I was feeling unusually inspired lol.

There's a bit in here that shouts out to a scene in Lullaby.

Enjoy! :)

My skin was twitching with the need to Change.

I knew that the smartest thing to do would be to step outside and let the wolf take over, despite the late hour, but I couldn't bring my feet to move me in that direction, even though I was right next to the back door.

It had been one of my biggest problems since Damon had returned.

Running into him, out in the woods for the first time had left me with a vulnerable feeling that I refused to submerge in again, so I fought the Change.

Only once had I allowed Alaric into talking me out for a run, while Damon was in town with Enzo, and it hadn't lasted nearly long enough for my wolf to be satisfied.

I could feel her now, nipping in my mind, arguing her case for the trees outside, but I ignored her, choosing to focus instead, on whatever song Mason and Stefan were arguing about, over by the fridge.

"It was not overrated!" Mason insisted, his ipod in hand, "Just listen. This song was iconic!"

"You think everything from the eighties was iconic," Stefan rolled his eyes.

I smirked, walking over to them, "You two will find anything to bicker about."

"He's dissing Purple Rain!" Mason informed me, offering his Pack brother a disapproving glare.

When Stefan merely rolled his eyes again, Mason huffed, "Fine," then continued to scroll.

After a moment, he paused, and looked up at me with a smirk.

"Oooh, I got one for you."

Now my eyes were the ones rolling, "This should be good."

He turned up the volume and a familiar beat began to play, though I couldn't quite place it.

Apparently though, Stefan could.

"Are you serious?" he droned, giving Mason one of the better "bitch faces" I'd seen.

Mason only grinned as the first few words of Animal, by Three Days Grace started.

"Shh, just listen," he insisted, and I leaned against the counter, feeling slightly annoyed now that I understood why he thought this was so funny.

I can't escape this hell
So many times I've tried
But I'm still caged inside

Damn, if that didn't just nail it on the head.

I smirked at the irony, unable to help myself, and Mason caught the gesture.

He laughed and reached over for my hand, pulling me against him to dance.

Somebody get me through this nightmare
I can't control myself

I laughed as mason span me around the kitchen, and my hair flew around me as I danced to the beat of the song.

So what if you can see the darkest side of me?
No one will ever change this animal I have become
Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal

I was still laughing as Mason dipped me back, then span me again, extending his arm so that I swirled out.

Unfortunately, bumping into something hard.

Or someone.

Strong arms steadied me, and I opened my mouth to apologize, before my eyes landed on a screaming blue pair.

Damon.

The words died on my tongue, and I forgot to do anything but stare.

It was the first time I'd really allowed myself to look at him since he'd been back.

He seemed to be drinking in the sight of me as well, but dropped his arms and murmured out a "Sorry."

I swallowed, recalling the few attempts he'd made this past week to speak to me.

That word was always the first to leave his mouth.

I could never make myself stick around long enough to listen to anything more, and this time was no different.

There was no apology in the world that would make up for what he did to me.

This animal!

The music was hardly loud enough to cover up my growl as I pushed away from him, and turned to leave the room, though that may have had something to do with the fact that Mason had turned it down.

I felt a hand on my arm as I headed for the hall, and the touch was electrocuting.

"Elena, wait."

I whipped around, pulling my arm free as I pinned my ex fiancee with a glare, "Don't you ever touch me again."

He let out a sigh, as if he knew he were treading egg shells, but quietly said, "Come on, kitten, you can't stay pissed at me forever."

Oh. How wrong he was about that.

"Want to bet?" I demanded, becoming aware as he took a step forward that this was the longest I'd been in his presence since the day he'd bitten me.

The reminder only steeled my resolve.

"How many times do you want me to apologize?" he asked, his eyes searching my face, as if expecting a simple number as an answer.

"You think an apology can fix this?" I seethed, my brow arching, "It's too late for that."

"Why?" He demanded, and the fact that he couldn't figure that out baffled me, "Just talk to me."
"No!" my voice rose, shaking the kitchen.

I didn't want to talk to him, or listen to anything he had to say, or stare at his perfect fucking face for another second.

I moved toward the exit again, but Damon was faster, and blocked my path, "Stop running away," he said, "And look at me, Elena."

Anger boiled under my skin, worsened by the fact that I'd had zero release for my emotions over the past few days and I snapped at him.

"You don't get to tell me what to do. Now get out of my way!"

Damon shook his head, "Not until you tell me what it is you want me to do?"

"How about drop dead!" I demanded.

