This is kind of a continuation of the last chapter, but I had to split them in two to keep it from just running on too much.

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Midnight.

It was midnight, according to my phone, and I still couldn't sleep.

Matt snoozed away next to me, but no matter which way I flipped or turned, I couldn't get comfortable.

Then I heard the glass door of the balcony slide open, and realized that maybe I wasn't the only one still awake.

Carefully, I slipped off the blankets I'd twisted around me, grabbed my phone, and got up from the bed.

Matt continued to sleep peacefully, so I crept from the room, shutting the door as quietly as possible behind me.

When a second passed where I still heard Matt's deep breathing, I figured I was clear, and walked down the hall, towards the living room.

As I suspected, the couch was bare, and I could make out Damon's silhouette on the balcony outside.

I exhaled, then strode over, slipping through the opening he'd left in the doorway, before sliding it closed behind me.

Damon didn't turn around, and he didn't say a word, as I moved to stand next to him.

The muscles of his bare back rippled though, so I knew that he knew I was there.

His skin glowed in the reflecting light, reminding me of the many nights I'd seen it under the moon's glare.

I sat my phone down on the patio table, turned to place my hands on the railing, and looked out over the buzz below.

"The City that Never Sleeps," Damon murmured, "I guess it's true."

I smiled a little, "Of everything that's been happening, you want to talk about the New York nightlife?"

He turned, finally, facing me, "Not really. But it's as good an opener as any. Is your human still asleep?"

I winced a little at his tone, but nodded, "Yeah. He is."

Damon looked back out at the city, "You know, I kind of get it."

My head crooked, "Get what?"

"You," he motioned out, "All this. It's so different from Mystic Falls. So big...big enough to get lost in. I see why it appealed to you."

I considered his words, then nodded slowly, "You're right."

He looked at me, and I continued, "When I left, I came here to lose myself...and it worked. I liked who I was able to be here. But it's not realistic. I was a fool to think it was."

"You'd leave your life here?" he asked, sounding confused.

"I have to," I answered, "As badly as I want to be normal, it's time for me to stop pretending that I am."

"I wish I could give you what you want," Damon whispered, reaching for my hand.

I felt the jolt as soon as our skin touched, and bit my lip.

I wished he could, too.

"Damon-" I swallowed.

"Shh," he brushed his knuckles over my cheekbone, and I fell silent, as if he'd given an Alpha command.

"You have to know," he continued, "That this is never what I wanted for us, kitten. It was selfish of me to even bring you home that day. I should have loved you enough to let you go...but the thought of losing you...well, I guess I lost you anyway, didn't I?"

I closed my eyes, and leaned into his palm.

"But I couldn't help it," he continued, "I was selfish...and now, it's too late, isn't it? You belong to someone else-"

"No," I shook my head, "No, I don't, and that's the problem."

His brows furrowed, and I sighed.

"I don't want to belong to anyone," I admitted, "I'm not property or livestock. But my wolf recognizes you, Damon; your claim on me, and I'm so tired of fighting her."

"Then don't," he challenged, his face an inch from mine now.

But he didn't move.

Whatever happened from here on, would be my decision.

And I was pretty sure I knew which one I had to make.

My phone buzzed.

The sound of it pierced through the moment like cold water, and I shook my head to clear it.

Damon backed away, slightly, and I grabbed the annoying thing.

I checked the screen, surprised to find a text from a blocked number.

I opened it.

I said Alone. You didn't listen. -K

I swallowed, "Damon..."

His expression changed when he heard my tone, "What's wrong?"

I showed him the text, "I think they know you're here."

He cursed under his breath, and a panic flew up in my chest.

The Mutts were too unpredictable to just wait and see what came of this.

I was out of time.

Damon grabbed my hand sympathetically, as if he knew what I was thinking.

At that moment, the balcony glass door slid open, and I actually jumped, Damon's hand falling from mine.

But it was just Matt.

"Elena?"

Trying to calm my spiked heartbeat, I exhaled, then nodded, "Yeah, I'm out here."

He opened the door a little wider, his gaze drifting over Damon, who had also tensed.

"It's late," he muttered, "Come back to bed?"

I hesitated.

Kai knew Damon was here.

What would he do?

Would he come after Matt? Caroline?

Could he see us right now?

Panic surged again.

"Yeah, sure...but, um, we have to talk."

He blinked, "Uh, okay."

This wasn't how I wanted to do this, at all.

God, he deserved better, but time was out, and my choice had been made.

So, now or never.

I straightened, ignored Damon's eyes on me, and led Matt back into the apartment, back to the bedroom.

I shut the door behind me, and he seemed uneasy.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, once I turned around.

Tears filled my eyes as I stared at him.

