"If there is only one thing in my life that I'm proud of, it's that I've never been a kept woman."
—Marilyn Monroe
———
Chapter Two:
Hello, Stranger
———
"If Elena is lacking the Petrova fire— if she lacks the backbone that Katerina has, your human will not survive the storm that's coming to this little podunk town."
———
Desislava was tired and hungry.
She'd been entertaining these vampires for over three hours and, frankly speaking, the three bloodsuckers had become a bore after the first hour.
She rolled her umber eyes at the dramatics of the two boys.
Was it really that big of a deal that the little copy had to die? What's one teenage girl in the grand scheme of things?
Desi was then hit by a sense of weighted hypocrisy. After all, her own goddaughter had thrown all else away to live— who was Desi to judge? She shook herself out of her reflection and once again caught the attention of the two argumentative brothers, snapping her fingers.
"Are you ready to discuss my offer now? Or should I wait another century?"
Stefan steeled his forest green eyes in preparation. No deal from a Pierce— wait, a Petrova— was going to work out in their favor.
The succubus most likely didn't care whether Elena lived or died, so she had to be working from another angle.
His brother's ice blue gaze landed on Stefan, silently asking if they should even bother listening. As much as Stefan wanted to give Desi the boot, his hands were quickly becoming tied in a seemingly never ending battle to keep Elena human and breathing.
He knew that their little group needed all the help they could get in this fight, and having another strong supernatural entity besides him, Damon, and Rose was an alluring idea, to say the least. As suspicious as she was, they were running out of time for pleasantries. Stefan gave the elder Salvatore a subtle nod; allowing Desi present her deal.
Damon's eyes hardened into sapphire chips as he glared at Desi's form after getting confirmation from Stefan.
The attractive woman was a wildcard thrown into an already unpredictable situation, but Damon had the sense to know that if they refused her deal, she'd be involved in the 'Klaus' debacle in one way or another. Even if it was siding with the other team.
The elder Salvatore gestured for the succubus to proceed with her offer as he poured himself more bourbon. Heaven knew, he'd need it to get through tonight.
A professional smile that didn't reach her eyes was given in return.
"So, I believe in a balance when it comes to business interactions. Therefore, we can definitely make counter offers and barter if my original offer does not benefit you. We'll bargain until an agreement can be reached, of course. And in the case that we don't find an amiable solution, we all walk out of this room as alive and healthy as we came in."
All the participants gave a nod in consent to her preamble.
"Lovely, now I'll tell you what you get out of the deal first. I'll be a member of your dupe troop, and I will offer any and all assistance needed in protecting your human. You can call me at anytime, and I will promptly assist in whatever you require. Any spells that your pretty little witch casts that requires blood from a magical creature, I will gladly offer. Basically, you have me in your arsenal, and believe me when I say that I'm very skilled in the art of warfare and politics. If you require evidence to that fact I will gladly point you to the nearest world history book and show you my victories.
"Also, you can call upon me for any of my abilities. Whether it be for seduction, my strength, my speed (which, I also guarantee I'm quite a bit faster than any of your kind), or purely as a negotiator on your behalf. A honeypot would be a perfect way to infiltrate many of the forces that stand against you. And to top it all off, I'll throw in my old hag's grimoires to assist the little Bennett."
Both forest green and ice blue eyes listened to their half of the deal with increasing interest. This was a very good deal, so far.
Damon chuckled lightly, "And what are you asking for in return, gorgeous? To get your little princess out of the tomb? Because, that isn't happening any time soon."
A debutante's grin appeared over Desi's pretty pink lips, giving the handsome Damon a once over before replying, "Of course not. Klaus could be prowling in this town already. My goddaughter is safest exactly where she is. Although that does make me curious as to what she'll ask for in exchange for the moonstone."
Damon's smirk promptly dropped.
Stefan was the next one to interject his suggestions, "Well then, maybe you're asking for all information and input on our future plans. No offense, but I don't trust you, and there's no way you're securing that deal."
Desi once again arched a brow in amusement.
"I'm rather surprised you say that, considering you could very well lie to me about your intentions as well, however, I have no need of that. Your next moves are plain for me to read, and I've got a pretty good guess as to how all these cards are going to fall in the next few weeks. No, what I want is to act as an ambassador for you. When the Originals come, and they will, whether you break the curse or not, I don't trust either of you not to fuck it up."
"That one," Desi gestured to Damon with her now empty glass, "is too impulsive to be trusted in negotiations, especially when it comes to Elena. And you," Desi then turned her dark intuitive gaze back to the younger Salvatore, "are also an unreliable variable seeing as you have a bit of a drinking problem, and if you have a slip up, I don't want that version of you to be a reflection on the group. And of course, little Rose can't go, Klaus will gladly kill her for what she did. And unlike Elijah— he won't care what factors played a part in her betrayal."
Silence permeated the Salvatore boardinghouse as they digested her words.
Damon was of course pleased with prospects of the deal, but felt more than a twinge of anger at her piercing words on just how inept he would be in the coming dangerous debates. He understood that he was a loose cannon, but he also hated to be reminded of it. And there was another twinge of suspicion. This deal sounded too good, and Damon was growing more and more frustrated at how he couldn't read her intentions.