That was the only way he could help me now.

I could feel the eyes of the other two males watching us, but I paid them no mind and they didn't intervene.

For the first time since his return, Damon had my full attention.

The pain in his eyes was only slightly satisfying, but nowhere near enough.

"Would that really make you happier?" he asked, his tone flatter than it had been a moment ago.

"Right now, yes," I shot, "Because I don't want to see you, and I don't want to talk to you."

His gaze was locked on mine, and I refused to look away.

"Why?" he asked, "There has to be a reason."

Yeah. Like he didn't know exactly what that fucking reason was.

"Or at least tell me why you even got Alaric to lift the banishment," he continued, "You knew you'd have to see me again. There's some part of you that still wants me."

A brief flash of Christmas came to mind, but I shook the thought away.

Sure, maybe part of me did think he should be allowed to come home, and maybe at the time it was because some hopeful piece of my heart had been wanting an explanation, but that had changed the minute I caught sight of that black fur in the woods.

There was nothing he could tell me that would fix what he'd done, and I sure as hell didn't want him in the way he was suggesting.

"No," I told him, "There's not."

"You're lying," he said, his lips pulling back over his teeth slightly.

I was lying?! He was seriously calling me the liar?!

My vision went red as I glared at him.

"I'm lying?" I challenged, trying to ignore the crack in my voice as my emotions squeezed my throat, "No Damon, I'm actually pretty sure that I'd know if I wanted you! Because I don't!"

He recoiled as I spat the words, but it was too late.

Every burning thing I'd wanted to say came spewing out at whiplash speed, "The sight of you makes me sick! I hate you! Damn it, I hate you! You ruined everything!"

The kitchen shook with the ferocity of my anger, and Damon looked as though I'd whipped him.

"Elena-" I heard Stefan whisper, but I refused to be silent anymore.

"You killed me," I told Damon, staring right into those blue pools, "You selfish bastard! You took everything from me just so you could have what you wanted! You risked my life for your own happiness, and took my life from me! I hate you for it, and I will never forgive you!"

There were tears in both of our eyes, and my chest was heaving, but still, Damon stepped forward, "Elena…"

"Shut up!" I screamed, and the animal in me took over.

I flew at him in a fit of rage, connecting my fist with any part of him that I could reach, and he didn't even try to defend himself, "Shut up! Just shut up! I HATE you, I HATE YOU!"

I hit him over and over, until my hands hurt; until I had no energy left to attack him with; until I collapsed in sobs, falling into his chest.

Damon's arms closed around me and I cried harder, hating that after everything, it felt like coming home.

"I loved you," I choked against his shirt, my fingers digging into the skin of his arm as I clung to him, "I would have given you everything...I trusted you."

His chest shook beneath me, and I risked a glance up.

Through tear filled eyes, I saw his expression and the shattering pain in his own wet eyes robbed my breath.

"I'm so sorry, Elena," his words were barely a whisper, "I'm so sorry."

I wished more than anything that the words meant something, God, I wish they did, but nothing was going to stop this aching hole in my chest.

I stared at Damon and remembered every little detail of our past few months together.

I'd never thought I was capable of loving anything the way I'd loved him, and even now my arms burned with the need to pull him closer.

He had become my everything, so fast...and now I had nothing but this shell of what we could have been.

And I hated him for it; even while I still loved him, and it was ripping my heart in half.

We sat outside of the elementary school, waiting for the bell to ring that would release Michael for the day.

Caroline had gotten caught up with a sick William, and Damon and I were already in town with the twins, having just left the park, so we offered to stop and pick him up.

The kids were pressed against the window, excited to see a public school.

"Danny says that he wants to be schooled here with Michael," Skylar said.

"He did?" I asked, knowing that my son tended to be more honest with her than anyone else, and I gave him a look.

He blushed a little, and Skylar nodded, "Yeah, he says Michael has tons of fun and tells him about it all the time, and that he wishes we could go too, but he knows we can't."

I arched a brow at that, "Yeah?"

"Cause we could Change on accident," Daniel said smartly, as if that summed up the issue, "Or do magic without meaning to and get caught, and Dad says that the humans can't catch us or something bad could happen."

I sighed internally, switching my gaze to Damon in the driver's seat.

He reached for my hand and gave it a sympathetic squeeze.

Daniel wasn't wrong of course, but they were so young to have to worry about these things.

"Maybe when you get older, and have better control, you can go to school in town too," I offered, and Daniel smiled over at me.

