Chapter Three: The Werecat

《 So what if you can see
the darkest part of me
No one would ever change
This animal I have become 》

The moment the door opened the dark haired male smiled widely, giving Klaus and Elijah a quick once over before feigning remorse, "Sorry, we already bought enough girl scout cookies.." He wrinkled his nose in a ridiculous smirk and started to close the door before Klaus nudged his boot into the door, stopping the dark haired male from closing it. "Mate, you're gonna want to let me inside." Klaus' voice was edgy and the moment was tense as the dark haired male looked torn between slamming the door and letting him in. Athena peaked around Elijah's shoulder and in that moment a breeze blew her hair, wafting it straight towards the door and where the dark haired male was standing.

As if on cue, his eyes turned dark and the veins beneath his eyes dilated in a rather frightening way. It wasn't anything Athena hadn't seen before, but it still always struck a nerve inside of her. A fear and anger that made her blood boil that someone would want to sink their fangs into her. "She's with us. Athena is not food." Damon. That was his name. Athena tilted her head to the side and watched as the man named Damon wrinkled his nose, his eyes returning to normal. Before he could say anything else, voices sounded out behind him, "Who is it?"

It was a lithe, beautiful voice and Athena noticed a dark haired girl with the stench of a vampire came to the door. Another man with stupidly perfect sandy brown hair came behind her. "Is that the greeting I get, dear Elena?" Klaus spoke up again and the girl frowned deeply at him. Though frowning, she was absolutely beautiful and being a vampire only made her even more alluring. Her hair was dark and sleek, and it was as straight as a board. She had a streak of pink underneath, kind of like peek a boo highlights. Athena already liked her style, but kept her thoughts to herself.

"Well, now that the whole gang is here, can we come in?" Athena didn't need to see Klaus to know he was smirking, she could hear it in his tone. Damon tensed before the man behind him put his hand on his shoulder, easing him away from the door. "What do you want Klaus?" The unknown male looked past Klaus now to Athena and their eyes locked for a brief moment. He furrowed his brow at her, taking in her smell and trying to figure out what she was. Elena, Athena presumed, cocked her head to to the side, "What is she?" She sounded nervous and now everyone was staring at Athena, who was standing behind Elijah.

Elijah, as if on cue, moved to the side so that the three at the door could get a good look at her. She held her head high, her features monotone as she didn't want to smile or frown. "All in good time, dearest Elena." Elijah's voice was soothing and if Athena didn't know better she sometimes thought that Elijah was an empath, as his tone was always able to soothe the most dire situations. Klaus turned to look at Athena and he winked before returning back to the three vampires at the door, "Stefan, long time no chat." Stefan. So, the one with the nice hair was Stefan. Athena looked from them to Klaus, who was now facing away from her. "We need to talk." Stefan sighed and opened the door wider, gesturing for all three of them to come inside. "Come in." He didn't sound the least bit happy about it though.

Elijah ushered Athena forward so that she was in between her two guardians. Elijah placed a hand on the small of her back and she gave him a half smile before walking into what was like a mini-mansion. Everything about it screamed old timer; the mahogany and bourbon smell was everywhere. The place was immaculate and decorated as if someone very old lived there, which they did. She had a feeling the two males were the oldest. They had that look as if they were from a different time, maybe even the Civil War era or before. Athena fidgeted uncomfortably and looked at the girl who was staring at her, tilting her head to the side, while Stefan placed a hand on her shoulder and gripped it slightly.

Did she appeal to them or did she repulse them? The girl started to turn, her fangs coming out and her eyes going black. "I see Elena still doesn't know the art of control, hm?" Klaus mused while Stefan pulled Elena towards him, whispering in her ear and then, just as quick as she started, she snapped out of it. Her eyes returning to normal and the veins under them disappearing. "She's fine." Stefan answered curtly before Damon came strolling up after closing the door, "Cut to the chase, Klaus. I know you aren't here for pot roast and cobbler." Elijah quirked a up smile as Klaus placed his hands behind his back and started walking around, taking in the book shelf and the bourbon that was opened.

He poured himself a drink and looked to Athena, she shook her head, while Stefan and Damon stood tense as Klaus helped himself to their alcohol. "You see, we had a deal that I would get my hybrids." Stefan interjected quickly, "The deal was off when Elena turned and decided to stay a vampire. Klaus pointed to Stefan and smirked devilishly, "Stefan. That's the thing. We had a deal, until she decided to stay a vampire. That, my friend, is called breaking a deal."

Damon scoffed and Athena watched with intense eyes as the scene unfolded before her eyes. "Oh, please. What were you going to do with a hybrid army anyways? It's not our fault you aren't happy with the family you were given." This struck a chord and Klaus glared at Damon, "You'd do best to hold your tongue. This matter doesn't concern you." Elijah bristled and since she was beside him, she could sense his emotions whirling around. Elijah never really liked confrontation. Athena nudged Elijah quietly and he smiled down at her stiffly.

