The Angel
Chapter 3 Club Sangre
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Don't shoot me.
Bella's POV
After everything has been said and done, I could not even recognize myself. The woman in the mirror seemed surreal, like she didn't exist at all. She had beautiful bouncy brown curls with black and light brown highlights. She had long, full lashes that framed her almond-shaped eyes. Her lips were full and tinted with a subtle pink shade. She had high cheek bones and a sharp nose. Her beauty would surely catch the eye of every man that pass by her.
I placed a hand on my face and the woman in the mirror did the same. I turned around to face Damon who was smirking, his hand under his chin. "What did I tell you?" he asked, gloating already.
"I guess I am on the right path, after all." I replied, just nodding my head in defeat. His hands dropped to his sides and walked a step towards me. "But I am not done yet with you. We need to get rid of your old clothes and buy you a new wardrobe. I don't think I can handle seeing those garbage again." he said, mocking me.
"Hey, don't screw the clothes. They're mine." I said, mock-punching him.
"Whatever, Bella, just as long as I don't see you wearing them ever again." And with that said, he walked away.
A few hours later…
Bella's POV
The back of the Ferrari was full of shopping bags of all sorts. Damon didn't pay any attention to the expenses. All he did was throw clothes at me and ordered me to fit them. Some of them were really far from my style, but the others were just fine.
He knew the thing I hated the most was heels, but he literally forced them to my feet. Now, my make-over is officially complete. I lasted through nine hours of pure hell when I was being pushed around and everything.
"You know, you need to change your name." Damon said, totally out-of-the-blue.
"Change my name? Why?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing.
"You see, the Volturi might have sent people to spy around here. And if it is true that the Cullens are their friends, they might recognize you. It doesn't have to be permanent, just until after this mess is over. And, we'll still call you by your real name when it's just us." he answered, turning on the radio.
"But what should I name myself?" I asked, arching a brow at him.
"Well, Miss No Name, I have been thinking about it. How about Adriana Felice De Luca? The name is Italian, and I have thought of a really good cover story. We can say that you are a distant family friend from Italy who wanted to study here in good old America." he said, smiling a true smile this time, and not a smirk.
"Sounds like it could work." I said, shrugging. It started to rain outside as we drove through the deserted streets near the forest.
"Oh boy, will Stefan and Elena be surprised at the new you. I'd bet they won't even recognize you." he said, looking me over.
"Why did you decide on Adriana Felice?" I asked curiously. It sounds nice and everything, but I just wondered why he picked that.
"Well, Adriana means "dark" or "rich", and that pretty much express your vampire side. Felice because it means "fortunate" or "happy, and since that is your goal why you even bothered to change your identity, it suits you very well. De Luca was just something I picked off from a book I have read long ago." he said nonchalantly.
I didn't know he cared. He was right. The name suits my life and personality well. "Do I even want to know how long?" I asked, to distract myself.
"Um, probably not. I don't remember either." he replied and shrugged.
I laughed, and even that sounded foreign to me. I haven't laughed in a good, long while, and I tried to make the moment last.
"Hey, emo girl, you actually know how to laugh?" he asked in mock-disbelief, shaking his head.
"Yes. Yes, I do." I replied, winking at him. He smirked, and relaxed against the car seat. We drove in silence until I finally lost consciousness.
At the Salvatore boarding house…
Damon's POV
Pulling up in front of the driveway, I cast a sideward glance towards Bella's sleeping form. She looked so peaceful, breathing in and out rhythmically. I envied her, for I don't think I will ever be at peace.
Hesitating to wake her up, my hand stopped in midair as I pondered about it for a short moment. Finally, I shook my head and tapped her shoulder gently. Her eyes flashed open and my dark eyes met with her depthless brown ones. We locked eyes for some time, until she finally looked away.
"I assume you had a pleasant nap? No bad dreams?" I asked for confirmation, raising my eyebrows.
"You know how I am. I'd scream like madwoman if I am having nightmares." she said quietly, hand unlocking the door.
