Xander's POV

Ellie sang the whole way home, and it was pretty funny watching her. We pulled up to her house, and I decided to walk her inside. I saw her parents weren't home yet, so it was probably better that I didn't get confronted by them.

Ellie walked inside to her room, and sat on her bed. I sat next to her as she leaned her head on my chest. I could almost hear her heart beating through her artery on her neck.

I picked up Ellie, and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Her eyes seemed full of love as she kissed me back. I held her close and kissed her again on her lips. She felt so warm, so alive. Something I never felt like, but I wanted it.

I kissed her again, and she leaned her head against mine. I saw her smile, and I felt my senses speed up. I was hungry. She wrapped her hands around my neck as she whispered in my ear.

Ellie's POV

"I love you Xander. I'll always be here for you. . ." I trailed off as I felt something sharp graze my neck.

I tried to sit back to see what it was, but before I could my whole body was shot with a rush of pain. Xander was holding me still and I couldn't move. He was biting me!

I felt like someone had stabbed my neck. My limbs grew limp, and I couldn't move against Xander's iron grip. He held me tight I wondered if he would suffocate me before I died from the loss of blood.

"Xander, you're hurting me," I cried, trying to pull away.

Finally, His fangs ripped from my neck making me scream. I saw his blood covered fangs, as he licked his red stained lips. Before he could finish he shot his head forward, and looked at me almost as if he wasn't in control.

"Oh no, no no no no! Ellie stay with me!" He yelled as he lay me down on the bed.

My body felt so numb and I couldn't move, not one inch. I tried to talk but only small fragments came out.

"Xander. . . it. . ." Was all I heard myself say before it hurt too much to talk.

"Ellie, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Ellie stay with me you're gonna be fine!" I knew he yelled but it seemed as I could only hear in whispers.

I stared at the ceiling and my vision seemed to blur again. His red eyes stared into mine. My eyes began to flutter, and it was hard to keep them open. I could feel the blood dripping from my neck. I fought and fought to keep my eyes open but it was so hard.

Is this how I meet my end? Death by vampire? Just two months ago I didn't even believe vampires existed, but now they were everywhere. My boyfriend was a vampire. Why did he bite me?

Though he wasn't drinking my blood anymore the pain still remained in small sharp jabs. I wanted to flinch, but I still couldn't move.

"Ellie, please stay with me! I can stop the bleeding but you need to stay with me!" He yelled.

He bent down towards my neck and I felt something wet wipe across it. I felt it twice more before Xander looked back into my eyes. Did he just lick me?

I tried to ask him out loud, but nothing came out when I opened my mouth. My mind had gone blank, and slowly my vision went black.

The last words I heard before I lost consciousness were, "I love you, sweetheart. Please stay with me. Im so sorry!"

Ellie's POV

Opening my eyes, I found myself looking into a pair of crimson ones.

"X-Xander. . ?" I murmured, sounding confused.

He almost seemed to want to smile but kept himself from doing so. I craned my neck, though all too quick when a sharp pain settled in. I quickly lay back down closing my eyes.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked me worryingly.

"I. . .I feel really dizzy and tired," I said slowly still trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

I tried squinting, thinking that would help the images in my brain appear. Though they didn't come all at once, I slowly remembered the unfaithful events of last night.

I tried to turn my squint into a glare, but it required effort, and muscles that I clearly didn't have.  As I placed my free hand on my neck Xander's facial expression stayed the same except his eyes. They had a faraway look in them. 

My neck no longer bled, but it was fairly rough, and painful, where he had bitten me. Why couldn't he heal me? I thought vampires could do that.

"It's beyond my control," was all he said before looking away.

"What do you mean?" I questioned him sitting up. Straining my body and neck was pretty painful but it was withstand-able.

Looking around my room I noticed a large blood spot on my sheets. If I hadn't been bitten I would have thought I was on my period.

"If a vampire bites a human they can't use their blood to heal the human they bit. It's just the way it works. But Ellie I'm really sorry. I. . ." He trailed off.

He tried to hug me, but I pushed him away.

"Why did you bite me?" I asked trying to muster a glare.

"I. . . I don't know. I couldn't control myself, and I hadn't fed in a while. I'm so sorry Ellie." He looked down and I noticed his eyes starting to change to blue.

"I guess since my mom died things haven't been the same, and I stopped feeding. She only drank animal blood because she felt taking a humans was wrong. I tried, but I couldn't do it, so I stopped feeding overall."

He sat down still looking at the floor. I moved closer to him my feet now hanging off the bed.

"Xander how could you starve yourself? You need to eat to survive. . . even if it means drinking from a human." I spoke to him slowly raising my voice.

He only shook his head in response. Holding on to his muscular arm, I lay my pounding head against his chest.

"I'll forgive you, but on one condition." I told him trying to look him in the eyes.

"And what would that be, sweetheart?" He responded finally drawing his eyes away from the carpeted floor.

"Promise me you won't ever do it again," I told him. "Unless, you ever turn me into a vampire."

