Chapter 7 TH
Damon grunted as he awoke. Where the hell was he? He sat up and felt the chains securing him. He pulled at them in confusion. He looked around. He was in some kind of underground bunker from the looks of it. There were food supplies and blankets, bottles of water and a makeshift bed.
"Stefan?" He called out, feeling a little fear prickle his skin.
He stood up, testing how far the chains would allow him to move around. He had a little room but couldn't reach the door way. He pulled hard, trying to pull the bolts from the wall but they wouldn't budge. He huffed, his stomach rumbling. Something was wrong. Why was he here? How did he even get here? He pulled harshly at his restraints again and then noticed the walls. This wasn't a metal bunker, it had been carved in from stone walls. He must really be underground then. He paused as he scrutinized the rock. Perhaps he could pound his way out of here, or at least pound enough of the wall away to loosen the bolts. Then he saw the markings and he stared at them hard. Claw marks, lots of them as though someone had already tried that idea but had distinctively longer finger nails than a human. This was where the wolf chained themselves at the monthly moon cycle.
His eyes widened and he looked around again. Why would they chain him in here? Did he change into a wolf? No one knew if they could now that they kind of were wolves too. Was it even time for the moon and if it was, why was he the only one in here? They must have to be separated at the moon time or they would fight and injure each other kept down here. He nodded at the sense of that. But then, where was Stefan if he was locked down here? Was Stefan locked in another similar cell?
The indignity of that made him growl. Stefan wouldn't be locked away from him like this. He better not be chained like he was or he'd kill a few wolves where their families slept! He growled, pulling at the chains again when he realised that if he and Stefan were chained down here separately, it meant Vida was on her own with the wolves. They had his baby!
He panted and began to tear at the chains wildly, using all of his strength to pull at the wall. They wouldn't come away easy. This place was designed for that. He continued to pant in mounting fear and aggression, tiring himself as he kicked and pounded his fists into the rock surrounding the bolts.
"Damon."
He spun around panting at the sound of his name and let his veins protrude. It was one of the wolves. He growled in warning as the guy opened the gate in the doorway. Damon studied its hinges as the guy entered cautiously. It looked old but well reinforced. If he could get out of the chains he was sure he could burst the hinges and just throw the door the hell out of the way.
"Easy friend. I just brought you some food ok?" The wolf said and Damon took a step back, watching him and growling.
"Where am I?" He growled.
"You're safe. Just try and relax ok? Everything's ok."
"Where is Stefan?!" He snapped his fangs and the wolf tensed defensively.
"He's safe. Your family are safe. You just need to ride this out."
"Ride what out?!"
"This is your rut my friend. It'll be over soon. Shout, scream, beat the walls…let it out."
"What?" Damon frowned in confusion.
"It's your heat Damon. Without a partner, you just need to vent it ok? We'll be on hand to help. Just call if you need us. Sleep, eat and exercise and it'll fade."
"Where's Stefan?" He demanded. "I want Stefan!"
"He's at home healing friend. You need to trust us. Stefan can't be with you right now."
"I'm not your friend wolfboy!" He growled aggressively and moved towards him.
The wolf stood his ground calmly.
"You're still in it deep. Can't you feel it? That urge you have to rip my head off and find Stefan. You feel it?"
Damon laughed mockingly.
"That's every day!" He mocked and the wolf bristled.
"You'll actually do it if I let you out though and that's the difference isn't it?" The wolf challenged and Damon snorted at him, flexing his muscles. "You're dangerous. This urge you have in you right now will devastate you unless you stay here till it ends."
"Let me the fuck out of here!" Damon shouted and bore his fangs.
"So you can try and rape your mate again?!" The wolf spat and Damon paused in disbelief. "Yeah, that's right friend." The wolf mocked. "I don't like you much either if we're being honest. You almost killed my brother John the other day because your mate was hanging around stinking of his heat and tempted him!"
Damon growled at the mention of Stefan's would-be admirer.
"I couldn't care less if you starve to death out here. You'll always be a vampire to me, no matter what colour your eyes change!"
