Surrender

I sat in Stefan's room, smelling his sheets, breathing in the overwhelming scent of him, sighing contentedly as I lounged back on his pillows. I missed him so much, his loving smile, gentle touch, and reassuring words, the thought of his soft kisses filling me with desire and longing.

He had gone on a trip out of town, following a rogue vampire lead after hearing about a string of murders in a city near Mystic Falls. He had told me to stay behind at the Salvatore Boardinghouse for safety. This didn't bother me, what with the Boardinghouse being like a mansion, and Stefan granting me permission to stay in his room, but Stefan's absence had only lasted several days and already I was feeling desperately lonely. My only company in the house was Damon, his beautiful yet dangerous older brother.

Damon and I had blossomed as friends, but that didn't mean I trusted him, especially with Stefan missing. Recently I had found us getting perhaps a little too close, when my mind would start to wander… but I didn't feel that way about Damon! I loved Stefan and would always love Stefan.

I couldn't ignore that Damon awakened something inside of me, something heated and foreign, but oftentimes that something was anger or irritation. The urge to slap that arrogant smirk off his inhumanly gorgeous face was almost always present, ready to spring to the surface at any given moment.

Damon had been acting excessively strange these past few days anyway. He was either missing completely, probably feeding on some poor girls somewhere, or sitting in his room drinking a glass of bourbon. We hadn't actually exchanged many words at all since I had been living here, and I would often catch him staring at me, or maybe glaring at me, and even being caught did not deter him as his eyes continued to bore directly into mine. It was actually quite frightening, although, being a human girl, it was also pretty sexy.

Considering he had recently admitted to coveting me, maintaining that I would be his soon, I could see why Damon might be feeling a little weird around me. He isn't the type of person that deals well with rejection, used to getting exactly what he wants whenever he wants it.

Truth be told, I didn't know how I felt about Damon. He scared me yet drew me in, was dark and dangerous while still having moments of caring and sweetness. His eyes captivated me and when I was around him I felt carefree and… happy, an emotion that was lacking lately. He brought out the best and worst in me, but then he would do something reckless and stupid to remind me why I kept my distance. And my love for Stefan was without doubt.

As if on cue, Damon appeared, lounging in Stefan's doorframe, the picture of ease and arrogance. I was actually surprised that he graced me with his presence, considering his odd behavior recently.

"Hey, Damon," I said cautiously, a little worried by the look on his face.

He gave me a curt nod before proceeding to pace around the room, looking somewhat frazzled. Or perhaps the better word is murderous. He looked murderous. He stalked around the room like an animal, intermittently emitting small, barely audible growls. I had no idea where this was coming from, but he had succeeded in scaring me out of my wits.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly, hoping whatever was wrong with him would quickly be straightened out.

He let out a maniacal chuckle, continuing to pace and raking his hands through his mussed black hair. "No, Elena, everything's not okay. I said you would be mine soon, but I want you now," he murmured, drawing closer to me and stroking my cheek with his fingertips, sending butterflies into my stomach.

"I realize we got off on the wrong foot, but I've been doing some serious thinking and I've come to the conclusion that you and Stefan aren't right for each other. I see the way you look at me. Past prejudices aside, I know you want me," he said very quietly yet forcefully. This was a statement for him, not a question. He seriously believed this and regarded it as fact.

"Now, I want you to surrender to that buried lust. I know you and Stefan haven't been very intimate lately, and you're aching for it. Surrender, Elena. Surrender to me." He held me in his gaze, his ice blue eyes seeming to burn into my soul while the butterflies briefly made an encore performance.

Then I did the unthinkable. He was obviously in a poor state of mind, but I couldn't help but snicker. This snicker turned into a full on laugh as I stared at his serious face, now taken aback by my reaction. What he had said was so insane that it was comical. Did he really believe he could just barge in here, demand to have me, and I would say yes right off the bat? He was crazy!

As I continued to laugh, his face turned from shock, to pain, to raging fury. That's how Damon reacted to pain: anger and revenge.

He stood up, visibly shaking, his eyes seeming to darken, his hands quivering at his sides. His mouth formed that irresistible cocky grin that I so loved to hate as the veins near his eyes pushed to the surface and his canines lengthened.

"You really shouldn't have done that, Elena."