Bonnie and Tyler decided to spend some time outside after they had devoured a truly impressive number of BLT sandwiches. They spread a thick blanket on the ground and cuddled underneath the starry sky. Bonnie felt at peace whenever she was outside. Since Qetsiyah resurrected the girl, she became restless when cooped up in the house for too long. Bonnie hadn't fully understood that impulse until today. Now she realized that her dual witch and werewolf ancestry had amplified her need to commune with nature. Learning that she was a werewolf explained so many of the strange occurrences in the last six months.

She had never felt more satisfied or content as she did at this moment. Tyler's head was resting on her stomach as she gently dragged her nails over his scalp. She had been listening with rapt attention as Tyler explained how he became alpha to a pack of forty-six werewolves.

His tale began when he lived with a pack based in the Appalachian Mountains. He had returned to the mountains when he was running from Klaus. Being around other wolves helped him deal with his grief, too. The elders of the pack encouraged him to shift and then run until his limbs grew weak with exhaustion. They believed the wolf was better equipped to cope with loss. He followed their advice every day for nearly a month. He spent countless hours in his wolf form. Tyler wasn't sure if that method worked for everyone but it helped him. He still felt the pain from losing his family and his first pack. However, he was no longer consumed by that almost uncontrollable rage.

While he was there, Tyler met an older werewolf that claimed to be passing through the area. In truth, Gabe was a tracker that had been hired by a person interested in finding him. However, he became personally invested after learning that Tyler was the first successfully sired hybrid.

Gabe stuck around for weeks befriending Tyler before he confessed the real reason for his presence. Tyler had a distant relative that hired Gabe to track the boy down. In the beginning, he rejected the idea of meeting with this relative. He had already lost too many family members to the supernatural world. He thought it was stupid and reckless to bring someone else into his chaotic life. Tyler had been waiting for Klaus to find and ultimately kill him. However, Gabe wasn't the type of wolf that was easily discouraged. He lightly badgered Tyler until he agreed to a phone conversation.

Ruby turned out to be that relative. Upon talking to her, he learned that their relation wasn't quite as distant as Gabe had led him to believe. Ruby was Carol Lockwood's first cousin. Well, they were half-first cousins if that was such a thing. The two women shared the same grandfather but had different grandmothers. Their grandfather, Sidney, had been a powerful wolf descended from one of the seven original bloodlines. He also happened to believe it was his responsibility to help increase the population of werewolves. He fathered eight children with two different women—that they knew about. Sidney had the reputation of being a lothario. He probably would have fathered more children if he hadn't been killed in an altercation with a group of vampires.

Tyler learned that Ruby's father, Reed, had been Sidney's eldest son. He triggered the werewolf gene when he was 21-years-old. Fortunately, he was prepared for that moment because his mother had been a werewolf, too. Sidney's two youngest children were not as lucky. Their mother had been human and unaware of the existence of werewolves. She remarried after Sidney's death and allowed her new husband to adopt the children. Reed had spent years searching for his half-siblings but couldn't find them. Their names had been changed after the adoption.

Reed had his first success a few years ago. He had tracked down his niece via a message board for adoptees. Carol had learned about her father's adoption and wanted to learn more about his biological family. She had posted a message on the board using her father's birth name. However, Reed was murdered before he could contact Carol.

Reed had started his own pack once his siblings began getting married and having children. He created an environment where the children grew up knowing that they might one day become werewolves. He taught them to be proud of their heritage. He also taught them how to live without attracting unwanted attention from humans and vampires. Over the years, he allowed non-relatives to join the pack, too. Their numbers quickly swelled to well over 100 at one point. However, a smaller but more violent pack decided to move in on their territory.

The alpha of the other pack challenged Reed to a fight despite his advanced age. The younger wolf killed Reed and took over the pack. This caused dozens of wolves to go into hiding. The pack splintered further when rumors of the original family's return began to spread like wildfire. However, Ruby and her relatives refused to leave the pack her father started.

"When I first talked to Ruby, she didn't tell me about the asshole that took over her pack. She had been going through some of her father's old papers when she found the background check he had run my grandfather and mother. Ruby came to Mystic Falls to find my mom only to learn that she had been killed. That's when she hired Gabe to find me. She wanted to make sure that I was okay. Ruby also wanted to make sure that I knew about the werewolf gene. She was worried that grief would compound my natural tendency toward aggression...and that I would hurt someone. We started talking frequently after that first call. We would call each other every couple of days just to catch up. I met her in person for the first time after Klaus told Caroline that I could come back to Mystic Falls."

Bonnie continued running her nails over Tyler's scalp because she could feel the tension in his body. She asked, "Is that when you found out about the alpha?"

He closed his eyes and focused on Bonnie's touch for a moment. Finally, he said, "Yeah. I showed up at Ruby's place unannounced. I was excited to meet her in person. Gonzo was at the bar demanding money. Everyone in the pack had to pay him like a protection fee. He acted more like a petty gangster than an alpha. I stayed quiet and waited until he left before I introduced myself to Ruby. She was thrilled to meet me. I felt this instant connection with her. I know that might sound crazy but it was real. It was like I had known Ruby my whole life even though I was just meeting her."

