Spellbound

 

 

Chapter 1

 

Ebony was a drifter.

 

Moving from place to place, town to town, city to city, state to state, never staying in a place for more than a few months tops at a time.  She was a living breathing nomad, an adventurer and found ways when there wasn’t any to survive.  From the time she left the orphanage at eighteen, Ebony had traveled all across the United States, going wherever her instincts lead her.

 

The orphanage had no choice except to kick her out on the streets once her eighteenth birthday arrived, not having enough room to house her.  Ebony had been moved to fifteen different homes throughout the first eighteen years of her life.  She’d been left as a crying infant on the doorstep of the New York City orphanage, in the middle of winter, and was lucky to not have frozen to death.

 

Ebony didn’t get along with anyone in the orphanage, which is probably why she never found the ‘perfect’ family.  Everyone she went with sent her back within a three month span because they couldn’t ‘handle her’ or she was ‘too hyper’ for them.  Uncontrollable was also a word that was frequently used throughout her adolescent years.

 

She had one girl who was as close to a friend as one could get and her name was Ashley.  They were known as the terror twins, constantly getting into trouble and bailing each other out, watching each other’s back.  When one got in trouble, they both did because neither would fess up nor rat the other one out.

 

Ashley was four months older than Ebony, so when she turned eighteen, Ebony was forced to watch them toss her only friend out in the cold snow.  Ashley’s birthday was in January, so it was freezing and it made Ebony realize just how cutthroat the orphanage was.  It also made her realize that in just a few short months –Ebony’s birthday was in May- they would be doing the same thing to her.

 

And they did.

 

Two months before her eighteenth birthday, the middle of March, Ebony found out through the grapevine of the city that Ashley had been brutally raped and murdered.  Her body had been brutalized with huge bite marks all over, her neck completely snapped and she’d been completely bled dry.  Ebony didn’t cry often, but that night all she did was curl up tightly in her small twin sized bed and mourned her only friend’s death.

 

One thing Ebony and Ashley did was make a pact with each other that, once they left the orphanage, they would live life to the absolute fullest.  So for the next month and a half, Ebony prepared for her inevitable departure.  She had already planned where she was going, which was far away from New York City, having stolen from the orphanage’s donation box, so she had a small amount of cash to get her by.

 

There was no way she was going to end up dead like Ashley.

 

After all the hell the orphanage put her through, Ebony didn’t feel one ounce of remorse stealing from them.  She would probably go to hell since the orphanage had been funded by the city’s Christian community, but Ebony didn’t care.  Her pact with Ashley was to live life to the fullest and that included breaking a few rules every now and then.

 

On her eighteenth birthday, Ebony didn’t bother waiting for the orphanage’s staff to ‘dismiss’ her and left on her own, catching the first bus out of New York City.  It took her to Pittsburgh, which had to be the most boring city on the planet because all she saw there was steel.  They didn’t call it the Steel City for nothing.

 

Ebony stayed there for maybe two weeks, sleeping under a nearby bridge that was on the outskirts of Pittsburgh.  She bussed a few tables to get some more money for a local restaurant, before catching a bus to the next city.  Some jobs were not as glamorous as others, but Ebony did what she had to do, having the body to do it.

 

One thing she never did was prostitute, having a few limitations.

 

That didn’t count out stripping though, which paid outstanding money compared to busting her ass bussing tables for worthless nobodies.  Her first stripper job came on the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, surprisingly, at Martha’s Vineyard.  There was a very small strip club that offered to pay three grand a night, plus tips.  The technical term was called the gentleman’s club and Ebony found out exactly why that was.

 

It wasn’t just stripping required for the three grand.

 

Sleeping with a few old farts had been worth it because she made nine grand in the span of three nights, sleeping with three men.  The company paid her, not the men, though two out of three did leave her a several hundred dollar tip.  Ebony felt low and knew she had broken her vow to never prostitute, trying to rationalize what she was doing.

 

After that, Ebony only stripped for clubs that didn’t require ‘extra services’ and she was blunt with the owners.  She outright asked them if sex was required with how much she was getting paid.  Ebony didn’t mind flashing her tits and ass for money, but as far as letting men have their way with it, that was a deal breaker.

 

Two years after Martha’s Vineyard, Ebony found herself in Chicago and worked at a local diner during the day while stripping at night.  She was making quite a bit of money, but Ebony knew sooner or later her assets weren’t going to be her meal ticket and that terrified her.  She asked some girl named Chelsea what she did to keep herself in shape and that’s when Ebony was introduced to drugs.

 

Cocaine, crack, marijuana –the green made her extremely hungry, which was definitely a downside-, but Ebony did stay away from heroine.  She couldn’t afford to scar up her arms while stripping, keeping it strictly smoking or snorting.  Another drug she’d been introduced to was alcohol, an addiction that outranked everything else.

 

Luckily, Ebony only did cocaine and crack once in a blue moon, the green more often than not, but the drinking was constant.  She ended up sleeping with a few guys outside of the strip club, going out with a few girls that she worked with.  Ebony didn’t care about the consequences of her actions, partying until the early hours of the night and sleeping wherever she could.

 

Surviving.

 

One night in Chicago, Ebony walked inside the strip club with a cigarette dangling from her lips, rolling her eyes when she was forced to put it out.  She flicked it out of the door, wearing three inch shimmery black stiletto heels that strapped up her ankle.  It was like any other night, though Ebony had taken two shots of Jack Daniels, her personal favorite, before walking here.

 

Tonight was also her birthday, which marked three years since she left the orphanage, and turned her twenty one.  Ebony had spent most of the day sleeping off her hangover to prepare for work, already having plans to go out and properly celebrate her twenty first birthday.  Chelsea had it all planned out and all Ebony had to do was show up, which she was looking forward to.

 

Slipping her long black trench coat off, Ebony hung it on the back of her chair, staring in her personal vanity mirror.  Chicago had been her ‘home’ for the past six months and Ebony didn’t plan on leaving it anytime soon, loving the city life and the money she was raking in from stripping.  She had quit the diner several weeks ago, after getting into a spat with the owner about her late attendance.

 

Ebony snorted at the thought of actually bussing tables and sat down, starting doing her makeup.  Her grey eyes had a smoky dark color to them, black eyeliner making them pop even more, along with her fake long black lashes she applied before arriving.  Her long waist length raven black hair was already done, left down with banana curls, knowing her hair was one of her physical traits that raked in the dough.

 

Tapping her chin in thought, Ebony decided on doing a Goth look tonight and colored her lips a dark crimson red, dabbing them once on a napkin.  She already had foundation to hide any blemishes, which she didn’t have any and began clipping the black choker around her neck.  Pulling out huge thick black hoops, Ebony fastened them in her ears before fluffing her hair out over her shoulders, nodding in satisfaction.

 

Her outfit was a sexy black spandex buckle mini dress that barely covered her perfectly round ass.  Small black buckles ran all the way down the front of the dress, forcing her breasts to push together tightly, the halter part also a buckle style.  She winked when Chelsea whistled at her, rolling her eyes heavenward and plucked a few hairs from her eyebrows with some tweezers.

 

“Girl, you’re gonna knock’em dead tonight!” Chelsea crowed, nudging another woman named Vanessa. “Don’t you agree Nessa?”

 

“Goth look tonight, eh?” Vanessa commented somewhat snidely, folding her arms in front of her chest. “You really need a boob job, Ebby.”

 

“Thanks, and you need that double chin fixed.” Ebony said sweetly, refusing to let anyone get under her skin on her twenty first birthday of all days.

 

Chelsea sighed, glaring at Vanessa. “Be nice, it’s her birthday.”

 

Vanessa snorted and flipped her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder, turning on her heel. “Like I care.” She stalked away to get ready for her own performance.

 

“She’s just jealous, you know that.” Chelsea assured Ebony, knowing better than to touch the young woman.

 

Ebony shrugged nonchalantly, looking in the mirror again. “She doesn’t bother me, I already told you that, Chel.” Ebony replied indifferently, finally satisfied with her look after plucking one more hair. “There we go.”

 

“You’re still coming tonight, right?” Chelsea asked, once Ebony turned to look at her again, grinning. “We’re going to have SO much fun, just you wait!”

 

“I’ll be there.” Ebony smiled back, hearing her cue and knew it was time to go on stage. “Gotta go, its show time.”

 

“Knock’em dead!” Chelsea crowed, giggling and went to finish her own look while Ebony headed for the stairs that lead out to the stage.

 

Ebony walked up the steps, quickly telling the light technician to dim them for a start and nodded when he did. “Thank you.” She whispered, patting him on the shoulder before starting her performance.

 

Chicago was very kind to him as he sipped his tumbler of scotch, watching the stage somewhat in boredom.  He’d been in the city a few days to visit a friend of his before heading out on his journey to Virginia.  Little brother had been left alone for fifteen years and he decided it was time to pay him a personal visit. 

 

That and this was the year everything was going to change for the better.

 

The second she stepped out on the stage, using the entrance curtain as part of her performance, he was no longer bored.  He leaned back in his front row seat and slowly took a long sip of his scotch, his eyes slowly running over every curve and inch of her gorgeous body.  More importantly, her scent wafted in the air, completely surrounding him, making him drunk with lust.

 

The way her hands moved down her body and how she undid each buckle of her dress tantalizingly slow made his jeans instantly tighten.  He could just imagine her beautiful raven locks buried in his hands while he took her for his own, wondering what she tasted like.  His aquamarine eyes glowed with sudden need, hunger overtaking him, but he couldn’t just snatch her off the stage.

 

What fun would that be?

 

Once the final buckle was undone, the only thing preventing that dress from coming off was the halter part of it.  Ebony smiled wickedly as she turned her back to the crowd, slowly twisting her body down while undoing it, and placed her hands over her breasts as the material floated to the stage.  She wore a black shimmery thong that showed her luscious ass, the rest of her completely nude.

 

Looking over her shoulder with teasing grey eyes, Ebony continued grinding, not turning around, and released her breasts to hook her thumbs into the very thin waistband of her thong.  Straightening her legs, the material slowly slid down as Ebony bent all the way forward, her fingertips brushing the stage and showed the crowd her smooth clean shaven sex briefly.  Ebony stepped out of the thong and finally turned around, tweaking her nipples as the music reached its peak, using the pole to do her usual spin, spreading her legs in the process.

 

It was official, he wanted her.  He would have her.  The music ended along with the performance and he could only watch as she made her way backstage, after picking up her articles of clothing.  That was his cue to leave as well, though he did left something for the raven haired beauty that he knew she’d appreciate.  Swallowing down the rest of his scotch, he exited the club without another thought.

 

“That was OUTSTANDING!!” Chelsea crowed as soon as Ebony was backstage, clapping her hands excitedly. “You really shine out there, you know that?”

 

Ebony nodded, trying her best to ignore the bubbly personality Chelsea possessed because it irritated her to no avail.  She wasn’t the bubbly type, never had been and never would be.  While Chelsea went to do her performance, Ebony walked into the dressing room to get dressed.  Before she did though, Ebony began counting the bills that she’d picked up from the men, raising an eyebrow when she noticed a wad of cash hidden in her dress.

 

It had to be over a grand and Ebony immediately tucked all of her money away, wondering how she’d missed someone tucking that into her dress.  Oh well, she wasn’t going to look a gift in the horse’s mouth or however that old saying went.  Pulling on a short jean skirt that was a little longer than her stripper outfit, Ebony left her makeup the way it was, only changing the lipstick to clear gloss instead of the blood red. 

 

Pulling on a black spaghetti strapped tank top that had a sweetheart neckline, Ebony slipped out of her stilettos and exchanged them for a pair of socks and white tennis shoes.  She removed her fake lashes and redid her mascara quickly before finally heading out, brushing past Vanessa.  Neither woman spoke a word to each other, the competition between them incredible tense, though they hadn’t come to blows yet.  Ebony was begging the bitch to throw one punch because she would end up snapping her in half, a little more muscular than the other girls for obvious reasons.

 

Waving goodbye to everyone, Ebony walked out of work and let the warm night air flow over her, sighing gently.  She turned around and nearly ran into a man who was standing right in front of her, not even hearing him approach her.  Was Ebony really out of it that badly?

 

“So sorry, didn’t see you there.” She said, not able to help staring into his beautiful aquamarine eyes that seemed to entrance her.

 

“My fault completely, no apology necessary.” He replied, smiling warmly at her and extended his hand. “I’m Damon.”

 

Ebony squared her shoulders and took his hand, shaking it gently. “Ebony.”

 

That was the night Ebony died.

 

Chapter 2

 

A soft groan escaped her lips as Ebony reached to rub the back of her sore stiff neck, her head pounding furiously.  Every part of her body ached and Ebony wondered what the hell happened the night before.  She definitely overdid it for her birthday that was for sure.  Sluggishly opening her eyes, Ebony continued rubbing the back of her neck and slowly sat up in what she assumed was a bed, blinking.

 

Her eyes instantly adjusted to the darkness of the room, the sun being blocked out by the dark curtains over the windows, which Ebony was grateful for.  It would’ve made her head pound harder if the sun was streaming through.  Turning her head, Ebony’s eyes widened at the sight of a man lying beside her, choking back a gasp.

 

The white sheet was drawn up to his low hips, his arms carelessly strewn above his head, chest rising and falling slowly while he slept.  A hand instantly flew to the side of her neck as Ebony sat there, recounting what had happened the previous night.  The last thing she could clearly remember was leaving the strip club’s parking lot, but now other memories were starting to resurface.

 

~!~

 

“So Damon, what are you doing lurking in a parking lot outside of a strip joint at three AM?” Ebony asked, after they introduced themselves to each other, her bag slung over her shoulder.

 

“I was hoping I would run into you.”

 

Ebony raised an eyebrow, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Do we know each other?” Something felt off about this and Ebony suddenly wanted to get away from this man.

 

“No,” Damon paused; taking a step forward and watched as she instinctively took one back. “But we could.  I’m not gonna hurt you, Ebony.” Not yet anyway.

 

“I don’t think so.” Ebony turned around to walk in the opposite direction and Damon appeared in front of her, seemingly out of thin air. “What the hell?”

 

Damon immediately cupped her face in his hands, their eyes locking and felt her instantly fall under his compulsion. “Don’t be afraid, you’re okay.” He watched as her shoulders slumped slightly, a soft smile spreading on his lips. “You don’t think of me as a threat and you want to get to know me better.”

 

“Don’t think of you as a threat.  Want to get to know you better.” Ebony reiterated in a daze, blinking when she could finally move again and smiled. “You know, on second thought, I would like to get to know you, Damon.”

 

Damon grinned, having released her face as soon as he broke the compulsion. “There’s a bar around the corner that has the best scotch in the city.” He offered, extending his arm to her. “Join me for a drink or two?”

 

“Actually, I was on my way to a party.  It’s my birthday and a few co-workers are throwing me one.” Ebony said, already looping her arm through his, absolutely no fear exuding from her. “You can come with me if you want.”

 

Once again, Damon put her under the compulsion trance, running a finger down her cheek. “You don’t want to go to the party.  You want to go to the bar with me.” He said quickly, breaking the connection. “So, what did you want to do?”

 

“As much as I want to go to this party, I think the bar sounds like a better idea.” Ebony said, starting to walk away from the building on the arm of Damon, loving the night.

 

~!~

 

Ebony broke out of her thoughts, confusion registering on her face and in her eyes, not understanding what happened.  Damon had changed her mind somehow because Ebony really did want to go to that party, never having a proper celebration in her life.  She blew it off to go to a bar with a complete stranger and that made absolutely no sense.

 

Carefully slipping out of bed, Ebony closed her eyes when she then realized she was completely nude, a gentle sigh escaping her.  She wasn’t shameful that they had sex, which had been pretty mind-blowing if she was being honest.  Still, there was still something off about this entire situation and Ebony knew she had to leave now before he woke up.

 

Another memory suddenly hit her full force and Ebony actually had to sit back down on the bed, her head throbbing.

 

~!~

 

“Okay so you bounce the quarter off the table and, if it lands in the glass, you have to take a shot.” Damon explained, deciding to let this girl have a little fun since it was her birthday. “We’ll go three quarters at a time.”

 

“Okay.” Ebony had never played this drinking game before and already had three shots of Jack Daniels in front of her, ready to consume them.

 

Damon could tell there was a lot more to this woman than what met the eye and scooted closer, running his fingers down her arm in a gentle caress. “How old are you now?” He asked curiously, dropping his voice an octave.

 

“Twenty one.” She answered, turning the quarter in her fingers, trying to decipher how to bounce it and suddenly tried, missing. “Damn it.”

 

Chuckling, Damon took the quarter and didn’t even look at the glass, the clinking sound signaling that Ebony had to take a shot. “You’ll get the hang of it.” He assured her, doing it two more times in a row, which meant she had three shots to take. “Down the hatch, birthday girl.”

 

Ebony groaned, even though she was glad to take the shots and threw them back with ease, not even flinching at the liquid burning down her throat. “Mmm so good…” She murmured, filling them again with the bottle Damon had graciously bought her. “What happens if I can’t make any shots?  I don’t want to drink alone, handsome.”

 

Damon smirked, cupping her face in his hand and ran the pad of his thumb gently across her lips. “This party is just getting started, Ebony.” He promised, raising a brow when she made the quarter in the glass on her fifth try. “See, I knew you could do it.” He took a shot of scotch, heard the second clink from her sixth try and threw back a second one. “Very nice, you’re a fast learner.”

 

“Always have been.” Ebony conceded, pushing the quarter over to him. “So, do you live around here, Damon?”

 

Damon shook his head, running the quarter back and forth on the table thoughtfully. “No, I travel from place to place, though I’m on my way back to my hometown.  Just stopped here on my way to visit a friend.” He made his first shot with the quarter, almost looking bored. “What about you?”

 

“I’ve only been in the city for about six months.” Ebony admitted openly, swallowing down three more shots since Damon was a master at this game.

 

“Where are you from originally?”

 

Ebony knew she wasn’t drunk enough to have this conversation and didn’t answer him at first, instead bouncing the quarter in the glass two out of three times. “Take those two shots and I’ll tell you.” She decided, watching as he did so without argument and that told her he really wanted to know, that he was genuinely interested. “I’m originally from New York City.”

 

Now Damon was slightly intrigued, one thick black eyebrow rising. “New York eh?  I’ve been there, not all it’s cracked up to be.” He commented, not realizing just how much that statement reigned true to his current toy. “How did you wind up in Chicago?”

 

“I left New York City three years ago, traveled to a few other places before finally coming here and found my current job.”

 

He had to know she was a stripper, especially since he’d been waiting for her in the parking lot.  Why wasn’t she more afraid of him?  Ebony was never this friendly with anyone, always keeping to herself and only socialized whenever she was drunk or high.  For some reason though, she felt completely calm with this strange man and didn’t understand it. 

 

This was definitely out of character for her.

 

“So you were eighteen.” Damon stated, not waiting for her to play the game as he took another shot of scotch and watched her nod. “You sound like me, never staying in one place too long.”

 

“This is the longest I’ve stuck around in one place.” Ebony admitted, lowering her grey eyes to the table and took the glass they were playing the game with, filling it with Jack Daniels. “I was thinking about leaving in a couple of weeks after I save a little more money.”

 

Eyeing her curiously, Damon didn’t say anything for a few minutes, mulling a few thoughts over in his mind. “Let’s get out of here.” He suddenly stood up, extending his hand to her.

 

Ebony slipped her hand into his, feeling him pull her up from the table and walked out of the bar with him.

 

~!~

 

The soft snoring from behind told her Damon was still sleeping and Ebony had to make her escape now.  Quickly and silently swiping her clothes from the floor, Ebony began making her way to the bathroom to dress privately.  She closed the door and flipped the lock on it, spotting a small window that she could climb out of.

 

Deftly, Ebony pulled her skirt and tank top on, having flipped the light on to look in the mirror, running her fingers over her throat.  More memories began surfacing, but Ebony pushed them away for the time being, suddenly feeling extremely hungry.  Had she smoked some green and hadn’t remembered it?  No, this hunger was far worse and it made her stomach hurt, forcing her to grip the sink tightly.

 

“What’s happening to me?” She whispered, tears filling her eyes and decided she would definitely be stopping somewhere for food, her throat burning slightly.

 

“You’re transitioning.”

 

Ebony jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice, immediately twisting around and blinked as huge tears slid down her face. “W-What do you mean?” She stammered out, her breathing turning erratic. “What did you do to me?”

 

Damon looked amused, leaning in the bathroom doorway and simply tilted his head, considering her. “I think you know the answer to that question.  As far as your first one, transitioning implies you’re changing into what I am.” He made it sound so simple and acted as if he was discussing the weather with her.

 

Suddenly, Ebony touched the side of her neck and that memory she tried pushing away broke through full force, causing her to drop to her knees.

 

~!~

 

“Where are we?” Ebony asked, feeling extremely tipsy, possibly even drunk while holding Damon’s hand.

 

“My hotel room.” He rumbled, pushing open the door and yanked her inside, his lips plundering on top of hers.

 

Ebony moaned as he pushed her back against the door, effectively slamming it shut and gripped his black hair in her fingers.  Her entire body trembled against him with barely contained desire and Ebony found herself wanting him more than any other man.  She felt him unsnap her jean skirt and let it slide down her legs before lifting her up with ease, his strength making her breathless. 

 

Her back hit the bed and Ebony removed her tank top before sliding her hands up the front of his tight short sleeved black shirt, pulling it over his head.  Their lips met again and Damon could smell her arousal, much like he had earlier while watching her strip, and could already feel his lust building rapidly.  He unsnapped her bra and pulled it off of her before reaching down, tearing her panties right from her beautiful body, tossing them over his shoulder.

 

Ebony was too engrossed in kissing him to notice he had destroyed her panties, honestly not caring.  After all the money she made from working, buying some more wasn’t that big of a deal.  She felt his lips leave hers to travel down her jaw and neck, running his tongue right along her pulse point.  Reaching down, Ebony unsnapped his jeans and pushed them down his muscular legs with her feet, craving to feel him deep inside of her.

 

His hands massaged her breasts, his mouth leaving her throat to travel further down her body, running his tongue down the valley of her breasts.  Ebony could only moan uncontrollably, burying her fingers in his hair and arched her body into his touch, wanting more.  He was driving her completely crazy and couldn’t think of a better way to end her birthday, even though it wasn’t over yet.

 

“Damon…”

 

Suddenly, pain shot from her breast and Ebony cried out in pain as she felt something sharp puncture her soft skin, the same time he penetrated her.  The warm delicious blood filled his mouth and Damon growled before digging his fangs deeper into her skin while thrusting, enjoying her fists beating down on him.  He could’ve easily compelled her, but Damon sometimes enjoyed the fight and struggle from his victims.

 

Ebony could only lay there as tears poured from her eyes while this monster feasted on her, feeling completely powerless.  She never stopped fighting though, squirming and trying to get away from him, but Damon was a lot stronger than her.  Why hadn’t she walked away from him when she had the chance?

 

“Scream for me, Ebony…” He ordered in a husky voice, his lips covered in her blood and increased the tempo of the thrusts, bringing both of them closer to the edge.

 

“Get off of me!!” She cried out, knowing screaming would just exude more energy that she had to save up, planning on escaping the first chance she got.

 

“No, that’s not good enough.  I said SCREAM.” His fangs suddenly sank into the side of her neck, right into her carotid artery, the blood flowing even faster into his mouth.

 

“STOP IT!!” Ebony screamed, digging her nails into his shoulders to the point where she drew blood, but it was no use. “NO!!”

 

Damon could feel her body slowly slumping against him, though that wasn’t before he felt her orgasm tear through her body, triggering his release. “That’s a good girl.” He grunted in her ear, feasting a little more on her blood while coming down from their intense sexual high.

 

~!~

 

Being that it was her birthday, Damon had a lot of plans in mind for her ‘gift’.  Several scenarios popped into his mind, but Damon was going to get to know her a little better first before making a decision.  He would feed on her and wipe her memory, kill her or turn her.  All those thoughts were delicious, but ultimately Damon had chosen option three, for what reason he still didn’t know.

 

“No…”

 

“I healed you after feeding because I wasn’t done with you yet.” Damon said, walking over to the sink to look in the mirror. “You put up a hell of a fight, I must say.”

 

“How did you…?”

 

“After you healed, you attempted to escape by hitting me with the room phone and I snapped your neck.” Damon turned to face her, electric eyes narrowing and knew she wouldn’t like hearing what he was about to say next. “Now, you have to feed in order to complete the transition.”

 

Ebony swallowed hard, more tears falling. “W-What do you mean feed?  I don’t understand…”

 

“If you don’t get human blood in your system soon, you will die instead of finishing the transition.” Damon sounded bored again, turning the water on to wash his hands, having a little bit of her blood still on them.

 

“Human blood…” Ebony precariously got to her feet, pressing her back against the wall near the window, shaking her head. “W-What are you?” She demanded in a shaky voice, suddenly picking up the toilet bowl plunger and tossed it at him as rage filled her body. “WHAT ARE YOU?”

 

Damon flew over to her, wrapping his hand around her throat and squeezed slightly, eyes flashing dangerously. “I’m a vampire and now, so are you.  Get over it.”

 

All Ebony could do was stand there in shock, holding her throat and watched as Damon stormed out of the bathroom.

 

Chapter 3

 

This wasn’t happening.

 

This had to be some sick joke or a very bad nightmare that Ebony would shortly wake up from.  There was no way in hell she was a vampire because they didn’t EXIST!  Ebony kept pinching her arm repeatedly, feeling the little stab of pain from it and that just made her cry harder.

 

Pressing a hand over her chest, where her heart used to beat, Ebony felt absolutely nothing.  How could she feel normal for the most part, yet technically she was DEAD?  It didn’t make sense!  Ebony was officially losing her mind and had to cut back on the drugs because now she was actually starting to hallucinate.

 

Denial was her best friend right now because there was no way Ebony believed for a second that she was a vampire.  They were mythological creatures that were made up, a figment of someone’s demented imagination.  Craving human blood and having to live on it wasn’t realistic and Ebony didn’t believe in anything fantasy, always sticking with reality.

 

Why wasn’t her heart beating then?  Why did her gums feel as though they were splitting in half?  Why was she so hungry she felt like she could eat an entire buffet?  Ebony suddenly took the small razor that was on the sink and slit her wrist, watching as the blood poured out into the sink.  Grey eyes shot open when the cut closed a minute later, completely healing and no sign of the injury anywhere on her wrist.

 

“Oh my god…” She whispered, dropping the razor and covered her mouth with her hand, shaking her head repeatedly. “This can’t be happening, it CAN’T!!”

 

Damon sighed resignedly as he finished dressing, pulling his black short sleeved shirt over his head, stretching it down his muscular chest.  She would go through the five stages of grief – Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and finally Acceptance.  He knew them probably better than anyone, having walked the earth for a hundred and forty five years as a vampire.  His age was technically a hundred and sixty nine since he was changed when he was twenty four years old.

 

“We have a lot to do before we leave Chicago, Ebony.” Damon called out, refusing to leave her roaming the city because she no longer could live her normal human life.

 

As a vampire, Ebony had been opened up to a whole new world that was her playground, if she allowed it.  Damon hadn’t made her for the hell of it, he had major plans for her once they left Chicago, deciding he needed a partner in crime so to speak.  There was so much to teach her, but first he had to get her to feed on human blood, deciding he would force her if need-be.  Ebony would be of no use to him if she were to die, which wasn’t going to happen.

 

He took her choices away as a human and would do it again as a vampire if she didn’t feed willingly.

 

“I’m not going.” Ebony muttered, walking out and sat on the bed, burying her head in her hands. “I can’t do this…”

 

Damon wrapped his fingers in her raven hair and yanked until she stood up, crying out in pain, which didn’t faze him. “I didn’t change you only to let you die.  You WILL complete the transition even if I have to force human blood down your THROAT.” He promised in a deadly voice, yanking her against him, a sick smirk crossing his lips. “We’re going to have so much fun together, Ebony.”

 

“Why are you doing this?” Ebony whispered, trying to push away from Damon, but his grip on her hair only tightened. “That hurts, Damon…”

 

“Good, it’s supposed to.” He shoved her back with authority, eyes narrowed. “Don’t test my patience, Ebony.  Now grab your things and get out the door.”

 

“But won’t the sun bother me?” Ebony blinked when Damon suddenly tossed her a pair of black shades, looking confused.

 

“You’re still in transition, which means until you feed, the sun won’t hurt you.  Your eyes will burn though, fair warning.  Now out, we slept most of the day so the sun will set in about an hour or so.” Damon explained bluntly, draping his black leather coat over his shoulder.

 

“W-Where are we going?” Ebony couldn’t help asking, wishing she would stop stammering when she spoke to him because she was getting annoyed with it.

 

“First, we’re going to hunt you down a juicy human to feed on.” Damon grinned maliciously, watching as the hesitation crossed her face and growled impatiently, grabbing her upper arm. “If you don’t start listening to me, I’ll end up staking you myself.”

 

Ebony had no choice except to go with him, immediately sliding the black shades over her eyes because what Damon said happened.  The second she met the sun, it instantly began burning her eyes and it felt like there was two hot pokers stabbing her retinas repeatedly.  She began walking faster than Damon, yanking her arm out of his grasp and ended up flying to the beautiful blue Camaro he owned, slipping into the passenger side.

 

Damon smirked and slid behind the wheel a few seconds later, looking over at her amusedly. “Don’t like the sun?” He asked innocently, watching as she instantly curled up in a tight ball in the seat, trying to block the sun as much as she could.

 

“What do you think?” She shot back through gritted teeth, gripping her head again. “God my head is pounding…”

 

“That’s the hunger you’re feeling, feisty.” Good, he wanted her to have that hunger so when he did capture a human for her to feast on, she didn’t fight it and just accepted her fate. “Don’t worry, we’ll get that hunger taken care of right now.”

 

Swallowing hard, her throat felt like it was on fire, the pain almost too much to take. “I can’t…” She whispered brokenly, not believing what Damon was about to force her to do. “P-Please…”

 

“Yes you will.” Damon assured her, speeding down the streets and began searching for the perfect victim, pulling his cell phone out to make a phone call.

 

“Who are you…?”

 

Damon held his finger up when the person on the other line answered, a smirk crossing his lips. “Desiree doll,  I need a favor.” He said by way of greeting, gripping the steering wheel in his free hand tightly.

 

“What did you do now, Damon?”

 

His aquamarine eyes looked over at his latest creation, the smirk on his lips only growing. “I’ll be there in about an hour and then I’ll explain everything.” He clicked the end button on his phone and tucked it back in his pocket, turning left down one of the streets.

 

“Damon…”

 

“Be quiet for a second.” Damon ordered, busy scouting out the prey and finally found the perfect spot, pulling into the parking lot. “Time to get out.”

 

“The sun hasn’t gone down yet.” Ebony whimpered, not able to face that burning pain in her eyes again. “Can we just wait until it does?”

 

Damon’s response was to get out of the car, opened the passenger door and pulled Ebony out by the arm, pulling her roughly behind him.  Ebony kept her eyes shut the whole time, which helped a little with the sun and could feel the intensity of it slowly start diminishing.  They walked down a dark alleyway that was in between two abandoned buildings and suddenly Ebony could hear voices.

 

“What the…?”

 

Damon pressed a finger over his lips, his eyes telling her to clamp her trap shut and Ebony obeyed since it felt like he was going to rip her arm off.  She stopped when he did, once again hearing quiet voices and wondered how she could hear people she couldn’t see.  A young man came around the corner and Ebony could hear his heart pounding, her hearing definitely improving from whatever Damon did to her.

 

“Now watch and learn.” Damon whispered, suddenly standing in front of the man, causing Ebony’s eyes to widen. “Hey man, I was wondering if you could help me with something.” He said in a friendly voice, looking hopeful.

 

The young man looked skeptical at first, taking a long drag of his cigarette. “Depends what it is, man.”

 

“My friend heard there was someone around here that could sell her something, if you catch my drift.” Damon winked, looking over his shoulder at the shadow that he knew outlined Ebony. “You think you can help us out with that or point us in the direction of the right person?”

 

The man smirked, waving Damon off dismissively. “Nah man, I got you covered.  Come on, we gotta make this quick.  Where she at?”

 

“Right over there.” Damon grinned, clapping the man on the back and guided him over to where Ebony stood, electric blue eyes glowing in the shaded area. “We really appreciate this, what’s your name?”

 

“Brad.”

 

“Say hello to Brad, precious.” Damon ordered, standing right behind Brad while he started pulling out a bag of cocaine.

 

“So how many kilos do you want?”

 

“None.”

 

Damon suddenly reached around and wrapped his hand tightly around Brad’s throat before sinking his teeth into the side of his neck, his other hand covering the drug dealer’s screams.  Ebony could only watch in horror, tears filling her eyes and backed up while Damon had his fill, shaking her head.  How could he expect her to do something so vile and vicious?  He was an animal!

 

Once Damon had a few mouthfuls of blood, he knew it was time to finish Ebony’s transition, pulling away as blood slid down the side of his mouth. “Mmm tasty…” His eyes locked on Ebony, seeing how terrified she was and dragged a weak Brad over to her. “It’s time.”

 

“No.”

 

“Don’t make me force you to do it, Ebony.” Damon threatened, the two holes in the man’s neck slowly leaking blood. “You just need a few drops.  It doesn’t take much too fully turn you.”

 

“I-I can’t…”

 

The scent of the blood was making Ebony heady though and she was having a hard time pulling her eyes away from the crimson red.  Her throat was burning, aching for her to do something to quench the fire.  The blood smelled amazing, better than any type of food on the planet and that just scared her more.

 

“Yes you can.” Damon coaxed, holding the man closer to her, two trails of blood sliding down the side of his neck to his collarbone. “You need this, Ebony, or you will die and I won’t let you give up so easily.”

 

“Please…”

 

“Drink or I will rip him apart.” He suddenly began choking out Brad right in front of her, his fangs flashing in the dim lighting above them. “Or you can have a little taste and I’ll heal him for you.  That way you don’t have his blood on your hands.”

 

Ebony couldn’t believe this was happening to her, her eyes entranced by the blood and took a deep breath. “You promise?” She demanded, watching him nod and blinked as more tears slid down her cheeks. “Alright…I’ll do it.”

 

“Good girl.” Damon crooned, shoving the man at her and watched as she caught him instinctively by the arms, the bloody neck right in her vision, nearly touching her nose.

 

“I’m sorry.” Ebony whispered, suddenly feeling her teeth expanding as the fangs grew, the blood too much to resist.

 

Her sclera’s suddenly turned red as veins formed under her eyes and cheeks, Ebony becoming completely lost in the bloodlust.  Tasting blood for the very first time was possibly the most incredible feeling Ebony experienced in her life.  The fire in her throat began diminishing, which was a huge relief and her entire body began filling with an overwhelming sensation Ebony couldn’t describe.  Ebony gripped the back of Brad’s neck and began drinking feverishly, growling because she needed more, desired more.

 

Damon didn’t stop her either. 

 

This was who she was now and he could already see the transition completing, pleasing him to no avail.  Everything about Ebony glowed from head to toe and Damon knew he made the right decision in turning her.  He watched as Brad’s life slowly slipped from his body and right into Ebony, his body slumping to the ground while Ebony bled him dry.

 

Ebony finally ripped away from him and stumbled back, droplets of blood falling from her lips, snaking her tongue out to taste them.  She felt so much better and wanted more, but knew that would have to suffice for now.  Surprisingly, she didn’t feel any remorse for what she just did, for taking a human life for her own needs and stepped over him heading toward Damon.

 

She was more stunning as a vampire and Damon automatically saw a difference in her.  Her black hair was glossier, her grey eyes slightly glowed while the veins under her eyes slowly disappeared along with her sclera’s turning back to white.  Her skin was paler and shined in the night, her nails a little longer and her lips looked soft to the touch.

 

“Now THAT’S more like it.” Damon growled approvingly, pulling her into his arms and stared deep into her grey eyes, running his finger down her cheek. “How do you feel, Ebony?”

 

“Reborn.” She said softly, feeling so much stronger than she had before and moaned as soon as Damon’s mouth covered hers. “And renewed.” Ebony added once the kiss broke, feeling Damon lift her up as her legs wrapped around his waist, her back slamming back against the nearest building.

 

“Good, that’s how it’s supposed to feel.” Damon said in a low voice, smirking as he set her down on her feet, the sun completely down now. “And it’ll be even better once you get to walk in the sun like me.”

 

“How is that going to happen?” Ebony asked, suddenly interested in everything, all of her emotions heightening, which included excitement. “How do you walk in the sun?”

 

Damon waved his fingers at her on his left hand, revealing the huge beautiful silver ring on his middle finger.  It looked worldly and had a gorgeous dark blue stone in the middle with the letter D in the middle of it in black and silver.  Ebony grabbed his hand to get a closer look at it, her vision much sharper because everything looked more colorful and amazing than it had before.

 

“It’s a daylight ring.” Damon said, pulling his hand away from her and guided them both back to his car. “And we’re going to get you one made by a good friend of mine before leaving the city.”

 

“Tonight?” Ebony asked animatedly with sparkling grey eyes, every emotion and feeling acting as though they were working overtime. “Where are we going once we leave Chicago?”

 

He nodded, knowing she would have to gain control of her emotions and feelings because now they were enhanced from the transition. “You’ll find out everything in due time.” Damon assured her, putting the car in reverse and pulled out of there, heading to Desiree.

 

Chapter 4

 

Pulling up to the small business, Damon put the car in park and cut the ignition, turning to look at Ebony. “Let me do the talking.” He ordered, completely serious. “And she’s off limits.  If you’re still hungry, we’ll find someone else to feed on.  Got it?”

 

Ebony nodded, feeling this overwhelming need to obey Damon because she owed him for giving her this new incredible power. “I won’t attack her.” She promised, stepping out of the car and followed him across the street to the small masseuse parlor.

 

Desiree was just finishing up with her last client of the evening, doing their transaction, when the door swung open and Damon Salvatore stood there with a woman beside him.  She could already tell she wasn’t going to like this visit and smiled at the customer, thanking them for their service.  To everyone else, Desiree owned a local masseuse shop because she had incredibly skilled fingers and a degree in massage therapy.  To Damon Salvatore, she was a powerful witch.

 

“I was wondering if you were gonna show up.” Desiree said by way of greeting, starting to close out her register.

 

“We had a few things to take care of.” Damon said smoothly, walking over to the counter and leaned on it with a charming smile. “Nice to know you were thinking of me, Desiree.”

 

“You wish.” She snorted, rolling her eyes and took the tray of money out while starting to sift through the bills. “And you can stop with the smoldering eyes, they don’t work on me.”

 

Damon touched his chest, groaning. “Oh how you wound me.” Even though he already had her once, but Damon needed her help so he wasn’t going to be snarky toward her, not yet at least.

 

“What do you want, Damon?”

 

Desiree was cutting straight to the chase, setting the bills in the plastic bag that she would take to the bank first thing in the morning.  Her eyes slowly moved to the woman that remained silent, raising a slow eyebrow, wondering what that was about.  She had a feeling she was about to find out, moving her eyes from the woman to Damon, suddenly making the connection.

 

“DAMON!”

 

“What?” Damon blinked when Desiree grabbed his arm, forcing him to the back and left the woman behind.

 

“Have you COMPLETELY lost your MIND?!  You turned her?!” Desiree shouted, tossing her hands up in the air when he merely shrugged, shaking her head. “Christ, you didn’t have her with you last night, so I’m assuming she’s brand new.”

 

“You’re correct.” Damon walked over to the doorway, waving his hand. “Come in here, Ebony.” He extended his hand, smiling when she took it without hesitation. “Now sit down.”

 

Desiree shook her head when the woman obeyed, a sick expression on her face. “She’s not your puppet, Damon.  She still has a mind of her own.” One day, everything Damon Salvatore did was going to come back to bite him right on the ass and Desiree couldn’t wait for it to happen.

 

“She’s not being a puppet; she’s just listening to what I say and for good reason.  Because if she didn’t, she would be tearing your beautiful throat out right now, Desiree.” Damon stated evenly, raising a black eyebrow when just the bare hint of fear crossed his special friend’s face, nodding. “Suddenly not so judgy about her listening to me, eh?”

 

“What do you want, Damon?” Desiree asked resignedly, sitting down on the couch and lit a few candles.

 

Waving his left hand with his daylight ring on it, Damon smiled softly. “I need you to make her a piece of jewelry that allows her to walk out in the sun.” He said simply, dropping his hand and took a seat in front of her. “She’s going to help me with a few things and I need her to be able to be out in daylight.”

 

“That’s it?” Desiree wanted to make sure there weren’t any loopholes with this, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Nothing else?”

 

“No.” Damon leaned forward, electric blue eyes locking with hazel. “You do this for me and I’ll never bother you again, Desiree.  I’ll never step foot in your little massage parlor again.  You’ll never see me again.”

 

Desiree considered his offer, eyeing him skeptically and wondered if Damon meant everything he just said. “Not in my children’s lifetimes either.” She stipulated, not wanting her children to have to deal with vampires the way she had.

 

“Deal.”

 

Damon wouldn’t need her help anymore anyway, looking over at Ebony, seeing she was just looking around the room in amazement.  It amused him to no end because he knew exactly what she was experiencing; the sharper vision and even a touch had more impact.  Everything was enhanced and heightened; she was truly like a newborn child that just came into the world, only she could walk and talk.

 

Desiree couldn’t believe she was actually agreeing to do this and turned to the woman, snapping her fingers to gain her attention.  Ebony’s sharp grey eyes suddenly locked on her and Desiree instantly swallowed hard, scooting back a little on the couch.  Damon smirked and simply sat back, wondering if Desiree had a death wish to snap her fingers like that in front of a new vampire, shaking his head.

 

“Yes?” Ebony asked evenly, tilting her head slightly and could hear how fast Desiree’s heart pounded. “You obviously wanted my attention or else you wouldn’t have snapped your fingers in my face.  So what is it?”

 

“Do you have any piece of jewelry that has a special connection to it?” Desiree asked promptly, standing up to gather a few things for the spell, including her grimoire.

 

Nodding, Ebony pulled something out from beneath her tank top, which was a black thick necklace with a ring dangling from it.  She yanked it off with ease and took the silver ring off of it, which had a black onyx star in the middle of it.  She never did anything without this ring, not even taking it off during her performances stripping, though she had hid it in her black choker.

 

“What connection does this ring have to you?” Desiree asked, extending her hand and watched as Ebony instantly hesitated. “I need to know for the spell.”

 

Ebony gritted her teeth and suddenly stood up, flipping the chair over on its side, grey eyes flashing. “This ring was Ashley’s, my only friend in the world.  We made vows with this ring…” She squeezed the ring in her hand as tears began sliding down her cheeks, every emotion she normally felt about Ashley suddenly exploding. “Hers had a moon on it.  We promised when we got out of the hellhole we lived in that we’d live life to the fullest, no matter what, and stick to each other.  But she died.  She was raped and murdered in cold blood, leaving me here all alone!”

 

Damon hadn’t expected this to happen, but understood why Ebony was upset suddenly, flying over to her before she could get her hands on something else. “Ebony, look at me.” He ordered, grabbing her shoulders tightly in his hands, forcing her tear-filled grey eyes to meet his. “Calm down.” He ordered soothingly, remembering when he first transitioned and how angry he’d been, every emotion feeling as though it split him in half.

 

Taking a few deep breaths, Ebony closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest, feeling his arms encircle her tightly. “I-I’m all alone…” She sobbed brokenly, shoulders shaking. “W-What’s wrong with me?” Ebony never cried in front of anyone, always having a very thick skin, but now it was almost as if she couldn’t control her emotions and that scared her.

 

“When transitioning from human to vampire, every emotion you’ve felt is intensified.” Damon explained softly, rubbing her back up and down, his mouth lowering to her ear. “You’re gonna have to learn to control that and reign it in.  There’s a switch you can flip so you don’t feel anything, but your humanity will be lost if you do.”

 

Ebony slowly pulled away from him, wiping her tears away, sniffling. “I understand.” She whispered, looking down at the ring and closed her eyes, trying to push all her emotions in the far back of her mind when it came to Ashley. “I don’t want to lose my humanity.  I will control it.”

 

“Good.” Damon nodded, extending his hand and waved his fingers, silently telling her to give him the ring. “And you’re not alone, not anymore, Ebony.”

 

For some reason, Ebony believed him and dropped the ring in his hand, turning to pick the chair back up, sitting down.  Desiree’s heart went out to the young woman and wondered if Damon knew what he just got himself into, keeping her thoughts and opinions to herself.  Just because Damon considered a friend didn’t mean he wouldn’t rip her throat out if she pissed him off enough.

 

Dropping the ring in the bowl, Desiree lifted her hands up and closed her eyes, the candles instantly flaring as soon as she began chanting.  Damon’s eyes narrowed as he watched the ring slowly start lifting in the air, the lights flickering.  He held his finger up to his lips, knowing if Ebony even uttered a word Desiree’s concentration would be ruined.  One thing about witches was if they were disturbed during a spell, it drained a lot of their power.

 

Damon had learned that lesson the hard way.

 

A few seconds later, the ring suddenly dropped in the bowl, the candles going out completely and the lights stopped flickering. “It’s done.” She said, picking the ring up and handed it back to Ebony. “Please remember that the witch who put the spell on this ring can also take the spell away, if you abuse your newfound gift.”

 

Ebony nodded in understanding, taking the ring from her and slipped it on the fourth finger of her right hand. “Thank you.” She whispered, standing up when Damon did and couldn’t believe the gift Ashley had given her before they parted ways was now her daylight ring. “So I can really walk into the sun like you now, Damon?”

 

“Supposedly, as long as you’re wearing it.” Damon smirked when Desiree scowled, chuckling. “Yes Ebony, you’re now a daylight walker.” If Desiree only knew the things Damon had done in the daylight to abuse his own gift of daylight, she wouldn’t have agreed to do this for Ebony. “We’ll be able to test it out when the sun rises.” His eyes turned to Desiree, knowing he would have to keep his word and never bother her again. “Ebony, go out to the car.  I’ll be out in a minute.”

 

Ebony did as he said, heading out of the building and admired her daylight ring, almost if it was just given to her.  Damon waited until she was out of earshot before flying over to stand in front of Desiree, taking her hand and bringing it up to his lips, kissing the back of it.  This was goodbye and Desiree knew it, wondering why it suddenly hurt so much at the thought of never seeing Damon again.

 

“Take care of yourself, Damon.” Desiree murmured, reaching up to push a strand of black hair from his forehead, letting her hand linger on his cheek. “And watch out for her.”

 

“I will.” Damon promised, running his finger down her cheek and leaned down, their lips mere inches apart. “You are definitely a rare gem.”

 

Desiree knew it was wrong to have feelings for Damon, especially since he was supposed to be her enemy.  She couldn’t help how she felt though and this was heartbreaking to have to say goodbye.  There was a reason she did it though, not able to pine for him anymore.  She had to get on with her human life and pretend he didn’t exist before he completely destroyed her.

 

“You’re gonna miss me.” Damon stated, not even questioning it and fingered her chin gently.

 

“I know.” Desiree whispered, suddenly feeling breathless and had to be the one to step away before she ended up doing something she’d regret. “But I have to let you go, Damon, somehow.”

 

“Not tonight.”

 

He suddenly captured her lips with his passionately, feeling her melt against him instantly, his arms wrapped around her waist tightly.  Desiree moaned in his mouth as he tasted her, suddenly feeling him twist to where he sat on the couch with her straddling his lap.  Damon was definitely the best lover she ever had and Desiree figured one more romp wouldn’t hurt any, already removing her top.

 

“That’s my girl.” He growled, suddenly pushing her down on the couch, hovering over her and proceeded to give her a proper goodbye.

 

Ebony looked up nearly two hours later when Damon finally came walking toward the car, immediately looking down at her ring.  She had no idea what took him so long, but she had a pretty good idea when a scent hit her full force in the face.  Sweat and sex.  Why she felt jealous was beyond her, but Ebony reigned it in, knowing flying off the handle definitely wouldn’t do her any favors right now.

 

“Everything squared away?” She asked, once he slid behind the wheel and wrinkled her nose, thankful the windows were already rolled down.

 

“Yeah.” Damon glanced back at the massage parlor, knowing he’d done the right thing and licked a bit of blood from his lip. “Ready to get out of this city?”

 

Ebony slowly turned to face him, smelling something else and instantly felt her hunger increase. “Sure…” She nodded, buckling up and leaned back against the seat as Damon pulled away from the parlor, heading straight for the highway.

 

“You have everything right?  Everything you own I mean?” Damon asked, knowing they could never return to Chicago, at least not for a few years and flicked his turn signal on.

 

“Yes, I don’t have much.” Ebony admitted softly, looking down at her daylight ring and sighed heavily. “You killed her didn’t you?”

 

Damon nodded, putting the pedal to the metal as they started flying down the highway, a million stars in the sky along with a quarter moon. “It had to be done.  She has no children, so severing that witch line insures your daylight ring will never be tampered with.”

 

Ebony could only nod, folding her arms in front of her chest and enjoyed the night air. “So, are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” She asked, trying to spark some kind of conversation with him.

 

“A little place called Mystic Falls in Virginia.” Damon answered, deciding there was no point in hiding it from her now that she was compliant with everything. “My hometown.”

 

“Oh.” The scent was blood was slowly dissipating from Damon, but that didn’t stop Ebony from craving more. “I’m hungry.”

 

Damon chuckled, reaching in the backseat and pulled out one of the blood bags he stole from one of the Chicago hospitals, tossing it at her. “Bon appetit.” He stated, having grabbed one for himself and ripped it open, reaching over to turn the radio on.

 

Ebony knew she would have to forget everything about her human life, but the ring on her right hand would forever link her to the memories of Ashley and that’s all she really cared about.

 

Chapter 5

 

Feeling the warmth on her face, Ebony slowly opened her eyes sometime the next day, staring out the window and couldn’t help smiling.  The warmth she’d been feeling was the sun and it wasn’t burning her, it felt amazing against her skin.  She stirred a little more, moving to sit up and stretched her arms in the air, letting out a loud yawn.

 

“Looks like the ring works.” Damon commented, glancing over at her before moving his eyes back to the road. “We’re almost there, another hour give or take.”

 

Ebony nodded, cracking her neck and let out a loud groan, rubbing the back of it. “I thought I was dead, so why do I have a stiff neck?” She asked curiously, another pop echoing through the car.

 

Damon chuckled softly, opening a bag of chips he stopped to get while she was sleeping, tossing her one. “As long as you keep a healthy dose of blood in your system, your body functions pretty normally.” He said, winking when she looked at the chips skeptically. “Eating regular food helps with the craving, along with alcohol, which you will be consuming a lot.  It’s actually better than food to vampires, but if you drink too much, you will get drunk.  It takes A LOT for that to happen though.”

 

“And because we’re technically dead, we can’t get alcohol or food poisoning or anything like that.” Ebony wasn’t asking, just thinking aloud and opened the chips, deciding one couldn’t hurt. “So what DOES hurt us?”

 

“The sun, normally, but we’re different because of magic.” Damon didn’t know if he should answer this question truthfully, deciding he could trust Ebony for the most part. “There’s this herb called vervain and it burns us if we touch it.  Humans can’t be compelled either if they’re wearing it on any part of their body.  Wood is our enemy, if you’re pierced with it, it will severely weaken you.  Having your head or heart removed can also kill you instantly.  Also, I would stay away from witches if you run into any because nine times out of ten, they can cause you excruciating pain with their magic.”

 

“Wow, so we’re not as invincible as the myth makes us believe.” Ebony stated thoughtfully, looking down at her bag of chips and sighed, turning the ring on her finger absentmindedly. “Did you mean what you said?”

 

“Depends on what you’re referring to.” Damon said, chomping on more chips and smirked when they passed a green interstate sign that said fifty miles to Mystic Falls.

 

“Not being alone anymore.” Ebony looked over at him with tentative grey eyes, wondering what possessed her to ask, but had to know.

 

“Let me put it this way, you can stick around as long as you want, Ebony.  You do have a mind of your own and I’m not gonna force you to stay with me.  But I HIGHLY suggest you stick with me long enough to learn what you are and how to be in control of your hunger.” That would take some time, so Damon wasn’t worried about her leaving his side anytime soon.

 

“Of course.”

 

There was no way Ebony could survive in this world alone, not when there was still so much for her to learn.  She had no idea how long it would take her to master and hone her skills either as a vampire.  This was a whole new world for her to explore and experience.  Ebony would be incredibly stupid to leave the man who made her, not to mention he said he needed her help with a few things.

 

“What did you need me to help you with anyway?” She asked curiously, changing the subject.

 

“Don’t worry about it for now.  I’ll let you know when the time comes.” Damon assured her, effectively ending that conversation, not trusting her nearly enough to tell her everything he had planned for Mystic Falls.

 

Shrugging, Ebony didn’t let his brush off bother her and continued eating the chips while staring out into the sun.  She always used to hate the sunlight and suddenly, Ebony couldn’t get enough of it.  Maybe it was the fact it couldn’t kill her as long as her ring was on, which she planned on never taking it off.

 

“So, who is Ashley?” Damon asked, deciding to get some background information on his new creation, switching lanes.

 

Closing her eyes painfully, Ebony didn’t say anything for a few minutes, taking deep breaths to try reigning her emotions in. “She was the only person I consider family.  I met her at the orphanage we both grew up in and we were inseparable.  We got in a lot of trouble and purposefully made life miserable for any families that tried adopting us.  We didn’t want to be adopted and be separated, so we did what we had to do.  The orphanage had a policy where when you turned eighteen, you were forced to leave to make room for other kids.  Ashley was four months older than me, so she was thrown out first…” Ebony had to stop talking because her emotions were starting to become overwhelming, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. “This is ridiculous!!  I NEVER cry, NEVER!” She snapped, wiping them away frantically and bent down to put her head between her legs, gripping her hair.

 

“It’ll take time for you to learn to control your emotions.” Damon said, reaching behind him to grab another blood bag, ripping it open and handed it to her. “Breathe through it and drink this.  You need your strength.” He’d already had a bag earlier while she slept.

 

Ebony slowly looked up at him and took the blood bag, beginning to suck it down in huge gulps, acting as though she was starved.  Never in a million years did Ebony think she would be drinking human blood of all things and have it taste better than strawberry cheesecake, her favorite dessert.  This was so surreal, Ebony was still waiting to wake up and all of this be nothing more than a dream.

 

Once she sucked the bag nearly dry, Ebony finally pulled away and leaned back against the seat, licking her bloody lips, sighing in relief.  Instantly, she felt that same rush, the power filling her body, and closed her eyes to relish every second of it.  Would it always feel this incredible to drink human blood?  What was it about the red substance that stimulated a vampire so intensely?

 

“Feel better?” Damon asked amusedly, already knowing she did and was pleased when she nodded. “Now, continue with your story and remember to breathe through it.”

 

“Not much else to say about Ashley.  She had a ring that was identical to mine, only it had a moon instead of a star.  She was my moon and I was her star.  We were closer than sisters.  She died in the middle of March, two months before my birthday, brutally murdered in an alleyway…” Ebony trailed off, remembering something else that she’d been told regarding Ashley’s death, slowly looking up at Damon with narrowed eyes. “They said she’d been raped, beaten and…drained of blood…”

 

Damon didn’t seem surprised or appalled by hearing that, popping the top of his flask and took a long swallow of Vodka. “Sounds like she was dinner.” He groaned when Ebony suddenly slapped him as hard as she could upside the head, electric blue eyes flashing. “What the HELL are you thinking?!”

 

“Don’t EVER talk about Ashley like that again!!  She was human just like I used to be and didn’t deserve what happened to her!!” Ebony shouted, not caring what he did to her, refusing to back down when it came to the subject of Ashley.

