Chapter 24 — Hell's Dogs Unchained

Alistair couldn't believe what he heard from Johann. It wasn't until he heard Damon's words on tape that began to feel the fury overwhelming him. Alistair trusted Damon a lot, so he felt the more disappointed in this turn of events.

"That damn traitor! Not only did he betray the Underworld, but also me, as I was like a father to him... I took this orphan to the court, not even knowing who his father was and who he would be after growing up... Ah, that damned foundling, he will remember me forever." said Alistair, pacing back and forth across the room. "He wants to protect her? Okay, let it be, Damon will die with her then." he added.

Johann and Salvatore watched him, standing in front of the throne. They felt a great deal of satisfaction inside, but of course they could not express it directly.

"It's great that you recorded it. It was a bull's eye, irrefutable proof of Damon's guilt." Salvatore whispered to his brother.

"Well, I was very well prepared. Human technology comes in handy sometimes." Johann admitted.

"You two!" Alistair shouted, pointing at them with a sweeping motion of his hand, so they both immediately came closer. "I am giving you the mission that Damon was supposed to carry out. Additionally, you can also eliminate him. Just do it right, make sure his miserable existence disappears forever from this world." Alistair ordered them. "Ah, and one more thing, you can take your buddies Marco and Chris with you. In the fight with Damon, their help will definitely be useful to you since, unfortunately for us, Damon is very strong." he added, going towards his rooms.

Salvatore smiled broadly.

"Now it's finally time for our move." he said and then, along with his younger brother, left the royal chambers.

~~~~~~

Eleazar, having found out about what had happened in the house of Monroe family, quickly went to visit Selene, full of hope. Maria, of course, reproached him. She knew how Eleazar felt about Miss Monroe, and she was terribly jealous about it. But Eleazar only dated Maria because Selene had rejected him, probably because of her affair with this demon. But now that this demon turned out to be her mother's murderer and Selene dumped him, maybe she would want to be with him? Eleazar could not dream of such happiness, but had to try. He would break up with Maria right away and surround Selene with his love, as much as she deserved.

"What a nice surprise!" Meredith said in delight, welcoming him with a hug. She had to admit to herself that liked this boy a lot, and from the very beginning she had hoped that her niece would bond with him.

"I'd like to talk to Selene." Eleazar replied, smiling slightly, when they were in the living room.

"Oh, yes please, she's in the garden. Today Selene left the room for the first time. I guess it's thanks to Isabelle, because she talked to her for a while." Meredith said as she headed for her room.

Eleazar walked through the kitchen and into the garden. Before found Selene, however, he had to do quite a research. She was sitting on a fallen log that was at the very end of the garden.

"Eleazar? What are you doing here?" Selene asked, staring at him blankly.

"I heard about what happened and I wanted... I wanted to see you, to console." replied Eleazar, looking at her with hope in his eyes and with the same love as before.

"You have unnecessarily troubled yourself, I feel so much better now. Besides, you should take care of your girlfriend, don't you think? She will feel hurt and jealous." Selene said, smiling faintly.

"You are much more important to me than Maria. I love you, and if you give me a second chance..." Eleazar began, looking at her pleadingly.

"Eleazar!" Selene interrupted him. "How can you ask me to do this? Have you thought about how Maria will feel? And she'll hate me even more... Besides, I can't be with someone I don't love. Forgive me and don't be mad at me like the first time I rejected you. Please understand that I cannot love you." she added and stared at the lawn.

Eleazar said nothing. He felt such terrible pain that wanted to die here and now. All the hopes that filled his heart in the morning vanished in an instant. Eleazar was angry with himself for having deluded himself at all. He went through the garden to the house, from its kitchen into the living room, then went straight to the main door. Eleazar didn't respond to Meredith, who was sitting on the couch drinking coffee, and asked him where he was going, with a clearly worried look on her face. Eleazar quickly opened the exit door, he got into his car and raced ahead.

~~~~~~

Selene sat in the garden thinking about what had happened. She had hurt Eleazar again, though didn't want to. Selene dreamed of being friends with him, talking normally, laughing, having a good time... But unfortunately it couldn't be that way, because Eleazar loved her, and for him being only a friend was unacceptable. He was dating Maria, but only because Selene had turned him down. The thought of all this made her feel like crying, and as if that weren't enough, she missed Damon terribly. Despite what he once did, was as essential to her life as oxygen. Selene had to forgive him, wanted it with all her heart. She just couldn't hate him, no matter what he did in the past.

While Selene sat alone in the garden, Salvatore, Johann, and Chris watched her.

"Completely alone. What an easy target." Salvatore spoke up, staring at Selene from afar.

"So what are we still waiting for?" Chris asked, already slightly irritated.

"Don't be impatient, my dear friend. We have to make sure that she is definitely alone and Marco hasn't come back from scouting yet, so we have to wait." Johann replied. Salvatore confirmed this with one nod of his head, and Chris immediately fell silent. Few moments later, Marco emerged from behind the trees.

"And how is it? All clear?" Johann asked him first.

"Perfectly clean, all the sorceresses are at home. The "chosen one" is all alone in the garden." replied Marco, emphasizing the last sentence.

"That's wonderful." said Salvatore, smiling broadly with satisfaction.

"So it means that we can finally move?" Chris looked at him questioningly.

"Yes. It's about time." he replied and started walking towards Selene, and Johann, Chris and Marco followed him.

~~~~~~

Damon walked around town for the rest of a day. Being next to the Monroe family house was causing him too much pain, especially since he couldn't even see Selene outside. He didn't know what to do with himself. After Selene kicked him out of the house, he was like a ghost. Damon felt as if his life was gone with the breakup, and knew he couldn't live without Selene. Around noon, Damon sat down on a park bench and fell asleep. He was very tired.

One terrifying dream woke him up a little bit later. In this dream, or rather nightmare, he saw Salvatore, Johann, Chris, and Marco attack Selene. This dream was so clear, as if it were all happening in the real world. Damon immediately jumped up from the bench and started running forward, knowing one thing: he had to make it before something terrible happened.

When Damon got back into the right estate, raced down the street he knew very well, until got under the wall of the Monroe family house and jumped in one leap to the other side, into the garden. Damon felt that was running out of time.