Disclaimer: I only own my OCs
A/N: Not gonna lie, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I've also started exploring themes that will be quite important too. I just hope that it didn't get too dark! But it felt like it was a good step in getting the Alexa and Damon relationship on the path it is supposed to. Plus, it's always fun writing Dark Damon haha!
Silence.
The screams faded into nothing.
Only the crackling of the fire filled the air.
I could barely breath. Whatever paralysis had taken over my body prevented my sobs from forming. Tears streaked down my cheeks and my breath trembled. I couldn't move. I just stood there, waiting for death to come.
And it arrived in the form of Damon Salvatore.
He sauntered over, blood staining his lips. My friend's blood. The v… Damon stood in front of me and cooed mockingly as he wiped away my tears. His eyes were cold, like ice. There was none of the warmth that I had come to expect. The man that I had grown close to had gone, leaving this unrecognisable being in front of me. My heart thudded beneath my chest and Damon laughed, showing a hint of fang.
I think I stopped breathing.
My life flashed before my eyes and I regretted all my mistakes. My fight with Tyler. All those petty arguments with my siblings. Not telling Luke how I felt. I had wasted my life and now it was about to end.
Vampires weren't supposed to exist. They were just supposed to be a scary story. One that my dad used to tell us when we were younger. Monsters in horror films. But the monster stood in front of me, his hands on my neck.
"Now," Damon's smirk was sharp and cut through my panic like a knife through melted butter. "If I let you go, are you going to be a good girl and stay here while I burn the bodies?"
Let me go?
I wasn't going to die?
I looked at him earnestly, trying to show that he could trust me not to run away. While in my head, I plotted the best route out. The car behind me was the obvious choice. I had no idea if he would catch me if I ran. Hollywood had so many versions of vampires, I just didn't know what was true.
Damon stepped back and all of a sudden, I could move. I gasped in a deep breath of air and collapsed to my knees. My hands shook as I gasped in breath after breath. Just breath Alexa. You need to breathe if you want to live.
The vampire turned his back to me and made his way to the bodies. But not before he grabbed the keys from the car. My eyes closed as my heart sank in despair. That was my one chance. What would I do know? How could I get away now? Running was my only option.
Gritting my teeth, I opened my eyes and tried to control my breathing. Damon had his back to me. There was a bottle of vodka in his hands and he was taking swigs in between pouring it on the first body. Oh Tony, I'm so sorry.
I clenched my fist, fingers digging into the dirt and leaves. Come on Alexa, you need to do this now. With all my strength, I propelled myself up and ran. Step after step, I forced myself to keep moving. But it was hopeless.
I had barely made it to the edge of the clearing when Damon appeared in front of me. A strangled scream forced itself from my mouth as I scrambled to turn around, slipping in the mud. But I didn't even make it a step. A strong hand grasped my arm and pulled me backward, my back slamming into a tree behind me. The breath was forced from my lungs as a cold hand tangled itself in my hair and pulled my head to the side.
My neck was exposed to the monster.
I could feel his cool breath against my neck and let out a sob. I didn't want to die like this. I wanted to live. Please, someone, don't let me die. Damon's fangs scrapped against my neck and my heart stopped. I finally knew what I had felt all those days ago when I had first met Damon. He would have killed me then and he's going to kill me now.
But Damon surprised me.
He pressed a kiss to my neck, right above my racing pulse. He used the grip on my hair to pull my head upright and I was forced to look the vampire in the eye.
"You're more useful to me alive," he smirked, his face covered in shadow. "For now."
His iron grip returned to my arm and he dragged me behind him as he returned to the fireside. I tried to resist, digging my heels into the ground. But his strength outmatched mine. Even when I managed to grab onto a branch, he yanked me forward. He almost dislocated my shoulder at one point. Even I knew it was pointless to fight then.
The sight of my dead friends had me tearing up again. It was all my fault. I should have done something, warned them in some way. But I was too weak. And they were killed because of it.
Damon deposited me at the edge of the campsite, but not before grabbing my chin and forcing me to look him in the eyes, "If you try to run again, you won't like the consequences."
I nodded and mumbled a faint "yes" before the vampire returned to his previous task. The moment he moved away, I collapsed to my knees, my strength deserting me. I wrapped my arms around my body, holding myself together. Barely.
I watched through blurred eyes as Damon searched each body before pouring alcohol on them. It was the casual indifference, the lack of care, that hurt me more. They were nothing to him. He got what he wanted and was discarding them.
He found a phone on Curtis' body and started dialling. A part of me wondered who he was calling but the rest was just numb. Why would it even matter? I would be lucky to survive til dawn.
Whoever it was must have picked up as Damon immediately started demanding, "I want my ring."
I filed away it away to be focussed on later, if I survived that long. Damon had finished pouring the vodka on Michelle's body and had grabbed a stick from the fire. Oh god, he was going to burn them.
The smell of burning flesh turned my stomach. Oh god. I pulled my hoodie up to cover my nose, uncaring that it only exposed more skin.
I distantly heard Damon's snarky reply, "I'm at the sizzle. I had the buffet. Where's my ring?"
He was so casual about killing my friends. They were burning right now and he was so dismissive. That pierced through the numbness, a deep anger. I dug my fingers into the ground, steadying myself.
A hand grabbed my arm and pulled me upwards. My back hit a tree and I reluctantly looked up at Damon. His frown had deepened and that deep, instinctual fear screamed at me to run. The anger simmering under Damon's sarcastic façade had me tensing.
"No, what have you done?" Damon's tone was sharp. "You're the one who locked me in the basement and starved me, so whatever I've done; whoever I've sucked dry is on you, buddy."
Were there others? Did Damon kill more people before slaughtering my friends? And who was he talking to? Who had locked him up? Deep down, I probably knew the answer. But I just didn't want to admit it to myself. I couldn't take another hit like that.
