CHAPTER 15

5 months later

I wake up with a groan and roll over to my stomach to watch the sun rise from my window.

It's already late November and the slight sheen of snow on the ground that settled over night reflects the sun rays in a beautiful way. I love my new eyesight; this wouldn't seem the same through my old eyes.

The diamonds on the ground slowly melt away as the sun rises higher and I take off the beautiful ring from my finger as the rays pour through the window and watch how they play on my skin.

I feel them tickling me a little but nothing even nearly as painful as the burning on Damon's skin and not even close to the bright shine on a Cold one.

Dovagery.

A name Damon used to describe what I am. A hybrid.

The word rolls easily from my tongue as I whisper it. It has been running through my brain for the last few weeks since Damon explained to me what I am.

Not a lot of men know about the Dovagerys. A race of vampires designed specifically for fighting wars.

A project that was a major fail hundreds of years ago and a taboo nowadays, alongside with immortal children.

The covens all over the world wanted to mix the Originals with the Cold Ones and every single try was an utter and complete bust. Not one vampire survived the change and every single one of them ended up looking like I did; black veins protruded through every surface of the body. They are the result of vampire blood clashing with the venom. The result of the Supernatural circle.

Apparently, Damon found me a week after Victoria kidnapped me. I was just lying on the ground in the corner of that damn room.

Stefan and Elena found the small house in the middle of nowhere a little after Damon and they all thought I was a goner.

"James thought you were special, you know." Victoria's words go through my head. Huh, who would have guessed he was right.

I don't know how and I don't know why but out of thousands of vampires I am the one who's veins started retreating. I am the one who woke up from death when no one else did.

I wish I could say that was a good thing but I can't.

The first thing I did when I regained consciousness was lounge at Elena. It was so unexpected that I managed to sink my teeth into her before Damon ripped us apart.

I was ravenous.

The only thing I could think about was blood. The burning in my throat was unbearable for weeks even with all the blood bags I went through.

Damon had to restock the fridge in the boarding house so many times during the first two months that he had to go to great lengths in order to keep under the radar. He was often gone for days at a time and that was when I was at my worst.

Locked up in the basement of their house I was livid. I tried ripping the walls and even dug though the floor until they tied me down and sprayed vervain all over the room so I couldn't move without causing myself extreme pain.

I learned the hard way that vervain is a bitch you don't want to mess with.

I deserved it even if I couldn't help it; every fibre of my being was concentrated on escaping as soon as I was fed.

It hurts me to say this but Caroline had the biggest role in making me feel like myself again. The way her dad got her in control of the bloodlust was very effective on me. I almost felt sorry for her because it was her father who caused her so much pain but that disappeared when I realised just how much she enjoyed torturing me.

Obviously, we didn't use sunlight since it did nothing on me but vervain; lots and lots of vervain.

We came to an unspoken truce after that. We're not friends but at least the glares she sends my way are not as common.

The slight movement outside brings me out of my musings.

I watch as Damon emerges from the woods behind my house and a smile spreads over my face. He's been gone for two days and I can't help but jump through my window and run barefoot into his open arms.

"Hey, doll." Damon chuckles as I wrap my arms and legs around him. I always miss him when he's gone.

"Hey, you." I whisper into his neck as he holds me. "Where were you this time?" I ask and untangle myself from him but he slips his hand into mine as we walk into the house.

"New Jersey." He answers and frowns as his hand rubs mine. "Where's your ring?"

"Oh!" I exclaim. "I took it off, it must be on the nightstand." I answer and run upstairs to retrieve it.

The beauty of it still doesn't cease to amaze me; the beautiful blue of the stone looks stunning against the swirling silver frame. Damon told me he got it from a witch decades ago and hasn't found anyone to give it to before me.

I was still on an emotional rollercoaster back then so I cried for two hours straight after his sweet gesture.

I don't actually need it but it dulls the small shine on my skin so I wear it anyways. It also doesn't hurt that Damon always smiles when he sees it on my ring finger or when he plays with it.

I run back downstairs and smile when I see Damon pouring us each a glass of blood.

