For those of you who complained about my...humph...short chapters...lol just kidding...here is a much longer one for you. Review por favor :p And check out the picture I made! (see bottom of previous chapter)
One night when Tatiana was nearly seven months pregnant, they were just sitting down to dinner when the door burst open and the serving-man was shoved into the room before three men in peasant clothing.

Dracula got to his feet smoothly, with deadly grace, though he no longer possessed his lethal powers.

"May I help you, gentlemen?"

"You," said the first man, pointing to Dracula. "We've got business wit' you." His eyes were wide and fearful beneath his reddish hair, but he spoke with purpose. The other two were dark-haired and looked to be brothers. Dracula was sure he had seen them somewhere before.

"Very well. Tatiana, you may go, please."

One of the brothers glanced up at Tatiana as if noticing her for the first time. His eyes widened in shock as she stood, and he cried, "Spawn of the Devil!" Ignoring Dracula completely, he unsheathed a long dagger and ran towards her. Tatiana shrieked.

Dracula watched in horrified slow motion as the peasant ran at his beloved wife, screaming about "Devil's spawn." Tatiana was screaming as she turned to protect her stomach and received a slice across the side instead. Dracula moved faster than he had believed a mortal could move, grabbing the knife from the man and sending him to the floor with it in his back.

The room went so still that Dracula could hear his own heart beating in his ears, obviously not a sound he was used to; in fact, he looked about for a moment before realizing what it was. Tatiana stood looking down at the widening pool of blood at her feet, paralyzed with horror; she seemed not to notice that she had been wounded as well. The other two men were frozen in place, unable to comprehend the sudden death of their companion. Finally, looking as if they expected to be killed instantly, they stepped forward, picked up their companion, and half-dragged, half-carried him out the door. Just before they shut the door, the redhead glared back at Dracula with a look of hate that the latter knew only too well, then glanced from the knife on the floor back to the Count. It was just as well, thought Dracula, that they didn't know he was now mortal.

There was a soft sound behind him. Dracula turned and watched as Tatiana sank to the floor in a dead faint.

He went swiftly to her side and cradled her in his arms. "Wake up, my darling. All is well." Dracula cursed as he saw the cut in her side, which fortunately was neither deep nor close to the baby.

She moaned and her eyes fluttered open. "Vladislaus?" She was breathing far too fast. He frowned and examined the blood, tasted it. He spat it out. Poison! They had poisoned the blade! The fools. That knife had been meant for him, and for a long moment he wished that he were immortal again so that he could have the satisfaction of seeing their incomprehension when their poison failed to work on him. However, they had chosen it well—a very small amount would kill a man. He prayed that Tatiana had not received enough of the poison to be fatal.

She was still breathing quickly. Suddenly she turned and vomited on the floor, away from him. She sobbed hysterically for several minutes before finally sinking into a stupor that he could not wake her from.

Vladislaus cursed loudly as he scooped her up and laid her on their bed. He covered her warmly and kissed her forehead, then went back out into the main room, where the blood stained the floor like an obscene mural.

Everything went out of his mind except the look of terror on the face of the only woman he had ever truly loved as he looked at the knife gleaming on the floor. He picked it up and left the house, murder in his eyes.

He hunted them down easily, found them at their camp. He listened to their conversation and heard the name Van Helsing. Van Helsing had notified them that Count Dracula, the monster who had killed their cousin and sister, respectively, was living in the great mansion. Van Helsing had also told them that the "monster" had stolen a young woman and taken her to its lair.

It was over before they had time to scream. Almost tidy, like the last time he had hunted as a vampire. When had that been? He could not remember, and did not prefer to.

He returned to the house and found his wife asleep, but there were tears still wet on her cheeks. Dracula smoothed her hair gently and got into bed beside her, still wearing his outdoor clothes. When she awakened, she found herself lying in the protective circle of his arms, and drifted back to sleep against him, smiling and realizing that she must have imagined the odd flip-flop motion that the baby had made a few hours ago.


So...muhahaha what do you think? (grins)

Oh and I wrote another story, it's called Murdered 1462 and it's the story of Dracula's death, check it out!