Chapter Four
A/N: Four chapters in three days! I must really like you guys lol. I'm so happy you guys are liking this so far. I'm kind of happy with where it's going and I think I just worked out an ending in my head. I just have to write it. You guys will like it I think. But anyway, enjoy this chapter! I tried to bring in some of the other characters and establish Tyler as a more masculine character in this chapter. I hope you guys pick up on that since he's been sort of mopey and crying for the last few chapters. But if there's any ideas you want to give me or anything just let me know in a review! Thanks.
Monster
"Look I know this is all a lot for you to digest, Tyler." Caroline sat down on a broken swing in the park they had gone to after the Grille.
"You lied to me. You told me you thought Mason was okay," Tyler said, with his head down between his legs on the adjacent swing.
"I have to protect my own kind, Tyler. I promised I wouldn't say anything and I'm risking both of our lives by me telling you this." Caroline put a hand on Tyler's back but he shook it off violently.
"So I'm guessing Damon and Stefan want me dead too?" Tyler asked.
"No I don't think so. Damon doesn't care but I know Stefan would never want that. He has a really good heart. Trust me, I'll do whatever I can to make sure you're safe." Caroline placed her hand on his back again and she was satisfied when he didn't protest.
"I do trust you and I won't do anything yet but if Damon even tries to come near me I'll kill him," Tyler replied sternly. "You can take my word on that."
"There's something else you should know," Caroline began. "There aren't more of you because the vampires exterminated the werewolves … or so they thought. I guess they missed your lineage or maybe spared you because they knew they'd need a werewolf to sacrifice one day."
"I'm stronger than Mason was you know," Tyler said as though he hadn't heard what Caroline had just said. "I can just tell somehow. And somehow I think I was always meant to be this way."
"I'm sure you were meant to do a lot of great things, Tyler," she said as she traced little circles on his back with her fingertips.
"Did you mean it when you said my bite was fatal to you?" Tyler asked after a few moments.
"Well yeah. You could easily kill me with one bite. That's your advantage over vampires but my advantage over you is that I'm stronger than you when you're in human form." Caroline breathed out. "We're both slaves to the same curse."
"My next transformation is in a few days you know," Tyler said through clenched teeth.
"I know, Tyler. I know." Caroline smoothed down his hair with one hand and held on to his with her other. "We'll make it through."
In the meanwhile Bonnie was over at Elena and Jeremy's house.
"Elena, I'm telling you I don't think the spell broke. I think Luka tricked me," Bonnie said in a serious tone.
"Why do you say that?" Jeremy asked.
"Nothing's happened!" Bonnie said exasperated. "We've all returned to our normal lives but look at the facts. Damon, Caroline and Stefan are still vampires and to the best of my knowledge Tyler is still a werewolf. We can't be that naïve," Bonnie said.
"Yeah but Klaus hasn't come either. Don't you think he'd have come by now to get the moonstone and take me, you, Tyler and Caroline?" Elena sighed. "He must know something is different, otherwise he would have come."
"Believe what you want but I don't think Elijah or Luka or anyone can be trusted," Bonnie huffed. "I think you're being stupid."
"Well you're the one who trusted some random warlock who moved in what like three weeks ago? You don't even know him!" Elena yelled.
"You both just calm down now," Jeremy interjected. "If the curse wasn't broken then why hasn't Klaus come yet. Why hasn't anything happened? We've been barely living these past few weeks because we've been too scared to do anything. I'm tired of it."
"Where is the moonstone, Bonnie?" Elena asked.
"It disintegrated," Bonnie said plainly.
"I don't think it did," Jeremy said shaking his head. "I think Luka stole it."
"Why do you think that?" Bonnie said, sounding offended.
"Because look at when he moved into town. It's right when all this crazy stuff started happening. And didn't Elijah say he had witches working with him? I think they're working for him and he's playing us." Jeremy looked at Bonnie solemnly. "I'm sorry, Bon."
"I can't believe I've been so stupid," Bonnie said.
"Even though we spend eighty percent of our time trying to get this moonstone, I think we have to go rescue it … again." Jeremy sighed.
"I think you're right," Elena said. "How can I help?"
"By staying out of trouble," Bonnie said.
"Really guys?" Elena asked angrily. "You're leaving me out again?"
"It's for the best. Come on, Jeremy." Bonnie threw a bag over her shoulder and head out with Jeremy, who shot Elena an apologetic glance on the way out.
"What's your plan?" Jeremy asked Bonnie once they'd gotten outside.
"We're going to need Caroline," Bonnie said. "Come on, let's go."
They drove in silence to her house.
"What are you guys doing here?" Caroline asked, completely confused by the two of them being on her doorstep.
"Who is it? Is anything wrong?" A voice came from around the corridor.
"Who was that?" Bonnie demanded.
"No, Tyler. Everything's fine," Caroline said, ignoring Bonnie's question.
"Tyler's here?" Bonnie said, pushing the door open to go in. "Caroline, what the hell?"
"Bonnie, it's not a big deal." Jeremy said. "I like Tyler. He's a good guy. We can trust him."
"Do neither of you listen to Damon?" Bonnie snapped.
"No and since when do you?" Caroline retorted to which Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"Is everything okay?" Tyler appeared from around the corner in his customary leather jacket.