The delicious aroma fills my nostrils and I bend to give him a kiss on the cheek before I down the glass.

Damon pushes his glass towards me immediately but this time I refuse. "I'm good." I smile.

He looks at me tentatively. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I shared and elk with Stefan last night, it should last me for the day." I smile and remember how hard it was to refuse blood for me just a few months ago. It hasn't been long since I literally fought Damon for another glass but I feel better now, more in control. I can handle being thirsty for longer periods of time before going wild. It's not completely safe but Damon is usually around and helps me when I feel out of control.

He nods and drinks the rest. He opens his mouth to say what's on the schedule for today but I start talking before he gets the chance to utter a word.

"Can we just hang around for the day?" I quickly say. "I want to see Elena."

Being around humans is still a big task but I'm getting used to Elena's scent so it doesn't bother me as much anymore.

"Sure." He nods and I sigh in relief. I've missed her, we haven't seen each other for three weeks because she's off to college and rarely comes back to visit. The reason I hadn't gone to visit her is simple; I can't do it without Damon. Stefan is strong enough to restrain me if I'm not full of blood when I get out of control but Damon grounds me, it's easier to remember who I am when he's with me. "Tomorrow we train double." Damon adds and I groan. His training sessions are freaking tough as they are- doubling them up is pure torture, he pushes me to the limits; both emotionally and physically even if I technically can't get tired.

"Fine." I say with a glare and go to my room to change. I put on a wide black sweater with some arrows on it, a pair of ripped black jeans and leather boots.

Damon and I walk into my garage and hop onto my bike. I have learned fighting him is futile so I sit on the back with the usual huff even if I don't actually mind him driving. It gives me the chance to feel him up a little and his face brightens from the speed. It's a win-win situation.

We drive silently for a few minutes and pull up in front of the boarding house.

I hear Elena and Stefan laughing and smile myself. She rarely laughed while I was locked up and I understand why. There were only a handful of times that she missed Caroline's torture sessions and always insisted of being there as support.

I had Damon there just in case Caroline got a little out of hand and while his presence calmed me, Elena's made me want to be better. I never wanted to hurt her again.

We enter the house and I run into the living room and we hug each other. She notices my discomfort since the burning in my throat starts whenever I get too close to a human and lets me go with a sympathetic smile on her face.

Stefan and Damon go into the kitchen to give us some privacy and we plop onto the couch together.

"I've missed you." She says and places her head into my lap. I can hear the tears in her voice and it makes me feel really crappy. She has been blaming herself for what happened.

"I'm here now so stop crying." I say and run my hand through her hair. "I'm doing better." I promise her as she looks up and meets my eyes.

We sit like that for a few hours and I'm relieved that the atmosphere lifts significantly. I hate seeing her sad and I know she needs all the reassurance that I'll be fine without her as she can get.

Damon returns and gives me a look when he notices my frequent squirming.

"Car is freaking out about her!" Elena laughs with her head still in my lap. "She' says we can't have the true college experience with a human in out dorm."

"Yup, that sounds like her." I say and gently move her head off of me and shoot her an apologetic smile. "When are you leaving?"

"I'm gonna have lunch with Jenna, Alaric and Jer first and then I'm on my way." She sighs and I hug her when she starts sniffing.

My throat starts burning and I screw my eyes shut to prolong this moment with her but Damon notices and taps my shoulder so I'd release her.

Once we get ourselves back in check, Elena leaves with Stefan and Damon stays in the house with me.

"Go change. We're training today since Elena left earlier than we thought." He tells me and I go upstairs to grab a pair of sweats and a shirt.

And yes, I do have a drawer in his room but get your mind out of the gutter; it's just easier than having to go back to my house for small things like this and I needed clothes while they kept me in the basement.

We head out into the clearing in the woods where I first shot him months ago and instinctively move towards the wooden chest that hangs on a nearby tree and pull out my crossbow and plastic arrows while Damon takes out two guns.

"Five seconds." He says and starts counting them down on his fingers while I take off running as fast as my feet will carry me.

