Chapter 9

I was not having a hard time adjusting to the side of the living, although sometimes, I would forget for a moment that people could actually see me now. Ellie on the other hand was having a hard time adjusting here. She would enjoy spending most of her time indoors just to avoid people. Not that we had anything to do other than cook up a plan to save everyone, but she would just sit in her room in my house and not even come with me to Damon or Bonnie's house, until it was night.

"Ellie" I called for her when I came back from Bonnie's house. She was helping us track down the Pagans, but we were not successful up till now. Ellie did not reply, "Ellie?" I raised my voice. I could see a pair of legs on the floor hidden behind the archway of the living room. "Ellie?" my voice softened as I walked towards the living room. My heart dropped to my stomach when I saw Ellie lying on the floor, but more so when I saw a familiar face sitting on the couch. "I was dying to see you" Helen smirked, my eyes widened in horror. She was wearing a pale pink pleated V neck long dress, she got up and her heels clicked against the hardwood floor. "You were able to get out of there after all" Helen's blue eyes looked at me from head to toe as she crossed the living room to stand in front of me.

"How?" she sighed and lifted her hand to touch my face but I caught her wrist inches away from my face. "What did you do to her?" I looked at Ellie, my grip tightened around her wrist. "She is fine, just sleeping" Helen gave me an assuring smile. "Now that I have looked at you up close, I see how handsome you are" her words made me chuckle. "Why are you so keen on protecting the Salvatore girl? You can be with us" she asked me, "I am sorry, do I look like a dog you can put a leash on?" I asked tossing her hand away. Helen chuckled and tucked a lock on her red hair behind her ear. "You are something else, you aren't even scared of me, I can kill you right now" her voice was non-threatening. I would be lying if I said that I was not scared.

"I can kill you too, I have done it before" I reminded her, "With evergreen stake, do you have it on you right now?" she asked me, I decided to remain quiet, it was true, I did not have it right now. "That's what I thought" Helen circled around me and stopped right behind me, I looked over my shoulder at her. Her hand touched my right shoulder and moved down to my forearm, it sent shivers down my spine, I did not like the sensation.

I turned around and held her by her throat and super sped against a wall. Helen laughed under my grasp. "Don't touch me" I warned her, baring my fangs. "You are not going to win this" her words made me tighten my grasp. "Let me tell you something" she started and all of a sudden, the grasp I had on her throat loosened, even though I did not want it to. "From now on, every time you are going to be near us, your supernatural abilities would not work, not just yours but your whole posse's, including the witch's daughter, all I needed was Ellie's blood and to touch you" as soon as she completed, she held my hand and threw it away.

I tried to bare my fangs at her, but it was as if all my vampire abilities were dormant. "We are weak, but you would not have any upper hand either, I think it is only fair" Helen placed her hand on my chest and pushed me back, giving her the space to walk away. "Don't get in our way, I would hate to kill you twice" Helen looked over her shoulder before walking out the front door.

It was as if I could breath again once she was out of the door. I rushed to Ellie's side who suddenly woke up as soon as Helen was out of the door. I could see a cut on her wrist, that must have been where Helen got Ellie's blood. "Kaleb?" Ellie asked, puzzled, I sat down next to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulder, pulling her close to myself. "You are okay, right?" I asked, her body froze under my touch, "Yes" her voice was almost inaudible. "Good" I could not loose another friend.

"What does she mean by that?" Damon's brows creased together. Ellie and I were sitting in Damon's living room with Elena and Damon. "I felt powerless with her around" I told Damon. "How are any of us going to do anything now?" Elena asked, holding Damon's hand, who looked at her and gave her hand a light squeeze. "We can still protect Lily, and maybe – just maybe kill Helen" Ellie spoke, looking at me first then at Elena and finally towards Damon. "How?" I asked Ellie, "You don't need supernatural strength to protect her from someone as weak as the Pagans" Ellie started, "When we used to protect ourselves on the side of the dead, without our supernatural powers, it would be just the same" Ellie looked at me, "We will have better weapons and not just the blade, we can access evergreen wood as well" Ellie shrugged. "But I will have to be close to Lily and keep an eye on her" I told her, "And?" Ellie looked at me with a puzzled look. "She does not want me around" I replied, "That was when you were dead" Ellie threw her hands in the air dramatically.

"I don't think I can be near her" I mumbled, I did not want to see her with her boyfriend. "I don't want to create a mess for her" I looked at my hands. "I don't think she will appreciate it if I die again" I smirked, "You don't have to show your face to protect her" Ellie said, I looked at her with a puzzled glance. "Just cover you face and you are golden" Ellie shrugged. I looked at Damon, "That might work" he said slowly, "She would not know it is you till you keep your identity hidden" Damon nodded. "How am I supposed to hide my face?" I asked, everyone paused for a moment to think about it.

