Two warning: no, I haven't really proofread this, and, yes, there is lemon. Oh. Me. God. is there lemon. I spent several distracted hours working on the second half of this. Hope you enjoy as much as I did, lol. Let me know either way! If I don't get at least 1 comment, then I'm not going to bother with any more lemons, so give me a note! Don't care if it's just a few words, I love it all!
Hounds of Hell
Tearing Reality Asunder
"Who's there?" He challenged. Ice flooded my veins. I could feel them. Clothed in the darkness. I could feel him. Laughter. Echoing all around us. Scowling, Damon's shoulders rolled forward and his stance widened. He was going to fight them.
"No!" I whispered urgently. "We need to leave!" Louder. It was getting louder. My body convulsed in terror. He was coming. He was coming for me. "Please!" Don't let him take me! Growling his reluctance, Damon locked me against him and shot straight up; straddling to treetops in seconds. I couldn't even find the control to fly. This was a whole new type of fear; dwarfing the alpha's reign. It seemed to echo from some distant, relentless terror; overwhelming even the faintest thought; every fiber of my being screaming for me to flee.
As Damon effortlessly carried my back to the manner, trying and failing to free me of the panic that settled deeper in my very soul with each twisted cackle still silently raging through my mind, a realization crashed over me; robbing the air from my lungs; he was playing with me. He was telling me that he knew who I was and where to find me. He was telling me that he was coming for me.
"Stefan!" Damon called impatiently the instant we were through the massive doors. In almost the same breath, he and Elena came into view over the elegant railing of the balcony. "Watch her!" Fresh panic flooded my veins. He was going back out there.
"No!" I shouted, grabbing his arm. Without so much as a backward glance, he tore the limb away from me and stormed away. Speechless, I stared at him. As he walked further and further from me. I suddenly feared that we'd never be able to cross the ever growing distance between us; that he would never look at me again the way he had just twenty-four hours ago. I couldn't bring myself to call out to him again. Even the quiet whispers of his mind were blurred.
"Damon, what's going on?" Stefan called after his brother, trotting quickly across the room to catch up.
"Thea?" Distracted, I lifted uninterested eyes in reply to Elena's hesitant call. "Are you alright?" No. How could I be alright? I was cold. In the very center of my being, I felt cold. "He gets like this sometimes. Just let him blow off some steam; he'll be fine." A loud crash sounded from the hall diverging from the parlor.
"Damn it, Damon! Stop!" Eyes set firmly on the door, Damon tore through the room. Stake clenched tightly in his hand. If he left now, I was suddenly sure I would never see him again. With a sudden flurry of legs and wings alike, I flung myself between him and the door. No words. No thoughts. I merely looked at him; at the rage and agony searing through his icy eyes; at how his jaw was clenched to the point of trembling; at the emptiness of his gaze.
"Move, Thea." He ordered. I flared my wings and held my ground. Forcing several deep breaths through his flared nostrils, he stepped threateningly toward me until only inches separated us. "Thea." His voice shook as he struggled to control himself. "Move." Heart ready to spring from my chest, I look at him; begging him not to leave me; not like this.
And then something happened that would change everything. He built himself up and reached for me. And I flinched. His hands moved toward me and my entire body shied from him. I knew he intended to merely lift me up and set me aside, but I flinched; my arms automatically darting to encase my head.
The entire room froze. Eyes wide in shock and horror, I stared at the appendages covering my face. Mouth slight agape, he could only watch me. The stake clattered to the floor. Several agonizing heartbeats as we struggled to understand what had just happened; what it all meant. Shaking, my arms slowly returned to my sides. He stumbled back a few steps; unable to look me in the eyes.
How did this happen? The thought crossed his mind almost more as a feeling than words. Reality seemed to come crashing down around me as I felt him break. The very strength I had so relied on crumbled within him. Because of me. I wanted to call to him; to force some sense onto this; to make it alright, but my jaw merely trembled as he struggled with the silent words warring across his lips. For just a heartbeat, his eyes grazed mine. In that one, desolate touch I understood what is was to be dead. To be wrenched from everything your knew and loved; to find yourself completely and absolutely isolated from everything; quarantined from all that mattered.
