Chapter 3
Damon's teeth were clenched together, his hands sweating. He could almost feel the veins popping in his arms and his muscles tensing up. He was almost physically shaking because he was so angry, wanting to break something or someone for what had happened.
He had been in that position for fifteen minutes now as he tried to get past Alaric and to Mason's cell. Mason was on his side, clutching his ribs as he stared at Damon. There was no glint in his eyes that told Damon that he was afraid, he just glared through the bars, wiping a dribbling piece of blood that sipped from the corner of his mouth.
"It's being taken care of, Damon," Alaric said as he tried to calm his friend down. "If you go in there you might do something you'll regret."
"Regret?" Damon barked, "That bastard deserves to die!"
Alaric put a hand on Damon's shoulder. "It's been a long night, Damon. I'll take care of it."
At that, Damon seemed to calm down and turned around, but not before giving Alaric a cold look.
"You know she deserved it!" Mason yelled, grinning evilly through the bars and making Damon stop in his tracks. "I can still smell her fucking perfume…so sweet."
"You fucking piece of scum!" Damon roared, racing towards the cell only to be pulled back by Stefan.
"Brother! Ignore him!" Stefan tried to reason.
"He has to die, don't you get it!"
Stefan groaned and Alaric helped to drag Damon back and out of the brig. They were now trying to calm their captain down as he struggled against them. The rest of the crew had now stopped in their actions, all turning the commotion on deck. It was unusual for them to see him like this, especially to the point that both his brother and friend had to hold him back from a fight.
"Damon!" Stefan growled, giving him a hard shove. "I'll take care of Mason, you take care of the girl."
Damon snarled, running his hands over his face to try and calm himself down. He knew that he was just making matters worse. Mason had always been a wind up and a scumbag, but Damon had kept him around out of guilt. After his little brother, Tyler, was killed at sea, Damon had tried to be a merciful man and offer the last remaining Lockwood a place to call home out on the seas, giving his life purpose again.
Clearly he wasn't one to be trusted anymore.
"Fine," He murmured, turning to Alaric, "Just leave him down there to rot for now. We'll deal with him when we make port. In the meantime I want you to prepare some food for the girl. She'll be needing it."
"Sure," The first mate nodded, "But what about clothing? You can't expect her to stay in that tatty, ruined dress for the rest of the journey."
"I'm sure I have a dress lying around somewhere that she could wear."
"Brother," Stefan sighed, raising an eyebrow, "You're going to dress her in one of your whore's outfits?"
"What she doesn't know, will not hurt her." Damon reasoned.
Stefan mumbled something under his breath before disappearing to the belly of the ship to grab the means to cook with. Alaric merely shook his head, a little amused, before moving along the ship, leaving the captain surrounded by an opened mouthed crew. Damon glared at them, ready to snap at anyone.
"What are you all staring at?" He bellowed, making every man jump, "Get back to work, you mangy dogs!"
All the crew ran back to work, all busying themselves as Damon leant over the side of the railing, taking deep breaths from the fresh open air. Again, he ran his hands through his messed hair, tipping his head back as he cleared his minded. He wasn't sure how to go about the situation now with the girl, considering everything that happened. He literally wanted to kill Mason with his bare hands! How dare he touch that girl…his girl!
Damon made a face at how strange it sounded, after all this wasn't him at all, so there had to be something about her that stirred things inside him…feelings. He felt protective of her and possessive in some ways. Normally with any other prisoner in the brig, he would have paid no mind to their screams.
But there was something about her that called to him. Hearing her beg and plead at the top of her voice struck a chord in him and it confused him. Yes, he would never have let such disgusting acts take place on his ship, but the fact that he actually cared about this girl annoyed him.
Especially a Gilbert girl.
He sighed again, slowly making his way back to his cabin, trying to ignore the strange looks he was getting from his crew. Once he was back into his cabin, Damon poured down a glass of scotch as the harsh memories seemed to return.
He had been in his cabin, drifting in and out of sleep, when he heard her screams, and the sound still haunted him. He had practically flown to Elena's room and what he saw was nothing like what he had imagined. He had thought that maybe she was hurt, cold or afraid, but he had never thought that one of his men was going to rape her.
