𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐀 | 𝐬. 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞

37

"Eh!" Damon makes a buzzer noise with his mouth, his blue eyes hardening. "Wrong answer."

"If he was going to say anything, he would have already," Jeremy stops Damon in his stride towards the werewolf, making Athena shoot him a warning glare.

Damon ignores the kid, leaning down with another handful of wolfsbane. "I'm taking your eyes next,"

Mason holds his head back as far as he can from the wolfsbane. "The well! You can find it there."

"We already know that," Athena kneels, narrowing her eyes at the man. "We want to know what it does– and why you want it."

Mason shakes his head. "I'm getting it for Katherine,"

"Why?" Damon inquires.

"She's gonna use it to lift the curse,"

"Of the moon?" Athena echoes incredulously. "There's no way that's a real thing! And why would a vampire help a werewolf break a curse that keeps them from turning whenever they want?"

Mason spits out another mouthful of wolfsbane. "So I wouldn't have to turn anymore,"

"Why?"

"Because she loves me!"

Athena scoffs, a short laugh leaving her as she turns to face the fireplace. Damon echoes the sound, his one of incredulous understanding. The vampire turns and faces Athena, the two having a conversation with just a look.

"He's delusional,"

"He's stupid," Damon corrects, an amused look in his eyes as he faces the werewolf again. "Katherine doesn't love you, she's using you, you moron."

Mason shakes his head stubbornly, the hurt in his eyes proving that Katherine Pierce had sunk her fangs into yet another innocent bystander for her sake. "I'm done talking."

"Yes, you are," Damon nods in agreement, handing the wolfsbane in his hand back to Jeremy. "Time to take a walk, Jeremy."

"I'm staying,"

Athena shakes her head. "You need to leave,"

"I'm staying," Jeremy looks at them stubbornly. "He's had enough."

Mason cranes his neck back to look at Jeremy, resigned to his early fate at the hands of Athena and Damon. "Just help Tyler. Don't let this happen to him."

The teenager looks pleadingly at Damon and Athena. "Guys,"

In a blur, Damon has Jeremy pinned with a hand around his neck. "You want to be a part of this? Well, here it is. Kill or be killed. The guy's a werewolf, he'd kill me the first chance he got! So you suck it up, or leave."

Damon lets go of Jeremy, leaving the teenager to cough and choke for air on the couch.

Athena heaves a sigh, taking a regrettable amount of pity on Jeremy. "He wants us to kill him anyway. Don't you, Mason?"

"It really is a curse, isn't it?"

Jeremy grits his teeth and storms out of the room, leaving Damon and Athena standing before Mason.

"You know, I look at you and I see myself. A less dashing, less intelligent version," Damon amends, rolling his eyes slightly.

"I love her," Mason chokes out, his eyes glassy.

"Oh, I know! I've been where you are. But Katherine will only rip your heart out," He leans down to meet the man's eye. "Let me do it for her."

Mason grunts in surprise as Damon punches a hand into his chest, wrapping it around his beating heart. Athena's eyes widen briefly, but she rolls her shoulders back with a sigh as Damon rips his heart out and steps back as the werewolf slumps over in the chair, finally free of his torment in every way.