The Bourbon Diaries ✢ The Vampire Diaries FanFiction ✢ TVD FanFic ✢ TVDU FanFic

Chapter Thirty-Six - Stefanie Salvatore

Present day

Outskirts of Albemarle, NC

This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening.

Stef ran down the stairs, into the living area, taking cover behind the first person she saw, who happened to be Gabe. The chances of this were a billion to one, and even then she'd only heard of it happening to Siphons when they drew magic from those with a sire bond. But the ingredients were all there: it had to be between a vampire and a witch, at least one of them needed to have strong feelings towards the other, and the vampire had to be feeding on the witch while they siphoned magic from them. Had they been sharing magic during the feeding? She didn't know. It wasn't like she'd been focused on that at the time.

Everyone in the room was instantly alerted to Stef's nervous behaviour. Those sitting rose to their feet and those already standing moved closer to her.

"Feeding bond!" Stef yelped in explanation, still remaining behind Gabe.

"Stef, that's just a myth," Gabe said, turning his head over his shoulder to look at her.

"Yeah? Tell that to him." Peeking out from the side of Gabe's shoulder, she nodded in front of her, redirecting Gabe's attention.

Raid appeared from the stairs and stood facing Gabe, his dark eyes fixed on Stef behind him. His shoulders were taut, fists clenched at his side, not appreciating the obstacles she was putting between them. He was breathing heavily, filled with frustration, possessed by the feeding bond, making him a man on a mission with very little patience.

Phoenix eyed him warily, but still typically fixated on the wrong thing. "Why's he shirtless?"

"Not what we should be focusing on right now, Phoenix," Stef hissed, her eyes darting between Raid and other areas of the room, wondering when and where to make a break for it.

Gabe put a calming hand out towards Raid. "This is going to wear off," he told him. "Don't make a move or you're going to get hurt."

Raid's eyes remained on Stef, but he still smirked at Gabe's words. He slowly raised his arm towards Gabe, mirroring him. They stood like that for a moment, then Raid quickly lashed his hand sideways, his magic propelling Gabe to the other side of the room, crashing him into the wall so hard it knocked him to the ground.

Stef ran towards Gabe as Phoenix immediately launched onto Raid's back, trapping him in a headlock. Without any effort, Raid reached back, grabbed him by the collar, bent forward and swung Phoenix overhead, sending him plummeting to the ground in front of him. Phoenix spun out of the way as the heel of Raid's boot came down towards his head, slamming into the wood flooring below.

When Phoenix stood, his eyes widening at the extreme dent Raid's heel had cracked into the floor, he stepped back, looking towards Stef. "Tell me you didn't pass your vampire strength onto this possessed motherfucker?"

Pulling Gabe to his feet, Stef already noticed her lack of strength. "I didn't mean it---it's part of the bond!"

As Raid started stalking his way towards Stef, Zara jumped in front of him, blocking his path, but he didn't even flinch as his hand thrashed out, backhanding her so hard she was sent flying over the rear of the couch and onto the floor.

Adam immediately ran towards Zara, staying by her side protectively but trying not to look until she dealt with what she considered to be her first priority of fixing her hijab cap back into place. "I'm going to kill him for that," he seethed.

Her hijab adjusted, Zara allowed Adam to help her to her feet and check her face. Any bruising would heal but she let him inspect her regardless, knowing his tenderness was all he could offer right now. "He doesn't know what he's doing."