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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟓

  -ˋˏ 𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 ˎˊ-

˚ 　 ✫ 　　　 ˚ . 　　　 ⋆

. · 　　 +

✧

╰┈˚ · ° .   MY HEAD ACHED A LOT.  That was the first thing that I felt as I slowly started to wake. I let out a silent groan of pain, bringing a hand to my temple. At the hairline, my fingertips brushed against a tender spot— there was no open wound, probably already healed— but blood had dried in that spot.

"What the-" The words died on my lips as I noticed the unfamiliar room that I was in. I was in a bathroom, not my own, though, and the tiled floor still had some specks of my blood staining them.

"Bonnie!" My eyes widened at the sight of the girl in the bathtub. Like me she had been hit in the head, but without the help of a faster healing, the Bennett witch was still unconscious.

As I applied on her head a towel that I had wetted with cold water to help with the terrible headache that I was sure she would wake up having, I started to think about how the hell did I end up there. The last thing I remember was going downstairs in the kitchen, no one was home apart from me, and then... nothing, I couldn't remember anything else. One thing was sure, I was not here on my own free will, and neither was Bonnie.

Outside the door, a commotion started. Fear raced through my body, increasing when I recognized Elena's voice, yelling to what I was sure were our kidnappers.

The door of the bathroom opened making my heart skip a beat, without any regards, my sister was shoved inside before they closed once again the door locking us inside.

"Elena." I called my sister's name, letting out a sigh as I ran, engulfing her in a hug.

"Meda, what are you doing here?"

"Pretty much the same thing that you are probably doing. I was kidnapped." I deadpanned, then pointed with my hand at Bonnie. "She was too."

"Oh my god, Bonnie!" Elena was quick to kneel just outside the bathtub to inspect the witch's wounds. "Bonnie?" Slowly the girl started to wake up.

"Elena?" Groggily, Bonnie said.

"Oh, you're okay."

"My head."

"Here. Keep this on." I gave the Bennet witch the wet towel to continue to apply on her head.

"Oh, my God." She gasped, fear shining in her eyes, "Ben is a va..."

"Shh." Elena was quick to stop her. She got up, opening the faucet so that the sound of the water would cover our voices. "They can hear."

"It was Ben that kidnapped us?" I asked since I had no memory of who did this to us.

"Yeah. I'm so stupid."

"No, he had all of us fooled." Elena said, trying to console her hurt friend.

"What's going on? Why are we here?"

"I would like to know that too." I added.

"It must have something to do with the tomb and Emily's spell book." Elena revealed.

"Spell book?"

"Damon said that it could open the tomb."

"Why didn't I know about any of this?" Bonnie asked her. But she wasn't the only one that was in the dark here. And still, I got kidnapped alongside them. I understood Bonnie since Emily was her ancestor and she was a witch, but I was— for almost anyone's knowledge— just a human girl.

"I was trying to keep you out, hoping it would never come to this." Elena told the Bennet girl.

"Come to what?"

"They need a witch to break the spell and let the vampires out."

"No way."

"I know. I know. I know."

"And what about me? You didn't tell me anything either." I whispered to my sister. In reply she just lightly shrugged her shoulders, at least she kind of looked apologetic about it.

The door burst open behind us. Ben entered, narrowing his eyes on us as he closed off the stream of water.

"You're wasting your time." Bonnie spoke, keeping her gaze locked on her ex-crush. "I'm not gonna help you."

Ben chuckled, amused by her words. He knelt next to us, taking Elena close to him. "That's why she's here." He said as my sister struggled in his hold. "Motivation for you to behave."

"And why am I here?" I asked since he had not mentioned my role, and to be completely honest, I was eager to know my part in all of this.

Ben shrugged his shoulders, showing me a sly smirk. "You were there. We could use you to make them both behave and eat you if we are hungry." His eye rolled into the back of his head as he took a bag inhale. Smirk widening as he traced his fingers on my cheek. "You do smell better than any other human."

I recoiled from his touch. Not just in a way I would usually do with any other person, this was clear disgust that blurred through my mind.

Ben sighed, looking back at Bonnie with a taunting smile. "You know, you shouldn't be so desperate. You made it too easy." He stood up, taking Elena with him. "She wants to talk to you."

And then both were gone on the other side of the door.

Did he just slut shamed her? "He is wrong, you know." I said to Bonnie. "You weren't disparate. You just liked him. He is the real pathetic person here."

Bonnie gave me a tight lipped smile but I could recognize the gratitude behind that single gesture.

We waited in the bathroom for almost fifteen minutes before Ben entered again, shoving us both outside with him this time. We were in a motel room, and there with Elena, there was a girl that couldn't look more than 16, but since she was a vampire I presumed, I couldn't be sure of her exact age. She definitely was older than me.

"Keep them buttoned down." The girl that was apparently in command said, "Compulsion won't work. Just use violence."