"Hoodie and a mouth mask" Elena answered, "Black, gloves too if you don't want her to look at any part of you and recognize you" Ellie added, pointing towards my daylight ring. I thought about it and said, "That might work". I can go see Lily after all. She would not recognize me, I can stay in the shadows and protect her. I just need to brush up on my fighting skills, I will have guns. I can easily kill these leeches until I am able to reach Helen and finish her off as well.

"I think I will go meet Lily" I said after a while with a smile on my face. "Do you have evergreen bullets?" I looked at Damon, "We had been preparing some since you have told us about them coming back" Damon replied, "C'mon" he got up and I copied his actions. "Stay here" I instructed Ellie who nodded before I followed Damon to the garage basement.

"Here" he opened a wooden chest trunk and there were guns and boxes of bullets inside. "Can I ask you something?" Damon started, I picked up a gun and then looked at Damon, "Sure" I replied looking back at the gun. "What is up with you and Ellie?" he asked, "Nothing" I shook my head, my brows creased together. "The way she looks at you" Damon started, "I don't like her that way" I interrupted. "She does" he shrugged, "No, she still has a boyfriend she wants to avenge" I told him. It was awkward enough to hear this let alone from the mouth of the father of the girl I love. "When did Lily last come home?" I asked Damon, changing the topic.

I took a box of bullet and shut the trunk and locked it. "She has not been home since she left" Damon sighed, "Not once?" I was shocked to say the least. "We have tried to drag her home but she would not come" Damon told me. "She believes that you might be lurking around here" Damon's serious look was replaced by a smirk. "I had better things to do" I joked, "Sure" Damon rolled his eyes. "Now that you are here, maybe you can bring her home" Damon was serious again, "She needs to come home" he continued. Needs? Do they miss her so much? "Stefan has been in contact with her?" I asked Damon, Stefan had left for London to be with his Uncle Jeremy and study there. "Yes, but he is unable to convince her as well" Damon answered, that's strange she listens to him always – or at least she used to. "I will try to do what I can" I told Damon as we made our way back to the living room.

I had left Ellie with Elena and Damon since I was going to be gone for a while to meet Lily and after the little incident today I did not feel comfortable with leaving Ellie alone at my place.

I got ready to see Lily in the similar way I was advised. I wore a plain black t shirt over which I wore a plain black fitted hoodie jacket with a side zipper. I also wore a pair of black jeans along with black and white sneakers. I put on a pair of black half finger gloves that would be able to hide my daylight ring. I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bathroom and pulled up the hoodie and lowered my head as I pulled the front of it to cover my eyes. Though I could see everything from under the hoodie, no one could see me. I did not want to wear a mouth mask yet, I was only going to do that if I had to get too close to Lily to the point where she could recognize me.

The college life was crazy at Whitmore College, but it was nothing new. People were drinking and having parties, or just enjoying the night while I lurked behind in the shadows. I wonder where Lily would be? Would she be with her boyfriend? It was past 10 O'clock, I just hope she is not with him right now. I decided to just check her room first. If she is not there, I might call Damon to get a location spell done on her to see where she is.

I could see the lights of her dorm room closed from where I stood. Her window was open though, I could easily get inside. I hope she is inside, alone, preferably sleeping since I don't know what I would do if she is awake.

I ran across the yard towards the tree that would get me close up to her window from where I could see if it would be okay to get in her room. I lunged forward and without using my hands I was able to climb the tree. There she was, lying on her back, sleeping peacefully, alone in the room, nothing about her had changed expect her hairstyle. I wonder where Olivia was? She still had her teddy bear with her, it made me chuckle looking at how she still held onto it while sleeping. I could have enjoyed the view from here but I decided to go in, after all, she was sleeping, it would not hurt to go in for a minute, right?

I jumped towards the window and landed perfectly inside without making a sound. I could feel my heart beating loudly now that I was standing so close to her, I could touch her and she would feel that, I could feel it when I touch her. Her gorgeous face invited me in and I walked closer. I was so scared to wake her up that I was even hypervigilant of my own breathing. I lifted my hand and without a second thought I moved forward to stroke her cheek with the back of my index finger softly.

My heart skipped a beat, it was just as I had remembered, her warmth, her skin. I could not believe it that I could feel her. My breath was stuck in my throat when she inched closer towards me. It took every ounce of courage in me to not wake her up right now and tell her that I was here, that I was back. It took every ounce of self-control in me to not just hold her in my arms and tell her how much I love her still.

I was thrown back into reality when she moved and then opened her eyes. My eyes grew wide in fear as I pulled back my hand and pulled down my down closer to my face, and I turned around. "Kaleb?" she called out, I stopped dead in my tracks, did she saw me? Should I turn around? "Is that you?" her voice was almost a whisper, as if she was still not fully awake. She had not seen me, right? "Who are you?" her voice was more alert now, so she has not really seen me. Before she could make another move, I darted towards her window and jumped out, landing perfectly on my feet, I made a run towards the alley around the dormitories.

A/N: Hey Readers,

Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the story. Hit the follow and favourite button if you like the story. Keep reading

-JT