"Nah-ah-ah. You are not getting out of the door by yourself. Dear Stefan will stake me if he learns that I haven't been a gentleman." I said, appearing on her side and opening the door for her. I offered her my hand and she graciously took it, standing up from her seat. I slammed the car door shut after she was out, making sure it was locked. Not that anybody would dare to try to steal it.
"Now you can tell my brother to go find someone to annoy." I said, smirking. Her lips curled up a little bit, before she arranged her features into a poker face
"Pray tell me, Damon, how could I tell him that if he doesn't even know me?" she asked, and it was her turn to smirk at me.
"How right you are. Well, let me introduce you to my younger brother and his girlfriend, then. Shall we, Bella? Or should I say, Adriana?" I asked, remembering the earlier part of today, when I offered her a new life different from her previous one. A girl like her didn't deserve anything she had been through.
"I think I prefer the latter. Well, well, we should have brought a camera with us. I couldn't wait to see their faces when they hear this." she said, rubbing her hands together and licking her lips before linking her arm through mine.
Inwardly, I laughed as I imagined Stefan's face when he learns about this plan of ours. He would surely be storming around the room and will try to stake me for this. I pulled her with me as I walked towards the door of the boarding house.
The door flew open before my hand touched the knob. Behind it, I saw my oh-so-dear brother with his arms crossed, Elena right behind him. "May I know where the two of you went? Do you think you could just disappear without even leaving a note or something?" he asked sternly, glaring at the both of us.
I felt a hand squeeze mine and I squeezed back, knowing what to do. I could feel her excitement and anticipation rolling off of her in waves. I couldn't help but feel the same, but I kept an emotionless mask on, so that no one would be able to see what I was feeling.
"Well, we just went for a tour around town, if that's what you're asking, Dad." I said mockingly, giving emphasis to the word "Dad". His eyes obviously darkened, and Elena gripped his shoulder to keep his temper in check.
"Um, guys, I think we should take this inside." she said nervously, swallowing hard.
"Sure. Come along now, Steffy." I told him, smirking as we stepped inside. As we passed by them, Bella, or rather, Adriana told Elena, "And girl. I quite hurt, Elena. I can't believe you forgot your friend of all people." she said, smiling. We walked together to the couch and they followed shortly after, sitting opposite us.
"Now, since I think Damon here isn't exactly pleasant to have a conversation with, I'd better speak to you instead, Bella." Stefan started, looking at her.
She raised a hand, stopping him before he could say anything else. "Stefan, for your information, Bella is dead." she said confidently, beaming at them. I couldn't believe their expressions. It was a million times better than I imagined! I laughed loudly, a real laugh and not some fake laugh to annoy people. She was right. This is too precious to go to waste. And so, taking out my phone, I took a quick photo of them and hid it in an inner pocket before Stefan could snatch it away.
"Bear with me, brother. I couldn't resist taking that picture. Just consider it as your birthday gift for me for the past couple of years." I said, not able to stop myself from smirking. He just ignored me afterwards, paying attention to her again.
"You're talking nonsense, Bella. How could you be dead when you are sitting right in front of us? I mean, I know you're dead and everything, we all are. Will somebody please explain this madness?" he said slowly, realizing his mistake as he glanced at Elena who acted indifferently.
"I am not talking nonsense or any of that crap. I am telling the truth. Damon, would you care to explain?" she requested, and I was not one to turn down a girl, especially when she ever so politely asked for it.
"You see, brother, she wants to start anew. And so, we decided to let Bella die and so Adriana is enters the scene. Don't protest, she's still most likely the same person as before, only a tad different. Actually, I am doing a good deed here, so you have absolutely no reason to get angry at either of us." I said, seeing the anger in his eyes.
"He's right. He didn't force me into this or threatened me or anything. I was the one who wanted to do this. I want to start fresh, and forget about the past. I guess I still have my own free will after I was turned, am I correct?" she asked, a little unsure.