"It's okay, Momma," Skylar said, "I like school with you and Aunt Bonnie."

I smiled back at them, "I'm glad you do."

She nodded, "And that way I get to be at home with the Pack and watch Daddy train and go on runs in the woods."

"Are you excited to get to train with Daddy soon?" I asked her.

Damon had said she'd expressed interest, and I knew how much she liked feeling included, especially in something Daniel was doing as well.

"Uh huh!" she leaned forward so that her head was between me and Damon, "Daddy says I can practice with them once a week as long as I do what he says so I stay safe because the other wolves can Change on accident. And he said that I have to practice with my magic on the other days so I can get better and Danny has to practice with his wolf so he can get better. Right, Daddy?"

"That's right," Damon assured her, "But you'll both learn and have it down soon enough."

"It took me a while to figure it out too," I said encouragingly.

An expression of surprise crossed her face, "It did? But you're good at magic and wolf stuff."

"Now," I told her, "But not always. I had to learn, just like you and Daniel."

She seemed to ponder that thought as she shifted in her seat, and I glanced back up toward the school.

Caroline had finally gone through with her decision of enrolling Michael in public school so he could experience some normality before the Change hit him.

Klaus and Damon had both given the boy a stern talking to about keeping the secrets of our existence and how to behave while he was around the humans, and so far, everything had gone well.

I was happy that he was getting the chance to have bit of average in his life, but it didn't stop me from wishing that the twins could have the same opportunity.

But Damon and I had talked it over on multiple occasions and decided that the safest thing for everyone would be to wait until they were older and more in control.

I checked the time, knowing that the school would let out any minute now, then gave my mate a look.

He was already staring back, and smiled slightly before bringing my hand up to his lips and kissing it.

Things had been pretty much perfect all day, thanks to our talk last night, and I was glad we'd gotten to spend some time alone as a family.

"Momma," Skylar started, leaning forward again.

"Yes?"

"What does "got laid" mean?" she asked, her multicolored eyes expectant.

I paused, then turned my body to face her, "Where did you hear that?"

"Uncle Mason," she told me.

Of course.

I grit my teeth, thinking of the ass chewing Uncle Mason was about to get when she continued, "This morning, Uncle Stefan said that Daddy was in a good mood today, and Uncle Mason said that it was because he got laid last night."

"Um…" I tried to draw up an age appropriate answer while mentally kicking Mason's ass in my mind.

My eyes flickered to Damon who simply looked amused, and offered zero input.
"It just means that Daddy spent time with Mommy last night," I said, noticing that Daniel was listening now too.

"But Daddy spends time with you every night," she pointed out, "Does that mean Daddy gets laid every night?"

Damon smirked and I mouthed a quick "You wish", before readdressing our daughter.

"No, baby. This is special times that grown ups have to spend together with their mates."

"So they'll be in a good mood like Daddy?" she asked so innocently that I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Exactly."

Her little brows pulled together in thought, "Is that you have a bite on your neck, Daddy?"

There was no stopping the flame that rose to my cheek, and I was all to happy that Damon was forced to answer this one.

"In a way," he said easily, as if we weren't discussing our sex lives with our eight year old, "It's a special bite...a love bite."

"Why is it special?" she asked curiously, "I thought biting was bad."

"Biting is bad when you're doing it to be mean," Damon told her, looking over his shoulder so their gazes could meet, "But sometimes it's not. Like when you're in danger and you bite someone to protect yourself...or when you use a bite to mark someone you love."

"Mark?" she questioned the word at the same time I said, "Damon."

"What?" he smiled, "It's the truth."

I rolled my eyes.

"What Daddy meant is that it's something grown ups do when they choose a mate," I tried to better explain, "When your mate bites you and it leaves a mark, it means that you are theirs. That way other wolves will see it and know that you belong to someone."

"And Daddy belongs to you?" Daniel asked this time, having been drawn in to the conversation.

I smirked over at Damon who's own grin met mine, "Yes. He absolutely does."

My mate leaned over and kissed me then, earning a few complaints from our young, only making us laugh against each other's lips.

Thankfully any further lines of questioning were postponed by the ringing of a bell, and I pulled away from Damon to see the doors to the school open.

Children began pouring out in groups with chaperones, and we waited until a certain blond head appeared before pulling forward to the pick up lane.

"You two move over and make sure he has room," I instructed as Michael spotted us and ran over.

The twins scooted accordingly, and soon the door was opened, and Michael jumped in.

"Hey sweetheart," I greeted him, "How was school?"

