The hallway upstairs was dark, all except for a faint light shining under the door that led to my parents room. I crept on silent feet down the hall only stopping to listen for sounds and look around for any traps that may have been set in anticipation that I would be here. Visually there was nothing to worry about in the hall, but in my parents room I could hear someone rummaging around through the drawers of their dresser and quietly talking to themselves. The voice belonged to a man, but beyond that I had no other information about who this was.
The sound of footsteps behind me sent me into action as I swung around and pinned the person to the ground all while making the least amount of noise possible. My mind solely focused in my hunting mode as I pushed an arm across the unknown person's neck.
"Luna! It's me!" A frantic whisper came from the person underneath me.
I shook my head as I came out of my anger fueled frenzie and looked at the person I had pinned. "Kenny!" I whispered angrily. "What are you doing! I coulda hurt you, there's a reason I told you guys to wait downstairs. I put myself in a hunting mode, not something you want to get in the way of. Why do you think you've never seen me go on an actual hunt before."
"Yeah, I get that now. I just wanted to help, you know since I can't die and all I figured I could help. By the way you really pack a punch babe. Remind me to never piss you off ever." He whispered back as I let him up and turned my attention back to listening for the man in my parents room. Luckily the man gave no sign that he heard anything for he was still rummaging around.
I sighed as I turned my attention back to Kenny. "There's someone in my parents room. If you really want to help then stay here, and I mean it this time. I'll call for you when I pin down the guy that's rummaging around in there."
Kenny nodded at me in response as he ducked down by the side table in the hallway to give him a form of cover just in case the guy tries to make a run for it. Not that he could outrun me, he would be stupid to even try. I put myself back into my focused hunting mode, but this time accounting for Kenny's presence by toning down the intensity slightly. I resumed creeping down the hall towards the door leading to my parents room, reaching it without a sound and stopping once more to listen. The guy sounded like he was on the far side of the room in one of the nightstands by the bed. The door was closed, but not latched so I pushed it open inch by inch until I could see in just enough to get a clear view of my parents bed. The dresser on the wall just inside had all the drawers opened and the items they contained now thrown about the floor. My eyes traveled from the mess on the floor to the nightstand on my mothers side of the bed where a man in a black suit stood with his back to the door as he mumbled to himself and threw the contents of the nightstand drawer to the floor.
I took a moment to listen to his mumbling, which was nothing more than him saying no over and over again with each item he picked up. I continued opening the door until it was open enough for me to slip through, pressing myself up against the wall as I kept my focus on the man's movements while also looking for the best places to step around the mess he made. My instincts kicked in high gear as I treated this man like an innocent deer in the woods and that one wrong move could alert it to the imminent danger of a predator ready to take its life. One step, then another, and another. Each one bringing me closer and closer to my target until I was standing right behind the man. He was still rummaging around, obviously not finding whatever he was looking for.
My next move was as fast as lightning as I threw my body weight on the man and knocked him to the floor, turning him around to meet him face to face as I pinned him down the same way I had Kenny. The guy struggled, but it was in vain for my strength kept him on the floor. I pushed my arm against his neck, his head smacking the floor from the force I used to prove his struggle was pointless.
"If you value your life, you will stop trying to fight me." I snarled the words, baring my fangs at him. "You're going to tell me what the fuck you are doing going through my parents stuff. Better yet tell me where my parents are."
The man stuttered out a string of nonsensical gibberish unable to find his words through his fear. I let out a predatory sounding growl and pushed my arm down harder on his neck.
"Tell me what you know or I'll make you talk." My face hovering over his so close he had no choice but to look into my eyes. If he refused to tell me of his own free will, I would use my mind control with no hesitation. "Tell me!" I yelled loud enough that I knew the boys probably heard it, my anger ringing in the words.
"Where… Where did you come from?" A shaky voice finally formed a sentence from the man, his voice hoarse from the slim airway I was giving him.
"You don't get to ask the questions." I used my free hand to claw as his cheek lightly as an intimidation method. "Now, I'll state my demand one more time and you better give me the answers I'm looking for. Tell me. Where. Are. My. Parents."
"I would listen to the pretty little thing pinning you down if I were you." Kenny's voice came from the doorway.
