I woke to Stefan rubbing my arm up and down and calling my name. I rubbed my eyes and assessed him. He was now clean with new clothes and no sign that he had just killed two innocent girls. But I could see past the façade in his eyes and saw that his roots were breaking. Snapping under pressure. Everything that kept him stable. I pressed my hand against his cheek softly and that was all he needed. He let a breath out and smiled out me.
He didn't realise what I did to him. All he knew was that I had my hand on his cheek. Unknown to him. I was giving him a little confidence and courage.
"Hey, how you feelin'?" I asked, sitting up, where I found myself in a bed in a hotel room.
"Like I just killed two people." He said bluntly.
"How are you dealing with it?"
"Not so well. But the key is to keep Klaus happy. So I won't show any emotion. Please don't stuff this up for me and make him angry." He begged.
"Where is the devil?" I asked looking around rolling my eyes.
"I can hear him coming up the stairs." He said.
"Alright well I'm going to have a shower. Okay." I said getting out of the bed and walking over to the bathroom.
I got undressed and climbed into the shower. I could hear them talking over the running water.
"Harry found him, he's just across the road." Nik said.
"And what do you want me to do when we go and see him." Stefan asked in his fake hard voice.
"Well I want you to go in there and compel everyone that whatever they see. They are not allowed to run, scream or tell anyone about what they see." Nik said.
There was silence then a door closing.
They must have left.
Once I was finished in the shower, I turned the glorious water off and climbed out.
I wrapped a towel around me and opened to bathroom door to see Nik lying of the unmade bed, with his ankles crossed and hands behind his head. I didn't flinch, or even acknowledge that he was there. All he wanted was a reaction and I wasn't going to give him one.
I opened my suitcase and pulled out a pair of black jeans and a button up red top. I got my matching bra and under wear and my makeup bag. Then walked back into the bathroom. I got changed and applied a little makeup before coming out. I put everything else away and grabbed my phone. I slipped into my black heels comfortably.
"Nicklaus what do you want?" I sighed getting annoyed from his constant stares.
He just shrugged.
"Come one let's go." He said getting up from the bed and walking out the door.
I followed him downstairs and across the road into the bar.
The stench of sweat, blood, alcohol, puke, and BO filled the room. I didn't care about what Nik was doing I just went straight to the bar and ordered 4 shots.
"What do you think you're doing?" Nik asked in an accusing tone.
"Swimming the English Channel." I said sarcastically while I took my 2nd shot, "What are you doing?" I asked giving him a look.
Before turning back to my shots. I had one left and right before I could drink it Nik took it off me and drank it.
"What is with you and attention?" I said in my shocked voice, "And stealing my alcohol." I pouted.
Nik's eyes became attached to my mouth but then he heard something and turned around.
"Look there he is." Nik said pointing at the guy that just walked in.
This mysterious Ray wore jeans and a blue, white and red plaid shirt. He sat down at the bar; a couple seats down from us, and ordered a beer.
Nik and I walked over to him. I sat in the seat next to him and Nik stood on his left.
"Ray? Ray Sutton?" Nik asked.
"Who wants to know?" The guy asked looking down at his beer.
"I've been looking everywhere for you, we started in Florida Tacoma, we met a young chap there who you worked with before you moved to Memphis. Now he directed us to two lovely young women and they led us here. To you." Nik said.
"I think I'll be going." Ray said getting out of his seat.
Nik gave me a smirk, to which I replied with a rolling of my eyes. Nik then got up and stopped him from leaving.
"Not so fast mate, you only just got here, now your type are very hard to come by." He said.
Ray then turned to walk the other way and Stefan appeared.
"I wouldn't do that." Stefan said pushing him slightly against the bar.
"Vampire's." He whispered.
"Your swifty swift Ray. Yes my friend here is a vampire. My friend has compelled everyone in the bar so don't look to them for any help. I however I'm something else a different kind of monster. I got some vampire, I got some wolf..."
"You what?" Ray asked shocked at what he said.
"A hybrid Ray, I'm both. You see I want to create more of me. And since you are the first wolf I've come across in many a moon, pun intended right. 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." Ray said.
Nik eyed Stefan who cleared his throat.
"Hey can I get a scotch on the rocks." Stefan asked the bartender.
"Tell you what Ray. Let's play a little drinking game, something I like to call. Truth or wolfsbane." Stefan said pulling out wolfsbane from the little black bag.
"Oh, this is going to be fun Ray." Nik mocked.
I took a bottle of tequila from the bar and began pouring my own drinks.
Stefan chained Ray up near the dart board and began throwing darts soaked in scotch and wolfsbane at him.
"Let's play a little drinking game of our own shall we." Nik suggested.
