Shadow Self
Author: dela26
Rating: Mature, warning for dark themes.
Summary: Oh, the things I would do for you. Strain you, twist you, stab you 'til you bleed. Caroline/Tyler.
Author's Note: Originally I thought that I was only doing a one-shot, but then found myself very interested in seeing more of the complicated dynamic between this Tyler and Caroline and I just love the idea of their dark future. This is my first time writing TVD fan fiction and I've really appreciated all of the wonderful reviews and comments! Special thanks to flwrpwr_vampyre for beta-ing a first draft of this chapter, all mistakes in this final version are mine and mine alone. Reviews = love, and help fuse my muse! ;)
Chapter Two
It was gloomy and cold outside.
Tyler Lockwood stared out the window, watching the world pass by.
The leaves were changing color and New England was transformed into a brilliant yellow, orange, and red.
The metro was moving fast, buildings and fall foliage turned into a dynamic swirl of colors. The subway car was packed full of bodies. Tyler was practically shoved against the window, his large arms crossed over his chest to allow himself some breathing room against the glass. People were forced into the small, confined space, but refused to interact with one another except for the occasional brush of hands against the cool metal handrails. A few women eyed him with interest, but most people were preoccupied with their cell phones and newspapers. Their bodies moved in unison to each jolt and snap of the shaking vehicle. He was riding the red line, traveling through the old neighborhoods of Cambridge and into the city of Boston.
There were students standing close, wearing tattered sweatshirts proudly displaying their membership to Ivy League schools. Tyler had planned on attending a prestigious college, not because of merit or academics, but rather to follow his namesake and tradition. Being a trust fund baby made admission directors drool. A number of large packets and acceptance letters were piled in his room, unopened and gathering dust.
He had anticipated enjoying a big city like Boston, but his recent experiences actually made him surprisingly homesick. Maybe it was because he grew up in a small town for his entire life, or maybe it was the beast in him needing endless acres of nature around him. But all Tyler knew was that the city was too much of everything. Too crowded, too loud, too filthy, and especially too smelly.
Tyler pressed his forehead against the cool glass, closed his eyes and sighed to himself. He longed for a simpler life. In that moment, he wished he was in the middle of the woods on his family's large estate, with nothing by the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind. Still, Tyler knew deep down that no matter where he was, the tiny town of Mystic Falls or a metropolitan city, that simple was not an option. Being a werewolf…it, well, complicated things. On top of the lycanthropy, as if that wasn't enough, he was unwillingly thrown into a supernatural world filled with strange creatures, ancient rivalries, secrets, and complicated relationships.
And his relationship with Caroline Forbes was really fucking complicated.
It was always a bit unconventional, even when they were little. They had been forced into each others' lives, born to the privilege of being members of the founding families-their superiority complexes ingrained in them since the womb. As they grew older, they both were key members of the popular crowd in high school, forced to interact because of their social status. He took the role of the star athlete and bully with anger issues and she played the part of the cheerleader and committee guru with insecurity issues.
They were both set on a path for success (and misery).
Then, Katherine, that bitch of a vampire, changed everything. She made them into monsters, sacrificial pawns.
So they, the wolf pup and baby vamp, bonded in their shared confusion, transformation, and pain. For the first time in his life, Tyler had had a real friend. Them being close…well, apparently it was unnatural. They were supposed to be supernatural archenemies, making their relationship doomed from the start.
It has been over six months since his first run in with her in New York City.
She had kept off the radar, until now.
Tyler heard rumors of a young female vampire gaining notoriety in Boston, a dark storm of destruction following in her path. He was sure it was Caroline.
The young alpha had spent the first few days in the city paying tribute to the local werewolf pack in order to gain permission to be in their territory. They'd warned him of the new vampire in the area and they suspected that she had viciously killed a number of their alpha male wolves for sport during the last full moon. The elders had been happy to supply Tyler with information on her latest whereabouts, they wanted her gone as soon as possible with whatever means necessary.
The T traveled across the Charles River, the water was filled with kayaks and sail boats. The sun was setting now and the sky looked like it was on fire. Tyler appreciated the city's towering, crowded buildings taking on the brilliance of the setting sun. Then the train traveled underground, engulfing them in artificial light and Tyler immediately felt suffocated within the concrete tunnel.
