It was officially Monday now, and Tyler had things to do before he went to school.
He parked his mom's car near the closest dirt road leading to the cellar.
As he walked, he anticipated the pain he would endure, and soon enough he reached his destination.
After unlocking the gate, he went to a small cabin positioned to the right. The sunlight passed through the ceiling window and hit the container inside the cabin, revealing a dried stalk of herb tightly sealed in glass. It was wolfsbane.
There were several reasons why he was going to use that now. One was to reduce his strength back to his old, adequate level. The other was to lessen anything supernatural that might make Stefan Salvatore sense anything unusual.
Tyler recalled that Stefan didn't know much, if anything, about werewolves. But he wasn't sure if his strong heart rate would give away that he wasn't normal.
The third reason was that he needed to develop a partial immunity. He didn't know if it was possible. Werewolves weren't long-lived, and most were triggered too late to start testing whether they could adapt to it. Also, most took it during the full moon, which had a 30-day gap, making it hard to truly adapt to it, since there was no incentive to use it otherwise.
So, from today on, he would use as much wolfsbane as necessary to try to adapt to it. Certain days weren't suitable, like tomorrow, when Damon's attack at the party would happen, but today wasn't one of them. He could think about how to handle tomorrow later, but now he must suffer.
..
In the entrance hall of Mystic Falls High School, beside their lockers, Caroline turned to Bonnie and asked, "She is okay, right?"
"I am here," Elena said, rolling her eyes at Caroline.
Caroline just smiled. While they were going towards their class, Elena asked, "Who is the lucky guy?"
Caroline noticed Elena saying that while looking at her neck. Her hand reached for the pocket mirror to look at the pink mark, but the kiss mark was not recognizable, thanks to the concealer.
Caroline looked at Elena accusingly. She was bluffing.
Bonnie, standing nearby, said, "Caroline, you didn't tell me anything when we talked." Then her voice was cut off.
A handsome man in a brown leather jacket and jeans walked past and reached the secretary's desk.
"Why are you guys looking so hard at him?" Caroline looked at the two, and they looked at her strangely.
Bonnie asked, "You see how hot he is, right?"
Caroline took a look, swirled the tip of her hair with her fingers, turned back, and said, "So?"
"Caroline Forbes," Elena said, sizing her up and down. "Don't tell me you fell for a guy to the point of turning blind."
Caroline puffed her lips, air spilling out between them.
Just then Bonnie's attention turned towards the entrance. She made a surprised sound.
After capturing their attention, Bonnie said, "Guys, does Tyler look a little off?"
Caroline whipped her head in Tyler's direction and saw him red from the chest up, especially his throat. Her chest tightened.
"You guys go, I'll be there in a moment." Caroline didn't see the baffled looks of her friends as she walked towards Tyler, who flashed a smile at the trio. He then gave a confused look once he saw her coming. They both agreed they wouldn't reveal much about the nature of their relationship when he sent her home.
They felt attraction and lust. They were halfway into a relationship. But the thought of this being possibly temporary led her to quickly say they shouldn't force it. After all she didn't plan to have a steady relationship prior to this, and this showed in her not having any boyfriends. She knew this would lead to him hanging around with other girls, but she couldn't say, 'Let's not be boyfriends and girlfriends, but also don't cheat on me.' She might have made a mistake there, as she knew how popular Tyler was with the girls.
"Hey," Caroline said, her mind still not sure how to greet him. It would have been so much easier if it was just sex. But… she cared for him more than just the sex. Else she wouldn't be feeling this worried.
"Hey," Tyler said as he opened his locker and pulled out a notebook and a pen.
"You look sick," Caroline said. She noticed some guy listening in, and said, "Be on your way."
The guy looked embarrassed, as he tried hard to open the locker but failed miserably.
Caroline wanted to say something, but instead pulled Tyler away with a huff.
"So?" She asked, seeking an answer. Then it hit her. "Can it be because of sex?" She didn't feel anything other than her muscles being strained, and definitely not sick.
His gait was straight, but his skin color looked very wrong, with veins especially visible on his hands even though the redness didn't reach there.
"I am not sick," He said, his gaze darting anywhere but her before he realized how awkward it was and returned his focus. "Really. It's just a car driver who recklessly cut corners and I had to swerve, and the seat belt cut a little when I leaned away. It should pass in a few hours."
