"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." I groaned into the phone as I stood outside the unfamiliar apartment door of 4B.
"Good morning sunshine." Damon replied in an annoyingly chipper tone. "To what precisely are you referring to?"
"Meeting your friend. The one who happens to be a pretty decent vampire killer?" I drawled sardonically. "I don't understand why you can't just train me?"
"You've never really fought before. Alaric can teach you how to fight a vampire as a human, the basics per say. Once you can do that, I can start training you how to apply your vampire traits in a fight." He explained gently.
"But I've already managed to tackle you and Stefan!" I protested.
"Yeah but we weren't fighting back. If you want to stand a chance then you need to get a lot stronger and a lot faster. You need to learn where and when to strike. You need to learn how to be in control." He urged. "Alaric knows what he's doing Elena. Trust me, okay?"
I sighed loudly and nodded despite the fact he couldn't see me. "Okay." I murmured quietly.
"I'll come and see how you're getting on later." He said encouragingly before hanging up.
I took a couple of deep breaths whilst straightening my shoulders and then I knocked on the solid wooden door.
I hated to admit it, but Damon was right; Alaric was brilliant. We'd been training for about an hour and I felt exhausted but exhilarated.
"How long have you been friends with Damon?" I asked as I kicked the leather punch bag that hung in the middle of the dim apartment. The place had exposed brick walls and dusty wooden flooring and it was scattered with books, coffee cups and various other belongings. It had a peculiar charm that made me instantly feel warm and safe, and I had decided almost immediately that I liked the tall sandy-haired man that rented it.
"About six months I think. I'd just moved here from North Carolina to teach history at the high school, after hearing that a particular vampire had resettled here that I wanted to kill… it's a long story and to be honest I still can't work out when and how we started to not hate each other. I'm guessing the answer's bourbon." He explained with a chuckle that I couldn't help but smile at; something about him made me feel content and relaxed in a way that made me want to stay in the warmth of his presence for as long as possible.
"I just don't get how you stand him!" I replied, a wide genuine smile spreading across my face.
Alaric scoffed and shook his head as he took hold of the punch bag to provide me with some resistance. "Neither do I! Actually, about eighty percent of the time I can't, I'm just sedated with alcohol." He joked. "The guy's a dick, but he gets stuff done. He'll infuriate the hell out of you with the shit he does, but at the end of the day he protects the people that are important to him. He's a good buddy. I mean look, he's helping you isn't he?"
I stopped punching for a moment and looked into Alaric's soft hazel brown eyes. I gave him a small nod and pursed my lips. "I want to trust him… I really do. But-" I shook my head at him. "He's a vampire."
Alaric looked at me contemplatively for a second and then gave a gentle smile. "So are you. The fact that you're a vampire makes you no more or less trustworthy than if you were a human. It's the person you should be trusting, not the species." He explained softly, his voice comforting and wise.
"I just don't have good experiences with vampires… or trust for that matter." I replied as I began to kick the punch bag again, harder than I had been before.
"I get it, you've had a hard time, but at some point you've got to let all the anger and resentment go. Not all vampires are like your dad. Trust me, its taken a hell of a long time for me to accept that they're not all bad too, so I'm by no means judging you for resisting."
"What did Damon tell you about him?" I asked with an attempt at indifference.
"Well he said he doesn't know much, because you haven't really spoken to him about it, but he told me that your dad left you and hurt you and your mom when he'd come back to visit." He said hesitantly.
I nodded slowly as I switched from kicks to punches. "He left after he turned, but we didn't know what he'd become until he came back." I explained, my voice harsh from exertion.
"You're really starting to get the hang of this now." He encouraged softly, quickly changing the subject to alleviate the tension that had formed in the apartment.
I looked up at him with a small smile and slowed to a stop before leaning against the punch bag. "I really appreciate you helping me Alaric; it means a lot to me."
A 250-kilowatt smile spread across his kind face wrinkling his eyes and I suddenly felt like crying because of the overwhelming sense of compassion that was radiating from him. "Don't mention it. I'm happy to help." He said.
"Tut tut tut, slacking already!" An irritating voice called from behind, ruining the moment between my trainer and me.
"Ah Damon, I'm surprised I didn't notice you approaching with that gigantic ego of yours. I'm amazed you can even fit your head through the door." I snapped unkindly as I turned around with an unpleasant smile on my face.
"Jesus." Alaric laughed from behind.
"Ric fancy a drink?" Damon asked with a sigh, completely ignoring my presence in the room.
