Chapter 7

This morning, I got a text from Elena asking my dad and I to meet her at the Salvatore Boarding House. We just got out of the car. We walked towards the door and knocked, waiting for an answer. When the door opened, we were greeted with a smiling Damon.

"Come on in." He said not dropping the smile. I furrowed my brows in confusion at his enthusiasm. We walked inside, and I looked around and saw Elena and Stefan sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Damon asked us.

"Coffee?" He asked looking at me.

"Bourbon?" He asked looking at my dad.

"Bourbon in your coffee?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"Elena told me you needed our help." I said crossing my arms.

"Yeah, we were hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family." Stefan said looking at us.

"Why would we know anything about the Lockwood's?" I asked confused.

"Well, you wouldn't. But your dead, not-dead vampire wife might." Damon said looking at my dad. I sighed and sat down on the couch. My dad joined me as Elena spoke up.

"Isobel's research from when you guys were at Duke together." Elena said clarifying.

"You said that she had spent years researching this town." Stefan remembered.

"Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls rooted in folklores and legends, but at the time I thought much of which was fiction." My dad explained.

"Like that amazing vampire story." Damon said sarcastically.

"Aside from vampires, what else?" Elena asked, and I sighed knowing the answer.

"The lycanthrope." I said speaking up. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy.

"Wait, like werewolves?" Elena asked confused.

"No way, impossible, way too Lon Chaney." Damon said shaking his head.

"Is it?" Stefan questioned.

"I've been on this planet one hundred and sixty some odd years, never came across one. If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?" Damon questioned partially serious and partially jokingly.

"Why do you suspect the Lockwoods?" I asked Damon.

"Because vervain didn't affect the mayor at Founders' Day but the Gilbert device did and it affected his son Tyler." Damon explained.

"And at the school carnival his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fought with one of the carnival's workers." Stefan added.

"It suggests it's some sort of a supernatural entity."

"We were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure it out what it is." Elena added.

"Well, all her things are still at Duke. I mean her office is still there. She's technically still missing." My dad said and instantly looked at me. I sighed and he knew what talking about her did to me, especially now.

"So can we get access to it?" Damon asked. We both stayed silent.

"Ric, we need to know what we are dealing with. If this wolfman thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good." Damon paused before he came to a realization.

"It means Mason Lockwood is a real-life Lon Chaney and that little Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney junior, which means Bella Lugosi, meaning me, is totally screwed."

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" My dad asked me for the tenth time.

"Yes. I'm sure. I don't want to go back there. Ever." I said referring to Isobel's office at Duke.

"But it might give you some closure." He said looking at me.

"I think the only thing that will give me closure is talking to her myself about how much she hurt me." I said sighing. My dad nodded before bringing me into a hug. I buried my head in his chest as he squeezed me tight.

"Alright." I said pulling away.

"You should get going."

"Ok. I'll call you when we're on our way back. Love you." He said with a smile. I smiled.

"Love you too." I said as we walked towards the car with Damon and Elena. As they drove off, Stefan turned around and looked at me confused.

"I thought you would go with them." He said walking towards me.

"I don't want to relive the memories I had there." I said sighing. He nodded.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something." He said speaking up.

"Shoot." I said giving him my attention.

"What are you?" I looked at him and sighed.

"When Damon was about to kill Caroline, you did something, and he was twenty feet away from her seconds later."

"I'm a witch. I just found out the night of the carnival. Bonnie has been helping me with learning how to use my powers." I explained.

"But you're Isobel's daughter, which means you're a part of Katherine's bloodline." He said confused. I shook my head.

"I recently learned Isobel isn't my real mother. I don't know who my real mother is." I explained. He nodded again. A tear slipped from my eye.

"Hey, hey. It's okay." He said cupping my face and wiping my tear.

"It's gonna be hard, but you're strong. You can get through this. And I'll be here for you if you need me." He said as his green eyes stared deeply into my brown ones.

"Thanks." I said pulling away from him. I shook my head to try and get over it.

"What are your plans for the day?"

"I'm going to meet Bonnie right now so I can get a daylight ring for Caroline. You should come." He said with a smile. I nodded and we got in my car and drove to the Grill.

"I don't know how to make a day-walking ring." Bonnie said shaking her head.

"Emily made mine, she made Damon's too, instructions must be in the Grimoire." Stefan concluded.

"That doesn't mean I can cast the spell." Bonnie said quickly.

"Bonnie, you know how to drop vampires with a single look, okay? I think you can figure it out." Stefan said surely.