He didn't even think about what was he going to do, he had just reacted and started to hit aimlessly at Mason. The beautiful girl was covered in dirt and bruises, all because he had locked her in a cell with no escape. It was his fault, he knew that much.
Damon drank another glass of scotch as he cringed at the memory, walking slowly to his room, past the wooden panels and neat curtains to where Elena was laying on his bed. She was still fast asleep, whimpering a little as she moved around, trying to find a more comfortable position.
He went in there and sat beside her, making sure that she was okay and breathing. He shook with anger and guilt as he remembered the way she had begged him to take her home, and his heart almost stopped at the thought of what Elena had thought of him when he brought her there.
Did she think that he had saved her because he wanted to do it himself? He was still her captor, after all, and she had flinched and shook when he had delicately touched her face. He wanted to tell her that she was safe with him, that he was sorry that this happened to her, but he couldn't say those things because she was in too deep sleep to hear him. Plus, he couldn't ruin his image or reputation.
He pulled the blanket just a little bit away from her and his face turned pale when he saw the bruises on her body. Her dress was torn when he'd brought Elena in to the cabin. When she'd left the room, he'd waited and contemplated what to do next before following her, only to have her fall back into his arms when he went on deck.
Damon had considered waking her, but decided against it so the girl could rest. She was obviously exhausted with the dark circles under hers eyes and ashen complexion. Instead, he had wrapped her up in his best fur blankets and made sure all the windows were sealed shut to protect her from the harsh, stormy weather. The night was almost over and the sun would be up soon, but he knew that she needed whatever sleep she could get at this point.
Damon pulled the cover further up under her chin, trying to cover the purple marks on her throat that made his blood boil.
Mason had tried to damage her perfect body. He had tried to hurt an innocent girl.
"I'm sorry, Elena," Damon said in a low voice.
He felt her stir in her sleep and he froze, unable to move or think. Should he go away?
Her little eyes then slowly opened, and nothing, no one could explain the sadness he felt when she jerked away from him as if he had hit her. Tears escaped her eyes as she tried not to lock her eyes with his. She threw the blanket away from herself and curled up in the corner of the bed, her back resting against the wall as she hands gripped the material of her tattered dress.
"P-please…Sir, d-don't hurt me," She begged him as she tried to move off the bed, but failed due to her pain.
He wanted to break something. Why would she think that? He had saved her, he didn't mean her any harm! But the way she looked at him, fear evident in her eyes, showed what she was truly feeling.
That had just confirmed it then. She was thinking that he saved her so that he could do it himself.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Damon said, trying to keep his voice neutral. "I don't mean you any harm, I promise."
She remained still, curled into a ball. For a moment Damon was afraid. What if this traumatizing experience left a horrible impact on her? He had heard stories before, of people cast out to sea or placed in the lunatic asylum after a traumatic incident from which they could not recover. He was praying that this was not the case here.
He tried to move towards her, but stopped when he heard her sharp intake of breath, her breasts heaving up and down at an uneven pace. Damon sighed and reached for her hands, taking one of them in his. She tried to pull back, but he didn't let her as he wanted to try and take control of the situation again. She might have been in his cabin after what had happened, but he was still the one in charge.
"Don't be afraid of me," Damon told her, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. "It's over now. You're in my room, and I'm going to bring you something to eat soon, okay?"
Elena's eyes slowly locked with his. "You mean you're not going to hurt me?" She asked him in a childlike voice.
"No. I brought you here so that you could rest. I'll get you some food. What do you like?" He said, fighting the temptation he had to just stroke her tears away.
"I'm not hungry, Sir," Elena said, "I just want to go home."
"I already told you," Damon said calmly. "In two weeks, I'll take you home."
"I don't want to stay here with you," Elena said, tears starting to flow again. "I'm scared and I want my dad. Why are you even keeping me here? Why couldn't you have just accepted the things my father gave you?"