I could barely breath. Everything was building up and I didn't know how to deal with it. My knees shook but the vampire next to me keep me pressed against the tree. It was his strength alone that stopped me from falling. He was stronger than me with just one hand. What could I do against him?
"I know how to cover my tracks, Stefan," Damon confirmed my worst fear. "Where's my ring?"
I definitely stopped breathing. Stefan knew. He knew what Damon was. He must have been the one to lock him up. And to be able to do that to Damon, oh god, Stefan must be a vampire too. I hoped so bad that he wasn't. That he just knew of ways to subdue vampires. But it made sense. So much sense.
Oh no.
He was probably with Elena. My sister was with a vampire and I couldn't help her. I would probably die before I would be able to save her. My vision swam and I sobbed out breath after breath. No no no no.
Damon's laugh only added to my panic, "Ah, you almost got me. Where is it?"
His fingers dug into my skin as he clearly didn't get the answer that he wanted. The sharp pain caused the tears to start falling again.
"What, did you FedEd it to Rome? Where is it?" the anger in his voice just made everything worse. "I want my ring, Stefan." And then it got even worse. Damon's cold eyes looked into mine and his smirk froze my heart. "And just to hurry you up, I've got someone here who wants to say hello."
The phone was held up against my ear as Damon ordered. "Say hello to Stefan."
"Stefan?" I stuttered out, desperately hoping that he could save me. Even though he was a vampire, Stefan was my only hope right now.
"Alexa?!" Stefan exclaimed. I had never heard him sound so scared. Damon took the phone away before Stefan could say anything else to me. But whatever it was, Damon's retort made my blood run cold.
"Don't give me another reason to rip you apart."
Damon released his grip and I turned to the side. I heaved into the bushes, bringing up everything I had consumed during the day. The acid burned my throat and I started crying again.
"Just get it. Oh, and Stefan, you've got one day. If I don't have my ring by tomorrow night, Alexa will die. After all, she doesn't have the same luxury that her sister has."
I'm surprised I didn't faint. It must have been some ancient survival instinct that stopped me. I felt Damon's eyes on me but I refused to look up. Every time I looked in his eyes, he gained control over me. I needed to be able to fight back. I couldn't die without trying something.
Coughing attracted both our attention.
Vicki was still alive. She groaned quietly, scrunching up her face in pain. Not only was I happy that she hadn't died, she had completely distracted Damon. He stalked over to her and crouched down, "You just don't wanna die, do you?"
If I didn't know better, I would say that he was admiring her for that. The vampire glanced at the burning bodies behind him before down at the bleeding girl on the floor. He had a look of consideration on his face before sighing. The vampire scooped Vicki up into his arms and disappeared from sight.
I lost a few valuable seconds through shock. I didn't expect him to do that. But now was my chance. I could escape and get to safety.
I staggered forward, one step at a time. Damnit Alexa, you need to move faster. I forced my body to move. Hope gave me energy. Damon still hadn't reappeared. Maybe he had forgotten about me. God I hoped he had.
I ran through the trees, ignoring the branches that scratched and whipped me. I just had to get to safety. I needed to be safe. I was so close; I could see the road through the trees.
But luck was not on my side.
A body blocked my path to freedom. It appeared to quickly for me to be able to stop. Instead, I collided with them. The strong body barely moved and iron hands gripped my arms.
"Now, that wasn't very clever, was it?"
Damon's voice made me sob. I was so close. The vampire tutted and adjusted his grip, lifting my feet from the floor.
We moved at a speed that I could barely comprehend. I had to close my eyes to stop myself from throwing up again. Reluctantly, I gripped tightly to Damon and held myself firm against him.
Even when we stopped, it took me a few seconds to regain my balance. My head spun and the nausea was still there. It took Damon coughing for me to realise that I was still tightly gripping him. I opened my eyes and staggered backwards.
While I had only glimpsed the interior, it was clearly the Salvatore Boarding House. Damon had deposited me just inside the front door. Behind him, I could see Vicki lying on the couch. It was hard to tell if she was still alive or not.
I must have drawn his attention back to her as Damon left my side and approached the bleeding girl. Sensing my opportunity, I quietly turned and tried the front door.
Locked.
It was never going to be that easy. If the front door was locked, it was a good assumption that all the rest would be locked. I just needed somewhere to hide until Stefan could save me. Especially since I could feel myself lagging. The evening had taken its toll on me. My body was heavy and exhaustion was creeping across my brain.
It was through sheer force of will that I made my body move. I crept down the hallway, praying that Vicki kept the vampire's attention. The stairs were a no-no, for now anyway. If I stayed on the ground floor, then I might be able to escape later.
Footsteps behind me had me panicking. I opened the first door I found and disappeared down the stairs. Oh great, a fucking basement. This just screamed creepy horror movie murder setting. But I couldn't go back now.
So I crept forward, taking the steps carefully, praying that none of them creaked. It seemed like luck was finally on my side. I got to the bottom without any noise. The lighting was gloomy, which didn't help my nerves. There was what looked like a prison cell ahead of me and I wondered just who these people were. Was this where Damon was locked up?
I was so focussed being quiet that I wasn't paying attention to what was in front of me. I fell forward, scrapping my hands across the cold, concrete floor. The grazes immediately began to well up with blood. But I didn't pay any attention to that.
It was a body.
I had fallen over a body.
Zach Salvatore. I had seen him around town and at Founder's events.
And now he was dead.
A scream built up in my throat and I savagely bit down on my arm to muffle it. His empty eyes stared at me, almost blaming me. I couldn't look away, even as I scrambled backwards.
"Ah, now this unfortunate."
I finally tore my gaze away from Zach Salvatore's unseeing eyes to see Damon stood at the bottom of the stairs. He stepped forward, not even caring that he kicked the body over.
"No," I sobbed, scrambling to my feet and moving further into the basement. "No. No. No. No."
Over my panicked 'no's, I heard a sigh and a strange noise. Before I could even blink, Damon was stood right in front of me. His hands cupped my face as he forced my head up. My eyes flickered up to his and he did that weird thing.
