TRIGGER WARNING: graphic depictions of torture, referenced Stockholm syndrome, and references to past torture/abuse.

"i'm dolohov's pet, not — not whatever this is."

—

"They have Caroline."

Eden groaned at Elena's text, leaning her head on Draco's shoulder. They were trying to watch Doctor Who together — a show Draco would profusely object to enjoying — when Elena texted her.

"You weren't kidding," Draco rolled his eyes. "There is far too much drama. We just got back."

"I told you, I'm always moving," Eden sighed, standing up and stretching.

"Where are you off to, then?" He asked, not moving from the couch.

Eden gave him a look. "I'm going to save Caroline."

"How?" Draco asked, leaning on his hand. "Are you going to be using your wand?"

Eden froze. He had a point. Damn him.

"No, I—"

"—so you'll be just as useless as if Elena went. I suggest you sit down, we watch this show, and you text Elijah to solve your problems for you."

Eden watched him for a moment as he reached for the remote, pressing play, and readjusted his position on the sofa. "Tick tock, darling," his eyes flickered to hers.

She couldn't just sit here and do nothing. This was Caroline. Then again, she wasn't exactly close to Caroline. She liked her well enough, but it's not like Elena was the one in danger.

And Draco was right. What could Eden do without a wand? Without her magic? Against werewolves?

Slowly, Eden sat back down.

"That's my girl," Draco commented as she pulled her legs under her. "Text your Original boyfriend. Salazar, that must come in handy."

"I don't like feeling like I'm using him," Eden frowned. "But I do need his help."

Draco looked at her for a moment. "It's alright to ask for help, Eden," he told her softly. "I haven't met him yet but he's already texted you twelve times and sent flowers to your place." He smirked. "I've been here nine hours, Eden, and I can see he's as enamored with you as you are with him. Ask him, he won't feel obliged. He wants to help."

Eden nodded, blushing at the reminders. He had, in fact, sent her flowers with a small note reading: 'Flowers to spruce your kitchen up, Elskan. Perhaps Draco could place a stasis charm on them for you?'

Draco did, in fact, place a stasis charm, and mocked her for how disgustingly romantic Elijah was to her.

Elijah responded to her request to help Caroline with a simple: Sending someone now, thank you for alerting me and not putting yourself in danger.

She'd always trust him, she realized, cuddling back onto Draco's shoulder.

And the thought didn't scare her as much as she thought it would.

—

"Alright, is this fancy enough for a tea party?" Eden asked Draco, knocking on the guest bedroom door.

Draco looked up from his place on the bed, glancing over her outfit. "No, it's rubbish. Try again."

"Draco," she whined. "Why don't you pick it out for me?"

Draco shook his head. "You'll never learn proper attire if I baby you, Sommers. Chin up, you look ridiculous when you pout."

"I do not," her pout deepened.

"I'm not your soulmate, darling, get in there and put a better dress on."

"I hate you!" She called, groaning as she walked back into her bedroom, searching through her clothes.

In reality, she was happy Draco was coming with her. They'd stopped and checked on Rose the night before — who was doing much better, if her naked in bed with Damon was anything to go by — and then fell asleep to Frank Ocean on her sofa.

Now, he'd be meeting Elijah for the first time at the "Historical High Society Tea Party" where her soulmate would be a guest of honor. Eden was invited by Jenna and accepted through her ties to the Gilbert family.

Draco was her plus one and the man knew better than anyone at the event what a tea party was and how it properly operated.

"Better," he commented from the door to her pale blue dress and stockings. "A bit Alice in Wonderland-shic, but beggars can't be choosers."

"Dammit," she groaned, shrugging the dress off.

He glanced away as she changed again, opting for a pale green dress instead.

"Eden," he spoke again, his voice contemplative. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," she snarked, walking to her vanity mirror and starting the braids on her hair.

"Have you had memory loss at all?" He asked softly. Eden glanced at him through the mirror. She could see the inner battle he was fighting — and losing.

"It's not your fault, Dray."

"That wasn't my question," he responded flatly.

Eden sighed. "Sometimes," she nodded. "A bad nightmare, I'll wake up and not remember anything. Once, I was knocked unconscious and triggered an episode. I didn't know where I was or who anyone was."

