Elijah let his mind wander as he stared at the wolves on his wall. He understood where McKenna got her love and joy of painting. Her mother had been an excellent artist. She used different size brushes for every little thing in the painting. The detail of the wolves was impeccable. He wasn't surprised this was one in a long line.

His wandering mind came back to the afternoon they had spent relaxed in his back yard. He had told her everything. At the time he didn't think anything of it. Elena had told her what was going on so he had to come clean about it all anyway. She had surprised him when the two question, although he knew she wasn't easily scared.

He wasn't certain if she picked up on his insecurities. He was a little apprehensive at telling her everything because he didn't want to trust just anyone with this information. He needed someone he could trust to be at his back during his weakest moment. He didn't tell her he didn't necessarily trust his family. She would have figured that out herself with the way he clenched up when she asked him about Klaus. Kol was a different story. Kol was still impressionable so Elijah wanted to keep him close. He didn't trust him fully but enough to know he was there.

When McKenna walked into his life, he felt as if he had been given a second chance. She was a breath of fresh air in a totally polluted world. When his mother tried to kill them all, he had felt as if nothing would ever make him smile again. Then the beautiful auburn had run into him at the bar and his entire focus had changed. She was now the center of his world and he was going to do whatever it took to keep her safe.

His thoughts took a turn for the deadly when the hunters came to mind. How dare they confront Kol in front of McKenna? Kol said he handled them admirably and McKenna hadn't said anything to contradict it. Maybe Kol had behave to prove that he could be trusted with McKenna? They did seem to have a strong bond forming. Maybe it could be beneficial to have his brother at his side, especially with the hunter so close to their house and their family. He was going to have to employ the help of the Salvatores as well considering McKenna lived with them.

He heard a car pull up in front of the house and assumed it was McKenna coming back after a fight with the brothers. Instead he was surprised when Damon Salvatore stepped out of the car and walked up to the house. He figured he'd better be the one meeting the older brother at the door instead of his sister or Kol. Both had it out for the other.

He made it downstairs just as there was a knock at the door. When he opened it, Damon looked up at him and smiled tightly.

"Great. Just the Original I wanted to see," he said. He motioned with a hand. "May I come in?"

"Of course." Elijah stepped back and allowed him entrance. Doing something he never really should do, he put his back to Damon and walked into the living room. Even thought they really couldn't feel the heat, there was a fire roaring in the hearth. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"It's about McKenna," Damon said.

Elijah turned around quickly. "Is she hurt?"

"No and I want to keep it that way. She's fallen hard for you and the life we live is not the life an artist should take on. It might impede her judgment and her art. We both don't want that because she makes beautiful pieces of art. If that changes, it might hinder her goal to get into art school. I know you don't want that."

"What are you asking of me?"

"Keep her out of this. She doesn't deserve to be hurt anymore than she already has been. If something happens to you, it might be what stops her for life. If you care for her, you will do this."

The Original looked into the flames. What Damon was saying made sense. McKenna didn't deserve the life she was getting herself into. Her art was her first priority if she wanted to go to art school next year. Being with him would ensure two things. 1.) She would never be allowed out of his sight if she stayed, and 2.) She was definitely going to get hurt.

But why couldn't he let her go? He tried to tell himself that she was just a human woman who needed the love of a human man. She deserved children and a happy life, not the one he would give her. If she stayed with him, she would be spoiled like a queen but she would never have a child or a human husband.

He looked at Damon. This vampire was trying to protect her. He didn't give off jealousy. It was more of a protective older brother. He wanted to keep her safe because she was living in his house and those who did that were under his protection.

"I can't give her up, Damon," he finally said.

Damon nodded. "I didn't figure you could but I at least had to ask. We'll keep an eye on her and Elena at all times so we don't lose either one of them."

"What about when McKenna paints? She likes to be alone during those times."

"I'm sure if you're with her, she won't object too much. This is not her fight, Elijah."

"I know. I will keep her safe."

Damon frowned. "We'll keep her safe together. Now I'm going to get back home to make sure my brother hasn't let her get out. This is the prime time for hunters after all."

After he heard the car pull away, Elijah picked up his phone and called McKenna. When she picked up on the third ring, he said two simple words.

"It's over."

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McKenna stalked down the stairs to where Damon was. The bastard had done something so unforgivable she was going to kill him.