"Alexa, sleep."
The word went black.
XXX
The sun was shining on my face when I woke up. I scrunched up my eyes and buried my face in the satin covered pillow. Wait… satin?
My eyes shot open and I pushed myself up. This wasn't my bed; this wasn't my room. What the… oh shit. Memories of the night before flashed through my mind. Oh my god. My breathing picked up as my fingers curled around the satin sheets.
Vampires were real. Damon was a vampire. Stefan was a vampire. I was currently being held hostage by a vampire. For that's the only place that I could be right now, the Salvatore Boarding House. I didn't understand. Why were vampires real? They were just fictional monsters from the movies. It wasn't fair. Things were going so well recently. And now there were vampires.
I was so caught up in my panic that I didn't hear the door open.
"Well, well, look who's finally awake."
Damon's voice jolted me from my panic as I spun around to face him. He leant against the doorframe, carefully avoiding the beam of light from the partially open curtains. He looked like he normally did. There was no blood around his mouth, no fangs, no veins bulging beneath his eyes. He was dressed in a black shirt and it was almost ridiculous that he was a vampire, a monster in the night.
"St-stay away from me," I stuttered out as Damon began to approach. I scrambled backwards, nearly falling off the bed. But he kept moving forward. "Stay away!"
There were a couple of stacks of books near the bed, so I grabbed one and threw it at the approaching vampire. Of course, he caught it before it could hit him. And he just kept on coming. I scrambled back over the bed and bolted towards the door. But it was never going to work.
Damon had me in his arms before I could take more than 2 steps.
It never occurred to me to stay in the sunlight that he was oh so carefully avoiding. Panic had taken hold. The dam had burst and everything came flooding out.
"Let go!" I struggled and cried and begged, my breath came out in sobs and I just wanted to go home. My friends were dead, Vicki was probably dead too, I was stuck here and might end up dead with them. I wanted my sister.
Damon's grip was firm. His hands gripped my wrists and held my arms to my chest. My struggling did nothing and I only panicked more. My sobs turned into hiccups and oh god, I couldn't breathe. My chest was tight and it hurt. Everything hurt. My begging faded into whispers and I slumped backwards, resting against Damon's chest.
I was exhausted.
"There, isn't that better."
I couldn't muster any energy at Damon's voice to continue my panic. I was wiped out. My legs trembled and it was only the vampire's strong grip that kept me on my feet.
He walked us backwards and finally released me, carefully pushing me down onto the bed. I looked up at him through watery eyes. I didn't know what to do, I didn't want him to hurt me. But he was being so careful. Even last night, he didn't hurt me. I know he said something about being a bargaining chip to get his ring back from Stefan, but a part of me hoped, deep down, that the friendship that I had formed with him was real.
Damon disappeared before reappearing a few seconds later, a damp washcloth in his hands. I accepted the cloth and used it to clean my face. All of my makeup from the day before had come off during my crying and had dried on my cheeks. It was such a stupid thought but I couldn't help but think that I looked like such a mess. I used the opportunity to clean my hands as they were still slightly stained with mud from last night. Even my knees were dirty.
But as I cleaned my hands, I let out a hiss of pain. Ah, I had forgotten about that. The heels of my hands were grazed up from my fall earlier. And now they stung like a bitch from the water.
I glanced up to see Damon eyeing my carefully, a pensive look on his face. I didn't know what to make of that look, so I ignored it. Right now, I had to clean my grazes and hoped they didn't start bleeding. My gaze flickered to the open bathroom behind him. When the vampire didn't move from his spot in front of me, I gently eased myself up. My legs shook but I kept myself up through sheer stubbornness. Damon watched as I slowly shuffled around him and towards the large sink.
The silence unnerved me. At least when he was being sarcastic and growly and all 'vampirey' I knew what to expect. But I didn't know what to do with this silence. I didn't know whether I should stay silent. My fight or flight or freeze instincts were at war with each other. I wanted to run so bad but it was pointless. Damon had proven several times that he would just catch me before I could get far. And I didn't know the house well enough to find a quick escape route.
I gently cleaned the dirt from my grazes and ran it under warm water, keeping my total focus on the easy task. Luckily, the grazes weren't bad enough to need bandaging. Especially since I doubted a vampire would have any bandages in the house. Do they even need bandages? The movies always showed them with super-healing. But they were movies, so would that even be true? Although, I guess the same could be said for vampires in general.
After wasting as much as possible cleaning my grazes, I reluctantly turned around to face the vampire behind me. I don't know what Damon had been up to while I was busy, but the curtain had been closed completely and he was lounging on the bed.
"Finally," he rolled his eyes, standing up and walking over. My heartbeat picked up in pace again but I refused to allow any of it to show. I had to be strong now. Falling apart wasn't going to help me.
Damon grabbed my arm and tugged me from the room. As he led me through the house, I couldn't help but admire it. It had this ancient vibe and all of the various knick-knacks just added to that. Bookcases lined some of the walls, all the titles unfamiliar. But they looked old. Cabinets filled with various trophies and portraits showed the history of the family. Part of me wondered if this was the house that Damon grew up in. If his childhood was spent running around these walls.
As we went down the stairs, I got a good view of the parlour. And of Vicki Donovan lying down on one of the sofas. I could see her chest moving up and down and relief filled me. I was so happy that she wasn't dead. Vicki didn't deserve that. And, on a more selfish note, I didn't want Jeremy to lose her. The kid clearly liked her and I didn't want him to lose someone else that he cared about.
My vampire captor released me as we reached the bottom step. He gestured down the passageway, mumbling something about a kitchen and coffee, as he pulled out his phone. I shrugged and wandered in the indicated direction. I have no idea why he was telling me to get coffee. Maybe my blood tasted better with caffeine? But either way, I needed some coffee. I was completely wiped out from my earlier breakdown. And a caffeine hit might help me work out an escape strategy quicker.