On the other hand, Stefan's guilt was stirring in his gut, but along with that was definitely suspicion.
What was her angle?
And then, the forest green-eyed vampire realized that there was a verbal loophole in her offer. She never said that we would know what would be discussed in the negotiations. Of course! That had to be it. But once again, Desi cut off his spiraling train of thought.
"Also, to assuage your suspicions, I'll have the Bennett witch come with me to all meetings. Considering that she's the only one outside of the three of you who can somewhat defend herself, I believe she'd be the best option."
Rose was beside herself on this.
She knew that Desislava was completely correct in her assumptions.
However, she also knew from experience that the Petrova bloodline couldn't be trusted.
Not to mention, the freshly stirred emotions she felt about her old lover's return.
They had never been official of course, but Rose couldn't deny that she had loved Desi, and she didn't know what that meant a decade later.
Could Desi love me? Hope burned bright in her emerald gaze at the aforementioned woman, wanting desperately to be the one to be called hers.
Rose, of course, wasn't aware that Desi had only ever loved one being in her entire existence outside of her precious Katerina, and no one could take their place.
—
The Salvatores had decided to take the night to decide on her offer, and promptly traded contact information with Desi.
Everything is working out perfectly, she thought slyly to herself as she drove out of town to finally get something to eat. It was late, 9:03 P.M., to be exact— and Desi was quickly finding herself ravenous.
At this point she didn't care who it was, as long as she got something to sate her growing hunger.
She finally found herself a couple towns away at a throwaway seedy bar an hour later.
It would do well for the succubus' intentions. She could smell the arousal in the air from all the newfound couples flirting and necking each other. And that's when she saw something at the bar, something familiar.
A broad shouldered back fit neatly into his suit, dark brown hair just as she remembered from about 50 years prior.
Elijah Mikaelson turned around in his chair, quickly catching the scent of her, and she felt a delightful shiver as the Original scanned her almost methodically.
Elijah is still the handsome beast in a suit I remember, she thought happily.
Desi hadn't come across an Original in quite a long time, and she was glad to see one of her favorites in such an unexpected place. Maybe her hunger could be fully satisfied tonight.
"Well, hello there, Elijah," she said teasingly, and she watched his hard, analytical oak eyes soften slightly, "Wasn't expecting to find a gentleman in this rundown bar."
He gave her a light smile of fondness, which was more than enough for most vampires who know of him to know she was a very welcome sight for sore eyes.
"Well, Desislava," he said in her Bulgarian dialect. Elijah always called her by her whole name, and it never failed to give her pleasure, "We gentlemen are often found in the least likely of places. Would you delight me with your company?"
She'd gladly do more than that, she thought as she took a seat in the bar stool besides him, her shoulder brushing against his arm as she did so.
Elijah Mikaelson was not a man to be easily seduced by a woman.
He had learned that lesson very well after Katerina Petrova's betrayal.
Desislava Petrova, however, had always been a different story entirely.
Desi was not one to toy with someone's emotions, she made it known in her relationships with others that she would not become a kept woman for a very long time, and never led her lovers to believe otherwise. He could see many of Katerina's characteristics in Desislava, and that was perhaps why he was always fond of her. Always a flirt, but never a tease, a lesson that Katerina could never learn.
And in the eldest "living" Original's eyes, it made Desislava the better woman.
The succubus had made herself known to his family after she was introduced as Kol's date to one of their many balls over a hundred and fifty years prior, where she was promptly recognized as an old lover by Rebekah as well.
Elijah remembered in amusement the flush on her cheeks as the connection was made, frantically glancing between both Originals before flushing deeply in embarrassment.
It had been endearing to see a woman so lovely blush so deeply as if she was a young girl, and perhaps the start of their of his fondness for Desislava.
The gentleman would be the first to admit that at first, he thought her a common whore, particularly after learning her surname.
The Mikaelsons had been very thorough in their observations of her after that, trying to ensure that the lady was not there for vengeance against Niklaus. However, in the 60 years they all spent in her company, she had never expressed any ill will against his younger impulsive brother.
Elijah had once asked her about it, and all she replied was, "I am cursed to be loyal to a witch within Kol's party until she dies. I have to play the harlot to partake in food. It's been 363 years, and if I had the opportunity to break this foul malignancy, I would do anything to have my freedom. If someone took that from me at the last hour, I would react just as Klaus did. I should consider it lucky that when he learned my surname he only tortured me a bit."
Afterwards, she had become a close friend, of sorts, to Elijah, and as much as she flirted with him, he was decidedly nervous to cross that line.
However, it had been 50 years since he'd last seen her, and as soon as Elijah had felt her intoxicating presence he knew that the nervous attitude had been replaced entirely with his desire to be close to her. He'd never tell her that of course, but the strong feelings of fondness were not-so-easily ignored as to for him to do nothing with this opportunity.
