Chapter 2

Cassie was running through the old wood as fast as she could. Something was chasing her, and it was gaining on her fast. She looked behind her quickly still running forward and tripped over a loose vine. She gasped as she hit the ground and something teared into the skin of her knee, but there was no time to see how bad it was. She pulled her self up quickly and started running again. Someone ws laughing behind her, as if too warn her that she was about to die. Suddenly something wrapped around her throat-

Cassie screamed jumping up in bed. Her forhead was drenched with sweat, and her breathing was ruggid as if she really had run through the old wood. She glanced around her terrified, but there was nothing in her tiny overstuffed room. She sighed and put a hand to her forhead. Would she ever forget that one awful night?

Shaking the fear from her head, Cassie slid out from under the sheets and headed towards the shower. A half hour later she was dressed and almost ready to go. Heading over to the full lenght mirror her mother had given her for her birthday Cassie admired her choice of outfit. Today was one of those days she wanted to show off her tattoos so she went with her tight green tank top and her low rise black denim jeans. Sighing, she grabbed her hair brush from her dresser and started to comb the knots and tangles out of her long black hair.

Finally when she was done and ready for school she grabbed her bag and headed downstairs where, of course, no one waited for her. She rolled her eyes and sat at the kitchen table where a glass of orange juice and some toast had been left out.

"Is it really so hard to wait a little while and say good morning to your only daughter?" She mumbled to herself. After she finished eating she threw on her favorite knee high leather boots and headed out to her car, which unfortunately was a beaten up, rusted, old mustang.

The drive to school was ok, she even saw a glossy looking crow flying over the grave yard. But she wasn't happy at all until she was in the library in her favorite spot in the back where she knew she would be left alone until Elena and Stefan showed up.

"Morning Mrs Wood." She waved as she speed walked over to the back of the library.

"Good morning dear." Mrs Wood called back. That was one of the best things about Mrs Wood, she didn't give a damn how loud you were in the library. Grabbing her book, The Darkest Stories You know, she hopped up onto the table and began to read.

It seemed like an hour later that she sat up to stretch her back. You'd be surprised how hard those tables really are, when she heard the slight clicking that could only be Elena's high heels. Hopping off the table she spun on her heel to greet her best friends.

"Hey Elena! Hey Stefan!" She called giving both of them a quick hug.

"Hey Cass!" Elena greeted.

"Cass." Stefan nodded grinning at her. "Finish that history homework?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Stefan you know very well that I-"

"Always have your homework done! You and your studying." Elena cut in laughing. Cassie stared at Elena for a moment confused. She was going to say you know there's no way I got my homework done after that drinking that we did last night, but what ever. Maybe Elena just forgot.

"Yeah. Well, come on. Let's get to class." She stated still a little confused as she started walking back towards the door.

"Ahem."

Looking up at the sound of that voice that sounded so strangely familiar to her Cassie froze. Standing before her was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. He was dark, evil practically oozed from him, and everyone in Fell's Church knew this girl like her bad boys. But there was something different about this man. Something she was trying to remember.

"I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Damon. Stefan's older brother." He greeted holding out her hand. Cassie nodded completely ignoring his hand and turned back to look at Elena.

"Are you coming or what?" She asked before turning on her heel and practically running away from Damon. There was just something in his eye that screamed danger, RUN!

Damon smirked as he watched Cassie's hip sway back and forth with the force of her speed walk. There was something familiar about her, but he really didn't care to find out. All he wanted was a snack.

"Don't even think of it." Stefan hissed following Cassie and Elena out the door.

Damon rolled his eyes. In a way he had already given his word to himself not to go near her, but that didn't mean he couldn't admire. Following the girls and his brother through the school was surprisingly painful. Cassie had to stop at her locker, they stopped to talk to a teacher about some history report, and the girls just non stopped talked. Elena and Stefan had been right, Cassie did seem way too innocent for his liking, even with the three tempting tattoos he could see on her cremey skin.

