Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Twilight or Vampire Diaries. Those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and L.J. Smith. Thank you.
Writer's Notes: Thank you Guest and CrazyGryl for your reviews! I have to admit it was a harder choice to make than I realized. I was very badly torn with how I wanted this story to turn but I took the plunge. Let me know what you all think!
Damon swung Bella around in a dance as the ball continued into the night. Bella was thoroughly pleased and so was Damon. Jasper was dancing with a very sassy Lexi and actually smiling and laughing at her words. Jake and Caroline were getting closer, and Tyler no longer stared at them with hatred. He only had eyes for Leah. Leah's cold icy exterior was slowly melting, making it easier to be around her. Stefan and Elena danced, but Bella could tell that there was a tight tension between the two. When they stopped dancing and Elena stomped off, he followed her outside.
"Elena, I'm sorry. I don't know what you want me to do," Stefan pleaded with her.
Elena wasn't crying, but she was faced away from him. Her heart was hurting, like it was splitting in two. She was slightly drunk, but that didn't matter to her right now. "Stefan…you look at Alice like you used to look at me," she said finally and turned to look at him.
"I…" he said and looked down. "I don't know Elena. I just…"
"We've drifted apart somehow, and I don't think it can be fixed," her voice cracked a little and she hated that she showed that weakness.
Stefan moved closer to her, but she put a hand up. "I'm not going to just sit on the sidelines and watch you lust after someone else. I really like Alice. I've talked to Alice and she assures me that she would never intentionally break up our relationship. I don't hate Alice, but…I can't be with you anymore Stefan," the tears slipped out of their prison and she scoffed at herself.
"Elena, I can be who you want me to be. I can- "he was still pleading with her for some reason. Why was he fighting this? He knew how he was feeling about Alice.
"Stefan…we fell in love, it was epic, but…it would never last. Goodbye Stefan," She said and turned. She walked out into the courtyard and let the tears continue to fall. Stefan let her go. He was stunned into silence. He wasn't sure what he could do. She was right, their love didn't last.
Elijah appeared next to Elena, handing her a handkerchief. "Thank you," she said quietly, and she pressed it into her face. He slipped his arm around her and pulled her against him. She rested her forehead on his chest, and she let out a sigh. "You know…I knew that it was over, but I still attempted to fight," she said with a small laugh.
"Well, first loves are always the hardest," Elijah murmured and stroked her hair and swayed a little.
Elena sighed. "You're right. They are," she said and tilted her face up to look at him. She smiled at him and then he leaned down and kissed her softly as they swayed. It surprised her and him that he made such a move. He pulled his face away and cleared his throat. "I apologize. It was inappropriate," he had wanted to take her upstairs away from the crowd and just have his way with her, but that would be entirely rushing too soon, and Elena was drunk and in a vulnerable state. She only sighed and put her head on his shoulder again and let him continue to comfort her while her heart shattered into a million pieces.
Alice found Stefan standing alone on one of the many balconies. "Hey, you okay?"
Stefan was looking into the courtyard at Elijah and Elena swaying back and forward and he nodded. It didn't bother him that Elijah was holding Elena. If he still loved her like she wanted him to, then that would have bothered him. "I'm okay. It was over a while ago, we both just…" he shrugged. Alice smiled and then leaned against the balcony and looked at him. "Well, I'm sorry that it happened," she said and then he leaned over and kissed her gently. "Let's just leave," he said, and she nodded. He took her hand in his and slipped out of the manor, hopefully unnoticed.
Some of the guests had started to leave already. Rebecca and Jared had disappeared hours ago up to her bedroom, and anyone with supernatural hearing could tell what they were enjoying because they weren't so quiet about it. It was such an odd pairing, but Bella was happy for both of them. She spotted Kol finally. He had been hiding for most of the ball it seemed. Too many humans in one spot for him. She understood that he could get a little blood crazy sometimes. Damon and Alaric were off talking with Enzo and Ezra about something that she was sure was pertaining to war strategies.
Kol spotted Bella and walked over to her and then did a little bow and slipped his mask off since hers was already off. "So, Bella, have fun?" He was younger than she was in appearance, but she knew that he was well over a thousand years old.
"I did. I'm a little bit drunk, but I'm good," She said with a giggle. It was a good thing her dad and Sheriff Forbes didn't attend. They had their own plans. She was happy that her dad was dating again. It was about time that he found his own happiness.
