Full Moon Rising (A Bonnie/Tyler story)

By V.C. Turner

Bonnie silenced her phone as she waited for his text to arrive. She didn't want her grandmother to hear her message alert. The young witch was forbidden to leave the house after 9 p.m. during the school year, so her heart beat furiously in her chest as she quietly stuffed her grimoire in her backpack along with three candles. She didn't have time to practice the spell and she worried about casting it the first time, but Tyler assured her that no matter what, she couldn't possibly disappoint him.

A few weeks earlier, Tyler saw Bonnie using magic to spin the pencil on her desk. He was the only person that noticed her using her gift and so he felt fairly comfortable about telling her about his curse. He told her of the video he watched of his uncle going through his transition to a werewolf. He saw the pain on Mason's face as the elder Lockwood struggled against the metal restraints that bound him to the floor. Tyler viewed the change in horror as he witnessed what would be his fate on the next full moon. After showing the video to Bonnie, she offered to help him any way she could, but she also warned him she had only cast a few spells and she didn't know how effective she would be.

More than anything, he just wanted someone to be there for him, and he knew Bonnie possessed the kindest heart amongst all of his friends. If he could be vulnerable around anyone, it would be Bonnie. If anyone could keep a secret, it would be her. If anyone would care about him regardless of his curse, Bonnie would.

They began to meet after school under the guise of doing homework. In reality, they discussed their supernatural identities and it seemed to draw them closer to one another in ways their numerous years in school never did.

On the night of the full moon, Bonnie quietly dressed and gathered the spell from her grimoire close to her chest. A rush of adrenaline fueled her as she sat on the edge of her bed and waited for Tyler to arrive. Although she was sneaking out of the house, it wasn't like she was meeting a boy for a date or anything…they were just friends. She wanted to help him out. That was it. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach.

Bonnie jumped a few inches when she saw her phone light up. She looked down at the new text message and an unexpected smile crept across her beautiful face. Tyler. She straightened her expression, embarrassed that she felt giddy at seeing his name pop up on her phone. He was just a friend. There was no reason for her to smile at the sight of his name.

"Hey. Are you ready?" read Tyler's text.

"Yeah. I'm heading to my window," Bonnie typed back.

She walked to her window, lifting it as quietly as possible as she scanned the backyard for Tyler. She soon saw him walking toward the tree outside her window. He smiled up at her and her heart fluttered a little. She chastised herself for allowing the thought to cross her mind. She pulled on the backpack, climbed out onto the branch of the tree, and shut her window before looking down at him again.

"Come on. Jump down," Tyler whispered, then gave her a nod of reassurance.

"Are you sure I'm not too heavy?" she whispered back.

Tyler raised his eyebrow as if she sounded crazy for asking such a question.

"I can bench a couple hundred pounds. I know I can handle you," he said quietly, taking a quick glance down the street in both directions. He then waved for her to jump down.

Bonnie briefly closed her eyes, said a prayer, and leapt down into his arms. He caught her easily, holding her tight against his chest until her shoes touched the grass. She looked into his eyes and saw a flash of something on his face; a shyness she hadn't seen in the brash jock she'd known all these years.

"See," he said into her right ear, "I told you I could handle you."

Bonnie didn't look at him for fear he would see her embarrassed smile and know what she was thinking. Did werewolves have the power to do that? Read minds? She shook the thought from her clouded brain.

"Let's get going," she whispered.

Tyler reached for Bonnie's hand and led her down the street where he'd parked a quarter of a mile away so he would not to attract attention. Even if Sheila Bennett didn't see them leave, there might be nosey neighbors willing to tell on them. They didn't need that.

They arrived at the Lockwood property in just a few minutes. The moon cast an eerie glow throughout the trees, but it hadn't reached the apex. Tyler still didn't have much time.

They walked through the woods, their path lit by a small flashlight that Tyler carried in his right hand. He looked over at Bonnie with a nervous smile which she met with a smile of her own. Both felt uncertain about what lay ahead, but neither backed down from the challenge.