"Of course you do. And no matter what, even if you change your identity a million times, you will still be my friend." Elena said, coming over to hug her. "Thank you. And you can still call me Bella if you like, although only in private and if we are sure no one is around. The Volturi might have sent spies here in Mystic Falls and I am not sure if they will recognize me, since they have been friends with the Cullens for a very long time." she said, hugging back.
"Yup, so this is like a part of the plan, too." I added, relaxing on the couch.
Stefan seemed to think for a moment, before finally saying something. "Alright then, tell us everything you can about Adriana. Name, age, likes, dislikes, the scrapbook stuff." he said in defeat.
"My name is Adriana Felice De Luca. Don't ask me where it came from, Damon thought of it. Now you have to think of a suitable nickname for me. I am eighteen years old, and will be starting senior year at Mystic Falls High School as an exchange student from Italy. I am supposed to be a family friend of yours who wants to stay and explore America instead of finishing my studies in Europe. That's the cover story." she started, looking proud of herself and I didn't miss the grateful look she gave me while Stefan and Elena weren't looking.
That alone made me happy. She always did. Somehow, sometime, somewhere, I have grown fond of her. Heck, maybe more. But I wasn't ready to think that I was in love with her. Quite impossible. I learned my lesson from Katherine, and I learned it the hard way. I was right in saving her that fateful day, bloody and about to be killed by the red headed vampire. She made me feel like I was…loved, although I knew she would never reciprocate my feelings, if I indeed have them. I was getting accustomed in being second to everything—to Katherine, Elena, my father. It seemed as if nobody really cares about me enough to choose me. And I was fine with that, really. Who said life was fair?
Two days after…
Bella/Adriana's POV
I started going to school the day right after I changed my whole identity. I was no longer Isabella Marie Swan, but Adriana Felice De Luca. As much as possible, I try to avoid getting too thirsty and so I keep a pile of blood supply at the back of Stefan's car. Normally, Damon sees to it that he drives me to and from school, since he was too much of a gentleman to let me walk. Plus, he said that Stefan might rub off on me and it was something he didn't want to happen. I smiled at the memory, walking through the corridors to my next class.
He has been a big help to me, going as far as to teaching me how to defend myself when the Cold Ones come. Yes, I call them that, because I was used to it already. It didn't feel awkward or anything. Sometimes, when I think of them, all that I feel is resentment and I found myself hating them a couple of times. I hate them for being so greedy and trying to destroy my new life. I wouldn't let them to just that.
Damon said I have been progressing quickly, even managing to pin him to the ground for a few minutes. We started lessons right after we finished discussing plans with Elena and Stefan. Elena watched for a bit, before finally going home. Stefan offered to drive her home as always, for protection, and that left us to enjoy each other's company, and I had absolutely no problem with that.
He taught me a few tricks—what to do when you're caught in a headlock, using my Power over them, using my speed to my advantage and a whole lot of other things. I feel loads better and more confident than before, and I helped in talking to the tomb vampires since they still held a grudge towards the Salvatore brothers, even though they learned that Katherine sold them out to George Lockwood in exchange for her own safety.
Sitting beside Elena and Bonnie for History, I was only half-listening to the teacher when a black crow landed outside the window. My attention was immediately transferred to it as its powerful black wings folded on its sides. Those black eyes seemed familiar, and my eyes widened in realization.
"Damon? Is that you?" I asked, sending a mental message towards the bird. Even I felt crazy for doing so. Vampires don't normally talk to birds, do they? I saw the crow's tiny head sort of nod and I blinked in shock.
Quickly recovering, I started shooting questions at him mentally. "What are you doing here? What if Stefan finds out? Can you teach me how to do that?" I mentally asked all at the same time, not giving him enough time to answer.
"Chill, Addie, I got your back. I just wanted to see how one of my best friends is doing. Is that wrong?" he answered back in mock hurt. I resisted a smile upon hearing the nickname he made for me.