"Bill! You ok down there?" Another voice sounded from above ground.
It sounded near, so they couldn't be too far underground then. Damon stared him out.
"I'm fine!" The wolf shouted and then turned back to Damon who was panting and shaking with the urge to make a move on him. "Fortunately for you, I don't think Stefan's such a bad guy and I don't want to see him torn apart to satisfy your rut."
"I'd never hurt him. He's mine." Damon seethed.
"You'll remember after the rut and that'll be punishment enough. Until then…" the wolf tossed him a couple of bottles of Stefan's blood from a bag on the ground.
Damon ignored them and stared the wolf out confidently.
"Shut up and deal with it. We'll look after your mate."
Damon huffed in rage and watched as the wolf turned to retreat.
"Let me out of here! Let me out!" He screamed, blurring to the very edge of where the chains would allow as the wolf locked the gate again and watched him. "Stefan!"
The wolf shook his head, almost sympathetically and left as Damon pulled at the chains once more.
"Stefan!" Damon dropped to his knees and screamed, his eyes filling with tears.
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Stefan paced the room, trying to think of what to do. The wolves had made it clear that it would harm Damon further if he should go to him, but it went against every instinct he had. He felt like his brain was being torn apart in the battle of wills. Vida awoke crying already and he moved to her bassinet and looked in on her. They all hoped that she'd finally settle now that he was awake and she could see him.
"Hey angel." He cooed and she looked up at him and reached with her hands.
He scooped her up and kissed her cheeks one at a time, bouncing her slightly.
"Dadda's here. Everything's ok my baby girl."
She lay her face into the skin of his neck but continued to cry softly. He stroked her back and scented her head gently. She'd been sleeping with one of his t-shirts for the comfort his scent brought, so hopefully holding her would settle her now. She continued to cry and he moved over to the bed and curled up. She sniffled and he stroked her tears away, frowning.
"It's ok angel. I'm back. I'm back now." He whispered and lay her amongst the pillows as he removed his shirt.
Skin on skin contact would be better for bonding. He pulled her back to lay her face on his chest and patted her back. She sniffled but opened her mouth to suck at his skin.
"See? It's dadda." He stroked the hairs on her head as she hiccup and ran her tongue over his skin.
Strange to realise but now he understood that this was her way to scent. She was getting bigger and more intelligent quickly and she saw that the wolves and he and Damon all scented each other for comfort. Now she was learning to do it too, in her own baby way.
"You like dadda's skin shirt?" He joked, rubbing her back and swallowing down longing for Damon.
She began to fuss and sniffle again and he tried to sing to her. She was clearly still stressed and confused.
"You must be hungry angel. Come on. You'll feel better." He cooed and gently placed her into his neck.
She sucked on his skin there for a few seconds before beginning to cry again. He sighed frustrated and sat up, holding her out so he could see her face. Her little vampire eyes were showing, so she must be hungry. Why wouldn't she eat?
"What is it baby?" He cooed and she closed her eyes and cried, channelling an image of Damon.
He sighed sadly and nodded.
"I know, I miss him too. He's sick baby. He'll be home soon." He cooed but she just grew more distressed.
This was what Isabella and Constance had been dealing with for days. Wasn't he enough? Why couldn't he comfort his own baby? He exhaled, feeling tears fill his eyes and sat up fully, cradling her. She choked on her cries a few times and he walked the floor with her, doing the swooshing sounds she normally liked and trying to interest her in her toys. Nothing seemed to work and he took her through to the lounge and sat her in a bouncy chair Isabella had bequeathed. Isabella promised that this chair would help, that it'd give her some way to tire herself out at least, in a fashion where he didn't have to watch her constantly. He buckled her in and she sniffled, her eyes wide with tears as he moved around, looking for the baby bottle someone had given Damon.
Clearly feeding from the vein wasn't working with her and if what the wolves had told him was correct, then she hadn't eaten for three days. He had to do something. He fretted, searching around Damon's chair for it as she cried on, wailing now as she couldn't see him. He finally found it and scrutinized it. Normally humans needed to disinfect these things, but Vida was no human. He stood up and she calmed a little when she saw he hadn't left.
