Lily approached the front door, already embodying the role of a cautious woman within her home. She wore a mask of alertness and tension, understandable given the late hour and the harsh weather conditions—snow bucketing down and wind howling like a wild beast. She paused behind the door for a moment before sliding open the peephole cover to look outside.
Standing on her porch were two young men. Her keen gaze swept over them. One had brown hair and blue eyes, a good-looking face, was tall and fit; she couldn't help but admire him, taken aback by his handsome features. He was just her type, already winning her favor. The other had black hair, a stubble beard, a common face, and was skinny—a normal young man. He wasn't nearly as eye-catching as his companion. She quickly lost interest in him.
"Yes? Who is it?" she asked, her voice laced with both caution and curiosity as she eyed the duo. Her gaze lingered on the brown-haired young man, who was standing in front and had already made a good impression on her based on his looks alone.
"Good evening," Joe greeted with a polite inclination of his head after sighting the woman's eyes behind the peephole, his voice smooth and charming. "Forgive our unannounced arrival, Madam. But the weather compelled us to seek shelter."
Lillian Salvatore studied him for a moment, her expression guarded. "You both don't seem to be from this place."
"An astute observation, My Lady," Joe replied, flashing her a disarming smile. "My companion and I were caught in this sudden storm as we were traveling. Might we impose upon your hospitality?"
Lillian hesitated for a moment, her caution visible, before opening her door. The door creaked open, revealing her wearing a stylish old Victorian dress befitting a woman of a distinguished family, along with a thick fur-lined coat over it. Her fiery red hair was nicely styled in a fancy hairstyle of the era. Her piercing gaze swept over the two men before settling on Joe.
"What is your name, gentlemen?"
Joe's eyes brightened after seeing the beautiful visage of Lily, her curvy figure, and looks so great that he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise inside him at how gorgeous she looked. She wasn't as beautiful as his mothers, Rebekah and Katherine, but she had a huge charm of her own. Enough to make this trip worth his effort, besides the pleasure of taking Damon and Stefan's mother as a way to get back at them for having had the pleasure of touching his mothers before he came into this universe. He felt a bit jealous, angry, and aggrieved that such events had even happened in the first place, even when he also felt stupid for even thinking like that. Anyway, he would get his due; he would also bed their mother and make her his. Then he would be able to be at peace with himself.
"My name is Joe. Joe Black. A pleasure to make the acquaintance of such a beautiful woman as yourself, my lady." He said, extending his right hand in greeting.
Lillian's lips raised in a subtle arch of amusement, her eyes also denoting her enjoyment of his flirting words. "I'm Lillian Salvatore, Mr. Black. The pleasure is mine as well." Then she looked at Kai with uninterested eyes, an attitude totally different from the one she showed to Joe. "And this gentleman is?"
"Kai. Kai Parker. Good evening," Kai wasn't like Joe, acting all proper with the woman. Nor did he have the same interest as him in her or her daughters. Moreover, he didn't even think of crossing any intention of Joe's at this moment when he felt vulnerable. He needed to tread more carefully.
"Good evening," Lily said with a nod before removing her sight from him and looking at Joe again, presenting a more eager and accommodating expression. "You may enter. But know this—our home is not a haven for strangers." She stepped aside, leaving a way for them.
"We are grateful for your hospitality, Miss Salvatore." Joe bowed slightly as a gesture of gratitude, speaking a bit more playfully instead of calling her Madam as before, and then stepped inside with Kai trailing behind. The warmth of the house enveloped them as they shook off the snow from their clothes.
"Is anyone else from your family awake at this time, Miss Salvatore?"
"Yes, my family is sitting in the parlor. It's a pity that you came now, as we just had supper a while ago, but come with me, gentlemen. We will serve you both at least a tea so you can warm up your bodies from the cold before finding you a place to accommodate you for the night."
"Thank you for your generosity, my lady. May the lord always shine in your life for your gracious heart." Joe smiled as he and Kai walked behind her. He looked at Kai, sending him a meaningful look as he then looked at Lily's big ass swaying in front of them and looked again at Kai. Kai saw his meaning and also peeked at Lily in front but wasn't as interested as Joe in such an old woman and vampire. He rolled his eyes at Joe in mockery of his taste.
Joe smiled at his reaction before looking at Lily's ass with enjoyment as they followed her.
