The response to this story has been amazing! Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. This chapter delves into the werewolf mythology in this story. I have made some changes to the canon mythology to fit my story. I hope you all enjoy it.

Bonnie had not known what to expect when Tyler suggested a greasy spoon diner located about 40 miles outside of Mystic Falls' city limits. She could honestly say that a dive bar that catered to truck drivers and bikers never crossed her mind. She wondered just how much he had changed during his time away from Mystic Falls. The Tyler Lockwood that she used to know would have been too snobbish to chow down at a place like that. However, when they walked into the bar it had played like an episode of Cheers. It was safe to say that he was a regular at Ruby Red.

Tyler had steered Bonnie to a booth at the very back of the room after they ordered an obscene amount of food at the counter. Then he excused himself by explaining that he needed to speak with someone that he had recognized. Bonnie had watched with great curiosity as Tyler greeted nearly half the patrons and most of the front of the house staff. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that these people were his friends. However, Bonnie's realization only made her more curious. She felt certain that no one in their group of friends knew about this place or these people. Why had Tyler brought her to a place that he had obviously worked hard to keep private?

All of Bonnie's really important questions had flown out the window when two members of the wait staff brought the first half of their order to the table. She had been too hungry to feel even remotely self-conscious about ordering a bacon cheeseburger, a Reuben sandwich, and two orders of chili cheese tater tots. Tyler had teased Bonnie during the thirty-minute drive to the bar because her stomach kept growling. He had explained that the mating mark was partially responsible for her ravenous appetite. Her body was trying to stockpile nourishment for what was to come. However, he had refused to get into a lengthy explanation until after they had eaten. Bonnie had figured it was just as well because she often became 'hangry'. She needed to be clear headed when she and Tyler finally talked about the pink elephant in the room.

They had taken about an hour to eat the smorgasbord of food that they had ordered. While they ate, Tyler and Bonnie had maintained a friendly conversation about safe topics. He told her about his decision to change his major to Art History and the research he had been doing on his family tree. Bonnie told him about discovering some old Bennett grimoires and a talisman in the attic of her grandmother's house. Bonnie explained that she had been working on her potion making abilities with the help of her great-grandmother Amelia's grimoire. Tyler showed a genuine interest in the types of potions that Bonnie had been making. She was surprised because none of their friends were ever curious about her magic unless they were in trouble.

Tyler paid their hefty lunch bill once they were finished eating. Afterwards, he suggested that they take a walk in the woods surrounding the dive bar. Tyler promised that he would do his best to explain their situation while on the walk. Bonnie had agreed because stretching her legs didn't seem like a bad idea. Moreover, sitting still with all of the nervous energy rattling around in her body didn't exactly sound appealing. Bonnie was trying to ignore the implications of her peculiar desire to go for a run. For that matter, she wanted to ignore the fact that she had began running daily after Qetsiyah resurrected her. The desire was always greater during and right after a full moon.

They walked for nearly ten minutes before Bonnie broke the silence. She said, "I will find a way to put a hex on you if you tell anyone how much food I just ate."

Tyler turned to look at Bonnie and feigned a serious look. He lowered his voice for effect and said, "Your secret is safe with me, Bon."

The bass in his voice sent a tingle down her spine. Bonnie was grateful that Tyler had been honoring his promise not to touch her. However, she had the sudden urge to run her fingers over his bulging biceps. The thin black t-shirt he was wearing did little to obscure his muscular physique. Bonnie's pheromone addled brain struggled to find a way to change the subject. Finally she blurted out, "Curly fries."

Tyler lifted an eyebrow and chuckled. "What about them?"

"They had curly fries, french fries, potato wedges, and tater tots on the menu. It's like fried potato heaven in there. The food tasted amazing, too. I will be coming here often," she swore.

An amused smile played across his lips because Tyler knew exactly what she was doing. He was tempted to call Bonnie out on it. However, he figured it was better to let her come to terms with the changes she was undergoing at her own pace. Bonnie seemed intent on fighting against centuries old magic and biological imperatives. Ultimately, Tyler knew that her denial wouldn't be able to last for much longer. The heat would claim both of them sooner rather than later.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and said, "I guess that I can let you steal my favorite place to eat but only if you promise to keep it between the two of us."