The kitchen was huge. My first thought was hot damn, I would love to cook in here. As I looked through the cupboards for coffee and a mug, I couldn't help but admire the contents. Despite being vampires, the Salvatore brothers sure had well filled cupboards. Of course, it later occurred to me that their Uncle Zach was human, so he probably ate most of the food in here. Even the crockery was good and fancy.
I managed to find some coffee tucked away in the back of one of the cupboards and set up the coffee machine. Very faintly, I could hear Damon pacing around, speaking to someone on the phone. I couldn't hear what was being said, but Damon didn't sound impressed. I was distracted by the coffee machine finishing and inhaled a deep coffee-filed breath. Good lord, I needed this.
I filled up one of the mugs I had found and reluctantly made my way back to the parlour. Of course, not before trying the windows and back door. But it was exactly as I expected, they were locked. But it was always worth a try.
"Don't get blood on the couch."
I walked around the corner to see Damon sitting on the coffee table, pouting at the bleeding girl on the couch. He downed the drink in his hand and leaned forward, carefully easing away the towel pressed to Vicki's neck. Blood was still oozing out of the bite mark on her neck. I closed my eyes and turned away, feeling my stomach rebel at the sight of so much blood.
To be honest, I was surprised that Vicki was still alive. She had lost so much blood. But she had always been a fighter. Makes sense that she would even fight death.
"I got you good, didn't I?" Damon sounded so proud of himself. My eyes flickered open to see him leaning back and frowning. "Well, you're not gonna be any fun today."
The vampire glanced over at me and smirked, "I doubt that you will be any fun today."
I frowned and stepped back. The dig annoyed me but I wasn't stupid enough to show it. Of course I wasn't going to be any fun. He had murdered my friends because I wasn't able to warn them and then I had discovered another dead body before having a breakdown. The only way I would be able to deal with any of that was to get absolutely shitfaced.
"I'm so gonna regret that," Damon sighed before standing up. He moved behind Vicki's head and bit his wrist. Yeah, he bit his wrist. He then held it against Vicki's mouth and forced her to drink it. Wait, what?
Vicki protested against the wrist before being shushed by Damon.
"What are you doing?" I watched with wide eyes, unable to force myself forward to stop it.
"Relax, I'm healing her."
With your blood?
Vicki's protests ended and she began eagerly sucking at the vampire's wrist. That made me feel even queasier. She was actually enjoying drinking his blood. But as I watched, the colour returned to her face and she was able to move her arms up to grab Damon's wrist.
As Damon rested his chin on her head, I had to turn away before I actually threw up all the coffee I had just drank. I looked around the room, making a note of all the windows and then found paradise. There was a very well stocked table of alcohol behind the second couch.
I know, I know, it would be incredibly stupid and reckless to start drinking when trapped with a vampire. But it was my go-to. I didn't know of a better way to cope with the events of the night before. And besides, death might hurt less if I was drunk.
I picked out a fancy looking decanter and poured some of the precious liquid inside into one of the fancy tumblers on the table. Even the smell was intoxicating. I took a small sip and melted. This was the best of the best. My usual stuff was pisswater compared to this. My god.
I closed my eyes and savoured the taste. Behind me I could hear Vicki and Damon speaking, but I tuned it out. My entire focus was on the booze in my hands. It was safer that way. And I could regain some equilibrium. I needed to have my wits about me. Ironic, I know, since I was currently drinking some very potent booze.
"Told you I could give you the good stuff."
I jumped slightly and glanced to the side. Damon was watching me as he wiped the blood from his wrist. I mean, while he was right, the stubborn part of me didn't want to admit it.
"No one likes an 'I told you so'," I muttered petulantly as I topped up my glass.
While my initial fear was fading, probably due the combination of exhaustion, uncertainty, I was still wary. This was new territory for me. Even when I picked a fight with someone stronger than me, I was usually able to run away. But I was completely helpless here. And I hated it.
"Where did Vicki go?" I asked, hoping to draw attention back to the other girl in the house. A shitty move, I know. But he wouldn't go to the trouble of healing her only to kill her again so soon. Right?
"She's taking a shower," Damon shrugged as he nudged me out the way and poured a drink of his own. His touch caused goosebumps. And goddammit, I couldn't tell if it was through fear or my previous crush on him. Which still hadn't gone away. Stupid brain.
Vicki was either stupid or brave, allowing herself to be so vulnerable with a vampire in the house. I mean, don't get me wrong, a shower sounded so good right now. But there was no way in hell that I was going to strip naked in this house.
I allowed Damon to top up my drink before moving to explore more of the house. I was faintly aware of Damon following me, dodging the patches of sunlight. That intrigued me. Damon had no issue being out in the sun before. What had changed?
Deciding to be petty, I retreated back to the parlour and sat on the floor, right in the middle of a patch of sunlight. Damon stopped at the edge of the light and gave me a hard look. Feeling braver than I did before, I replied with my own challenging look.
"That's why you need your ring," I stated, deciding to play my hand and get that confirmation. "You can't go in the sun without it."
"Clever girl," Damon praise was tinged with sarcasm. But it didn't matter. I was right. Which meant that I had found safety while being trapped in this building. Of course, that safety would only last until sunset. Which was Damon's deadline to Stefan anyway.
As I dwelled over the upcoming deadline, (the fact that dead is in deadline is a cruel joke right now), Vicki reappeared. So had so much pep in her step. Like seriously. What the hell is in vampire blood? She was acting high.
She dumped the towel that she was using for hair on the floor and sauntered over to Damon. I had no idea what they were talking about, but Vicki was listening intently. And they started drinking each other's blood.
Wait.
Drinking each other's blood?
I watched as they sucked on the other's wrist, looking deeply into each other's eyes. I would almost call it romantic but it was actually quite disturbing. And I don't know what was worse; Damon drinking Vicki or the way Vicki happily sucked on Damon's blood.