She looked suspicious. She whispered, getting closer to him. "So it's not because of the thing we did."
Her voice must have been tense as he just smiled.
"Nope. Let's go to class."
She just nodded, and they left for class side by side.
…
Tyler remembered the feeling of meeting face to face with a predator like a vampire. Stefan with his current diet felt like a human. He could only sense something weird about him because of his focus.
And the older ones should be able to hide themselves even better from his senses, knowing the threat werewolves pose, maybe except for those reckless ones.
After school, his strength started returning, so he used wolfsbane again, drinking it mixed with water.
The pain made him unable to sleep. He sighed and rose from the bed. He might as well watch some TV.
When he got out of his room, he saw the lights on in his father's study room. Without hesitation, he went and knocked on the white wood door. "Dad."
"Come in."
When he entered, Tyler saw his father wearing his glasses and reading a book.
"I want to talk about the presence I felt. I think there are vampires in town."
His father's attention instantly left the book and turned to him. "Sit."
He did. The chairs… they were wood, comfortable, yet he was not used to the design. Would he live long enough to like other styles?
He clenched his jaw and went silent for a moment. Should he just kill the Salvatore brothers? Stefan is weak now, making him an easier target. But Stefan was also in his better days, and Tyler didn't know if he could live with himself if he took that step. As for Damon, they had no guarantee he could be taken down. If they launched a full attack, making their identities compromised, they would face Damon's full attack. Knowing him, he would slaughter half the families of the council.
He could only get back to it some other time. But tomorrow he can't let Damon attack his friends. He could tell many things to a stranger witch; what couldn't he tell his own father?
"I overheard him speaking with my now superior hearing, planning to kill two people, and thinking of joining a party tomorrow to have more blood. And there's only one that fits. Tomorrow night, he will hunt at the Back to School Party."
He paused, finally locking his gaze with his father. "It will be too public. A direct confrontation would be irreversible. Can you set up a few people to act just in time to repel him? It would even be better if he avoids the risk."
He would be there. If things escalate, they can only start a war. Then, he wouldn't hold back. In that case, either Damon survives, or they do.
…
Tyler was standing behind the car his friend owned. He took the entire crate of booze and went to the gathering place with a wooden roof at the center of the woods.
His past life never had such parties. They would either drink in a house or around the house. They wouldn't go far off where the internet wouldn't be available. Even he, who had great self-control, succumbed to social media's scrolling behavior. Now, in this open place, not having to worry about the internet or his phone, and only having a small number of people to think about was a much better experience. Even with his mind going over the preparations he had done for this night, his mind wasn't stressed.
"Yo, Tyler. That girl is checking you out."
He turned towards Mike. He was someone from the team. He had blonde hair and dark eyes, wearing a white shirt and black jeans.
He followed the place Mike was pointing to and saw a red-haired girl quickly turn towards her friends to talk.
He shook his head, and smiled. Mike asked, "Do you need help with that, tough guy?"
Tyler smiled. "When did I need help, you twig."
Mike was the thinnest, but the most athletic person among them. That's why he got this nickname. He played Wide Receiver in the team. He was even faster than him prior to his transformation.
Tyler imagined for a second what it would be like if Mike became a werewolf. He imagined him becoming a menace in wolf form against even older vampires. If he finds a way to transform them and also figure out a way to gain more power in human form, he would be a good teammate in fights. After all, his whole team was established for different positions, and they all complemented each other.
But that was just a fantasy. Nothing was certain, especially with Sheila. And consent was another matter. He would have to think about his approach if it would be possible. He would need all the wolves he could get.
"Did you get more jacked this summer?" Mike looked at his arm, and Tyler followed. It looked massive. It must have gotten pumped after carrying the crate.
Tyler said, "It must be the pump." After putting it down, they placed the booze into the coolers filled with ice.
"Where are the others?" Tyler didn't see his other team members.
"They are bringing their girls," Mike said, bitterness in his voice.
Mike was the most romantic among the team. He dated for a few months, fell in love, and separated. She told him he was too good for her.
Mike of course didn't understand at first. They were high schoolers, and their relationship involved sex most of the time. It was hard to convince the guy of that who thought he had to take it slow and do it when appropriate. Clearly, she wasn't on board with that idea.
