So excited for this chapter!
Y'all's reviews were again, awesome! And to the ones that Pm'd me, thank you! It made me so happy :)
Anyway, hope y'all like this chapter!
Delena finally meet in the present, and it doesn't go the way you'd expect ;)
Present Day
Elena loved the farmer's market that took place in the square once a week, but on the last market of each month, like this one, everything was brought out to sell.
Today, everything from the latest harvest to hand crafted carpentry was set up in booths all around the square.
It was even bigger this year, thanks to the comet.
It had been this huge week long event as the comet of Aurora Borealis had passed into their hemisphere for the first time in nearly half a century.
On Saturday night, when the comet finally touched the moon's apex, the sky is supposed to fill with colors rivaling the northern lights, and it was apparently a pretty big deal.
They'd done an entire paper over it in her science class last week.
The influence of the Aurora Borealis was evident to Elena, as she walked around with Jenna, who was more interested in restocking their vegetables, than visiting the booths centered around a burning rock in the sky.
But her mind was peaked, especially after today's events, and she soon excused herself from Jenna's side, to look around more freely.
She noticed paintings, and meteor rock collections, but passed them by.
She did the same with a booth selling purses, and another with a flake gypsy woman giving palm readings.
Toward the end though, she found a booth ran each month by Alaric Saltzman, and paused.
Her favorite history teacher was known for selling books on a seasonal rotation, but today, even his selections were a little more focused.
She picked up a corner book on comets and flipped through it as Mr. Saltzman talked to an older woman in the distance.
The book was rather generic, and she traded it back for a different one.
This one was about rare stones.
Curiously, she reached up and felt her necklace.
She wasn't really sure what the amulet was, though she doubted it was in this book.
Idly, she wondered if maybe Mr. Saltzman would know.
She placed the book back, and waiting for him to return.
It didn't take long.
"Miss. Gilbert," he addressed, "My favorite student."
She smiled, "Mr. Saltzman, my favorite historian."
He chucked sitting down in his fold out chair, "What can I do for you, Elena?"
She motioned to the chair next to him, "May I?"
He nodded, and she moved around the table set up, to take her seat.
"I have a question about this," she told him, skipping the pretenses, as she removed her necklace.
She put it into his outstretched palm.
"I've had it for years...since birth, actually, but I have no clue where it came from, or what it's made of."
Curiously, he examined it.
Her neck felt bare without it, but she wanted answers, and Mr. Saltzman was a brilliant man when it came to history and artifacts.
His face scrunched in concentration as he turned the necklace over.
"You don't remember where you got it?" He asked.
She shook her head, "I was adopted. The necklace was with me when my parents brought me home."
"Interesting," Mr. Saltzman mused, before letting out a laugh, "You know, it's crazy, but I'd guess that this is an almost perfect replica of a piece of the royal treasury from the 15th century, but that stone was diamond. This is more accurate to a ruby."
A chill shot down Elena's spine, "I found this today."
Pulling out her phone, she quickly googled the queen of Aurelia painting, Lillian Salvatore.
The same picture from earlier popped up.
"There," she showed him, "It looks the same to me."
Mr. Saltzman glanced at the photo, then at her necklace.
"It appears so," he agreed, "That's very curious. Have you had the necklace appraised?"
She shook her head, "Until today, I thought it was just a family heirloom or something."
He nodded, handing the necklace back to her, "If I were you, I'd look into it," he told her, "George Lockwood, over at the antique shop, might be able to help you. He worked for an auction house in Richmond a few years back."
She nodded, standing, "Thanks, Mr. Saltzman."
"Anytime."
Elena walked back out to the street, looking around for Jenna.
When she spotted her talking to a man over onions, she smiled and started toward Lockwood Antiques.
Damon had never been a fan of patience.
It meant restraint; control, and he hated both.
However, in certain cases it was necessary.
And he'd shown more patience this week than ever before.
For her.
He kept an eye on her now as she slipped across the road, toward a string of shops.
The streets were busy, she was alone, and Stefan was nowhere in sight.
Perhaps now, he could finally make his move.
He needed to do it soon.
Time was ticking after all, and the comet of Aurora Borealis didn't pass Earth very often.
Let alone line up in a string of celestial events for him to draw power from.
No, this was his one chance, and he wouldn't miss it.
Quietly, he weaved through the crowd of people, following Elena's path to an old antique shop.
He walked inside, a little bell jingling as he entered.
The shop was a fair size, with shelves of random knick knacks taking up most of the front space, the objects getting larger as he walked further back.
There was no one behind the register, where Elena was patiently waiting, fingering the necklace at her throat.
He was as curious about it as she had been, because if memory served him, she was wearing the thing the night they burned.
It should have been turned to ash, yet there it was, right in place on her beautiful neck.
He stayed hidden behind the closest shelf, feigning an interest in a pen set as she began to tap her foot.
After a moment, she seemed to give up waiting, and began looking around.
He followed behind her as she moved from a Victorian Era table to the very back of the shop, where she found a crystal butterfly wind chime. He smiled as her long delicate fingers reached up to brush the metal rods together, sending a trickle of music throughout the shop.
