Chapter 10

Klaus watched as his siblings were fitted for their clothes the final time for the ball his family was throwing the next night in boredom. They each took their turn in talking about him daggering them and complaining about everything. He wasn't amused with them moods considering he had daggered them at times to protect them from their father, but there were times he had daggered them for trying to leave; they were supposed to be a family. Finding an excuse to get away from them he didn't expect his mother to pull him aside; and he especially didn't expect to hear her ask who he would ask to be a date to the ball. That was one thing he hadn't really thought was necessary considering he didn't tolerate many people and everyone was clear on their dislike for him; but hearing his mother ask got his mind considering it.

He made a quick excuse to leave and went to his room to debate his options; coming up short again. Then he changed tactics; the lady in question didn't have to like him to accept an invitation. He had a few hybrids that would jump at the chance to show up by the alpha's side but only one of them caught his interests; only one of them was important enough to consider. If his mother was serious about being a family then maybe she could get Caroline to be more cooperative; maybe ask the spirits to find the killer on the loose or tell her something about her family line. Caroline was a royal wolf, whether she knew or not, and as a royal wolf himself he was in the perfect position to teach her everything she would need to know.

Aside from all the wolf business she caught his attention anyway; her being the reason he paused in the hallway before revealing himself to her and Tyler. She was beautiful, strong, smart from what had gathered, and just full of life; and he craved the loyalty she gave to her friends. She was exquisite in his mind; he almost hated that he would be introducing her to other alphas, even though he was an option for her if she even realized it. He hadn't made his interests too clear yet; not wanting the mutt in the way or anyone to try and use her against him. Maybe it was time to step in a little more and try to persuade her towards him.

With that thought in mind he pulled out the file he had on her; detailing everything on her from the school and all the events she participated in. He found the most recent measurements recorded for her and saw it hadn't been noted too long before he had turned her so he wrote them down. He dug through all the gowns in the house his family and he had collected over the years until he found one he liked and thought she would look stunning in. He looked at the size and was glad it was the same size she needed but he wanted to be sure it would be custom fitted so he took the dress downstairs to have one of the tailors make adjustments where they were needed.

It didn't take long before the dress was finished so he folded it up and placed it in a box, wrapping yet another ribbon around it and looking for one of his family's invitation cards. He scribbled a little note down with a smirk before tucking the invitation under a piece of ribbon. Noticing his siblings still occupied he slipped out of the house with the box in hand. Flashing to make sure she would have time to prepare better he stopped when he was close to her house. When he walked up to her door he heard her talking on the phone. From what she was saying he could tell she was leaving the mutt a voicemail so he put the package down in front of the door, knocked, and flashed away before she would see him; hiding close enough to watch her but not be seen.

He saw her look around before seeing his package and picking it up to take inside. Sneaking closer to the house he smirked as he watched her dump the box on her bed and pull the invitation out. She looked at it confused until she flipped it over and saw his note. He nearly chuckled when he saw her get frustrated and say "seriously" as she clutched at the paper before tossing it on the bed next to the box. He saw the curiosity get the best of her as she lifted the lid and shock take over as she gazed at the folded dress in front of her. But when she closed the lid back down and stepped back away from it like it was a bomb he didn't know whether or not she'd actually show. He was about to leave before he saw her begin pacing and pushing her hands through her hair nervously.

He barely had time to react before he saw her flash out of her room and he heard the back door to her house close. He stayed far enough behind her she wouldn't catch him to see where she would run to as she darted through the woods. When she was nearly at the town limits she reached the old town ruins and froze. He ducked behind a tree and remained silent as he heard her ask "who's there" and her breathing picked up; he should have remembered her father had just been killed and the killer was still on the loose sooner. It made sense she was extra cautious at the time but it didn't help him to figure out where exactly she was going.

He figured wherever she was headed to was important because she flashed back towards town full speed. He didn't follow her this time and when he was sure she was far away from him he walked further into the ruins. He picked up on two different wolf scents; one being Caroline and the other he would assume was her father's since it wasn't Tyler's. He tried to follow them but they were all over the place. He realized that the scents were strong and scattered because Caroline and her father purposely made them that way; likely to confuse others from finding the right trail.

