Xander's POV

I rushed outside when I heard the muffled scream. I searched for Ellie's thoughts but I heard none. Running down the sidewalks I neither found nor heard anything besides Shadow's plea full whines. I tucked Shadow into my jacket and called out Ellie's name again, still returning in silence.

I knew I shouldn't have let her go outside on her own! I knew Michael was planing something, and he would carry it out in the day she turned seventeen!

My eyes widened and my teeth clenched so hard I thought they would break. If my eyes weren't already red they were like fire now. I growled in anger accidentally scaring shadow.

Using my super speed, I ran to Caroline's house. She didn't answer the door the first time, so I began repeatedly clicking the doorbell.

She finally came out and instead of explaining everything I handed her the cat and told her to hurry.

She placed shadow inside with her parents, and ran outside with me. Don't ask me how she keeps everything a secret from her parents, but she's pretty good at it.

Catching up with me her eyes seemed to fuse to red as mine did. I had told her what happened to Ellie through our mind link, and now we were both furious.

We ran to Josh's house and dragged him outside. Without time to explain we just ran and he followed. Now we all shared a mind link, and I was frantically ranting. Thankfully they were good listeners.

We ran to my house hoping my dad could help, but he wasn't home. I tried calling him but he never answered.

Dammit! He was one of the strongest vampires, and he just had to be gone now!?

Still not satisfied I called my cousins and they all answered on the first ring, surprisingly. I told them to come asap and that Ellie was in danger. I paced in the front yard as they showed up within five minutes, appearing out of thin air.

"Alright, guys we need a plan!" I said almost growling.

"Why don't we just attack?" Andrew and Daniel said at the same time. Of course they would think that way.

"He is expecting us to do that! We have to be smart. I'm guessing he has people helping him. Somehow he didn't die. My father was supposed to kill him. Obviously that never happened because he escaped."

I growled, punching a tree and causing it to fall over. Everyone stared at me, as I let out my rage. Coming back to my senses, I directed them on what to do.

"Andrew, Daniel, you scout on the edge of town, check the warehouses. It's where she was last. Caroline and Josh you check everywhere in town even public places. Marie your with me. Got it?"

"Got it!" They all yelled running off to their positions, disappearing with their unnatural speed.

This was going to be a long night, but it's for Ellie. I was done with Michael trying to take her from me! She was my girlfriend and she would always be, that is if she would still have me after all of this.

Marie and I searched everywhere starting with where I found shadow. Her sent was strong until a few feet inside of the forest. We searched the forest top and bottom but found nothing.

I wasn't giving up yet. I would never give up on Elizabeth.

Ellie's POV

Opening my eyes my vision seemed blurry like I need glasses. Blinking, it became clearer but I still couldn't focus on any one thing. My mind seemed fuzzy.

There was a dim light in the corner and a chair under it. I noticed I was strapped to a chair. My arms tied with bands around the arm rests, and my legs around the bottom of the chair legs, similar to how I had been tied before.

Someone chuckled behind me, and I felt fangs sink into my neck. I screamed out in pain, but a hand covered my mouth before I could make much sound. My mind got even fuzzier and I was sure I was going to pass out, but the fangs released from my neck and I heard a deep chuckle.

Michael walked out from behind me, a crimson grin on his face. He licked his fangs, watching me intently.

Without warning he placed a syringe at me wound and injected something into my neck. I winced in pain and tried not to cry out. He bit me and now he was trying to give me medicine?

"Oh princess, it's not medicine, it's poison," Michael laughed. I scowled and turned my head unable to look into his menacing eyes any longer. "It's slowly flowing into your body making you weaker and weaker, princess. That is if you don't die before then." He said smirking.

I spat at him, glaring intensely. He was still the same sadistic bastard as before. And he expected me to be his?

"If I can't be yours, then no one can! Elizabeth you've been a bad girl, running away from me. I think you need to be punished." He fake tripped over an almost invisible string and he made an 'oops' face. Before I could comprehend why he did that a knife was shot into my right arm out of nowhere.

I screamed in pain as tears filled my eyes. I could feel the knife imbedded deep in my flesh. It only dug deeper as I moved.

Suddenly, Michael pulled the knife from my arm, making me scream. He watched me still as he licked my blood from the knife.

"You know I think this is taking too long," he said, pulling another syringe from his pocket. It was filled was a dark liquid, but I could hardly tell what it was in the dark. Before I could react he pushed a needle into my forearm and injected more of the poison.

My heart skipped a beat, and for moments it seemed hard to breathe. My breathing became horse and my vision became fuzzy again. I was too weak to hold myself up against the blood loss and the poison.

"Don't you think I know you're Kelly's daughter? I will make her pay by hurting what she loves most."

Suddenly, it seemed as if my bones were shaking, and it hurt. Michael laughed hysterically at my struggling. I wanted so bad to punch him in the face right now, but I couldn't even move against the pain.

My whole body shook until I fell back and fainted to the amount of pain radiating throughout my body.

•

Waking up, I felt myself being untied, and I saw Xander in front of me. The poison must have not taken full effect, and killed me yet. He was here to save me.

He fully untied me and stepped back tripping over a nearly invisible string. Oh god. Another knife sped out of nowhere lodging itself in my stomach.

I screamed as Xander laughed. Except it wasn't Xander it was Michael. His appearance faded away again, revealing the sadist in front of me.

"Awww it was so cute when you thought I was him!" He said sitting back down in his chair.

Though I was untied I couldn't move. I began to cough up blood causing myself to lunge forward. I screamed as blood gurgled in my throat.

Michael just sat watching in awe. I heard a blood curdling growl even louder than mine erupted from upstairs. A girl covered in blood toppled down a flight of stairs now visible in the opposite corner of the room. But it wasn't just any girl, it was Marie, and that meant Xander was on his way.

