FROSTBITE • mikaelson mate

chapter three

CHAPTER THREE
serenity

I awoke with a pounding headache and an awareness of being tied up. Wincing, I lifted my head and blinked as my vision began to clear. I seemed to be in a huge but very rundown room. I wondered if I was in one of the abandoned mansions that I'd read about in the news once. I had always wanted to visit one, having romanticised the idea of nature reclaiming the building. Turns out there is nothing romantic about a run down house.

I began to pull at the ropes, rubbing my wrists raw with the frantic movement. I was in a stake of panic and complete shock. I simply couldn't believe that I'd been chloroformed and tied to a chair. It is the type of thing that you hear about on the news but never expect to actually experience.

The wooden chair I was tied to was incredibly uncomfortable. I could feel splinters digging into my back so I attempted to lean forward as much as I could before the ropes protested. One of the chair legs was shorter than the other three, causing it to wobble as I moved, which made my situation even more frustrating.

I looked to the side and saw a couch with a girl lying there. She seemed to be gradually waking from an unconscious state. I watched her carefully, unsure if she was one of my captors or not. She was not tied up like I was, however, it was still possible that she had been abducted just like I had.

The girl slowly sat up before looking over at me. A look of confusion crossed her face as she observed the ropes that strapped my wrists to the arms of the old chair. She held a finger to her lips as she stood, indicating for me to be quiet and I nodded as she untied me.

The sound of voices came from upstairs and the girl quickly crept in the direction of them. I frowned as she disappeared from view, deciding that the girl was either very brave or very stupid.

I wanted to stand up and immediately run away from this derelict old house, however, I knew that I had to be smart about my next course of action. I slowly stood on shaky legs and looked around the room. I made a mental note of all the potential exits before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath in preparation.

Henrik must be worried sick. For a moment I wondered if I'd ever actually see him again but I quickly banished the thought. I was going to get the hell out of this godforsaken building. Once I was away from my captors, perhaps Henrik would have a better shot at finding me. Whilst I knew that he was a witch, I had very limited knowledge of what spells he had at his disposal. I had no idea if there was some sort of magical GPS tracking spell but I sincerely hoped that there was.

Drawing from inner strength, I forced my feet to silently move towards the presumed exit. As I neared it, however, I picked up part of a conversation.

"Elijah's old school. If he accepts our deal, we're free."

I froze upon hearing the name. My mind flashed back to earlier that day when Henrik had mentioned his older brother, who went by that name. I knew it likely had no connection, however, it made the naive and hopeful part of me begin to jump to conclusions. For a moment I pondered the possibility of Henrik's siblings being alive. Perhaps they had been resurrected just like he had been?

I pictured how happy my best friend would be if his family was alive. I desperately wanted that for him but I knew that my hope was foolish. I was a dreamer but life had taught me that dreams rarely came true.

A creak sounded and I heard a woman shout, "You! There's nothing around here for miles. If you think you're getting out of this house, you're tragically wrong. Understand?"

The girl I was with earlier must have been caught eavesdropping. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as I hurried to the exit but all of a sudden a hand gripped my throat tightly. Black spots appeared in my vision as I attempted to draw a breath. I looked up to see the man from earlier.

"Trevor!" A stern voice said from behind him, "Elijah will kill us if she is hurt!"

"He's gonna kill us anyway, Rose!" The man spat, letting go of my neck and I fell to the floor, breathing heavily.

"Who's Elijah?" The girl asked and the other woman scowled.

"He's your worst nightmare," Rose said before walking over to me and lifting me with ease, "I think it's time to tie you up again." I attempted to wriggle out of her grip but she was incredibly strong and I was still recovering from almost being choked to death.

"What do you want with me? Why am I here?" I asked as she placed me back on the chair and tied the rough rope around my wrists.

"Because the originals have been searching for you for centuries." She said in a bored tone.

"What- who are the originals?" I stuttered and Rose came to stand in front of me, having finished tying me up.

"They're the first vampires." She said and I blinked as panic began to overcome me.

"Vampires?" I gasped, looking up at Rose with wide eyes.

Henrik hadn't mentioned that vampires existed. Did he even know?

After everything else I had learnt that week, the idea of yet another supernatural species didn't surprise me- but it did terrify me.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Yes vampires are real. I'm one, so is Trevor."

I blinked up at her in shock. She looked completely normal with no red eyes or visible fangs.

"Why do these vampires want me?" I whispered, my heart beating faster as panic consumed me.

"Because you're their mate."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I frowned, trying to understand what Rose was talking about. My lack of knowledge of the supernatural felt incredibly apparent at that moment.

"Enough questions," She snapped before making her way out of the room, "Elijah will be here soon. I am sure he will have all the answers you could possibly need."

***

I was left alone for what felt like hours. After a while, the other captive rejoined me, sitting on the couch next to me.

"I'm Elena by the way." She said with a small smile.

"Morgana." I replied as I watched Elena pick up a piece of paper, her eyes lighting up as she read it.

"Don't worry," She told me, "We're going to get out of here."

I began to reply when Trevor rushed into the room, followed by Rose. "He's here! This was a mistake!"

"No, I told you I would get us out of this. You have to trust me." She argued.

"No! He wants me dead, Rose!" Trevor cried.

"He wants them more." Rose replied, gesturing to myself and Elena.

There was a knock on the door and everyone froze before Rose sprung into action.

"Stay here with them and don't make a sound." She told Trevor, who nodded.

The three of us remained in a tense silence as Elena began to pace. I fidgeted in the chair as I tried to reassure myself that Henrik would find me. After a few minutes of silence I heard footsteps approach the room.

I looked up and my eyes widened as I saw Elijah. Our eyes met and a look of surprise crossed his face before he sped towards me at a speed that I struggled to comprehend. I jolted in alarm at the unexpected action. It must have been a vampire thing.

Elijah looked at me with complete awe and fascination as I shuffled in the chair, feeling uneasy under his gaze. Slowly, so as not to startle me again, he crouched down and gently caressed the side of my face. I waited for my survival instinct to kick in at the strangers touch but instead, a feeling of serenity flooded through me.

"I cannot believe it," He whispered to himself before smiling slightly and asking, "Are you alright?"

"No," I said in a shaky voice and he frowned.

"You're safe now." He assured me before his gaze zeroed in on the bruising on my neck. His eyes turned cold as he stood and said in a dark tone, "Which one of you laid a hand on my mate?"