Lily, meanwhile, was rolling her eyes and she almost chuckled at Joe's words. 'The lord shine in her life?' she wanted to laugh at that.
...
In the parlor, the Heretics sat arranged around a table that was beside the fireplace, their expressions ranging from curiosity to suspicion. Lily introduced them, her voice carrying the weight of maternal protectiveness and love. "Joe, Kai, meet my children—Malcolm, my oldest, Beau, and Oscar. Then my daughters, Nora, Mary Louise, and Valerie."
Joe smiled smoothly, his eyes lingering a moment on everyone before spending more time on Mary Louise and Nora with particular interest. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, gentlemen and ladies. My name is Joe Black."
The air was thick with tension. The Heretics exchanged glances, the men's instincts screaming at them that this man was not to be trusted. Meanwhile, the girls saw in front of them a handsome man who made their eyes shine upon setting their sight on him. Nora was fascinated by the young man with brown hair and blue eyes as soon as she laid her eyes on him, looking at him with clear interest. Mary Louise, her girlfriend, was also aroused and intrigued by the young man, having a smile on her lips as she looked at him curiously. Valerie was captivated by Joe, looking at him with a foolish look of a smitten girl, but she soon recomposed herself as a memory flashed in her mind after looking at Joe, feeling that she was having a déjà vu at this moment. It made her tremble and remove the smile from her lips.
"Greetings, everyone. I'm Kai." Kai nonchalantly spoke, but was on high alert after seeing all the people in the house. His back was a bit cold as he knew of every one of these people from the coven records and what they were.
Malcolm's eyes narrowed slightly, assessing them with the quiet intensity of a predator. Beau was more open in his intentions, his posture rigid. Oscar simply watched, amused with a smile.
Everyone was smiling at each other, and no one was comfortable, even though they showed otherwise. Maybe except Joe. He was the only one truly relaxed while assessing the beautiful roses he would pick to bring home.
Lily clasped her hands politely before her waist. "Children," she said with warm formality, "our guests have come a long way in unpleasant weather. Let us behave as proper hosts."
The atmosphere changed into one more cordial at that moment as the girls were the first to sign the change as they were already rising from their seats.
Nora stood first, and unlike the rest of the family, she did not even attempt restraint. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity, and she crossed the room with an easy, confident stride, skirts brushing the floor. Her attention stayed fixed on Joe in a way that was almost brazenly undisguised.
"Well," she said brightly, circling half around him as if inspecting a rare specimen, "you certainly chose an interesting night to arrive, Mr. Black."
Joe smiled—not the charming stranger smile, but something lighter, playful. "I have always believed the best stories begin with storms."
"I quite agree," Nora replied instantly. "And mysterious travelers knocking at the door of an isolated house?" She tilted her head, studying his eyes. "Very dramatic."
"But I have to say I don't think we've ever had visitors quite like you." Nora flirted with him openly. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and she tilted her head, letting her dark curls cascade over her shoulder. "I do hope you'll stay long enough for us to get to know you better."
"Oh, I don't want to take for granted the hospitality that you and your family are giving me and my companion, Kai. So I don't want to exceed my stay in your home to not bother everyone. But...if it were for me, Nora. I actually think that a place as charming as this deserves more than just a passing visit." Joe's lips quirked into a smirk as he winked at her.
"I think I speak for everyone that your presence in our home wouldn't be a trouble at all, Mr. Black." Mary Louise approached next, but with a gentler warmth. She lightly touched Nora's arm as if grounding her enthusiasm before offering Joe a polite curtsy.
"You must forgive Nora," she said, smiling sweetly. "She becomes terribly excited whenever anything breaks routine. We… usually don't receive visitors these days," she meaningfully added.
Joe inclined his head courteously. "Then I am honored to have disrupted such a memorable peace, Miss."
"You have," Mary Louise said softly and meant more than the words.
"But please, call me by my name. We're not ones for formalities here." She huskily said while glancing at Nora, then back at Joe, her eyes glinting with something unreadable.
"That would be my pleasure, Mary Louise." Joe nodded meaningfully. Then he looked at everyone. "Everyone can call me Joe, also. I'm certainly not a man of so many formalities either."
"Though I must say, your timing is… interesting."
"Why is that, Mary Louise?"