The train halted to a stop in the subway station and the bodies mindlessly pushed forward, everyone seemingly in a rush to get on with their meaningless lives. Tyler followed the crowd out of the train, looking forward to getting more space, but found even more of a traffic jam in the underground station.
The commuters all wore black or gray and their moods matched their gloomy attire. Tyler glanced down and sighed to himself, realizing that he too was wearing dark clothing. He sported a simple gray V-neck cotton shirt, dark blue jeans, and an old black leather jacket. A tattered red and black Timberwolves baseball cap completed the outfit. He easily blended into the crowd, sharing their dark affect and style.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tyler caught a glimpse of a blur of white weaving in and out of the sea of darkness.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood in alarm.
Tyler scanned the subway station, but only the faceless crowd met his gaze. He studied them more closely now, noticing all of the details with his observant eyes. The beast immediately honed in on the intoxicated group of teenagers laughing by the stairs, an elderly couple sitting on a wooden bench, and the single tourist studying the large subway map on the wall.
Easy prey.
Tyler slammed his eyes shut, attempted to clear the disturbing thoughts from his consciousness. The first prickling roll of energy crept out of him. The power moved over his skin like a warm wind. His entire body trembled with tension. Something lurked beneath that human body, swimming up through his chest. The beast pushes against his flesh like a whale moving just below the water, so close that if someone was looking directly at him, they would catch a glimpse of something huge, powerful, and overwhelmingly alien. Tyler shook his head, over and over again to quiet the monster within. The beast wanted to take control, whispering dark promises that filled him with an overwhelming need and hunger.
"They look good enough to eat." A familiar voice whispered into his ear.
Tyler's eyes snapped wide open. He was clearly startled both from her sudden appearance and the fact that she'd picked up on his exact thought.
Amused eyes sparkled and her lips held a knowing smile.
As Tyler sucked in a surprised gasp, Caroline Forbes vanished in a white haze.
And then he was off, Tyler's feet moving before his brain had a chance to catch up. He ran supernaturally fast, so quick that normal human eyes could not follow, but he was not as agile as she was. Caroline moved through the herd of humans with elegance and grace, the perfect combination of a dancer and Olympic sprinter. Tyler, on the other hand, bumped shoulders and knocked down a couple of unsuspecting bystanders.
They moved out of the station and rose to meet city. The cold air was a sudden slap to the face. The night had engulfed the sky, allowing Caroline to move freely within the darkness, now protected from the destructive powers of the sun.
He heard her laughter bubbling ahead of him and the giggles were childish and playful. Tyler's thoughts immediately flashed back to second grade, images of him chasing the tiny blond around the playground. They ran like that, darting between cars and humans, as if they were playing a never ending game of cat and mouse.
Without any warning, the dance halted to a stop.
Tyler found her perched by the waterfront, leaning casually against an old fashioned streetlight. The pier was empty and unnaturally quiet. They were far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the local commuters and tourist crowds.
He moved up to her slowly and cautiously, afraid that any sudden movement would trigger her to disappear again.
Caroline was lighting a cigarette, the flame illuminating her face. The young vampire was wearing a long white pea coat that fell almost to her ankles. Dainty gold stilettos adorned her small feet and anyone else would have fallen in six inch heels running across the cobblestone roads. Caroline's blond hair was pulled back into a tight bun, a few ringlets of curls trailed along her face and neck. Diamonds and jewels decorated her ears, neck, and fingers, the stones sparkling in the streetlight. She looked like an old school Hollywood scarlet, from those black and white films that his mother watched over and over again.
"Caroline," he spoke slowly, in a voice too painfully deep.
She took a couple of long drags of her cigarette. The street light played along her face and golden hair. She blew three perfect rings and laughed.
The sound trailed down Tyler's spine as if she'd touched him.
"The one and only me." She glanced up, her eyes sparkling like it was Christmas. Caroline was smiling, that same angelic twist of perfect lips, lovely and meaningless as a lifeless doll.