"It was awesome!" he said with a toothy smile, "We got to go to the science lab today!"

And that was all it took for the story to launch, keeping all the young distracted until we managed to get back to Pack property.

"I'll race you inside!" Skylar exclaimed when we parked, then hopped out the door before the two boys could follow her.

"That's cheating!" Michael shot, opening his own door, and soon Damon and I were left alone in the parked car.

"We could power a nuclear reactor with half of their energy," I told him, watching as the kids disappeared into the house.

Damon chuckled, "No kidding. Though you have to admit that they keep things from getting dull. How much do you want to bet that they tell Michael all about what getting laid means before the night's over?"

"Oh God," I groaned, "Caroline's gonna kill us. And I'm gonna kill Mason."

My husband grinned, "Don't worry. I'll have a talk with him. And the others. It's a little too soon for the birds and the bees right now."

"I agree," I said with a nod, "But to be honest, I'm kind of surprised something like this hasn't been brought up sooner, as much as everyone in this house likes to...you know."

"Get laid?" he asked, wiggling an eyebrow.

I elbowed him, and opened my door while he smirked and did the same.

"It'll be alright," he said, coming around the front of the car, "They'll learn eventually and we'll just try to keep it age appropriate until then."

I nodded and Damon grabbed my waist.

"At least this is one sort of normal area of parenting," I considered, "We don't get those very often."

Damon pondered that, "I don't know, kitten. Do normal parents have to explain love bites to their children?"
"Shut up," I smirked, but my eyes couldn't help but drop to my bite on him.

It was nearly faded now, but my werewolf eyes could make out the crescent indention my teeth had left, and it caused something in my stomach to coil with warmth.

I lifted a hand to it, brushing my fingers against the skin, "You know, I get why you like leaving these on me so much."

"It's nice having a physical claim, huh?"

I smirked, looking up to meet his heated gaze, "Maybe a little...mostly it's just nice knowing that you're mine as much as I'm yours."

Damon's smile was gentle now and his own hand came up to brush my hair back, then lingered on my face.

"I've always belonged to you," he promised, "From our first conversation at the Falls, I was yours."

I couldn't help but smile back, and slowly placed a firm kiss on his lips.

"Mhmm," I murmured, pulling away, "Stefan was right...you are in a much better mood today."

He laughed at that, "Well, you know what they say about getting laid."

"I've heard some things," I played along, then shook my head as I heard an onset of giggles from inside the house, followed by someone yelling for them not to run up the stairs.

"If only it were so easily for all of us to be distracted by a game of tag," Damon said, staring up at the house.

"It can be," I teased, then still feeling a bit playful, reached out and tapped his shoulder, "You're it."

He paused for a moment as I took off running toward the back yard, but caught on quick enough and followed me.

I laughed as I ran from him, pushing my feet as fast as I could, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he caught me.

If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that there was nothing in this world that would keep me out of Damon's arms for long.

Time passed slowly.

Almost as slow as it had in my first few weeks as a werewolf, trapped down in the cage.

But my current imprisonment was one of my own making, so I really didn't have anyone else to blame.

I mean, I could probably blame Damon, but thinking about him just made me tired and I was so sick and tired of being sick and tired over things I couldn't do anything about.

So instead, I was trying to figure out a way to function in this new routine, and for whatever reason, I'd convinced myself that the best way to do that would be to give myself a purpose.

I'd told Alaric that I wanted a job.

A Pack job.

If I couldn't go back to school yet, and had to stick with the Pack, the least I could do is find a way to be useful.

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" he'd asked me and I'd assured him that I was.

After all, I'd sworn the loyalty oath to him last week. It was time that I do my part.

"Alright then," he allowed when I told him this, "I have something you can do."

He had taken me back down to the basement then.

It was less threatening now that I'd grown used to the room, but I was still sure to avoid the cage as he pulled some files out of random stacks around the place.

"It's a mess down here," I'd told him, and he'd laughed.

"That it is. But we find what we need...here."

He handed me the files and I flipped through them, "Mutts?"

"All the documents and information we have on the ones we've found and registered. We have to check on them periodically, make sure they're behaving...and they haven't been brought to date since Damon's banishment."

I'd paused for a moment, then looked up at him, "So what are you wanting me to do?"

"Organize these, for starters," he'd said, "Arrange them so that they're in order by distance. The last known location of each Mutt. Then I want you to go with Damon to track them down and make sure they haven't gotten too comfortable."