Bonnie looked up at him from underneath her long eyelashes and groaned softly. "Stop looking at me like that."

"How exactly am I looking at you, Bon?" he asked with a wolfish grin.

She lowered her voice even though there was no one around to overhear their conversation. "You're looking like you want to devour me."

He licked his lips and said, "Well, I am the big bad wolf."

Bonnie's green eyes widened and then suddenly she began laughing. The girl laughed so hard that she literally snorted. She clapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. "Wow! I hope that isn't a pick up line that you actually use on girls, Lockwood."

Tyler chuckled and flexed his biceps for effect. "I don't really need to use cheesy lines to pick up girls. Usually all I have to do to get a girl's attention is take off my shirt or show her my car. You are a special case, Bennett. You've been seeing me shirtless for years and it never had an effect on you."

A pang of jealousy struck her unexpectedly. Bonnie thought about the string of bubbly female college students that she had watched grind on him last night. Bonnie realized that she had been envious of those girls and there hadn't been a mating mark to blame. Nor could she use the mark as an excuse for her smug feeling of satisfaction when Tyler had ditched a cute redhead to check on her. He had been worried that Bonnie's sour expression was because Jeremy was across the room making out with his girlfriend. However, Bonnie hadn't even realized that her ex-boyfriend was in the room because her eyes had been on Tyler the entire time.

He frowned because he sensed the shift in Bonnie's mood. She even smelled differently to him now.

Bonnie snapped out of the funk that had descended on her. She smirked and asked, "Who said it never had an effect on me?"

Tyler opened his mouth to say something incredibly salacious just as Bonnie took off running. He watched her weave around a few red cedar trees that had to be a couple hundred years old judging by their impressive height. His nostrils flared, his fingernails elongated into claws, and his eyes shifted to a rich amber color. His wolf was demanding to be set free to chase his mate. However, Tyler was fully in control without moonshine in the mix. He took a deep breath and forced the wolf down—for now. He gave Bonnie a few minutes head start before he began tracking her by scent.

He moved swiftly through the woods with an inhuman speed. Tyler smirked when he realized that Bonnie was purposely trying throw him off her scent. The sweatshirt he had lent her earlier was hanging from a tree branch. Tyler grabbed his sweatshirt and chased her deeper into woods. "Do you really want to play hide and seek with a werewolf, Bon?" he called out.

The only response he received was the chirping of birds resting in the trees. Soon the flock would be flying farther south to escape the chilly Virginia winter. It was something that Tyler would have never paid attention to in the past. However, learning to control his wolf side had meant becoming more sensitive to nature.

Tyler grinned when he heard a twig snap in the distance. He took off running until he spotted Bonnie running up ahead of him. He sped up and scooped her up while she was in a full sprint.

She screeched in surprise. "Tyler! The stream."

Tyler looked ahead and realized that there was a stream straight ahead of them. He had been so distracted by Bonnie that he had blocked out everything else. He stopped so abruptly that they both toppled over. Tyler blinked in surprise when he landed on top of Bonnie. "Oh shit. Did I hurt you?"

Bonnie was breathing hard and her eyes had shifted from green to amber. She swallowed thickly and tried to ignore the feeling of Tyler hard and warm between her legs. She nodded. "I'm okay."

Tyler stared into her eyes for a long moment. He couldn't stop himself from nuzzling Bonnie's neck. She smelled amazing. "What were you doing?"

She closed her eyes as her breathing returned to normal. A content purr escaped her lips without her permission. "I wanted to run and I think I wanted you to chase me," she admitted quietly.

Her admission stirred something primal deep inside of him. He wanted to claim her right there. Tyler rolled off Bonnie because he didn't think it was wise to test his discipline right now. He laid on his back and stared up at the cloudy sky.

Bonnie rolled onto her side uncaring that they were laying on dirt and leaves—again. She rested her chin on Tyler's shoulder because she felt the need to have physical contact with him. She said, "Maybe I am a werewolf."

