Chapter 12 BF
Bonnie tossed and turned, hearing the wind scrape branches back and forth across her window panes as she tried to stay in her dream state. She had tried all night to meditate and commune with the earth magic around her but it was hard. Her witch magic had become so normal to her that trying to do things this totally different way, made her feel as though she was trying to type with her hands tied behind her back. It was frustrating.
She turned onto her side and sighed, letting the darkness of the room lull her into sleep once more, when she felt it. Eyes watching her. She frowned and stumbled in her dream through the fogginess of sleep. She knew she was in her bed, in her room but yet she couldn't waken up properly. The dream around her became more vivid. She was in the woods near Fells Church. Could it be grams trying to communicate with her again? No, there was something watching. The same something that she'd felt that day when she and Elena had ran into the woods following grams.
"Hello?" She called out, trying to see with her eyes but everything was a muddy dark colour.
Frustrated, she tried to imagine she had a flashlight. She'd read about being able to control and manipulate dreams. It was called lucid dreaming and she'd always been fascinated by it. Trouble was that you had to become aware that you were dreaming in order to be able to seize control and even then, sometimes your awareness made the dream recede or end as though it was a thin fabric slipping through your fingers.
"What do you want?" She cried out when her flashlight trick refused to work.
A low growl surfaced, travelling through the air around her but still she couldn't see where it was coming from. She held herself, her heart pumping wildly in fear. Whatever it was it was big and it wanted to harm her.
"Grams?!" She shouted out in fear and then something with yellow eyes came at her.
A dark shape that seemed to stretch on forever with its only discernible feature being those eyes. She screamed and landed on her floor in her bedroom shaking and fighting off the creature, though it was futile as she realised she was awake again. She grabbed her chest and tried to breathe as she looked around in disbelief that she was awake. What the hell had that been? Some kind of monster? She put her face in her hands and sobbed in relief.
Her cell began to vibrate on her night stand and she got to her feet shakily and answered.
"Elena." She croaked, pausing when she heard Elena's cries of fear. "What?! I'm coming over."
She hurriedly threw her clothes on as her head spun. A dead hybrid head left on Elena's doorstep, a weird dream that she just knew in her bones had been real at the same time, a coven of witches trying to block her magic and wolves in the midst of heat. What the bloody hell was going on?!
She drove like a madwoman over to Elena's to find Stefan there comforting her too. He was sniffing around the box and she squinted at him doing so. Elena grabbed her in a fierce hug and they both squeezed each other in reassurance. Elena pulled back and noticed Bonnie's pale complexion and evident remnants of sleep and she tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Are you ok?" She asked and Bonnie nodded.
"Yeah, I just…had a nightmare. Tell me what happened?"
They took a seat in the lounge as far away from the box as possible, while Stefan continued his nasal assault and Elena finally fessed up about the fact that two donations had been scheduled and missed. Stefan looked up as she admitted that and he came to sit with them.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Bonnie squeezed her hands.
"I wasn't sure what it meant. I didn't want to worry any of you."
"Who would kill a hybrid? Who'd even have the strength to?" Bonnie looked to Stefan and he bit his lip in contemplation.
"How do they contact you?" Stefan asked and Elena tightened and squeezed her eyes closed. "Elena, if someone's killing hybrids then either Klaus is the one who's involved or he needs to know about it."
"You're not suggesting we call him?" Bonnie gasped and Stefan chewed his lip. "Are you crazy? He'd come here!"
"And if he's not involved and wonders why one of the hybrids hasn't brought a donation home, he'll still come but he'll see we knew about it." He reasoned and both girls held each other. "There's so much about this that doesn't make sense. If Klaus wanted to turn these wolves, he could do it anytime. He doesn't need to wait till they're mating."
"He has no reason to kill his hybrids. They do whatever he wants." Elena shook her head sadly.
"Tyler doesn't. Does he?" Bonnie looked to them both. "Why would he stay here if he was under his control?"
"Klaus wants him here to guard Elena." Stefan admitted. "Maybe Damon's right. We can't assume that Tyler isn't involved."
"No, I don't believe that." Elena held herself. "We've known him our whole lives Stefan."