 

“Listen to me right now, Ebony, you are a VAMPIRE.  What killed your precious friend was a VAMPIRE.  She was DINNER, bottom line.  You’re dead now, she doesn’t matter to you anymore.  I don’t care if you have that stupid ring to remind you of her, in fifty years she won’t even matter to you because you’ll be on your own, killing humans to SURVIVE.  Vampires are all over the place, I’m not the only one and I hope you realize that.” Damon stated evenly, his voice dropped an octave, growling. “And if you EVER hit me again, I will break your hand.”

 

Ebony turned away from him, scooting as close to the passenger door as possible and kept her mouth shut.  She couldn’t help lashing out when it came to Ashley, all of her feelings Ebony’s had bottled up over the past three years since leaving the orphanage suddenly spilling out.  As much as she wanted to hate Damon for what he said, deep down Ebony knew he was only being blunt and brutally honest with her.

 

Damon didn’t regret anything he just said to Ebony because that’s just the kind of vampire he was.  Remorseless, selfish, uncaring, blunt and definitely brutal when the situation called for it.  He took pleasure in making others suffer because that’s who he was, that’s what a vampire’s nature was.  Humans were nothing more than food, a substance for him to survive, and he took pleasure in sucking lives out of others.

 

Soon, Ebony would be the same way because he planned on turning her into a remorseless cold killer like him.

 

Pulling into a nearby motel parking lot, Damon parked and cut the ignition, turning to look at her. “We’re staying here for a few days.” He announced, stepping out of the car and slammed the door shut, heading in to get their room.

 

Ebony blinked, wondering if they were in Mystic Falls yet and looked around, the place surrounded by the woods.  Sighing, Ebony grabbed her back from the floorboard and stepped out into the sunlight, thankful her ring actually worked.  When Damon came back out a few minutes later with a key, Ebony reluctantly followed him, heading upstairs to the second floor.

 

One bed, a dresser, small television and a bathroom pretty much summed up the rundown room.  Ebony tossed her things in the corner and looked around while Damon plopped down on the bed, removing his shirt.  She sat on the opposite side and reached down to pull her shoes off, tensing when she felt Damon’s hand slide under her tank top up her back.

 

“I’m gonna go shower.” She announced, starting to stand up, only for Damon to pull her back down on the bed, hovering over her.

 

“You’re avoiding me.” He pointed out, running his fingers down the side of her face. “Mad at me, Ebony?”

 

“No.” Ebony lied, trying to look away from him, but Damon wasn’t letting that happen. “I just want to take a shower.”

 

“Not right now.”

 

His mouth suddenly covered hers and all Ebony could do was kiss him back, gripping the back of his neck.  Every sensation suddenly exploded within her, the kiss much more intense and passionate than before.  Uncontrollable moans spilled from her lips as her fingers suddenly delved into his thick short black hair, their tongues tasting each other and it made Ebony heady.

 

Damon broke the kiss and began trailing hot kisses down the side of her neck while slipping his hands under the front of her tank top this time, fondling her breasts.  His touch burned straight through the thin material of her bra and Ebony suddenly craved to have him inside of her, not caring about anything else.  It didn’t matter that he had sex with other women, Ebony was just concerned with the here and now, her hands sliding up his muscular chest.

 

Without realizing it, Ebony suddenly flipped Damon so he was on his back, straddling his lap, grey eyes glowing.  Pushing herself up, Ebony removed her tank top and bra, tossing it behind her before starting her own assault on his gorgeous body.  Damon groaned at the feeling of her hot kisses traveling down the middle of his chest, his jeans unsnapping with a flick of her wrist seconds later.

 

“I’m enjoying it this time.” She growled, remembering how Damon had made her a snack during their first time together.

 

“Uh huh…” Damon wasn’t arguing or fighting her, thoroughly enjoying the current affection she showed him.

 

Sex with Damon was stupefying and Ebony could only lay there afterwards, staring up at the ceiling.  The tingling hadn’t stopped, the stars in Ebony’s grey eyes still shining brightly, both of them slowly coming down from the intense sexual high both had skyrocketed too.  What he said to her earlier in the car was forgotten because this feeling was too incredible and Ebony wanted more, craved more.

 

Damon rolled over to lean over her, running his fingertips up and down her flat toned stomach. “Hmm seems you’re not mad at me anymore.” He commented huskily, watching as those beautiful grey eyes turned to lock with his.

 

“How can I be after that?” Ebony retorted, not pushing his hand away because every touch felt amazing. “Is it always supposed to feel this way?”

 

“What?” Damon asked, resting his head on his elbow, his eyes trailing over her beautiful frame.

 

“Sex.  Is it supposed to feel this…exhilarating and intense?  Because it didn’t feel like this when I was human.” She admitted, leaning into his hand that cupped her cheek tenderly.

 

Damon chuckled, nodding and kissed her forehead softly. “Yes, everything you used to feel is intensified, like I said.  That includes every emotion, every touch, every kiss, and especially every time you have sex.” He knew he wasn’t going to be her only partner because part of the hunt for their food was using seduction. “You’ll get used to it after a while and it won’t be as intense.”

 

“No.” Ebony sat up suddenly, pushing him down on his back and kissed him deeply. “I never want this to go away.  I always want to feel this incredible.  I’ve never felt like this before, it’s crazy.”

 

“I mean in a couple decades, it doesn’t happen overnight.  Control takes a lot of time and patience, sometimes you’ll slip and you have to be prepared for that.  You have to also push away the guilt of taking human life because it’s essential to our survival.” Damon said, his voice completely serious, while staring up at the beauty he had changed and apparently saved. “I’ll teach and show you everything you need to know, Ebony.”

 

“I know you will.”

 

Smiling, Ebony squealed in surprise when he suddenly sat up, wrapping his arms around her waist and filled her receptive body once again.  Her head instantly leaned back and met him for every thrust, gripping his powerful shoulders, his lips devouring her neck.  From the moment Damon laid eyes on her during her stripping performance, something told him this woman was special.  She had this fire about her that he knew couldn’t be extinguished, this strength that would never die.

 

So far, Damon wasn’t disappointed and had a feeling he never would be when it came to Ebony.

 

Chapter 6

 

It turned out they were on the outskirts of Mystic Falls.

 

Over the next week, Ebony was shown the ropes by Damon, pointing out her super speed and strength.  She was astonished at all these newfound abilities that she now had, trying each of them out by sparring with Damon.  Of course, he only let her tackle him once before getting serious and Ebony ended up getting beaten down.  Damon forced her to spar with him at least once a day to help build her strength, knowing that would come with time.

 

Then there was the ability of compulsion, which Ebony found to be extremely effective when it came to hunting.  It was a supernatural ability to control and manipulate the emotions of a human, as long as they weren’t wearing vervain.  So far, they had lucked out Ebony ended up compelling her prey into not screaming or being afraid, amazed when they did exactly as she said.

 

Damon was pleasantly surprised at how quickly she caught onto compulsion, though he sometimes preferred his prey to scream and struggle.  It made the hunt that much more exhilarating, not bothering to hide his animalistic side from her.  It was a good thing that Ebony didn’t have a family to remember because Damon explained to her that being a vampire meant she had immortality – the gift of everlasting life and youth.

 

She would stay twenty one years old from now until eternity unless she was killed.

 

On one of the hunts, Damon ended up being stabbed with a sharp tree branch right in the stomach.  Ebony ended up pouncing on his prey, which was a young woman, while Damon pulled the stick out.  That’s the night she learned vampires also had incredibly fast healing abilities, the huge hole closing up on its own.  She remembered when she cut her hand with the razor back in Chicago, when she was still in transition, and how it healed.

 

That was also the night Damon showed Ebony his dangerous side, watching as he completely ripped the side of the woman’s neck completely out while feasting.  Ebony knew her stunt had severely pissed him off and honestly didn’t blame him, suddenly realizing all the different materials that were considered wood.  She would have to be extremely careful and cautious, one of the few downfalls of being a vampire.

 

Ebony flipped through the channels mindlessly, Damon having gone out for the day and ordered her to stay put.  He was scouting out the area before they made their way into town, though Ebony had no idea the reasoning.  The only thing she knew was they were going to visit his little brother, Stefan Salvatore, but only when the ‘time was right’, as quoted by Damon.

 

Apparently it was because the door to their motel room opened, Damon tossing her bag at her. “We’re leaving.” He announced without preamble, flying into the bathroom and tossed everything into a bag before coming back out. “I already checked us out of here.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Ebony jumped up from the bed, wearing a pair of blue jean shorts with a white spaghetti strapped camisole and began packing up her few things.  Damon had taken her shopping and bought her an entire wardrobe, but most of it was already in the trunk of his car.  That included a cell phone, something Ebony never had and he had to show her how to work it, which made her feel incredibly stupid. 

 

Walking out of the room, Ebony waited for Damon to join her and followed him to the car, seeing he was in a bit of a hurry. “What’s going on?” She demanded as soon as he fired up the ignition, barely having time to buckle up before it tore out of the parking lot at top speed.

 

“I attacked someone.” He stated, punching the gas and sped down the road, gripping the steering wheel. “Some high school girl, don’t know her name.”

 

Grey eyes widened at Damon’s confession and Ebony was having a hard time believing he did it just on a whim. “What for?” She asked in a soft voice, feeling the anger radiating from his body. “Damon, talk to me.”

 

“To send a message to my little brother.”

 

Ebony swallowed hard at the intensity in his blue eyes, not having seen him the entire day and wondered what the hell happened.  Something told her whatever Damon needed help with had to do with his little brother, though she hadn’t questioned him since the last time.  Her mind was racing with possibilities of why Damon would have to send a message to his brother by attacking a high school girl, frowning.

 

“Damon, slow down before you end up getting pulled over.” Ebony pointed out, seeing he had revved the engine way past eighty miles an hour, wondering how she could feel fear as a vampire. “What happened today?”

 

“He thought I wouldn’t find out, that I wouldn’t come back.” Damon rambled angrily, gritting his teeth and started gnashing them together. “Do you remember yesterday when I told you about the girl I saw in the cemetery and I scared her?”

 

“With the crow, yes.” Ebony still didn’t fully understand how that worked, only seeing him use it a few times and didn’t really question it. “She cut her leg right?”

 

Damon nodded, reaching in the back to grab a blood bag from his stash and ripped it open, beginning to swallow it down quickly. “She’s not just anyone, Ebony.  She’s…” He growled, squeezing the bag so tight it nearly busted right in his hand. “Never mind, it’s time to stop hiding out and face Stefan once and for all.” He looked over at her. “It’s not going to be a heartwarming reunion, I’m warning you right now, Ebony.  So if you want to run away right now, I’ll pull over and let you out.”

 

“I already told you I’m not leaving, Damon.” Ebony stated, reaching over to touch his shoulder gently. “You told me it’s my decision when I walk away and I don’t want to right now.”

 

“You will after this.” He promised in a low voice, not pulling away from her touch because it was slowly calming him down.

 

Ebony’s frown deepened, wondering why Damon loathed his little brother so much and had to confront him. “Tell me why are you’re upset with him.  It’ll help to talk about it…” She tried, moving her hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck, rubbing it. “Come on Damon, it’s time to tell me what’s going on and why we’re in this specific small town.”

 

Damon knew she was right and he hated her for it, shoving her hand away from him. “I don’t want to be touched right now.” He growled, slowing down when they entered the town, not believing how much it had changed in a hundred and forty five years. “You really wanna know why we’re here?”

 

“It’d be nice, yes.” Ebony said truthfully, not bothering to comfort him again because he was too upset and could end up hurting her. “I’d like to know what I’m about to walk into with you.”

 

She had a point, Damon thought grudgingly, and raked a hand through his black hair, taking a deep breath. “My brother and I were turned into vampires by a woman named Katherine in 1864.” He explained, his tone even because he couldn’t let his emotions overtake him, not yet anyway. “She is the reason we’re here.”

 

A woman…Ebony should’ve known it had something to do with love, though she was surprised to find out exactly how old Damon was. “So…how old were you when you were turned?” She couldn’t help asking, her curiosity burning now.

 

“Twenty four.” He answered, deciding he could trust her enough to tell her his true age. “That makes me a hundred and sixty nine years old, roughly.  Might as well round it up to a hundred and seventy.”

 

“Wow…” Ebony gaped, somehow believing he was actually telling her the truth because of the whole immortality that came with being a vampire. “And how old was Stefan?”

 

“Seventeen.”

 

Her heart instantly broke, even though it no longer beat with life, wondering what it was like to be stuck being seventeen years old forever. “I’m going to assume that Katherine was a little more to you than just the vampire who changed you.” Ebony took a chance, hoping she didn’t regret it.

 

Damon nodded, his jaw tightening at the thought of what happened all those years ago. “She was the love of my life and still is.” He stated wholeheartedly, gripping the wheel with both hands, trying not to rip it off because then they would end up crashing. “Turns out Stefan also loved her.”

 

There it was, just as Ebony suspected, though she didn’t voice anything she was thinking. “Go on.” She urged quietly, noticing the more Damon talked about it, the more he remained calm.

 

“We both vied for her affection and both wanted her, but I loved her far more than he did.  I was willing to give up my life and spend eternity with her.  I didn’t care about anything else.  She was my world.” Damon suddenly had to pull over on the side of the dirt road he turned down, the woods surrounding them, trembling slightly. “The Founding Families came up with this council that went after vampires and they started finding ways to fight back against them.  Vervain, wooden bullets, stakes…you name it, they had it.  Katherine could walk in the sun along with a few of her friends because of her handmaiden, Emily.  She was also a powerful witch that cast a spell on a bracelet for Katherine, which made her able to walk in the sun, like us.” Damon stopped talking, staring down at his ring and clenched his fist together tightly, gritting his teeth. “Our father basically forced us to go after the vampires with him, but being able to walk in the sun, Katherine and her friends were somewhat safe.  I begged Stefan not to tell father about her because I knew he would kill her instantly.  Stefan promised me he would keep his mouth shut…and instead, he ended up breaking that promise to me.”

 

Ebony covered her mouth with her hand, grey eyes widening, not moving from where she sat. “W-Why would he do that?” She whispered, flinching when Damon hit the steering wheel with his fists, looking away from him. “I’m sorry, Damon…”

 

“Because he thought our father would help us protect her and understand that she wasn’t like the others.  He was a fool, an ignorant dick!  She was caught because of it!  She ended up biting Stefan and his blood had been infected with vervain, thanks to father.  They took her away, putting some kind of contraption over her mouth to prevent her from fighting back.  Stefan tried wronging his right by devising a plan to save her.” Damon closed his eyes, remembering that night vividly and rolled the window down to get some much needed fresh night air.

 

“I have a feeling I’m going to regret asking this, but…what did they do with the vampires they caught?” Ebony reluctantly asked, seeing just how much this affected Damon and wished there was something she could do to take away his pain.

 

“They took them to Fell’s Church and locked them inside, burning it to the ground with them inside.” He whispered, the pain pouring from every inch of his body while taking this trip down memory lane.

 

“Jesus…” Ebony swallowed hard, wondering how people could be so cruel to do that to others, no matter what species they were. “Did you save her?”

 

“No.” Damon whispered, gritting his teeth as tears filled his eyes. “We managed to find the carriage that had her locked up and got her out, untied her wrists, but then we were both shot…by our own father.” He leaned back against the seat, breathing in and out, refusing to let his emotions get the better of him. “I drank Katherine’s blood willingly, so when I was shot, I died instantly and started the transition.  I didn’t realize Katherine had also let Stefan drink her blood, so when he was shot and killed, he also transitioned.  It was only supposed to be me.  I was the only one who was supposed to be turned.”

 

It sounded like Katherine had played both of the brothers for fools and turned them against each other, which didn’t bode well for this upcoming reunion. “So you’re angry with him because you think he’s the reason for Katherine’s death?” She made it sound like a question, wanting to make sure she fully understood the story.

 

Damon shot ice blue daggers at her, his head snapping toward her. “He IS the reason, Ebony.  There is no thinking about it.  He’s the reason she’s gone…” Then a smirk suddenly crossed Damon’s lips, dripping with pure wicked intentions. “But I know something he doesn’t.”

 

Ebony did not like the sound of that and had a feeling Damon wasn’t about to tell her anything more for now. “Go on.” She whispered, watching as he started the ignition and began driving down the dirt road again.

 

“There’s nothing more to say right now.”

 

Damon knew if he continued, he would say too much and Ebony would have leverage against him.  He had to be smart and get to know her better before divulging his master plan on why he had returned to Mystic Falls.  All would be revealed in due time, but right now, all he wanted to do was give his little brother a proper greeting, eyes flashing at the thought.

 

A few minutes later, Ebony slowly looked up at the huge house with wide grey eyes, blinking, wondering where they were. “Wow…” She looked at him, seeing the familiarity filtering through his eyes and knew he’d definitely been here before. “Is this…your home?”

 

Damon nodded, stepping out of the car, having parked a little ways from the house so Stefan didn’t see it yet. “Yes.” He answered, closing the door quietly and waited until she got out, both of them heading toward it cautiously. “When this goes down, I don’t want you in the room.”

 

“Okay.” Ebony agreed, watching as Damon jumped all the way to the second floor, which had an open window. “What the…?”

 

“Come on.” Damon whispered, not wanting Zach to hear them, which was his distant nephew over the Salvatore generation.

 

Nodding, Ebony closed her eyes and leapt in the air, landing on the balcony with ease, Damon catching her in his arms. “Whew, I’ll never get used to that.” She said a little shakily, walking into the bedroom and had a feeling it was Stefan’s.

 

They both heard the front door slam shut downstairs and Ebony instantly flew down the hallway to one of the vacant rooms she found, closing the door the way it was.  She listened in with her enhanced hearing, sitting on the bed and heard the crow’s wings flapping followed by Damon greeting his brother.  They exchanged words and Damon started taunting Stefan about going after some girl named Elena, which confused Ebony.

 

Suddenly, the sound of a window smashing echoed in her ears and Ebony flew out of the room, hoping Damon was alright.

 

Chapter 7

 

Flying into the room, Ebony’s eyes shot open at the sight two broken balcony doors and pieces of glass were strewn everywhere.  She heard the entire conversation and knew Damon was antagonizing his brother, frowning.  Quickly rushing over to the balcony, Ebony listened to their conversation again, keeping out of sight like Damon wanted.  That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to eavesdrop, hoping some of her questions were answered since Damon refused to open up fully to her.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Ebony spotted something on the nearby table in the room, her eyes narrowing slightly.  It sounded as though Damon had gotten the upper hand on his little brother and the reunion had come to an end.  Pulling away from the balcony, Ebony walked over to the table and saw a picture lying precariously on top of it.  She picked it up, eyes widening at the name on the bottom of it. 

 

Katherine 1864. 

 

This had to be the woman Damon told her about that had the brothers at odds, who had changed them into vampires.  Ebony had to admit she was quite the beauty, understanding the infatuation and desire from both brothers to want her.  Something told Ebony there was far more to the story as she set the picture down on the table, head snapping up when a voice came from the doorway.

 

“Who the hell are you?”

 

Ebony’s head snapped toward the voice and swallowed hard, slowly stepping away from the balcony. “I’m…”

 

“Nobody you need to concern yourself with, Zach.” Damon’s voice sounded from behind, his eyes landing on Ebony and watched as she immediately came to his side. “Just a friend of mine that will be staying here with us for a little while.”

 

Ebony smiled, clandestinely looking him over to make sure he was alright.  Judging by the way he walked and the unctuous attitude, Damon was fit as a fiddle, wrapping an arm around Ebony’s shoulders.  They walked out of the room past a resigned Zach and headed to Damon’s room, which was also upstairs.

 

It was the same room she had hid inside while Damon reunited with Stefan.

 

“You were listening in.” Damon stated, closing the door behind him and immediately peeled his leather coat off, tossing it to the side.

 

“I couldn’t help it, this damn super hearing…”

 

Ebony chewed her bottom lip and looked around the room, which definitely suited Damon.  It was very simple with a four poster king sized bed and an area rug underneath, the room mostly brown.  His sheets were pure white along with the pillows, the comforter a dark brown to match the room décor.  The curtains were golden dark brown with white, the windows huge and had outlined small squares within the glass. 

 

As Ebony explored further, she walked into another area of the room, which was immediately deemed the bathroom.  It was huge and had a small fireplace with a white garden tub, everything very elegant.  There was also a see through glass shower and counter with two sinks.  The Salvatore’s were rich and that didn’t surprise Ebony, though she didn’t touch anything because it all looked pristine.

 

“Penny for your thoughts?”

 

Ebony slowly turned around to face him, shaking her head. “No, just looking around.  This place is incredible.  I’ve never seen anything like it.” She watched as Damon shrugged and walked around her to the sink, running the water to apparently wash his hands.

 

“This place is actually called the Salvatore Boarding House where members of the Salvatore family lived over the years.  It was built back in 1914 and currently the deed is in our nephew’s name, which you just met.” Damon explained, removing his ring to wash his hands before immediately putting it back on, after drying them. “It’s also known as one of the creepiest places in Mystic Falls.” He added, chuckling softly and hung the towel back up before turning to face her. “It’s also now your home.”

 

Ebony didn’t believe that for a second and just nodded, starting to walk out of the bathroom, but Damon stopped her, pulling her back into his arms. “I’m glad you’re okay.” She whispered, reaching up to cup his face tenderly in her hand.

 

“Of course I am.” Damon snorted, kissing her forehead softly. “There are four available rooms for you to choose from if you don’t want to stay in here with me.”

 

“Why wouldn’t I?” Ebony retorted softly, confusion registering in her grey eyes.

 

Damon shrugged nonchalantly, releasing her and pulled his shirt off, needing a shower after being sent through balcony doors two stories down to concrete. “Suit yourself, but you might want to choose your own room because there are times I’ll have other women over.” He turned the shower sprays on, no remorse in what he just said.

 

“Right.” Ebony decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have her own room since her and Damon weren’t together. “On second thought, I need my space and I’m betting you do too.  So I’ll go find one.”

 

“Sounds good.” Damon called back, removing the rest of his clothes and stepped under the sprays, effectively ending their conversation.

 

Hiding her hurt, Ebony walked out of Damon’s bedroom and closed the door behind her, seeing there was only one more room on this floor.  That meant the rest of the bedrooms were downstairs and Ebony began descending them, not seeing anyone in sight.  She began walking down the small hall from the front door and saw a huge fireplace before her with possibly the biggest living room she ever saw in her life. 

 

It looked like three huge rooms meshed into one, all dark colors for the furniture and décor.  Grey eyes looked down the small hallway to her right and Ebony headed in that direction, the floor creaking gently under her weight.  One by one, Ebony glanced into the rooms and finally chose the third one, walking inside of it, closing the door behind her.

 

It was all dark blue décor, the bedding looking as though it was velvet and she had a huge bay window with dark blue curtains.  The bed was queen sized and Ebony was pleased to find she had her own bathroom with a garden tub and shower.  Though, it wasn’t nearly as big as Damon’s, which she didn’t mind.

 

Setting her things down on the bed, Ebony began pulling the few items she owned out of the bag, picking out the black pajama pants and matching spaghetti strapped tank top.  She quickly changed and shoved everything back in the bag, placing it in the corner before climbing into the huge bed, looking around the room even more.  Ebony was used to sleeping under bridges, using cardboard boxes for shelter and never had a bed this big just for her.

 

A content sigh escaped her when Ebony slid under the comforter and snuggled down into the soft feather pillow, completely melting.  Her thoughts suddenly ventured back to the conversation she overheard between Damon and Stefan, the name Elena somewhat intriguing her.  Damon said she was a dead ringer for Katherine, so what exactly did that mean? 

 

A dead ringer meant duplicate, but there was no way there could be two of the same person, right?  Something was definitely up and she knew it had to do with this girl named Elena and Katherine.  Ebony sighed as she closed her eyes, surprisingly not hungry and felt the exhaustion slowly overtake her body, falling asleep almost instantly.

 

~!~

 

Ebony was up before anyone else the next morning, the sun barely peeking over the horizon and she was starved.  She was surprised to find a bag of blood on the nightstand, unopened, and drained it almost instantly.  They had to go out hunting tonight because, even though the blood bags were good, fresh human blood was so much better.

 

Tossing the blood bag in the small trashcan that was on the other side of the bed, Ebony decided to go do more exploring of the mansion.  She slipped on a pair of black socks before heading out, closing the door behind her, and padded down the hallway toward the huge living room.  The sun shined brightly through the windows, really showing the true worldly beauty of the mansion and Ebony felt as though she was in some kind of fairytale.

 

“Damon is still sleeping.”

 

Ebony turned around, staring at the same man that had caught her in Stefan’s room the previously night, a tentative smile crossing her lips. “I wasn’t looking for him, but thank you.” She walked over and extended her hand, grey eyes friendly. “I’m Ebony.”

 

Zach was extremely wary of her for good reason, not trusting anyone associated with Damon. “Zach.” He didn’t take her hand, walking past her with his hands clasped behind his back, heading toward the kitchen.

 

Watching him walk away, Ebony shrugged and continued looking around, finding the small bar with different choices of alcohol.  She remembered Damon telling her about how it curved a vampire’s craving for blood.  One drink wouldn’t hurt as Ebony took a tumbler and picked the first bottle of dark liquid, pouring her a small shot.

 

Bringing it up to her nose, Ebony inhaled and tossed it back in one swallow, closing her eyes as the burning sensation rushed down her throat.  Her eyes opened and, surprisingly, the hunger for blood had somewhat decreased.  She took three more shots before putting the liquor away, leaving her glass there for later on and continued on her exploration.

 

Suddenly, she heard the creaking of the front door and immediately flew to the first room she could find, which was the dining room that was just off the huge living room.  A female voice pierced the silence and Ebony slowly poked her head around the corner, watching as the crow flew into the room followed by Damon appearing.  Ebony could hear how fast the girl’s heart pumped and covered her mouth with her hand when she realized who it was, eyes widened.

 

“You must be Elena.” Damon greeted politely. “I’m Damon, Stefan’s brother.”

 

“He didn’t tell me he had a brother.”

 

“Well, Stefan’s not one to brag.” Damon said, guiding her into the living room and parlor with a charming smile. “Please come, I’m sure Stefan will be along any second.”

 

Elena?  THAT was Elena?  She was the spitting image of Katherine!  What the hell was going on here?  Ebony didn’t move an inch, hearing them enter the living room/parlor, overhearing everything they were talking about.  Damon brought up Katherine, confusing Ebony, because the way he sounded the previous night, he was in love with her more than Stefan. 

 

This was very confusing; Ebony knew if she was human she would have a migraine by now.  She heard Stefan walk into the room and basically ordered Elena to leave, in a polite way, and heard the shuffling of shoes as the front door closed.  Why would Damon purposefully bring up Katherine to Elena, calling Katherine Stefan’s ex-girlfriend?

 

“Someone had to go clean up your mess.”

 

They were talking about someone being in the hospital and Ebony knew instantly who it was.  The high school girl from last night that Damon attacked to send a message.  He left her alive?  One thing Damon taught Ebony was that, if she was leaving her prey alive after feeding, to make sure to erase their memory.  Apparently, Damon hadn’t done that and she was curious why, wondering what kind of game he was playing just like Stefan.

 

Ebony slowly walked out of the dining room, after more words were exchanged between the brothers, a frown on her face.  Both Stefan and Damon turned to face her, Stefan’s eyes slightly wide while Damon stood there with a smug look on his face.  Stefan looked back at Damon and then the strange woman he wasn’t aware was staying here, folding his arms in front of his chest.

 

“Care to explain, Damon?”

 

“She’s a friend of mine.” Damon shrugged, sounding nonchalant and walked over to pour himself a shot of bourbon. “Brought her home with me.  I figured you were lonely and could use the company, brother.”

 

Stefan didn’t buy that for a second, slowly heading toward the raven haired beauty and extended his hand. “We haven’t had the chance to meet, I’m Stefan.” He said, feeling her hand take his and shook it firmly.

 

“Nice to meet you, Stefan.  I’m Ebony.” She replied, pulling her hand away from his and walked over to where Damon was, needing another drink. “You didn’t tell him I was staying here?”

 

“Why would I?” Damon retorted, raising a black eyebrow. “This is my house just as much as it’s his, if not more.  I AM the older brother after all.”

 

“Technically, this is Zach’s house because it’s in his name.” Stefan corrected, walking over to sit on the couch and ran a hand through his hair. “Does she even know the reason you’ve returned to Mystic Falls?”

 

Damon smirked, stirring his drink a little with ice and sipped it thoughtfully. “Even if she did, she wouldn’t tell you.” He assured Stefan, draping an arm around her shoulders. “Though, I’m sure Elena could use another friend in her little group.”

 

Stefan’s eyes narrowed upon hearing that, gritting his teeth. “Stay away from Elena, Damon.  I’m warning you.  It doesn’t have to be this way.”

 

“Don’t worry Stefan; I’ll stay away from Elena.” Ebony assured him, ignoring Damon’s sudden glare and poured her used tumbler full of whiskey. “And I have no idea why Damon came back here, just so you know.  I’ve been wondering that myself actually.” Her grey eyes were cool as she spoke, sipping her whiskey much like Damon had. “Though, she does sound like a sweet girl.”

 

“She is.” Stefan agreed, wondering if Damon realized that by making a vampire, he could no longer compel this girl to do his bidding. “Make yourself at home, Ebony.”

 

“Already have.”

 

Ebony raised her glass and downed the rest of it before walking out of the room, heading for the kitchen.  She was starving and wanted to forget all about this Elena/Katherine business for a little while, hoping they had something good to eat.  Halfway through making some pancakes, Ebony felt a presence in the kitchen and didn’t bother turning around, flipping one in the pan.

 

“So, are you ready to tell me what the hell is going on?  Because, I could’ve sworn I just saw Stefan’s new girlfriend, who looks exactly like Katherine.  And it’s making my head hurt trying to piece everything together.” Ebony felt him fly over to stand besides her, gripping her chin and forced her eyes to meet his, her lips pursed tightly together.

 

“All you need to worry about, precious, is being friendly with Elena.” Damon said in a sweet voice, though his eyes were pure eyes. “Because if you don’t,” His grip tightened on her chin, almost to the point of breaking it. “I will end you.  You find out things when I TELL you and not a second before then.  You are here to help me, remember?  Now finish cooking and get your ass to school because, as of today, you are a student at Mystic Falls High School.” Releasing her chin, Damon walked out of the kitchen and left Ebony standing there in shock.

 

Chapter 8

 

Looking up at the huge building, all Ebony could think was she wanted to run in the opposite direction.  She was twenty one years old and being forced to go back to high school of all places, this was wrong!  Ebony never went to a regular school because the orphanage had their own schooling program and, nine times out of ten, she was tossed out for misbehaving.

 

Apparently, Damon had been busy throughout the night planning everything for her while she slept.  He bought a black bag that went over the shoulder with notebooks, pens, pencils, a binder and folders.  Damon also bought her some jeans, shorts, tank and short sleeved tops, tennis shoes, a gym uniform, socks, panties, bras and even some hair accessories along with makeup.

 

How Damon managed to do all of this in LESS than twelve hours was beyond her.

 

Currently, Ebony wore a dark pink baby doll top with a white camisole underneath and black shorts, white sneakers on her feet.  Her hair was straight and left down with a huge black hairband pushing her hair back since she had no bangs.  She had simple black eyeliner on and clear gloss, foundation to help bring some color to her pale skin.

 

“Damon, you do remember I’m twenty one, right?” She asked, looking over at him and sighed when he nodded.

 

“You don’t look twenty one though.” He stated, reaching over to open the door for her. “Now get in there and start making friends with Elena.”

 

Ebony wanted to tell him that her and school never mixed well together, but the determination in his icy eyes made her keep her mouth shut. “Fine, whatever you say, master.” She snorted, hissing when he grabbed her upper arm tightly.

 

“Just do what you’re told and you won’t get hurt.” Damon said, his voice barely above a whisper and released her arm, patting her on top of the head. “Better hurry before the bell rings.  You have your schedule, right?”

 

Ebony nodded stiffly and stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut. “Damon…”

 

“Have a good day, sweetheart.”

 

Ebony watched as he sped away and groaned, feeling like she wanted to rip her hair out of her skull. “This is ridiculous…” She muttered under her breath before reluctantly heading into the building, pulling the schedule out of her back pocket and glanced over it. “History first, wonderful…”

 

Everyone looked up when the door opened and a beautiful raven haired girl walked in, looking extremely nervous.  William Tanner, the history teacher, looked over at her and smiled, figuring this had to be his new student.  Ebony chewed her bottom lip and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, remembering to learn to breathe because she was still a new vampire with hunger issues.

 

“Everyone, this is Ebony Salvatore.  She’s new from Chicago and a junior.” William announced, placing a hand on the small of her back. “Take a seat, Ebony, we were just about to get started.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Ebony smiled and quickly scanned the classroom, spotting a desk that was empty right next to Elena, taking it without preamble.  She set her bag down on the side of her desk, pulling out a notebook and folder while the teacher got her a history book.  Opening the page he announced, Ebony pretended to pay attention and glanced over at Elena, who was sneaking glimpses at her.

 

Elena didn’t know Stefan had a sister, cousin or whoever Ebony was, question marks swirling through her brown eyes.  Where was Ebony when she went over there earlier in the morning to talk to Stefan?  Damon had seemed decent enough, very polite, but there’d been no sign of Ebony anywhere.

 

She wasn’t the only one who was staring at Ebony with confusion and wonder because Stefan was sitting on the other side of Elena, also stealing glances at Ebony.  What the hell was Damon doing?  Ebony had made it clear she was going to stay away from Elena, only now she was here at school with them, sitting right next to his girlfriend.  Stefan had to do something and fast before Damon completely destroyed everything he had going for him.

 

If Stefan had to bring Ebony down as well, he would without thinking twice.

 

“Hey, do you have a pencil I can borrow?” Elena asked, deciding to make some kind of conversation with her and ignored Stefan for the moment.  He had some serious explaining to do when class was over with. “I can’t find one in my bag, it’s such a mess.”

 

Ebony smiled back at her and nodded; thankful she didn’t have to be the one to talk first. “Sure.” Pulling out a pencil, Ebony handed it over with ease, grey eyes staring at her friendly. “Here you go.”

 

“Thanks…” Elena looked over her shoulder at Stefan, silently asking him what was going on and all he did was shrug, giving her yet another vague answer. “You said your name was Salvatore?”

 

“Yeah, I’m Damon and Stefan’s cousin.” Ebony lied smoothly, having already gone over the whole family angle with Damon while she got ready after eating some pancakes. “I just got into town last night.”

 

“Oh.” Elena suddenly didn’t feel so put out anymore and extended her hand. “I’m Elena Gilbert, Stefan’s girlfriend.”

 

Ebony took her hand, shaking it. “Nice to meet you.  Damon told me you stopped by this morning, but I was busy getting ready for my first day here.” They were talking because Mr. Tanner had to step out for a second to take a phone call.

 

“Yeah, that was my first time meeting him.  He’s nice, though Stefan doesn’t like him as much.” Elena half-joked, not really understanding what was so terrible about Damon.

 

“Brothers will be brothers.” Ebony commented, looking up when the teacher walked back in and class resumed.

 

The bell rang, signaling class was over and Ebony packed up her things, starting to head out the door behind Elena and Stefan.  However, she was stopped by the teacher, wondering what he wanted and stayed behind like a good student.  Mr. Tanner waited until everyone exited the class before walking over, closing the door so they had complete privacy, turning his eyes on her.

 

“Did you understand everything today?” He asked, walking back over to sit down behind his desk. “Because I don’t want you falling behind since you haven’t been here the whole semester.”

 

“I took notes, it’s pretty self-explanatory.” Considering she was twenty one years old posing as a high schooler, Ebony had already learned all of this because of the orphanage. “I’ll catch up.”

 

“You sound pretty confident.” Mr. Tanner observed, folding his arms in front of his chest, eyes narrowing slightly. “My class isn’t that easy to get through, Ebony.”

 

Ebony knew if she mouthed off, she would have to deal with Damon’s wrath later, so she just bit her tongue for the time being. “I understand, Mr. Tanner, and will do my best to catch up.” She said as politely as she could, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable.

 

“Well, I could definitely make it easier for you to catch up, if you want.” He offered in a lower voice, a predatory gleam coming over his eyes as he stood up from his chair, towering over her. “VERY easy.”

 

Ebony had been around the block a few times and knew exactly what that look in his eyes implied, squaring her shoulders with pursed lips. “I don’t think so.” She took a step back, only for him to take one forward, smiling uneasily. “Mr. Tanner, I’m going to be late for my next class, so I really need to go…”

 

“I’ll write you a tardy note.” He assured her, watching as she finally hit the chalkboard and boxed her in so she couldn’t get away from him. “I’m not done talking to you yet, Ebony.”

 

Ebony closed her eyes as his head bent down to smell her, feeling sick to her stomach and could feel the tears burning her eyes. “Mr. Tanner…”

 

“Ssshhhh…” He slowly ran his finger down her cheek to the side of her neck, suddenly gripping her breast through the thin material of her baby doll. “Mmm so firm…”

 

That was all Ebony could take as she brought her hands up, shoving him as hard as she could away from her and ended up sending him flying on top of the desks.  Her grey eyes shot open, suddenly remembering her enhanced strength and knew she had to get out of there before he could regain his bearings.  Opening the door, Ebony ran down the hallway and into the nearest bathroom, occupying the first available stall.

 

Tears instantly poured down her cheeks as Ebony pressed her forehead to the stall door, feeling her knees buckling and hit the floor, her bag slipping from her shoulder.  What the hell kind of school was this where teachers touched their students the way Mr. Tanner just did to her?  Ebony didn’t care about the consequences of going home on her first day of school. 

 

Damon could stake her if he wanted to, but she was NOT staying here after what just happened.  Wiping her tears away, Ebony took a few deep breaths before pushing open the stall, thankful everyone had cleared out.  She turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water on her face, not caring if her makeup was destroyed.  Ebony had stripped naked for money in front of men, but she was always in control with everything she did, never having a man actually assault her the way Mr. Tanner did.

 

The bathroom door opened suddenly as Elena walked inside along with another blonde girl, both stopping at the sight of her. “Ebony?” Elena frowned, walking over to her and could clearly see she was upset about something. “Are you okay?”

 

“No, I’m leaving for the day and going back to the mansion.” Ebony muttered, looking away from Elena as she patted her face dry.

 

Elena didn’t understand what could’ve happened and suddenly stopped Ebony from leaving, grabbing her arms to keep her still. “What happened, Ebony?” She was Stefan’s family, which meant she was automatically someone Elena cared about, concern in her eyes. “Talk to us.”

 

“I don’t even know you, Elena.” Ebony whispered, tossing the damp paper towel in the trashcan, trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible. “Just like you don’t know me from a hole in the ground.” If the girl only knew who she really was, Elena would’ve walked away in a split second.

 

“Well this is Caroline, one of my best friends.  You’re Stefan’s family, so that automatically makes you my friend, even if you don’t realize it yet.” Elena stated, grabbing both of Ebony’s hands and squeezed them gently, cracking a hesitant smile. “Before you leave school, tell me what happened.  Maybe we can fix it so that way you don’t miss your first day.”

 

This girl trusted far too easily, Ebony thought, but the deep brown eyes of Elena were hard to resist. “Mr. Tanner asked me to stay after to talk to me about what I thought was schoolwork, but he ended up…making a pass at me…and touching me…” She looked away in shame, raking a hand through her hair and ended up pulling the headband out in anger.

 

Elena’s eyes shot open, along with Caroline’s, both of them sharing shocked expressions. “What?” Mr. Tanner was a lot of things, but Elena never thought in a million years the man was actually capable of being a pedophile and felt sick to her stomach just like Ebony.

 

“You have to get her out of here, Elena.” Caroline stated, pity filling her blue eyes. “She looks very pale…”

 

Elena nodded, already pulling her cell phone out and sent Stefan a quick text. “I am, I’m taking her back to Damon and letting Stefan know what’s going on.  She can’t be here right now.” If that happened to Elena, she would definitely not be able to stay in the same school as the teacher that molested her. “Caroline, don’t call your Mom yet, okay?”

 

“Wasn’t planning on it, but this really should be documented.” Caroline pointed out, picking up Ebony’s books and slid them back in her bag, handing it over to Elena. “I’ll get the homework for both of you that you miss.”

 

“Thanks Caroline.” Elena smiled appreciatively at one of her best friends, guiding Ebony out of the bathroom, a firm arm around her shoulders. “Hold on, Stefan is texting me back.”

 

What happened?  Stay where you are, I’m on my way.

 

Elena wasn’t waiting for Stefan to get out of class, needing to get Ebony home before they ran into Mr. Tanner again.  There was no way she was making that up, she was trembling far too much to be lying.  They walked outside and Elena found her car, heading over to it, pressing the unlock button.

 

“You don’t have to do this…” Ebony whispered, slipping in the passenger seat and immediately stopped talking when Elena held her hand up.

 

“Don’t worry about it.  Just try to relax.” Elena assured her, buckling up and waited for Ebony to do the same thing before peeling out of the high school parking lot.

 

Stefan groaned when he saw Elena’s car drive off with Ebony and immediately went after them, running as fast as he could through the woods.  All Elena’s text said was something had happened to Ebony, which was incredibly vague.  Whatever it was, it had to be some kind of plan for Ebony to get Elena alone to talk to her, his eyes narrowing as several different scenarios popped in his head.

 

“Damn it.” He cursed, picking up speed and knew he could only go so fast since he didn’t live off of human blood unlike Damon.

 

“What exactly happened, Ebony, if you don’t mind me asking?” Elena asked, wanting to make sure she got the full story, glancing over at the shaking girl. “You can tell me, I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me too.”

 

“Mr. Tanner asked me to stay after class because he had to talk to me about something.  I figured it was because I just started in the middle of the semester.  He said that he could help me get ahead, if I knew what he meant.  Then he backed me up against the chalkboard and started sniffing me like a bitch in heat.” Ebony grit her teeth, tears instantly stinging her eyes again and had to look away to stare out the window, closing her eyes. “Then he ran a finger down my cheek and neck and grabbed my boob.  I shoved him away and got the hell out of there before something else happened.”

 

Elena couldn’t believe this was happening, knowing Mr. Tanner always was a little strange, but never someone that would deliberately force themself on an innocent girl.  She was angry, punching the gas harder down the dirt path that lead to the Salvatore mansion.  If Ebony never stepped foot in that high school again, Elena wouldn’t blame her a bit, gripping the steering wheel tightly in her hands.

 

They pulled up to the mansion a few seconds later and Ebony instantly got out, not waiting for Elena as she rushed to the front door.  Damon opened it just before she could touch the door handle, blinking as Ebony flew past him straight to her room, black eyebrows furrowed in confusion.  Then he spotted Elena running up to the door, instantly letting her inside and had a feeling something bad happened at the high school with Ebony.

 

“What happened?” He demanded, closing the door behind Elena and stood there while she told him everything Ebony had said, eyes narrowing with every word he heard.

 

William Tanner was officially living on borrowed time.

 

Chapter 9

 

Stefan showed up a few minutes later and flew into the house, stopping at the sight of her talking to Damon.  Big brother did not look happy either.  Damon looked downright deadly and Stefan could only imagine what happened to make him look like that.  Slowly walking over, Stefan stood beside Elena and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, raising an eyebrow because Elena immediately stopped talking.

 

“What’s going on?” Stefan demanded, wrapping a protective arm around Elena. “What happened to Ebony?”

 

“I’ll handle it.” Damon refused to bring little brother into this, walking away from both of them to go check on Ebony.

 

Scowling, Stefan turned his eyes down on Elena, running a finger down her cheek. “Tell me what’s going on.” He requested softly, frowning when she simply took his hand, pushing it away.

 

“I can’t, Stefan.  It’s not my place to say and Damon said he’ll handle it.” Elena hated leaving Stefan in the dark, but it was really for the best right now. “I really have to go.  If Ebony needs to talk, tell her to call me.”

 

Stefan nodded, walking Elena out to her car and decided to trust her judgment for the time being, promising to call her later.

 

While Elena reiterated what happened, Ebony was busy packing up her things, not able to do this anymore.  There was no way she was going back to that school and looking William Tanner in the eye.  He wouldn’t have a throat anymore, she would bleed him completely dry after what he did to her.

 

No matter how hard she tried, Ebony couldn’t stop the tears from pouring down her cheeks, every part of her body trembling with barely repressed anger.  She could already feel the veins popping out on her cheeks, her sclera’s turning red and her fangs sliding out, trying to take deep breaths like Damon taught her.  How could she calm down after what just transpired with that lowlife teacher?

 

Damon could hear shuffling through the door and turned the knob, pushing it open.  He didn’t say a word and just watched as she rushed around the room, flying right past him to the bathroom.  Sighing resignedly, Damon shut the door behind him and walked inside the bathroom, leaning in the doorway with his arms folded in front of his chest, waiting patiently for her to realize he was there.

 

Ebony looked up from what she was doing and froze at the sight of Damon. “I’m leaving.” She stated, swiping what was hers from the bathroom counter into a bag. “You told me I can leave whenever I want and that’s what I’m doing.  You’ll have to do whatever this plan is on your own or kill me.”

 

“I’m not going to kill you, Ebony.” Damon said, pushing away from the doorway and grabbed her upper arms, forcing her to stop for a few seconds. “Relax…”

 

“NO!!” Ebony suddenly broke free and used all of her strength to push him away, sending him flying back against the wall. “Do NOT touch me, Damon.  I’m not your little bitch!  I’m NOBODY’S bitch, you got that?  I am touched when I WANT to be touched!!”

 

Damon knew she was extremely upset and he had to calm her down because Stefan would be able to hear everything she said. “Ebony, you have to calm down.” He flew back over to where she stood, but didn’t touch her, knowing that would only upset her. “I’m not gonna hurt you.  What happened today isn’t your fault and it will be dealt with.”

 

Sniffling, Ebony lowered her eyes away from him, feeling her shoulders slump as all the anger drained from her system. “I didn’t…” She didn’t push Damon away when he pressed a finger to her lips, cutting her off.

 

“I know, its okay.” Damon took a chance and grabbed her hand, slowly pulling her against him, wrapping one arm around her waist. “You can’t leave yet, Ebony.  I know you want to after what happened, but there’s so much I haven’t taught you.  I don’t think of you as my bitch, you’re so much more than that.” Because he turned her, Damon felt an unshakeable bond with Ebony, one that would be hard to break.

 

“Then what am I to you?” Ebony looked up at him, her grey eyes still filled with unshed tears. “Why did you bring me to Mystic Falls?”

 

Damon sighed, pressing his forehead to hers and suddenly captured her lips with his in a passionate kiss, burying his hand in her hair.  Suddenly, visions flashed through Ebony’s mind that had to do with an amber stone in an iron antique setting.  As Damon deepened the kiss, another vision flashed through her mind, this time of some old church ruins that looked decayed and in shambles somewhere deep in woods. 

 

Ebony completely opened her mind to him, knowing Damon was sending these visions to her and buried her fingers in his black hair, seeing another vision.  There was an African American woman that Damon was talking with, the conversation talking about the amber crystal that was around Emily’s neck.  Damon was begging her to save Katherine, to name her price and he would do it, no questions asked.

 

Emily wanted her family’s lineage to survive and Damon agreed as long as Katherine was saved, the church ruins suddenly flashing in her mind again.  So there was a hidden magical tomb beneath these ruins.  Ebony felt his hands run down her body and lifted her up with ease, her legs wrapping around his waist, the kiss never breaking.

 

Another vision showed Damon saving lives that Ebony knew had to be Emily’s family, possibly her children.  Ebony felt her back press against a wall and felt Damon grind against her, neither of them needing air to breathe because they were technically dead.  Yet another vision entered her mind that involved Emily, the amber stone and a comet that showed in the night sky.  It basically showed her how Emily cast the spell to seal Katherine and all the vampires in this tomb.

 

“Did you get all of that?” Damon murmured once the kiss finally broke, his blue eyes slightly darkened and cloudy. “Or do I need to show you again?”

 

“I got it, but…I need to make sure I understand what you just showed me.” Ebony replied softly, running her fingers down the side of his face. “Where can we talk so nobody will overhear us?”

 

Damon smirked, slowly lowering her down on the bathroom floor and peeled his shirt off. “Shower.  The water will drown us out.” He spoke quietly, undressing quickly and flew over to start the shower sprays.

 

Ebony smiled and undressed, joining Damon in the huge glass shower, the sprays cascading down their bodies. “So let me see if I got this right…” She cringed when Damon pressed a finger to his lips, pressing her against him.

 

“Speak quietly.  Even though we’re under the water, others might still be able to hear us.” Damon informed her, running his hands down her back and knew she thoroughly enjoyed him touching her.

 

“Sorry.” Ebony murmured softly, loud enough for him to hear and that was only because of the enhanced hearing. “So, I know you told me a little about Katherine and how she was caught.  Is that what Emily did then?  She saved Katherine from being burned in the church with all the other vampires?”

 

Damon nodded, grabbing the body wash and loofah sponge, beginning to lather it up. “Yes.” He turned Ebony around and began washing her back, his mouth right by her ear. “She had to save all the vampires in the church with that spell, it couldn’t just be Katherine.  And in turn, I promised to make sure her lineage survived, which it did.”

 

“So, what’s with the comet you showed me then?” Ebony couldn’t help leaning back against him, especially when he began kissing down the side of her neck.

 

“Emily had to use the comet in order to cast the spell.  It was considered a celestial event and, without it, she couldn’t generate enough power to save everyone in the church.” Damon explained, moving her wet black hair over her left shoulder, pressing soft kisses to her shoulder while continuing to wash her. “The comet is passing over tonight, which we will be attending.  I need you to keep Elena distracted while I work a little magic with her friend, Caroline.”

 

“The blonde?” Ebony turned around to face him, grey eyes narrowed slightly. “Why her?”

 

Damon smirked, raising an eyebrow. “You’re not jealous, are you, Ebony?”

 

“Of course not.” Ebony shot back indignantly, folding her arms in front of her chest. “What do you need her for?”

 

“She’s a Founding Family member and I need her to invite me to the Founder’s Party because that’s where the crystal is.” Damon said, running a finger down her cheek and kissed her softly. “It’s going to be held at the Lockwood mansion in a couple of nights.”

 

“The amber stone, right?”

 

Damon nodded, tapping her head very gently with his fingertip. “That crystal is the only way to open the tomb and free Katherine.” Deciding it was time to set things straight, Damon fingered Ebony’s chin, his eyes locking with hers. “I need you to understand that Katherine is the only woman I will ever love.  She’s the only one I want.  I’ve waited a hundred and forty five years to free her so we can be together, that’s why I need your help to make sure nothing stands in my way.”

 

Ebony hid her pain well and nodded, finally understanding exactly why Damon had turned her, plastering a smile on her face. “I understand, Damon.  She’s the love of your life.  I’ll help you get her back, but then I’m gone, so you can be happy with her.”

 

“Ebony…”

 

She simply pressed a finger over his lips, silencing him this time. “You’ll be able to teach me a few more things before I leave.  In the meantime, I think I’ll have a little fun of my own.”

 

Winking, Ebony opened the shower door and stepped out, wrapping a towel around her body after towel drying her hair.  Ebony knew there was no way she would ever have Damon as her own, so there was no point in hoping for it.  She would help him as promised, but once he had Katherine back in his life, he would never see her again.

 

Ebony was a fool to fall in love with him, but she couldn’t help it, knowing she could never tell him the truth.  He used his blood to turn her, there would always be that intense connection with him, but hopefully in time it would fade.  Walking into the bedroom, Ebony laid down on the bed while Damon finished up in the shower, snuggling into the pillow.

 

Whistling, Damon walked out a few minutes later with a towel slung very low on his hips and decided to join Ebony in bed. “I was only being honest with you.  I wasn’t trying to be cruel.” He said, his way of apologizing, wrapping one arm around her waist. “I just didn’t want you thinking something could happen between us in a romantic sense.”

 

“I get it.”

 

Ebony felt him turn her over on her back, staring up at him and moaned as soon as his lips covered hers.  How could he kiss her like this and not feel anything?  He was not making this easy on her and all Ebony could do was endure everything Damon gave her, refusing to push him away.  Her leg curled over his while he hovered over her, their kiss never breaking.

 

“Damon…” Ebony suddenly pushed him off of her and sat up, breathing heavily. “I said I would help you, but I refuse to be your sex outlet.  Go find Caroline Forbes and have your way with her.” She whispered, slipping from the bed and walked over to her closet to pick out the outfit she would wear tonight.

 

“She’s not the only one I’ll be going after, just a fair warning.” Damon said, standing from the bed as well and wrapped his arms around Ebony’s waist, smirking when she tried pulling away from him again. “You know you enjoy me touching you, so why fight it?  Why not enjoy it while you can?”

 

“Because I refuse to be used by you or anyone else.” She broke the embrace and turned in his arms, holding some clothes. “If you want me to go to this comet thing, I need to get dressed and so do you.”

 

Damon backed away with his hands in the air, deciding to give her the space she wanted and bowed mockingly. “Whatever you say, Ebony.” He walked back into the bathroom to retrieve his clothes before heading out the door past Stefan. “Trying to eavesdrop on our conversation, brother?”

 

“Is she okay?” Stefan immediately asked, wondering if this was all a hoax like he originally assumed. “Because if that was all a plan to get Elena alone…”

 

Damon snorted, pouring himself a drink at the small bar in the parlor. “I’m a little more creative than that, Stefan.” Damon assured him, slamming the shot back before pouring another one.

 

“Then what the hell happened?”

 

“Nothing you need to worry about.” Damon replied, walking past him after downing his second shot, feeling much better. “Don’t you have the comet to get ready for?  It’s tonight, I’m sure Elena would LOVE to see you there.”

 

“Damon…”

 

Grinning, Damon brushed Stefan’s warning tone off and headed upstairs with an extra kick in his step, glad he finally had Ebony on his side.  Things were about to change in Mystic Falls and it was going to start with the girl he attacked in the woods.  Stefan thought he was slick and his little mind compulsion actually worked feeding strictly on human blood.  Damon tried warning him, but little brother was very stubborn when he wanted to be.

 

Pulling out a short sleeved black shirt, Damon pulled it over his head followed by a pair of dark blue jeans, drying his hair a little more.  He never put any product in it, the messy style suiting him, and pulled his leather coat on.  Straightening his collar, Damon grabbed his car keys and wallet before heading back downstairs, waiting for Ebony to finish getting ready.

 

Ten minutes later, she walked out in a pair of blue jeans and grey short sleeved top that had a V shaped neckline.  Her hair was still damp and hung down her back straight, refusing to do anything with it.  What happened with Mr. Tanner still bothered her, but Ebony had to get over it and keep focused on the main goal: Helping Damon open the tomb to get Katherine back.

 

“You look…nice.” Damon figured she could’ve dolled up a little more, so that was the best compliment he could come up with.

 

“Thanks, ready to go?” She asked, walking out the front door with him following suit, both of them having agendas. “So, why exactly am I going to this comet thing again?”

 

“To keep Elena distracted and have fun while I take care of a few things.”

 

Ebony nodded, looking out the window as they pulled away from the mansion, heading into town.

 

Chapter 10

 

Everyone in Mystic Falls came out to watch the comet pass through the sky.

 

Ebony stood there in the grass as the sun slowly began lowering on the horizon, looking everywhere for Elena reticently.  Damon had dropped her off and went on his way, leaving her to fend for herself in the swarm of people.  He also explained that the comet was the only thing that could give the crystal its power and he only had a certain amount of time to get it before the power vanished.

 

“Hey, do you have a candle?”

 

Ebony turned around and stared into a pair of kind baby blue eyes, a soft smile spreading on her lips. “No, I don’t.” She took the candle he handed her, which had a small glass holder so she didn’t get burned by the flame. “Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome.” He flashed a soft smile, using his already flaming candle to light hers, the candlelight reflecting in his eyes, making them practically glow. “What’s your name?”

