CHAP 2:

I woke sometime during the night. The sliver of moon in the night sky cast stretching squares of light across the carpet from my window. However the pattern of moonlight was disfigured with a shadow. I didn't leave anything on my window seat. Still resting the side of my face on my pillow I tilted my head slightly upwards. I froze in fear as I saw the silhouette of a person sitting on my window seat. Despite being warm and cosy beneath my bed covers a chill shot up my spine. There was someone sitting in my room. Immediately my mind ran through a plan of action. I needed to get out of my room and make a lot of noise so that I'd wake Jenna and Jer. But I had to get out of my room first.

Casually I sighed and stretched beneath the covers. The stretch itself calming me a little as I mentally prepared for what I needed to do. Slowly, I rolled over towards the side of my bed closest to the door. I paused for a little bit before slowly wriggling down beneath the covers more. As if snuggling to keep warm. Gradually I rolled over some more, in the process making it to the edge of my bed. I just needed to bolt across to the door and I had a chance. Lying there for over a minute, so my movement would seem like restlessness and that I was asleep again. I couldn't help but feel a little proud in casting off any suspicion that I might be awake. I flung the covers off me and bolted for the door. I'd just grabbed the handle when a hand painfully gripped my wrist and something brushed against my side. I gasped in shock. I knew it was whomever was in my room, but they'd been way to quick to get from the window to the door .The brush became solid as I released the knob and an arm became hooked around my waist, pulling me backwards a few steps.

It all happened so quickly I was nearly disorientated in the darkness. The arm left my waist and I darted to my bathroom. Hoping to barricade myself in there and make enough noise to rouse Jer. That attempt was unsuccessful the moment I ran into the hard form of a body. I began pushing myself away and started yelling out as loud as I could. Wondering if there was more than one. It was impossible for someone to be behind me and suddenly in front of me so quickly.

"Jer! Help! Jer!" Was all I managed to yell before a hand came over my mouth.

"Shhh." I pulled my head backwards away from the hand.

"Help!" I was quickly turned slightly and found myself backed into a wall. But I couldn't remember taking enough steps backward for me to have reached it. A hand came up to cover my mouth again. This time more securely. I tried thrashing around to get away but found myself wedged between the wall and the length of my intruder's body.

My arms still free I pounded them backwards against the wall. Surely Jenna and Jeremy would have heard me by now?

"Shhh. It's okay. Shhh." The voice sounded familiar and I stopped struggling. "Good. Now, I'm going to let you go. I'd appreciate it if you'd stay reasonably silent." It struck me. It was Elijah. In my house, in my room. I began to struggle again. So far I'd kept my cool, as panicking would be useless. But the uncomfortable feelings I had while Elijah was here earlier returned and him being in my room freaked me out. Not to mention I was suffocating in his close proximity. "Elena. Stop fighting me. I mean you no harm." He removed his hand from my mouth.

"Says the person in my room uninvited in the middle of the night!" I fired. He shifted against me slightly and pressed his thigh between my legs to further pin me against the wall with pressure against the junction of my thighs. Even in the dark I swear he would have been able to see my eyes go wide. "What are you?-" I began before his hand came up to my mouth again.

"Listen. I'm going to let you go. But you're not going to try leaving the room. In fact, you will stay on the window side of the room." With that he released me. I moved away from him around the other side of my bed close to the window and started banging my fists on the wall.

"Jeremy!" .

"Neither Jeremy nor Jenna will hear you. They're otherwise engaged until tomorrow morning." I stopped banging my fists. I didn't believe him, but I had to know if he'd done anything to them.

"Why not? What have you done with them?"

"I've compelled them to sleep undisturbed until six am tomorrow morning." He explained, standing guard on the other side of the room.

"You've what?"

"Compelled them. They will be fine. I just didn't want any interruptions."

"Right." I sat on the window seat and acted casual as I shielded the fact that I was unlocking the window with my body. Quickly I slid it open and shot my legs through. The rest of my body followed swiftly and I was out on the lower roof.

"Elena. Elena! Come back inside. There's no need for you to do something so drastic." He pleaded.

"I'll be the judge of that." I shot back, taking a step toward the edge. Jumping down might hurt me, but I needed to get away. Elijah grabbed my wrist through the window and pulled me back to the sill. His arms came around under my breasts as he half lifted, half pulled me in through the window. "Let go of me!" I kicked and struggled all the way. "Help!" I cried out. Hoping neighbours would hear.