"I know, but you saw how easily Klaus influences people." Stefan looked at her and she swallowed, remembering everything that had happened to them.
Stefan's cell wrang and he pulled it out and answered, seeing it was Damon and relaxing slightly.
"Hey."
"Hey, we have a situation over here at Elena's."
"Is she ok?"
"Yeah she's fine. We just got a delivery tonight – a severed hybrid head left on the porch."
"What the fuck is going on?!" Damon growled.
Stefan rubbed his eyes and Damon took a deep breath.
"Get her out of there, back home."
"Agreed." He nodded.
"Rick and I made a few discoveries of our own tonight. Prof Gerard is a witch and she's behind drawing the wolves here."
"What?" Stefan gasped and stood up, pacing.
"Oh yeah, she's got power. Small caveat though."
"What?"
"She doesn't know why she's been told to draw them here and keep them together for their heat. All she knows is she has to keep them here until whatever they're being used for ends."
"And when is that?"
"She's not talking at the moment. Might need to give her a little reminder of what vampires can do." He sneered.
"Don't kill her. We might need her."
"Fine." Damon grumbled. "I love you. Hurry home."
"Love you too." Stefan sighed, feeling his body vibrate.
With all of the craziness, he and Damon hadn't joined today and he could feel his body complaining about that. He was hot and sweaty feeling again.
"So the professor is a witch? The one who has been blocking me?" Bonnie stood up and they looked to each other.
"I don't know, I thought you said it was a coven?"
"Or someone who's being backed up by a witch on the other side." Bonnie crossed her arms. "Let me talk to her."
"Damon and Rick have her. I think they're at Rick's. They want us back at the Boarding House."
Bonnie nodded and they looked to Elena.
"Get some things. It's not safe for you here." Stefan advised and she nodded and stood up, calling Jeremy.
"Why would someone leave the head here for her?" Bonnie asked once Elena had moved upstairs. "A warning?"
"I don't know."
"Why would they think it'd be a threat? If anything that's what we want. We want all of this donation stuff to stop." She mused and Stefan nodded.
"Maybe that's just it. Maybe it's to send a message – the hybrids are going to die."
"Why tell us though? Why not just do it?" Bonnie huffed and Stefan moved to the box and began to tape it back up again as she watched. "Stefan, your sense of smell. It's heightened?"
"Yeah." He confirmed as he taped the flaps together.
"What do you smell from the box?"
"Fear." He said gravely and she felt the hairs on her arms prickle in fear. "There's something else too." He croaked, seeming nervous.
"What?"
He looked at her, a strange emotion flickering through his face as his eyes widened.
"Roses."
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Damon flipped his cell closed and turned to Rick. Rick was giving Charisma a glass of water.
"Elena found a hybrid head on her doorstep tonight." He stated and Rick looked at him horrified.
"Is she...?"
"She's ok. Stefan's with her."
Rick nodded and sighed in relief.
"The plot thickens." Damon snorted and looked at Charisma. "And you, lady professor are our only lead to what the hell's going on around here." He approached slowly, making her nervous and sat in a chair directly in front of her, crossing his legs casually.
"I told you. I was given a specific task. They don't tell me anything."
"And we are supposed to just believe you and let you pop off back home when you're done?" Damon sneered and she looked him in the eye.
"I don't have a home anymore, thanks to you people!" She hissed and Rick sat down beside her.
"What do you mean?" He asked gently and she shook her head and averted her eyes. "Chris, I'm a pretty good judge of character and I know when I'm talking to someone who wants to hurt people. You're not one of them."
She looked to him full of emotion.
"The other witches are holding something over you. What?" He prodded and she sighed and took a drink of water.
"My children." She mumbled. "They have my children."
Damon raised his eyebrows in surprise and Rick looked to him confidently.
"We can help you find them. I swear, we will help, but you have to help us figure this out." He said confidently and she gave a mirthless chuckle.
"Rick, you don't know these witches. They aren't keepers of the balance. Not like young Bonnie. They make their own rules now and they want this to happen."
"What exactly have they told you?" Damon leaned forward.
"That they needed wolves from a particular bloodline. They wouldn't explain. They just gave me a blood sample to cast the spell to draw them here."
