The Beautiful Monster

"Wonderful. Come inside. Your father is in his study," Nora told Elias.

"I didn't expect him to be anywhere else," Elias smirked before glancing at Alyssa. "My father is a workaholic."

"It's definitely paid off," Alyssa said, admiring the expansive foyer as she stepped into the house.

A lot of the décor was red and gold Oriental designs, adorning the walls and various shelves.

There was an old air to the house, which Alyssa chalked up to Elias' parents probably being vampires too and being on the planet for a while.

"Sit. I'll make some tea and get your father," Nora told them as she gestured to the leather couch in the large living room.

Alyssa thanked her before sitting down next to Elias, wiping her damp palms against her black skirt.

She almost still felt underdressed here because the house was so fancy and clean. It was also quiet, but she heard soft music playing from somewhere in the house.

 "Thanks for coming along. I know this is kind of weird for you. It's weird for me too."

"Your mom seems really nice," Alyssa replied.

"She is. My parents can just be a little strict sometimes, like they're always trying to keep an eye on me. Maybe they don't trust me or something," Elias said with a shrug.

"Maybe they just care about you a lot," Alyssa told him. She wasn't used to helicopter parents.

She was used to parents who didn't even care what she did. She would've preferred parents who were involved with her childhood.

"Maybe," Elias said, but he didn't look completely sure.

A few minutes later, Nora walked in with a tray full of tea and cookies and with an older man at her side.

Elias' father had matching black hair that came down over his forehead and ears. He was dressed in a light blue button down and slacks, like he just left the office. He was tall and lean as well, looking a lot like Elias.

"Daniel. Nice to finally meet you," Elias' father said as he reached forward to shake Alyssa's hand.

He still seemed kind, but he definitely meant business. He sat down on the loveseat adjacent to the leather couch, flashing his wife a grateful look as she handed him a cup of tea. "How's the business, son?"

"It's good, Dad. Everything's good… with that," Elias replied, his knee bouncing a bit anxiously.

"What's the reason for this surprise visit?" Daniel asked, cocking an eyebrow. He quickly figured out that Alyssa and Elias weren't just stopping by to say hi.

"I was wondering if you had heard anything about Scott's whereabouts," Elias asked them, looking between his parents as he held his cup of tea untouched in his hands.

Daniel and Nora shared a brief look before shaking their heads.

"We haven't heard anything from his mother. He took off a while ago. She thought that he went up north.

The kid is a bit bratty. We figured he pitched a fit and ran off. We expected him to be back by now," Daniel replied with a shrug.

"Why are you asking?" Nora asked Elias, looking concerned.

Elias glanced at Alyssa and nodded.

"I've had a vampire or vampires trying to attack me for a minute now. I think it might be Scott, but I can never get a good look at him,"

Alyssa told Elias' parents, feeling a bit nervous to involve herself even more into Elias' family drama.

Nora's eyes widened in surprise.

"Really? But why would Scott attack you?" she asked.

"The boys have always been in competition. Scott is probably jealous," Daniel said, waving his hand dismissively as he leaned back. "Elias needs to stand his ground and scare him off."

"He won't face me. I've looked for him for months! Now, someone is threatening to Alyssa. I thought it was Scott because we got in a spat," Elias replied as he shook his head.

"Is there anyone else that you're having spats with?" Daniel asked.

"No," Elias said quickly. "I just want to clear Scott's name before trying to look at other suspects."

"I'm not sure that it's Scott," Nora replied. "I don't see him attacking Alyssa like that."

Elias shared an unsure look with Alyssa.

"I don't know. I have no idea who else it could be," he admitted to her, looking defeated.

Alyssa was glad that they at least tried. Maybe she just imagined Scott's face back at the club. Someone else was tracking her, or maybe it was more than one person. All she saw was shadows.

"It's okay. We'll figure it out," she told him, briefly placing her hand on his arm to let him know that she wasn't upset with him.

Eventually, whoever was tracking her would have to reveal themselves, or they would mess up and leave a clue. She just hoped that she didn't get hurt before that happened.

"You two look like a good pair," Nora said with a warm look.

"Pretty and smart. You did good, son," Daniel added with a nod.

Alyssa felt herself blush as she looked at Elias. She was going to say that they weren't together, but with how Elias was smiling at her, she felt the words get caught in her throat.

She couldn't say them for some reason. Maybe it was best that she didn't say anything.

"Thank you," she told them.

"You should stay the night," Nora said as she jumped to her feet. "I can fix a nice roast for tonight."

Elias glanced at Alyssa.

"Are you okay with that?" he asked her.

"Sure," Alyssa said with a nod. Honestly, she didn't mind being away from her place right now. She felt safer way over here in another state than back at home.

"Great! I'll start dinner," Nora said excitedly before patting her husband on the shoulder. "Give Alyssa a tour of the house. Elias, your room is all ready for you two."

Alyssa's eyes widened when she realized that they expected she and Elias to share a bed.

She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She hadn't shared a bed with him in forever, but she wasn't going to say anything and complicate things.

Then again, when was the last time that her life wasn't complicated?

"Alright. If you'll follow me," Daniel said as he hauled himself to his feet.

Alyssa shared a small smile with Elias, nodding to him to let him know that she was fine. They were only staying for a night, and she got to see what a somewhat functioning family was like.

It was a learning experience, but most importantly, it was an escape.. Just the thing that she needed.