Here you go guys! Hope you enjoy :)

Elena's POV

The woods were quiet.

More so than usual, thanks to the frosty layer of snow that coated the floor, which had driven most of the wildlife into warmer hidings.

I didn't mind though because it made hunting so much more fun when the food was scarce, and unlike the smaller creatures, I had a thick fur coat to protect me from the cold.

Even in human form, the temperature didn't affect me the way it had before I'd turned.

However there was one slight inconvenience to the snow covered ground.

It made it a little to easy to be hunted down.

A snarl ripped from the left side of me and I halted just in time to avoid a collision with Enzo as he pounced forward.

His timber colored fur stood as I barely escaped his tackle and I turned just in time to see Mason following close behind him.

He lunged at me as Enzo recovered from his failed attack, but before his teeth were able to latch onto any skin, I growled and moved out of the way.

They'd found me, but I hadn't lost until they caught me.

It was a strategy game the guys had shown me a few days ago, and had let me experience my wolf in a new way that I was finding I actually enjoyed.

Essentially it was like hide and go seek.

One of us would take a head start, run through the woods and try to avoid detection, while the rest of us hunted and eventually pinned them.

Stefan was the best at not getting caught, but there was a familiarity in his scent that made it easy for me to find him.

I'd quit denying that it had nothing to do with his relation to another Salvatore.

But despite that fact, it had proved beneficial for me, because I'd won the last round and now got to hide myself.

The thrill had been fun, except now they'd found me and I was going to have to do some quick thinking to avoid a complete take down.

After all, if they were able to pin me too easily, I wouldn't hear the end of it for days.

Enzo began to circle me as I dropped my head threateningly at Mason, who was squared off in front of me.

I considered making a run for it, back to the forest's edge which we'd deemed a "base" so to speak, but then I realized that Stefan and Tyler weren't with them.

Which means they were probably waiting for me to do just that, and had stayed behind as a defense.
Damn.

But when Mason lunged forward, teeth bared, I knew I had to do something.

Both of the males were stronger than me, physically, so if I stayed standing here, they were sure to overpower me.

I darted forward, meeting Mason head on with gnashing teeth.

He was a better fighter, but the surprise of a direct attack was what I was counting on.

He stumbled back at my weight and I used his lack of focus to rush to the side and take off across the forest; not towards the back yard where I'd be counted safe, but further into the thicket of the trees, closer to the river.

Powder of snow flew behind wherever my feet touched down, so they would be able to follow me, but I was faster than they were, the one upside to my being smaller, and I could hopefully loop around to the edge before they caught me.

I heard a howl from a ways behind me and I sped up.

The forest flew around me and I knew that none of the guys had a hope of catching me unless I stopped.

The smugness made it easy to keep moving, and I made sure to zig zag some, just in case they were following my scent.

This was almost too easy.

But then a new sound caught my attention.

Paws thundering on the ground, closer than I'd expected.

Damn it.

Pushing myself harder, to the point it was nearly painful, I ran with everything I had.

But still, the sound was there, slowly gaining on me.

Had one of the guys been holding back on me?

A little annoyed if that was the case, and getting slightly out of breath, I decided to turn and fight instead of letting them catch me from behind.

I slowed slightly until I could feel the presence behind me, then waited until they were only a couple feet from my tail before turning around to attack, and I was met head on.

The collision was enough to rob my breath, but the scent that hit me when I got it back was what froze me, as did the black fur of my opponent.

Damon?

My hesitance allowed the wolf to take me down and we both rolled as I recovered and snarled in response.

I scrambled back onto my feet and whirled around to face the male, needing to be sure that my mind wasn't tricking me.

It wasn't.

The wolf was large, at least as big as Alaric who was the largest of the Pack, and was all too familiar.

The wolf that had bitten me.

Damon.

I whined faintly as he shook out his fur and rose to his full height, blue eyes settling on me.

The wild smell of dark male spice, leather, and whiskey overwhelmed my nose and branded into my mind.

It was really him.

The wolf took a step forward then, closer to me and I bared my teeth with a growl.

He hesitated and I used that moment to run, faster than ever before, back to the house.

The Change hardly even delayed me as I hit the grass of the back yard and ran until I had two legs beneath me.

