Excuse all of the dialogue in the chapters, I just think it makes the story more tangible - if you have any different opinions, please let me know! Your reviews mean so much to me!
ilovestiles: I really hope you like my vampire - I absolutely loved writing him! I'll give you bonus points if you can name the vampire I based him on ;)
towanda123: I felt so bad with holding the love from Stiles, but I need to - its good for Harper!
"We need information Jacob." She said, stepping closer to the vampire.
"Now, now my dear, don't cut to the chase – let me have my fun." He gravitated closer to Harper and held out his hand to her.
"Jacob, please don't do this. You must know what is happening in Beacon Hills – you've got to be concerned about it too."
"Of course I am aware of what's going on. I even knew you were in Beacon Hills. There's a lot I do know, that you don't my dear."
"Why didn't you come?"
"Oh, come now. Don't tell me you missed me."
"I could have used a friend like you, Jacob. It's been hard."
"I know. I know what you've been through." He reached forward and stroked Harper's cheek. "I wish I could compel everyone to forget about you." The vampire paused and rested his forehead against Harper's. "Especially myself."
"Harper, what's going on?" Stiles asked.
"Oh yes, I forgot about your friends," The vampire broke out of his vulnerability and began his onslaught, he eyed Harper up and down, "I was distracted." He stalked behind Harper and stroked the bottom of her back. "Why have you all descended on my home?"
"Like Harper said, we need information." Scott answered.
"Well my dear," Jacob said, his hand still in the small of Elizabeth's back, "Why didn't you come alone. It would be just like old times."
"Anyone ever told you it's not good to dwell on the past." Elizabeth said, she was gentle in her tone, but it was also a subtle reprimand.
"Buddy, we came for information. Now make your smooth talking mouth expel some intel." Stiles said, obviously enraged at the sleazy attention Jacob was paying Harper. She was his girlfriend, not some object to be played with.
"Oh stop it. Give me a chance to become at least acquainted with you all."
"Fine." Harper began, humouring the vampire. "This is Scott. He's an alpha."
"An Alpha? Huh, very interesting. You haven't turned anyone?" Scott shook his head, "I should have guessed as much, you can see the red in your eyes, but they're not stained with blood. Yours however," He said turning to Peter, "Yours are dripping with it."
"That is Peter, he's a beta."
"This one is different," He said, pointing at Malia. "Let me see those pretty eyes flash," The man towered over Malia and she flashed her eyes their electric blue, growling slightly for emphasis. "And you've killed too. Interesting."
"That's Malia, she's a were-coyote."
"A were-coyote? Interesting… very new age, don't you think, my dear?"
The man sharply turned to Lydia, "And you, you lovely little creature, you're the Banshee."
"This is Lydia Martin."
"And then you must been the kitsune-"
"That's Kira"
"Which leaves you to be the human."
"That's Stiles" Harper said, smiling at him slightly.
"I do like humans." The vampire said smoothly.
"Yeah pal, I bet you do," Stiles' words were dripping with sarcasm, "Now can we quit the small talk and get to the information."
"Oh, what is the rush? Can't I show my new very attractive acquaintances my hospitality –my dear, you have chosen a very aesthetically pleasing group of friends – oh, I've over stepped myself! How could I not introduce myself? I am called Jacob, Jacob Engel." They all stood around awkwardly eyeing at each other as he bowed slightly. "Did you know, that Engel is German for Angel?"
"Actually, yes, stemming from the Latin angelus." Lydia beamed, trying to trump the vampire.
"Very good, smart and beautiful." Jacob said. He snaked around everyone, "Why are we all standing around? I never acquired thousands of dollars' worth of furniture for a bunch of teenagers to stare at it. Come on, the sooner we sit and get chatting, the sooner you can absorb the information from me." He walked over to Harper and took her hand, "Come, and follow me."
Stiles seethed at seeing the two holding hands – and Harper was just letting him?! What was this? A keys-in-the-bowl party? He felt a hand on his arm, it was Scott.
"Hey man, I can feel your heart beat rising, never mind hear it. Chill out, we need him."
"I know," Stiles said, "I just can't stand to see that."
