You are all forewarned: I raced through this chapter merely to upload it to stave my guilt at have ignored this story for about a month as I played with Pirates. There are probably grammar and spelling mistakes galore, but, frankly, it's 1am and I don't give a damn. I've started writing again, so shut your f#*&ing mouths. Or not. Tell me. Actually, please tell me. I love flame and fame alike!

Hounds of Hell

The Art of Not Knowing

For hours I flew; darting through the sky; cursing the dead air. So completely still; it was difficult to merely stay level. I tried not to listen, but I couldn't block it out. Damon was too focused on me, too focused on our link for me to block him out.

"She needs time to think about what I told her." Bonnie explained shortly.

"What did you say to her?" Damon demanded; anger fueling his limbs.

"I can't tell you that." She told him; quickly loosing what little patience she had for him. "And neither can she, so don't ask; you'll only hurt her."

"What the hell did you do?" He wanted to shout, but managed to contain it in a forceful whisper.

"This goes deeper than you realize, Damon;" The witch said vaguely, "You can't just think about what you want."

"Enough with the gypsy hints; if you hurt her"

"You'll what?" She interrupted haughtily, "You can't touch me." The frustration rippling through him sent a chill down my spine. After forcing himself under some sliver of control, he sighed and asked in such a soft voice, it caught Bonnie off guard,

"Just tell me this; is she safe?"

"No." She answered with a newfound sympathy for the vampire she wanted so badly to hate.

"What can I do?" He nearly begged in defeat.

"She's a familiar, Damon." She explained sadly, "She will never be safe. And because of what you are, being with her will only cause her more pain." Defiance flared within him.

"I won't"

"Let that happen? Because that worked so well last time." She spat with a hint of regained loathing. The sudden, heart-wrenching guilt nearly brought Damon to his knees. My breathing faltered from the mere echo of it.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie quickly whispered, only able to grasp a tiny glimpse of the pain her words had caused him. "But you need to understand the severity of your situation. Being with her will end in disaster." He struggled with several responses and accusations and retorts, but nothing could change the truth of her words, and he knew it.

"Why?" He asked; jaw clenched; eyes hard.

"I can't tell you that." Though she wouldn't answer him, her tone belayed the sorrow she felt at the necessary secrecy.

"Damn it; what can I do?" He exclaimed suddenly, breathing hard, only just managing to control himself.

"You can let her go." For several agonizing seconds, he was silent, and I thought my heart would burst from my chest.

"…No." He finally said, refusing to meet her eyes. I wanted to sob from the agony raging within him. I wanted to die from knowing it was my fault.

Your selfishness will kill the both of you." Bonnie told him seriously; words only tinted with sympathy.

"No." He repeated stubbornly.

"That isn't an option." She said impatiently.

"I'm making it one." The quiet fury suddenly storming through him sent my hair on end.

"Damn it, Damon," She started, but he was already gone.

"Hey, are you okay?" With a start, I spun around; subconsciously tightening my wings against my back as I recognized Tyler. I hadn't even realized I had landed. Tears were falling freely from my eyes and my body was trembling. "What happened? Did Damon hurt you?" He reached a comforting hand towards me. Instantly, I shied from the touch as though he'd struck me. Rage lit in his onyx eyes. "What did he do to you?" Understanding crashed over me and my eyes widened.

"No, it's not," My blood suddenly turned to ice and my heart stopped. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Don't look. Don't turn around. Don't look. Don't look.

"Hello, little bird." I didn't see Tyler's eyes dart behind me or the confusion steal over his face. The instant I heard those words, I ran. Without thinking, I grabbed Tyler's wrist, intending to drag him with me, but the instant my skin touched his, something shot through us. My body collapsed as his presence flood through me, and mine through him. For just a second and it was gone.

"What the hell was that?" He shouted, accusation flooding his suddenly amber eyes. Panic. Too much. I couldn't think.

Damon! I screamed desperately. Just behind Tyler. A shadow. The epitome of darkness. Coming. It was coming for me. Damon!

"Run!" I shouted, already scrambling to my feet. Don't think. Don't try to understand it. Just run. Fear shot through those piercing yellow eyes. Automatically, he glanced back. At him. At the monster chasing me. Always chasing me. Couldn't escape. I couldn't escape.

Get out of there, Thea! Damon's voice broke through the terror freezing me and I ran. With Tyler just a stride behind me, I ran. I could feel Damon racing over the forests; the powerful muscles straining to push him ever faster through the stale air. He wouldn't make it in time. I knew the exact distance separating us, and I knew he wouldn't make it in time.

Suddenly it was in front of me. Peering out from behind a tree. Toying with me. Don't play with your food. Skidding to a stop, I spun and darted back; automatically snatching Tyler's jacket and dragging him with me. Not fast enough. I had to fly. In one fluid motion, I locked Tyler against me and snapped out my wings. I didn't hear his shocked cry as I flapped madly, gaining several feet every second. A heart beat. Frantic. Powerful. Not mine. Tyler's. I could feel the racing of his heart.

Something slammed into my side, throwing me back to the ground, like a lion pawing at a mouse. The air fled my lungs in a painful gasp and my body crumbled under the blow. A sudden, rage filled roar split the air. In shock, I realized it was Tyler. Lethal fangs glistened behind his snarling lips and he threw himself at my attacker. I tried to shout; to warn him, but there wasn't breath enough even for that.

To my amazement, Tyler's assault knocked the vampire back, hampering it's theatrical scheme just long enough for me to see his face. It wasn't the alpha. I didn't recognize him at all. He wasn't among the coven of the Shadow Men. The fear dissipated, if only slightly. He was still a vampire, and he knew what I was. That alone was enough for terror to seize my heart. With incredible strength, Tyler forced the man back, an inhuman growl tearing from his throat.

"Till next time, then." He promised with a wink; looking straight into my eyes, before breaking away and dashing into the woods. In the same heartbeat, something crashed heavily beside me. Vaguely, I realized I should have flinched, but instead I instantly shot toward it before consciously recognizing that dark, tasseled hair, the massive onyx wings, and those ice blue eyes that made my knees weak. His arms automatically pulled me against him.

The growl redoubled and Tyler flung himself at Damon. He had just enough time to wrench me behind him before meeting the enraged assault.

"What the hell happened with dog boy?" he shouted over the snarls.

"Tyler, stop!" I screamed; racing around Damon's flared wings. Instantly, he stumbled back; hands clutching his head in agony. Unsure, I reached for him. He shied from my hand like it was acid.

"Don't touch me!" he roared; fighting desperately for control. With a final, panicked glance at me, he turned and ran into the woods. Panting, Damon looked at me in bewilderment.

"What just happened?"