"They won't hear you either." Stated Elijah as he let me loose but kept a strong grip on my arm while shutting the window. I tried to twist out of his grasp but was unsuccessful. He was impossibly strong. Not to mention impossibly fast. Elijah sat on my bed and pulled me down so that I sat next to him and turned on my lamp. "What do you think you were doing, my love? You could have broken something by jumping off the roof." He scolded solemnly. I couldn't believe it. He scolded me.

"Your concern is touching." I said sarcastically. His love? "What do you want?" My tone serious.

"For you to come live with me." I hadn't expected that.

"You're out of your mind."

"Hear me out." I stayed quiet. This'll be good. I thought. "We are bound individuals, you and I. I know you were drawn to me earlier this evening, as I have been to you for a while now. But my need of your company stems further than that. You are in danger and I wish to remove you from it. I have been keeping you safe for a while now, but matters have changed and I need to take you away. You must remain hidden from those who wish to harm you."

"How can you have been drawn to me for a while now? I've never seen you before in my life."

"I have observed you for quite some time Elena."

"You need a hobby."

"You are my hobby. You're hardly an uninteresting woman. It has been most enjoyable to see exactly who you are. Though you hide yourself away from the world. Too enjoyable to be honest. So much so that I often forget myself, for I know you very deeply by now, and I can't help but want to be near you." I just stared at him cautiously. I have a stalker. Great. I thought sarcastically. "But presently my feelings aren't of concern. As I said, you are in danger."

"Right" I brushed off the notion.

"I am speaking the truth. Due to you lineage, you are caught up in a very ancient, very unfortunate circumstance. One of your ancestors was used as a sacrifice. A sacrifice used to bind the true nature of a supernatural being. Since that time there has been a finite number of dopplegangers to this original ancestor. You are one of them."

"A doppleganger? As in other people who look exactly like me? Or rather, I look exactly like them?"

"Generally. Yes. But there is often minute differences between all of your physical traits. Now, the existence of these dopplegangers, pose a sacrifice to break the original binding upon the supernatural individual. It is something he has intended to break for an extremely long period of time. He was bound in the first instance because everything in this world must have at least one weakness. The combined characteristics of the individual in question would make him practically indestructible. Once aware of this and the threat he poses to all of mankind I have successfully prevented him from using each doppleganger that has come into existence." I rolled my eyes.

"How noble of you." Elijah looked at me sternly. "What? This is all very sensational. You expect me to roll over and just believe all this just because you say it's true?"

"No, I don't suppose so."

"So how do you prevent said supernatural individual using these dopplegangers?"

"Ordinarily I have killed them. Some of them, have been dying themselves already. You'd be aware of illnesses like the plague? Well, there's been many spreads of disease throughout history. So I have spared them a long and suffering death by ending their lives. Others have simply had their lives cut short. One of them got away. She was already in the possession of the bound individual in question. And found out exactly what her purpose was. So she ran and turned. Rendering her blood useless. Blood of the doppleganger being the most potent ingredient of each sacrifice. She has since spent her life running. In fact, she was believed to be the last of your line. But unknowns to many she had a child. And so, many generations later, here you are."

"What do you mean by the last doppleganger turned? And you're speaking as if you've been around for quite a while. So forgive me if I don't believe you.

"She turned into a vampire." I couldn't help the little spurt of laughter that left my mouth. Covering my mouth with my hand to stifle myself, I saw Elijah smile. Maybe he is only joking after all. I thought.

"A vampire? As in blood-sucking, fast, silent and deadly vampire?" I managed, smiling. Trying to keep my laughter contained.

"Among other things." Elijah responded, his tone serious. My laughter vanished. "It's a lot to take in. But vampires do exist. I am proof of that." Oh god! He's mentally unhinged. He thinks he's a vampire.

"Uh-huh." Elijah smiled wryly.

"You don't believe me." He stated.

"Nope. Perhaps if you had some proof? But I'm guessing you don't have any." Knowing that he couldn't provide any. Perhaps he needed a wake up call to his delusions. If he can't prove to me that he's a vampire, then perhaps he'd realise that he isn't one. After all, he can't be. They don't exist.