"Is saving me becoming one of your habits now?" I asked, smirking while still pretending to listen to the teacher. History was never my forte, mind you.
"And from what did monstrous beast did I save you from this time?" he asked, pacing along the narrow space. Truly, he should act more bird-like. He looked like a person to me from my point of view. Normal birds didn't pace.
"Well, congratulations Damon, you just saved me from going through an hour of pure Hell. You just gave me a brilliant idea. How about I pretend to feel sick and then we escape together? Stefan will never know." I said, winking for a fraction of a second before completely ignoring him.
I concentrated in trying to look really pale, which wasn't that hard, seeing that I was already pale as a sheet. I could feel him watching me, even if I didn't look. I placed my head in my hands and pretended to groan. One thing I love about my new self was that I could lie better than before. I think I could even pass for best actress in the Emmy Awards.
The teacher noticed me and I groaned, just loud enough for her to hear. Good thing she was a female teacher, and so she felt sympathy for me. "Is there anything wrong, Ms. De Luca? You look pale." she asked worriedly.
I shook my head, and told her I felt a little dizzy. She excused me from class and asked a boy from my class, whose name I couldn't remember, to accompany me to the clinic. Before I got out of the door, I caught a glimpse of the windowsill, and the black crow was nowhere to be seen.
When we were halfway there, I straightened my body and turned to him, looking straight into his blue eyes. "You will go back to the classroom and tell Ms. Perkins that you brought me to the clinic and that the nurse said I wasn't in any condition to get back to class. Do you understand?" I asked, feeling my pupils dilate.
"I understand." he said in a zombie-like voice. In a flash, I was gone and he snapped back to reality, shaking his head then started walking back the way he had come. There was an unnatural breeze behind me. I turned to see Damon, our faces so close I could feel his cool breath on my face.
This surprised me, so I instinctively pressed my body against the wall. "Surprise, surprise. Miss me?" he asked, smirking while leaning against the wall.
"Come on. Don't be so full of yourself, D. And get out of my way, I need to get the nurse to believe that she gave me a check-up and sent me home." I said, pushing at his chest.
He didn't budge and said brightly, "All done. Really, you should have known better."
"Damon, Damon, Damon. What will I do without you?" I wondered, smiling a genuine smile while shaking my head.
"Hmm, you would probably be in either Heaven or Hell, but in your case, I'm not so sure. I believe you equally belong in both. Come to think of it, you should apply as a dark angel. I'm sure they will quickly accept you." he suggested, looking as if he thought about it for a moment.
"I guess I should try that as a career option then. But for now, you and I are going to have fun. Just the both of us. What do you say?" I asked, pointing at his chest with my index finger. He gathered my wrists in one hand and pulled me closer.
"I say we should start right now. What are you waiting for?" he said in a dark voice.
At a club…
Bella/Adriana's POV
I cannot believe it. I absolutely couldn't believe it. Damon brought me to a club. And it wasn't just any club. It was a members-only club that was built especially for vampires. Lovely. And without me knowing, he already signed me up for Club Sangre. Strange name, isn't it?
"Addie, let me introduce you to everyone, okay? Relax, they don't bite." he said, chuckling at his own joke.
"Funny, Damon. You actually brought me to a club which has a name that means "Club Blood" in plain old English." I said, smiling sickly sweet at him.
"Hey, where is your sense of having fun? Did you accidentally leave it at home or something?" he asked, eyebrows furrowing in mock innocence.
"Wait a minute and let me check." I said, checking my purse. "Nope. I think I left it back home. I'd better go and get it, and you are coming with me." I ordered, pulling at his leather jacket.
"I don't think so. Come one, you were the one who said we were having fun today. And so here we are. No need to be antisocial. Remember, you're not old Bella Swan anymore. Hmm, and I like that attitude of yours, it's…sexy." he said, appraising me.