"Sure why not. What do you want to play?" I asked.
"Flip, sip, strip and snog." He said.
"Seriously?" I asked eyeing him.
"The rules are. We flip a coin and guess what it lands on. If we guess right we get to ask the other a question and the other must answer truthfully. If we guess wrong we need to take a shot and remove a piece of clothing. If we both guess the same answer we have to.....Kiss." Nik said wiggling his eyebrows up and down at me.
"Nik I've played this before I know the rules. We need more than two players." I said making up an excuse for not playing it.
"Stefan would you mind flipping the coin for us whilst you torture Ray?" Nik asked keeping his eyes on me while he talked.
"Sure why not. I'm getting bored anyway." Stefan said before picking a coin out of his pocket and flipping it in the air.
"Heads." I said, at the same time Nik said.
"Tails."
I sighed a breath of relief when he didn't say heads.
"It's Tails." Stefan said smiling at me.
I picked up the bottle poured a shot a downed it before kicking off my heels.
"Where were you in 1860?" He asked narrowing his eyes at me
"I was with Elijah in Madrid, Spain. We were there for a long time. 8 years I think. I had a lot of charges in the area." I said truthfully.
"You were with Elijah for 8 years!" He said he was smiling at me, but it was a forced one. He was jealous.
I shouldn't have said what I said next but I did.
"No, I was with him for fifteen years. 8 years in Spain. 7 years in Paris."
He stayed silent and just nodded.
"Stefan!" Nik yelled, though he tried to compose himself. "Toss the Bloody coin."
Stefan then threw another dart at Ray's head before throwing the coin up again.
"Tail's." I said when Nik said.
"Heads."
"It's Tail's." Stefan said before throwing another dart.
Nik downed his shot and removed his shoes.
"Hmmm. Where is your ring?" I said diving into the deep and painful. Because I knew that I may not get another chance. I prayed that Stefan wasn't listening.
His face dropped for a few seconds. He then began to chuckle.
My confidence wavered ever so slightly.
"I see well, should I just assume that it is at the bottom of a river somewhere?" I swallowed deeply before looking at him again.
"I see you wear your first marriage band still." He said trying to change the subject.
"Who ever said that this was my first marriage band?" I said with a sad smile.
He just looked at me and said nothing.
"So Nik, answer the question where is your wedding band?"
He looked at the table for some time. Battling his feelings. Then he looked up and met my eyes. His reached under his shirt from the collar and pulled out his necklaces. He wore them all the time, he never took them off. Even when he showered or slept.
He separated them and held up one. On that one. There hung one thing. A ring. A gold plain band. A wedding band.
I felt tears prickle my eyes.
Stefan flipped the coin again.
"Heads." Nik and I said at the same time.
Nik smirked and without hesitation he kissed me. He tasted sweet, but not too sweet. I had to hold back from moaning when he started to nibble and lick my lips. He was mine. But over the many many years I knew him. I knew we could never be together.
That didn't stop me, from enjoying the now. I moved closer to him wanting more. I ended up in his lap. My hands in his hair, on his face. Feeling up and down his arms. We were lost in the moment though neither of us cared very much. The passion was intoxicating and ever reminding that we couldn't live without each other.
After all the years Nik's kisses were just like the first, passionate, possessive and full of love.
Even though the years that went by we were apart. Gravity and fate always brought us together.
"Mr Klaus." A girl said interrupting us.
We broke apart and I felt Nik's anger and then he took a breath calming down. He left his hand on my waist as if it was nothing. It was like he did it unknowingly.
"You told me to tell you if I saw anything, I saw that guy's brother coming out of the house. The house then burned down." The girl said in a hush voice.
"Well thank you Lara. You tell your friends to keep up the good work, and inform me if anything like this happens again." Nik said watching her walk away.
He let my waist go as a sign for me to get up. So I did wiping my lips in the process to make sure the lipstick I had on didn't look smudged.
Stefan walked up to us.
"My brother's still on our trail?" he asked ignoring me and focusing on Nik.
"He's getting closer. I'm going to have to deal with that." Nik said slipping his shoes back on and walking past Stefan.
Stefan's eyes widened and he grabbed Nik's arm.
"No, no, no let me handle it." Stefan said with wide eyes.
"Why should I let you leave?" Nik asked.
"Because you know I'll come back."
"Do I?" Nik challenged him.
"You saved my brother's life I'm in your service."
"Uh it all sounds so tedious and indentured. Aren't you having the least bit of fun?" Nik said gesturing to Ray
"I'll make sure that my brother doesn't bother us anymore." Stefan said turning to give me a look before leaving the bar.
"We're going to postpone the game love. I need to get Ray to tell me where his pack is." Nik said.
"That's fine by me." I said shrugging.