He stopped in his tracks after ten minutes of walking, his fingers gliding down Bonnie's arm as he entwined their fingers to lead her toward the entrance to the cellar. Once Tyler opened the door, a rush of warm humid air hit them both in the face. Bonnie expected it to be cold in the cellar, but she found herself overheated as soon as they stepped inside.

The beam from the flashlight lit the blackened walls, showing hundreds of scratch marks made by the Lockwood werewolves over the years. Bonnie ran her fingertips over the markings and felt a sense of sadness at what her friend was about to endure if her spell didn't work.

Tyler leaned over and picked up the large chains bolted to the floor. Bonnie's eyes widened when she saw the heavy metal restraints that would be secure her friend. Fear began to grip her as she realized that she would soon have to chain him down, cast the spell, and wait for it to work or fail, depending on her current skill level.

Tyler began to remove his jacket and shoes, as Bonnie became keenly aware that the he might be standing mostly naked in front of her within a few minutes. She'd never been this close to a naked man before…much less to someone so attractive. Yes, he was her friend, but she could not deny that her blood raced when she saw his bare chest, toned abs, and muscled legs.

She tried to focus, however the heat in the room became unbearable due to the temperature of the cellar and Tyler's mostly naked form. He stood barefoot in front of her, wearing only a pair of tight black boxer briefs.

To combat her rising heat, she removed her jacket and the blouse that was covering her burgundy tank top. She caught a glimpse of Tyler watching her undress and a part of her enjoyed the nervous smile appearing on his face. Perhaps he was at least a little affected by her appearance. She was certainly affected by his.

Tyler looked away from her and began securing the chains around his feet and then around his wrists. He pulled on them and Bonnie watched as his muscles strained against the restraints.

"Bonnie, can you double check that I locked these the right way?" Tyler asked.

Bonnie nodded. She knelt down and used the flashlight to make sure the chains were locked around his wrists and ankles, and then securely attached to the floor and to the walls.

"I've never done this before, Tyler," Bonnie said, her small hands shaking as she wrapped her hands around the chains on his ankles. The cold metal was a stark contrast to the warmth emanating from his body. She felt both sensations through her fingertips and it hypnotized her.

Bonnie stood up slowly, trying to ignore the mostly naked, muscular friend standing in front of her. She kept her head down to hide her blush, although the moonlight casting throughout the room was enough for him to see it.

Tyler's breath stilled, as if to conceal the fact that his excitement grew each time her hands touched his bare skin. He shouldn't be feeling this way about a friend. He always thought she was beautiful, but he never allowed himself to take the thought much further. He believed their friend, Matt, might be a better guy for her. Tyler didn't think he deserved to date a girl like Bonnie: so sweet, kind, pretty, and smart. Still, standing alone with her in the darkened cellar he had to admit to himself that a part of him desperately wanted to give into his long desire to kiss her bow-shaped mouth.

"I trust you Bon," he assured her, "And it's not like I've ever done this before either."

Tyler watched a tendril of hair escape from her ponytail and fall across her face. With his right hand, he brushed it from her cheek and placed it behind her left ear. Bonnie's mouth turned up into a slight smile before she straightened her expression and continued her work. Yes. He definitely wanted to kiss her.

"What?" she asked, looking up at him.

He remained silent for several seconds because he didn't know what to say. Bonnie felt his breath on her face, his body heat almost overwhelming her as she tried to focus on the task.

"Nothing. I just really appreciate you doing this for me," Tyler stated.

Bonnie smiled sweetly at him, and her closeness to her face almost made him forget why they were there in the first place; to deal with his first werewolf transition.

"Are you sure these are strong enough?" she asked him, breaking him from his romantic thoughts of her.

"They held Mason, so I guess they should hold me, right?" he asked, not feeling confident in his statement to her but wanting to calm her nerves.

Once they tested the chains again, Bonnie pulled out the spell she'd earmarked in her grimoire – the one that should help remove the pain of Tyler's transition. She lit the candles and pointed the flashlight at the piece of paper as she began to read the words aloud.

"Spiritus invoco te parcere lupum dolore sane animum. Huic defendat. Hunc tutus ut pacem habeatis arma naturae," she chanted.