 

“Ebony.” She answered, taking the hand he extended to her, shaking it gently. “What’s yours?”

 

“Matt Donovan.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Matt.” Ebony turned her eyes away from him while holding the candle, the cool breeze blowing through her hair.

 

Matt could tell she was lonely and for some reason that bothered him, so he didn’t leave her side. “Are you here with anyone?” He asked, trying to strike up another conversation with her.

 

“No, just figured I’d try to get to know this town a little better.  I recently moved here.” She said softly, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear, acting shy.

 

“No wonder I haven’t seen you around.  You’re far too beautiful to not be noticed.” Matt stated, grinning when she flushed slightly and looked back up at the sky, the moon slowly starting to come out. “If you don’t mind, Ebony, I’d like to hang out with you tonight so you’re not alone.”

 

Raising a slow eyebrow, Ebony considered his offer and finally nodded, deciding Matt Donovan would be her distraction from Damon. “You’re very sweet.” She commented, turning to fully face him, giving him her attention. “What’s the catch?”

 

Matt chuckled softly and tapped her nose with his fingertip, blue eyes sparkling. “No catch, a beautiful woman shouldn’t watch the comet alone.” He was being completely truthful, which surprised Ebony.

 

“That’s the second time you’ve called me that.” She pointed out with a smirk, wondering what it was about blue eyes that attracted her so much. “Don’t you have someone here to share the comet with?”

 

Matt shook his head, a frown suddenly marring his handsome face. “No, I recently broke up with this girl I practically grew up with next door.  You know the whole girl next door scenario.  It just didn’t work for her and now she’s dating someone else.  It sucks seeing them together, not gonna lie, but they’re good together and I’m happy for her.” He knew he probably just opened up a whole can of worms by saying all of that, but Matt was a blunt truthful person, always had been.

 

Yet another guy who wanted another woman. “You have a good night, Matt.  Thanks for the candle and good luck.” Ebony walked away from him, refusing to deal with another situation that was like Damon’s, for the first time feeling completely alone.

 

Matt frowned, watching her walk away and mentally cursed, trudging off in the opposite direction. “Stupid.” He muttered, kicking the ground angrily and headed away from the park to Mystic Grill, knowing his sister Vicki was there.

 

Tossing the candle to the side, Ebony had a feeling she wouldn’t run into Elena and decided to go hunting on her own.  Damon had told her not to go on her own, but Ebony was tired of following and obeying, trying to stem the anger currently flowing through her.  She could hear people heading into the woods and went in that direction, grey eyes glowing as the darkness surrounded her.  All she wanted was a taste and then she would erase their memory, they wouldn’t know what happened.

 

“Hey Mattie!” Vicki greeted her younger brother, walking over to him with a huge white bandage on her neck. “I was wondering where you were.”

 

“Just had to get away from the crowd for a bit.” Matt said, sitting at the bar and ordered a soda, scrubbing a hand down his face. “How are you feeling?  You should be at home resting after that attack, Vick.”

 

“I’m never better.” Vicki assured him, thanks to some pills that Jeremy Gilbert had given her, she was definitely pain free. “I was just getting my schedule for tomorrow.” She worked as a waitress for Mystic Grill and had missed a few days because of her animal attack.

 

“Are you sure that’s smart?” Matt didn’t want his sister pushing herself too much, frowning when she just waved him off. “Fine whatever, just be careful, Vick.” Standing up, Matt walked out of the grill and headed back to the comet sighting.

 

Vicki smiled and turned around, heading to the back to finish checking over her schedule.  Once she wrote it down, she walked back out and headed for the exit, stopping at the sight of a man sitting at the bar.  Her eyes became confused, staring at him a little harder and decided to say something, not really thinking straight.

 

“I know you.”

 

Slowly, the man’s piercing electric blue eyes locked on her while he nursed a glass of scotch. “Well that’s unfortunate.”

 

Fear suddenly entered Vicki’s body and she had the impulse to get as far away from this man as possible, tears shining in her eyes “S-Sorry excuse me…” She rushed to the woman’s bathroom, needing a minute to recollect herself and ended up popping a few more pills from the stash Jeremy gave her earlier.

 

That was the last thing Vicki remembered.

 

Meanwhile, Ebony had finished her meal of the night and wiped the blood from her lips, sighing in contentment.  She leaned over the man she had seduced, running her thumb over his still lips and pressed a soft kiss to them.  He’d gone into the woods alone with a bottle of Jack Daniels and ended up sharing a few shots with her.

 

It was almost too easy. “You won’t remember this happening.  You came into the woods alone and finished the bottle of Jack Daniels on your own.”

 

“Came into the woods alone.” The man replied in a trance.

       

Biting her wrist, Ebony pressed it against his mouth, letting a few drops enter his system, the bite mark instantly vanishing from his neck. “You will go straight home and sleep off your hangover.  I don’t exist to you.  And you will call a cab because drunk driving is bad.”

 

“Going home to sleep off my hangover.  Calling cab because drunk driving is bad.”

 

Ebony smiled and nodded, kissing his forehead softly, taking what was left of the Jack Daniels bottle before vanishing.  She watched from behind several trees out of sight as the man did exactly what she said.  Taking the last shot from the bottle, Ebony tossed it over her shoulder and felt exceptionally better, the power of human blood flowing through her.

 

“There you are!” Elena called out as soon as Ebony made her way out of the woods, smiling. “I’m so glad you came!”

 

“Yeah, I’m here.” Ebony smiled back, taking the candle Elena handed her and followed her over to the spot where they would watch the comet.

 

“How are you feeling?  Are you okay?” Elena asked, lighting Ebony’s candle, not realizing it was her second one of the night. “I’m surprised you came after what happened.”

 

“Damon talked to me and told me he would handle everything.  He wanted me to have a good time tonight.” Ebony said softly, having honestly forgotten about what happened with the history teacher.

 

Elena nodded, deciding to change the subject because she had a feeling this was the last thing Ebony wanted to talk about.  Turning, Elena came face to face with Stefan and smiled, lighting his candle without even realizing it.  Suddenly, nothing else mattered as they started talking while Ebony stood there, once again alone, though her mood was about to change drastically.

 

“Hey, have any of you seen my sister?” Matt asked, jogging up to them.

 

Elena frowned, both her and Stefan turning to face him. “No, not since earlier at the grill.”

 

“She’s missing, I can’t find her.” Matt looked worried, running a hand through his short blonde hair. “Will you guys help me look?” His blue eyes turned to Ebony, knowing she was probably upset with him after what he said earlier and he would fix it, but not now. “Please?”

 

“Sure, of course.  Ebony and I will go with you and Stefan…” Elena blinked when she turned around, seeing Stefan nowhere to be found. “Will be somewhere else.  We’ll find her Matt.” Elena placed a hand on his shoulder, all three of them walking away together to find Vicki.

 

So Elena was Matt’s ex-girlfriend.  Ebony could tell just by the way Matt looked at her that she was the girl he’d been talking about earlier.  First Katherine and now Elena…Ebony was starting to wonder what was so special about these women that made men fawn over them.  Ebony suddenly stopped when she heard crying from a distance, looking over her shoulder and watched as Stefan flew in the direction of it.

 

“No, no please!!”

 

“You two keep looking, I’ll go this way.” Ebony quickly said, not giving Elena and Matt a chance to stop her, heading in the direction toward a building.

 

Looking up, her grey eyes widened at the sight of Damon with a sobbing woman, acting as though he would drop her.  Had Damon completely lost his mind?  Ebony flew over to the side of the building and scaled it the way Stefan had, though she kept out of sight. 

 

The woman looked petrified as Damon shoved her off the ledge right into Stefan’s arms, ripping off the thick white bandage from her neck.  She had to be the girl Damon attacked in the woods to send Stefan a message and now he was tormenting her.  He had told her Caroline Forbes wasn’t the only woman he was going after and was proving it now.

 

The more Ebony watched, the more she wanted to do something to stop this from happening, her heart going out to the girl. “I’ve had it.” She whispered and suddenly flew over, pulling Vicki away from Damon. “Enough.”

 

Damon blinked, wondering how Ebony knew where he was. “What the hell are you doing?” He demanded, taking a step toward her, but Stefan blocked him.

 

“Get her out of here, Ebony, please.” Stefan requested, his eyes never leaving his brother. “Take her back to Matt, he’s been looking everywhere for her.”

 

Ebony nodded, looking over at Damon with such disappointment in her grey eyes. “I will…” First, Ebony had to do something and cupped Vicki’s face, already feeling the compulsion working. “You won’t remember any of this.  You were meeting someone here and they didn’t show up.  Your brother is waiting for you, he’s down the street from here.  Go.” Releasing her hold, Ebony watched as Vicki rushed over to the stairs and began descending them, going as fast as she could.

 

As soon as Vicki was out of sight, Damon flew over to where Ebony was and backhanded her, sending her flying in the air before landing with a thud. “Little girl, you WILL learn not to-” The breath was suddenly taken from his body as Ebony kicked him as hard as she could between the legs, sending him flying back this time.

 

“You were saying?” Ebony shot back, her fangs flashing in the parking lot lights, grey eyes darkened with anger. “I told you I’d help you.  I didn’t say ANYTHING about watching you torment the innocent, Damon.  Enough is enough.”

 

Damon recovered quickly, slowly making it to his feet and glared ice daggers at her. “This is the thanks I get for everything I’ve given you?!” He spat, squaring his shoulders while dusting his leather jacket off.

 

“You didn’t give me anything you didn’t want me to have.”

 

Damon suddenly flew over to her, but didn’t strike her again, their eyes locked. “I could rip your heart out without blinking.” He threatened, folding his arms in front of his chest.

 

“But you won’t.” Ebony replied confidently, rubbing her jaw from his backhand. “I told you, I’m not your little bitch, but I will help you.” She wasn’t saying anything more because Stefan was still standing there, listening intently to everything they were saying.

 

“So you think.” Damon’s eyebrows furrowed, not believing the audacity of this woman to actually stand up to him. “You seriously overestimate your use to me.”

 

Ebony snorted, placing her hands on her hips. “If you wanted to truly kill me, I would be dead already.  Enjoy the rest of your night.” Turning, Ebony smiled as she flew from the top of the building to the bottom, heading over to where Vicki had reunited with her brother, Matt. “Oh you found her, thank god!”

 

Elena nodded with a smile, meeting Ebony halfway and hugged her tightly. “I was starting to worry about you.  Are you okay?” She asked after pulling back, grabbing her shoulders gently.

 

“Yeah I’m fine.” Her grey eyes moved to Matt, who was holding his sister, their eyes meeting. “Is she okay?” Ebony asked, walking over to him somewhat timidly.

 

Matt nodded, running his fingers through Vicki’s hair. “Yeah, she said she took some pills that Elena’s brother, Jeremy, gave her and was meeting someone, but they never showed up.” He reiterated what Vicki had told him, pulling back to stare down into her eyes. “Come on, time to go home.”

 

Vicki nodded, exhausted from the night’s events and groaned because her stitches had been ripped open. “Can we stop for some ice cream on the way home, Mattie?”

 

“Hey Matt, wait up!” Ebony stopped them from walking away, deciding she really needed a distraction from Damon before she completely lost her mind. “Here.” She took his hand, pulling a pen out of her pocket and scribbled something on it, folding his fingers to cover it. “I hope to see you again.”

 

Clearing his throat, Matt could already feel the blood rushing to his cheeks as he looked down at his hand, seeing a phone number on it. “Thank…” He blinked when he didn’t see her standing in front of him anymore and then looked back at Vicki, chuckling to himself.

 

“Come on Mattie, ice cream!!” Vicki was definitely stoned and really needed something to eat, leaning against her brother as he dragged her to his car.

 

Ebony watched from a distance, leaning against a tree and then looked up at the sky, the comet still in sight.  It was so beautiful and Ebony could feel the amount of power emanating from it.  No wonder Emily needed the comet in order to cast the spell for the tomb, that had to take a lot of magical energy and power to perform.

 

Her grey eyes moved from the sky and noticed the blonde walking out of Mystic Grill, heading toward her car.  Ebony rolled her eyes when Caroline dropped her keys and Damon appeared right in front of her, both of them exchanging words.  A little piece of her died inside as she watched Caroline and Damon leave together, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

 

Chapter 11

 

Reluctantly, Ebony went back to school, keeping the same history teacher.  Maybe it was morbid curiosity to see if he would try making another pass at her, Ebony honestly didn’t know.  She was already planning on sinking her teeth into his carotid artery if he laid another finger on her.  Surprisingly, Mr. Tanner just taught the class and avoided eye contact with her, not bothering to call on her for any questions. 

 

Mr. Tanner was famous for trying to catch students off guard with random questions, making sure everyone was paying attention to what he was teaching.  He was also the coach for the Mystic Falls High School football team, the Timberwolves.  Ebony found out a few things about Mr. Tanner, but nothing about being a pedophile.

 

So either the teacher was very crafty about his extracurricular activities or the girls he did go after were screwing him willingly.

 

Either way, Ebony wasn’t about to touch him with a hundred foot pole, fighting the urge not to rip his throat out.  She could do it; Ebony knew she would enjoy every single second of it and would probably end up bleeding him dry.  The mere thought made shivers rush down her back, though she suppressed them for the most part and tried just focusing on finishing the day out, focusing on her schoolwork.

 

Once school was over, Ebony hitched a ride with Elena, who was going over to the mansion to see Stefan.  They had become really fast friends in the span of a few days, which was very uncommon for Ebony.  The only friend she had in her life was dead because a vampire, which she now was.  It was tragically ironic, but there was no point in dwelling in the past.

 

“So, I heard Matt has a thing for you.” Elena commented with a smile, stopping at a red light, turning her head to look at Ebony. “Do you like him?”

 

“He’s a nice guy.” Ebony knew this was a trap and wasn’t about to get caught in it, keeping eye contact. “He seems to be really family oriented.”

 

“You have no idea.” Elena suddenly sighed, guilt consuming her. “We used to date.  We grew up together next door and figured we’d try taking our friendship to a different level, but it didn’t work.  He had everything figured out with his life, all these plans, and I didn’t want any part of it.  Then my parents died and that just drove us further apart, almost to the point of ruining our friendship.  But then Stefan came into the picture recently and…Matt deserves to be happy and I want that for him.  He seems to like you, so if you were worried about getting my ‘approval’, I say go for it.”

 

“I wasn’t seeking any approval because he hasn’t even called me.  I gave him my number and nothing.” There was no way Ebony could ever have a full blown relationship with the likes of Matt Donovan, but playing with him for a little while sounded appeasing. “Oh well, no sweat off my back.”

 

“He will, just give him a little time.” Elena assured her, reaching over to pat her hand gently before pulling down the dirt road that lead to the mansion. “I think you two would make a really cute couple.”

 

Ebony raised a brow at that, looking a little bewildered and suddenly decided to just say what she’d been thinking. “You trust people too much, has anyone ever told you that?” She somewhat blurted, folding her arms in front of her chest.

 

Elena merely shrugged, a smile once again appearing on her face. “More than you can probably imagine, but the way I see it, why not trust a person until there’s something about them that’s deceitful?”

 

“That’s a good point.  Never thought of it that way.” Ebony murmured thoughtfully, not able to argue with that statement at all. “If Matt calls, I’ll definitely go out with him because being cooped up in this mansion when school isn’t in session is driving me BONKERS.”

 

Elena laughed, completely understanding that. “Hey, there’s a football game tonight and Matt will be there.  He’s actually the quarterback of the football team.” She nudged Ebony’s arm, winking. “Why don’t you come?  Stefan recently joined the team and it’s his first game.  It’ll get you out of the house too, which is something I know you need.”

 

“I’ll think about it.”

 

Ebony was already planning on going, even before Elena mentioned anything, because it was at night and the perfect time to hunt when almost the entire town was gathered in one spot.  The blood bags were holding her over, but nothing compared to the taste of human blood fresh and warm, the thought sending tingles through her body.  Someone was bound to be in the woods drinking and talking trash about the football team, that was a given.

 

“Okay, just let me know and we can meet up.” Elena said, pulling up to the mansion and cut the ignition, both girls stepping out.

 

“Will do, thanks Elena.”

 

Ebony headed inside to go do her homework, deciding if she was posing as a high school girl, she might as well go all the way.  Stefan watched Ebony pass him and greeted Elena in the hallway, kissing her lips softly.  They were spending a little time together before the big game later on that night.  Elena was extremely excited for him and couldn’t wait to cheer her man on.

 

“Everything okay?” He asked, walking up the stairs with Elena and was glad she wore the necklace laced with vervain he gave her earlier that day at school.

 

It would keep Damon out of her head in case he tried compelling her for whatever reason.

 

“Yeah, just a little girl talk.  Nothing you need to worry about.” Elena said, shoving Stefan down on the bed and giggled when he immediately turned the tables.

 

Damon overheard Stefan and Elena, which meant Ebony was home, flying down the stairs to see what she was doing.  He stood in the doorway of her bedroom, watching her go through her bag and walked over to quickly wrap his arms around her waist, locking her arms at her sides.  Ebony could only smile coldly, feeling his nose brush against her ear and neck, gritting her teeth.

 

“Hello Damon.” She greeted evenly, closing her eyes when he pressed a kiss to her pulse point. “Something I can help you with?”

 

“Mmmhmmm, you can explain to me why you stopped my fun with Vicki Donovan.” Damon rumbled huskily, his mouth right by her ear and reached one hand up to rest on her throat. “And give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip your throat out.”

 

“Idle threats won’t win you any points.” Ebony retorted smarmily, feeling him whip her around and shoved her down on the bed, immediately pouncing on her. “Shouldn’t you be playing with your Barbie doll?”

 

“What makes you think I’m trying to win points with you?  I want answers, Ebony.” Damon growled, having given her one day to think about her actions against him, including the kick to his lower regions. “What you did was very BAD.”

 

Ebony snorted, suddenly flipping him over on his back with her straddling his lap, their fingers laced together. “What can I say?  I’m a BAD girl, Damon.” She maintained a healthy dose of human blood in her system, which was the reason she could overpower him. “I don’t owe you any explanations.”

 

This woman was getting under his skin and Damon wasn’t sure if he liked it or not, her fighting back irritatingly hot. “Yes you do because you ruined my brother bonding moment with Stefan.” He flipped her back over, this time applying pressure to her throat. “Your job was to simply keep Elena occupied, which you didn’t.”

 

“That’s because I refuse to do what you want me to.” Ebony shoved him off of her, sending him crashing against the wall and rolled off the bed, cracking her neck. “What did you think was going to happen once you turned me into a vampire, Damon?  Did you think I was going to be your little bitch, your errand girl?  I’ve got news for you, I’ve been hunting without you and have a lot of human blood in my system.  So don’t screw with me or you might get hurt, I don’t care how old you are.  You want an explanation?  How about you go to hell instead?” With that said, Ebony walked into the bathroom and didn’t bother closing the door, removing her top.

 

Growling, Damon suddenly flew into the bathroom and grabbed Ebony’s upper arm, whipping her around to face him.  His electric blue eyes glowed with intensity and anger while he stared down into defiant grey orbs, suddenly wanting her in the worst way.  Damon suddenly gave into his desire and smashed his lips against hers, burying his hand in her black tresses, squeezing to apply a little pressure. 

 

Ebony hadn’t expected this and kissed him back for a few minutes, molding her body to his, both of them releasing some much needed sexual tension.  She would be lying if she said this didn’t feel amazing, hating how deep her feelings for this man ran and wished there was a way to just turn off her emotions for him without losing all of her humanity.  Though, when Damon unsnapped her jeans and was about to remove them, Ebony’s brain instantly clicked on as she shoved him away from her, effectively breaking the kiss between them.

 

“No.” Ebony stated, licking her swollen lips and held her hand up when he came at her again. “Go find Caroline and take your aggression out on her.  It’s not happening with me, Damon.”

 

“Why the hell not?” Damon demanded, making a grab for her again, only for Ebony to fly to the other side of the bathroom, standing in a black lace bra and blue jeans. “I’ll end up tearing her to pieces with how I’m feeling right now, Ebony.  You’re more durable.”

 

“I don’t care.  When you proclaimed your everlasting love for Katherine, you severed what we had together.  I’m not being used, Damon.  Now go find your Barbie doll and take it out on her, be with her.  I have my own man I’m about to take to bed and he’s not you.” Ebony smirked viciously when Damon’s eyes flashed, wondering if she just saw a flicker of jealousy pass through them. “Hmm.”

 

“Oh you mean Matt Donovan?” Damon laughed, shaking his head. “Let’s get one thing straight, Ebony, he’s nowhere NEAR being a man.  He’s a little boy begging to become a man.” Did she seriously think Matt could please her the way he could?

 

Shrugging, Ebony walked over to start the shower and unsnapped her bra, pulling it off right in front of him with an innocent smile. “Just like Caroline Forbes is nothing but a little girl begging to become a woman.  Exit the way you entered, Damon.” Slipping out of her jeans and panties, Ebony stepped into the hot shower sprays, not surprised when he joined her moments later. “What do you want now?”

 

“Are you going to the football game tonight?” Damon decided since she didn’t want to have sex, he would just get straight down to business.

 

“I was thinking about it.” Of course she was, though Ebony wasn’t about to cater to his needs unless it had to do with opening the tomb Katherine was sealed in. “Why?”

 

“Because I am.  Did you know that I had a very interesting dinner with Stefan at Elena’s last night?” Damon smirked when Ebony’s eyebrow rose, giving him his answer. “Hmm Elena didn’t mention it eh?  Well it was a DELICIOUS meal and I brought Caroline, both of us uninvited of course.  So do you know what that means?”

 

“No, why don’t you enlighten me?” Ebony snorted, wondering what any of this had to do with the football game.

 

Damon leaned down to where his mouth was mere inches from hers, reaching around her for the shampoo. “I’ve been invited in.” He watched as her grey eyes widened slightly and chuckled, the sound dripping with pure evil intentions. “It was supposed to be this intimate dinner with just Elena, her little friend Bonnie and my brother, but of course I had to crash the party with my Barbie doll.”

 

“Damon, why are you trying to torment Stefan when what you really want has nothing to do with Elena?” Granted, her and Katherine could be identical twins, but that was beside the point.

 

“Because I promised my brother a lifetime of misery.” Damon stated simply, washing his hair and stepped under the sprays with her to rinse it out. “And it’s fun watching him squirm, wondering what I’ll do next to his little minx.”

 

“You need to focus on getting Katherine out of that tomb and nothing more.  You’re tormenting innocent people when there’s no reason for it.” Ebony said, not understanding what Damon’s motives were and probably never would, sighing heavily. “Do what you want, but when Stefan finally snaps and retaliates against you, just remember you deserve everything that happens from here on out if you keep screwing with Elena.”

 

Damon chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist while he took over washing her raven locks. “Sounds to me like you’re growing soft on me, Ebony.” He sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case because Damon really would hate to kill a vampire he created.

 

“No, I’m just thinking rationally unlike you.  I’m being smart and I can tell how protective Stefan is of her.  You really need to back off because, if you don’t, something bad is going to happen.  I can’t explain how I know it will, it’s just a feeling I’m getting, a vibe.  I don’t want to see anything happen to you, Damon.  Believe it or not, I do care about you.” That was the closest Ebony would ever come to actually revealing how she truly felt for him, keeping her thoughts blocked off so he couldn’t delve into her mind.

 

“I’ll back off when I’m damn good and ready.” Damon stated, pushing her a little more under the sprays and rinsed her hair out. “So, Matt Donovan.”

 

“So, Caroline Forbes.” Ebony shot back, folding her arms in front of her chest. “You have no room to judge me.”

 

“I’m only with her to get the crystal, you know that.” Damon said, loving the feel of her black hair running through his fingers, even wet. “Being with you is so much better, she can barely last five minutes in the bedroom.”

 

“Pity.” Ebony sighed almost wistfully, the sarcasm dripping in her tone and turned around to face him with emotionless eyes. “Even after you’re done with her, don’t come crawling to me.  Have a good time tonight with your little cheerleader and give her my best.” Stepping out, Ebony wrapped a towel around her body and walked out to get ready for the night’s festivities.

 

Damon could only watch her walk out and shook his head, suddenly very attractive to this new take no prisoner’s attitude Ebony had, wondering how far he would have to push her before she gave into him again.

 

Chapter 12

 

Deciding to dive into the school spirit, Ebony wore a long sleeved dark red shirt that had three buttons, all of them undone.  She had a black camisole underneath that had lace hemming on the top and bottom with a sweetheart neckline.  One thing she had to give Damon credit for was he did have good taste in clothes, even though most of them were dark or neutral.  She wore simple black pants and steel toed boots, deciding not to wear heels because she was going hunting first.

 

She curled all of her hair before pulling it up in a high ponytail, curling the small strands to just rest against her forehead.  She went a little wild with her makeup, black eyeliner with dark red eye shadow that stretched out in an Egyptian style, making her grey eyes pop.  She painted her lips with dark red gloss and clipped a black diamond shaped onyx stone around her neck.  It hung from a silver chain with matching studs that coordinated with the necklace.

 

Satisfied with how she looked tonight, Ebony grabbed her a twenty out of her stash, slipping it into her pocket and a key to the mansion Damon gave her.  She turned around, nearly running into Damon and folded her arms in front of her chest, trying not to notice how handsome he looked.  His look was relatively simple with dark blue jeans, black shirt and patent leather jacket, his hair the same messy style it always was.

 

“What do you want?” Ebony asked resignedly, leaning against the dresser. “I’m going to be late for the game.”

 

“How are you getting there?” Damon somewhat demanded, a smile on his face, though it didn’t touch his icy blue eyes.

 

“I was going to walk.” Ebony replied evenly. “Why?”

 

Damon snorted and grabbed her hand, guiding her out of the bedroom toward the front door. “Don’t be stubborn, I’ll give you a ride.” He felt her rip her hand out of his, turning to face her with narrowed eyes. “Look, I’m going hunting before heading to the game and I’m pretty sure you were gonna do the same thing.  So, like I said, stop being stubborn.”

 

Ebony could only roll her eyes. “I can hunt by myself.” She had definitely gotten the hang of being a vampire fairly quickly.

 

“Not tonight.” Damon shoved her toward the front door, daring her to try running from him because he would quickly catch her.

 

Ebony didn’t bother running and just walked to his car, slipping into the passenger seat with a scowl on her face.  She hated when Damon turned controlling, except in the bedroom.  That was the only place she didn’t mind him being completely dominant over her.  A few minutes later, they were on their way to the football game and Ebony refused to look at him, her arms folded in front of her chest.

 

“Hey, there’s no reason for you to be mad at me.” Damon pointed out, one hand on the wheel while reaching over to place the other on her thigh. “I’m being relatively nice right now.”

 

“Go be nice to Barbie.” Ebony shoved his hand off her thigh, wondering what kind of game Damon thought he was playing with her. “Don’t bother trying to be the ‘good’ guy because it doesn’t suit you.”

 

“You sound incredibly jealous, you realize that right?” Damon stated, raising a brow when she just kept her eyes on the window. “Ebony…”

 

“Don’t Damon, just don’t.”

 

Groaning, Damon was finally starting to understand where this sudden attitude from Ebony was coming from, sighing. “Christ, you’re in love with me.” He grunted, never intending for that to happen.

 

“Oh yes, Damon, I can’t live without you.  You’re the wind beneath my wings, the air I breathe, my everything.” Ebony said in a high pitched voice, clasping her hands together and batted her eyelashes at him before laughing. “Damon, you seriously need to get over yourself.  I PROMISE I am nowhere near in love with you.  I think you might be in love with me though.” She lunged forward when the car suddenly screeched to a halt, knowing that statement had definitely hit a few nerves.

 

“You know damn well that’s not true.” Damon growled, turning to fully face her, gritting his teeth. “I’m in love with ONE woman and it’s not you, Ebony.”

 

“Good, we’re in agreement then.  So you can stop with the nice guy act and go back to being the controlling, manipulative, enjoy tormenting other people asshole that I know you are.” Ebony said simply, opening the door and stepped out, leaning into the window. “I’ll walk from here, have a nice night, dick.”

 

Before Damon could say anything, Ebony was gone, flying through the woods as fast as she could to do her own hunt.  She didn’t stop until she was near the high school, the night quickly surrounding her.  Tears stung her eyes, but Ebony refused to let them fall, blinking them back and could hear someone talking on their cell phone nearby.

 

Squaring her shoulders, Ebony made her way through the trees and stopped a few hundred feet away from the girl crying on her cell phone.  Probably a heartbreak judging by the way she stood, what she was saying and how she was crying.  Ever since Ebony became a vampire, she was more observant and could read body languages a lot better, which was a definite advantage.

 

Ebony waited until she hung up with whoever was on the cell before heading toward her, a friendly smile on her face. “Hey, can I use your cell phone?” She asked politely. “I’ve been walking through these woods for over two hours now, got kinda lost.”

 

“S-Sure…” The girl sniffled, handing over her cell phone and wiped her tears away, turning her back to face the raven haired beauty.

 

This was too easy.  Ebony smirked as she turned the cell phone off and dropped it on the ground, flying over to stand right behind the girl. “I’m done.” As soon as the girl turned around, Ebony placed both of hands on her shoulders, grey eyes beginning to the compulsion instantly. “Don’t scream or move.” She ordered quickly, looking around to make sure it was the two of them. “Don’t be afraid either.”

 

The girl stood completely still, not moving an inch and closed her eyes as Ebony brushed her hair from her neck.  Feeling the veins form on her face and her sclera’s turn red, Ebony leaned down to sink her fangs right into the girl’s neck.  The warm red liquid filled her mouth instantly and Ebony gripped the back of the girl’s head, pleased the compulsion was preventing any kind of struggle, carefully drinking.

 

Pulling back, Ebony closed her eyes and felt the power fill every part of her body, being careful not to get blood on her clothes.  She took the napkin out of her pocket she always brought with her and wiped the blood from her mouth, feeling much better.  Biting into her wrist, Ebony held her wrist up to the girl’s mouth and forced a few drops in her mouth, watching as the bite mark on her neck instantly healed.

 

“You will not remember any of this.  You will get out of these woods because it’s extremely dangerous and do whatever you were going to do from your phone call.” Ebony watched as the girl nodded in the trance and flew away from her, breaking the compulsion.

 

A few minutes later, Ebony arrived at the school and saw the football game hadn’t started yet, deciding to track down Matt.  She made her way through the people, grey eyes scanning areas quickly and finally spotted him over by the fence.  Taking a deep breath, Ebony walked over to him and tapped his shoulder, watching as he turned around to face her.

 

“Hey, just wanted to say good luck tonight.” She said sweetly, trying not to laugh when his baby blues shot open at the sight of her.

 

“You actually came.” Matt smiled, hoping he would see her again and felt bad that he hadn’t gotten the courage up to call her. “Look, I was gonna call you…”

 

Ebony waved him off dismissively, already knowing what he was going to say. “You’re scared, I get it.  Believe me, I understand probably better than anyone around here how it feels to be in love with someone who is out of your reach.” She had lied to Damon earlier when she said she wasn’t in love with him and could’ve gotten an Oscar for her performance.

 

“You do?” Matt raised a brow at hearing that, his full attention on her. “You’ve been in love with someone before who didn’t want you?” That was impossible, Ebony was a beautiful woman that any man would be lucky to have.

 

“Yeah and it sucked, but I got over him and moved on.  You’ll do the same with Elena.” Ebony stepped closer to him, fingering the front of his football jersey with a smile. “Look, I’m not looking for a full blown relationship and I know you’re not either.  That doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun together though, does it?”

 

Matt swallowed hard, not expecting to hear a proposition like that. “Uh no, no definitely not.  I mean I’d love to have fun with you, Ebony.” Now he was sounding like a complete idiot stumbling over his words. “I think it would be good for both of us.”

 

“Me too.” Ebony was so glad they were on the same page and she didn’t even need to use compulsion to sway his decision. “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Matt Donovan.”

 

Smiling charmingly, Matt couldn’t agree more and suddenly pulled her into his arms, staring down in those haunting grey eyes. “Is this too forward?”

 

His lips suddenly captured hers and Ebony instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his.  Just because they couldn’t be in a relationship didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun and vent their sexual frustrations out.  That’s what Ebony really needed was someone who wasn’t clingy and who she could have fun with to distract her from Damon Salvatore.

 

“Mmm not at all.” Ebony whispered as soon as Matt broke the kiss, reaching up to wipe a bit of the dark red gloss from his lips, tapping his nose gently. “You have my number, don’t disappoint me again.  If you want to get together tonight, call me.”

 

Matt had to admit her offer was very tempting, not having any other plans after the game. “I will.” He promised, refusing to back down now that he knew she was interested.

 

“Be careful, see you later.” Ebony disappeared through the crowd to get something to eat at the concession stand.

 

Matt spotted Stefan walking from the parking lot toward the field, deciding to go meet him because there was something he had to say.  As much as it pained him to see Elena moving on with another guy, Matt couldn’t help noticing how happy he made her.  He stopped in front of Stefan and rubbed the back of his neck, not quite sure how to say what he wanted.

 

“Look man, I just wanted say that I’ve known Elena a long time and I’ve always looked out for her, but I can clearly see how happy she is with you.” This was hard for Matt to admit, especially when he was still very much in love with Elena and probably always would be. “And we’re lucky to have you on the team.” He added, extending his hand and nodded when Stefan shook it firmly, both of them having an understanding.

 

“Thanks, man.” Stefan said, meaning that and watched as Matt walked away, his jaw instantly tightening when slow mocking applause sounded behind him.

 

Ebony saw Matt approach Stefan and decided to go eavesdrop on whatever they were talking about, thankful she had.  As soon as Matt walked away, there was Damon in all his obnoxious glory, trying to ruin the night for Stefan once again.  This obsession to make his little brother miserable was getting old and fast. 

 

Her grey eyes widened when Damon said something about Stefan giving Elena vervain in a necklace.  She suddenly remembered spotting the necklace around Elena’s neck earlier that day on the ride home, but didn’t think anything of it.  What did Damon try doing to Elena and where did Stefan get vervain from?

 

When Damon threatened to seduce Elena the old fashioned way or just simply eat her, Ebony felt sick to her stomach.  He was doing it again.  Why couldn’t Damon just leave Elena alone?  Ebony was angry as she suddenly stepped out of the shadows she’d been hiding in, walking over and stood beside Stefan.

 

“You’ll have to go through me to do that, Damon.”

 

Ebony ignored both of their shocked expressions, grey eyes narrowed.  Ashley had been the last person she considered a friend until Elena came around.  Both Damon and Stefan blinked at the sight of Ebony, knowing she had overheard their entire conversation.  This was the SECOND time Ebony had stuck her nose in their business and Damon was getting tired of it, his eyes clearly cautioning her to walk away.

 

“Stay out of this, Ebony.” Damon warned, his voice low and dark.

 

Ebony shook her head, refusing to back down from Damon. “Elena is my friend and I’m not saying that to try tricking anyone.  I’m saying it because it’s the truth and nobody hurts a friend of mine.” She could only hope Stefan believed her, though Ebony didn’t take her eyes from Damon in case he tried attacking her. “Just stop this, Damon, please.  You have some humanity deep inside of you, I know you do.”

 

Her pleas were falling on deaf ears as Damon suddenly wrapped his hand around her throat, yanking her against him, trembling slightly. “You will learn your place, little girl.” He suddenly threw her against the parking wall of the school, watching her crumple to the ground.

 

Stefan shoved Damon away, switching sides so he was blocking Ebony and knew it would take her a minute to get up. “You’re just angry because you know she’s right!  You do have humanity and it’s your hatred for me because of Katherine’s death!”

 

“Salvatore!” Mr. Tanner shouted from behind, his arms stretched out. “What the hell?  We have a game to play!”

 

“If that’s my humanity,” Damon paused, a smirk crossing his lips. “Then what’s this?”

 

Suddenly, Damon lunged at William Tanner, sinking his fangs as hard as he could into his carotid artery and bled him to death, acting like a ravaging beast.  Ebony watched the whole time, already back on her feet and was glad she fed because it healed her quicker, tears filling her eyes.  Normally she would’ve stopped Damon from attacking someone like that, but honestly that pedophile had it coming.  She watched as Damon dropped him like a sack of potatoes on the ground, blood running down his chin, looking very demonic.

 

“Anyone, anytime, anyplace.” Damon growled, wiping the blood from his mouth and vanished, leaving Stefan there to once again clean up his mess.

 

Ebony had vanished as well, no longer able to stay at the game and went back to the mansion, tears flowing down her cheeks.

 

Chapter 13

 

On the way back to the mansion, Ebony started thinking about everything that happened with Damon since she met him.  He was unstable, in love with a woman who was stuck in a mystic holding cell for the past century and a half, enjoyed tormenting others along with his little brother and refused to leave Elena Gilbert alone.  Damon Salvatore was dangerous and Ebony knew she should leave to let him go through with his plan alone, but something was stopping her.

 

It baffled Ebony that she actually meant everything she said tonight to Damon about Elena.  The girl had befriended her when nobody else would and trusted her completely.  That was a very rare quality to find in humans these days, which Ebony no longer was, thanks to Damon.  Ebony started wondering if maybe she shouldn’t tell Stefan and Elena about Damon’s plan, having an inner battle.

 

Half of her did because she didn’t want Damon and Katherine to reunite –Yes, Ebony admitted she was selfish-, but a bigger part of her didn’t trust this tomb to be opened.  Damon was hiding something from her about it and Ebony couldn’t figure out what it was, which drove her crazy.  Then there was the other half of her that felt she owed Damon for changing her into a vampire, for opening her up to this incredible world she now lived in, and saved her from making more mistakes in her human life.

 

Ebony was definitely torn on what to do, wrapping her arms around herself and jumped slightly when her cell phone began ringing through the woods.  She pulled it out of her pocket, leaning against a tree and felt a small smile flit across her lips at sight of Matt’s name flashing on the caller ID.  The game had been effectively cancelled due to Coach Tanner being murdered, but nobody besides her and Stefan saw who did it.

 

Chewing her bottom lip, Ebony flipped the phone open and held it to her ear. “Hey handsome.” She greeted, immediately frowning at the upset tone of Matt’s voice.

 

“Ebony, where are you?” Matt demanded, sitting in his truck with tears in his eyes, not believing what happened tonight.

 

“I’m on my way home, Matt.  What’s wrong?” She asked, acting as if she didn’t know what happened to Mr. Tanner, trying to stop a smile from forming. “Are you okay?”

 

“The game was cancelled…” Matt had to stop talking for a second, letting a few tears fall, still in shock over the coach’s sudden death. “Our coach was attacked tonight and…he’s dead, Ebony.  Mr. Tanner is dead.”

 

Ebony gasped, covering her mouth while she continued walking through the woods, already knowing she would be laughing as soon as this conversation ended. “Oh my god, Matt…” She sounded sympathetic, playing the part perfectly. “I-I’m so sorry.  I had to leave early.” Lying was starting to become a daily life trait. Thankfully, Matt didn’t ask the reason why she left, which Ebony was grateful for and could hear him sniffling, rolling her eyes. “Do they know who attacked him?” She asked, already knowing the answer to the question, but figured playing on his emotions was the way to go.

 

“No.  He was found out by the parking garage.” Matt said, watching as the ambulance loaded Mr. Tanner’s body into the ambulance and gritted his teeth. “I can’t believe he’s gone…”

 

“Yeah, that’s a shame.” Ebony lied, ducking under a huge branch and knew she wasn’t far away from the mansion. “Is there anything I can do for you, Matt?”

 

“I don’t know…” Matt whispered, lowering his head as he rubbed his temples. “Part of me just wants to go home and part of me wants to see you.”

 

“Come over.” Ebony didn’t care if Damon was home or not, she had needs just as much as he did. “We can talk and try to get your mind off of it.”

 

The sound of her voice was very soothing and heartfelt, Matt was quickly learning that it was very hard to deny Ebony anything. “Alright, I’m on my way.  How do I get there?” He asked, pulling out of the parking lot.

 

Ebony gave Matt the directions on how to get to the mansion, jumping over the huge fence and landing gracefully right in the driveway.  Damon’s car was nowhere to be found, which Ebony was grateful for.  She looked up at the balcony that lead off of Stefan’s room, not hearing anything and knew she had the mansion to herself.  Zach was at a council meeting that was scheduled right after the game, which was probably going on right now after Mr. Tanner’s attack.

 

Unlocking the door, Ebony quickly flew to her room to get ready for Matt’s arrival, knowing it wouldn’t take long for him to get there.  She changed out of her pants and shirts into a black spaghetti strapped nightgown that went to her knees.  Taking her hair down, Ebony flipped it forward to shake it a little and stood back up, hair flying back. 

 

It was somewhat wild and curly, framing her face, which is what she wanted.  She darted into the bathroom to wash off her makeup, deciding to go natural for the night so it would look like she was upset over the pedophile’s death.  Walking out of her room, Ebony tossed a black robe on and tied it loosely around her waist before darting over to the mini bar, pouring each of them a healthy dose of whiskey.

 

Ten minutes later, a knock sounded at the front door and Ebony plastered on a frown before flying over to answer it, sad blue eyes staring back at her. “Oh Matt…” She whispered, instantly reaching up to wrap her arms tightly around his neck, hugging him close. “I’m so sorry…”

 

Matt couldn’t help returning the embrace, burying his face in her loosely curled raven hair, her scent instantly soothing him. “I know…” He whispered, feeling her pull back before grabbing both of his hands, guiding him inside the mansion, the front door closing behind him. “I can’t stay long.”

 

Ebony pressed a finger over her lips, guiding him into the living room/parlor and gently but firmly shoved him down on the couch. “Just relax.” She said softly, grabbing both tumblers and joined him moments later, sitting beside him. “Drink this, it’ll make everything better.”

 

Matt stared at her somewhat skeptically and held the glass up to his nose, inhaling. “Whiskey?” He questioned, watching her nod and blinked when she downed hers in one huge gulp. “Wow, you’re a drinker.”

 

“Something like that.” Ebony leaned her elbow on the back of the couch, brushing her fingers very lightly across the back of his neck and could hear his heart rate pick up slightly. “Drink, trust me.”

 

Deciding he really needed to take the edge off, Matt slammed the shot of whiskey back, grunting as it burned down his throat. “Thanks.” He muttered, setting the tumbler on the table and watched as Ebony sat up on her knees. “Ebony…”

 

Once again, Ebony pressed a finger to her lips and slowly untied the black robe, letting it slide from her shoulders and down her arms, grey eyes locked on wide baby blues.  She smiled and swung one leg over, settling on his lap with ease and felt Matt’s hands instantly grab her waist, which is what Ebony wanted.  The nightgown had a nice dip and showed some of her cleavage, which was nearly in Matt’s face at the moment because Ebony wasn’t fully straddling him yet.

 

“Let me help you forget.” She whispered, running her fingertips down the side of his neck to his Adam’s apple. “Let me be your friend, just like we talked about, Matt.”

 

Their lips were inches apart and Matt could practically taste them again, the kiss he’d given her earlier somewhat mind-blowing. “What did you have in mind?” He asked in a low husky voice, running his hands up and down her back through the thin silky material of her nightgown.

 

Smirking, Ebony pressed herself closer to him and barely brushed her lips against his before suddenly getting off of him. “Come with me and find out.” She stated, extending her hand, throwing down the gauntlet to him.

 

Matt didn’t hesitate this time, slipping his hand into hers and felt him guide her down the hallway, looking behind him to make sure nobody else was there.  Ebony lead him into her bedroom and suddenly shoved him back against the door, effectively closing it, her lips smashing against his. Groaning, Matt instantly buried his fingers in her black tresses, turning the kiss with an equal amount of passion.  Never breaking the kiss, Matt moved to where her back was pressed against the door and lifted her with ease, feeling her legs instantly wrap around his waist.

 

Ebony was determined to forget all about Damon Salvatore for one night, running her fingers through Matt’s dishwater blonde hair while they continued kissing heatedly.  Her hands reached down to run up his football jersey, pulling it over his head and tossed it to the floor, breaking the kiss only for a second.  Instantly, his lips found hers again and Matt felt feverish, needing this woman like he needed air to breathe.

 

“Bed.” Ebony growled softly against his lips, feeling Matt maneuver her from the door, her back hitting the soft comforter moments later. “Mmm much better…”

 

Matt nodded, his lips trailing down her jaw to her neck while his hands began massaging her inner thighs, making Ebony’s head whirl.  Her hands frantically reached down to unsnap his jeans, pushing them down his muscular legs and smirked at the white briefs he wore.  She pushed Matt away a little to lift her nightgown over her head, tossing it to the floor before pulling him back down on top of her, the kissing resuming once again.

 

Growing impatient, Matt reached around to unsnap her bra and pulled it from her body, immediately cupping her breasts in his strong hands.  Ebony moaned, arching her body into his touch and hissed when he tweaked her nipples with his fingers, reciprocating by raking her nails down his chest.  Matt growled, lowering his head to start running his tongue down the valley of her breasts while still massaging them.

 

This was definitely the perfect distraction as Ebony’s fingers gripped his short blonde hair again before moving to his shoulders, spreading her thighs.  Matt looked up at her with hunger burning in his now darker blue eyes, hooking his thumbs in the waistband of her panties and slowly slid them down her beautiful legs.  Her arousal instantly wafted in the air and Matt groaned, sitting back on his haunches, staring down at her for a few seconds to admire the stunning sight before him.

 

“Taste me, Matt.” Ebony encouraged, her black hair strewn and fanned all around her, feeling his hands slide up her outer thighs.

 

“Whatever you want, beautiful.” He murmured huskily, not able to deny her anything at this point.

 

Starting kissing along her waist where her panties had been moments ago, Matt focused on the task at hand, knowing what he was doing in the bedroom.  He wasn’t a virgin by any means, especially being the captain of the football team.  Pleased with her moans, Matt knew he was doing everything right and ran his tongue along her right inner thigh, nipping it gently for a tease.  Ebony groaned, gripping the comforter now as her nails dug into the material, knowing she could hurt Matt if she touched him right now because of her strength.

 

Once Matt thoroughly teased both thighs to the point of nearly driving Ebony into madness, he finally took pity on her.  Ebony bolted off the bed as soon as Matt’s tongue ran up the length of her throbbing sex, eyes rolling in the back of her head.  It’d been so long since a guy actually took his time to do this and wanted to cherish every second of it.  Matt groaned at her sweet essence on his tongue and decided to go in for the kill, thrusting inside of her as deep as he possibly could, her cries of delight pure music to his ears.

 

Before long, Ebony began cumming in waves, stars exploding before her eyes from the intensity of her orgasm.  Matt Donovan was definitely surprising her tonight and Ebony decided she would be keeping him around.  Once he pulled away, after having his fill, Ebony kissed him with a fiery passion that made an inferno erupt between them.  She pulled back, running a nail down his chest and turned around on all fours, showing him exactly what position she wanted him to take her in.

 

Licking his lips hungrily, Matt had no problem doing whatever she wanted and instantly gripped her hips, positioning his throbbing shaft against her sensitive sex.  What Matt didn’t know was that sex to a vampire was almost as good as feeding on a human.  Every single sensation and feeling was intensified more than a human’s, so a vampire orgasm would probably destroy a human.

 

“Don’t go slow, pound me.” Ebony ordered breathlessly, flipping her black hair over her left shoulder, preparing herself for what she was about to experience.

 

A cry spilled from her lips when Matt snapped his hips forward, burying his shaft as deep inside of her as he could, just like his tongue, though this felt ten times better.  Ebony was pleased he didn’t stop to let her adjust and just began pounding into her receptive body, every nerve-ending igniting.  Matt loved the feeling of her tight pussy wrapped around him, milking him for everything he was worth and didn’t slow down, only increasing the speed of his thrusts.

 

Ebony held on this time, refusing to release until Matt did and screamed out as he poured his seed inside of her.  Her orgasm triggered instantly, both of them riding each other with every ounce of energy they had in their bodies.  Matt was perspiring while Ebony was perfectly pristine, though she was definitely breathless.  They both collapsed on the bed in a heap, Matt on the side of her, staring into each other’s eyes.

 

“Thank you.” She whispered, patting his cheek gently with her hand and kissed him softly, laying there completely naked while they both came down from their sexual high.

 

“I should be the one saying that.” Matt half-joked, pulling her closer and kissed her a little deeper, rubbing his nose against hers. “Thank you, Ebony.  I needed that.”

 

“I know.” Ebony chuckled, extracting herself from his arms and knew it was getting late, already grabbing her clothes from the floor along with his, tossing them at him. “You should get going.  We do have school tomorrow.”

 

“Yeah.” Matt agreed, knowing there was no way he could stay over with her because that would imply they were in a relationship, which wasn’t the case.

 

Silently, both of them dressed and Ebony grabbed Matt’s hand, guiding him out of her bedroom down the hall.  She didn’t stop at the sight of Damon walking through the front door, completely ignoring him, grey eyes sparkling.  Damon hadn’t expected Matt Donovan to be in his house this time of night, but the scent that wafted in the air clearly told him what they had done.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, blue eyes.” Ebony said, tapping his nose gently and accepted a good night kiss. “Drive safe.”

 

“I will, sweet dreams.” Matt murmured, walking away from the door and headed to his car.

 

Ebony sighed in sheer contentment and closed the door, turning to face Damon with the biggest smile on her face. “Good night.” She said, walking past him and went straight to her bedroom, feeling more alive than ever.

 

All Damon could do was watch her walk down the hallway, wondering why he suddenly felt the need to go snap Matt Donovan’s neck for touching Ebony and immediately shook it off, pouring himself a much needed drink.

 

Chapter 14

 

Stretching her arms over her head, Ebony’s body slowly came to life, feeling very exhilarated and flourished.  After her workout with Matt, Ebony slept like a log and had possibly the best night sleep ever, something she didn’t have in a long time.  Slowly opening her eyes, Ebony couldn’t help smiling and reached over to grab her cell phone to turn the alarm off on it, only to realize she wasn’t alone in bed.

 

“WHAT THE HELL?” Ebony’s peaceful morning was officially destroyed because she ended up jumping back a little too much, falling to the floor. “What are you doing in my room, Damon?!” She exclaimed, getting to her feet quickly and flew over to where her robe was hung, tossing it on. “How long have you been in here?”

 

Damon couldn’t help outright laughing as she tried covering herself up, his arms folded under his head, bare from the waist up. “You don’t have anything I haven’t seen before, Ebony.” He reasoned amusedly, not bothering to sit up or move from the bed. “And only a few minutes.”

 

“That’s not the POINT, jackass.” Ebony growled, glaring angrily at him. “What are you doing in here?” She hadn’t forgotten what he did the previous night at the football game and folded her arms in front of her chest.

 

“I wanted to talk to you.” Damon thought that was obvious and slowly sat up in the bed, patting the spot beside him. “Come sit next to me.”

 

“No.” Ebony stayed right where she was, lips pursed tightly together. “Whatever you have to say to me, just get on with it and get out so I can get ready for school that you forced me to attend.”

 

Damon touched his chest, almost looking hurt. “You wound me.” He snorted, rolling his eyes and suddenly flew over to where she stood, pushing her gently against the wall. “And here I thought you would thank me for what I did last night.”

 

Had Damon lost his mind? “Why would I do that?” She demanded, refusing to let him get under her skin again, even though being this close to him was already making her weak in the knees.

 

“So you’re not happy that I ripped that teacher’s throat out after what he did to you?” Damon retorted, arching a thick black eyebrow and smirked, stepping away. “That’s what I thought.”

 

“You didn’t do it for me.” Ebony stated, trying to maintain her cold exterior against him, but it was hard to do. “You did it to show Stefan you have no humanity, for your own selfish reasons…”

 

“And yet, I targeted the same teacher who put his hands on you.” Damon shot back, looking around the room and finally sat back down on the bed, facing her. “I could’ve easily killed a random person to make my point, but I didn’t.  And it wasn’t coincidence either, so don’t even try throwing that at me.  I knew that coach was coming to grab Stefan, I heard him coming while he was talking to…Matt Donovan.” He couldn’t help gritting that name out, still not able to grasp the concept on why Ebony would sleep with HIM of all people.

 

Eyeing him skeptically, Ebony felt a wave of satisfaction crash over her because of how Damon spit out Matt’s name.  Was that jealousy she sensed?  Good, it served him right after professing his undying love for a woman who probably didn’t even want him.  That was fine, Ebony had never been in love before and chalked up her attraction to Damon because of their shared bloodline.

 

“So what exactly are you trying to tell me?” Ebony questioned, wondering if she even wanted to know the answer and slowly walked toward him.

 

“I killed him because of what he did to you.” Damon’s eyes locked with hers, completely stone faced and hoped she believed him because he was telling the truth. “I killed him for YOU, Ebony.”

 

Ebony didn’t want to believe it and lowered her eyes from his, the intensity too much for her to handle at the moment.  She was close enough to where Damon could reach out and grabbed her hand, pulling her to stand between his legs, but still refused to look at him.  This man confused and baffled her with his behavior.  One minute Damon was attacking her and the next he was being sweet, it messed with her mind to say the least.

 

“What did you do to Elena last night?” Ebony demanded in a soft voice, finally looking up at him, doing everything in her power not to show him the emotions she currently felt.

 

“Tried compelling her to kiss me.” Damon answered shamelessly, a smirk curving his lips. “But my brother was smart and gave her a necklace with vervain laced in it.  Now she can’t be compelled unless the damn thing is removed.”

 

Scoffing, Ebony ripped her hand out of his and went to walk away, only for Damon to pull her right back against him. “Let go of me.” She ordered, sucking her lips in tightly when his face buried in her neck.

 

“Now we both know you really don’t want that.” Damon rumbled in her ear, satisfied that she’d taken a shower right after Matt left because she didn’t smell like him currently. “Why does it bother you so much that I’m playing with Elena?”

 

“Because she doesn’t deserve it.” Ebony broke away from him, flying to the other side of the bed to put space between them. “I meant what I said last night, Damon.  You’ll have to go through me to hurt Elena.  She’s my friend and I’m not gonna stand by and let you play with her the way you’ve been playing with Caroline.  Leave her alone or else.”

 

Damon chuckled grimly, his eyes suddenly flashing at her as he flew over to where she stood, gripping her chin tightly in his hand. “Please tell me that was not a threat.” He said, pulling her closer to him, eyes narrowed. “Because if it was, I will end you, Ebony.  You’ve really pissed me off lately and I’m getting tired of it.  I will do what I want to whoever I want, WHEN I want and you won’t get in my way again.”

 

“Then end me.  Rip my heart out, stake me, light me on fire, knock my head off, do what you have to do, Damon.  I’m not going to let you hurt Elena.” Ebony stated stalwartly, refusing to be afraid of his idle threat and felt the grip on her chin tighten slightly. “Go ahead, do it.  You supposedly have no humanity inside of you, so I’m sure it would be easy for you to kill me.”

 

Growling at her insolence, Damon released her chin only to wrap his hand tightly around her throat, acting as though he might kill her. “You’re driving me crazy, you know that?”

 

His lips suddenly smashed against hers, moving his hand from her throat to the back of her head, quickly wrapping an arm around her waist so she couldn’t escape him.  Ebony whimpered against him and instantly hated herself for it, her body completely betraying her as it melted against him.  Damon was satisfied with the response and ripped his lips from hers, the anger still burning in his eyes and was still sorely tempted to kill her, but for some reason he couldn’t.

 

“Just tell me the real reason you’re in here, Damon.” Ebony muttered, disgusted for allowing him to get under her skin again and wiped her lips with her hand, trying to get the feeling of his off of hers. “Because if not, get out so I can get dressed and ready for school.”

 

“The mayor announced that, despite the teacher’s death, they are still going to have the Founder’s Party.” Damon announced with a smile, hopping back on the bed again and watched as she walked over to the dresser to retrieve some clothes. “I expect you to be there, just in case.” Stefan was still in the house, so Damon hoped Ebony caught onto what he was referring too.

