A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. I am blown away by how many people like my little story!

Tyler turned into Bonnie's driveway and pulled into the garage behind her house. They had both agreed that it would not be wise to leave his car sitting out on the street. Gossip had a way of traveling through Mystic Falls like wildfire. Tyler did not actually care if their friends knew that he and Bonnie were together. They had all engaged in some questionable relationships and flings in the past. However, he respected Bonnie's need for privacy. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the situation and didn't need outside pressure. Any sane person would need time to process after learning that he or she was a werewolf. Unfortunately, the mating mark made things more complicated for them. The mark forced Tyler and Bonnie to skip the traditional steps of starting a relationship.

He climbed out of the car and grabbed his bags from the backseat. Tyler was feeling restless and agitated because he had been away from Bonnie for well over an hour. He had searched his father's former study high and low for a few books that once belonged to an ancestor. Tyler found the dusty tomes not long after he triggered the curse. Mason had mentioned the books in the video that Tyler found after his death. At first, he thought the leather bound books were just journals of some sort. However, upon further inspection he learned that his great-great-grandfather had spent an obscene amount of time and money tracing their family's werewolf lineage. In doing so, he had also tracked many of the other families that descended from the werewolves that once called Mystic Falls home. When he first discovered the book, Tyler had only been interested in his own family. Now he hoped it might shed some light on Bonnie's background, too.

Tyler walked around to the front of the house and raised his hand to knock on the door. However, the door swung open before he had the chance. Tyler opened his arms and easily caught Bonnie when she launched herself at him full speed. He couldn't help smiling when he realized that she had missed him, too. Since this morning, he could feel the bond between them growing stronger. He couldn't fathom how it would feel once they completed the mating cycle.

Bonnie shamelessly buried her face into the fabric of Tyler's t-shirt and inhaled deeply. Her anxiety had grown unbearable the longer they were apart. She had seriously considered tracking him down at home. Instead, she had cracked open a few grimoires looking for information about werewolves and mating marks until he returned. However, all of the tension bled out of Bonnie's taut muscles the moment he wrapped his arms around her. She could feel the mark on her back tingling. "What took you so long?" she complained in a voice that was definitely not whiney.

The grin slid from Tyler's face when he detected a foreign scent clinging to Bonnie's soft skin. He took a deep cleansing breath to stop his wolf side from surfacing on the front porch. However, as Tyler grew more enraged his eyes turned a threatening dark amber color. He carefully maneuvered them into the house and away from the prying eyes of Bonnie's neighbors. He mumbled, "Sorry about that. I was looking for something that I thought might help us figure things out."

It took a moment for Bonnie to recognize the shift in Tyler's demeanor. When her mind began to clear, she realized that the hair on her arms was standing on end. It was as if some dormant part of her brain sensed danger even if she had been completely oblivious to it. She reluctantly pulled out of the embrace and studied his face. Bonnie touched his cheek and said, "Tyler…"

He dropped the bags by his feet and closed the door behind him. Then he pulled Bonnie into his arms again. He kissed her neck and murmured, "Did someone stop by while I was gone?"

Bonnie's senses were tugging her in two different directions. She was wary because something was obviously off with Tyler. On the other hand, he was kissing her neck and she really wanted him to keep doing that. "Damon stopped by. Everyone was worried that I got kidnapped or something since I left my purse and phone at the boarding house."

Tyler planned to play it cool so that he didn't scare Bonnie away. She was new to all of this. Bonnie didn't understand the rules and restrictions of being mated to a werewolf. However, the wolf side didn't care for any of his rational thought. The wolf's only concern was that another male had touched his mate. The wolf wanted him to reclaim her right there on the floor. Tyler growled, "Did he touch you?"

Bonnie thought about it for a moment. Unfortunately, her thoughts felt disorganized because of the rush of endorphins. She said, "I don't know. Maybe. I mean he knows about us because he sniffed me. He said that I smell different now."

Tyler slowly calmed down when he realized that Damon wasn't a threat. However, he couldn't have Bonnie smelling like the vampire or he would lose it. He nuzzled Bonnie's neck and slid his hands over her body. He muttered, "Hold on…"

"What are you doing?" she asked with a breathy moan. Bonnie's legs quivered at his touch.

He kissed her neck and murmured, "Replacing Damon's scent with mine so that I don't have to go rip out his spine."

