Veil of Vengeance: A Mystic Falls Tale [ Elijah Mikaelson

Chapter 17: Supicsions

The next morning, Isabella descended the stairs of the Salvatore boarding house, her senses immediately catching Damon's presence. As she reached the bottom, she found him lounging in the living room, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

"Morning, Bella," he greeted, his voice dripping with charm. "Would you like a ride in my fabulous car to school today?"

Isabella couldn't help but flirt back, a playful glint in her eye. "Well, Damon, how could I resist an offer like that?"

Damon stood up, moving closer to her. "That's what I like to hear."

They exchanged a few more flirtatious remarks before Isabella finally agreed, and they headed out to Damon's sleek car. The drive to school was filled with light banter and laughter, and when they arrived, Isabella winked at Damon, thanking him for the ride.

As she made her way toward the school entrance, Caroline rushed over to her with an amused smirk. "Isabella, do you have a thing for Damon too now?"

Isabella laughed, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "Oh, Caroline, you caught me. I'm just collecting Salvatore brothers like trading cards."

Caroline chuckled and teased, "You know, you should consider doing some group activities with both Mason and Damon. It could be quite... enlightening."

Isabella couldn't help but play along, putting her hand to her chest in mock seriousness. "Well, it's tempting, but I can't make any promises."

The two friends continued their playful banter as they entered the History classroom. However, their conversation came to an abrupt halt when they were greeted by a new face at the front of the room.

"Good morning, class," the man said, writing the name "Alaric" on the chalkboard.

Isabella exchanged a puzzled look with Caroline. It seemed they had a new teacher.

Caroline and Isabella took their seats and resumed their conversation, unaware of their teacher's watchful eyes. Alaric cleared his throat, interrupting their chatter. "Ladies, would you like to share your conversation with the rest of the class?"

Isabella couldn't help but roll her eyes at the request. She decided to share a tidbit of their talk, her tone teasing. "Well, we were discussing how hot I think Mason is, and then I mentioned that Stefan's brother Damon also looks good."

The classroom erupted in laughter, students hooting and clapping. Some even cheered for Isabella's candidness.

Tyler, who had a history with Mason as his uncle, piped up, "I didn't need to hear about that, Isabella. I don't want you as my aunt. Maybe you should take Damon instead."

Isabella put her hand to her chest in mock defeat. "Oh, Tyler, blame our new teacher. He's the one who asked me to share our conversation with the class. But hey, who knows, maybe I'll end up with both of them."

Alaric let out a sigh, attempting to regain control of the class. "Alright, everyone, let's get back to our history lesson."

***

After the final school bell rang, Isabella made her way out of the classroom and into the bustling hallway. As she turned the corner, her eyes landed on Damon, who was leaning casually against the lockers, looking like he owned the place.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his presence. "Damon, aren't you a bit old to be hanging around high school?"

Damon chuckled, his signature smirk dancing on his lips. "Well, I could say the same about you."

Isabella playfully scoffed. "Touché. So, what brings you to Mystic Falls High School, Mr. Salvatore?"

Damon suddenly straightened, adopting a gentlemanly demeanor that took Isabella by surprise. He even executed a mock bow. "My dear Isabella, I thought I'd offer to escort you to your car."

Isabella raised an eyebrow, feigning curiosity. "Oh, really? And what's the occasion that's turning you into such a gentleman?"

Damon flashed a devilish grin. "Well, I was thinking of getting a drink, and I thought, why not have a charming companion like yourself accompany me? Besides, I'm quite interested in learning more about your intriguing past."

Isabella couldn't help but laugh at his theatrics. "You're not fooling anyone, Damon. But sure, why not? Lead the way."

As Damon and Isabella headed out of the school building, their conversation was momentarily interrupted when Alaric Saltzman, the new teacher, spotted them. His face turned serious, and he approached them with purpose.

Isabella noticed Alaric's approach and felt a pang of suspicion. "Damon, something's up. Look who's coming our way."

Damon glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. Alaric reached them and extended a hand toward Damon, a polite smile on his face.

"Are you Mason or Damon?" Alaric inquired, his gaze shifting between the two.

Damon exchanged a quick glance with Isabella before introducing himself. "I'm Damon."

Alaric's eyes lingered on the ring adorning Damon's finger, and he couldn't help but compliment it. "That's a unique ring you have there. Mind if I take a closer look?"

Isabella's suspicion grew as Alaric expressed interest in Damon's ring. She decided to intervene with a sarcastic quip. "Oh, gentlemen, I hate to break up your little ring appraisal session, but I've got places to be. See you around, Alaric."

She didn't wait for their response and walked away, leaving Damon and Alaric behind.

As they left the school grounds and entered Damon's car, Damon couldn't help but bring up Alaric's suspicious behavior. "Alaric was quite nosy, don't you think?"

Isabella nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he definitely raised some red flags. But Damon, killing him isn't the answer. It would draw too much attention, and finding a new teacher would be a pain, especially after what you did to the last one."

Damon let out a dramatic sigh. "Right, right, sorry bout that. But I heard that he was a pain in the ass, especially to you." Damon smirked.

Isabella playfully punched Damon's arm. "Oh why thank you, so thoughtful, but we don't need any more trouble than we already have."

Damon chuckled and started the car. "Fine, fine, any thing you say."

As they drove away from the school, Isabella couldn't shake the feeling that Alaric's curiosity about Damon's ring wasn't just a harmless inquiry. Mystic Falls seemed to hold more mysteries than she had initially thought.