He decided to not dwell too long in case Caroline came back, but planned to try and catch her coming there again; he would make sure he wasn't detected the next time. He flashed back home to finish overseeing the preparations for the following night as he kept wondering whether his date would show up or not. Ester made sure to have everyone gathered before she announced she wanted all of the local supernaturals invited so they could being working on an arrangement for peace between them all; and she didn't want any fighting or killing at the ball so they were to be on their best behavior. When they all adjourned to their rooms Klaus kept thinking how interesting the next day would be; with his mother requiring all the local supernaturals to be present it meant his date would have to show.

Next Day (Caroline POV)…

Caroline was looking through her closet trying to find anything besides the gown that was on her bed, still placed in the box. She hadn't wanted to go and was determined to just stay home until Elena had called her and told her all of them were going; and that Ester was requiring the supernaturals of Mystic Falls to be present. So she would go and make sure her friends were safe; maybe she could convince Klaus to let Tyler go so he could come home. Still not finding anything that would be appropriate she huffed and slowly turned towards the bed; she would have to wear the gown Klaus gave her and she inwardly grimaced.

Sitting down in front of her mirror she quickly pulled her hair up in something quick but fancy, and touched up her make-up since everyone in Mystic Falls knew she did NOT come out of the house looking anything but perfect. Once she was sure she looked presentable she pulled the dress out of the box and laid it across her bed so she could change her undergarments and get her shoes on. Once she found her gloves for occasions like tonight she put them next to her clutch purse and picked the dress up; stepping into it and zipping it up. She thought it was beyond creepy that the gown fit perfectly and briefly wondered if he had come back to look through her closet as she slipped on her gloves.

She decided to drive and packed a change of clothes in case things escalated to a fight; she knew the gown wouldn't survive shifting if she needed to. She was glad she had remembered to bring the invitation when she pulled up and she had to show it before she could park. Putting the invitation back into her purse she stepped out of the car and looked around hoping to see any of her friends but she couldn't spot any of them. She texted them and learned where all of them were before she dared walk inside. She tried to get to Elena first since she would have Stefan and Damon both hovering near her, but after spotting her on the far side of the room she had entered, with Klaus halfway across, she wondered if she would make it to her friends before being cut off.

She had barely took a step before she felt his eyes on her and she tried not to look at him, but she heard him excuse himself from the woman that he had been talking to and start walking towards her, so she looked up. She didn't falter in her step and when they were in front of each other and he told her good evening she quickly evaded him saying she needed a drink; and honestly she did if she was going to have to put up with him. She saw Elena and the Salvatore brothers switching their eyes between her and Klaus, who she knew was following close behind, and she went to the bar. After she got her a drink she went to go towards her friends, but Klaus stepped in front of her and she resisted the urge to groan in annoyance.

"Come now love… it's rude to ignore the host. And I did ask you to save me a dance…"

"Well… I just got here. It's kind of considered normal to meet and greet other guests when arriving at an event nowadays."

"Allow me to escort you."

"Why do I have the impression you're going to follow me around all night?" She asked as she gave her arm over to his extended hand with her lips pressed into a firm line to show her annoyance but he just smirked as he wrapped her arm around his.

"Well sweetheart… considering I invited you as my date it's only fair you play nice…"

"I didn't ask you to…"

"You should have figured out by now you're my favorite of my hybrids." He said and she froze, not liking where he seemed to be leading to with this conversation. "A rare find full of surprises; you have no idea the magnitude of which I speak. The first alpha female from your line; a line that was actually thought to have died off centuries ago when the name changed to Forbes."

"What are you talking about?" She asked as she rounded on him.

"That is a conversation for another time love…"

"Seriously?" She asked through grit teeth while again finding herself trying to resist hitting him; noting she hadn't ever felt the need for violence as much as she had before HE came to town.

"Don't be cross sweetheart… I'm simply letting you know you're important; and it isn't only because of your wolf heritage."

"If you'll excuse me I need to go see my friends." She said as politely as she could before she turned and weaved through the crowd in search of Elena again. She was relieved when she realized he hadn't followed her and quickly ducked behind Stefan and Damon to talk to Elena. "Why is it I had to come again?"

"Ester wants all the supernatural creatures here… and she wants to talk to me alone."

"And how is that going?" Caroline asked as her eyes darted between the Salvatore brothers knowingly; she knew they would likely prevent her from doing just that.

"Damon won't let me go to her."