"Sure. Now?"
"Yeah. I'll be there in a couple of minutes. I just need a minute with Elena if that's okay?"
Alaric nodded and walked past me to the door. "It was great meeting you Elena. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. It was nice meeting you too." I replied sweetly before he turned and left me alone with Damon.
"So warrior princess… how was your first lesson?" Damon asked as he closed the door, my body instantly alert as he moved towards me.
"Good thank you. I like Alaric." I replied flatly.
Damon nodded with a smirk that made me grind my teeth together; he was so full of himself! "I want to show you something." He said softly as he pulled out a sharp wooden stake from inside his jacket.
I instinctively took a step back and lifted my hands out in warning, my eyes bugging from my head as I looked alarmingly into Damon's eyes. "What the hell is that for?" I exclaimed.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you with it." He reassured me, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
I narrowed my eyes at him as a growl sounded from deep within my chest. "What's it for then?"
Damon handed the stake to me and took a step back. "Kill me." He said darkly, his arms by his sides submissively.
"Excuse me?" I exclaimed incredulously.
"You heard. Come on, kill me."
A devilish smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth and my head fell to the side as I let the command settle in my mind. A small giggle of delight fell from my lips as I tightened my grip on the wooden weapon, letting my eyes rake his lean form in contemplation. I lunged at him quickly with the stake pointed at his chest, but all of a sudden I found myself in his iron-grip being held from behind. I gasped in surprise and stared in astonishment at the stake that was now on the other side of the room; he'd been holding out on me. Damon had hold of my right hand and kept it pressed to my chest so I couldn't move, whilst his other hand rested tantalisingly at the bottom of my ribcage. "Oops, now you're dead." He whispered seductively into my ear sending slithers of ice down my spine.
My breathing was suddenly very heavy and I struggled to focus on anything other than the fact that Damon's hard, muscular chest was pressing tightly against my back. I almost leapt out of my skin as Damon pressed his fingers deeply into my flesh and slightly under the back of my ribcage.
"This is the easiest way to a vampire's heart; underneath the ribcage, right next to the spine." He murmured, my vampire senses easily picking up the slight shaking in his voice; this was obviously affecting him too. His fingers softened and trailed up the side of my body, along my collarbone and then began running slowly and softly up and down my chest, from the base of my neck to just above the valley between my breasts. I couldn't help but close my eyes and lean into him as I gave into the consuming sensations, wanting desperately for his hands to stay on me forever. "Your sternum is a solid bit of bone, so it'll be a little more tricky." He whispered. I let out a small breathy moan as Damon's lips ghosted along the side of my neck and nearly collapsed when he released me.
I swallowed thickly and opened my eyes before slowly turning round to face him. "I want to be faster." I whispered breathlessly.
A small lop-sided smile appeared on his face as his blazing ice-blue eyes pierced intensely into mine. "You will be." He replied, softly tucking a stray curl behind my ear.
My eyes fell to his perfect, kissable lips at the gentle gesture and I felt myself lean instantaneously towards them. "Damon…" I breathed.
"I'm gonna go find Ric at the bar. Feel free to join us if you like heavily drunk inappropriate men in their twenties. You should probably shower first though." He said playfully, scrunching up his nose in mock disgust.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance and grabbed my phone and keys from the breakfast bar. "I think I'll pass." I replied spitefully as I followed him out the door; I would not allow myself to be tempted by him. Well, not again anyway.
"Elena!" An enthusiastic, high-pitched voice called as I walked towards my car.
I turned around in astonishment and smiled as I saw my, or what was my, best friend Caroline approaching me. "Hi Care." I said pleasantly, anxiously running a hand through my slightly sweaty curls.
"It has seriously been forever since I last saw you! Oh my God, I've missed you so much!" She exclaimed with a silly grin on her face.
"Yeah, I've missed you too." I replied softly.
"We should totally hang out! We could go to the Grill like we used to! Are you free tomorrow?" She rambled, her words jumbling together in an adorably exciteable way.
"Sure, that'd be great." I agreed, clenching my hands into fists as my head became filled with the sound of her steadily beating heart. "I've got somewhere I need to be, but I'll see you tomorrow okay?" I said as I began backing away.
"Can't wait!" She chirped before turning around and practically skipping away.
I shut myself in my car as fast as I could manage without using my vampire speed and immediately starting smacking my head against the back of the seat.
Blood. I needed blood.