My eyes had shot to his, "Alaric-"

"Nah ah ah," he'd started, "You said you wanted to help, and this is how you do that."

"But-"

"Pack work and personal emotions have to be separated, Elena," he said, and a sympathetic expression covered his face, "I understand your reserve...but you and Damon are both part of this Pack and like it or not, you're going to have to learn how to interact with him, work with him...it's the only way the Pack functions. Understand?"

I'd sighed, but nodded.

Things with Damon hadn't been as bad as they were when he'd first arrived.

I didn't feel the need to bolt every single time he came into the room I was in, but since that night in the kitchen, we hadn't had much interaction with each other.

It wasn't like I was ignoring him, and he sure as hell wasn't ignoring me, but we'd fallen into a non confrontational habit of just existing around each other without me having to acknowledge his actual existence.

It wasn't the ideal situation, especially during the times I could feel his stare burning into the back of my skull, but it was better than the alternatives.

Ultimately though, I knew it wouldn't last.

Alaric was right.

The Pack was my life now, and like it or not, Damon was a part of that, so the sooner I learned how to be around him, the better.

However, I didn't think that it would start out this way…

"Hey."

I glanced up from the stack of files I'd brought to the table upstairs, and saw Damon walking into the room.

"Hey."

My reply was stiff, but it was a start.

"Ric said you'd be in here...we should probably get started."

I blinked at him, "Get started?"

"Training," he answered simply, "You're coming with me to track down the Mutt's, right?"

"That's what I'm told," I answered, "But what training are you talking about?"

A little smirk pulled at his lips, and I ignored how attractive it made him, "You didn't seriously think the Alpha was going to send you up against an experienced werewolf without some sort of preparation, did you?"

I shrugged.

To be honest, I hadn't given the actual job itself much thought. I'd been too caught up in the me having to be alone with Damon part of it.

"These Mutts can be dangerous," he told me, "I can handle them, but I'm not going to risk you getting hurt...and neither is Alaric."

"Okay," I closed the file I'd been looking at, "So what exactly does this training entail?"

The smirk was back in place, "Go upstairs and change into something you don't mind getting dirty. Then meet me outside."

I bit back the retort of not having to do a damn thing he said in favor of the curiosity that was now flooding me.

I'd done a few exercises with the guys before, but hardly what you could call "training" and the fact that Alaric thought I needed it meant that I probably did.

So I went upstairs and changed.

Some black workout pants and a tanktop later, I walked out onto the back patio.

I wasn't really sure what to expect, but a shirtless Damon wasn't the first thing I would have guessed.

At least he had on track pants, but still, the sight of his bare torso was almost enough to make me want to turn around and go back inside.

Unfortunately though, he'd spotted me, and I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of running.

I did think twice about that, however, when his gaze roamed over me a little longer than my liking.

"Are we going to do this or what?" I demanded, and he nodded, bringing his eyes back to my face.

He nodded, "First things first, I need to see where you're at already. That way I know where you need work. Alright?"

"Where I'm at with what?" I questioned, "Being able to defend myself?"

"Being able to fight in general," he said, "Hand to hand."

His face went blank then, all emotions leaving it, "We'll start simple. I just need to get a feel of your skill level before I begin trying to teach you anything else. I'm going to get into a fighting stance, and I want you to do the same, then come at me with whatever you got. Listen to your instincts, but don't let them override your brain."

I scoffed.

Don't let my instincts override my brain?

Yeah sure, where was that advice months ago when I actually needed it?

But outwardly, I nodded and did as he said, dropping into a fighting stance.

It was easier to face Damon this way.

Easier to look at him when he wasn't staring at me with the intensity of the love I knew he still felt.

This...this was strictly brain to hand movements.

No emotions; just a physical fight and a lesson.

I could handle this.

With that in mind, I launched myself across the space between us.

It was hard to say what happened then.

I swung at Damon, but he was gone, and then miraculously appeared behind me.

His hand locked around my arm and I sent my elbow back, catching his rib.

He span me around, but I maneuvered from his grip, and brought my leg up to peg his side.

Again, he was faster than I'd expected, and he caught my foot, twisting it so that I lost my balance and met the ground.

Damon was on me then, a knee on my back, pinning me.

Fuck.

"Okay, okay," I shouted, "You can let me up now."

The pressure on my back was removed and I turned to see Damon offering me a hand.

I ignored the gesture and pulled myself to my feet.

A slow clapping caught my attention then, and I looked back toward the patio to see that Stefan, Tyler, and Enzo had appeared to watch my humiliation.

