Phantom ❖ Salvatore [2]

THREE

CHAPTER THREE
❝THEIR SECRET PAST❞

"Thanks for coming, Ric," Stefan greeted, glancing down the long hallway at Alaric who had just stepped foot into the massive Boarding House. Damon standing next to the man as he closed the door behind him. Alaric's eyes were wide in amazement — doing his best to try and take in every detail of the infamous home.

Elektra locked eyes with Elena from across the living room; they were still giving each other the cold shoulder. Neither one willing to apologize to the other for their betrayals. She felt a familiar presence sudden sit down beside her, causing her to break her eye contact with Elena to look over. Stefan softly smiled at her, nodding his head in silent assurance.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Damon asked, following behind a confused Alaric as they walked into the living room. "Coffee? Bourbon? Bourbon in your coffee?"

Alaric shook his head, arms crossed over his chest. "Uh, Elena mentioned to me that you needed my help."

"Yeah," Stefan confirmed, watching as Alaric took a seat next to Elena on the couch across from him and Elektra. "We were, uh, hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family.

Alaric arched a brow, glancing at all of them in a questioning manner. "Now why would I know anything about the Lockwoods?"

"Well, you wouldn't," Damon shrugged, taking a seat in the nearby chair. "But your dead-not-dead vampire wife might."

Elektra kept her eyes on Alaric, watching as his eyes sheepishly fell to the floor. She knew that Ric, more than anyone else — including herself, hated to talk about Isobel. And she couldn't blame him. Who would actually want to talk about the woman that left you and practically faked her death just to become a vampire? Who, also just so happens to be their "girlfriend's" nieces' mother. So many red flags.

"Isobel's research from when you guys were at Duke together," Elena spoke up, causing all eyes to fall on her.

"You said that she had spent years researching this town?" Stefan inquired.

Alaric licked his lips. "Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls rooted in folklore and legend. At the time, I thought most of which was—" Alaric hesitated to say the next word, "—fiction."

"Like that amazing vampire story?" Damon joked, the corner of his lips pulling up into a smirk.

"Okay, aside from vampires—" Elektra began, glancing between Stefan and Damon, "—what else? What other types of creatures did she research?"

Alaric looked around, seeming as though he was afraid to say the next thing. She could see why he was so cautious about revealing what Isobel studied. Knowing that it could possibly bring up unsettling thoughts and feelings about his late wife. And they didn't want that.

"Lycanthrope."

"Lycanthrope?" Elektra repeated, a certain amount of sarcasm in her tone. "Like werewolves? Full-moon-silver-hating werewolves? You've got to be kidding me."

"No way," Damon cut in, having agreed with Elektra's skepticism as he stood up from the chair, "Impossible — way too Lon Chaney."