AN: I was asked why I picked Joanna as my OC's name and for all those interested, the answer is: I figured that if I had twins, I'd name them something similar, but not too much so. Two names that go together but aren't likely to get mixed up too often. So, since Elena's name was already set, I tried to think of names that go with hers and 'Joanna' was definitely one of my favorites. Joanna and Elena. They go together well, don't they? Both rather common, similar lengths, end in -na. So that's how I picked the name :)

Trigger warning! For all those especially sensitive to non-consensual sort of things.

Chapter 10: No Mercy for the Merciless

It was my first weekend alone since I'd met Damon. Of course, I could have still gone over to the Boarding House to drink myself silly from their impressive collection of alcohol, but the fact was... I was starting to feel the itch. I needed to get laid. I hadn't gone without for even two weeks straight since I'd started my little weekend getaways, and I wasn't planning to start such dry spells now.

So come Saturday, I left Mystic Falls behind and returned to my old haunts to party. I'd visited a couple of times with Damon, but that was different. This... this was oddly freeing. I drank and I danced and I flirted like crazy.

But at the end of the night I still left the bar alone and unsatisfied. Perhaps it was the hot vampire guys I'd been hanging out with, but somehow these plain old human men just didn't get me going like they'd used to. No one measured up and it was infuriating.

I was halfway to the nearest motel - to get myself a room for the night - walking, figuring it would be safer to just pick up my car from the bar's parking lot the next morning after having some time to sober up, when a tall and burly man about twice my age walked up to me in the deserted street. "Hey, girl! What brings you here, all alone, this late at night?" He asked, words slurred by the alcohol that I could smell on his breath as he leant closer.

"Just walking home", I lied, "Mom's waiting for me, excuse me." I tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm and proceeded to back me into the brick wall of the nearby building.

"Leaving so soon?" He asked and laughed, "I don't think so. I'm not done with you yet."

I shot him a warning look, "I think you are. Unhand me."

His hand let go of my arm, but he pressed closer, one leg between mine, his hands settling on my waist. I wrinkled my nose in disgust as I felt his beard tickle the side of my face as he nuzzled the rim of my left ear. I felt moist lips on my skin and snapped: "Alright, that's enough!" I tried to push him away and was sadly reminded that my physical strength was less than impressive. Funny how I could spend half my time in the company of vampires and yet it was a mere human like this that made me feel weak and powerless. "Back off!"

"Come on", the man muttered, "You're just begging to be fucked good. I mean look at you!" His hands rubbed at the strip of skin revealed where my low waist skinny jeans ended and tight lacy black top started and then continued down to my ass. "What you're wearing... It's an invitation, isn't it?"

"Get your filthy hands the fuck off me, jackass!" I snarled. The thing was, I wasn't really all that scared but I was starting to wonder how I was going to get out of this without getting violated any more than this.

And then my knight in shining armor arrived. Or well... knight in a dark suit that looked beyond delicious on that body.

The heavy, sweaty man was pulled away from me and I blinked in surprise at what I was seeing. There was Elijah, arm outstretched and hand wrapped around my assaulter's throat. Tightly, judging by the way the lowlife was gasping for breath.

"I believe the lady made clear your advances are unwelcome", Elijah slowly said to the drunk.

"That's the second time you've called me a lady", I commented, idly wondering if I had been more affected by the assault than I had thought, since I was so quick to joke at such an inappropriate time, "I think I should tell you that I'm not really anywhere near enough ladylike to deserve the form of address."

He shot me smile - an insincere, cold one, and I couldn't help but note how much more I liked his real ones - and said: "I would disagree." He turned his attention back to the man he was throttling, "Now what to do with you..."

I found myself thinking that the world would probably be a better place without a guy like him. I very much doubted I was the first - or the last - girl the perv had harassed. He seemed like a man perfectly happy to just take what he wanted, without care for who he was hurting in the process.

"… You would certainly deserve to be made into a meal, but I do not feed on pond scum..." Elijah was still musing, watching the man predatorily. He looked dangerous. More dangerous than I had seen him before. I hadn't forgotten what he was, but somehow seeing him like this, contemplating murder in a silent street in the middle of the night... It drove it home that this was a being you didn't want to mess with. I realized I had to be really fucking messed up because I hadn't ever felt more hot for him than I did in that moment. A part of me wanted to see his true face - his vampire side - and watch him bite the guy, drain him dry, let the beast out...