Trying to find meaning in the chilled floorboards, sure that they must have held some profound truth, Damon retreated to the study. Vaguely, I saw the shocked faces of Stefan and Elena, still standing at the base of the stairs; completely at a loss for words.
"Go." I told them. Elena started to object, but Stefan quieted her with a knowing hand on her shoulder and guided her through the front door. With a shaking hand, Damon lifted a glass to his lips, but couldn't manage to tip the liquid back. Staring at the golden elixir, he forced himself to voice the question he could barely acknowledge.
"Are you afraid of me?" In horror, I looked at him. "Are you afraid that I'll hurt you?" How could I answer that? How could I tell him 'no' and it not be a lie? How could I tell him what I was afraid of without telling him too much.
"Not physically." I struggled. "I…" My every word seemed to deepen the hurt rippling through him. I hated myself at that moment. More than anything, I wanted to see him smile; to hear his laugh; destroy everything that was hurting him. How? How could I do that when what cause him the very pain I so loathed was me? He shot back the nearly overflowing glass and immediately refilled it. "Damon… I"
"Stop." He interrupted impatiently. Without looking at me, he swallowed the second shot and sternly placed the glass on the table. "If you're going to talk to me, then talk to me, but if you're only going to dance around it and tell me nothing at all, then just call it what it is." Stunned, I could only look at him. "Either you trust me and we deal with whatever the witch told you together, or you don't." Finally, he met my eyes; saw the disbelief in them.
"I do trust you, Damon. I'm asking you to trust me." He was quiet a moment. With each passing second, my heartbeat quickened. "You don't trust me." I whispered. His eyes fled mine, if only for a moment.
"I don't like not being in the loop." He said coldly. "I don't like being the only one that doesn't know something important." His jaw tensed, but his eyes softened. "I don't like the thought of you having to deal with this alone… that it's obviously tearing you apart while I just stand on the sidelines watching." The tension and fear consuming me began to dissipate.
"I'm a big girl, Damon; I can deal with this. There are a few things I need to figure out, and I need to do it alone, but that doesn't make me want you any less." I whispered with a small smile. With a heavy sigh, he turned towards me. Without a moment's hesitation, I accepted his invitation. Safe and warm in his arms, all the trepidation fled; Bonnie's warning all but forgotten. From just his touch, I again felt the certainty that, with him, I could deal with anything.
"I love you."The words were almost lost against his chest. I felt him shift to look down at me and lifted my gaze to meet those heart-stopping blue eyes.
"I love you." My nerves danced in ecstasy as his sweet breath flowing over my face like a thousand delicate caresses. He caught my cheek in his hand and frowned slightly. "You don't have to deal with this alone… but I trust you." It almost sounded like he was surprised to hear his own words. His thumb gently followed the ridge of my cheek bone. "I'm right here, though. Just, don't forget that." He paused a moment before adding, with a hint of fear, "And don't get yourself into anything too big." A smile flitted across my lips.
Letting the euphoria of my relief roll off in waves of sheer joy, I kissed him. I could feel his mind relentlessly dissecting the endless possibilities, but he wouldn't press me for more information; he would allow me the time and space I needed to find my own answers. For just a second, I flashed him a coy grin before catching his soft hair in-between my fingers and wrenching his neck toward my lips. He tensed in anticipation, but I stopped just short, letting a shaky exhale drift over the soft skin. A shiver tore down his body.
My lower lip delicately trailed up his neck, making only the slightest contact. Keeping one hand tangled in his wild mane, I let the other slide down to his cheek, locking him against me. My teeth carefully tugged at his earlobe; biting just enough to almost hurt.