"Why here?" Rick asked.
"I don't know. I thought at first it was because there were so few wolves responding to the spell but there was a wolf here already who might make up their number. Stupid really because it's clear he isn't from the same bloodline. He hasn't responded to the spell at all."
"He seems to be being more of a douche bag to me." Damon snorted.
"Added aggression is only one of the signs of impending heat." She advised.
"Impending heat? I thought you said Michelle was already in heat and had been all week." Rick said.
"She is but the males take a little longer. They have to wait until she's fully fertile before they respond and the mating begins."
"Explains why she hasn't jumped Tyler's bones yet or vice versa." Damon said.
"He will respond a little, like any wolf would to a female in heat but he's not the right bloodline." She said.
"So?"
"So he will be able to control himself. The spell is catered towards him. If she's fixated on him as a mate then she'll have a rough ride."
"Still doesn't explain why they wanted you all here though." Rick chimed in.
"There's a long history here for the families. Nathan's roots seem to lead here too and then there are all of you. I didn't realise they were sending me into a town full of vampires."
"Not just vampires." Rick said and she looked to him.
"Elena is special."
She blinked at him in confusion and query.
"Special to one particular maniac who just happens to be the original hybrid."
She dropped her glass on the floor and froze and Damon watched her closely. Rick lifted her glass and rubbed her back comfortingly.
"Time for that whiskey now I think." He said and moved to pour them all a shot.
Damon waited for her to calm her breathing.
"You know of him?"
"Only through reputation."
"And what does that reputation say?"
"That he's a monster. He's unnatural – a huge tip in the balance of nature that has to be stopped."
"Pretty much." He sat back in his chair and folded his arms. "You trying to tell me, you didn't know about Elena?"
"No. I told you. I was just given instructions."
"Why make the wolves mate here? And why so few? I mean if I was doing some big assed spell, I'd want a hundred of them all getting their game on." Damon said.
"Werewolves are rare and hard to find. They wanted ones from a specific bloodline only and they barely gave me enough blood to do the spell." Rick handed her her glass and she took a big draw from it, coughing slightly as she swallowed.
"So, Nathan, Mike and Michelle are related then?" Rick asked and she nodded. "They don't know each other."
"Blood ties go further than you'd imagine. We were once able to prove a familial connection between someone in Africa to someone in Japan."
Damon blew out a whistle.
"Ok, so they need wolves from one family tree. Did they give you any clue why?" Rick asked.
"It's something big, I know that. They…attempted a similar spell last year and it went wrong." She fidgeted with her glass and became sullen.
"Went wrong how?" Damon sat forward again and she dabbed her hand at her eyes for a second.
"Your husband." Rick said gravely and she nodded.
Damon's eyes widened.
"He was a witch too?" Rick rubbed her shoulder and she nodded again. "He did the spell?"
"No." She looked at him bitterly. "They forced him to try and it killed him."
All three fell into silence and Damon got up and started pacing, trying to think.
"Did he know what the spell was for?" Rick asked gently.
"All they would tell him, was that it was to ensure the balance. They wanted him to draw on the energy from local wolves to bring their spell to fruition."
The door knocked and Damon went to it, sighing when he saw Bonnie.
"You're go." He said and gestured towards Charisma.
She walked inside and held herself confidently. Charisma exhaled and looked to her.
"Who are you?"
"You know who I am." Charisma answered. "I'm a witch like you."
"Are you the one blocking me?"
"No."
"Then who is?"
"The same people forcing me to be here." She answered and Bonnie flicked her eyes to Rick for confirmation that that was true.
"They have her family captive." Rick said and Bonnie felt herself soften a little.
"What kind of spell are you doing here?"
"I drew the wolves here and made sure it would be during their heat."
"Did you know about me?"
"Yes. I'm sorry. They assured me that no humans or witches would be harmed if I kept my mouth shut. They're only interested in the wolves. I figured you would be safer if you couldn't get involved with magic."
"Yeah because you're safer when you're flying blind!" Damon grunted.
"Why would they need this much energy?" Bonnie demanded and Charisma shrugged and looked to Rick.
