Author's Note: Well I'm back with a second story and I hope you all enjoy it. It's pretty much my version of the creation of the sun and moon curse and revolves around the relationship of our favorite couple.

For those of you who have read A Bite That Starts It All, you will know that I developed the inspiration for this story while writing one of its chapters. The story you are about to read in the preface is pretty much the same as the one told in ABTSIA with only a few slight tweaks.

For those of you who haven't read ABTSIA, it's not necessary that you do. This is a completely new story with no correlation to my first.

Rating: M – Adult Content In Later Chapters, Violence, Language

Preface:

Eternal life was reserved for the royal families of the time and the werewolves acted as their slaves. They very rarely created new vampires because there was no need to. Their food supply was already limited and with very few births, children were not often brought into the society.

Tired of being forced into slavery, the werewolves revolted against the vampires in the year 111 AD and war has raged every since. Without the restrictions of sunlight and the full moon; casualties have been extreme, but has had little effect in slowing the ongoing destruction the two species have brought on one another.

The year is now 117 AD and humans still exist, but most remain hidden because it is their only means of survival. Those that are unlucky enough to get caught serve as sexual servants and food for the vampires. They are kept alive simply to ensure the survival of the species.

The only humans that are able to survive willingly amongst the two species are witches. Most cooperate with the vampires and some even marry them. When arranged in a marriage, witches are stripped of most of their powers and they are limited to what spells they are able to cast. Specifically, ones that are considered harmful against their spouses are rendered useless. This act was brought on after the uprising from the werewolves in an attempt to dissipate the threat of a witch rebellion as well.

When the previous vampire king was killed in battle, it was Vasilis Klaus that took his place. He returned home only to find his witch wife Demetra Martin in bed with a werewolf. After killing the werewolf, he threw Demetra into the prison and forced her to begin creation of the first half of the spell that will long after be named the Sun and The Moon Curse.

This is where our story begins….

The attack came so quickly that Elena barely had time to roll out of the way of the throwing knife. She heard the whiz of the silver object as it passed in the exact position she had been milliseconds ago. Once regaining her bearings, she hoisted herself from the ground and sprinted the distance to the nearest tree, swooping down to grab her arrows along the way.

Once safely behind the tall oak, she took a second to calm her breathing. Vampires had incredibly heightened senses and her deep breathes would only draw them to her location faster. And the last thing she needed was a bulls-eye directing them straight to her.

Her family had been successfully hiding and running since the start of the war, not wanting any part in the bloodshed, but it appeared their luck had run out. They weren't a threat but because of who they were, the vampires had decided this was exactly what they were. All of the precautions they had taken in order to secure their safety were now being proven un-affective because the threat was here now. The vampires had found them.

Elena inhaled deeply once more before peering around the tree at the scene playing out in front of her. By this time, her parents as well as the other pack they had been traveling with had all transitioned into their natural forms. They were now battling the attacking vampires, but they were not the ones Elena was concerned with. They could handle themselves.

She quickly scanned the area looking for the dark hair of her younger brother and became panicked when he was nowhere to be found. Only her family and the vampires were present. Dead bodies of both had begun to fill the ground, but she couldn't focus on that now. There would be time for mourning after the battle.

Elena rubbed her eyes and desperately wished she was a few days older before visually sweeping the area again. While doing so, she heard a branch snap a few feet behind her and spun around immediately only to find Jeremy hesitantly making his way behind her. As Elena let out a sigh of relief seeing he was in perfect condition, an older looking male vampire flashed to Jeremy's side and swiped his knife clean over the boy's neck.

The act played out in slow motion as Elena saw the metal slice from one side of her brother's neck to the other. Instead of pain, hate engulfed her insides. There was no longer any need to fear the vampire's impact because the life she had been so desperately trying to save was lost. She responsively removed a wooden arrow from her back sack and placed it into her bow. As quickly as it had taken her to put the arrow in place, it had soared through the air and straight through the heart of the vampire.

Death spread over his outer extremities before concentrating on his face. Once fully engulfed in the stiffness of his end, he fell to the ground on top of Jeremy. Elena ran to her brother's side and feebly attempted to lift the body from on top of Jeremy's, but was unsuccessful. As the blood poured from his neck wound, tears made their way out of her eyes. Through hazy vision, she watched Jeremy struggle with a word, but every attempt came out as a gurgle.

