood! I want to be strong enough to kill you all for killing me!"
     "Nat?" Johann's voice broke.
     "None of you understand. None of you understands!"
     "Natalia, do you know how many people here have drunk human blood in our pasts?" Igor asked. "We know exactly what it feels like."
     "Impossible," Natalia growled. "This... I... I want them!"
     "There are only two here who've never tasted human blood."
     "Than you know. You know what it feels like, let me try it! I want to try it. Their blood, it... I... I want their blood!"
     "And reduce yourself to the same level as Duke Dustin and his goons?" Igor asked. I saw her react to the name. "You're better than them, Natalia. Be better than them."
     Her jaw clenched and she straightened her posture.
     "Don't compare me to them," she growled.
     "Stop acting like it, then."
     "I'm a newborn, I can't help it."
     "You know as well as I, that isn't the case."
     She snarled but turned to face me, her eyes surprised then looked at Johann.
     "I'm sorry," she muttered and looked down. "But I'm curious. What if I like it?"
     "Do you really want to be a monster?" I asked.
     "How would I know, you won't let me try it. Maybe it'll be fun."
     "If that is truly how you feel, we will figure something out," Igor assured her. "However, at least until you're fully in control, please try our way. We will help you. You will hate yourself if you kill off a whim rather than choice."
     She turned back to him with a snarl.
     "You don't know me," she growled.
     "Tell me I'm wrong then? You don't want to be like Duke Dustin."
     She screamed and ran inside where she sulked in their room.
     Johann slowly joined her and Igor approached me.
     "I love you," I whispered to him. He smiled a kissed me sending my head spinning until I heard Natalia speak from their room.
     "Who'd you kill?" she asked.
     "What makes you think I'm not one of the people who haven't drunk blood?" Johann asked.
     "Because Verity is just too... well, she saved my life and Liz and Igor are just... too good. I don't know which of them it is... So, who'd you kill?"
    "Hitler," Johann answered. He sounded heavy.
     "No fucking way! That's so cool!"
     "You think it's cool that I killed a man?"
     "You didn't kill a man, Jo," Natalia said and laid back on the beanbag in their room. "You killed someone who was giving the order to kill thousands on millions of people. So... which one's never drunk blood? Liz or Igor?"
     Igor chuckled and kissed my temple before we walked inside and I picked up my art, he picked up a book.
     "Liz," Johann explained.
     "But... she works at a hospital?"
     "I value their lives above that of my comfort," I explained. "They all deserve to live their lives."
     "Like I did?" Natalia growled.
     "What happened to you was wrong and horrible, but does it mean that you can take away the lives of the innocents?" I replied. "They have mothers, fathers, families just like you did. Families who would be broken, just like yours, if they missed their chance to say goodbye."
     She was silent, but she had sat up in the beanbag.
     "Nat?" Johann said from upstairs.
     "I'll try," she said quietly. "I... I don't want anyone to go through that pain."
     "Thank you."
     Igor, before he had even opened the book, approached me with heavy eyes.
     Had I stepped out of line?
     Verity sighed, catching our attention.
    "Well, I'm going for a run. Maybe a small hunt away from hikers," she said. "If anyone wants to join me?"
     "Come on, let's go with her," Johann said.
    Natalia took his hand and they both followed Verity out in the opposite direction we had been before.
     "You, Miss Elizabeth, are amazing," he whispered.
     Then I got his scent.
     Ah.
     He had found me seductive as I was stern with Natalia.  I hadn't noticed but he had been watching me with a smile fuelled with pride. Resisting the urge to shut me up with a kiss.
     I laughed at his past pulling his lips to mine.
     "You're confusing," I said to his lips.
     He groaned against me and began kissing down my throat. Letting his monster in and yet my mind... it was able to wonder to Natalia, while still feeling what Igor was making me feel.
    Able to be concerned about her lack of effort to keep strangers alive, and still be filled with a shock of energy and warmth every time his lips touched some part of me.
     "Igor," I sighed. I wasn't focused.
     He broke away to look at me.
     "Not tonight?" he asked and finally put his book down. "What's wrong?"
     He took my hand and guided me upstairs to our room where once there, he let go and moved to sit on the bed. He patted the mattress beside him so, chuckling at him being adorable, I went to sit beside him.
     "What's bothering you?" he asked again.
     "Natalia," I confessed.
     "She said she'll try."
     "I know. And I know we should trust her, but her mind. She wasn't even phased by Verity's warning, completely disinterested if not insanely curious at what it would be like." He took my hand and held it to his lips. Kissing it softly. "It concerns me about her future. I could always ask Verity but Natalia is still a newborn. Frantic and with an ever-changing future." He moved closer so he could slowly kiss up my arm. "I think she really will suffer if she continues to want to feed on humans. Hate herself, but what do I know? We don't know her."
     "Yet," he said into my collarbone.
      His breath sent the shock through me he was certainly hoping for. The distraction that pushed my mind in his direction.
     The warmth and smoothness of his hands, holding mine became an anchor as my head filled with only Igor.
     I fell back, pulling him on top of me. Quickly moving my legs so they'd end up on either side of his hips.
     He was startled by my action.
     "You're very good at distractions," I commented before pulling his lips to mine and erupting the fire that coursed through my being,
     Natalia wasn't a concern at the moment, tomorrow's problem, for now, there was Igor. Always, there was Igor as he raised my hips to his as they rolled closer to me.