"They said it was to ensure the balance?" Rick asked and Charisma nodded. "And they tried it last year and it didn't work. Why?"
"It was when they realised it had to be a particular bloodline of wolves. They tried to use a regular pack they'd discovered but it killed everyone."
Bonnie bristled and sat down in the chair that Damon had vacated as she tried to think.
"Could they have been part of one of Klaus's attempt to break his curse?" Damon frowned in thought? "I mean, a year ago around this time Klaus didn't know about Elena. Could he have been trying to activate the wolf part of him through magic that way?"
Bonnie and Rick looked at each other thinking.
"But he did break his curse didn't he?" Charisma pointed out.
"Yeah, right here with the help of Elena's blood."
"And Jenna's." Rick added and Damon nodded and gave him a sympathetic smile.
"So, if he did break the spell, there'd be no need to do another one now – if this was his doing."
"Still wouldn't explain why he'd kill a hybrid either." Damon pointed out.
"Alright." Rick sighed. "So where do we go from here?"
"When were you told to stay here until? When does your spell end?" Bonnie looked to Charisma.
"3 days from now, well…2 I guess." She looked at her watch seeing the time.
"And then what?" Damon asked.
"I've to go back home and await further instructions. Once they have finished the spell they said they'd bring my children home to me."
"And you believe them?" Damon asked and she didn't respond, simply holding herself.
"I have to." She said finally.
"Ok, let's get the wolves together."
"What? If anything we should keep them apart! If they can't mate the spell can't happen." Bonnie argued and Damon huffed and put his hands on his hips. "You just want them out of the way. You don't even care do you?"
"Nope." Damon gave a sarcastic smile and she shook her head.
"Easy guys, we're all scared ok?" Rick said.
"I'm not going to stand by and let these wolves be used, drained, for the purpose of some spell that we don't even understand." Bonnie said commandingly and Charisma put her face in her hands tiredly. "We keep them apart Damon."
"And what happens when they go all loopy and horny huh? Oh that's right, you'll expect me and Stefan to keep them under control, while the rest of you sit around and drink tea! Forget it Sabrina!"
"Guys!" Rick said exasperated.
"Stefan isn't going anywhere near those wolves you hear me? So if you want them separated then you can take turns to chain them down yourselves. Leave us out of it!" He growled.
"You can't stop it." Charisma mumbled and they looked to her. "Somehow they'll find a way."
"I don't know hot shot, the walls of the basement are pretty thick." Damon snorted.
"You think they'd still try even if they weren't together physically?" Bonnie asked and Charisma nodded.
"Last year, not all of the wolves were having sexual contact when the spell was being done. In most wolf packs the alphas mate. Sometimes the beta wolves are permitted to mate with other females in the pack too, but usually the omega wolves don't get the same privilege."
"Ok…" Damon prompted.
"The wolves who were physical active with a partner survived longer than those who weren't." Charisma croaked.
"The omega wolves died first?" Bonnie confirmed and Charisma nodded. "The spell took everything they had because they were singular."
"If you separate them from each other, they'll all die." Charisma looked to Damon, who sighed and rolled his eyes in disinterest.
"But what else can we do?" Rick poured another bourbon. "We keep them all together and they might die as a result of the spell, or keep them apart and they definitely will die."
"Great choices." Bonnie said sarcastically.
"Or, we use a third option, i.e. find the witches, kill em, stop the spell and get rid of the wolves back to their happy little packs somewhere that's not here." Damon said.
"Christ." Rick rubbed his face and sighed.
"You'll never find them. Even I don't know where they are. You're only choice is to let this happen. I'm sorry."
Bonnie gulped painfully at the truth of that. They were damned if they did and damned if they didn't do anything here. Perhaps all they could do was prepare for casualties or repercussions. Rick turned to Charisma again, remembering the sketch from Isobel's book.
"You've studied werewolves, their origins."
"Yes."
"Can they shift during mating?"
"No." She frowned.
"I found this image…" He moved over to his bag and withdrew the book, turning to the page in question and she looked at it in surprise and confusion. "…they are shifting during the process. How's that possible?"
"Where did you get this?" She looked at him in intrigue.