There was nothing she could do, but comfort him at this moment. So ignoring the surrounding battle, Elena lowered her body into an Indian position and placed his head on her lap. She stroked her hand through his unkempt hair and whispered, "I'm here. I love you. It will all be over soon." And it was.

Elena had no time to absorb the reality of what had just happened. As Jeremy's head fell lifelessly against her calf, Elena found herself being snatched from behind. She flailed her arms through the air in an attempt to free herself, but had no success. She tried to reach her arrows, but the hold on her wrists was too tight. There was no budging from the position she was in and instead of feeling comfort in her inevitable end, she only felt more will to live; more will to fight back. She fought against the restrainers hold ruthlessly until a painful blow struck the right side of her head.

Elena found her eyelids sagging as the world spun around her. The hold still remained firmly in place and for a moment she embraced the comfort it was supplying. Without it, Elena knew she would surely fall to the rough foliage of the earth below and succumb to her concussion. The restraining embrace was the only thing keeping her afloat.

Her eyes became extremely heavy and Elena fought to keep them from closing, but finally accepted defeat. As her conscious slowly started to fade away she heard two voices.

"Katherine, what the hell is she doing with a pack of werewolves? She is easily over the age of 18."

"Hell if I know. Just sit her down and help the others finish off the rest of the pack. She's not going anywhere in this state and we can grab her when we head back to the city."

Footsteps disappeared into the distance before the second voice spoke once again. "Just look at you… such beauty. You're going to make an excellent slave."

Then Elena faded into the darkness.

Damon removed his dagger from the lifeless beast before him and saw the last remaining alive predator of the pack. Although he had never seen the werewolves in their human forms, he had encountered enough to know he had just killed its mate. The predatorial rage that emanated from the remaining beast signified Damon was in dangerous territory, but his confident stance never faltered. He quickly assessed the exact intensity of this wolf as a threat before flashing to its side.

The werewolf had been expecting his attack and refuted it with one of his own. The wolf slashed into the darkness, but Damon had outsmarted him. It had taken merely a side-step to move himself out of the line of impact and lodge his favorite dagger into the beast's throat. As the animal roared with enough intensity to make the surrounding trees shake, Damon jumped on top of him and snapped his neck in one easy motion.

The werewolf's body smashed against the ground and caused an ear-shattering thud leaving a victorious Damon smirking above. He had been at this for six years and hadn't met an opponent worthy of being a threat. Killing was almost second nature to him now and the war between the vampires and the werewolves offered him plenty of practice to perfect his skills. But he often found himself wishing just once that one of these damn animals would offer him some competition. Make his blood pump faster, offer him an adrenaline kick, anything; but they never did. They were always the same stupid, unimaginative beasts.

"Damnit Damon, I told you I wanted the last one to myself." Caroline Forbes made her way across the darkened woods to his side with a heated expression.

The female vamp was nearly as skilled as he was at killing their enemies, with a great emphasis on the word nearly. They had fought alongside each other for about four years now and she was the only vampire he entrusted enough with protecting his back. She was quick, fearless, and lethal; exactly the type of assassin he required on his side.

"I couldn't resist. Besides, you were over there dealing with Mr. Big and Hefty. I'd say that was a worthy enough kill to lift your self esteem." Damon teased.

She slapped him across the back and scolded, "Don't be a dick. I was almost through with him and you know it."

Damon grinned as he watched the overly dramatic scene his closest friend was putting on. "The only thing we both know is that I don't handle patience very well. I saw the opportunity and I took it."

Caroline rolled her eyes and shot him a faux disdainful expression before she muttered, "You're lucky I like you. Otherwise you'd be dead at my feet."

"We both know my skill far exceeds yours, so I'd like to see you try." Damon replied as he lowered himself into a crouch still wearing his satisfied grin. The fight had left him reeling for more and he required just a little competition to take his lingering edge off, even if the competition was just a playful one between friends.

The fire in her eyes diminished and Damon knew it was because Caroline knew the truth behind his statement. He was one of the army's favorite and most successful captains and he led a select small group of immunes, which was simply a solider with special skills. Their sole mission was to hunt down the remaining werewolf packs and kill them all one by one. The position was perfect because it allowed him the control he desired as well as the freedom and space he wanted from the rest of the remaining legions.