Something clicked in my mind and I stepped away from the wall and towards them. "Actually", Elijah's eyes snapped to me, "I know something we can use him for, something that will serve as a perfect punishment." He looked at me in question. "I would need your help in compelling him, however..."

O O O

Pond scum having been dealt with and sent on his way, Elijah turned to me asking: "Are you alright?"

I looked at him in surprise and then smiled, "I'm fine, thanks to you. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was visiting a contact of mine and decided to stay in town for the night", He explained, hesitated for a moment and then added: "Less people aware of vampires and so less of a chance of complications if I feed here than in Mystic Falls."

"Right... With the founding families passing down the knowledge and dosing people with vervain, I can see how feeding might come with more of a risk of exposure than usual." I hadn't really thought of it that way before, but now that he mentioned it, Damon mostly drank from blood bags or went out of Mystic Falls to hunt fresh.

He nodded and offered: "I would like to escort you to your destination, if I may."

I shot him a raised eyebrow, "You think I'll somehow succeed in attracting another creep tonight?"

He smiled in a rather hard to read kind of way. I couldn't quite decide whether he looked more joking or serious. "Well you certainly are attractive enough to catch the eye of just about every man you cross paths with."

I huffed, "Flatterer." And then began walking towards the motel. He fell to step with me. "I'm heading to the motel just a couple of blocks away, to get a room for the night."

He was silent for a moment, clearly thinking something over before saying: "I have an apartment here. Small, modest place I rarely use, but it does have a second bedroom."

"You offering to put me up for the night?" I asked, a little shocked.

"Yes", he simply replied, "But only if you are comfortable with the thought."

I frowned in confusion, "Comfortable with spending time in the close proximity of a man?" I wasn't quite that traumatized by the night's events, thank you very much. It wasn't like I hadn't had to deal with pushy men before.

He chuckled, "Comfortable with spending time in the close proximity of an Original vampire."

"Oh. That makes a little more sense", I commented and then smiled, "Though I'll have you know, it didn't even cross my mind that I might be in any kind of jeopardy in your company. I trust my instincts and my instincts have told me from the start that you're the honorable sort and that you will do me no harm without some serious provocation or just cause."

He eyed me almost expressionlessly and then sighed, "You are far too trusting."

"I don't think I am", I calmly argued, and that was that.

This apartment was similar to the one Elijah was renting in Mystic Falls in that it was void of any personal touches. Both had a very generic look, revealing nothing about the person living in them, though I supposed they were like that exactly because Elijah had done nothing to make them home. They were just places to rest his head in for the moment.

I gave the place a quick look around before turning back to Elijah, who had indulgingly allowed me to sate my curiosity. "So, did you get the chance to have a bite before you had to rush into my rescue?"

"I was still in the process of finding someone suitable when I heard you", he answered and waved a dismissive hand, "It's of little concern. I may just as well try again in the morning."

I glanced at the clock on the wall, checking that it was still a few hours until dawn, and then stepped closer to him and turned around, facing away from him. I pulled my hair over one shoulder and tilted my head to the side slightly to present him the bare skin of my neck. "Or you can have a little nibble of me since I'm so conveniently here."

His tone held a certain harshness as he said: "I did not bring you here to take advantage of you."

I looked at him over my shoulder and gave him a disapproving frown, "I'm offering. That's hardly taking advantage of me. And yes, I do know what I'm offering. I've let Damon drink from me when I've felt especially magnanimous."

"You're under the influence of alcohol", he pointed out. "I couldn't, in good conscience - "

"An hour or two ago I would have accepted that excuse", I replied, "But I've had time to sober up some since. I'm still not in any condition to drive, but I sure as hell am clear-headed enough for decision making like this. Besides..." I smirked, "It's not like I'm propositioning you or anything. Not that the thought hasn't crossed my mind a time or two. Or a few dozen, but who's counting?" I gave him a very blatant once over, "Have I mentioned how criminally hot you look in that suit?" I shook my head to get back on track, "Beside the point. Now bite me. If I regret it in the morning, you can tell me 'I told you so'."

"You are in no way indebted to me for - "

I cut him off, "Noted!" I turned to face forward and away from him again and bared my neck. I ran a finger from under my ear downward. "Consider it a gift."

When I didn't hear him move, I was starting to think he was going to stick to denying me but then I felt a hand oh so very gently settle on my hip and pull me half a step backwards and into him. I could feel him pressed against me and his arm sliding around my waist to hold me in place. I knew - I knew - having his arm around me was like having a bar of steel trap me in place, but he was so careful about the way he was holding me that feeling trapped was just about the furthest from how it felt.