"Very well." Elijah leaned in to my neck. I stayed stock still and swore I could feel him smelling me.

I know vampires are fictional, but I still felt on edge. When he pulled away, fangs were clearly visible. I couldn't help but just stare at his teeth. Eventually I managed to draw my gaze up to his eyes. Those deep, liquid, soothing brown eyes. I would have lost myself in them if I hadn't kept focused on the pretty convincing looking fangs in his mouth.

"May I?" Indicating I'd like to inspect his mouth. To which he nodded. I brought my hands up and gently pushed his upper lip high enough to see where his teeth were rooted in his gums. The fangs sure looked real and their tips were unbelievably sharp. I ran my fingers along his teeth and fangs, they were all secure. Finished with my assessment I looked at him sceptically. "Plenty of people have dental work so that they have fangs and such."

"I'm sure theirs don't move however." With that he retracted the fangs. I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping. I raised my fingers to his mouth and raised his upper lip again.

"Do it again. Please." And he did. His fangs erupted from his gums, before retracting once more. I bit my lower lip and stared even after they'd slipped back into his gums. He's a vampire. I thought. "Oh." I took my hands away from his face again. Elijah caught my left hand.

"Now. Onto drinking blood." He smiled, saw my reaction and offered assurance. "Don't worry I wont drain you."

"O-kay." I said slowly. I watched as Elijah brought my wrist up to his mouth. Felt more than watched his lips brush my skin, before his tongue sought out a vein and held it with firm pressure. Suddenly two identical points pressed against my skin, before his fangs slid through and into the vein. All I could think was Elijah had bitten me. The smooth process surprised me. There was no savage ripping or tearing. It all seemed very clean. Which wasn't how vampires were portrayed in movies and books. As he sucked at my wrist, I felt my blood being drawn through my veins to his mouth. After a few moments my skin prickled, and a sensational warmth spread through me. As it rose I began to feel hot and moisture pooled between the top of my thighs. My whole body felt pleasurable and I found myself closing my eyes at the sensations. Elijah's arm came around my back to take hold of my waist, before he pulled me against him. I enjoyed the feel of his body against mine as I rested my head on his right shoulder. Drowning in pleasure I didn't realise my breathing had increased. A moan escaped my lips as I basked in the glow, the experience making me feel light and out of my own body. I heard Elijah's chest rumble and he removed his fangs from my flesh.

Cleaning my wrist up with his tongue as my blood clotted I involuntarily shuddered. I came back to myself feeling Elijah stroking my arm with his fingers. Realising what had just happened, I shot up and moved away from him, sitting a metre away eyes wide. I didn't look at him, couldn't. I was so embarrassed and just wanted to get away from him, he'd let me move this far away from him. But I knew I wasn't getting out of my room. I could feel his gaze on me and it only made the heat rise up within me again. No. I thought. Not happening. The silence thickened between us. I stared at my wrist, the two puncture marks easily visible.

"Do you need more proof?" Elijah inquired, sounding smug.

"I think I'm sufficiently convinced." Came my soft reply. "You're a vampire. But that doesn't mean that I am in fact a doppleganger. Like I said, I'm not related to Jenna and Jeremy."

"That is true. Despite the fact that they are your family. However your appearance is as the other dopplegangers and I have checked into your genetic history to confirm this." I just looked at him while I contemplated something.

"Do you know why Jenna and Jemremy don't recognise me?"

"Yes. They've been compelled to not remember you. I can't say if this has been done by the individual who wishes to sacrifice you. But whomever it was they are very powerful. The fact is, it was most probably done to alienate you, so that you could be accessed with less drama when the time came. Which means that the individual who wants to release his binds knows where you are."

"What is compelled?"

"Compulsion. It's an ability vampires have, where we can enforce mind control upon people. Used to get them to comply with our wishes."

"Huh."

"Please. Allow me to heal the bite."

"Heal the bite? You can do that?" He nodded.

"Uh, I don't know." I said warily, avoiding eye contact.

Elijah closed the space between us and I couldn't help but stiffen when his leg brushed my own.

"Here." I finally turned to look at him as he bit into his wrist. As he pulled it away from his mouth I saw his blood seep out of wounds identical to those on my own wrist. He directed his wrist up towards my mouth.