At the start of the war he had been just a measly farmer and it had taken a long time for him to get to the position he was in, but there was no way in hell anyone was taking that spot from him. His lieutenant Elijah trusted him fully and with good reason. Unlike the other soldiers fighting in this war, Damon enjoyed the kill. It was what he lived for. When other soldiers went home to their spouses, Damon sat up plotting new attack strategies. His life revolved around this war and the success he created for the vampires in it.

When Caroline had suddenly shown up fit for battle, he didn't even fight the grimace that had spread over his face. He was initially pissed at Elijah for sending him a female. With her platinum blonde hair hanging loosely around her face, Damon knew she was only going to be a distraction. The female wasn't a soldier; she was a damsel. A very attractive damsel that would only get in the way.

But she had surprised him with her abilities once they attacked the first rebel camp. Her movements had seemed effortless as she whipped herself around the colossal beasts; stabbing in just the right places, slicing the necks perfectly, and ripping their jaws apart with ease. She was a lethal killer and Damon had never found himself more pleased with a recruit.

Over the years he had grown to trust the female vampire and trust was not something that came easily. Damon trusted himself above all others, but Caroline had been the only one to break through. Their friendship, well alliance, to one another was the only emotional tie Damon allowed himself to make. Others were simply figures floating in and out of his conscious, but Caroline was important. She mattered, but not in the romantic way others often assumed.

Damon had long ago removed himself from the position of taking a mate. It wasn't in him to love and care for another the way others around him had. His love was restricted solely for his missions and the results they provided. His relationship with death was the epitome of ideal because with his expertise in the field, Damon was never let down. And that was something a female would never be able to guarantee.

A few years back, his weapons specialist Alaric had suggested Damon take on Caroline as his wife. They were practically the same character in opposite bodies, but Damon instinctively knew it would never work out. Caroline was attractive and the sex appeal was there, yes, but Damon simply respected her too much to use and abuse her the way he knew he would. And besides, Caroline had about the same amount of interest in a love life as he did. The two of them were destined to live their lives without lovers. They were savage killers and who would ever want someone like that by their side?

Caroline's voice shook Damon from his previous thoughts as he asked, "What?"

"I said the troops are hungry. It would probably be a good idea to head back to the city since we're so close anyway." Caroline repeated.

Damon took a look at the other soldiers in the group and noticed they looked tired and worn down. They had been on their hunting mission for 3 days now and while Damon felt perfectly fine, the others apparently needed some rest and relaxation. He eyed each of his five immunes in order to size them up before rolling his eyes.

The men were immortal creatures and yet everyone was a visual wreck, minus Caroline. She was his only saving grace, but the others were a disgrace. They had successfully killed two werewolves as a whole, while Caroline herself had killed four and he had killed six.

Their desires and emotions always managed to get the best of them while they were away. Damon had received so many replacements over the years, but it appeared that no one was suitable for a position in his squad. They were all weak and lacked the hunger he was requiring.

Damon made a mental note to sit down with Elijah and discuss his need for more suitable replacements as soon as they arrived back in the city. There were other captains leading groups in these forests for exactly the same purpose he was, but Damon's had been the most successful for two years running. And if he had any chance of remaining on the top of the captain's list, he sure as hell needed more backup than what his soldiers were supplying.

Rolling his eyes once more at the lack-luster expressions on his men's faces, he shot a disappointed look in Caroline's direction and muttered, "Fine. Let's go home. I guess it couldn't hurt to get a good meal in before the next hunting trip."

Elena awoke in a tub filled with warm water. Her head was screaming for the comfort of sleep once again, but she fought through the throbbing pain. Instead she focused on the soothing sensation of the warm water against her aching limbs.

"I see you've finally come to." A voice chimed in.

Elena's eyes shot open as she turned to find a woman by her side with a rag in hand. The woman dunked the rag into the soapy water and brought it to Elena's shoulder, but she flinched and pulled away before contact.

The woman rolled her eyes and soothed, "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you, just clean you up and make you a little more presentable for the evening."

Elena released the tension from her body and lowered herself deeper into the water. She then lifted her hands to her eyes and rubbed them before questioning, "What am I doing here? Where am I?"

The woman responded with a warm laugh as she responded, "You're in Tyrus, my dear."

