Madeline Sage Saltzman, a vampire hunter and adoptive daughter of Alaric Saltzman, did not know what was in store for her when she entered Mystic Falls. Each passing day meant more potential dangers emerging. How will she handle it when she falls in...
As Madeline slept, Alaric and her brother glanced at her facial features, bitterly ignoring Damon's remarks. He apologized only once, which was astonishing enough. They wouldn't admit it, but they were secretly grateful Madeline would still be with them. That is, if she preferred to go through with the transition.
Regaining her energy, she stretched as she awoke, her hair ruffled and shirt still tinted in her blood. Damn it. It was one of her favorite shirts, too. Seeing the unreadable expressions on her family's faces, she sighed, readjusting her spot on the couch.
"Don't kill Damon, okay?" Madeline said, looking down at her blood-stained hands. Concealed beneath all the snarky remarks, she wondered what she would do when she saw the blue-eyed vampire again. Occasionally, confrontation was just too much to handle, especially now. "That's my job."
"How are you feeling?" Alaric said, his knee bouncing up and down anxiously. Reaching out to comfort her, his brows puckered as she recoiled.
Pietro put his lips in a thin, straight line, reviewing how she brought her knees close to her chest, almost like a protective barrier. Stefan had left, needing to get some hospital blood, just in case Madeline chose to turn.
Panting arrived from the front door as a certain blonde scrambled inside. "Where's Mads?" Caroline shouted as she searched the house, her tone knitted with haste. Once she heard about Madeline being sacrificed, she whisked right over after taking care of Tyler.
"In here!" Pietro called out, provoking the blonde to speed into the room with a backpack slung on her shoulder.
"God, there you are." Caroline exhaled, registering the redhead's appearance as she embraced her in a hug. She remembered how she felt when she first turned, when she killed a human for the first time. Frightened, bewildered. Madeline was there for her every step of the way, and Caroline planned to return the favor. "I'm so sorry, Mads. I'm sorry I wasn't there."
"Don't worry. I'm okay, Care," Madeline whispered unconvincingly, hugging back. She longed to have her best friend by her side. "Who called you?"
"I did." Pietro answered, smiling at their friendship. "I knew you would react like this, so I called the one and only Caroline Forbes."
