The Supernatural Diaries {Book One}

Family Ties: Stefan I

I had just woken up from the most wretched dream my mind could possibly muster involving Damon ripping Elena to shreds when I noticed Damon sitting at my desk staring at me with a smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes. "Of course, it was you," I grumbled. "Well, no shit, Sherlock," Damon admitted sardonically. "Do you know how easy it was to get inside your head just now? I'm pretty sure He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named could use his half-baked Hunter telepathy on you if he wanted. You really need to get some human blood in your system, it might even the playing field; football reference. Too soon?" I sneered angrily and darted across the room to grab a knife and launched it right into the chest of his chest. Obviously, I knew it wouldn't do anything to him, but still.

As I anticipated, Damon gave no viable reaction other than mild annoyance and yanked the steel blade out of his heart. "Alright, I deserve that," Damon conceded. Truth be told, he deserves worse, but I'll leave that to the professional Vampire Hunter to decide his fate. "At least you're self-aware," I scoffed while folding my arms. "But I just wanted to let you know they caught the culprit," he informed. "The animal responsible for killing Coach Tanner and all those people." I grimaced, not understanding what my brother was getting at. "What are you talking about?" "It was a mountain lion," he clarified. "A really big one. It attacked a hunter this morning, and no, I'm not talking about you-know-who. But yeah, it's all over the news."

My expression hardened even more so when he recited the headline of the news article in an over-the-top fashion. Despite his sadistic nature, I couldn't help but feel like there was a reason why Damon was telling me this. "You covered your tracks," I realized. "Why would you cover your tracks?" Damon gave me an odd look before moving over closer to the window, and taking a deep breath, saying, "I've decided to stay awhile. And I'm just having way too much fun here with you and Elena." I tilted my head in interest. That was the third time he neglected to mention Dean's name. Damn it! I knew that he would be undoubtedly hurt by Dean's remark (hence the murder of our teacher last night), but I didn't think he would disregard him completely. Who knows? Maybe I'm reading too much into it, and Damon will be back to stalking his ex full-time again within the next twelve hours.

"Hello? Are you even listening to me?" Damon snapped, drawing me out of my thoughts. "You the honest answer, or do you want me to spare your feelings?" I shot back. He groaned disdainfully, "I was saying that despite the vervain keeping me out of her head, I'm pretty sure I can get her pants without any compulsion whatsoever." My eyebrows shot up to my hairline in surprise. "So now you're trying to get into Elena's pants?" I squawked. "I think I liked it better when you were pursuing your undying love De—" "Don't say his name!" Damon hissed suddenly, his face shifting briefly into its vampiric state before returning to normal. I flinched reflexively at the malice and venom pouring out of his voice.

"Look, Sam's brother has made it very clear that he doesn't want anything to do with me, and so I am finally taking the hint and moving on," he breathed after regaining his composure. "So if he doesn't want to talk about, think about, or even look at me, then I will do the same thing. He's not the only one in this town who can live and let die." With each word he spoke, he walked towards me, until he was close enough that he could plunge the knife I'd thrown at him into my lung making me drop to my knees in pain. Then he looked at his own bloodied shirt and sighed, "This is John Varvatos, dude. Dick move."

I pulled the knife out with a grunt, and raised my shirt to see the wound closing up at a rapid pace. No doubt, Damon was out of control. But in the past, Dean and I had always been able to placate him by using Dean's relationship with him to our advantage. Now, though, it seemed as if he was really trying to get over Dean, which on any other day would be a good thing. Not now because now we have no way to control him if things go even further off the reservation.

And that's not good for anyone.

Everyone thinks that the animal has been killed, that the threat has been neutralized. But the real animal is still out there waiting for me, my friends, and everyone else I hold dear. He's challenging me to fight back, to stop him. In that sense, I'm in the same situation as Dean— I can't seem to think of a way to stop the monster without becoming one myself.