Even if annoyed by the order, Ben didn't let it show much other than with the pursing of his lips. "Right. I got that." The door closed behind the girl as she left us three there with Ben. "Sit. Behave." The vampire took off his leather jacket, draping it on the back of a chair in front of the bed before he started to talk with Bonnie. "So you're the key to this. Literally. The one who opens the door. Tell me, how long have you been a witch?"

"Is there anything to drink here?" Elena asked, already knowing that Bonnie was not going to reply to the vampire's question.

"Are you offering?" Smiling sadistically, Ben approached Elena. "There's water on the nightstand."

"Hey. Can I have a sip?" Bonnie asked Elena as she went to take a sip from the glass filled with water.

From the looks that the two girls were exchanging, Bonnie was not thirsty. When she took the glass, the witch threw the water on Ben, lightening it on fire.

The vampire started to shout in pain as the fire started to burn him, and we took that opportunity to run to the door. We were almost out when Ben caught Elena by her arm, yanking her back to him.

"Come back in, shut the door!" He shouted enraged.

"Don't hurt her." I said through clenched teeth as I saw my sister struggling against him.

"Don't make me." I glared a thim as both Bonnie and I entered once again in the room. "Lock it." Following his command, I did as he said, locking the door behind me.

Ben threw Elena on the bed, shoving Bonnie away as he caught me by the throat. "Now, I'm hungry." His eyes darkened and veins appeared underneath his eyes as sharp fangs elongate from his canine.

I let out a strangled scream as they pierce the skin of my neck. Mouthful after mouthful, he drank my blood. Elena and Bonnie shouted at him to stop, but it was only on his terms, it was only when I was almost on the verge of passing out that he moved away from me.

"What are you?" He asked with blood dripping down his chin.

"Eat shit, asshole." I grumbled as I swayed on my feet until arms helped me steady and led me down on the bed. I was so weak that I didn't even have the strength to recoil from the unexpected touch.

"Watch your mouth." He spoke, clenching his jaw and fist at the same time.

I was tempted to say or what? But I still had some surviving instinct.

As if he had not just tried to drain me dry and still had my blood dripping from his chin, the vampire smiled ready to continue to ask his million questions, "Witches don't have eternal life, right? So you guys can die."

"Yeah, we can die." Replied Bonnie.

"That sucks." Ben chuckled.

Suddenly the door was kicked open, the lock doing nothing for the supernatural strength of a vampire. Definitely nothing for the one of an enraged dragon shifter.

The rays of sun hit Ben that without a daylight ring, he started to burn instantly. He crawled away in fear and pain until he was sheltered by the beds.

"Stefan!" Elena ran to her boyfriend.

But as soon as Zyran locked eyes with mine, his nostril flared as he caught the scent of my blood. He lowered his gaze to my neck that had already healed and then he moved it to the vampire. Smoak hefted from his skin, eyes glowed a vibrant blue.

"You are fucking dead." He gritted out. His hand caught Ben by his throat, he lifted him until the vampire couldn't touch the floor with his feet anymore.

"Please." The vampire whimpered.

"Zyran! What the hell are you doing?" Stefan caught his arm only to flinch back as his hand got burned badly.

With no further words, with no emotion other than pure anger, Zyran didn't even flinch as he set Ben on fire. Blue flames engulfed the vampire, choked screams leaving his lips until a charred corpse was everything that remained.

"Zy." I called his name in relief, the dragon beneath his skin growling as he set his eyesight on me.

I was sure that if he had been another person, I would have never approached him without a hint of fear in me. Still slightly unstable on my feet, I wobbled until I could wrap my arms around his waist. Zyran didn't waste another second before returning the hug. Purr echoed in his chest alongside slight growls when I was sure he had caught again the scent of my blood.

I connected my lips with his, enjoying the warmth that he emanated like a warm blanket of safety and serenity. I kept the kiss short, aware of the three other people in the room, and when we split up, Zyran was back in full control, shining me with his charming characteristic smile that melted my heart. I pecked him one last time before stepping back.

"Let's go." I said. I did not want to spend even another second in that motel room.

───── ⋆˖⁺‧ ☽◯☾ ‧⁺˖⋆ ─────

╰┈˚ · ° .   We directed ourselves to the Sheila Bennett household. She had been the one to track us through a spell giving the position to Stefan and Zyran.

"So, what do we do now?" Elena asked though a sigh.

"Well, for now, you need to stay here." Replied Stefan looking at his girlfriend and the two witches.

"A prisoner in my own home? I don't think so." Sheila said, her amusement was clear as she spoke.

"I can't protect you if you leave." The vampire told her as he crossed his arms on his chest.

"We'll protect ourselves." The woman came from a powerful line of witches. She herself was powerful enough that I knew that if she wanted the vampire dead, he would have no chance to leave the house alive. She did not need his protection.