 

“I’m sure I’ll be there.” She sighed when Damon flew over to stand behind her, turning her to face him.

 

“I NEED you to be there, Ebony.” Damon stressed, running a finger down her cheek. “If I don’t get what I want, there’s a lot of people that will get hurt.  You seem to have the football player wrapped around your finger, do what it takes to make him invite you.  This is our only chance.” He kept his voice low, not taking any chances.

 

The amber crystal is what Damon was talking about, but Ebony wasn’t sure if she wanted to help him anymore, not with everything he’d done lately. “I’ll do what it takes, on one condition.” If Damon needed her help that badly, surely he would be open to a little compromise.

 

“What?” He growled, not releasing her arm.

 

“You won’t hurt Elena.  Tell her whatever you want, but you will not physically harm her or I’m not helping you.” Ebony bartered, tugging her arm out of his suddenly tight grip and turned back around to pull out some pants. “Agreed or not?”

 

Damon clenched his teeth, starting to regret forcing Ebony to become friends with Elena because she’d taken it to another level. “Fine.” He ground out, trying not to gnash his teeth and stepped away from Ebony before he ended up smashing her head against the mirror. “I won’t hurt her…physically.” That still left emotionally and mentally open, which Damon was satisfied with.

 

Smiling widely, Ebony nodded and tossed a shirt on the bed before removing her robe. “Good, now get out.” She refused to change in front of him, wanting to slap the sudden smirk off his arrogant face.

 

“Have a good a day at school.” Damon said lewdly, walking out the door and closed it behind him, feeling more confident now that him and Ebony were on the same page again.

 

Now, he just had to get Caroline to invite him to the party.

 

Pulling on a black long sleeved top with light blue jeans, Ebony quickly brushed her hair and decided to leave it down before heading out.  She was running late because of Damon’s incessant talking, still not believing she had to negotiate with him to leave Elena alone.  Ebony wasn’t born yesterday, she knew exactly what she made him agree to, but it was better than nothing.  It wouldn’t stop Damon from messing with her mental and emotional state, but at the very least Elena would be safe from physical harm.

 

Thanks to her super speed, Ebony tore through the woods toward the high school in record time, arriving about ten minutes before the bell.  She immediately went on the hunt for Matt, needing to talk to him about the Founder’s Party.  Retrieving the crystal was the key to opening the tomb and Damon was determined to get it.  As much as Ebony didn’t want to help him, she knew a lot of bloodshed would happen and figured giving Damon what he wanted would be easier for everyone.

 

Ebony smiled when she felt a presence behind her and stopped walking, turning around just as Matt reached for her. “You really need to learn to sneak up on people better.” She remarked softly, wrapping her arms around his neck when Matt’s encircled her waist.

 

“I’ll work on it.” Matt chortled, dipping his head to capture her lips in a searing kiss, both of them sighing.

 

“Mmm what was that for?” Ebony asked as soon as he pulled away, grey eyes sparkling up at him.

 

Matt shrugged, releasing her waist to wrap his arm around her shoulders. “Just wanted to, I guess.” They started walking slowly toward the entrance of the school, knowing the bell was going to ring soon. “Hey listen, I wanted to ask you something before we go inside.”

 

Ebony raised a brow as Matt turned to fully face her, taking both of her hands in his. “Okay, what is it?” She asked somewhat anxiously, hoping he wasn’t going to end things between them because that would not bode well for Damon’s plan.

 

“Look, last night was amazing and I don’t want this to stop.  I’m not saying I want a relationship, but…what we did last night definitely wasn’t friendly either.  I don’t wanna hide from people, you know what I mean?” Matt knew he probably wasn’t making sense, but one thing he was never good at was words and talking out his feelings. “I want to take you to the Founder’s Party.  I know you’re new in town, but it’s a pretty big deal around here and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather go with.  It’s not just about what we did either, just so you know.”

 

Relief instantly filled her and Ebony suddenly had the biggest smile on her face, nodding emphatically. “I’d love to go with you, Matt.  I heard about the Founder’s Party and I was actually going to talk to you about it later.  I feel the same way you do, I don’t want to hide from anyone either.” She honestly meant that, reaching up to caress his face with the back of her hand and wished she could’ve fallen in love with someone like him instead of a monster like Damon.

 

“Great minds think alike, I guess.” Matt chuckled, placing his hand over hers and couldn’t help pulling her closer to kiss her again, her lips his new addiction.

 

They just stood there outside of the school kissing and the bell was the only thing that brought them back to reality, both of them laughing.  People could think whatever they wanted, neither cared.  Clasping their hands together, Ebony and Matt headed into the school, parting to go to class and promised to meet up for lunch.

 

“So, you and Matt huh?” Elena teased, walking up alongside Ebony and nudged her, the biggest smile on her face. “I knew you two would hook up.”

 

“We’re just friends.” Ebony reasoned, knowing if she was human her cheeks would’ve been crimson by now.

 

Elena snorted, shaking her head. “Friends don’t kiss like that.” She argued promptly, though pure amusement was in her tone. “I’m happy for you both.  Though I’m not sure what Damon and Stefan are going to say about it.”

 

Damon didn’t like it, Ebony knew that already, but she had no idea how Stefan was going to react.  She hadn’t really thought about that, more concerned with what Damon thought.  Even when she was with another guy, he still invaded her thoughts and Ebony wondered what it was going to take to completely forget him.  Once Katherine was out of the tomb, they would run off into the sunset together and Ebony would be left alone, so she had to figure out a way to get him out of her head once and for all.

 

“Hey, are you going to the Founder’s Party tomorrow?” Elena suddenly asked, grinning when Ebony nodded. “Fantastic!” They walked into class and took their seats, focusing on schoolwork for the time being.

 

Chapter 15

 

Staring in the full length mirror, Ebony couldn’t help thinking she looked incredible, picking the perfect dress for the Founder’s Party.  It was a simple black lace strapless dress that went to mid-thigh and had a square neckline.  It molded to her body like a second skin and was very simple yet seductive all at once. 

 

Her black hair was swept up on top of her head in what felt like a million spiral curls, with even more bobby pins keeping it in place, and doused with half a can of hairspray.  Not even the strongest wind would be able to muddle up her hair, which is what Ebony had aimed for.  Ebony clipped on a simple black diamond necklace with a matching bracelet and of course her daylight ring, especially since the party started before the sun went down.

 

Ebony turned around, only for Damon to be standing right there in front of her.  She hated when he did that and knew it would take time before she learned how to sense another vampire coming.  He looked incredibly handsome in all black, the dress shirt long-sleeved with the top three buttons undone.  Damon had a black suit coat over it, the collar folded to perfection, along with simple black dress pants and black shoes.

 

Damon was busy undressing her with his eyes very slowly, that dress definitely sexy and left plenty of the imagination.  The lace overlay is what really enticed him, but then again he had seen her in less than this during her stripper performance.  Anything she wore ever since then was redundant, but the dress she wore tonight came in at a close second favorite.

 

“You look stunning, if it wasn’t obvious.” Damon complimented, finally breaking the silence between them.

 

“Thanks.” Ebony sat on the bed to slip her two inch black open toed heels on, fastening them and didn’t realize she had given Damon a nice shot of her cleavage. “What do you want, Damon?”

 

“Just wanted to make sure you were ready and go over the plan with you.” He had to look away from her chest before both of them never made it to the party, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

Ebony arched a perfectly plucked brow, her grey eyes outlined in black with natural tan eye shadow and clear gloss on her lips. “What plan?” She asked, standing up from the bed and pulled her dress down a little.

 

Damon smirked, standing behind her a second later and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, his nose buried in her the crook of her neck. “The crystal.” He whispered, knowing Stefan hadn’t left to retrieve Elena yet.

 

“What about it?” She whispered back, looking at him through the reflection in the mirror, planting her freshly manicured nails on the dresser.

 

“I know I shouldn’t trust you with all you’ve done lately, but I am anyway.” He suddenly turned her around and lifted her on the dresser, standing between her beautiful legs. “Can I trust you, Ebony?” Because if she so much as attempted betrayal of any kind against him, Damon wouldn’t think twice about ripping her heart out.

 

“Yes.” Ebony answered without hesitation, grey eyes shining with truth. “I already told you I would help you get into the tomb.” Her voice remained low and quiet to where only Damon could hear her. “Why are you asking me that anyway?”

 

“Because what I’m about to take out of the Lockwood’s I’m entrusting you with.” Damon stated, hoping she cottoned onto what he was saying and watched as her eyes suddenly shot open, nodding. “I need your word that, no matter what happens tonight, you will keep it safe and hidden from my brother.”

 

Now Ebony was worried, stopping him from walking away by grabbing his arm, pulling him right back where he was. “What’s going on, Damon?” She demanded, not liking the way he spoke because it sounded very ominous.

 

“My little brother tried spiking my favorite Scotch with vervain earlier.” He said gruffly, trying not to think about it because Caroline would be in for a long night if his temper flared. “He’s trying to stop me from what I came back here for and it’s not going to happen.  I need you more than ever tonight, Ebony.”

 

Ebony swallowed hard, seeing the amount of intensity burning in his aquamarine eyes and nodded, cupping his face with her hand. “You can trust me, I won’t betray you.” She promised, knowing how much this meant to him and Damon had left Elena alone like they agreed on, physically anyway. “I got your back tonight.  If Stefan tries something, I’ll stop him.  I won’t let him hurt you.”

 

Smiling genuinely, Damon gently brushed his lips against hers, already knowing she would do her best to protect him. “I’m trusting you, Ebony.” He murmured against her mouth, slowly pulling away as their eyes locked. “Don’t make me regret it.”

 

“I won’t.” Ebony had to learn how to breathe again because she hadn’t expected him to kiss her that tenderly, watching as he exited her bedroom.

 

After regaining her composure, Ebony quickly redid her gloss before grabbing her small black purse and headed out, knowing Matt would be there to pick her up momentarily.  She watched as Stefan walked down the stairs and stopped, plastering on a smile.  He looked handsome as well in a black suit with a dark blue buttoned up dress shirt, his hair slightly spiked up.

 

“You clean up nice, Stefan.” Ebony said by way of greeting, taking his hand when he extended it and felt him kiss the back of hers. “Quite the gentleman too, unlike your brother.”

 

Stefan chuckled softly, not disagreeing with that statement. “You look beautiful, Ebony.  Is Matt picking you up?” He asked cordially, having no issues with this woman that had come into their lives and defended Elena constantly.

 

“Yes, he should be here any minute.” Ebony answered softly, leaning against the small table in the hallway. “You better get going, don’t want to keep Elena waiting since it’s your first date and all.”

 

“Right, wouldn’t want that.”

 

Stefan wondered briefly if he should inform her what he was planning to do to Damon.  Something held him back though and he knew it was a trust issue because she came here with Damon.  Damon turned her into a vampire, which meant she would automatically feel a sense of loyalty to him, even if they were at odds.  No, he couldn’t risk it, Damon had to be stopped before he ended up hurting Elena.

 

“Have a good evening, Ebony.”

 

She nodded, watching him walk out the door and knew Damon had already left to pick up Caroline.  A few minutes later, a horn blared outside of the mansion and Ebony grinned, knowing it was Matt.  She walked out of the house, the biggest smile on her face and could tell just by the way his eyes devoured her that she definitely picked the right dress for tonight.

 

“Wow.” Matt rumbled, already stepping out to open her door, stopping her before she could slide in. “You look breathtaking.”

 

“So do you.” Ebony pulled him down gently by the front of his suit jacket, kissing him softly, needing the feel of Damon’s lips off of hers. “We’ll have plenty of time for this later, but we need to get to the party before we’re late.”

 

Matt smiled and kissed her one more time before reluctantly closing the door, driving off moments later.  They made small chatter about how their day was and Matt told her a few things to expect at the party.  There would be a lot of old history memorabilia out for the town to see, so if she had any questions, she could always ask him.  Ebony appreciated that, holding his hand the entire time and sincerely enjoyed talking to him, his voice smooth and naturally husky.

 

They arrived at the party about fifteen minutes later and Matt parked, opening the car door for her, extending his arm.  She took it without hesitation, both of them walking toward the front of the mansion, the sun slowly beginning to set.  She watched as the mayor’s wife, Carol Lockwood, greeted them, inviting them inside.  Ebony sighed with inner relief when they both stepped through the double open doors without any problem.

 

Ebony was intrigued by all the old artifacts that formed most of this town’s history, everything so antique and beautiful.  Matt was very informative and explained as best he could, answering any questions she had.  When they arrived at the Salvatore Family, Ebony slowly ran her eyes over every single item and looked up at a very old parchment with names scrawled on it.

 

“Look it’s the original guest registry.” Elena pointed out, walking up with Stefan, also interested in it. “Ebony, you look amazing!” She suddenly crowed, once she noticed who was standing beside her, both girls sharing an embrace.

 

“So do you.” Ebony couldn’t believe how stunning Elena looked in the sunrise colored dress she chose that slightly shimmered. “Is that what this is called?”

 

Elena nodded, pointing at the parchment and noticed some of the familiar names on it. “Look at all these familiar names: Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood and…is that Damon Salvatore…?” Her voice trailed off, slowly looking up at Stefan inquisitively. “And Stefan Salvatore?”

 

“The original Salvatore brothers.” Damon said from behind, walking in arm in arm with Caroline, smiling. “Our ancestors.  Tragic story actually.”

 

“We don’t need to bore them with the stories of the past.” Stefan intervened, shooting a look at his brother that clearly told him not to go any further.

 

“It’s not boring, Stefan.” Elena insisted softly. “I’d love to hear more about your family.”

 

“Me too.” Ebony piped in, clasping her hand with Matt’s and wondered when Damon wanted to put his plan into motion regarding the crystal.

 

“Well I’m bored.” Caroline stated, not afraid to tell everyone how she really felt. “I wanna dance and Damon won’t dance with me.”

 

“Time to get you on the dance floor.” Matt stated, flashing a charming smile at his gorgeous date and began pulling her away from the group.

 

Ebony and Damon both shared simultaneous looks, having the same idea in mind. “Actually, I need to use the restroom.  Elena, can you keep Matt company for a few minutes?” She suggested softly, pulling her hand out of his. “I won’t be long.”

 

“Sure, of course.” Elena smiled easily, looking over at Stefan and looped her arm through Matt’s. “Come on, I’ll dance with you and Caroline can dance with Stefan.”

 

Stefan was getting a sinking feeling something was going on as Ebony left the room while Damon pulled Caroline in the opposite direction, wondering what was going on.  He wanted to go after Ebony, but Elena wasn’t letting him, already pulling him out of the room toward the back doors that lead to the dance floor.  Matt didn’t think anything of it and just went along, though he hoped Ebony was alright.

 

Damon waited until he knew Stefan was dancing with Caroline, which is exactly what he wanted to happen, before going to track down Ebony.  He saw her waiting for him just outside the room by the spiraling staircase, heading in her direction.  Ebony saw him discreetly point his finger to the stairs, silently telling her to head up and he would follow and did so, not looking back at him.

 

Looking around to make sure nobody saw them, Damon ascended the stairs and grabbed Ebony’s hand, guiding her down the hallway to a room. “This is going to look very strange considering we’re supposed to be family.” She whispered half-jokingly, feeling him squeeze her hand and smiled, knowing they wouldn’t get caught.

 

“I know, but we won’t get caught.” Damon assured her, bringing her hand up to kiss the back of it, smirking.

 

“You know where it is, right?”

 

Damon nodded as they walked inside the room and Damon stopped, looking down at her. “Stay right here.” He ordered, releasing her hand and walked around her to pick up a wooden box, setting it on the nearby table.

 

Ebony watched him lift the lid and then pulled open the bottom of it, being quick and swift.  A few seconds later, a beautiful amber crystal with an iron antique setting was in Damon’s hands, the same one Damon had showed her through mental images.  She didn’t go toward him, watching as he slowly turned to face her, wondering if he would really trust her with something so valuable and irreplaceable.

 

Handing over the crystal he had waited a century and a half to retrieve wasn’t easy, but Damon knew it had to be done. “This is it.” He murmured, handing it over to her reluctantly. “That’s the only way Katherine will be released, I hope you realize that.”

 

“I do.” Ebony nodded, gently taking the amber crystal and gazed down at it for a few seconds, admiring the historic beauty it possessed. “It’s beautiful.”

 

“And extremely powerful.” Damon added softly, running his fingertip over the smooth surface. “I hid it in that very box a hundred and forty five years ago when Emily gave it to me.  Guard it with your life.”

 

“I will.” She began walking away, after tucking it in her purse securely and sighed when Damon stopped her, turning her face to him. “You can trust me, Damon.”

 

“I know.” He believed that, which is why he decided to let her in on some other vital information. “If I suddenly disappear and you can’t find me, go to Caroline immediately.  I will be able to summon her wherever I am and you go with her.  I need you to keep your guard up and focused because I know Stefan is going to try pulling something fairly soon, especially after that incident today.  Something tells me Zach is involved too.”

 

Ebony fully understood, loving this man too much to let anyone, including his little brother, take him away from her.  Katherine had his heart, but that wasn’t going to stop Ebony from protecting him, not wanting to see him get hurt.  Suddenly, Ebony looked behind her to make sure they were still alone and pulled Damon to the side out of sight, pulling his face down to hers, passionately kissing him.

 

Damon pulled away after a few minutes, holding both of her wrists with his hands. “What was that for?” He asked, running the pad of his thumb across her lips.

 

“Just in case.” Ebony whispered, pulling away from him and headed out of the room with the amber crystal safely in her possession, needing to find Matt.

 

Damon headed out a few minutes after her, not wanting it to seem conspicuous that he was with Ebony the whole time.  He watched from the doorway as Ebony greeted Matt on the dance floor and smiled when Caroline appeared at his side, holding her drink.  Walking away from her, Damon never took his eyes off of Ebony as she swayed in Matt’s arms, suddenly wanting it to be him as he downed a much needed shot of bourbon.

 

Chapter 16

 

Elena, Caroline and Ebony all went to the bathroom together, needing to freshen up a little.  While Elena and Caroline were washing their hands, Ebony just stood off to the side, having already finished up.  She noticed Elena was looking over at Caroline, more importantly, her neck, but didn’t say anything as she applied more gloss.

 

“So how are things with Stefan?” Caroline asked innocently, pulling her gloss out to touch up her lips a little.

 

“Great, just great.” Elena replied with a soft smile, looking at her friend through the reflection.

 

“Really?” Caroline didn’t sound convinced, leaning forward. “Well my radar must be off because I was getting all sorts of other vibes.”

 

While Caroline was leaned over, her scarf slowly rode up on her neck, the barest hint of a bruise showing. “What’s that?” Elena suddenly pulled the scarf up to get a closer look at her neck, eyes widening. “Oh my god, Caroline, what happened?!”

 

“It’s nothing okay!” Caroline pulled away from her, shaking slightly.

 

“That is NOT nothing.” Elena argued, eyebrows furrowed in both confusion and rage. “Did somebody hurt you?”

 

“No!  Okay?  It’s...nothing...” Caroline said, her voice barely above a whisper and leaned forward again to smooth her gloss out on her lips.

 

Elena didn’t stop and pulled the white slip down from Caroline’s shoulder, eyes widening more. “Did Damon hurt you?” She exclaimed, blinking when Caroline instantly pulled it back up.

 

“NO!  Of course not…” Caroline lied horribly and Elena saw right through it, reaching out again to pull the white slip from Caroline’s shoulders. “Just leave me alone, okay Elena?!” She stormed out of the bathroom, leaving Elena and Ebony standing there.

 

“Elena…” Ebony began to speak and sighed when she just merely stormed out of the bathroom, determination on her face. “This is not good.”

 

Leaving as well, Ebony followed Elena to where Damon was standing on the stairs just outside of the dance floor.  Her eyes widened when Elena actually shoved Damon hard in the chest, hoping they didn’t cause a scene.  Of course she knew Damon was feeding on Caroline and, honestly, Elena had no right interrogating the blonde the way she had. 

 

If it was Ebony, she would’ve probably popped Elena in the face, but luckily it wasn’t.  Ebony listened as Elena threatened Damon that if he didn’t stay away from Caroline, she would go straight to her mother, who was the sheriff of Mystic Falls.  Damon looked floored, his eyes locking with Ebony and immediately headed in her direction, wanting to know what the hell happened in the bathroom.

 

“Ebony, mind telling me what happened in the bathroom, hmm?” Damon somewhat demanded, pulling her on the dance floor and wrapped his arm around her waist, slowly swaying with her.

 

“Elena forcefully pulled up Caroline’s scarf and saw the bite marks you’ve been leaving on her.” Ebony spoke quietly, wishing she didn’t have to defend the blonde, but in this case it was necessary. “Caroline told her it was nothing and that it wasn’t you, but Elena didn’t believe her.  She got flustered.  It was actually pretty pathetic to witness.”

 

“Remember what I said.” Damon whispered, suddenly twirling her away from him to land right in Matt’s arms, heading off the dance floor to find Caroline.

 

Ebony watched him walk away, frowning and reluctantly looked back at Matt, plastering on a smile. “I was about to come look for you.” She said, leaning up to brush her lips against his softly.

 

“Everything okay?” Matt asked, both of his arms wrapped around her waist while they continue moving to the music.

 

“Yeah…” Ebony knew she didn’t sound convincing, but a bad feeling was creeping into her stomach and it couldn’t be ignored. “No, actually, I’m not.” Her eyes suddenly locked with his, hating to use compulsion, but it was the only way. “Leave the party.  Get in your car and go home.  There’s something you need to check on.  Forget I asked you to do this and call me tomorrow.” Breaking the compulsion, Ebony kissed him quickly before leaving the dance floor, going to hunt down Damon.

 

Meanwhile, Caroline struggled as Damon dragged her to the side of the house, where nobody else was, and began rambling about what happened in the bathroom with Elena.  Her entire body shook with fear of what he was going to do to her, staring straight ahead while he slowly walked behind her, placing his hands on her hips while resting his head gently against hers.  She felt him move her blonde hair to the side, revealing her neck and swallowed hard, her heart rate increasing rapidly.

 

“You make me crazy you know that?” He rumbled huskily, rubbing the side of her neck soothingly, trying to calm her down a little. “It’s okay, I forgive you.”

 

“I swear I didn’t say anything…” She whimpered, slowly turning her head to look back at him.

 

“Ssshhhh…” His arms wrapped around her waist as Damon began kissing the side of her neck, feeling her start to melt against him. “It’s okay.  Unfortunately,” He paused, pressing another kiss right to her pulse point through the thin scarf. “I am so over you now.”

 

His fangs suddenly dug into her neck, ready to suck every last drop of blood from her body.  Caroline’s body instantly crumbled against him as he lowered with her to the grass.  Something wasn’t right though.  The more Damon drank, the weaker he became and finally pulled away, feeling extremely lightheaded.

 

“What the hell?” He gasped out, collapsing back on the grass and heaved violently, hardly able to move.

 

Ebony arrived just as Damon collapsed, seeing Caroline’s body strewn on the lawn and started heading in that direction, when she felt another presence.  Quickly, Ebony ducked in the shadows and kept perfectly still, eyes widened at the sight of Stefan walking toward his brother.  Stefan had spiked Caroline’s drink with vervain, so when Damon bit her, the vervain instantly went into his system.  He was right, Stefan had been planning something and he succeeded, but it wouldn’t be for long.

 

Stefan disappeared moments later with Damon, leaving Caroline laying in the grass as she slowly sat up, trembling from head to toe.  Ebony had to leave to find Damon, but then remembered what he told her about Caroline.  He would be able to summon her wherever Stefan put him; Damon was always two steps ahead of his little brother.  Sighing resignedly, Ebony rushed toward Caroline and helped her up, knowing she was scared to death.

 

“Caroline?” Elena’s voice sounded behind both of them, worry in her tone. “There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.  Ebony, is she okay?”

 

“I-I don’t know.” Ebony lied, already knowing the answer was no and had an arm wrapped around Caroline’s shoulders. “She’s really shook up, I have no idea what happened.  I found her out here like this and figured it wasn’t safe, so I’ve been standing with her.  Matt had to leave, something about his sister.”

 

“Caroline?” Elena turned her friend around, seeing how badly she was shaking and hugged her tightly.

 

“I’m fine, I’m fine…” Caroline kept saying, starting to hyperventilate until it turned to crying, clinging to Elena for dear life as tears poured from her eyes.

 

Ebony watched as Elena guided Caroline away from the party to her car, deciding it was time to leave.  She didn’t have a ride, but that didn’t bother Ebony, she wasn’t afraid of the dark being what she was.  Slowly opening, her purse, Ebony pulled the amber crystal out and held it in the palm of her hand, looking up at the sky.

 

“I won’t let you down, Damon, I promise.” She whispered, quickly putting it away and headed back to the mansion, deciding she would check on Caroline periodically throughout the next several days.

 

When she arrived home, Stefan was waiting for her in the living room/parlor, a solemn expression on his face. “We need to talk, Ebony.” He said softly, gesturing to the couch and sat down after she did. “I have some bad news.”

 

“What is it?” Ebony asked, eyebrows drawing together and already knew it had to do with Damon.

 

“Damon left town.” Stefan lied, grabbing her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “He wanted me to tell you he said goodbye and hopefully you two will run into each other again someday.”

 

Ebony closed her eyes and lowered her head, nodding, playing the sympathy part to perfection. “Right.” She cleared her throat and stood up from the couch, wiping a stray tear away from her cheek. “I’ll be out by the morning, then.”

 

Stefan stopped her from walking away, shaking his head. “No, you don’t have to leave, Ebony.  You’re more than welcome to stay here as long as you want.  This is your home now.” Just because he had to subdue Damon didn’t mean Ebony had to be punished as well. “That’s if you want to stay here.”

 

Cracking a half smile, Ebony pretended to contemplate her feelings about his offer, finally nodding. “For a little while, thank you Stefan.  I’m gonna go to bed now.  Good night.” Walking out of the room and heading down the hallway, Ebony waited until she was in the secluded space of her bedroom to let a smile spread on her face.

 

~!~

 

The school was having a carwash a few days later and Elena had signed Ebony up for it, wanting to get her out of the mansion.  Ebony hadn’t been very talkative and upbeat ever since Damon’s sudden departure, keeping holed up, hardly speaking to anyone.  Of course, Elena asked Ebony and was surprised when she agreed to it, especially after she said everyone was going to be there.  For some reason, Ebony asked if Caroline was going to be attending, but Elena just chalked it up to both girls warming up to each other.

 

Ebony tied the top of her simple black halter swimsuit around her neck, showing just enough cleavage to entice customers and had a pair of blue jean shorts on, hiding her bikini bottoms.  She pulled her black hair up in a high ponytail, slipping a pair of black shades on top of her head and slipped into her white flip flops.  The amber crystal was hidden well so nobody would find it, especially the nosey Zach that had been snooping around her ever since Damon disappeared.

 

Walking out, Ebony closed her bedroom door and wasn’t surprised to run into Zach, smiling softly. “Hey Zach.” She greeted politely, heading past him through the living room/parlor, but his comeback stopped her.

 

“You’re not fooling anyone, Ebony.”

 

Slowly turning around to face him, Ebony’s grey eyes narrowed and she folded her arms in front of her chest. “What do you mean?” She asked, tilting her head somewhat.

 

“You may have Stefan and everyone else fooled, but I can see right through you.” Zach couldn’t elaborate because then he would give away where Damon was and knew she was looking for him over the past few days. “I just hope Stefan sees what I do soon enough.”

 

Ebony was sorely tempted to snap his neck, but merely smiled, shrugging nonchalantly. “Think what you want, Zach.  I have to go, carwash at school today.” She began walking away, but then stopped to face him again. “By the way, I know you’ve been snooping around in my room while I’m gone.  I can smell your scent and I’m warning you right now, don’t get on my bad side or you will regret it.  Have a nice day.”

 

Zach swallowed hard, wondering what it would take to get Stefan to get her out of the house.

 

Ebony knew she scared Zach with her idle threat and knew she already had Stefan wrapped, so she wasn’t too worried about him cottoning onto what she was doing.  She waited around ten minutes before Caroline finally arrived, apologizing profusely for being late.  Elena was supposed to pick her up, but had a last minute errand and asked Caroline if she would do it.  Surprisingly, Caroline agreed. 

 

Waving her off frivolously, Ebony hopped into the car and buckled up, looking back at the mansion as Caroline drove away. “This is going to be so much fun!” Caroline squealed with excitement, wearing a pink leopard halter top bikini with dark blue cotton shorts on, her hair done up in braided pigtails.

 

“Yeah, looking forward to it.” The sooner Ebony found Damon, the sooner she wouldn’t have to deal with Caroline’s annoying valley girl voice.

 

They arrived at the carwash and Caroline put the car in park, ready to get out, when something stopped her.  Ebony looked over at her, seeing she was staring straight ahead and wondered if Damon was trying to summon her like he said he would.  After a straight minute, Caroline snapped out of whatever daze she was in, shaking herself a little and was back to her giddy self.

 

“Let’s go, we have cars to wash.” Caroline stepped out and skipped over to where Elena was sitting with Bonnie, Ebony following suit.

 

“I was wondering where you guys were at.” Elena said, standing up to embrace both of her friends, looking kindly at Ebony. “How are you holding up?”

 

“I’m fine.” Ebony assured her for the umpteenth time, deciding to just get busy with the car. “Caroline, do you wanna wash with me?”

 

“Sure.”

 

Ebony smiled, taking two buckets with sponges before heading over to one of the many cars in the parking lot, getting to work.  They did three cars before Caroline went into that trance again, stopping her scrubbing and looked toward the woods.  Ebony raised a brow when Caroline dropped the sponge and walked away from the car, heading into the school somewhat zombified.

 

It had to be Damon.

 

Ebony made an excuse to go to the bathroom and went around the other side, not wanting people to think she was following Caroline, even though she was.  She quickly caught up with Caroline and watched as she suddenly stopped, looking as though she saw someone in front of her.  Ebony had no idea what was happening, but the look on Caroline’s face was filled with worry and concern, which made her believe Damon was summoning her.

 

Scared, Caroline began running down the hallway and headed right out the back door, the carwash seemingly forgotten.  Ebony followed, making sure nobody else had noticed they were gone and began walking in the direction Caroline went.  Once they arrived on the dirt path that lead to the mansion, Ebony’s eyes nearly shot open, not believing how stupid Stefan could be. 

 

Damon was in the mansion the whole time?

 

Ebony continued following her, knowing she was in some kind of trance so she didn’t bother hearing the footsteps behind her.  Sure enough, the mansion came into view and Caroline didn’t stop walking, not going to the front door like a normal person would.  Instead, Caroline went around to the side of the house to one of the doors, finally finding one open and walked inside. 

 

Ebony noticed the black crow sitting in front of the house, knowing she was about to find out where Damon had been held for the past four days and entered the mansion moments later.  She ducked when Zach entered the room, not wanting him to know she was there and hoped he hadn’t heard Caroline either.  She watched as Zach rushed to that door and swung it open, flying down the stairs as fast as he could, but it was too late.

 

A few seconds later, Ebony heard something snap and a scream.

 

Chapter 17

 

Ebony turned around just as Caroline came flying down the hallway with a filthy Damon hot on her trail, stumbling slightly. Her grey eyes widened as Caroline ripped open the front door, running as fast as she could out of it.  The sunlight instantly began burning Damon as he tried shielding himself with his arms, getting into the shade quickly.

 

Stefan had taken his daylight ring!

 

“Damon.” Ebony called, watching his head snap toward her and carefully approached him, not believing the condition he was in. “My god…”

 

“Shut the door.” He gritted out, pulling away from her and coughed, a lot of vervain still circulating in his system.

 

Ebony rushed past him to close it, the sunlight blocked out instantly and flew back over to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Don’t be stubborn and let me help you.” She ordered, feeling his arm drape around her neck as she guided him over to the couch, not believing how weak he was.

 

“I need blood…” He grunted out, falling over on the couch in a heap and coughed more, escaping exerting a lot of his energy. “Damn it…”

 

“The sun will be down in a few hours.  Will a blood bag suffice for now?” Ebony asked, pouring him a drink and figured that was better than nothing for the moment.

 

“Downstairs…” He had to stop talking for a second, not able to take the tumbler of whiskey Ebony extended to him, hating how weak he was. “There’s a freezer…”

 

Ebony pressed a finger to his lips and pulled him to sit back up, making him lean against the arm of the couch with her blocking his other side, sitting on her knees. “I’ll find it for you.  Now drink this.” She held the tumbler up to his lips, tears shining in her eyes because she’d honestly been worried about him. “Don’t talk, just drink, Damon.”

 

Damon looked over at her through hazy blue eyes and did as she said, noticing a single tear slip down her cheek. “Why…are you…crying?” He demanded weakly, after taking a few small sips of the whiskey, which instantly stemmed the burning in his throat.

 

“Why do you think?” Ebony shot back, looking away from him to wipe her tears, hating that her emotions were getting the better of her. “I was worried sick about you.  If I would’ve known you were in the mansion, you would’ve been freed sooner than this.”

 

Damon smirked feebly, reaching a shaking hand out to cup her cheek, wiping another tear away. “Don’t cry…I’m a lot stronger than that dick thinks…” He had to take another swallow and leaned his head back against the couch, not moving to hold the glass yet. “Where’s the…crystal?”

 

“In my room, hidden away.” Ebony answered, running a finger down his pale cheek and rested her head against his, thankful he was alive. “Where’s Zach anyway?”

 

“Dead.” Damon spat, jaw tightening at the thought of Zach actually conspiring with Stefan. “Snapped his neck, he deserved it.”

 

“Yes he did.” Ebony agreed, glad they no longer had to deal with that pile of trash, scowling. “He actually had the audacity to confront me, said I wasn’t fooling him.  He was also snooping around my bedroom and you have no idea what kind of restraint it took me not to snap his neck myself.”

 

Damon snorted, shaking his head and wondered if Zach had a death wish all along. “Don’t have to worry about him now, Ebony.” He managed to sit up enough to press his forehead against hers, glad she hadn’t turned her back on him. “Go get that blood, I need it…” Hunting was definitely on the agenda tonight and Damon planned on having a smorgasbord.

 

Nodding, Ebony stood up from the couch and set the glass of whiskey on the table, heading toward the cellar where Stefan had locked Damon up.  She headed down the stairs, already smelling the vervain and wondered how big of a stash Zach and Stefan had, deciding to investigate.  Pushing open one of the wooden doors, her eyes widened at the huge bushel of the herb that could incapacitate her in the blink of an eye.

 

Shaking her head, Ebony closed it harshly and sifted through the rooms, finally finding the huge white freezer.  Lifting the lid, she grabbed three blood bags, needing one after everything that happened.  Elena was probably worried about her since she’d left without telling anyone, but the only thing Ebony was concerned about right now was Damon.

 

Flying back up the stairs, Ebony frowned at the sight of Damon once again keeled over on the couch, this time his eyes closed. “Damon?” She called, setting the blood bags down and rushed over to him, patting his cheek. “Damon!”

 

He didn’t move.

 

“No…” Ebony grabbed one of the blood bags and opened it, putting the tube that was already attached in his mouth, tears stinging her eyes again. “Please drink…Please be okay…” She whispered, running her fingers through his black hair and pressed her forehead against his, letting the tears fall freely. “Damon, please drink.  I love you, you have to drink…”

 

Very slowly, the blood began traveling up the tube into his mouth, signaling that he was drinking.  Ebony couldn’t help crying harder silently, nodding as she continued stroking his hair, urging him to continue.  The blood would help flush the vervain out of his system quickly the more he drank, which is what needed to happen.

 

“That’s it, just keep drinking.  I’m right here, Damon.” Ebony soothed, watching as the blood bag suddenly drained and knew he needed another one. “Don’t move.” She tossed the empty one aside and ripped the second one open, once again putting the tube to his mouth, holding it since he currently couldn’t.

 

It took three bags of blood, but soon Damon’s eyes were open and the white chalkiness of his skin disappeared.  Ebony waited until he finished the third bag before helping him sit up on the couch again, sticking to his side like glue in case he was still too weak.  She smiled, knowing the blood was working and wiped a drop of blood from the side of his mouth with her pad of her thumb.

 

“How do you feel now?” Ebony asked, turning his head to face her and knew he would need something a little fresher and stronger to fully heal.

 

“Better than I was.” Being starved for nearly four days straight definitely wasn’t something Damon ever wanted to go through again. “Thank you, Ebony.”

 

“You’re welcome.” She murmured softly, noticing his voice was a little stronger than before. “Do you need more blood?”

 

Damon nodded, stopping her from getting up. “I’m going hunting later, three bags will hold me over until then.  I could use another drink though.” He admitted, running a hand through his filthy hair and knew after the hunt tonight, he would need a much needed shower.

 

“Coming right up.” If Damon had heard her confession, he wasn’t saying anything and Ebony refused to bring it up, pouring him another tumbler of scotch this time. “Here.” She extended it to him before sitting down, keeping a close eye on Damon to make sure he didn’t fall asleep again.

 

Damon took it and threw it back with ease, staring into the fireplace thoughtfully. “Thank you for not turning your back on me, Ebony.” He had to say it, truly meaning those words and looked at her. “You’re the only one I can count on.”

 

Ebony half-smiled, patting his shoulder gently. “No problem.” Chewing her bottom lip, she decided to risk asking a question that could potentially anger Damon, but Ebony had to know. “What was he going to do with you if you weren’t found?”

 

“Basically turn me into a living corpse.” Damon said with a derisive snort, setting the glass on the table next to the other one. “When a vampire doesn’t feed for a long period of time, their body starts to desiccate and mummify.  Vervain helps speed the process up along with exerting energy.  It also stops circulation.  He was going to put me in the family crypt and reevaluate in fifty years.”

 

“Fifty years?” Ebony echoed, blinking and narrowed her eyes, suddenly wanting to hurt Stefan for thinking he could just lock up his brother like a criminal. “That’s insane and uncalled for.”

 

Damon agreed, suddenly grabbing her hand and laced their fingers together, looking into her eyes again. “But because of you, that won’t happen to me now.”

 

“Caroline had a small part to play, but I did what you said.  I followed her to wherever Stefan took you.  I can’t believe he spiked Caroline’s drink with vervain, the dick.” She growled, leaning her head against Damon’s shoulder and sighed in contentment. “He actually tried feeding me a crap story about how you left town and told him to tell me you said goodbye and hopefully we’d run into each other again someday.  Like I would really believe that?”

 

“One thing my brother isn’t good at is telling stories and lying.” Damon said, kissing the top of her head and knew the sun was going down soon. “You’re gonna come with me to hunt.  Stefan will be back here to check on me and find Zach dead.  I don’t want you here when he does.”

 

Ebony had no problem with that, refusing to leave Damon’s side again, not until Katherine was freed anyway. “If he’s smart, he won’t try getting revenge because he’ll end up dead if he does.” Damon wasn’t going to tolerate Stefan much longer and Ebony secretly hoped he killed him after starving his own brother for four days.

 

“I saw the vervain stash down in the cellar.” Ebony looked up at him, running a hand up and down his chest, wanting to touch him in every way. “What are you going to do with it?”

 

“Not sure yet.” Damon had thought about it for a bit, confident he would make an escape with his summoning. “Something tells me Zach keeps that big of a stash around for a reason and I’m going to first find out what it is before making any rash decisions.”

 

They stayed that way until the sun went down, just making small talk and Ebony doing everything she could to keep Damon from falling asleep.  She quickly changed in a pair of black fleece pants with a matching shirt that was long sleeved, leaving her hair up.  She swapped her flip flops for black tennis shoes since they were going hunting.

 

Damon didn’t bother changing, his hunger outweighing everything else he currently felt and flew out the door with Ebony on his trail.  They were heading toward the spot the kids hung out at in the woods, a small bonfire going on.  Damon motioned for Ebony to stay hidden while he made the first attack, leaning against a truck and coughed, still weak from the starvation. 

 

“Hey man, you okay?” A female voice called, causing Damon to smirk, his head lowered so she couldn’t see it.

 

“Come here, come here…” He whispered, waving his fingers weakly and breathing heavily, beckoning her.

 

“You don’t look good…”

 

“Come closer, I have something…I have to tell you.” He coughed out, stumbling right into her arms as soon as she was close enough.

 

“Whoa, I gotcha…” She grunted, holding him up as best she could.

 

Damon stood up and moved her hair from her neck, covering her mouth with his hand and bit into her neck as hard as he could, the warm blood instantly filling him.  The woman screamed and struggled, trying to get him off of her, but Damon drank incredibly fast.  Soon her body went limp against him, the screaming ceasing and Damon dropped her before flying over to her friends.

 

Ebony could only watch in sick fascination as he broke their legs to prevent them from running away, sucking each of them dry one by one.  He was definitely regaining his strength and Ebony didn’t stop him, knowing he needed to do this before Stefan found him.  She slowly walked over to the truck where the woman’s body lay prone and felt her eyes widen, covering her mouth with her hand.

 

It was Vicki Donovan.

 

“Damn…” Ebony whispered, looking over her shoulder where Damon was still feasting and couldn’t leave Vicki there, carting her over to where the rest of her friends were.

 

Damon didn’t pay attention, too busy gorging on blood to notice what Ebony was doing.  He already attacked Vicki once when he first came into town and honestly didn’t know it was her, not caring.  Once Damon was finished killing the last human, he stood up and wiped his mouth off with one of their sleeves, grunting in satisfaction.

 

“Grab that body over there.” He ordered, already dragging the one he just sucked dry right over the fire, igniting the body.

 

Noticing the bottle of liquor, Damon grabbed it and started pouring it all around, making it look like a huge drunken situation occurred.  He took a swig from it as well before going over to the next body while Ebony tossed another onto the roaring fire.  The smell of burning flesh permeated the air, but it was also mixed with the strong odor of alcohol.  She watched as Damon searched the bodies and finally pulled out a cell phone, flipping it open to make a call.

 

Arching a brow when Damon first took another swig of the bottle and then poured some more of it over all the bodies, Ebony continued cleaning up the mess.  She would do her own hunting later, right now all she cared about was getting Damon back to his normal self.  Ebony listened into the conversation and knew instantly he was talking to Stefan, hearing it clear as day.

 

Damon demanded to know where his ring was and Stefan tried beating around the bush. “Where is it?  I want my ring, Stefan, or my next stop is Elena’s.” He looked over at Ebony, wondering if she would stop him from hurting her friend after everything Stefan put him through.

 

Ebony just held her hands up, deciding if Stefan valued Elena’s safety and life, he would just hand Damon’s daylight ring over without a fuss.  Elena no longer concerned her, not after what happened to Damon, her main priority was him and following through with the plan to open the tomb.

 

“I already want you dead, don’t give me another reason to make it happen.”

 

Stefan attempted a threat, trying to reign in his temper.  A few minutes after Damon and Ebony left, Stefan arrived, heading straight for the basement, only to find Zach’s dead body outside of Damon’s open cell.  He was going to kill his big brother for killing their only human relative left because the Salvatore bloodline died with Zach, who never had a family or children.

 

“Don’t give ME another reason to rip YOU apart.” Damon shot back, blue eyes flashing dangerously in the darkness.

 

Stefan was being stubborn, the call ending a few seconds later and Ebony looked over at the last body that wasn’t on the fire. “Damon, don’t.” She whispered, stopping him from advancing when Vicki began slowly moving her head, grey eyes pleading. “She’s Matt’s sister.  Please spare her.”

 

Glaring at Ebony, Damon knew that was a huge liability and lifted Vicki Donovan in his arms. “Come on, we’ll take her back to the house.” He said, walking past Ebony and headed into the woods, fully recharged after his delicious feast.

 

Ebony couldn’t help smiling as she followed, hoping Vicki was going to be alright.

 

Chapter 18

 

On the way back to the mansion, Ebony and Damon made a pit stop by Matt’s to drop Vicki off.  Damon healed her with his blood, something he rarely did, and within seconds she had no signs of being attacked or fed on.  Ebony compelled her to first invite her inside the house and got her up to her room.  Then, she made Vicki forget everything, telling her she never went out that night and had a simple silly nightmare.

 

When the compulsion broke from Vicki, she was sitting in her bed, no sign that Ebony had been in her room. “Don’t give me that look.” Ebony mumbled once she exited the Donovan household, walking past him down the sidewalk.

 

“That was a lot of trouble to go through.” Damon was right beside her a second later, both of them enjoying the night air.

 

“It was worth it.” Being Matt’s sister, there was no way Ebony could just kill her unlike the other people she’d been with.

 

Damon glanced down at her, both of them heading into the woods. “Because of Matt?” He had to ask, wondering what exactly Ebony felt for the football jock.

 

Ebony didn’t answer, ducking underneath a huge tree trunk branch and sighed when Damon stopped her, reluctantly turning to face him. “What?” She knew Damon wanted an answer and Ebony wasn’t providing him with one, not finding it necessary.

 

“Answer me.” Damon demanded, slowly backing her up until she hit a tree, boxing her in, his electric blue eyes never leaving hers.

 

“No.” Ebony was steadfast, folding her arms in front of her chest defiantly. “And just to remind you, Stefan has your daylight ring still, so eventually we’ll have to leave this spot.”

 

Damon scowled, not appreciating the reminder and eyed her almost shrewdly for a few seconds before reluctantly stepping away. “I already know the answer anyway.” He informed her coolly, watching her eyes widen and walked away without another word.

 

Standing there in shock, it felt like Ebony’s feet were cemented to the ground.  She knew exactly what he was talking about and mentally cursed for being so weak.  Just because he seemed out of it didn’t mean his enhanced hearing didn’t work because apparently it had.  It was a moment of weakness, a moment of fear and panic because she thought, for just a split second, he was dying.

 

“Damn it…” She whispered, suddenly spinning around and punched the tree as hard as she could, the pain giving her the distraction she needed.

 

Her hand was bruised, bloody and mangled; a few fingers bent the wrong way.  Sucking a sharp breath in, Ebony cracked them back into place, the sound echoing throughout the woods.  It didn’t hurt nearly as bad as she thought, but enough to where tears poured down her cheeks.  Everything had been going smoothly and now she could no longer pass off her feelings for Damon to Matt because Damon knew the truth.

 

Sliding down the tree, Ebony could only stare straight ahead and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.  She contemplated a few things, tempted to just take her daylight ring off when the sun came up to end this inner torment and agony.  Damon would never want her.  He loved Katherine and nothing was going to change that, not even her amount of love for him.

 

For a hundred and forty five years, Damon had pined for this woman and who was Ebony to destroy that?  She was nobody, a drifter, a waste of space on this earth that was raised in an orphanage because her biological parents didn’t even want her.  The only person she ever loved, besides Damon, was gone and she never felt more alone than at that moment because she was immortal.

 

Granted, it was possible to be killed as a vampire either with a stake through the heart made of wood, decapitation, burning in the sun or having one’s heart ripped from their chest.  Ebony didn’t want to be alone anymore and looked up at the starry night sky, wiping her tears away and turned the ring on her finger repeatedly, wishing Ashley was there with her.  She had to keep her word because she did promise Damon she would help him open the tomb and retrieve Katherine.  After that, her debt would be paid and Ebony could finally leave to end her existence, not wanting to spend an eternity completely alone.

 

As the sun rose and hit Ebony’s face, her grey eyes glistened, but she didn’t feel anything.  The warmth that should’ve been on her skin was no longer there.  In order to get through this, Ebony had to do the one thing that might’ve cost her everything in the long run and she simply didn’t care. Flipping the switch on her emotions so she couldn’t feel anything, it was the only way before she completely crumbled.

 

Ebony would stay in control with her bloodlust though, but when it came to Damon, she was going to be completely cold and distant.  Slowly heading back to the mansion, Ebony looked up at the place she had called home since arriving in Mystic Falls and would miss it.  She just hoped Damon was already forming a plan to open the tomb, the sooner the better as far as she was concerned.

 

“Where have you been?” Damon demanded as soon as she stepped inside the mansion, storming over to her, but stayed away from the rays of sunlight.

 

“Out.” Ebony answered emotionlessly, closing the door softly behind her and refused to meet his eyes.

 

“Out where?” Damon pressed, flying over to her as soon as she was out of the sunrays, electric blue eyes narrowed. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

 

“You worried?” Ebony laughed coldly, shaking her head and brushed right past him, gritting her teeth when he grabbed her arm. “Let go of me, Damon.” She ordered in a low voice, giving him one chance to do it.

 

“No, not until you answer me.”

 

Ebony suddenly twisted until she dislocated his arm, sending him to the floor in a heap, grey eyes flashing. “Don’t touch me again or next time I’ll completely break it.” Storming down the hallway, Ebony slammed her door shut and knew Damon wouldn’t enter because all of her shades were open, the sun streaming in.

 

What the hell had gotten into Ebony?  Damon groaned as he popped his shoulder back into place and stood up, heading for the bar while avoiding the sun.  He was starting to realize just how much he took his daylight for granted, wanting to murder his brother for taking it.

 

Pouring a nice healthy dose of whiskey, Damon downed it in one long swallow before slamming the glass down. “Damn it.” He whispered, wanting to know what happened to Ebony because she seemed…colder…distant… “Oh no…”

 

“Go away.” Ebony called over her shoulder, laying on the sun covered bed and snuggled into the pillow.

 

“Ebony, we need to talk and I can’t come in there.” At least not until nightfall, then she would have to face him whether she wanted to or not.

 

“That’s precisely the point why I’m in here.  Just leave me alone, Damon.” Ebony didn’t want to talk to him, closing her eyes, deciding there was no point in going to school after what happened with the jailbreak.

 

Growling, Damon pressed his forehead against the closed door, his hand on the door handle. “Don’t turn it off, Ebony.” He said in a softer voice, knowing she could hear him. “You’ll never regain your humanity back if you do.”

 

Ebony didn’t reply to him, not moving an inch from the bed and let the coldness overtake her, the hurt and heartache diminishing.  It was crazy how she could flip that simple switch and become pain and feeling free.  Humanity was a vampire’s greatest weakness and Ebony couldn’t deal with it anymore, having enough pain in her human life to last her a lifetime.

 

“Ebony!” Damon hit the door with his closed fists, the frustration building as he stalked away from it before he ended up fried by kicking her door in.  He flipped a table over before whipping his own cell phone out, dialing Stefan’s number. “Where are you, Stefan?  I’m trapped at the house and getting really bored and really impatient…and I don’t do bored and impatient!  Bring me my ring!!” He ended the call, having poured himself another drink. “Damn it!” Damon downed his drink and began unbuttoning his shirt, already taking a shower after getting back from the woods earlier.

 

It had to be the longest day of his life, but as soon as the sun went down, Damon was once again at Ebony’s door and opened it, frowning when he didn’t see her anywhere.  He looked toward the bathroom door and smirked, walking over to it, tapping his knuckles against the wood.  Damon knew she could hear anything, even over the running shower, though he decided not to join her this time around, especially after what she did to his arm.

 

Ebony stepped out twenty minutes later, waking up just before the sun rose and hopped in the shower because she smelled of the woods.  Wrapping a towel around her body, she took her time in brushing her hair and teeth, sensing Damon on the other side of the door.  Finally opening the bathroom door, Ebony did not stop at the sight of Damon lying on the bed, her suspicions confirmed.

 

“I’m hoping you have a plan to open the tomb fairly soon because I’m getting impatient waiting around here.” She stated, sifting through the drawers almost thoughtfully.

 

Damon flew over to stand at her side, tempted to reach out and touch her again, but refrained. “Don’t turn it off, Ebony.” He stated, hoping she listened to him. “I did it for a very long time and was miserable.”

 

“I don’t care.” Ebony turned to face him, her eyes cold and dead. “I don’t need to hear your sob story, Damon.  I’m here to help you reclaim your long lost love and then I’m leaving.  So, do you have a plan or not?”

 

“You can pretend not to feel all you want, but we both know how you really feel about me, Ebony.” Damon argued, folding his arms in front of his chest. “That’s why you’re flipping the switch because you love me and can’t stand the pain it causes you.”

 

Ebony started laughing, pulling out a pair of maroon corduroy pants with a long sleeved white shirt and short sleeved matching maroon top. “You honestly believe that?  I have news for you, before we met; I was in constant pain that had NOTHING to do with you.  This feels so great; I don’t know why you ever flipped the switch back on.  I no longer feel any pain, anguish, agony, love, hatred…I’m finally free of it all.  So no, Damon, this decision to flip the switch on my feelings and humanity had nothing to do with you.”

 

“Then why did you flip it in the first place?” He retorted, suddenly whipping her around and cupped her face, blue eyes that once melted her having no effect.

 

“Because I’m tired of feeling the pain and everything.  I’m tired period, Damon.  I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever cared about.  I had parents who didn’t give a damn about me and left me in an orphanage that had my best friend killed.  That tosses kids out on the street as soon as they turn eighteen because there’s no room to shelter them anymore.  I’ve lost so much and have done so much wrong, I just want it to go away.  I want the pain to go away forever.” Ebony explained, removing his hands from her face and the towel without any shame and pulled her panties and bra on, clipping it into place. “And yes, I DID say I love you, but I only said it because I thought you were dying on me.  I’m new to all of this and I’ve never been in love, so I was naïve and stupid.  I didn’t mean it, Damon.”

 

Narrowing his eyes, Damon waited until she pulled her pants on, but didn’t let her snap them closed, suddenly spinning her around to face him. “I don’t believe that.”

 

His lips suddenly crashed against hers, wrapping his arms tightly around her and decided he was going to force her to feel something, to flip that switch right back on.  Ebony felt the desire flow through her and knew that was part of being a vampire, so she kissed him back.  She felt him lift her with ease on the bed, guiding her back on it, her legs instantly parting for him.

 

Damon ripped his lips from hers abruptly, those grey eyes darkened, but there was still no emotion in them. “You didn’t feel anything from that?” He demanded, trying to kiss her again, this time deeper.

 

“No.” Ebony whispered, running her hands down his chest since his shirt was completely unbuttoned, smiling coldly when he suddenly pulled away from her.

 

“Damn it, I didn’t want this for you.” Damon couldn’t believe he actually felt morality, raking a hand through his hair and knew it had to do with this woman being in his life. “I’m going over to Elena’s because Stefan still hasn’t returned my ring.  Do you want to come with or stay here?” He asked gruffly, walking over to the door to put some space between them.

 

“Sure.” Ebony figured they could go hunting while they were out, the taste of fresh human blood sounding very enticing. “Give me a second to finish dressing.” The kisses didn’t erupt any emotions within her and Ebony suddenly wondered what else she could do as an experiment.

 

Damon nodded, walking out and left her to do it, buttoning up his own shirt.  He warned Stefan he would go to Elena’s if his daylight wasn’t returned.  Apparently, little brother loved ignoring his messages and threats, so Damon would have to teach him a lesson.

 

Pulling the shirts on, Ebony slipped into her black steel toed boots before walking out, leaving her hair straight and down. “Ready?” She walked past him and out the front door, going straight to his car.

 

Shaking his head, Damon followed suit and flew to the driver’s side, slipping behind the wheel. “You can deny it all you want, but I know you still feel something, Ebony.  It’s not that easy to just flip the switch.  You would’ve said you didn’t give a damn about Elena if you completely gave it up.” He pointed out smugly, pulling out of the driveway and headed into town.

 

Ebony ignored him, letting him think what he wanted and rolled the window down to let the cool night air blow through her hair, feeling contentment wash over her for the very first time.

 

Chapter 19

 

Elena and Jeremy were cleaning the kitchen for their Aunt Jenna, when a knock sounded at the door, stopping both of them.  Elena looked over her shoulder at Jeremy, who was going to answer it and beat him to the punch.  As soon as she opened it, Elena gasped at the sight of Damon and Ebony, immediately trying to shut it in their faces. 

 

Stefan had told her everything about their past and what they were earlier that day, begging him not to give Damon his daylight ring back.  That was until Stefan informed Elena that Damon would hurt her if he didn’t give it back, hence trying to slam the door in his face.  Damon sighed resignedly and caught the door with ease, pushing it right back open, smelling the fear rolling off of Elena in waves.