His brows pulled together, and he stepped closer to me, "Babe, what's wrong?"

I swallowed, "Matt...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."

Another exhale.

"Look, tomorrow...I have to go back home," I told him.

He nodded, "Yeah, I know. But what's-"

"I'm not coming back."

He stopped, and opened his mouth, shut it again, then blinked.

"Elena-" he started.

I shook my head, "I made a mistake, Matt. There's things you don't know, things you can't know, about my family...you're not safe with me here."

His gaze hardened, more alert now, "Elena, are you in trouble? You can tell me. If this has to do with your cousin's accident-"

"There was no accident," I admitted, "No kids, no funeral...I lied."

He froze, "Why?"

"Because I had to," I exclaimed, "Because a member of my family did die, but it was no accident. He was murdered. And I can't-"

"Murder...Elena, what the hell is going on? What are you involved in?"

I blinked back tears, "I can't tell you, Matt. I'm sorry. But I should have known better. I just wanted out. I wanted to be normal, and you...you were my lifeline to the life I wanted. I was selfish, and I'm sorry."

He reached for my hand, "Hey, it's okay. I can protect you. You don't have to go back. If you're worried about your cousin out there, I can-"

I shook my head, "No. Damon is here to keep me safe. Alaric wanted him to-"

"Alaric? Isn't that the man you said was like your father?"

I nodded, "Yeah, but my family...we aren't necessarily related by blood. Look, it's complicated, okay?"

Matt stiffened, "Why does it sound like you're in the mafia? Or caught up in some gang war?"

I laughed dryly, "You aren't far off."

"Let me talk to my captain then," he said, "You'll be safe."

"No!" I hurried, "No police."

"Elena," Matt chided.

I exhaled, "Matt, please, just stop. I don't need you to protect me. I need you to let me go...my life here...I can't have it."

He shook his head, "Elena, please, don't do this. Where is this even coming from? Ever since you left to go home, it's like you're a different person."

I bit my lip.

He wasn't going to let me go.

The Mutts knew Damon was here, and could come after us at any time.

Matt wasn't safe around me, but he wasn't going to give up if he thought I was in danger.

Tears welled in my eyes, as the words I needed burned on my tongue.

I knew exactly what would work, what I'd done, but I didn't want to break his heart...

"Damon and I have to go," I said instead, turning.

Matt grabbed my arm, "No, you don't. Look, if you need to get away from your family, I can help."

"It's not them," I promised, "And if you knew the truth, you wouldn't want to help me."

He shot me a disbelieving look, "I doubt that. And you really expect me to believe that your family isn't a threat to you? You were fine before you went back to them."

"It's not their fault-"

"Then why has your cousin in there been watching you all afternoon? Like he's expecting to have to chase you down if you run?" Matt challenged, a look crossing his face "Or like he's undressing you, which is even weirder...but it's hard to miss the way he stares at you."

My lips quivered.

I had to do it. And this was the opening I'd needed.

I could hate myself later...right now, I needed to get out of Matt's life.

One more lie.

"Damon's not my cousin," I whispered, loud enough for him to hear, "He's...he's my husband."

Nothing I'd said shook Matt the way this news did.

"He's your...your what?"

"My husband," I repeated, "Alaric is his father...but they're my family, and right now-"

"You're husband?" Matt seemed to be working something out in his mind, and sat on the edge of the bed, "Were you ever planning on telling me?"

I flinched, "I'm sorry. We split up before I moved here, but things are complicated back home, and he needs me...my family needs me."

"Did you...are you sleeping with him?" Matt asked slowly, as if the tension between Damon and myself finally made sense to him.

I dropped my gaze, forcing my head to nod.

He deserved this truth at least.

"Unbelievable," he got to his feet, "Do even know you?!"

He turned away then, heading to the door.

I followed him into the hall, knowing he was leaving.

Knowing that I wouldn't stop him.

He was safe this way.

The front door slammed and he was gone.

I took a few shaky breaths, trying to calm down, and remind myself that this was a good thing.

This is what needed to happen.

Damon appeared from the living room, his face concerned as he saw me.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, and I recoiled, realizing he'd heard everything.

"No, you're not," I swallowed, "You got exactly what you wanted."

"You're hurting," he pointed out, "I never wanted that."

I shook my head, "It doesn't matter. It had to be done anyway."

Damon didn't answer.

"We should go," I sighed, wiping my eyes, "I don't think we should be here when he gets back."

"Okay," he agreed easily.

I went back to grab the bag I'd been packing earlier, and joined Damon in the hall.

But as we moved to leave, I froze, a smell hitting my nose.

Damon looked confused at my sudden stop.

I reached over to him, "Damon."