He looked at her deliberating. If he used this bottle without washing it, would she be ok? There was only one and he wasn't sure how to disinfect it. She looked as though she was starving and couldn't wait. He sniffed the bottle and decided to lick it himself. He cleaned it as thoroughly as he could and bit into his wrist, pouring the blood straight from the vein, where it would be fresh. She calmed a little as she watched, hiccupping.
"It's coming baby." He assured, watching as the little bottle filled to a sufficient level.
He licked his wrist as it healed and sealed the plastic tit on the bottle.
Please let her eat. Please.
He squeezed his eyes closed in silent prayer and moved to her again, lifting her from the seat and sitting in the rocking chair. He held her in his elbow and she looked up at him, her veins tingling.
"Feed, lady impossible. Do it for dadda." He cooed and placed the bottle to her lips.
At first she struggled, crying again and then he tried something different. He summoned an image of Damon feeding her, sitting right here in this chair and channelled it to her. She gurned a little but let him pop the tit into her mouth. He rocked gently and felt his whole body relax as she finally sucked on it and swallowed.
"That's my girl." He cooed and smiled down at her.
She held the bottle with her hands and sighed heavily, her eyes closing as she drank. He tried not to let his mind wander too much in case she was affected by his feelings but it was hard. Why did she want Damon so much more? Why had it taken so much to get her to feed? He sat his head back and exhaled. Had Damon been doing most of the feeding lately? Had he did the daddy bit a little more than him? Is that why she wanted Damon? He shook his head. They normally did everything quite equally. There hadn't really been an extended time when Damon had done the feeding more, so that she should associate it with him. Plus she had been cared for by the wolves recently, who'd been feeding her too. So what was the deal?
She began to gurn again and he looked down in surprise. She let the tit slip from her mouth and gave a cry again.
"Come on Vida, please." He begged and she turned her face into his chest, drooling some blood back out as she pressed her face into the warmth of his skin.
He rocked her and rubbed the bottle near her lips again.
"Come on, you need to eat my baby girl. Please eat for dadda."
She choked again and as she opened her mouth he stuck the tit in again. She tried to gurn around it, but he rocked and began to sing softly to her, scenting her head again and she began to suck from the bottle once more. He watched her with focus this time, rocking her when she seemed to stop sucking and whispering comforting things to her. She eventually drank enough to satisfy him and fell asleep with the tit still in her mouth. He sat watching her as he removed it and set it down. She seemed to be dreaming, jerking every now and then and breathing quickly. He wondered what she was dreaming about. With her not eating for so long, she would probably sleep most of the day. He had to make sure he could feed her at every opportunity.
Isabella had suggested human food but he still didn't think she was ready for that. He wasn't. He had no idea about food. Perhaps that was his real motivator to keep her drinking blood. He did eat occasionally when he had to appear human, but he had no idea what babies ate. He frowned on that. It wasn't her fault that he didn't know. Maybe she did need something more. She did grow after all. Perhaps that's why she was crying? He would be a fool not to consider that a possibility. She was technically 2 months old now. From what he'd been told, babies normally began to eat food a few months older than she was. Still, although small in stature, she was clearly progressing mentally, quicker. Isabella reckoned that she was more like a child of six months. Her strength and sped were increasing exponentially, as she could hold her own head up now. She wasn't far from sitting too.
Maybe he should try some of Isabella's baby food. He bit his lip and nodded. Next time she woke, he'd do that. He carefully took her back into the bedroom and lay her in her bassinet. She let her hands fall to the side of her head and sighed deeply. He tucked her in with her blanket and lifted the bassinet. He needed to know how Damon was.
He headed out of the lodge, looking in on her to make sure she stayed asleep as he walked over to Nisha's lodge.
Nisha let him in and took the bassinet from him, placing it beside the fire to keep her warm. She enfolded Stefan in her arms when she turned around and he held her gratefully.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered into his shoulder.