"Now you know how I feel." Malia said, pushing past Stiles' shoulder.
"Dammit – Scott, I'm trying for both of them!" Stiles whisper-shouted.
"I know, I know. You've gotta do what's right for you though."
They were interrupted by sudden grandeur surrounding them. They looked at the marble floors and decadent furnishings and were awestruck. Dark red, the kind of red that comes from a fresh wound was on every wall, "I know the red is a little cliché but I just couldn't help myself." Images of human anatomy were hung around the room, "I am of the persuasion that the human anatomy is so well designed that a creator must be involved – don't you agree, my dear?" He asked Harper in particular. "How do you all like it?"
"It's another room." Stiles said, a cocked eyebrow from Jacob made Stiles reconsider, "An opulent room, but a room nonetheless."
"Wit." He sat down on a white loveseat and motioned for everyone to sit with him. Harper moved to sit next to Stiles but Jacob pulled her close to him. "I like it." He whispered too close to Harper's ear. "I can see why you've grown attached to this rag tag bunch, my dear."
"What's with that, why do you keep calling her 'my dear'?" Lydia asked with irritation in her voice.
"Yeah, how come you know Harper?" Kira asked.
"Harper? That is a good choice for you. A pretty name, suiting for an immortal beauty like yourself. I don't recall you ever telling me your name. I know you've had alias' over the years, but I always liked my pet name for you. My dear…" He paused and placed his arm on the back of the love seat "When you are immortal you tend to run into people often. I was turned in 1402, and we ran into each other around the start of the 17th century. Oh," He added with a smirk on his face, "we had a dalliance of sorts back in the 19th century."
"What's a dalliance?" Scott asked.
"It's usually used to describe trying something new. Or… you know a fling." Lydia said.
"Oh Jacob, it was one night, hardly a dalliance."
"What?!" Stiles said.
"What do you want me to say Stiles, I'm 503 – that's a long time. He helped me a lot and I, I was lonely."
"My dear, you flatter me." Jacob said sarcastically. "But a dalliance, a fling," He turned to look Stiles right in the eye, "a burning hot, passion filled, wild night – call it what you will, but from what I remember I think we should do it again." Stiles ran his hands through his hair.
"Look I can't believe this!"
"What's wrong Stiles, can't believe this fine specimen of supernatural wonder, would want another fine specimen of supernatural wonder? A girl like this," He said stroking her hair, "Needs a real man-"
"When are we getting to the information?" Peter said.
"Oh my goodness, they're taking this very fast, aren't they, my dear. I do believe you never used to like it this fast my dear, you always liked to drag things out, long and slow…"
"Harper, can I speak to you alone?" Stiles asked, Harper went to speak, drawing in air and forming her lips around the y in yes, but she was cut off-
"No you can't. Let me have my fun, and then you can have the information you so greatly desire." Jacob said, twirling a piece of Harper's hair around his finger. "I can see that you've grown quite attached to this bunch of supernatural beings, if I recall correctly, you never usually mingled with the others, never mind werewolves."
"What do you have against werewolves?" Scott asked, his eyes flashing a deep red.
"There's a supposed hierarchy in our world Scott," Peter said, "Some of the older generation still believe in it."
"Don't say it like that Peter, you make me feel my full 613 years."
"So you're saying we're not good enough to 'mingle' with Harper?" Malia asked.
"If I were to put it bluntly, yes. Our world is based on structure. A creature like this," He said, staring intently at Harper, "you must understand, is far too rare and exquisite to be fraternising with a creature so attached to the human world. You and your kind are metamorphic shape shifters, only supernatural when the flimsy moon wanes it's cycle. My kind and I are constantly superior to our human counterparts." He paused slightly, before continuing, "And, our human counterparts are on the bottom of the food chain."
"If that's true Jacob, why have I fallen for humans and never you and your kind?" Harper said, pulling her hair around her shoulder so Jacob couldn't run his fingers through it.
"Oh, now that is not true. There was Edwin the druid – he was a bore I don't know what you saw in him. And I do specifically remember a tale of woe when you fell in love with a French fae in 1627."
