𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧- 𝐄.𝐌

44. back to that place

The moon hung low in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the Mystic Falls mansion. Tyler sat restlessly in the dimly lit living room, his frustration palpable. Caroline stood in front of him, her expression a mixture of concern and understanding.

"Chris was a friend, Caroline," Tyler muttered, his voice heavy with emotion. "He's like me, part of my pack. All he wanted was to break free from that disgusting hold..."

He trailed off with a sigh, his gaze finding Caroline's. She met his eyes, her empathy evident. After a moment of silence, he voiced the question that had been gnawing at him.

"How did you even convince Klaus to give up one of his hybrids?" Tyler's curiosity was tinged with a mix of admiration and disbelief.

Caroline offered a wry smile. "I agreed to go on a date with him," she revealed, her tone half-joking, half-serious.

Tyler arched an eyebrow, a surprised chuckle escaping his lips. "A date? Seriously?"

Caroline nodded, her eyes twinkling with a mix of mischief and strategic cunning. "I figured it might help maintain the facade between you and Hayley."

Tyler's frustration seemed to simmer beneath the surface as he poured himself another drink. The room felt charged with tension, an unspoken weight hanging between them.

Suddenly, as if unable to contain his anger any longer, Tyler's grip tightened on the glass until it shattered against the wall behind Caroline. She flinched at the unexpected explosion of sound.

Caroline's gaze shifted from the shattered glass to Tyler's clenched jaw, her concern deepening. She understood the turmoil that churned within him, the conflicting loyalties and the emotional toll.

Tyler heaved heavy breaths, his eyes set on Caroline who held a fear and saddened look. He glanced over Caroline's shoulder to see a figure appear in the doorway.

"How dare you!" she snared in a cold low voice but it did good on challenging the unsired Hybrid. Recognising the Hybrid voice, Caroline turned around swiftly with a gaping look.

Maeve stomped inside the room and stopped in front of Caroline, ignoring her attempt of saying something. "Who do you think you are?" she asked Tyler.

"You don't get to say anything. This is between me and Caroline."

"Then why is that sleepy wolf here?"

"Don't defend her, you don't know what she's done?" A dark scoff escaped Maeve's lips hearing him.

"So the band of misfits from Mystic Falls have suddenly started to see what actions of the people, rather than the reason why? Has the sun started to rise from the west?" she commented, ridiculing the entire group of friends.

"Maeve...let's go." Caroline pleaded. Maeve didn't waste another second. She took Caroline's hand and pulled her away from the room.

"Maeve..." Caroline began again but silenced herself with Maeve's words,

"Not here. My place. We need to have a long chat."

Caroline let Maeve guide her away. Maeve's bike was parked just outside. The ride to her apartment was shot given the speed at which Maeve rode her bike.

Both sat on the couch inside the apartment, staring at the wooden floor. "Tell me everything." was all Maeve said. Caroline took a long breath and began to narrate. She told her about the other girl in the room.

Maeve sighed. Both stayed in silence for a while. "How can you not see the obvious?" she asked Caroline with a saddened voice.

"Tyler's unsiring the hybrids, Mae, we need a distraction for it."