"I don't really blame him on that, but before you say I'm picking his side I say it's your choice." Caroline stated with her hands up in temporary surrender; she really didn't want to argue with her friends in the enemy's house.

"What was Klaus talking about?"

"He was saying I'm his favorite of the hybrids… which might I say that I don't like the sounds of that; and he's just being creepy and secretive…" Caroline threw out since she didn't want to talk about it, but she should have known she would have to go through an inquisition because of it.

"Not surprising Care…"

"He invited me as his date 'Lena… trust me; it's creepy." Caroline insisted so her friend could see exactly how uncomfortable she was being there.

"Matt got invited by Rebekah as a date."

"Oh I soooo don't like how this is playing out." Caroline whined as her mind began racing with possible attack scenarios; they couldn't all be there without a damn good reason and she doubted it was because Mama Mikaelson wanted peace.

"So what are we going to do about it?"

"Well you are going to decide whether or not you're going to talk to Ester. I'm going to avoid Klaus as much as he'll let me and I'll try to keep an eye on Matt so nothing happens to him. Where's Bonnie?"

"She couldn't make it…"

"What? How did she get out of this?" Caroline asked as she felt jealous that Bonnie could avoid the ball but she couldn't.

"Bonnie will talk to Ester another time… she wasn't required tonight."

"Do you think something's up? I mean… could we be facing an attack of some kind?" She asked in return since she couldn't get her mind to think about anything else.

"I don't know… just be careful and keep your eyes open."

"Will do… I'm going to go check on Matt." She said as she walked away from Elena, pausing to look back a nod to Stefan and Damon, and carried on as she walked through the rooms. When she saw Rebekah walk away from Matt she nearly jumped for joy at her luck but restrained herself. Matt spotted her and met her halfway across the room.

"How you holding up?"

"I'm fine Matt… trying to figure out what is going on. We all got invited here for a reason and I don't like not knowing if we should brace for a fight or not tonight." Caroline replied honestly and saw him shift a little in his place.

"They aren't allowed to cause problems tonight; their mom is trying to reduce the friction between her kids and us locals." Matt explained and lifted his glass to show her he didn't believe it but wasn't going to say anything else about it.

"If something happens we need to remember Elena would be the target since she's the doppelganger, but this place is full of humans; there's no way of knowing for sure who they'd go after first." Caroline explained so Matt would understand that he would need to get to safety; and the fact that he was an original's date that night could be part of a set-up.

"They'd go after all of us that aren't human obviously… it would make it easier to drain everybody here."

"If it comes to a fight I want you to get Elena and get out of here…" She began but he cut her off; she didn't want to see any of them get hurt and she knew she was stronger than either of them.

"Care…"

"No Matt… the strongest would fight and let's face it Matt… you know I could sooo kick your ass." She joked to keep the mood light so they wouldn't be noticed.

"No doubt there… but I don't think we need to worry about it too much."

"I'm serious Matt… it's better to be prepared with a plan than not have one and something bad happen." She replied seriously and let him know with her face that she was in no way joking.

"I know…"

"So just remember what I said if something does happen."

"Alright."

"Thanks Matt." She responded and they looked around before going to the bar since they were on alert and needed a drink to soothe their nerves. She couldn't help but feel that she was going to have to look like a full-blown alcoholic just to keep from losing her patience that night; she did not intend to be without a drink.

"So… Tyler's really gone?"

"Yeah… he left right after the funeral." Caroline answered uneasily since they weren't really in the best place to talk about that right now; especially if Klaus was close by and listening in.

"Will he come back?"

"Of course he'll come back Matt… he just needs to work through some things; get back to being him again." She answered vaguely with a look so he would know not to go into details about what Tyler would be doing while away.

"How long do you think he'll be gone?"

"I don't know but I hope he isn't gone long. And I know that must make me a horrible person to miss him after…"

"You're not a horrible person Care; you couldn't be if you tried." Matt stated and she gave him a small smile before her thoughts came back to haunt her; Tyler was just one big complicated topic right now and she felt torn in her feelings regarding him.

"But still…"

"No buts… you've done everything you could do for him. He has to do this for himself." Matt argued when she tried to explain how she felt terrible for being stuck helpless to help him.

