Chapter 2 2

Elena's instincts screamed at her to push him out the door and lock it tight, but something in Damon's voice kept her rooted in place. The calm authority in his tone was unsettlingly convincing, and the way he looked at her-as though she were some fragile thing that only he could protect-unnerved her even more.

"I don't need protecting," she said, her voice firmer than she felt. "I don't even know you."

Damon held her gaze, his eyes steady, unwavering. "You don't have to trust me, Elena. But you need to understand-Magnus won't stop. He's already hunting you."

Her grip on the knife tightened, though she wasn't sure what good it would do if any of this-werewolves, packs, threats-were real. "Why would someone like him care about me? I'm no one."

A shadow flickered across Damon's face, and for a moment, he hesitated. "You're not 'no one.' You're-" He stopped himself and took a step back, his jaw tightening. "There's more to this than you know. But I'm not going to stand here and explain everything while you're exposed like this."

"Exposed?" Elena scoffed, but her heart raced. "I'm inside my house, with locked doors, and-"

Damon pointedly glanced at the still-open front door, the lock hanging uselessly.

"Your locks don't matter against someone like Magnus," he said flatly. "Against me."

The weight of his words hit her like a punch, and she found herself stepping back. "What... what does he want?"

Damon's gaze softened slightly, but there was no mistaking the urgency in his voice. "You're important to him for reasons I can't fully explain yet. But trust me when I say, it's not a fate you want."

Elena's mind reeled. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't real. But the intensity in Damon's eyes-the raw, unflinching truth she saw there-said otherwise.

"Why should I believe you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because I just saved your life," Damon replied. "And because you're still breathing."

Her breath caught. "What does that mean?"

Damon stepped closer, his movements careful, measured. He reached out, but stopped short, as if sensing her discomfort. "Magnus was here tonight. His wolves were at your door. If I hadn't come when I did..." His voice trailed off, his meaning clear.

A shiver ran down her spine. "Why would you save me? If this Magnus wants me so badly, why not let him have me and save yourself the trouble?"

The question hung in the air, and for a moment, Damon didn't answer. Then, his lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "Because that's not who I am. And because I don't believe in leaving people to fend for themselves when they don't even know what they're up against."

Elena wanted to argue, to tell him she wasn't some helpless damsel, but the weight of the moment kept her silent. She lowered the knife, though she didn't let go of it entirely.

"If I go along with this," she said slowly, "what happens next?"

Damon's expression grew serious. "You come with me. My pack's territory is secure. You'll be safe there."

"And if I say no?"

His jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with something dangerous. "Then Magnus finds you. And trust me, you won't like what happens after that."

Elena looked away, her mind racing. Everything about this screamed insanity, but she couldn't deny what she'd seen-or the strange sense of truth in Damon's words.

"I don't even know you," she said again, her voice faltering.

"You'll have time to decide if you trust me," Damon said, his voice gentler now. "But right now, the only thing that matters is keeping you alive."

She swallowed hard, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "Fine," she said finally. "But if this is some elaborate scam or cult thing, I'll make you regret it."

Damon's lips twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile. "Fair enough."

He turned, his posture still alert, and gestured toward the door. "Grab whatever you need. We need to leave now."

Elena hesitated, glancing around her small, cozy home. It had been her sanctuary, her connection to a mother she barely remembered. Now it felt like a trap.

She nodded reluctantly and headed toward her room, her hands trembling as she packed a small bag. As she stuffed in clothes and her mother's worn journal, Damon's voice called softly from the doorway.

"Elena."

She turned to find him standing there, his expression unreadable.

"I'll keep you safe. I promise."

For a moment, she didn't respond. Then, she nodded, clutching the bag tightly. "Let's go."

The night outside was cold and eerily quiet. As Damon led her toward a sleek, dark SUV parked near the edge of the woods, Elena couldn't shake the feeling that she was stepping into a story she didn't belong in-a story she might not survive.