Infact those tattoos were nearly his downfall. What seemed to be a dark red flower cover her left hip, the snake running up her arm was dark orange with black spotts littering it's skin, and at the tip of her middle finger the head rested, looking very real, then the most glorious one of all, she had a vampire bite tattooed on the side of her neck. It was tacky, but glorius. The set of fangs pierced into her throat just at her pulse point and blood spurted, dripping down her neck. Damon could imagine how good that scene would look real, and he wanted to make it happen.

Elena was running out of ideas, ans she could tell that Cassie was getting extremely bored with school talk. Any minute now she would say something about the party they were going to tonight and catch Damon's interest. This was not going well at all.

"History class at last. Now I can hand in that amazing report huh Stef?" Cassie laughed gliding into the class room, sitting down in her seat at the back and reaching into her bag for her Ipod. Stefan panicked, Damon couldn't know that Cassie hated school. Luckily enough Damon was sweet talking their history teacher into letting him hang around, so quick as lightening he grabbed Cassie's Ipod and tossed it into Elena's bag.

Damon finished talking with the teacher and slid gracefully into the seat next to Cassie just before Elean could. Elena huffed in annoyance and sat on Cassie's other side, Stefan following to sit next to her. Damon ignored them glaring at him and focused his attention on the curve of Cassie's neck that was in perfect view as she was leaning to the side trying to find something in her bag it seemed. Finally she huffed and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and sat back.

"Annoyed with something?" Damon whispered, taking a risk and leaning closer to her so that his breath washed over her skin. She turned to glare at him completely unfazed by his charm.

"Yeah, I can't find my Ipod which means I'll have to listen to-"

"My crapy music! I know how much you hate it." Stefan interupted laughing with out humour. This time Damon did notice the confused look Cassie shot at her friends. Something in his head clicked, and he reached into his pocket for his Ipod.

"Here, don't want you to have to listen to some boring history lesson do we?" He chuckled flashing his famous grin at her. Elena's heart sank, he had figured it out, and in only a half an hour? She really needed to get better at lying.

Cassie reached out for his Ipod, hesitated then glanced up at him through her eyelashes. Damon was surprised that the look made his heart skip. "What kind of music do you listen to?" She asked.

"Pardon?" Damon asked trying to focus on her words and not the way her lips moved. Yes, she would make a delisious snack. Maybe one that he would even keep around for a good week or so. She wouldn't complain. He could satisfy her needs just as well as she would satisfy his.

"You're Stefan's brother right? Wouldn't that mean you have all that 50's crap?" Cassie laughed sending a wink to Stefan who shrugged.

"Me? Like the same music as him?" Damon laughed throwing his head back. "Please."

His answer seemed to work cause Cassie grinned and snatched the Ipod away from his scanning through the songs. "Not bad Salvatore. I'm actually impressed." And with that she shoved his head phones in her ears, and pressed play. A minute later she closed her eyes and leant back, looking like she could have fallen alseep right there.

Damon glanced over at Stefan and Elena who were furiously taking notes. A clear sign they were afraid of him seeing as they should have been able to remember everything very easily. Damon grabbed the paper and pencil on Cassie's desk and mindly scribbled for a few minutes, before he gathered up some of his power and sent a thought to the two love birds.

I don't like being lied to.

Elena gulped and glanced over at Damon, but he was still staring at the paper infront of him. Damon please. Swear to me you won't hurt her, won't go near her unless she asks, which she won't! Cause tonight I'm going to tell her everything. But you have to promise not to touch her!

Damon scowled. He didn't like being told who he could and could not touch, but this was Elena. The Elena he had once wanted to become his princess of darkness, the Elena he had saved over and over again. Fine! I give you my word I won't harm her, or go near her unless she asks.

Doesn't matter, Damon thought smirking, I could easlily make her ask couldn't I?