"Well, nothing wrong with being drunk," he said with an easy smile and looked over when Embry walked in, dressed in a tux like everyone else. Then Bella witnessed something that she never had witnessed before.
Embry's gaze instantly went to find Bella to do his normal, yes Bella is okay and not in danger, but he was looking at the dark-haired man beside her. His eyes were a deep brown and then Embry felt the heat rush through his body and the gravitational pull. This was a very strange feeling he decided, but he crossed over to him anyways. Everything and anything didn't matter now but this…man.
Bella was staring in shock at the two. She recognized the imprint look by now and she wasn't sure if she should do or say anything. Was it normal for someone to imprint on someone the same sex? This was bizarre. What did this all mean? Bella was extra curious to see how Kol would handle this.
"So, this is the imprint thing that Rebecca was talking about?" Kol said, his eyes didn't leave Embry's.
"Yes…you are correct," Bella said and then she caught movement out of the corner of her eye when Klaus joined them.
Embry cleared his throat and then looked down at the ground. "I uh…what?" he asked more to himself. The heat wasn't leaving his body and then Kol had reached a hand out and lay it on his shoulder and Embry calmed down instantly. He hadn't realized he was trembling.
"Well this is certainly interesting," Klaus said and then Damon was there joining the scene.
Kol lifted his other hand to tilt Embry's face to look at him. He smiled at him. "Hey, let's go somewhere private. There are little flies starting to gather," he said making a motion to Klaus and Damon. Embry only nodded before looking to Bella, a confused look still in his eyes. She smiled at him as she watched Kol guide Embry to a different room.
"Well, that will go down in the books as the strangest imprint in history," Damon joked, and Bella looked to between Klaus and Damon. "Is it normal for them to imprint on someone of the same sex? I mean there's nothing wrong with that, I'm just confused…"
"I'm assuming that there's really just guidelines to this imprinting thing," Seth suddenly was there beside them and it made Bella jump slightly. "I mean, imprinting wasn't really a big thing back in the day. There was like one imprint per pack. Back then the packs were generally smaller, but I theorize that it's possible that we're all imprinting because we're not on the tribal land right now."
Bella looked at Seth a little stunned. How did he sound so grown up and mature? He was fourteen. "I suppose that could make sense…" she said and then Damon put an arm around her waist and kissing her temple.
"Well, I say let the two lovebirds be and we go ahead and head out," Damon said, and Seth nodded. "I'm going to go find Paul and go on patrol since Jake said that we should start our patrol at midnight to relieve him and Caroline." Seth disappeared looking for Paul.
Violet walked up, a little tipsy and smiling brightly. "Oh, my goodness. Did you know that Finn could drink like that?" She said and jerked a thumb behind her at Finn who was having a drinking contest with Jasper and Lexi now.
Klaus raised a brow. "You know…this is not in Finn's character. He's the broodier silent type."
Violet snorted. "Yeah right. He's opened right up. Maybe you just haven't nudged him in the right direction," she joked and swayed a little. Klaus put a hand around her waist to steady her and she melted into his side.
"Oh, Enzo and Bonnie went down to your cellar like three hours ago to get some wine. Rebecca sent them for…" Violet drifted off trying to remember what wine Rebecca had sent them for. Klaus raised a brow. "Three hours?"
Bella frowned. "Really? Where's the cellar?" Klaus broke away from Violet and guided them out to the kitchen and into a wide pantry and then laughed. "Well, it appears that the cellar door is latched. Someone was in here playing around and kicked the latch." He bent down and unlatched the door. The cellar door was inverted in the pantry and Bella thought it was an odd spot for a cellar, but apparently having a wine cellar in your kitchen was convenient.
Klaus opened the door and peered in. Enzo and Bonnie were hunched over her grimoire. Bonnie looked up at the noise of the cellar door opening. "Oh, thank god!" she got to her feet pulling her bag and grimoire up with her. Enzo stood too and dusted off his pants.
"Well, took you guys bloody long enough," Enzo cursed under his breath and waltz up and out of the wine cellar.
Bella smiled at Bonnie. "Are you okay?"
Bonnie made it out of the cellar and Klaus closed the door down and latched it again. "Well, we were arguing over which wine Rebecca asked for. I wouldn't have gone, but I wanted some wine too and then I didn't want to go by myself and so Enzo decided he would escort me, and then while arguing someone bumped into the door and it latched. We hurt a shuffling up there and then we called out. No one answer. So naturally I look for a spell that I can use to get us out of this. Reading and concentrating around that egotistical idiot is extremely difficult. Like I don't know my Latin," she ranted.