A soft wind swirled around them as the light of the moon now cast brightly into the cellar. Bonnie closed her eyes and said an additional silent prayer that her new protection spell would work so that Tyler would not have to face an eternity of pain for a supernatural gift he never wanted.

"I'm all set," Tyler said, "Go ahead and lock me in here."

Bonnie refused to leave him alone, not knowing if the spell would work or if her friend would need her help in some way.

"I'm not leaving you," she insisted, staring intently into his eyes with the hope of not having to fight him too hard on this.

"Come on Bonnie," he begged, "If these things don't hold, I don't know what the wolf will do. I'm can't let that thing hurt you."

His breathing began to pick up and she could see his muscles flex and strain as the transition began to take hold. He pulled against the chains, but the heavy metal links wouldn't give and both of them were thankful for that.

Tyler's head fell to his chest and sweat beaded on his shoulders. The spell appeared to be working. He could feel his skin tingle and his muscles tightened, but there was no pain… at least not at that moment.

The rattling of the chains filled the small room. Tyler's eyes turned a glowing yellow and Bonnie backed up a few feet. She watched him shake his head and when he looked up again, his eyes were their normal color. Relief washed over both of them, but they still had plenty of time left before they knew it was over.

"How are you doing?" she asked him as she approached with caution. She didn't feel concern that he would hurt her. She was more worried that he'd soon fall to the ground in pain and eventually succumb to the werewolf transition; becoming the beast he never wanted to be.

An unfamiliar and intoxicating scent filled his nose. Almost overwhelming at first, the scent soon invaded his lungs and stirred all of his senses. Pheromones. Tyler realized that the only interesting thing he learned in biology class was studying about pheromones and how they drew animals to one another for mating purposes.

"Bonnie, you should get away from me," he said, panting heavily as sweat rolled down his body.

"Why," she asked.

"Because, there are still some…. animal instincts in me," Tyler explained, almost breathless. He stared at her with desire, however Bonnie didn't immediately recognize the expression since she'd never seen anything like it from him before. Or had she?

"You're not going to hurt me. I know that Tyler," Bonnie insisted. Believing the worst of his transition had passed; she began unlocking the chains that secured his hands.

"Bonnie, Please. This isn't about hurting you," he added, "I can feel certain things. I can smell certain things."

Bonnie stopped her task to look him in the eyes.

"Such as?" she asked.

Tyler didn't want to reveal what he'd scented on the witch since the moment they entered the cellar. Sure, they both began to sweat almost immediately upon entering the underground room, but there was something very sweet mixed in with the beads of perspiration that peppered Bonnie's lovely shoulders: Her unique pheromones – her scent. .

As she continued to look at him, awaiting an answer, he finally spoke up.

"I can smell you; your scent. It's sweet like perfume, only it's not really perfume. It's just you. It calls to me," he stuttered.

Bonnie considered stepping back. That is what her brain told her. Her body spoke an entirely different language. Of course. the insecure part of her thought the attraction Tyler felt was simply part of an instinct born in all males and it had nothing to do with her specific allure. She bit her lip and pondered her situation.

No. She wanted to free him. She wanted to free herself.

"I see and I understand. I know you can't help it," she finally said, continuing to unchain him, but he stopped her again.

Tyler shook his head.

"You don't understand. I've read that a wolf only gets like this when he's attracted to someone before he activates his curse," Tyler explained.

His hand brushed against hers and they both drew in a shaky breath. Bonnie felt warmth pool in between her quivering thighs. Tyler's manhood pressed uncomfortably against the taught fabric of his boxer briefs. He needed to remain locked up by the chains for fear a different kind of animal would rip off her clothes the instant it was freed.

"How does it feel?" she finally asked once she found her words.

"Like someone dialed up all my senses to 10. Everything I see; everything I hear; everything I feel… all of it is turned up. I get restless. Full of energy, so much my skin gets hot," he said.

Bonnie's eyes inadvertently scanned his face, then made their way down his glistening body, marveling at the way the moonlight seemed to make his skin glow. His muscles tensed as he looked deeper into her eyes than he ever had before. Something new dwelled behind his dark brown eyes; something fierce, yet provocative.

