Hey guys, so it took a bit longer to get this updated, since some keys on my laptop were going out, but I just got a new one today so woo!
Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter and I'll catch you at the bottom :)
Elena waited with Bonnie and Ric, next to the Camaro, as Damon and Mason finished speaking with Jonas and a few other Tennesse Pack members.
The ground around them was fresh and damp with the morning dew, and she breathed in the scents deeply.
Her first ever Mutt hunt had been in these mountains, she recalled, and even though it was well over two decades ago, the smell took her back.
Things had changed so much since that time, and she never would have imagined that this was where life would have led her.
To Damon, who she had still been trying to hate back then.
To the discovery of witches, and their magic in her own blood.
And finally, her children.
Her eyes shot to Daniel at the thought, who was standing close to his father, almost matching his height.
In the first year of her own transition, a family of her own and seemed out of the question.
Forcing the life of a werewolf on them had felt like such an unforgivable curse, that she couldn't imagine putting an innocent child through it.
Sometimes, she still regretted that the twins would never have that traditional upbringing, but she and Damon had always tried to do the best by them.
And that was what truly mattered.
Speaking of which.
Elena looked across from Daniel, to where Draven Caston stood, listening to the conversation between the two Alphas.
She wasn't entirely sure what to think about him yet.
In a way, he reminded her of Damon.
Instinctually driven from his time too long alone with the wolf, arrogance and wildness clung to the air around him, and he seemed to have a comeback for everything.
But still, he was Giuseppe's son.
And while she didn't think that the boy should be judged for his lineage, she wasn't in a big hurry to forget what his father had done; to her, to Damon, to the Pack.
They were right to tread carefully, and she understood exactly why Damon wanted to keep an eye on him personally.
She just hoped they weren't making a mistake.
"You alright, sweetheart?" Alaric's voice called her attention and she broke her concentration on Draven.
"Fine," Elena smiled up at him, albeit slight force, "Just ready to get home."
"Worried that Sky's burned the place down?" Bonnie teased and Elena smirked at her, "I wouldn't underestimate her, but I'm choosing to trust that she's behaved herself in our absence."
"Because that sounds like our girl," Bonnie pointed out, "Pinnacle of obedience."
She had a point.
Skylar was so much like Damon in that aspect; head strong and single minded with tunnel vision when it came to getting her way.
It was no wonder they were butting heads all the time.
"She was pissed about having to sit this one out," Elena admitted, "But I think she understood. Safety has to come first."
She glanced up at her ex Alpha, "Speaking of safety, what's your read on the kid, Ric?"
Alaric considered her question, and he looked over at Draven, and she appreciated the seriousness in which he took her inquiry, "He's...composed, for his age. More so than I expected, especially since he claims to have lived alone for years."
"You don't believe him?" Elena frowned, keeping her voice low.
Alaric shrugged, "It could be true. He has got that edge about him...but he's tamer than I would have expected, if that were the case."
"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.
"When I first found Damon, he was completely feral," he explained, "A part of him had become the wolf. He'd nested down, become territorial, attacked anything he came across for food...this kid seems more civilized."
"Damon was also a child," Elena pointed out, "He'd barely known a human life before Giuseppe bit him. Draven grew up human."
"A fair point," Ric nodded.
Bonnie shook her head, "Either way, I think taking him back to Mystic Falls is a good decision. You can monitor him with a home turf advantage."
Elena nodded.
That was the idea, after all.
"It's rational," she agreed, "But I have to admit that I wasn't completely comfortable with the notion at first. Having a stranger sleep under the same roof as the young…"
"Damon's not going to let anything happen to the children," Alaric assured her, "None of us are."
"I know," she offered him a smile, "That's why I backed his call on this. It makes more sense to have the possible threat where we can see it."
"And control it with coven magic, if needed," Bonnie added.
Elena gave her a nod.
A full coven was more powerful than a lone witch could ever hope to be.
Three witches.
Including the twins, the Pack had four.
