This chapter will explain a lot!

Finally lol.

The others were already back, by the time we arrived.

Damon and I Changed quickly, having stopped to grab our clothes, from where we'd left them at the property line.

We hurried inside.

Alaric met us in the foyer.

"Stefan told me that you located the Mutt."

"Yes," I nodded, "We did, but he-"

Alaric held up his hand, "No one was hurt, and you didn't see him. The rest can wait until tomorrow, with the others."

Damon and I nodded.

"Good. Now sleep well. I'll see you in the morning."

He left us then, and we gave each other a look, before walking up the stairs.

Damon followed me into my room.

Usually, I'd fight him on it, but right now, I didn't care.

I sat on the bed and rolled my shoulder.

It was probably bruised, but nothing felt broken or out of place.

And as werewolves, we healed fast.

By morning, I'd be good as new.

"You okay?" Damon asked, stepping closer to me.

I shot off the bed, "I'm fine. But Ric was right, we should probably get some sleep, so..."

I tried to usher him towards the door.

However, he wasn't having it.

"What was with you? Back at the Mutt's place? You took forever to Change."

I held his gaze.

"If it were up to me, I wouldn't Change at all."

His eyes narrowed in concern, "Twice in one day was too much for you?"

I set my jaw.

This was really none of his business.

So what if Changing had gotten a little harder since I'd left?

In New York, I only changed out of necessity, sneaking off late in the night.

I hated it.

The constant reminder that I wasn't the normal human I was pretending to be.

Of course, Damon would only scold me for fighting my nature.

Like he was so perfect.

Which brought me back to my earlier issue.

"My Changing isn't your concern," I told him, "But while we're on the topic, what in the hell is wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

My voice came out like venom, "You pet me."

Damon stepped closer, his frame trapping me between him and the wall, next to the door I'd been trying to run him out of.

"You let me," he countered.

I huffed, "You're lucky you still have your hand. Touch me like that again, and I'll leave you with a bloody stub."

He smirked, "I don't doubt it."

"Good."

He chuckled and the sound pooled my stomach.

He was so close, and my frustration, mixed with that smell of his, dark spice and leather, with a hint of whiskey, was intoxicating me.

His gaze held me in place, as it always had, the intensity overwhelming.

His breath quickened, and I knew he felt it to.

A knock at the door broke our concentration.

Mason strode in, oblivious to the eye fuck session he'd interrupted.

"Stefan tells me you guys found the Mutt."

Damon's jaw snapped in annoyance, but I ignored him, pushing by, to face Mason.

"Yeah, his apartment, anyway."

"Nice," Mason praised, "We didn't find much. An old trail going through the bar area, but nothing else."

"It's probably his hunting grounds," Damon decided, "We can check it out tomorrow."

Mason nodded, moving to stand by me.

"In the meantime, who's up for a game of poker? The others turned me down."

"Sure," Damon agreed easily.

I groaned, "Not tonight. We need to get some sleep before tomorrow."

I was ignored.

"Stakes?" Mason asked Damon.

"Whatever you want."

"The usual," Mason smirked, "It's been a long time since you've let anyone else take a Mutt down."

Damon smirked, "How about it, kitten? Play. If you win, you can take down the Mutt tomorrow."

I considered it.

Thought of those three girls.

They deserved justice, didn't they?

Damon knew I wouldn't refuse.

He smirked, knowing he'd won, and announced that he was going to go grab a drink from his room, before we started.

Mason stood from where he'd been resting on my bed, to get more comfortable.

He made a show of unbuttoning his shirt and shrugging it off, making sure I saw a good display of his muscles.

Undressing was like some damned mating ritual with these guys.

They seemed to think that the sight of a handsome face, muscular biceps, and a flat stomach would turn me into a helpless mass of hormones, willing to play their juvenile games.

It usually worked, but that wasn't the point.

"Whiskey and soda?" Damon called, entering the room with a handful of drink mixes.

"Perfect," Mason said.

Damon didn't bother asking what I wanted.

Mason pulled me to the bed, as Damon worked on our drinks.

He pulled the elastic tie from my hair and nipped playfully at my ear, warm breath smelling faintly of dinner.

I relaxed against him.

His lips moved from my ear, down my neck, nuzzling.

I twisted my face, pressing into his skin and inhaling the musky smell of him.

Not as woodsy as Damon, less wild.

The subtlety was appealing in its own way, though.

I moved to the hollow in his collarbone and felt his heartbeat leap.

Mason jumped.

I looked up to see Damon pressing a cold glass against his bare back.

Damon grabbed Mason's shoulder and yanked him off me.

"Go find the cards," he instructed.

"Where are they?" Mason asked, standing.

"Look for them," he growled lowly, "That'll keep you busy for a while."

Mason did as he was told, adhering to Damon's dominant personality.

He was challenged about as well as Alaric was.

In other words, he wasn't.

Damon sat down next to my legs and handed me a drink.

I took a sip.

Bourbon, straight.

He gulped his own, then leaned closer to me.

"Perfect night, wasn't it?"

"It could have been." I smiled up at him, "But you were there."

He smirked, "Which means it was only the beginning of a perfect night."

As he leaned over me, his fingers brushed against my thigh and slid over my hip.

The thick, demanding smell of him sent a slow burn radiating down from my stomach.