After a stumble or two I remembered how to walk and pushed through the back door.

I heard howls following me, but I could no longer recognize who they were coming from, and quite frankly I didn't really care at the moment.

"Elena?" George was in the kitchen I'd just blown into, Alaric standing next to him.

"What's wrong?" the Alpha asked.

There was an edge of hidden panic in his scent, though his voice was calm and I wondered what my expression must look like.

I swallowed hard, "Damon's home."

George opened his mouth, as if to say something, but I didn't stick around for the conversation.

Instead I left the room, heading for the stairs and I didn't stop until I had closed, and locked, the door to my bedroom.

Fuck.

I'd known Damon was coming back soon.

Alaric had told me after he'd called him that Damon would be on his way and would be arriving within the next few days.

But I hadn't expected to run into his wolf.

Nor had I expected the emotions that flooded me at the sight of it.

The wolf had bitten me.

I shook my head as I heard the door open downstairs and I forced myself not to listen.

I need to focus on breathing first.

Relax, I ordered myself, This was what you wanted, remember? An explanation…

Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea after all.

Maybe it was too soon?

I wasn't sure.

But I was sure that I couldn't hide up here in this room forever and that eventually I'd have to face my ex fiancee.

Ex fiancee.

I shuddered, remembering only a few days ago when I'd taken off my ring and placed it in the drawer of my night stand.

Looking at it had been painful, but this...this was worse.

Knowing that Damon was here was-

There was a light knock on my door, and I jumped as it pulled me from my thoughts.

I swallowed, hard, and he spoke.

"Elena?"

Damon's voice rocked through me as if he were standing right next to me, and tears sprung into my eyes.

God, I'd missed him.

He'd nearly killed me and I missed him.

How fucked up was that?!

"Please, kitten...open the door."

Hearing him, and the nickname he'd given me, felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my chest.

How was I supposed to face him?

Well, certainly not like this, all frazzled and naked.

Taking another solid breath, I picked up some clothes that were on my floor and slipped into them.

Then I walked over to the piece of wood that served as the only barrier between me and Damon.

Thanks to my supernatural senses I could hear him on the other side of it; could imagine his hand pressed against the frame, waiting.

"I can hear you breathing," he spoke softly, and I flinched as if he'd yelled, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you breathe."

I swallowed, hesitating in front of the door, knowing that the second it opened, I'd see him again.

"Just open the door, Elena," he urged me, his tone pleading, "Everything can go back to the way it was."

But there was the problem, wasn't it?

Things couldn't go back to the way they'd been; he'd made sure of that.

So, instead of answering or sticking around to see if he was going to attempt and break my door in, I went to my window and threw the thing open.

My bedroom was on the second floor, sure, but one of the few actual perks of being a wolf was that gravity and impact affected my body differently than it had as a human.

I made the jump, landing solidly on my feet in the back yard.

And I didn't stop to see if I'd been spotted, or if they would follow me.

I took off towards the trees and waited until the shelter of them cloaked me before I gave into the Change.

The wolf made the emotions easier to handle, and I embraced her, letting my paws carry me as far as the Pack border would allow before turning around and pushing myself to the opposite end.

Over and over.

"I'm going to take Daniel with me today," Damon said, almost nonchalantly, as we dressed for the day, "For training."

The light from the morning sun had just reached the window, and the sound of the chirping birds had diminished as much as the sound of birds could while living in the middle of the woods.

"Training?" I asked, pausing while sliding a pair of pants over my thighs, "With the others?"

Damon nodded, his back to me now as he searched for a T-shirt.

I finished pulling my pants up, "Don't you think that's something we should discuss?"

"He's been asking for months now," he said.

"So has Skylar," I pointed out, "That doesn't mean we should let them participate yet."

Damon scoffed a little, "Daniel's sat through training with me before. And Sky won't be taking over for Alpha one day. Daniel will."

I frowned, "One day, maybe. But now? He's a child, Damon, and you're saying it's a good idea to have him actually start training? He's too young."

"He's old enough," he replied.

My brow arched as I finished buttoning my pants and picked up a shirt from the floor, "I think we have a few more years before he reaches the level of those teens out there."