I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my forehead against them. I was really suffering from my breakdown earlier. I never did well after a crying spell. And with everything that I went through last night, it was hard not to fall asleep. Especially with the warmth of the sun on my back.
The sound of music blasting jolted me from the doze I had inadvertently fallen into. I glanced up with blurry eyes to see the two prancing around the room, bodies flowing with the music. Vicki was just in a tank top and panties and Damon's shirt had somehow become unbuttoned. I honestly didn't know whether he had unbuttoned it or if Vicki had. Both options were problematic.
But the shallow part of me couldn't help but admire his chiselled chest. A line of dark hair trailed down beneath his jeans, causing all sorts of thoughts. The sunlight shone on his pale skin, accenting his abs. With the black shirt framing his magnificent chest, Damon looked like some kind of supernatural god. And damn if I didn't hate myself for thinking that. I was still crushing on him even after I found out he was a vampire.
Vicki was dancing around the room like a crazy person, flicking open windows and throwing herself on the floor. She was acting so high; it was actually quite worrying. Did the vampire blood have some kind of reaction with the drugs she took?
"I am so over Tyler!" Vicki rambled happily, as a drunk and/or high person liked to do. "So over him. I knew from the beginning that I was only a piece of ass to him, but I thought that maybe if he got to know me better, he might see something more. But no."
Oh Vicki. It was quite sad really. She must have really liked Tyler but he was never going to like her back the same way. Ty was an ass at times and liked to play the field, but he normally chose to go after girls who knew what they were getting into.
"Now, Jeremy, on the other hand," the mention of my brother's name froze me in place. The last thing I needed was for Damon's attention to be drawn to Jeremy. Or Jenna. "All he's ever seen in me is something more, and I like that."
"Jeremy?" Damon queried as Vicki rushed over to him.
"Yeah, Jeremy Gilbert," Vicki dismissed, appearing far more interested in getting Damon to dance with her.
The vampire's gaze flickered over to me, "Your brother?"
I refused to answer. Even though everyone in the room already knew that he was my brother. I just had the feeling that Damon wanted to get under my skin. Especially since I hadn't moved from my spot in the sunlight, even if it was shrinking with the moving sun.
"Y'know, Elena used to date my brother," Vicki happily carried on, being spun around my Damon. "And they were always together, and you were always out, weren't you Alexa? So Jeremy would always be hanging around and crushing on me and," Vicki paused before staring blearily at Damon, "Why don't you have a girlfriend?"
Yikes, I hope she wasn't hinting at anything there. Not only was she dating my brother, Damon was, y'know, a vampire. So not good boyfriend material. Although he was good to Caroline and she did seem really happy with him.
I didn't hear Damon's reply but Vicki protested with a "But you're like totally cool and so hot."
I mean, she wasn't wrong. But the vampire thing kind of counted against that.
"I know," Damon agreed smugly. Of course. He always struck me as someone who knew how hot he was and what affect he had on women. Even after finding out he was a frigging vampire; I was still crushing on him.
Damon spun Vicki around as she asked, "Don't you wanna be in love?"
She sounded so earnest that it was almost easy to believe that she either wanted him to love her or she wanted him to find happiness with someone. Clearly she wasn't bothered by the vampire thing.
"I've been in love," Damon countered vaguely, spinning Vicki away. "It's painful and pointless and overrated."
A part of me wondered who had hurt him enough that he had given up on love. Yes, love sometimes hurt. But it was so much more. It was pure and gave you strength and hope and support. To be truly loved, to have someone in love with me, I have craved that for so long. But love also made you vulnerable. It could be your greatest strength and biggest weakness.
I watched as Damon blurred across the room to jump up to the banister. He danced high above us, revelling in the music. I couldn't help but admire the sight. He beckoned to Vicki seductively and she responded with a gesture of her own. While a part of me was happy that he seemed distracted, I really didn't want them to have sex. It would be wrong, especially since Vicki didn't seem to be in full control of herself.
Vicki turned the stairs before darting back. Apparently, Vicki wanted me to join the fun as she grabbed my arms and heaved me up. I was tempted to put up a fight but I knew how stubborn Vicki could be while high. But I was thankful for the support as the world spun slightly as I got to my feet. Wow, that booze was strong. Damon weren't kidding when he said it was the good stuff.
I was dragged up the stairs where Damon joined us. The two danced down the hallway, occasionally linking hands. I followed at a slower pace, feeling the full effect of the alcohol. There was a buzzing under my skin from the booze but my muscles felt heavy from earlier. All in all, it was not a fun combination.
Damon led us to another bedroom. Which my two companions promptly started trashing. Damon pulled books off the shelf while Vicki jumped on the bed. She kicked off pillows. Damon broke glass candle holders. They shoved stuff off desks and made a thorough mess. I had an inkling that this must have been Stefan's room. As it looked well lived in and Damon was pissed off with his sibling.
While Vicki continued dancing and jumping on the bed, I noticed Damon get distracted by something on the desk. Whatever it was, it worth enough to him that he grabbed it from a patch of sunlight. I was tempted to go ask what it was, but I was happier not having his attention on me.
XXX
Apparently Vicki didn't appreciate Damon's lack of attention as she soon jumped off the bed and tried to encourage him to dance with her again. But whatever had caught his eye earlier had killed his party mood. So Vicki compromised and wrapped her arms around him. They slowly swayed from side to side.
Feeling reluctant to watch, I retreated over to the now free bed. I curled into a ball in the middle and tried not to fall asleep. So I listened to the conversation happening behind me.
Damon was encouraging Vicki to tell him her life story. Which was… weird. As I didn't think he would care. He hadn't cared the two times he had attacked her. But maybe spending the day with Vicki had made him want to get to know the girl better.
Vicki's earlier high had turned sour and she became more emotional. That part sucked. I always hated the emotional low. Especially when it happened around other people.
"My mom spends most of her time in Virginia Beach with Pete," Vicki was definitely crying now as she clung on to Damon. "He drives trucks. I don't remember my dad, but from what I gather, he's not worth remembering."