He felt my tension, "What is it?"

I turned towards the door.

The direction the smell had drifted from.

"They're outside."

As soon as the words left my mouth, the front door burst open, Kai stepped inside, two other Mutts with him.

One was the same Mutt from the hotel.

The other, was a stranger to me; tall, with dark skin, and was holding Matt with a thick arm, a knife to his neck.

"What the hell?" I gasped.

"You didn't listen, Elena," Kai smiled at me, "And now we have to drag your poor human into this. Did you forget that I said alone? Bringing the Pack's Enforcer hardly counts as alone, now, does it?"

"Safety precaution," I insisted, falling to my fighting stance, "Now, let him go."

"Safety precaution...doubtful," Kai sighed, "None the matter."

He turned to the Mutts, "Take them out...keep her alive, and that one," he paused at Damon, who was also braced for a fight, "Make him suffer."

My world changed into a setting of fast forward then.

Everything seemed to move at once, and my ears rang with the chaos.

Kai and the dark Mutt, who threw Matt to the ground, ran at Damon, the other reaching for me.

I was faster than he was, better trained, but he was an experienced killer.

We twisted around each other, my fist digging into any part of him that I could reach, until he finally managed to flip me, and I lost my footing.

My back hit the ground, with a hard thump, and the Mutt was on me.

Then Matt was there, pulling him off.

The Mutt's attention turned to him then, and a knife appeared in his hand.

He dived for Matt, and I screamed.

Unfortunately, before I could act, Kai was grabbing me, the other Mutt preoccupying Damon for the time being.

"You should have listened to me," he spat in my ear, "But don't worry, you'll learn."

I threw my head back, until it collided with his, sending pain down my spine.

Luckily, my adrenaline was rushing,and I hardly noticed it, my eyes looking for Matt.

I couldn't see him, but I did see blood, a lot of it, trailing towards the bedroom.

No.

He couldn't die for me.

I ran towards the bedroom, forgetting everything I'd been pretending to be.

The Mutt's back was toward me, and Matt was on the ground, pale, but alive, gripping his side.

I didn't stop to think.

I jumped on the Mutt's back, throwing a leg over his shoulder, and forced him to the ground.

He tried to push me away, but I tightened my grip, clinging to him, until I could get my arms around his neck.

I recalled everything that Damon had taught me when he'd trained me.

Everything Giuseppe Salvatore had shown him.

With a sharp jerk, I pulled up on his chin, and twisted.

I heard the snap, and my stomach lurched.

He stopped fighting.

A door slammed down the hall, and was followed by silence.

Damon must have chased off the others.

I looked up to see Matt, blood covering his front from a deep cut.

His eyes were wide though, and alert.

He'd just watched me kill someone.

I swallowed, but pushed my own baggage aside.

"I'm sorry," I told him.

He could only blink at me.

I looked at his wound, it was deep, but he'd live, "I'll call an ambulance."

He still looked like he was in shock.

Hell, he probably was.

I met his gaze, "I'm so sorry, Matt. I never...I never meant for you to get hurt. This is my fault..."

"Elena," he forced, "What...what was...you just...who are you?!"

I flinched, "I'm so sorry. Just know that I really did care about you, okay. I never wanted this...maybe, if things were different..."

I sighed, "Goodbye Matt."

He didn't say anything.

But his eyes told me everything I needed to know.

We both understood that this was the last time we'd see each other.

It was for the best.

With a deep exhale, I dialed an ambulance and gave them the address.

Then I gave Matt a parting look, and grabbed the Mutt's body, pulling it into the hall, where I was sure Damon would be waiting.

I was wrong.

The room was empty.

Panic flooded me, and I did a quick sweep around the area that was now trashed from the brawl.

Damon wouldn't have taken the Mutt's out of the room.

And he wouldn't have lost to them.

Two to one was hardly an even fight with Damon.

I'd seen him take on four Mutts at once.

There's no way he'd lose.

I knew that as surely as I knew my own name.

Damon didn't lose.

But then something caught my eye that ran my blood cold.

Damon didn't lose in a wolf fight.

A fist to fist brawl.

But these new Mutts...they were human killers.

I fell to my knees, and picked up the object that had grabbed my attention.

A syringe...and next to it, Damon's ring.

Oh god.

No. No. No.

They'd drugged him.

They'd taken him.

With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone, tears falling from my eyes.

It took two calls before I got an answer.

"Hello?" A voice said, groggily.

"Ric?"

"Elena," he became more alert, "What's wrong?"

I swallowed, squeezing Damon's ring, "I...I messed up. Bad."

Alaric inhaled, "What happened?"

"The Mutts," I forced out the impossible words, "They have Damon."

Dun Dun lol

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