As Tyler expected, Bonnie crashed not long after they finished eating. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to join her. Their conversation about Elena weighed heavily on his mind. His wolf was restless. He could practically feel the beast pacing around inside him angling for release. All of his instincts demanded that he go rip Elena apart before harm came to his mate. The good news was that the rational part of Tyler's brain was running the show for now. He wouldn't leave Bonnie when her heat could return at any time. However, if he was right the mating cycle could be over in the next day or two. Earlier he had spoken to Ruby about his concerns. She confirmed what he already knew. The mating cycle only ends early if the woman has become pregnant.

The possibility of Bonnie being with child made him even more anxious about the Augustine group and Elena. Tyler realized that he should have paid more attention to the brunette vampire months ago. They had all grown up together. Once upon a time, he even considered her a close friend. However, when Tyler returned to Mystic Falls he had a pack that required the bulk of his attention. He was also ashamed to admit that a juvenile part of him blamed Elena for the tragedies that had befallen their town. He had believed that the wise thing to do was to avoid being drawn into the vortex that was Elena Gilbert. Tyler figured there would be a line of people to help sort out her teenage angst.

As he sat in the darkened living room, Tyler considered the possibility that Elena's behavior wasn't merely teenage angst. Bonnie seemed to believe that their friend's humanity switch was still firmly in the on position. Nevertheless, something was very wrong with Elena and they had all simply ignored or excused the behavior for one reason or another. It occurred to Tyler that perhaps isolation had been the point of all the shitty things Elena had done over the last few months. Breaking up with Damon was the act that attracted the most attention. Yet her actions had been building to a tipping point for much longer.

First, Elena had peppered Caroline for details about her tryst with Klaus at Tyler's party. He probably would have never learned the truth without her interference. When Tyler stood on the stairs eavesdropping on their conversation, he could have sworn that Elena looked right at him. She should have been horrified since that monster had murdered Jenna but she seemed delighted by the turn of events. Tyler had been too angry to examine her behavior with a critical eye. Elena's uncharacteristic excitement was long forgotten by the time he and Caroline argued about her betrayal. At the end of the night, he was only interested in kicking Stefan's ass for sticking his nose where it didn't belong. He didn't think of the doppelganger's role again.

Second, Elena also played a part in Bonnie and Jeremy's break up. Everyone could see that their relationship was on the rocks even if neither party was willing to admit it. Tyler had a front row seat to the slow erosion of their relationship. He was the first person to realize Jeremy was cheating on Bonnie. It was difficult having secrets when living with a hybrid. It had only taken one whiff of Jeremy's study partner for Tyler to realize they were fooling around. He told the kid to break up with Bonnie only to have Jeremy tell him to mind his own business. It was a week later that Bonnie learned the truth in the worst possible way. Jeremy had begged Elena to compel a couple invites for him and a friend to the annual Gods and Goddesses party hosted by Whitmore's Panhellenic Council. She happily obliged but failed to mention that Caroline had invited Bonnie as well. Inevitably, the green-eyed girl stumbled across Jeremy making out with Brooke. Elena had been conspicuously absent while her younger brother and best friend's relationship imploded in public.

Third, Elena somehow convinced Matt to be her rebound person—as if she had not burned him in the past. Tyler was glad that Stefan and Bonnie had locked Damon in the boarding house's cellar during that time. He had no doubt that the bloodthirsty vampire would have killed his best friend on the spot. Things were hot and heavy between Elena and Matt for all of two weeks. Tyler had seriously regretted letting his friend live with him during that time. However, Elena abruptly dumped Matt. She said all the right things about having needed comfort from someone that truly loved her but it all sounded a bit hollow to his ears.