I felt bad for Vicki. She really had been dealt a shitty hand in life. Even when their mother was in Mystic Falls, she barely paid any attention to her children. It was only through the efforts of others that the Donovan kids were raised right.
"Your life is so pathetic," Damon sighed as he stroked the girl's hair. I mean, he isn't wrong. But he didn't need to say it to her, especially like that. Talk about rude.
"Yeah," Vicki tearfully agreed. "I mean, I'm the screwed up one. Matt's got it so easy. He's the golden boy. I mean, he's gonna get a football scholarship and marry Elena and have a lawn mower and some babies. And when I think of my future, I just come up blank."
The mean part of me itched to say that Vicki didn't have to be the screwed up one. She had opportunities but chose to turn to drugs instead. She had talents. I vaguely remember her stint in the glee club and how good she was. But she never applied herself. But Matt did. And I'd like to think that our little friendship group helped with that.
Damon pulled back and cupped Vicki's face. He looked pensive as he looked down at her.
"You are so damaged."
Vicki nodded sharply in a tearful agreement.
I sat up, a feeling of dread forming deep in my stomach. The atmosphere was tense and I couldn't take my eyes off of the two in front of me.
"I mean, you don't have one hint of self-esteem," Damon continued. I don't know what he was doing but it was setting off alarm bells in the back of my head. This wasn't him being cruel or even giving tough love. This was something else.
"Nope, none," Vicki agreed again, completely oblivious to the change in atmosphere.
"I think I know what can help you," the vampire offered as he wiped away the girl's tears. I slowly moved to the edge of the bed, ready to intervene. Not that I had any idea as to what I could do, but I had to try something.
There was a moments silence after Vicki asked what could help her. It was like the world had drawn in it's breath and was waiting to let it out. I was tense as I sat there. My heart thudded in fear and anticipation.
"Death."
And with that, Damon snapped Vicki's neck.
It was like time had slowed down as Vicki's body slowly dropped to the floor.
I stared at it with wide eyes, unable to move. I wasn't even breathing. Vicki was dead. Vicki was killed right in front of me. Damon killed Vicki right in front of me.
My breath rushed out all in one go, as though someone had just punched me in a chest. Time returned to normal and I scrambled to my feet. I barely managed to get to Vicki's body without tripping over. Dropping to my knees, my hands fluttered over her body. Oh god what do I do? Do I call an ambulance? I mean, she was dead. Wasn't she?
I reached out to check for a pulse. People can sometimes survive having their neck snapped right? But there was no pulse.
Vicki was actually dead.
I sat back and stared at the dead girl.
"You killed her."
I barely recognised my voice. It was so empty and quiet. I had watched another person I cared about die. Because, while Vicki did wind me up something fierce, I had grown up with the girl. I had loved ones who cared about her.
I heard a sigh above me and felt someone crouch down next to me. Damon gently grasped my chin and turned my head to face him. He was calm, completely unbothered by the body at our feet.
"You remember that I gave her my blood?" he asked, keeping my gaze on him as I nodded in response. "With my vampire blood in her system, she will reawaken."
"Will she be a vampire?" I asked, surprised by how little my voice trembled.
"She has to drink human blood first."
My hand automatically shot up to my neck as I assumed the worst. I would be fed to Vicki to turn her. She would be the one to kill me.
"Relax," Damon rolled his eyes as he released my chin and stood up. "I won't let her feed from you. I still need you alive… for now."
I gave Vicki's body one more look before slowly standing up. There was nothing that I could do for her now. But I was relieved that she would come back, even if it was as a vampire. I couldn't lose anyone else.
But even so, I needed to find a way to distract myself. Unfortunately, the best way to do that was the vampire in the room.
"Who turned you?"
Damon turned back round to face me at my question. He looked surprisingly hesitant as he approached me.
"Her name was Katherine," he eventually replied, glancing at the desk behind me.
"Is that the same Katherine that you kept manipulating Elena with?" I guessed, remembering how my sister beat herself up over every mention of Stefan's ex.
The look on Damon's face was all the answer that I needed. Even without the vampire thing, it was clear that the history between the Salvatore brothers and Katherine was complicated. But the fact that she turned them both added a whole new layer.
I knew that I shouldn't press as it had the potential to blow up in my face, but my curiosity had been piqued. Plus, distracting Damon could only benefit me.
"How old are you?" I asked, taking a small step forward, trying to ignore the dead body in the middle of the room.
Damon once again had a pensive look on his face, almost like he was considering whether he would actually tell me. He must have seen something in my face as he finally revealed, "I was turned in 1864 at the age of 25."
I quickly did the math in my head, and damn was I grateful that Bonnie had refused to let me slack off in class.
"So, you're like, 170 years old?" my eyes widened in surprise. I mean, hot damn, he looked good for an old guy.
"And don't I look good," Damon smirked, correctly guessing what I was thinking. I briefly thought if vampires were mind readers but immediately dismissed it. I knew I had an expressive face and it was probably easy to guess what I was thinking. Especially since I had previously indicated that I found him attractive, before the whole vampire thing came out.
I rolled my eyes before inadvertently glancing down at Vicki's body. She looked so peaceful. So unlike normal. And isn't that bullshit. Vicki was never peaceful because she chose not to be. And now it looked so wrong.
"Why did you do it?" I couldn't take my eyes off of Vicki.
"Because I was bored," the rustle of fabric indicated that Damon had shrugged and anger burned deep within me.
"You ruined her life because you were bored?" I looked up to glare at the vampire in the room. "That's such bullshit. What gave you the right?"
Damon's face darkened with anger, "I'm a vampire, Alexa, I took the right to do shit like that."
"Vampire or not, you don't get to kill people because you are bored," I shook my head sharply, refusing to back down.
"And why's that?"
"Because vampire doesn't equal asshole."
