The Number Of Six

Chapter 15

''Where's Stefan?'' It got quiet in the room.
''I saw him at the party.'' I said, the first one to break the silence.
Damon rolled his eyes and I shrugged. I at least said something.
''She's right. We last saw him there, maybe we should start looking at her school?'' Rebekah suggested. I was heading to the door when a wind blew past me four times. Four vampires with vampire speed. I stood in front of the door, my arms crossed and yelled into the night.
''Has anyone forgotten something?'' I looked around and threw my hands up in frustration.
''I'd never forget you.'' Elijah said, coming from behind. He locked the door and threw me over his back. There had been four people who had passed me, not five. I smiled. I loved Elijah, no matter how strict he was.

Once we got to the school, there were a lot of wolves. My guess was thirty. Jake was standing in the front row, next to Conchobar. Jake's mom on his other side. It seemed like they were the leaders. On the outer side, the annoying boy sat on the cold stones, his foot probably broken. Then, in the middle, I saw Stefan. I looked at Elijah but he had noticed him already. I fixed my gaze back at Jake, who looked angry back. Standing in the middle of all my siblings, I tried to look as certain and dangerous as they did. Not like the weak link they needed to protect. Rebekah and Michael stood behind me, Klaus left and Elijah right. Damon stood in front of us, hands balled in fists. He was breathing heavily and I knew he was mad, very mad.
''What do you want?'' Damon asked between gritted teeth. The next second, I was startled. Stefan started screaming in the most horrible way I had ever heard anyone screamed. I couldn't help but I started to cry, he was in pain. Why didn't he just run away? Panicking, I looked at Elijah, then at Klaus. Nobody did anything! I ran to him but something stopped me. I tried to run forward but my feet kept running in the same place, I couldn't get to Stefan, I couldn't go and help him out of his misery. The iron grip on my pols hurt but it didn't matter, Stefan was in more pain. Then there were two hands holding both of my arms. They pulled me back.
''If you don't stand still, I'll break your arm.'' Klaus threatened. He let go of my arms and gave me a warning look.
''Why aren't you doing something?'' I whispered. If he had a plan, the wolves probably weren't supposed to hear. On the other side, they had wolf hearing so they would hear everything.
Klaus looked at Stefan and I saw the pain is his eyes I had missed before.
''Because there is nothing we can do. He's held by a witch, she's in his mind.''
I frowned and looked around. All the way in the back, on the last row, I saw a woman with raven black hair. Her mouth was moving but she wasn't making any sound. Her gaze was concentrated on Stefan. I wanted to throw a knife at her, make her suffer the way she did to Stefan. As if reading my thoughts, Klaus put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it hard.
''Don't you even dare.'' He said. I obeyed, because I knew I couldn't do anything. Until Conchobar spoke. When he had explained what he wanted so we could get Stefan back, I was thrilled. Finally, I was able to help! But my siblings didn't think so. All of them growled at the same time, showing their fangs which led to most of the wolves doing the same. Except for Jake. He just kept on staring at me with a weird look in his eyes, it wasn't only anger. There was more to it. I couldn't put my finger on it.
''You can ask everything but her. '' Elijah finally answered.
Conchobar smiled and shook his head.
''Poor thing. You know, I should've kept her with me when I had the chance.''
Now I got confused. When he had the chance? Oh yeah. I had been in their...I didn't know what it was but I had been in their 'camp'. He wanted me gone back then, now he wanted me closer? He needed to make up his mind.
''You don't know?'' Conchobar said when he saw everyone's confusion.
''She, '' he said where after he pointed at me, '' paid us a little visit not long ago. ''
''If only I had known back then-'' He didn't finish his sentence, just bit his lip and sighed.
''Then what? You wouldn't have ripped open the tent and abducted me? 'Cause that's what you did last time.'' I screamed at him. I didn't even care anymore Elijah knew I had been with them. Until he shot me an angry look. He bucked down to my eye level and gripped my chin so I would look him in the eyes.
''You were with them? Do you even realize how dangerous that is? All the things that could've happened!'' Elijah was almost yelling in my face and the tears came up again.
I tried to slap his hand away but wasn't strong enough , before I yelled back.