Tyler knew that the mental case he was building was lean on facts. However, he refused to believe that all those events happened in a vacuum. He didn't believe in coincidences—not in Mystic Falls. Elena had effectively alienated everyone that would care enough to recognize the changes in her. Damon hated her. Bonnie sided with Damon out of loyalty. Moreover, she probably would have limited contact with Elena because of the situation with Jeremy. The brunette vampire had firmly sided with her promiscuous younger brother. Matt steered clear of Elena after she used him to get over her break up with Damon. Caroline and Stefan were too busy sneaking around to be observant. Tyler just didn't give a damn. Jeremy was probably the only one that spent a significant amount of time with her now—for whatever that was worth. She and Caroline still shared a dorm room but they were more ships passing in the night than best friends. The distinct lack of people trying to kill them revealed the fractures in their relationships. Without the need to band together, some of them were merely acquaintances rather than best friends.

The hybrid's eyes moved to his phone when it vibrated. He had a text message from Matt.

Matt: Elena & Caroline r here early to eat

Tyler: Thanx. Let me know when they leave

Matt: K

Tyler selected Jonas' name from his phone book and waited patiently as the line rang.

"Hey," Jonas answered.

"Hey, man. The girls are out of their dorm room for at least an hour. Do a sweep of the entire room."

"If there is anything to find, we will find it, Alpha," he replied.

Tyler said, "Thank you. I will give you a heads up when they leave the meeting. Be careful…"

Jonas said, "There aren't many things that can take down three werewolves armed with vervain and wood cored bullets. I will call you if we find anything."

Tyler ended the call but he still felt on edge. He had gone out of his way to keep his pack away from the drama in Mystic Falls. Yet here he was breaking the promise he had made to himself after accepting the role of alpha. Deciding to break the promise he made to himself hadn't even been a difficult decision. Tyler could rationalize that the Augustine group might pose a threat to werewolves. No one really knew the true scope of their cruel experiments. However, the truth was he was doing this for Bonnie. He was worried that this new threat would draw her into old patterns again. Tyler had explained as much to Ruby but she reminded him that Bonnie was an unofficial member of the pack now.

He scrubbed a hand over the stubble covering his jaw and decided to put his nervous energy to good use. He turned on a lamp sitting beside the couch and reached for a journal that allegedly belonged to one of his ancestors. The leather bound book had seen better days. He was positive that the red staining on the tan leather was blood. It made him wonder about the path the journal had taken to eventually land in his family's possession once more. He noted a bookmark obviously left behind by Bonnie. She had done more research than he had. Bonnie had more experience studying centuries old books. The antiquated vernacular often irritated him. This particular journal had the added complication of using both English and French at certain points.

However, he was most intrigued by the scribbled notes Bonnie had left on a notepad. Apparently, one of his ancestors had married a witch from a powerful coven. That man's younger brother, Marc-Rene Lescheres, was the journal's author. Tyler had started reading the journal but had found it boring. It was just about his family's rise from wealthy merchants to a powerful force in 18th Century New Orleans. He hadn't wanted Bonnie to read that journal for fear that his family made the habit of buying and selling human beings. Fortunately, it appeared that they were involved in the coffee and sugar cane trade which had its own issues. He remembered the awkward conversation about slavery when they were in 10th grade American History together. The teacher had wisely sped through those chapters like a man on fire. In old Southern towns like Mystic Falls, many descendants from the founding families still resided there. The descendants of slaves were no different. Many of Mystic Falls' Black residents could trace their ancestors back to the Lockwood, Forbes, and Fell families. However, Bonnie's family wasn't included in that number. The Bennett family had a long and haphazard relationship with Mystic Falls. Bonnie told Tyler of how her family had fled to Virginia to avoid the Salem Witch Trials. Yet they were no longer in Mystic Falls by the time Emily and Katherine arrived in 1864.

Tyler stretched out on the couch with his phone and the journal. He would need the language translation app on his phone at some point. The hybrid read in silence for thirty minutes before his eyes ran across a life-changing sentence. Tyler sat up and reread the passage to ensure that he understood it properly.

'Today I bade good bye to my family. Quentin has placed our family's continued success in my hands. I must travel to the islands to negotiate a new contract with Monsieur Dubois. I am saddened that I will certainly miss the birth of Quentin's first child, but I expect he and Sofia to bestow many strong nephews and genteel nieces upon me.'

He muttered, "The child of a werewolf and a witch."

