Family Ties

"Scum bag, scum bucket," Aunt Jenna said bitterly as she threw popcorn towards the newscaster's gorgeous head that was currently plastered all over the TV. Arabella felt a chill go down her spine as she played with her cereal even though she was currently not hungry. For the past few minutes she had been sitting as stiff as a board in the kitchen hearing Jenna talk to herself.

He knew, her spoon clattered on the table counter and Jenna finally realized that she was shaking. She looked at Arabella in concern. "Bella, honey are you ok?"

Oh, nothing, Aunt Jenna except the scumbag of Stefan's brother saw me go all wolf on him, that's what she wanted to say of course, but instead she just shook her head. "It's nothing. Just stress. So why are you so mad at the TV anyway?"

Jenna snorted. "Didn't your mom ever tell you why I moved away from Mystic Falls?"

Her eyes widened as she looked at the TV again. "No way, him."

"Yes, Logan Scum Fell."

"Oh, he's cute," Elena chirped as she came into the living room carrying a box that Arabella recognize. Arabella raised an eyebrow and Elena answered her question. "I told Mrs. Lockwood that I would look though mom's old things for the heritage display tonight."

Arabella plucked a ring from her box. "Is that grandma Beth's wedding ring I haven't seen that in ages."

"It was originally Great grandma Mary's wedding ring." Elena said as Jeremy came into the kitchen and grabbed the ring. "How much do you think this stuff is worth, you know on eBay."

Elena snatched the ring away from him. "You're not going to find out."

Jeremy frowned. "That's mom and dad's stuff you can't just give it away."

"We're not giving it away," Elena said frowning. "We're letting people borrow it, Jeremy there is a difference." Jeremy ignored her still looking hurt. The doorbell rang and Arabella was happy to escape the tension as she went to go answer it.

She was surprise when she saw Tyler Lockwood at the door. "Tyler."

Tyler look equally as surprise; he was holding back a few boxes. "Bella, hi. I heard you we back." He smirked. "You look foxy."

Arabella rolled her eyes. "Please spare me the compliments, can I help you with anything?"

"I came here to pick up a few things for my mom," Tyler said, he sneered when he saw Jeremy approaching them. "Well, well if it isn't little Gilbert."

"Watch it, dick." Jeremy growled.

Arabella narrowed her eyes. "Look, guys definitely not in the mood for this." She grabbed the box from Jeremy and passed it on Tyler. "I'll see you at the party later."

"I wished you would tell me what was wrong, Bella because I know something is and you just won't say." Elena sighed as she and Arabella went up the stairs of the Lockwood house. Bella hadn't even wanted to come, but she knew that Damon would be here and she wanted to explain the whole wolf mess.

"I told you, nothing is wrong. I just don't want to go to this stupid party."

She forced a smile on her face when they approached stuffy Mrs. Lockwood, who had despised Arabella ever since she had broken up with Tyler when Bella was in seventh grade. "Elena, how lovely to see you. Bella, I didn't know you were back in town."

"I just arrived, Mrs. Lockwood."

"How lovely." It certainly didn't sound very lovely, but Arabella ignored her. She didn't want to be surrounded by all of these people. She went towards one of the backrooms where the antiques were stored and where Bella could safely hide in peace.

Nobody was in the back room and Bella felt as if she could finally breathe peacefully. She occupied herself by reading the registry of the original founder's ball. Two names caught her eye. Damon and Stefan Salvatore. What?

"They were the original Salvatore brothers." Damon said as he approached her. "We were named after them. They were in love with a girl there. Sofia Pierce."

"I honestly don't care about hearing their love story," Arabella said as she felt her heart beating inside her chest. "So, are we not going to discuss last night."

"Which part Miss Gilbert? The part where you kicked me in the balls or the part where you turned into a wolf in front of my eyes?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow.

Arabella's breathing became hollowed. "So you do know then, what I am."

"You're a wolf," Damon said simply as if he were discussing the weather. "A creature of the night."

"Then why didn't you run away screaming?" Arabella demanded. "I'm not exactly normal. I could kill you, I could rip your eyeballs out, if you tell anyone- "

Before she could utter another word, Damon pressed her against the wall harshly. Arabella choked slightly as she attempted to get away, but even her usual strength proved fatal. Who was this guy? "Don't threaten me, because I'm not afraid. I will tell everyone if it suits me, I'll kill you, my sweet Bella and I won't be as delicate." He kissed the side of her forehead. "Off you go."

Arabella practically hurled herself into the powder room, her breath shaking. What the hell had just happened. Yeah, she had showed Damon who she was, but she hadn't been expecting him to threaten to tell anyone not to mention kill her. Damon was more that meet the eye, he was a very dangerous man.

"Are you ok?" Caroline asked as she fixed her lip gloss in the mirror. "You're shaking."

"I'm fine," Arabella forced a smile. "I think I'm getting the. . .stomach flu."

Caroline wrinkled her nose slightly. "Well, don't let me catch it." Arabella frowned when she saw a reddish bruise on Caroline's neck, she pulled on it and exposed a nasty bite. "Bella, don't!"

"Caroline what happened?" Arabella demanded. It didn't look like a bite, it looked like a bruise. "Did somebody hurt you."

"It's nothing," Caroline said trying to hide her shoulder. "Honest."

"It is something," her eyes flashed. "Did Damon do this you?"

"No, just leave me alone, Arabella!" she watched as Caroline left the powder room and Arabella exited as well. She turned around slightly and saw that Damon was standing there sipping a glass of champagne.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Arabella hissed,

Damon rolled his eyes. "Now what did I do? Are you always so dramatic, Arabella? It's not pretty."

"You know what you did," Arabella said her voice shaking. "To Caroline. Now I'm only going to say this one, stay away from Caroline or the one who will end up with a bite around his neck will be you."

Arabella was shaking she didn't know if it was from fear or from anger or maybe both. She didn't know which one of Damon's threats were scarier the fact that he threatened to expose the fact that she had a wolf gene or the fact that he had literally threatened to kill her. She could feel her whole body shaking, no she was not going to cry dammit, she was going to survive this and was not going to let Damon Salvatore intimidate her.

Arabella turned her head around when she heard crying. She saw a familiar blond head and she raced towards her. Caroline. Caroline was covered with dirt and mud and she was sniffling.

"Caroline, what happened?" Arabella demanded.

"I'm fine," Caroline tried to insist as she stood up with trembling legs.

"No, you're shaking."

"I said I'm fine!" Caroline hollered before she burst into tears. Arabella wasn't good with crying people, but she did what she thought Elena would do. She hugged her.

-End of Chapter Three-