"I know…"

"Oh look Nik… I found our dates." She heard Rebekah say and rolled her eyes before she turned to see Rebekah and Klaus coming up behind them. She and Matt shared a knowing look before clinking their glasses together and downing the rest of their drinks. "Matthew, there is a dance coming up that we must participate in. I'm sure my brother would also like his date back as well."

"Our mother is going to greet everybody officially at once before the dance, so we need to gather near the stairs." Klaus spoke in an even tone with his eyes on Caroline but she knew he wasn't too happy with her spending time with Matt; and no doubt the silent agreement between them further riled him up.

"Lead the way." Matt spoke up as he offered his arm for Rebekah in order to break the tension up. Once they stepped away Klaus stepped forward and offered his arm. She grit her teeth together before she reached up to let him have her arm for the second time that night.

"I was wondering where you ran off to… you wasn't with the doppelganger."

"She has Stefan and Damon with her; Matt was alone so we got a drink." She stated and felt him stiffen slightly before they stopped walking and he released her arm; only to place his hand on her lower back and she had to resist growling at him. She looked towards him to see him smirking and blew out a frustrated breath as she started counting in her head to keep calm. She would have smacked his hand away but their attentions were called to an older woman at the top of the stairs.

The speech didn't last as long as she wished it would have since she had to dance with the hybrid standing next to her. When she saw Ester walking back up the stairs she turned her head back to Klaus letting him see her annoyance as he smirked and held up a hand to lead her to the ballroom. When the dance began she tried to get an eye on Matt since she didn't trust Rebekah, but Klaus pulled her attention back to him.

"I'm glad you could make it. I didn't figure you would come."

"Well it was required for the local supernaturals to make an appearance. Aside from that it was either caviar or sympathy casseroles." She stated before turning to look back at Matt; she only hoped Rebekah didn't hurt him.

"I'm sorry about your father…"

"Don't; seriously." Caroline said lowly as she whipped her head back to look at him deadly serious; her dad was one thing she refused to talk about with Klaus.

"Very well. On to more mannered subjects; like how ravishing you look in that dress."

"I didn't really have time to shop." She excused since she didn't know what else to say; she wasn't going to thank him for being creepy enough to know her measurements.

"And the bracelet I gave you; what's your excuse for wearing that?"

"It goes with the dress." She answered simply; still trying to make sure Matt was alright. She knew he noticed she kept looking away from him, but she didn't care as long as she made sure her friend was alright. She even took the time to look around for Elena and the Salvatore brothers, but didn't linger on them long; especially with both Stefan and Damon focused on Elena.

"You know, you're quite the dancer…"

"Well… I've had training. I happen to be Miss Mystic Falls." She said as she still felt the pride of winning against everyone else; Elena included. She thought it must be difficult for him to actually believe that someone like her would know about dancing like she did, but seeing him smirk caused her to think again; maybe he had been trying to bait her.

"I know." He responded and she looked up at him more to see he was actually telling the truth and he knew. It made her wonder what else he knew about her; and how he knew was size dress she wore, but she wasn't about to ask him that particular question.

"It doesn't surprise me that you would know about any of us. I mean… most information is public record; and this is a small town." She threw in casually; if he could bait her, she didn't feel guilty about baiting him. She guessed that he could have found her measurements in her records, but then the thought of him looking up information on her was a bit unsettling.

"Yes it is, but I know you know it's more than just what anybody could find sweetheart."

"Would that have anything to do with going in people's houses?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and he chuckled, dropping his head and she saw his eyes rake over her before looking back up to hers. That made her wonder how many times he HAD been in her house; or even around it to spy on her.

"I've only been inside your house to heal the quarterback and to drop off his and your gifts…"

"And what about directly outside my house?" She voiced her suspicions and knew he had been when he smirked again. She didn't like the thought that he had been watching her, but she hated that she hadn't picked up on it.

"I may have checked up on you a couple times love." He answered and she narrowed her eyes at him, but she didn't get time to respond when they had had to change partners, and she nearly jumped for joy when Matt stepped in. She saw Klaus step away from the dance since he wouldn't have any more dance time with her, and Rebekah had to dance with Damon; seeing Elena dancing with Stefan.

She and Matt could both hear Rebekah and Damon talking about them dancing; Damon calling her jealous and Rebekah mentioning she was wearing a dress Klaus gave her. They didn't let it bother them and carried on their own conversation since neither of them could believe they were dates for an Original that night; and weren't thrilled about it, but Matt seemed to be having a better time than she was. He didn't seem to mind Rebekah's company like she did Klaus'; but Rebekah wasn't the one that had killed him like Klaus killed her.