I tried turning to look at her, but it only pushed the knife in farther. I must have looked like a mess. Bloody clothes and hair.

Xander came down the stairs after her, as she collapsed from exhaustion. Xander's eyes were even redder than before, and his mouth was full of blood.

Trying to stand up I ran over to him only to be pulled back my Michael. I whimpered loudly as Michael stuck another syringe in my neck letting the poison flow into me. Even in my immense amount of pain I still felt the need to try and think were he could have gotten poison.

"Ellie, that's not poison! That's venom!" Xander said fuming. What does he mean, venom?

Xander ran towards me, but before he could reach me Michael pulled the knife from my stomach causing me to cough up more blood and fall to the floor.

Picking me up, he raised the knife to my neck, as my eyes widened. He wasn't going to kill me. He was gonna make me a vampire, and then kill Xander, so I could be Michael's forever. I couldn't let that happen. Fuck it!

Using the last of my strength I punched him square in the jaw and ran, well more tripped, my way to Xander.

He pulled me into his chest. Though I could barely breathe his calming scent calmed me down instantly. But before I could wrap my arms around Xander my back was shot with a bolt of pain.

"X-Xander?" I stuttered leaning back.

Xander's face turned extremely pale as his eyes filled with horror. My eyes welled with tears as I reached for the knife plunged in my back.

Realization hit me and I knew it struck my heart. Unable to support myself any longer I collapsed to the ground crying but unable to utter a sound. Xander caught me seconds before my head hit the concrete floor.

Trying to talk Xander only put a finger to my lips. Leaning forward he placed his warm lips on mine, as he pulled the knife from my heart. His eyes now too filled with tears spoke a thousand words, but he only had to say it once.

"I love you, Elizabeth," He muttered before my eyes fell shut.

Xander's POV

Michael smirked, as he threw the knife and it hit Ellie's back. I heard her heart slow and I knew the blade had struck it.

She fell to the ground, but I caught her just in time. Michael just stared mesmerized. I would deal with him later.

Ellie tried to talk causing her heartbeat to slow even more. I Put my finger to her lips before I placed my own upon hers. She felt cold. Having been tortured she had lost her body heat.

My eyes welled with tears, and I told her the only thing I had ever meant in my entire life, "I love you sweetheart!"

Her eyes closed and she drew her last breath. There was nothing I could do. He had already given her the venom, she would be one of us when she woke.

I screamed at the top of my lungs causing even unconscious Marie to stir.

Ellie shouldn't have to suffer like us vampires do. The forever craving of blood. Michael would pay! He will pay!

I ran towards him with full force, knocking him to the ground. Using all my strength, I dug into his eye and tugged on it causing him to scream. I would torture him like he did Ellie. Twisting his eye I pulled it out slowly. Once his eye was out I punched his face over, and over, and over.

Finally regaining strength he got up punching me in the stomach sending me back a few feet. I wasn't giving up yet. Using my super speed I dodged his next several blows. I saw his eye had regenerated. Now that he could fully see I had to be more careful.

Coming from behind me he punched my neck causing me to jerk forward, but I didn't do it without I taste of my own medicine. I pushed my leg back and kicked him in the shin. He tripped, and fell flat on his face.

This fight wasn't over yet. Andrew and Daniel toppled down the stairs. Daniels arm was torn full off. That would take him a while to regenerate but he could still fight.

They charged at Michael, as I did. Each grabbing an arm and holding him to the floor. I took the knife that was once in Ellie's heart and stabbed it into his lung. He coughed up blood and begged me to stop, as he tried to smile through the pain. I took another knife laying on the ground and stabbed it into his heart.

"You will suffer as Ellie did! You will bear the pain of death!" Screaming, I stabbed it into is heart again and again. Even after his body stopped moving I continued. I ripped his heart from his body, tossing it as far away from me, but even then I continued stabbing his body, over and over.

Andrew and Daniel both tried to pry my off but I only threw them back.

"XANDER! This isn't you!" Andrew screamed staring into my eyes.

I stopped leaving the knife buried within his chest. Getting up I looked over at Ellie. The floor was stained with her blood as were her clothes. I picked her up bridal style and walked up the stairs. I looked at her lifeless body, and my chest filled with guilt.

Running home, I kicked open the door. It fell off its hinges and onto the floor. I took her upstairs and laid her in the shower. Caroline and Marie both stumbled in a few minutes later. I sat on the toilet seat with my head in my hands. This was all my fault.

"Xander, we will take care of her," they both said ushering me to leave the room.

I walked and sat on my bed just outside the bathroom door. She wouldn't wake for a least a few hours, if she would wake at all. Transition to a vampire was both a painful and terrifying experience. I had wanted this for Elizabeth one day, but not now. After everything, she wouldn't make it against the pain.

About two hours later they came out of the bathroom with Ellie. She looked beautiful, like nothing ever happened, all her wounds were gone.

She wore one of my moms old dresses, a crimson color. Her hair was braided neatly and her makeup had been done exquisitely. Her locket hung around her neck, but her ring was missing.

"Caroline where is her ring?!" I asked getting worried.

"Oh, I have it. I just had to properly clean it. It was covered in blood."

She handed it to me and I took it eagerly. I walked back to the still sleeping Ellie and slid it on her finger.

Seconds later she shot up in bed gasping for air. Everyone turned and ran to her.

"Ellie?" I whispered as she starred around the room almost as if she was scared.

Looking across the room at the mirror her reflection stared back, her wide eyes watching her. But her eyes were not red. They were the blue they had always been. All of us made eye contact but were still equally confused. Ellie was not a vampire, but she was alive, and I felt myself gush with relief. She was alive. My love was alive.