He looked at her with a smirk. He cupped her cheek and said, "If only you could see your eyes right now."

Bonnie gave him a confused look. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

"Nothing," he replied quickly. "You look beautiful, Bon. But your eyes look like mine do right now."

The girl blinked in shock. "What?"

He stroked his thumb over her bottom lip. He could barely see the puncture mark from earlier when she had bit her lip. Tyler said, "Your eyes have changed quite a few times since I bit you last night. It seems to happen whenever you have a strong emotions—good or bad."

Bonnie wished that she could see her eyes but there weren't exactly any mirrors lying around the woods. She was confused by everything that had occurred in the last twelve hours. However, something deep within Bonnie was telling her that she was safe with Tyler. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her. She asked, "When did all of this start for you?"

She had been wracking her brain trying to figure out when things had changed between them. It had seemed innocuous in beginning but they had started bumping into each other at the most random places. Bonnie had thought that it was just a coincidence. It wasn't as if Mystic Falls was a particularly large town. Now she believed that Tyler had been seeking her out. Sometimes he would appear out of thin air when she was eating dinner alone at Mystic Grille. He would plop down at her table without asking and challenge her to a game of pool that she always lost.

He gathered his thoughts for a moment and then said, "I knew that something was different the first time we were in a room together after Qetsiyah resurrected you. I felt this force pulling me toward you. I didn't know where it was coming from so I ignored it. Then I realized that you smelled different to me, too. I asked Damon if he smelled anything different but he just looked at me like I was crazy. I figured it must have been a hybrid werewolf thing. We have a better sense of smell than vampires and regular werewolves do. But the pull got stronger as the weeks passed. I realized that I was attracted to you. I considered asking you out on a date after you and Jeremy broke up. Then you started pulling away from the group. I figured that you were going through something and that it probably wasn't the right time."

"I've been trying to get my magic back. I have been spending a lot of time at the Falls but I think you already knew that. You're the wolf that has been watching me at night. Aren't you?" she asked.

Tyler released his hold on her face and smiled wryly. "How long have you known that I was watching you?"

Bonnie said, "I knew that there was a werewolf watching me but I didn't know it was you. I guess I have never really paid enough attention to what you look like as a wolf. All I knew was that I didn't feel threatened by my nightly visitor. Why were you watching me?"

"I found you by chance one night when I was going for a run. I had this instant feeling of anxiety about you being out there alone. I started showing up every night to watch your back and to make sure that you got home safely. I didn't know that you were trying to get your powers back. Is that even possible?"

Bonnie felt warm and fuzzy because of Tyler's concern for her. She hadn't thought that anyone had realized that she was pulling from the group.

"I think that it is. I mean my magic is part of me. I can still feel it sometimes when I meditate or perform certain rituals. I think of it like a muscle that needs rebuilding after a traumatic injury."

He nodded in understanding. Tyler had his fair share of sports related injuries while in high school. Healing the injury was one thing but retraining the muscles took time and practice. His physical therapy had included repetitive exercises meant to strengthen the muscles that might have atrophied from disuse.

Bonnie confessed, "You aren't the only one that has felt a pull. Since I have been back, I have found myself drawn to you, too. I tried to ignore what I was feeling because it would have complicated everything."

Tyler grinned when he heard that it hadn't been a one-way street. "The only logical explanation here is that you are a werewolf, Bon. I know it sounds crazy but…"

"I believe you, Ty. I don't understand how it is possible but it is. How does this mark work between werewolves?"

He couldn't ignore how satisfied his wolf felt right now. Tyler was pretty damn pleased, too. He said, "It may sound old-fashioned but werewolves are meant to mate for life with a single partner. It doesn't happen for every couple. Some werewolves never find their mate but they marry someone that they love. Some werewolves do meet their mates and separate when the relationship turns sour just as regular humans do. However, it is different when a wolf from an alpha lineage finds his or her mate. They possess a soul bond that activates after one or both of them trigger the curse. I should have felt drawn to you as soon as I triggered the curse but I didn't. The first time I felt this connection to you was immediately after Klaus turned me into a hybrid. It was automatic but then it got washed away by the sire bond. The sire bond consumed me and suppressed the bond I should have shared with you."