''How can I know anything? You never tell me anything! '' After putting the stress on the word anything, he loosened his grip and I was able to turn my head but Klaus's hand still kept me in place. Great, now Jake must think I was one of those girls that cried all the time. Thinking about Jake made me wonder what his share part was of all this. Why was he even here? Why had he been at the ball, which was still happening a couple of feet from us. If anyone came out, we'd have a problem.
''Well, what's it going to be? Or we kill Stefan, or we take Elena with us. Choose, we don't have the whole night.'' Conchobar set an ultimatum. I looked back and forth between Conchobar and Elijah, hoping to read anything from their faces. Elijah didn't have a choice, did he? I mean, they wouldn't hurt me. I knew them. And Jake would protect me, he was a friend. His mom also seemed to like me. So why was he still thinking about it? The solution was obvious. I saw Jake whisper something to the leader, who first firmly shook his head. After Jake took a look at me, he whispered something again at Conchobar. This time, Conchobar also looked at me before nodding his head.
''I understand this is a hard choice to make so Jake here, did a suggestion. We'll give you a week to decide, not longer. I'll find you when the time is ready.''
With that, he turned around and gestured the others to follow. The witch didn't leave Stefan out of her sight, he was taken by his arms by two wolves which muscles that seemed to explode from under their skin. I watched them go and turned mad to Elijah.
''Why didn't you do it?'' I asked.
''Excuse me?'' He said, confused.
''Why didn't you trade me for Stefan?'' I asked again. I wanted to know, I deserved it.
''What do you think, Elena, '' Damon intervened,'' that we would give a little human girl for a vampire who is much stronger and unkillable? ''
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. ''Unkillable is not a word.''
Damon ignored me.
''You don't get it, do you? The wolves have been after you even before we moved here. ''
''Why?'' I asked. There was nothing special about me, nothing they could want.
''We yet have to find out but we're working on it. '' Rebekah said. She put her arm around me and gave me a kiss on the forehead.
''We have some theories but that's all they are. The night you went missing,'' Klaus continued, '' we thought they had already taken you.''
''That's why you were fighting with the wolf in the alley that night.'' I said and Elijah nodded.
It also explained the messages, ''they will never get her''. It started to make sense.
''Now it's your turn to speak, miss ''I pretend to not know a thing while I really already know everything''.'' Damon sat down on the nearest bench and gave me look that said I needed to spill it all.
''Like you guys have told me everything!'' I retorted.
''We didn't. It's also not necessary.'' Elijah started. ''Now tell us all you know.''
I looked at Rebekah. She nodded in encouragement. Deep in my heart, I knew I could trust everyone who was standing around me but something made me feel uncomfortable if I told everything. It felt wrong somehow.
So I told them half of everything that had happened since the café. I told them I'd met Jake there, we'd seen them fight and he had explained he was a wolf. After that, I had only seen him once again, we had talked. I didn't tell them it was in our garden , I thought it didn't matter. Seeing Rebekah not commenting, she must've thought the same. I also kept quiet about Willow, if they knew she had been the reason I'd escaped, I might never see her again. I also said I had escaped the party and met everyone, not knowing they were wolves. Now, it seemed logic. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it back then. Anyway, after that, I met Conchobar and Jake's mom. Of course, Klaus had to comment that I was fast in my 'relationship' with Jake, first meet the mom before taking the boy home. At last, I told them I had drugged Alaric and sneaked out the house to the ball, where I saw Jake again.
''He suggested we'd go talk somewhere after the ugly boy interrupted and that's when Damon ripped of Jake's door.'' I finished.
''What I don't get, '' Elijah said, '' Is how you got out of our house?'' Five pair of eyes were looking at me.
I had no explanation that would cover the truth. Lying would be pointless because they would see through it.
''You also don't tell me everything, why would I?'' I said, hoping they'd leave it at that.
Damon laughed and hit Elijah on the shoulder.
''She's got you there.'' Damon said, like nothing else was going on. Like Stefan wasn't tortured and held captive.
''But what are we going to do about Stefan?'' I asked them. Nobody had an answer.
We went back home and Elijah told me to get some sleep. I hadn't noticed I was tired until my head hit the pillow.