"Oh my gosh! Bonnie, you have to teach me how to do that!" I said excitedly. They both looked at me weirdly for my sudden enthusiasm.

"What?" Bonnie shrugged it off before turning back to Stefan.

"Caroline killed someone, Stefan. I can't make it easier for her to do it again." Bonnie said still upset with what Caroline has become.

"No, we're not making it easier for her; we're just giving her the chance to survive. Listen, every day that she's cut off from her old life - from you, from Elena, from Matt, it'll make it that much harder for her to hold on to her humanity. " Stefan explained.

"And how do you know she won't hurt anyone else?" Bonnie asked furrowing her brows.

"I don't, but if we don't do everything we can to help her or at least trust the fact that she can keep it together, we might as well just stake her right now." Stefan said sighing.

"I don't know if I can trust her, not with this." Bonnie said shaking her head again.

"Then trust me." I spoke up.

"Bonnie, I know we've only known each other for a short period of time. But I'm pretty sure I haven't given you a reason to doubt my judgment. I know what Caroline needs right now. And that's someone to be there for her. And I get it if you don't want to do the spell. But if you could teach it to me, I'll do it so you don't have to. " Bonnie looked at me before sighing.

"Fine. I'll teach you the spell." Bonnie, Caroline, Stefan, and I were in Caroline's room. Caroline was sitting on her bed hiding from the sun. Stefan was sitting in the chair next to the bed while Bonnie and I stood at the edge of the bed.

"So, I don't get to choose the ring I have to wear the rest of my life?" Caroline asked annoyed.

"Hey, if you don't want it ..." Bonnie started.

"No, no, she wants it." Stefan interjected. "Now what?" Caroline questioned.

"Now is the part where I explain the rules. The witch who spells the ring, in this case Myra, has the power to de-spell it so if you ever do anything to hurt anyone ..." Caroline cut Bonnie off.

"I'm not gonna hurt anyone." Caroline said surely.

"You are a vampire that mean the urge to kill is a part of who you are. The minute you let it take over, I will stop you." I told her.

I looked up and saw Stefan looking at me. He quickly looked down. I sighed and continued.

"Now put the ring on the bed." Caroline put the ring on the bed.

"Do you really think I meant to kill that guy at the carnival?" Caroline asked out of nowhere. I looked at her and saw she was looking at Bonnie.

"He's still dead." Bonnie said sighing.

"Ok. Let's get started." I said.

I opened the window a bit. The sun shined on the ring. I looked at the ring, close my eyes, and did what Bonnie told me to do. When I knew I did it right, I opened my eyes.

"All done." I gave Caroline the ring. She took it and put in on her finger.

"So that's it? I mean nothing witchy happened. You know, no flickering lights, no gust of wind. Have you even done this before?" Caroline questioned.

"Caroline ..." Stefan started.

"No I haven't. But I trust Bonnie, and Bonnie told me I would know if I did it right. And I know I did it right." I explained. Bonnie opened the curtain and Caroline pulled her legs towards her face waiting for her skin to burn. When it didn't, I smiled.

"It worked." Bonnie said looking at Caroline. Caroline scoffed.

"What if it hadn't Bonnie ?!" She yelled. Bonnie looked at Stefan and I.

"She's all yours." She whispered. She took the grimoire and left. Stefan, Caroline, and I were in the woods, and Stefan was taking Caroline hunting for bunnies.

"So what I do when I see the rabbit?" Caroline asked.

"Chase it, catch it, feed on it." Stefan explained.

"Ew. Gross." I said making Stefan look up at me and chuckle.

"Listen, their cute defenseless animals."

"I know! And isn't killing cute defenseless animals the first step in becoming a serial killer?" Caroline asked as she turned to us.

"Well, you sort of skipped the serial killer and went straight to vampire." Stefan explained. Caroline sighed.

"Caroline, if you're not serious about all of this I think you should tell me. "

" No I am. Look, I swear that I am okay? But it's just ... I haven't been in the sun for days and everyone is at the swimming hole having fun and Matt is there! And he finally told me that he loved me but I have been blowing him off and now you want me to eat bunnies and I'm kind of freaking out okay ?! "Caroline said running her hand through her head. I looked at Stefan, and we laughed before I quickly put my hand over my mouth to suppress my laughter.

"And now you're both laughing at me." Caroline said sighing.

"No, no, we're not laughing." I said holding the laughter in.

