SEMPITERNAL ━━ Damon Salvatore ²

CHAPTER TWO

That twisted feeling sank in her stomach, her bottom lip quivering. "I think I'll be going." She turned to watch the scene once more, spotting Klaus put a stop to Ray's movement. "Not so fast, mate. You only just got here. Now, your type are very hard to come by." Type?, she thought. Ray moved to the opposite side, running straight into Stefan. "I wouldn't do that," the Salvatore spoke blandly, Carter's eyebrows shooting upward. Soon, Ray's big body was pushed into the counter three stools away from her own. She jumped in surprise, shaking from the sudden urge to scream. "Vampires," the man growled, causing Klaus to applaud him sarcastically.

"You're swifty swift, Ray! Yes! My friend here is a vampire. He compelled everybody in the bar, so don't look to them for any help. I, however, I'm something else, a different kind of monster. I've got some vampire, I've got some wolf." His words were mocking the poor guy as he strolled closer and closer as if Ray was his prey. "Klaus," she spoke, yet her voice tried so hard to fail her. It came out as more of a whisper. "A hybrid, Ray. I'm both. You see, I want to create more of me. Now, you being the first werewolf that I've come across in many a moon, pun intended. I need you to direct me to your pack. So, where can I find them, Ray?"

"You can't compel me, it won't work." Stefan starts scratching his head in thought, something he had never done when Carter was around. She bit down on her lip to stop the trembling, unable to speak. He proceeded to turn around after Klaus' nod of approval, pulling something out of his back pocket. "Can you bring out the darts, please?" he asked the bartender politely. "Tell you what, Ray. We're gonna play a little drinking game, something I like to call truth or wolfsbane." She gasped inaudibly, watching as he accepted the darts after pouring a branch of wolfsbane in his palm, crushing it. Klaus snickered, evily might she add. "Oh, this is going to be fun." She watched in horror as the hybrid's eyes glowed an ember color, his hands gripping Ray by his shirt and pinning him to a wall.

Stefan bound him in chains, ripping the fabric of his shirt wide open. "Stop!" she cried out, running toward the two. "Grab her," Klaus demanded Red, who quickly obeyed. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist, holding her back from breaking Ray out. "This is cruel!" she shouted, watching as Stefan threw the first dart. "Stefan!" Ray howled in pain, drowning out her pleas for her best friend to stop. Minutes go by and Ray still hadn't talked. Darts were piercing his skin dangerously close to his heart, Stefan sitting on a table across the room, bored out of his mind. He stirs the dart in a glass full of wolfsbane water, sighing. Carter glared at the vampire, tear tracks staining her face.

Klaus had dragged her to a chair, tying her down with a thick rope. Stefan pulled the dart from the glass and threw it at Ray, piercing his abdomen. Ray howled once more, sweat staining his tanned skin. "Ray, you can end this right now. Just tell me where your pack gathers for the full moon," Stefan told the werewolf, his eyes rolling. "I can't," Ray coughed, breathing hard. He was falling against the chains, a look of pain permanently etched into face. "I know, I know. You live by code and all that, but, see, he's not gonna let me stop until you tell me. And I do whatever he says so, that's the way it goes around here." She glared dangerously at Stefan once again, attempting to pull her wrists free of the restraints, but to no avail.

"Asshole," she mumbled under her breath. "Heard that," he responded to her words, eyes sympathetic. A woman suddenly entered, walking a bee line straight to Klaus. Of course, Carter could hardly hear the conversation, but when Damon's name popped up, her hope was restored. "Well, thank you Claudine. You'll just tell your friends to keep up the good work or they're gonna watch her." She looked to Stefan, who wore the same shocked look on his face. He wiped it off quickly, walking toward Klaus. "My brother still on our trail?" he asked in disinterest, causing her jaw to fall slack. "He's getting closer, I'm gonna have to deal with that," Klaus grumbled, moving away, but Stefan grabbed his arm to stop him. "No, no, no! Let me handle it."

"Why should I let you leave?"

"Because you know I'll come back."

"Do I?"

"Why don't I leave?"

"Shut up, Carter."

"Why shouldn't she leave?"

"You saved my brother's life; I'm at your service."

Klaus chuckled dryly, glancing over at the strawberry blonde. "Ah, you sound so tedious and indentured. Aren't you even having the least bit of fun?" He made sure to add dramatics, pointing at Ray with a dart he had picked up. Stefan stood there, unamused. "I'll make sure that my brother doesn't bother us any more." With that, he left. Klaus pulled a seat in front of the resurrected banshee, lifting her face by her chin. "We're going to have some fun, love. Lots of it." She frowned at his words, her pale green eyes narrowed into slits. With as much courage as she could muster, she spat in his face. Klaus hadn't anticipated that move. His eyes tore away from hers as he swiped his hands to remove her saliva from his face.

"Go to hell," she hissed. His full lips fell into a playful pout as he looked back to his hostage. "I think you'd eventually miss me, love." He ran his thumb against the side of her face, to which she flinched away. She didn't want him to touch her. The only person she wanted to touch her was Damon. "Why don't you let me go, Klaus? Let me go home to my family. I can keep Damon off your trail—" His finger pressed against her lips, shaking his head. "I've got better plans..."