He gave a weak smile.
"I know this must seem like hell on earth for you, but this does happen Stefan. It's not your fault. Males rut sometimes." She patted his knee as they sat down.
"This seems so much worse." He gulped and she shook her head.
"No, I've witnessed some like this. The main problem is Damon's strength. He's unmatched by any of the alpha's here and that makes it difficult for them to help him in the usual way."
He nodded. Vampire strength and speed where gifts the wolves didn't share.
"Normally a few days of jumping around and tussling with the others is enough to cure a rut but Damon's too strong." She sighed sadly. "He'll kill them by accident and we can't take the chance."
"I understand." He agreed.
"How is she?" Nisha looked to Vida.
"I don't know." He sighed. "She finally fed but she wouldn't take it from me. I had to give her a bottle and even then…she's still crying and stressed."
"She knows Damon's suffering probably. Babies know somehow." Nisha gave a comforting smile.
"I thought she'd be better with me here now." He gulped.
"The fact that you are here alone only indicates that there is something wrong Stefan. It's not about you."
"I guess." He said, but didn't believe it.
Vida gurned and moved in her bassinet and Stefan blurred to her immediately as Nisha held her chest in amazement at his speed.
"Sssssh angel. Dadda's here." He cooed and tucked back in again.
She opened her eyes sleepily and frowned.
"Dadda's here."
Love, dadda, my baby girl.
He channelled and she sighed unhappily and closed her eyes again. He stroked her head and for a few seconds as she gurned sleepily.
"Why doesn't she want me?" He whispered in grief. "Why can't I settle her? It as though she knows this is my fault."
Nisha joined him and put her arm around him.
"She's a baby Stefan and it most certainly isn't your fault."
"The others think so. I can see it in their faces. Even Isabella thought so because I wouldn't let Damon inside of me." He said unhappily and Nisha pulled him to sit down again.
"Listen to me, normal heats and ruts coincide yes." She admitted and he hung his head. "But, you are not wolves. I'm assuming that although you didn't join in the normal way, you both still achieved…you both still…"
"Yeah." He nodded and she exhaled.
"Then that should still have worked. A lot of wolves only consider full penetration as mating sex but that's nonsense. If you are together and connecting through scenting, kissing, sleeping together without sex but still having orgasms together, then that is what your biology demands. Ok, yes, full sex is better and ends the heat quicker, but it isn't the only way."
"Really?"
"Yes, do you think we let every young teenager copulate?" She raised an eyebrow and he chewed his lip as he thought on that. "We may be wolves but we are still human. Sex is still as big an issue for us as other humans and we don't start having sex until we understand our bodies and we're old enough to understand what it means. Think of this as your puberty if you will."
"You think it's the vampire part that's made this happen?"
"Honestly? I have no idea, but I know that your bodies have been changed by magic, not nature and that means the cards are off the table with you. I should have seen it in him when he came for Vida the other day."
"He did?" Stefan tensed.
"Yeah. He thought Constance had her and he was moody and aggressive. I should have realised there was something wrong. Constance knew somehow and she refused to tell him where Vida was until you woke up. He wasn't happy."
"That doesn't sound out of the ordinary." He gave a small smirk.
"He went to look for her and came across here where I was treating John for his chest. As soon as he caught John's smell he went for him. I could see the rut then."
Stefan swallowed. He'd broken at least one of John's ribs in the chaos a few days previous.
"Did he hurt you?"
"No, he wasn't interested in me. John in his mind was a risk to you, so he flipped. Thankfully Ian arrived with Bill and they managed to get him out of here. Vida's small but she saw what happened." Nisha looked to the bassinet again. "All she would have understood is that Damon was upset and angry and being forcibly removed from her. That's why she wants him Stefan. Not because she doesn't want you."
Stefan hung his head and swallowed painfully.
"This is everything I didn't want for her." He croaked.
"She'll be fine. Once Damon is better, you'll be together and she won't remember this happened."
