This chapter is a little shorter, but very "full" if that makes sense? Lol.

Lots will go on.

Oh, and for all of you concerned for Caroline, I have to say, she will be in this story, but things will build up to it ;)

Soooo anyway, happy reading :)


With this new information, there was no way Damon would let me out of his reach, so he and Stefan followed me back to the booth where Caroline was waiting for my return.

"There you are. I was starting to wonder if…" her sentence trailed off as she noticed the Salvatores.

She blinked as she took in their appearance, and I couldn't blame her, as they were quite something to look at.

"Care, this is Damon...my…," I wasn't really sure what to call him, actually, as we'd never really redefined our relationship since I'd learned the truth about my Changing.

I could've just said fiance, but the word didn't really cover the magnitude of what we had between us.

"He's my…"

"Mate," Damon intercepted.

It wasn't exactly the most mortal description, but good enough.

"And his brother, Stefan," I finished, sitting down.

Damon slid in next to me, and Stefan glanced at Caroline, who moved over to make room for him.

Her body was tense, though she wouldn't understand why.

Our wolf selves had that effect on humans.

On any species of lesser instinct actually.

It would wear off.


"Mind if we join you?" Stefan asked politely.

Caroline shook her head, "Not at all...where's the other one?"

"Mason," I explained, when Damon looked confused.

"He had to run back home," Stefan answered.

"Oh," Caroline pondered, "And you're all...cousins?"

"Roughly," Stefan smiled.

"I'm sorry for your loss, then, it's tragic," she offered sadly.

"We're dealing," Damon stated, looking down at me, "Elena says you're a friend from New York?"

Caroline nodded, "Yeah, we met right after she came into the city, and had seen each other almost daily since. Which is why I was so worried when she just disappeared."

"Sorry," I offered again, "I would have told you, but like I said, things were crazy...still kind of are."

Caroline nodded, "I don't want to intrude. I just wanted to be sure you hadn't been kidnapped and locked in a cage somewhere."

I chuckled nervously, because she was damn near spot on.

At least, that's what it had felt like when I'd first returned.

And Damon had literally locked me in the basement's containment cage at one point.

But minor details.

"Nope," I smiled at her, "Safe and sound."

She nodded, and sipped at the glass of water in front of her.

Damon's fingers drummed impatiently on the edge of the table, and I could tell that his eyes were scoping the place.

The sooner Caroline believed I was truly well and happy, the sooner we could bail out and get back to our Giuseppe issue.

I exhaled, and forced a grin onto my lips.

"So, Care, who got the editor room promotion? I'm dying to hear about it!"


That was all it took to get the ball rolling.

Stefan was great, keeping up the conversation, making Caroline laugh, and catching Damon's eye to prod him into having an input.

The food came and went, as Caroline and I shared story after story about New York, and I even managed to truthfully tell her how I'd met Damon and the others.

Thankfully, she didn't pry about our breakup, or ask why I had gone to New York.

The topic was still a little touchy for Damon, not that I could blame him, but it wouldn't do anyone any favors for him to possibly quite literally bite her head off.


An hour later, we had finished lunch, and followed Caroline to the hotel.

Once I was sure she was safely inside, and had promised to stop by before she left in the morning, we climbed into Damon's car, and headed back towards the Manor.

"There are a lot of words in the English language," Stefan broke the silence, "And I swear, that girl knows every single one of them."

"Don't be mean," I smiled.

"I'm not," he insisted, "But I have to admit, I didn't expect you to be BFF's with a social butterfly like that."

"She's a good person," I defended her, and Stefan rose his hands in defeat.

Damon didn't comment.

In fact, he'd been unusually quiet since the Grill.

I reached over and took his hand, "You okay?"

He glanced down, and gave me a small smile, "Peachy."

"You know, she's cute though," Stefan added as an after thought.

I turned and shot him a look over the seat, "Don't even think about it. You have plenty of women around here to pick from."

"I wasn't," he promised, "One night stands can only appease a guy for so long, Elena."

I scoffed, and he smirked, "I'm kidding...kind of. Point is, it might not hurt to look for someone more permanent."

"Oh, there's a great idea," I noted, "Pretty girl, fun dates, hot sex, secrets, lies, the eventual heartbreak...sounds like quite the future there."

Stefan rolled his eyes, and crossed his hands behind his head, "Okay, I'm not talking forever kind of permanent. Just someone that would be around for more than a few days."

"And then you fall in love," I pointed out, "How are you supposed to let them go then? You can't tell them the truth without putting them in danger."

"Our ancestors figured it out," he reasoned.

"Your ancestors impregnated women to steal their children as a way to further the Pack lineage," I shot, "Hardly an ideal plan, even if it was in the name of preservation."

"Easy girl," Stefan smirked, "Nobody's saying the laws are perfect. But they do insure our survival as a race."

I sat back into my seat with a roll of my eyes, "Doesn't make it right."


The Manor was on high alert when we arrived.

Apparently Alaric was taking no chances of being caught off guard.

He was waiting in the foyer when we entered, "It's done then?"

Damon nodded, "Blondie is tucked safely away in her hotel room. She'll be on her way back to the Big Apple in the morning."

"Good," Alaric nodded, "We don't need any more complications right now."