 

“Jeremy, go upstairs.” Elena ordered, her voice slightly shaky.

 

“You’re afraid of me.” He commented, leaning in the doorway with his arms folded in front of his chest, Ebony standing behind him. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess: Stefan finally fessed up?”

 

“Stay away from me.” Elena ordered in an even tone, breathing a little heavier and wished he would go away, not bothering to look at Ebony at the moment.

 

“Hey, hey, hey there’s no need to be rude.” Damon admonished softly. “I’m just looking for Stefan.  May I come in?  Oh wait, of course I can, I’ve been invited.” He stepped through the door without Elena’s permission, looking over his shoulder at Ebony and knew she hadn’t yet. “This won’t take long.”

 

Ebony merely shrugged, turning to lean back against the house and listened to their conversation through the closed door.  It was a risk to let Damon be in there alone with Elena, but because she was Katherine’s twin, he wouldn’t hurt her.  Ebony was almost certain of that, looking out at the empty street and clear night, hoping after they were done here they could go hunting.

 

“We can cut to the chase if you want, I’m not gonna kill you right now.” Damon said, once again folding his arms in front of his chest and looked deadly at the moment. “That wouldn’t serve my greater agenda.” Elena didn’t say anything, just stared at him with fear-filled brown eyes. “So, where’s Stefan?”

 

“He was out looking for you, after what you did.” Elena answered honestly, still not believing she was associated with vampires of all things.

 

“Don’t look at me with those judgy little eyes.” Damon rumbled, taking a step toward her and Elena instinctively backed away. “Caroline deserved what I did to her and she’ll thank me one day for it.”

 

Elena’s back hit the staircase, Damon’s face inches from hers and narrowed her eyes. “Did you thank Katherine?” She shot back, feeling her heart beat thundering against her chest.

 

Ebony physically cringed outside, wondering if Elena had a death wish.

 

Damon didn’t say anything for a few seconds and just stared down at her with almost thoughtful blue eyes, considering what to do. “Hmm.” He finally stepped away and turned around, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “Got the whole life story, huh?”

 

“I got enough.”

 

“Oh I doubt that.” Damon claimed, looking around the house again and finally turned back to face her once his temper was in check. “Tell my brother I’m looking for him.” He headed for the door and walked out, only to poke his head back in. “Oh, tip for later: Be careful who you invite in the house.” Smiling, Damon closed the door and looked over at Ebony, knowing she heard everything. “Come on, time to go on the hunt for my baby bro.”

 

“Oh the joys.” Ebony snorted, following him and didn’t bother looking back at the house, knowing her friendship with Elena was officially over.

 

Stefan told her everything, which meant she now knew her new buddy was an actual vampire, no relation to the Salvatore’s.  She wondered how much Stefan told Elena and had a feeling it was enough to cover the main back story.  He was very brave telling someone that vital information when Elena could easily tell the townsfolk what they were.  If Stefan were smart, he would find another girl who wasn’t so flighty because now all of their lives were at risk.

 

“Your brother needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.” Ebony stated, walking into the woods and had a feeling Damon could sense where Stefan was. “Elena can’t be trusted.”

 

“And you know that how?” Damon shot back over his shoulder, determined to find Stefan before the sun rose because he wanted his daylight ring back.

 

“Because of Katherine.” Ebony stopped when he did, watching with a slightly tilted head as he slowly turned to face her. “When you kissed me to show me your memories of what your plan was, I saw how she interacted with you.  Of course, you’ll have to find out the hard way once that tomb is opened.” Smiling, Ebony walked past him, the leaves crunching beneath her boots.

 

Damon decided they had more important matters to handle right now besides a trip down memory lane.  There would be ample time for that later.  He suddenly stopped, pulling Ebony back against his chest and covered her mouth, hearing the shuffling of leaves.  Voices could be heard as well, Damon recognized one of them as Sheriff Forbes and it sounded as though they were looking for something.

 

Once they passed and were out of hearing range, Damon released her and kept going, the scent of blood suddenly in the air. “This way.” He ordered in a low voice, keeping it down in case the search party came back around their way.

 

Sure enough, they arrived at the Salvatore’s old family crypt in the middle of the woods and Stefan was lying on the ground.  The scent of blood was coming from him because he’d just been shot in the chest.  Damon’s eyes narrowed, watching as the human that shot his brother had a wooden stake, ready to drive it right into Stefan’s heart. 

 

Flying over, Damon grabbed the man’s arm and attacked his neck, digging his fangs right into the carotid artery.  Ebony rushed over as well, looking down at Stefan and caught the man’s body when it was shoved at her.  It was Logan Fell, the guy she’d seen on the news quite a few times since moving to Mystic Falls.  She watched as Damon bent down to pull the bullet out of Stefan’s chest, hearing grunts and gasps of pain.

 

“It’s wood.” Damon said, fingering the bloody bullet with disdain. “They know.” He wiped his mouth off with his hand. “If anyone’s gonna kill you, it’s gonna be me.  My ring.” He ordered, not bothering to ask for it because it was his property.

 

Stefan grunted and reached down into his pocket, the wooden bullet taking longer to heal because he didn’t feed on human blood.  He pulled it out and handed the ring over to Damon, feeling him snatch it away.  Damon smirked, sliding the Lapis Lazuli ring on his left middle finger, feeling once again whole, admiring it for a minute. Stefan managed to turn his head, eyes widened at the sight of Ebony feeding on Logan Fell.

 

“No, no Ebony!”

 

Ebony ignored him completely, too busy having her meal of the night and finally shoved the man’s body to the ground when she had her fill.  She stood up and walked over to where Stefan lay, kicking him as hard as she could right in the side, hearing him groan out in pain.  Then, her steel toed boot pressed tightly against his neck, wanting to snap his head right off his shoulders for trying to lie to her about Damon’s whereabouts.

 

“I’ll eat who I want, Stefan.  That’s for lying to me about Damon.” She kicked him again, this time in the arm and felt Damon pull her away before she could inflict more damage. “You should be kicking his ass after what he did to you.”

 

“And you say you flipped the switch.” Damon sounded amused, releasing her and kept his hand firmly on her chest, keeping her at arm’s length away from Stefan. “He’s still my brother, can’t have you killing him.”

 

“I would kill my brother if he ever tried desiccating and mummifying me.” Ebony shot back, the anger burning in her grey eyes and wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand, scowling. “And yes, I have turned it off.  I just figured your thirst for revenge would be greater than your supposed love for him.”

 

Damon shrugged, reaching down to help Stefan to his feet. “He’s had enough for tonight.” He clapped him on the back, looking down at his ring once again with a smile. “I got what I came for.  Now it’s time to head back home to figure out some OTHER things.”

 

“What other things?” Stefan demanded weakly, surprised Damon wasn’t staking him right now.

 

“Never you mind, brother.” Damon replied, starting to walk away, but then stopped to turn to face him again. “If I were you, I would go check on Elena.  She was pretty shook up when we visited her earlier tonight.”

 

Stefan glared, stumbling toward Damon with narrowed eyes. “What did you do to her?!”

 

“Relax Stef, I didn’t do anything.  I just simply asked where you were.” Damon assured him, leaving out the part about not killing her tonight, which left the future open for possible death. “Oh and thanks for telling her about Katherine, she made sure to mention it.”

 

Stefan didn’t respond, rubbing his chest and knew he had enough energy to make it to Elena’s if he walked.  Ebony felt nothing as she watched him walk off to check on Elena, simply going in the opposite direction.  Damon was heading back to the mansion, but she was going to enjoy the time alone while hunting, the small snack she had on Logan Fell not satisfying her hunger.

 

“Where are you going?” Damon demanded, watching her head in a different direction than him. “We have things to discuss.”

 

“I’m going hunting.  Figure it out and let me know.” Ebony flew away from him before he could utter another word.

 

Damon sighed and reluctantly followed her, worried about her sudden heartlessness.  He probably could’ve ripped Elena’s head off and she wouldn’t have cared because of the switch.  Doing something reckless and going on a killing spree wasn’t going to do them any favors, not when they were close to opening the tomb.  If Damon had to, he would vervain and lock Ebony up, already contemplating doing it, but not until he saw what she was going to do.

 

It took a good hour, but Ebony finally found a handsome young man on the side of the road, trying to change the tire on his truck.  She knew Damon was following her, but all Ebony cared about at the moment was sinking her fangs into this man’s neck.  Fluffing her hair out a little, Ebony made her way over to the truck, peeking her head out from the side and watched as his head snapped up.

 

“Hi.” She greeted hesitantly, chewing her bottom lip as the man stood up fully.

 

“Hello ma’am.” He replied, tilting the white cowboy hat he was wearing, his southern accent definitely telling Ebony he wasn’t from around here. “Somethin’ I can help ya with?”

 

“Actually, yes you can.” Ebony moved closer to him, still playing the shy part, her hands clasped behind her back. “I’ve lost my way.  Do you have a cell phone I can borrow?  You’re the first person I’ve come across and it would mean a lot.”

 

The man smiled and nodded, reaching into his truck for a second, grabbing his cell phone. “Here ya go, darlin’.  Take yer time and, if ya want, I can give ya a ride wherever ya need to go once this tire is changed.” He offered graciously, hazel eyes sparkling and it was clear he had other intentions other than just offering a ride.

 

“Oh that would be great!” Ebony took the cell phone from him and finally managed to gain eye contact, instantly starting the compulsion. “Don’t move or say a word.” She tossed the cell phone in the truck and yanked him against her by the waist, shoving him back against the door. “Now, tell me what your REAL intentions were.”

 

“I was gonna take ya out for a drink and then back to my hotel room for some fun.” The man answered in a trance, his arms loose at his side.

 

“And what kind of fun would that have been?” Ebony pressed, running her fingertips down the side of his neck, already feeling her fangs sliding out.

 

“Sex.”

 

“And what if I said no?”

 

“I would force ya.”

 

“So you’re a rapist?” Ebony narrowed her eyes when he nodded, deciding this man didn’t deserve to live unlike her other victims. “What’s your name?”

 

“Todd Griffith.”

 

“Well Todd,” Ebony paused, pressing against him and could already feel how hard he was through the thin material of his skintight blue jeans. “I’m afraid I have to inform you of something.” When he just stood there not saying a word, Ebony smiled coldly. “You’re in for a very LONG night.”

 

A second later, Ebony gripped the back of his neck tightly and sank her fangs into his neck, beginning to drink as hard and fast as she could.  The thought of this rapist being on the loose to take advantage of poor innocent young women pissed Ebony off to no avail.  Normally, she would’ve stopped after a few mouthfuls, but not tonight. 

 

She felt his body slowly slump against her, his knees buckling and held him against the door, sucking him completely dry.  Todd’s body slumped to the ground in a heap once Ebony felt his heart stop, slowly turning around to face Damon, who had watched the entire scene.  She bent down to wipe the blood from her mouth with his flannel shirt sleeve, pleased with her actions.

 

“Are you going to just stand there or help me get rid of the body?” She demanded, lifting him up with ease over her shoulder, the power of human blood still astounding. “On second thought, clean the truck out and dispose of everything he owns.”

 

Damon wasn’t going to reprimand her because of the man’s intentions, though Ebony couldn’t be killing anymore, not until the tomb was open.  Generally, he would’ve condoned this kind of behavior, but now that Logan Fell was dead, the town would be in an uproar over their lead newsman gone.  He watched as she went into the woods to bury the body and reluctantly cleaned the truck out, slipping the bills in his pocket.  Damon would simply burn everything at home in his fireplace, not leaving anything to chance.

 

Once Ebony finished the burial, with Damon’s help, they both headed back to the mansion, neither saying a word to each other.

 

Chapter 20

 

For the next several days, Ebony stayed at the mansion, drinking blood bags during the day and hunting at night.  She didn’t kill anyone else though, not unless they deserved it just like the southern man Todd had.  It was actually growing into a routine to first compel her prey, ask them a couple questions and then decide if she’d be doing society a favor by eliminating them.

 

Damon tried talking to Ebony a few times, but it was always the same thing and he didn’t understand why he even cared.  They were close to opening the tomb, but first a little road trip was in order.  Now that Ebony wasn’t going to school, she would be going with him to Georgia to go visit a special friend.

 

Sitting in the library, Ebony sat in front of the fireplace with a glass of blood, staring into the flames.  She didn’t move when Damon entered the room or look at him, still as a statue.  The couch dipped beside her and, just by the smell alone, she knew it was Damon, downing the rest of her blood.

 

“Feel up to a road trip with me?” Damon asked, already dangling the car keys in his hand, his leather jacket on.

 

“Where?” Ebony asked evenly, setting the glass on the table and finally looked over at him, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees.

 

“Georgia.” Damon answered, inclining his head toward hers until his mouth was right by her ear, lowering his voice. “It has to do with opening the tomb.”

 

That definitely made Ebony more attentive, turning her head to where their lips nearly met, staring into those beautiful electric blue eyes. “How?” She pressed, keeping her voice as even as possible, grey eyes completely focused.

 

Damon smirked, reaching up to run the pad of his thumb over her soft lips. “You’ll find out if you come with me.” Patting her leg, Damon stood up and walked out of the study, but turned to poke his head back inside. “You have an hour to decide and then I’m leaving.” He added before disappearing, giving her time to mull her choice over.

 

There wasn’t really any other choice that Ebony could make because this was what she’d been brought to Mystic Falls for.  Why Damon was giving her the option was beyond her, but of course she was going to Georgia with him.  Shaking her head, Ebony stood up from the couch and walked out of the library, heading straight to her room to grab a few things since they’d be gone overnight.

 

Once Ebony was packed up, she decided there was no way she could keep the crystal there, not with Stefan in the mansion.  Looking over her shoulder, Ebony had her bedroom door closed, but she wasn’t taking any chances, chewing her bottom lip.  Ebony closed the bathroom door and flipped the lock on it before heading over to the shower, stepping inside of it. 

 

She didn’t care if she got soaked and turned the water on because it would drown out the noise she was making.  Bending down, Ebony felt around the wall and found the tile that could be moved out of the way.  With one quick jerk, the tile came off the shower wall, making a cracking noise while the water completely drenched her from head to toe. 

 

Reaching inside, Ebony felt her hand come in contact with a cloth and smiled, pulling the object out as it rested in her hand.  Unwrapping it beneath the water, Ebony dropped the cloth and held the amber crystal in her hand, sighing with relief that her hiding spot hadn’t been found.  It was a fluke find and Ebony was thankful for it because nobody would think to look in a shower of all places.

 

“Hello beautiful.” She whispered, the crystal reflecting amber in her grey eyes and stood up, turning to shut the shower sprays off before stepping out of the shower.  Walking back into her bedroom, Ebony froze at the sight of Damon, who was lying on the bed with his arms folded beneath his head. “What are you doing in here?” She demanded, walking over to the dresser to pull out a new black velvet bag, slipping the crystal into it.

 

Damon flew over to stand behind her, noticing what she did and slowly began running his fingers down her arms. “What’s in the bag?” He asked, wrapping one arm around her waist while resting his chin on her shoulder.

 

“The crystal.” Ebony whispered, looking at him over her shoulder and broke away from him with ease. “I figured leaving it here with your brother trying to figure out what you’re up to might not be the smartest idea.”

 

“Touché.” Damon was tempted to take it away from her, but honestly Ebony had done such a good job guarding and hiding it, he didn’t see the need to do so. “How come you were being so secretive about the hiding place?”

 

“You told me to guard the crystal with my life.  You didn’t say anything about you being the exception.” Ebony simply said, raising a brow and dropped the black velvet bag on the bed. “If you want it, take it.  It’s yours after all.”

 

Damon shook his head, holding his hands up. “No reason to do that.  I know you won’t betray me.” He sounded so confident and arrogant that Ebony was tempted to prove him wrong.

 

“Fine.” Ebony snatched the bag off the bed and dropped it in her packed bag, zipping it up securely. “Are we going or what?”

 

She had made her choice and Damon was very pleased with it, nodding as he walked over to stare down into her eyes. “This is almost over.” He knew she wanted to get away from her and, frankly, Damon wanted her to leave before she completely destroyed him.

 

Meaning, he chose her over Katherine.

 

“Let me change first.  I’ll meet you outside in a few minutes.” That was Ebony’s way of telling him to leave so she could dress privately.

 

Damon shrugged, walking out and was even nice enough to close the door behind him, but he didn’t leave.  Something was happening between them and Damon didn’t like it, running his fingers down the door.  He could hear the wet clothes being peeled from her beautiful body and dropped to the floor, only to be replaced by innocent dressing seconds later.  Picturing the small droplets of water sliding down her body from the wet clothes was almost too much for Damon as he walked away, flying outside to get some much needed fresh air.

 

“What’s happening to me?” He wondered aloud, pressing both hands on top of the hood of his car, gritting his teeth.

 

Ebony joined him a few minutes later, wearing a simple pair of cotton dark blue pants with a matching long sleeved top, a red camisole underneath and white tennis shoes on her feet.  Damon was already behind the wheel, tapping his fingers against it while sucking down a blood bag.  Thrusting her bag in the back seat through the open window, Ebony slipped into the passenger seat and buckled up, leaning her head back.

 

Her scent filled the car, making Damon suck harder and knew this was going to be a very long road trip.  He hadn’t had sex in days, which wasn’t normal for him and wondered what Ebony thought of having a quick romp.  They could get a hotel room in Georgia, after dealing with business, and go crazy on each other for the night.  All he wanted to do was feel her body against his, wondering if it was purely lust or something more.

 

“I grabbed some blood bags for us because we’re not stopping until we get there.” Damon informed her, starting the ignition and saw her nod out of the corner of his eye before pulling away from the mansion.

 

“Whatever works.” Ebony replied, curling her legs up on the seat to lean against the door, her hair pulled up in a messy wet bun.

 

“So, how long are you going to pretend the switch is turned off, hmm?” Damon asked frivolously, trying to spark up a conversation with him since they hadn’t spoken in a few days.

 

“I’m not pretending anything, Damon.” Ebony stated, letting the air blow across her face and could tell they were leaving Mystic Falls, especially when Damon accelerated the speed.

 

Damon laughed, finishing his blood bag and tossed it in the back in a box that was on the floorboard behind her seat, shaking his head. “Who do you think you’re trying to fool, Ebony?” He demanded, glancing over at her briefly. “I can tell when the switch is really off and when it’s only pretend.  You’re pretending.”

 

Ebony slowly turned to look back at him with cold grey eyes, the only emotion she felt currently. “What do I have to do to prove it to you?” She wagered, watching his thick black eyebrow raise and rolled her eyes before looking back out the window.

 

Was she actually challenging him? “You really wanna do this?” Damon demanded, blue eyes flashing back at her, watching her nod without hesitation.

 

“I wouldn’t have put out the wager unless I did.” Ebony said bluntly, feeling him suddenly pull over on the side of the road, looking back at him. “What are you doing?”

 

“Have sex with me then.” Damon tossed out, the amount of intensity in his eyes clearly telling her he was not kidding or messing around. “If you truly don’t feel anything, you won’t have a problem with a little roadside smut.”

 

Ebony knew he was serious just by the determination in his eyes, wondering if she could do it without feeling anything.  A vampire had the natural instinct to be extremely sexual and Damon was the only man she had slept with since being turned.  Her mouth suddenly went dry, grey eyes slowly clouding over and stared at Damon as though he was the water she thirsted for.

 

“Here?” She asked in a softer voice, finally breaking the silence between them, deciding she had to go through with the challenge.

 

Damon didn’t answer Ebony, instead letting his actions speak for him.  He pulled his leather jacket off and tossed it in the backseat, followed by his short sleeved shirt, giving her all the answers she needed.  Ebony countered by first unbuckling her seatbelt before unzipping her long sleeved shirt, revealing her red camisole and removed that as well, leaving her in a red lace bra.  She tossed both of them in the back along with his clothes, eyes never leaving his for a second, every part of her radiating with need.

 

If this was the only way to prove to him she had flipped the switch, Ebony would do it.

 

Growling softly, Damon took her hands and pulled her to straddle his lap, starting to run his up and down her back, not going for the clasp on her bra yet.  He was giving her ample amount of time to back out of this, to admit the switch wasn’t turned off and was instantly surprised when her lips met his.  His hand instantly slid into her black hair, pulling the band out of it and let the damp tresses cascade down her back and over her shoulders.

 

Ebony began grinding against him while they kissed, opening her mouth instantly and moaned when his tongue came in contact with hers.  Her nails raked down his bare chest before burying her hands in his black hair, completely devouring his lips.  She felt Damon unsnap her bra with a flick of his wrist, pulling back to let him remove it completely a second later.

 

Her hand reached down to unsnap his jeans, refusing to make love or let her emotions consume her.  She had to prove they were shut off, that what was happening was a simple romp in the car with a friend.  Damon pulled back and instantly went on the attack of her breasts while she managed to free his painful erection.

 

Because of her stripper background, Ebony was extremely flexible and managed to stand while hovering over Damon, his mouth never leaving her breasts.  She slipped both her pants and panties off, once again straddling him and could feel him brush against her.  Ebony did a full body shiver because, the feeling of his pulsating cock brushing against her hot aching sex, combined with his lips and tongue teasing her breasts, was enough to drive any woman mad.

 

Damon smirked, his hands gripping her sides and couldn’t believe Ebony was actually doing this just to prove to him she had indeed flipped the switch.  It was because of him that she did it and suddenly, the guilt began crushing him, the realization crashing over him powerfully.  All because of his love for Katherine, he had possibly destroyed what was left of Ebony’s humanity, never wanting that to happen.  Now here she was, ready to have sex with him all to make a point and it suddenly sickened him to the point where he couldn’t do this.

 

Not this way.

 

“Get off of me.” Damon croaked out, releasing her at once and growled when she didn’t listen to him. “GET OFF!!” He roared, shoving her right back into her seat and exited the car, slamming the door harshly.

 

Ebony blinked, not understanding what just happened and raked a trembling hand through her hair, breathing heavily.  She reached in the back for her clothes and slipped them back on in record time, stepping out of the car barefoot to confront him.  He was the one who challenged her and wanted this, so why did he stop it from happening?

 

“What’s wrong with you?” Ebony asked impatiently, crossing her arms in front of her chest, staring at him through narrowed grey eyes. “Did I do something wrong?”

 

“Yeah you did.” Damon was bent over the hood with his forehead against it, trying to breathe, every muscle in his body tensed. “Get back in the car and leave me alone, Ebony.”

 

“No.” She said defiantly, feeling her jaw tighten. “Not until you tell me what the hell just happened.”

 

Damon slowly stood upright and snapped his head to stare at her, a second later standing so close, their noses practically touched. “I did this.” He whispered, reaching a hand up to cup her cheek, the guilt swirling in his slightly darkened blue eyes. “I did this to you and I need to change it.  You can’t just flip the switch like this, Ebony.  It will DESTROY you.”

 

“Too late.” Ebony pulled away from him, lowering her eyes to the ground. “It’s already done.”

 

“NO!” Damon suddenly snapped, grabbing her by the upper arms and shook her so hard, her teeth rattled, tears burning in his eyes. “NO!  TURN IT BACK ON RIGHT NOW!!  FEEL SOMETHING!!  FEEL ANYTHING!!”

 

Ebony knew there was only one way to calm him down and suddenly brought his face down to hers, passionately kissing him, effectively stopping the screaming.

 

Chapter 21

 

Only when Ebony felt Damon start to relax against her did she break the kiss, slowly letting her hands slide from his face. “Stop blaming yourself for this, Damon.” She ordered, knowing he thought this was his fault that she flipped the switch. “You did nothing wrong, for once.”

 

“Yes I did.” Damon argued, still having a hold of her arms, searching her eyes for a speck of emotion, anything that told him she could feel. “You did this because of me.”

 

“For the last time, you were only a partial reason.” Ebony didn’t know how many times she would have to say it before it sank into his stubborn brain. “I felt enough pain as a human; I refuse to feel it for the rest of eternity as a vampire.  It’s better this way.”

 

Damon didn’t believe that for a second, even though she did sound very convincing, he wasn’t buying it.  Being a hundred and seventy years old, Damon had been around awhile and could tell when a vampire truly flipped their switch. Ebony still had hers fully in tact because she still healed the humans she fed on, which meant she couldn’t bring herself to outright kill and shed blood.

 

“Ebony, if you truly did flip the switch, you would be no better than my little brother.” Damon stated roughly, cracking his neck. “When a vampire fully flips the switch, they lose their humanity and all they thirst for is blood.  They rip their victims apart and drain them completely because they feel nothing.  No remorse, no sadness, just pure numbness.  My brother did that and became known as The Ripper.  He left body parts scattered, hundreds of innocent people dead because he would become consumed in bloodlust and rip them apart while feeding.  When you feed, you compel the human to forget and heal them so they don’t have bite marks.  When you become as cold and numb as my brother did, only then will you truly have flipped the switch.  And you’re not capable of doing it.”

 

No matter how much she wanted to ignore everything he said, Ebony couldn’t because it was the truth. “I proved to you the switch is off, Damon.  It’s not my fault if you can’t accept it.”

 

Walking back to the car, Ebony opened the door and slid back inside, waiting for him to join her so they could get back on the road.  Damon took a few more minutes to calm his raging body down; Ebony’s kiss helping a little and finally turned to face the car.  What the hell was he doing?  He had more important things to worry about besides trying to get Ebony to admit she hadn’t flipped her switch.  Snorting, Damon squared his shoulders and slid behind the wheel, driving off without a word.

 

Three hours passed and the silence was deafening, neither knowing what to say to the other. “So, where exactly in Georgia are we going?” Ebony decided to be the better person and broke the silence, looking over at him. “You said it had something to do with the tomb and we’re alone now out of earshot of your nosey little brother.”

 

“Her name is Bree.” Damon leaned back against the seat, still bare from the waist up, driving with one hand while the other sifted through the radio stations. “She’s an old friend of mine.”

 

“What can Bree do to help us open the tomb?” Ebony pressed, wondering why he wouldn’t just come out and tell her what was going on. “Fine, keep me in the dark.  Doesn’t make sense considering you asked me to guard the crystal in the first place.”

 

Damon rolled his eyes, reaching in the back for a blood bag. “She’s a witch.” He smirked when her eyes widened, beginning to suck on the tube.

 

“That’s how you’re going to open the tomb?” Ebony demanded, suddenly putting the pieces together and couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen it sooner. “What exactly is that crystal?”

 

“It’s a witch’s talisman Katherine gave to Emily.” Damon explained simply, extending the blood bag cordially and Ebony took it without hesitation, their fingers brushing together. “Bree knows the spell to open the tomb.  The comet passed and I got the crystal, which is what she needed.  Now, we just have to go pick her up and bring her back to Mystic Falls.”

 

Ebony didn’t like the sound of that, looking a little concerned, even though she tried hiding it. “Hmm interesting.” She kept sucking the blood down thoughtfully, deciding she wouldn’t be handing over the crystal to this witch until Ebony knew Bree could be trusted.

 

As if Damon was reading her mind, he suddenly looked over at her with intense blue eyes. “We are not telling her we have the crystal with us.” He stated seriously, wanting to make it clear that he didn’t fully trust Bree. “All she needs to know is we retrieved it.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

Silence once again reigned between them, the scenery passing them by on the empty highway. “We’ll get a hotel room for the night and visit Bree tomorrow since it’ll be too late when we arrive.” Damon said randomly, hoping she didn’t mind sharing a bed with him.

 

Ebony nodded, her eyes staring out the window. “So what part of the story did you leave out?”

 

That caught Damon off guard, his eyes snapping to her, though he managed to pay attention to the road as well. “What do you mean?” He sounded genuinely confused.

 

“You told me the whole story about Katherine and how Emily saved her.  You said the town rounded up all the vampires and put them in Fell’s Church, burning it to the ground.  But Katherine was in there with them…” Ebony folded her arms in front of her chest, eyebrows furrowed. “And something tells me if she didn’t die, the others didn’t either…”

 

Damon didn’t say anything, staring straight ahead.

 

“I’m right aren’t I?” Ebony noticed Damon’s hands tighten on the steering wheel, swallowing hard. “Emily saved everyone in the church with her spell, didn’t she?  It wasn’t just Katherine…”

 

Again, Damon remained silent.

 

“So when that tomb is opened, all of those vampires are going to be released along with Katherine.” Twenty six pissed off vampires to be exact that were sentenced to death all because of what they were. “You’re going to unleash them into the town.  This isn’t just about getting Katherine back.  This is about revenge.”

 

“Mystic Falls deserves what they get.”

 

Ebony had no idea what to say, not believing she just pieced the rest of the puzzle together and looked down at her lap, blinking.  The town would be nothing more than a huge buffet to feast on and those who were filled with vervain would be killed on the spot.  She wasn’t sure how to feel about this and chewed her bottom lip, trying to maintain the numbness, but it was incredibly hard.

 

Pulling up to a hotel a few hours later, just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Damon and Ebony trudged up to their room, exhausted from the drive.  Ebony used the bathroom first to change in a pair of red cotton shorts and left her camisole on.  She walked out and stopped at the sight of Damon already on the bed, one arm thrown over his head and the other resting at his side, eyes closed.

 

Why did he have to be so breathtaking?

 

Sliding into the other side, Ebony couldn’t help staring at him, watching as his chest rose and fell evenly.  Tears stung her eyes because Ebony knew they were one step closer to opening the tomb, which meant she would lose Damon forever.  He was right, she hadn’t truly flipped the switch and was pretending, figuring it would be easier.

 

“I lied to you, Damon.” She whispered, brushing the back of her fingers down the side of his face and let a few tears slip down her cheeks. “I was pretending because I love you and I know you don’t love me.  It’s easier that way.”

 

As soon as Ebony turned on her side facing away from him, Damon’s eyes snapped open, but he didn’t move an inch, staring at the ceiling.  He heard her small confession and didn’t know how to feel about it, confliction definitely an emotion he wasn’t used to experiencing.  Damon slowly turned his head to look over at her, the silky soft black tresses flowing down her back and bunched up a little around her head the only thing he could see.

 

She was still beautiful to him.

 

For the past one hundred and forty five years, Damon thought the only beautiful woman he’d ever lay eyes on was Katherine, but that all changed the moment he met Ebony.  This was definitely a problem because now Damon didn’t know what was going to happen once he freed Katherine from the tomb.  He figured by doing that, he would prove to Katherine he loved her far more than Stefan because he was willing to do whatever it took to keep her safe.

 

However, Damon couldn’t stop the budding feelings that were forming for Ebony.  The tomb had to be opened as soon as possible before Damon just chucked the entire plan out the window.  Moving his head just a little to get more comfortable, Damon closed his eyes and forced himself to get some sleep, knowing he would need it when they visited Bree.

 

The following day, Damon was the first one up and dressed, letting Ebony sleep in a little.  She had cried herself to sleep, trying to do it silently, but Damon heard the small sniffles and heavier breathing from her.  Halfway through the night, Damon ended up spooning against her and held her in his arms, which is the only way he could get the few hours of sleep he had.

 

Ebony woke up with Damon staring out the window, a plastic cup of blood in his hand, so she had no idea he had held her through the night.  She greeted him in a mumble and stumbled into the bathroom to change.  When she walked out in a pair of simple jeans and a long sleeved orange top, Damon handed her a fresh blood bag, telling her they had to leave soon.

 

Before Ebony knew it, they were back on the road, checked out of their room, and pulled up about a half an hour later to a bar.  Bree’s Bar, to be exact.  Ebony knew this was the place, deciding to keep her bag in the car and suggested that Damon lock it.  Blinking when he took her hand, Ebony walked with him inside the bar, looking around the cozy place.

 

“No it can’t be.” A tall dark skinned woman crowed from behind the bar, dark eyes widened at the sight of Damon and a woman he was with. “Damon?” He smirked, releasing Ebony’s hand as Bree hopped over the bar counter to stand in front of him. “My honey-pie.” Then she passionately kissed him.

 

Ebony had to stop her jaw from dropping, wondering what this was about and kept her mouth shut.  Damon broke the kiss and slowly turned Bree around in a circle, admiring her.  She was still beautiful as ever, though not nearly as much as Ebony and Katherine.  Damn it, now he was even putting Ebony first in his thoughts…this definitely wasn’t good.

 

“So, what is it you want, Damon?” Bree asked, after walking back inside the bar to pour them some shots.

 

Damon downed his shot, pushing one over to Ebony, and leaned forward to talk quietly. “I got it.” His blue eyes locked with Bree’s, watching as her own widened.

 

“No!  What?” Bree was stunned and had to throw back another shot, wondering if she heard him correctly. “Damon…”

 

“You told me when I retrieved it to come get you.” Damon reminded her, smiling and leaned back, wrapping an arm around Ebony’s shoulders. “So, pack up because it’s time for you to come to Mystic Falls with us.”

 

Bree looked hesitant, chewing her bottom lip and never thought Damon would be able to retrieve Emily Bennett’s talisman.  She had only agreed to help him because she thought it was impossible at the time and had known the man a very long time.  There was no backing out of this and Bree knew it, distracting herself by serving another customer.

 

“She’s hesitating.” Ebony whispered very softly, looking over at Damon with narrowed grey eyes.

 

Damon knew Ebony was right, eyeballing Bree somewhat cynically and threw back another shot. “I’ll talk to her.  It’ll be fine.” He assured Ebony, confident in his ability to make sure they left Atlanta with Bree in tow.

 

Ebony was almost afraid to know what Damon’s tactic would be and left the bar area to go outside for some air.  It would give them a chance to talk privately, not like she wouldn’t be able to overhear their conversation anyway.  Bree had no idea she was a vampire and Ebony hoped Damon kept it that way because, if the woman tried crossing them, she would have her throat ripped out in two seconds.

 

“Where did your little mama go?” Bree asked, walking back over to Damon and poured him a glass of bourbon.

 

“Outside.” Damon suddenly took Bree’s hand, his eyes meeting hers. “I need your help with this, Bree.  You’re the only one I can count on to get Katherine back.”

 

“After all these years, it’s still her.” Bree snorted, wondering when Damon was going to stop pining for this one woman that sounded as though she didn’t want him to begin with. “It’s still Katherine…”

 

Damon shrugged, keeping the smile on his face. “Can’t help who I love, Bree.” He reasoned, squeezing her hand a little. “Please, I’m asking you as a friend to help me with this.  All you have to do is say the spell to open the tomb and I’ll take care of the rest.” He neglected to tell her about the other vampires, knowing Bree wouldn’t help him if she knew what the entire plan entailed.

 

Bree really hated how blue his eyes were and how they captivated her, one of the many reasons she’d fallen in love with him.  They met when Bree was a college student and Damon had been looking for a little fun.  He wasn’t in college and they both ended up having dark secrets to share with one another.  He was a vampire and she was a witch.  They shared a passionate romance for a little while before Damon left, breaking her heart.

 

“Damn you.” Bree groaned, melting a little when Damon kissed the back of her hand, holding it with both of his now. “Alright, alright fine.  Just…stop looking at me like that.” She ordered, pulling her hand out of his, rubbing the back of her neck. “When are we leaving?”

 

“As soon as you can.” Damon said honestly, knowing she did have a business to run so they might have to spend another night in Atlanta. “I’d like to leave by tomorrow at the latest though.”

 

“I’ll set it up.” Bree said, walking away to serve another customer while Damon walked out to inform Ebony on what was going on.

 

“I heard.” Ebony said as soon as he stepped outside, turning to face him. “You sure we can trust her?”

 

Damon nodded, stepping forward to run a finger down her cheek. “If she tries betraying us, I’ll rip her heart out without thinking twice about it.” He promised in a sickly sweet voice that had pure deadly intentions. “Do you trust me?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Then stop worrying and come have another drink with me.” Damon guided her back inside the bar, his hand on the small of her back and hoped he wouldn’t have to kill his only witch acquaintance.

 

Chapter 22

 

“So, where is the talisman?”

 

“Back home.” Damon lied smoothly while sharing some fries with Bree. “It’s safe and secure.”

 

Bree eyed him before looking over at Ebony, who was sitting at the bar nursing a beer. “What’s with the baggage?” She asked, stirring the straw slowly around in her Jack and coke.

 

“That baggage has a name and it’s Ebony.” Damon admonished, knowing Ebony could hear every word they were saying and hoped she didn’t lash out for some of the things that were bound to come out of Bree’s mouth.

 

“Looks like baggage to me.” Bree retorted, tucking a black curl behind her ear. “Where did you two meet?”

 

Ebony’s eyes locked with Damon’s briefly, wondering if he would be honest about their history together and went back to staring down at her drink somewhat broodingly. “We met in Chicago, actually. She was a bartender, like you, and piqued my interest.” Of course Damon wasn’t going to tell her the whole truth.

 

“What is it with you and bartenders?” Bree laughed, taking a sip of her Jack and coke and leaned against the table, scooting closer to him. “Is she your personal blood bag?”

 

Damon merely smiled, popping another fry in his mouth. “Let’s just say she’s very valuable. Enough talk about her, did you get everything handled?”

 

“Yes, we can leave tomorrow.”

 

“That’s my girl.”

 

Ebony looked down when her cell phone rang and pulled it out, surprise flashing her eyes at the sight of the name on the caller ID. Seeing Damon’s attention had gone back to Bree, Ebony walked away from the bar outside to answer the call. Damon noticed Ebony leave, raising a slow eyebrow and pondered what that was about, opening his ears to listen.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey Ebony.” Matt’s voice greeted somewhat hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“Hi.” Ebony

 could feel the nervousness emanating from him through the phone, eyebrows furrowing. “Did you need something?”

 

Matt was taken aback by the coldness in her voice, frowning. “No, I just…I hadn’t heard from you since the party and wanted to make sure everything was okay. I haven’t seen you in school…”

 

“I dropped out.” Ebony said deadpan, running a hand through her hair and began slowly walking down the sidewalk. “Look Matt, we had fun and everything, but there is a lot about me that you don’t know.”

 

“So give me a chance to know you.” Matt shot back, standing outside of the grill on his break. “The REAL you, Ebony. I really like you.”

 

Ebony closed her eyes and took a deep breath, controlling her emotions the best she could. “I wish I could.” Tears slid down her cheeks and Ebony hated them, wiping them away angrily. “You have no idea how much I wish I could just let you in, Matt.” Her voice cracked when she said his name, every part of her hurting because her emotions were currently amplified. “I have to go, I’m sorry.” She flipped her cell phone open and turned around, only for Damon to be standing there.

 

“Everything okay?” He asked, having heard the whole conversation, the wet trails on her cheeks telling him she wasn’t. “Ebony…”

 

“I’m fine.” She stepped away from him before he could touch her, clearing her throat. “When are we heading back to Mystic Falls?”

 

“Tomorrow, Bree’s replacement won’t be here until then.” Damon replied, fingering her chin gently, forcing those grey eyes to meet his. “I heard the conversation.”

 

“Of course you did.”

 

Damon sighed when she pulled away from him again, finally just grabbing her upper arms like he did yesterday, not about to let her just walk away. “Talk to me about it.” He ordered, wishing she wouldn’t keep her feelings and emotions bottled up. “You sound like you don’t wanna end things with Matt, so what’s holding you back?”

 

“I am NOT discussing this with you, Damon.” Ebony was adamant, scowling when he increased the pressure on her arms. “Do you remember what happened the last time you tried manhandling me?” She didn’t want to hurt him again, but would if she had to.

 

“Just tell me the reason.” Damon moved his hands to cup her face, pulling her even closer to him. “Let me in, Ebony.”

 

Angry tears burned in her eyes as Ebony shoved him away from her, trembling slightly. “No!” She growled, suddenly hauling off and punched him right in the face, sending him flying to the ground, skidding a few feet. “It’s none of your damn business!!”

 

Damon knew his nose was broken and cracked it back in place, the sound sick as the bones began resetting themselves. “Damn, you have one hell of a hook on you.” He grunted, flying back to his feet and glared back at her. “Fine, you don’t want to talk to me about it? That’s fine, keep it bottled up. Keep telling yourself you don’t feel anything because it’s a LIE!” He tossed a few bills at her feet, eyeing her astutely. “I’m staying with Bree tonight, find your own way and meet back here at nine AM sharp.”

 

Ebony watched him storm back into the bar, looking down at the three hundred dollar bills lying on her feet and didn’t bother taking them. She scowled and turned, having her own money, heading for the car. There was no way she was leaving her bag in his car, especially since he was staying with Bree. Pulling out the key he made for her, Ebony reached in the back to grab her bag before taking off down the sidewalk, leaving the spare in the driver’s seat.

 

“Everything okay?” Bree asked hesitantly and spotted the blood on Damon’s nose, immediately grabbing a towel for him. “What did she hit you for?”

 

“Who the hell knows?” He grunted, not wanting to get into it right now and took the towel wrapped in ice, holding it to his nose. “Mind if I stay with you tonight, for old time sake?”

 

Bree smirked, grabbing the back of his head and passionately kissed him, giving him his answer. “You know I can’t say no to my honey-pie.” She purred, running a fingernail down his shirt covered chest. “Are you sure your little mama will be fine on her own?”

 

“Really don’t care.” Damon murmured, too busy devouring Bree with his eyes and kissed her again. “What time are you closing up?”

 

“It’ll be early, I promise.” Bree said, not believing the effect this man still had on her and had to go take care of customers before she ended up leaving with Damon right now.

 

~!~

 

After compelling the owner of a hotel down the street to give her a room for free, Ebony walked into her room and tossed the bag to the side, wiping tears away. She hadn’t meant to punch Damon, but he pushed her too far and had to be reminded he didn’t own her. Now she was spending the night alone while he did god knows what with Bree, the jealousy already welling up inside of her.

 

“I’m such an idiot.” Ebony whispered, flopping down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, blocking the pain out. “Ashley, I wish you were here to tell me what to do, to give me advice. I love him and I can’t stop it, how do I stop it?”

 

Ebony was officially losing her mind because she was talking to herself. It was a good thing she stopped at the local liquor store and compelled the cashier to let her take a few bottles of Vodka and Jack Daniels for free. She planned on drinking her pain away by sucking down every single one of them, including the blood bags that were still in her bag. There would be no hunting tonight because, Ebony knew if she did, she would end up seducing some poor defenseless man, screwing him blind, and then leaving him before the sun came up.

 

Pulling her pants and top off, Ebony stood there in her red lace bra and boy cut matching shorts, grabbed a plastic cup and filled it to the brim with Vodka. Since she was technically dead, Ebony could drink as much as she wanted without worrying about alcohol poisoning. She took the cup with her to the bathroom, along with a small radio that was in the hotel room, and turned it on a country station while running bath water in the tub.

 

Ebony was bound and determined to forget all about Damon Salvatore for one night.

 

~!~

 

“That was AMAZING!!” Bree squealed out breathlessly, lying in her bed beside Damon, who just rocked her world. “You’re still as good in the sack as ever.”

 

“I know.” Damon arrogantly agreed, his arms folded beneath his head with a cocky grin on his face. “Glad you haven’t forgotten some of your own tricks.”

 

“Not at all.” Bree rolled over on her side, once she caught her breath and looked down at him thoughtfully. “So, why did you really want to stay with me tonight? Besides the mind-blowing sex we have together.”

 

Damon shrugged, turning his head to look at her, running his finger down her cheek. “What makes you think there’s another reason?” He countered in a low rumble, pulling her down for a soft kiss.

 

“Because I know you better than you know yourself.” Bree replied simply, not angry with him for using her for a distraction. “So what’s going on with you and that little charm you brought with you? And don’t lie to me, Damon. You know I can read you like a book.”

 

Damon rolled his eyes and suddenly pinned Bree on the back, hovering over her. “My dear sweet Bree, there’s nothing going on with Ebony. She’s helping me with the tomb and that’s it.”

 

“So you’re not in love with her?” It was more of a statement than a question because Bree already knew the answer.

 

“There’s only one woman for me.” Damon stated, remembering the main reason Bree ended things with him back in her college days, twenty something years ago.

 

Bree snorted, running her thumb across his lips. “That’s changing, Damon. Whether you believe it or not, you may not see it yet, but Ebony isn’t just your little helper and we both know it.” She kissed him softly, sitting up a little when he leaned back on his haunches.

 

“No it’s not. Nothing has changed. I want Katherine and only Katherine. It’s always been Katherine.” Damon argued, trying to sound convincing and failing miserably, growling. “Look, Ebony has a fire about her that I couldn’t just snuff out, so I turned her instead of making her a simple meal.”

 

“Mmmhmmm sure…” Bree was not convinced, slipping from the bed and pulled her robe on. “If that’s true, then why did you rush outside earlier while she was on the phone?”

 

“I didn’t rush…”

 

“Damon, I was sitting there talking to you about the tomb and all you could do was stare outside at her, listening to her conversation. You didn’t hear one word I said because your full focus was on what was going on with Ebony.” Bree pointed out, folding her arms in front of her chest, raising an eyebrow. “You can deny it all you want, baby, but I know the truth. And something tells me even after Katherine is released, you won’t stop feeling what you do for Ebony.”

 

Damon flew up from the bed, standing in front of Bree, eyes narrowed. “I don’t feel anything for her. Do you want me to prove it to you? Do you want me to kill her in front of you to prove just how worthless she is to me?” He cupped her face in his hand, determination in his gritty voice.

 

Bree merely smiled, shaking her head. “You wouldn’t be able to do it, Damon. Who do you think you’re trying to fool? I knew the minute you walked into my bar how you felt for her. You were holding her hand, you never ONCE did that with me.” Picking Damon’s clothes up, Bree tossed them at him with kind eyes. “Take my advice, go talk to her before it’s too late and you do lose her forever.”

 

This was getting boring and fast as Damon tossed his pants back on the bed, stopping Bree from walking away. “How many times do I have to say it, Bree? Just because I’ve slept with her doesn’t mean anything. I’ve slept with a lot of women, you included, but everything I feel has been for Katherine. I’ve only loved Katherine. I never loved you and you accepted that. There’s a difference between loving someone and simply enjoying their company.”

 

“Whatever you say, baby.”

 

Bree knew he wasn’t staying the night and was fine with it, heading into the bathroom for a much needed shower, closing the door behind her. Damon gritted his teeth, gnashing them while he dressed and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him with authority. No matter how much he didn’t want to admit it, Damon knew Bree was right in everything she said.

 

Somehow, Ebony had wormed her way inside of him and now there was no getting rid of her. Yes, he still loved Katherine and wanted her freed from the tomb so they could be together finally, but…that meant he would lose Ebony. She said it herself, once Katherine was freed, she was leaving for good, which killed Damon inside to hear. Growling, Damon rammed his fist in the only tree in Bree’s yard, leaving a small dent it and stalked to his car.

 

Damon had to find Ebony and talk to her.

 

After checking three different hotels, Damon finally hit the jackpot when he found a man who seemed compelled, knowing that was Ebony’s doing. The man gave him her room number without hesitation and Damon flew up there, standing outside her door. He could hear music through the door and scrubbed a hand down his face, knowing she wouldn’t hear him knocking. Gripping the door handle, Damon squeezed it a little until he heard the lock click, pushing it open and stopped at the sight before him.

 

Ebony was sprawled out across the bed in nothing but a small skimpy white towel, her wet hair fanned all around her, sleeping. There were bottles of Jack Daniels and Vodka all over the place, all of them completely drained. Had she consumed all of this in one night? Damon shook his head and closed the door behind him, walking over to shut the radio off because the music wasn’t doing anything for his mindset.

 

After cleaning up the bottles, Damon lifted Ebony’s prone body in his arms to reposition her before taking his shoes and shirt off, joining her. He knew sleeping with Bree had hurt Ebony, especially after her confession from the previous night. Sighing heavily, Damon reached over to turn the light off and wrapped his arms tightly around her, not bothering covering them up as his eyes closed, burying his nose in her hair.

 

“I’m sorry, Ebony.” Damon whispered, hoping she would forgive him because the thought of losing her was killing him, sleep consuming him moments later.

 

Chapter 23

 

When Ebony and Damon met Bree at the bar the following morning, Damon didn’t look happy while Ebony looked happy as a clam. Damon was also wearing a pair of sunglasses, which was something he never did. Bree walked up to him for inspection and noticed something glistening in his hair, slowly plucking it out.

 

“Is this…glass?” Bree was almost afraid to ask, staring at the sharp small object between her fingers.

 

“Yes.” Damon muttered, glaring over at Ebony, his icy eyes piercing through the black shades.

 

“Do I dare ask what happened?” Bree asked, watching as Ebony slid into the passenger seat and buckled herself in. “She looks a little TOO happy…”

 

“Oh I think I can elaborate for you, Bree.” Ebony said through the open window, after rolling it down, grey eyes flashing wickedly. “You see, I fell asleep ALONE last night and woke up to this dick fondling my boobs. So I did what any other woman in my situation would do.”

 

“Which was…?” Bree’s curiosity was too piqued not to find out.

 

“I kicked him in the spine so hard, he flew through the window and over the railing, temporarily breaking his back.” Ebony said, almost as if it was the most natural thing in the world, smiling widely. “That’s why we’re late.”

 

Bree’s eyes enlarged to the point of almost falling out of her head, blinking, and looked over at Damon to make sure he was alright. “Oh.” She didn’t know what to say to that and simply slid into the car, taking the backseat.

 

Damon didn’t say a word, slowly pulling the shades from his eyes and was thankful the bruising had almost diminished. He hadn’t meant to fondle her breasts, it was an accident. Thanks to an erotic dream involving Ebony, Damon ended up being woken up by flying through a glass window and over a railing, landing right on his back on the hard concrete two stories down. Thankfully, nobody at the hotel heard the commotion and, if they did, they were wisely minding their own business.

 

Ebony didn’t care what the circumstances were; Damon shouldn’t have been in bed with her to begin with. It sickened her to know that he’d crawled into bed with her, while she was sleeping, after having sex with another woman. Vampire or not, Ebony had standards and made her point by sending him sailing through the window while HE was sleeping. It was turnabout as far as she was concerned and Ebony felt proud of herself for actually pulling it off.

 

Feeling the arrogance oozing from her body just angered Damon further, wanting to toss her out of his car. He was actually feeling sorry for her at the sight he walked into, seeing Ebony sprawled on the hotel bed in just a towel, after putting herself in an alcohol induced coma. Damon would never join her in bed when she was sleeping because, if she EVER did something like this to him again, he would rip her heart out without thinking twice.

 

“So…” Bree looked back and forth between them, the tension so thick in the air it couldn’t be cut with a knife. “How long is this drive exactly?”

 

“Eight hours.” Damon grunted, not looking forward to spending that amount of time in an enclosed space with Ebony, not after the horrible wakeup call he received.

 

This was going to be the longest eight hours of Bree’s life.

 

Halfway through the drive, Damon pulled into an oasis to let Bree use the bathroom and put some more gas in the car. He was so pissed leaving that morning; he didn’t realize how low the gas gage was and had been driving for three hours. Damon left Ebony sitting there alone while he pumped the gas and went inside to pay for it, grabbing some snacks for Bree since she was probably starving.

 

Ebony didn’t turn to face him, keeping her eyes out the window, leaning her head against the door, yawning. There was no way in hell she was apologizing for what happened because, in her mind, Damon deserved what he got. Damon looked over at her, knowing they had to make amends before getting back to Mystic Falls because everyone had to be on the same page when opening the tomb.

 

“Ebony.”

 

She didn’t acknowledge him.

 

“It was a damn dream and that’s the reason I started fondling you.” Damon tried reasoning with her, jaw clenching when she didn’t move a muscle. “Stop ignoring me. You enjoyed it any other time I touched you, so what was the problem this time?”

 

Ebony suddenly snapped her head to stare hardening at him, not believing he had the audacity to actually say something that ridiculous. “Are you KIDDING me?” She barked, grey eyes turning to pure steel. “I really have to spell this out for you?”

 

“It’d be nice, yes.” Damon shot back angrily, folding his arms in front of his chest, wanting to just kiss her senseless so she couldn’t spit anymore venom at him. “You’re not just upset about the dream, I know that much.”

 

“Wow, you’re not as stupid as thought.” Ebony snorted, looking away from him to stare down at her lap, folding her hands tightly together.

 

“Just tell me what else you’re pissed about, so we can get over it and move on.” Damon said impatiently, wondering what was taking Bree so long and then suddenly remembered that woman took forever to piss.

 

He sounded genuine and Ebony decided to take pity on him, though she refused to look at him. “You had sex with another woman and then slid into bed with me. Do you have ANY idea how SICKENING that is? I could SMELL her strong perfume all over you when I woke up this morning and knew instantly you didn’t even have the decency to shower before getting into bed with me!” Her voice had raised a few notches, but Ebony didn’t care, letting all of her emotions spill out. “It wasn’t the fact you slept with her because we all know you’re nothing more than a horny bastard. It was the fact you screwed someone else, got into bed with me and tried sleeping with ME too! I know how we met may have given you the wrong impression, but let’s make one thing PERFECTLY clear, Damon, I am NOT a whore and I never will be.”

 

Damon didn’t think she would verbally tear him to shreds and sighed, suddenly realizing the mistake he made. “Are you sure it’s not the fact I slept with Bree that isn’t bothering you?” Her confession suddenly came to mind, a confession Ebony still didn’t know he’d heard.

 

“No, I have nothing against Bree and you’re free to sex it up with whoever you want.” Ebony assured him coldly, tempted to send him flying through the back window of his car. “Just next time, have enough common sense and DECENCY to clean yourself up before bed hopping with countless women.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Damon ground out, deliberating why he was pardoning everything she was saying to him, when he should’ve been beating the hell out of her. “Anything else?”

 

“Nope, that pretty much covers it. And since you want to spend quality time with Bree, allow me to make it easier for you.” Stepping out of the car, Ebony flipped the seat up and stepped in the back, tossing Bree’s things in front. “By the way, what do you think Bree would say if she knew we nearly had sex where you’re currently sitting?”

 

Damon closed his eyes and had to count backwards from ten, gripping the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turned ghostly white. When they were finally alone again, Damon was going to show Ebony exactly how brutal he could be. The only reason he wasn’t going on the attack was because of Bree and the fact this little bitch had his crystal, suddenly regretting asking her to guard it.

 

Bree was confused when she finally returned, seeing Ebony was in the backseat and hesitantly slid in the passenger seat. “What’s going on?” She asked, looking at Damon questioningly.

 

“I decided I wanted to stretch my legs and there’s more room back here.” Ebony answered before Damon could, a smirk curving her lips and leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

 

“Oh okay.” Bree decided not to question anything else between these two, wondering when they were finally going to stop the foreplay and get straight to the screwing.

 

Nearly five hours later, Damon finally passed the sign that welcomed them back to Mystic Falls and sighed with great relief. Granted, he would have to drive Bree back to Atlanta, but Katherine would be with him next time instead of Ebony. He pulled into the round driveway of the mansion, stopping the car and smiled at Bree.

 

“Home sweet home.” He announced, stepping out of the car and stretched his limbs, breathing in the fresh crisp fall air.

 

“Wow.” Bree could only stare at the vast house before her, which looked more like a mansion and grinned, shuffling her bag over her shoulder. “This is HUGE.”

 

“Yeah, allow me to give you the grand tour.” Damon offered, extending his arm while Ebony slid out of the car, completely ignoring her while he guided Bree to the front door.

 

Ebony shook her head and grabbed her bag, carrying it inside, heading straight to her bedroom. Just by the silence, she knew Stefan wasn’t home, which was probably a good thing. While Damon showed Bree around, Ebony became reacquainted with her bedroom, closing the door behind her and sat on the bed, watching the sun setting through the trees. Lowering her head, Ebony finally let some of the tears slide down her face, hoping they opened the tomb soon so she could get the hell out of Mystic Falls.

 

She jumped slightly when her cell phone rang, looking down at it and didn’t even bother checking the caller ID, flipping it open. “Whoever this is, now is REALLY not a good time to bother me.” She said by way of greeting, hating how her voice sounded slightly shaky.