"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked.
"I was just talking to Caroline. That's it. And what does it matter to you, witch?" Tyler snapped, letting his temper get the better of him.
"You told him?" Bonnie turned her attention back to Caroline, who just threw her hands up in surrender. "Whatever it doesn't matter. We'll deal with this later but we need your help tonight, Caroline."
"Is it dangerous?" Caroline asked.
"I don't think so but it could get that way," Jeremy said. "We have to get the moonstone back."
"I'm coming with her then," Tyler said, stepping forward.
"What are you going to do? Howl at it?" Bonnie said with venom in her voice.
"It isn't a good idea to provoke him right now, Bonnie." Caroline said, stepping in between the two. "The full moon is soon."
"I can make you feel pain beyond your imagination. Don't mess with me, wolf." Bonnie said.
"Fine then do it. But I'm coming with Caroline regardless." Tyler interceded.
"Ugh whatever, let's go."
They arrived at Luka's house on foot.
"Jeremy you're going to go check if he's sleeping. If he is, wave. If he isn't come straight back," Bonnie said to Jeremy and he got up with a knod and left.
"Okay now I'm going to see if I can charm his vervain ring off of him so you, Caroline, can compel him to bring us the moonstone," Bonnie said.
"How am I supposed to do that?" Caroline asked, surprised by how large her role was in this plan.
"I don't know. Knock on the door. Just figure it out," Bonnie snapped, before going to join Jeremy.
"What do you think, Tyler?" Caroline asked him.
"I say let's go," he replied.
"You're going to help me?" Caroline asked.
"Of course. I know you need a man around to protect you," Tyler joked and she smiled.
"Thanks Tyler," Caroline said and kissed him on the cheek.
"You know I'd take a wooden bullet for you," he replied, smirking.
"You'd heal in like two minutes." Caroline glared. "You're such an asshole." She smacked him on the arm playfully making him laugh.
"Bonnie's giving us a signal she has his vervain. It's time." Tyler stood up and helped Caroline onto her feet.
Tyler squeezed Caroline's hand for reassurance. She looked down at their fingers intertwined and smiled up at him, feeling heat rising in her cheeks.
They dropped hands and walked up to the door and knocked.
"Whatever you do I'm right behind you," Tyler said.
Caroline smiled at him but stopped once she heard footsteps approaching the door from the other side. She took in a sharp breath. The door opened and before Caroline could realize what happened, she was staring at the unconscious form of Jonas, Luka's dad, lying on the floor.
"What the hell was that!" Caroline screeched at Tyler.
"What … old fashion brute force isn't acceptable anymore?" Tyler said, flashing his white smile.
Caroline looked around making sure no one was watching. Tyler threw him over his shoulder and dropped him on the couch with ease. Caroline stayed at the doorstep, having not been invited in.
"You have to get him to invite me in," Caroline said.
"Wake up!" Tyler said, smacking Jonas in the face a few times. "Invite her in."
Jonas stirred a little and whispered a tiny, "Come in" before falling back unconscious.
Tyler released him and he fell hard onto the couch. Caroline stepped in and grabbed one of Jonas' hands.
"When you wake up you're not going to remember anything that happened. You fell asleep on the couch reading one of these dusty books. We were never here." Caroline dropped his hand. "Tyler, check his eyes."
Tyler lifted one of his eyelids.
"His pupils are freaking out," he said with a disgusted look on his face.
"Good. That means it worked." Caroline smiled.
"Does that work on me?" Tyler asked.
Caroline went to him and grabbed both of his hands. She stared right into his eyes and she could feel herself making her connection with him.
"Kiss me," Caroline said airily.
Tyler almost immediately grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into him hard. She gasped a little but it was masked by him putting his lips to hers in a rough kiss. She moaned slightly and closed her eyes, which inadvertently broke the compulsion. Tyler let her go and stepped back, looking confused.
"That wasn't cool," he said, feeling slightly used.
"Get over it," she said playfully and lead him upstairs to Luka's room.
They opened the door and saw him sleeping there. Tyler motioned to her to go do her thing and she knelt down by him and touched his hand.
"Wake up and find me the moonstone. When you've done that, go back to sleep and forget that anyone was ever here," Caroline said in a demanding voice.
Luka's eyes shot open and he walked like a zombie to his armoire and took the rock out of a secret compartment built into the base of it. He dropped it into Tyler's hand.
Bonnie came into the room and snatched the stone from Tyler making him glare at her with disdain.
She took a small book end from his bookcase and placed it on the nightstand next to the moonstone. She started mumbling some words Tyler nor Caroline could understand and then before their eyes the book end burst into flames. When the fire subsided, a moonstone replica was left in its place.
Bonnie grabbed it and threw it into the compartment in the armoire and the three of them left with the real stone.
Bonnie pulled Caroline aside as they all walked home.
"He's going to hurt you, you know." Bonnie whispered.
"I know," Caroline breathed, half smiling.
Tyler looked back at the two girls and Caroline couldn't help but crack a full smile. She thought she probably looked stupid but she didn't care anymore. He would never judge her on superficial things and for the first time since becoming a vampire, she didn't feel completely alone.