"Right, the druid was only for a few months – I quickly fell from under his spell – pun unintended. And okay, I'll give you the fae, but she was a one off for immortals."
"She?!" Stiles said
"I see there's a lot you don't know about our Harper here." Jacob smirked.
"I don't see why we can't just force the information from you." Malia said aggressively.
A sigh erupted from Peter, "Don't you think we've all thought about that Malia?"
"Vampires are less strong, but way faster than werewolves – even with an alpha here, he could outrun us." Kira said.
"But we have the supposedly all powerful, ass kicking elemental here."
"Her name is Harper." Lydia said in her defence.
"I'd only be able to intervene if he attacked one of us." Harper said.
"Look, I love all this group chat about torturing information out of me, but I would like to move on to better things… prettier things…"
Jacob stood up and stalked across the room, weaving in and out of the group as he spoke. "There are several things I want in order for you to acquire this information. I want you to stay for dinner and then stay the night."
"Do vampires even eat?" Scott asked.
"As long as we keep a healthy amount of blood in our system we can do what we like. I myself enjoy the perks of humanity – good food, good wine, good sex. All of it is perfection."
"I told you all," Harper said in a sing-song voice, "vampires are all hedonism and no realism."
"My dear, what else did you tell about my kind?"
"Not a lot really, just the basics. I didn't tell them much about you though."
"What's there to know?" Lydia asked.
"Oh you know, the basic vampire story – compelled into seduction by a vampire beauty, changed and forced to live all eternity young, beautiful and hungry."
"I meant your diet."
"Please don't tell me you're one of those vegetarian sparklers from Twilight." Stiles asked, obviously irritated by the presence of Jacob. Harper was comfortable with him in a way she wasn't with anyone else.
"Number one, we do not sparkle in the sun. Number two, that diet exists but is not the way a real man eats. I feed off humans, enough to satisfy me but not enough to kill them. I then compel them to forget."
"How do you compel someone?" Scott asked.
"Easy." He turned to Harper and grabbed her face to look directly at him, before she could resist Jacob narrowed his eyes. He spoke on a lower level, deep and direct. "You will kiss me." His eyes refocused and so did Harper's with everyone's eyes on the pair, she shook her head and looked at the floor.
"Hey I don't think I like th-"
Stiles was interrupted by Harper ferociously grabbing Jacob's face and crushing her lips against his. Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist and opened his eyes, winking at Stiles.
"Harper!" Most of them yelled, some of them gasped. Stiles just felt his heart break in two.
Harper pulled away Jacob and for a second looked at him with hooded eyes. Suddenly she realised what she had done, her eyes burst open. Her hand crashed with Jacob's smooth face and the connection echoed against the marble floors. With skin as strong as steel Harper grabbed her hand and pulled it close to her chest hissing in pain.
"I should have expected that. But it was worth it."
"What the heck was that Harper?" Stiles asked. It should have been angry, furious, but it was just disappointed.
"It was compulsion Stiles, please don't be like that."
"Oh how tragic." Jacob's voice came echoing through the door way, "Young love always burns the brightest, don't you think?" The air was thick with tension. Stiles and Harper were staring at each other, almost having a private argument in their heads.
I cannot believe you just did that.
Oh please Stiles, don't do this.
Do what exactly? Erupt over the fact you just kissed a guy you've previously had sex with. I should be okay with this?
He has supernatural powers that control! Control the mind. Why can't you understand this?
"I hate to interrupt this unbearable tension, but I can hear my maid coming along."
Just after finishing his sentence, an old maid came through the door way. "Sir, your dinner is awaiting you." She had bite marks on her arms and neck – some looked fresh and some looked like they had scared over.
"We have got guests today, so I will wait until you lay the table for them Maria."
Watching her leave, Kira commented, "Have you compelled her?"
"Of course I have." Jacob said nonchalantly
"That's no way to live. How can you do that to someone? Just compel them and feed off them. She's like a zombie."
"Don't be over dramatic. Zombies do not exist."
"Oh, but werewolves, vampires, elementals, banshees and kitsunes do?" Harper asked sarcastically.
"Don't get smart. Remember, I can compel you to kiss me again."