"Damon." I breathed into his ear, my lips brushing against the sensitive nerves. With a growl, he tore free of my restrictive hands and kissed me fiercely. I didn't notice us moving until the wall collided against my back and wings. The aggression of his almost desperate movements should have scared me, but it only fueled the inferno growing within me. He was mine. I thought I would lose him, but I didn't. He was mine and I wanted him. The insatiable need with which my body craved him blocked out everything else. I didn't need to think; to breathe. I need only his greedy lips battling with mine; his rough hands dominating my every curve; his perfect body crushing against mine.
My legs locked around his hips as he forced me up against the hard wall, trapping me flush between his lean body and the unyielding surface behind me. His hard need pulsed again mine as though the remedial layers of cloth were nonexistent. When he ground his hips against me, they may as well have been. My nails raked down his back as a loud groan fled my throat. His entire body stiffened; back practically curling around my fingers; a tiny groan barely sounded from his throat.
The pleasure that shot through my body from that single noise was unbearable. Gasping, I met his eyes as he practically glared at me through those long lashes. My hands slowed the lower they roamed. Wanting to see him, to watch his body's shuttered reaction to my every touch, I lowered my legs to the ground. Without warning, I spun as around and slammed him hard against the growingly erotic rigidity of the wall. Grinding his teeth, he grunted in marvelous symphony to the solid thud from the impact. Catching my lip in my teeth, my hands roamed down his chest, gradually pressing harder against him as I neared his throbbing center.
So softly, the tips of my fingers caressed the bulge trapped in black denim. With an uneven groan, his hands shot towards me. With a snap of my wings, I pinned his arms against the wall.
"No moving." I murmured; sliding back up against him, my hands still rubbing with tantalizing slowness. Pressing him against the wall with my body, I drug my lower lip up the exposed skin of his chest, along the hard ridge of his collar bone; with a hot exhale, up his neck. Knowing he was fully aware of my intentions, I hovered over the unbearably sensitive flesh, letting my breath wash over him as my hands slowed even further. I could feel the utter need building within him until he was near bursting; body squirming as he fought to obey my demands. The pained, almost angry expression on his face pushed me over the edge. My teeth snapped, just catching a tiny bit of skin. His entire body convulsed and a deep cry tore from his throat, quickly fading to a growl as I forced his limbs back. He pounded his head against the wall in a vain attempt to regain some shred of control.
Catching the hem of his shirt in my thumbs, I pulled the fabric over his sculpted torso, letting my nails tear at his flesh. He inhaled sharply as his body arched against me. I marveled at how his lean form rippled from each heavy breath; reveling the feel of them against my hands. I pressed my lips to the flexing muscles. His body jerked back, nerves screaming from the fire surging through them from my burning touch. I trailed up his body with kisses and tiny nips, treasuring his every flinch; each strained gasp. I rolled the fabric over his chest; pausing briefly to catch the dark buds of his nipples between my teeth. Regardless how close he was to losing control, the agony balled in his need, I wasn't done yet. Fascinated at the violent reaction from my burning hands and lips, I wanted to see what else I could do.
Trapping his arms in his shirt I held him still with a wing. He trembled in anticipation; part of him demanding the end of my teasing; but so much stronger was his desire for more. I quickly snatched his glass from the table, never waving the pressure holding him against the wall. With the cup in one hand, I touched a finger to the crystalline cube, letting it drain the warmth from my flesh, before pressing it to the center of Damon's chest. He gasped, unable to retrain himself from flinching at the icy touch. His jaw clenched to the point of shattering. I drug my finger down him warm skin; trembling at my own, raging desire. The thin line of moisture caught the light brilliantly. With the very tip of my tongue, I followed it back up his almost quaking body.
