Her Purpose || Kai Parker

Chapter 26

**(Long Chapter ahead)**

Later that morning, Stefan confided in Damon that Elena had been sired to him.

Damon, ever the skeptic, initially denied it—until the mounting evidence became undeniable.

Faced with the truth, the brothers made the difficult decision to head to New Orleans in search of a way to break the sire bond.

Meanwhile, at the Salvatore house, Caroline, Estrella, Elena, and Bonnie were indulging in a much-needed girls' night.

The warmth of the fire crackled softly in the parlor as Elena sauntered in, carrying a wooden crate filled with alcohol.

"One for you," Elena said with a playful grin, handing a bottle to Bonnie, who accepted it with a chuckle.

"And one for you... and you," Elena continued, passing bottles to Caroline and Estrella.

Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, "I won't tell Damon," eliciting a soft laugh from Estrella, her amusement lighting up the room.

"Ooh," Caroline remarked, amused by the covert gesture.

"I'm assuming this one's for Caroline?" Bonnie said, holding up a blood bag that had been tucked in the crate.

Caroline reached for it, but before she could take it, Elena snatched it away with a mischievous grin.

"Actually, it's for me," she revealed, leaving Caroline and Bonnie to exchange bewildered looks.

"I thought—" Caroline began, confusion etched on her face.

"Wait, are you saying that—" Bonnie started to piece it together, but Elena silenced her by taking a sip from the blood bag, making a show of her newfound control.

"Thanks to Damon, I am now a functional dysfunctional vampire," Elena declared with a mock toast, her tone equal parts proud and amused.

"That's amazing," Estrella said, her voice filled with genuine surprise, although there was a hint of skepticism in her expression.

Caroline, however, wasn't so convinced. "Uh, what do you mean 'thanks to Damon'?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elena smiled casually, as if it were no big deal. "Well, he suggested that I try it again. So I did, and it worked. No more snatch, eat, erase."

Estrella and Caroline exchanged a knowing glance.

There was something unspoken between them, a realization simmering just beneath the surface, though neither of them voiced it yet.

"So, where's my least favorite Salvatore?" Caroline asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, referring to Damon.

Elena sighed, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she settled onto the couch beside Estrella.

She scrolled briefly before holding it up to show the screen.

"'Out with Stefan for the night. Don't wait up. Brother bonding,'" she read aloud, her voice trying to sound casual, though her expression wavered.

"Hm," Caroline said with a raised eyebrow, clearly not convinced.

"So you two are, what, texting each other check-ins now? What else do you do?" Her tone had an edge to it, a probing curiosity that made everyone in the room tense.

Elena's face fell, and the atmosphere turned awkward.

Estrella, sensing the tension rising, felt her hair subtly shift to a soft yellow—a clear giveaway of her own unease.