Elena found her brain moving at a heightened speed, processing every bit of information she had on Tyrus. The name sounded familiar, but it took her a few seconds to recall exactly why. Understanding fired into her gut like a shotgun shell and Elena immediately felt like she was going to be sick.

She brought her hands to her face and covered her eyes as she attempted to ease the nauseous waves her stomach was providing. She was in Tyrus, the largest and most central city behind the vampire army. It was their capital and housed all of the important position holders in the vampire fleet, including King Klaus.

Elena fought back the tears and refused to show her weakness to the unfamiliar woman who was obviously not on her side, but the overwhelming helplessness was making it almost too difficult to bear. It took all of her strength to mask her face with a believable smile and ask, "Tyrus you say? And what am I doing here?"

The woman seemed to have bought her smile because she returned with one of her own and replied, "You will be serving the elite class of course." She then placed the rag on the side of the tub and placed a hand on either side of Elena's face forcing it to turn in her direction.

As the woman ran her eyes over Elena's features, she clicked her tongue around in her mouth and stated, "You are entirely too beautiful to waste on the average commoner. You will serve the captains and lieutenants, which is a very nice alternative. But first we need to fix you up a bit. You have all of the right bare essentials, but you've been in the forest for too long. Don't worry; we'll have you fixed up in no time."

Elena started to panic a bit on the inside. She had heard stories about human slaves serving the vampire population, but considering her position she never feared it would have an effect on her. She was technically only a human for another couple of days and had figured the only concern she needed to worry about was death, not slavery.

Another concern made its way into her train of thoughts before she found herself crying out in a pleading voice, "How long was I out?"

The lady responded with another chuckle before answering, "I have no idea. They don't really tell me these things, but I do know it's been a couple of days."

Elena found herself gasping for full breaths, but all she managed to receive were shallow weak ones. The day she had been captured marked only a week until her 18th birthday, or better yet, her transformation into a werewolf. Without knowing precisely how many days she had left before phasing, the fear of transitioning any night was a terrifying reality. And once the vampires knew she was a werewolf, she would be dead for sure, so why prolong the inevitable?

She threw her fist against the side of the woman's jaw and heard it crack on impact. As the woman slid down the outside of the tub and onto the stone floor, Elena heaved herself out of the liquid bowl. But as soon as her right foot was about to make contact with the floor, she felt her body thrash back against the inside of the tub. Water splashed against her face and into her eyes causing them to sting from the soapy content. Before Elena had the chance to attempt to lift herself out of the tub again a hand grasped stiffly around her neck. The force from the grip cut off her airflow and Elena frantically beat against the arm holding her in place.

A threateningly beautiful face came into view as another woman began to speak. "There is no use in you fighting me because you know I'll easily win. Your pathetic human body is no match against mine. Here's the deal, you're a slave now and the sooner you accept this fate the better."

Elena knew it was a stupid decision the second she made it, but before she could take it back she spit into the face of the menacing vampire in front of her. The female vamp's face filled with controlled anger as she squeezed harder around Elena's neck. Instead of bringing on another vicious attack, the female simply slid her lips into a sinister smile. "You're a feisty one and I know exactly who I'm giving you to tonight."

Then the female vamp's eyes became very intense as they penetrated directly into Elena's. "I don't give a shit what you do once you are in that room, but until then you will follow every order given to you without hesitation."

Internally Elena fought against the hold the vampire seemed to have on her will, but instead she found herself repeating, "I will follow every order given without hesitation."

Damon walked through the dim lit hallway towards the direction of the bedroom chambers alongside Caroline. It had only taken a little over an hour to return to Tyrus after their attack, but Damon already felt the overwhelming need to be back in the forest. He hated the decadence of being home, finding it ironic that the forest had somehow become his true habitat. He felt alive while he was away on missions and as soon as he returned, that life seemed to slip away.

He had released his soldiers as soon as they stepped foot inside of the city walls. He didn't require their company anymore and the sooner they left his side, the better. Caroline was the only company he didn't loathe being around. Their back and forth banter always felt natural and Damon enjoyed the easiness that seemed to flow between them when others disappeared.

The two had walked in silence until they reached the first set of chamber doors. At this point, Caroline broke the silence as she announced, "I heard Klaus has his wife working on a spell that will restrict the werewolves from changing at will."