When the dance ended Matt excused himself to go back to Rebekah and Caroline looked around for Elena, but couldn't see her or either Salvatore brother. She saw Klaus talking to one of his brother's and took the opportunity to sneak outside in hopes he would stay inside with his guests. Knowing a human would be cold in the night air she wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and walked over to where she saw a couple horses tied to a carriage. She absolutely loved horses but they hadn't ever really been a fan for her; probably because of the wolf in her. So she stepped closer to them slowly so she wouldn't startle them and watched as their breaths came out fogged from the chill in the air. They didn't seem to mind her presence so she didn't walk away; she just stood still, staring at them with a small smile on her face in victory that they let her as close as she was.

"You like horses." She heard Klaus comment from behind her but she forced herself to stay calmed and rooted to her spot; not even bothering to turn around.

"I'm not talking to you until you tell me the reason you invited me here; the real reason." She spoke and watched as he walked around her until they were facing each other a couple feet apart.

"I fancy you." He said and she rolled her eyes and scoffed, not believing that line for even a second. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes!" She finally admitted when she couldn't figure out WHY he "fancied" her besides her being one of his hybrids, and an alpha female; maybe her mom had been right and he had made a pass at her.

"Why? You're beautiful, you're strong, you're full of light; I enjoy you."

"Well I'm spoken for; by Tyler." Caroline insisted as she fixed her face back to aggravated while she processed what he had just said; he couldn't really see her that way, it had to be a trick.

"And here I thought you two ended things…"

"Yea because of you and your freaky sire bond…" She started but realized she kind of let it slip that they were on unofficial break; even though she had no intention of ending things with him.

"So you're aren't spoken for." He said as he looked at her and she turned her face to look at the horses again. She just wanted to go home at that point, but knew he probably wouldn't let her. "You know… horses are the opposite of people; they're loyal. My father hunted me for a thousand years and the closest he ever came was the day he killed my favorite horse. He… severed its neck… with a sword; as a warning."

"Did you ever consider sitting down with your father and talking things out?" She asked even though she doubted he had, or that his father would have actually listened.

"I'm afraid my relationship with my father was a bit more complex than yours."

"Maybe so… but I let my father go with no regrets." She summarized, even though she did feel his death was her fault. So she decided to wrap the conversation up quickly and escape back inside. "And to answer your question… yes, I like horses. But I also like people and they happen to like me so I'll be inside." She finished and turned around to make her way back inside; hearing him let out a sigh as she walked away but ignored it. When she walked back inside she saw everyone gathering to make a toast so she tried to leave the room but Stefan gave her a look and she grabbed a flute of champagne that was being offered.

She went to stand my Matt since Rebekah was standing with one of her brothers and he chuckled at seeing her angry face; clearly he understood she was losing her patience and wanted to leave, even though no one else did. She could feel eyes on her as she drank from the flute and didn't bother looking since she knew it was Klaus; obviously he had come back inside right after her and was allowing her a minute of peace before he joined her again. She didn't see Damon anywhere but she glanced back at Stefan to see him focusing on Elena as she talked to Elijah; apparently they had found a way for her to talk to Ester without Damon stopping her and he was probably in one of the rooms upstairs with a broken neck.

She knew Matt couldn't talk to her long so she excused herself and walked over to talk to Stefan. They had a mutual agreement to not have him disclose emotions and he would see her during his free time so she could help him get his blood cravings back under control. He had been doing pretty good in her opinion, but he hadn't thought so. When he had come to town he had fed off of animals, but with all the danger surrounding them and his habit of turning into a ripper, she thought it would be better for him to not go back to animal blood; so she was working with him using blood bags. She knew he had been surprised to see a darker side of Caroline come out when she used the same method her father had used on her when she had turned; but was more surprised when it actually helped. She didn't keep up with torture for long since she had faith in him and knew he could beat his cravings without it. It was a slow process but he was already getting better.

