Chapter 3: Feel Something

The early morning darkness covered the dirt road like a mysterious blanket, it sheltered animals in the shadows and gave a false since of tranquility to the area. Then lightning would tear that blanket into pieces, revealing those yellow eyes that once had the element of surprise.

She sucked in air as she woke up on the dirt road in the pouring rain, "Where am I?" She said out loud as she sprung up. She realized she was completely naked as the cold air touched her delicate and dirty skin. Fear pulsed through her body as she started to panic. Her hair was matted with mud and as she reached her hand up to the corners of her mouth she recognized the taste of blood. "What did I do?" She cried as she wrapped her arms around her exposed body.

She started to walk down the road, looking over her shoulder until she found an abandoned path where she could sit and think without the risk of teenagers finding her. She was shaking, not because she was cold, but because she knew she'd done something shameful. Did I kill someone? What did I do? Where am I? Questions crowded her brain as she tried to think- tried to remember.

She stopped trying to remember after a few minutes because she knew it was hopeless while her body wanted to go into survival mode. She knew better to think she could walk back to the French Quarter naked- she only saw one option that didn't involve waiting all day for someone to drive down the road.

She would have to change.

She would have to break every bone in her body for the first time so she could use her wolf senses to get home. She breathed in and out quickly until she was convinced she was ready.

Elena believed the pain could relate to being stabbed a thousand times in the heart or an aneurism that lasted for days by the hands of a witch. It was completely breath-taking as each bone bent until it snapped. She screamed for what seemed like hours upon hours but probably was no more than fifteen minutes.

But when it was over, when the pain faded she felt the acuteness of her sense elevate to a different level. She could smell every aspect of the Original's house as she started to run through the wood areas and once she reached the French Quarter she believed herself safe.

That was until a strong hand took hold of the back of her neck, dragging her behind him as he walked. She yelped in pain as the vampire pulled her skin roughly, throwing her around as if she did not have feelings or a soul. "We found this creeping around the Quarter." The vampire said as others joined the crowd. They laughed evilly as they looked over Elena's wolf form. Elena suddenly felt completely weak as the adrenaline from her transition settled. "And what do we do with werewolves in the Quarter…?" He asked the crowd.

"Let it go!" Hayley came pushing through the crowd, an instinctive hand on her stomach. "Let it go!" She begged as she tugged on the vampires arm. "It's not doing any harm!"

"It has blood on its muzzle!" The vampire pointed out to Hayley, "This animal has killed something in the French Quarter, possibly one of our vampires. Just because you're related to them, doesn't mean they don't have to abide by the rules!"

Let me go, Elena thought faintly as her strength started to fade as his grip got tighter. In her weakest moment, Elijah appeared. Elena looked at him with her wolf eyes as she developed severe tunnel hearing. Elijah looked at her wolf form, taking in all emotions of the people in front of him. Wouldn't be the first time someone saw me naked… Elena thought humorlessly as she begged her body to return to her normal form.

The vampire let her go so the others could savagely attack her wolf-form and make her pay. Elena shut her eyes to the best of her ability as she started to go in and out. Her breathing slowed and she let go of reality.

As the vampires closed in, her wolf-form gradually faded as she returned to her body. "Move!" Elijah commanded as he took off his suit jacket, covering her changing body. He brought her mostly naked body to his chest as her wet hair rested against his shoulder. He carried her bridal style, arm tucked under her knees. "Dearest Elena." He whispered in her ear as he carried her body to his home. Hayley followed behind barely keeping up with the hasty steps Elijah was making.

"Elena Gilbert? That's our big move, small town life Elena Gilbert." She said, "You've got to be kidding me!"

"She can help." Elijah said as he opened the door to his home, touching Elena's wet hair with a gentle hand. "She's a dear friend and you'd do best not to insult her."

"Or what, you'll be extremely disappointed in me?" She said, "Wait a minute-How is she a wolf? I thought she was that guy with the axe's sister! She's a vampire."

Elijah started to walk up the stairs, "She's a hybrid." He corrected her, "Like your child and like NiKlaus. Designed by the hand of my mother." He quickly went up the stairs and started down the exposed hallway.

"Where are you taking her?" Hayley asked him in a different tone with a hint of jealousy.

"She is cold and covered in blood and mud, I think the reasonable thing is to run a bath." Elijah told her as he opened his bedroom door.

Hayley starred after him as he closed the door, her face a mixture of jealousy because she could tell she was no longer the object of his attention and a mixture of happiness that he could let her go.

Elena opened her eyes as she felt his hand moving from the top of her head to the bottom of her face. "Elijah." She croaked, "I don't know what happened." She didn't care if she was naked, she didn't care if he saw her. In that dreadful moment, she needed him. "Did I kill someone tonight?"

"I don't know." He said honestly, "Do you want me to leave you to wash?"

"No." She said immediately, "Please stay."

He looked at her as his hand cupped her face. It was as if he were searching for a reason to leave that room because of his moral code but he could not find one. They just starred at one another, eyes daring the other to say something, do something.

Hearts daring to feel something.