 

“Ebony?”

 

Her eyes shot open, more tears falling. “Elena?” What the hell was she calling for was Ebony’s first thought. “What do you want?”

 

“I need to talk to you.” Elena said, looking up at Stefan. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine, what do you want to talk about?” Ebony demanded impatiently, wanting to be left alone to wallow in her pain and suffering.

 

Elena chewed her bottom lip, her heart breaking at the sound of Ebony’s voice because she sounded like she’d been crying or currently was. “Look, I know we didn’t exactly get off on the right foot and, even though you lied to me, I still think of you as my friend. You protected me from Damon and you didn’t have to. Stefan told me everything about you being a vampire and you’re not really their cousin. I’m fine with it, I understand why you couldn’t be truthful with me.” She truly meant it, feeling Stefan’s arm wrap around her shoulders. “Are you back in town yet?”

 

“Yeah, we just got back actually.” Something was fishy, Ebony could smell a rat, but decided not to call Elena out on her bluff yet, going along with this friendly act for now. “I only protected you because you didn’t deserve to be played with like a toy, Elena. I didn’t do it to be ‘friendly’.”

 

“I know that.” Elena replied softly, standing up from the bed and walked over to stare out the window. “Listen, we were hoping you could help us with something. Stefan thinks Damon has some huge diabolical plan and wants to know what it is.”

 

Was she serious? “What makes him think that?” Ebony shot back, raking a hand through her raven tresses.

 

“Because it’s Damon.” Stefan said, taking the phone away from Elena. “Listen Ebony, if you know something, you need to tell me before he ends up putting you and everyone else in danger. You don’t know how my brother thinks. He’ll use anyone to get what he wants, he’s selfish and inconsiderate.”

 

“You’re telling me things I already know about your brother, Stefan.” Ebony informed him coolly, refusing to tell him anything after what he did to Damon. “But you see, even though he may be diabolical, evil, selfish and inconsiderate, at least he didn’t vervain his own brother and starve him in the basement of his own house.”

 

Stefan closed his eyes, hearing the anger in Ebony’s voice and sighed heavily. “You’re not going to help us, are you?” It wasn’t a question.

 

“Now why would I do that?” Ebony sounded amused, her voice dropping to a dark octave. “Damon has nothing planned, Stefan. And even if he did, I wouldn’t tell you. Now you tell Elena to stop with her fake friendly crap and leave me the hell alone.” She ended the call and threw her phone on the bed, needing to tell Damon about that phone call.

 

Apparently, he’d been listening at the door because, as soon as she opened the door, there he was with a smile on his face. “Thank you.” All was forgiven after he’d overheard her defend him to Stefan, Damon wasn’t even upset with her anymore. “Even though you currently despise me, you’re still on my side.”

 

‘That’s what happens when you love someone.’ Ebony thought, thankful she hadn’t said that aloud and simply nodded. “I gave you my word I would help you free Katherine and I meant it, Damon. Your brother is getting suspicious and even tried using Elena as a tactic to get information out of me. We have to do this soon before he cottons onto what you’re doing.”

 

“I know.” Damon agreed, stepping into her room and shut the door behind him, taking both of her hands in his. “It’s happening tomorrow night, I came to tell you. Bree needs to work on the spell a little to refresh herself, but she said it should be fairly simple.” He hoped anyway or else the witch wouldn’t be leaving Mystic Falls ever.

 

“Good.” Ebony walked away from him to sit on the bed, the sun down by now. “Is that all you needed?”

 

She really wanted to go hunting, not doing it while they were in Atlanta because she didn’t trust the area or what she would’ve done. Damon wanted to tell her so many things, but his brain wasn’t working right for some reason. He knew after tomorrow night, Ebony would be out of his life and Damon didn’t know if he could handle that. As much as he wanted to beg her to stay for his own selfish reasons, Damon knew he couldn’t do that to her.

 

“No, that’s it. If you’re going hunting, make it quick.” Damon suggested, not knowing what his brother was capable of now that Ebony refused to help him. “I want you close to me until this is over.”

 

Ebony nodded in understanding, standing up from the bed to grab her steel toed boots. “I won’t be long.” She promised in a low voice, not sure how to feel about this being her last night in the mansion.

 

“Be careful.” Damon cautioned, letting her walk past him and closed his eyes when the front door shut moments later, heading out to check on Bree’s progress.

 

Chapter 24

 

Why was Damon making her do this?

 

First he told her to stay close to him until after the tomb was opened and now he was having her run a meaningless errand to Mystic Grill. Apparently, Damon was behind on his tab and the owner, Robert, had contacted him, demanding to be paid. Damon was supposed to pay it before they left to go to Georgia, but obviously that never happened. The owner was also on vervain, so there was no way to compel him to forget about the tab.

 

It was a beautiful fall day with the sun shining brightly in the sky, though the wind was chilly. Ebony had on a black sweater with skinny brown jeans and black suede knee high boots, a black and brown mixed scarf around her neck. Her hair was left down and she had just the barest hint of makeup on, eyeliner and gloss.

 

Ebony spent most of the night packing up her things, all prepared to leave as soon as Damon reconciled with Katherine. Damon tried telling her she didn’t have to leave, but Ebony wasn’t listening to him. He hadn’t taught her everything she needed to know had been his excuse and Ebony didn’t care, wanting to get as far away from Mystic Falls as possible. Bree was all set with the spell, mastering it overnight, so she was currently resting while Damon did some last minute preparations.

 

As much as Ebony enjoyed being in Mystic Falls, she knew it was time to move on, a drifter even being undead. There was no way she could live in the same town as Damon and the mansion was also Stefan’s, who wasn’t a big fan of hers. She still couldn’t believe Stefan actually tried getting the truth out of her by using Elena as a ploy. She would never be friends with Elena, too much had happened between them and, no matter what Damon did to her, Ebony would always take his side over theirs.

 

What baffled Ebony the most was the fact Damon still hadn’t told her to hand over the crystal. The only explanation Ebony came up with was Damon didn’t fully trust Bree, which was very understandable. One thing about witches was they could be conniving, devious and turn on a vampire in the blink of an eye. Ebony was secretly hoping Bree turned on them so she could witness Damon ripping the witch’s heart out of her chest.

 

Colorful leaves slowly floated around her as the wind picked up a little, swirling around her and Ebony smiled as she caught a few in her hand. In all the places she had visited, Mystic Falls was definitely the most beautiful thus far. Ebony didn’t get a chance to really go on a tour of the town, so she was taking the opportunity now, not minding the long walk. Now that she was a vampire, there was no need for a car because Ebony could travel with her super speed a lot faster.

 

Finally arriving at Mystic Grill, Ebony pulled the door open and walked inside, looking around since this was her first time being here. It was a restaurant/bar/café and had a very classic elegance to it, but also seemed up to date as far as fashion. There were small lamps with colorful mosaic covers over them on each table and even a fireplace. The bar was in the far back of the place as Ebony headed in that direction, figuring Robert would be back there.

 

“Ebony?”

 

Every part of her body froze as soon as Ebony heard that voice, closing her eyes briefly and took a deep breath before turning around. Grey eyes met startled baby blues and Ebony didn’t know what to do or even say. Their last conversation didn’t exactly end on good terms and Ebony honestly thought she’d never see him again.

 

“Hi Matt.” That was a very lame greeting, but Ebony was in shock.

 

“Hi…” Matt walked over to her, carrying a bucket of dirty dishes, hardly believing she was actually standing in front of him. “How are you?”

 

“I’m fine.” Ebony smiled, though it didn’t reach her sad eyes, slowly unwrapping the scarf from around her neck. “You?”

 

Matt smiled tentatively, nodding. “I’ve been good.” That was a lie because all Matt could think about was Ebony, even after Elena told him she wasn’t really related to the Salvatore’s. “Hey listen, I have a half an hour break and I think we need to talk.”

 

“Matt…”

 

Setting the bucket down, Matt took her hands in his, squeezing them slightly. “Please Ebony, just talk to me for a half an hour, that’s all I’m asking.” He wasn’t above pleading, blue eyes filled with desperation.

 

Ebony sighed heavily, wondering how she could possibly turn him down and reluctantly nodded. “Alright, but first I need your help.” She said, gently pulling her hands out of his.

 

“Sure, what is it?” Matt would do anything for her at this point.

 

“Where do I go to pay for a bar tab?” She pulled the folded check Damon gave her out of her pocket, waving it a little jestingly. “Damon’s behind, the owner called him this morning.”

 

Matt chuckled, not surprised considering he heard Robert spouting out a few things about Damon Salvatore earlier that morning. “Right this way.” He offered his arm to her, smiling when she took it, guiding her up to the bar. “Hey Cindy, do you mind helping this beautiful woman with a payment for Rob?”

 

“Sure.” Cindy smiled, walking away from the customer after serving them and took the check from Matt’s friend, whistling. “WOW, that’s quite an amount…”

 

“Yeah.” Ebony cleared her throat awkwardly. “Damon drinks a lot.”

 

“Obviously.” Cindy chortled, winking before walking away to do the transaction. “Matt, your lunch starts now.” She informed him over her shoulder, humming softly.

 

“Thanks Cin.” Matt grinned, walking to the back to place the bucket of dirty dishes down and then took Ebony’s hand, guiding her over to sit by the fireplace.

 

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Ebony asked, tilting her head slightly.

 

Matt smiled and looked up Mystic Grill’s new waitress, Phoebe Anderson, who recently moved into town and was dating his friend, Tyler Lockwood. They were a year apart, with Phoebe being a senior and Tyler a junior, but the difference didn’t matter to them. She was beautiful with golden blonde hair that had red streaks throughout it and deep green eyes. The minute Tyler laid eyes on her, that was it and they actually started dating two weeks after she moved to Mystic Falls with her family.

 

“The usual Matt?” Phoebe asked politely, her perfect white teeth flashing in a stunning smile.

 

Matt nodded, blue eyes twinkling up at her. “Yeah.” He looked at Ebony, reaching over to grab her hand and squeezed gently. “Get whatever you want, my treat.”

 

“Oh…I’m not hungry.” Ebony declined, running a hand through her hair and watched as the waitress walked away. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

 

“Us.” Matt replied honestly, hoping she would sit there and listen to everything he said before leaving. “I miss you, Ebony, and it’s not just about the sex. There’s chemistry here, there’s a connection with you that I haven’t felt since Elena and I can’t ignore it.”

 

Ebony pulled her hand out of his instantly, shaking her head. “Matt, don’t go there.” She cautioned softly, wishing she could just tell him the real reason why she couldn’t give him the chance he wanted.

 

“No, I have to go there, Ebony. Because if I don’t, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. There’s something between us, I know there is and I know you feel it too.” Matt claimed, frowning when she just looked at him with saddened grey eyes. “What is it? Talk to me, Ebony, please. Let me help you whatever it is.”

 

“Matt, I-” Ebony stopped what she was going to say when the waitress came back, setting a plate in front of him that had a cheeseburger and fries on it.

 

“Thanks Phoebe.” Matt said, not really hungry since this conversation with Ebony wasn’t going the way he wanted. “Are you going to the bonfire tonight with Tyler?”

 

“Yeah, he’s picking me up after my shift.” Phoebe replied softly, feeling the tension between Matt and the raven haired woman. “See you there?”

 

Matt nodded, his blue eyes moving back to Ebony and felt Phoebe walk away to go tend to other customers. “Sorry about that.” He apologized, hoping there were no more interruptions. “Say what you were gonna say.”

 

Lowering her gaze to the table, Ebony had no idea how to do this, but knew it had to be done in order to cut ties with him for good. “Matt,” She suddenly looked up with so many different emotions swirling through her eyes, lips pursed tightly together. “I’m leaving tonight.”

 

Matt’s eyebrows shot up, feeling as though his heart just stopped beating in his chest, frowning. “W-What do you mean?” He stammered out, trying to learn how to breathe again. “Leaving? Where are you going?”

 

“I’m leaving Mystic Falls.” Ebony said, not knowing what more she could say to him, feeling tears burn her eyes. “For good.”

 

“I don’t understand…”

 

“I don’t know how to make it clearer to you.” Ebony suddenly stood up, hating to show emotion in public and swallowed hard, pushing the chair in. “I’m moving out of Mystic Falls and never coming back. I’m never stepping foot in this town again.” Suddenly, Ebony had Matt in a trance, the compulsion working and knew this was the only way to break ties with him. “I never existed to you because we never met. Everything you remember about me will be forgotten. You don’t know me. You don’t love Elena either, you love…” Ebony suddenly looked up, pointing at Caroline Forbes, who just walked through the door. “Her. She is the one you want, the only one.” Caressing his face with the back of her hand, Ebony let a few tears slip down her cheeks. “Goodbye Matt.”

 

When Matt finally could think on his own, he was sitting at the table alone and immediately went to talk to Caroline, a smile on his face.

 

Ebony walked down the sidewalk away from Mystic Grill, heading back to the mansion and decided to take the woods. She hadn’t meant to run into Matt and knew Damon was probably wondering where she was at, but couldn’t use her super speed until she was in the woods. Suddenly, Ebony was stopped by both Stefan and Elena, who were waiting for her on just the outskirts of the woods.

 

‘What the hell is this?’ Ebony wondered irritably, thankful her tears had subsided for the moment and reluctantly headed toward them. “Something I can help you two with?”

 

Elena frowned, wearing a pair of blue jeans with a long sleeved purple sweater and black jacket. “Ebony, we just want to talk.” She assured, stepping forward and hoped Stefan let her handle this.

 

Ebony wondered if Elena had a death wish walking toward a vampire that could easily snap her neck like a twig in two seconds. “What about?” She decided to play along for now, folding her arms in front of her chest.

 

“About Damon.” Elena said honestly, holding her hands up. “I just want to talk to you about him, just the two of us. Stefan is going to leave us alone and just listen in from a distance. Please, give me ten minutes.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Ebony shrugged and decided it couldn’t hurt, eyes narrowing in on Stefan. “If you two even think about doing something to me, I will kill her.” Her eyes moved to Elena blatantly. “And that’s not a threat, it’s a damn promise. Do we all understand each other?”

 

“Understood.” Stefan said without hesitation, kissing the top of Elena’s head and did as she said he would do, walking a few yards away from them.

 

“Come on, let’s walk and talk.” Elena looped her arm through Ebony’s, walking in the opposite direction and headed toward a nearby bench.

 

“What’s this all about, Elena?” Ebony asked impatiently, looking over at her skeptically.

 

“How do you feel about Damon?” Elena asked, looking straight ahead while the breath puffed out in small clouds from her mouth, the temperature dropping since the sun was setting soon. “And be honest with me.”

 

Ebony really didn’t feel like having a heart to heart with Elena, especially about Damon, so she simply shrugged. “He’s a dick.” She answered honestly, starting to laugh. “He’s an attractive, manipulative, cold-hearted dick.”

 

Elena blinked, not expecting to hear that because of how fiercely loyal Ebony was to Damon, and couldn’t help laughing with her. “Wow, tell me how you really feel, girl.” They sat down on the park bench and Elena looked over at Stefan, having a feeling he was having a chuckle too. “So then why be on his side? Why help him with whatever it is he’s planning?” She held her hand up before Ebony could start protesting. “I don’t want to know what he’s planning, I just want to know what it is about him specifically that keeps you glued to him.”

 

Sighing heavily, Ebony clasped her hands together in front of her and leaned forward, staring straight ahead. “Did you have a good childhood, Elena?” She asked out of nowhere, closing her eyes when Elena nodded. “Well, I didn’t. I was left at an orphanage when I was an infant because my parents wanted nothing to do with me. I don’t even know who they were. I grew up for eighteen years in that hole and then was tossed out on my ass on my eighteenth birthday because that was the orphanage’s policy. My ONLY friend I’ve ever had in my life was thrown out four months before me on her eighteenth birthday and was brutally murdered two months later. Her name was Ashley.”

 

“Oh my god…” Elena whispered, placing a hand on Ebony’s shoulder and could feel tears sting her eyes. “Ebony, I’m so sorry…”

 

“Damon saved me, Elena.” Ebony whispered, looking over at her as tears fell from her eyes, dropping to the cool grass below. “Believe it or not, he saved me because all I did since leaving the orphanage was drift from one place to the other. He found me and introduced me to this whole new world. I owe him for that…” Exhaling shakily, Ebony stood up from the park bench and wiped her tears away. “And there’s another reason…”

 

“What is it?” Elena asked, standing up behind her and didn’t know how many more times her heart could break for this woman.

 

“I love him.” Ebony confessed, feeling the biggest weight lift from her shoulders because she finally said it out loud to someone.

 

Elena didn’t know what to say to that, her eyes widened to size of saucers, not expecting to hear that. “Ebony…”

 

“I have to go.” Ebony was done with this conversation, walking away from Elena and then started running as soon as Elena began coming after her.

 

“Ebony wait, don’t go!!”

 

Ebony didn’t listen as she flew through the woods, finally stopping when she was far enough away from both of them, tears pouring down her cheeks.

 

“Hello Ebony.”

 

Darkness suddenly enveloped Ebony, her body slumping to the ground in a heap.

 

Chapter 25

 

“Where the hell is she?” Damon growled, pacing the floor like a caged animal and slammed back his fifth shot in the past ten minutes.

 

“Where did you send her again?” Bree asked, wearing a long sleeved black shirt with black jeans, black boots and black jacket, well rested after her five hour slumber.

 

“To Mystic Grill in town to pay my tab.” Damon answered for the umpteenth time, rubbing his temple. “We can’t wait for her anymore. If we don’t go now, it’ll get too late.”

 

Bree agreed, having a sinking feeling something happened to Ebony, but she was keeping her thoughts to herself. “Do you have the crystal?” She asked, grabbing the bag with her grimoire in it, heading for the door.

 

“No.” Damon answered honestly, one of the main reasons he was worried about Ebony and scrubbed a hand down his face. “I gave it to Ebony for safe keeping. I looked through her bag already, where she put it before we left to pick you up, and it’s not there. So she must’ve took it with her.” He hoped anyway.

 

Heaving a sigh, Bree couldn’t help the next words that popped out of her mouth. “What if she betrayed you, Damon?” It wasn’t that far of a stretch considering what Ebony did to Damon before they left Georgia. “I mean, you did sleep with me and left her high and dry basically…”

 

Electric blue eyes flashed as Damon suddenly stood in front of Bree, running a rough finger down her cheek. “If she did, I’ll rip her heart out and take the crystal from her cold fingers.” He whispered, looking demonic and deadly dressed all in black with his leather jacket. “Let’s go.”

 

Bree swallowed hard, following him out of the mansion without a word, hoping for Ebony’s sake she had a very good reason for being this late.

 

~!~

 

A soft groan escaped Ebony’s lips as her eyes slowly fluttered open, pure darkness surrounding her and wondered why her head felt like a fifty pound weight was on it. Ebony felt extremely weak and could barely push herself up, looking down at the iron shackles around her wrists. Her grey eyes trailed from them down her legs to the matching shackles around her ankles, fear starting to slowly consume her. Hearing something behind her, Ebony turned around and instantly gasped at the huge stone before her with a black engraved pentagram on it.

 

“Hello!” She called out faintly, coughing and felt as though her throat was on fire, wondering what was going on.

 

“No need to shout.” A voice sounded behind her, watching as the raven haired woman slowly turned her head to look at who it was.

 

“W-Where am I?” Ebony demanded, recoiling when the small petite girl –she honestly looked like a child- squatted down to be eye level with her.

 

The woman-child smiled coldly, her brown eyes cold and devoid of emotion. “The place where the tomb will be opened, of course.” Hadn’t Damon shown her the progress he made in digging it up from beneath the church. “I must say, dear Damon did a decent job in making this extremely easy for me. Remind me to thank him later.”

 

Ebony swallowed hard, not understanding what was happening and slowly looked around, seeing five torches surrounding her, all spaced apart. “You know Damon?” She couldn’t help asking, wondering if he knew about this and yanked at the shackles, but her strength had been completely drained.

 

“Yes and don’t bother trying to break free, you’ve been injected with enough vervain to keep you weak for a while.” The woman-child informed her coolly, standing up when her accomplice finally arrived and shoved someone else down on their knees in front of Ebony. “What took you so damn long?”

 

“I’m sorry, but she’s not exactly easy to snag, being a witch and all.” The man growled, glaring down at the girl he brought here. “Is everything ready?”

 

“Look, what is this about?” Ebony recognized the girl beside her instantly, which was Bonnie Bennett, one of her old classmates and Elena’s best friend. “If this is about opening the tomb, you’re not the only one who wants to do it.”

 

The woman-child snorted, rolling her eyes. “Duh I already know that. I know all about you, Ebony. I’ve been watching you slowly fall for a man who will never want you. Typical Salvatore, always wanting their cake and eating it too.” She informed Damon’s little friend calmly, holding her hand up when the guy came toward the women. “Leave them alone, the witch won’t give us problems, unless she wants her friend to die.”

 

“She’s not my friend.” Bonnie immediately stated, already knowing all about Ebony because Elena had filled her in.

 

“I wasn’t talking about her, witch.” Snapping her fingers, someone else was suddenly shoved inside the area in the middle of the torches.

 

Ebony’s eyes shot open at the sight of Elena Gilbert beside her, looking completely terrified and immediately looked up at the woman-child and boy, eyes narrowed. “What the hell does she have to do with anything, child?” She demanded angrily, feeling completely helpless against the iron shackles, wanting to rip this little bitch’s throat out.

 

“Insurance policy, just like you.” The girl replied, laughing at what Ebony just called her and shook her head. “I think YOU are the child, Ebony. I am over five hundred years old. Don’t let my appearance fool you for a second.” Wrapping her hand around Ebony’s throat, she lifted her up until her feet left the ground, eyes flashing dangerously. “And the name is Annabelle, but you can simply call me Anna.”

 

Ebony was dropped like a bad habit moments later, coughing as she curled up in a ball on the ground, trying to regain her breathing. “Are you okay?” She whispered to Elena, already doing a cursory once over to make sure she wasn’t harmed physically.

 

Elena nodded, not understanding what was going on and tried pulling her hand out of the tight ropes that bound her wrists together, but it wasn’t happening. “What are you doing here, Ebony?” She whispered back while Anna and her little accomplice talked in the corner.

 

“I was coming here later with Damon, but was taken after running away from you in the woods.” Ebony explained quietly, eyes looking over at the boy and gritted her teeth. “Who is he?”

 

“That’s Ben McKittrick. He recently moved back to Mystic Falls and now apparently has been turned into a vampire.” Elena turned to Bonnie, worry in her brown eyes. “Are you okay, Bonnie?”

 

Bonnie nodded, not saying a word, scared out of her mind right now.

 

“What do they want with us?” Elena whispered, directing that question to Ebony since she seemed to know everything.

 

“They want what Damon wants.” Ebony answered softly, slowly pushing herself back up in a sitting position. “They want to open the tomb and release the vampires that have been locked in a mystical holding cell for the past century and a half.”

 

Elena’s eyes shot open, her jaw dropping and slowly looked over at Bonnie, shaking her head. “No…Bonnie can’t…”

 

“Don’t worry Elena, relax.” Ebony assured her, having a secret advantage Anna didn’t know about, her eyes begging Elena to trust her.

 

All Elena could do was nod, scooting closer to Bonnie and hoped they got out of this situation alive.

 

“They’re here.” Anna announced, looking over at Ebony and stalked over to her, ripping her up by her black tresses, glaring over at Ben. “Keep them quiet or else.”

 

Ebony stumbled because she was still incredibly weak, being shoved up the stairs that Damon had apparently dug up on his downtime. It made sense now that Ebony thought about it. He would often be gone during the day, saying he had business to attend too, but Ebony never asked him what it was. He’d been here every day digging beneath the church to find the tomb that held Katherine.

 

Damon could see someone in the distance and immediately stopped, holding his arm out to stop Bree from going further, eyes narrowed. “Who’s there?” He called out, squaring his shoulders as he stepped over a tree limb, knowing the way to the tomb site by heart.

 

“Damon Salvatore.” A familiar voice called back to him, sounding darkly amused. “I should’ve known you’d be the one to do this.” The girl gestured with her hand to point back at where the tomb site was, holding onto her leverage with the other hand. “I have something you’ve probably been looking for.”

 

Thick black eyebrows furrowed as Damon slowly walked closer, grabbing Bree’s hand, refusing to let anything happen to her at least until the tomb was opened. “And what might that be?” The closer he got, the clearer his vision came until he was standing about ten feet away from a girl he thought he’d never set eyes on again. “Annabelle.”

 

“Very good, you remembered me.” She yanked Ebony back against her, loving the sound of her soft whimper and had a wooden stake in her free hand. “Missing something? You really should keep your pets on a tighter leash, Damon.”

 

Aquamarine orbs flashed through the darkness, cutting right through it as Damon growled, the sight of Ebony in shackles pissing him off to no avail. “Let her go right now, Annabelle.” He ordered in a deadly voice. “Before you end up dead.”

 

“As if.” Annabelle laughed, petting Ebony’s black hair almost affectionately before suddenly holding the wooden stake up right over her heart. “You even try killing me and I’ll end her, Salvatore. Don’t think I won’t either.”

 

“Damon…” Ebony whispered, hissing out when Anna started pressing the stake a little into her chest, tears shining in her eyes and closed them.

 

“Don’t.” Damon held his hands up, releasing Bree’s and knew he had to regain control of this situation before Ebony ended dead. “Listen, we’re on the same side and want the same thing. We both want that tomb opened. I know your mother is in there. Pearl. So let’s do this together. I have a witch here that is going to open it and I got the crystal. Let’s work as a team and no one has to die.”

 

Anna eyed him almost shrewdly, wondering if he was telling the truth and looked down at Ebony thoughtfully, slowly pulling the stake away from her heart. “Fine, but I’m keeping her with me until I have my mother back. Then I’ll hand her over, are we clear?”

 

“Crystal.” Damon agreed, his eyes locking with Ebony and told her silently it was going to be alright, knowing she had the crystal on her.

 

“Come on.” Anna didn’t turn her back on Damon and wrapped a tight around Ebony’s throat, dragging her right back to where the tomb site was.

 

Damon followed, all four of them arriving at the tomb site and looked back at Annabelle, hoping she kept her word. He wasn’t even concerned with ripping her heart out and killing her, more worried about Ebony’s wellbeing than anything. They headed down the stone steps and Annabelle shoved Ebony back down with Elena and Bonnie, looking back at Bree.

 

“You two,” She paused, gesturing to Bree and then Bonnie. “Will work together.”

 

“The hell I will!” Bonnie growled, refusing to help vampires unleash evil in this world, shaking her head.

 

Annabelle stormed over to Bonnie, ready to tear her throat out, but Damon stopped her. “Bree can do it on her own.” He stated, looking over at Elena and could see the confusion in her eyes. “She knows the spell, we don’t need the Bennett witch.”

 

“But their power together will insure that.” Anna argued, yanking her arm out of his grasp and glared over at Bree, snorting. “Fine, do it, but we’re keeping the other witch here in case she can’t do it alone and needs help.” Her eyes moved to Bonnie, suddenly ripping Elena up by her hair. “And YOU will help or she dies.”

 

Bonnie’s eyes widened, shaking her head frantically and looked up at Damon, not believing he was going to allow this to happen. “O-Okay, alright!” She agreed shakily, breathing a shaky sigh of relief when Elena was shoved back down beside her.

 

“Good, knew you’d see things my way, witch.”

 

“We need to get all of them out of the center.” Bree instructed, pulling her grimoire out of her bag and walked over, watching as Annabelle grabbed Ebony and Elena, while the boy that was apparently working with Annabelle grabbed the other witch, shoving them all against the wall harshly. “Air, Earth, Fire…” Bree began lighting the torches, already having a bottle of water in her hand that was from the nearby lake. “Water.”

 

Damon pulled out a blood bag from his leather jacket while Bree began chanting in her tongue, the flames instantly flaring on the torches. Ebony watched while still trying to break free of the shackles, swallowing hard when all eyes were suddenly on her. Her eyes locked with Bree’s and then Damon’s, knowing what they needed to open the tomb…the crystal, which she had on her currently.

 

“What?” Anna demanded, folding her arms in front of her chest, growing very impatient. “Why are you all looking at her?”

 

“Because I have what they need.” Ebony stated, managing to push herself up against the wall, grey eyes defiant. “And I’m not handing it over until these are off of me.”

 

“Get them off of her.” Damon ordered, watching as Anna’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t physically take it from her, she has to willingly give it up.” That was a blatant lie, but Annabelle didn’t need to know that. “Look, I’m RIGHT here and we’re opening the tomb. There’s no need to keep her locked up like an animal.”

 

Anna grumbled, finally nodding and walked over with the key to Ebony’s freedom, standing right in front of her. “If you try to run away, just remember you won’t get far because the vervain is still fresh in your system.” She warned before slipping the key into the shackles, hearing them click free moments later.

 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Ebony assured her coolly, looking past Annabelle to stare at Damon, sighing with relief as she tossed and kicked the shackles to the side, walking over to Bree. “Here.”

 

Pulling out the wrapped amber crystal, Ebony dropped it in her hand and stepped back as the flames instantly shot up about four feet in the air, the wind picking up around them. Damon was beside her instantly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and was glad she hadn’t betrayed him. He did a cursory once over on her to make sure she wasn’t injured, overhearing what exactly Annabelle did to her and vowed to make the little bitch pay for it.

 

“Are you okay?” He whispered in her ear, watching her nod once and turned his attention back to what Bree was doing.

 

The amber crystal suddenly glowed a bright yellow and made a laser like beam directly on the pentagram on the door, turning it into a deep molten gold that almost hurt everyone’s eyes. Suddenly, the ground rumbled like a mini earthquake as the pentagram stone door slowly began pushing open on its own, Bree reaching a deep crescendo with her chanting. Damon and Annabelle couldn’t believe this was happening, looking at each other, knowing they were about to get the people they loved back. Releasing Ebony instantly, Damon walked toward the door, but didn’t cross the threshold yet, the door slowly coming to a halt.

 

“It’s done.” Bree stepped away and lifted the amber crystal in her hand, tossing it back to Damon. “The seal is broken.”

 

Damon nodded, eyes practically glowing with happiness and looked over at Annabelle. “Why did you kidnap the other witch and Elena?” He demanded, folding his arms in front of his chest.

 

Anna shrugged, looking over at the puny pathetic human and witch. “Leverage in case your witch didn’t pull through and Elena was to make sure she cooperated.” She made it sound so simple, the most natural thing in the world to do. “They’re free to go.”

 

Hearing that, Ebony flew over to where Elena and Bonnie were, immediately beginning to undo the ropes around their wrists and ankles. “Run.” She whispered, knowing as soon as the vampires were released, all hell was going to break loose.

 

“ELENA!!”

 

Chapter 26

 

Ebony’s head snapped up as Stefan flew down the stone steps and shoved her full force away from Elena, sending her flying back to hit the wall with a sickening thud. “STEFAN!!” Elena shrieked, rushing over to Ebony’s prone body and bent down to check on her, tears in her eyes. “She didn’t do this to me, you fool!!”

 

Stefan breathed heavily, looking over at a terrified Bonnie before noticing the stone door with the pentagram was open, his brother having already gone inside. “Come on, we have to get out of here.” He ordered, extending his hand to Elena. “NOW Elena!”

 

“No, not until I make sure she’s alright.” Elena growled, angry at her boyfriend for hurting Ebony and stroked her hair gently.

 

“Go…” Ebony said weakly, trying to pull herself up and collapsed, the vervain still slowly making its way out of her system. “Go Elena, get…out of here…”

 

“Stefan, we can’t leave her like this.” Elena pleaded, looking up at him and blinked as a few tears slid down her cheeks. “She protected me…even when she didn’t have to. Please help her…”

 

Scrubbing a hand down his face, Stefan reluctantly nodded and stepped away from them. “Stay here.”

 

Ben was already dead, thanks to a stake through the heart, having been guarding the tomb site when he arrived to safe Elena. He headed through the stone door into the darkness, eyes instantly adjusting and could see faint torches in the distance, going as fast as he could. Stefan wondered what this was all about, having tried figuring out his brother’s diabolical plan for months and apparently this was it. He stopped at the sight of Annabelle dragging her mother, Pearl, toward the exit of the tomb, wondering what the hell was going on.

 

“Damon.”

 

“She’s not here.” Damon whispered, pacing back and forth turbulently, dragging a hand through his hair, breathing heavily. “She’s not here…”

 

“Damon, what?”

 

“SHE’S NOT HERE!!” Damon screamed, suddenly throwing the blood bag as hard as he could against the wall, the blood smashing open right above the mummified vampire he just kicked.

 

“Who isn’t?” Stefan demanded, trying to figure out who his brother was looking for, and suddenly it all clicked in his head. “Katherine. She’s dead, Damon…”

 

“It doesn’t make sense!” Damon was on the verge of hyperventilation, shaking his head in denial. “They locked her inside!”

 

“Damon, what’s going on?”

 

“How could she not be in here?” Damon wasn’t listening to his brother, too busy looking all around to make sure he didn’t miss a single vampire in that tomb.

 

Stefan knew his brother was losing it, a worried expression crossing his face. “Damon, you need to tell me exactly what’s going on right now because Elena was kidnapped for this and I want to know why.” He grabbed Damon’s jacket, only for his brother to shrug away from him fiercely.

 

Coughing sounded behind them, Ebony standing there with Elena’s help, looking extremely weak. “Damon…please, you have to get her out of here. She’s not looking good.” Elena pleaded, noticing Ebony was barely able to hold her head up right now. “Everyone else has left already and we need to get out of here.”

 

Damon observed Ebony, gritting his teeth and finally nodded, storming over to Elena to lift Ebony’s body into his arms. He didn’t say a word to them and headed out of the tomb, feeling her head lull against his chest. First he would take her back to the mansion and give her some blood, which would heal her. Then he was going on the hunt for that little bitch Annabelle and her precious mommy, Pearl, to find out exactly what happened to Katherine.

 

“Damon, is she-OH GOD!!” Elena cried out, covering her mouth with her hand and immediately buried her face in Stefan’s chest, trembling.

 

Stefan looked over at his big brother, seeing no remorse on the man’s face and scowled. “You knew didn’t you?” He watched as Damon slowly turned to face him. “You knew that spell would take everything out of her.”

 

“Yes.” Damon gently set Ebony down on the ground and walked over to where Bree lay, lifting her up in his arms. “Dinner time, guys.” He smirked at the disgusted look on Stefan’s face, ignoring him and tossed Bree’s body into the tomb, dusting his hands off. “Solves that problem.”

 

Elena couldn’t believe what she just witnessed and clung to Stefan more, feeling sick to her stomach. “Take me home.” She whispered, feeling Stefan slowly guide her toward the stone steps, Damon once again carrying Ebony and followed them. “You’ll miss the best part.”

 

“There is no best part with this, Damon.” Stefan stated, though he didn’t walk away at the sight of his big brother pulling something out of his leather jacket, raising an eyebrow. “What the hell is that?”

 

Damon smirked, feeling Ebony snuggle against him and suddenly pressed the button, the top of the church ruins suddenly exploding as debris began crumbling down into the tomb site he’d dug up. Stefan’s jaw dropped as he held Elena close to him, not believing Damon just buried the other vampires. Not even the strongest of them would be able to break through all of that rubble, which would keep the town completely safe from their wrath.

 

“Why?”

 

“I just wanted Katherine…” A pained expression crossed his face as Damon looked down at Ebony, not wanting to think about it right now. “Get Elena home.”

 

Stefan nodded stiffly. “We’ll talk about this later.” He promised, guiding Elena away from the rubble while Damon went in the other direction through the woods to his car.

 

Ebony could barely register what was going on, but she knew Damon had made sure none of the other vampires would get out to attack the innocent people of Mystic Falls. She felt Damon gently set her in the passenger seat of his car, the door closing and could only sit there with her head lulled back. A few minutes later, Damon drove away and headed back to the mansion, looking over at Ebony and knew human blood would make the vervain flush out of her system a lot faster.

 

Once back at the mansion, Damon carted Ebony inside and went straight to his room, laying her gently on his bed. He pulled her black boots off along with the scarf around her neck, wanting her to be somewhat comfortable. Walking out to grab two blood bags, Damon decided he owed Ebony one after she took such great care of him after he escaped from the cellar in the basement.

 

Flying back into his room a few minutes later, Damon sat on the bed beside her and propped her up against him, sticking the tube in her mouth. “Drink.” He whispered, running his fingertips down the side of her face and currently blocked the pain he felt at not being reunited with Katherine like he thought he would.

 

Very slowly, Ebony began sucking the blood bag down, taking her time so she didn’t choke on it. Her eyes opened after one bag was down, feeling a little better, but nowhere close, not yet at least. Ebony managed to look up at him while Damon pulled the empty blood bag from her before replacing it with the second one, feeling how much pain radiated off of him.

 

“Thank…you…” Ebony sluggishly whispered, breathing heavily after sucking down the second bag, her strength slowly returning.

 

“I owe you one.” Damon muttered, the life slowly coming back into her eyes and was glad she wasn’t hurt or dead. “I shouldn’t have sent you out today. This was my fault, Ebony.”

 

Steadily shaking her head, Ebony disagreed with him, tears shining in her eyes. “Don’t blame…yourself, Damon…” He had enough to deal with because, after a hundred and forty five years, Katherine Pierce had really been dead all along and Damon had wasted all that time pining over her. “Not your fault…”

 

Damon wasn’t about to argue with her, especially in the current condition she was in and simply didn’t respond. “Rest.” He ordered, already grabbing the third bag of blood, figuring that would be enough since it was for him when she nursed him back to health. “Just drink and then sleep.”

 

Ebony wasn’t about to argue with him, smiling softly and began drinking the third bag, silence once again forming between them. “I’m sorry about Katherine…” She had to say it, after the third bag was gone, managed to push herself up without his help. “I’m not going to ask you if you’re okay because that would be a stupid question. I just…if there’s anything I can do…”

 

Damon pressed a finger to her lips, shaking his head. “I don’t want to talk about it, Ebony.” He stated, making it clear the subject of Katherine was not up for discussion.

 

“Damon, don’t shut me out.” Ebony grabbed his hand, grey eyes pleading and pressed it to her chest. “I know what it’s like to lose someone you love unconditionally. That’s how I felt about Ashley. She was my sister, my best friend, my everything and she’s gone.”

 

“I don’t want to hear this.” Damon broke away from her, clenching his fists tightly at his sides, gritting his teeth angrily. “Get some rest, you need it after what you’ve been through. I’m going out for a while.”

 

“Damon…” Ebony sighed heavily when he stormed out of the room, closing the door behind him harshly and knew she probably just made this ten times worse for him. “Damn it…”

 

~!~

 

Anna helped her mother inside the small hotel room she was currently staying in, going slow because she was still incredibly weak. “Easy.” She whispered, shutting the door while Pearl headed for the bed, clicking the light on for her.

 

They both froze at the sight of Damon Salvatore sitting in the corner in a chair, his eyes filled with pure ice. “You knew Katherine wasn’t in there.” He stated in a low voice, gripping the arms on the chair tightly.

 

“You wouldn’t have helped me.” Anna said hesitantly, not able to look at him.

 

Damon suddenly flew over to Pearl and wrapped his hand around her throat, squeezing as hard as he could. “Why do you get a happy ending?” He demanded angrily, shaking her slightly.

 

“NO!” Anna flew over to him, trying to break his grip from her mother’s neck. “Damon please, you wouldn’t have helped me, you know you wouldn’t!!”

 

“Why do YOU get a happy ending and I DON’T?!” He demanded, raising his voice only a fraction, trembling from how much emotion currently flowed through him as his eyes locked with Pearl’s.

 

“The guard…The one at the church…The one who locked us in, she promised to turn him. He was obsessed with her.” Pearl stumbled over her words while trying to break his grip, still incredibly weak. “She had him under her spell…like everybody else. He let her go!”

 

Damon instantly released Pearl’s neck, staring in disbelief and couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Pearl coughed violently and leaned against her daughter, trying to regain her breath with tears in her eyes. Katherine had always looked out for herself and nobody else, so why Damon was surprised by this was beyond Pearl.

 

“Last I saw her was Chicago,” Anna admitted openly, holding onto her mother for dear life while Pearl cowered against her. “1983. She knew where you were, Damon. She didn’t care.” That was the honest truth as Anna hugged her mother around the neck, a few tears falling. “I’m sorry.”

 

All Damon could do was walk toward the door with slumped shoulders, every part of him completely shattering with Annabelle’s confession. Somehow, someway, he knew she was telling him the truth, which killed him even more. All this time, waiting and hoping he would finally get his happy ending with Katherine, only for her to be free as a bird, making him pine over her.

 

Even if Damon were to rip Annabelle’s heart out for deceiving him, it wouldn’t make him feel any better. Damon trudged to his car and slowly slid behind the wheel, shutting the door softly, heading back to the mansion. The whole drive, silent tears poured down his face, all the pain and misery he’d kept bottled up in hopes of getting Katherine back finally coming out.

 

What had he done to deserve such cruelty?

 

Pulling up to the mansion, Damon shut the ignition off and stepped out of the car, heading inside straight for the library. He grabbed the nearest bottle of bourbon and walked over with a tumbler, plopping down on the leather couch, deciding to drink his pain away. Damon didn’t move and just stared into the flames, tears burning in his eyes, but refused to let them fall, having shed enough for Katherine to last him another century and a half.

 

Stefan could tell Damon was in a very bad way as he watched him from the doorway of the library and lowered his head, not knowing what he could do. He didn’t know what Damon’s plan was, but somehow it didn’t surprise him to find out it all revolved around Katherine. Damon had been so in love with her, far more than Stefan, even though she just played with his big brother like a toy, making him believe he was the only man for her.

 

It took Stefan a very long time to realize what Katherine had done to them, decades of putting the pieces together. She had compelled his love for her while Damon willingly offered his heart on a platter, only for it to be skewered in the end. Katherine was out there somewhere and Stefan knew they would eventually see her again, hopefully not for a long time though. Because if she did rear her ugly head while Elena was still alive, Stefan would drive a stake right through her black heart without thinking twice about it.

 

Heading over to the couch, Stefan was suddenly stopped by a hand on his arm, turning to stare at Ebony. She had changed into a sky blue nightgown and was freshly showered, most of the vervain out of her system. Her grey eyes silently told him she could handle this, smiling tentatively and knew she wasn’t leaving Mystic Falls, not now. How could she leave the man she loved in as much as pain as this?

 

It wasn’t possible or even negotiable.

 

Stefan nodded, patting her on the shoulder gently, having heard her confession to Elena earlier on in the park. Elena had even warned her he would be listening in, but apparently Ebony didn’t mind him knowing that she was in love with his big brother. He just hoped Damon saw the light soon enough and realized what he had right in front of him before he ended up losing Ebony forever.

 

Ebony sat down beside Damon on the couch and took his hand, simply holding it while they both stared into the fire silently, not a single word spoken.

 

Chapter 27

 

Over the next several days, all Damon could do was drink and have small parties in the library, compelling college students to do whatever he wanted. They were all women, of course, with bite marks all over their bodies from his incessant feeding. He didn’t feed to the point of killing them though, even though it was tempting. Still, at least Damon wasn’t killing, which in Stefan’s eyes was some kind of progress.

 

Ebony decided to stick around a while longer; wanting to make sure Damon was alright. Katherine not being in the tomb changed everything and all of her plans; Ebony couldn’t leave Damon in the current state he was in. She knew Damon was channeling all of his emotions into drinking and partying, trying to convince himself as well as everyone else he was perfectly fine.

 

It hurt Ebony to see Damon with any other woman, but this wasn’t about her measly feelings. Damon was hurting and there was nothing she could do, nothing she could say, to help him. Time was the only antidote for this type of pain he was in and Ebony just had to let it run its course. Ebony hadn’t turned her back on him since he turned her and she wasn’t about to start now, no matter the circumstances.

 

Ebony looked up when a knock sounded at her bedroom door, jolting her out of her thoughts. “Come in.” She called softly, going back to flipping idly through the pages of a magazine that did not interest her.

 

Elena slowly pushed the door open, a timid smile on her face. “Ebony, do you have a minute?” She watched as the woman slowly lifted her head, chewing her bottom lip.

 

The last time Ebony saw Elena, she was being carted away from the tomb site in Stefan’s arms after Damon destroyed it with an explosion. “Sure, come in.” She waved her hand, the rain falling outside tapping gently at her windows. “What’s up?”

 

“How are you?” Elena asked, once she took a seat on the bed. “Are you feeling better?”

 

Ebony nodded, knowing she was referring to being severely vervained. “Yeah, I’m all better. It took a lot of rest and blood, but it’s all out of my system, thankfully. How are you?”

 

“I’m fine; Stefan gave me a few drops of his blood because the ropes had cut into my skin.” Elena admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, the awkwardness between them definitely not missed. “Listen, I know you don’t trust me, but…”

 

“Why wouldn’t I trust you, Elena?” Ebony cut her off, raising a brow. “You did nothing wrong. Granted, you did try using the friend card to find out what Damon’s plan was, but I know that was because of Stefan. I don’t blame you for that. And if I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have told you about Ashley.”

 

Smiling, Elena’s eyes shined with happiness and took Ebony’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “So, does that mean we’re friends?” She asked hopefully, something telling her to get to know Ebony better.

 

“Sure, I suppose we are.” Ebony squeezed her hand back and released it, leaning back against the pillows as a flash of lightning lit up the sky. “Something tells me that’s not the only thing you wanted to talk about, friend.”

 

“Guilty.” Elena admitted, knowing if she wanted this friendship to work, she couldn’t keep anything from Ebony and wouldn’t. “Stefan told me what Damon’s been doing and…after your confession…” She blinked when Ebony pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her instantly.

 

“We can’t talk about that here.” Ebony said quietly, pointing first to her ear and then to the door, knowing Damon could hear anything that was said in the mansion. “And I’m fine, just so you know.”

 

Elena frowned, hating the enhanced hearing ability the vampires had because it was hard keeping anything from them. “Well…aren’t you worried about him?” She whispered, not really meaning to ask that, but she couldn’t just come out and say what she wanted without upsetting Ebony.

 

Standing up from the bed, Ebony took Elena’s hand and guided her into the bathroom, closing the door before walking over to turn the shower sprays on. “We still have to talk quietly, but the water will drown us out.” She informed Elena, sitting down on the floor and pressed her back against the glass shower door. “Yes, I am worried about him, but I don’t know what to do. He pined for Katherine for a hundred and forty five years, how does anyone deal with something like that? I feel so lost and I know Damon will never love me the way I love him, but you can’t help who you fall in love with.”

 

“Tell me about it.” Elena muttered quietly, fully understanding everything she was saying and slid down to sit beside her. “When I first met Stefan, there was something about him that forced me to get to know him. It was like this powerful magnetic push and I couldn’t stop it from happening. Even after he told me he was a vampire, I tried everything in my power to stay away from him and push him away. I was terrified of him…and Damon. Then, just when I started coming around, Stefan tried pushing me away and told me he was leaving Mystic Falls. It tore me apart because I wanted to be with him and already knew I was in love with him.”

 

“So what happened?” Ebony was intrigued because she’d never been in love before, so she had no idea how to react or feel with what Damon was doing. “I mean, how did you get him to stay?”

 

“I told him I loved him. That he could walk away from me if he wanted to, but I knew what I wanted and it was him.” Elena’s cheeks flushed slightly at that memory, remembering the intense lovemaking they did throughout the night after her confession. “Those are the three most powerful words in the world, in my opinion. Because they express so much in such a tiny phrase, it’s really quite fascinating if you think about how much power it holds.”

 

Ebony couldn’t help agreeing with her, staring down at her daylight ring and sighed heavily. “I thought about leaving and going somewhere else far away from here. I promised Damon I would help him open the tomb because I felt I owed him for the second chance he gave me with this new life.” Suddenly, huge tears slid down Ebony’s face and she didn’t bother wiping them away, looking away from Elena. “But I love him. I love him so much that I’m willing to let him do whatever he needs. I can’t just turn my back on him, even though he does deserve it.” Her loyalty to people was Ebony’s greatest weakness, not just her humanity. “I tried turning off my emotions, flipping the switch so I wouldn’t have to feel anything. But it’s not that easy, not even as a vampire.”

 

“I’ve always wanted to ask Stefan this, but I’m going to ask you instead. What is the difference between being human and vampire?” Elena had wondered that for a while now because they looked alive even though they were undead with non-beating hearts.

 

“For one, your emotions are amplified far more than a human’s. You feel everything much more and that’s why a lot of the times vampires flip the switch on their humanity because it’s almost too intense to handle feeling. And we drink blood.” Ebony explained, drawing her knees up to rest her elbows on them, staring straight ahead. “Have you ever thought about becoming a vampire?”

 

“Several times.” Elena confessed softly, leaning her head back against the shower, the water actually sounding soothing. “I know what happens if I don’t. Stefan will never age or change while I’ll grow old and frail. But I want children and a family too, a normal human life. I know I can’t have both and I’ll have to make a decision one day, but all I’m worried about is the here and now. Screw the future.”

 

Ebony laughed softly, more tears stinging her eyes. “Even though Damon didn’t give me a choice and turned me against my will, I don’t regret it happening. I’ve ever felt anything like this as a human and, your first taste of blood, is pure rapture. It’s almost better than sex, to be blunt.”

 

Brown eyes widened as Elena blinked at Ebony, both of them sharing another laugh. “Sex huh? I don’t know about that, Stefan is definitely an incredible lover.” She had a hard time believing something like human blood to a vampire was better than sex.

 

“Triple that feeling you have when you’re having sex with Stefan, possibly even more and that’s what it feels like.” Ebony said honestly, grey eyes glittering evilly under the dim lights of the bathroom.

 

“No wonder Stefan didn’t want to tell me when I asked him the other day.” Elena said thoughtfully, running a hand through her hair. “He doesn’t want me to turn into a vampire just for him and wants me to be happy. He’s so unselfish, it’s crazy.”

 

“Sounds like it.” Ebony agreed, knowing Stefan would put his own life on the line to save Elena in a heartbeat, wishing Damon felt that way about her. “You’re very lucky, Elena. Don’t let him go.” She suddenly wished she had some Vodka, this conversation definitely calling for a drink.

 

“I don’t plan on it, at least not anytime soon.” This was hard for Ebony to talk about, Elena could tell, so she decided to change the subject. “I’m glad you didn’t move away, Ebony.”

 

Ebony looked over at her, a small smile curving her lips. “Me too, but don’t get your hopes up because I might still be leaving.” It was up to Damon what she ended up doing, deciding to just let the chips fall where they may.

 

“Damon will come around.” Elena assured her confidently, patting Ebony’s leg gently. “He feels something for you. I can tell just by the way he looks at you and how protective he was of you when we were all captured.”

 

“How’s Bonnie?” Ebony wasn’t talking about this anymore, having said everything about Damon she wanted to. “She was pretty shook up with what happened.”

 

“She’s fine and sad that Bree had to die to open the tomb.” Elena felt terrible for her friend because Bonnie had also recently lost her grandmother. “She was a fellow witch, even though they didn’t know each other. To her, the death of a witch is as bad as losing a close friend or family member.”

 

“Elena, you have to believe me when I say that I had NO idea Bree was going to die. Damon didn’t tell me a lot of details about the ritual. If I would’ve known…” Ebony probably would’ve still gone along with it because it was what Damon wanted, but she was keeping that to herself. “I never wanted anyone to die…”

 

“It’s okay, I believe you.” Elena grabbed her hand, squeezing it to assure her everything was forgiven. “Just next time, if Damon has a diabolical plan of any kind, tell me about it. I know you think you were going to betray him by telling us and he probably told you not to tell Stefan, but if that tomb remained opened and all those vampires got out, the town would be devoured.”

 

Ebony nodded, part of her hating how considerate and understanding Elena was being since the town had been in danger. “Thanks.” She looked up when a knock sounded at her bedroom door, immediately up on her feet in seconds. “Shut the water off.” She called over her shoulder, opening the bathroom door and swallowed hard at the sight of Damon sitting on her bed.

 

Elena walked out seconds later and stopped beside Ebony, deciding it was time to make herself scarce. “I umm…have to go. We’ll talk later?” She watched Ebony nod and walked out the door, closing it behind her, going to track Stefan down.

 

Damon hadn’t said a word to her since the night of the tomb, so Ebony wasn’t sure what he wanted from her now. “Hi.” She didn’t move toward him, every part of her tensed in case he tried attacking her for some odd reason.

 

“What did Elena want?” He asked gruffly, holding a tumbler of bourbon as it dangled from his hand.

 

“Just to talk, ask how I was doing.” Ebony replied nonchalantly, refusing to tell him anything else because her conversation with Elena was private. “Did you need something?”

 

“I need a lot of things, Ebony.” Damon snorted, tossing back what was left in his tumbler and reached over, setting it on the nightstand slowly. “But none of them I can have.”

 

“And why is that?” Ebony asked, confusion entering her eyes and watched as he slowly stood up from the bed, wearing just a pair of dark blue jeans with a buttoned up black shirt that was completely undone, exposing his incredible body.

 

Damon stared deep into her grey eyes, moving to stand in front of her and Ebony could smell the strong scent of bourbon on his breath. “Love.” He practically spat, cupping the side of her face somewhat harshly and suddenly shoved her back against the wall, pinning her there. “I need her to love me…and she doesn’t. She doesn’t care about what she did to us. She only cares about herself. She’s a selfish slut.”

 

“Damon…”

 

“I need to forget.” He continued, instantly cutting her off and pressed his forehead against Ebony’s, his hands moving to grip her hips. “I need to forget everything…”

 

Ebony was terrified because Damon being this drunk made him capable of doing absolutely anything. She tried not letting his touch affect her mindset, but it was hard not to ignore. Damon hadn’t touched her in so long, Ebony suddenly just wanted to be with him, to make him see how much she did love him. All she did was stare back at him with those grey eyes, so much emotion flowing through them, but one stood out above all of them.

 

The love he desperately sought to have.

 

“We died for nothing.” Damon started laughing, not pulling away from her and brushed a strand of black hair from her forehead, trying to maintain control because he was losing it fast. “I gave up my human life for nothing…and so did Stefan. We both died, she knew she wouldn’t burn in that church…” Burying his face in Ebony’s neck, Damon hit the wall before wrapping both of his arms tightly around her waist, breathing sporadically due to holding back tears.

 

“Ssshhhh its okay, Damon…” Ebony soothed, running her fingers through his black hair and didn’t pull away from him. “I’m here…” That’s all she could really say and stood there; giving him what he needed most at that moment.

 

Comfort.

 

Chapter 28

 

Stirring a little, a soft sigh escaped her lips as Ebony stretched her arms above her head, feeling well rested for the first time in a while. She smiled softly, the incredible scent of vanilla surrounding her and slowly fluttered her eyes open, her body coming alive. As soon as her eyes opened, they locked with beautiful aquamarine orbs, making the smile on Ebony’s face widen more and reached up, gently caressing his face with the back of her hand.

 

“How long have you been staring at me?” She murmured softly, still a little sleepy because of their long night.

 

Damon smirked, shrugging and couldn’t help admiring every feature about Ebony. “Long enough.” The sun streamed in through the huge windows and made her look like a dark angel in his bed, a golden radiance surrounding her.

 

“That’s creepy.” Ebony stated, beginning to push herself up on her elbows, only for Damon to push her right back down, hovering over her with predatory eyes.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” He rumbled huskily, both of them wrapped in the pure white sheets, his lips running slow down her jaw to suckle on her neck gently. “Mmm…I’m not done with you.”

 

Ebony couldn’t help shiver against him, already caressing his shoulders and muscular arms, drinking in every last drop of this moment. “Good because I’m not done with you yet either.” She informed him, suddenly using her strength to roll him on his back, straddling him, the white sheet falling from her naked body.

 

“Oh yeah?”