Upon closer inspection, Tyler noticed that her face was flushed. Checks were rose red, matching the coloring of her lips. Tyler knew that her complexion wasn't due to their little dash across the city. Caroline had recently fed.
"You know, for a blood hound, you are a terrible tracker, and even worse at noticing you're the one being followed." She lifted up a thin eyebrow, her voice playful.
Tyler ignored her taunts. She's trying to push his buttons, draw out the beast that stirred under his skin. He wonders how long she's been stalking him, hiding in the shadows. He's been stupid, careless, too caught up in his head to realize that she was right under his nose this entire time.
"The city life, it doesn't suit you very much," she remarked nonchalantly.
"It seems like you've been enjoying it, Care."
Tyler moved up next to her, his six foot frame looming over her small figure. He gave off energy like a low level current, the moon will be nearly full in a couple of days, and energy was easy to come by right now. Caroline moved into him, not quite touching, but close enough that he knew that she felt his warmth radiating from his core, hot against her cold, dead body. She glided around him like a moth drawn to a glowing light.
Tyler tried to keep the judgment out of his tone, but his voice always gave him away. "You've been busy."
There had been a number of disappearances in Boston. Men, women, human, supernatural creatures, Caroline didn't discriminate in her choice of prey. They were toys to her, play things to control, eat, and destroy depending upon her mood. And lately, Caroline was particularly unstable.
"Gotta find something to pass the time. And thanks to the powers that be, I have endless amounts of it." There were no lines on that smooth, porcelain skin, and there never would be. Instead, there was a great shadow growing within her eyes.
A storm rolled in suddenly, black clouds covering the night sky. The wind gushed hard, the ocean splashed up, and Tyler tasted the salt water against his lips. Thunder rumbled in the near distance, like a deep growl.
"Is that why you're here, to scold me?" Caroline tapped her long, sharp nails along his chest.
She gave out a harsh sound, almost laughter, but bitter. A strange look past over her face. Once upon a time, Tyler could have read every thought on her face, in her eyes. Now, now he doesn't even know her. Sometimes Tyler thinks maybe he had never known Caroline, that they had both been fooling themselves.
The cigarette dangled between her soft lips and she childishly blows a puff of smoke in his face.
"Are you gonna tell me to stop smoking now too?"
Caroline gently cradled Tyler's left hand between her own ice cold fingers, his palm open like she was going to read him his fortune. Instead, she took her cigarette and burned it into his skin, the flesh instantly peeling back from the heat.
With his other free hand, Tyler immediately gripped her tiny wrists hard, encircling them tightly together as if they were handcuffed. Tyler forgets his own strength, felt the bones break underneath her skin, the sick sound of popping.
Caroline doesn't flinch, her face still pleasantly amused.
He let her go with a growl. The wolf was angry, both at Caroline as well as himself. His power came out suddenly from the rage, the energy danced across Caroline's skin like insects swarming over her body. Her smile widened at the taste of his darkness.
"Jesus, Care…" Tyler furrowed his eyebrows together in agitation and shakes his head. He pushed aside his anger, instead focuses on why he's here. "You're going to get killed, made an example of by your own kind if you keep drawing attention to yourself."
"I'm doing just fine, thank you very much." Caroline's face remained marvelously blank, but there was a new subtle tightness in her shoulders, a slight turn to her long neck. She wasn't being completely honest.
Thunder boomed directly over them, glass windows of a nearby building shattered at the power of the sound.
"Damon, Stefan, and even Katherine, the stuff they did was parlor tricks. They were too blind with their obsession, self hatred, and selfishness that they couldn't see the richness of their powers. Claude taught me everything and opened up a whole new world of possibilities."
The sky suddenly becomes filled with lightning bolts cascading down to kiss the water, the clouds and ocean both illuminated with brilliant white and yellow.
"You're doing…this?" Tyler eyes widened. He could practically taste the buzzing electrical energy in the air.
"This? This is nothing." She smiled proudly, the bright lightning dancing erratically in the sky behind her. Tyler remembered her saying something similar about her strength, when she twisted his arm in the school parking lot and revealed at that moment that she was different, like him.