I crossed my arms, "The guys mentioned that a scent was found...you think we're being watched?"

Alaric nodded again, "It has to be considered. It would be too big a coincidence for the scent to belong to another random Mutt."

I pondered this.

"I want to watch Caroline's hotel tonight, until she leaves. She won't be dragged into our mess."

Alaric and Damon shared a glance, "Elena-"

"No," I insisted, "Send Damon with me if you must, but I'm not leaving Caroline alone if there's a chance we're being spied on."

"We can't risk you being out there, kitten," Damon murmured, "Even with my protection, it's an unnecessary gamble. Someone else can do it."

I shook my head, "My life means no more than anyone else's in the Pack. She's my friend. It's not fair to make someone else-"

"Elena, he's right," Alaric stopped me, "One of the others can go."

"But-"

"In this case, you are too important," he hushed me, "You're the one Giuseppe wants."

"He wants me alive," I reminded him, "He won't kill me. But he might want the rest of you dead."

"Then I'll send two," Alaric promised.

I opened my mouth to push further, but decided against it.

Two of us would be enough to keep Caroline safe until morning, even if it wasn't me personally.

"I'll do it," a voice called, and I turned to see Stefan, leaning against the wall, "I'll take Tyler. Shouldn't be too hard to stay under the radar."

Alaric nodded, "Good. Keep it on the DL...and Stefan," his gaze flicked back to me, "Nothing happens to that girl. I want Pack eyes on her until she boards that plane."

Stefan gave a nod, and left the room, presumably to tell Tyler that their night just got busy.

"Thanks," I forced, and the Alpha appraised me.

"I know you don't like sitting idle," he assured me, "But it's for your safety."

Damon placed his hands on my shoulders, squeezing, "Look, after Caroline's in the clear tomorrow, maybe the Pack should get to work. Giuseppe is surveying right now, he's not prepared for anything else."

"We don't know that," Ric pointed out.

"Either way, he can't follow all of us," Damon insisted, "Let's call Elijah, figure out which of the Mutts look dirty. Then Elena and I will go talk to them."

"Talk?" Alaric scoffed.

"We'll get your information," Damon amended, eyes flickering down at me, "I want this over."

Alaric sighed, "I know, we all do...okay, fine. If Elijah has a Mutt or two in the clear, you and Elena can question them. But we keep it close. I don't want either of you outside the Pack's reach."

We both nodded, and the hint of a smile teased my lips.

Anything was better than doing nothing.

"One other thing," Alaric called my attention back, "There's something I have to command, and I need you to remember that it's really for the best, given the situation."

My brows furrowed, and even Damon stiffened at the word command.

As in the Alpha command.

As in we probably weren't going to like what was about to be said.

"What is it?" Damon asked warily.

Alaric almost seemed a bit flushed, "This morning, your little off path fiesta in the woods...it can't happen again."

I blinked.

This was hardly the first time Damon and I had taken our primal urges out on the trees.

Why would Alaric suddenly have a problem with it?

He did blush, when I asked him.

"No, Elena, you aren't understanding me. It's not the forest...it's the two of you that can't happen. Not right now."

Damon's stepped forward, his hands slipping from me, "What are you saying?"

"He's...grounding us," I answered, "From each other?"

"Temporarily," Alaric insisted.

A low growl came from Damon's chest.

"Easy son," the Alpha warned, "I'm not taking her away from you. I'm just telling you to keep things PG for a while."

I stepped between the two of them, when Damon's eyes darkened.

His wolf was not agreeing with Alaric's suggestions to restrict contact with its mate.

"Why?" I asked, hoping the answer would appeal to Damon's rationality, and appease my own annoyance.

"I would have thought it obvious," Ric stated, "The two of you can't keep your hands off each other. At this rate, Giuseppe won't have to wait long for the offspring he's wanting, considering it's even biologically possibility."

"But, I'm on the-"

"I know," Ric brushed me off, "But you're also the only female werewolf in existence, a supernatural being that can self heal and run for miles, three times faster than a human. It's too big a risk to put your faith in modern medicine. So, until this thing with Giuseppe is better under control...no risks."

His eyes flashed to Damon, his voice now layered with the Alpha command, "That's an order."

"Don't we get some say in this?" I asked, annoyance splashing into my tone.

"I'm sorry," Alaric promised, "I am. But you have to trust me."

"My trust in you kept me from being with Damon for nearly a decade," I reminded him, a little coldly, "You have a ways to go before you've earned it back."

Alaric sighed, "I know, and I understand that, but if you refuse to place the command with trust, at least place it in facts. We can't just hand Giuseppe what he wants...we need to take precautions."

I bit my lip, wanting to argue, but surprisingly, it was Damon who spoke next, words of agreement.

"He's right, kitten," he moved to stand closer to me, "As much as I hate it, he is. It's the safest solution for now."

"If you ended up pregnant, Giuseppe would have every reason to take you," Alaric reminded me, "He'd want the child. He'd kill to have you and your young, and I can't risk that...so please, don't fight me on this."

I shook my head, "It's not like I could, even if I wanted to...Alpha."

"Elena-"

"Fine," I consented, hoping to skip the lecture, "PG."

Alaric nodded, but gave me an apologetic look, "It's only temporary."

"Right."

Temporary.


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