"Nice one," Tyler grinned.

"Give her a break," Stefan defended, "It's her first time."

Damon rolled his eyes, "Don't you all have something better to do?"

"Better than watching this sweet little thing have her ass handed to her?" Enzo grinned, "Not really, mate."

Damon turned to look at them, putting his back to me.

"I suggest you find something then, otherwise it'll be your own ass you'll need to be worrying about. Understand?"

"Buzz kill," Enzo accused, but apparently knew better than to press the point because he went into the house, motioning for the other two to follow.

When we were alone again, Damon turned back to me.

"Alright. That wasn't bad...not great, but not bad."

"Gee thanks," I muttered, and he smiled, "There's always room for improvement, kitten."

"Stop calling me that," I huffed, and he ignored me.

Instead, he simply motioned for me to get back in position, "Come on, we're gonna try something else."

Reluctantly, I nodded, and squared up to face him again.

And that was the way we spent the next hour, each lesson increasing in difficulty and ending with my ass in the dirt.

But despite my personal affliction, I could admit that Damon was a good instructor.

He was patient while teaching me, ignoring when I flinched at his touch and kept himself void of emotion while we sparred.

I was surprised to find that I was actually learning a lot.

"Good," he praised me after we finished another round, "You remembered to keep your hands up. That needs to become a habit because the Mutts will usually go for your throat."

I nodded and he walked over to where he'd left his shirt on the ground, returning a second later with something in his hand.

"This will be the last lesson for today," he told me, handing me the object.

A large pocket knife.

"Knives?"

"Weapons," he corrected, "Mutts fight dirty, and you need to be prepared for that."

I eyed the blade in my hand, and swallowed, "So what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Use it," he said, "Against me."

My eyes shot up to his and he must have read the shock in my face, because he chuckled lowly, "Come on, kitten. You've been dying to take a chunk out of me ever since I got back. Now's your chance."

"Damon-"

"Just do what I showed you before, only now with the knife. Don't be afraid to draw blood, and watch my moves. That's how you learn."

I wanted to protest again, because while he wasn't entirely wrong about the whole me wanting to cut into him thing, I hadn't actually thought it would be with a literal knife and the idea of hurting him...really hurting him...it didn't sit right in my stomach.

But Damon didn't give me much time to think on it, before he attacked.

I moved on instinct, blocking his blows, and attempting to land a few of my own.

I didn't get in many, but then again, I wasn't sure I'd actually expected to.

As Damon had instructed, I watched him.

Seeing him move was something I knew was going to be stuck in my head for a while.

It held a confidence and comfortability that screamed of the life he led.

He moved with purpose, each flex of his muscles thought out and calculated.

It was mesmerizing, in a way; captivating.

And exactly what he needed to get the upper hand.

Before I could even register what had happened, Damon had my feet out from under me and my back hit the ground with a thud that robbed me of breath.

Then his body was above mine and my hand shot up automatically, placing the knife against his throat.

We froze like that, on the ground, with his weight pressing against me, my weapon angled to kill.

If Damon was worried I might actually go through with it, he didn't let it show.

His face, so hard before, had melted and his eyes bore into mine the way they always had, with a mix of love and possession.

My inhalation returned in shallow drags, as Damon relaxed his body into the mold of mine.

I didn't lower the knife.

"Elena," he breathed, sending a shiver down my spine.

Our faces were too close, our bodies too tightly pressed, and the knife was beginning to draw blood with how hard Damon was pressing against the steel; just to be as close to me as he could.

I watched as his gaze left mine, and trailed to my lips.

An instinct pulsed through me at the realization of what he wanted.

What I was supposed to give him.

My body pulsed with a hormone induced command that nearly gave me whiplash at the speed in which it encompassed me.

I wanted Damon to take me, right here on the ground.

I wanted him to rip my clothes away and bury himself inside of me.

The desire was so direct, I could see it happening.

I could feel the need to drop the knife, to pull my hair to the side and offer this male my neck to...to….to what?

To bite?

The thought made my blood run cold, and suddenly I had the resolve I needed to push Damon away from me.

"No," I forced, rolling away from him and forcing myself to my feet.

"Kitten," he reached for me, having stood up himself.

I backed away from him, "Don't."

He dropped his hand and I sighed, "I...I think that's enough training for one day."

Damon stared at me for a moment, then slowly nodded, "Yeah...okay."

I nodded back, then took off toward the house before he had the chance to see the tears pooling in my eyes.

Let me know what you think :)