 

Damon sat up, making her squeal as he lifted her with ease in his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist and kissed her passionately. Ebony moaned, trembling against him as their tongues instantly danced together, never needing to breathe again because Damon was all the oxygen she needed. Lulling her head back as Damon slowly began sliding inside of her, Ebony’s eyes suddenly shot open, her body growing ice cold in seconds.

 

“W-Why?” She managed to gasp out, seeing him holding her heart in his hand, a huge gaping hole right in the middle of her chest where he’d ripped it from spilling blood, slowly desiccating in his arms.

 

“It will always be Katherine.”

 

~!~

 

A scream sounded from Ebony’s lips as she bolted upright in bed, tears streaming down her cheeks and instantly touched her chest through the thin blue camisole she wore. There was no gaping hole, her heart was still there and all Ebony could do was sit there crying. Breathing heavily, Ebony’s head snapped up when her bedroom door flew open and immediately jumped out of bed at the sight of Damon standing in the doorway.

 

“Ebony, are you okay?” Damon demanded, hearing Stefan and Elena rushing down the stairs to come check on her, seeing how terrified Ebony was. “Ebony…”

 

“Stay away from me.” Ebony demanded in a shaky voice, not able to pull her hand away from her chest and was prepared to jump out the window if she had to.

 

Damon frowned, wondering what the hell happened and didn’t listen to her, slowly stepping into the room. “Ebony, its Damon…” His voice was laced with concern, trying to sound as soothing as possible.

 

“I know who the hell you are.” Ebony growled, not able to get the image of Damon holding her heart in front of her, a shiver of dread flowing through her.

 

Elena rushed past Damon into the room with wide brown eyes, Stefan already standing behind her. “What the hell happened?” She demanded, glaring up at Damon. “What did you do now?”

 

“I didn’t do anything!” Damon snapped, electric blue eyes completely iced over. “I heard her scream and came to check on her. She won’t let me anywhere near her though.”

 

Elena turned her attention back to Ebony, who was cowering on the other side of the bed right by the window, slowly walking toward her. “Ebony, its Elena. I’m gonna come over there okay?” She was glad Ebony didn’t stop her, placing a hand on Stefan’s arm when he went to stop her. “She won’t hurt me, Stefan.”

 

Stefan was still very leery about Ebony, not fully trusting her even though she had saved and protected Elena on more than one occasion. He wasn’t leaving the room though, not caring if Damon did or not, his eyes focused primarily on his girlfriend. All Damon could do was stand there and watch, wondering why the hell Ebony didn’t want him near her, but Elena was allowed.

 

“Ebony…”

 

“I’m fine.” Ebony whispered, the lamp on her nightstand suddenly flicking on and didn’t care what she looked like at the moment. “It was just a dream, I’m okay…”

 

Damon frowned at the sight of tear streaks running down Ebony’s face, eyes narrowing slightly. “You mean a nightmare.” He corrected gruffly, folding his arms in front of his chest.

 

Not acknowledging him, Ebony swallowed hard when Elena pulled her into a tight hug, closing her eyes as more tears slid down her cheeks. “You’re shaking really badly, Ebony.” Elena looked back at Stefan worriedly, running her fingers through her friend’s black hair, trying to calm her down. “You’re clearly not fine.”

 

This was not the first time this happened.

 

After that night Damon came to Ebony’s room drunk and she comforted him, Ebony began having these awful nightmares that wouldn’t stop. One was at the tomb site and Damon ended up burying her with the rest of the vampires in the debris. Another was back in Chicago where he drained every last drop of blood from her body and ripped her to shreds. There was even one where they were at Mystic Grill of all places enjoying a dinner and, suddenly, Damon snapped, shedding innocent blood before taking her life. In every one of them, Katherine was mentioned that followed Ebony losing her life.

 

“Why is this happening to me?” Ebony whispered, suddenly feeling her knees buckle and Stefan flew over because Elena couldn’t hold her weight. “I-I don’t understand…”

 

“What was the dream about this time?” Elena asked, sitting on the bed and took Ebony’s hand in hers, sighing when she shook her head. “Ebony, if you don’t tell me, how am I supposed to help you?”

 

“You can’t.” Ebony whispered simply, staring straight ahead. “These aren’t just dreams. They’re signs. Signs telling me to get the hell out of Mystic Falls and never look back before I end up dead.”

 

Elena frowned, her heart breaking for her friend and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “No, that’s not what-”

 

“Yes it is, Elena, and you’d be a fool not to believe it.” Ebony cut her off, standing up and turned around to face Damon.

 

For the past few weeks since the dreams started, Ebony had avoided him like the plague, only confiding in Elena. He was so busy drinking himself into oblivion over Katherine’s betrayal that he hadn’t really noticed. Though, this was not the first time he came rushing to her after a nightmare because of her screams, which didn’t happen every time. Most of them she just woke up feeling a huge lump in her throat to where she couldn’t get anything out besides a gasp.

 

“What the hell is going on here?” Damon demanded, wondering what he could’ve missed considering he hadn’t really left the mansion in the past few weeks.

 

“What do you care? Why are you even in here? Why don’t you go back to your library with your bottle of bourbon you love so damn much and leave me alone?” Ebony suddenly snapped, the anger and hurt burning in her grey eyes, folding her arms in front of her chest.

 

“That would be our cue to leave.” Stefan muttered, already pulling Elena up from the bed and ignored her struggles. “They need to talk, Elena, alone.”

 

“No, I want you two to stay.” Ebony stated, stopping them from walking out. “Elena is the only one I can depend on these days, since the only other person I could rely on has been too drunk to care.”

 

Damon eyes flashed, suddenly flying over to her and watched as she instinctively stumbled back, squaring his shoulders. “You better not be talking about me. I have no idea what’s been going on with you lately because you refuse to talk to me about it, Ebony. How the hell can you depend on me if you don’t even tell me what’s wrong?”

 

“You don’t care anyway.” Ebony retorted, tears stinging her eyes and did everything in her power not to let them fall. “You came to me a few weeks ago because you needed comfort and I gave you that. I took care of you when Stefan vervained you to the point where you couldn’t drink blood without my help. I’ve done EVERYTHING you’ve asked of me and when I need you the most, all you’re worried about is getting drunk and forgetting about what that selfish bitch, Katherine, did to you.”

 

The mention of Katherine suddenly turned the ice in Damon’s eyes to blue fire and he was tempted to backhand her, but barely refrained. “Don’t talk about her like that, Ebony.” He ordered in a deadly voice, every part of his body tensed. “I could’ve easily left you to fend for yourself at the tomb and I DIDN’T. I could’ve easily let that damn teacher get away with what he did to you, but instead I ripped his throat out. So don’t stand there acting all high and mighty, claiming that I’ve ever been there for you.”

 

“I’ll call her whatever I want because she is a selfish bitch for what she did to you, Damon. You and Stefan. She used both of you, can’t you see that? She knew where you were the whole time and didn’t care.” Damon broke down the night he came to her, telling her everything Annabelle and Pearl told him about Katherine. “She KNEW she wouldn’t be in that tomb and ended up making you lose your human lives for NOTHING. So go ahead, make your idle threats and hit me if it makes you feel better, it doesn’t change the facts.”

 

Damon gritted his teeth furiously, not believing what Ebony was spewing at him and the worst part was everything she said was the truth. “I’m not going to hit you.” He grunted, taking a step back before he ended up breaking his word and glared over at Stefan and Elena. “Will someone mind filling me in on what the hell is going on?”

 

Ebony wasn’t dropping it though, not this time. “There you go AGAIN, changing the subject whenever that bitch is mentioned! I don’t understand it, I really don’t. Maybe I’m just cold-hearted or maybe I just don’t allow people to control me like you do. But if it was me pining and loving someone for a hundred and forty five years, only to find out they didn’t give a damn about me, I wouldn’t drown my sorrows in every kind of alcohol made. I would get revenge and rip out their heart, just like they ripped out mine.”

 

“Ebony…” Elena cautioned, seeing Damon was about to go over the edge and could feel Stefan squeeze her hand.

 

“NO! I’m sick of this!! You really wanna know what’s been going on, Damon? Fine, I’ll be HAPPY to tell you. For the past few weeks, I’ve been having nightmares about YOU. Every single scenario we’ve been in – Chicago, Georgia, here in the mansion, even at the Mystic Grill, at the tomb site, ANYWHERE we’ve been I’ve been having dreams about you. And they always end the same way.” Ebony suddenly blinked as huge tears streamed down her cheeks, hating how weak she currently was, but couldn’t help it. “Every single time the same thing happens…”

 

“Which is?” Damon pressed coldly, not showing any emotion as he simply stared at her astutely.

 

“You say you want Katherine and then you kill me. Ripping my heart out, tearing my head off, bleeding me dry, burying me in the rubble along with the rest of the tomb vampires…you name it and you’ve done it in these dreams.” Ebony informed him bluntly, watching the different emotions suddenly cross his face and wiped her tears away angrily. “Tell me that’s not a sign, Damon. Tell me I shouldn’t pack my things right now and get the hell out of dodge. Tell me SOMETHING because I’m starting to wonder if I’m even wanted around here anymore.”

 

It sickened Damon to know that Ebony had been traumatized with these awful nightmares of him for the past couple weeks and he didn’t even know about it. He understood why Ebony didn’t come to him because, in truth, Damon had been feeling down about Katherine. However, he was also starting to understand exactly what the conniving bitch did and slowly began hating her with each thought, each memory, that crossed his mind.

 

“I don’t want you to leave, Ebony.” Damon said, suddenly grasping her wrists and pressed them against his, feeling the tremors rush through her at his simple touch. “I’m not going to hurt you. I could never hurt you.” He meant that wholeheartedly, his eyes filled with pure truth. “This is your home now, I already told you that. Whether you like it or not, you do belong here.”

 

“Then why is this happening to me?” Ebony whispered, trying to pull away from him, but Damon tightened his grip on her wrists a little more. “No, better question, why do you want me to stay so badly?”

 

At this point, Stefan forced Elena out the door and closed it silently behind him, leaving Damon and Ebony alone. He felt this was not their place to eavesdrop, ignoring Elena’s protests and simply hoisted her over his shoulder, carting her back upstairs. Stefan had a few things in mind that he could do to get Elena’s mind off of what was happening between Damon and Ebony, smirking at the thought.

 

“I don’t know why this is happening to you, but I’m going to find out.” Damon assured her, ignoring her second question and pulled her arms to wrap around his neck, his forehead meeting hers.

 

“Why do you want me to stay?” Ebony asked again, feeling him wipe a tear away with the pad of his thumb. “Damon, if you don’t give me a reason to stay, I’m leaving Mystic Falls. I can’t keep feeling like this anymore. I can’t keep running hot and cold with you, it’s not fair to me and I deserve better than that.”

 

The words were on the tip of his tongue, wanting to just come right out and tell Ebony how he felt about her, but something was holding him back. Damon didn’t understand it, hating his humanity because currently all these different emotions were kicking him in the ass. He could see all the pain shining in those grey eyes and knew it was because of him. Here was this beautiful woman standing in front of him, just wanting one reason to stay, and Damon didn’t have an answer for her.

 

“It’s late.” He said, suddenly backing away and put space between them. “Get some rest, we’ll talk about this later.”

 

Ebony could only watch him walk out the door, dying a little more inside, wondering how much more she could take before finally just giving up and moving on.

 

Chapter 29

 

After sleeping on it, Ebony made the inevitable decision and knew what she had to do. She was up early the next morning packing her things, having a lot more, thanks to Damon. Ebony was leaving Mystic Falls, refusing to put her life on the line for a man who didn’t want her.

 

Damon made it clear he didn’t care about her or feel even an ounce of what she felt for him. Sticking around pining over him wouldn’t do Ebony any good. She was done fighting and just wanted to move on with the rest of her existence. Ebony had no idea where she would go, but couldn’t live under the same roof as Damon.

 

Not turning around when a knock sounded at her door, Ebony continued folding her clothes, putting them in her duffel bag. “Come in.” She called over her shoulder, not stopping what she was doing. “What do you want Damon?”

 

“I need to talk to you…” Damon trailed off, noticing what she was doing and slowly walked up behind her. “Going somewhere?”

 

“Yes.” Ebony replied, taking a pair of jeans and smoothed them out as much as she could before folding them twice. “I’m leaving.”

 

“I can see that.” Damon muttered, suddenly reaching out to stop her from folding laundry by grabbing her arm, forcing her to turn around to face him. “You don’t have to-”

 

“Yes I do.” Ebony argued, staring into those aquamarine eyes she would never forget, no matter how far away she was. “I can’t keep doing this, Damon. You don’t want me here.”

 

Damon’s eyes narrowed, not releasing her. “How the hell do you know what I want, Ebony?” He demanded in a soft voice, pulling the clothes from her hand and tossed them on the bed. “Don’t put words in my mouth and jumping to conclusions about me.”

 

“Then give me a reason to stay.” Ebony challenged, feeling Damon pull her further against him to where their nose practically touched, their lips not even an inch apart. “If you can’t do that, then I’m leaving.”

 

Sighing, Damon cupped her face in his hand, running his thumb over her cheek. “What reason do you want me to give?” He retorted, seeing all the turmoil and hurt swirling in those grey eyes, eyebrows drawing together. “I don’t want you to go, isn’t that enough?”

 

Tears instantly filled her eyes as Ebony pulled away from his hand, looking down at the floor. “No it’s not.” She said honestly, refusing to lie to herself anymore about how she felt, clearing her throat.

 

Damon growled, suddenly lifting her in his arms and planted her against the wall by the bed, her legs wrapped around his waist. “Why does it always have to be all or nothing with you?” He demanded irritably, not believing how much this woman could push his buttons one minute and then the next make him have the intense urge to rip her clothes off and make passionate love to her. “You’re driving me CRAZY, Ebony…”

 

“Damon, let go of me right now.” Ebony ordered in a low voice, trying to maintain her composure, but being this close to him was making her heady.

 

“Make me.” Damon taunted, smirking when she tried pushing him away, but he was older, stronger and prepared this time, keeping her in place. “You and I both know you’re enjoying this.”

 

“No I’m not.” Ebony argued, squirming against him and that just fueled Damon’s fire further. “Damn it, what do you want?”

 

“I want you to stay and not run off.” Damon didn’t want to release her, but did anyway, letting her slowly slide down the wall until her feet touched the floor again, stepping away. “Someone is after you and we have no idea who it is. Someone is planting those dreams in your head, Ebony. Running off won’t solve anything and you know it.”

 

“How do you know someone is planting them in my head?” Ebony shot back, trying to lace her voice with malice and failed miserably. “What if it’s just a sign that I need to get away from you?”

 

Damon stared at her, wondering if she was serious and flew over to her, pressing her back against the wall again. “Because you would’ve been having these dreams from the start if that was the case. Stop being stupid. These dreams are consistent and always ends with me killing you after I say I want…Katherine…” He practically spat her name out in a vicious growl, eyes flashing. “Which I no longer do.”

 

That shocked Ebony, looking up at him and could see how serious he was. “You don’t?”

 

“No, I don’t.” Damon grunted, stepping away from her and took a deep breath, his back to her. “The bottom line is you can’t leave until we figure out what’s going on and, if I have to vervain you and lock you up like my brother did to make you stay, I will.” He was being straightforward with her, refusing to stab Ebony in the back after she stood beside him through everything.

 

Ebony knew he would do it in a heartbeat, swallowing hard, and couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief that he actually said he no longer wanted Katherine. That was definitely a step in the right direction. It would take time though for him to fully get over her and Ebony wasn’t sure if she could wait that long. Granted, she had immortality now, but Ebony refused to pine and love a man as long as Damon did Katherine.

 

“What’s the plan then?” She reluctantly asked, sitting on the bed with her head lowered. “I won’t leave until this dream situation is resolved, Damon. Now what are we going to do about it?”

 

That’s what he wanted to hear. “Promise?” Damon couldn’t help provoking Ebony, slowly turning to look at her over his shoulder.

 

Ebony nodded, sighing when Damon suddenly stood in front of her, lifting her chin with his strong hand until grey met aquamarine. “I promise.” She whispered, hoping he had a plan of some kind to deal with this.

 

“Before I tell you what the plan is, I want to ask you something.” Damon sat on the bed beside her, lifting her to where she straddled his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist so she couldn’t go anywhere. “I want you to go for a ride with me, just the two of us, tonight. We need to talk about a few things…” He’d been keeping something from her for a while and Damon decided, if Ebony was leaving, she at least deserved to know the truth.

 

“You want to take me for a car ride?” Ebony sounded confused when she asked that, tilting her head slightly and watched him nod. “Okay…sure, I guess.” Obviously he didn’t want prying ears and wanted to make sure they were completely alone and secluded before discussing whatever was on his mind.

 

Damon smiled, not believing how easy it was for her to agree to his wants and pressed his forehead to hers. “We’ll figure out who’s doing this to you, Ebony.” He vowed, refusing to let anything happen to her. “And I need you to know that I would never hurt you. You would never do all the terrible things I’ve done in your dreams. And I DON’T want Katherine anymore. I need you to believe that, I need you to believe me.”

 

He said it again, Ebony’s heart began lifting just a little with hope, wondering what suddenly brought this on. “I do, Damon. I know you have no reason to lie to me. That’s one quality you do have is not lying and being brutally honest. I know you’d never hurt me either, I was just scared out of my mind last night because you kicked open my door right after I woke up from the dream.”

 

“I know, sorry about that.” He chortled, running a finger down her cheek and could become lost in her grey eyes in a split second. “Don’t leave, we’ll figure this all out without you being forced out of your home. This is your home now, whether you believe it or not.”

 

“That depends on you, Damon.” Whatever happened tonight would probably determine if Ebony was going to stay in Mystic Falls or not, after this dream situation was handled first. “Now what’s the plan?”

 

Smiling, Damon stood up and set her on her feet, extending his hand. “Come with me.” He felt her hand clasp his and walked out of the bedroom with her, planning on giving her several reasons to stay tonight during their car ride.

 

When they walked into the library, Ebony blinked at the sight of several other people standing around. Stefan and Elena were a given, but what shocked her most was Bonnie Bennett, the witch. Caroline and Matt were there also along with the Mystic Falls High School history teacher, Alaric Saltzman. He took over for William Tanner after Damon ripped his throat out, which Ebony still enjoyed every time she thought about it.

 

“What’s going on?” Ebony asked, slowly walking down the stairs with Damon still guiding her.

 

“The plan, doll.” Damon answered, sitting her down on the couch and walked over to get them a drink. “Elena will explain everything.”

 

Ebony’s grey eyes slowly moved from Damon to Elena, watching as her friend slowly sat down on the couch. “I talked with Bonnie about what we could do to try figuring out who’s planting these dreams in your head. Because I hope you realize it’s not just a coincidence, it’s deliberate.” Elena explained, jumping right into it because they didn’t have a lot of time.

 

Ebony nodded. “So what exactly is the witch supposed to do?” She couldn’t help the malice lacing her voice, knowing Bonnie did not care for vampires and the feeling was more than mutual when it came to witches.

 

“She wants to put you in a trance, basically put you to sleep, and try to find the source inside your head.” Elena knew that sounded completely insane, but it was the best description she could come up with, watching Ebony’s eyes widen.

 

“You want me to do WHAT?” Ebony suddenly stood up from the couch, shaking her head violently. “No, NO, absolutely not! You want me to trust a witch to delve in my head to try finding out who’s doing this? Have you lost your mind?”

 

“Just hear us out.” Elena said, standing up as well as Damon walked back over with a shot of bourbon for Ebony, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Please.”

 

“No.” Ebony was steadfast, folding her arms in front of her chest. “How do I know once she’s in there she won’t screw something up? No, this is insane and I’m not doing it.” She took the drink from Damon and threw the shot back, desperately needing it. “There has to be another way.”

 

Damon sighed, holding his hand up when Elena went to protest. “Let me handle this.” He turned to face Ebony, seeing she was genuinely scared and had every right to be. “You promised, remember?”

 

“I promised I would stick around until we found out who’s doing this, Damon. I NEVER agreed to let a witch force me to have another nightmare of you killing me.” Ebony spat, wishing she would’ve known what she was promising and getting herself into before giving him her word. “Damn it…”

 

“This is the only way for us to find out. Bonnie is trustworthy. She’ll do her witchy juju and we’ll find out who’s giving you the dreams.” Damon convinced, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and guided her over toward the fireplace. “It’s a win-win.”

 

“I don’t know…” Ebony hated being stubborn about this, but couldn’t help thinking this wasn’t going to work and make things worse. “You really trust her?”

 

“You did save her from the tomb.” Damon pointed out, looking over at Bonnie somewhat perceptively. “So, in my book, she owes you.”

 

Thinking it over for a few minutes as the room remained silent, Ebony stared into the fire thoughtfully, finally closing her eyes. “I’ll do it.” Ebony took Damon’s drink from him, shooting it back and handed the glass back to him before walking toward Bonnie. “Let’s get one thing straight, witch, I don’t like you and I don’t trust you. But my friends do, so in turn I trust their judgment. Do we understand each other?”

 

“Yes.” Bonnie answered evenly, standing beside her boyfriend and Elena’s little brother, Jeremy. “I will need something personal of yours to do the spell.”

 

“Will it be destroyed?”

 

“No.”

 

Ebony could only hope Bonnie was telling the truth and took her daylight ring off, handing it over. “This is very important to me, please don’t do anything to it.” She requested, feeling Bonnie take it and already felt incomplete without it. “What happens now?”

 

“You are going to lay down in front of the fireplace, over here.” Bonnie gestured to the place they already had set up, keeping a stone face. “Lay down while I surround your body with candles, they’ll help me generate the power I need.”

 

Sighing resignedly, Ebony headed over to the spot where a blanket was spread out, looking over shoulder at Damon, who was standing right behind her. He just nodded encouragingly, giving the extra push she needed to actually do this and dropped to her knees before slowly laying down. She watched as everyone sat on the leather couches to witness this, feeling a little better that she wasn’t completely alone and saw Bonnie kneel right above her head.

 

“Close your eyes.” Bonnie ordered, closing her eyes and suddenly all the candles that surrounded Ebony lit on their own, the fire behind them rising just a little. “Relax your mind and body.”

 

Ebony felt someone grab her hand and knew just by the touch alone it was Damon, squeezing it back before doing what Bonnie said. Elena and Stefan looked on nervously, both of them glancing over at Alaric, knowing he was here in case something bad happened. He had a vervain dart ready to go in case Ebony lashed out and tried hurting Bonnie, which could happen with the nightmares she’d been having lately.

 

They weren’t taking any chances.

 

~!~

 

Ebony was deep into the woods running as fast as she could, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She wore what looked like a vintage dress that felt as though it weighed twenty pounds, her hair swept up on top of her head. She was human again, not using her vampire speed because she was running as fast as a human being could.

 

Suddenly, there was Damon in front of her, looking strapping in a black suit, his hair a little curlier. “Damon…” She slowly began backing away from him, tears in her eyes and ended up hitting a tree, knowing she had nowhere to go. “Please…”

 

“Ssshhhh…” He pressed a finger to his lips, his eyes turning predatory and locked eyes with her. “Do not scream and do not move.” He was compelling her, Ebony could already feel the pull working and nodded, feeling his fangs pierce her skin moments later.

 

She wasn’t alone in the dream though, confusion in her eyes at the sight of a dark skinned woman while this monster began draining her. She watched the woman point in the distance and somehow understood what she was saying, watching her run in that direction. A growl echoed in the night as Damon kept drinking, feeling her life slowly slipping away, her heart slowing down and suddenly Ebony slumped in his arms.

 

“I want…”

 

~!~

 

Bonnie’s eyes shot open, stopping the trance instantly and looked up at Elena and Stefan. “I know who it is.”

 

Just then, Ebony slowly came out of her trance and bolted upright, tears streaming down her face as Damon instantly took her into his arms, clinging to him for dear life.

 

“Who is it, witchy?” Damon demanded, stroking Ebony’s hair and tried getting her to calm down, hating that this was happening to her.

 

Bonnie took a deep breath and told them exactly what she saw, not believing it.

 

Chapter 30

 

“I don’t believe this.”

 

Damon didn’t know what to say, following Ebony out of the mansion and told everyone else to stay inside; giving her the time she needed to process everything. He was also in shock, not seeing this coming and it was very hard to shock someone like Damon. Leaning against the ledge of the front porch, Damon looked out at the yard while Ebony just walked, wondering what she was thinking and feeling. As much as he wanted to go to her, Damon stayed put and gave her space, already planning on how to deal with this.

 

What Ebony was currently thinking and feeling was that she wanted revenge for what was happening. She wanted to dig her nails into the bitch’s throat and rip out her vocal cords before tearing her head clean off. Her feeling was obviously rage, but also confusion because Ebony did not understand why this particular vampire was targeting her…a second time. Gritting her teeth, Ebony let what happened with the tomb slide once, but she’d be DAMNED if she let this go.

 

Ebony didn’t care how old Annabelle was; any vampire could be hurt, no matter their age. It was all about the element of surprise. Why Annabelle was purposefully planting dreams about Damon killing her and mentioning Katherine before each one ended was beyond her. It didn’t make sense. She looked back at Damon, who looked like he was in his own world, and decided it was time to take that drive. She had questions that had to be answered and she had a feeling he was the man who had them.

 

“Are you ready to go on that drive?” Ebony asked, jolting him out of his thoughts and stood there with a stone face.

 

Damon nodded, needing to get out of there for a while and already had his keys in hand, walking to his car with her following. Ebony slid into the passenger side while Damon got behind the wheel, both of them still in disbelief. Once they pulled out of the driveway and headed out of Mystic Falls, Ebony finally looked over at Damon, trying to decide how to word her question.

 

“Why would Annabelle attack me like this?” Ebony finally blurted out, watching as Damon tensed, his hands gripping the steering wheel. “And why would she mention Katherine?” The ONLY reason Katherine’s name wasn’t mentioned in the last dream was because Bonnie had broken the trance before Damon could say it.

 

Damon didn’t respond, staring straight ahead and could feel his jaw tightening.

 

“Damon, if you know something, you really need to tell me.” Ebony stated, not giving him a choice and frowned when he continued remaining silent. “Whatever.” Looking out the window, an overwrought silence fell over both of them and all Ebony could do was sit there with a million questions in her mind that Damon refused to answer.

 

It wasn’t that Damon didn’t want to answer the question, but this wasn’t exactly what he had planned for the drive. He wanted to take Ebony far away from Mystic Falls, a few hours at least, and finally tell her what he’d been keeping secret. She was going to be upset, very angry, and he loved the mansion too much for it to be completely destroyed with both of their tempers.

 

They would end up fighting, it was inevitable.

 

A couple hours later, Damon finally pulled up to a nearby secluded house and put the car in drive, staring at it thoughtfully. He slowly looked over at Ebony, seeing the confusion on her face and smiled before opening the car door, shutting it. He flew over and opened her door, extending his hand and was surprised when she took it, leading her toward the house.

 

“Where are we?” Ebony asked, finally breaking the silence that stowed between them over the past few hours.

 

“West Virginia.” Damon answered, guiding her up the wooden stairs and slid the key in the lock before pushing it open, the door creaking a little. “Care to come inside? Don’t worry, vampires can enter since I own it.”

 

Compared to the mansion, this place was…a shack to put it mildly. Very small with a tiny kitchen, living room and two bedrooms…Why Damon would have something like this was beyond Ebony as she looked around curiously. She felt Damon release her hand as he walked down the hallway, disappearing for a few seconds while she continued taking in her surroundings.

 

There was a small couch, chair, coffee table and very old black carpeting that looked like it hadn’t been vacuumed in quite a while. Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust, which told Ebony nobody had been here in at least a few years. She walked into the kitchen and sat there was a table that was attached to the wall, two booth seats with a refrigerator.

 

“This was my home away from home after I left Stefan back when we were first turned into vampires.” Damon said from behind, watching her turn around to face him and slowly entered the small kitchen. “I’ve updated it over the years to keep up with the times. I know it needs to be updated again, but just haven’t had a chance or desire to do it.”

 

“Why West Virginia?” Ebony asked, slowly sitting down in one of the booths while Damon walked over to a cabinet, spinning it around and grabbed two glasses with a bottle of what looked like very old Scotch.

 

Damon didn’t answer at first, popping the bottle open and poured each of them a healthy dose, sliding hers over on the table before taking a seat in front of her in the other booth. He swallowed down half his glass and closed his eyes, savoring the taste since the Scotch was well over twenty years old. It was severely strong and could probably kill the average human if consumed as fast as Damon did, but luckily for him it did nothing to the undead.

 

“Mystic Falls was my home, but I had to leave it due to Stefan going off the deep-end with his binge drinking.” By that, Damon meant Stefan had gone on a killing spree and shed so much blood that it sickened Damon to witness. “My brother flipped the switch on his humanity and I couldn’t risk being caught because the townsfolk were out to destroy all vampires. So I packed up and left him to his own demise. I ended up finding this little shack and figured it was safe since it was not only out in the middle of nowhere and secluded, but close enough to home as I could get.”

 

Ebony nodded, sniffing the Scotch and the robust scent made her throat burn with need, taking a long swallow. She began coughing instantly, slamming the glass down and fought back tears because of how incredibly strong it was. Grey eyes flashed when Damon began chuckling at her and Ebony retaliated by kicking him in the shin, smirking when he growled.

 

“Not so funny now is it?” She stated, sipping the Scotch a little more carefully and knew it was time to have their talk. “Why did you bring me here, Damon?”

 

Damon poured more Scotch in his empty glass, sliding the bottle to the side and took his time with this second helping. “Because there’s something I need to tell you and I wanted to do it where nobody else would be able to interrupt or overhear us.” He looked down at the Scotch with furrowed thick black eyebrows, running the pad of his thumb around the rim of the glass. “And once I tell you, I know you’ll probably end up hating me forever.”

 

Blinking, Ebony could already feel her insides quaking and began turning her daylight ring around her finger, having gotten it back right after Bonnie told them about Annabelle. “What is it?” She wasn’t sure if she wanted the answer, but something was forcing her to find out. “Just tell me, Damon.”

 

“Before I do, you have to know that meeting you at the strip club in Chicago was complete coincidence.” Damon said, figuring starting off with that might jostle Ebony a bit as he took a long swallow of Scotch, feeling extremely nervous.

 

“W-What are you talking about?” Ebony was very jostled and confused, leaning back against the booth seat. “What does the strip club have to do with anything?”

 

“It didn’t make sense at first.” Damon refused to look up at her because, if he saw the emotions in those grey eyes, he wouldn’t be able to say what he brought her for. “I’ve NEVER wanted to turn anybody and never cared what I did to a human. I was going to kill you that night after we had sex. I was going to drain you dry and leave you for the maid of the hotel to find. But I saw all the pain and agony you went through. While I drank from you, I dived into your mind and…that’s when I saw the vision that forced me to make the decision to turn you.”

 

Everything Damon was saying to her at that moment was brutal and it made tears sting Ebony’s eyes, but she didn’t move. “What did you see?” She whispered, her morbid curiosity overwhelming every other part of her brain that was screaming at her to do something, to get away from him.

 

Finally looking up at her, Damon locked aquamarine orbs on tear-filled grey and felt his chest tighten a little, downing the rest of his Scotch. “Her.” He croaked out, standing up from the booth, trying to reign in his emotions and keep control. “I had no idea, Ebony…”

 

“Her?” Ebony looked over at him and blinked, tears spilling from her eyes down her cheeks, slowly standing up as well. “You had no idea about WHAT?”

 

“I killed her.” Damon slowly turned around to face her, knowing he couldn’t be a coward and back down now. “I’m the vampire that took your best friend’s life…Ashley’s life.”

 

Ebony’s hand flew up to cover her suddenly dropped mouth with her hand, more tears falling and shook her head repeatedly. “No, No that’s-that’s not true…I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!!” She screamed, watching as Damon’s head dropped in shame and brought her other hand, cupping both of them over her mouth and nose. “No…NO!!”

 

She was in love with the man who had killed her only friend, her only family.

 

“Ebony, I didn’t know…”

 

Damon began coming toward her, holding his hands out and Ebony instantly backed away from him, the tears not stopping. “S-Stay away from me.” She whispered, trembling so hard she could barely speak clearly. “Take another step and I will do everything in my power to kill you.”

 

“I don’t blame you for being angry with me.” Damon said honestly, knowing she couldn’t kill him even if she wanted to because she loved him. “You have to understand though I had no idea who she was. She was looking for a good time and I went with it. We had sex, I did NOT rape her. The bruises that were on her body were from our rough encounter. I did exactly what I did with her to you and I was going to leave you dead just like I did to her, but I couldn’t. I saw her face flash in your mind and…”

 

“JUST STOP IT!!” Ebony screamed, not wanting to hear anymore and began storming toward the front door, only for Damon to fly over in front of her. “Get out of my way!”

 

“No, you need to hear everything.” Damon argued, wanting to reach out and touch her, but knew that would only end up sending him through the front door.

 

“NO!!”

 

Grabbing her upper arms roughly, Damon yanked her against him to where their noses brushed together, gritting his teeth. “Yes.” He hissed out, keeping her there by using his superior strength and tried not letting her tears affect him. “I saved you because of her. Because, for the first time in my life, I felt remorse for what I did. I could’ve easily killed you that night, but I didn’t and I have no idea why. I didn’t know Ashley from a hole in the ground and thought of her as only dinner. But you were different.”

 

“W-Why are you telling me this?” Did Damon want her to hate him more than she already did? “W-Why was I so different?” Ebony stammered out, trying to tear away from him, but Damon was holding her so tight, she could barely move.

 

“Because I need you to understand that the man you love, the man you want to be with, the man you demand a reason to stay from is nothing more than a blood thirsty monster.” Damon stated evenly, trembling slightly against her because this was very hard for him to admit. “I’m not human, Ebony. I enjoy hunting humans and draining them dry because that’s what’s in my nature and that’s who I am. Like it or not, that’s what a vampire is – a monster. And you deserved the truth about what happened to Ashley.”

 

No matter how much Ebony wanted to hate him for what he did to Ashley, she simply couldn’t and hated herself for it. How could she still love the vampire who killed her best friend, her sister? Damon was right in everything he said because, truthfully, that’s the type of species they were. Vampires were made to survive on human blood and all he’d done that night he met Ashley was do what his nature demanded. A nature she now had.

 

“What made me so different from her?” Ebony whispered brokenly, not having any fight left in her as she slowly slumped against him, lowering her head. “Why did you spare me instead of her?”

 

“Because I saw a spark inside of you that wasn’t in her. And when I saw her flash through your mind with all the pain and anguish, I wanted to take it all away. There was and still is something special about you, Ebony. I had no idea who you were when I first saw you dance on that stage. I only knew that I wanted you and it sort of snowballed.” Damon lifted her chin to meet his eyes, hating that he was hurting her like this, but he couldn’t keep this secret from her any longer. “You were the first woman I came across that I felt anything with, any type of emotion, since Katherine. That emotion was regret, something I haven’t felt in a very long time. You made me feel again because I’d been dead inside for the past century and a half, pining for an evil slut that only cared about herself and nobody else.”

 

Ebony swallowed hard, feeling him wipe away the tears that continuously fell and took his wrists in her hands, stepping away from him. “You took the only family I had, the only person I ever truly loved. You ripped her away from me, Damon. We were supposed to travel together once I got out of the orphanage. We were supposed to live life to the fullest and not let anything get in our way. And you took that opportunity away from us.” She walked around him to the front door, placing her hand on the door handle and looked over her shoulder just as he turned to face her. “I understand you were just doing what was in our nature, but it doesn’t change the fact you killed her. And that’s unforgiveable.”

 

Damon closed his eyes as the door slammed shut and knew he did the right thing by telling Ebony the truth, even if it meant losing her forever.

 

Chapter 31

 

Ebony spent the rest of the day, and better part of the night, sitting out on the water’s edge, crying. She couldn’t stop, no matter how hard she tried, the intensity of it almost too overwhelming for her to handle. All she could think about was Ashley and wished there was something she could’ve done to stop Damon from killing her.

 

Instead, she was stuck in an orphanage and wasn’t allowed to leave until it was too late, which pissed her off. Maybe if she’d been with Ashley back then, she could’ve stopped her from going off with Damon. Or maybe she could’ve taken Ashley’s place and wound up murdered instead of her best friend.

 

Even when Ebony thought her tear ducts were bone dry, a memory of Ashley would flash through her mind and the tears would start all over again. Every part of her body radiated with pain and anguish, wanting it to disappear forever. She knew there was only one way to do it and slowly looked over her shoulder at the shack, grey eyes narrowing.

 

Ebony didn’t understand why Damon told her, having vowed when she first became a vampire that she would track down Ashley’s murderer and destroy them. To find out it was the man she was in love with, and who had changed her into the one thing that killed Ashley, filled Ebony with powerful guilt. What made her feel even guiltier was the fact that Ebony still loved Damon, even after what he confessed, and that in turn made the hatred for herself burn deep within.

 

Even though Ebony told Damon it was unforgiveable for what he did to Ashley, she hadn’t meant it. Not even for a second. All she wanted to do was go in the small shack and cause Damon some kind of pain that would be rectifying for Ashley’s death. Her memory suddenly kicked into overdrive as Ebony closed her eyes, recollecting the night Mrs. Dearborn came to her room to inform her Ashley was found dead.

 

“The papers said she was brutally raped and drained of blood…” She murmured aloud, plucking at the grass and rubbed it between her fingers, knowing there was a piece of the puzzle missing. “The bruises, it had to be the bruises…”

 

Somehow, for whatever reason Ebony still couldn’t come up with, Damon was telling the truth regarding what happened between him and Ashley. Hell, she didn’t blame Ashley for wanting a piece of him, she had the night he approached her in the strip club’s parking lot. His aquamarine eyes, those thick black eyebrows that shadowed over them, his short messy black hair style, perfect lips…Damon dripped sexuality and that was putting it mildly.

 

As much as Ebony wanted to hate him for what he did to her only friend and family, she simply couldn’t. Damon could’ve kept this dark secret with him forever and never told her the truth. He could’ve let her search everywhere for Ashley’s murderer and lead her into a false sense of truth, but that wasn’t Damon’s style.

 

He was a complete dick and didn’t care about anyone, but one thing he did right was tell the truth. Damon was brutally honest to the point where just his words could physically hurt a person, living or undead. The more Ebony thought about it, the more she started realizing that Damon was the anti-hero and did things his own way to come to the same outcome, no matter what the circumstances were.

 

Slowly standing, Ebony brushed the dirt and leaves off of her jeans before turning around, heading back toward the small shack. She could hear the light snoring coming from inside and knew Damon was sleeping, deciding she wouldn’t disturb him. Very carefully and quietly, Ebony turned the doorknob and stepped inside; stopping at the sight of Damon sprawled out on the couch, his feet dangling off the edge. His shirt was off, exposing his delicious muscular torso and abs, one arm flung over his head, breathing in and out evenly.

 

Ebony closed the door silently and walked past Damon down the hallway, doing her own exploration. Two bedrooms, one bathroom…she sighed and walked into the bathroom, feeling drained and exhausted, her eyes beginning to droop. Peeling her shirt and jeans off, Ebony left her undergarments on to sleep in, letting her hair down.

 

She would shower in the morning, but right now all Ebony wanted was a bed and rest. Ebony wore an emerald green panty and bra set, the panties boy cut style, so they were technically sleepwear. Looking down the hallway at a still sleeping Damon, Ebony contemplated waking him up and frowned, looking down at her daylight ring.

 

Would she be betraying Ashley if she forgave Damon for her death?

 

“Forgive me, Ashley.” Ebony whispered softly, hoping wherever her friend was she didn’t hate her for this.

 

Ebony padded down the hallway, running her fingers along the wall and finally stood in front of him, feeling as though that short trip took forever. She stared down at him, so many different emotions flowing through her, but one stood out above all the rest. Leaning over him, Ebony reached her hand out to touch him, only for Damon’s hand to shoot out, wrapping tightly around her throat, his own eyes snapping open.

 

“D-Damon…” Ebony coughed out, knowing better than to sneak up on him, instantly grabbing his wrist.

 

Damon released her throat a few seconds later, after making sure she hadn’t attempted to kill him, and shoved her back a few feet. “What the hell, Ebony? You’re lucky I didn’t snap your damn neck with that stunt.” He stated, sitting up a little on the couch and stretched his arms in the air, yawning widely.

 

“If I would’ve known you were going to lash out at me like that, I would’ve left you alone.” Ebony grunted, rubbing her bruised neck and could already feel it healing. “I wasn’t going to do anything except wake you up. You didn’t look very comfortable on the couch since it looks very cramped.”

 

“When did you come back inside?” Damon asked, his voice still thick and gruff with sleep, slowly getting to his feet, jeans hanging very low on his hips.

 

Ebony suddenly found it very hard to focus and had to look away, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. “A few minutes ago.” She answered; thankful he headed straight for the kitchen, giving her a second or two to learn how to breathe again. “I was getting ready to head to bed…”

 

“Bed?” Damon raised a brow; staring over at her while he poured another tumbler of scotch, eyes devouring her due to the lack of clothing she currently wore. “Did you go out hunting?”

 

Ebony shook her head. “No, I’m not hungry.” She had a feeling Damon was though and started heading down the hallway, only for him to block her path. “What?”

 

“You didn’t try to kill me.” He said almost suspiciously, folding his arms in front of his chest. “Why not?”

 

Was Damon actually asking an asinine question like this? “I refuse to answer that. Good night, Damon.” Ebony went to walk away, but Damon grabbed her arm, stopping her from doing so.

 

“Answer my question.”

 

“Why would I try to kill you?” Ebony retorted in a soft voice, looking back at him sadly. “Would it make you feel better if I did?”

 

“I killed the only person you ever loved, Ebony.” Damon reminded her evenly, looking confused because he’d been expecting her to try driving the nearest branch through his heart. “You have no desire to kill me?”

 

“No.” Ebony lowered her eyes from his, tears stinging her eyes at the mention of Ashley.

 

Damon wasn’t buying it, smelling a rat and tightened his grip on her arm, turning her to face him forcefully, danger flashing in his eyes. “I don’t believe that, not after what I told you. You’re lying to me.” He growled, his paranoia overriding every other emotion at the moment. “You want me to let my guard down. You want me to believe everything’s hunky dory and the first opportunity you get, you’ll try to kill me huh? That’s it isn’t it? ISN’T IT?”

 

“NO!!” Ebony cried out, her arms feeling as though they were on fire with how tight his grip was. “I CAN’T KILL YOU!!”

 

She broke free with her strength and shoved him away from her, a few tears spilling down her cheeks. Not waiting around to see what he would do next; Ebony flew down the hallway and inside the first bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her, locking it. Ebony supposed she didn’t blame him for being paranoid considering the vow she’d made about making the vampire suffer who took Ashley’s life.

 

It was different now that she knew Damon was the vampire though.

 

“And why the hell NOT?” Damon demanded, recovering quickly and stalked after her since she’d flown down the hallway, arriving at the closed bedroom door. “You know you can’t keep me out of there, Ebony. I can easily break the lock just by twisting the handle, so you might as well come out here and face me.”

 

“Damon, please leave me alone.” Ebony called through the door, curled up on the bed with the sheet drawn up to cover her body. “I’m not going to try killing you, I promise!”

 

The door swung open a few seconds later as Damon stood in the doorway, deliberately stepping into the room just to show Ebony he wasn’t dropping the subject. “Why not?” He demanded for the last time, smirking wickedly when she tried backing away on the bed and a predatory gleam suddenly flashed in his eyes. “What’s holding you back from driving a stake through my heart, hmm?”

 

Ebony felt completely helpless, especially when her back hit the headboard and knew she could try fighting him if he attacked, but she would end up losing. “I couldn’t kill you even if I wanted to.” She whispered, gripping the sheets when he tried yanking them away from her, gritting her teeth. “Damon, stop it.”

 

“Why should I?” He taunted, crawling up the bed until he was at her feet, still having a fistful of sheets in his hand, yanking almost teasingly. “This IS my room after all and you’re in my bed.”

 

Grinning maliciously when those beautiful grey eyes widened, Damon took the distraction and grabbed her ankles through the sheets, yanking her down beneath his muscular body. Ebony squealed out in surprise, not expecting that to happen and could only look up into his electric blue eyes. Damon moved faster than the speed of light, suddenly having the sheet over both of them and felt her hands instinctively press against his chest.

 

“That’s MUCH better.” Damon growled, boxing her in to where Ebony had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, their legs entwined together while Damon’s arms were on either side of her head. “Now then, where were we?”

 

“I didn’t know this was your room.” Ebony stated, sinking back into the pillow and bed, trying not to think of the dream she’d had that was similar to this current situation. “You didn’t specify which room I should use so I guessed.”

 

“That’s not what we’re talking about, Ebony.” Damon stated, giving her a few points for effort on trying to change the subject. “Now answer my question.”

 

“I told you the answer-” Damon pressed his finger to her lips, silencing Ebony’s mediocre response.

 

“I don’t like the repetitive conversation we’re having.” He suddenly wrapped a hand around her throat, but didn’t squeeze, his head dipping to where his mouth was right by her ear. “If you don’t tell me the real reason, I will tear your throat out.”

 

Ebony shivered with both fear and desire against him, closing her eyes and knew he was going to end up killing her. “Damon, please…” She whispered, suddenly gasping when that hand tightened around her throat, instantly gripping his wrist. “Damon!”

 

“Answer me.” He ordered in deadly voice, black eyebrows furrowed somewhat angrily. “I don’t want to hurt you, Ebony, but I will if it means protecting myself.” Damon had enough of backstabbing bitches to last him a lifetime, refusing to let another woman trick him again like Katherine did.

 

“O-Okay…OKAY!!” Ebony coughed out as soon as he released her throat, not moving an inch while she tried regaining her breath. “Y-You were wrong…with what you said earlier…” She managed to choke out, suddenly regretting waking him up out of a deep sleep.

 

Lesson learned, Ebony would never do it again.

 

“Wrong about what?” Damon pressed, stroking the top of her head and ignored the current regret he wanted to feel at the sight of her tears.

 

“About what you said.” Ebony locked eyes with him, blinking as a few tears slid down her cheeks while rubbing her healing throat. “You said you killed the only person I’ve ever loved. You were wrong when you said that.”

 

Damon knew exactly what she meant by that, remembering her confession from a few weeks back, but he now wanted to hear the words come out of her mouth. “Then tell me exactly why you can’t kill me.” He wasn’t asking, it was an order and if Ebony valued her life, she would simply tell him. “Say it.”

 

Did he know? Ebony swallowed hard, wondering if she would regret telling him the truth and figured she owed him since he came clean about Ashley. “I can’t kill someone I love, no matter what they’ve done.” Maybe that would be enough for him to back off because Ebony was terrified right now.

 

“Say it.” He whispered, not letting that average answer slide, his lips hovering just over hers while their eye contact didn’t break. “Tell me.”

 

Damon was so evil and diabolical, he was purposefully teasing her with his lips just so she would come clean and Ebony hated him for it. “You’re such a dick.” She growled, grey eyes narrowing and knew he wouldn’t hurt her.

 

“Of course I am.” He conceded with a devious smirk. “We both know that, but that’s not what I want to hear come from that beautiful mouth of yours. Say the words, Ebony. Otherwise, I might start to think you’re messing with my head and things might get a little…violent.”

 

“I hate you so much.” Ebony meant that with every fiber of her being, her body tensed and coiled, ready to lash out at him. “But I also love you, okay? I love you and I can’t kill you.” There, she said it and Ebony hoped he was satisfied because she felt incredibly vulnerable right now.

 

Even though he told her the truth, this woman still loved him and Damon couldn’t believe it, knowing she meant it. She meant what she said. It was a hate/love relationship they had between them. Instead of kissing her lips, Damon reached up to brush his lips across her forehead, lingering a little longer than necessary and pulled back instantly.

 

“Thanks.” Damon hopped up out of the bed, the biggest grin on his face with sparkling aquamarine eyes. “I’m going out hunting; I’ll be back shortly since you’re too tired to join me.”

 

Gaping, Ebony could only watch him saunter down the hallway with an extra kick in his step and took the pillow, screaming into it as loud as she possibly could.

 

Chapter 32

 

The following morning, Ebony woke up to the feeling of being spooned by Damon, his arms draped over her waist leisurely. She was tempted to elbow him in the face, but decided against it, not wanting to fight with him anymore. That and the feeling of him holding her was too incredible to destroy, soaking the moment in as much as she could.

 

Her grey eyes looked toward the nightstand and Ebony couldn’t help smiling at the container of blood, knowing he’d gotten it for her. Was Damon Salvatore actually showing concern for her wellbeing? Reaching for it carefully, Ebony took the straw that was beside the container and opened the lid, the smell of human blood instantly setting her throat on fire.

 

Closing her eyes, Ebony began sucking the thick red liquid through the straw and instantly let out a soft moan, the fire in her throat instantly quenched. Ebony ended up devouring the whole container in seconds, not realizing just how thirsty she’d been until now. Maybe she should’ve gone out hunting with Damon the previous night, but honestly Ebony didn’t have the strength with all the crying she’d done.

 

“I knew you were hungry.” Damon’s voice rumbled from behind, not moving an inch and didn’t bother opening his eyes either. “Feel better?”

 

Ebony nodded, setting the empty container on the nightstand and snuggled back in bed with him. “Yes, thank you.” She murmured softly, closing her eyes when he buried his nose in her hair while she laced their fingers together over her chest.

 

Damon didn’t pull away, inhaling her intoxicating scent and couldn’t remember the last time he felt this content. Granted, they still had the issue to deal with Annabelle, but that would be handled in all due time. That’s not the reason Damon brought Ebony all the way out here, Annabelle and the dreams the furthest thing from his mind right now. Ebony loved him and Damon knew he felt the same way about her, but it would take him time to say the words, hoping she understood.

 

“I’m surprised you’re not kicking me out of bed after what I did last night.” Damon said thoughtfully, feeling her roll to where she was on her back, staring up at him through those stunning grey eyes. “Not even a little mad at me?”

 

“No, even though I should be.” Ebony said truthfully, reaching up to brush a few strands of black hair from his forehead before cupping his face with her hand. “I should be angry at you for a lot of things, but I’m not. I guess that’s my own stupidity.”

 

Chuckling, Damon agreed wholeheartedly with her and began running his fingertips along her flat smooth bare stomach, lying on his side facing her. “Indeed.” He rumbled, enjoying the feeling of her smooth skin against his touch, wanting nothing more than to just stay here with her and never leave.

 

“Did you mean what you said?” Ebony turned on her side to face him, stopping him from stroking her skin and hoped he had the answer she wanted to hear.

 

“You’re going to have to elaborate a little for me, Ebony.” Damon stated, not having a clue what she was talking about, looking a little perplexed. “I mean a lot of things I say.”

 

“About Katherine.” Ebony knew this probably wasn’t the best time to bring her up, but she had to know the answer, good or bad. “Did you mean what you said about her?”

 

“Yes.” Damon replied without hesitation, eyes icing over at the mere mention of the woman who had made him believe she actually cared and loved him. “Part of me will always feel something for her because it was her blood that turned me. That’s why you feel so loyal to me because of our linked bloodline. Some don’t feel loyalty though, which I no longer do. If I ever see Katherine again, I will do everything in my power to rip her heart out and shove it down her throat.”

 

The biggest wave of relief washed over Ebony upon hearing those words because Damon had finally opened his eyes to the truth. “I know she burned you badly, Damon, but I give you my word right now that you’re the only one I want. I have no interest in anyone else and I’ll never hurt you the way she did.” She scooted closer to him, cupping his face gently and slid her fingers down to his chin, pulling it until their lips met in a soft tender kiss.

 

Damon couldn’t remember the last time he felt Ebony’s lips against his and savored every second of it, wrapping his arm around her waist, their chests pressed together. What started as a gentle sweet kiss turned passionate within seconds as Damon rolled Ebony on her back, groaning when she instantly gave him access to her sweet mouth. Searching and reaching every crevice, Damon felt her fingers run through his hair and down his shoulders, loving the feeling of his muscles rippling beneath her fingertips.

 

Her words rekindled something inside of Damon he hadn’t felt in a very long time – Love. The raw truth shined in her eyes with every word spoken and it just made Damon solidify in his mind that he did love Ebony. Turning her into a vampire and extending his bloodline was the best decision Damon ever made. Ebony wanted to give him everything Katherine didn’t and, for once, Damon wasn’t running away from it.

 

Instead, he embraced it.

 

“So, does this mean you’re not leaving me now?” Damon asked once the kiss broke, running his lips down her jaw to her neck while his hands ran down her sides. “Hmm?”

 

“What do you think?” Ebony retorted breathlessly, her entire body flushing and shivered when his chuckle reverberated against her neck. “You told me what I needed to hear to make that decision, Damon.”

 

He pulled back to stare down at her, a smirk curving his sensual lips. “I guess I did, didn’t I?” Lowering his head back down to her neck, Damon continued his exploration, growling softly. “I want you, Ebony.”

 

Her response was to sit up and pushed him back on his haunches, reaching back to unsnap her bra, tossing it to the side. Damon couldn’t help drinking in her perfectly shaped breasts and grabbed her hips, yanking her to where she now straddled him. Both of them simultaneously groaned at the contact of skin on skin, her nipples instantly hardening.

 

Growling, Damon dipped his head and went on the attack, massaging her breast with one hand while teasing the other with his sinful mouth. Ebony hissed out and lulled her head back, eyes drifting shut and gripped his muscular shoulders while Damon slowly began claiming her body as his own. Once he finished with one breast, Damon swapped his hands and mouth to perform the same torturous teasing to her other one, loving the feel of her hands buried in his hair.

 

Ebony couldn’t take anymore after he finished and suddenly decided it was time for her to torture him a little. Using the strength in her legs, Ebony quickly pushed Damon down on his back and slid her hands up his arms, holding him down, grey eyes sparkling deviously. He merely kept the smirk on his face and Ebony knew that would soon change, trailing hot fiery kisses down the middle of his chest. She loved every part of Damon’s body and could stay here forever exploring it, every other worry completely devoid in her mind right now.

 

Damon groaned when she arrived at his rock hard abs and hissed between his teeth when Ebony ran her nails down his sides, sending shivers throughout him. She was definitely playing dirty this time around and Damon wondered how far she would take it, deciding to let her have her fun, for now. Ebony proceeded to press a hot kiss to every single one of his abs before finally arriving at the dips in his low hips, her hand moving to the button of his jeans.

 

Once they did this, there was no going back; Damon would be hers and she would be his.

 

No way in hell was Damon stopping her from continuing and sank further back in the bed when her wrist flicked, the unsnapping seemingly echoing in his ears. Ebony raked her nails down his bare chest before taking the zipper between her teeth and tongue, locking eyes with him and gradually pulled it down. There was something about the sound of a zipper sliding down that was utterly erotic to Ebony and soaked her boy cut panties.

 

Not a word was spoken as Ebony pulled Damon’s jeans off of him, his body now fully naked and proceeded to remove her last article of clothing as well. Crawling on top to straddle him again, Ebony picked up right where she left off, dipping her head to run her sweet tongue up the dips in his hips a few times. Then Ebony proceeded to move lower, her tongue continued to leave a path of fire behind as she reached between her legs to start stroking his balls a little and was rewarded with a deep throaty groan from Damon.

 

Before Ebony could move further down, Damon shot up and wrapped his arms around her, his lips capturing hers. He couldn’t handle anymore teasing and was impatient, needing to be inside of her. Ebony could do whatever her evil mind was thinking later, but not now as Damon moved his hands down her back to grip her hips, positioning his throbbing cock in the correct angle.

 

Ebony gasped when Damon suddenly snapped his hips forward and buried himself as deep into her hot core as he possibly could. There was no one else around them for miles on end and Ebony had no problem screaming out her pleasure. It’d been far too long since her and Damon’s last encounter, hoping they had many more to come after this.