He remained silent for a long moment and just watched her. It was true, he could have just taken the things in the ship and released Elena, but this was about much more than a petty theft. No, this was personal, a matter between him and Grayson and Damon wanted to hurt his rival more than ever. Taking the girl seemed like the easiest and most logical thing to do, but now even that didn't seem so.
"I just want to go home," She whispered again, wiping her tears away.
"Well, you can't," Damon snapped, causing Elena to flinch and hug herself tighter.
He jumped off the bed and sighed, looking at the broken girl. He was being harsh, he knew, but this was about his image. He had to be feared to gain respect.
"Come with me. I'll show you around, okay? I can help you get comfortable-"
"You're not listening to me, Sir. I don't want anything to do with you," Elena yelled. "I nearly got raped last night, and I can't imagine what other men might do to me. I want to go home!"
"No one's going to hurt you," Damon voice tightened, trying to control himself, "I made sure of that."
"That man hurt me! He attacked me and threatened me and put his hands all over me!" Elena cried, "You weren't there when he came into my cell. There is no guarantee that others won't do it when you are away. I'm grateful that you came to my aid, but I'll never be safe here."
"I told you, I'm taking care of it!" Damon shouted, "They saw what I did to Mason last night. No one's going to lay a finger on you."
Elena looked away from him, closing her eyes. She didn't want to talk to this man anymore. He was just as evil as any other man on this vessel. The image of Matt's falling body was forever playing in her mind whenever she looked at the pirate captain. She was afraid, very afraid. She knew her father, if he was here now, would have called her weak for crying in front of the enemy, but it was all she could do to stop herself attacking the monster that may have killed Matt.
"Now, can you please just come with me?" He asked her in a quiet voice.
"I don't want to see you," Elena mumbled as she buried her face in the pillow. "Just please go away."
"Why do you have to be so bloody difficult?" Damon said unkindly as he grabbed her arm and pulled her off the bed, causing her to cry out.
He instantly regretted it when he saw her rubbing her bruises. How dare he put another mark to her already damaged body? He attempted to apologize but the look on Elena's face convinced him otherwise.
"Elena-"
"Don't call me that!" Elena yelled, pulling away from him. "Don't ever call me that! You have no right to use my first name, monster."
Damon's jaw tightened, but he kept his cool. "Fine. What would you like to be called?"
"You will only ever refer to me as Miss Gilbert and nothing else, Sir."
"Please, call me Damon."
Elena let out an irritated sigh. "You don't deserve to be called anything. But my mother raised me true and right to respect even the foulest of people who walk this Earth, Sir."
"Miss Gilbert," Damon stepped forward, his eyes narrowed, "You are testing my patience. It would be wise not to test me."
"Why?" Elena asked, feeling a little brave, "Will you shoot me?"
Her question hit him hard, harder than it should have before anger took over him. Who the hell did she think she was to talk to him like that?
He growled lowly and gripped her upper arms tightly before backing her in to the cabin wall. Elena made a choked sound and panicked, her bravery gone and soon replaced with ice cold fear. The sea blue eyes of the pirate were no longer calm, a hint of rage behind them like he might burst.
"Let go of me," She whispered.
He just stared at her. Completely silent.
"I said, let go of me!" Elena said loudly, trashing around in his hardened hold.
Her hatred filled eyes poured into him as her hands turned into fists, hitting at his chest repeatedly. She hit whatever part of him she could, her screams of frustration filling the cabin. But the pirate captain remained unfazed by her efforts, merely holding her in place as her struggles died down. Her screaming dulled down into light whimpers as she tried to get away before finally admitting defeat.
Her head rolled down and she seized in her fight, her body now shaking from the rush and just pure self-pity, tears making their way down her cheeks and under her chin. Her body was limp once again as she cried, fearing of how this man would react to her outburst.
Damon took a deep breath as he watched her, waiting for her to calm down completely before his fingers went under her chin, lifting her face to his. Elena shuddered at his touch, but did her best not to move away or flinch at his touch.
"You done?" Damon asked, breathing heavily.