Tyler carefully flipped the pages trying to find out what happened after Marc-Rene returned from his trip. However, the journal ended while he was still in Barbados. Tyler groaned in frustration. This journal was their first major break and it was woefully incomplete. Tyler wondered if there might be another journal hidden within the Lockwood family's impressive library. He tried not to get his hopes up because it was just as likely that this book had been a one off. There was absolutely no telling where his family had acquired the journal. Once the mating cycle ended, Tyler would have to scour the shelves of the library.

Tyler was happy that he had a path to follow now. He had a family name and city to investigate even if he failed to find another journal written by Marc-Rene Lescheres. The witches of the French Quarter would certainly know the legends of a hybrid witch/werewolf. The child had been born of two powerful bloodlines: Navarro and Dalliencourt. The only problem was that Klaus and the original vampires were occupying that city. Tyler couldn't exactly travel to New Orleans and start asking questions without drawing the wrong attention. The most obvious choice would be to get Gabe to do the legwork. However, New Orleans wasn't necessarily safe for werewolves even with Klaus as the self-declared 'King'. Tyler would not put a member of his pack in Klaus' crosshairs.

The hybrid drummed his fingers against the coffee table's edge. Then he opened his laptop and pulled up a popular genealogy website. Tyler and Bonnie had learned that it was easier to find digital birth, death, and marriage records for people born before the 1900's because privacy was no longer an issue. They had used to the website to view census records from the 1920's. It was the first recorded instance of the Bennett Family returning to Mystic Falls. He scoured the website until he found a birth records' database for Louisiana. Tyler figured it was a long shot since officials did not meticulously record births in the 18th century. However, it was a good way to pass the time.

Tyler fell down a rabbit hole of entering different variations of Quentin and Sofia's names. However, his phone vibrating repeatedly broke his concentration. Tyler glanced at the screen and noticed that he had six…no seven new text messages from Jonas. He opened the text conversation with his cousin and viewed the pictures. Tyler nearly dropped his phone when he spotted an eerily familiar knife.

He called Jonas and waited impatiently for him to answer. Tyler seriously hoped they were still on campus. The knife probably looked innocuous to Jonas, Fiona, and Maddox but it was a bad omen. Maybe Bonnie wasn't far off about crows being harbingers of bad luck. Tyler hated that he involved his pack in this at all. He should have just handled it himself next week once things were back to normal.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?" Tyler asked.

"We're about to set off the smoke bombs in the building. Is everything okay?" Jonas asked in concern.

The original plan had been to use smoke bombs at strategic points within the dormitory. The stench of the smoke would infiltrate every crack and crevice in the building. It would be the perfect way to keep Caroline and Elena from realizing werewolves had entered their dorm room.

"The box in picture…" Tyler paused and counted the pictures. "…number three. I need you to bring that to me. You also need to get the hell out of there and make sure to cover your tracks. I don't want this leading back to the pack."

Jonas said, "Covering our tracks won't be a problem. You know this isn't Mads first B&E. He made sure that we got into the building unseen. We'll get out the same way. I'll be there with the box as soon as I can."

"Thanks," Tyler said.

There was a beat. "Are you and your mate in danger?"

He said, "Honestly, I don't know yet…"

"Do you need us to do anything else? You are not alone anymore," he said cautiously.

Tyler knew that his cousin was trying to show him the appropriate respect as alpha. However, their relationship had different layers because they were also related by blood. He said, "I am going to talk to Ruby and get back to you on that."

Jonas said, "I'll be there soon, Alpha."

The younger man ended the call and ran a hand over his face. Tyler knew that he had to wake up Bonnie. He felt bad because he knew that she needed the rest. However, they were looking down the barrel of a massive problem.

Tyler sent Matt and Stefan a text message.

Tyler: Don't let Elena leave!

He quickly climbed the stairs and turned on the light only to find Bonnie sitting up in bed with a drowsy expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a yawn.

Tyler lifted an eyebrow. "How did you know something was wrong?"

"You woke me up with all your very loud emotions. It felt like you were broadcasting them over a freaking bullhorn," she muttered petulantly.