"Isobel's collection."
"I've never seen this image before." She said as she studied it.
Bonnie came around to her side to take a look.
"They can't shift during mating because of the potential damage to a foetus. Their bones break and contort and any beginnings of pregnancy or even the ability to conceive would be jeopardised by that transformation. They're always human to conceive." Charisma shook her head as she tried to look for a reference for the source, amongst the other pages.
"Wait." Bonnie stopped her and looked at the image a little closer. "What's that?"
"What?" Rick asked and she pointed to a figure in the very background.
"It looks like a person."
"Or a wolf on its hind legs maybe?" Charisma speculated.
"Why is it so out of focus and blurred when the rest of the image is so clear."
"Some kind of spirit?" Rick hypothesized and looked up to Damon, wondering why he wasn't joining in in the discussion. "Damon?"
Damon was standing trance-like and unblinking and Rick stood up. Bonnie followed his line of sight while Charisma moved through the other pages looking for answers.
"You ok brother?" Rick took a step towards him and he blinked hard and seemed a little disorientated.
Bonnie frowned and Rick moved to him and squeezed his arm to check on him. Damon looked at him in surprise.
"What?"
"You ok?"
"I'm fine." Damon squinted at him. "Why do people keep asking me that?"
"Maybe you should get back home, check on Stefan." Rick advised, not taking his eyes off of his face as he studied him closely and Damon nodded and yawned. "We'll check in with you later."
Damon nodded and headed out, leaving Rick and Bonnie looking at each other in concern.
Damon drove home feeling tired and grumpy. His body was vibrating. He felt like he hadn't seen Stefan all day and it was wearing his nerves down a little. He got back to the Boarding House and sighed when he noticed the absence of Stefan's car. He must still be helping Elena and Jeremy collect their things to stay here.
He got out of his car and went inside feeling grumpy and annoyed. When would they get their home back to themselves? It was pissing him off always having to shelter people here. It was harder to protect Stefan with all of these damn invaders around. He should try and keep Stefan with him, or better still keep him in their room where he would be safe. He nodded as he thought on that. He'd make sure Stefan stayed inside from now on. God knows what could happen to him with all of these wolves around.
He walked into the lounge and saw Mike in the kitchen eating as usual. He couldn't be bothered with idle chit chat. Not right now, but as usual Mike perked up when he saw him and came through as he chewed his last piece of steak and swallowed.
"Hey Damon!"
"Hey." Damon said casually.
"Have a late one at the Grill tonight?"
"Yeah kinda." He said dismissively and Mike came further into the room and sat down, hoping Damon would join him. "It's 3 in the morning, why are you asleep?"
"I'm a night time kind of guy." Mike chuckled and Damon nodded as he realised what a stupid thing that was to say to a wolf. "Night cap?"
"Help yourself." Damon gestured towards the bourbon cabinet as he hung up his jacket.
"Won't you join me?" Mike asked innocently and Damon gave a silent sigh.
"Mike you trust me don't you?" He looked at him and Mike's face straightened sincerely.
"Yeah."
"You wanna know why you ended up here?" He raised an eyebrow and Mike just looked at him, waiting obediently. "There's a bunch of witches somewhere that want to make you get down with Michelle so that they can suck the energy out of you while you do."
"What?" Mike said in small voice and Damon gripped the back of the sofa as he looked at him square on.
"It isn't safe for you here. If you stay, you'll be drained by some witches. Maybe if you get the hell out of here you'll be able to escape them."
"But…what about you?"
"What about me?"
"What will happen to you?"
"Why do you care? Aren't you listening to me? You stay here and you're witch food." Damon said bluntly and Mike's heart sped up in fear and distress.
"But I don't want to go. I want to stay here."
"For Christ sake Mike, I'm not your alpha ok? Maybe you should go to Tyler if you want that, or better still use your head and get out of here while you still can!"
"I don't want her."
"What?" Damon said exasperated.
"If I don't touch her, they can't do anything to me, can they?" Mike looked at him, eyes wide in vulnerability and Damon found himself sitting down.
"You're the omega aren't you?" Damon smirked to himself but he felt no such humour in it and Mike bristled and held himself tight.