"Does it feel like the curse?" He asked softly, tracing his Dark Mark. "The cruciatus."

Eden slowed her braiding. "Sometimes," she admitted softly. "In a nightmare, the pain'll wake me up. Most days, I know they're just dreams. But with particularly traumatizing days, sometimes my mind reverts."

Draco bit his lip in thought. "Have you ever triggered an episode — that looks terrible," he cut himself off, walking towards her, and undoing her braids, slapping her hands. "I'll do it, you muppet," he muttered, restarting her french braids. "Do you think you can work through the trauma and stop the episodes?" He asked softly. "Or do you think it's a byproduct of the number of instances you were put under the curse for?"

Eden fiddled with the edge of the vanity.

"I like to think I can fix it," she confessed quietly. "But I think it's more alongside the Longbottoms. I feel like...if I were to be put under it again...?" She trailed off, biting her lip. "I don't think I could come back."

His hands froze at the end of her hair. She glanced into the mirror and saw his jaw tense, eyes watered. "I would need you to come back," he whispered. "I'm not your best friend, Eden, I know that. That's Potter's job, and maybe even fucking Salvatore. But," his tongue darted between his lips in thought. "You're mine. My best friend. I can't fucking lose you, Eden. I don't think I could manage seeing you in the J.T. Ward," he told her. "I think it would kill me."

Eden's eyes watered and she turned around, pulling Draco into a tight hug. He smelled the same as he always had. Tom Ford cologne, sour apples, and smoke. Clean smoke, not ethanol. He never smoked, he just brewed too many potions. He'd never smelled different. It was one of the things that kept her from losing her mind in his manor. Draco's gentle hands and signature scent. His grey eyes.

He kept her from losing herself and she would rather die than put him through losing her now.

"Hey," she pulled back and cupped his face softly. His eyes were soft, fond. A look he scarcely let others see. "I'm fine. Okay? They're going to find Dolohov and I won't ever endure the curse again. Alright?"

Draco watched her for a moment before nodding, gently taking her wrists and pulling her hands from his face. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, before dropping her hands entirely. "Don't tell me you're going bare faced to a tea party, Sommers? I raised you better than that."

"Fuck off and do my eyeliner, ferret."

—

They were definitely the most well-dressed.

Or, at least, Draco was. Dark trousers, a silk button down shirt, fitted jacket, dress shoes. He outshined her with his hair well-groomed and aristocratic face.

Eden wore a pale pink dress, white stockings and mary-jane's, feeling wholly outside of her comfort zone, but Draco's stamp of approval helped. Her hair was braided at the top and curled at the bottom — "you don't want to look like a child, Eden, must I do everything for you?" — and her makeup was soft and natural.

Upon arriving, the pair immediately searched for Elijah. Draco had only met the Original once, when he was five, and ran into him instead of his father when he was chasing Dobby around the manor.

(They'd both been beaten severely for the act by Lucius, according to Draco's bitter retelling, but Elijah was very kind about it all when it happened.)

Eden spotted Jenna and Damon first, exchanging a look with Draco, before they spotted Elijah and Carol Lockwood a bit further off. Noticing the blush that immediately took over her face, Draco led her in that direction.

"Mrs. Lockwood," Eden greeted with a polite smile. "Elijah."

"Pleasure to see you again, Eden," Elijah's lips formed a soft smile, his eyes taking in every inch of her face. "You look lovely."

"She better, I spent an hour on her, blimey," Draco teased, offering Eliah a hand. "Draco Malfoy, pleasure to meet you."

Elijah's eyes flickered with recognition, and he shook Draco's hand. "A pleasure indeed, Draco."

"I don't believe we've met," Carol pointed out to Draco. "Judging by the accent, you're someone Eden knows from Europe? Are you two together?"

Eden wouldn't admit how much she enjoyed Elijah tensing at the question, the tightening of his jaw. She also wouldn't admit how much she enjoyed Draco noticing, wrapping an arm around her waist, and smirking.

"Yes, for years now," his eyes danced with amusement. "Eden's practically my soulmate."

Eden fought back a smile as Elijah's eyes darkened. Eden had never been one to play with another before, Fred was reckless when jealous, but she found the warmth in her stomach too hard to resist.