"You had fun," he said, "Admit it."

"Maybe. I mean between the scalp pieces and you petting me, how could I not have had a blast?"

He shook his head, "You don't always have to fight me, you know."

I smiled a little, "You act like you don't love it."

He ignored that.

"You know, there's a chance we won't find the Mutt tomorrow. You could end up being here a while."

He was fishing, we both knew it.

I answered him honestly, "Alaric wanted me to track down the Mutt. I did that. If we don't find him tomorrow, that's that."

His expression changed, "You'd just leave again?"

I sighed, "This isn't my home anymore."

He set his jaw, "So, tomorrow...that's your last day here."

I nodded, slowly, as Mason reentered the room.

"I've changed my mind," Damon stated suddenly.

I didn't like the sound of that.

"If I win, you come back to my room with me, Elena. If Mason wins, he gets the kill...and if you win...I'll let you leave without saying a thing," he added.

It seemed he knew just what to say to grab my interest.

An easy exit was too good to pass up.

So I agreed to play.

Damon won.

Stupidity, or maybe just dumb pride made me follow him to his bedroom, when we retired for the night.

He shut the door behind me, and I swallowed.

His room was the same as ever.

Large in size, with a roaring fire, and a king sized bed.

And lots of books, mixed among priceless artifacts and paintings.

I'd spent too many nights in here as it was.

Apparently, I never learned.

Damon came up behind me then, and I could feel his breath on my neck.

I could feel the heat pulsating off of him, could taste what he wanted in the air.

We'd done this dance enough times for me to read every little part perfectly.

"We can't," I whispered.

He walked around me.

But his focus on my body, not my words.

"Damon," I warned a little more clearly, "We can't do this."

Then his hands were on my hips, my back met a wall, and his mouth found mine.

He kissed me hard.

Deep.

And, as always, my attempt to fight him off was futile.

My willpower crumbled the second he touched me.

As he well knew it would.

A contented sigh slipped from him when I returned the kiss.

He picked me up and moved us to the bed, peeling his shirt as he did so.

I fell easily into the mattress.

Damon reconnected our lips, and his hands pinned mine above my head.

Within a second, I felt him reach towards something by the nightstand, then whatever it was, was being slipped around my wrists.

I pulled away.

"What are you doing?"

He sat up, smirking proudly.

I realized that my hands were bound, and tied to his headboard.

"Damon," I groaned.

"It'll be easier for you this way," he promised, pulling my jeans down my legs, dropping a kiss to my stomach.

Lifting back up, he let his lips brushed over mine, "You have no control. So you can't be expected to fight me off."

I began to argue, but his mouth latched to my neck and sucked hard.

I moaned, and Damon's hands came to the front of my shirt, ripping it open.

I arched into him, craving more of his touch, despite my mind's protest.

His mouth moved to my breast then, lapping at my nipple until it hardened.

I struggled against my binds.

Damon made quick work, tearing my panties clear off my body.

The scent of my arousal was strong, even to my own nose, and Damon seemed pleased.

There were some things you couldn't deny, no matter how much you wanted to.

And I couldn't hide the fact that I wanted him.

His hand teased it's way between my thighs.

He watched me struggle for a moment, then, with a smirk, pushed a finger into me.

"Can you still feel the thrill of tonight, kitten?" He purred against me.

I let my head fall back, and moaned.

"The rush of your blood, the call of the hunt? It feels good, doesn't it?"

He added another finger, stretching me deliciously.

"Damon," I panted, as my climax grew.

I was on the brink already, from just his fingers.

I fought my release, not wanting to give him the satisfaction.

But just as I'd almost reached the breaking point, Damon pulled away.

The wzzzz of a zipper filled the air, and a moment later, I felt the tip of him at my entrance.

"I won't force you, Elena," His voice was breathless with anticipation, "You'd like to pretend that I would, but you know I won't. All you have to do is tell me no. Tell me to stop. Tell me to untie you. I will."

His eyes met mine, "Just say it."

I willed the words to my lips, but nothing came out.

As much as I despised it, I would go through with this.

"I hate you," I whispered.

"Liar."

He thrust forward, sheathing himself completely.

I gasped at the intrusion, and Damon kissed me, untying my hands in the process.

I immediately gripped his shoulders, and held on as he swung his hips freely, pounding me against the mattress with each powerful surge.

My orgasm crashed hard.

He rode me through it, never relenting as I squeezed him.

His teeth pulled at my skin, my nails dug into his.

Our mouths teased at each other, as we were swept away in pleasure.

I didn't want to enjoy this.

I didn't want to feel this.

But it had been so long, and I'd missed him so much.

Once it was over, we layed still, wrapped in each other.

Damon told me he loved me.

That he always would.

Part of me believed him.

Just as part of me would always be connected to him.

I stared at his face in the dark, stroking his cheek with my fingertips, as he faded out of consciousness.

Damon.

The man I'd once planned to spend the rest of my life with.

The one who broke my heart and ruined me, yet who I still couldn't shake, no matter how much I wanted to.

My demon lover.

Nearly a decade ago, I'd given him everything.

But it still wasn't enough.

"You bit me."

I choked out the words, knowing he was too far gone in the darkness to hear them.

Dun Dun.

Sooo there's that lol.

The next chapter will be mostly flashback, explaining the past better.

Hope ya'll enjoyed!