Chasing the storm

18

The immense headache was unbearable as Scarlett opened her eyes. Her hands raised to rub her eyes as thoughts flooded back to her.

But her hands couldn't move, they were bound to a wooden chair by thick, leather strips. She tried to wriggle them out, but her energy was fading, in her arm was a tube connected to a bag of clear liquid.

"Alex" she whispered, her lips were dry and chapped and her mouth felt like the Sahara desert.

Alex was just next to her, close, but too far away to touch his hand. He looked terrible, bags under his eyes, he too was connected to a drip, but it seemed the liquid inside was causing him more pain.

"Scarlett" he breathed, she could barely see, but when Alex smiled, she could make that out, and it felt so relieving "you're alive"

"What's happening?" She asked, trying to struggle out

"Don't move" he said "it'll release the liquid and make you weaker"

"What's going on?" She asked again, on the verge of crying

"I'm so sorry, Scar" Alex was indeed crying, the cracks in his voice made it obvious "you shouldn't be here, I shouldn't have brought you into any of this"

"Any of what?" She asked "Alex this isn't just business is it?"

He shook his head "it's something far bigger" he said "but before I tell you everything, I want you to know that if I don't make it out of here, I love you"

"Alex I love you too but I need you to tell me" Scarlett urged

"Yes, Alex" a man walked through the door, allowing a tiny bit of light to flood in, just missing Scarlett's boot "please, tell her"

"Should have known" out of all the burning pain and crippling guilt, he managed to crack a smile and small chuckle "Tristan"

"I'm surprised you can recognise me" Tristan shrugged, perching on the table in front of them. "Now are you going to tell her, or should I show her?"

"Tell me what? Show me what?" She gritted her teeth, wanting to know why she was exactly in this position

"I'm not a 23 year old man" he admitted, swallowing loudly and beginning to form the word vampire.

"Yeah, I don't care if you're 30, I want to know what this is" she retaliated

"I'm a 500 year old vampire" he decided to just come out and say it.

The room fell silent "really?" She asked, bursting out laughing "is all of this just a joke? It's very good" Scarlett burst out in laughter. She was so confused as to what was happening, she was frightened but Alex was so serious, it just made her laugh.

"Think about it Scar, you watched me get my neck broken, I came to yours once covered in blood, that was because I was feeding" Alex did have a point. He was shady, and a bit mysterious, it doesn't mean he was a vampire. "I act distant when I know it's dangerous, we have enemies, like the one standing in front of us"

"Prove it" she said.

"Oh don't worry love" Tristan stood up "I'll show you myself"

Scarlett watched as his face turned inhuman, something she hadn't seen before, it froze her muscles and she tried not to show any fear. But when Tristan's fangs buried deep into her neck, she couldn't help but let out small groans.

"Vampire" she trembled after Tristan finally let go "Alex y-you're a vampire, who else? Elijah, Klaus?"

Alex nodded his head, causing Scarlett to break down in tears, she was so scared, believing this would be the last time she would be breathing. She was going to die.