Ravaged Ashes- A Vampire Diaries/The Originals Fanfic

Chapter Eleven

Irisa

After signing the deed and title to the house, Levi is still standing outside of it, and I stand in the doorway, staring at him.

"Don't you want to come i-"

"No!" Levi says loudly. "Do not extend invitations that way, Irisa. Listen to me." He says, his voice regaining it's calm, and I take a deep breath, listening to him. "When you want to invite a vampire in, make sure you actually want to do so first. You don't want to invite just anyone in, some stranger you don't completely trust. No, stop right there, don't say it." He tells me when I open my mouth to say I do trust him completely. "Irisa, if you want to invite me in, you have to say my name specifically, or you'll be inviting any vampire around inside. You won't be safe in here otherwise."

"I understand." I nod, and hold out my hand to him. "Come inside, Leviticus." He takes my hand, crossing the threshold, and I grin. "Did I do it right?" I ask him.

"Yes, Irisa." Levi says, pulling me close as he shoves the door closed. "You did it perfectly."

"Tell me about Izolda." I state, and Levi's green eyes suddenly shift from happy to pained in the mere few seconds it takes for me to make this statement.

"Why?" Levi asks, and I shrug.

"Don't you think I should know, since she knows about me? She obviously knew who I was."

"Irisa, I told you, she's seen photos of Rhiannon and of you. She just doesn't like me being around you, because she thinks it's a pattern, and she doesn't want me getting stuck in it all over again." Levi explains. "Not after what happened to Rhiannon."

"Levi, I'm just asking about her. Please?" I tug on his hand, leading him to the couch. Once there, I curl up in his lap, and Levi sighs, obviously feeling defeated. "She and her mother are the reason you know so much about werewolves?"

"I never told you about her mother being a werewolf, Irisa. You picked up on that on your own. As for me knowing so much about werewolves, I've been around for over 800 years. I've known more werewolves than just Izolda and her mother." Levi says quietly, his eyes still filled with pain.

"Did you love someone else that was a werewolf?" I ask him, also quietly. "Before you ever met Rhiannon, perhaps?"

I feel Levi stiffen at my questions, but he just holds me closer, and answers, "When you live as long as I have, you fall in love many times over the years, Irisa. Rhiannon was someone I loved at a time when I had no one. I never loved Katherine, she was much too decietful and cruel, but Rhiannon was someone who mimicked behavior. She learned from those around her. I thought, perhaps, she could learn from me. But, she was not interested in that, it seems. She grew to be much like Katherine, the more time we spent around her. Then, we met Stefan and Damon, and everything really went to hell. Before Rhiannon, there were a few women, not all that many to be honest. I was interested in quite a few, but I never let myself fall in love with them. Not the way I fell for Rhiannon. She caught me off guard. Much like... you have." This is much more of an admission of guilt than an answer from him. "Rebekah was the first woman who ever caught my attention, the first women who showed me any type of affection. But... I didn't love her. She compelled me. That's the sort of thing that you shouldn't push on someone. It's why I would never expect anything of you, Irisa. I wouldn't compel you to feel anything for me. It's why I made you forget..." I turn back to face him, and I see how upset he looks.

"Levi, I know you wouldn't compel me to fall in love with you. You're not Damon. You have morals. As for making me forget about all of it, that really sucked. Stefan actually brought you and Damon up at school, and I had no idea who either of you were. I had problems with my memory, everything felt weird. I kept getting dizzy because of it, especially when I was trying to figure stuff out." I tell him. He looks guilty and I lightly touch his cheek. "As soon as Damon grabbed me after he killed Zach, everything came rushing back. How is that possible?"