I put my heels back on and walked over to Ray.
I pulled out the darts quickly so there would be less pain. I then unlocked the chains and pulled him towards the pool table. Nik still stood where he was shocked at what I did. I chained Ray to the pool table.
My phone began ringing.
"Nik I've got to take this. I'll be right back." I said walking towards the exit before he could see who was calling.
I walked out and made sure I was so far away Nik couldn't hear the conversation. I then answered the call.
"Elena, it's very dangerous calling me. What if Nik saw my phone and saw who was calling?" I asked.
"Nik? I don't care! You've been letting Klaus kill innocent people." She yelled.
"A. How do you know that? And B. What makes you think I could stop him? Elena I am strong but he's a ticking time bomb."
"I know this because I found Damon's map and all the articles and the leads I found were all true. He's been lying to me. I felt like an idiot every time. Chasing false leads."
"I told Damon to take the map down and to stop looking. Elena give up. Stefan isn't coming home until Klaus is finished with him. So as long as Stefan is here, I'm here. Making sure he doesn't get bad or killed."
"But you promised to take care of us. How can you do that away from us?" She said sounding weak.
"By checking up on you and having people keep an eye on you while I'm away. Look Elena I need to go. Please stop searching before Nik finds out your alive. And Elena?"
"Yeah?"
"Happy birthday." I said before hanging up.
I put my phone away and walked back inside.
"Oh good your back. Just in time." Nik said.
"What should we do to him? I was thinking of breaking bones, but I was waiting for you." Nik said to me.
"Ah such sweet words." I said shaking my head at him.
"Well?" Nik asked with a smile grabbing Ray's wrist.
"Have you fun and once you're done. I'll have mine." I said with a sick smile before walking over to the bar and pouring a drink.
The bar then filled with Ray's screams. But I didn't care, it was like music to me.
'What is happening to me?' I thought then there was another voice that appeared in my head.
'You are becoming your true self, Azalina. Don't fight it. Because you can't change your true nature. It comes out stronger when you're with your other half.' Mother Valentine said.
After some time Nik joined me at the bar and took the drink I had from my hands. He took a sip.
"He isn't giving it up. Your turn love." He said giving a look.
I jumped of the bar stool and walked over to Ray.
"Hello there darling. How are you holding up?" I asked leaning against the pool table with my hands against the sides.
"Just dandy." He said struggling to breath.
"You won't be when I'm done with you." I said grabbing his chin roughing making his look at me.
"Ray, I'm not human, I'm not a wolf, or a vampire, or a witch. I'm something else entirely. More powerful than any supernatural creature. More powerful than all the supernatural creatures in the world put together. I could search your mind for the location and it would be over within seconds. But I want the location to slip by your lips, so you know in your heart and mind that you gave up your own pack." I said shoving his face away from me.
"Do you want give up location, before I start?" I said cracking my knuckles.
"You...can....go...to hell." He said before spitting blood onto the floor.
I laughed at the irony.
"Oh darling, if only you knew the irony." I said before walking to the end of the pool table.
"Have you ever met a witch Ray?" I asked
"Once or twice."
"Have they ever done that little trick on you where they pop your blood vessels?"
"Yes. What about it."
"Just asking if you've ever had someone play with your brain before." I said stretching.
"W...What?" He said moving his neck so he could see me.
"Hold on, I'm going to take a little trip inside your brain." I said smiling at him.
I then started to stare at him, in a trance. Not long after I had him screaming louder than Nik had.
"What are you doing to him?" Nik said smiling at Ray writhing in pain.
"Have you ever made meat balls? You have to squeeze and roll them in your hands. You pound them, cut them and squish them. That is what I am doing to his brain. He feels my hands squeezing his brain and my finger nails scratching at it." My own words dripping with malice.
"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" He said hugging from behind me. He had his arms around my waist and his chin resting on my shoulder.
"You have, but that was a while ago, I might need reminding." I said smirking, before turning around in his arms to look into his eyes.
He lent down once again to kiss me and like before we lost control. His hands roamed my arms, caressed my neck and massaged circles on my waist. His thumbs slipped beneath my shirt and made me go crazy the feel of his fingers on bare flesh. I had my hands wrapped around his neck clinging to him for dear life. Then he pulled away.
I pouted at him when he removed his hands and returned to his seat.
"Bloody tease." I said pouting at him.
"Continue with your better-than-Nik's-torture-plan." He said gesturing to Ray.
I stuck my tongue out at him and turned back to Ray.
I stopped the assault on his brain and walked over to the front of the table again.
I stroked his face softly making him flinch.
"Hmm, Ray how was that?" I asked softly.
He turned his head carefully and gave me a blank look before turning his head away.