It had surprised him even more when she had wanted to show him her wolf form. She told him that if she could handle breaking all the bones in her body to turn into a wolf, not attack anyone, and have her bloodlust under control being a baby hybrid then he could learn to not get lost in his bloodlust. She knew he was afraid when she came out of the cell in wolf form until she got on her stomach and scooted forward like she had done with her parents. When he had finally bent down and ran a hand over her head she placed her head on his shoulder next to his neck and pulled a paw up to lay on the other side; it had been her first awkward attempt at a hug in wolf form and it had brought the first smile she had seen in months from her friend and he hugged her back. She had flashed back into the cell and turned back, got dressed, and re-emerged from the cell as her normal self to see him actually look normal himself.

So standing inside the enemy's house full of Original vampires didn't sit well with either of them and they were able to silently know it. Caroline made sure to act like she was just conducting shop talk as they discussed murder suspects and he told her he thought it could have been Meredith. She remembered the way Dr. Fell had looked when her father was dying and knew instinctively that she wasn't the killer. Stefan gave her a pointed look to say "looks can be deceiving" before Elena stepped over to them and Caroline excused herself to give them some privacy. When she saw her friend's occupied she planned on making her getaway and starting walking to the door, but stopped in her tracks when Klaus came up in front of her out of nowhere and told her he had something he wanted to show her and to follow him. She followed nervously as he led them up the stairs, glancing back to see if anyone saw her and knew to look for her if she didn't come back, but everyone was occupied so she pushed herself forward until they were stepping into a room that looked like a study.

"So… what is it you wanted to show me?" She asked as she tried to keep her nervousness from showing; he didn't need to know she was worried about being alone with him in his house.

"One of my passions." He answered and held his hands out to gesture at the paintings around the room before settling in front of a desk with papers scattered across it. She stepped closer, noticing the papers were drawings, before looking up at the painting in front of them. It was pretty, but she couldn't really understand why he would want to show her an art room.

"Impressive. I take it the curators at Louvre aren't on vervain?" She asked to have something to say; still not understanding why he was showing her art.

"Yea well now that's their mistake." He answered and she rolled her eyes while shaking her head to glance down at the bracelet on her wrist.

"And what about these?" She asked as she tilted her arm towards him to display the bracelet. "Where'd you steal these from?"

"Well now that's a long story… but rest assured it was worn by a princess almost as beautiful as you." He answered and she scoffed and turned her face away again. Releasing a breath she reached down to start looking at the drawings and held one up until she felt confused. She put it back down as she turned back towards him. Some of the papers looked old, but she could tell a couple of them were newer and the pencil marks were definitely recent so she wondered if he had done them.

"Wait a second, did… you do these?" She asked genuinely curious since all the work she could see was beautiful and she had a hard time imagining Klaus being the one to make them.

"Yeah um… actually one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage; not that anyone would notice. Have you been?"

"I've never really been anywhere." Caroline admitted as she tried to imagine what type of landscape he had hanging in Russia; it made her realize how pathetic she must sound now that he learned she wasn't well traveled.

"I'll take you; wherever you want. Rome… Paris… Tokyo." He said and ended with a laugh and she laughed before she decided to bring up Tyler; she didn't want any offers but Tyler's freedom, no matter how tempting seeing the world was.

"Oh… wow. Must be really nice to just snap your fingers and get whatever you want." She said and looked at him in time to see him in stop laughing and the smile drop from his face. He opened his mouth and nothing came so she decided to push a little further. "Is that why you collect hybrids? Your own little servant army to take you places… and bring you things?"

"You're making assumptions."

"Then why do you need Tyler? Stop controlling him. Give him his life back." She insisted and saw him snap his mouth shut and turn a little as if in thought before looking back up to her; no longer in a good mood.

"You know… this has been a fun evening, but I think it's time for you to leave."

"I get it… your father didn't love you so you assume no one else will either. And that's why you compel people, or you sire them, or you try to buy them off." She said as she reached her hands up and ripped the bracelet off of her arm and tossed it in the floor in front of him. "But that's not how it works. You don't connect with people because you don't even try to understand them." She concluded and turned to stomp out of the room. He didn't follow her so she assumed he wasn't going to kill her and she made her way back downstairs. She didn't want to stay anymore so she went to collect her purse so she could leave. She couldn't believe he actually thought she would accept any offer from him when he had been terrorizing everyone she cared about, and Tyler was off in the middle of nowhere forcing himself to shift to get out from under his control. Thinking the best way to cool down and keep from letting her anger get the best of her was to sort through the cells she made a plan to go home and change before leaving to search for her answers.