My mate turned then, giving me a level stare, "I was around his age, Kitten. It's never too early to.-"

"To teach him how to kill?" I pressed, "Or did you forget what you were learning at his age?"

With a sigh, Damon crossed the room and placed his hands on my hips.

"This is different, Kitten. He's gone through the Change. By law he's a Pack member now."

I shook my head, "He hasn't sworn the oath."

"It's only a matter of time," Damon insisted, "And it would be partial of me to treat Daniel any differently than the other Pack sons."

"The other Pack sons aren't eight years old," I told him stiffly, "And he's-"

"Going to be fine," Damon kissed my forehead, "I'll be right there the whole time. Alright?"

He made to leave, but I asked, "And what about Skylar?"

He paused, "What about her?"

"If you let Danny train without her, what will she think?"

Damon shrugged, "She'll practice with you today. She needs it more than he does anyway. Unless you've forgotten her latest arson attempt."

I sighed, recalling just yesterday when Skylar had started a fire on the back patio with her magic, all because Daniel and Michael had refused to let her play tag with them.

"Fine," I conceded, "I'll practice with her. But be careful with Daniel out there. If any of those boys hurt him, I'm taking it out of your ass."

Amusement glinted in his eyes, but he nodded, "Yes, babe."

I trusted Damon, as both my mate and my Alpha, but even so, watching my son walk over with him to the group of young males unsettled me.

Sure, Daniel had been around the groups before.

He'd watched Damon instruct and had even turned to run with the others a time or two.

But knowing that Damon wanted to start training him made the entire scenario feel different; threatening.

Daniel was so small, so young, and the sons from the other Packs, three this time, wouldn't be stable with their transitioning yet.

It didn't seem unreasonable to be worried about what my mate could have in mind.

Which is why I was sitting on the short wall that blocked off the patio from the back yard, watching them.

Klaus and Stefan were helping out today, which made me feel a tad better, but I still wasn't convinced it was a good idea.

The lessons started simple enough.

A few drills and instructions, and for the most part Daniel was having a good time.

I could see the smile on his little face from here, and knew that he was just happy to be able to participate.

"That time again, huh?" A voice called, and I turned to see Bonnie stepping out onto the patio.

Her short hair was tucked behind her ears and she looked as if she'd just crawled out of bed.

A fact that was supported by the coffee mug clasped in her hands.

"They're here for a few more weeks," I told her, "And they'll be the last group for a while. Chicago Pack has the next oldest son and he's only twelve."

She nodded and moved to sit by me, "And what's the plan after this bunch goes home?"

"Mutt tracking," I admitted, "Klaus is the official Enforcer of course, but Damon's had him closer to home since William was born."

Bonnie frowned, "It's only been a year though. Surely the Mutts haven't gotten that bad in such short amount of time."

"We can't allow them the chance," I insisted, "Give an inch and they take a mile. If someone doesn't watch them, they get cocky. And with Elijah in Europe, we don't really have any outside eyes. Makes it hard to track leads."

"Isn't that why Damon has Mason in Vancouver? Following a lead on some Mutt?"

Mason, along with Tyler, had been gone for about a week now, which clearly wasn't sitting too well with the witch.

"They're due back in a few days," I reminded her, "And yes, the Pack there called for reinforcements on a Mutt issue. From what Damon's mentioned it was a clean wrap."

Bonnie sighed, then sipped on her coffee, "I wish the time would go faster."

I nodded, "Maybe next time you can go with him."

"Someone has to stay and work on the memory spell," she reminded me, "We're so close to figuring it out, I don't want to quit now."

"We'll work on it today," I said, giving Daniel and my mate a parting glance, "Skylar can help us."

"Is she still inside with Caroline? I didn't see them-"

"Actually I think she and Michael were bugging Alaric down in the basement," I smiled, standing up, "Caroline wanted to sleep in a little longer. William's teething and she was up late working on her article."

Bonnie followed my movement and I motioned to the house.

"At least she's working," the witch sighed, "Lucky the paper here lets her write from home."

I smirked a little, "I take it you aren't enjoying your sabbatical as much as you thought you would?"

"I would enjoy it more if Mason were home," she admitted, "I took off to spend more time with him, but lo and behold…"

The small offer of pity I gave her, as we made our way to the living room, probably wasn't much comfort, but it was all I had to give.