"I've heard the same rumor, but I'm not sure I want to believe it." Truth was… he couldn't bring himself to believe it. If the spell was successful, the vampires would easily have the upper hand in the war and their battle would soon be over. If the war was to come to an end, Damon would find himself obsolete. This was what he lived for and what would he possibly do with himself if this war were to suddenly come to an end?

Desperate to end the discussion on the topic he stated, "But I guess we'll find out soon enough whether it's true or not."

The two returned to their silence as they walked briskly down the hall until a certain female entered into their line of vision. Damon felt his body tense at the sight of Katherine. He had successfully avoided running into the femme fatal since their encounter two weeks ago. Up until that point the two had been using each other purely for sexual purposes. Then she had side-blasted him with the announcement that she wanted to take over his squad's hunting territory.

Katherine was ruthless and manipulative and, more often than not, was able to get her way. She used her sexual attraction to move her way up through the chain of command, but was now stuck as second best captain behind Damon. And that meant second best hunting grounds. While Damon was easily the most skilled, they both shared the same lust for death putting them a step above the rest. But with Katherine it was more than just the kill; it was also about the torture.

She was a cold-hearted bitch who wanted nothing more than to see Damon fail, but he wasn't going to make it easy on her. This life was his and he was damned if the sleazy whore was going to take it from him.

Katherine sashayed her way seductively right up to Damon and brought her face inches from his. He could feel her cool breath flowing from her lips and momentarily felt the need to resume their sexual interactions. But while there was no doubt that she was great between the sheets, there was nothing more to her. No substance, just temptation.

She traced her tongue along the bottom of her lower lip before biting down on it hard. Once noticing she had the desired effect from her audience, she laughed coolly and purred, "We captured a new human today and after working closely with her for the past few hours, I figured she'd be perfect for you."

Damon knew Katherine would never supply him with a suitable human for the night, but there was nothing he could do to change the arrangement waiting for him in his chamber. The day was coming to a close and all of the slaves had already been divided up amongst the other soldiers. He had to deal with the hand he had been dealt and figured that he would at least get a decent meal out of the girl.

Damon narrowed his eyes at the wicked vamp in front of him and didn't attempt to remove the edge in his voice as he replied, "I'm sure she'll do just fine."

Katherine's painted red lips slid into a satisfied grin as her eyes stared into his. "She's got fire, so enjoy her." She then slid around him making sure her body pressed against his as she passed before turning around and adding, "Just remember… she's not me, although we do share a certain physical similarity to one another. You can think of me while you fuck her, but take it easy on her. She's just a human after all."

She then let out a sinister laugh before she whipped around and continued down the hallway.

Caroline shook her head, clearly disgusted, before stating, "I have no idea what you ever saw in that bitch! I mean, you're cold and distant, but she takes it to a whole new level."

"As much as I hate to admit this, she was good in bed." Damon replied while making sure to keep his eyes focused on the path in front of him and not Caroline's judging stare.

Caroline huffed and exasperated, "Well I'd hope so. No one would be able to handle much more than physical encounters with her."

"And that was purely what they were." Damon added as the two reached the stone door blocking the entryway into Caroline's room.

"Because god forbid you actually let yourself enjoy anything else." Caroline teased as she nudged him against the shoulder.

Damon rolled his eyes at her playful observation and replied, "You're the only woman I can stand being around for longer than a single night and we both know that would never work out. So I am left to live a life of perfect solitude."

He felt perfectly normal joking around with Caroline in this sense. The two had a clear understanding that the other wanted nothing more than friendship and it worked for them. They were perfect partners on the field, nothing more.

Caroline shrugged her shoulders and replied easily, "Suit yourself. While you spend a night alone with your feisty newbie, I will be enjoying the comfort of my Angelo."

"Nothing like a stale familiar body to get you excited for the evening." Damon replied sarcastically.

Caroline stepped forward, jolted her index finger into his chest, and defended her opinions. "I wouldn't possibly attempt to get you to understand. What, with a different girl in your chamber each night, there is no way in hell you'd be able to grasp the idea of companionship."

Damon swatted her finger from his chest and countered, "Companionship? Is that what you're calling it? You use the guy for a meal ticket and sex. He's your slave, Caroline, not your romantic companion."