I could feel his lips brush against my neck as he quietly asked: "Are you absolutely certain?"

"Please." It wasn't really an answer to his question, but it must have been good enough, because in the next moment I could feel his fangs slide into my skin, gently and effortlessly. Being bitten was never painless, I'd come to learn from my time with Damon, but there was a significant difference between being bitten carefully and being bitten with the kind of savagery vampires were naturally inclined to.

This was... This was gentle. And even when the way his arms pulled me more tightly to him spoke of his control on his bloodlust loosening, he was still careful. I doubted he even realized he had to bite me again a few times to keep the blood flowing when my healing factor tried to repair the damage. But even with the little stabs of pain that every bite sent through me, I still found myself enjoying the way he sucked and licked at the puncture wounds. It was reminding me that I hadn't gotten laid like I'd planned to.

When moments went on without him showing signs of stopping, I begun to wonder how long it would take him. Damon had always had a hard time stopping. More often than not he had drained me to unconsciousness, though my blood loss had naturally healed quickly. I felt my legs give out under me and was thankful for Elijah's arms around me, keeping me from falling down.

It was this sign of my weakening that snapped him out of his haze. His mouth immediately left my neck and then I was being set down on the couch on the far side of the room with him kneeling on the floor next to me. "I drank too much", he said, more to himself than me, and shoved his bleeding wrist into my mouth before I could protest. When it didn't seem like he was about to give me a choice in the matter, I swallowed some of his blood and was rewarded by him removing his bloody wrist from my face. He checked my neck and sighed in relief, "It's healing."

I considered telling him that I would have been fine even without his blood, Hell, that I could survive seriously anything he could throw at me, but then decided against it. I knew he was mystified about the way I knew things I couldn't possibly know about, but I also knew a part of him enjoyed the mystery. I didn't want to make this too easy for him, and that meant no giving him hints without good cause.

"My deepest apologies", he said, bowing his head in shame. "Such loss of control is entirely uncharacteristic of me. I don't mean to make excuses, but your blood was just - "

"Too delicious", I finished for him, amusement tinting my voice, "So I've been told." With a gentle hand I lifted his face up and had him meet my steady gaze, "You were actually very restrained. Damon's rarely been able to stop before I pass out."

He looked at me, appalled, "Why would you let him do that to you?" He seemed to find the thought of Damon draining me to near death honestly reprehensive. "Why would you let me bite you if you knew there was a chance that I might not stop?"

"I let him drink from me because he's been trying to behave himself and blood bags don't really do it for him. I've been rewarding him, you could say", I answered. "I suppose I was rewarding you as well. Giving me the elixir, being my guardian angel tonight... Surely I'm allowed to show you how appreciative I am?"

"I could have killed you!" He snapped.

"I don't believe that", I calmly said. "Not for a moment did I feel unsafe."

He sighed in defeat, "I thought you were supposed to be the sensible sister."

"I am", I smirked, "Imagine what Elena must be like."

He shook his head in dismay, but he was smiling, so I took that as a victory.

O O O

It was morning and I was beyond glad that I had long since learned to keep certain things in my purse for mornings like this. Toothbrush, small tubes of toothpaste and shampoo, a change of underwear and a clean top. Those combined with a shower and I actually felt - and looked - human again. I never got hung over, but that didn't mean I couldn't feel a little icky after a night of partying.

I stumbled out of the bathroom, drying my long hair with a towel I'd found in the bathroom cupboard, and followed my nose towards the heavenly scent of coffee and into the kitchen. I found Elijah sitting at the kitchen table, eyes rising from the newspaper to meet mine the moment I entered. "Good morning, Joanna", he politely greeted. He gestured to the seat across from him, "Please."

Nodding in thanks I sat down and immediately grabbed for the takeaway coffee waiting for me. I sipped at it and sighed in bliss. Exactly what I needed. There was also a small plate of muffins and croissants, and they smelled freshly baked. I didn't hesitate in grabbing a muffin. I was hungry.

My attention returned back to my companion when he asked: "Are you alright?"

I frowned at him in confusion, "Yes? Why wouldn't I be?"

"You had an eventful night", he pointed out.

"Do you mean the would-be rapist having his hands on me or having you drink from me?" I asked for clarification.

"Either", he shortly replied.

I hummed in thought, "I'm actually feeling the night of drinking the most, and I'm not really one to get a hangover, so yes, I'm perfectly fine." I grinned and wiggled the muffin at him. "Nothing that a cup of coffee and some food can't fix."