"I do bad things on accident." Caroline laughed full throated, and this time it was just a laugh, ordinary, human. "On purpose, well, you wouldn't even believe what I can do."
The vampire took a deep breath, and it shuttered down her body, reminding Tyler strangely of a bird settling its feathers. She snapped her fingers and the lightning and thunder cleared, leaving only the eerie sound of the waves lapping against the dock.
Tyler realized that he was afraid. Afraid of her, or for her, he wasn't sure which.
Caroline stalked around him, just out of reach, but circling like a shark.
Tyler felt her try to capture him with her eyes. The vampire wrapped her cold power around his mind, searching ever so carefully for that weak spot, the point where she can control him. Her pupil dilation flickered as her energy lashed out in full attack of his consciousness.
Tyler's hands gripped his forearms so tightly the skin paled underneath. His short-clipped fingernails bit into the skin, and tiny little half circles of blood formed under his hands. He took a deep, cleaning breath. He removed his fingers from his arms. The cuts were filled with blood, but only a few trickled. Minor cuts, minor pain. Pain helped keep a vamp from controlling your mind.
The werewolf knew that Caroline had attempted to compel him, but he couldn't really tell you what commands she had spoken out loud. All Tyler knew was that he had focused all of his energy, his complete attention, to the pain.
Caroline's lips twitched, in amusement or frustration, or maybe a combination of both. Her nostrils flared, taking in the scent of his blood from the self-inflicted wounds that were already healed.
"Impressive…"
The faint scent of blood mixed with her failure to capture his mind was a very dangerous combination.
Caroline's voice came out strained, but clear, each word pronounced with great care, as if it took a great effort to speak.
"Even with your little supernatural growth spurt, you're still in the dark. They've been holding you back. Jules. The pack. They don't want some new wolf rising up the ranks and stealing their carefully crafted little world. It could all be yours and more even."
Tyler knew that they were keeping secrets from him, that the others were threatened by his presence. The pack, hierarchy, and power plays - his rational side believed that these things didn't matter. But the beast, the darkness in him, had a very different view. If he gave in, Tyler knew that he could become something else entirely, something powerful.
"Maybe I'm fine with the way things are." The lie came out easily.
Caroline smirked, knowledge weighing within her eyes. "If that was so, you wouldn't be chasing me around. I have all of the answers. And you want them, need them even."
"I'm not here searching for answers." The internal darkness cleared, body relaxed, and his voice was soft, "I just want you, Care."
Caroline looked down, her face crumpling with mix of emotions. It was like Tyler could see all of the disappointments, the small betrayals, the selfishness, the pettiness, the cruelty. He watched it fill her face. She'd seen so much of it, and God help him, Tyler was the primary cause for most of it. She simply couldn't understand his words; or worse, just didn't trust it. When she lifted her head, the amused mask was firmly back in place.
Tyler kissed her then, his lips crashing into hers. Witnessing a glimpse of her vulnerability had set him off. The old Caroline was in there, buried deep in the mess of a psychotic supernatural killer.
He took in all of her, her smell, her smooth cold skin, everything.
Tyler broke the kiss and whispered into her mouth, his voice husky, "You taste like blood."
"I know…" Caroline melted into him, devouring his mouth.
Tyler wanted to lick her skin, run his lips, tongue, and teeth down her naked body.
Lust quickly transformed into hunger. Images flooded him and they had little to do with sex. Memories of previous hunts and kills filled him up, making him feel alive. The wolf loved the feel of his hands, his claws, ripping into flesh. The taste of fresh, warm blood in his mouth is exciting. Tyler had hunted deer in wolf form and he loved it. The beast loved the chase, and the kill, and the eating of warm meat. The shadow grew within him, invading his insides like a cancer wanting to spread. In that moment, Tyler wanted to rip Caroline apart, the need aching in his shoulders, in his arms. It was confusing, overwhelming, and exhilarating.
But this wasn't prey, this was Caroline. The thought shifted the hunger back to lust. But the beast complicated that very human experience into something else entirely.