I rolled my eyes and sat back down the stool, ordering a cup of type O negative blood from the bartender, who was also a vampire. Taking the glass, I said my thanks and turned back to Damon. "Fine. Lead the way, then." I said, raising my glass and he did the same. Our glass clinked together and I jumped down from the high stool, slowly sipping the sweet blood.
Damon took my hand and cleared his throat loudly, attracting attention to us. I nearly hid my face behind my hair, when I remembered that I wasn't supposed to be shy anymore. Raising my chin up confidently, I looked at all the vampires surrounding us and the feel of Damon's hand intertwined with mine.
"Guys, I would all like you to meet Adrianna, our newest club member." There were cheers and some offered me welcoming smiles. It was quite nice here, after all. "She's still quite new, so please understand if she doesn't understand some terms used here. That's all. Cheers." he said, raising his goblet full of blood. Unlike me, I believe his favorite is type A.
"Cheers." I said, smiling. A girl about my age with curly red hair and bluish-gray eyes approached me just as Damon left to get another drink. "Welcome to the club, sister. So, did he Change you or he just found you?" she asked, motioning to Damon.
"He did it to me himself. I owe him a lot, actually. So, what's your name?" I asked, smiling politely. Her expression brightened, and she reminded me greatly of Alice. "My name's Cassandra—Cassandra Bellini. Or just call me Cassie. There must be something special within you for him to Change you. He doesn't normally do that." she said, a curious expression on her beautiful features.
"Did you know him for a long time?" I asked curiously, wondering about the real age of my new friend. "Yes. We've been neighbors when he was human. Pearl saved me when I fell off into the ocean. I was also one of the tomb vampires. Lucky you, you're new to this. Believe me, you don't want to experience the discomfort of having stuff stuck on your teeth after centuries without brushing them. Gross." she said, wrinkling her nose. I like her. She had a good sense of humor.
"Yeah, lucky me." I said, laughing with her. Damon came back and said, "Enjoying yourselves, ladies?" he asked, appearing behind Cassandra sneakily.
"Your tricks won't work on me, Damon. Remember, I'm older than you are by over a century. Stronger, and more powerful." she warned, playfully glaring at him.
"Whatever. What did the others say about this weekend?" he asked quietly, a rare occasion in Damon's case.
"All I can say is, they cannot wait to kick some sparkly butts soon. It is high time they were put in their right places. We all had enough, so we are all fighting with you. Mystic Falls is still are home, anyway." she said sincerely, nodding her head at him. Judging by this, I immediately knew she had a lot of control here, being probably one of the oldest vampires.
"See you later, Adrianna. Got some business to do." she said, waving her hand quickly before going off in a flash. I looked at Damon, who took the opportunity to say, "See? You already made friends with some people. But you haven't experienced the real fun yet. Come, let's dance." he said, as music started to play from around us.
Hours later…
After hours of dancing and drinking tequila and blood, Damon and I were laughing our hearts out while walking back to his Ferrari. It was my first time to play "Never Have I Ever", too. I had so much fun today, but now, I couldn't even walk straight, and so he supported most of my weight. "We need to do that again sometime soon." I said, giggling.
"Sure, whenever you like. But for now, you are going to seat here and behave." he said, placing me in the front seat.
I pouted while he closed the door. He came in after a few seconds, inserting the key in the ignition. He turned it and the car roared to life. We drove into the night while I tried to do random things. Turning on the radio at full blast, making my eardrums hurt. "Addie, behave!" he said, lowering the volume.
Crossing my arms across my chest, I said childishly, "Since when did you teach me to behave? I'm just having fun." Pouting my lip, he rolled his eyes and drove faster. "Yeah, I did, but that doesn't include annoying me endlessly." he said, looking at me.
Grabbing the steering, the car started to get out of track and swayed left to right. He grabbed my hands before we could meet any accident. "Do you know how hard it was to get this car? Can't you stay still for a minute?" he hissed, taking control.
"Aww…you have to admit that was fun. Life needs a little danger to become exciting." I purred, tapping my fingers on the dashboard.