I can see why Klaus has bad blood in Mystic Falls now.

"That is where you're wrong, Klaus. Anything that involves my brother, goes through me." Damon walked, or rather strutted around the end table that had the tumblers and bourbon on it. Athena narrowed her eyes at him and Damon gave her a look before rolling his eyes. She noticed they were ice blue, probably like his heart. He gave off the vibe of an egotistic vampire. Everything about him made Athena sneer. His walk, the way he talked and his stupid attempt at sarcasm.

The girl scout bit was funny though.

Shut up, mind.

"Well then, better take a seat and listen good, Damon." Klaus walked around again, but this time his hand was wrapped around the tumbler and the other one was dragging meticulously along the top part of the couch. Stefan sighed heavily and walked around, taking a seat on the couch with Elena. He threw his hands out, "Alright, Klaus. I'm all ears. What do you want?" Klaus smirked and took a long sip of his bourbon before swirling it around, "You owe me a favor, Stefan. And I bring that favor to you in the form of..." He paused for dramatic effect before gesturing towards Athena. "Her."

It was Athena's turn to be on display and she smirked as Damon crinkled his forehead and frowned in her direction. Both Stefan and Elena stared at her open mouthed, but Elena spoke up first, "What exactly do you mean, she is the favor? And who is she? You're not making any sense Klaus." Stefan looked at Elena and she shrugged lightly as she took control with the questions. Klaus smiled as if he had the best secret in the world and was dangling it on a string in front of them. "Love, come here." He reached his hand out to her and Athena stepped forward, taking his hand in her own and standing awkwardly in the large living room as the three vampires stared at her. "This, is Athena Garland."

Klaus smiled at Athena and she smirked back at him before their attention returned to the vampires. Elijah took a step forward, "She is one of the few werecats left in existence. We need your help." Of course Elijah spoke prim and proper, making everything less threatening than Klaus usually did. "Excuse me, back up. Werecat?" Damon asked setting his drink down on the end table and Elena tilted her head to the side, "Wait, what? A werecat? Does that even exist?" She did a double take at Stefan, but Stefan was staring at Athena, her eyes glowing a bright amber yellow in the dimly lit room."Of course it doesn't exist, Elena."

Damon scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest as he took a step farther into the room. "I assure you, Elena, we are not bluffing." Elijah spoke again and Damon threw his hand out, "Oh c'mon, guys. You're not really going to-" Damon was abruptly cut off as Athena took a step forward and landed on all fours in the blink of an eye. She grew tired of the games and the back and forth. They needed to see for themselves because only then would they be able to listen and understand what Klaus was proposing for them to do.

Athena's inner werecat took over and when she shifted, her yellow eyes immediately sought out Damon, the annoying one. Everything happened so fast, none of them had time to react and Athena launched off her back haunches, the black panther springing across the room and crashing into Damon. Her paws took him down easily and she stood atop him, his eyes alight with rage and a tinge of fear, but mostly shock as the black panther before him was now pinning him to the ground. Her mouth opened and she inched her teeth towards his neck, her breath coming in and out as the panther panted and growled lowly in a menacing way. Every nerve ending in her body was telling her to kill him, but she could hear Klaus' voice somewhere in the recess of her mind,

"Stand down, Athena."

Athena's eyes widened and she could smell the shock rolling off of Damon now, his eyes wide, but his mouth screwed up into a twisted angry scowl as she was still pinning him down, her weight making his breath come in shallow pulled back, hopping off of Damon and she could smell the fear from Elena and Stefan. They had no idea something like her existed and now they didn't look as if they wanted to eat her, they looked as if they wanted to know just how exactly it was possible she even existed.

Athena raised her head to Elijah before sniffing through her snout loudly, her paw hitting the floor and Elijah looked to Elena, "A towel, something, if you will. For when she shifts." Elena nodded, open mouthed and she darted off with her inhuman speed and returned with a large towel. "Hey, that's mine!" Damon shouted in protest, but Elena rolled her eyes, "I grabbed the first one I could find."

She shifted violently back into her human form and Elijah was right there, already covering her naked body as it trembled slightly, her forehead already perspiring. Elijah pushed her damp strands of blonde hair out of the way of her face before pushing her shredded clothes off to the side. Athena stared at them all in between strands of hair, pushing it out of the way of her face before looking at all three vampires before her, "My name is Athena Garland. And we do exist. I'm one of the last ones of my kind."

Elena shook her head in awe, Stefan frowned, but not in a rude way. He seemed concerned, if not shocked. Damon got up from the floor, fixing the collar of his shirt and glaring at Athena with his blue eyes ablaze, "Well, there goes the neighborhood." Klaus merely smirked, raising his glass at Damon and then looking at Athena, "Come Athena, sit. Introductions are in order."

Author's Note: I'll be posting another chapter later this week! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As always, like, comment, etc! ^^