Time away from your mate sucked.

I knew that probably as well as anyone, but it was part of this life.

Part of being in the Pack.

At least Bonnie had a job where she could make decent pay and still be home more often than not.

She'd taken over for her grandmother a few years ago, teaching occult seminars at local schools.

Mason usually went with her when she had to go out of town, or sent another Pack member if he wasn't able, to insure her safety.

Just as Damon did with me any time I left Pack land with the children, and it was only because of them that I tolerated the overprotectiveness.

Nothing was too safe for my young...which brought us back to the matter at hand.

"Do you want to go ahead and set up the stuff upstairs? I'll go get Sky."

Bonnie nodded, and left me to follow my daughter's scent down to the basement, where she'd disappeared with Alaric half an hour ago.

However, when I reached the doorway of the basement, her scent grew stronger heading the opposite direction.

With a frown, I hurried down the stairs, "Ric?"

"Yeah."

The ex Alpha turned as I came into view, Caroline's oldest son standing next to him, alone, "Is Skylar not down here?"

"She just went back up," he told me, "Said something about Daniel-"

Just as he said the words a sharp snarl sounded from above us.

I took off up the stairs, and heard Alaric give Michael a short "Stay here" before following.

The noise had come from the back yard, and it became clear that we'd missed something big in the short time it had taken Skylar to get outside.

She was in wolf form, crouching down with a whimper while Daniel, also in wolf form, stood over her in a protective stance.

And my mate…

He had one of the male wolves by the throat, every part of his body rigid with dominance and anger as he tore the guy a new one.

"I don't care if she moved to rip your fucking throat out! Bare your teeth like that again and I'll tear you to shreds," he was bellowing as I hurried over.

Stefan, seeing me, rushed to cut me off.

"What the hell is going on?" I demanded, Alaric coming up behind us.

The twins' head turned at the sound of my voice, and they both stood to run over to me.

"Damon had one of the kids spar against Daniel in wolf form," Stefan told me as I crouched down to pull them into my arms, "Skylar ran out here in the middle of it, scared the kid and he moved to attack her."

"He attacked her?" I jumped, anger immediately bleeding through every other emotion.

"She's fine," Stefan assured me, "I checked her over."

I looked down at my daughter, then at Daniel, "You two go with Ric and Change," I told them, "Now."

Alaric gave me a small nod, then urged the young off to the side of the house as I shook my head.

"Why was Damon having Daniel spar?" I asked, "There's no way he could hold his own against a full grown wolf."

"It was instructive only," he insisted, "Nothing was meant to happen. Then Sky ran out, Changing on the fly and I think it spooked the kid. You know how most of the newbies are."

I exhaled as Damon finished scolding the kid and instructed the others out with Klaus to go run the woods.

He was still fuming when he stormed over to Stefan and me.

"Go with them," he told Stefan when he walked up, motioning to the trees.

His brother nodded and did as he said, taking off toward the group as Damon met my gaze.

"Where is Skylar?" he asked, his breaths coming in short huffs, "Is she okay?'

"Ric took her and Daniel to Change," I said, reaching for him, "And yeah, she's fine. Are you?"

His head was shaking slightly, "She came out of nowhere, Kitten. I didn't even see her so there's no way in hell that kid did."

"Stefan said he attacked her?"

Damon shook his head, "She came at him and he reacted instinctively. I got between them before anything happened."

He rubbed his arm absentmindedly and I noticed two healing scrapes, like some teeth had caught his skin.

"Shit," I breathed, just as my name was called out.

I turned to see Ric and the twins running across the yard.

Damon exhaled, straightening as they came up to us, and glared down at our daughter "Skylar Rose, what were you thinking?!"

"Danny was scared," she murmured, just loud enough for us to hear her.

"I was not!" Daniel defended, crossing his arms.

"You were too!" Skylar shot, turning to him, "I felted it!"

"Uh uh!" he started, but Damon cut them off, "Enough!"

They both recoiled at the sound of the Alpha in his voice and Daniel even hung his head.

Damon sighed, then crouched down so his face was even with theirs.

"Skylar...are you allowed to Change without asking?" he questioned in a calmer tone.