The beast in him wanted to mark her, snap his teeth firmly on her shoulder and leave an imprint on her porcelain smooth skin. Show the world, show Caroline, that she belonged to him. The instinctive urge was so strong, the wolf whining its primal need within his ears.
She was his. And wolves, well, they mate for life. No matter what Caroline did, the beast would always want her, need her. The human was upset and disturbed by her recent choices, but the monster in him really could care less. He just wanted to have her, all of her, for himself. It was selfish, archaic. He could feel his shadow self taking over. His focus blurred, skin felt like it was on fire, and a low rumble vibrated within his throat. If it were the full moon, he'd be in the process of shifting. Instead, the wolf screamed internally with rage, frustrated by its human prison.
Tyler realized that he had Caroline pressed up against the side of a building next to the pier. It seemed that Caroline was completely unaware of his stream of dark thoughts and urges. She seemed too preoccupied with her mouth glued to his. Her long coat was ripped open, revealing a green strapless cocktail dress. One of his hands gripped tightly around her small waist, lifting her up so that she was eye level to him. Tyler's other hand was up her dress, exploring the warmth and wetness between her legs.
Caroline moved her cool lips to nuzzle his neck, and before Tyler could protest, he felt the sharp sting of her teeth piercing his skin. The vampire ripped into him violently, like she was feeding for the first time. Her nails latched onto his arms, throwing his body violently to the ground. He heard the tearing of his skin, felt the thick warm blood pour down his neck, the smell of her desire, and all of the sensations felt disturbingly good. A sound between a moan and a howl broke from his lips.
Tyler felt himself drowning. His vision became foggy and he felt suddenly light headed. She was going to drain him dry. The thought brought up a wave of fear, so thick that it choked in the back of his throat and tightened his stomach. Caroline sensed the new emotion and made little excited noises against him in response. Fear was her aphrodisiac and the vampire latched onto him even tighter. Tyler struggled against her, but she made no indication of stopping. His fear quickly turned into rage, the emotion was more familiar to the wolf and strengthened the darkness within.
"Care…Caroline! Stop!" He barked.
The bloodthirsty vampire ignored his demand. Tyler focused all of his energy in staying conscious. The lycanthrope took in a deep breath, and with one fluid movement violently pushed her off of him.
Caroline flew back nearly fifteen feet and landed on her butt with a hard thud.
Tyler stood up in a blur of movement. The wolf felt unsteady standing, as if the ground under his feet wasn't quite solid. Shaky hands went up to touch the damage done. The skin was slowly stitching itself back together, but the blood still poured out. He held his neck practically together with both hands.
She marked him.
A snarl trickled from Tyler's mouth as he roared, "What the fuck Caroline!"
The vampire's eyes were glazed in satisfaction, and she had a lazy grin on her face like a well fed cat. Bright crimson rivulets trailed down her lips and chin. The color looked dramatic against her pale skin and white coat. She licked her lips, savoring the remaining drops.
"Oh pish, posh." She was slurring her words now, struggling to stand up and her legs were wobbly as if she were drunk. "You liked it…though you'd never admit it."
And Tyler did like it. He'd like it more if their roles were reversed, if he was the one to force his teeth into her skin.
She giggled, covering her hands over her eyes in delight, "You taste unbelievably delicious."
"Go to hell." Tyler grumbled, angry from not only being bitten, but that his own needs were not sated.
"Am already in hell, Tyler baby." Caroline sucked her fingers clean, watching Tyler now with careful, cool eyes. Her words were slow, testing, "And with me all liquored up, high off of wolf blood, are you planning on drugging me with that vial of vervain in your pocket?"
Tyler tensed, instinctively touched the bottle in his back pocket.
The vampire's eyes darkened in response, her voice serious, "I smelt it on you instantly. You plan to drag me home kicking and screaming, throw me in the dungeon until I agree to be a good little vampire? You're plan sucks."
Tyler sighed, a deep sadness filled him. He was suddenly tired from the blood loss, but more tired from her games.
"Your mother, friends, everyone is worried about you. And they don't even know half of what I know. You've become this other person…selfish, unpredictable, snarky, and, well, damn it, I don't like it."
