Moonbound | Tyler Lockwood ¹

X. You wanted the cold hard truth

2x8

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THE LENGTHS SHE WAS PREPARED TO GO TO FOR THE DOPPLEGÄNGER... Raina was starting to feel just as pathetic as one of the Salvatore brothers, trailing after Elena. It had gotten to the point where she'd (reluctantly) joined the high school to keep an eye on the dopplegänger. She didn't really know how to do high school but if it was filled with imbeciles who did it daily then it shouldn't be too hard for her.

It ended up being a waste of a day as it seemed Elena had skipped school. At the very least it gave her an opportunity to keep an eye on her werewolf in case Damon decided to try and kill him too. She was almost certain that Caroline would have told him about Tyler triggering his curse. High school was mind numbingly boring. She now understood why mortals hated it so much. Being the new kid meant that people stared. She didn't entirely mind, she liked the attention.

Raina sipped the blood from the slushy cup, cold blood didn't taste nearly as good as it did when it was fresh from the vein. The only thing that would beat blood from the vein would be if it were a specified blood type she preferred over others. At least cold blood would pass as a mortal drink. Besides, humans had really shit senses of smell so she could get away with sipping blood nearly everywhere as long as it was hidden well enough.

"Hey. Um...are you okay?" Raina moved her gaze to the sound of Caroline's voice, the vampire was talking to Tyler. This should be interesting. "You lied to me earlier. Why?" he asked. "Look, Tyler...I think that you misunderstood me at the party. I get it, it was very traumatic" The blonde said. "You're lying" Tyler stated. "Nope but I'm late" Caroline tried to move past him. "Hey!" The werewolf grabbed her arm. In response, she twisted his arm and threw him to the floor.

Was everybody in this town daft? For somebody trying not to admit to Tyler about the supernatural world she was definitely doing a very shit job at it. The werewolf quickly got back up "How did you...you're stronger than me?" He asked. "Please, that was nothing" Caroline scoffed. Case in point. Raina was nearly convinced she was the only person in town who was capable of keeping a secret. "Listen, if you know something you've got to tell me because I can't handle this" Tyler said, a note of urgency entering his voice. This could be her opening...

"I'm sorry, Tyler but I think that you're still in shock over Sarah dying and it's understandable" Caroline said calmly before walking away. Tyler scowled, turning in the opposite direction he kicked a garbage can near him causing it to fly into a car and set off the alarm. Raina chucked "Yeah you're barking up the wrong tree there" Tyler whirled around to see her leaning against the front of the bus though he could have sworn she wasn't there a moment ago.

Raina tilted her head at his angry and confused look. "Really? You don't recognize me? I would have thought the accent would have given me away. Guess not..." It took a moment to click "The girl from the party. In the wolf mask" She smirked, putting a finger to her lips exactly like she did at the party. "You're a werewolf too aren't you?" Tyler asked. "Are you really going to go around accusing people of being wolves?" Raina asked "If you are I should save you the trouble of looking like an idiot and tell you that you are probably the only wolf in town"

"If you're not a werewolf then what are you? And how did you know what I am?" Tyler asked. "I'm a vampire" Raina responded simply. He blinked. Once. Twice. Searching her face to make sure she was being serious. The Original exhaled deeply and rolled her eyes. She did a quick scan of the school parking lot. Nobody was looking at them... When she looked back at Tyler black veins began sprouting under her eyes. She opened her mouth to allow her fangs to grow. Then she closed it again and let the veins recede. "Need more proof?" She asked. Tyler looked disturbed and maybe a little frightened which amused Raina "I can help you but first I need to set some things straight"

She took his silence as a sign to continue "First and foremost nobody should know what we are. Nobody. It's life and death. If it were to get out both of us could be killed" She said firmly. "I know" Tyler said. "The supernatural world has three base species, Vampire, Witch and Werewolf but there are subspecies and hybrids too" The Original continued. "If you let me, I can explain it all to you. I can help you when the full moon comes" She watched his behaviour closely, not failing to notice the small shift in it when she mentioned the full moon. "What's the catch?" Tyler asked.

"You'd have to take my word for it" Raina said. "I don't even know your name" Tyler said. Well, at least he wasn't stupid enough to blindly trust her. "Reine. My name is Reine. And if you don't want my help them it's all the same to me" she shrugged. "Why even offer to help me?" The werewolf asked. Raina resisted the urge to tell him that her sob story was her own business. If she wanted him to trust her then she'd have to be somewhat open. She really wished she'd compelled him while she still could. "I was a werewolf too. Before I became a vampire. I know what to expect once the full moon comes" A small twist to her actual story but it was close to enough to the truth.

Raina could see the hesitation in his eyes, she could see the desperation in them too. He was terrified of what would come and he was playing right into her hands "Fine" Tyler said finally.

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[Timeskip]

[Previous location: Mystic Falls High School]

[Current location: Mystic Grill]
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The chatter of people filled the Grill. She opted for a seat at the very corner of the grill where it was unlikely for them to be overheard. Raina passed one of two glasses of alcohol to the werewolf sitting across from her "Go on, drink. It takes the edge off" she prompted. "Until the full moon and your first transition you'll feel like your skin is on fire, your emotions on the other hand will be heightened for the rest of your life, no escaping that" she stated. "What happens when it's the full moon? What's the transformation like?" Tyler asked. "You want the sugar coated answer or the cold hard truth?" Raina asked.

"The truth, I need to be ready for what comes" Tyler said. Raina snorted "Trust me, nothing can prepare you for the pain. Once the moon reaches it's apex you slowly start to turn. You need to break every bone in your body before you can turn into a wolf. Since this is your first transition you'll start to feel the effects earlier and it could go on for hours-" Tyler cut her off "Hours?!" He asked incredulously "Look, you wanted the cold hard truth, I'm giving it to you" Raina responded.

Tyler had paled, the glass in his hand shattered from the force of his grip. Raina sighed "It's not all bad" she said, her voice softer now. "The kind of freedom you feel running through the forest as a wolf? It's something else entirely. In all my centuries of life I've never felt anything like it" A wistful edge seeped into her voice as she spoke. She missed being a wolf. She didn't miss the pain but she did miss the aftermath. The part that made it feel less like a curse and more like a gift. But soon she wouldn't have to miss it. Soon she could feel it again. All in good time.

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[Edited?: Partially]
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