"What about after you broke the sire bond?" she asked curiously.

"We didn't exactly spend a lot of time together after that. I didn't feel that connection until you came back from the Other Side. Something was different. I think that something about you changed."

Bonnie considered everything Tyler was telling her and it made sense on an abstract level. "The mating mark and bond between werewolves is a type of magic. It is ancient magic that was built into the fabric of the original curse. I remember that much from the grimoire. Maybe it was the caster's way to ensure werewolves would never die out despite their small population size. But sometimes more powerful magic can overwhelm, suppress, or even negate something like the werewolf gene. Think of how Esther's spell suppressed Klaus' werewolf gene and prevented him from changing."

Tyler nodded. "That is probably why the sire bond was capable of suppressing the connection that I felt with you. It was more powerful and more recent."

"Exactly. You breaking Klaus' sire bond explains why you started feeling drawn to me again. I think that losing access to my magic is why I started to feel the bond for the first time after I came back from the Other Side. Maybe my magic had been suppressing it. The part that doesn't make sense is me being a werewolf. I have killed people. I should have triggered the curse already."

He frowned because Bonnie had a point. "Do you ever feel restless during the full moon?"

"Of course but I am a witch. We're sensitive to the lunar phases just as werewolves are."

Tyler was reminded once again about how little he knew about witches. He would have to change that. He wondered if Bonnie would be willing to teach him some things.

Bonnie's green eyes narrowed and she asked, "What if it is a curse? What if I am cursed?"

"You mean like how Klaus was cursed by Esther?"

She nodded. "It is the only thing that makes sense, Ty. The mating mark can only happen between werewolves. You very successfully marked me. Therefore, I must be a werewolf."

Tyler flashed a cocky grin.

Bonnie rolled her eyes playfully.

He got serious and asked, "Who could have cursed you? Do you think your grandmother did it?"

She shook her head. "No. Grams was a powerful witch but it takes some serious juice to place that sort of curse on someone. You saw how hard it was to break Klaus' curse. Placing a curse and breaking a curse require the same level of power."

He hummed as he thought about other possibilities.

"What if it is an old curse placed on someone in my family? There have been very powerful witches in the Bennett bloodline. One of them would have been capable of a curse this powerful."

"You think that you might have inherited a curse from your mother's side of the family?"

She nodded. "It is possible. I could have inherited a curse that blocked the werewolf gene from activating. Think about it...I'm a Bennett witch. One of my family members could have cursed our line to protect us. Can you imagine what would have happened if one of my ancestors had changed during the full moon on a plantation?"

The wheels in his head started turning. "The curse might go back even further than that. I heard Klaus and Elijah talking about one of your ancestors. Her name was Ayana and she was their mother's mentor. She was living with the werewolves at the time the originals were turned. She had children but no husband. Klaus thought that maybe one of the werewolves in the village was the father of her children. Elijah seemed to disagree. He said that Ayana was devoted to honoring nature and the spirits, it is the reason she refused to help Esther create the original vampires."

Bonnie was shocked by the revelation. She said, "Witches are servants of nature. The spirits wouldn't have been thrilled about hybrid witch-werewolves. A creature with that sort of power would upset the balance. Ayana could have linked the binding curse to Bennett magic. As long as her descendants had magic then we could never trigger the werewolf curse. She probably thought it was a safe bet. A Bennett witch losing their magic is incredibly rare. It took me being dead, resurrected, and spending a couple months as the anchor between our world and the Other Side to affect my magic. And it is only suppressed, I can still feel it sometimes. It's like it wants to break through the surface but can't. I am going to have to do some research. We might even need to find a witch."

Tyler tensed when Bonnie mentioned finding a witch. "Are you going to look for a way to break the mark?"