I drove along a deserted road through the forest, my car going at a speed that would have been impossible for me to control as a human. I smiled when I saw another car come towards me and swerved in the road so it had no choice but to harshly pull to a stop. I watched with amusement as a middle-aged man got out and began walking towards me. Perfect, I thought darkly.
I took a deep breath to calm my excitement and got out the car to greet the furious stranger.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He yelled angrily.
"I'm sorry, I think there's something wrong with me. I feel… terrible." I whimpered, pretending to be incredibly faint.
"Hey, hey." He called as he caught my elbow to steady me.
I looked up into his emerald green eyes and my black dilating pupils quickly consumed my brown orbs. "Don't move." I whispered softly as I slid my hand into the brown curls at the nape of his neck. "This isn't going to hurt." I continued before allowing my face to shift into its monstrous form. I sank my fangs hungrily into the curve of his neck, groaning appreciatively as they pierced the rapidly pumping carotid artery. I immediately went into a frenzy as the beautiful soothing liquid ran down my throat, quenching a burning hunger that I hadn't realised existed before I'd began to ease it. I moved quickly to prop his body against a tree as my victim apparently lost the strength to hold himself upright. I loved this. Nothing in the world compared to the exhilaration of draining a person of their blood.
Suddenly I found myself being yanked backwards by a strong pair of arms and I thrashed viciously in an attempt to get back to my source of food.
"Elena STOP." A familiar voice commanded powerfully. "Stop."
I huffed but slowly stopped struggling. As my breathing slowed and my visage began to change back to normal, I came down from my blood high and took in the scene before me. What had I done? "Is he-" I began, my eyes filling with tears. Blood was dripping unattractively from my chin onto my chest and I looked down in horror at the blood that was staining my hands.
The man was now slumped in a heap on the floor and the terrifying silence was answer enough for my clipped question. He wasn't breathing. There was no heartbeat.
"I'm just going to make sure." Stefan mumbled uncomfortably as he let me go and walked over to the mess of a man.
"What have I done?" I murmured, this time out loud. Tears began running fervently down my cheeks and I looked through blurred eyes at my shaking red hands.
Damon's POV
Alaric and I only had a quick drink in the end because the Grill was filled with loud, exasperating teenagers of which wouldn't leave me alone and Ric admitted to having a pile of papers he had to mark. Infuriated with sticking to the speed limit of Mystic Falls I decided to drive the long way home through the forest where I could go faster, in the hope that I'd get at least some enjoyment from my afternoon. I frowned as I heard the brooding voice of my brother, his words troubling me.
Elena, STOP.
I pulled my car to a halt, the brakes screeching in protest at the abruptness, and stared for a moment at the almost collision that had taken place between Elena's car and that of a stranger, confused at what on earth she'd been doing. Using my vampire speed I got out my car and followed the sound of the disjointed conversation that was occurring between the two of them.
I watched in horror as the strong, seductive and deceitful vampire I thought I knew turned around with tear filled eyes and a bloodstained chin, staring at me helplessly before falling to her knees. What was going on? I scanned around the forest quickly and immediately understood when I saw Stefan leaning over the messy body of what I expected was Elena's victim. She'd let it in and the guilt had apparently hit her harder than a tsunami.
I had no idea what to do.
Elena dug her nails deep into her abdomen as she sobbed, tears streaming down her face faster than I could count.
"I killed him." She whispered, bewildered as if she had just come out of a trance. "Damon," She sobbed, my name sounding like a plea.
I felt my chest tighten at the sound of her pain and looked up at Stefan in panic, hoping he'd have an idea about how to stop her hurting. My gaze almost immediately fell back on Elena as the strong scent of her blood filled the air, and I swiftly lowered myself onto my knees in front of her so I could take her hands in mine to stop her digging her nails any further into her flesh. Her body instantly rolled forwards so that she was slouched against me, her face pressing into my chest, quickly soaking my shirt with her tears. "It's okay Elena." I comforted as her body continued to tremble with sobs. "It's all going to be okay."
I began stroking her hair and looked up at my brother, who was looking down at me seemingly at a complete loss. Something in Elena had snapped. Either she was going to completely fall to pieces, or she was going to become completely ruthless.
This is my longest chapter yet, so I hope you all like it! :) Unless I write another chapter for tomorrow morning, this is going to be the last chapter for a few days because I'm not going to have any internet access. I promise I'll do as much writing as I can though so that I can update straight away with hopefully an even longer chapter! :) Once again, thank you so much to everyone reading my story and to those of you who send me reviews - it really does help me when I'm writing! x