My new skin is harder than Damon's so the bullets don't pierce through unless they're coated in vervain. We use those only when I lose control over blood so I know I'm safe today, I handled the bloodlust extremely well around Elena.

I put a decent amount of distance between Damon and myself by the time the 5 seconds he gave me run out and now I just run wherever my gut leads me.

I got pretty damn good at running away and hiding but not for long periods of time, Damon just has to follow my scent and I'm busted but today I get another idea.

While I'm running I pay attention to the sounds and hear some water running on my right and start heading in that direction.

In a minute a reach a river and quickly jump over to the other side while my plan crystallises in my mind. I keep running in zigzag pattern around the trees for a couple of minutes and hope to hell that Damon doesn't reach the river by the time I turn around and go back the exact same way.

I jump into the river and swim deep under the slimy grass while placing my feet carefully on the mud as not to disturb it and make my position visible.

The waiting goes on for about 6 minutes when I see a shadow jumping over the river and realise I've been faster than usual today.

Silently, I swim out and follow my trail for a few feet and jump onto a branch of the tallest tree I spot.

I grab my crossbow from the strap and silently load it. Next, I stop breathing and listen to the extremely silent shuffling of the grass under Damon's feet.

The sound gets louder and clearer in my ears when he reaches the end of my trail and heads back. As soon as he's in my sight I make sure not to move a single muscle and don't even blink until he passes me.

That's when action starts.

Damon and I made a rule: I manage to shoot him at least once and the training is done for the day. That has happened only once so far and only because Klaus interrupted us and distracted him for a second I made sure to use in my advantage.

I quickly aim the arrow so I'd hit him between the shoulder blades and he'd have no choice but ask me to remove it.

"Bullseye." I announce as soon as I hear the tip of the arrow pierce through his skin.

Damon loudly groans, mouths a few profanities under his breath and starts punching the tree with both of his fists.

I walk over to him with a huge grin plastered on my face when I see the fury in his eyes.

"You're pretty cocky for someone who doesn't even follow his own advice." I say and circle him while he struggles to get the arrow out. "Your senses are heightened. Make use of them; listen to everything, feel everything, watch everything. Every single detail must be perceived." I repeat his words in my interpretation of his voice and tap his temple just like he did to mine.

"Just get it out!" He snarls in my face and I walk behind him and wrap my hand around the arrow.

"No revenge?"

"No revenge." He grits out and I pull the arrow and put it back in my quiver.

We walk back to the clearing- Damon with a grim expression and me trying to hide a smile. Once we get there we put the weapons back in the chest and head home.

"Stop brooding." I smile at him and jokingly push his shoulder with mine.

He looks at me and his expression shifts. "I'm actually really proud." He returns my smile and holds my hand while we walk. "It's just crappy to be on the other end of a trap like that."

We both laugh a little and the tension evaporates. We sit on a nearby branch and talk until the sky gets dark. I silently stand up and Damon follows me back to the boarding house where I change back into my clothes.

"Take care of Stefan tonight; you know how he gets whenever Elena leaves." I tell Damon and kiss his cheek before I leave the house and go back home. I'm happy that I wasn't forced to lie to him tonight since Stefan really did need some company.

Once I arrive home I go straight to the fridge to drink the blood bag Damon always leaves there for emergencies and hop onto my bike.

I ride until I get to the outskirts of the town and park in front of a small shady bar I have become familiar with over the last two months.

Once I get inside I motion for the waitress to pour me the usual and survey the bar until my eyes land on the mop of blonde hair in the corner booth.

"Hello, Klaus." I say and hop in the booth across from him.

A/N

I'm back.

First of all: thank you for the support I got regarding my breakup, it means a lot:)

Next: I hope you liked this one, things are finally looking up for Bella! Why a crossbow? Two words: Daryl Dixon.

Bella's RING and outfit are posted on my profile!

DISCLAIMER: Dovagery is a term I took from Game of Thrones: they are also known as the Unsullied- elite warriors bred and trained in Astapor. I don't own!

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favorites! Leave me your thoughts!

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Polyvore and Tumblr! The links are posted on my profile!

xoxo