More than enough for protection.
Not to mention the kind of hurt that Damon alone could dish out.
Add Alaric, Klaus, and the other Pack members to that list...one young rogue wolf didn't stand a chance.
They would all be plenty safe from any possible outcome.
The thought comforted her as the conversation that the others were having ended and final goodbyes were issued.
Her boys walked over as Jonas and his pack started back toward the house.
"All set?" she asked, when Damon was within arms reach.
Her mate nodded, his hand reaching for hers automatically, "We're ready to head out."
He reached in his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a pair of keys, before turning to Mason, "If you wreck it, you pay for it," his eyes flickered to Bonnie, then back, "And if you pull over for a roadside quickie, be sure and ask yourself it it's worth it, because I will put you on night patrols for the next month."
Mason took the keys with a smirk, "I guess you and Elena are the only ones allowed to have fun then."
"In my car," Damon reasoned, "Yes."
Mason started to respond, but Bonnie elbowed his rib.
"He'll take good care of her," she amended her for her mate, and Damon nodded, "He'd better."
He turned to the others then.
"Ric, you're still fine with catching a ride with Elijah, right?"
Alaric nodded and Elijah added, "We'll head out right behind the rest of you."
"Good. Kitten, you and Daniel are with me in the SUV. We're taking our guest with us."
There were no arguments to the decision, not even from Draven, and soon enough they were all loading up into the respective vehicles.
Damon was sure to sit in the back with Draven, allowing Daniel to ride shotgun, and giving Elena the keys to drive.
In the next few minutes, they were pulling onto the road and tearing through the mountains.
Michael dragged the edge of his finger against the page of his sketchbook, using the callousness to smudge the charcoal lines.
A quick run with the eraser to fix a strayed mark, and he was back to focusing on his subject matter.
Of course, when he did this, he lost track of what he'd been drawing in the first place.
"Remember to keep your hands up," Skylar was saying, a few feet away from the steps where he was sitting, in the yard, where she was sparring with his younger brother.
William was listening intently, his large blue eyes taking in every move she made, his head nodding at her instructions.
"Like this?"
Skylar reached out and lifted the boy's arm a little higher, "There you go. Now, when I move here," she indicated where her intent was, "I want you to come forward on your left foot and strike."
Again, Will nodded, and they acted out the motions.
"Better," Skylar complimented with a smile.
Michael was still watching them when the door to the house opened and his father stepped out.
"They're still practicing?" Klaus asked, though Michael wasn't sure if the question was for him, or for his mother, who was on her computer at the patio table behind him.
Either way, Caroline answered, "They are. Will's pretty excited."
Klaus chuckled, "Not surprising, seeing as you rarely give him the chance for this kind of action."
"Forgive me if I don't want my baby plummeted in Damon's lessons," Caroline shot back, and again Klaus laughed.
"I know love, but it's good to let him try his hand occasionally," his voice raised and Michael knew that he was addressing him now, "You didn't want to participate?"
He looked back over his shoulder, with a smirk, "Nah, you know how Will is. Skylar's around and no one else exists."
His father's brow arched and said to low for Caroline to hear, "It seems the two of you have that in common."
Michael gave him an unamused look, and turned back to his drawing.
A moment later, Klaus sat down next to him, "May I?"
He reached for the sketchbook.
Michael shrugged and handed it over.
Rough sketches of Skylar and Will's fight covered the shown pages, and Klaus's expression was one of pride.
"You've improved."
"I've been working at it," Michael admitted, "It's still harder to draw objects in motion, but I'm getting the lines down."
"I can see that," his father complimented, handing him back the sketchbook, "Good work."
Michael murmured a thanks, and focused his gaze back to the yard where Skylar was now trying to perfect Will's spin kick.
He smiled a little when his brother managed to do the move correctly and cheered for all the forest to hear.
"Did you see it, Kael?! I did it!" Will yelled over, and Michael gave him a thumbs up, then said to his father, "It's going to blow his mind when he actually goes through the Change."