She had been getting ready for bed when Elijah had called. She thought it was just to say good night like he had been doing if she didn't see before she went home. Boy, had she been wrong.

"It's over," he said before hanging up.

She knew Damon had said something to him to make him change his mind about everything. Of course it had been a little over a week since they had actually accepted that they were together. Their chemistry had been instant that it felt odd not saying she was with him.

Which was why she was going to kill Damon.

She hit the last step about the same time he walked by them. Not thinking, she jumped him from there. He caught her but barely had time to keep his balance. They fell in an inelegant heap on the floor behind the couch.

"What did you say to him?" she asked.

"What?"

"Five minutes ago he called and said it's over. What did you say to him?"

Damon let his head drop to the floor. "Son of a bitch. I didn't tell him to do this." She raised an eyebrow at that. "Okay, I did tell him to let you go but he denied it. I didn't think he would do this."

"Great. Now thanks to you he's gone." She shoved herself off him and padded for the door.

"Where are you going?"

McKenna looked at him as she zipped up her jacket. "Where do you think?"

"He did it for a reason and now you're going to walk in there and demand why?"

"He did it because you asked him to. I'm going to make it right and get what I want."

Damon couldn't stop her as she walked out of the house.

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Elijah turned around as the door as his bedroom door slammed open. McKenna stood in the doorway with Kol behind her. His little brother was making a face that said it wasn't his fault; that she had just stormed by him and up the stairs. Of course his brother hadn't let her in. McKenna was stubborn when it came to things she believed in or when she was angry. He suspected it was the latter.

He made a motion for his brother to go away. When he was gone, Elijah turned back around.

"You shouldn't be here, McKenna," he said.

"Now we both know it's a lie," she replied as she moved further into the room. "Your body language may be telling me you don't want me here but your voice says something completely different."

He smiled beside himself. In just a week she could tell the difference in his voice. "Go home."

"Why? Why shouldn't I be here?"

"You could get hurt."

"Like you would hurt me."

"I wouldn't, no, but the hunters will if they know you're with me. I can't let that happen. You're safer with the Salvatores."

"I'm in just as much danger with Damon and Stefan as I am here with your family. What's the real reason you don't want me here?" He didn't say anything. "Elijah."

"Just go away, McKenna. It's easier on both of us."

"Just like it was easy on Elena when Klaus convinced Stefan to leave her just so he could save here?" Elijah heard her come up on him seconds before her arms came around his waist, her hands flat on his belly and her head pressed to his back. "I don't scare easy, Elijah, so quit trying to scare me away."

"I just don't want you hurt."

"Do you know what would hurt me more? If you turn me away without at least putting up a fight. That would hurt me more than anything because that's what my father did. After my mother died, he quit trying to live. Even though I was there, it was as if he had lost the reason to live. He left me alone with no family and no way to support myself. I've come to think of the Salvatores and your brother as my family. Don't take that away from me."

There was stark pain in her voice. He felt it reverberate against his back seconds before it reached his ears. In a short amount of time, she had made a new family for herself and thought he was threatening to take it away from her. That was the last thing he wanted for her.

He wanted her to have a family and so much more. He wanted to be with her and he wanted her to have what her heart desired. He thought that giving it up before it was nearly impossible to let go would ease the pain. He had never imagined that he would be in the same predicament that she was in. He also had fallen so hard it was impossible to let go. Damn his heightened vampire emotions.

Elijah turned around so fast McKenna barely had time to react before he was kissing her. This was a sudden change from the brooding man in the window. Now he was the man, or vampire, with the gentle touch and soft kiss that made her feel like a young girl. Technically she was younger than him, but that didn't seem to matter to them.

She shoved at his chest to get him to pull away. When he did, she looked into his eyes. There was a steadfastness in his gaze. He wasn't going to run anymore.

"Don't push me away, Elijah. We can make it through this together."

He answered by kissing her again. She felt him push her backwards and a few seconds later, the back of her knees were hitting the mattress of his bed. She allowed him to push her back. He didn't crawl on top immediately. Instead he laid beside her as he continued to kiss her.

"Wait," she rasped out. He pulled back and looked down at her. Her throat constricted. "I've never done this before."

He smiled then nuzzled her arm. "Don't worry."

And she didn't.