Five hours later, I woke up again. I stretched out and felt tired but all the things that had happened came back to me. I sat up straight, got dressed and went downstairs, only to find Alaric sitting in front of the tv. I saw none of my siblings. I knew I had to face Alaric after drugging him but I hadn't expected it this soon. Quietly, I walked backwards and turned around to go upstairs until Alaric's voice stopped me.
''Next time you drug me, do it with water. Now I suddenly have some aversion from beer. You know how much I like beer?'' He said and I smiled. It made it easier to say sorry.
''I'm really sorry, Alaric. '' I ran over and hugged him before offering him another drink. He raised his eyebrows and laughed. When he asked me whether I was serious, I said I was but took only something for myself.
The door flew open and the guy from the skating rank walked in. Shoot. I'd forgotten his name. Dammit.
''What are you doing here?'' I said instead of saying 'hello'. Well, you didn't get strangers over the floor every day in a vampire house.
''You're friendly. Hi to you too. '' The guy said and walked to Alaric. He sat down on the other couch and put his feet on the table.
''Everything outside's clear. '' He took a beer from the table and drank it up in one sip.
''Again: what are you doing here? Where is Elijah and the rest?'' I asked Alaric and mister rude.
Finally, Alaric answered, only glancing a couple of times over his shoulder to talk to me. The tv was more interesting.
''Your siblings are looking for the wolves, and a solution for Stefan. Kyle, this fellow over here, you met on the skating rank. He's a vampire and is going to watch over you with me, since I can't do it alone. I mean, getting one man down is one thing, but two guys? Don't think so. '' Alaric raised his bottle of beer and cheered , Kyle followed his example.

So this is where I had to stick home with for a whole week? Yeah right.

The following day, Alaric went back home. He had a life too and couldn't just sit around the whole time. Kyle on the other hand, seemed nothing he had to do.
''Can we please go somewhere?'' I asked him.
''Your siblings told me to stay in the house, you know, because the wolf might catch you and all that.'' He looked at me and smiled.
''But I think that might be interesting to see. Want to go skating?'' Kyle asked and I wasn't sure whether he was joking or not. Apparently, he wasn't because he stood up and took his jacket.
''Are you coming?'' Kyle asked.
''Oh, you drive by the way.'' He opened the door and I held his shoulder to get out.
Still amazed at how It felt that someone actually listened to me, I started the car and headed for the rank but Kyle led me in another direction. He wanted to get his skates from home.

Once on the rank, I wasn't better than last time but also not worse. I did know now why he was so good at it considering his vampire reflexes. Kyle knew almost everyone who was skating, from the little kids playing around to the grown-ups watching them. In between the games he played with the little kids and conversations he made with the adults, he tried to learn me go forward. When I finally succeeded, he started explaining how to stop but it was a step too far for me. When it was time to head home, I felt sad. We'd need to sit home again and do nothing.
Once we arrived home, Alaric was waiting for us.
''Better not tell Elijah you took her out, he'll be furious.'' He told us, or rather, Kyle.
He shrugged it off.
''They gave them a week, didn't they? Why coming for her now? Besides, nothing happened, can't lock the kid up in there forever, can they?'' He explained.
I thought they could, they definitely had done it. Until I of course escaped. The hole. The hole was still in my room! I could leave anytime I wanted to. Only having the possibility of leaving when I wanted, made it bearable to stay inside.