"The shaking...The world doesn't usually shake like that." Mary Louise looked at him curiously, doe eyes blinking subtly. "Haven't you two felt it while being outside? It wasn't too long when it happened."
"Oh! The shaking...right, we felt it." Joe nodded in understanding. "It was absolutely terrifying, wasn't it, Kai?" he looked at him with a meaningful smile.
"Y-Yeah! It was. We fell down into the snow. We thought the end of time was coming!" Kai shuddered with awkwardness a bit at the farce that Joe was putting him to act.
Everyone raised an eyebrow at him. He couldn't be more subtle while lying.
Nora and Mary Louise chuckled.
Valerie had remained seated longer than the others, watching. Now she rose carefully. Unlike Nora's boldness or Mary Louise's softness, her attention carried hesitation. She stepped closer but stopped a comfortable distance away.
"Welcome, Mr. Black," she greeted, "I wish you a pleasant night in our home."
Joe met her eyes.
For the first time, he did not immediately reply.
Then he smiled gently. "Thank you, Miss…?"
"Valerie."
"Miss Valerie," he said, "I must say, that your's and your sisters' charm quite stunned me, Valerie."
"Pardon me for my brazenness, Valerie, but I haven't seen a woman as pretty as you all around this place."
Valerie felt both flattered and annoyed that he was praising her while also acknowledging the rest. She was just about to speak when—
"*Cough**Cough*" Kai coughed as he choked on his saliva as he was about laugh at the gall of Joe.
"Are you fine, Kai?" Joe looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, I'm fine, just the cold."
"Well, Joe. You also are quite pleasant to the eye; it made me remember a distant memory."
"Hopefully, the memory was a pleasant one."
"It was." Valerie's breath hitched, but she wasn't too sure herself whether it was something good or not.
"Are you sure?" Joe's eyes flickered with amusement, as if he could sense her hesitation. "You look like you've seen a ghost," he teased.
Valerie forced a laugh, but it came out strained. "Just… a strange feeling."
Lily looked deeply at Valerie's reaction for a moment, a bit surprised. "You have quite the effect on people, Mr. Black."
Joe smirked. "Only the ones with good taste."
Lily smiled, even if everyone was an actor of their own, playing a foolish comedy. "Then, it seems the taste of my girls seems to align with each other," she said, almost pleased. "Already you have charmed half my household, Mr. Black."
"Only half?" Joe said lightly as he looked at her meaningfully with appreciation of raw lust in his eyes. "What would I need to do to charm you too, Lily? Then it would be more than half."
"Who knows?" she replied with a knowing smile. "I have not decided yet."
The men did not join the circle.
Malcolm gave a polite nod from near the fireplace. "Welcome," he said calmly. Nothing more.
Oscar lifted two fingers in greeting from his chair. "Rough weather for traveling. Welcome."
Beau offered a small, silent inclination of his head.
The greetings were dull compared to the girls'. As they were assessing them more than anything else.
Kai noticed immediately as he gave them a lazy wave. "House looks cozy." He said and moved beside the fireplace. "But I would like the comfort of this fire if it isn't a bother."
Lily moved closer to Joe than propriety required. "You must sit," she said, guiding him toward a chair beside the fire. "You are still chilled." Then she looked at Kai. "Come, we will have a hot tea to warm you both."
"I assure you, Lily, there is no—"
"I insist."
Joe allowed himself to be guided. Kai raised an eyebrow at him as he passed; Joe ignored it.
The atmosphere resembled a stage play where every actor knew a different script.
Everyone was cordial.
Everyone was listening.
Every movement was careful.
No one asked the important questions.
Not yet.
...
Nora suddenly clapped her hands lightly. "Well, tea it is!" she declared. "Mary Louise, help me."
Mary Louise nodded immediately, and the two disappeared toward the kitchen, their voices faintly whispering with laughter before fading entirely.
A few moments passed in silence.
Even the fire seemed to burn more quietly.
Kai leaned closer to the fireplace, watching everyone watching everyone.
Lily pretended to adjust the curtains of the windows but kept glancing at Joe.
Valerie sat again but did not relax.
Malcolm watched Joe.
Joe watched the room so as not be too obvious in his looks of desire for Lily and Valerie till the girls returned, as they made small chat.