I grabbed his chin roughly and made him look at me.
"I said how was that? Are ready to tell us where your pack is?" I asked smiling at him.
"No, I'll never tell you where they are." He said clenching his teeth together.
I laughed at his attitude but he couldn't stand up against my next attempt.
"Fine, let's see how you like this little trick." I said trailing my hand down his face to his neck then to his chest, his waist then stopping.
That was when the magic began to work, which triggered more screaming.
I removed my hand from his body and stood back to admire.
That was when my phone in my back pocket began to ring.
I turned to Nik.
"I'll quickly take this, back in a sec." I said walking out of the bar once again and walking across the road to the bench.
"Damon, what's going on?" I asked opening the conversation.
"What's going on is that, Stefan killed Andie and warned me to stop trying to find you all. I thought you said to me the other night that he was holding on!" He yelled into the phone making me move the earpiece away from my ear.
"He killed her?" I asked in confusion.
"Yes, he made her jump from a high place and smash her face in. She's gone Azalina."
"Look what do you want me to say? Klaus heard that you were follow us, and Stefan volunteered to go. I couldn't just follow along, that would defeat the purpose. I couldn't have done anything to stop it."
"Azalina, Stefan killed my girlfriend, how am I supposed to take this?"
"Look Damon I know you're hurting right now, but there is nothing I can do, I'm sorry. I've got to go. Please don't do anything stupid." I said hanging up the phone and walking back inside.
"What are you doing to him now, love?" Nik asked as I stole his drink from his hand.
"Well I'm not sure if I'm pulling his organs out, skinning him alive or both at the same time." I said looking at Ray in confusion.
"Ouch." Nik said looking at Ray before looking a little sorry for him.
"Don't worry I won't ever do that to you." I said smirking at him as I handed his drink back.
I walked over to Ray before intensifying the pain.
"Stop! Please! I'll tell you everything!" He screamed.
I smiled and turned around to curtesy at Nik.
He rolled his eyes and strolled over to the pool table and leaned against in as I had done. I did the same on the opposite side as Nik.
I stopped the pain that I was causing him which allowed him to breathe.
"Alright Ray, tell us about your pack. Or do I need to show you want I can do to you again." I said narrowing my eyes at him.
"No! I'll tell you!" Ray said with wide alarmed eyes.
"Every full moon my pack and I meet in the Appalachian Mountains. There are a lot of us, the largest pack in the area. They bring a few humans along to make sure we don't do anything we'll regret. Most of them are partners to some of the wolves. We camp in the area. We all meet the morning of the full moon and stay there till it's over. That's everything." He said slightly breathless.
"Appalachian Mountains? Nice to know." Nik said nodding before grabbing Ray.
"Ok, it's a three step process Ray. Step one, I want you to drink from my wrist." Nik said.
"I've already told you where to find the pack. What more do you want from me?" He asked while struggling to breathe.
"Haven't you been listening to a word I've been saying Ray. I have great plans for you." Nik said before slitting his wrist deeply.
He shoved his wrist into Ray's mouth.
"You'll thank me for it later." Nik said before smiling at me. "There you go, atta boy."
Nik then pulled out his wrist.
"What are you going to do to me now?" Ray asked.
"It's time for step two Ray." He said before snapping his neck.
Nik then looked up and we both saw Stefan.
"Your back?" Nik said in a surprised voice.
"Did you doubt me?" Stefan said.
"Not for a second. I knew you'd pass the test, you still care for your brother for your old life."
"Nah, I don't care about anything anymore."
"You put on a great show Stefan, I almost believe you. Let's hope for your sake your brother does. You never stop caring about family do you? And every time you feed the blood makes it easier to let go." Nik whispered to Stefan.
"Take Azalina for example. She didn't help during the sacrifice because I have something against her. You know it's called? Family." He said to Stefan with his back to me.
He must have known that it wasn't the reason I saved him. He knew how I felt about him. And that I could be by my family's side in a flash to protect them.
His words about me didn't bother me.
The words 'you never stop caring about family do you?' did.
They were the ones that hit me in the heart like a bullet.
A tear escaped my eye and fell to the floor. The two men must have heard it hit the floor because they both turned to look at me. Stefan gave me a look of sorrow then walked out of the bar knocking Nik's shoulder in the process. But he didn't notice. He was too busy staring at me with his mouth slightly open realising what he had said that upset me.
"Azalina..." He started to follow me.
"I'm going to go back to the room." I said making it out of the door and across the road.
I walked upstairs to the room and changed into my pj's wiped my makeup away and climbed into bed.
I then let a few tears come as I remembered family, my poor broken family.
Family can be a weakness but can also be strength. But mostly for me, it's a weakness. I'll do anything for family.