"With magic," she began as her slim fingers grazed his shoulders, "I feel it under my skin. It tingles sometimes. Other times, it feels like It's like I'm swimming in the ocean and the waves keep brushing against me. It can be too much."

Tyler's breathing increased with each movement of her nimble hands. He closed his eyes and tried to fight how much it turned him on in so many ways. He felt this way for years without truly realizing it until that moment when he had the chance to be alone with her and the only thing holding him back were the chains bolting him to the floor.

"I know the feeling," said Tyler, "Hey, why's your heart beating so fast?"

"I'm sorry," she replied, not really answering him, but deep down, they both knew the reason.

"Don't apologize. You've seen a half naked guy before, right?" he asked.

Bonnie hating admitting her lack of experience when it came to dating. She rarely flirted because she didn't feel comfortable with it. She always felt like she was pretending. Bonnie didn't want to pretend. She wanted to be true to her heart and to her instincts. Her instincts quickly began telling her that she needed something more from Tyler than just friendship. She needed something more basic, more primal, more forbidden, and yet still very necessary.

"No. Not in person," she replied, avoiding his eyes.

"Really?"

"I don't date much. It's hard to get noticed around Caroline and Elena," she said, biting her lip. She then heard the sound of chains rattle as Tyler lifted her chin.

"I noticed you," he insisted.

"Are you sure that's not the wolf hormones?" asked Bonnie.

"No. I've always felt that way. Being a wolf just intensified it. Besides, I always thought you were too good for me. I can be an ass," Tyler asserted.

Bonnie chuckled

"You're not so bad," she said with a smile.

Tyler tugged on the chains and stepped closer to Bonnie. His first instinct was to kiss her, but he believed that might earn him a slap and he didn't want to anger someone he respected. He preferred to test the waters; flirt a little bit to see if she could possibly want him as much as he realized he wanted her.

"You know, I'm kind of at your mercy right now. You can do whatever you want to me," Tyler playfully teased.

"Like tell you bad jokes? Shave your head-," Bonnie said, playing along.

"God, No!"

"I guess I could smack you around a bit," she continued.

"I figured you were into that kind of thing. It's always the quiet ones," he flirted.

Bonnie's cheeks burned from both nervousness and embarrassment. She wanted to flirt with him, but she knew her skills were severely lacking in the romance department.

"I suppose I could tickle you," she offered, standing within just a few inches of him. Something sweet invaded her nose. Perhaps it was the scent of his cologne, his deodorant, or maybe his shampoo. It didn't matter. What mattered was that the smell warmed her, causing a tingling sensation in places she dared not explore just yet.

"Well, see, I'm not ticklish," he said with a smirk, hoping for what they both felt was inevitable.

"Well, see, I guess that means you are," Bonnie insisted.

Before she lost her nerve, she reached for his ribcage and began tickling his sides, but he didn't pull away from her touch like she expected.

"This is just an excuse to touch me, isn't it?" Tyler asked.

"Um, no. I mean, in your dreams, Lockwood," she said, avoiding his eyes.

Tyler turned serious for a moment. He licked his lips and stood up. The transition to wolf never happened, but he was too wrapped up in Bonnie's orbit to care why. The newest spell she'd cast upon him had nothing to do with magic.

"Take off the chains, Bonnie," he said quietly.

The heaviness of the moment made Bonnie weak in the knees, but she fought that feeling and removed the chains from Tyler's left hand, then his right. Her heart began to race as he leaned forward. She thought he would kiss only to feel disappointment when he bent down to unlatch the chains securing his feet to the floor.

When Tyler stood up, he stepped closer to his friend. He felt more intoxicated in that moment than he ever had during any of the parties the football team held after they won a game. He had control, but he wanted to abandon it in favor of something so much sweeter. He placed his right hand on Bonnie's waist and gently pulled her toward him, giving her every opportunity to pull away.

Only Bonnie had no intention of pulling away. She didn't know why, but some kind of invisible magnet drew them together until she could feel his breath on her forehead and it nearly seared her skin. The cautious part of her, the one that normally stopped her from taking chances with her heart, remained silent. Instead, the bold young woman she wanted to be looked up in Tyler's eyes and knew what was about to happen.