Bonnie's eyes widened to the size of saucers and she sputtered, "W-w-what? Why would you want to rip out Damon's spine? He's annoying but that seems a bit excessive."

Tyler slid his hands under her t-shirt and stroked his fingers over her sides. He went from kissing her neck to sucking at the skin there to leave another hickey.

Bonnie whimpered as his fingers ghosted over the swell of her breasts. Her nipples pebbled in response. She couldn't decide rather to slap his face or ride him until her legs went numb. The second option sounded particularly tantalizing. Bonnie moaned, "Tyler?"

Next, he moved his hands beneath the elastic of Bonnie's sweatpants. He stroked her hips and then smoothed his hands over her butt. Tyler slowly removed his hands and took a deep breath. His eyes returned to normal and his breathing slowed. "I'm sorry," he said in a husky voice.

"Just explain what happened, please," she murmured. Bonnie stroked at the scruff growing on his jaw in hopes that it would calm him. Meanwhile, she tried to ignore her disappointment that Tyler hadn't helped ease the throbbing sensation between her thighs.

Tyler felt as if he was in control once more. Bonnie's touch certainly helped him feel more balanced. "You smelled like Damon. Maybe you just didn't realize that he touched you. Smelling another potential mate on you nearly made me shift. I hope you aren't mad at me for touching you without asking."

Bonnie swallowed thickly and said, "It's okay, Ty. I trust you. We can't have you tearing across town to kill Damon. He is my friend. Besides, that would spark too many questions. You know how nosy everyone can be."

He huffed out a laugh at the last part. Tyler started working on a second hickey once he was satisfied with the first. He couldn't fight the urge he had to mark Bonnie so that the world, human and supernatural, would know that she was off-limits.

"Anyway, I've decided to lift the ban on you touching me. We're going to be doing more than touching sooner or later," she replied with a sheepish grin. She angled her neck to give him better access.

The hybrid lifted his head to look a Bonnie when he heard her breathing hitch. He had honed in on Damon's scent and excluded everything else about Bonnie. However, now she had his full attention. He inhaled deeply and then a wolfish grin spread across his face. Tyler hooked a finger into the waistband of her sweatpants and asked, "Do you want me to help you out with that?"

Bonnie shook her head and slowly backed away from him. She needed a clear head for as long as possible but she was caught in a Catch-22. Bonnie had felt foggy and disoriented while they were apart. The need for him had consumed the girl. However, the fog had dissipated now that Tyler was with her once again. Yet if they touched too much the pheromones would take over the show and they would end up making love right there on the floor. "No, we need to talk. Damon said that I smell different. He couldn't explain it but I believe him."

Tyler fought the urge to take Bonnie up against the wall. Instead, he took a few steps back and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He said, "You probably smell more like me. It is a wolf thing. Our mates smell like us as a warning to other potential suitors. If Damon were here now, he would probably think that I smell like you, too."

She nodded because his explanation made sense. However, she had other questions. "Something happened while you were gone…"

His shoulders tensed and he took an unconscious step forward. He asked, "Are you okay?"

"Oh. Yes, I am fine. It isn't bad per se. Something happened that was just unexpected. Did you forget to mention any side effects to this whole situation?" she asked.

"What kind of side effects are you talking about, Bon?" he asked in concern.

Bonnie walked into the living room and lifted the end of the couch as if it were as light as a feather. "I pulled Damon into the house as if he were a rag doll. He didn't mention it but I know that the noticed it."

Tyler blinked as he stared at her for a long moment. He said, "That would be a new one for me. Werewolves are strong but you shouldn't have access to that strength because you haven't triggered the werewolf gene. Then again your eyes have flashed a few times when you were agitated or when you got jealous."

Bonnie remembered Tyler mentioning her eyes earlier when they were in the woods together. She said, "Wait. I wasn't jealous."

"You were jealous when you thought I might have mated with another werewolf in the past," he insisted with a smirk.

Bonnie averted her gaze in embarrassment.

Tyler stepped closer and gently lifted her face so that she was looking at him. He kissed her softly. "Hey, I'm not making fun of you, Bon. I was ready to rip out Damon's spine. I still sort of feel like doing that. The bond between us is new. It makes all of our emotions more raw and extreme. It will level out once the mating cycle is over."

Bonnie practically melted into a puddle of goo when Tyler kissed her. She nodded at his explanation. "Okay."