"How do I help him get better? There must be something I can do. Something you can do? A herb or something?" He grabbed her hands and she sighed.
"I've been trying to figure something out. I've prepared something that might make him physically weaker so the others can help him fight it out."
"Not vervain." He shook his head.
"No, not exactly. There is a root in the vervain family that might help without making him ill and hurting him. I've made a small amount of it."
"If they all fight, they won't hurt him?" He asked anxiously.
"Oh they will and he them, because that is what this is for. Ruts aren't just about the need to procreate, they are about defending what's yours and that's a primal instinct we all have, even as humans. If Damon doesn't feel like they're really fighting with him, like they are a threat, then he'll tire of them and won't respond. This has to be real, but in a way that his vampire abilities don't kill us." She warned and he nodded.
"I guess he wouldn't want to be coddled anyway."
A knock sounded at the door and Vida gurned again. Stefan went to her, cooing and Nisha answered the door to Ian, Bill and John. Vida began to cry full on and he lifted her from the bassinet, bouncing and kissing her head as the wolves entered the lounge and looked on at him. He turned to face them and saw John.
John avoided his eyes but gave him a polite nod. Stefan's stomach burned in guilt. Ian talked with Nisha as they went into another room and left Stefan unsure of what to say to the others.
"How is he?" He asked as Vida buried her face into his neck and continued to gurn and squirm.
"Same." Bill said and looked at Vida sadly. "How's the little one doing?"
Stefan swallowed sadly and he nodded in acknowledgement.
"It'll be over soon. I've never known one to last more than three days." John said, still avoiding his eyes.
Vida burst into a wail and kicked her legs against Stefan's chest. Stefan bounced her and scented her head. Bill and John shuffled uncomfortably as Stefan struggled to calm the now screaming infant.
"May I?" John asked after a few minutes and Stefan looked at him in surprise, before nodding.
He handed Vida over to him and she looked up at John and calmed a little.
"Hey now. What's all of this about?" He cooed and she hiccupped and searched his face.
Stefan sat down and pulled at his hair as he sighed and Bill reached into his pocket and pulled a piece of fabric from it, coming to John's side and cooing at her too. She stopped crying and Stefan looked over at them in surprise.
"Smell your daddy huh? Yeah?" John cooed and Stefan realised they had given her a piece of Damon's shirt.
He stood up and moved over to them, watching as she sucked on it, holding it in both hands. Bill looked at Stefan in sympathy.
"Smells are the key. Just keep her around his smell. My little ones get testy when I'm working away sometimes and as long as they have something with my scent, they stay a little calmer. It's a wolf thing." He said and Stefan nodded at the logic and watched as Vida pulled the cloth from her mouth and stared at it.
"It's always hardest on the little ones." John commented and Bill nodded.
Ian and Nisha returned from the other room looking confident and they all looked to them.
"Got a plan?" Bill asked and Ian nodded.
"This should make him weaker so the bonding is fair." Ian held up a bottle of liquid and Stefan nodded at Nisha.
"He's still cunning though, we'll have to try it out as a test before we give it a go." John warned and they all nodded.
Stefan tensed uncomfortably.
"Let's do this and get him home to his family." Ian said.
John returned Vida to Stefan's arms, now content as she sucked Damon's shirt and Stefan exhaled, frowning. This was crazy. He shouldn't be left here to sit idly by as Damon fought these wolves. Damon was his. He should be the one to resolve this. As they left, each one of them gave Stefan a pat on the shoulder and it made him feel worse. He was the woman in this scenario and he didn't like it one bit. He clenched his jaw annoyed and Nisha exhaled and caught his attention.
"They don't mean to make you feel undermined Stefan. This is a just the way a pack works. If they let you put yourself in danger then Damon won't forgive them or himself. You also have a little one who needs you and you can't put Damon before her."
"What if this doesn't work?"
"Then he'll probably wreck the cavern and tire himself out doing so. Then he'll sleep and wake up himself again." She said and he nodded.
"In the meantime, let's get her sorted." Nisha indicated towards Vida and he nodded. "I might have some herbs to help her sleep better. She's clearly struggling to."
