Why did I want to come here again?

We were in the woods and yet it felt far too claustrophobic.

I grasped a plastic red cup, gently tapping it against my thigh to the thumping music. The way it was rattling my very bones was off putting. I hated it. Not at all like in the movies.

But I also couldn't go home.

That'd be admitting defeat.

Someone stumbled into me, and I could barely react before I'd been bumped into the person next to me, earning a disgruntled 'hey!' from them.

Then Tyler was there.

He shoved the stumbling guy away.

"What's your problem?" He slurred.

"Watch where you're going." Tyler glowered at him.

I used it as an opportunity to slip deeper into the crowd. He was the last person I wanted to speak to right now.

Tyler was worse than one of Nik's minions.

It genuinely made me nauseous. To know that he was sired to him. That Nik could ask anything of him and he would do it.

He was unshakably loyal to Nik now.

"Morgan, wait!" And now he was following, great.

Yet another spy for my family.

His fingers curled around mine and I found myself being tugged to face him.

He and I stared at one another.

Damn those eyes.

Tyler used his speed and I had to use mine to avoid us going careening into a particularly thick tree. It separated our hands, and I nearly lost my footing. 

"Oh my god, Morgan. Are you okay?" He hurried after me.

"Stop!" I let out a huff. "Just stop, alright? Whatever we had between us ended the moment you left me in that cave." Then again when he betrayed me.

His brow furrowed. "I don't understand. I thought you wanted me to be safe from Klaus. Well I'm more than that now."

"You work for him. That's not safe." My chest was too tight. Why did it feel like I couldn't breathe? "I can't trust anything you say or do because your only motivation is to appease Nik."

Tyler hesitated. "That's not true!"

"Yeah? Then do something you know he won't like. Hurt me."

He scoffed, shaking his head. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"See. You can't do it."

"I'm not hurting you, Morgan."

"Why not? You know I'll heal."

"No."

"Fine." I turned on my heel, and he rushed in front of me.

"Wait, wait, wait. How can I convince you?"

"Elijah and Nik both have said you're sired to him. Why else would you choose to betray me like that?"

"Listen to my heart and tell me I'm lying." He took my hand. "I had to or Klaus said he would make sure we never saw each other again."

He wasn't. Lying, that is. "You can't let them blackmail you like that." Even if Nik absolutely would do it.

Tyler let out a laugh in a huff, his hand coming to rest at the side of my face. "Like I can say no."

"That doesn't explain why you left me in that cave." Either he wasn't lying or he was exceptionally good at it. I took a much needed step back. "Damon was hurt."

"I'm sorry." He tried to touch me again, and I put more space between us.

"I need time, Tyler."

He opened his mouth to reply but I suddenly got a splitting headache. I grasped my head, stumbling backward with a scream.

Tyler hit the ground, hard.

Magic.

It was magic.

Through the blurry haze, I could barely make out the features of a girl, her hand held out. I fell to my knees, fingers burying themselves in the dirt to try and ground me.

White hot agony trailed down my spine.

I fought to stay conscious, even as darkness crept in from the sides of my vision.

Why could I smell blood? Belatedly, I realized my face was wet. Was it me that was bleeding? The pain intensified and I collapsed.