I tilted back his glass, shivering at the remnants of the powerful liquid still clinging to the glass, and took the cube between my lips. He clenched his fists with an eager chuckle. Hiding the frozen liquid in my mouth, I kissed his chest with slightly chilled lips. And I pressed it to his skin. He inhaled sharply, throwing his head back with a strangled groan. Sliding my tongue under the cube, I stroked the trail cool water. A droplet plunged from lips, streaming down his body. With a sudden jolt, he baulked at the treacherous water sliding nearer to his raging groin. Sighing on the ice, I guided it across his chest, freeing more tantalizing drops. With a final growl, he fought against my hold. Trapping his face in my hands, I touched my lower lips to his. His rapid breaths fueled the burning need within me; his trembling body, the most potent aphrodisiac. With a moan, he kissed me. The sliver of ice danced between our tongues; setting fire to our already overwhelmed nerves.
I didn't see him finally rid himself of the shirt, but his desperate hands suddenly assaulted my body in the most wonderfully horrid ways. My head flew back with a cry as his lips ravaged down my jaw, teeth catching my skin with far too much control. My fingers lost themselves in his hair as I squirmed against him; the wretched, wonderful throbbing growing with each beat of my racing heart. Without a second's hesitation, he tore apart the back of my shirt. Scowling, he slit his burning eyes, letting his hands creep down my back; not bothering to lighten the touch when he passed over my feathers. I gasped at the wondrous pull. An evil smile flitted his suddenly dark face. In the same breath, his hand caught a fistful of hair. He tilted his head as he watched my body recoil from the sudden pain shooting from my scalp. But I wanted it. With a sudden, desperate yearning, I wanted it. With a growl, I pulled his face to mine; each breath leaving in a frantic moan; claws hands desperately clinging to him.
Damon lifted me against him. My legs automatically circled his waist. I ground against his need. One hand darted to the wall to steady himself as he groaned his pleasure. Without a moment's thought, he swept the contents of the table to the floor and leaned me back over it. His hands roamed hungrily over my body and he drug his lips down my stomach, occasionally letting his teeth just nick my skin. Though him, I could smell the sweet scent of my own arousal; how he craved it. All of it. All of me.
"Damon." I gasped; my enter body shivering with the pleasure he got from how I called his name, "please." I begged. Instantly, his eyes darkened. He wrenched the sweats from my waist and left a trail of eager nips down my stomach. And his tongue slid over the core of my desire. I screamed as the fire ravaged my body with each flick; every movement of the course stubble on his jaw. In seconds, it seemed, the first wave tore through me. Crying his name, I begged for more. His burning hand replaced his mouth as his lips caressed my inner thigh. My back arched and my hips bucked as he sank his teeth through the thin skin, but his arms trapped me against the table. Void of even a glimmer of control, my body fought and struggled desperately beneath him; screams of ecstasy fled my gaping mouth.
"Damon!" I shrieked; every shred of my being lost in the overwhelming fire boiling through me. With a growl, Damon slashed at his wrist and held it to my lips. My body automatically responded fiercely; my tongue darting out to lap at the precious fluid dripping from the wound. Just as I latched my lips around it, he entered me. I tried to cry out as he presence rippled through my every fiber, but his wrist relentlessly followed my mouth until I was writhing in uncontrollable pleasure; unable to drink, or breathe, or think.
Just when I was sure my body would burst, with an almost pained growl, Damon spilled inside me; collapsing over my trembling body. For an eternity we lay there, panting. When he looked up at me, I couldn't help but smile as weariness began to settle over my body. Unconcerned with the clothes abandoned wherever they had fallen, Damon gently lifted me to his chest started toward the stairs. I kissed him softly; still reeling. The taste of my blood and groin in his mouth was intoxicating. He laughed quietly; agreeing with me.
"I love you." I whispered; looking at him through half closed eyes. His lips curved in a tender smile.
"I love you." He murmured, laying me back with him on his bed. How weak those three words seemed when I could see the emotion it was supposed to portray burning within him. Knowing perfectly well the truth with which he loved me, how could I doubt him? Enveloped in his warm embrace, I quickly lost myself in the blissful darkness.