The Beautiful Monster

Elias immediately pulled back and cupped her face, making her eyes meet his.

"This isn't your fault. He made the choice to save you," he told her, not wanting her to blame herself for Scott's death.

He was upset that Scott was dead, but he was glad that she was alive too. Scott didn't die for nothing.

"I know… I wish I could've thanked him better," Alyssa said as tears slipped down her cheeks. "For a while, I didn't even like him, but… he wasn't too bad."

Elias couldn't help but chuckle a little. Pain echoed throughout him, but a little light humor made his grief less suffocating.

"He would've appreciated that," he told her as he brushed his fingers through her hair, not wanting her to worry about anything.

He kissed her on the forehead before sighing and turning to the others. "We should take him home. He should be in the family plot."

Melina nodded as she leaned against Tyler's side.

"I can't believe he's gone," she said, her voice sounding like a whisper.

Elias couldn't believe it either. Not too long ago, he and Scott were fighting like usual.

Now, he was mourning over Scott and wanting to give him an honorable burial. Things could change so rapidly in life. It scared him because there was no telling what could happen next.

"Me either," he said quietly. "Let's get him on the RV."

Tyler stood and helped Elias carry Scott onto the RV. They put him in the bedroom, covering him with a sheet before walking back out to the other section of the RV.

"Head to your parents' house?" Tyler asked Elias.

Elias nodded.

"We should go there first. They need to know everything that happened," he replied before looking at Melina. "Do you think Alaric's followers will disperse?"

"They have no ruler around anymore telling them what to do," Melina said. "They're weak-minded.

They don't like living by the rules and co-existing with humans, but they're not brave or powerful enough to pick up Alaric's cause."

That put Elias at ease. At least he didn't have to worry about fighting a successor. He was done fighting for his life.

He was ready to start living again because he had a life waiting for him and Alyssa back in New York. He turned to Alyssa, taking her hand to pull her close.

"You were so brave and smart," he told her with a small smile. He wouldn't have thought about dousing Alaric in gasoline, but it was a genius idea. It led to Alaric's death.

Alyssa shrugged.

"I just acted. I don't know what came over me," she admitted. "I saw everyone in trouble and had to do something. I couldn't just stand there and watch you die."

"That's bravery," Melina spoke up as she walked over to them. She placed one hand on Alyssa's shoulder and one on Elias' shoulder. "We're better together than apart."

Elias knew that was a jab at him, but he deserved it. He shouldn't have run off and tried to fight Alaric on his own.

It was an idiotic, crazy idea that wouldn't have worked out anyway because he needed his friends to win the fight.

"I'm sorry for running off," he told them sincerely. He knew that he must've scared them.

"I woke up and saw that you were gone. I had this awful feeling, so I woke up Melina," Alyssa replied. "We already had an idea of what you went to go do. You were acting so strange after the last fight."

"I felt responsible. I didn't want you guys to get hurt, so I thought that I could take matters into my own hands," Elias admitted to them.

He was ashamed of himself and his actions, but that was in the past. He had to move on and be better from now on.

He couldn't let his fear be in control of him. He had too many people relying on him to keep himself together.

"You're lucky that you didn't get yourself killed," Melina told him sternly. "We were scared sick."

Elias gave her an apologetic look. He could tell that what he did really bothered her. They were supposed to fight together, and he left her behind. It wasn't fair of him.

"I'm really sorry," he said, hoping she knew how sorry he was for what he did. He wasn't going to do it again.

Melina stared at him for a moment before surging forward and pulling him into a tight hug. She rested her chin on his shoulder with a sigh.

"Look, I've actually come to love you like a brother. I'd rather not lose you," she said. Her body started to gradually lose tension in his hold.

Elias' eyes widened slightly at her words. They meant a lot to him, and he couldn't believe how far they had come since they first met.

He tried to keep his distance from her in the beginning. Now, it was hard to imagine them being apart. They were twins.

"You won't lose me. I actually don't hate spending time with you," he smirked.

Melina rolled her eyes playfully before letting go of him.

"Yeah, you better. I mean, you still want to see each other now that all of this is over?" she asked him. She had a hopeful look on her face.

Elias couldn't help but look confused. He couldn't believe that she actually thought that he wouldn't want to see her again.

They had gotten so close during this trip, and he didn't want to be separated from her again. They had their own lives to live, but he wanted to visit her and vice-versa. They had double dates to attend.

"Of course. Don't you?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow at her.

"Duh," Melina laughed. "It would be nice to feel like part of a family again."

Elias smiled and nodded. He always had a definite sense of family growing up, but he hadn't realized just how much he had been missing until he met Melina.

She was a huge piece of his life that had been missing.. He was glad that he finally found her.