 

If this was to be their last one, Ebony was giving it everything she had, refusing to hold back.

 

Not waiting to adjust to him, Ebony began grinding against his cock, meeting him for every single thrust. Damon could feel the anxiousness pouring from Ebony and forced her to slow down, cloudy blue eyes staring into smoky grey. Ebony didn’t understand what he was doing until he showed her, each thrust more agonizingly slow than the first. Their lips met and it was just as slow as the thrusts, no sense of urgency or rush, every single movement from Damon methodic.

 

It was so intense that Ebony had a hard time breathing, clinging to him for dear life and could swear with each thrust Damon went deeper inside of her. She wasn’t sure if he would be able to find his way back out, but definitely wasn’t complaining, pressing her forehead to his while they continued to move as one. Ebony gently ran her nails up his back and over his shoulders, nothing about this animalistic.

 

They were making love, taking their time with each other and it was a moment in time that Ebony wished could be frozen forever. Damon suddenly flipped Ebony on her back, their enhanced speed ensuring he didn’t slide out of her and took complete control. Ebony pulled him down for another scorching kiss while he continued thrusting in and out of her receptive body, surrendering to him in each and every way.

 

Damon broke the kiss and buried his face in the crook of her neck, feeling her arms wrap around his as he picked up the pace. His hands slid down her legs to grip her beautiful outer thighs, spreading her legs apart to drive himself even deeper inside of her, nearly reaching her back wall. Ebony couldn’t contain her passion anymore and began crying out, going out of her mind with ecstasy and knew she was very close to falling apart in his arms.

 

Deciding he wanted to draw this out a little while longer, even though his cock was screaming at him to finish, Damon suddenly pulled out of Ebony and flipped her over again on all fours. He was still making love to her, but this was his favorite position and he knew it was hers too. Within seconds, he was buried to the hilt inside of her again and thrusting like a madman, the sounds of his balls slapping against her pussy lips echoing throughout the room.

 

It was truly the most beautiful sound in the world, especially mixed with her cries turning to screams.

 

It took every ounce of resolve in Ebony not to release right then and there, fighting back the hot coil inside of her stomach that was begging to spring free. Her nails dug into the sheets as Damon continued pounding relentlessly, suddenly burying his hand in her black tresses to drag her up against him. Damon ran the tip of his tongue against the spot just below her earlobe, her back pressed tightly against his chest and began tweaking her nipples, doing everything he could to make her shatter against him.

 

The teasing of her nipples didn’t work, but as soon as Damon’s hand slid down her flat stomach to rub her swollen sensitive clit, that’s all it took. Ebony could no longer hold it in anymore, finally letting the hot coil spring and screamed out her release as Damon held her tightly against him. Her walls instantly caved in around him, feeling like a vise grip and began milking his cock with all the intensity they could muster up.

 

Her release triggered his and, with a few more deep thrusts, Damon finally exploded powerfully inside of her, both of their bodies trembling from the intensity. Ebony shattered again as soon as she felt Damon fill her body with his seed, lulling her head back against his shoulder. He didn’t stop thrusting until every drop was left inside of her, feeling his cock grow limp and wrapped both of his arms around her tightly.

 

Ebony managed to lift her head long enough to look back at him, a lazy smile crossing her face while breathing heavily and accepted a soft kiss from him. Damon smiled back and ran his fingers down the side of her face lovingly, feeling her hand reach up to lace their fingers together. That was possibly the most intense sexual encounter Damon ever had with a woman, Katherine included, which he never thought any woman could measure up to her.

 

He was very wrong.

 

“Shower time.” Ebony whispered, desperately needing one after that and slowly extracted herself from his arms, heading out of the room. “I wouldn’t mind the company.”

 

Damon smirked, not about to turn down the opportunity and flew over to her, lifting her up in his arms spinning her around in circles, her squeals filling the once dead house. “Then company you shall have.” He hoisted her over his shoulder, slapped her pert ass and gave it a squeeze, emanating another squeal from her before heading into the bathroom.

 

Chapter 33

 

“So, how long are we hiding out here?” Ebony asked later that night, untying her boots and tossed them to the side, satisfied after the hunting she did with Damon. “Because, as homey as this place is, I miss the mansion.”

 

Damon smirked, leaning back against the couch with a glass of scotch in his hand. “We’re not ‘hiding out’.  I brought you here to tell you about Ashley and to give you the space you needed from everyone.” He said simply, looking up at her thoughtfully. “And this place is FAR from ‘homey’.”

 

“I was trying to be nice.” She snorted, walking past him toward the kitchen, only to be yanked down to straddle Damon’s lap.

 

“And just what is THAT supposed to mean?” Damon demanded, running his hands up and down her sides, groaning when she shifted on his lap. “Do that again and watch how fast your clothes disappear, woman.”

 

Ebony grinned evilly, pushing up to hover over him, her breasts right in his face. “Hmm that sounds like a challenge to me, Mr. Salvatore.” She purred seductively, running a single finger down his shirt covered chest, eyes never leaving his. “One I might have to take on.”

 

Aquamarine eyes narrowed and, a second later, Ebony was on her back with Damon hovering over her on the couch, his knee planted right between her legs. “That wasn’t a challenge, precious,” He paused, dropping his voice a few octaves and started running his hand up the middle of her tank top, touching her soft bare skin. “It was a promise.” Dipping his head just a little further, Damon’s mouth was so close that just the slightest movement and their lips would meet. “And my name is Damon.  Mr. Salvatore was my father.  Don’t ever call me that.”

 

Ebony merely rolled her eyes, lifting up to softly kiss his lips, pulling him down on top of her.  She loved Damon’s dominant side and when he took control of the situation because it sparked something inside of her that couldn’t be explained.  A soft mewl escaped her when Damon buried his hand in her black silky tresses, turning the kiss nearly brutal and all that did was make Ebony want him more.

 

“Later.” He growled, reluctantly pulling away from her and stood up, placing space between them so both could calm down. “And to answer your question about ‘hiding out’, we’re leaving tonight to head back.”

 

It took Ebony a minute to register that, trying to quell the raging fire deep within her that Damon started and stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “When you left me earlier to answer your phone during the hunt, who called you?” She sat upright on the couch and eyed him somewhat suspiciously, noticing for the first time the worry in his eyes, jumping to her feet straightaway. “What happened?”

 

Damon hated how well she could read him, wanting to conceal this information from her until they were at least on the drive back to Mystic Falls. “It’s Elena.” He admitted and probably should’ve told her sooner, but Damon didn’t want to take Ebony away from hunting, not when she’d missed doing it the previous night.

 

Not understanding why he even cared about his brother’s girl, Damon chalked it up to the fact she was Katherine’s bloodline.  Even though Damon wanted nothing more than to drive a stake through the bitch’s heart for everything she did to him and Stefan, her actions weren’t Elena’s fault.  Elena was innocent in all of this and, no matter how much Damon claimed he hated Katherine, a part of him couldn’t handle the thought of having a member of her family dead.

 

“She was taken tonight and Stefan has no idea where she is.”

 

“Does he know who did it?” The desire vanished and was replaced with distress; all Ebony’s brain currently focused on was Elena’s wellbeing.

 

“We have a pretty solid idea.” Damon’s jaw tightened as he grabbed what was left of his scotch, setting it down before engaging in the brief make out session with Ebony, and slammed it back in one long swallow. “I was going to keep you here for a few more days until I received that phone call.”

 

Ebony didn’t have to ask who it was because the name instantly clicked in her brain, curling her upper lip. “Annabelle.” She susurrated with pure venom in her voice and grabbed her boots, slipping them back on. “I’m going to tear that bitch’s head off for everything she’s done to us.”

 

Damon stopped Ebony from storming out of the house, placing his hands on her shoulders. “No, you’re going to leave Annabelle to me.” He pressed a finger to her lips, shaking his head. “Listen to me, Ebony; Annabelle is over five hundred years old and incredibly strong.  She will tear you apart and I refuse to let that happen.  What we’re going to do is go to the mansion, talk to Stefan and come up with a plan to get Elena away from her SAFELY.  So help me, if you even think about trying to do this on your own, I will vervain you and lock you up in the basement cellar to keep you safe.”

 

Deciding not to test Damon’s patience, Ebony nodded stiffly, her lips pursed tightly together. “Fine, but I’m going with you to save Elena.” She glared when Damon hesitated, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Don’t even think about trying to keep me at the mansion while you and Stefan go after that bitch without me, Damon.  She has tormented me for WEEKS and I want to know what the hell is going on and why she’s doing it.  There’s a reason and she’s the only one with the answers.”

 

“Ebony…”

 

“NO!” She broke away from him, shoving him away a little. “I can handle myself; I’m not a damn china doll, Damon!  I don’t need you to protect me!”

 

“Yes you do because you have NO idea how strong Annabelle is.  And you have no idea who she has on her side either.” Damon argued, flying over to her, not giving Ebony the space she currently wanted. “I refuse to let anything happen to you.  Let’s just get back to the mansion, talk to my baby bro and figure everything out.” If Ebony was in any kind of danger, Damon would make sure she stayed put in the mansion.

 

“Fine.”

 

Gritting her teeth, Ebony stormed out of the small house toward the car, the cool night air doing absolutely nothing for her boiling blood.  Damon packed everything up and decided to bring what was left of the scotch; having a feeling Ebony would need it.  He shut all the lights off and stepped out a few minutes later, locking the door behind him before joining Ebony.  She was already in the car and had this huge pout on her face that Damon couldn’t help thinking was adorable, wondering what this woman was doing to him.

 

“Here.” He grunted, trying not to laugh and handed over the bottle to her. “There’s a few shots left, take them and try to calm down.  Your emotions are heightened right now and you haven’t learned how to control them yet.  The alcohol helps.”

 

Snatching the bottle, Ebony took a long swallow that was the equivalence of two shots, closing her eyes at the burning sensation in her throat.  She didn’t mean to lash out at Damon, but Ebony was angry at Annabelle for everything she had done and rightfully so.  Ever since arriving out here with Damon, Ebony didn’t have one nightmare about him and that was due to Annabelle not being able to plant the images in her head of Damon killing her.

 

“I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” She murmured quietly once the bottle was empty, tossing it out the window in the woods on the side of the road, while Damon flew down the road at max speed.

 

“Apology accepted.” He winked, grabbing her hand and laced their fingers together, bringing hers up to brush his lips against the back of it. “I’m only doing what I feel is best for you.  I don’t want to lose you, Ebony.” Damon had lost so many people in his life, he didn’t know what he’d do if he lost Ebony.

 

Quirking an eyebrow, Ebony leaned her head back against the seat and looked over at him. “Careful Damon, your humanity is starting to show.” She cautioned playfully, squeezing his hand and couldn’t stop the smile from crossing her face even with everything else that was going on.

 

“Only with you, Ebony.” He informed her, turning his eyes back on the road as a comfortable silence fell between them.

 

Ebony was hoping Elena was alright and had a feeling Damon was thinking the same thing. “You know,” She finally broke the silence after an hour. “I have no idea why Annabelle would intentionally target me.  I thought all she wanted was her mother out of the tomb.  That’s what she said at least.  And now all of a sudden she’s planting these dreams in my head that all involve you killing me and whispering you want Katherine.  It doesn’t make any sense.”

 

Damon had mulled that over in his head ever since they found out who was the culprit behind the dreams.  There were a few possibilities, but Damon refused to voice any of them until he had the answers from Annabelle.  He didn’t like any of the ending results and hoped he wasn’t right in his assumptions.

 

“We’ll figure it out once we get back.” Damon assured her, already deciding that Annabelle had signed her existence away when she went after the woman he loved.

 

However, she wouldn’t die without telling him the reasoning behind the dreams.

 

“That’s all you have to say about it?” Ebony wasn’t going to drop the subject that easily, wanting to know what Damon’s thoughts were about the situation. “Doesn’t it bother you that, in every dream I’ve had, Katherine is mentioned?”

 

“Yes.” Damon had to change the subject before he ended up blowing his transmission up, already going past ninety miles an hour. “I don’t want to talk about it right now, Ebony.”

 

“Why not?” Ebony couldn’t believe he was brushing her off, anger flashing in her grey eyes and was tempted to slam his face right into the wheel. “Why are you acting like this is no big deal?”

 

Taking a deep breath, Damon reigned in his own temper, especially with how fast they were driving down the dark road. “Just because I don’t want to talk about a subject doesn’t mean I don’t care about it.” He retorted evenly, glancing at her. “There’s no sense in talking about this when it’ll be discussed once we’re back at the mansion.”

 

“Oh that’s a lame ass excuse and you know it!” Ebony exclaimed angrily, trying to breathe through the current intense emotions rushing through her, but it wasn’t easy. “You just don’t care, admit it!  You don’t care about me!”

 

The car suddenly screeched to a stop, tires burning on the pavement as smoke rose to the sky, the car lurching violently.  If Ebony hadn’t been wearing her seatbelt, she would’ve gone flying through the windshield.  Damon practically kicked the door off its hinges and slammed it so hard, the whole car felt as though it was having a mini earthquake.  Ebony was surprised the windows hadn’t shattered and could only sit there, breathing heavily while the cut on her neck healed, courtesy of the seatbelt slicing it.

 

Damon was spitting and growling furiously, stalking back and forth a few feet away from the car.  He had never met a woman that was more infuriating than Ebony and Damon wondered why he kept her around.  Oh that’s right, he loved and CARED about her, even though she just basically accused him of not feeling either.

 

Ebony could hear all of the vile things coming out of his mouth and felt her eyes widen, realizing she had definitely crossed the line with what she said.  This time, it really was her fault and Ebony could already feel the guilt consuming her, chewing her bottom lip nervously.  When Damon was this enraged, it was best to stay as far away from him as possible, but Ebony wasn’t about to, needing to rectify her mistake.

 

Slowly stepping out of the car, Ebony didn’t even take a step before Damon’s voice thundered. “Get back in the car, Ebony.” He ordered in a deep, dark baritone laced with anger.

 

“No.” She defied, slowly walking in his direction. “Damon…”

 

“How could you even THINK I don’t care about you?” He snapped, his eyes completely iced over at the moment, glaring at her. “How could you even SAY something like that to me after EVERYTHING we’ve done?  You’re wrong to assume I don’t care about you, Ebony, because if I didn’t I wouldn’t have told you the truth about Ashley!”

 

“I know…”

 

“I would’ve let you DIE in that tomb and not saved you from Annabelle!”

 

“I know…”

 

“I would’ve let that coach have his way with you and not given a damn about killing him to defend YOUR HONOR!!”

 

He was really angry and Ebony could hear hurt in his tone too, feeling even worse as she continued moving toward him. “Damon, I’m-” Instinctively, Ebony backtracked when he flew up to her, swallowing past the lump that formed in her throat.

 

“I would’ve killed you the night I met you.” His voice was a mere whisper now, slowly circling until he was behind her. “I would’ve made you a meal and nothing more.  I’ve done a lot of things to prove that I do care about you.  You just haven’t opened your blind eyes to see any of it.”

 

Ebony had a hard time breathing, especially when his hot breath blew across her ear while speaking, the sound sending shivers down her back. “Damon…” She tried again, closing her eyes when he clamped his fingers together in front of her, cutting her off again.

 

“Don’t speak.  Don’t say a word.  Nothing you say right now will matter.” Damon informed her coldly, gripping the back of her neck and buried his nose in her hair. “I could rip your heart out if I wanted to, Ebony.  I could kill you and nobody would miss you.  But I don’t kill people I care about, even if they DO deserve it.”

 

He didn’t care if he was being mean and cruel to her, what she said to him in the car hurt him, so Damon was reciprocating the notion.  Tears slid down Ebony’s face because she deserved every harsh word he said to her, not bothering to wipe them away.  Damon snorted at the sight and shoved her toward the car none too gently, watching her stumble a bit because she’d apparently forgotten how to use her legs.

 

“Get in the car and don’t say another word to me until we get to the mansion.” Damon ordered, slipping into the driver’s side and slammed the door shut, the engine still running.

 

Ebony barely got the door closed before Damon took off again, buckling up and hoped he didn’t change his mind about not killing her.

 

Chapter 34

 

Pulling up to the mansion, Ebony suddenly wished she was back at the small shack with Damon where there were seemingly no problems.  The rest of the trip was made in complete silence, just like Damon wanted, with Ebony in emotional turmoil over angering him.  Cutting the ignition, Damon went to step out when Ebony grabbed his arm, pulling him back inside, pleading grey eyes locking with pure ice.

 

“Damon, I’m sorry.” Ebony blurted out before he could stop her, hoping he forgave her. “I was wrong, please...” She had no idea how this situation with Annabelle was going to go down and didn’t want to die without Damon’s forgiveness. “I love you.”

 

“We’ll talk about it later.” Damon said frostily, accepting her apology, but his focus was solely on how to help his little brother, shrugging Ebony’s hand off of him. “Let’s go.”

 

Lowering her head, Ebony heaved a sigh and slid out of the car, the sky still dark even though dawn would be approaching within the next hour or so.  Shutting the door, she followed Damon inside the mansion and both were greeted at the entrance by Stefan…and someone neither of them expected to see.  Ebony raised a brow, instantly on her guard and folded her arms in front of her chest, deciding to keep her mouth shut for the moment.

 

“What’s witchy doing here?” Damon inquired, looking down at Bonnie Bennett with disdain clear in his tone. “Last I remembered, you weren’t going to help us lowly vampires anymore.”

 

“It’s Elena.” Bonnie replied straightforwardly, squaring her shoulders and didn’t show one ounce of vulnerability. “I can’t just stand by and do nothing while my best friend is in danger.”

 

“Fair enough.” His eyes moved to Stefan, having a feeling him and Bonnie had been collaborating while he was on his way back with Ebony. “So what’s the plan, Superman?”

 

Stefan ignored the nickname, too focused on saving Elena to let anything else bother him. “Let’s go into the study and talk.” He suggested, already heading in the direction with Bonnie beside him, already promising he would protect her.

 

“Excellent idea, I need a drink.” Damon grunted, following and didn’t need to look behind him to know Ebony was there, heading straight for the bar as soon as they were in the library. “Something tells me you have a plan already set and ready to go.  So, mind filling me in?”

 

Bonnie swallowed hard, suddenly moving her gaze to settle on Ebony and knew they were not going to approve of what she was about to say, choosing her words carefully. “Stefan and I have been talking all night and we’ve come to the solid conclusion that this has to do with…you.” She supplied warily, clearing her throat when both Ebony and Damon both quirked brows at her.

 

“How do you figure that?” Ebony shot back promptly, grey eyes narrowing on the witch and was tempted to rip her throat out. “You’re actually trying to blame ME for this?!”

 

Damon flew over to where Ebony stood, extending a tumbler of bourbon and watched as she slammed it back. “Her emotions are on overdrive right now, so just take what she says with a grain of salt.” He said almost conversationally, sipping his own drink slowly. “Why do you think this all has to do with Ebony, witch?”

 

“Her name is Bonnie, Damon.” Stefan interjected, wishing his big brother would have a little more respect considering Bonnie didn’t have to help them with this. “The dreams, everything is tied together somehow, but we haven’t figured it out yet.”

 

Bonnie cracked a half-smile up at Stefan, letting him know silently she appreciated him defending her. “It makes sense if you think about it.  Whoever this Annabelle vampire is didn’t want us finding out it was her that was planting those dreams in your head, Ebony.” Bonnie had nothing against the woman, thankful for being saved from the tomb partially by her.

 

“So what you’re saying is Annabelle took Elena because we found out her dirty little secret?” Ebony surmised, holding her tumbler out for a refill as Damon passed by her, sitting down on the leather couch.

 

“Yes, but there’s more to it.” Bonnie took a chance and walked over, sitting down beside Ebony. “I’ve been going over and over that dream I saw you have in my head ever since you left with Damon.  You said that in every dream it ended with him saying he wanted Katherine before he killed you, correct?”

 

Ebony nodded stiffly, really hoping this witch was going somewhere with her explanation and took the tumbler Damon handed her. “Thanks.” She muttered, grey eyes not leaving Bonnie and felt Damon’s hand gently settle on her shoulder.

 

The irony of this situation was almost laughable.

 

“Stefan thinks that Katherine may be back in town.” Bonnie supplied, gauging the reactions from both vampires and could feel Stefan stand behind her, just in case. “If that’s the case, she’s the real culprit behind the dreams and asked Annabelle to be her cover up.”

 

Ebony was frozen solid and could feel the grip on her shoulder tighten tenfold from Damon’s hand, not able to move to push him away.  Did she hear the witch correctly?  They actually thought Katherine was using Annabelle to plant those awful dreams in her head?  This was unbelievable and Ebony couldn’t help laughing, the sound eerie and nearly deranged, her frozen stance suddenly melting.

 

“Y-You’re kidding me right?” Ebony stood from the couch, eyes still wide. “You’re actually telling me that the woman who destroyed both of the your lives singlehandedly is now targeting ME?” More laughter ensued when both Bonnie and Stefan nodded firmly. “And now she’s holding Elena captive because…?”

 

Bonnie sighed heavily, looking up at Stefan worriedly and chanced at glance at Damon, who was still standing there completely taut. “We haven’t figured that out yet.  That’s what’s weird about this whole thing.” Hours of wracking her brain and Bonnie hadn’t come up with any explanation that connected Katherine to Ebony; even trying to brainstorm with Stefan hadn’t developed any results.

 

“But we know with absolute certainty you’re the reason Elena was taken.” Stefan said somewhat contritely, running a hand through his dishwater blonde hair. “Maybe this is Katherine’s way of wanting to meet you.  It’s the only rational explanation we can think of.”

 

Ebony blinked, immediately shaking her head. “Why the hell would she want to meet me?  This doesn’t make sense!!” Then a thought occurred to Ebony, one that made tears rapidly sting her eyes and moved her gaze to where Damon stood. “Unless…she’s come back for Damon and wants to eliminate me from the equation.”

 

Both Bonnie and Stefan looked at each other, not considering that possibility, sighing simultaneously. “That is probable.” Stefan finally admitted cautiously, suddenly wanting Katherine dead because he knew Damon had developed feelings for Ebony.

 

“It’s the only logical reason.” Bonnie chipped in, actually sounding saddened by the whole ordeal because of everything this vampire had done. “Damon…”

 

Tears slid down Ebony’s cheeks because she couldn’t help feeling responsible for Elena being in danger, wiping them away immediately. “If she wants to meet me so badly, then that’s what will happen.” She finally concluded, jumping when Damon suddenly flew over to her, startled. “Damon…”

 

“No.” There was no way in hell he was going to let Ebony walk into the lion’s den. “Katherine’s not getting anything except a stake driven through her heart.”

 

“Damon…”

 

Ebony was cut off by his lips capturing hers, his hands cupping her face tenderly and all she could do was cling to him, grabbing his wrists.  Stefan’s suspicions were confirmed at that moment and knew Damon would die before he let anything happen to Ebony.  He placed a hand on Bonnie’s shoulder, silently telling her to follow him out of the room to give his brother and Ebony some privacy.  Cottoning on, Bonnie exited with Stefan following her to go over their plan, knowing Damon and Ebony would join them shortly.

 

Only when they were both breathless did Damon pull away, not releasing Ebony’s face. “This isn’t your fault.” He stated, wanting her to understand that and pressed his forehead to hers. “That bitch is not taking you away from me; I don’t care what it takes.  We have the witch on our side; surely she can cast some kind of juju spell to make sure you’re out of harm’s way.”

 

Ebony sniffled while Damon wiped away her tears with his thumbs, kissing her softly again. “What if she wants you back?” She whispered heartbrokenly, those aquamarine eyes devouring her. “That’s what you’ve wanted all along, isn’t it?  You’ve wanted Katherine and now she might be here, wanting you.  Why wouldn’t you choose her over me?” Her eyes lowered, not able to handle staring into his much longer.

 

“Ebony, look at me.” Damon ordered quietly, reaching out to cup her chin with his hand, forcing her eyes to once again meet his. “I DID want her before I found out what a heartless slut she is…” He paused, knowing this might be the only time he had to tell her how he felt and refused to pass it up. “Before I fell in love with someone else.”

 

Feeling the breath hitch in her throat, Ebony could already feel fresh tears swell in her eyes, not moving an inch. “Damon…” Once again, she was cut off, thankful because her voice was incredibly shaky.

 

“I love you, Ebony.” Damon confessed, knowing he scared her earlier with his temper, but what she said had cut straight to the heart. “I want YOU, not Katherine.  And you can pinch yourself if you want to make sure you’re not dreaming.”

 

She believed every word Damon said and kissed him again, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, more tears gushing. “Apology accepted.” She whispered, feeling his arms wrap around her waist. “I love you too.”

 

Damon had finally found the one thing he had searched and yearned for from Katherine in Ebony.  Love.  That’s all he ever wanted was a woman who wanted him fully and completely, that he didn’t have to fight for her affection.  Even as a human, Damon strived to try finding the perfect girl to settle down with, even while he was in the Confederacy. 

 

Then he met Katherine and was convinced that being undead and immortal is what he wanted as long as he could be with her for eternity.  Now, all Damon wanted was to live with Ebony for all eternity and, if Katherine attempted destroying his happiness, he would kill her without thinking twice about it.  Nobody would miss her; Katherine’s death would probably do the world a grand favor the more Damon thought about it.

 

“I know you do.” Damon smirked, releasing her face and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. “No more crying, everything will be fine.”

 

Ebony hoped he was right, letting him guide her out of the library to wherever Bonnie and Stefan were.  They were in the living room/parlor, talking quietly amongst themselves, and both looked up when Damon and Ebony rejoined them.  However, they were not the only ones in the room as Ebony’s hand instantly clutched Damon’s tighter, every part of her body tensed and coiled, ready to strike.

 

“What the hell is SHE doing here?” Damon shouted, eyes flashing at the sight of Annabelle standing before them, ignoring her shameful expression.

 

Not caring what Annabelle’s reasoning was, Ebony suddenly flew past Damon, grabbed a poker from the fireplace and rammed it as hard as she could right into Annabelle’s abdomen.  Annabelle cried out in pain, instantly dropping to her knees with the poker sticking out of her, slowly looking up at the vampire she’d been instructed to torment.  Ebony ignored everyone else in the room, her hand tightening around the poker, pushing it a little more inside.

 

“You were very foolish coming here after what you’ve done to me.” Ebony hissed icily, loving the sound of Annabelle’s wails. “Don’t come near me any of you or she dies.” She waved the broken piece of wood in her hand, having grabbed it along with the poker, grey eyes darkening with rage. “Now, if you value your pathetic life, you will tell me what the hell you were thinking delving inside my head and planting those dreams of Damon killing me.  Why did you do it?”

 

Annabelle didn’t say a word, too busy trying to fight off Ebony, but even the strongest vampire could be weakened when surprised.

 

“Not talkative?” Ebony shrugged and pushed the poker further, blood spilling slowly out of her stomach, using all of her strength. “ANSWER ME!!”

 

Locking her eyes on cold grey, Annabelle knew she had to come clean, especially since she walked right into enemy camp. “K-Katherine…” The poker was instantly yanked out, Annabelle falling to the floor in a heap and cried out when she was suddenly stabbed with the wooden weapon in the leg.

 

“Why?” Ebony persisted, not backing down until she had all the answers, not showing an ounce of compassion. “What does Katherine want with me?”

 

“S-She has s-something for you…” Annabelle gasped out, gritting her teeth and reached down to pull the piece of wood out of her leg, a gaping hole slowly healing. “She said she’d hurt my mother if I didn’t do what she said.  She’s been watching you for a while and doesn’t want you with Damon.”

 

“That’s nothing new, we already figured that part out and we knew it was her.” Ebony gritted out, stepping back from Annabelle, her rage temporarily gone. “What does she have for me that’s so damn important she had to have Elena abducted?”

 

“I don’t know and that’s the honest truth.” Annabelle answered, pure truth shining in her eyes and didn’t move from the floor in case the Salvatore brothers decided to rip her to shreds. “All I know is she’s expecting you to meet her at the Wickery Bridge in an hour.  If you don’t…Elena will die.”

 

Ebony took a chance and looked over at Damon, knowing exactly what that meant. “I’m the bait.” She whispered, looking back at Annabelle and swiped the wooden weapon from the floor, holding it up to her. “I should stake you here and now for what you’ve done, but I’m not that kind of vampire.  Unlike you, I actually have compassion and understand what it means to protect the people you love.”

 

Annabelle nodded, blinking when Ebony tossed the splinter of wood away and extended her hand, being pulled up to her feet. “Elena hasn’t been harmed, but I’m not sure how much longer that will be.  You need to come up with a plan and fast because Katherine wants you and Damon there alone.  If anyone else goes and she senses it, Elena’s dead.” Her eyes moved to Stefan, knowing he would hate hearing that. “So I really hope your witch friend can help.”

 

“I can and I will.” Bonnie stated confidently, stepping forward. “I already knew where Elena was, thanks to a location spell.  If I can get close enough, I can send an aneurism to Katherine’s brain and immobilize her long enough to get Elena out of there.”

 

“Katherine can’t know I’m on your side or she will kill my mother.” Annabelle said, one of the main reasons she came to the Salvatore’s because they both had loved ones in danger. “We both have something to lose in this if we don’t work together.”

 

“Then let’s go.  No more talking.” Damon stated, grabbing Ebony’s hand with determined electric blue eyes. “We have a vampire slut to take down and people to save.”

 

Chapter 35

 

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at Wickery Bridge.

 

Damon screeched his Camaro to a halt that blocked off the road, smoke flying up behind them from burning rubber off the tires.  Ebony instantly flew out of the car at the sight before them, not waiting for Damon.  Cursing, Damon had also spotted what Ebony had and flew out of the car after her, wishing she would think before acting.

 

Ebony ran to the middle of the bridge and dropped to her knees, placing a hand on her shoulder, shaking her a little. “Elena.” She called out urgently, keeping her voice down and could feel Damon walk up behind her, frowning. “Elena, it’s Ebony.  You have to wake up.”

 

“She’s out cold.” Damon stated, bending down to brush hair from Elena’s neck to check her pulse, gritting his teeth. “Correction, she’s dead.”

 

“WHAT?!” Ebony shouted, snapping her head over her shoulder at Damon with wide grey eyes. “What do you mean DEAD?”

 

“I mean dead as in no pulse, no heartbeat, not breathing.” Damon clarified, slowly standing up straight as all the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. “Annabelle lied to us.”

 

“No she didn’t.” A sultry voice sounded from behind, causing both Ebony and Damon to whip around. “Though she has betrayed me.  The stupid girl obviously doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut.”

 

Ebony was on her feet instantaneously, blocking Elena from further harm and glared at the woman coming toward them out of the shadows.  She sounded so familiar, but Ebony couldn’t place the voice and honestly didn’t care.  The most important thing was getting Elena out of there, even though they’d been too late in saving her.  First, they had to deal with Katherine, the heels clicking against the wooden bridge echoing around them.

 

“Katherine.” Damon practically snarled, his eyes turning pure to pure ice because he could make out the silhouette through the fog. “You do realize you killed your only leverage.” He pointed out, tensed and coiled, ready to tear her head off her shoulders.

 

Seductive laughter flowed back at them as the silhouette continued staying hidden, but Damon recognized that voice anywhere. “Oh my sweet innocent Damon, how I’ve missed you.” Her voice was a deep purr, brown eyes flashing through the darkness at him. “You’ve definitely changed for the better, I see.”

 

“No thanks to you.” Damon spat back, instinctively pushing Ebony behind him, ready to defend her with his life if need-be. “What the hell is your game, Katherine?  You killed Elena all because you wanted to meet Ebony.  Why?”

 

“On the contrary, darling, I did no such thing.” Katherine chirped happily, finally walking out of the fog and smirked at the knowing look on Ebony’s face, folding her arms in front of her chest. “I see you’ve already been told everything you need to know, Ebony.”

 

“Don’t speak to her.” Damon ordered, having filled Ebony in on the whole doppelganger situation when they first arrived in Mystic Falls. “You’re dealing with me right now, leave her out of this.”

 

“But I haven’t properly introduced myself.” Katherine persisted, twirling a loose curl of her hair around her finger almost teasingly, smiling softly at one of her creations. “My, my I can feel the strength radiating from you, Damon.  So strong and masculine.” With each word spoken, Katherine never stopped walking toward him, her eyes locked with his. “I’ve missed you.”

 

“No you haven’t.” Damon shot back, trying not to let his emotions overwhelm him at the sight of Katherine, still not believing she’d been alive all this time. “What do you want with Ebony?”

 

Shrugging nonchalantly, Katherine peeked behind Damon to stare at the raven haired beauty, her upper lip curling in disdain. “I wanted to meet the woman who has finally stolen your attention away from me.” She said softly, noting how protective Damon was of the whore and couldn’t help snorting derisively.

 

Ebony didn’t look back at Katherine, bent down beside Elena with tears stinging her eyes. “There was no reason to kill her…” She whispered, loud enough for Katherine to hear and wished they hadn’t left Mystic Falls.

 

Sighing exasperatedly, Katherine suddenly flew past Damon to stand on the other side of Elena and Ebony, getting a closer look at her current interest. “Hmmm long hair, haunting eyes and a kindred spirit.  Make one move toward me, Damon, and I will decapitate her before you can blink.”

 

The threat was so softly spoken that a regular human would’ve construed the tone as sweet.  Damon knew better than to cross Katherine at the moment and growled, hoping Bonnie had her spell ready.  Ebony was thinking the same thing, wondering if there was any way they could bring Elena back to life, but first they had to get her out of Katherine’s clutches.

 

“Why did you kill her?” Ebony demanded for the final time, slowly standing up and squared her shoulders, lips pursed tightly together. “She didn’t do anything to you.”

 

“For the last time, I did not kill her.” Katherine stated irritably, which was never a good sign as she clasped her hands behind her back, taking a step toward Ebony.

 

What did that mean? “She has no pulse and she’s not breathing…” Ebony pointed out, confusion crossing her face and watched as an evil grin crossed Katherine’s face, swallowing hard. “Her heart isn’t beating…”

 

“And yet, you seem to have forgotten the process.” Katherine sounded disappointed, her eyes moving from Ebony to Damon. “Did you not teach her anything, my darling?”

 

Unlike Ebony, Damon knew exactly what Katherine had done and felt the anger welling inside of him, looking downright dangerous. “You no good slut.” He hissed, fighting back taking a step because Ebony was right in the middle of them, shaking his head. “What did you do?”

 

“What had to be done.” Katherine mused, suddenly feeling a presence and started laughing, the sound sending shivers down Ebony’s spine. “You FOOL!!  Did you really think your pathetic witch would be any match for ME?  And more importantly than that, did you honestly believe I didn’t have a witch of my OWN for backup?”

 

A gasp of air suddenly came from Elena as she bolted upright on the bridge, Ebony dropping to her side while Damon glared ice daggers back at Katherine. “Elena!” Ebony cupped her face, seeing she was completely freaked out and tried getting her to focus, suddenly cottoning onto what Katherine did. “Elena, look at me.  It’s Ebony.  You’re okay.”

 

“For now.” Katherine added, walking away from them to lean over the edge of the Wickery Bridge, the night air sweeping over her. “It feels so good to be back home.  I’ve missed this place.” She sighed wistfully, the nostalgia washing over her temporarily.

 

“W-What’s happening?” Elena stammered out, breathing heavily and couldn’t stop holding her throat, tears swelling in her eyes. “I-I don’t remember…”

 

“It’s okay.” A few tears slipped down Ebony’s cheeks as relief coursed through her, thankful Elena wasn’t completely dead. “Everything is going to be okay.  Just breathe.” She looked over at Katherine through narrowed deadly grey eyes, refusing to leave Elena’s side. “Why did you do this?  Was this your surprise for me that Annabelle told us you had?  There was no reason for you to do this to her!”

 

“Ah yes, my surprise for you.” Katherine cogitated thoughtfully, turning to stare back at the puny pathetic vampire Damon had created. “You should be thanking me, Ebony.  Show a little respect, it’s more like a gift than anything.  One I KNOW you will appreciate.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Damon was right, Katherine loved playing mind games with anyone she crossed paths with, eyebrows furrowing together. “I don’t understand…”

 

“You will shortly.” Katherine assured, suddenly putting two fingers in her mouth and let out an ear piercing whistle, the biggest smile crossing her face. “You can come out now, my dear.”

 

Ebony and Damon both watched as another silhouette in the shape of a body started walking toward them.  Each step made Ebony breathe a little harder, Elena in transition temporarily forgotten as she shakily stood up.  Damon was only a few feet away from Ebony and he felt helpless because he couldn’t go to her, thick black eyebrows drawing together.

 

“Oh my god…” Ebony covered her open mouth with her hand, the fog almost opening up like a curtain, revealing the individual. “It can’t be…”

 

A blonde stood before her that looked as though her hair was soft to the touch, hanging down her back in waves.  Her deep jade eyes were completely blank and emotionless, staring back at Ebony with a cold smile on her face.  She wore a black leather skirt with a black tank top, black fishnet stockings and two inch knee high black steel toed boots on her feet.

 

“Hello again, Ebony.”

 

Ebony could hardly breathe, every part of her body trembling as so many different emotions consumed her.  Tears flowed down her cheeks as she stared back at the woman she thought was dead and gone.  The woman who had stood beside her throughout the eighteen years of pure hell in the orphanage.  The woman who had given her the ring that currently allowed her to walk in the daylight and never left her finger.

 

“Ashley.” Was this a sick joke?  Was this really happening or was this just a mirage, another mind game?  Another dream that Ebony wasn’t able to wake up from.

 

“Ebony, don’t!” Damon growled, hardly believing his own eyes at the sight of Ashley standing before them, glaring over at Katherine. “You’ve got some serious explaining to do.”

 

Katherine cackled wickedly, watching in adoration as Ashley slowly walked toward Ebony, brown eyes gleaming in the darkness. “What’s there to explain, Damon?” She gestured to the reunion that was currently happening, the biggest smile on her face. “I think everything that’s happening speaks for itself.”

 

“I killed her.” Damon stated the obvious, having a feeling Katherine wouldn’t kill Ebony right now and took a step toward her. “I drained her of blood and left her body in an alleyway.  So explain to me HOW THE HELL SHE’S CURRENTLY ALIVE!!”

 

“My, my you do have a temper.” Katherine crooned, slowly sauntering up to Damon, running a single fingernail across his broad muscular chest. “When did you get so hot?”

 

“Don’t play games with me, Katherine.” Damon warned, chancing a glance over at Ebony, who was seemingly in shock and still moving toward Ashley. “Tell me what you did.”

 

Katherine sighed resignedly, also watching the two girls, and looped her arm through his. “The night you met Ashley was all planned to happen, Damon.” She didn’t sound regretful at all while speaking. “You see, I was keeping an eye on you while you were in Chicago, seeing your little witch friend…Desiree was it?  I gave Ashley my blood that night and compelled her to find you, have sex with you and let you have your way with her.  When you killed her, my blood brought her back to life and voila!  Here she is.”

 

“It’s amazing isn’t it, Ebbie?” Ashley asked softly, every part of her glowing in the night. “The taste of human blood, it gives you this incredible power doesn’t it?”

 

“Ash…” Ebony could barely speak, trembling from head to toe. “I thought you were dead…”

 

“I was Ebbie.  I was dead…until Katherine rescued me and opened me up to this new incredible world.  The ultimate gift.  Immortality.” Ashley now stood before her once best friend and confidante, jade eyes pure venom. “When I left the orphanage, Katherine found me one night sifting through the garbage cans on the streets, nearly freezing to death.  And I would have if she hadn’t taken me in and gave me shelter.  That night, she compelled me so I would allow her to drink my blood, which was amazing in itself.  Then she explained to me what she was what creatures existed in our world and asked if I wanted to join her ways of life.  She told me that I could shut my emotions off and never feel pain again, which is all I’ve felt my entire pathetic human life.  It was my choice to do this and…” Those venomous eyes moved from Ebony to Damon, her tongue snaking out to lick her lips. “I must say the way he killed me was euphoric and the perfect way to die in order to start my transition.”

 

Ebony’s eyes narrowed to slits, glaring at Ashley with pure disdain and disbelief. “Why didn’t you come for me?  You promised me we would venture the world together and live life to the fullest!!  I mourned you for THREE YEARS, Ashley!!  Do you have any idea how broken I was when you were found dead in the alleyway?  Was that all a plan too?”

 

“Yes.” Ashley smiled, no remorse in her voice. “After Damon killed me, Katherine followed him to where he put my body.  The snapping of the neck was a little much, but I was already dead, so I don’t hold it against him.” She winked in his direction and laughed when he flipped her off, shrugging. “Katherine recovered my body and helped me through my transition…” Her eyes suddenly flashed, turning back to look at Ebony. “My first taste of human blood and she had the perfect human selected.  That bitch from the orphanage that made our lives miserable the whole eighteen years we were forced to live there.  I drained her completely dry until she was nothing but skin and bones.”

 

“Mrs. Henry…” Ebony suddenly remembered being in the orphanage when her death happened and nobody knew exactly how she died. “Everyone thought she had a heart attack…”

 

“Yes, a lame cover up if you ask me.” Ashley snorted derisively, folding her arms in front of her chest. “I got my revenge.  I survived the only way I knew how, but I never stopped thinking about you, Ebbie.  You were always on my mind.  Katherine promised me we would be reunited if I did something for her in return and she hasn’t disappointed me.” To answer the current question bubbling up inside Ebony, Ashley merely turned toward the still transitioning Elena Gilbert, smirking. “I’m the one who fed her my blood and snapped her neck, all for you.  It’s so great to see you again, sister.”

 

When Ashley came toward her with arms open, Ebony finally regained feeling back in her legs and stepped back, shaking her head. “Don’t touch me.” She ordered gravely, looking over at the still confused Elena as more tears slid down her face. “I’m not your sister anymore.” Ebony suddenly took the daylight ring off her finger and chucked it right at Ashley, the rage building within her. “As far as I’m concerned, sister, you died the moment you met Katherine Pierce and became her little bitch.”

 

Ashley hissed out, veins in her cheeks instantly forming, sclera’s turning a crimson red that made her venomous green eyes pop. “You will regret doing that.” She promised, suddenly flying full force at Ebony and tackled her to the bridge.

 

“EBONY!!” Damon went to save her, only to stop when Katherine flew over to Elena, having her in a vise grip.

 

“Go near them and I will kill her for good.” Katherine promised, having broken off a piece of the Wickery Bridge that was made of solid wood, holding it right over Elena’s heart, her forearm pressed against her throat. “Besides, we haven’t finished talking yet, my sweet Damon.”

 

Chapter 36

 

“Let her go right now!!” A voice sounded behind them, causing Katherine to turn around with Elena, eyes shining brightly.

 

“Well hello there Stefan, I was wondering when you would join our little party.” She crooned, slowly moving toward him. “Why don’t you come inside and get your precious Elena?”

 

“Stefan, don’t!” Damon shouted when Stefan took a step, knowing they were in some kind of barrier that prevented anyone from leaving once entered. “She had a witch cast a spell, we’re trapped right now.”

 

Katherine stuck her bottom lip out in a pout, running a single fingernail down Elena’s cheek. “If you don’t join us, I might have to get rough with her.” She informed him softly, loving how violently Elena trembled.

 

Stefan quickly shared a look with Damon, both of them simultaneously nodding while Katherine gazed down at her prey. “Don’t do it, Katherine.” Stefan continued distracting her, slowly moving toward the invisible barrier. “I’ll come inside, but not until you let Elena go.”

 

“This is not negotiable, Stefan.” Katherine suddenly pushed the piece of wood into Elena’s chest, piercing the first two layers of skin.

 

Elena screamed out in pain, the wood feeling as though it was burning her skin, tears instantly falling. “S-Stefan…!!” She gasped out, instantly moving her hands to the wood and tried pulling it away, but Katherine was far stronger than her.

 

“Last chance to save her, Stefan.”

 

“Katherine!” Damon shouted, gaining her attention momentarily while trying to think of a way to get Elena to safety. “You said you missed me, so why are you so worried about Stefan?”

 

“Because I love him.” Katherine chirped, glancing over her shoulder at Stefan and smirked when his head lowered, before looking back at Damon. “I did miss you, Damon, but I’ve never loved you.  It was always Stefan.  I was simply using you to get to him.”

 

“Katherine, that’s enough.” Stefan interjected, raking a hand through his hair and once again gained her attention, hoping Damon wouldn’t hesitate after hearing that confession.

 

Before Damon could react, his eyes widened when Katherine was suddenly tackled to the bridge by Ebony.  The piece of wood Katherine used to hurt Elena was suddenly sunk deep into her abdomen, which immobilized Katherine.  The cut above Ebony’s eye was already healed, leaving behind smears of blood, joining the others that adorned her face.  Katherine was in shock as she tried pulling the wood out, but Ebony’s strength overwhelmed her, crying out at the applied pressure.

 

This vampire bitch had taken away the one person Ebony considered family and it wasn’t about to happen again with Elena. “You think you’re so big and bad, that you get everything you want.  I’ve got news for you, slut, I’ve been around the block MORE than a few times and know how to defend myself.” The crunching of wood echoed throughout the night as Ebony drove the wood further inside, starting to actually push it up inside Katherine’s chest. “You took her away from me.  YOU killed Ashley, not Damon and made him believe that you actually gave a damn about him!  You are responsible for all the innocent blood that’s been shed.  You broke his heart, but that’s fine because I mended it.  Unlike you, I know a good thing when I have it and will KILL to protect anything and anyone I love.”

 

The wood barely grazed Katherine’s heart as Ebony wrapped her hand around Katherine’s throat, squeezing.  Just the same way she killed Ashley, Ebony was going to same thing to Katherine, glancing over at a sobbing Elena.  It was the only way to protect everyone Ebony cared about and loved, especially Damon. 

 

Damon had to look away, along with Stefan and Elena, as Ebony literally tore Katherine’s head off, decapitating her.  Blood sprayed a little over Ebony, but it didn’t bother her as she jammed the wood into Katherine’s heart for added insult to injury.  Slowly standing up with smears of blood down her arms, neck and face, Ebony immediately went over to where Elena was, bending down to check on her.

 

“It’s healing…” Elena whispered, pulling her shirt up enough to assess the damage. “Ebony, I don’t know how to thank you…”

 

“You’re my friend, Elena.” Ebony stated simply, wrapping an arm around her waist and lifted her to stand, stumbling a little. “There’s no thanking necessary.” Ebony jumped slightly when she felt an arm wrap around her waist, looking up into the worried aquamarine eyes of Damon and leaned against him, completely drained. “How the hell are we supposed to get out of here if we can’t leave?” She muttered softly, knowing they would have to clean the bodies of Ashley and Katherine up before leaving.

 

“I think I can help with that.” Bonnie said, coming out of the darkness with her grimoire in hand, not noticing what happened to Elena yet. “Stand back, Stefan.”

 

“It’ll be okay, Elena.” Stefan promised, hating that her choice to remain human had been taken away and didn’t know how Bonnie was going to react once she found out.

 

“Close your eyes because this is going to be incredibly bright.” Bonnie instructed, already closing her own while holding her hand over the grimoire, the pages suddenly flipping of their own accord.

 

“WAIT!”

 

Both Ebony and Elena blinked as Damon suddenly flew away from them to retrieve something, flying back seconds later. “Put this on.” He ordered, holding Ebony’s daylight ring that was her last connection to Ashley. “The sun will be up soon.”

 

“No.” Ebony refused, looking away from him and closed her eyes painfully, needing to remain strong for a little longer or else she would crumble. “Do the spell, Bonnie.  I’ll be fine.”

 

“Don’t you dare, witchy!” Damon growled, cupping Ebony’s face and forced her heartbroken eyes to meet his. “Just until we get back to the mansion.  You don’t know what this bright light will do and I don’t want you hurt any more than what you already are.”

 

“He has a point.” Bonnie admitted grudgingly, narrowing her dark eyes in Damon’s direction. “The bright light is going to feel like you’re engulfed in sun.  I don’t know if it’ll have the same effect, but you could end up burning up in seconds.”

 

“Just put it on you anywhere.  As long as it’s physically on you, you’re protected.” Damon pleaded and suddenly just shoved it in her front jean pocket, stopping her hand from removing it. “I will break your arm if you don’t leave it alone.” He growled, nodding over at Bonnie.

 

Bonnie set the grimoire down on the asphalt, the entire bridge in the barrier and raised her arms in the air, the wind instantly picking up.  She began chanting in a different tongue and all Ebony could do was stand there, watching as the trees swayed dangerously back and forth.  Thunder rumbled in the distance as leaves swirled up around everyone, Bonnie reaching a crescendo.

 

“WHOA!!” Stefan jumped back when a bolt of lightning suddenly flew out of the sky and hit the barrier, making a huge crackle.

 

The entire barrier turned a bright white before slowly beginning to denigrate, making it look like glitter as the barrier slowly dissolved until there was nothing.  The wind instantly slowed down along with the trees, the sky lit brightly with stars and the moon.  Stefan slowly stood back up, having shielded himself from the bright light and watched as Bonnie nodded before flying over to where Elena was.

 

“Stefan.” Elena whispered weakly, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as he lifted her in his arms, getting her out of there.

 

Ebony pulled away from Damon and took the ring out of her pocket as soon as they stepped off the bridge, hurling it as far as she could into the woods.  She wanted nothing to do with it, silent tears flowing down her cheeks and didn’t care if Damon broke her arm.  Feeling him walk up behind her, Ebony suddenly turned around and buried her face in his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him as the sobbing started.  Decapitating Ashley was the hardest decision Ebony ever had to make, but she did it to save the man she loved as well as her new best friend.

 

Still, it didn’t hurt any less that Ashley was officially gone.

 

Damon didn’t know what to say and just held her, knowing he had to get her back to the mansion before the sun came up. “We’ll get you another one.” He didn’t know how because something told him witchy wouldn’t help, running his fingers through her hair soothingly. “Let’s go home, Ebony.”

 

Nodding, Ebony walked with him toward the Camaro, though she stopped to look back at the bodies on the bridge. “What about…?”

 

“I’ll take care of them.” Damon whispered, placing a finger over her lips when Ebony went to protest. “We’ll bury Ashley properly, now come on.” He glanced over at Bonnie, waving his free hand. “You too witchy, Elena is going to want to see you.”

 

Bonnie looked skeptical, reluctantly following and slipped in the backseat, Ebony in the passenger.  Damon didn’t waste a second in pulling out of there and flew back to the mansion as fast as he could, holding Ebony’s hand.  Ebony just stared out the window, so many thoughts running through her mind and pressed her forehead against the cool window, the sky slowly brightening little by little.

 

Pulling up to the mansion, Damon didn’t waste time getting Ebony inside with Bonnie following suit, already hearing Elena’s crying coming from the library.  Stefan could deal with her because Damon’s number one priority was making sure Ebony was alright, guiding her down the hallway.  He suddenly stopped, not releasing Ebony’s hand and turned to stare at Bonnie, wondering if it was even worth asking for her help one last time.

 

“Hey witchy?” He called, stopping her from walking toward the library.

 

“What?” Bonnie asked resignedly, having gotten used to that nickname and couldn’t help feeling terrible for Ebony.

 

“Look, I know you don’t like me and the feelings mutual, but this isn’t about me.  This is about Ebony.  Can you make her another daylight ring?” Damon asked straightforwardly, his tone completely even, suddenly wishing he wouldn’t have sent Bree to her death with opening the tomb.

 

“Bonnie, you don’t-”

 

“Yes.” Ebony’s eyes widened when Bonnie suddenly walked toward her and wrapped her arms around Ebony’s neck, hugging her tightly. “You’re my friend, Ebony.  You proved that tonight by protecting Elena again.” She whispered, closing her eyes to hide the building tears.

 

Returning the embrace, Ebony felt the fresh tears slide down her cheeks and somehow believed what the witch said. “Go to her.” She whispered, stepping back after a few seconds, not bothering to wipe her tears away. “She needs you now more than ever, Bonnie.  Keep an open mind and remember what happened to her isn’t anyone’s fault except Katherine and Ashley’s…”

 

Bonnie didn’t fully understand what Ebony meant by that and suddenly rushed into the library to where Elena was.  Damon was thankful that Bonnie was cooperating with them, hoping she did after finding out that Elena was now a vampire.  He would let Stefan handle that situation, guiding Ebony toward his bedroom upstairs, knowing tonight had taken a lot out of her.

 

Ebony sat on the bed while Damon pulled the shades closed to block out the pending sunlight and reached down to remove her shoes.  Both of them simultaneously closed their eyes when sobbing reached their ears from downstairs.  Bonnie knew the truth and Elena wasn’t handling very well, still in transition since she refused to drink the blood bag Stefan had. 

 

Blocking them out, Damon pulled Ebony up on her feet and cupped her face in his hands tenderly, softly kissing her.  There was no point in asking if she was alright because he knew she wasn’t, so this was the only step Damon felt he could make to help her.  All Ebony could do was kiss him back, cupping the back of his neck and felt their bodies mold together, thankful nothing happened to him.

 

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” Damon rumbled against her lips, sliding his hands beneath her shirt and frowned when she stopped him.

 

“You need to go clean the Wickery Bridge up before someone spots their bodies.” Ebony could only whisper because the pain of killing Ashley by her own hand was still very fresh. “Katherine turned my sister into a monster, it wasn’t Ashley’s fault, no matter what she said.  I’ll take a shower and get cleaned up while you’re gone, then help you bury her body.”

 

“Ebony…” Damon sighed when she pressed a finger to his lips, knowing he couldn’t deny this woman anything even if he wanted. “You have me spellbound, you know that right?”

 

“As you have me.” Ebony ran a finger down his cheek, kissing him even softer than the first time. “Now go on, text me where you plan on burying her and I’ll meet you there.”

 

Nodding, Damon flew out of the room, grabbing a body bag from the basement and left the mansion to do what Ebony wanted, not bothering to take his car.  He ended up placing Katherine’s body right on top of the tomb burial, lighting the whole thing on fire and stayed until he could no longer see her body.  Then he whipped his cell phone out and texted Ebony, letting her know where to meet him for Ashley’s final resting place.

 

It wasn’t in Mystic Falls.

 

“Where are we going?” Ebony asked, once they were on the road with Ashley’s body in the trunk and laced her fingers with Damon’s.

 

“The only place fitting enough for Ashley.” He pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it at her, smiling. “Bonnie told me to give that to you.” The sun was just about to rise over the horizon and Bonnie had done what she said she would, though it wasn’t a ring.

 

Slowly flipping open the black velvet box, Ebony looked down at the black onyx stone cut in the shape of a heart that was dangling from a thick silver chain. “Oh wow…” She breathed, feeling Damon pull over on the side of the road and handed it over to him as he took it out, deftly clipping it around her neck.

 

“Your new and improved daylight jewelry.” Damon announced, having picked it out especially for her from the Salvatore family safe. “It was my mother’s, which is why it probably has an old classy feel to it, but I thought it fit you perfectly.”

 

Smiling with unshed tears in her eyes, Ebony leaned over to passionately kiss him and hugged him tightly. “I love it, thank you.” She murmured in his ear softly, pulling back to stare in his eyes and reluctantly pulled back so he could continue driving.

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

Turns out, Damon ended up bringing Ebony back to where it all began – Chicago.  They went to Ashley’s grave and compelled the owner of the cemetery to let them dig her casket up.  Ebony didn’t open the body bag because she knew Ashley was in two pieces, simply letting Damon do the dirty work while she silently mourned her friend. 

 

It didn’t take long and Damon stood beside her when it was all said and done, their fingers laced together.  On the ride back to Mystic Falls later that day, all Ebony could do was breathe the fresh air in and knew Ashley was in a better place, just as she was.  Looking over her shoulder at Damon, Ebony knew she was spellbound to him from the moment they first met in the strip club’s parking lot and would be for the rest of her immortality, completely fine with it.

 

What Ebony didn’t realize was Damon felt the exact same way about her and would be spellbound, even after death.

 

The End.