Her eyelids closed and she held her breath as his lips pressed against her cheek. She exhaled, feeling a bit saddened that he didn't follow through with what she expected. She opened her eyes again long enough to see him lean in again, this time his lips finally met hers. She expected his kiss to be aggressive and hard, based on his cocky personality, but it was the opposite. He kissed her gently, caressing and savoring each lip as if it were a treasure to behold.

Bonnie felt lightheaded as she kissed him back, not caring what this would mean for the both of them and caught up in the intensity of the moment. She didn't realize how much she wanted it until his lips finally connected with hers. She never imagined it would feel this way; to be touched and held by Tyler Lockwood as if she were the most precious gift he had ever been given.

He finally found the willpower to pull away from Bonnie's mouth for fear he would they would continue kissing until they laid naked on the cellar floor making love much too soon. He didn't want to rush this. Bonnie was different. She deserved something better.

"Please tell me you wanted that as much as I did," he said, his arms still encircling her waist.

"Yeah, I did," she answered, still trying to catch her breath.

"Enough to do it again?" he asked as his lips hovered near her left ear.

Bonnie nodded her answer and was met with another kiss. This kiss felt much hotter and more eager than the first. It made moisture pool between her thighs. Something stirred inside her that she never felt before. She wanted more of it. She needed more of it.

"We should probably head back," he said, once he stepped back and caught his breath.

Bonnie nodded and gathered her things. She still felt dizzy from the kisses they'd shared. Tyler quickly pulled on his jeans and shirt. He then reached for Bonnie's hand as he led them out of the cellar and into the coolness of night. The transition to werewolf never took hold. The transition from their friendship did.

The drive home was filled with a comfortable, but tenuous silence between them. Bonnie kept biting her lip and Tyler continued to steal glances at her whenever he could safely take his eyes off the road. He noticed that she was fidgeting, so he instinctively grabbed her hand and held it. A tingling sensation passed between them like neither had felt before. They looked at each other in shock, then continued the drive back to town.

Again, Tyler parked about a block away from Bonnie's house. She wanted to ask him to come up to her room, but she didn't know what she wanted him to do once he got there. They only shared a couple of kisses, along with a few flirtatious moments in the Lockwood cellar. She had no reason to feel as if they were beginning a real relationship. She soon began to feel more nervous than ever. Her hands began to shake as she opened her car door. Tyler rushed around to the passenger side, but Bonnie was already standing up by the time he got there.

They walked back to her house and stood under the tree outside her bedroom. He motioned for her to climb up the branch that hung outside her window. She did, ascending carefully so as not to disturb the leaves and make too much noise. Once inside, Tyler followed her up the tree and into her room. They stared at each other silently. Something changed in the air between them; something both uncertain, but inevitable.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I guess I wanted to make sure you were safe up here before I left."

Bonnie smiled and removed her shoes and socks. She didn't want him to leave, but she also didn't want her grandmother to catch them. She tiptoed to her bedroom door and looked into the hallway. She was met with mostly silence, except for the soft snoring coming from her Sheila Bennett's room.

Bonnie locked her bedroom door and turned to face Tyler.

"You don't have to leave," she told him, again unsure of herself.

Tyler appeared as if he would speak, but he gave her a soft smile and removed his shoes.

"I promise I'll behave," he said quietly.

Bonnie lied down on top of the bed, fully clothed as Tyler wrapped himself around her. His arm draped over her waist as if it had always belonged there. He snuggled lose, placing a kiss to the back of her neck. He couldn't see it, but he knew she smiled. For the first time, he felt comfortable with his curse. He found someone that appeared to care for him no matter what.

"Goodnight Tyler," she whispered, wrapping her fingers around his hand.

"Goodnight Bonnie," he whispered back.

As Tyler drifted off to sleep, he thought he heard something; an inner voice speaking to him – one he'd never heard before. He tried to dismiss it, but the words echoed in his head over and over until sleep finally took over.

That inner voice said only four words: She is your mate.