"How right you are. But we will have all the excitement we need once the sparkly vamps come to town. I heard they're bringing more than they usually do in fights. I would bet they're scared." he stated, smirking.
"Who wouldn't be? Just be sure to give me my fair share." I replied, and saw that we were nearly home. We drove in silence until we reached the boarding house. The lights were off, and I figured that maybe Elena and Stefan went out.
"Mind those two. They were the ones who told us to tell them when we go out. Now they just did the same crime." I said, placing both hands on my hips.
"Well, we just have to scold them later, right?" he proposed, pulling my arm. I let him drag me upstairs, but instead of heading to my room, we headed into his. He pushed me down on a chair, and he sat on another, crossing his legs. "Now, what do you want to do?" he asked, tapping the small round table in between us.
"Any ideas?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I pursed my lips in anticipation. He usually had a plan in mind.
"How about we work on your offense?" he suggested, flashing me a smile, a real smile. "Sure." I replied, before appearing in front of him in a flash and twisting his arm. His eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly recovered and aimed a shot at me.
I quickly dodged and jumped on his back, trying to put him into a chokehold. It was hard because he had more experience than I did, and he easily threw me off his back. I landed on the wooden floor with a soft thud, and he had me pinned without any escape.
I struggled against his grip, but failed, and so I just lay down on the floor waiting for an opportunity to attack. "Don't even think about it. I know what you're going to do." he said, smirking at me. I let out an exasperated breath. And for the first time, I noticed how he really looked like. I guess I haven't looked at him properly yet all this time we were together.
We were staring at each other for about five minutes. He leaned closer until our faces were mere inches apart and I could feel his breath on my face. My heart was beating faster than usual because of my nervousness. What is he going to do? Surely, it wasn't what I think he was?
He inched closer while I lay frozen on the floor, undecided on what to do. Not hesitating one single bit, he closed the distance and kissed me softly on the lips. It wasn't cold like what I expected, but rather warm. My eyes remained open before I decided to close them and just go with flow.
Don't blame me. I wasn't thinking rationally at that time. I found myself responding to his kisses and thought that they weren't anything like Edward's kisses at all. It felt wrong to think about somebody else while kissing Damon, especially my ex-boyfriend. It just wasn't fair to him, so I twisted my face to the side and he lifted his head a little away from mine to look at me.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." he said apologetically, his face turning hard, his cold mask resurfacing. I shook my head at him and said sadly, "It's not you, Damon. It's me. It just didn't seem…fair to you. I'm literally damaged goods and you deserve someone a million times better than I am."
His face softened and the Damon I know came back to the surface. "It's about him, isn't it? Edward Cullen?" he asked quietly.
"I'm over him, but I just don't know if I'm ready yet. Damon, I'm—I'm…I'm afraid. I just don't want that to happen to me again. I thought when I changed my identity that everything will be just fine, that I will forget all the pain and that I wouldn't be scared anymore. I didn't know how wrong I was until now. What if Katherine comes back here in Mystic Falls? I know, no matter how much you try to hide it, that you are not as over her as you let us see. I can feel it. And if I let myself fall for you now, and you chose her over me, I think I won't be able to take it." I said truthfully, swallowing back tears that threatened to flow.
"What makes you think I would do that to you, especially? Of all people, I know how it feels to be in the exact, same situation as the one you just described." he said honestly, and paused slightly. "I know…and I understand. What if we just wait and see where this goes?" he asked, arching an elegant eyebrow.
I nodded in approval and noticed we were still in the same position. He seemed to notice, too, and stood up from the floor and pulled me with him. "Goodnight, Damon." I said, biting my lip.
"Sweet dreams, Adriana." he said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. That night was the first time I ever dreamt of Damon Salvatore, feeling his warm touch on my face that seemed so real I couldn't believe it was a dream.
(A/N: Cliffhanger! What do you think? People who review will get a sneak preview in the next chapter. Likewise, I will do the same with my other stories. What are you waiting for? Click that small rectangular button down there!)