"Fascinating," Elijah spoke up, meeting Eden's eyes. A warning there. She could feel his frustration, his temptation. It sent a positively divine shiver down her spine.

"Damon!" Carol exclaimed, taking a few steps to Damon, who was approaching them. Eden and Elijah continued staring at one another for a moment, before she looked away first. "What a surprise, hi."

Eden's blush deepened when Elijah's gaze remained on hers until Damon joined their group.

"Elijah," Carol smiled, oblivious to the tension surrounding Damon and Elijah or Elijah and Eden, or the amusement pouring from Draco. "I want you to meet Damon Salvatore. His family is one of Mystic Falls' founding families."

"Adorable," Draco muttered in Eden's ear. "Do you think she'd cream her knickers if I told her how much my family's worth?"

Eden fought a snort at his words, but she could feel another rush of amusement — Elijah had certainly heard and found the words amusing.

"Such a pleasure to meet you," Damon stared at Elijah. Eden felt a simmering annoyance and glanced to her soulmate. She knew he didn't care for Damon, but pushed the irritation away because of his relationship to her.

She hoped Damon wasn't planning anything stupid.

"No," Elijah extended his hand and shook Damon's. "Pleasure's mine."

—

Locked in conversation with Jenna a few minutes later, Eden spotted Elijah and Damon walking into another room together. Her heart sank and she nudged Draco.

Draco's eyes flickered to their backs, as they closed the door, and he nodded softly in their direction, offering her a soft smile. Just as Draco took Jenna's full attention, Eden felt a rush of anger she knew didn't belong to her, and excused herself to the restroom, walking to the door the pair had entered through.

Eden's eyes widened, seeing Elijah holding Damon up by his throat against a wall.

"What in the — oh, fuck me!" She exclaimed, rushing up to them. "Elijah, drop my stupid, idiotic best friend. Pretty please?"

Elijah looked between Eden and Damon, raising his eyebrows a fraction. "You young vampires," he shook his head, slowly pulling Damon's hand from his throat, snapping the bones in his fingers. "So arrogant. How dare you come in here and challenge me?"

"You can't kill me, man," Damon managed. "It's not part of the deal."

"Damon," Eden warned, eyes flashing. She knew Elena had made a deal with Elijah, but she also knew about her deal with Elijah. She knew he wouldn't hurt her family, but she also knew she couldn't expect him to let them try and kill him without repercussions. It wasn't exactly fair.

"Silence," Elijah stated, reaching over and grabbing a pencil from the desk.

"'Lij," Eden placed a hand over his. "Please don't."

His eyes met hers and they softened a fraction. "Trust me?" He asked softly.

Eden nodded. Of course she did. That didn't break in a day or because he was threatening her friend. Elijah nodded in thanks and turned, digging the pencil into Damon's neck.

Eden jumped back at Damon's scream, eyes filling with tears. A jolt of fear struck her. She wasn't a vampire like them, and she didn't have a wand, either. She didn't want either of them hurt, but her mouth couldn't seem to find the words to stop either from doing just that.

She felt frozen, small. Useless.

Elijah tossed Damon to the ground and took a step back, shooting Eden an apologetic look. But she could feel the rage in her stomach, the annoyance. He only half-meant the apology. He didn't like Damon. She didn't think he ever would.

"I'm an Original," Elijah pulled a handkerchief from his jacket and wiped his hand. Despite the situation and her thoughts, Eden bit her lip, seeing blood on his hands. She hated what he did to her. "Show a little respect."

Elijah offered the handkerchief to Damon, who took it, panting from the wound.

"The moment you cease to be of use to my lovely Eden, you're dead," he told Damon. "She is the only reason I haven't killed you where you stand. So, you should do what we say."

A shiver ran down her spine at his words, but she found herself liking them. Her eyes met his and the warmth from earlier pooled in her stomach. Merlin, had he always looked at her like that?

Elijah turned back to Damon, and he smiled coldly. "Keep Elena safe," he ordered, then turned to leave gently squeezing Eden's hand as he went.

"This is exactly what I was worried about," Damon shook his head, looking up at Eden after Elijah left. "He's blinding you to reality, Eden."