"No," she admitted, "But I felt Danny get scared and wanted to help."

Damon's jaw flexed, "I understand that. But you could have been seriously hurt. Our guests don't know how to control their wolves like you and Daniel. That's why we only practice outside. You can't just run up on them in an attacking stance."

Guilt flashed across her expression and she nodded, "Sorry."

Damon kept his gaze on her for a second longer, then pulled her into his arms, "It's okay baby. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

She hugged him back, then Damon stood, pulling her with him.

"Ric, will you take her back inside? See if Caroline will keep an eye on her for a minute?"

Alaric nodded, "Sure. Everything else okay?"

"Yeah. I got the others doing laps, but I plan on finishing the session."

Again Ric nodded, and took Skylar from Damon's arms, "I'll take her in."

Damon thanked him, then addressed Daniel, "You did good today."

"I wasn't scared," Daniel told him pointedly, though the slight coloration of his cheeks betrayed the brave front he was pulling.

Damon smiled a little and ruffled his hair, "I know. But why don't you go inside for now and help keep an eye on Skylar?"

Daniel nodded, "Okay."

I kissed his head as he passed by and waited until he'd reached the patio before turning back to my mate.

"Don't start," he said, clearly interpreting the look on my face, "He was perfectly fine."

I arched a brow, "Fine? He was scared enough that Skylar felt it through their bond. Felt it and willingly broke our Changing rule because she thought he needed saving."

"Brave kid," he murmured, almost sounding impressed.

I shook my head, "Damon, he's clearly too young to be training right now. Can't it wait a few more years?"

"A year or two isn't going to make much of a difference in the way he perceives the training," Damon said, "But the more time he spends learning, the better off he'll be."

"As an Alpha many, many years from now," I told him, "And that's just assuming you hold the title and die without being defeated. So you don't have to worry about preparing him like he's going off to battle or something."

"And you don't have to keep babying him," he shot back, "I get your point, kitten, but he is not just any child. Mutt's are a constant threat and now with this Order thing...he doesn't have the luxury of not being ready."

I sighed, trying to control my frustration in exchange for reason.

"You're worried," I said, "I know that. But it's our job to make our young feel safe. Not like they have to be watching their back at every turn."

"But they should be," Damon insisted, "One slip up and the humans start a hunt. One mistake in a challenge and a Mutt can kill you. And what happens when the next Giuseppe comes along, trying to exploit them for their power? Daniel has more responsibility than most children do resting on his shoulders and the sooner I get him ready to handle that, the better."

His hands reached over to grab my hips, "You don't have to like it, but that's the reality of the situation."

I shook my head, "It's not fair."

"It's not," he agreed, "But for now, it's the smartest option for him."

"And what about Skylar?" I pressed, "You don't think she needs the same preparation?"

Damon sighed, "I told you before, Daniel's the eldest. There's more that he has to be ready for, being in line for Alpha. And he can protect Skylar."

His fingers brushed over my cheek, then pushed some of my hair back behind my ear.

"I let you make the calls with their magic," he said, "How they practiced, how they learned control...so now I need you to trust me with their wolves."

I pursed my lips, "You know this has nothing to do with trust, Damon. I trust you with my life, with their lives...but that doesn't mean I like this. Or that I agree with this training regime"

"You don't have to," he said, dropping his hand, "Daniel's apart of the Pack. My Pack, which means my order is law-"

"I know the loyalty oath," I reminded him sharply, "And this may be your Pack, but he is my son."

"He's my son too," Damon pointed out, "And you know I'm not going to let him get hurt."

But it wasn't just Daniel being injured that worried me.

It was the fact that I also wanted some form of normality for my children, despite them being what they were, and they'd never get that if Pack responsibility was being shoved down their throat before they were even teenagers.

But Damon was technically right.

He was Alpha, better suited than anyone to judge what was best for the Pack, and for our children, when it came to their safety.

Not that I cared to be reminded of that fact.

I exhaled deeply, and looked up into those blue eyes of his, "Your order, your law, Alpha."

With that, I turned to walk away, but was stopped by Damon's hand on my arm.

"Don't be mad," he told me.

I pulled away from his grip, "Don't tell me what to do."

