The big man motioned them past him and into another room that they were not aware existed. There were a series of tables with cards or other games of chance being played. A few people looked up as they entered, but most were too engrossed in their particular obsession to even notice that someone new had entered the room.

Victor ushered them over to one of the smaller card tables, rather isolated from the others. He motioned to two men sitting at the table, and they immediately rose and gave their seats to Damon and Elena. The woman he had identified as Atarah sat at the table, totally at ease. A glass of champagne rested next to her right hand. The big man moved around the table and sat beside her.

Damon glanced around uneasily, unconsciously looking for an escape route. He silently cursed himself. His obsession with finding his brother had blinded him to an obvious danger, and he had allowed himself to be trapped like a blundering idiot.

Atarah's eyes were fixed on Elena. "Remarkable. Are you sure she is not Katerina?"

Victor reassured her. "It is the second doppelganger all right. Look at the way she turns to him constantly for reassurance."

Damon was irritated that he spoke as if they weren't there. He decided he had nothing to lose and went on the offensive. "Wouldn't introductions be in order?"

"Of course. Where are my manners?" the big man replied easily. "This is my mate Atarah, as you surmised." Rather formally he said, "I am Victor. We are first generation born of Kol so we have adopted the surname Kolsonn." His prim and proper manner of speaking reminded Damon of a bygone era when things were more structured. He noticed that both of them spoke very correct English without using contractions as if it was a language they had been formally taught.

Elena, looking at them together, had at first thought Atarah was large for a woman. She certainly looked big when she was dancing with Stefan, but she was not too big for the man who was her mate. She spoke for the first time phrasing her speech as a question. "You seem familiar with the doppelgangers and what they involve?"

"All of the elder ones are familiar with the Original witch and the curse – and the attempts to break it. And as my mate told you, you and your sire figure prominently in Stefan's nightmares." Atarah took it upon herself to answer. She sipped her champagne, still eying Elena curiously.

"Speaking of my brother, where is he?" Damon lifted a hand at a waiter and was instantly offered a tray. He took two drinks and gave one to Elena. As Victor raised an eyebrow at him, he twinkled. "Might as well be comfortable."

Atarah answered again. "He had a tantrum when he realized it was you and flashed out of here. I had to have seven people compelled." She nodded thanks at several of those sitting around the table. "I also had to cut short the festivities for two of our group so they could escort him home."

Damon's eyes flickered from side to side, counting the vampires.

Victor, noticing his eye movements and correctly guessing his thoughts, smiled. "Yes, you are totally outnumbered. There are many more of us than you two, and even the youngest of us is four hundred years old."

Damon cocked an eye at him. "A firstborn of Kol, huh? How old would that make you, if it's not too rude to ask?"

Victor leaned back and drummed his fingers on the table before apparently deciding to answer. "About nine hundred and fifty or so years."

Elena's eyes widened slightly, and she stole a sideways glance at Damon. He appeared nonchalant, but secretly he was worried. What was Stefan doing with these people?

"Well, even though this is a pleasant evening I'd like to see my brother." Damon didn't believe his request would be honored, but on the other hand if you don't ask you don't get.

The big man smiled. "There is plenty of food and drink and the band in the other room is good. Spend some time with us. There are a few things I would like confirmed." A sharp glance and a question was snapped at him by Victor. "Where is Mikael?"

Damon blinked, surprised. "He's burnt toast. Klaus stabbed him with a stake from the white oak tree."

Atarah and Victor exchanged a glance, and when they turned back they had satisfied smiles on their faces. "Your brother told us as much, but it is good to have confirmation."

"Old man Mikaelson doesn't appear to have been very popular." Damon resumed his normal cocky attitude.

Victor's eyes were shaded and his face grim. "Children of his children had reason to fear him." His mood seemed to lift and he asked, "And Klaus, how has he taken the loss of his precious hybrids two years ago?"

"He's coping. There were – ah – a lot of things to keep us busy." Damon remained cautious, not wanting to talk about the fight against Silas.

