Moonbound | Tyler Lockwood ¹

XXXII. The basics

2x?

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RAINA FIGURED SHE MIGHT AS WELL COOPERATE WITH KLAUS. If only to keep Tyler away from her sister. She had barged into his house without any prior warning. "Blood bags are convenient, but they will get very old very quickly. Besides, they're only alternatives that help you not get caught, fresh blood is much better" Raina stated "And like every vampire- or hybrid, worth their salt, you need to learn how to hunt"

"What are you up to?" Tyler asked bluntly. Raina raised an eyebrow. "Teaching you how to feed? There's no need to be so rude; I don't have to do this", she scoffed. "Exactly, then why are you doing it?" The hybrid replied "Klaus warned me about you. You don't do anything for the good of anybody without it being advantageous to you. It's like when you tried to help me with the werewolf transformation"

Raina sighed exasperatedly. Things would be that much harder for her if he was suspicious of her. She had no reason to use him anymore, but that was only as of right now; what if she had a purpose later? Perhaps being plain would be more advantageous. "You know what? Fine. I admit, it is not out of the complete goodness of my heart. I want you to stay away from my sister, I don't want her to have her heart broken"

Tyler still looked slightly skeptical "That's it? I'm not trying to go after her or anything-" The Original raised a hand to silence him "Let me finish. It makes no difference who is going after who, Rebekah gets too attached in too little time and Klaus will be incredibly displeased if he comes back to find her in a relationship" Something in the hybrid seemed to shift at the mention of Klaus's displeasure "I'll stay away from your sister, I'm not trying to get in the middle of anything" he replied. "You can go now"

Raina thought it was off how quickly he agreed and she didn't entirely believe him "And" she continued "I'm hoping that if I help you like Klaus wanted me to, he'll get this damned thing off me" she showed him the enchanted ring.

"What is that?" Tyler raised an eyebrow. "An enchanted ring. It keeps me from going anywhere except wherever Klaus wants me to," Raina explained. "It's incredibly restrictive, you know. Total pain in the ass" 

"I'm sure Klaus had a good reason-" The hybrid began. Raina rolled her eyes. "I'll stop you right there; I do not need a lecture from the Klaus defence committee; I know my brother's reasons better than anybody", she huffed. "But regardless, I am not here to debate that with you. If you don't want my help don't take it. I'll tell you once: this is a limited-time offer. Do you want to learn how to hunt without dealing with the overly rigid ethics of the Gilbert gang feeding you nothing but bland-tasting bunnies or not?"

Tyler hesitated as if deciding whether or not to trust her. But he gave in. "Fine"

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[Timeskip]

[Previous Location: Lockwood Manor]

[Current Location: Somewhere on the outskirts of Mystic Falls]

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"Three very simple rules, Lockwood: Snatch, eat, erase" Raina listed off on her fingers. "Snatch is not to be taken as literally; it's more like... persuade", she gestured vaguely around the bar. "Take your pick", she sipped from her cocktail glass. "Get them alone or in a semi-secluded place, anywhere where it's not obvious. I'm sure somebody with a face like yours will have no issues"

It was only when Tyler shot her a slightly confused side-eye that she realised that she had accidentally said something nice to him. Oh, whatever, he was handsome, and she'd be surprised if he didn't know it. "Just take the compliment" She returned his gaze coolly before continuing. "Once you have them alone, just compel them to stay still and not scream or give many reactions", she instructed. "Got all that? I'll keep an eye from here, step in if anything goes wrong"

"That's it? What about erase?" Tyler asked. "That comes after the fun, no need to worry until you've eaten" Raina waved him off "Just go get our meal, I'll watch your back"

Tyler seemed like he wanted to protest something but he chose against it and went over to a brunette at the other end of the bar. Raina kept one eye on them, watching Tyler. Even with her enhanced hearing, his voice was faint over the loud music and chatter. She only caught bits and pieces but he seemed to be good. Raina ordered more and more drinks for herself while she waited for the main course. 

After a while, she spotted Tyler getting up with the girl from out of the corner of her eye. She left behind a half-empty glass and a few hundred bucks. "Keep the change", she got up, moving towards the secluded corner Tyler had chosen. She heard him murmur as she approached. "Don't make a sound", his voice held the slightly eerie tone that came with compulsion. 

"Excellent job, Lockwood. Ten out of ten, you passed" Raina said, moving to sit on the other side of the compelled girl. "This was a test?" Tyler raised an eyebrow. The Original was a tad annoyed by his skepticism of every word that left her mouth but she didn't argue "Eat up" she brushed away the hair away from the compelled girl's neck, holding her by the chin before sinking her fangs in.

The familiar euphoric taste hit her tongue. She was aware of Tyler on the other side of the girl, having his share as well. Raina felt herself get lost in the familiar need for more. She wanted all of it. Suddenly, her frenzy was interrupted by a sudden shove backwards. Raina let out an animalistic snarl, realising Tyler had been the one to push her. Before she could do anything in return, the hybrid raised a hand to stop her "You were going to kill her"

Raina allowed herself a moment to come down from the blood high; once the haze had passed, she realised he was right. She'd blacked out, and their spot might have been secluded, but it was still far too open for her to drink the girl dry. She huffed out a reluctant "Thanks"

She took out her handkerchief, cleaning the blood from her lips and chin before offering it to Tyler. The hybrid was accepted. "Now comes the erase part", Raina said. "It's self-explanatory. Remove all evidence", she bit into her wrist before feeding the vampire blood to the girl. The moment the drops of blood entered her mouth, the wounds on her neck disappeared. The wound on Raina's wrist quickly closed itself too. She tilted the girl's head up to face her. "Go home. Forget about all this. You had a good time, that's all, but it's a blur because of the alcohol" She let go of the girl, allowing her to get up and leave. "She almost died-" Tyler began.

"It won't happen with you, Lockwood. I just happen to be a special case. You can feed without fear" Raina assured, remembering his reluctance to hurt others when he turned. "Now," she got up, offering him a hand "The fun doesn't need to end here"

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[Edited?: Partially]

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