"He's not doing anything—" she cut herself off, sighing. "What did you do?" Eden asked Damon coldly.

"Why did you assume I did anything?"

"Because you're reckless, impulsive, untrusting, and you started an argument with my friend despite him helping you without ever even meeting you."

"I didn't ask him for help," Damon countered. "You did."

Eden crossed her arms. "Damon, I'm serious. Something's going on with you and whatever you and Stefan are planning with Elijah needs to stop."

"We're not planning anything," Damon rolled his eyes. "Back off, Paradise. And frankly, the whole soulmate thing between you and Elijah? Kind of annoying."

Eden frowned, hurt by his words. She crossed her arms. "Yeah, well, it's not going anywhere. So whatever stick's been up your ass — remove it, or I'll have to chop off your legs, got it?"

"What does that — yeah, whatever," Damon sighed. "See you, Eden."

Eden watched him for a moment, feeling strangely disconnected to him. She couldn't place it, but something was wrong. A line had been crossed by his going after Elijah, even just barely, and she hadn't defended him.

Turning to leave, she stopped at the door when it hit her.

Trust, she realized.

The mirror they'd held up to each other upon becoming friends — a sign of trust — between them had fractured.

—

Draco had connected Eden's floo to the one at his manor and had gone home for the night. Snape had left everything to Draco after his death and he figured if anyone had researched anything related to vampires, it would have been their former potions professor.

He'd return early in the morning for their last day together, but Eden found herself walking to the Boarding House, biting her lip as she stood at the entrance.

Nerves hit her for the first time since knowing Damon.

They'd been easy friends for months now. They never asked for anything from the other, but their love was effortless and their trust even more so.

Now...

She had to apologize to him.

Opening the door, she found Alaric and Damon sitting in the living room and sighed, fiddling with her hands.

"Hey, guys," she greeted in a small voice.

"Oh, look, it's my favorite traitor," Damon snarked.

"Not fair," she countered. "I didn't betray anyone, Damon. Elena is going to be fine and Elijah is too and you and I can still be friends."

"Can we?" He asked, resting a hand over his eyes. "My throat says otherwise. Hurts by the way. Thanks for asking."

"Yeah, that Elijah's one scary dude," Alaric commented. "You sure he's on your side, Eden?"

"Surer than anyone on the planet," Eden nodded, taking a seat next to Damon. "I am sorry," she said quietly to Damon. "I should've stood up for you."

"I don't like him," Damon frowned. "I don't trust him. And I think he's using you."

"He's not," Eden shook her head. "You don't see it, and you can't until you find your soulmate but —"

"—yeah, whatever," Damon rolled his eyes, cutting her off and taking another sip of his drink. "You two wanna get wasted tonight or is your lame friend still in town, Eden?"

"Draco's home for the night, he'll be back in the morning. He's doing research for your Rose, Damon. And don't insult him," she gave him a hard look. "I can do that. My friends from home can do that. Don't ever, ever insult him, Damon, do you understand me?"

Another jab. She could feel it. The look in his eyes. The shift. Miniscule, unimportant. But there. Enough.

Another fracture in the glass.

"Fine, sure, whatever," Damon rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his drink. "Rose is hogging my bed, by the way. Apparently, she can't move. She's just been...reading. And fucking. Lots of that."

"Gross," Alaric and Eden said together.

"Don't kill her though," Alaric added after a second. "I think we all like her."

"Damon won't kill the only person who can stand the sight of him naked," Eden joked, high-fiving Alaric when Damon rolled his eyes.

Alaric pulled out his phone, sighing. "Oh, God, I gotta go. I gotta pick Jenna up."

Eden glanced at him. "Be good to my sister, Ric, and you have until Monday night to tell her about Isobel before I do."

Alaric watched her face for a moment, nodding. "I will. I swear."

"Good," Eden said seriously.

"Don't worry," he waved to the pair. "I'll show myself out."

Ruffling Eden's hair on the way despite her whacking away his hand, he left the two friends in the living room, heading to the door.

They both waited for the sound of the heavy door opening and closing and Eden's heart clenched when it never did.