"Drink." What? I thought. He wanted me to drink his blood. Nuh-uh. No way.

"What? No. No, I'll just heal like I normally would." I said standing up.

"Come on. If not to heal you, then to show you a perk of vampirism. We're not as we've been stereotyped."

"No, thank you." I stepped away from him but he grabbed me and manoeuvred me back down onto my bed. I tried to wriggle out of his grasp and away from his imposing wrist. With an arm around my waist holding my back to him, he brought his bleeding wrist around in front of my face. "No! Don't!" I struggled in his hold slipping down his body a little and my head became wedged between his sternum and his wrist. My complaints muffled as I felt the sticky warmth and smelt the tang of his blood. Blood coated my lips but I kept them tightly pressed together, not wanting to let one drop of blood past. The aroma filled my nostrils and I felt it weave it's way from my nose to my mouth. Lingering on my taste buds, as if I'd already swallowed some. The flavour indescribable and moorish. My senses ignited, causing me to feel Elijah's body tenfold and his warm breath over my collar bone. Each exhale spread sensitively over the top of my breasts where the low cut material left my skin bare. Tentatively I let Elijah's blood slip in through my parting lips, the flavour dancing on my tongue. I moaned softly and drew more blood into my mouth. Heat warmed my body again as thick sweetness slid down my throat. I took hold of Elijah's forearm and pressed his wound harder to my mouth and continued to drink. Elijah rumbled in his chest again, and I felt his lips on my cheek, then trailing down over my jaw to kiss along my neck. I arched my back and he removed his wrist from my mouth, letting it trail down my right side. Moist heat gathered in my panties, as his light kisses moved up my neck and over my chin before claiming my mouth. The kiss was tender and gentle, yet thorough and I turned my body into him to kiss him back more easily, my breathing heavier. My hands found the back of his neck as his arms encircled my waist.

Coming to my senses I pushed at his chest, breaking our kiss. Elijah looked at me hesitantly as if judging what I might do. Flustered, embarrassed and angry with myself I managed to get clear of him, finally standing in shock before him.

"What the, hell?" I turned away from him and moved to the window and stared out. Tucking loose strands of hair behind my ears. I was on edge, I didn't understand what was going on. I'd felt out of control when he drank from me and when I drank from him. I drank his blood. His blood tasted like nothing I'd ever known, but I'd still drunk blood. The idea of it sickened me. Looking down at my healed wrist I couldn't help but be amazed as well. I turned back to face Elijah before sitting on my window seat. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." He said smugly.

"You're doing something. Because this, what just happened. Is not me. And that's the second time."

"It is our connection, and my dilemma. How ordinarily I would end the lives of previous dopplegangers. I can't bring myself to repeat that with you." I stared at him, confused. "We share a connection Elena. You and I are, for lack of a better term soul mates. Right now this is a lot for you to accept. But believe me. It was as unexpected for I as it is for you. The problem in this is that I can't bring myself to kill you. Many times I have been told that love is a vampire's greatest weakness." His tone solemn. "But the love you have for your family is so strong. And I don't view your affect on me as a weakness." I had to look away, his eyes were filled with so much honesty and I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it.

"You know. I don't have any objections to you killing me. I wont fight you. If it means that I can end the line of dopplegangers, and prevent the world from ever dealing with the supernatural should he still manage to sacrifice me. At least I'll have done something with my life."

"No." He smiled. "I wont be killing you Elena. You can't deny that magnetic attraction between us earlier. That is why you'll be coming to live with me. I can keep you safe, and have you by my side. Someday you'll succumb to the pull between us. But you are not anyone but your stubborn self." He smiled, apparently finding my stubborn nature attractive. "You'll fight it all the way no doubt. The walls you've erected, and the fact that you don't let anyone in or allow yourself to acknowledge your raw emotions, means you could keep all your feelings toward me at a distance. Though it burns you inside. It's evident in your eyes. That's a war you won't win I'm afraid. Something is going to give at some point " How does he know how I felt when I saw him earlier? I thought biting my lip. I couldn't help my heart beat speeding up.

"Huh. You've got quite the imagination Elijah. Too bad none of it's true." I stated keeping my voice level to not attract attention to the fear inside. How on earth can he read so much into what I felt? "But you think what you want. I'm sure your ego will thrive on your self flattery." Elijah Chuckled.