"I felt the same way when I met Lucy for the first time. My magic recognized her as family immediately even though I had never met her. I knew that I could trust her," she said.

"It was exactly like that. Ruby let me crash at her place for as long as I wanted. After a couple of days, I convinced her to tell me what the hell was going on with her pack. Ruby told me about how Gonzo had killed her father and became alpha. She told me how he bullied everyone and had them afraid of their own shadows. Gonzo even killed the stronger male wolves so that no one could challenge him. Many of those wolves were my cousins. Ruby begged me to keep a low profile because she didn't want me getting hurt."

Bonnie's heart ached for Tyler. She hated that he had experienced so much loss-they all had. She asked, "Didn't she know that you were a hybrid?"

He nodded. "After Gabe found me, he told her about Klaus turning me into a hybrid. But she didn't really understand what that meant. I kept a low profile for about a week before Gonzo realized there was another wolf in his territory. He approached me at Ruby's bar. I was waiting for him to make a move. I wanted him to attack me. When he saw that I wasn't afraid of him…he had four of his goons jump me. I ripped off all their heads—including his."

"Good he deserved it," Bonnie said. The sudden feeling of pride shocked her.

Tyler squeezed Bonnie's hip in response. He said, "At the time, I didn't realize that killing him made me the new alpha. I just wanted to get rid of the asshole that was mistreating my family…the only family I had left. When Ruby first explained it to me, I didn't want it. I didn't think that I was ready for it. I had already gotten one pack killed because I helped them break Klaus' sire bond. And even though Klaus decided to pardon me I didn't know if he would suddenly change his mind."

"I understand that fear. He's not exactly the sanest person in the world," she muttered darkly. "I keep waiting for him to drop out of the sky to terrorize us again."

He didn't like the ripple of fear that he felt coming from Bonnie. It made Tyler wanted to rip out Klaus' heart. He moved up so that he could look into her eyes for a moment. Then he gently grasped her face and kissed her. Tyler said, "Klaus has his own problems in New Orleans. He is not thinking about us now. I promise."

Bonnie was embarrassed that Tyler felt as if he needed to comfort or reassure her. However, the truth was she felt naked and vulnerable without her magic. She forced a smile. "Well, that's good to know. That's enough about Klaus for one night. How did Ruby convince you to accept the responsibility of alpha?"

He lied down beside Bonnie and pulled her into his arms. He said, "Ruby was the oldest member of our family that still belonged to the pack. I thought she should become alpha. It isn't uncommon for a woman to lead. But she told me that the pack wouldn't survive without a strong alpha. They needed someone they felt could protect them from another hostile takeover. She was worried that they wouldn't have that sort of faith in her because she didn't challenge Gonzo. It was an unfair expectation for them to have of her. Ruby would have been no match for him but, I talked to some people and I realized that she was right. The pack would have withered and died if I didn't step up. That's when I decided to accept my role as alpha. My first act was to make Ruby one of my two betas. She knows the family history and everyone in the pack. I figured that she could help me and I was right. She's been invaluable. I also asked Gabe to join our pack. He is a tracker and a bounty hunter. We needed someone like him on our side. He has connections with alphas in other packs, witches, some humans that know our secret, and even a few pragmatic vampires."

"Vampires?" she asked.

He nodded. "Gabe has a way with people. He gets under your skin. You might love or hate him but I haven't met anyone that didn't respect him. Even Ruby loves him and they used to be married."

Bonnie giggled. "You're joking! Way to bury the lede."

Tyler chuckled and shook his head. "Nope. Ruby and Gabe were married for about five years before he did a runner. He's not really a stay in one place kinda guy. They got divorced but they're still a thing. I learned that the hard way."

Bonnie's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to work out what he meant. However, she began cackling the moment she did. "Are you serious?"

"Yup. I showed up at Ruby's house unannounced once. I let myself in because she had given a spare key to me. I will not forget the things I heard and smelled. Now I call before I show up."

The green-eyed girl couldn't stop laughing. "Oh my God. That is hilarious and also horrible."

Tyler kissed her neck. "I am glad that you find my absolute mortification and emotional scarring to be so amusing."

"At least you didn't see anything. I totally walked in on Damon and Mrs. Sheffield a couple weeks ago. Now that was the stuff of nightmares."

He stared at Bonnie in shock. "Are you talking about our music teacher from elementary school?"

She nodded and snorted in amusement. "I showed up early for one of our training sessions and they were going at it in the living room."

"What did you do?" Tyler asked as he chuckled.

"I did the only thing I could do. I turned right around, got in my car, and sped away from the boarding house as if I would turn into a pillar of salt if I looked back. Damon showed up at my house an hour later ready to train but I couldn't even look at him. 'You're A Good Man Charlie Brown' was playing on a loop in my head."