"None of this is funny, trust me. It's just that ... "Stefan started.

" What ?! "Caroline asked throwing her hands in the air.

" When someone becomes a vampire, all of their natural behaviors get sort of amplified. "Stefan explained. I furrowed my brows.

"What do you mean?" Caroline and I said at the same time. I looked at her before looking back at Stefan.

"I mean..as a human I cared deeply for people, how they felt. If they were hurting I felt their pain and I felt guilty if I was the one who caused it and as a vampire all of that got ... magnified. "A smile somehow found its way onto my face as I listened to Stefan talk.

"So you're saying that now I'm basically an insecure, neurotic control freak.on crack?" Caroline asked on the brink of tears.

"I think what he's trying to say is that the feelings you have of wanting everyone to think highly of you are growing and controlling you. "I looked at Stefan to see if I was right and he nodded.

" But, that'll only consume you if you don't see the smart, pretty, and awesome person you really are . "She gave me a smile before running up to me and squeezing me tightly.

" Ok ... ok .. "I said hugging her back. She started squeezing a little to tight.

" Allright Caroline. I need to breath. "I said with a slight laugh.

" Oh, right. "She said before pulling away.

" Thank you, Myra . "I nodded and gave her a smile.

"Ok. Not to run the moment, but I think we should hunt okay? And then after that we'll go to the swimming hole." Stefan said reasonably. Caroline's eyes lit up.

"Really?" Caroline asked excitedly.

"Yeah. Matt is the closest connection that you have to your humanity, and I think that being around him is a good thing." Stefan explained.

"Okay." Caroline said nodding.

"Let's go find some bunnies!" She said before walking off.

"Hey." Stefan said. I turned to him.

"What you said to Caroline, that was really great."

"Thanks." I said with a smile. I looked into his captivating green eyes and felt lost. Suddenly, I was snapped out of my thoughts by Stefan talking.

"Let's get to the swimming hole." Stefan said as he started walking. I cleared my throat and nodded before walking ahead.

What the hell? I thought to myself. I shook of this weird feeling and walked ahead of him towards the swimming hole. During the couple hours I was at the swimming hole, I met some new people, including Matt's friend Tyler Lockwood, who I remember from when his dick of a dad wanted him and Jeremy to fight. I was sitting in the opened-trunk of my car looking down and thinking as I saw shoes enter my field of vision. I looked up and saw Matt standing there with two beers.

"Hey." He said with a smile.

"Hi." I said confused as to why he came over to me.

"Do you mind if I join you?" He asked.

"Not at all." He sat down next to me and sighed before offering me a beer. I smiled and took it. I opened it up and took a long sip of it.

"Damn." He said as I brought the bottle away from my mouth. I swallowed the last bit I had in my mouth and let out a breath.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I looked at him surprised he could tell something was wrong.

"You're sitting all alone in the back of your car looking at the ground." He said. I sighed.

"Mom issues." I said taking another sip.

"I know how you feel." He said nodding.

"My mom's never around. And my dad's out of the picture. And my sister's dead." He said with a frustrated laugh.

"Oh, Matt..I'm so sorry." I said looking at him. I looked straight ahead and saw Caroline talking to Stefan.

"I know you think everyone you love has left, but .." I looked at Caroline.

"..but I don't think she's gone." He looked at Caroline and smiled.

"Yeah. You're right. I should probably go talk to her." He said. I nodded.

"Thanks for this."

"Of course. That's what friends are for, right?" I said with a slight smile. He nodded before walking over to Caroline. I got out of my car and decided to go for a walk in the woods. I continued to think about my birth mother. I wish I knew who my birth mother was because if I did, then she could help me with being a witch. I just pray she isn't dead. I don't do well with loss. Suddenly, the sound of a twig being snapped broke me out of my thoughts. I looked around and saw darkness around me. I took out my phone and put the flashlight on. I shined it all around me and stopped when I saw a wolf in front of me. I dropped my phone and immediately started backing up. I put my hand out in front of me.

"Nice wolf. Nice..wolf ..." I said as it stared at me with its big golden eyes. It started growling, and I turned around and started sprinting for my life. I didn't get far because the next thing I know, the wolf is in front of me. I came to a halt before the wolf pounced on top of me.

"NO! Get off of me!" I yelled as the wolf's mouth hanged right over my face.