"We need to let him have Katherine back." Elena said after she had pondered on her words for a few seconds. "He's not gonna stop until he gets her. If we help him, maybe that ends it."

"No. He doesn't deserve to get what he wants." Bonnie said, shaking her head in disapproval of her friend's idea.

I let out a scoff, talking for the first time since we had left the motel room. "You mean that your idea is to have another psychotic vampire running around Mystic Fall? And Bonnie is right, Damon does not deserve to get what he wants."

"What other choice do we have?" My sister said.

"Killing him?" I proposed not at all joking.

"Meda." The disappointment in her tone was stark when she said my name. She looked at me like she couldn't believe that I had suggested something like that.

Did she forget what he did to Caroline? The question blared through my mind and I had to contain myself from not showing my feelings at that moment to her. I was disappointed in her too.

"Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. As much as we try to do to stay out of it." Sheila stated, eyes flickering to Stefan. "I'll open the tomb. You get your brother's girl and destroy the rest with fire. Then this will be all over."

"We have to get Damon to agree." The vampire said not confident that his brother would follow through with this plan.

"He already agreed once." Elena spoke.

"Yeah, and we double-crossed him. So now he's angry."

"He's hurt. There's a difference." The brunette girl corrected her boyfriend. "I think I know what I have to do."

"You can play 'save the desiccated vampire while the boyfriend throws a tantrum.' I'm out of this." Another scoff left my lips as I judged my sister with my eyes. I turned to the witches, giving them a genuine smile, "Thank you for the locator spell, Mrs. Bennett. Bye Bonnie."

And with that, I walked out of the house. And after me, Zyran followed.

───── ⋆˖⁺‧ ☽◯☾ ‧⁺˖⋆ ─────

╰┈˚ · ° .   The ride back to my house was silent. Zyran didn't utter a word, not even when he led me to my bathroom, not even when he picked me up and sat me down on the counter, not even when he started to clean the skin on my neck with a wet towel.

"Zy?" He stayed silent, not even meeting my eyes. "Zy please, talk to me."

"What do you want me to say?" He finally spoke, but his voice was colder than I had ever heard, anger cutting at the edges, alongside with guilt that he tried to bury away to not let me hear.

"You know it wasn't your fault, right?" I asked, furrowing my brows. He didn't reply, he kept his gaze on my neck, towel gliding along the skin cleaning away the stains of my blood. "Zyran?" I lifted his chin with my hand until I had a clear view of his eyes, "It wasn't your fault."

"It was." He stated, eyes shining with unshed tears. "It was my fault. You are my mate and I did not protect you."

"You can't control what others do. It's bound to happen in this town from how things are going. I will get hurt and it will never be your fault."

"He hurt you." His voice was filled with vulnerability. Shaking with fear. "He could have-"

I cut him off by wrapping my arms around him. "It wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself." I whispered.

But I know that he still did even when he returned the hug, hiding his face in the crook of my neck.

"Don't shut me out. It's you and me, Zy. I will do whatever I can to help you. Yell, scream, cry, be angry, but don't shut me out."

"Okay." He whispered against my skin.

"Okay."

I could never have enough of him. Of the way I would melt instantaneously in his hold, or how I never felt safer, happier in my life then when I was with him.

He lifted me up again, making sure that I had my legs wrapped around him securely, he walked us to my room falling delicately on the bed still entangled with each other.

"What the-!" He almost jumped away when the cat landed on his back before curling near my head. "Is that a cat?"

"That's Bastet." I told him with a grin, reaching to the cat to pet her behind her ear. A purr came from the animal in response as she pushed her head against my hand.

"She is so cute." Zyran smiled, cooing at the cat. But before he could reach her to pet her, Bastet hissed, making the dragon-shifter flinch back. "Not so cute, alright."

A laugh bubbled from my lips. "I was starting to think that she was cursed by a witch or something to be sweet. I guess not."

"Since when you have a cat, anyways?" Zyran asked, giving the animal a side-eye as she started to groom herself.

"A couple of days." I replied, "I found her outside and she is not leaving apparently."

"And you called her Bastet? Really?"

"Bastet is the Egyptian goddess of the home, domesticity, women's secrets, fertility, and childbirth. But is mostly associated with cats since she assumed the image of a cat or a feline-headed woman."

"I would have thought that you would have called her something like Star or like a constellation." He raised an eyebrow teasingly.

"Maybe the next pet." I replied with a chuckle.

The night passed in serenity. What happened outside the walls of my room did not matter to us, we were in our own world.

That was until the bubble burst with Elena's message.

Katherine was not in the tomb and Sheila Bennett had died using too much power opening the tomb.

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!!

I know that right now, Meda doesn't know how to protect herself, but I swear, the time for her to learn how to fight will come. We will make a badass fighter out of our girl.

Thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on Wednesday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