Chapter 1: Disillusioned
The cheers from the field echoed across the school grounds, voices rising in excitement, but for Elena, the noise was oppressive. She smiled weakly as she watched the crowd gathered under the stadium lights, their faces flushed with enthusiasm, lost in the excitement of the pep rally. But her heart wasn't in it.
Stefan was supposed to be here. He'd promised her he would come. But just like at the Founder's Day Ball, he hadn't shown up. She had waited for him, expecting to see his familiar face appear in the crowd, but with every passing moment, her chest tightened further with disappointment. It wasn't the first time this had happened. Stefan had been distant, pulling away from her in ways that left her feeling stranded and confused.
The roar of the crowd grew louder, the noise becoming unbearable. Elena felt her head start to throb, the pressure of it all pushing down on her, making it harder to breathe. She couldn't be here anymore. Not like this.
"I need a break," she mumbled to herself, already stepping away from the bleachers before anyone could stop her. She didn't bother explaining to Caroline. She doubted anyone would notice she was gone.
The further Elena walked from the crowd, the quieter it became. She weaved her way through the shadows that stretched over the school grounds, toward the parking lot where fewer people lingered. The cool night air was a relief, offering a brief moment of peace as she put distance between herself and the rally.
Elena leaned against the side of a parked car, taking a deep breath and letting the cold metal press into her back. The ache in her chest hadn't gone away, though. It sat there, heavy and painful. She missed Stefan—missed how things used to be. Now everything felt strained. Every day was a new question mark, another reason to wonder if he was slipping away from her.
"Elena?"
The voice came out of the shadows, startling her. She blinked and turned toward the sound. A guy she vaguely recognized—Freddy something, she thought—was standing by one of the cars, his smile casual and confident. He was tall, with broad shoulders and dark eyes that gleamed under the dim lights. She had seen him around, maybe at another school's football game, but she had never paid him much attention.
"Hey," Elena replied, her voice weak. She didn't want to talk to anyone right now, especially not a stranger.
Freddy grinned and walked closer, his movements easy and relaxed. "I saw you leaving the rally. Looked like you could use a friend."
Elena forced a small smile, hoping to end the conversation quickly. "I'm just getting some air."
He moved closer, uncomfortably so. "It's pretty loud over there. You're smart to get away."
"I think I'm just going to head back soon," Elena said, stepping away from the car, trying to create some space between them. There was something unsettling about the way Freddy was looking at her—like he was trying to see through her.
He didn't back off. Instead, he took another step toward her, his grin widening. "Come on, don't go yet. We can talk… hang out for a bit."
"Really, I'm fine." She turned, planning to leave and return to her friends when he grabbed her wrist, his grip tight, fingers digging painfully into her skin.
"Just a minute," he said, pulling her toward him, his voice suddenly darker, less playful. "Don't be like that" he purred.
Fear spiked in her chest. She yanked her arm back, but he didn't let go. "Let go of me!" Elena snapped, her voice rising in panic.
But Freddy didn't listen. Instead, he shoved her back against the car, his body pinning hers against the cold metal that had soothed her only moments before.
Her heart pounded in her chest, panic flooding her senses as his other hand cupped the side of her face roughly. "You're really pretty, you know that?" he murmured, his voice low and predatory.
Before she could scream, he pressed his lips against hers in a forceful, aggressive kiss.
Elena struggled, trying to push him away, but he was too strong. His weight was unbearable, his fingers biting into her wrists as she fought to free herself. She could feel the pressure of his mouth, suffocating, stealing her breath. Her mind raced in terror. She had to get away—now.
Just as she gathered enough strength to twist away, Freddy was suddenly torn from her. One second he was there, pressing her against the car, and the next he was ripped back with a force so violent that Elena stumbled.
The sudden movement sent her twisting, losing her footing. Her ankle gave out beneath her and she collapsed hard against the side of the car, her head slamming into the edge of the doorframe.
Pain exploded through her skull, and her vision blurred. She gasped, touching her forehead. When she pulled her hand away, it was slick with blood.
The world tilted as she tried to push herself up, her breath coming in shallow, frantic gasps. Her ankle throbbed, and her wrists ached from where Freddy had grabbed her, his fingerprints still burning against her skin. But the worst pain was the sharp, stinging cut on her forehead, from which blood now flowed freely down her face.
She blinked through the haze, her eyes focusing just enough to see Stefan standing over Freddy, his chest heaving, his eyes wild with fury.
"Stefan…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Relief flooded her. He had come. He had saved her.
Freddy groaned from the ground, trying to crawl away, but Stefan grabbed him by the collar, yanking him up with terrifying ease.
"You hurt her," Stefan growled, his voice low and dangerous. Freddy whimpered, too stunned to respond, his body limp in Stefan's grip.
"Stefan, help me. I—" Elena's words were cut off as Stefan's head snapped toward her. His green eyes, initially filled with anger and concern, darkened to black. He didn't seem to hear her anymore. His gaze locked onto the blood dripping down her face.
The change in him was instant. The rage that had consumed him was gone, replaced by something more insidious. His chest rose and fell with shallow, rapid breaths, and his eyes were fixed on the blood now covering one side of her face. Elena's stomach twisted.
"Stefan?" Her voice trembled, but he didn't respond. He dropped Freddy like a rag doll, his focus entirely on her.
Elena tried to move, to step back, but her ankle sent a fresh jolt of pain up her leg. She was trapped, unable to run, unable to escape as Stefan moved closer.
She could see it now—the hunger in his eyes, the way his muscles tensed, the way his hands twitched. He wasn't here to protect her anymore. He was here for the blood. Her blood.
"Stefan, stop," she choked, her voice barely above a breath. Her body trembled, fear clawing at her chest as he knelt beside her.
But he wasn't listening. He reached out, his fingers brushing her hair back from her forehead, his gaze never leaving the blood that dripped down her skin. Elena's heart pounded in her chest, a frantic beat of terror.
Without warning, Stefan's hand pressed against her forehead, pushing the wound open, making it bleed more. Elena gasped in pain, tears welling in her eyes.
And then his lips were on her skin, his tongue swiping along the length of her wound, tasting the blood that flowed freely. Elena's breath caught in her throat, her entire body frozen in shock and terror.
"Stefan, no," she whispered, her voice trembling with fear. But he didn't stop. His grip on her tightened, pulling her closer as he drank from the wound, his hands stained with her blood. Her original attacker all but forgotten.
Elena's heart raced, her body shaking uncontrollably. The man she loved, the man who had saved her, was gone. In his place was something darker, something hungry and terrifying.
Tears slipped down her cheeks as she cried his name, fighting and pleading with him to stop. But Stefan didn't hear her. He was lost, consumed by the blood, by the monster he had fought so hard to hide.
And for the first time, Elena truly understood what Stefan was capable of.
Not a hero. Not a protector.
A predator.