Fortunately, before Damon could actually kill me, and he looked like he was going to, Vicki scared the shit out of me.
She shot up, gasping erratically.
I jolted backwards, not expecting it. I mean, if I were being honest, I was even expecting her to wake up. The whole thing was so unreal, I kind of thought that Damon was lying about it. But there was Vicki, not only awake but speaking.
"What happened?" she groaned, holding her head in her hands and looking like she was on the wrong side of a hangover. "We were dancing and then…"
"I killed you," Damon supplied helpfully when she trained off. Vicki's look of confusion echoed my previous one. And it was worse for her. Not only had she not be told anything about vampires, she was the one who was about to become one.
Seeing that Damon's attention was completely focussed on Vicki, I took the opportunity to escape from the room. It's not that I didn't want to be there to support Vicki, it was just too hard for me to listen to it all again. And, on a slightly more selfish note, I was still kind of scared that I would be used to supply the human blood to finish Vicki's transition.
So I retreated back down to the parlour and looked around. It could only have been a couple of hours, but it felt like a lifetime since I was last in here. I was tempted to go for more booze but decided against it. Sunset was quickly approaching and I needed to have my wits about me if I were to survive.
I made my way over to the couch, not the one that Vicki had occupied earlier, but the blood-free one. Curling up in the corner, I tried to relax. But that was impossible. I just couldn't stop thinking of everything that had happened since last night.
I was vaguely aware of Vicki running down the stairs and through the front door. Wait… the front door? I sat up and stared at the shaft of light from the partially open front door. All this time, it had been locked, right? I know I tried it earlier, but surely it's been locked since then?
Even a minute after Vicki's exit, there was no sign of Damon. So I decided that now was my opportunity. I had to escape now, while there was still daylight. I don't know where I would go, but I had to go somewhere.
I crept forward, trying to make as little sound as possible. Every time my heart thudded, I willed myself to calm down. Every second felt like an eternity, every inch gained felt like a mile. I was so so close. But luck was not on my side.
I heard a whooshing sound and the door slammed closed. My heart sank as my knees collapsed. That was it, that was my one chance. Now, my fate was in Stefan's hands.
"Didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" Damon's infernal smirk danced in front of my face as he hauled me back to my feet.
"Please just let me go," my tone was filled with exhaustion as Damon led me back over to the sofa.
"No can do," was the vampire's reply.
I was unceremoniously pushed down onto the sofa before being joined by Damon, drink in hand.
"Why?"
"Why Alexa, it's almost as though you don't want to spend time with me," Damon put on an offended air while I glared at him through tired eyes.
I didn't know what to say to him. Every option seemed hopeless. I could keep begging for release but I knew that Damon would refuse to let me go. I could try and engage him in conversation, but that felt too hard right now.
So I just settled for turning my back to him. Probably not my smartest move, but if he was going to kill me, there was nothing that I could do to stop it.
XXX
It didn't take long for sunset to arrive. I watched as the sky outside turned a deep red before going dark. Night was here. But Stefan was not. And Damon didn't have his ring. I don't know what Stefan had been going all day, but he had practically signed my death sentence.
I refused to look at the vampire behind me, even when I felt him step close. My gaze was fixed on the stars. They were always there, in the sky, but I had never appreciated their beauty before now.
"So, what now?" I asked quietly, dreading the answer. I wasn't eager to confront my death but there was no point delaying the question.
"Well, I could kill you here, but then I would just have to get rid of your body, which is, ugh, such an effort these days." My heart thudded at the ease of which the vampire spoke of killing me. I know he wasn't human but he still looked human. It was chilling.
"And, of course, there is no guarantee that Stefan would even come back and find your dead body. So it really would be a wasted effort on my part."
Damon moved around my body, running his finger across my neck as he did.
"So what are you going to do?" I whispered, looking him in the face.
The vampire stared at me and I couldn't quite place the look on his face. But he was quiet and my heartbeat filled the silence.
I had no idea what was going through Damon's mind. And that scared me. Was he plotting how to kill me? Was he thinking about having a drink? The uncertainty was killing me.
"Come."
Damon's arm wrapped around my waist and lifted my feet from the ground. As I felt that nauseating speed start, I closed my eyes and reluctantly clutched Damon close. Due to my position, my only choice was to bury my face in his neck. His scent engulfed me and it was easy to remember why I was attracted to him. And beneath that expensive aftershave, the mysterious scent was still there. Only now I knew what it was, it was linked to him being a vampire.
Time was fluid during the trip. Every second felt like eternity as I didn't know where he was taking me. But being pressed so close to Damon was not helping me crush my previous attraction.
Finally, he stopped moving and I thanked every god that I could think of. My feet touched the floor but Damon was kind enough to let me cling on to him until I felt steady enough. After reluctantly opening my eyes, I felt a wave of relief crash through me.
I was home.
Damon had brough me home.
I bolted to the front door and banged on it until it opened. My twin's beautiful face filled the doorway, sharing an identical expression of relief.
"Ellie," I whimpered as I was gathered into a tight hug.
"Alexa, thank god, I was so worried," Elena stroked my back as I clung onto her for dear life. "Where have you been? You haven't been answering your phone."
I was so happy to see that she was alright. I knew that Stefan wouldn't hurt her. But it was still a worry. Stefan was a vampire and that in itself meant that he put my sister at risk. I hadn't spent this much time away from my sister since before the accident. And that little, irrational part of me always worried when she was out of my sight for so long.
"That'll be my fault."
I didn't have to see Damon's face to know that he was smirking. Ellie gasped before releasing her grip on me. As she pushed me behind her, my sister grabbed the front door and tried to slam it shut. But Damon only needed one hand to push it back open.
"You're afraid of me," he mused as he leant against the door frame, amusement shining in his icy eyes as Elena retreated back a few steps, refusing to let me move from behind her. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess. Stefan finally fessed up."
Hopefully Ellie's introduction to vampires was a lot kinder than mine. Mine would haunt my nightmares for months.