Damon chuckled. "He has that effect on everyone Bonnie cakes. He must like you if he stayed down there with you for three hours because he could have broken the door out. He is an extra strong vampire," Damon said, and Bonnie gaped. "Seriously…" she was clearly frustrated as she stormed off to confront him.
"Well, while that was amusing, I want to take Little Foxx here for another spin on the dance floor before kicking everyone out of my mansion," Klaus said and then twirled Violet, getting a giggle from her before they disappeared back into the main ballroom.
Damon turned to Bella. "Let's get out of here," he said and kissed her softly. She smiled and followed him out.
Back at the boarding house Damon swooped Bella up in his arms as he carried her up the stairs and to her room. She giggled the whole way up the stairs. He set her down on her feet and she started undressing as she moved around the room, his eyes watched her move as she put on a show for him. She was most definitely a little drunk right now. The glow of the moon shone through the window and it made Bella open the curtains to get a better view. She hadn't realized that she had her own little balcony before. Damon went to her and his arms encircled her from behind.
She smiled and leaned in against him. The dress was pooled in the floor at her feet and she removed the long gloves and she tossed them in the floor beside them and then she turned to face him. He backed her up against the glass door that lead out to the balcony and hitched her up, hooking her legs around him as her hands popped the buttons open on his shirt for the second time that night exposing his bare chest. She pushed his shirt down and slipped to the floor.
"You're beautiful," she murmured, and a little hum sounded in her throat as he leaned in and trailed kisses from her neck to her bare shoulder.
"You drive me insane," his voice lilted with husk and then his mouth was on hers, kissing her heavily, hungrily. Her hands rushed over his chest and tangled into his perfect, raven hair as he ravaged her mouth. "Damon," she moaned out his name when his left hand found her breast. Her hands fumbled with his pants now and he slid her down, so her feet were on the floor now while he let his pants fall to the floor. Her eyes were focused on everything about him now. He gave her a suggestive smile as he pinned her again, there naked bodies pressed against each other.
His lips collided with hers again and when he entered her slow, she thrust her hips forward to urge him faster. He restrained himself enough to where he wouldn't hurt her, but he drove into her fast. Her breathing was erratic, and she fought to keep her grip on him. She managed to swoop her hair back and then his mouth was on her exposed neck biting into her like he's done every time. He always only drank a little, never too much. Never enough to make her dizzy. Her fingers dug into his flesh when he pulled away from her to move her to the bed. He smiled down at her impishly before he decided to layer her body with kisses all over. Bella moaned as he teased her, her body begging him to be united with hers again.
It wasn't long before he was answering her wordless command and when they both met their finish, they lay tangled in the silk sheets, panting heavily, and satiated from the pleasure. Bella hadn't realized that it could be this way, but she was glad that she had waited for someone like Damon. He then drew her in against him and she snuggled into his body, fitting against him perfectly.
"I love you," he whispered to her, but she was sleeping. He hadn't heard him, and it made him smile as he played with her hair.
"No, Bella…" Edward sat in the trees as he stared into Bella's room. He had to keep a descent distance because Jacob had patrols running around the boarding house, but it didn't take long to figure out which room was Bella's. He had thought to confront her on the balcony when she stepped towards the window and door and pulled the curtains back. She had looked so beautiful in the blue gown she wore for the ball. When the dress fell to her feet he nearly fell out of the tree. Of course, she wouldn't care about changing by a window when she was on the second floor.
There would be no reason to hide her beautiful body from onlookers. When the other man, the one he saw watching her at the ball from the side as she danced with the hybrid, he learned was named Klaus. His arms went around her easily and she turned to him. She didn't hit him or fight him. She turned to him and went to him like they were…lovers. She let him take her purity and then she let him bite her and drink from her carelessly. They moved away from the balcony now, and body trembled with fury. How could she forget him so easily? Hadn't they loved each other? All he wanted to do was protect her from this entire life, of being in danger, and here she was just freely giving herself to a vampire. It was dangerous and she was being stupid. He had to confront her and tell her that she was being dangerous. He had to let her know that he was here now and that he would take her away from all of this danger and just be the two of them. He sensed the minds of Seth and Paul nearby and so he left his post and ran deeper into the woods. It wouldn't be a good time to be found out by the wolves right now. He had to plan before things turned for the worse for Bella.