So, as she eyed him up hungrily, and they both drank together, speaking of the past and how wonderful it truly was, Elijah was sure in his actions as he whispered in her ear, "Perhaps we might continue our conversation back at my hotel?"
To say that Desi was a bit stunned at the elder Mikaelson's offer would be an understatement, however she was never one to turn away a gift.
She might have lied to Katerina about her intentions while bedding with the other two Mikaelsons.
She'd gladly take the entire bunch if the offer was presented.
After all, they were positively divine in the bedroom so far. So, Desislava was quick to accept with a playful smile on her lips, very excited with how the evening was going so far. If Elijah happened to rock her world as well as the others had, she'd give him a gift herself, the gift of information.
Elijah elegantly stood from the barstool, offering his arm as he looked down at the exquisite Desislava. Desi's large dark eyes seemed to turn a shade darker as she slid her hand around the strong bicep.
God, she could feel the muscles underneath and they were great.
What an enticing man, this Elijah, she thought to herself.Elijah opened the passenger side door to his luxury vehicle for Desi to gracefully slide in, and promptly walked to the driver's side.
—SLIGHTLY MATURE SCENE—
—does not go full NSFW—
Desislava had never seen Elijah as animalistic as he was right now— downright predatory as he trailed his teeth over her collarbone, further confirming that he wanted to completely devour her.
The moment he had finished guiding her into his elegant hotel room, he had her pinned against the wall. Elijah's lips had aggressively taken hold of hers over and over, completely domineering in all ways, and Desi loved it.
That was one thing about the Mikaelsons she knew for damn sure— they were never the submissive ones.
Not that Desi minded at all— she was more than happy to take their roughness and dominating nature. It was a nice reprieve from being the one on top.
Elijah's large hands were sliding her pencil skirt up her tanned thighs, growling as he felt the pantyhose coating them.
Desislava could feel her hunger starting to overpower her as she felt the Original grip her bottom hard before lifting her further against the wall. She quickly wrapped her long legs around his torso earning another rough kiss from him.
He continued trailing his tongue and teeth down her neck, glancing up smugly as Desi moaned.
That's when he saw the most startlingly beautiful sight he had ever seen, her enticing dark umber pair replaced by something akin to amethysts around her irises. Her cheeks were flushed and her pouty lips swollen; hair tousled as a result of him running his hands through the silky brown strands. Her shirt roughed up and unbuttoned several buttons, the woman in front of him couldn't be compared to a mere model.
Elijah felt that he had never seen a more arousing sight in his existence; and while he knew part of it was the delicious scent of her pheromones permeating the air, he promptly decided he didn't care. Desi was all his for tonight, and he would not take this opportunity for granted.
A sudden burst of vamp speed and suddenly Desi found her back bouncing on his soft mattress. Giggling, she attempted to right herself, looking at the elder Mikaelson lasciviously as he prowled around her, slipping off his Italian
Elijah was a tempting sight at the moment, to say the least.
Dark eyes hungry, tie loosened with a couple of his buttons popped off from her iron grip moments ago, prowling around the edge of the bed.
He stalked over to her slowly, taking in her appearance with an analytical eye, as if committing it all to memory. And that's when he slowly took off her black stilettos, kissing the inside of her pantyhose covered calf as he did so. It sent delightful tingles up Desislava's spine as he trailed his lips higher.
And when she grew tired of his teasing, she promptly pulled him to her lips in a harsh demanding way. There'd be more time to play after she ate a little bit, then she'd gladly take his teasing, and whatever else he wanted to give her.
Elijah watched completely enraptured as violet eyes glowed playfully at him through the darkness, spinning them with her own strength and speed to where she straddled his thighs. Pretty olive hands traveled up his chest, and Elijah watched in fascination as they turned into claws, tearing his shirt open.
Desislava smiles prettily down at him, and he watches as her hands trail back down his now bare chest, raking one of her sharp talons gently against Elijah's skin and giving him a slight cut. The Original doesn't flinch at the thin slice, and Desi would be lying if she said she didn't find it extremely attractive.
Bringing his blood on her finger towards her lips, she licks it gently, the violets of her eyes brightening momentarily before smirking hungrily down at the Original.
"Thank you for this meal, Elijah. I promise you that I'll do my best to satisfy you as well."
And then, she kissed him once again, his blood lingering on her lips as his mouth moved roughly against hers.
—
After hours of animalistic lovemaking, both Desi and Elijah were holding each other close, the latter already trailing his lips on the love bites covering her neck once again while her eyes fluttered closed in satisfaction. Then she remembered that she had a gift to give him. She lightly tugged on his dark brown locks, making Elijah look at her with those beautiful dark eyes of his.
"Elijah, I wish to tell you something since you've been such a lovely host this evening."
His dark brow furrowed as he trailed his hand over her flushed cheek before running a thumb across her beautiful lips. "What is it, Desislava?"
"This is my gift to you, Elijah. The Salvatore who staked you in that rundown mansion will be in Richmond tomorrow, at a certain coffee shop, and he'll be looking to get information about Klaus from that lackey of yours, Slater."