Klaus nodded, "It's always an adjustment at first. Something you now know."
"It's worth it though," Michael admitted, flexing out his muscles instinctively, "The benefits outweigh the pain."
"Yes, but the instincts can get you into trouble if you aren't careful," Klaus warned, and Michael had a feeling he was talking about the previous night.
They hadn't had much of a chance to talk about it that morning, seeing that Caroline and Will had been around, then George and Tyler had arrived back from their trip.
Stefan was inside with them now though, and everyone else seemed occupied.
"My instincts aren't the problem," Michael insisted, keeping his voice level and dropping his eyes to his sketch.
"I'm only saying that-"
Before he could finish his sentence, a noise filled the air, grabbing everyone's attention.
Well, everyone that had wolf hearing.
Tires, turning onto the dirt drive.
"Someone's here," he stated the obvious, and he and his father stood at the same time.
"William," Klaus called to the boy, who adhered to the command in his voice and rushed over to the porch, where he was ushered back to his mother.
Michael stepped out to be next to Skylar, head toward the drive, ears keyed in.
But the worry disappeared when a huge grin broke across Skylar's face, "They're home."
Maybe she recognized the sound of Alaric's SUV on the gravel, or maybe she could feel Daniel's presence through their connection.
Either way, Michael knew better than to doubt her, and felt his body relax at the declaration.
And sure enough, a moment later, three vehicles were pulling up into the yard.
The rest of the Pack was home.
It never failed.
Each and every time Elena saw the entrance gate that led up to the Salvatore Manor, her heart leaped with joy and she would release a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.
Habit of being home, on Pack land.
Even better, her daughter was already in sight, standing in the yard with Michael, Klaus and William a short ways behind them.
Idly, she noticed George's car further ahead.
Seemed like everyone had made it back.
Beside her, Daniel let out a relieved sigh of his own.
She knew that he didn't like being away from Skylar for long, and the sight of his sister, who was now running toward them, was helping ease his own anxiety.
However, as they climbed out of the SUV, Skylar didn't stop until she was in Damon's arms.
The two embraced and Elena couldn't help but smirk.
For all the fighting and head butting the two of them did, Skylar was still the same daddy's girl she'd always been.
And Damon was still just as wrapped around her finger as he had been since the beginning.
"Missed you," she heard him tell her, then Skylar released him and turned to hug Daniel, "I'm glad your back."
"Me too," he murmured.
As the others walked over, Skylar finally moved around the car to Elena.
"Hey Mom," she smiled, offering her the same hug she'd given the guys, "How'd the trip go?"
Elena's mind briefly jumped to the entire night she and Damon had spent in the hotel, but knew that those weren't the details her daughter needed to hear.
"It went well. Smooth as we could hope for."
"And the cause of all this trouble?" She pressed, trying to see around Elena now.
Michael walked over to them, smirking, "Patient as ever, as you can tell."
Elena smiled at Caroline's son, "We love her for it. But I see the house is still in one piece, so I trust you made sure she behaved."
A touch of pink colored his cheeks, but his smile stayed in place, "As well as I could."
Skylar punched his arm, then Daniel was joining them, "Dad said you both should come meet our new housemate. It's the nice thing to do."
Skylar nodded, then started to the other side of the car, when Daniel grabbed her arm, "Sky...not too nice, okay?"
"I'll be perfectly polite," she smirked, "Come on, Kael!"
Daniel shook his head as she pulled Michael away to meet Draven.
"This should be interesting," he muttered.
Elena smiled and rubbed his arm, "They'll be fine, sweetheart. Now, what do you say we go say hello to George and Ty? They had a longer trip than we did."
Daniel nodded an agreement and she grabbed his arm, leading him to the house, leaving Damon and Klaus to deal with Draven Caston.
Mystic Falls.
Home of the Supreme Pack.
Draven had felt Damon's eyes on him the entire ride, and had managed to keep his own on his window.
There hadn't been anything too interesting to look at, until now.
