Somewhere, California

Snow capped mountain ranges towered distant westward, while glimmering waves crashed against steep jagged cliffs. Three men and women gathered atop a slowly crumbling ledge. One man had long wind-whipped white hair currently loose from fighting. Smeared with blood he stood at the extreme edge. "Don't come near me." He growled. "You don't know what was done." His gaze s.h.i.+fted to the three women. "Take them away from here. The is going to rise soon."

The three women watched as the two men attempted to convince him from the edge.

"Eduard, this isn't the way to go." A brown-haired man appealed. "You know there are ways to get rid of that poison."

A rude snort interrupted the first speaker. "He's suicidal, we've known this for a very long time, Jonah." The second man growled. Short cut white hair framed a thin featured face with sharp green eyes that currently glared at the long haired slightly older version of him.

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"This isn't something that alchemy can cure." Eduard snapped. "You know it too well." He paused. "Take into consideration just what my mother was." He shook his head. "The change has come, and I need to embrace it, or simply turn to ash when the sun rises." He folded his arms. "At least take the sisters elsewhere, Thorn, Jonah." He glanced at them. "They don't need to witness what's going to happen, even if you to insist on remaining."

All three of them, Jonah, Thorn, and Eduard, related through blood, found this situation very discomfiting.

One of the females grumbled. "Rose, Jessie, we should leave these losers here." She gestured contemptuously. "I have no respect for a suicidal idiot." She glowered outraged at Eduard who didn't flinch at her words, though Jonah and Thorn stiffened at her insults.

"Eleanor that isn't necessary." Rose frowned at her.

"Isn't it?" Eleanor snarled. "I thought Eduard loved me. Instead, I find that he's a weak-hearted half-vampire that won't allow anyone near him." She covered her lower body as she spoke. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have lain with him to bear a child."

Eduard gave her a hard stare. "You also slept with Thorn and Jonah in an attempt to get with child for the Lord Sire's favor." He spat. "I'm surprised you didn't lie with him either!"

She'd slept with the other two? Jessie and Rose recoiled from Eleanor's sides as soon as they heard that accusation.

"How dare you." Eleanor glared enraged now rather than outraged.

"Well, it is true, unless you've identical sisters of age and look." Thorn acknowledged her words as truth. "Too bad you didn't think about the differences between me and Eduard before you pulled that c.r.a.p." He eyed Jonah. "Though how you mistook him for one of us…" His eyebrows rose at Eleanor.

Eleanor sighed. "I didn't mistake anyone for anyone else." She shrugged. "You're right. I did this to gain the Lord Sire's favor." She smirked. "So what? It just means that this child will continue the family line regardless of which son it was."

Silence descended between the six gathered.

There was nothing else that could be said really. At last Eduard grunted. "You going to tell her the truth, Jonah?" He smiled coldly. "Thank me later for saving you from an embarra.s.sment in regard to the young mistress Eleanor who is not even close to innocent." He kept one hand against his side. He glanced sideways at the waters slowly rising with the tide. In the distance he could see a faint glow. "The sun rises soon." They'd yet to do anything he'd asked of them. He would have to do this the hard way in order to convince them of his sincerity.

Thorn looked at them in askance. He opted not to say anything, but tried moving closer to Eduard, only to stop cold when Eduard stepped ever closer to the edge. "Not another step, Thorn." Eduard growled and shot them all ferocious stares.

His features gradually changed into something inhuman.

Struck at the obvious changes that could only happen when a vampire's blood slowly took over rationale, Jonah coughed. "Not his blood son. I'm a stepson." He shrugged. "You wasted time with me." He regarded Eleanor coldly. "Glad I learned of your true nature before I almost proposed to you." He grimaced. "So glad I'm not making that mistake.

"d.a.m.n you all." Eleanor spat. She hurled something at all three of them and shoved the other two females. "None of you are worth the ha.s.sle of going through the childbearing process. Weaklings, all of you." She shoved a dagger into her heart uncaring of the unborn children in her womb.

Flames erupted along the gra.s.sy portion of the ledge.

Screams arose from below as witnesses became aware of the ensuing events above them.

"d.a.m.n you for being such a selfish b.i.t.c.h, Eleanor." Thorn cursed.

Eduard vanished from sight.

Rose and Jessie scrambled to safety. They avoided the flames rising at an alarming rate. They joined Thorn and Jonah, who cut the unborn offspring from Eleanor's convulsing body. "She's not going to survive this." Jonah stated grimly.

"We'll care for them…" Rose stopped short. She saw them shaking their head. "This cannot be happening. That selfish b.i.t.c.h won't succeed in her dastardly plan." She growled furiously. "I won't let this become another circle of rebirth to early death, and no way of returning."

The two males stared at her warily. Thorn shook his head. "Too late, they're dead." He swore with rising anger. "Four corpses, this night." He exhaled. "We'll add to that number if we don't get out of here right now."

Jessie said nothing while she waited for Rose to regain her composure. Dissatisfied with all their reactions, Rose grunted. "This isn't the end and we're not allowing Eleanor this kind of victory again." The fact that she possessed such determination made the two brothers and Jessie sigh.

"Well if you've any other suggestions, I'm willing to help." Thorn stated. Jonah nodded. "It isn't as if we're against helping. We just don't know what to do next." He shrugged in frustration.

"Don't worry, we're going somewhere safe." Jessie stated calmly. "Rose, we're going to the safe haven, aren't we?"

"We are." Rose nodded. "it is the only place we can go now." Sadly, it really was but she'd hoped for a better ending to the night.

"I hope you all know where you're going." Thorn muttered. "I'm tired of having horrific endings to what was a pleasant day previously."

Jonah shrugged. "I'm all for having something salvaged from this disaster." He regarded Rose with a faint smile. "Lead the way, lady. I'm willing to a.s.sist if it means two innocent lives saved." He didn't care what Thorn thought about the situation.

Thorn grunted. "In case you haven't noticed, the ground is giving way beneath our feet." He growled at his brother. "This is no time to have sentimental reminiscing." He also thought Jonah a little too carefree right then.

*

Were they gone yet? Eduard listened intently from where he clung to protruding rocks beneath the ledge. He clearly heard Eleanor cursing everyone above him. Warmth from flames he couldn't stand being warned him she'd resorted to her favorite execution method.

"d.a.m.n you, Eleanor." He muttered disgusted. "You'll never change."

Eduard sincerely hoped he never ran into any version of her again. A sigh escaped him. He bled from too many wounds. There was no escaping the frothing waters below him. "d.a.m.n good thing I can swim." If he didn't turn to ash before the rays of sunlight struck him midway. Though maybe that was the best outcome.

"Whatever. Time to say goodbye to the old and familiar." Eduard wasn't afraid of death. He welcomed it. However, anyone else who knew him, knew that he wasn't likely to give in gracefully to anything that would take life from him such as what Eleanor attempted.

He let go of the rocks and found that all the blood he lost cost him more than he antic.i.p.ated. "Oh dear." He closed his eyes as he impacted against hidden rocks and swirling waters. Then he felt burning sensations as the sunlight struck him.

Ouch.