"Is this how you normally spend your weekends?" He asked, curious.

I shrugged, "I like to balance out my study habits with a Saturday night spent drinking, partying and sex. That's actually how I first met Damon. He picked me up at a bar." He had a very hard to read expression on his face. "So yes, this has been a pretty usual weekend for me. Except I didn't find anyone to swap fluids with, obviously." I smirked. "With the exception of the blood, of course."

"That is a rather risky way of letting out steam", he commented. "You never know what kind of a man you are giving access to your body."

"I haven't gotten burned yet", I somewhat smugly announced. "As I said, I've got excellent instincts."

He looked at me with some incredulity, "You let Damon Salvatore, a vampire well known for his impulsiveness and disregard for human life, pick you up from a bar. How does that show good instincts?"

I huffed, "I'll have you know, he didn't have so much as a taste of my blood that night and the night was perfectly satisfying." He looked like he had a hard time believing that, so I added: "To be fair, he did try to compel me and when he failed, he decided I was probably on vervain, so my blood didn't really sound too appealing after that."

He blinked, "Now that you mention it, I thought you said the entire Gilbert household is on vervain..? There wasn't even a hint of vervain in your blood."

Busted... "Everyone but me is. I don't need it. I can't be compelled", I admitted.

His eyes narrowed, "That's an unnecessary risk you're taking. Just because you're resistant to the compulsion of an ordinary vampire, doesn't mean your resistance covers us Originals as well."

I shot him a raised eyebrow before shooting him a challenging look, "Then please, give it your best shot."

He didn't look too happy about the idea, but he didn't hesitate in giving it a try. He stared at me intensely, and I knew his pupils were dilating but I couldn't see it from this distance, "I want you to pour the rest of your coffee down the drain."

"Never!" I hugged the paper mug to my chest protectively and glared at him, "That was unnecessarily cruel of you."

He looked at me in surprise, "So either you cannot be compelled or you have found an unobtrusive way of wearing vervain."

"I have no vervain on me", I said, "Promise."

"Interesting", he muttered, "And you've already told me you aren't a witch. I suppose a werewolf could be a possibility, but I found no indication of there having been a werewolf gene in your ancestry."

I smirked, "I'm sure you'll figure it out. Eventually."

He gave me a long look and smiled. "I'm sure I will."

O O O

I was sitting at the Grill, having lunch and reading in a relatively peaceful corner when Elena walked over and sat down across from me. I frowned at her lightly. I thought she was supposed to be spending the day with Bonnie and Caroline doing girly things.

"Bonnie and I were talking..." She began, "and she said she'd love another look at the moonstone - " So not Elena then. " - to, you know, get a read on it and figure out if there's something more to be learned about it."

I dropped my eyes back to the book I'd been reading before she decided to interrupt my study-time with her schemes. "You'll have to try a little harder than that Katherine. Bonnie's never seen the stone."

"Damn it", she muttered, "It's always something."

Giving her a pointed look, I said: "You look very 'Elena' though, so points for that at least."

"Thanks", she said mockingly and then darkly continued: "But I need the moonstone."

I hummed in acknowledgement, "I'm sure you do. Want to tell me why?"

"It's my ticket to freedom", she admitted grudgingly.

Suddenly it occurred to me that the fact that Katherine was making a second attempt now, might actually mean something. "Is Klaus on his way here?" I asked.

The way her eyes widened in surprise was all the confirmation I needed, but she was still nice enough to verbally confirm it for me, "Yes. And if I don't have the moonstone when he gets here, he will have my head."

I huffed, "Oh please, like he'll forgive you even if you give him the stone. He's hunted you for the last five hundred years, he won't be that easily appeased."

"A friend of mine made a deal with him on my behalf", she insisted. "He promised to pardon me if I can give him the moonstone and the doppelgänger."

"To be precise, you don't have either", I pointed out, and with a hint of warning added: "And if you go anywhere near Elena, I'll have your head."

"I'm sure it's good enough that I can point him at her direction", she said dismissively. "But I need the stone."

"You're not getting it, so you might want to start running", I airily told her.

"You're planning to give it to him anyway, aren't you?" She pressed. "That's part of your grand plan, isn't it? So if he's going to get it anyway, what's the harm in letting me give it to him? Joanna, please!" I could see how she was trying to act and sound as much like my sister as she could, to subtly sway me. It wasn't working too well for her.

