𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄 [𝟐]

𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

"Hey, you." Riley beamed once she heard his husky voice on the other end of the line. "How's the hunger?"

"Annoying." Damon deadpanned with a heavy sigh that finally escaped his lips. "But, if this is what I have to go through to make sure you and the people you love are safe, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Riley nodded slowly. "I never really got a chance to say thank you, for doing what you did. I mean, it sure as hell pissed me off that you didn't tell me sooner, but—"

"—She's your grandmother, Riley. What'd you think I was gonna do, let Enzo kill her? Of course not." A small chuckle finally escaped Damon's lips. "Though, it's nice to know that someone here doesn't think I'm a monster. Stefan keeps giving me his judgy-eyes because of what I did to Aaron Whitmore."

"Stefan's giving you his judgy-eyes because Aaron was Elena's friend and he's worried about how she might take the news when she actually finds out that not only is he dead, but you're the one that killed him." As Riley explained, she could quite literally feel Damon's guilt through the phone. "She wont be mad forever, relax. It's Elena, she has a tendency to make excuses for everyone's behavior, even yours."

"Oh, Riley. Once I'm out of these chains, you and I have a whole lot of catching up to do." The Salvatore purred seductively down the phone, his voice trailing off whilst Riley gently nibbled at her bottom lip.

"Definitely think that can be arranged. And, we shouldn't have to wait too long for that."

"Oh?" Damon echoed, clearly intrigued by the sudden time scale.

"Yeah. In fact, Caroline's out looking for the antidote to the Ripper virus as we speak. So, you, Mr. Salvatore, will owe me a very long night once you're Ripper-free." Riley carried on, a smirk plastered across her lips until Stefan strolled back into the corridor. "Stefan's here. I'll call you back, okay?"

Once she slid her phone into her pocket, Elena appeared in the hall. As she walked toward the two of them, she began to stumble and used a support beam to hold herself up. "I'm not feeling so good all of a sudden." The doppelgänger gave a light smile as her hand pressed against her forehead.

"It's because you're starving." He stated bluntly before he offered up a water bottle full of his blood. "Here. I got you four ounces of my blood. You won't be scaling any buildings, but it'll curb the cravings."

"Thank you." Elena breathed out a sigh of relief. She opened the slid on the water bottle filled with Stefan's blood and downed it within seconds. It was clear that once she had consumed a drop, she nodded more. "I need more."

"Elena. Four ounces is all you can have. You know this." The witch stepped forward and stood beside her best friend, who eyed the doppelgänger up.

"I feel fine. I just— I just need a little more."

"You're not fine, Elena." Stefan shook his head in protest.

Elena groaned out softly, and threw the water bottle on the floor. "Come on, trust me. I just— I can handle this."

Riley tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at the brunette. "Oh, really?"

Stefan lifted his wrist up to his mouth and bit it. He then held his hand out and Elena's eyes were instantly fixed onto the blood pouring from his wound. She sped straight toward the barrier, hissing and growling with her fangs prominent. "You're not fine, Elena."

"She's turned me into a monster." Elena spoke out finally after she gathered her composure and realized that she was not fine at all. "I'm a Ripper, aren't I?"