Damon looked over at him, seeing he'd struck a nerve. Mike was smaller, weaker than the others. He didn't seem territorial or want to fight. He must be an omega then and therefore, if what Charisma had said was true, the first one to die if he was copulating and even then, he might still die. Damon shook his head and put his head in his hands.
"I don't know how to protect you. I'm not…good at that. Don't put your faith in me Mike."
Mike exhaled softly and got up, walking sadly back to his room as Damon wrung his hands together and stared into the fireplace. He felt guilty. Mike was so vulnerable. It didn't seem right to sacrifice him. Even if he did lock him in the basement, he'd probably die as a result. If he did lock them all down there to contain them then Nathan might kill him in competition. What would be better?
Stefan's car pulled in outside and he stood up relieved. Elena and Jeremy weren't with him so she must be waiting for Jer to finish up at the Grill before they headed over. Stefan came in the front door looking just as frazzled as he was and they looked to each other silently.
Want
They blurred to each other and began kissing furiously, Damon knocking Stefan back into the wall with his passion as Damon licked at his mouth and swirled their tongues together. They both panted and breathed into each others' mouths, not caring how loud they were being as Damon began to pull Stefan's clothing off. Stefan moaned and grunted as Damon fought with the material, ripping some of it in his desperation to lick at Stefan's skin. Damon tore the front of his jeans open and Stefan opened his eyes, becoming aware of their houseguests as he heard them move around, clearly embarrassed at the fact they could hear them. Damon however seemed lost in his ministrations with Stefan's attire and didn't seem to care who heard or even saw them.
Bed!
Stefan channelled and Damon paid no heed, kissing his mouth to silence him while he pumped him with his hand down Stefan's trousers. Stefan whined at the back of his throat, wanting to just let himself be taken right here like his mate wanted, but they were exposed. It wasn't safe. He whined again and Damon grunted.
Not safe! Afraid, Damon.
Damon pulled back from his mouth and looked at him in concern as Stefan tried to catch his breath. Damon pulled him along and into one of their linen cupboards rather than up to their room and Stefan whined in confusion until Damon locked the door behind them and grunted in command that Stefan undress. Stefan felt his veins fill with fire and he stripped the remainder of his clothes and pulled at Damon's too as Damon lifted his legs around his waist and made him clutch at his shoulders so as not to fall over. Damon slammed him into the wall and entered him. Stefan gasped loudly and Damon bit into his neck and drank as he began his movements in and out of him.
It was raw passion and ridiculously hot and Stefan let go and became as vocal as he wanted, now that they were hidden from prying eyes. The room was dark and comforting, sheltering even and it was locked. No one could come in and disturb.
Plaster began to dust them lightly as Damon took him hungrily and so fast Stefan could barely breathe at the intensity of it. Stefan cried out and climaxed and Damon bit down harder making him cry out again. Soon the milking began and Damon's knees buckled, crashing them to the ground as Damon gasped and made small sounds of rapture. He shivered violently and Stefan held him with his limbs securely, licking his face as he rode it out until he was empty.
They lay in a crumpled heap breathing and calming, trying to get their human brains working again but it wasn't easy. Stefan tried to move and Damon growled, so he relaxed again. It was so dark all he could make out was the white of Damon's eyes as Damon hovered above him breathing.
Love
Stefan channelled and Damon licked his cheek into his neck.
Safe
Damon pulled out from him and pulled Stefan into his side. Their clothes tangled amongst their limbs as they settled into each other. Damon drifted to sleep, breathing deeply at the back of Stefan's neck and Stefan lay awake comfortable as he tried to rationalise whether he wanted to attempt to move them up to their bed. It would involve having to waken Damon to do so and he had a feeling Damon wouldn't be overly excited about that.
He closed his eyes and tried to sleep when he heard noises from elsewhere in the house. He opened his eyes again as his heart beat faster in fear. A predator? Someone coming into their space? No, no it was simply the wolves. The wolves were in rapture. That was fine. That was fine as long as they didn't come in here.
Stefan smiled and closed his eyes as he listened to their whispers and climaxing sounds. Safe. Everyone was safe.