"I have every intention of holding the stone hostage until I can be sure he's listening to me", I shared. "I'm not willing to give up that little bit of leverage, not when it's him I'm dealing with. You're on your own, Katherine."

She growled wordlessly and stomped out of the Grill.

I closed the book and tapped a finger to its gleaming hard cover thoughtfully. Klaus was coming and it was only a week until the next full moon. If he got here before then, then I was sure he would insist on having the ritual then. That brought up the matter of finding a sacrificial wolf. As far as I knew, Mason was currently the only triggered wolf in town, with his brother and nephew carrying the potential. I didn't think Mason deserved a death like that and Tyler was still just a kid. I couldn't in good conscience doom him to an early death. That still left Mayor Lockwood, but the mysterious death of a Council member would be sure to attract the Council's attention and I rather liked the way things were now, with the Council lulled into the belief that there were no vampires in town any longer.

But that didn't mean I couldn't bring other wolves into Mystic Falls. And I happened to know a wolf with canine contacts.

O O O

I had recruited Damon into helping me, knowing that the little task I set for him wouldn't be hard for him at all. It was a little before sunset that he came knocking. I opened the door and he handed me a phone. I glanced at it and then asked him: "How did it go?"

"I waited until he came outside, knocked him out without letting him see me and emptied his pockets", he said. "Piece of cake. Though I'm keeping the cash as compensation."

I shrugged, "Sure. I only need the phone."

"What do you need it for?" He asked, curious. It said a lot about the trust he had in me that he had agreed to help me without me explaining anything to him.

"Klaus will be needing a werewolf sacrifice for the breaking of the Curse", I explained, "And since the only wolf in town is Mason, who I don't really want to see killed, I figured I'd see if I can use his phone to lure some more wolves into Mystic Falls."

"Werewolves who's bite is rumored to be able to kill a vampire", he blankly said, "When there's a full moon quickly approaching."

"I'll make sure they're properly leashed if they come", I promised. "You'll be in no danger. As long as you let me do my thing without messing up my plans."

"Your plans or your and Elijah's plans?" He asked suspiciously.

"My plans", I replied. "I'll probably have to let him in on it, to borrow his witches, but this is still all me."

"Fine", he said and hesitated before asking: "Just keep me in the loop, alright?"

I tilted my head at him, "Don't I always?"

He huffed a laugh, "You really don't."

I watched him walk away for a moment and then closed the door and turned to the phone. I went through the messages and found one that was asking Mason whether he was coming over for the moon. Mason had replied that he was staying in Mystic Falls. The message had been from a 'Brady'. The name seemed to tickle the back of my mind so I decided to try my luck with him. I sent him a quick message: 'There's a vamp in town that's rumored to have the moonstone.'

Mere moments later I - or Mason - received a reply: 'That's something we have to check out. Stay put, we're coming.'

O O O

I received a message on Mason's phone on Tuesday afternoon with only a location on it and headed over to Elijah's apartment the moment school let out. It didn't take him long to answer the door. He looked at me in surprise, "Joanna. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you and your witches would like to go wolf-hunting with me?" I asked, smirking.

"Wolf-hunting?" He asked.

I nodded, "I was given reason to believe that Klaus would be arriving soon and it occurred to me that he's going to need a sacrificial wolf. They're rare little buggers, aren't they? So I lured some into Mystic Falls with whispers of the moonstone being here." I showed him the text with the location, "This is where they are."

He glanced at the message and then looked back at me, "You lured werewolves here?"

"Well I didn't want to risk Klaus taking the easy road and taking one of the Lockwoods", I explained. "So... Wanna help me cage the little doggies?"

O O O

Having left the car further away, Elijah and I walked the last bit of the unpaved little side road to where the pack of werewolves had set camp. Leaving the car behind had allowed us to get closer to them before we were noticed, but they were still all on their feet and watching us carefully when we finally laid eyes on them. We stopped when we were only half a dozen yards from the closest wolf, the man I pegged as the 'Alpha' of the pack. He looked familiar and also happened to give me the creeps. I had the faintest of a memory of this man torturing the rather freshly turned Caroline in The Vampire Diaries.

I counted eight men and one woman. All their eyes were glued to Elijah.

"Vampire..." The Alpha lowly said, contempt written all over his face. "The one rumored to have the moonstone, I hope."

Elijah ignored him and turned to me, idly commenting: "You certainly caught many in the hook you cast." And then asked: "Do you have a preference to which one to use?"