Elijah's eyes sharpened slightly before he nodded, brushing his lips against her cheek in gratitude, she hadn't needed to give him that information but he very much appreciated the chance to take a bit of vengeance against the elder Salvatore.
"I will take care of it tomorrow. However, I am nowhere near finished with you, Desislava."
Desi smirks up at the Original above her, entirely pleased with the quality of her meal so far— and eager to continue snacking with such a willing partner.
Elijah Mikaelson was a good man at his core, but he held a lot of guilt, shame, self-hate, and bitterness there as well. She wasn't sure what had happened to him over the last 150 years, but he seemed much more hardened now.
She was concerned for her friend and current lover.
Even at that moment, there was a shred of tangible grief in his eyes, and as much as she wanted to continue— she was his friend, first and foremost. His concerns were more important than her continuing to stuff herself silly with his supernatural manna.
Cupping his face with her soft palms, she smiles softly at Elijah when he leans into her hand placing a kiss on her palm. Looking at him worriedly, she asked while looking deeply into his eyes, "Are you alright, Elijah? You seem troubled. And, I don't mean troubled just by this moonstone business."
Exhaling slowly through his nose with a close of his dark, intelligent eyes, Elijah Mikaelson had to think hard on if he should inform Desi of his other siblings current status at the bottom of some ocean.
He didn't want to break her heart.
Desislava had been close to most of the Mikaelsons at one point or another, whether friendly, or otherwise. And while Desi did not take on lovers in the regular sense of the word, she did care for a handful of the people she had tasted throughout the years. And those that she did care for, she cared for deeply, as was in her nature.
While Desi never offered love on the table, she did offer companionship and loyalty outside of the reoccurring snacking between her and her friends.
She considered each of her friends a gift, and he knew as much because she had told him so, herself. If she discovered that there was no way to recover some of her favorites of the handful— them being Kol and Rebekah— well, frankly, Elijah had no clue how she'd react when she discovered their fates. Or how she would react to the news that the hybrid had gotten back into the habit of staking while she had taken an absence, and therefore, absconded with her ex-lovers.
"Desislava," he began with a heavy sigh, "Things have changed drastically within the family. Niklaus is the force that has divided our family forever. He cannot be redeemed, or acquitted."
Desi's finely-shaped dark brows screwed up in concern at what he was saying.
"Elijah, speak bluntly. What has Nik done that was so unforgivable?"
Frowning at the stone face Elijah gave her for a moment, she felt a swirl of fear in the pit of her stomach at the sight of it—knowing it meant nothing but heartache. The elder Original had a certain blunt way of relaying brutal information, so the succubus steeled herself for whatever he might say. Desi didn't want to believe Nik would do something so unforgivable as to make Elijah want to kill him.
And the alternative made her heart clench in pain at the thought of it.
"Desislava, he has staked and absconded with our siblings. He informed me, the last time we spoke, that he had let them sink to the bottom of the ocean. I'm sorry to inform you this way, but Kol and Rebekah have been lost," he finished, and the succubus froze.
Flashes of memories passed her mind.
—
"You are the most delicious creature to walk this earth, darling," Kol whispered into dark, long locks, kissing up the line of bite marks up her throat. The long travel to Cagliari had been tumultuous, and Kol had been eager to get her in a bed as soon as they'd arrived.
Desislava turned, her bruising throat already healing back to its golden shade as she smiled fondly down at the psychotic Original, wiping off a streak of blood from his mouth and looking down at the corpse on the bedroom floor.
"Will you compel the help to clean? Or shall I this time?" She asked, moving to sit up before the blood coating their bodies got all dry and difficult to remove.
—
Rebekah smiled sardonically at Desi, coyly peaking from behind a column at a ball. Desislava smiled back at the beautiful blonde warmly, flirtatiously pulling out her fan and fluttering her dark, hypnotic gaze at the Original as the blonde crossed the room.
Following after her while avoiding onlookers and dancing couples alike, she follows the beautiful blonde out onto a balcony. The stars are bright, and the moonlight dances off of her pale skin like a dream. Intelligent blue eyes watched dark ones curiously for a moment before smiling.
"Come to keep me company, my lady?"
Desi smiles back, "Perhaps."
—
And then, Desislava remembered what Klaus had promised her. The very last time they had spoken, what he had said. A tight frown pulled at her face as she attempted to not let this distressing news ruin her evening.
She could grieve alone.
———
Desi's POV
———
He is so very charming. He gives me a small smile as we danced around each other.
There was always something about this waltz that felt so intimate. Light touches, soft caressing, it all was so enticing, especially when it was with him. In fact, to me at least, everything about him was enticing.
My still heart felt like it fluttered at the look he sent me as we took another turn around each other. Maybe just this once, this happiness could be mine and mine alone. Perhaps I could let myself feel just this once. And as he takes my hand in his once more, I know that I'm much too late to try and make that choice now.
I'd already fallen too far to try and reach for safety now.
———
Third Person POV
———
Desislava was a very pleased woman in the early morning as she blinked into reality.
Not only had she fed on a glorious feast of a man, but everything that she had guessed would happen would most likely come to fruition today.