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Damon sat back against the wall and wiped sweat from his face. His body was boiling and he felt as though he had insects under his skin. It was driving him insane! He had to keep trying to get out of here, but he'd broken his hands punching the wall. He sucked on his knuckles as they healed. He'd drank all of Stefan's bottles, stifling the urge to scream and break his wrists in an effort to free himself as he did. Tasting Stefan but not being able to hold him, scent him, make love…it was torture. He didn't care what that wolf said. No way he'd tried to hurt Stefan and didn't remember. He'd never hurt him. He couldn't. Stefan was easily his match and sometimes faster and smarter. When he thought of the amount of times when they'd been at odds years ago and they'd fought…Stefan had gotten him good on plenty of occasions. Where he had the braun, Stefan had the brains and always managed to impale him or something.
He gave a chuckle as he remembered the first time Stefan had done that. Stefan had been so mad with rage and had smiled triumphantly as Damon had spat blood out of his mouth and gagged. He'd let him think for a few minutes that he was suffering, but back then he still feed on human blood and plenty of it. It had been hilarious to pretend that he was in agonising pain, only to then pull the knife out and laugh in his face as Stefan realised it was a ruse. Still, that was before they loved each other, when Stefan was boy wonder and he was…well he just liked to play with him like a cat and see what he'd do.
That was a different lifetime. Now Stefan was the world. Those days of smashing each other around were long gone.
He heard footsteps approaching and he stood up, ready. The wolf from earlier came in and unlocked the gate, stepping aside as the guy Ian walked in cautiously. They stared at each other.
"I'm here to help you get through this Damon. You have to trust me. Trust the pack, in that we mean you no harm." Ian said.
"Bullshit! Where's Stefan?" Damon spat. "What have you done with him?"
"Nothing. He's better. His heat has ended and he's fine I swear. He's at home right now. He wants you better."
"I want to see him." He demanded.
"You will, but only if you make a deal."
"A deal?" Damon snorted.
"You drink this and cooperate and we'll unchain you." Ian said simply and pulled a bottle from his pocket.
"What the hell is that?" Damon growled.
"It'll reduce your vampire strength and speed so we can unchain you." Ian advised.
"What?!"
"Damon, yesterday you grabbed Stefan and your strength is so little in your control because of your rut, you hurt him. Do you remember that?"
"Fucking lies!" Damon blurred for him and strained as he reached his limit of movement.
"It's not your fault, he knows that but if you don't take this, you could still hurt him again."
"I'm going to rip your lying tongue out!" Damon fought the chains wildly and Bill entered fully to stand at Ian's side defensively. "You're all dogs! Pathetic snivelling little dogs!"
Ian frowned as he heard Damon shoulder dislocate and he took a step forward, Bill grabbing his shoulder and preventing him in caution.
"I'll kill you when I get out here!" Damon foamed at the mouth and cried out as he felt his arm tear again.
He fell back panting and held his arm enraged.
"Drink this and I'll let you try." Ian said calmly and held up the small bottle.
Damon stared at him in disbelief.
"Drink it and you can fight me. Right here, right now."
Damon growled and looked to Bill.
"No one will stop you. It'll be you and me big guy." Ian said.
Damon panted, cracking his shoulder back into place as Bill grimaced.
"Go to hell with your poison." Damon said a little calmer from the pain and took a few steps back.
"Ok then." Ian sighed dramatically and looked to Bill, each of them exchanging a knowing glance. "I guess I'll just go and visit Stefan then. See if he needs me."
Damon looked at him enraged.
"Heard Vida isn't sleeping. I'll just take her to my place and keep her for a while, maybe a long while."
Damon growled.
"Hell, I'll take her. She prefers the company of wolves anyway." Bill added and Damon panted again.
"I hear Stefan does too." Ian smirked and Damon lunged for him again, snapping his fangs and roaring.
Ian stepped back a step and held up the bottle again, raising an eyebrow.
"So what's it to be?"