I kicked the wolf from behind over my head and it stumbled to the ground. I took this as an opportunity to get up and run. I continued to run, but I felt a sharp pain in my lower leg. I fell to the ground face-down. I turned over so and saw the wolf right in front of me. It was growling and its was drooling out of its mouth. I saw it was ready to pounce, so I closed my eyes, expecting something to happen, but it never did.

I opened my eyes to see someone standing in between me and the wolf, who was on the ground. I tried to stand up, but then a huge wave of pain hit me from my leg. I looked at the back of my leg and saw a larges slashes in my legs from the wolf. I bit my lip to try and keep from crying. I felt myself slowly starting to drift off. I tried to keep my eyes open, but I couldn't.

"Myra! Myra! Stay with me ..." I opened my eyes to see who said that, and I saw Stefan kneeling in front of me. I couldn't see what he was doing, but the next thing I know, a warm, metallic-like substance was pushing its way down my throat. I swallowed it and coughed before looking up at Stefan.

"Stefan ... Stef .." I said before I blacked out. As I started to open my eyes, I groaned because I had a massive headache. I looked to my left and saw Stefan sleeping on my chair. I sighed before remembering what had happened. I pulled my covers off of me and looked down at my leg to see dried blood but no cuts. I smiled in relief before looking back over to Stefan. I got out of my bed and walked to my door. I quietly walked out and closed the door. I walked to the living room and saw my dad drinking.

"Hey, you're back." I said causing him to jump in surprise. He quickly got up and engulfed me in a hug.

"Thank God you're okay." He said. He pulled away and looked at me.

"You need to be more careful."

"I'm sorry! I was just taking a walk in the woods, at night, alone ... Okay. I see what you mean ..." I said with a nervous smile.

"You could have been seriously hurt. Or worse ..." He said looking down.

"Well, I'm fine. Stefan helped me." I explained.

"No, Stefan is the reason you're hurt!" He said angrily. I scoffed.

"No he isn't. Isobel is the reason that I'm hurt. If she didn't want to become a vampire in the first place and leave our family behind, then I wouldn't be in any danger. So if you want to blame someone, blame Isobel. But do not for one second blame Stefan because all he has done is help me. " I said letting out a breath.

"Since when do you call her Isobel?" My dad asked clearing his throat.

"Since she didn't deserve to be my mom." I said.

"Now, I'm gonna go back to bed. Goodnight." I turned around as tears came out of my eyes and walked to my room. When I opened the door, I quickly closed it and let the tears run down my face.

"Are you okay?" I quickly jumped, frightened at the sudden noise. I looked to my right and saw Stefan, fully awake, sitting in my chair. I sighed and laughed, as I forgot he was in here.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just forgot you were here." I said quickly drying my tears.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for staying. I just wanted to make sure you were alright when you woke up, but I guess I had fallen asleep. And I also wanted to give you this." He said handing me my phone.

"You, uh .. dropped it in the woods." I thanked him and grabbed it from his hands as he said shifted uncomfortably.

"Sorry about tonight."

"Why are you sorry? You saved me." I said confused.

"I'm just sorry you got hurt." He said with a sigh. I nodded and smiled. I muttered a 'thanks' before sighing.

"Are you sure you're ok? I can tell your upset." "Oh, is that another vampire trick? You can sense feelings?" I asked sarcastically.

"No, I just saw you crying a little while ago and heard you and your dad. You were pretty hard to miss." He said with an upset face.

"To answer your question, no. I'm not ok. Isobel is alive. Katherine is in town. I don't know who my real mother is, and I probably will never know. I almost died tonight by a wolf! A freaking WOLF! " 1 said as tears came out of my eyes.

"Hey hey hey ..." Stefan said wrapping his arms around me, engulfing me in a hug. I cried into his chest as he held me.

"I know what you're going through." I pulled away and looked at him.

"You're live has been turned around ever since Damon turned your mom, but everything that's happening will only consume you if you don't know that you have people here to help you through it. You have your dad, Bonnie, Elena, Jeremy, Caroline, and me. Heck you even have Damon. " I let out a slight chuckle at the last part. He smiled before continuing.

"And just to prove it to you, I am going to stay here with you until you feel better." He moved away from me and sat on my bed.

"Wow. You do really do care deeply for people." I said remembering what he said to Caroline earlier today. He nodded and laughed. I sighed and sat on my bed with him. And we talked the whole night. We shared some laughs and some deep moments, but I knew when I saw Stefan grab his jacket and leave my room that I didn't want him to, because I started developing something for him that I hadn't had for anyone in a long time. Feelings. I had feelings for Stefan Salvatore.