Chapter 13: Damon's POV

I can't compel her. I tried—and I can't.

Maybe that's what compelled me to follow her back to her house. I wanted to see if she had lied. Maybe she did know what vervain is, maybe she's lying to me to get closer, maybe she's here too...

My thoughts stop cold.

They're impossible anyways. No way has Isabella Swan a vampire hunter. I doubt she even thinks that vampires are real. She probably just lives in her perfect human bubble, living a completely normal life.

Well, at least until I came in.

I watch her as she tucks herself under the covers of her big, blue comforter. Watch her as she tosses and turns. I have the sudden desire to go to her. Change back into my human form and wrap her in my arms until she falls asleep peacefully.

Those are the thoughts that get me to fly away.

Don't need to be thinking about that. Those thoughts are the ones that lead you down a path that could crush you in a second. I would know, I've been there too many times before.

Stefan's waiting for me when I walk into the house. He's standing with his arms crossed—Brooding, of course—and there's a glass of my whiskey by his side.

Saint Stefan wasn't acting very saint-like this evening.

"We have a problem."

"I told you Bella isn't a problem," I roll my eyes at him. I was getting tired of his irrational hate for her.

"It's not about Bella," he says Bella's name with a hiss. Like it pains him to say it.

"Well then what is it?"

"It's about the tomb."

"As much as I love this conversation, Stefan, I would love for you to get to the point now," My voice drips sarcasm. It's Stefan's turn to roll his eyes.

"The tomb vampires...they're out," His voice is firm, his eyes scared, "And they aren't happy, Damon. Not at all."

I freeze, the gravity of his words sinking in. The tomb vampires were a dangerous bunch—ancient, powerful, and harboring a deep-seated hatred for our kind. If they were out, it meant trouble. Big trouble.

Stefan fills me in on the details as we sit in the dimly lit living room. The tomb vampires, who had been trapped for over a century, were now roaming free in Mystic Falls. Their release was a consequence of a series of events orchestrated by Katherine Pierce, the vampire who had manipulated both Stefan and me centuries ago.

"It's chaos out there," Stefan continues, his voice tense. "They're wreaking havoc, attacking humans, causing fear and panic."

I run a hand through my hair, feeling a surge of anger and frustration. The last thing we needed was a bunch of ancient vampires stirring up trouble in our town. And with Elena's safety always on my mind, the situation became even more dire.

"We need to do something about this," I say, my mind racing with possible strategies. "We can't let them run wild."

Stefan nods in agreement, his expression grim. "Agreed. But Damon, we need to be careful. They're dangerous, and they won't hesitate to target us if they find out we're here."

"I know," I reply, the weight of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders. "We'll have to tread carefully. But we can't let fear control us. We need to take action."

Stefan gives me a determined look, his jaw set. "I'm with you, brother. Whatever it takes to protect Mystic Falls—and Elena."

I nod in response, feeling a sense of solidarity with Stefan despite our differences. We may have our conflicts, but when it comes down to it, we're united in our mission to keep our town safe.

As we discuss our plan of action, my thoughts keep drifting back to Bella. Despite the urgency of the situation, I can't shake the image of her from my mind—the way she looked at me, the sound of her voice, the way she made me feel alive in a way I hadn't in a long time.

But now wasn't the time for distractions. We had a crisis to handle, and Bella would have to wait. As much as I wanted to protect her, I knew I couldn't risk involving her in our dangerous world.

With a heavy heart, I push aside my personal feelings and focus on the task at hand. The tomb vampires were out, and Mystic Falls needed its protectors now more than ever.