"How many of these things are there!" The scared response of the man came in more of a statement than a question.
"First of all, we are not things. I'm still a person just like you, but I don't think you deserve the answer to that since you refuse to give me any." I wanted to say something to Kenny but knew better, knowing he was just trying to help but also irritated he exposed himself before I was sure I wanted him to see what I was doing. My intimidation tactics were tame as far as a vampire's strength and anger goes, but I was far from done with this man and I did not want Kenny to see this side of me, at least not yet, but I had no choice right now.
"Your parents are Amelia and Oscar Kearne I take it." The man finally spoke, stating the obvious to bide his time. "My name is James before you ask. Your parents are being held in a laboratory located in the woods past Stark's Pond. I was just sent back here to find the phone your mother hit as we were taking her away. We knew she contacted someone but she wouldn't tell us who or where she stashed her phone. That's all the information I swear." James finally gave up the information I was looking for, but it wasn't enough for me.
"What do you want with them? Who are you working for?" I questioned further.
"I work for an organization that hunts for mythical creatures. We… We were following a lead we had back in Seattle and it lead us here. We want to study them, to find a way to use their blood as a type of weapon of sorts. Having an army of essentially super humans at our disposal would help us eliminate evil in this world. Would help us be the most powerful organization for eternity." James looked from me to Kenny and back to me. "Please, that's all the information I know. I don't know what the process entails, I'm not that high ranked in the company to know anything further." He begged for me to let him go, to let him live.
"All my kind want is to live in peace, undisturbed. Why do you think we keep who we really are a secret." I spat at James. "Kenny please leave." I asked him as calmly as I could, glancing his way. "This guy doesn't deserve his life if he intends to work with an organization so vile. I love you but I don't want you to see this." My anger fueled mood had only gotten worse from the information James had given me.
"I can handle anything Luna, trust me. You're not gonna drive me away if that's what is worrying you. Our bond is stronger than anything and you should know that better than anyone." Kenny's stern reply and reluctance to leave not helping the anger filled mood I was in, but I knew he was right and with being bonded I knew he would have to experience the ugly side that came with being a vampire eventually.
"Please, I told you what you wanted to know. I'm nothing more than the errand boy for the higher ups. I.. I can promise you I won't tell them about you!" James began to beg once the realization of what was to come next hit him.
"Shut up jackass!" I yelled back, "I can't trust you to keep your mouth shut. Last thing I need is for you to run back and warn them, your promise means nothing to me."
"No! Please let me go!" James begging continued, but it did nothing but irritate me further.
"You served your purpose, now I have no use for you." My reply was cold, some would even say heartless, but I knew that not only my family was at stake in this situation. If this organization is really searching for immortals then leaving one alive just leaves a higher chance for my family's entire coven to be discovered along with may other covens still spread across the world. The risk to my fellow immortals was too high to leave one of these people alive if given the chance. And a chance I had.
I leaned down as James began to struggle once again. Yelling for me to spare him over and over as my lips grazed his neck. He spit at me as a last resort, sending my anger spiking as I pulled back up and looked at him with a look of pure hate. His face went white with fear as he realized he just made things worse for him. I spit back at him as I then proceeded to lean down and rip a bite out of his neck.
"I was going to give you a fast death." I taunted, licking the blood off my lips. "But you just fucked up buddy." James' blood ran from the spot on his neck I took a chunk out of.
I leaned back down, repeating the action on the other side of his neck causing more of his blood to run.
"You're lucky I have a lab to go visit or I would take more time. Sorry to eat and run but I must be going now." I smirked at him as I returned my mouth to his neck, my fangs piercing the flesh below the gap I ripped out as I drained James dry. The struggle he was putting up getting weaker and weaker before it stopped completely, his skin paling and his heartbeat weakening before the thumps stopped all together. I slowly stood up from the lifeless body, my rage receding and my mind coming out from it's hunting mode.
"Luna." Kenny whispered in a tone that showed he was telling the truth before. That he was still calm and didn't care he just saw me at my worst. "Honey come here."
I looked to him, running my tongue over my fangs to clean them from leftover blood as I slowly walked over to him. "I'm sorry." My voice came out as a whisper as I stood in front of him in shame.