The girl said nothing and he took a step back so his body was not so pressed to hers anymore, but still within reach to grab her if she tried to fight again. She slumped against the cabin wall, holding her bruised arm from where he had grabbed her harshly. He rolled his eyes and sighed, stepping back from her.
"Look, Miss-.."
Damon was stopped due to the knock at the door and groaned at the timing of it. He glared at Elena for a moment, who had now sunk to the floor on her knees, sniffling. Honestly, he couldn't stand a crying woman, but her position seemed to pull on his heart strings a little more than usually. Quickly, he grabbed a blanket from the bed, draping it over her shoulders before turning to the door.
"Enter," He ordered, clearing his desk off the map and drink-glasses.
Alaric and a pirate that Elena didn't quite recognise entered the cabin, carrying a large trunk between them before setting it down in the far corner of the room. They were then followed by another man, who Elena thought looked very similar to Damon. Maybe they were related? He carried in a basin if fresh water and placed it on the captain's desk along with a sponge.
"Thank you, lads," Damon said, nodding his head. "How long until the food is ready?"
"Shortly," Alaric spoke, giving Elena a small smile to reassure her.
She just looked at him, still completely unsure of what to make of the situation. What about the brig? Hadn't they come to take her back down there? And the food, was it even for her?
"Good," The captain nodded again, dismissing them from the room before turning to Elena. "Here, I am sure you'll be able to find something for yourself in here."
Damon threw open the trunk lid, pulling out a simple, purple dress with a modest cut and long sleeves. It wasn't something that Elena would have worn normally as it looked more like a maid's outfit than anything else, but she accepted the dress with shaking hands. The outfit she was currently wearing was making her skin crawl from the fact that Mason had touched it and that it was in tatters now.
"There," Damon smirked, watching as Elena played with the material of her new dress. "Get yourself cleaned up and dressed. I will bring you something to eat in a while, but for now I will leave to change, Miss Gilbert."
Elena watched as the man turned on his heels, heading for the door. She hadn't expected any of this at all! Her good nature getting the better of her, Elena couldn't help but want to show her gratitude.
"Thank you, Sir," Elena called after him quietly, grateful for giving her space and privacy finally.
Damon paused at the door, turning to gaze at her before offering a small smile and nodded. The door closed firmly behind him, but Elena was still nervous and so propped one of the chairs up against the door handle, making sure that for certain no one could come in. She still didn't trust him in the least, even though he'd been moderately civil with her and saved her from Mason, but that still didn't make up for the things he had done.
Elena hesitantly reached for the strings of her dress, looking to the door once more before tearing the remains of her ruined outfit off, leaving her in her undergarments. She took the sponge and scrubbed the dirt and sweat from her arms, chest and face. Although the water was cold, it proved refreshing and did the job of removing any traces of filth and making her feel much better.
She then pulled the dress over her head, surprised in how well it fit her before she reached for the comb inside the trunk. She brushed through her tangled locks and braided her hair to the nape of her neck, using the remained pins she had left.
Once finished, Elena took a deep breath and pulled the chair away from the door, pondering what to do next. Damon hadn't told her to meet him outside so she made herself comfortable in one of the armchairs next to the desk, deciding it would be nice to have a few more moments that didn't involve pirates.
Elena tried to occupy her time and mind, not wanting to think about how horrible her situation was in fear that she would burst in to tears. She hated that she had cried, especially in front of the enemy, but with everything that had happened, Elena felt mentally exhausted. Instead, she decided to venture around the room.
The room in itself was a mess compared to her father's office, but she supposed to a pirate that it looked organised. The collection of items and furniture didn't match at all, but looked as if it had been collected from all around the world, all coming from different origins. Candles were placed and burning all around the room, many seeming to almost have melted completely. There were charts all over the walls as well as a bookcase and cabinet of drinks. Beyond that was a four part wooden screen, dividing the office type room from the bed where she had woken surrounded by neat curtains.
In one corner was a sculpture of some sort, but upon closer inspection, Elena found it to be a handmade sculpture made of various animal bones. Normally, something like that would have appalled her, but Elena found herself drawn to the item. She found it incredible that someone had taken the time to gather the materials and then make them fit together to create such a strange and exotic design.
