"Hey, you're not a monster,

" Alyssa told him sternly as she leaned up to gaze down at him. Her eyes were even narrowed.

"I know your family and your past is confusing, but I know who you are. You're strong, sweet, and caring. You look out for those you care about. You know how to get things done. You're mine. My beautiful monster.

"

Elias gazed up at her, letting her words sink in. They were exactly what he needed to hear.

"Damn, I love you,

" he sighed, feeling some tension fade away. He was still upset, but as long as he had Alyssa by his side, things wouldn't be as bad as they could be.

"I love you,

" Alyssa said.

"Don't let all of this make you lose sight of who you are.

"

Elias knew that was the best advice that he could get. He needed to keep it in mind, especially as things started to develop more and more.

Secrets were being revealed, and his bloodline ran deeper than he ever could've imagined.

*************

Elias suddenly woke up to the smell of smoke. His senses were sharper than even most vampires, jolting him awake just at the hint of that scent. He sat up in his bed, looking around and wondering if he was just imagining things.

However, that smell still lingered, and it was growing stronger and stronger by the second. He reached out and shook Alyssa awake as she snoozed beside him. He didn't stop until she stirred, giving him a slightly annoyed look at the random wake-up call.

"Wake up. I smell smoke,

" he told her as he climbed out of bed.

"I don't smell anything,

" Alyssa said, giving him a confused look.

Elias threw open the bedroom door, able to smell the smoke even more. He could also hear movement from downstairs. Other people were starting to wake up. He reached his hand out to Alyssa.

"Come on,

" he said, coaxing her to just listen to him. He knew that he wasn't going crazy or anything. He trusted his senses, and they were telling him that a fire had started somewhere close to them.

Alyssa gave him a worried look before taking his hand, letting him lead her downstairs.

Elias could already see an orange glow coming from the kitchen. He hurried over to the doorway to see a fire growing in the middle of the kitchen. He had no idea where it came from, but it was growing abnormally fast.

"Fire! Get out of the house!

" Elias shouted, waking the rest of the house up if they weren't already awake. He coughed as the smoke started to pour out of the kitchen.

"Go outside and wait for me!

"

Alyssa looked hesitant, but she gave in and ran out of the house.

Elias rushed back up the stairs, almost running into Melina as she came out of her room with Tyler.

"There's a fire downstairs,

" he told her, figuring that she hadn't been able to smell it. Her senses weren't as sharp as his.

Melina gave him a bewildered look.

"What? How?

" she asked him.

Elias shook his head.

"I don't know, but I need to find Mom and Dad,

" he said, letting his instincts take over.

"Go outside with Alyssa!

"

Tyler took Melina's hand and whisked her down the stairs as smoke filled the entire bottom floor of the house. The fire started to crawl outside of the kitchen already, making its way toward the living room and foyer.

Elias hurried down the stairs and past the kitchen and living room to beat on his parents' door. He only knocked a few times before the door was thrown open, and his half-awake parents came into view.

"We have to get out now!

" he said, turning to see that the fire blocked him from the front door. He cursed beneath his breath as he led his parents closer.

Something spoke to him in the back of his mind, and he focused on the fire, centering all of his energy on it.

He narrowed his eyes, watching the fire slowly die down enough to clear a small path.

"Go!

"

Nora and Daniel hurried through the path and outside of the house.

Elias grunted as pain filled his head. He let go of the energy, letting the fire flare back up. The flames lashed out at him, burning his arms as he stumbled back.

He could feel the heat everywhere, and the smoke stung his eyes. He blinked back the tears forming in his eyes, trying to see so that he could figure a way out.

"Melinda, don't!

" Tyler's voice sounded from outside of the house.

Suddenly, Melina ran into the foyer, facing the fire. She put her hand out toward the fire, making it die down again to create a hole for Elias to jump through.

"Come on!

" she shouted at him, sounding like she was struggling as she kept the fire at bay for him.

Elias backed up before charging at the fire, jumping through the hole. The flames still lapped at his arms and legs, burning him slightly, but he made it out on the other side. He stumbled through the door after Melina, leaving the burning house behind him.

Tyler and Alyssa rushed forward to grab Melina and Elias, helping them away from the house and the smoke pouring from it. Nora and Daniel huddled together, watching their house give away to smoke and fire with a devastated look on their faces.

"Are you okay?

" Alyssa asked Elias, grabbing the frame of his face to check on him. She could see black marks on his face and red burns on his arms.

Elias nodded, coughing slightly from the smoke in his lungs. He leaned against Alyssa, turning to watch the flames eat the house up steadily. His childhood home was being destroyed right in front of his eyes.

"Elias,

" Alyssa suddenly murmured, tugging at the sleeve of his shirt.

Elias turned, following her intense gaze to see a shadow across the street on the border of the nearby woods. He felt his heart stop, a dark feeling taking over his entire body. He blinked once, and then the figure was suddenly gone.

"Who was that?

" Alyssa asked as she turned to give Elias a worried look.

Elias shook his head, unsure of how to even answer that question. He had a bad feeling about that figure across the street.

Who would be watching their house burn? Maybe they started the fire.. All that he knew for sure was that something bad was coming, and he had no idea how to prepare for it.