"What? Ellie, I'm not–"

"Xander, we all know one day you're going to have to turn me if you want to stay with me, but we don't have to think about that now."

"Okay. I promise" he said as he cupped my face and kissed me softly.

"But Xander do you pinky promise?" I asked holding up my pinky finger.

"What are you, five?" He asked chuckling as I made a pouty face.

"Alright, alright. I pinky promise." He said holding up his pinky finger and locking it with mine.

"Now what are we going to do about my parents?" I asked him thinking they knew he was here.

"Already took care of it," Was all he said before picking me up and talking me into the bathroom.

"Now you need a shower," he said setting me on the edge of the tub, "I have to go and take care of some things I will be back later."

Turning on the water, I held my hand under it until the temperature was right. I tried washing my neck, but it was sore when I touched it. I washed my hair and put in conditioner. Using a shower luffa I washed myself off and rinsed out my conditioner.

Stepping out I dried myself off with a fluffy blue towel. Walking into my room, I grabbed some clothes and walked back into the bathroom to get dressed.

I decided to put on some eyeshadow and mascara but nothing else beauty wise. I was pooped and didn't need to use more effort than needed. Now to cover up the mess on my neck I used some foundation and toner to make it appear fairly normal.

There was still a noticeable mark so I let my hair hang in front of my shoulders. I noticed my sheets were clean so Xander must have done that for me. Thanks goodness because doing laundry is just not one of my skills.

I walked out into the living room and saw that my parents were sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Good morning Ellie. Did you sleep well after going to bed so late? I know you were reading for a really long time." My mom asked me turning her head in my direction so my father couldn't see her wink. I guess Xander knew that my mom knew, so he had no reason to compel her.

Sometimes I wonder how much she actually knows. I mean why the hell would she be okay with Xander biting me. Maybe she didn't know that. . ?

"Oh. . . uh yeah I slept great!" I said, playing along.

I walked into the kitchen and made myself a toast, waffles, and an egg. Being drained of most of your blood made you work up quite the appetite. I scoffed down all my food and decided to call Caroline and Skyler to see if they wanted to hang out.

They both texted back saying they were busy so I had nothing to do. They always seemed to be busy lately. Caroline probably had some vampire business that she didn't want to get me into, and Skyler, well Skyler is just being Skyler.

I went outside and sat on the patio staring at the sky. The clouds were so fluffy and white. I kept on staring but for a split second I swear I saw the whole sky flash bright crimson red. Blood.

Rubbing my tired eyes, I squinted looking up towards the sky. Everything looked normal, so I assumed I was just imagining things.

Well I have had enough of the outdoors so I headed inside to the safe confines of walls. Grabbing the remote I turned on my favorite movie, Twilight, and watched. I've probably watched Twilight a thousand times by now but it never gets old.

I normally would never blink, for I couldn't tare my gaze away from the muscular Jacob, while watching this, but for some reason this time I couldn't focus.

I kept looking towards the window. It was closed like a normal window should be, but something continued to draw my attention to it.

Again I looked towards the window and this time someone was staring at me, but as soon as they were there they were gone. I rubbed my eyes again, and an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach.

Turning off the TV, I ran outside to my parents, who were gardening and planting flowers. My mom looked towards me happily. I grabbed some flowers and a shovel and crouched on the ground. Just plant the flowers. Pretend everything is fine. You'll be fine. You didn't see anything.

My mom moved a little closer to me and whispered in my ear, "Ellie, are you alright?"

Enjoying the breeze I turned my head to answer, but instead caught a glimpse of the woods where a dark figure loomed at the edge.
I gulped blinking furiously trying to make the figure go away. It seemed to work but I know it was the last I've seen of them.

"I-I'm fine," I whispered.

I continued to plant the flowers, but again everything around my turned red. I fell back and yelped. Running inside I slammed my bedroom door, but I still didn't feel safe. I retreated to my bathroom. No windows.

Something was watching me, and I was freaked out. I heard a soft knock on the door then Xander's voice. I threw open the bathroom door and hugged him tightly.

"Ellie why were you sitting on the bathroom floor with the door locked?" He asked me deeply concerned.

"I-I keep seeing things! S-someone's watching me again!"

"Ellie what do you mean? No one is stalking you." He said still holding me closely.

"But I keep seeing things! First the sky was red, then the man in the window, and then the figure by the forest." I said waveringly.

"Wait, what man?" Xander asked eyes turning red.

"I. . .I don't know. I'm scared Xander! Who is he?" I said burying my face in his jacket.

"It's ok Ellie. He wont hurt you. I'll make sure of it." He told me lightly kissing the top of my head, as he ran his fingers through my hair.

Xander's POV

I didn't know what to tell her. Honestly I was worried because if Ellie was seeing things that means there is a witch involved and if there is a witch involved it means Michael is too.

Can't he sense that I'm here? All I know is that I must protect Ellie, at all costs, because I cannot lose the thing I have tried so hard to get. I can't lose the thing I love so much.