When they pulled onto a long drive, his nose had flooded with new scents.
Werewolves; a lot of them.
This was obviously where the Pack lived, and at the end of the mile of forest, the Salvatore Manor had come into view.
It was an impressive homestead, he had to admit, but his attention had quickly become diverted.
There were others in the yard, who seemed to be waiting for their arrival.
Among them, was her.
Skylar Savlatore.
His eyes had been trained to her as she darted around; greeting her family's return, until eventually, his door was opened and Damon allowed him to step out to meet her.
Well, to meet the others.
Draven gave a courtesy sweep of the other werewolves, Damon included, before letting his eyes settle back on the female.
Skylar was everything her picture had shown, and more.
Wild waves of dark hair fell past her shoulders and down her back, and her multicolored eyes mirrored an excitement that he was feeling himself.
He could smell the wolf in her blood, and something unique that he'd scented to Daniel and Elena as well.
Magic.
She grinned, her teeth white and sharp, "You must be Draven. I'm Skylar. You're younger than I was expecting. And hotter."
A male next to her, with long blond hair, rolled his eyes, "Perfectly polite, huh?"
She shrugged as another man spoke up, "This is him?"
He was older, also blond, and standing next to Damon, who nodded, then at least offered the courtesy of an introduction, "Draven, this is Klaus Mikaelson. Pack Enforcer. His son, Michael, and Skylar has already introduced herself."
There was a disapproving tone to his voice, but Skylar was clearly choosing to ignore it, "Is it true that you had no idea you were a wolf?"
Draven smirked, "Not until the Change happened."
"Must've been a hell of a surprise," she pondered, "Just going about your day, then boom, a tail!"
Draven couldn't help but laugh, "There was a little more pain and confusion involved, but that was the jist of it."
"And now you find out your biological father was a psycho murderer," she crooked her head, "Not exactly your best year, is it?"
"Skylar," Damon chided harshly, and she merely blinked, as if unaware her words could have been taken offensively.
"Just saying," she defended herself, "It's a long to take in!"
"Apparently so are you," the other male, Michael, teased her, "There's a small thing called tact. It wouldn't hurt to use it occasionally."
Skylar shrugged, and smiled back at him, no shame in her expression or in her scent.
This was good.
"I don't mind," Draven assured them, "The candor is actually refreshing."
"Don't tell her that," the Enforcer warned, "Or you may find yourself getting opinions you didn't care to hear."
Skylar opened her mouth, as if to argue with the male, but when their eyes locked, she backed down, her gaze quickly flickering over to her father, then to the ground.
There was something to her scent then, warmed spice that made him think she was embarrassed.
Hard to believe.
"Well," she cleared her throat, "It's nice to finally get to meet you. I hope Dad decides to let you live."
Damon sighed tiredly, "Michael…"
"I got it," the younger male assured him, then wrapped his arm around Skylar's shoulder, pulling her toward the house.
"Hey! That was polite!" she argued, but went along with him without much of a fight.
Draven chuckled with amusement, but it was cut short when Damon stepped in front of him.
"She's young, friendly, and too curious for her own damn good," he said darkly, "You try to take advantage of that and I'll rip your throat out. Understand?"
Draven let his smile fall, "Easy there, Dad. I didn't come here to exploit your little girl. In fact, you invited me, remember?"
A growl slipped from the older male's throat, and Draven knew he was pushing his luck.
But he didn't care.
If Damon was going to kill him for having a smart mouth, he would have done so by now.
"Watch it, or the invitation will be cut short without a return pass, understand?"
Draven forced a nod.
It was too early in the game to be making an enemy of the Pack's Alpha.
"I hear you."
The male nodded, "Good. Now come inside. There are others for you to meet."
Again, Draven nodded, and fell into step behind Damon without further question as they started toward the front of the massive house.
The Salvatore Manor.
Who would have thought getting inside would be so easy?
So Draven's with the Pack now!
Let me know what you thought :)