Looking up again, Elena ran her fingertips over the spins of the many books on the shelf, her eyes lighting up at some of the editions that she found. It amazed her that a pirate, above all people, would keep such a collection of books.
Finally Elena turned to the wood screen, noticing a few items of clothing had merely been thrown over the top to hang down. She knew it was none of her business, but Elena spotted something shinning of one of the items and picked it up. She held it out in front of her, confused to what it was until realisation hit her. To her horror, she was holding a bright red brassiere.
"Find anything interesting?"
Elena jumped and threw the item of clothing to the floor, not releasing that Damon was now leaning against the cabin wall, an amused look on his face. She hadn't heard him come in.
"I…um…I…" She said nervously, her hands fiddling with the sleeves of her dress.
"It's fine, Miss Gilbert," He spoke, pushing away from the door and picking up the brassiere. "You're merely curious. Though, judging by your reaction, you either don't know what it is or you didn't expect to find this." He smirked again, waving the bra at her before throwing it on to the bed.
"I know what it is," Elena snapped defensively, "I just don't understand why it was here. I didn't think there were any other women on this ship."
"Oh, there isn't." Damon chuckled, leaning closer to her. "But I do enjoy a women's company every now and then when we make port."
His breath felt cool on her cheek and Elena shuddered, taking a step back and away from him. Elena opened her mouth several times to reply before at last settling on keeping her mouth shut for now.
"I have to say, Miss Gilbert, that dress certainly suits you well," Damon said, raising his eyebrows at her before gesturing for her to take a seat by his desk.
Elena swallowed thickly, doing as he said as he took his own seat. She noticed that his expression and mood seemed to change drastically from his playful one to his more serious one. She was worried why the sudden change had happened, but when he looked into her eyes she breathed a sigh of relief when she realised that his anger was not directed at her.
"Listen, Miss, I think we got off on the wrong foot," He started, simply.
"What did you expect when you forced me upon your ship?" Elena argued, but was silenced when Damon rolled his eyes.
"I am trying to be civil about this," He said, a slight warning in his tone. "Anyway, I understand that your treatment on my vessel so far has not been the right way to treat a lady. I also take full responsibility for what happened with Mason. I wish I could take that back. I apologise."
Elena thought for a moment, thinking it was some trick, but she knew that the pirate was being honest. Besides, she didn't want to start another fight with this man or anger him in any way that might see her worse off.
"I accept your apology." She murmured softly, looking down at her hands.
Damon smiled. "Thank you, Miss, but I understand if you still need time to recover to fully forgive me. Anyway, it shall never happen again. In fact, we will be getting rid of Mason soon and no man will ever touch you like that again."
"What do you mean? Getting rid of him?"
"I thought it would be obvious, us being pirates and all. Today at midday, he'll walk the plank to a watery grave. I don't take men break my rules lightly, especially if it involves a woman."
Elena gasped a little, but nodded.
"I understand that you want to punish me for what everything that has happen thus far" Damon said after a few minutes, raising his eyebrows. "But I don't think it's a good idea for you to stay in here just to spite me. It's looking to be beautiful day, and I was thinking that we could watch the sun rise together, on the deck."
"I don't think so," Elena said stubbornly. "I don't want anything to do with you."
He frowned. "You'd really prefer staying in here?"
Elena was about to say 'yes' but then she changed her mind. What if he locked her up for the rest of her life if she refused? She knew she couldn't stay cooped up in here for the whole journey. Besides, she longed for the fresh air she had been refused so far.
"No," She admitted, a little sadly. "I'll come with you."
"That's what I thought," He smirked, standing up and offering her his arm.
Elena walked right past it but he grabbed hers in a firm grip. She struggled for only a moment until she realised that he wasn't letting her go anytime soon.
Damon gently led her onto the deck, and Elena inhaled the cool air. She tried to ignore the pirates giving her strange looks and instead focused on the rays of sun peering over the horizon. Damon let her arm go and she rested against the railing, looking at the distant early morning sky. It was still a little bit dark, but the scenery was to die for. The water was clear, almost as if it was made of crystals.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked her.