Mary Louise carried a tray of porcelain cups and a teapot, steam rising in thin white curls. Nora held a plate of small biscuits.
They approached Joe first.
"Careful," Mary Louise said warmly, setting the tray near him with her left hand on the table in front of him. "It is quite hot." she added as with her right hand she caressed subtly Joe's back like a tease without intentions of removing it.
At the same time Nora also leaned closer than necessary as she placed a cup into his hands. Her voice dropped playfully softer. "We would hate for our guest to suffer after surviving the storm."
Joe accepted it, fingers brushing hers briefly. "Your concern is deeply appreciated."
Mary Louise poured the tea with her left hand for him while still caressing his back. "Sugar?"
"Surprise me," Joe smiled.
She smirked back and served him a few spoons of sugar as she activated her siphoner abilities. Nora was also quite touchy with Joe as she also put her hand on his back and caressed him for a while along with Mary Louise, before she started her siphoner powers along with her.
"Ah!" Both gasped in surprise and excitement. Their eyes opened wide. Both their reaction alarmed the others as they tensed preparing to attack at any moment.
Kai watched as the two girls practically purred over Joe, their hands lingering on his shoulders, their fingers brushing his back. And when they exclaimed in surprise, he already knew they were siphoning him at the same time, which made his lips purse in amusement at their reactions as he also experienced that kind of magic when he first found what was inside him.
"There is something wrong, girls?" Joe looked meaningfully at Nora and Mary Louise, who had their shocking face as they looked at him.
"N-no, there is nothing wrong, Joe." Mary Louise said with an awkward smile.
"We are surprised because you have a strong body, the muscles in your back seem to be trained really well, Joe." Nora chuckled wryly as she continued caressing his back. "But, please go ahead and have a drink from the tea."
Joe seemed utterly unfazed, even amused. He leaned into Nora and Mary Louise's touch, his smirk deepening. "You two are very attentive hosts."
Nora let out a low chuckle, her fingers tracing the curve of his shoulder. "We aim to please."
Mary Louise's smile was sweeter, but her eyes held a predatory glint. "Especially when our guest is so… generous."
"Oh, I can be very generous." Joe's grin turned wicked.
Lily's eyes darkened at the exchange as the girls were unrestrained. "Girls, don't make Joe feel uncomfortable. Please have a little restraint in your excitement with our guests." Lily said as if chiding them.
Nora and Mary Louise lingered beside his chair another second longer than politeness allowed. On one hand, they were enjoying themselves as they touched Joe, and on the other, they were siphoning quite an amount of magic from his huge reserve, which seemed infinite. They couldn't believe it.
Nora then—without ceremony, without comment—she turned, lifted another cup, and walked past Mary Louise as she placed it directly into Kai's hands.
Casually and almost absentmindedly.
Kai blinked once at the difference in attitude and treatment of these girls with him and Joe.
Nora didn't look at him.
"For your cold, quickly drink it," she said lightly without much thought, already turning away.
Lily watched the exchange patiently. Her eyes kept flicking back to Joe, her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but she held back, awaiting the right moment. "Well, now that introductions are out of the way," she said, her voice drawing everyone's attention to her like a good hostess and lady of the house, "Let's not stay standing. Kai, please take a seat."
Kai took a seat beside Joe, but he would have preferred one as far from the Heretics as possible, his expression carefully neutral. This was going to explode at any moment, and when it did, he needed to be ready to save himself. Unfortunately, now he wished he had the tombstone from Silas's tomb instead of having given it back to Joe; at least then he would have magic to defend himself.
Joe's gaze met Lily's, and for a moment, the air between them became charged. "You have a lovely family, Lily." He emphasized her name, letting it roll off his tongue like a caress. "Beautiful daughters that could put even celebrities to shame." He winked at the girls, who smiled back at him. "And men, who seemed protective, which is good."
"But hey, guys, don't get too hard on me if I fall in love with one of the pretty ladies of your family, will you?"
"Thank you, Joe. I'm proud of my family; my children... they are everything to me." Lily smiled. "But it seems too soon to even think of falling in love, don't you think?"
Nora and Mary Louise looked at each other, amused, as Nora let out a little snicker.
"Maybe it is a little abrupt on my part. But when matters of love are concerned, there is no right time or moment for it, Lily. It could be just a look from the right person, and that's all it would take to fall in love." He looked meaningfully at Valerie, who blushed and moved her gaze away from him, embarrassed.