A loud clanking and shattering noise grabbed their attention instead and Eden gasped, mind flooding with memories. She shouldn't have let Draco leave. She should've stayed with him at her apartment. She should call Elijah.

Damon and Eden walked quickly from the living room and Eden cried out Alaric's name to find him against the wall of the house, a knife in his stomach.

Damon immediately grabbed Eden's arm, holding her tightly.

"Do you have your wand?" He asked her quickly.

Eden shook her head. She hadn't used it since silencing her and Katherine in the tomb.

Damon's face contorted in frustration, and he sighed. "Can you run?"

Eden nodded, and immediately rushed to the front door, only to find someone standing outside.

"Oh, fuck me," she whispered. A woman with blonde hair stood outside, head tilting a fraction.

"You're far from home, little witch." She walked into the house. "And you should really go back."

Eden reached her hand up to stop the woman, but someone hit her from behind, sending her to the floor, unconscious.

—

Eden's head throbbed and she couldn't move her arms her legs. She blinked slowly, trying to adjust to her surroundings. Her throat was dry. Something sticky was against her temple.

She whimpered in pain and looked down, finding something sticking out of her thigh.

Eden looked around, wincing at the pain it did to her neck, and spotted a dark-haired man with a chain around his neck, spikes digging into his skin. He was chained too.

There was another man in the room. The room was weird. Like a library. Books lined walls, there windows with curtains and leather sofas. The didn't look intimidating with droopy hair and oversized jacket.

She wondered what game this was. What was the point of this one? Why had Dolohov created this scene? Why was it so detailed? It usually just had the manor basement. Was there something particular about this place?

"What...?" She trailed off, words slurring slightly.

"Oh, the wicked witch of the west has awoken," the man mocked her. "How do you feel, sweetheart?"

"Where am I?" She asked quietly, blinking as a loud noise echoed through her head. What was that? It sounded like a ringing.

"Eden," the man with spikes around his neck was looking at her. "Just let her go, she doesn't even know what's going on."

"You know me?" She asked him curiously, tasting blood on her lips. Was she bleeding?

His face fell. "It's Damon, Eden. You're in Mystic Falls."

"Why would I be there?" She asked in confusion. "Where's—" she stopped, looking to the younger man. She couldn't ask about Draco. What if he worked for Dolohov? She didn't want to blow his cover.

Eden looked down and let out a small gasp, seeing a man on the floor, blood on his stomach. He was dead. There was a dead man at her feet.

"Where's Dolohov?" She asked softly, her eyes meeting the man with brown hair. "What game is this? I don't even know these people."

The man frowned in confusion. "Lady, you're losing it," he rolled his eyes, focusing on 'Damon' again. "Morning, sunshine," he addressed Damon.

"I saw this movie once," he began, walking around holding the chains connected to Damon. Why was he chained up? Why not Eden? None of it made any sense to her. Was she supposed to try and save the innocent? And then Dolohov would kill him anyway?

"Some torture porn flick," he continued. "Anyway, they had this collar device that was really cool. So, I just modified it some with some wooden nails. And, when I pull," he pulled, and Damon groaned in pain as the nails entered his skin.

Eden's eyes widened and she looked around fearfully. She expected Dolohov to come out any second. Try the device on her. Where was he? He loved watching the shows. He loved getting off on her confusion and pain. Why wasn't he here?

"So, I hear you have the moonstone," a blonde woman entered.

Eden jumped at her voice. Her eyebrows tugged together in confusion. Moonstone? What were they talking about? Why weren't they asking about Harry? Dolohov had given up asking after the first few months, keeping her more as a pet the latter half, but he occasionally brought up her best friend.

A pain hit her chest. Harry.

Would she ever see him again? Where was he? Was he okay? Who were these people?

Damon chuckled and Eden looked at him in confusion.

"What game is this?" Eden asked the blonde. "Are you in charge? I think I'm in the wrong torture room. I'm Dolohov's pet, not — not whatever this is."

Damon's laugh faded and he looked at her with something resembling concern. "You're no one's pet, Eden. This isn't a —" he groaned again when the man used the chains on his neck.

"Interesting," the blonde spoke, walking closer to Eden. "You don't even know where you are. Do you?"

Eden shook her head. "No. Should I?"