He stepped closer, running his eyes over her body, before finally calling attention to himself, "You know, the average butterfly lives less than two weeks after it's transition."
She smiled, still transfixed with the instrument.
"Live fast, die young," she quoted, "They're the rock stars of the insect world."
He smirked, "Something like that."
She looked back at him, and at last, he got to dive into those chocolate irises.
He didn't expect them to grow in confusion.
"You," she whispered, swallowing.
He cocked his head, "Sorry?"
She blinked up at him, "Who are you?"
He didn't understand the look she gave him, or the emotions radiating from her.
"My name is-""
"Damon..." she breathed in deeply, surprising him, "Not to be weird or anything, but I...I think I had a dream about you."
She blushed a beautiful scarlet, "God, I'm sorry. I'm uh, it's just uncanny. You look exactly like-" she shook her head, "I'm sure it's my imagination, forget I said anything."
She was embarrassed.
He couldn't help but laugh, "Don't worry, Elena. I've dreamed of you too."
She stopped fidgeting then, and held his gaze, "You know my name?"
He stepped closer to her, "I know a lot about you."
"Because of the dreams?" She asked, hesitantly, almost as if in a trance.
He could almost hear her heartbeat speed up, as he took a step closer to her.
He smiled, "You could say that."
She swallowed, her eyes never leaving his, "And what happens in your dreams?"
He couldn't stop himself this time.
His control had been pushed beyond its limit already.
She was his, and he'd been without her for too long.
He reached out, pulling her into his arms.
She let out a gasp at the contact, and he lifted her chin.
Then his mouth was on hers and everything else disappeared.
Elena couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.
The man she'd dreamt of all week, was real, and he was kissing her.
She froze the second their lips touched, petrified.
But the moment he squeezed her body against his chest, kissing her deeply, something changed.
Like his touch was a fire on her skin, and she needed him like the air she breathed.
She kissed him back in a frenzy.
Emotions she'd never experienced before flooded her heart, and she wanted him closer.
Her arms wrapped around his neck, and he picked her up, his hands cupping her ass through her jeans.
She wasn't sure what he sat her on, but it was sturdy and solid, so she didn't care.
His tongue shot across her mouth as his hand dug itself into her hair, fisting it.
She responded eagerly, her hands trailing through his hair, then down his hard chest, nails scraping.
This seemed to encourage him, as his arm wrapped around her back, bringing her torso against his, and her knees braced against his hips as they ground into her.
Her sense of reality was gone; it felt like the world was exploding around her.
All she could feel was him.
All she could taste was his breath, new yet achingly familiar.
And it wasn't nearly enough.
A strange sensation tickled her throat, and she realized her necklace had heated against her skin, as if drawing warmth from their passion.
"Elena," he purred across her cheek, "My darling, Elena."
She met his eyes, just a flash, and expected to wake up again.
But this time was different, she felt it in her bones.
This time was real.
Shit.
She pulled away from him, untangling herself, needing distance between their bodies.
Once he allowed her that, the urgency lessened, she took a breath, and came to her senses.
What was she doing?
This man was a complete stranger, and she'd practically been having sex with him on an old oak table, in a public pawn shop, in the middle of the day, during the end of the month farmer's market.
And she had a boyfriend!
Holy shit.
What was she doing?!
She stared back up at her dream man, meeting his waiting expression.
"You can't...you can't just go around kissing strangers!" She scolded, catching her breath.
"You and I both know that you aren't just some stranger," he convicted.
"Actually no," she corrected, "I don't know. I don't know that, and I don't know you, and this is probably a psychotic breakdown. You're a manifestation of my dreams, I clearly should have gotten more sleep, or studied less for that math quiz, or-"
His hand touched her face, silencing her.
"Elena," he spoke her name with reverence, "This isn't a dream and this isn't a hallucination. We are very real."
She swallowed, "No...no, this has to be something, it has to be a...maybe it's just...," she couldn't think of anything rational.
So, instead, she asked, "Why have I been dreaming about you?"
At that moment, a couple of women walked next to them, coming to check out the merchandise.
Elena blushed, instinctively straightening herself, and ran a hand through her hair.
"Not here," he told her quietly, "Will you meet me?"
She blinked, still praying this was all just a very real, very elaborate dream, "Where?"
"The ruins of Aurelia's castle, you know them?"
She nodded.
"Meet me there tonight, at ten."
She swallowed, "Because meeting a stranger in the woods, alone, after dark, is so safe."
He smiled, making his face even more heartbreakingly beautiful, "As I said, we are hardly strangers, Elena. I'll explain everything tonight."
Her heartbeat sped, "And if I decide not to show up?"
His eyes flashed, but his answer was calm, as he lifted his fingers to her chin, "You will come. I know you, and you always choose the second option."
She wasn't sure what that meant, but she didn't have time to question it.
Jenna had entered the shop and was calling her name.
The man smirked, his hand dropping, "My beautiful Eleniana, I shall see you tonight."
Woo! Finally, they met again!
What did you think?
Was it what you expected? ;)
And will she meet him at the ruins?
Take note of a few things in this chapter, like the necklace and Elena's emotional reaction to Damon ;)
And the "second option" hint lol.
Your welcome! :)