All The Kings Men

Astra couldn't drop the grin that touched her lips as she floored her red Camaro down the dirt roads that led to her home, Elijah having sent her to snoop on the wolves. She was enjoying herself far too much for a job. When she reached the town limits she let the car slow down until she was under the speed limit, her broad smile calming when the buildings came into view. Now, to sniff out a dog.

Parking her car in the lot of warlock's apartment building, she moved on foot from the moment, keeping her nose keen for wolf stench. That, and the brothers. Her heeled boots tapped the ground as she strutted down the street, unable to control her good mood. After she had gone off the night before and let the weight off her chest she was finally able to calm down and just enjoy her eternal life.

Her body froze when a stench of mould and wet fur passed her sense of smell, making her to nearly gag, and she quickly looked back to see a jeep turning a corner. Turning her direction, she crossed the street quickly, waving to a man in a car that slowed down for her. She resumed her walk down the street toward the corner, following the stink that hung in the air.

"Don't approach any yet, just watch to make sure that there's not going to be problems." That was what Elijah had told her before they went their separate ways in separate vehicles. Turning the corner, she was pleased to see that the jeep had parked and she didn't have to follow after her too far. She didn't need to destroy her boots by walking all day just to find a nasty dog.

She could see when a group of school boys turned in her direction, grinning like fools as they look her over. Astra smiled to them teasingly as she walked past, knowing that Elijah's hate for her outfit was paying through. She had decided to wear a skin tight pair of skinny jeans, knee high leather boots and a blood red halter top with a short leather jacket over top. The jacket was pushed up to her elbows, exposing metal bracelets and worn black leather bands. She had decided to go with attitude that day. Her earrings were all in as well—all eight holes filled with studs and hoops.

She had followed Elijah's style for a while now, understanding that he had a reputation and needed to dress professional—but she didn't want to look like a lawyer walking through town. She needed to blend and converting herself to look more like a young adult or teenager instead of a vampire over 1500 years old. Besides, she enjoyed playing with her maker so much.

It was just a bit after twelve and people were out and about, providing her with lots of cover should she need to suddenly disappear without followers.

"Not from around here, are you?" One of the guys asked as he rushed up to her side, grinning still. Astra smiled back as she tucked her hands into her jacket pockets.

"Nah, just visiting," She answered, slowing down her pace so he could keep it.

"You staying long?"

Astra grinned, looking more feral than she had intended and pulled her left hand from her pocket, showing the engagement and wedding ring that adorned her forth finger. She watched as the boy's face paled and couldn't control her amused snort, turning to walk away once more. Oh, how she wished she could have seen the look on Elijah's face if he had seen the boy hitting on her. She would have paid to watch that.

She crossed the street a second time and stepped into a joint called The Grill, wincing at the stink that hung thick in the air. It was so much worse when it was in an enclosed building. She had Elijah help her to enhance her already strong senses to certain things—wolf stink one of them—and it was times such as this that she regretted doing so.

Stepping up to the bar, she made sure to choose a seat close to her so she didn't end up walking past the bitch. She could pinpoint who the stink was coming from and could tell just by the sight of her that she was going to have fun screwing with this one. But for the time being she was left with just watching and observing. Sitting at the bar, she shot the bartender an innocent glance, drawing him forward.

"Is it too early for a Mojito?" She asked curiously, causing the man to smile.

"Never too early, Miss…"

"Missus," She corrected, "Smith," she introduced, holding out her hand. He laughed good naturally, looking at the rings on her left hand as she held it out to him. He shook, but didn't give a name in return. Instead, he turned away and began to make her drink. She took a moment to admire his butt before a scent suddenly had her freezing in her seat. Her blood felt like ice in her veins and every bone joint locked in place. Looking over her shoulder, her jaw locked as she scanned the bar, her heartbeat began to increase.

The dark haired male across the bar made her want to flee more than she ever had before, her body quivering a moment as she looked over his face. The same dark hair, light blue eyes and perfect bone structure that had haunted her for over a hundred years.

Damon Salvatore.