She found herself alone in Elijah's sheets, but that was to be expected— after all, the succubus had given the Original some tasty info on someone who had disrespected him. Desi stood up and after looking at the time removed the sheets from herself unashamedly. After all, she had students to teach and it wouldn't be very professional of her as a substitute to be late for her class.
———
Caroline absolutely adored her new AP Art History teacher.
Ms. McCall was a woman that the blonde vampiress easily found herself admiring.
Beautiful, confident, and intelligent, she had quickly become many students' favorite teacher. Not to mention how many of Caroline's fellow students had a crush on her. If Caroline was honest with herself about it, and she didn't write off all of her feelings as admiration, she'd admit to having a little crush on the dark haired substitute as well.
As the substitute walked around the class, she spoke with eloquence and passion as she described many different artists of varying styles.
"Art, itself, is not something that is easily described, and that is precisely what describes art's majesty. It is everything and nothing at the same time. Art serves to challenge us and to soothe us, give us a sense of comfort and belonging but also reminding us of the edge, the constant shifting uncomfortableness of life. Which is precisely why your next assignment given by Mr. Allen is to be challenging your artistic comfort zone.
"You are to write an essay at least five pages long, of course with twelve font, double spaced, and in Times New Roman, on an artist or art style that challenges your perception of art and exactly how it makes you feel," the bell ringing signaled the end of Caroline's new favorite class, "and that'll be all for today. Have a wonderful lunch, students, don't choke on those tough burgers. Oh, and could a 'Miss Caroline Forbes' come up to my desk, please?"
Caroline blinked her cornflower blue eyes, a bit stunned.
Had she forgotten to turn something in? Or was this about student council?
Heaven knows I can't have anymore on my plate after everything with Tyler, she thought to herself, grimacing at the reminder of the overly curious werewolf.
The rest of the class filed out, taking their loud murmuring voices with them as Caroline walked up to Eve McCall's desk, AP Art History book in hand. Ms. McCall glanced up at Caroline before walking and gently shutting the door.
The blonde felt a sudden nervousness before her teacher spoke, "Relax, Caroline, you're not in any trouble. I just needed to talk to you about something before someone else did."
A blonde eyebrow quirked at Ms. McCall as the leggy brunette took a seat behind her desk, gesturing for Caroline to take a seat as well. The Forbes daughter promptly sat in the desk in front of the substitute as she narrowed her blue eyes, almost as if she'd get her answers just by staring hard enough.
The substitute folded her arms as she looked straight at the blonde, before starting, "Caroline, I want you to know that I thoroughly enjoy having you in my class. You're a very bright young woman and I can tell by your efficiency in school and your recreational activities that you are a young lady of substance. Therefore, I wanted to inform you of something very pertinent to your extracurricular activities outside of this school, as well as apologize to you."
The blonde's brows furrowed in confusion before Desi raised her hand as if to halt her questioning stare.
"Firstly, I want you to know that I'm very aware of the supernatural happenings in Mystic Falls, more importantly I know that you're a vampire." Cornflower blue eyes widened in shock as Desi continued, "However, you should know that your secret is very safe with me. I wanted to make you aware of things before the Salvatores informed you, so I'm negotiating a deal with them to save your friend, Elena, and I'm only here to help. But, I also want to apologize on behalf of my goddaughter, Katerina."
Caroline instantly shot up out of the desk, fear and anger making her eyes narrow at who she had thought was a regular teacher.
Katherine's godmom?! Could absolutely nothing in this town be sacred?
"Caroline, please," Ms. McCall's brown eyes bored into hers with such sincerity that it made the vampiress question her own doubts, "My goddaughter has done terrible things to continue living. She's a survivor at heart, and she doesn't care who she hurts if it means she can continue living. I'm sorry that you ended up becoming a victim to that flaw."
A small, self deprecating smile appeared on the brunette's lips, "You didn't deserve that. You're an absolutely lovely girl, and I am very, very sorry that my daughter took the choice from you."
The blonde seemed slightly less 'full of disdain' and more 'on guard'.
Desi could definitely work with that, she just didn't want the blonde to hate her, especially since she was quite fond of Caroline. Desi smiled at the vampiress warmly before standing up and starting to erase her AP Art History lesson from the board.
Caroline assumed that the confession was over, but Ms. McCall suddenly turned her attention back to the blonde before she could move towards the door. "Oh, and there's another topic I must discuss with you, and that's my reason for being here at your school."
Caroline found herself confused yet again by the succubus.
The bad guys never usually said why they were here from the get-go. Katherine had just played coy in her games, constantly keeping the gang guessing, and Caroline had assumed that her godmother would play it the same way.
"Um... okay, I guess? Why are you here then, Ms. McCall?" The blonde asked, for some reason feeling shy at how the woman gazed intensely at her.
Ms. McCall smiled at her question in a way that made the vampiress' slow heartbeat race— it was like she knew exactly what the blonde was feeling.
"Well, for starters, that isn't my name. It's Desislava," the foreign roll of Desi's tongue sent shivers up Care's spine, "but, since I like you, you can call me Desi. And I figured the easiest way to keep an eye on your bestie is by being in a place she's required to be for eight hours a day."