A knowing grin was Victor's only response. Somehow Damon had the impression that he already knew the answers and was just toying with him. Damon decided to go on the offensive again. "So what's the story with my brother? Why are you acting as some type of gatekeeper?"

Victor picked up his brandy snifter and swirled it before gently inhaling the bouquet and then swallowing some. He raised a hand and a waitperson brought a wooden box and flipped it open in front of him. Victor chose a cigar and raised an eyebrow at Damon, obviously offering him one.

Damon pursed his lips before saying, "Don't mind if I do." He recognized a Cuban cigar when he smelled one. Victor chopped of the tip before lighting it and passed the cutter to Damon. Damon mimicked him and was soon inhaling a lungful of the fragrant smoke.

Elena scrunched her nose up at the smell. "That's revolting."

"No, you just have to learn to appreciate it." Damon responded before he thought.

"Hmmm! You're right. It is growing on me." Elena changed her mind.

Damon winced, while Atarah simply looked amused. She rolled her eyes and murmured, "Oh, these sire bonds."

"Whatta ya want with my brother?" Damon asked again.

Atarah looked amused, while Victor blinked. "You cannot guess?"

"No, I can't guess." Damon's tone was acerbic. "If I knew I wouldn't ask."

"Careful young one. I do not like your tone." Victor's deep voice was almost a growl. He gave Damon a measuring glance. "Elijah is amused by the arrogance of young vampires. I am not."

Damon took a deep steadying breath and said, "Please, just tell me what you're doing with my brother."

"His blood," Victor said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And sex," Atarah added mischievously.

Damon's mouth dropped open as he looked between them. "Yuck," he said to Victor and "Really?" to Atarah. "You don't care that she has sex with a vampire young enough to be her – her grandson ten times over." His flailing hands showed his disgust as he flung that at the large man.

"Sex with both of us," Victor corrected. "Does that make it better?" he asked fatuously.

"NO!" Damon protested. "That's – that's awful."

Elena's face clearly expressed her feelings. "Eew."

The rest of the vampires around the table burst out laughing. "You brother is a delectable morsel," an older man proclaimed. "I wanted him, but Victor won't share." A blonde woman who hung on his shoulder confirmed his words. "They are so stingy with their pets."

Damon felt like he was missing something. "Why HIS blood?"

His honest puzzlement must have been apparent in his voice because Victor explained, "He is a ripper."

When Damon still looked stymied the vampire who had spoken before said, "He doesn't know Victor."

Victor nodded. "That is becoming apparent."

He took another sip of brandy and pointed to it and then Damon. Damon replied to the unspoken question. "Sure."

A snifter was soon placed in front of him. He gave an appreciative grunt as he sipped the fine brandy. "Apparently only the best for you."

"Now, that is quite true," the big man agreed. "Which explains why your brother."

As Damon and Elena exchanged confused glances and both still appeared mystified the big man continued to elaborate. "So my ignorant ones, the best blood is ripper blood. It is rich and sweet beyond any other blood."

Elena couldn't help herself. "Why? Why is he a ripper? Why is his blood so good? I don't understand any of it." She looked beseechingly at the big man. "I want to understand why he loses control. He's such a good person, and then he just goes crazy."

Atarah smiled and reached out a hand to her mate's shoulder. "Tell the children," she urged.

Victor leaned back and assumed a lecturer's tone. "Vampires are an abomination of nature. Nothing is supposed to live forever. We upset the balance that exists between all living things. A ripper happens when someone with a pure soul is sullied by being turned into a vampire." Victor looked at Damon. "Your brother is such a one. He should never have been turned."

"But it can't be pure any longer," Damon argued. "He's killed so—" He stopped unwilling to betray his brother, but Victor just laughed.

"His soul is like a shining diamond. It may be coated with the filth of the world or his deeds, but the essential purity is never sullied. The purity of his soul cannot live in balance with the demands of a vampire. He is in constant discord and as such cannot maintain control. Oh, he will have periods where he is able to suppress his urges, but he walks a fine hairline. One false step, one foot out of line, and he is thrown into disarray."