"I don't know. I thought that was what I wanted do in the beginning. I thought it was what you would want, too. We haven't been good friends in a long time and we both sort of had our hearts stepped on recently. Not to mention this isn't going to go over well with our friends."

"But?"

She shrugged and said, "But I only wanted to break the mark when I believed it was a mistake. We shouldn't be bound to one another because of moonshine and magic. However, I no longer believe that this was a mistake. I think this is fate. If you are truly my soul mate then it would be stupid to throw it away without careful thought. I want to understand what this is. I want to know more about how it even happened. I just need to ask you to be patient. I know that you have certain expectations…"

"I understand all of that, Bonnie. This isn't the olden days. I'm not going to throw you over my shoulder and force you to marry me. This didn't happen the way it was originally intended. I should have had time to...court you as Gabe would say. We can still do that but you just need to be aware that the bond and mating mark changes things for us. You saw firsthand what happens when you go without my touch for too long."

Bonnie flushed. "That's what happened to me in the bathroom at your house?"

He nodded. "It's like going through withdrawal. This intensity will only last for about a week. But even after that going more than a few days without touching would be difficult for both of us. We would grieve the loss of contact."

Bonnie asked, "What kind of contact would satisfy the bond?"

Tyler chuckled softly. "During this week it will be very hard to go without sex. It would actually be nearly impossible and genuinely painful. We would feel feverish, disoriented, fatigued, nauseous, and weak. However, the worst part would be the muscle cramps in the stomach and lower back. The need we feel for each other will have peaks and valleys. Right now, we are in a valley, that's why we ate so much food. It's an instinct thing. We're stockpiling as much nourishment as we can because there is no telling when we will come up for air again."

She stared openly at Tyler. "You can't be serious."

He said, "Last night was just the beginning phase. It was a short burst to ensure that the mating mark took. In a couple of hours, we will transition to the actual heat phase. It could be whole a twelve or more hours before we take another break."

Bonnie swallowed thickly. "That's what you meant earlier when you said that you wouldn't touch me again until I asked."

He nodded.

Bonnie realized that she really didn't have a choice here. Her options were to feel like she was dying for the next six days or have toe curling sex with Tyler. "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?!"

Tyler said, "I could sense the urge you had to run away from me. I could actually smell the fear on you in the woods. I needed you to be calm and rational before I told you everything. Most of all, I needed you to trust that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

Bonnie was annoyed but he was right. She would have run away from Tyler and everyone else for that matter. Bonnie would have gotten severely sick and she would not have understood what was happening to her. "I guess we are doing this then…but only because neither of us should have to be in pain. And we're also going to figure out this whole me being a werewolf thing."

He grinned. "My place or yours?"

She blinked. "Matt and Jeremy live with you."

He shrugged. "They can stay somewhere else for a few days. The boarding house comes to mind."

"Tyler," she chided.

"Fine. We'll go to your place. I need to stop by my house to pack a bag. Then we need to stop by the store to pick up some supplies."

She asked, "What kind of supplies?"

Tyler said, "Food. We are going to need a lot of food. Protein is going to be very important-red meat especially. We're going to need condoms and lube, too."

"What?" she asked incredulously. Her cheeks had grown hot with embarrassment.

He chuckled at her reaction. He said, "Well, the condoms are a bit self explanatory. I'm hybrid and there is a very good chance that I could get you pregnant. We should be careful unless you're interested in getting knocked up."

She huffed, "I meant the other part...smart ass."

Tyler leaned closer and said, "The lube is so that I don't hurt you, Bon. Your natural lubrication won't be enough after five or six hours of repeated friction."

A wave of jealousy hit Bonnie so quickly that it knocked her off kilter. "How do you know so much about all of this?"

Tyler lifted an eyebrow as he saw the veins in Bonnie's hands become more prominent. He interlaced their fingers and watched as she slowly calmed down. He wondered if she even realized what was happening. He bit back a smirk and said, "I have never been through a heat with a woman. You would be my first, Bon. I have heard about it from other werewolves. Guys talk…"

"Oh," she said. "Okay."

He chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing, Bon," he swore while trying to hold in another chuckle.