Eric swallowed hard before finally saying one word that changed everything.


    "Ste."


    Alyssa blinked a few times in shock, still processing Eric''s response as she stepped away from him.


    She knew that she had a terrible feeling about Ste! She felt it in her very bones, even when Elias tried to convince her that Ste wasn''t behind all of this. She had a gut feeling that was right.


    "I knew it," she breathed out, trying to ground herself after such shocking news.


    Now, she finally knew who was behind all of this. She could take action against Ste, and her chance came sooner than she expected.


    "Way to keep a secret," a familiar voice sounded from a nearby cluster of oak trees.


    Alyssa spun around to see Ste emerging from behind one of the thick trees. She wore ck pants, a white top, andbat boots.


    She wasn''t in a usual dress, so Alyssa suspected that Ste came here to fight. She looked at Elias, who still looked stunned.


    Shepletely forgot that Elias used to be close to Ste until she saw his face. She felt bad for him, knowing that it probably hurt him to find out that his ex-girlfriend was trying to hurt her.


    She didn''twant to be right, but she was d that the truth was finally revealed. The mystery of it all had been slowly killing her.


    "I''m sorry," Eric said, looking nervous.


    Ste waved her hand dismissively, rolling her eyes.


    "You''re not even worth the trouble. Get out of my sight," she snapped at him as she approached them.


    Elias let go of Eric, watching him scramble off down the walking path before turning to Ste with a hurt and confused look.


    "I don''t understand," he said as he shook his head. "Why are you doing this?"


    Ste scoffed as she gestured to Alyssa.


    "You think that you belong with her?" she said, almost sounding angry.


    Alyssa stood her ground. She didn''t know if a fight would actually break out, but she had to be ready for one just in case.


    She couldn''t let her guard down. Not until Ste was taken down. She doubted that Ste would just roll over and give up. She didn''t seem like that type of girl.


    "What do you mean by that?" Elias asked Ste as he moved to stand at Alyssa''s side. He positioned himself slightly in front of her.


    Alyssa felt better now that Elias was closer. She had been nervous around Eric, but it seemed like Ste could be a whole other threat. She didn''t want to underestimate Ste like Elias did.


    "You''re Elias. You''re powerful and sessful. You deserve someone of simr caliber at your side. You can''t lower your status with scum," Ste spat at Alyssa.


    Alyssa gritted her teeth, wanting to defend herself, but she kept her mouth shut. She didn''t want to provoke a fight. She wanted to get Ste to back off so that they could go on with their lives.


    "Don''t say that," Elias said in a low tone. "Don''t you dare speak about her that way."


    Ste threw her hands up as sheughed coldly.


    "You''re so brainwashed by her! You broke up years ago! You rose to power, and now you''re willing to ruin that over a measly human," she said, looking disappointed.


    Alyssa guessed the vampires saw themselves as better beings than humans. With their powers, she supposed that she couldn''t me them for thinking that way.


    They were certainly stronger and faster, but were they better than humans in a moral sense? She wasn''t sure if that was the case or not.


    "I''m not brainwashed! I love her!" Elias snapped at Ste, taking a step closer to her.


    Alyssa felt her heart nearly jump up into her throat at the sound of those words. She hadn''t heard those words in a while, and they still knocked the breath out of her.


    If she was honest with herself, she still loved him too, even after all of these years. Some things never changed.


    "Seriously! You could''ve had me again! We could''ve rose to power together! Can you imagine all of the things that we could''ve done together?" Ste replied, raising her voice.


    Alyssa felt a bit down by that. Was she holding Elias back? Elias always talked like he was holding her back, but what if things were actually the other way around?


    She didn''t see herself as keeping him from doing anything, but maybe she was. She was human. She didn''t know everything about vampires.


    "I don''t want you! We broke up for a reason! You thought that you were better than everyone else and wouldn''t let me talk to anyone!"


    Elias shouted back at Ste, refusing to just stand there and take her anger when he had plenty of his own to express.


    Alyssa was grateful that Elias was sticking up for her and for himself. It was about time that he finally saw Ste''s true colors.


    She had only been able to see Ste''s true colors before him because he was blinded by their history.


    It was hard to see Ste for the person that she actually was when all he saw was the old version of her.


    "You''ve grown weak, Elias. No one wanted you to be with her because she would make you weak!" Ste said pointedly. She turned her head to sneer at Alyssa. "Good job. You got what you wanted."


    "I never wanted to make him weak, and he isn''t even weak! You''re the one who''s weak, bullying a human because you can''t be with Elias!"


    Alyssa snapped, feeling a flood of emotion rush through her. She wasn''t used to being so snappy, but she didn''t like Ste at all. It actually felt kind of good to yell at her because she had been holding a lot back.


    Ste stared at Alyssa in bewilderment.


    "I should''ve just killed you! I thought the attacks would drive you away,like it drove Elias away from you eight years ago but you''re like a leech," she spat.