Chapter 23 - Damon’s Vulnerability

Bullet picked me up after thirty minutes and dropped me off at home. When I arrived, it was almost midnight. It felt like the night was far from over because of the mischievous aura emanating from the full moon tonight. The staff had all retired for the night, so when I arrived, nobody was there to welcome me. I wondered if Evan was here at all, and if Maria was back. I questioned if our strategy was beginning to bear fruit.

Because I couldn't sleep, I didn't go to my bedroom. I walked out the back door, past the cars and the swimming pool, and into a field that was miles and miles of nothing but grass. I strolled beside a narrow strip of enormous trees that was carved out of the stone. I made an effort to figure out what to anticipate when Evan does show up.

The list of poison's ingredients would be necessary, and we would also need a means of gathering everything. Silver would be the most difficult to locate, based on what Maria had said.
It might take several weeks or months for the poison to be ready, at which point we would use it to kill Damon.

I ignored the prickling sensation in my chest that nearly made me feel guilty. I told myself that was just my human side showing. He was the person I would kill if I had to, even though I obviously didn't want to.
To ensure he doesn't detect or recognize that something might be wrong, I would have to figure out a technique to covertly add the poison to his food.
I was startled awake at hearing a movement inside the trees. I was unable to recognize how far I had strayed since I was lost in my thoughts. I turned around, and the mansion appeared smaller in my eyes. From behind a weeping willow, I could hear someone or something.

Stepping closer, I was able to make out the massive man's body hovering over what appeared to be a gravestone. The person was too dark to see clearly. With his palms buried in his hands, he appeared to be sobbing softly. Realizing it was Damon did not take me a while. Who was he grieving? Maybe it was his father.
It was almost wrong to see him in such a vulnerable position; for a brief while, I could not believe what I was seeing.
Is he truly capable of feeling this much grief?

Knowing that I had to go made me aware that Damon would assume I thought poorly of him if he discovered that I had witnessed this. I would be killed by him.
I tried to go in the opposite direction, but I stumbled into a weeping willow's wind-blown branch, which clattered noisily against my face. Even though I realized it was too late, I instantly froze.

"Who's there?" Damon gave a yell. His voice was one of wrath, not weakness. I remained silent, expecting him to brush it off, but I knew better.

He yelled again, "I can smell you, who the hell is it?"

"It's me," I said as I turned to face him as he emerged from the bushes once more. Damon had an insane expression on his face. He seemed insane to me if I hadn't known him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I didn't know you'd be here, I was just taking a walk-"

"Who said you were allowed to do that?"

"I couldn't sleep and then I heard you, I didn't mean to"

"You can never step foot anywhere near this grave-"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."
For a time, he looked at me as if he didn't know what to do with himself. I took a moment to read the words on the tombstone.
Northern Pack Reserve, Alicia Losten.

"Go back to the house, I'll deal with you later."

I was eager to understand what that meant. I scrambled to get out of his way before his real fury showed. I could not resist wondering what this time's punishment would be for me.
I returned to the mansion and had a brief shower. I hastened to get under the bed's navy silk sheets and into some pyjamas. My goal was to go to sleep as soon as possible. I had deceived myself into believing that if I was asleep when Damon returned home, he might forget about me and spare me. I was having trouble falling asleep since I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach that caused my eyes to flicker nervously.

I couldn't even force myself to go unconscious for a short while after an hour had gone. The image of Luke slapping Tiffany lingered in my mind. It must indicate that she is self-destructive for her to drink as much as she does when pregnant, but why? She doesn't seem to be as happy as she claims to be. How about Daphine? When she goes home, how much worse is her fate? My thoughts turned to Evan and the possibility that he was either in this house right now or would be here any moment.

I remembered Damon, in the toilet that night of the party, turning me on beyond belief with his ravenous hands and gaze on my body. I remembered the fiery expression in his eyes after Jacob had touched me. I questioned whether there was anything that really upset him, or if it was just his wrath at being robbed of his belongings.
I heard the bedroom door opening. I closed my eyes as tightly as I could and remained still as much as I could. I knew right away that something was awry as I heard his footsteps getting closer to the bed. Whenever Damon needed to change, he would head to the closet or the bathroom, never to the bed.
Please please... please...
Hands reached beneath the covers and grabbed at my feet, causing me to cry aloud. Like I was weightless, Damon yanked me across the bed and slung me over his shoulders. I kicked and beat at his chest and hammered on his back.

"Let me go you fucking asshole, let me go now!"

As he strode down the stairs and into the pitch-black hallways, Damon said, "You obviously didn't learn anything tonight." He had a firm grip, but I was afraid he would throw me down the stairs. I could not give up without a struggle, even though I knew where he was heading.

"Put me down, now!" I howled loudly enough to create the impression of an echo that would undoubtedly wake everyone in the house.

Descending the steps to the cell, Damon strode with pride. In a strange way, it was darker than before. As Damon opened the doors, I heard the sound of the metal chains. I felt like trash when he threw me inside. My knees were scraped by the gravel, and I groaned. I got up and scrambled to get hold of the doors, but Damon had already closed them.

He was saying, "Maybe this will teach you a lesson on how to behave." His statements and the haste with which he was removing the shackles gave me the impression that he was extremely angry, even though I could not see his face.

"Let me out of here," I shook the bars.

"Maybe when you learn your lesson-"

"Damon, please! I am unable to stay here one more night".

A sharp shock of lightning jolted through my bones, causing me to scream aloud. I landed hard on my back on the hard floor, scraping more flesh off my legs.
After the shock of the jolts subsided, I sat there trembling uncontrollably for a moment.

"Don't touch the metal unless you want to be electrocuted to death," Damon whispered," they double in strength every time you touch them."

My mouth wanted to shout at him, but I couldn't. All I could do was groan in reply.

"I'll let you out when i feel like you learned some respect."
After hearing the echoes of his final steps, I was left on my own.