The hybrid blinked because he didn't know how to address that. He wasn't even sure he understood what Bonnie meant. However, he decided to press forward. He sat on the bed and handed Bonnie his phone. He asked, "Do you recognize that knife?"

Bonnie squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light. Her entire body tensed when she began to understand the reason for Tyler's distress. In the beginning, Bonnie doubted that the search of the dorm room would turn up anything useful. "They found this in Elena and Caroline's dorm room?" she asked for clarification.

"Under Elena's bed from the looks of it," he replied.

Bonnie wracked her brain to think of any reasonable way to explain Elena having that knife in her possession. However, the only explanation that made any sense was that a Traveler had taken control of their friend's body. The rush of guilt she felt was overwhelming. How had they all missed something this important? She tried to figure out when Elena had gained a passenger but everything was a blur. "We've got to warn everyone."

He shook his head. "We don't know who is inside of Elena right now. Warning them without having a way to take her down is dangerous."

"You have a plan?" she asked.

Tyler nodded. "I told Matt and Stefan to keep her at the Grille. I am going to go over there. Passenger or not, Elena is still a vampire. I need vervain and lots of it."

Bonnie bit her lip. "I can handle the vervain."

He looked at her quizzically.

She climbed out of the bed and asked, "What did you think I was growing in my greenhouse?"

Bonnie had a greenhouse the size of a small shed in her backyard.

"I don't know rosemary or something," he suggested.

She started pulling clothes out of the dresser. She said, "I grow a bunch of herbs, too. Some of the herbs are edible and the others are for potions. Anyway, I started growing vervain because I don't have access to my magic and we live in a town that attracts vampires."

Tyler asked, "What are you doing?"

"I am coming with you," she announced.

"No, you aren't," he replied.

Bonnie smiled cheerfully at Tyler as she buttoned her jeans. "I'd like to see you try and stop me."

He took a deep breath and walked over to Bonnie. He took her face in his hands. "It is better if you stay here, Bon. I don't know how well this plan will work. I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire. I will rip out Elena's heart if I even think the thing inside of her is a threat to you."

"Then we had better come up with a better plan than just throwing vervain in Elena's face and hoping it works. She is my friend and I have let her down in a big way. We have all let her down. Some weirdo has been masquerading as her for God knows how long. Has it been weeks or months since she has been herself? Elena was so cruel and hurtful the night she broke up with Damon. Has she had a passenger inside her since then?"

Tyler leaned his forehead down against hers. "You are one of the strongest people I know, Bon. I am not asking you to stay here simply because you don't have your magic or because I think you are somehow incapable of protecting yourself."

She asked, "What is this about then?"

"I think you might be pregnant," he replied.

Bonnie's eyes widened. "You had better not be lying to trick me into staying here."

"I wouldn't do that to you. I think the mating cycle is ending early. I talked to Ruby about it and she said normally it means the woman has conceived."

She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Bonnie knew it was a possibility. They hadn't exactly been very careful Friday night or Saturday evening when her pheromones had been at their peak. Hearing the words from Tyler was like a dose of reality.

Tyler pressed a kiss to her temple. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know. Is that bad?" she asked.

He chuckled wryly. "No, I think that is a very appropriate answer."

Bonnie blew out a breath. "We are going to discuss this like mature adults later. First, we have to figure out how to handle Elena. Stabbing her with the knife would kill the Traveler inside her. The only problem with that is we have no idea who has been controlling her or for how long. We need answers before we can kill this person. I think that I have an idea. We should invite everyone over here instead of going to the Grille. We can control the playing field here."

Tyler groaned but decided against arguing with Bonnie. Her mind was made up. He said, "I am going to have a couple members of my pack nearby for back up, too."

She leaned up and pecked his lips. "You should send a group text from my phone while I go make a potion."

"A group text? What should it say?"

"I don't know. Make something up," said Bonnie as she walked out of the room.

Tyler mocked, "Make something up."

"I heard that!" she called from the hallway.

"I know!" he replied.