As I felt myself going faint, I tried reaching out to Stefan one last time. "I'm not drinking your blood, Stefan." I firmly asserted. "So please just help me rest on the bed!"

Stefan merely shook his head defiantly. "You need to heal." As Stefan shifted his gaze to stare blankly at his bloody wrist, he suddenly got the idea to suck on it.

As I felt my vision start to darken, I was suddenly brought back to my senses once a familiar metallic taste was forced into my mouth. My previous deflated energy was soon returned to me as I started to hit Stefan to remove his lips from mine.

Once Stefan finally released me, I dug my nails into the wooden floor as I start to pant loudly. As soon as everything that had just transpired fully sank in, I broke into tears. For Stefan to have forced me orally like that... it's no different than what Bennett did!

Sensing my fury, Stefan remained unusually quiet. Just by looking at him, I could tell he was trying to understand where he went wrong.

Despite my hand shaking like a leaf, I kept my finger pointed at him as my face contorted with anger. "Don't you... EVER do that me again!" Stefan stayed silent. "Do you understand me!" I wailed.

Stefan nodded his head before hanging it in shame. "I'm sorry, Vana."

As I let my anger slowly dissipate, I slowly analysed my entire body. The cut on my leg as well as the slash on my hand were both fully healed now. Although Stefan's regenerative ability was remarkable, I was still justifiably mad at his forceful behaviour.

"Stefan, I want you to be honest with me," I started. "What was your life like before the Grigori's took you in?" I inquired.

Stefan looks up at me in confusion. If I'm being honest, this small talk was the best gateway I could come up with for getting back into the rhythm of things. And aside from that, I was genuinely curious. It's been a question on my mind for a while now.

Stefan leaned his back against the bed as he tried to think of the best place to start. "For as long as I can remember, I've always been alone. So, when I was given the opportunity to be reborn as a vampire, I jumped at the opportunity."

Stefan looked out at the full moon longingly. "I wish I could recall my creator's name, but sadly his words are the only thing I can remember to this day." Stefan smiled to himself sadly. "I only ever wanted company; immorality meant nothing to me. In fact, I came to realise how much lonelier it could get when you never age for hundreds of years..."

Stefan must be really old in that case. Geez, and here was me thinking I was the mature one. Still, you would think he'd have learnt basic manners if he was on the planet for this long...

"At some point, I must've separated from my creator. I'm unsure of why though, I believe it could've had something to do with a difference of opinion. Nevertheless, I then fell into what you could call a depression as I gradually stopped feeding on humans."

Stefan then slowly proceeded to press his ear to the floor as his left arm reached underneath the bed. And in the blink of an eye, the sound of a squeak could be heard. Following that, Stefan showed me the mouse he had caught from underneath the bed, dangling from his fingertips.

Eek! I didn't realise the Grigori's had a rat problem! "I lived on rodents and any other animal I could catch on the street." Stefan continued. "I could've hunted something more sustainable such as deer, but I wanted to experience regression."

"Why on earth would you want that?" I asked. "Surely becoming a child again would've been a nuisance, right?"

Stefan merely shrugged his shoulders in response. "It's common for the older vampires to do it. Perhaps they too wanted to feel something whether it be pain or misery. Anything was fine if it meant you could feel alive again after all these years..."

Mrs Grigori was right when she said there was something special about Stefan. Although, I don't think she realised what she was getting herself into by welcoming him into her home...

"After all these years I think I've finally found my reason for living," Stefan said shyly while tossing the mouse aside as he watched it scurry back into its hole in the wall. "It's you, Vana."

"Me?" I repeated as I pointed towards myself.

Stefan nodded. "Starvation... pain... misery..." he recounted to himself. "None of it mattered. All I felt was indifference. But when you came into my life, that all changed."

Stefan began to crawl towards me. "For the first time, I was filled with desire. The desire to protect the one I love..."

That's not love. It's simply the desire to own something. He doesn't realise that these feelings he holds towards me are a direct result of my yandere attraction skill. It's manipulation of his mind and emotions, point-blank.

"I'd you really want to protect me, then you better not leave my side tomorrow," I said as I got up to dust myself off.

"That man is coming here, isn't he..." Stefan remarked to himself as he clenched his fists.

When the time comes, I'll need to hide somewhere in this house. Nick told me to leave the staking part to him, seeing as it was part of his mission after all. Still, I wish there was more I could do to help him out.

But then again, I should probably prioritise my own mission first. I'll just need to find someone afterwards for Stefan to drain, then I can kiss this hellhole goodbye for good! God, I can't wait to move on to the next world.

Stefan's face hardened as he looked at me. Oh no, don't tell me he was listening to my inner thoughts just now? C'mon, stay out of my head!

"Hey Vana, you're not planning on leaving me after tomorrow, right?"