"Yes, it is," She agreed, closing her eyes for a moment.
Elena nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Damon behind her, his front pressed against her back. She felt his arms go around her body as he rested them just underneath her breasts, holding her to him, and for a moment she was scared of what his intentions were. It was so strange and such a foreign feeling to be held in such away by a man. She could practically feel his heart beating against her back and his breathing in the back of her neck.
"Don't," She tried to say, but he just nuzzled her hair.
She tried to move away from his grip but he wouldn't move. Instead his hands moved to her sides, resting in her middle as seemed to smell her. Elena thought it odd that he was taking in her scent and her body tensed even more when she felt as his fingers started to draw patterns on her body.
"Why can't you just relax?" He mumbled against her hair. "I already told you. You are perfectly safe with me. I would never hurt you."
"Safe with you?" Elena spoke softly, "You're a pirate. You kidnapped me."
"I saved you as well," He remained her. "I could've left you in there."
Elena rolled her eyes and struggled in his grip again, not understanding why he insisted on holding her like that. "Can you let go of me?"
"No,"
"But why?" She pleaded in a whine tone.
Damon sighed and loosened is grip, but only a little. "Let's just say that I have stamped my claim on you. You're mine now."
"I belong to no man!" Elena argued, trying to pry his hands from her body.
"It you want to stay alive, you are."
At that Elena froze.
"W-what do you mean?" She swallowed thickly.
"I mean, that as long as I claim you as mine, no other man on this ship can touch you. If I were to take back my claim, there is nothing I would be able to do to stop the men doing as they please with you." He whispered in her ear. "Mason thought he could get away with what he was doing because I hadn't put my claim on you, but now I have no man will ever think of touching you again."
Elena knew that he was right, so she didn't say anything. She may have been a higher class lady, but she knew some of the rules of pirating. Share and share alike. With Damon's claim on her made her his and so, for now, she was safe. Damon smiled, knowing that he had won. He just wanted her to relax a little, she was so stiff in his arms.
"So, why did you save me?" Elena asked him after a few minutes. "I mean, I'm grateful that you came to my aid, and for that, thank you. But I don't understand why you did that if you hadn't claimed me then."
"What don't you understand?" Damon asked her, his voice calm. "I might be a pirate, Miss, but I do know the difference between right and wrong. A man who tries to rape a woman is weak and a monster. I'd never do anything like that in my entire life. I couldn't stand idly by when you were being violated in that way."
Elena sighed internally. So this man had morals?
"What? Surprised to find out that I have morals just like any other human being?"
"I just didn't think you'd care," She said honestly.
"Well, now you know that you were wrong." He continued, holding her firmly against him.
Elena turned to face him. "Yes. I was wrong. Thank you."
"You're welcome," He said softly.
She smiled a little, finally feeling relaxed. Damon realized that she was no longer stiff in his arms, so he took the advantage by squeezing her a little bit tighter to him. They remained that way until the sun rose, and even then, they couldn't deny that in that moment, they were both relaxed. Elena was coming to terms with the situation she was in, deciding that it was best to make the most of it rather than mop about her luck and life.
She laughed inwardly, remembering as a child she'd always wished for a little excitement, passion, adventure and danger in her life. Well, now she'd finally gotten what she'd wished for.
Hey guys! Please don't hate me for the long wait! I have just been so busy at the moment. University has been full speed ahead and I just haven't had a moment to myself to just write! I am really sorry and I am trying to keep up with my writing, but I am finishing it hard at the moment. I have not given up on any of my other stories and I will be updating them soon! I just have to get settled with all my other work and try and find a balance, so I hope you all understand :)
Now this chapter really is the kick off to the real adventure, so I hope you enjoyed it :D Thanks to LiveBreatheVamipres for her support on this chapter and her awesome writing skills. Go check out her amazing work! Please let me know what you think and I will do my best to update when I can. Just remember that I haven't given up on any of my stories :)
Next chapter: The adventure beings, Mason walks the plank and Elena finds herself trusting the man she should fear above all...Stay tuned ;)