The woman laughed. "Oh, Damon, it's even more fun for us when she's innocent. Tell us where the moonstone is, or she's dead."

"You can kill me," Eden spoke up. "It's preferable to whatever the ending of this game is, I'm sure. Dolohov usually kills the actors and fucks me over their bodies, so..."

The woman's eyebrows raised a fraction. "You're fucked up," she sighed. "Doesn't matter. You don't smell right, anyway."

She leaned close, too close, sniffing Eden. Eden felt incredibly uncomfortable and tried to move her head, wincing when it caused her pain.

"You smell like a wolf. But you're not one. Curious."

"Let me tell you how this is gonna go," Damon spoke up again. "First, you're going to let Eden go. She's having an episode and has no clue where she is. Then, you're gonna torture me, I don't talk. Someone loses a heart. Last time it was your boy, Mason."

The man next to Damon pulled the chains again and he groaned. Desensitized by another's screams, Eden frowned. Mason? She didn't know a Mason.

"This time," the woman spoke. "It'll be the witch, and then, it'll be you."

She drove a wooden stake directly into Eden's thigh and Eden screamed in pain, a wave of magic pushing back the woman a foot.

"Fucking witches," the woman swore. "Your kind got into his head about them, you know?" She leaned down in front of Eden, pulling the stake out slowly. Eden whimpered in pain. "He said another wolf asked for help. Pleaded. But he wasn't like us. He was one of you. And it almost killed him," she dug the stake into her other thigh. Eden screamed in pain again, feeling incredibly lightheaded now.

"And your friend here got Mason killed anyway," the woman said softly. Eden shook her head. She tried to find the words to explain — to tell the woman she didn't know a Mason or a Damon. She didn't know any of these people. But only a scream sounded when the woman jabbed the stake into Eden's left hand.

"Stop!" Damon cried out. "Just — just do me instead. Okay? She's — she really doesn't know. She wasn't even there when Mason died. I was. I killed him."

"Doesn't matter," the woman's eyes flickered to Damon. "This will make you talk. Moonstone. Where is it?"

At Damon's hesitation, she stabbed the stake into Eden's shoulder. Eden cried in pain. Why couldn't they use knives? She could feel the wood splintering off in her body. A knife would be just as effective, but far less messy, right? She wished they were using curses.

"You know what the great thing about a buckshot is?" The woman asked, pulling back from Eden and grabbing another weapon. Eden whimpered, black dots overcoming her vision. She could feel herself losing blood, too much blood.

She wished Dolohov would save her. He saved her just enough for her to feel her limbs and then made her feel worse.

But for the brief moment when he healed up wounds like this, she felt safe. Where was he? Tears streamed down her face. Who were these people? Where was Dolohov? Where was Draco? He always healed her completely. He always made her feel safe, all the time.

"It scatters through the body," the woman continued. "It'll be more fun on you, you'll heal. But I think I'd really like to kill a witch."

"No," Eden whimpered, trembling. She wanted to plead, to beg for her life, but she opened her mouth again and only blood came out. She was going to die here. In this weird game room that he'd set up and he wasn't going to save her and torture her again.

He was done with her.

Damon was right: she was no one's pet because Dolohov was sick of her.

"Where's the moonstone?" The woman asked Damon, aiming the gun at Eden.

Eden choked on her own blood, tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't even see Damon in her peripherals anymore. She couldn't see past her own blood, past the darkness swelling her vision.

"You're never gonna get it," Damon spoke. "Even if you kill her."

"Looking for this?" Another voice asked.

Relief flooded Eden. She couldn't explain why. That wasn't Dolohov or Draco. But she knew it. Somehow, that voice was safe. Eden whimpered in a mixture of pain and relief.

Slowly, she moved her head up, but it lulled to the side of the chair she was strapped on. She could see him, then.

Elijah.

He'd come for her. How had he known? How had he known where to find her? If Dolohov had kidnapped her again and set up this elaborate torture session — maybe this was her game? Maybe he'd kill Elijah?

But she remembered a tree. Something about a tree. There were no trees here. Elijah couldn't get hurt by a tree here.

"'Lij," she whispered.