"Fuck," She growled to herself, turning forward again. There went her good mood. Pulling her phone from her back pocket at the same moment her drink was placed in front of her, she grinned her thanks to the bartender, meeting his eyes.

"Whoa," He mumbled, leaning forward slightly, "Wicked eyes. Contacts?"

"Nope, I'm just abnormal," She replied, tossing a half-hearted smirk to him before she hit Elijah's number and held the phone to her ear, watching the bartender walk away. Her face immediately darkened once he had turned away as she listen to the ringing in her ear.

"Dear, what can I help you with?"

Damn, I forgot about Mrs. Lockwood, Astra thought quietly, wincing the slightest bit.

"Tall, dark and cheating is sitting on the other side of the bar I'm in and the mutt is just a couple yards closer," She replied irritably into the phone. She didn't know how she was going to talk to him while he was in the presence of the Mayor's widowed wife.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, love, I'll see you after work," Elijah replied, his voice as calm as ever. Translation: Don't worry about the Salvatore, do your job and report back later.

"Right, have fun with the vervained bloodbag, husband," Astra teased, knowing that Elijah couldn't respond as he usually would have in the past.

"Goodbye, Astraea."

Astra hit the end key on her phone and slipped it back into her pocket, taking her drink in hand as she focused her hearing on the wolf across the bar from her.

For most of the time she was there the she wolf was alone, until a guy she had seen with Damon walked up and began talking to her, flirting with her. Even she could tell that he was acting, but she had to admit that for most people he was doing very well at acting as he was. She grinned to herself, drinking down the last of her Mojito and calling the bartender over.

"Hey, is this guy bothering you?"

The new voice caused Astra's throat to tighten and dry out, and not because of the alcohol that she had consumed. It was harder than she had thought it would be, hearing his voice again. All the times that he had whispered loving phrases and compliments in her ear, his lips brushing her skin as he did so—it was hard not to think of those things. She felt her eye prick with tears, but they were not sadness. They were anger and hate.

She hated Damon Salvatore.

He stole her heart, treating it as a treasured jewel for so long, before he suddenly crushed it like glass in his palm. She hated his cheating, lying, weak ass more than she could ever have imagined. And she knew that if there was a chance, she'd probably forgive him. And for that soul reason she hated herself and her cursed loving nature.

A buzz in her pocket pulled her from her angered thoughts and she quickly pulled the device from the jean, looking at the screen for a moment before hitting accept and placing it to her hear.

"Hello, my love, how's the meeting?"

"I'm meeting with Elena Gilbert's aunt in a couple of minutes at her home. I'm going to meet you outside Jonas' apartment and we can take my truck," Elijah answered easily. Astra cast a glance over to where the she wolf sat, Damon's back to her as he flirted with the mutt. The elder male had already left and was sitting back where he and Damon had been before. "Leave the wolf, I'll meet you at your car."

"Yea," She mumbled back, her eyes scanning over Damon's leather clad back and dark hair.

"How are you fairing?" Elijah asked after a brief pause. Astra couldn't help but to smile at his thoughtful nature toward her, looking away from the brother and beginning to rise from her seat.

"I'll be fine when I see you again, you and your wonderful shoulder," She teased, dropping a twenty on the counter, winking to the bartender as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow, before she looked over to the werewolf across the bar one last time. Their eyes met over Damon's shoulder and Astra knew that if she was truly a dog, her hackles would be up and she'd be snarling at her with fangs bared.

"Astra," Elijah started warningly. She had always teased him about how he was her support beam and his shoulder was hers to cry or lean on.

"Bye bye, love," She chirped into the phone before hanging up and sliding it back into her pocket. Turning to leave, she jumped when she nearly ran into Damon's partner in crime. "Oh!" She gasped loudly, switching to her roman accent a moment before correcting herself. "I'm so sorry, I nearly ran right into you," She laughed good naturedly, smiling to him. He smiled back easily; completely unaware of whom it was that he had just run into.

"That's alright, no harm done."