Joe then rested his eyes on Lily with raw desire for her, even if he was giving the same sentiment to the other girls. Lily was left agape, not knowing what to say about that.
Malcolm's gaze was sharp, yet he spoke with a measured tone, despite being already bored with all this absurd and poor act that everyone was subtly maintaining, even when they knew something was off with the other party. "Joe Black and Kai Parker," he said. "Names that don't ring any bells around here. Where are you from?"
"I think I could be considered a local," Joe said, not too sure about it himself. "From here, Mystic Falls... maybe? I'm not too sure, even myself," he laughed.
"My good partner here, Kai, is from Portland, Oregon." He looked at Kai for a second and then at the rest. "Isn't that right, mate?"
"Yes..."
Oscar looked at Kai with interest as he chuckled.
Kai looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Sorry for that. It's just that before this day happened, we were on our way to that place just to visit a group of old friends." Oscar snickered again. "It's a pity that something delayed our visit."
"So you are going to leave this place tomorrow to visit them?" Kai rolled his eyes.
"We wish!" Nora excitedly said. "I have so many things to tell them. Unfortunately, this storm is going to delay our visit indefinitely. But your timely visit may change our plans once again, isn't that right, Mary Louise?" She looked at her girlfriend with a naughty smile.
"You are right, Nora." Mary Louise looked at them both with interested eyes. "Thanks to you both, maybe our luck will change and we will be able to give them a proper visit this time."
"Well, it would be a pleasure if we can help you all. But I don't see how we will help you in any of that." Joe put on a confused look. "I mean, we are not gods; we can't change this darn weather. Who knows when it will stop, right?"
Valerie looked at him with a subtle smile on her lips, amused.
"You say you are local, from here, Joe?" Lily asked, intrigued, looking at Joe. "But I never saw you before around town. And this is a small town..."
"My family is from Mystic Falls. They came here centuries ago. The family history tells in the records I saw that men who transformed into wolves still roamed this land and people needed to protect themselves during full moons." Joe told the story with a mysterious voice as he related to everyone, looking at their reactions. "Or so the book said. Given that I have never seen such an event happen, it would mean that it was a pretty long time ago or who knows if it is actually true." He shrugged.
The Heretics looked at each other, having never seen a werewolf before, even if they were vampires and witches themselves.
"Men that transform into wolves during a full moon?" Lily looked skeptically at him. "That is an interesting tale but surely just that, a tale. Still, I don't remember any family called 'Black' in this town's history records. So pardon me for being skeptical about the presence of your family and this town being the same as you claim, Joe."
"Oh, I believe they are the same, Lily." Joe sipped from the already warm tea. "Mhm, a perfect taste." He looked subtly at Nora and Mary, who already had mischievous eyes looking back at him like two little foxes after he drank the tea.
"Nevertheless, family or not, I have been here in town for a while and was able to get to know quite a number of locals. Some are funny to watch, actually, like a man called Damon Salvatore. Always acting like an ass, doing bad things. He has quite a temper, I must say, only to be quite sentimental later. Really funny."
"Oh, but that's not all. He has a brother too, Stefan Salvatore. Stefan is a bit better than his brother and more sentimental and sensible than him, but more boring than Damon. But hey, you didn't hear this from me, but you know what? Damon actually took his brother's girlfriend from him, a girl called Elena Gilbert."
Lily's fingers froze around her teacup. As her acting facade started to crumble due to her shock at the mention of her sons.
"What a character those two Salvatore brothers are." Joe smiled after seeing Lily's reaction.
"Now that I think about it, it seems the Gilberts are also a local family of Mystic Falls... like the Salvatores. Am I right, or maybe I'm wrong, Lily?" He looked at her with an interested and pondering look. "Also, could it be that these two Salvatore brothers are your relatives, Lily? Nephews, perhaps?"
The room went still.
She forced a laugh, but it sounded hollow even to her own ears. "Oh, they're just distant relatives. Hardly worth mentioning."
"Funny. I could've sworn they were very important to you. Even I dare say, they are your actual sons, Lily. Different from your adopted children here."
Malcolm's expression darkened. "Enough of this game, Witch."
Kai shifted, preparing himself. 'This is it. The moment everything goes to hell.'
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