Astrid tossed and turned all last night for her anxiety was kicking in and little did she sleep . Beyond exhausted she managed to get the kids ready and drove over to the park. She was sitting on the park bench as she watched her children play on the swings near by. She arrived ten minutes early and even though the Dracula gave her time to think, she didn't know what her decision would be. Absolutely she didn't want Dracula to corrupt her children. She wanted them to remain kind as well as respectful to life as she was. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a dark figure she could only assume was Dracula walking towards her. He seemed to come alone this time no body guard or anything. Astrid tightened her pony tail that was under her ball cap before he took a seat next to her. He seemed in a happier mood for he was smiling as he looked upon her. " I'm glad you decided to show up, I was looking very forward to seeing you today." Said Dracula. After the way he almost tried to strangle her , she was on the edge. Hopefully he would be reasonable this time was all she could hope. " I must say you've done a wonderful job raising our children. They seem to be articulate , resilient , and have good manners. All that I could hope my children to be." He looked over at Astrid who was too focused on avoiding eye contact with him.
"Astrid you know I hate when you ignore me!" Astrid reluctantly looked up at Dracula , he reached out pushing her bangs from her face which caused her to flinch. " Astrid I must confess how I treated you nine years ago was not right. You must understand how sorry I am and how I need more than ever for you to forgive me.". He looked into her eyes ,but she wasn't to be convinced so easily. His touch against her skin sent goosebumps crawling up skin. Her body ached for him ,but her mind knew better as she remained there silent on the bench. " Dracula please don't do this again to me. I finally have a life with my children, a job ,and house. It is not fair to me nor them to uproot us back to Romania." Said Astrid.
They both watched silently as Alex was chasing Elliot with a nerf gun. They were both oblivious to their mother talking to the strange man sitting next to her. " Please I beg of you don't take my children away, they are at this point the only thing that keeps me going." Said Astrid. " Astrid they are still very young and I need you by side. This the perfect timing to move and start a new." Astrid started to laugh and it threw Dracula off for he had no idea what so funny about what he said. " You need me? What happened to Cecilia? Oh wait I remember I'm just your baby making machine , I forgot." Said Astrid. " Cecilia is no more I vanquished her when I found she helped you escape. You and my children are all that my dead heart needs to feel alive again."
He was pulling at her heart strings she knew it. Saying all the right things it was almost tormenting to her. Twisting her thoughts till no end. Yes she craved for his touch for his love for her ,but she wanted more. Dracula could never stay with one woman for long and she refused to be on the back burner when another came along. " You think I'm some fool don't you? If I say yes to come back to your castle , you will bore of me soon after and find someone else. Vladislaus you're wasting my time and yes I know we all have the time in the world, but I want my time to be filled with peace not torment or despair." Dracula was taken a back by her words and sat there silently next to her as to figure out what to say next. He was the son of the devil however surely his tongue could whip something up to change her mind. " Does your mortal friend kiss you like this?" Dracula quickly pushed the back of Astrid's head till she came in contact with his lips. His cold lips pushed against her soft ones. His tongue roamed in the once familiar mouth of hers , teasing her tongue with his. " Back off will or ill call the police!" said Astrid as she pushed away. Phone at hand now all she had to do was dial those three numbers. " Oh Astrid how kind of you to get us lunch , a picnic sounds like a splendid idea!" He was giving her that evil sinister grin of his again. Astrid threw her phone back in purse, it was completely useless to try ward him off or run away. " You are absolutely horrible , you know that? Also leave Chase out of this he does not know what I am or who you are. I'd like to keep it that way."
Astrid could see Alex and Elliot now playing basketball in one of the courts. The court was gated at least they couldn't run off anywhere until she was done bickering with Dracula. " I have to return to Romania in two weeks and I don't plan on going back empty handed." She wasn't paying attention to him. What his wants or desires meant nothing to her. "Astrid please look at me when I'm talking, it is very rude." That was it she had enough, Astrid stood up Abruptly from the bench and began to walk over to where her children were. Dracula teleported in front of her blocking her from going a step further. "Dracula I'm warning you , get out of my way!" said Astrid through gritted teeth. " What Astrid? What if I don't?" chuckled Dracula. He was now walking side to side as she made attempts to walk past him, but to no avail. " You are not going to a damn thing. Weak is what you are, cause all you do is run. You have run from your problems all your life Astrid. It seems you've hit a dead end and now you have deal with the reality before you!" " Shut up! Just shut up ! I refuse to accept a reality of living in fear with someone like you and subjecting my children to it." Shouted Astrid
Alex and Elliot stopped what they were doing for they heard shouting. Their mom was almost transformed into her hell beast form. Her silver eyes narrowed in anger at the stranger before her. Sharp black spikes pushing out from under skin traveling up her arms and legs. The stranger didn't seem too bothered by how angry she was. "Elliot ,mom told us last night that he was our father, what I don't understand is why is she so angry with him?" Elliot shrugged his shoulders. Last night they slept with their mother in her bed. She would not mention a word about what happened that night and she wasn't in any better of moods that morning either.
" If I'm so horrible Astrid then why are your thoughts so conflicting? You crave my touch I remember picking up from your thoughts earlier now you despise being around me. So which is it Astrid? I don't think you even know." Astrid was ready to strike him , as her hand was about to come into contact with the side of his face, he caught her wrist in time. She could feel her bones in her wrist start to crack at the amount of pressure of his grip. " You done yet Astrid? You lived with me for sometime and you should know better than to defy me!" He released her wrist and pushed her till her body came into contact with the mulch. She laid there in pain, her wrist was throbbing uncontrollably.
Alex and Elliot saw what happened and ran over to their mother. Alex kneeled down to Astrid's side and examined her wrist. It was bruised and tender to the touch. " Why don't you leave her alone, you big bully!" shouted Alex as his dark brown eyes met the blue ones of his father's. It seemed to Dracula ,Alex was more of the brave and protective one out the two. For his brother seemed more cautious and reserved. " Maybe so I might have been a little too rough , let us get your mother back home so she can rest." Dracula extended his hand reaching out for Astrid's right hand that remained unharmed. She reluctantly grabbed ahold of his hand as he pulled her up onto her feet. The four of them walked back to the blue SUV . The kids hopped in the back while Dracula took a seat in the passengers seat. Luckily the car ride home was a short one. A left turn into Elmwood then five hundred feet another left turn on Euclid. Astrid pulled up along the side of the street in from of her white house with green shutters. It seemed Dracula had invited himself over ,but Astrid was in no mood to fight anymore. Last night of no sleep was starting to catch up to her. Astrid plopped herself on the leather sofa and rested her feet on the wooden coffee table before her. She glanced over where Dracula was standing and saw him looking at the photographs aligning the wall. Studying each picture of his children, he realized how much he had missed. Their first word, their first step, or simply their first everything. Dracula could feel something tugging on his coat and he looked down to see it was Elliot. " Excuse me , but the other night mother said you are our father. Is that true?"