"While you were gone I was thinking that maybe the curse that is suppressing my werewolf gene is fraying."

Tyler wrapped his arms around Bonnie and asked, "What do you mean by fraying?"

She relaxed into the embrace. "Well, we know that I have killed someone. If I am a werewolf then I should have activated the gene a long time ago, but the curse and my magic have been working in tandem like a screen door. They are what have kept me from shifting during the full moon. However, my magic has been suppressed since I was resurrected. The curse is probably weakening and allowing some of the werewolf traits to surface. I don't know how long it will take for the curse to disappear completely. Anyway, it is just a theory. We don't even know if I have been cursed. Maybe I'm just weirdo."

"You're not a weirdo," he replied with a smirk. "Well, you aren't any weirder than anyone else in this town."

She huffed out a laugh. "That's not exactly a high bar."

Tyler looked over her shoulder and noticed several books spread across the floor. He asked, "What's all this?"

She followed his gaze. "Oh, I pulled out some grimoires while you were gone. I even found the one that had that description of werewolves and mating marks that I told you about earlier. The witch created a fertility ritual for an Alpha couple that couldn't conceive. It seems like they gave her the information about werewolves. She would have needed to understand the mating marks and cycle in order to perfect the ritual."

His eyebrows shot up and he smirked. "Really?"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "We don't need the fertility ritual but the information on the mating marks was very useful."

"Well, I have something else that might be useful, too," he said. Tyler locked the front door and then grabbed his duffel bag. He followed Bonnie into the living room and unloaded the books onto the coffee table.

Bonnie got onto her knees and slowly opened the book on the top of the heap. The book didn't look like the type of thing she could leaf through without being extremely careful. The brittle yellowish pages spoke to the book's age. "Wow…"

Tyler sat on the couch and smiled at the look of open curiosity on Bonnie's face. He reached out and carded his finger through her hair without thinking.

She practically purred in response. She closed her eyes for a long moment to enjoy the sensation. Eventually, she forced herself to examine the book in front of her.

"This is an annotated family tree," Bonnie breathed as she finally made sense of the looping script on the pages. "How far does this go back?"

He said, "That's the oldest book and it goes back several centuries. Most of the information in this volume is little more than word of mouth stories passed down through the generations. My great-great-great grandfather, George, was able to verify some of the information. His journals might be helpful, too."

Bonnie asked, "George Lockwood? That name sounds familiar."

He nodded. "He was alive around the time that Stefan and Damon were turned. He is actually the reason Katherine wasn't trapped in the tomb with the other vampires. In one of his journals, he talks about the deal he made with Katherine. He saved her from being locked in the tomb. In exchange, she handed over the moonstone and told him everything she knew about werewolves. She knew much more than he did. George didn't even know he was a werewolf until he fought in the Civil War..."

"He killed someone and then triggered the curse," she finished. "That had to be terrifying."

Tyler huffed out a bitter laugh while thinking about the moment when he triggered the curse. He reached out and smoothed a loose strand of hair behind Bonnie's ear. He said, "Take it from me, it is terrifying when you have no clue what is happening or why. I am happy that you won't have to go through that. Shifting for the first time won't be easy but I will be there to help you through it."

The tender gesture and sincerity of Tyler's words caught Bonnie off guard. Tyler was being sweet and she really wanted to touch him. However, she knew that uncovering the mystery of her background should take precedence. "I am not looking forward to that but I am happy that you will be with me if it happens."

He didn't have any scientific proof but he just had a feeling that Bonnie would shift soon. Well, that wasn't completely accurate. His wolf was certain that Bonnie would shift soon. After last night's debacle, Tyler was inclined to listen now. The beast within him was connected to something hidden deep within Bonnie.

She gasped softly after reading an entry. "Is this true? Did the vampires really try to force werewolves into extinction?"

Tyler grimaced and then nodded. "Courtesy of Klaus and his genocidal siblings."

"But Klaus knew that he was a werewolf. Why would he instigate something like that? How self-loathing can someone be?"

"Probably the same reason he ordered a werewolf hunt in New Orleans. He wanted to appease the vampires under his command. Vampires like to think that they are superior but the simple truth is that a single bite from even the weakest werewolf means the end of them. They are savages that know nothing of compromise. The original vampires are the reason that we are sworn enemies and always will be. They set the ball in motion."