Caroline stifled a chuckle as Desi let out an exasperated sigh paired with a teasing roll of her dark eyes, "If she even goes to school now, that is. How the hell are you kids keeping up at school when you're gone all the time?"
The blonde vampire shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "Well I'm guessing it has something to do with our teachers feeling compelled to let it slide."
This sent the succubus into a surprisingly pleasant bout of laughter.
"Fair enough, Caroline. I do truly hope that you can see past my goddaughter's misgivings, though. I'd like to be your friend at some point."
This caused the blonde to be a bit surprised, if not a bit on nervous, she had no idea if she could trust Ms. Mc— Desi, especially with her family's track record thus far. But, if there was one thing Caroline Forbes understood, she knew that a person could be very different than their family.
After all, the young vampiress herself was exceedingly different than her parents; so, who was to say that Desi was the same as her heartless goddaughter?
"We can be acquaintances. But, I promise if you do anything to hurt Elena, I'll be the one who ends you."
Desi had a small smirk on her soft pink lips as she nodded in acquiescence. She could work with acquaintances.
———
Desi walked up to the Mystic Grill, ignoring the ogling glances around her.
Now that school was over, she could definitely feel her hunger working back up. Sadly, a burger and a drink was going to have to cut it since she was feeling a rather strong bout of laziness work through her.
Not many knew this, but Desislava was a rather lazy creature.
Of course, she loved playing with people like pieces on a chessboard, but she preferred to be the mastermind behind the moves, lounging on a chaise longue, rather than an active player.
And the last couple days had proven to be very active.
Conveniently, a quick glance around the restaurant revealed several players that were on her board. Bonnie Bennett was standing with the younger Gilbert at a pool table; as well as Caroline and Stefan, who were sat at a table locked in an intense conversation that looked to be quickly turning into an argument.
"I— I can't tell you," Caroline said, her tone apologetic but firm.
"Caroline, Elena was kidnapped," Stefan replied, clearly distressed.
Desi's ears perked up at this, and she began listening intently as the younger Salvatore continued.
"She could have been killed, and you're seriously not gonna tell me where she is?"
Caroline threw down her fork in frustration, letting it clatter against the wooden table, "She's not in any danger! I would not have let her put herself in any danger."
Stefan's dark brows furrowed. Seems to be a constant look for him, Desi thought, amused.
"'Put herself in danger' where? What do you-," suddenly his handsome jaw locked in place, "She's with Damon, isn't she?"
Desi's dark eyes widened slightly at the drama of it all. Was there trouble in paradise? Or was Elena a lot more like Katerina than any of her little friends were willing to admit?
"Eww! No!" Caroline replied in a disgusted tone, it was fairly obvious that the blonde was not a fan of the older Salvatore.
I wonder why...
Stefan Salvatore was beginning to look rather desperate. Desi was feeling a bit concerned as well, because it was looking like the human doppelgänger was a flight risk, and that was not going to work for her original plan.
If she wasn't in any danger, and the blonde vampire knew where she was, then where could she—... Of course.
Desi promptly turned a black bootie towards the door, intent on getting to the catacomb as quickly as possible. Wasting that few minutes thinking about it had been burning daylight.
Desi hadn't given the doppelgänger enough credit. The succubus had thought that the teenager would let her vampire bodyguards do the work for her. She would have to take that rather interesting fact into consideration. The brunette paused though as she felt a rather strong wave of lust spike in the room. Supernaturally strong.
Desi turned back in the direction of the wave of emotion, knowing that because she hadn't moved quick enough, she'd have to change her initial plan. The succubus' large dark eyes met with dilated forest green, and she decided that she would use her quick thinking to assist the Salvatore.
After all, she really did want their deal to work out, especially since she needed to reform her plan around Elena's willful nature.
Stefan Salvatore had only half listened to Caroline's explanation on why she wouldn't give out Elena's location. He knew that he was being a bit unfair to her by using their friendship to try and get what he wanted.
A large part of him wanted to say that his concern for Elena's welfare was what distracted him, but that wasn't the entire reason why he was distracted.
Desi.
He felt his slow heartbeat speed up as he took in the leggy brunette. She was turned away from him, about to walk out the door, when she paused. Desi's shoulders stiffened slightly before she turned around. Large, familiar dark eyes pierced him as if she saw straight into his rotten soul.
Stefan couldn't tell what she was thinking— Desi's gaze was completely unreadable. Not unlike how Katherine's had been back in 1864.
The nearly overwhelming guilt and shame he had felt when first meeting her returned. How could he be jealous over Elena and his brother when he was feeling so attracted to another woman?
It only made Stefan despise himself more.
Of course, he knew that her being a succubus was a large part of it. Everything about her being was supposed to be a magnet to lure her food in. But, Stefan didn't know just how strong the pull was supposed to be— and that's what made him feel terrible.
What if she wasn't releasing any of her pheromones? What if after you know what she is, her powers weren't as effective anymore?
Stefan couldn't draw a line in the sand on where it was his own attraction started and Desi's powers ended.