He chuckled. "In the living room?"

She nodded. "It was during the week and Stefan was…off doing something."

Tyler raised an eyebrow at that lame finish. "I know about Stefan and Caroline, Bon. I have known for months. Caroline always douses herself in perfume thinking that I won't be able to smell Stefan on her. She doesn't realize that my senses are sharper than hers are because I am hybrid. The perfume irritates my nose but I can still smell what she is trying to hide. I don't care that she is with him. I actually think it is amusing watching the two of them trying to hide something that everyone obviously knows is happening."

Bonnie sat up to look at him. "You really mean that? I mean you were so upset about Klaus."

Tyler sat up, too. "I was upset because Caroline slept with the asshole that murdered my mother and friends and turned me into a hybrid. It was never about jealousy. The truth is that my relationship with Caroline was over the moment Klaus turned me. I was different from that point forward but we kept trying to pretend as if things could go back to the way they were."

"I can't believe that you have known this whole time," Bonnie said after a few minutes.

"Do you think I am being mean spirited?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I don't think you are mean spirited at all. She hurt you and it doesn't matter if she feels guilty about it. Her guilt doesn't change the pain and betrayal you feel. Caroline broke your trust. Eventually she needs to stop allowing Stefan to rush to her defense and start repairing your friendship. Until she does the mature thing, I don't think there is anything wrong with making her squirm a bit."

Tyler smiled because Bonnie understood what he wanted without an explanation. "What about you? How do you feel about Jeremy and his girlfriend?"

Everyone in their group knew that Jeremy wasn't over Bonnie. However, Tyler had a special insight on the situation because the kid lived in his house. Bonnie was always the topic of conversation whenever Jeremy was drunk-which was often. The high school student was positive that a reconciliation was imminent. Jeremy was just waiting for Bonnie to go back to 'normal'. He blamed their break up on her being different. When his infidelity was mentioned, Jeremy blamed it on Bonnie refusing to have sex with him. Tyler wasn't proud of how happy that piece of information had made him. The thought of Bonnie having sex with anyone had set his teeth on edge.

Matt was playing the role of older brother in the situation. He tried to help the kid see that Bonnie wasn't going to magically revert to her old self. Either Jeremy had to adjust to her new personality or give up on the relationship. However, youth and arrogance made him reject both options. Jeremy planned to sleep with every girl that was interested in him while he waited for Bonnie to come to her senses.

Bonnie chuckled and said, "I was relieved when I found out that Jeremy was cheating on me again. I know how that sounds but…it gave me a way out of our relationship. I didn't want to hurt him and I felt like I owed him for standing by me while I was dead. But I felt different when I came back from the Other Side. Being dead and watching everyone move on with their lives gave me clarity. I realized how unimportant I truly was to everyone. Jeremy was able to lie about my whereabouts for months. It would have gone on for longer if Damon hadn't needed my help."

Tyler winced and pulled Bonnie onto his lap. "I'm sorry…"

She shook her head. "You don't have a reason to apologize, Tyler. We weren't close friends and you had your own struggles. Besides, I am not bitter about it. I view what happened as a wakeup call. How can I expect anyone else to value my life when I am always throwing myself at the newest threat? I am never going to run from a fight but I also won't willingly sacrifice my life for the supposed greater good."

"That's good to hear," he murmured into her hair. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. I reacted badly when I found out how much being the anchor hurt you."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Tyler chuckled. "I might have put my fist through a wall at my house."

"Why?" Bonnie asked in surprise.

He said, "Let's just say me and the wolf were very unhappy that you were in pain. There was no one around that I could take out my aggression on without killing them. A few friends in the pack offered to spar with me but...I was worried that I would go too far."

She was surprised by the intensity of his emotions. Bonnie could literally feel them in that moment and it was strange but comforting. It was the first time that she had really sensed anything through the bond. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I was prepared to live the rest of my life that way. But I am glad that you and Damon made it so that wasn't necessary."

Tyler trailed his fingers down Bonnie's spine and just inhaled her scent. He would never get tired of their mingled scent. It was a constant reminder that against all odds he had found his other half.

Bonnie stifled a yawn against his shoulder.

"We should go inside."

"I don't want to go inside yet. It's so beautiful out tonight," she complained.

Tyler held back a chuckle when Bonnie's stubbornness made an appearance. However, he understood her desire to be outside. Normally, Tyler shifted and went for a run when he felt that way. He knew that Bonnie didn't have that option right now. Tyler kissed the top of her head and slowly lowered them into a lying position."Okay. We'll just lay here together for awhile."

Bonnie wiggled on top of Tyler trying to get comfortable.

The hybrid lightly popped her on the butt. "If you keep doing that, I am going to start getting other ideas."

She laughed against his chest and stopped moving. "That actually sounds fun but I learned my lesson from earlier. No sex until the heat starts."

Tyler chuckled quietly and wrapped his arms around Bonnie.