"It's not all self flattery you know." He stood up from my bed and slowly moved over to me. "I'm not affected so by just anyone. What you do to me, is astounding. I've never felt anything close to it before. And that has great meaning for a vampire who's experienced many wondrous things in his life." I found myself staying seated as he approached. Maintaining eye contact as I allowed his latest words to sink in. It was true, that he would have seen a lot, and met a lot of women. Yet I was something special. I saw my reflection in his eyes. The dim glow from my bedside lamp throwing soft light upon my features. Elijah reached out to tuck another stray length of hair behind my ear. I managed to keep my gaze hard, not giving anything away. They were only words. Not that I believed actions spoke louder than words. I just didn't want to believe anything. Especially that I was someone special. I didn't want to feel how I felt towards Elijah earlier, nor be the cause of how he felt towards me. It was such a ridiculous situation.

I just wanted him to kill me. If that's the way the other dopplegangers had gone, then I was okay with that. I couldn't ignore the goosebumps that ghosted my skin when his finger lightly brushed against the back of my ear. It was hardly a touch. But it still affected me and I did not want to feel this. Softly I cleared my throat.

"I don't know why, despite whatever you say. But whatever, that was, it's just-. There's no meaningful connection or anything. That was purely physical. I don't know why it happened. I didn't chose to-."

"Find me so pleasurable?" He interrupted. A smile on his face.

"What? No. This is ridiculous." I ran for the door out of my room again, but ran into Elijah's chest again. "Must you be so close?"

"Does it bother you?" He enquired, backing me towards the window.

"Yes. It does." I moved backwards quicker than he was moving forwards but he kept up with me. I sped up more again, but was running out of room. Soon my back was up against the wall with Elijah flush against my front. "Only because what you feel when I'm close scares you."

"Move. Please. Give me some space." Elijah leaned in as if to kiss me. His mouth came so very close. Stopping centre metres away. I couldn't help the feeling of disappointment when he didn't kiss me. Why? Why am I disappointed? I don't want to be. It's a good thing that he didn't kiss me again.

"You don't really want that." He whispered huskily. "You just don't want to admit it. You shouldn't torture yourself so. Denying something so right. But then you wouldn't be you." He looked at me adoringly and my stomach dropped. I had to admit no guys I'd dated in the past had looked at me like Elijah was. "My senses are heightened as a vampire. I can smell what I'm doing to you sweetheart." My eyes went wide. He wasn't referring to-. Was he? Major invasion of privacy! He moved away then. "So. Is there anything in particular you wish to bring with you?" He gestured around my room.

"Excuse me? I'm not going to live with you." He turned back to me then, coming in close again.

"I anticipated you would fight me on my proposal. But it's your only option." I looked at him pointedly. But he was serious.

"I'd like to see you get me out of my house without drawing any attention." I challenged, knowing he was stronger, faster. Everything was more. But I was going to fight him all the way.

"If you're thinking of attracting attention to yourself as we leave. You'll be disheartened to know that you won't be in a state to do so."

"What? A big bad vampire like yourself, is going to resort to drugging a practically defenceless human?" I made a taunting face at him. He chuckled.

"No, Elena. I wont be drugging you. Final call. Anything you'd like to bring with you?" He placed his right hand on my waist and I tried sidestepping away from him and the wall, but his left hand on the other side of my waist prevented me from doing so. I pounded my fists against his chest but he wouldn't budge.

"Stop touching me." I said. Serious as I've ever been.


"No? Alright then. We'd better be going." I stiffened as he moved his right hand up to the back of my neck then. Guiding his hand between my skin and my hair. The action exposing my throat. He bowed his head and leaned into my neck, his fangs gently piercing my skin. As soon as he started to drink it was as if I was on fire again. The flow of blood within my body seemed to rise up, eager to be claimed by Elijah's mouth. And his soft lips that trailed tender kisses on my neck not five minutes ago. I thought as I arched my back, thrusting my chest into him and moaning. Eyes closed as I savoured the intoxicating aura consuming me and sagged into Elijah's embrace. Faintly, I sensed being laid down on what I assumed was my bed. His own pleasured sounds mixing with my soft moans. It wasn't long before I fell into darkness.