"Did you bring protection?" Tyler asked, wincing at himself. He was the one who forgot to use one yet he was trying to help out.
Mike showed his wallet. "Yeah. But no one to use with."
Tyler smiled and put his arm around Mike's shoulder. His destination? The group of hot girls.
They swaggered together as they approached the girls. Mike seemed to notice as his eyes widened, but he wasn't scared. He was in the team, with cheerleaders around all the time. It should be easy for him to hook up tonight.
"Hey ladies." Tyler smoothly approached the group. His eyes traveled to each for a second.
"Hey," they echoed.
"We brought the drinks. It should cool down after a few minutes. You guys are from the opposite class, right?" They nodded. His eyes turned to the red-haired girl. "I remember seeing you."
The girl being pointed to looked bewildered. She introduced herself, "Hi. My name is Lisa."
"Tyler." He saw Mike start striking up a conversation with one of the brunettes, while the rest of the girls talked among themselves, distancing themselves. He patted Mike, and slowly he too distanced himself and chatted with Lisa.
She looked gorgeous, her long hair spilling around her chest, her blue eyes reflecting himself. He caught his own smile in them, and his smile reached his ears.
…
After talking with Lisa, he separated to get his drink as he saw Caroline coming with Bonnie and Elena. Off to the side, he saw Jeremy and Vicki. Seeing them smile and flirt made his gut constrict for a second, but it was gone by the time he popped open his drink. He leaned on a wooden pillar as he listened to the music while taking sips of his drink. There were sounds reaching his ears from everywhere, but his attention was on the woods.
As time passed, some would come to converse, but he always kept it light. Stefan also came, now talking with Elena, while Caroline was talking with… Lisa.
They were friends. What bad luck. At some point, they might have had a good time.
His eyes searched the rest of the crowd. Everyone seemed here, even Vicki.
Would Damon not find a chance? He searched the crowd again, and he now noticed three people missing: Mike, the brunette girl, and Bonnie.
His heart stirred, his senses trying to find anything, but the music interfered. He put down the drink and went towards the woods behind him. That was the most likely direction, with no hills, if anyone would wander around.
He slowly went from the right, his hands in his pocket holding a pepper spray filled with vervain. He heard a moaning sound, and saw Mike pushing himself onto the brunette with his pants down. His eyes caught a shadow, and glanced up to see a figure casually hugging the tree with one hand, his feet on top of the branch. His ears pricked as he caught a sound from the right, and he quickly hid himself behind a tree.
After a moment, the moaning stopped as mist started rising from somewhere. He dialed the number his father left for him to call, and pulled the spray into his hands. When a whimper sounded, he dashed forward with all his might, colliding with two figures that sent them forwards, while the girl to his right screamed when she saw him go past her and continued his rush.
Only one sound of a body hitting the floor sounded, and his instincts went haywire. First, the top of his head, then his whole right side of his body felt a chill, so he braced himself.
An inhuman pressure gripped him and pinned him to a tree with a push, traveling in the air for more than natural amount of time. His head hit the tree, making his eyes shut forcefully, but his hands gripped the arms of the attacker as it tried to grip his head. It wanted to break his neck! Dread filled his whole body, and he saw himself reflected in a cold pair of blue eyes as they got darker with veins just about to appear. He didn't let his grip weaken for the life of him.
"Oh," Damon said, before a gunshot sounded and hit the tree, Damon disappearing like a ghost.
He slid from the tree, his knees shaking for a second before he didn't let himself kneel. He looked at Mike, who had dread in his eyes, on the floor, gripping his neck with blood around, while the other girl was already gone. But his eyes caught the shimmering hazel eyes of a black girl standing where he had heard footsteps before hiding himself, her hands closing her mouth to hold back a scream.
Bonnie wasn't a problem. It would quicking her entry into the world of supernatural. What he cared about now was Damon, the perimeter they had sat up for him, and Mike.
His eyes searched for the shooter, and saw a man putting his gun into its holster. The man nodded, and slowly went towards the party, now his police uniform clear. After a moment, he heard the party music going off while the sounds of pleading with the cop to continue sounded.
Tyler closed his eyes as the sound of the crowd slowly went away and opened them back to help Mike up.
He already had his pants up, thankfully.
"Don't move your neck. Let me bring you to a hospital."
He pulled Mike to the passenger seat and hopped into his own.