Tyler stumbled with his words, irritated at himself. He was embarrassed that he lacked the ability to effectively communicate how he felt. She stared blankly at him, the words not registering like he was speaking a foreign language.
Tyler fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the next, and the movement looked ungraceful for an alpha male werewolf.
He blurted out the reality of Caroline's situation, as if saying it fast would make it less true. "Care, look, one day you're gonna wake up, realize that you fucked up, but it'll be too late. You'll come back home and everyone will be dead and gone. And then what, huh?"
"Ohhhh!" Caroline dramatically pouts out her lips, "Stop being such a sour puss! It really is killing my buzz."
Tyler furrowed his thick eyebrows in frustration, "Caroline, I'm serious."
"Ya, you're the serious police, badge and everything." She rolled her eyes. "I wonder what purpose you'll have if you didn't have me to case around? I'm sure chasing after cars is not nearly as fun."
Her words rang true. Tracking down Caroline, plotting to bring her home, save her from herself…all of this occupied every ounce of his energy. The chase had become his sole purpose. But, he didn't want to do this forever. The game of cat and mouse has to come to some conclusion, either with her coming home…or with one of them dead. And the way things were turning out between them, he worried that the latter was going to play out.
Caroline stalked up to Tyler. The concentration in her eyes was almost touchable. Caroline stood on her toes and kissed him, a chaste gently brush of lips this time.
She breathed into him, "You're just lost little puppy."
Tyler jerked back from her, as if she slapped him.
"You have no idea what I am."
The moment Tyler said it, he felt that warm, growing presence. The beast was rising inside of him like a pool of warm water, spilling upward. He decided to finally allow himself to unlock the beast, slowly freeing it from layers and layers of heavy metaphysical chains. Tyler opened himself up and welcomed the darkness. It spilled over him, into him, in a warm, golden rush of power. Tyler smiled down at her, and he knew that it wasn't just his smile. He was still there, but he wasn't exactly alone. The beasts' thoughts lay over his like a veil. He could see out, but it colored everything he saw. His body, wanted things, craved things that made him want to run screaming. But if he were careful, he could channel the darkness. It was like walking up a flight of steep, narrow stairs with a cup of scalding coffee filled to the brim. Careful, oh, so careful or it spills over the edge and you get burned.
Caroline closed her eyes, threw back her head and laughed at him, loose blond curls bouncing around her face.
Being alpha meant that the human controlled the beast, not the other way around. Tyler just never had the opportunity to fully embrace his new status and power. Until now.
Tyler crouched down low to the ground and he was suddenly feral and vaguely unreal. His eyes burned, transformed into a swirl of amber and gold. A ripple of energy ran through him like a wave of water driven by the sea. The energy traveled from the top of his head, down his neck and spine, swirling around each nerve, and muscles spasm in response. His hands flexed, flingers contorting and lengthening into monstrous sharp claws. And before Caroline had a chance to notice the change, Tyler moved forward in a wave of energy and muscled potential, like violence contained inside skin.
The half man, half wolf tackled her then, not holding back any of his strength. Caroline let out a surprised gasp as she tumbled to the floor. She lay below him, completely hidden by his large body, effectively trapped by his weight. The vampire struggled against him, her face distorted in darkness, and she let out an inhuman hissing sound like a cornered wild animal.
In one fluid motion, Tyler reached back into his pocket, grabbed the syringe filled with a potent dose of vervain, and without hesitation, stabbed it into her neck.
Caroline opened her mouth like she was about to scream, but no sound came out. Her eyes rolled back into her head, body shaking violently like she was having a seizure, and then suddenly she went limp.
Tyler collapsed next to her quiet body, breathing heavily from the adrenaline and sudden surge of power from the darkness. Laying there, in a tranquilized-induced sleep, Caroline looked like she did before all of the lies, betrayal, and darkness corrupted her. Tyler rubbed his cheek against her cold face, moving his face to her ear, breathing in deeply her intoxicating scent. Lavender mixed with a hint of exotic spices.
In a blur of speed, he picked up her unconscious body and threw her over his shoulders.
Tyler murmured, "Someday, Care, you'll thank me for this."
Author's note: Reviews = love!