"Right, sorry to apologize and run but my husband's waiting for me. Vale." She quickly strode past time with one last smile, her heels tapping the wooden floors as she walked. She was quick to get back to her car, night having finally fallen over Mystic Falls, as the darkness surrounded her. She was confortable in the darkness. After all, she was the worst thing out there.

Elijah was waiting with his truck parked next to her small car, standing and waiting for her. Astra couldn't help the pleasurable tightening in her gut when she saw him leaning against the truck, dressed in full black with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. She raised an eyebrow as she marvelled his stance, tilting her head just slightly to the side as she let a pleased smirk grace her lips.

"Yummy," She said in a sultry voice, only loud enough for him to hear. Elijah looked over to her with a calm and patient look on his features. The upward tilt to the corner of his lips caused her heart to pound faster and she strode up to him, taking a hold of the collar of his black coat and pulled him down the inch that separated them, biting at his bottom lip in the process. Elijah growled in turn, one of his hands moving to her back and pulling her against him, his fingertips digging into her flesh.

Elijah pushed her back up against the truck, any more force and he would have dented the metal, and began to devour her mouth. Astra smiled a feral smile as she snapped her teeth on the inside of his lip, splitting it and letting his blood well to the surface. Elijah's eyes turned red as she watched the chocolate shade of his iris soon surrounded by the bloody colour.

"Please stop that outside my building." When Jonas' voice carried over to the pair Astra pulled herself away from Elijah and laughed whole heartedly, looking over to where Jonas was preparing to enter the building. Elijah took a moment to school his features before he turned to face the warlock.

"Come on, we'll be late," Astra interrupted, licking at Elijah's blood on her lips. She savoured the amazing tang of his blood as she moved over to the passenger door, feeling his fingers slide along her lower back as he moved past her to walk around the front of the truck to get to the driver's side. They were soon pulling out of the lot as Jonas disappeared inside the building, not casting them a second glance.

"So, we're going to the aunt?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes, Jenna Sommers. Her sister, Elena Gilbert's mother, had much information on the town apparently and she's been asked to see me so I can acquire when I need for my novel." Astra nodded along as he spoke, spinning the ring on her finger absentmindedly. "She's aware that my wife is coming as well, if she asks about anything you work with me to keep information in check, a kind of partner."

"This just keeps getting better—we're married and I work for you," Astra laughed, leaning her elbow against the door as she looked over to him with mock mirth.

"You do work for me, Astra," Elijah countered, causing the blond at his side to scoff. "Voluntarily," He added after a moment, causing her to grin in accomplishment. She knew that most people that were "helping" Elijah were there because he had bribed them in some way, even though he avoiding blackmailing and threatening he was very manipulative when he wanted to be. She had been there for long enough that he knew he couldn't do such a thing so they came to an agreement to be "partners".

"And Elena?"

"I wish to speak with her tonight as soon as we are able to access her home. But, aside from the Gilbert, what happened with the wolf?"

"Damon Salvatore was interrogating her when you called me out. They're up to something and I fear they're barking up the wrong tree. The she wolf is experienced, she was able to scent me across the bar," Astra answered, leaning more heavily against her seat.

"…And the Salvatore?"

"Might end up with a tombstone above him and only dirt separating the two if he doesn't learn that vampires actually can die," She answered easily.

"I can't," He announced, "Not permanently. Even with the silver dagger and white oak ash I come back to life once it is removed. All because I'm-"

"A special vampire?" She mocked, using the words that he had said to Rose's little friend against him. His lip twitched into a light grin at her words. "Well, I'm a special vampire too, and I can die," She mumbled, looking out at the passing street lamps, leaving dots in her vision.

"That hasn't been proven."

"I don't want you to test it," She snapped quickly, causing him to chuckle. She growled low when she realized that he had been yanking her chain, irritating her to no end.

Thanks to those who reviewed, it's great to hear from you! I've got move exams tomorrow so I'm popping this chapter up to tide you over. Ever since the show started back up I've been in a bit of a writing kick so the chapters might be flowing a bit fast for a short while. Depends on how busy I am with the upcoming new semester.