His eyes snapped to hers, and then back to the blonde woman. She couldn't see his face clearly, her own tears were making everything blurry, but she could feel it. Past her own pain, she could feel anger. A bottomless pit of anger and hatred that she'd never felt in her entire life.

It was his. And he would use that anger to save her. She knew he would.

Elijah walked down the steps into the room, placing whatever he was holding — presumably the moonstone, if the conversation was anything to go by — on a table.

"Go ahead," he said nonchalantly. But she still felt it. Their arrogance fueled his anger. "Take it."

Someone sped across the room and Eden gasped as Elijah stuck his hand through his chest, pulling out the man's chest, dropping it at Eden's feet. Eden smiled in awe of her soulmate, of Elijah, who would tear apart people for her.

Two more people rushed to Elijah, but he pulled their hearts out, too.

He would destroy everyone for her.

A rush of adoration filled her as she watched him. His gaze wasn't on hers, but she felt the anger stabilize, grow quiet.

The blonde woman sped from the room, and Eden's relief was palpable. Elijah walked to the one who was torturing Damon. The man tried to hide under his own jacket.

"What about you, sweetheart, huh?" He asked him softly.

Eden could feel the pleasure he took from this. Or was that her own? They both enjoyed this. The darker part of her, the part that relished in someone's pain loved watching him cause it for her.

"You want to take a shot?"

The man shook his head, crying. Eden found herself smiling through her blood. She knew what was coming. He'd be dead too. And Elijah would take Eden and keep her safe. That's all she needed.

"No? Yes? No?" He asked the man before turning to Damon. "Where's the girl?" He asked, the anger simmering in Eden's chest again. Elijah didn't like what she'd done to Eden.

"I don't know," Damon shrugged.

Irritation flashed in her. Elijah was irritated by that. He wanted to destroy. Eden knew he'd stop at nothing to find her, to make her suffer for touching her.

"It doesn't really matter," Elijah relented, hand on the man's shoulder. He punched him, hard enough to snap his neck and kill him.

Elijah tugged off Damon's chains and walked to Eden's side, kneeling in front of her.

Eden smiled in relief, eyes filling with tears. "Are you real?" She whispered. "Not Dolohov?"

Elijah's face contorted and she felt a pang of sadness that wasn't her own. Guilt. She didn't want him to feel guilty. It wasn't his fault.

"I'm real," he whispered gently to her, undoing her restraints. He rolled up his sleeve and took a bite from his wrist, offering it to her. "Drink, Elskan, it will heal you."

Eden moved to grab his arm but winced in pain. He calmed her, whispering soft praises to her and placing his wrist to her mouth. "Easy, my love. I'll help you feel better."

His hand was gentle on her head, softly running his hands through it. She continued drinking his blood until the wounds in her hand and thighs began to slowly close.

He said something to Damon she didn't catch, and then gently pulled his wrist from her mouth.

"Come, Elskan," he helped her slowly stand, and then bent to pick her up bridal style. "Let's get you home." On his way, he grabbed the moonstone, keeping it in one hand and then sped her far away.

Away from danger and pain.

She cuddled further into him.

Eden realized then that she'd never felt as safe. Not with Dolohov or Draco or even Harry. No one had done what Elijah had for her. No one ever would.

Elijah was safe and Eden never wanted him to go away.

—

okay SO one more chapter with draco because this one he didn't quiiiiite fit in and also i forgot they have floo LMFAO my bad we're going to see people a lot more often lmaoooo okay so so so poor baby eden has gone THROUGH it. I hinted at more shit she's been through with Dolohov that man has FUCKED her up. but i really wanted to establish the weird bond she has with him. she hates him, he's ruined her, but it IS a bit stockholm, where he provided her safety when he could have killed her. we'll go further into that later. also i really wanted to establish that with eden's episodes (which we'll grow to understand more as the story continues) that the only people she'll be able to distinguish as past and present and as hers is Elijah and eventually Klaus. Because of the soulmate connection. it's kind of taken from alice and frank longbottom a bit. tortured to brink of insanity but they still love each other. how? in this book — soulmates. same with eden and her boys.
also. her and damon's relationship will go through the RINGER just...oh boy buckle up gang.
okay lmk your thoughts!! next chapter will be more lighthearted hehe soz