Caroline waved her hands through the air dismissively before she clarified, "I never said anything about romance. I just keep him comfortable and he supplies me with what I need. Unlike you, I actually know what makes my slave happy and in return I get what makes me happy."

His signature smirk slashed across his face as he asked, "And what does he know about making you happy?"

"He knows that I like the taste of his blood when he eats chicken instead of red meat," she replied nonchalantly.

Damon had to laugh at the light-hearted response of his friend. The girl was terrifying on the battlefield and yet, so relaxed at home. For just a second, he wished he could switch off his killing instincts the way she did. But just as quickly as the notion came, it disappeared once again.

He wrapped his arm around Caroline's neck to show he had surrendered. "I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree."

Caroline placed her hand on the top of his head and patted it as though he was a child. She teased under her breathe, "We both know I'm right," before quickly opening her door and sliding behind it.

But Damon was too fast for her action. His hand caught the stone door before it closed shut in his face. Instead of refuting her statement, he simply said, "We're not heading out tomorrow. I need to speak with Elijah about new recruits because the ones we're working with just aren't making the cut."

Caroline brought her face to the crack in the door before rolling her eyes at his announcement. "When are you going to learn that you and I are a rare breed? You will never find recruits that will live up to your standards because they're too high. We just need them as back up to distract the other wolves until we can sweep in for the kill."

Damon knew she was right, but he ignored her comment and shook his head. "I'll fill you in on the new details tomorrow once I speak with Elijah. Have fun with Angelo." He then turned and headed in the direction of his chamber.

As Damon walked alone, he couldn't quite get a grasp on the appeal of spending the night with the same human repeatedly. Caroline's comments only made his skin crawl as he thought about becoming close with a human. He didn't need the familiarity of coming home to someone he was already acquainted with because that would ultimately result in the possibility of an emotional attachment. In his line of work, emotional attachments made you weak and vulnerable; characteristics Damon despised. Attachments only clouded your vision and therefore were unwelcome in his mind.

As he reached the door of his room, Damon paused. The girl waiting inside was more than likely going to be a pain to wrangle in, but he needed nourishment along with other things.

Damon very rarely had the desire to use his humans for anything other than food, but he had partaken in the full benefits of his position a few times. After all, he was a male and there were certain needs he possessed. And after his encounter with Katherine, tonight was one of those nights where those needs were unbearable.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the upcoming battle, which would no doubt end in his victory, and opened the door.

Candles gave the room a subtle romantic lighting and Damon felt his insides twisting. He didn't want romance and Katherine knew damn well the candles would have this revolting effect on him. He mentally cursed the bitch before his gaze landed on the woman on his bed.

She was sitting stiffly on the edge of his canopy bed with her back facing in his direction. He couldn't see her face, but he didn't need to. Her figure was beautiful enough from behind to know she was gorgeous.

The dress she had been placed in was a lightweight fabric that delicately hugged her slight curves. It was white, practically see though, and Damon was instantly aroused at the idea of what the dress would reveal from the front. Instead of the normal dresses he had become all too familiar with, the fabric from this one hung over her shoulders leaving the most important skin around her neck free and easily accessible. Her chestnut brown hair fell loosely down her back and Damon found his eyes following it down her spine.

As Damon's eyes drifted down the woman's flawless figure, he felt a sudden tingle spread over his skin. The sensation startled him and made him wrinkle his nose in disgust. He hadn't even seen the woman's face and she already had more of an effect on him than any other before her.

He knew he should have walked right back out of the room, but instead he found his feet moving him closer to the girl. Damon was only three steps behind the woman, when she turned and faced him; her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Damon's breath caught in his throat as the all too familiar face became visible. It felt like he was staring down the sun and he was completely blinded by its light. It had been six years since he last saw this girl and she had changed significantly, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was her. The image of her face would forever be branded in his memory. She had only been 12 years old when he had said his final goodbye, and yet here she was a grown woman.

It took him a second to come to, but after a moment's hesitation, he mustered up all of his strength to ask in just above a whisper, "Elena?"

Well, I hope you all liked the first chapter. I have a few more already written for this story and I am actually pretty excited about where it is leading me. I know I stopped right when the two finally see each other, but it seemed like a fitting stopping point and I promise to post again soon.

Please read and review. :)