Damon looked at the depths of his drink as he absorbed what Victor was saying. He looked up to see the big man studying him. "If I believe you – and I'm not saying I do – that still doesn't explain why his blood is so – so tempting."

"That I cannot explain, but it is." The big man shrugged.

Atarah purred, "I can vouch for it personally."

Victor's brow wrinkled as he thought it over. "Drinking blood from another vampire is a very intimate pleasure. For some reason the blood of a ripper is extraordinarily appealing to another vampire. Some even find it addictive especially when mixed with sex."

Damon grimaced. "I don't think . . " His voice trailed off as a picture suddenly popped into his mind. Mikael draining Stefan instead of breaking his neck. He had asked Mikael why he did that, but Mikael had only answered 'Why not?' But Damon remembered his strange reaction. His eyes had closed momentarily, and he had sucked in air with a hiss. In hindsight, he now wondered if the handkerchief held in front of his face was to wipe off blood or hide his expression.

Damon's momentary abstraction was not interrupted by any of the Vegas vampires. He came back to the moment to see a concerned Elena staring at him. He gave her a reassuring smile before asking Victor his next question. "How long has Stefan been with you?"

Atarah again was the one who answered. "About a year. I found him in an alleyway practically decapitating his prey. We control this town, and we do not allow our existence to be noted."

Victor absently added, "It is not wise to advertise your presence, young one. As powerful as we vampires are there are many things in this world that seek to bring us down."

"I recognized him for what he was immediately, and I brought him home as a present for my mate." She added, "And myself, of course."

Victor smiled at her. "It is indeed rare to find a ripper."

"They don't usually live long." Another vampire who had been listening to the conversation now spoke up.

Damon looked from the vampire who spoke to Victor who confirmed the statement. "They often kill themselves, or are so careless in their kills that a hunter or witch takes them down. Your brother is actually strong to have survived for so long. But then again he has had help or so he told me."

Elena spoke up. "He had a good friend Lexi."

And then wished she had held her tongue when Atarah chimed in. She pointed a long painted fingernail at Damon. "Yes, but you killed her didn't you? Deprived your brother of his anchor to sanity." She gave a hard tinkling laugh. "Not very nice."

Elena couldn't help herself. She tried to defend Damon. "He was trying to protect his brother and himself from the townspeople."

Damon's face hardened as her defense of him caused jeering laughter.

"Stop. Stop," Victor good-naturedly requested. "You hurt the newborn when you attack her sire."

"He doesn't belong with you people. You've had him for a year. Let me talk to him. I want him out of here," Damon argued.

Atarah stopped smiling, and she narrowed her eyes at Damon.

Victor's face became stern. "He has been with us a year. A year without killing. A year of relative peace for him. We intervene and soothe him when his nightmares torture him."

Damon passionately and unceremoniously interrupted him. He waved his arms taking in the group. "This is not right for him. He's not a player. This would be abhorrent to him. He's always been a one girl guy."

Damon knew he made a mistake as soon as the last sentence left his mouth. He wished he could have swallowed his words before they got out.

Victor immediately pounced. "But you stole that girl from him, didn't you? You went for her knowing she was his. Knowing she loved him."

Atarah, a gloating smirk on her face, was openly enjoying his discomfort.

Damon almost growled with frustration.

Victor spoke again and his tone was firm. "Your brother stays with us, and it must be obvious to you by his actions that he has no desire to talk to you."

Damon partially opened his mouth to object, but then closed it as he read the finality in Victor's face. He knew there would be no negotiation with him.

Victor waved his hands expansively. "You are welcome to enjoy the buffet, the music, and if you are discreet you may feed."

Damon nodded and pushed back his chair. Elena rose at the same time he did, and he took her hand to lead her out. His face was grim as he left. This was by no means over. He had lost this particular skirmish, but he was not ready to concede the war.