Bonnie shook her head. "That's so sad."

Tyler caressed her cheek. "Werewolves are resilient, Bon. The vampires tried to wipe us off the face of the Earth and we still exist. While I was away from Mystic Falls, I learned that our numbers aren't as small as Klaus would like to believe. There are tens of thousands of werewolves living under the radar all over North, Central, and South America. The older man I told you about, Gabe, was once part of a pack in Montreal. The vampires lost track of us for centuries. Some of them even stopped believing that we existed. Werewolves became myths and legends. All the while we've just been living, surviving, and reproducing. Werewolves like you and me...we're the future, Bon. One day we will have the numbers where won't have to hide anymore."

The thoughts of studying the books some more seemingly evaporated. She wanted Tyler and it wasn't the mark goading her into it. She was attracted to the man he had become while everyone was too busy to notice. Bonnie stood up and then sat beside him on the couch. She interlaced their fingers and asked, "Do you want to go upstairs?"

Tyler pressed a kiss to the back of Bonnie's hand and pulled her closer. "I think a better question is do you want to go upstairs?"

"I mean that's why you are staying the week here with me," she said. Bonnie bit into her bottom lip nervously.

"Yeah, but we don't have to rush. We probably still have a couple of hours before the heat starts. We can do whatever you want until then."

Bonnie tugged at the cuff of her shirt as she tried to figure out how to say this without dying of embarrassment. "Last night, we were together because of the mark and the bond. In a few hours, we will be together because of the heat. I was hoping that right now, we could be together simply because it is what we both want. I know the bond and pheromones will still play a factor but…"

Tyler stared into Bonnie's eyes for a long moment. Her sparkling green irises had always reminded him of a cat's eyes. Recently, he had found himself staring into her eyes more often. He noticed how they changed with her mood. If she was angry, they became darker like a mossy green. When she was happy, her eyes resembled bright uncut emeralds. Last night, he learned that her eyes turned almost Kelly Green when Bonnie became aroused. Tyler cupped Bonnie's cheek and gently brushed his lips against hers.

The kiss started chaste and perhaps a little timid. However, it became heated and more passionate by the minute. Bonnie was sitting right beside Tyler but she longed to be closer to him. She broke their kiss long enough to straddle his lap. "Is this okay?" she asked.

Tyler had an innuendo tinged reply on the tip of his tongue, but it died on his lips as Bonnie rolled her hips against him. He groaned, "Yes…"

Emboldened by Tyler's reaction, Bonnie repeated the motion a few times. It didn't take long to feel his manhood began to stir with interest.

He grabbed onto Bonnie's hips to stop her movements. "Easy," he murmured against her lips.

She whispered, "Sorry…"

He slipped his hand beneath Bonnie's shirt and raked his blunt nails down her back. He was careful not to disturb the gauze covering the bite mark. Tyler didn't want to cloud Bonnie's judgment more than it already was. "Don't apologize. I was only going to say that we should go upstairs like you suggested. A bed would be nice…more room."

Bonnie swallowed thickly and nodded. "Okay, Ty."

Tyler stood up with Bonnie in his arms.

Instead of complaining about being picked up again, she wrapped her legs around his waist and gently sunk her teeth into the side of his neck. Tyler wasn't alone in his need to mark his mate.

Tyler hissed in surprise when Bonnie's teeth nicked his skin. He lightly slapped her on the butt as he carried her upstairs. In warning voice, he said, "Hey."

Bonnie poked out her bottom lip. "You bit me and covered my body in hickeys. I should be able to mark you, too."

He chuckled when they reached the top of the stairs. "I'm a hybrid, Bon. I'll heal in a few minutes tops. Where is your bedroom?"

"It's the door on the right," she replied petulantly.

Tyler walked into Bonnie's bedroom and placed her on the bed. He took off his shirt. "Are you pouting?"

"No," she muttered. "Maybe."

He chuckled and kicked off his shoes. Then he shucked off his pants before climbing into bed with her. He laid on his back and said, "C'mere…"

Bonnie barely heard him because her focus was on his erection. "Hmm?" she asked.

Tyler chuckled and pulled Bonnie on top of him. "Just because the hickeys won't last doesn't mean you can't have fun making them, Bon."

Her green eyes brightened and she breathed out a soft, "Oh…"

"I'm not just a pretty face," he joked.