I could see Elena clench her jaw as she ground out, "Stay away from us."
"Hey, there's no need to be rude," the vampire chided her mockingly as he glanced at me over my sister's shoulder. "After all, I just spent a lovely day with your sister, no need to end it on a sour note."
Elena grasped my hand and squeezed it to the point of pain.
"I'm just looking for Stefan and bringing your sister home. Now, may I come in?" Damon paused mockingly in the doorframe before slowly entering. "Oh wait, of course I can. I've been invited." The smirk Damon sent my way was truly malicious. "Thank you Alexa."
I felt sick to my stomach. It was my fault. I had put my family at risk by inviting Damon in. All because I used to have a crush on him. Now he could come and go as he pleased and hurt anyone that I loved.
"I'm so sorry," I stuttered into my sister's ear as she pulled us further backwards.
"Don't," she immediately hushed. "There was no way that you could have known."
Even so, the guilt was consuming me. Not only had my friends died because of me, but my family were now at risk.
"We can cut to the chase if you want," Damon stepped forward with every one we moved back. "I'm not gonna kill either of you right now." I was both relieved and terrified. "That wouldn't serve my greater agenda."
And whatever that was, it was not good news for us. Damon had been interested in my sister since he met her. And even when I tried to protect my sister, it would be so easy for Damon to just get rid of me.
Damon asked the question that had been on my mind all day, "Where's Stefan?"
I was surprised. I had expected Stefan to be here. He was always around my sister and he chose now to be MIA?
"He's out looking for Vicki," Elena answered, her tone dripping with judgement.
From that, I could only guess that Vicki had turned up here after escaping the Boarding House. Hopefully Stefan could help her. Someone needed to.
"Don't look at me with those judgey little eyes," the vampire snapped as he backed us into the kitchen door. I was itching to pull my sister behind me but the iron grip she had on my arm prevented me. "Girl's gonna thank me for what I did to her."
The look on my sister's face was harsh as she countered, "Did you thank Katherine?"
"Mmm, got the whole life story, huh?" Damon backed off at the mention of Katherine.
"I got enough," Elena retorted as I wrapped my arms around her.
"Oh I doubt that," Damon's response was sharp which had me frowning. There was definitely something deeper there than what either of us had heard. "Tell my brother that I'm looking for him."
With that, the vampire walked out of our house.
I sighed, trying not to collapse when Damon's voice scared the life out of me.
"Oh, tip for later," he stuck his head around the doorframe. "Be careful who you invite in the house."
That warning was both helpful and chilling. At this rate, I would never say the words come in. To anyone. Even if I knew them. Anyone could be a vampire.
I glanced up to see my sister studying me closely. From my grazed palms to my dirty knees to my messed up hair.
"Go get cleaned up," she ordered softly, directing me to the stairs. "I'll let you know when I hear anything."
I went to protest but my sister stopped me with a look so full of compassion and worry that the words died in my throat.
"You've had a long day and I couldn't protect you while you were with Damon. So please, go and get cleaned up and relax. I'll join you later, I promise."
She was right. I was exhausted and dirty and the sound of a hot shower sounded so nice right now.
So I made my way upstairs and into my bedroom. It sounds so stupid but for a while, I didn't think that I would ever see it again. I savoured the feel of my carpet against my feet before forcing myself to move. After plugging in my phone to charge, I made my way to the shower. I turned it on way to hot and stood there, letting the hot water soothe my exhausted body. I cleaned myself twice, eager to get rid of the events of the day. My grazes stung from the soap but I didn't care.
I picked out the fluffiest and comfiest pair of pyjamas that I could find and buried myself under my blanket. My phone finally had some charge on it and I was able to see what I had missed.
Yikes.
38 missed calls.
And 59 texts.
They were from a combination of Elena, Luke, Jazz and Jenna.
Elena's, I ignored as I was now home with her. Jenna, I sent a quick 'sorry, auntie, love yous'. Then I turned my attention to Luke and Jazz. Most of the calls had come from them. As were the texts. They were mainly just 'Alexa, where are you?' and 'Alexa, are you okay?' with some 'Alexa, call me now'.
While I wanted to call them now and reassure them, I just didn't have the energy. So I texted them both, letting them know that I was okay and I would speak to them in the morning. I didn't bother waiting for a reply, instead I placed my phone back on my bedside table and buried myself in a pile of my favourite cuddly toys.
XXX
While Elena waited for Stefan, and I waited for Elena, I let my mind reflect back. My friend's deaths, my time with Damon, Vicki's death. None of it was fair. And I just didn't understand. I especially didn't understand why I was still alive. Damon had told Stefan that if he didn't have his ring back by sunset, then I would die. But I didn't die. Instead, Damon took me home. Not a scratch on me. Well, none caused by him.
Maybe our blossoming friendship was real?
I was soon beckoned into my sister's room.
It was obvious that she had been crying. Even though she had tried to hide the signs. But I just knew her too well.
"What happened?" I asked softly as we snuggled under the blankets and into each other's arms. Even with the lights off, I could see a couple of fresh tears stain my sister's beautiful face.
"Vicki turned; Stefan couldn't stop her."
I was disappointed. But a part of me was comforted, Vicki wasn't dead. And that was the main thing. My brother hadn't lost someone else he loved. Matt still had his sister and I didn't have to live with the guilt of letting someone else die.
"Is he gonna help her?" I stroked my sister's hair from her face and nuzzled her shoulder.
Elena explained everything that Stefan had told her. About his animal diet. About how he and Damon turned. The truth about Katherine. And how she had to end things with Stefan.
But the most heart-breaking thing was, she still cared for him. And she wanted to be with him. But the danger that he brought into our lives… she just couldn't live with that.
XXX
A/N: Thank you for the reviews. They really help when I struggle with a chapter, like chapter 9, which was a real bitch to write. But I got there! On to chapter 10! As always, hope you enjoy and let me know what you think xoxo