"Elena," he reprimanded, his tone flaring my already heightened frustrations.

"And don't "Elena" me," I told him, stepping forward to get in his face, "If you want to pull rank, go do it to one of your trainees, because dammit, I'm still your wife."

Damon's lip curled back slowly as a very familiar expression crossed his face.

"And I'm still your Alpha," he breathed, his hand moving to grab my chin, "Maybe you've forgotten what that means, Kitten."

I swallowed at the innuendo his tone promised, the obvious search for dominance in his voice, but this wasn't a time I was just going to let him distract me with-

"Mhmm," he purred, stepping closer, "How long has it been since I've made you submit, baby? Three weeks? Perhaps four?"

I set my jaw instead of answering, not trusting my own voice as his hand left my chin to run down the length of my neck.

"Too long," he growled, his thumb tracing my jugular, "You're forgetting your place."

My brow shot up, "And you think that place is beneath you?"

"Beneath me," he smirked a little, "On top of me...it makes no real difference in the moment."

He was circling me now; a predatory glint in his analyzing stare.

I felt the heat his body was throwing out for me, and knew exactly where he planned on taking this.

It was getting harder to remember why I didn't want to go there.

"I think you're forgetting that Alphas earn submission," I warned him, "And maybe I don't feel like giving it."

"You will by the time I'm done," he promised gruffly, coming up behind me now.

I shivered slightly as I felt the soft pressure of his fingertips run down my spine, down and back up, before his hand locked around my throat, pulling my body flush against him.

"We both know I could take you now," he whispered into my ear, nipping it as he did so, "I could have you on the ground and be down those pants of yours in seconds, and you wouldn't do a thing to stop me, even if you are pissed."

My eyes closed as his lips brushed over the skin under my ear.

"But where's the fun in that?" he challenged, releasing me.

I turned to face him, confused.

Damon was clearly sexed up and not taking the opportunity to claim me was unlike him.

He smiled at my bewilderment, and pressed the chastest of kisses onto my lips.

"I want you to run, Kitten, and run fast," he said, the Alpha command layering his directive, "Because I will be right behind you. And when I catch you, and we both know that I will, I'll show you how a submission is earned."

I momentarily forgot how to inhale, as those eyes of his taunted me, and I knew he wasn't bluffing.

The second I bolted, Damon was going to hunt me down until he caught me.

Then he was going to take that big, pulsing-

A howl ripped through the air, interrupting my train of thought, and grabbing Damon's attention as well.

All hints of mating left his eyes as he listened.

"Someone's coming onto the property," he announced, and took off towards the side of the house, knowing I'd follow.

I relaxed when we rounded the corner to see a large jeep burling up the drive.

"Lockwoods are back," Damon stated, also losing his tension as the vehicle pulled into the yard.

A few seconds later, Mason jumped out, "Hey, hey, hey. You guys miss me?"

I rolled my eyes, but went over to greet him, "Nah. We were hoping you'd get lost on the way home."

"Love you too, baby girl," he grinned, pulling me into a hug, "And speaking of which, where's my other girl? I wanted to surprise her with an early return."

"Bonnie's inside," I told him, and he nodded before running up to the porch, leaving Tyler to give the report.

"Everything taken care of?" Damon asked.

The younger Lockwood nodded, "Wrapped up clean."

"That's the way I like it," my mate smiled, clapping his shoulder, "Glad you made it back."

"It's good to be home," Tyler jibed.

We walked up toward the porch just as another, shorter howl sounded from the front yard.

I looked over to see Klaus's wolf, waiting.

Damon sighed from beside me, "I should probably go deal with the boys."

I nodded, and he slipped a finger under my chin, bringing my gaze to his, "Don't think I'm done with you, though. I'll come find you later."

I smiled at the promise, "Okay."

He kissed me shortly before jumping over the railing of the porch to the ground below.

Then he murmured something to Klaus, and the two took off towards the woods.

I sighed, hating the fact that for someone who'd spent nearly a decade being pissed at the guy, I could barely last a few minutes of irritation now.

"You coming in?" Tyler asked from the open door, and I nodded.

No need waiting out here.

"Yeah. I guess I am."

There will be more "past" scenes in the next chapter.

Let me know what you thought! :)