I pointed a finger at the Alpha, "Him."

The wolves fidgeted slightly, nervous with the way we were so relaxed just talk among ourselves while faced with their superior numbers, and talking about things they couldn't quite follow, too.

"Because he's the leader of the pack?" Elijah asked, faintly curious, but not really caring one way or the other.

"Because he's a sadistic little prick", I replied. "Just looking at him makes me feel sick to my stomach."

"Your instincts again?" He asked, amused.

"Not quite", I denied. "But the fact remains..."

"Very well then", Elijah agreed. "We will take that one."

The Alpha scoffed, "You're crazy if you think we'll just let you take any one of us anywhere. There are nine of us and just one of you." He smirked mockingly, "Unless you count the useless little human."

I pouted, "I'm offended, though I do admit that I didn't come here with the intention of participating in any kind of a physical confrontation." I pointed down at the skirt and the high-heeled shoes I was wearing. "As you can see, my attire isn't exactly geared towards such an activity."

"Or any activity at all", I heard the sole female wolf mutter from her place at the Alpha's right as she eyed my four inch heels. I took it she wasn't one for these kinds of shoes.

"Look good though, don't they?" I asked her amicably.

"But they're so impractical", she argued. "I don't know how anyone walks in those types of contraptions."

I chuckled, "I never actually had any trouble adjusting to high heels, but I've heard they can be a bitch. You should - " I was cut off by the Alpha clearing his throat pointedly.

I found Elijah looking at me with a look that was a cross between amused and incredulous. I shot him a defensive look, "What?" His eyebrow quirked up. I shrugged, "Okay, so maybe not the right time for that discussion, but let me just remind you that she started it."

He chuckled, "Of course."

I huffed in slight annoyance, "Let's just grab the little lamb and get out of here. Aunt Jenna's expecting me home for dinner."

The wolves bristled as he nodded. I noticed him turn his head slightly to the left for a moment and then his eyes moved to the Alpha and quicker than my eyes could follow he was behind the leader wolf and knocking him out with a rather painful looking blow to the back of the wolf's neck. Then he was back next to me, this time with an unconscious wolf slung over his shoulder and the rest of pack was dashing forward to attack us only to hit an invisible barrier with a resounding 'clang'.

Jonas chose that moment to walk over to us from our left and Luka quickly followed his lead by coming over from where he'd been to our right. While Elijah and I had been keeping the pack of werewolves occupied, the two warlocks had walked around the area placing four magical crystals of some sort in a square, creating a cube shaped barrier that kept everyone from leaving or entering the space for as long as it was up. It was sturdy thing, impossible to break from the inside without magical means, but easy to break from outside by anyone smart enough to move the anchoring crystals. We weren't foreseeing anyone accidentally or intentionally coming over to help them, though, so they would be waiting safely here until we - or more likely Niklaus - had use for them. Especially since the Martins had added a property to the basic barrier that prevented electronics from working.

I watched in fascination as the wolves tried to pound their way through the barrier. The lady wolf was one of the two that had quickly decided such attempts were futile and was shaking her head at her hot headed pack mates. I could hear them growling insults and threats at us so I figured they could hear me as well. I locked eyes with the lady wolf and with an apologetic smile told her: "Someone will be over to let you out sometime next week, probably Tuesday or Wednesday. You're going to have to sit tight until then. We'll have someone bring you some foodstuff to tide you over until then."

"And Brady?" Lady wolf asked.

"He'll be dead by the time the next full moon goes down", I answered.

She stepped forward, as close to me as she could get with the barrier blocking her way. She looked at me imploringly, "Please! He hasn't done anything - "

I shot her a cold look, "So you're telling me Brady doesn't enjoy killing and torturing any vampire he can find?" She hesitated and that was answer enough for me, "I realize your kind isn't awfully fond of vampires, but that gives you no right to needlessly torture them. I find I have no desire to show mercy for the merciless. You all should count yourselves lucky I don't know enough about the rest of you to classify you into the same category as your Alpha or I would see you all dead."

I turned my back to them and found Elijah and both Martins watching me curiously. I gave them a cheerful smile - a mostly faked one, but it was very well faked - and asked: "Shall we go?"

AN: I asked a couple of weeks back what you people thought about the summary for this story and got a grand total of one answer. I'm not surprised the people who read the ANs are a minority but I thought I might get at least a few answers. So I ask again: The summary..? Good, bad, completely repulsive? I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on it (and everything else, of course).

Posted on June 9th, 2015.