Desi casually strode up to him, looking every bit like every boy's 'gorgeous teacher' fantasy. She gave him a small knowing smirk, and it made him feel all the worse.
A slim tanned hand patted his shoulder in a comforting way before she said, "Don't worry Stefan, it's nearly impossible not to."
Then the succubus promptly stepped back, and Stefan felt a hollow pang where her hand used to be. "Anyway, let's talk business. I hear you're looking for a doppelgänger?"
Immediately, green eyes narrowed to frigid chips of emerald.
"Did you have something to do with this?"
Desi scoffed, "Of course not. But, I've got a pretty good guess on where she'd go."
And with that, the succubus promptly grabbed hold of Stefan's wrist and pulled him out of the Mystic Grill.
———
Desi heard more than one person shuffling about the tomb as she and Stefan descended the stairwell, and was a bit excited. It wasn't everyday that you got to see and meet your goddaughter's clone.
It was sure to be a very interesting experience indeed. The younger Salvatore rushed down to the young girl and Desi took a moment to analyze her.
It was stunning just how alike and different she looked from Katerina.
Elena's dark eyes were almost doe-like in comparison to Katerina's, her goddaughter had a gleam of mischief that was lacking in Elena's. Pin straight dark hair framed the human's face and she was dressed like a normal teenager of the 21st century. It was definitely perplexing when compared to Katherine's much more adult attire. Hell, even their walk and posture was different. While Katerina had carried herself with a confidence that many women would kill for, Elena's was much more docile and meek.
But, Desi knew more than anyone that looks could be deceiving.
The girl had to be quite the tamer with all of the supernatural characters who were willing to die for her.
Very interesting.
"Elena," Stefan sighed in relief as he rushed to her side, quickly looking her over for any injuries, and Desi found herself a bit bored watching their reunion.
"Stefan. What are you doing here?" She asked.
Wow, even their tones were completely different. There was no playfulness in her tone, just sincerity and concern.
"I could ask you the same question," Stefan replied stonily.
Elena sighed, looking away, "Caroline told you."
"No. She kept your secret—," Stefan was cut off by Desi.
"You can blame that bit on me," the dark-haired succubus confessed.
Elena Gilbert had met a lot of strange people within the last year, but when she locked eyes with the mysterious woman that she hadn't even noticed in the tomb before, she truly believed she had never met anyone like her.
The woman was a supermodel, long dark hair slightly curled around an olive face. No, she was prettier than most supermodels the teenager had seen in magazines before. But it wasn't her attractiveness that spoke to Elena.
It was her eyes.
Large dark eyes that felt like she was looking into a mirror.
Elena felt like she knew this woman, everything about her was so familiar and yet not, like a really intense case of dejá vu. Unfortunately, she had more important things to worry about, like how she was going to explain herself to Stefan.
Desi decided to take a step away from the couple as they started bashing out their problems. Frankly, she didn't care.
So, when she heard footsteps coming their way from within the tomb, she was delighted to have her favorite someone to distract her from the relationship drama. As Katerina went closer to the spellbound entrance of the cave, Desislava was glad to see that her goddaughter had taken her words to heart about keeping some of the blood bags for later on. She could definitely smell that Elena had given her some, but Katerina looked a bit better than she should have.
"Hello, Mama," Katerina said in a slightly teasing tone as the light from the tomb illuminated her face, "I see you've brought company."
Both Stefan and Elena turned to the two Petrovas as Katherine spoke, the latter having a confused look on her face as she took in what was said.
Desi smiled adoringly at her Katerina, "Why, of course. I know you're bored down here, might as well pay a visit while I can."
Katherine have her godmother a small smile before turning her attention back to the younger Salvatore, "There's nothing you can do, Stefan. I haven't even told you the best part of the story."
Desi felt her mood darken as she realized exactly what story Katerina had been telling Elena.
And it wasn't a very good memory for anyone involved.
———
Bulgaria, 1492
Katherine's horse galloped to almost three same speed as her racing heartbeat.
She was almost there, and she couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of relief at being home once again. Anywhere was better than with Klaus.
She slid off her horse as she approached the gate, and was stunned at what was before her. One of the stable boys had his throat ripped out, his dead flesh polluting the ground. Katherine could feel her heart nearly stop in fear as she ran into the house.
Please god, she prayed, let me be wrong.
She begged the heavens that she was wrong as she rushed into the house, finding her family's home completely littered with bodies. Some pinned to walls with their entrails ripped out, others decapitated. Her dark brown eyes would not stop pouring tears down her cheeks. She found her mother and father, completely in pieces, and felt herself breaking down.
Where's Mama Desi?
The thought sent a sickening chill down her spine and she felt as if she'd throw up. Katherine turned to her Mama Desi's room, and let out a scream of absolute agony as she looked into her Mama's empty eyes.
———
"He killed them," Katherine stated, "My entire family. Just to get back at me for running."
Desi couldn't stop the churning in her stomach as she remembered her rather painful death. It was the one thing she wished she could have spared Katerina from seeing.
