Like Real People Do

Chapter 4

But that didn't mean she wanted to.

"Olly?" her voice was small, backing herself into a corner to get as much distance between her and her little brother as she could. "Olly, you don't have to do this. Just let me go, I promise you'll never see or hear about me again. Mom and Dad don't even have to know, just let me and Cal-"

"You think you're going anywhere with him?" Oliver's voice was cold, nothing like the funny and lighthearted boy she loved so much. "You're a monster, how the hell do you think you could be a mother? Callahan will be happier without you, everyone will."

More heartbeats suddenly entered the room as Eleanor stared at her brother in shock, fear entering her eyes as they cornered her. She may have been a newborn but she had yet to drink any blood, she was starving and alone. Completely and utterly alone.

The woman dropped to her knees as they approached, ready to die. Not just ready, but willing. Oliver was right, she was a monster now and they'd been raised to kill monsters. She served no more purpose. Her eyes closed as she heard one of the men reach forward, her fists clenching as she waited to be ripped apart.

But the blow never came.

There was a thud and Eleanor felt blood splatter across her face, her eyes widening as it dripped down to her lips. She refused to move, terrified of what she would become if she allowed herself to taste human blood.

"There's nothing to be scared of. You and me have got plans, Norie," the familiar face was not necessarily a welcome one, especially as he smirked over at her before rounding on Oliver. "But we can't have anyone getting in our way."

"No!"

:::

Eleanor ran to her car, yanking the driver's door open with a bit too much force and wincing as she heard something crack. She was about to get into the car when a hand wrapped around her wrist, causing the woman to twist it and use the momentum to pin the other person against the side of her car. She was met with the same man, no, vampire from inside the restaurant. He stared at her in both confusion and awe as her forearm pressed against his throat.

"What do you want from me?" she all but snarled, doing her best to glare at him even though being this close made her feel more alive than she had in years.

"Nothing you won't willingly give me," he mumbled in response as his hand reached out to brush a stray hair from her face, making her flinch away from him. "Which is all any mate would want."

"I don't have a mate."

I don't deserve one.

Eleanor tried her best to stay angry, to stay on the offensive before she could slip up and put both her and her son in danger, but it was getting harder by the second. Especially with him gazing up at her like that.

"I beg to differ," he smiled at her, actually smiled, even though she currently had him pinned against her car and was essentially threatening him. "I promise, I'm not going to hurt you, I would never dream of it. I will never speak to you again if that's what you want, just let us have one conversation. I will prove to you that me and my family mean no harm, you're safe-"

Eleanor scoffed, her glare no longer forced as she threw him to the side and sped off. However, before she left she said one last thing.

"There's no such thing as safety."

:::

Eleanor smiled down at her son as he slept in his cradle, not trusting herself enough to hold him. Along with the heightened senses of a newborn came heightened emotions as well, causing the woman to be in awe of the tiny creature below her. How could she have made that? That sweet, innocent little baby boy...

In that moment she found the purpose she thought she'd lost, to protect her little boy. To never let anything hurt him, to give him a happier childhood than she'd had.

"Are you done?" Jordan muttered from behind her, sneering down at the child in disgust. "Let's just go."

"Fine, just let me grab some of his stuff-" Eleanor replied, reaching for a diaper bag.

"His stuff? Norie, the kid isn't coming with us," he stated, crossing his arms as he looked over at her.

"What do you mean? He's our son?"

"He's a distraction. This is just about you and me, babe," Jordan explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I did this for us, not him. He's just a baby, we're vampires now."

"We're parents, we can't just leave-"

"What? Would it make you feel better if there was no kid to leave?" he sounded genuine in his offer, giving her a crazed smile before taking a step closer to the crib.

As if sensing the danger, Cal woke up and started crying. Eleanor stepped in between the vampire and the crib defensively, her fists clenching at her sides. Jordan had been a vampire a bit longer than she had, he'd also been feeding on humans while she'd been starving since she'd turned. If it came down to a fight, it would not be in her favor, and yet she got in stance anyway.

"Don't you dare."

"Come on, you can barely bring yourself to hold him. You're not gonna be missing much," Jordan tried to reason with her in his own, insane way. "It's you and me against the world, Norie."

Once, hearing him say that would have made her feel happy and safe but now all it did was make her realize just how deranged he'd become. So when he raced forward, hoping to duck past her and go straight for Cal, she was ready for him.

It was like he didn't even see her move as she leapt forward and trapped him in a headlock, her speed and strength despite being completely malnourished surprising them both. Using his own momentum against him, one arm stayed wrapped around his neck while the other grabbed onto his hair.

"Wait! Norie, please-!"

His head was across the room before he could finish the sentence.