He replied by taking my hands and pulling me closer before wrapping his arms around me. "I know who you are, what you are, and I know I want to be part of your life, and that means seeing the bad parts too." His reassurance was comforting, making me feel less like the monster that hid underneath my everyday appearance.
I pulled away and gave a small nod. "Let's go tell the others what we found out."
We left my parents room, shutting the door behind us and making our way back downstairs to join the others once again. Kyle, Stan, and Cartman were all gathered together on what was left of the torn- up couch. They rose in unison as we appeared from the bottom of the stairs. Kyle opened his mouth to speak but closed it again once he noticed the remainder of the blood that gathered in the corners of my mouth.
"I.. I'm guessing whoever was up there is no longer a problem." Kyle finally found the nerve to speak, his eyes darting from the corners of my mouth and away again and again as he tried not to stare.
"You would be correct. " I replied as I avoided his eyes and raised a hand to cover my mouth, only to have it pushed away by Kenny who used his sleeve to wipe the corners of my mouth clean.
"The good news is that Luna found out who took her parents." Kenny informed the others as I continued to avoid their stares.
"Well that's good right?" Stan asked.
"Yeah, apparently the people that took them are part of some organization that spend their time specifically searching for immortals and other mythical creatures. They want to try to use our blood to make their own army of immortals that will listen to them without question. The guy that was here was nothing more than an errand boy and said that there is a science lab in the woods that they took my parents to." My mood perked up a little from the fact that they stuck around even after seeing me with blood on my mouth. That showed me they were still willing to help me. "I… I'm sorry you had to see me with… well you know." I looked down in shame. "I dropped a load on you guys tonight and I'm sorry the circumstances are shit. I really wish this could have been done under better circumstances and with you guys having enough time to get used to my… diet."
"So you drank the blood of one of the people that took your parents, Cartman has done way worse shit throughout the years we have known him and we still hang out with him." Kyle shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "I should be the one apologizing. I didn't mean to stare, it's just you don't always see someone with… Er, blood on their mouth."
"I understand." I returned his smile. "Now, do you guys know anything about a science lab located in the woods near Stark's Pond?"
"You mean Dr. Mephesto's lab? I thought he was just obsessed with giving everything he could get his hands on more asses." Stan answered, receiving a questioning look from me. "It's a weird thing but long story short when we were younger we got a tour of his lab and he had given most everything in there four asses. The plants, the animals, and even some humans… It was a weird experience." He explained as I tried to picture what he was describing and began to laugh.
"That sounds like the weirdest thing ever, but if he has just experimented with asses before, why would he work with an organization like this?" I pondered the possibilities before shaking my head to get the thought of a four- assed immortal army out of my head as I stifled a laugh. "I just have to ask, are you guys still willing to help? I mean now that the initial shock of you finding out I'm not exactly human and we have some information that was gathered in… Unsavory ways." I cringed a little, unsure still of how they really felt about me.
"Hey, like I said Cartman has done way worse in the past without cause or motive. You're our friend and Kenny's girlfriend so how could we not help you." Kyle walked up and put a hand on my shoulder. I returned his gesture with a smile and a small hug before looking to Stan and Cartman.
"Stan? Cartman? What about you guys?" I asked with hopeful eyes.
"I'm with Kyle. You're an awesome friend to have around, being a vampire doesn't make you a different person than who we have come to know." Stan answered as he put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall.
Cartman looked at me with judgmental eyes. "As long the bitch doesn't drink my blood I guess I'm in too." He was back to making smart ass remarks.
"Oh, trust me I don't want your blood. It probably tastes like drinking grease and salt from how often and how much crap you put in your body." I smiled at him when he gave me a slight smirk from my comeback. That was the basis of our friendship, so knowing we were back on good terms was nice.
"Well then, I guess it's settled." I walked through the mess of a living room and stood in the front door, turning my head and looking over my shoulder. "It's time to pay these assholes a visit and let them know they fucked with the wrong vampire." I gave a mischievous grin as Kenny, Kyle, Stan, and Cartman followed me out the door and we all headed towards Stark's Pond.