Elena couldn't stop herself from looking at Desi. She didn't know if she could believe what Katherine had said, but the constant churning of Desi's dark eyes did tell that something awful had happened.
"Whatever you do to escape Klaus; he will get his vengeance. On your friends, your family," Katherine paused as she glanced at her mother, she knew that what she was reminding Desi of was not pleasant, but as much as Katerina was sorry to hurt her Elena needed to know the risks, "on anyone that you've ever loved."
The finality of that statement was jarring to nearly everyone in the room.
Stefan watched as Elena's soft brown eyes welled with tears before he quickly grabbed her shoulders, trying to jerk her away from Katherine's influence. There was no way in hell Stefan was going to let Elena get hurt, and he knew better than most that Katherine was a liar. "No, do not listen to her, okay?"
Even Desi had to roll her eyes at how delusional the Salvatore was being. Cute as he was, Desi realized just how right she had been when she said that he and his brother weren't that bright.
"Always the protector," Katherine said bitterly, and Desi could swear that it savored strongly of bitterness, "But, even you must realize that she's doomed. There's nothing you can do to stop it."
Desi wasn't 100% sure about that, but she honestly didn't care whether the other doppelgänger lived or not. As long as Katerina lived, she didn't really give a shit. She leaned back against the tomb wall as she waited for Katerina's punchline.
"Unless of course, you have this," Katherine teasingly said as she lifted the moonstone into view. Always playful, always cunning.
There was a small murmur of "what?" from Elena as Stefan turned to the two Petrovas in disgust.
"Oh no, there it is," he started, and Desi could feel an ounce of irritation run through her at how the vampire was pointing at them both accusingly. "That's the ultimate lie, isn't it? You spun this whole thing, so that we would have to get the stone from you, didn't you?"
Angry green eyes then focused on Desi, "And you, you're trying to help her get out of this, and that's why you said we should think about negotiating for the moonstone, right?" Wrong, Desi thought as she glared back at the handsome young vampire. You are at least 10 steps behind for what I'm planning, and at least 5 behind Katerina.
"Everything Katerinasaid is true, Salvatore," Desi's accent slipped out as she glared warningly at the vampire, "I'd watch your tone considering I'm not in the tomb."
"I didn't spin anything, Stefan. It's the truth."
Stefan shook his head, promptly denying their replies. "No, let me guess. You wanna trade that stone for your freedom," an angry edge ground out in his voice as he tried to stay in a mocking tone, "Hmm? You manipulative, psychotic bitch."
Desi's eyes hardened into shards of onyx and Stefan felt an involuntary chill run down his spine at the intensity of her glare. The succubus was about to push off the rock to fix his tone issue when Katherine raised her hand, halting her non verbally.
The younger Petrova scoffed at Stefan's bravado, he actually thought he had her figured out.
"My freedom? That's where you're wrong, Stefan. I don't want my freedom, because when Klaus shows up to kill us all— and he will— I'll be in the tomb, where no vampire will enter because they can't get out."
A smile of pure contempt worked its way onto Katherine's fox-like persona, and Desi knew that she was wearing a matching one.
He was out-foxed with these two here.
"I'll be the safest psychotic bitch in town."
And with that, Katherine retreated back into the familiar darkness of the tomb.
———
Both Elena and Stefan had made their way out of the mouth of the cave, when Desi suddenly appeared in front of Stefan. The succubus' glare was harsh and unwavering on the younger Salvatore's face, and Elena felt growing fear for her boyfriend. Stefan Salvatore on the other hand definitely felt intimidated, however he didn't want to acknowledge exactly why it felt like his heart was in his throat.
"Mr. Salvatore," Desi began, her voice dark and unflinching in it's threat, "we have a business arrangement to keep your human safe that you haven't actually agreed to yet. So from a business perspective, I'd be within my bounds if I wanted to inflict bodily harm on you and those you care about," her glare snapped over to Elena briefly, and Stefan tensed.
He knew he wouldn't win in a fight between them but he sure as hell would try.
"So, do keep in mind that you should watch your tone with me and my loved ones, boy."
Stefan swallowed, his forest green eyes glaring right back at the beautiful woman's and it made Elena even more nervous.
Who even was this woman?
Obviously, she was related to Katherine— but Elena had no idea how. They looked like sisters, but they could easily be mother and daughter thanks to immortality.
Slowly, the vampire nodded before looking back up at Desi with softer eyes. "I apologize, I shouldn't have accused you just because you're Katherine's godmother."
It wasn't what Desislava wanted from the apology, but she'd make it work for the sake of the plan. As long as there weren't any other slip ups, the majority of their group would most likely make it out alive.
"Lovely. Now, let's go drop little Elena at home so we can go to the boardinghouse. Your brother has been blowing up my phone for the last two hours— and I'm sure you haven't talked to him yet. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that the Slater thing didn't end well."
———
A/n: Hey guys! Just so you know, my updates are going to be a little slow for a bit. I have some family things going on.
!!ALSO!! I want to double check and see where we wanna draw the line in the sand for smut? Do you guys want it at all, do you want it detailed or simple? Etc. etc.
Let me know down in the comments!
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