Salvation (TVD Fan Fiction)

Chapter 22

Rhiannon's POV

I made it to the top of the stairs in two graceful leaps and tried to shove away the jealousy that was still pulsing through me. Elena was back now. I told myself it was childish to be envious of the girl. But in my absence, Elena had managed to capture Damon's heart. Damon was blameless, obviously. I wouldn't fault Elena too much if it weren't for the fact that she claimed to love Stefan. She had toyed with Damon's affections and his heart, and that was what bothered me more than anything. Of course, nothing Elena has ever done came close to touching Katherine's duplicity. I hated even thinking about her.

What Katherine had done to Damon, pretending to be in love with him when all she really wanted was Stefan, allowing him to believe she had been sealed up in that damn tomb all those years, making him grief-stricken and heartbroken. Damon had agonized over her since the day he was turned into a vampire, and besides the emptiness that Rowan's compulsion left behind in his heart, Katherine's deception was the reason he had lived his life so nefariously.

That bitch!

I shook my head as I rounded the corner into Damon's room. I inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of his room. I was still in my panther form, and my sense of smell was much more acute. I had forever committed Damon's spicy, chocolaty, bourbon-y scent to my memory. I knew it as well as my own jasmine smell, and Rowan's mixture of pine and rain. When I had shapeshifted downstairs, I recorded Stefan's sandalwood and Elena's floral scent. It would most likely prove to be unnecessary, but it was sometimes useful to know who was around you just by doing something as simple and innocent as breathing.

I heard someone with a heartbeat coming up the stairs, and turned to see Elena walking in the hall past Damon's open door. She looked irritated. I took a small amount of satisfaction at the possibility that I might be the cause of her frustration. Elena paused briefly to flip her hair over her shoulders and stared me down through narrowed eyes.

I hope to hell she doesn't think she scares me.

I slowly prowled over to the door frame, pulled my lips back over my razor teeth and let out a raspy hiss. She bolted out of my sight, and slammed the door to whatever room she scampered into. I flicked my long tail playfully, secretly amused at teaching her a lesson. It was petty, I know. Should I rise above this? Absolutely. Was I ready to rise above it now? No. It would take me awhile, and if Elena continued baiting me it would only take longer.

The only outfit I had was the one I had worn to kill Klaus. I shimmered back to my regular form and grimaced as I searched for it, remembering it had been torn and bloodied from where he had staked me. I finally found my clothes, washed and clean, hanging neatly in Damon's closet. My shirt had even been mended. I pulled the shirt over my head after putting on my jeans and my boots, and smiled as I pictured Damon sewing the torn fabric. Sometimes, that man was just too charming for words.

I looked in the mirror and smoothed out my long hair. I was walking towards the door, I caught a trace of a scent that I had not smelled in ages. A nearly unmistakable smell of bergamot and deceit.

Katherine.

No! It can't be…

There was one way to find out. Half a second later, I was back in my feline form, inhaling deeply through my sensitive nose, desperately seeking a confirmation of her presence. It was her, all right. But what is she doing here?

She's about to get her ass handed to her, that's what.

I snarled at the thought of Katherine being anywhere near Damon. I felt the fur on the nape of my neck bristle into a hard line as I stealthily stalked into the hallway. The smell grew slightly stronger as I silently made my way down the stairs.