Damon didn't text me throughout the night which now had me worry. If he had something to do after the bar closed, he always sent me a text so I would see it when I woke up. By the time I got dressed and ready and went back downstairs, Stefanie was all ready to go. Her straight black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail revealing her high cheekbones and blue eyes under her dark lashes. She had on black combat boots with dark skinny blue jeans and her black leather jacket was left unzipped to reveal her blue tank top. Her unnaturally long, pointed canines barely poked out of her full lips, a quality that she got from her Uncle Stefan. She was incredibly beautiful, a female version of her father. With his attitude to top it off. I smiled at her as I headed to the front door.
"Did he text you?" Stefanie asked, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jacket as I opened the door for her.
"No. He didn't." I answered, closing the door behind us and locking it before heading down the porch steps with her beside me. I stared straight ahead as we turned left and walked down the sidewalk heading to the bar that was just a block away. I felt Stefanie's gaze as she glanced over at me with a worried look.
"Are you worried?" I looked down at her and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Of course not. Your father can handle himself." The truth was, I was worried. Damon always let me know where he was going, always, because he knew how much I worried. I kept telling myself that he probably forgot to text me…for the first time in ten years. We walked in silence for a couple of minutes before Stefanie spoke again.
"What if I went to the boarding school?" She was referring to the Salvatore Boarding School. The school that Stefan and Alaric started up after a last battle in Mystic Falls ten years ago. We wanted to give vampires, werewolves, witches and any other supernatural creature a chance to fit in and learn how to control their abilities and become a part of society one day.
"We talked about this before, Steffi. I don't think it'll be good for you." She scoffed.
"But Uncle Stefan and Uncle Alaric are both there so they can help me."
"Your father and I can help you here. At home." She threw her hands up in the air in dismay.
"I don't understand how it won't be good for me. I'll be around kids my own age. I'll can be in an actual classroom while controlling my bloodlust and I won't be a burden to you and Dad." I stopped dead in my tracks and rounded on her, eyes with shock that she would say something like that. Her eyes were fierce as she held my gaze.
"Is that what you think you are?" She didn't answer me. I leaned down and placed my hands on her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. "Stefanie Damiana Salvatore, you are everything but a burden. You are a hybrid, half-human, half-vampire, and that makes you extraordinary and your father and I love you more than anything in this world and would do anything and everything to protect which includes making sure that other children your age bully you for being one of a kind. Does that make your father and I selfish for keeping you home and homeschooling you ourselves? Probably, but I don't ever want to hear that you think of yourself as a burden because it is not true." Tears filled the brim of her eyes and she furiously wiped them away before they could fall down her cheeks. I sighed, my heart twisting with guilt and pain to see my daughter upset. "I'll tell you what. If you can go the rest of the summer without killing anyone's pets, and at least attempt to get your bloodlust under control, I'll talk to your father about you going to the boarding school in the fall. Deal?" She sniffled and nodded, her eyes gleaming at the challenge. "Ok, now, let's go find your father." We walked the blocked to the rustic brick building that had a wooden sign hanging above the door that read Salvatore Bar. I reached for the door and when I tried to pull it open, it was locked. I peered inside and saw the bartender, Alec, already making his way to the door to let me in. He smiled at me as he unlocked the door. Alec was young, about twenty-one years old, starting college for psychology and the best part, he was human.
"Dr. Salvatore," He greeted me, opening the door for me. I returned his smile as he looked to my daughter. "Good morning to you, too, Little Salvatore." Stefanie suppressed a sigh of annoyance as she pushed past Alec and headed to the back. I gave him an apologetic look.
"Sorry. She's in a mood this morning."
"Aren't all Salvatores always in a mood?"
"Hey, I'm not always in a mood."
"You don't count. You were married into the family." I laughed with him as I held out my hand for him to take and help me up the steps. As soon as he took my hand in his, I removed his vervain watch in on swift, graceful movement. Before he could protest, I was looking deep into his bright green eyes and telling him to remain calm as the vervain watch sizzled in my hand. We walked back into the bar and closed and locked the door behind us. Hissing at the pain in my palm, I quickly tossed the watch to the bar, my healing ability saving my burnt flesh. I turned back to Alec.
"I'm really sorry about doing this, but I just have to be sure that you're telling the truth. Please answer me honestly." Keeping eye contact with him, I took a step towards him. "Is Damon here?"
"No, Dr. Salvatore, he should be at home."
"Well, he's not which is why I'm here. What time did you see him leave here last night?"
"A quarter after two."
"Did he say if he was going anywhere else besides home?"
"No, Dr. Salvatore." Before I could ask anymore questions, Stefanie's voice sounded from the back.
"Mom, I need you to come look at this."
"Stay here," I ordered Alec before vamp speeding to the back of the bar to Damon's office. Upon entering the office, I saw Stefanie standing by the desk, eyes wide at the destruction before her. Papers were scattered everywhere. The oak wooden desk was broken in half as a great deal of weight was slammed down on it. The window to the alley next door was broken and the shelf next it was on the ground. My heart raced as I began to panic, my chest growing tighter and blood roaring in my ears. But I forced myself to remain calm for Stefanie's sake.
"Mom…" Stefanie crouched down to a dark stain on the floor next to the desk and I inhaled deeply. A sweet, familiar aroma. Blood. "Dad. That's Dad scent." She abruptly stood up and turned on me, her hair cascading around her shoulders. "Mom, why is Dad's blood on the floor?" I walked over to her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, my eyes not leaving the pool of blood on the floor. Something silver and shiny caught my eye by the desk and I bent down to pick it up. I didn't need the needle at the end to tell me what it was. The potent smell still coming off it told me everything I needed to know. It was a vervain dart. The broken desk. The destruction. The pool of blood. Vervain dart. Someone took my husband. Ten years. Ten years, we've lived in peace and someone from the past was coming to destroy everything we've built. My eyes flicked to the doorway, to the hallway that would lead me to the liar that stood out in the bar. Alec lied to me. He must be drinking vervain as well. "Mom, what is it?" I sped off to the bar area, but Alec was no where to be seen. My blood boiled with rage as I chucked the vervain dart with all my strength through the nearest window, shattering glass falling to the floor like crystal dust. "Mom?" Taking a calming breath, I slowly turned back to Stefanie. My main priority was making sure my daughter was safe.
"You want to go to school?" I said quietly. "Fine. Let's go."