Note: I'm sorry for taking so long with this, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thank you all for the feedback!

Ghosts That We Knew

"Now there are graves in the field where she used to dance and laugh. He could almost see her now, twirling and smiling as she moved between the headstones." Elijah/OC

Chapter One

She watched behind her mother, the urge to grip the back of her dress like a small child crossed her mind. Her brother lay on the ground, nude, with blood on his face and body. The alpha of the pack stood above him, Claudia picking up on the tightness of his forearms as his fists clenched in rage.

"I have half the mind to put you into your place!" he roared, Claudia watching her brother cower with his hands moving to cover his bloody face. Though, at first glance one would think that he would be the one bleeding, yet there was no cuts or wounds on his face at all. The blood that covered his skin was not his own, fear showing through his green eyes as he stared up at the larger man towering above him.

Claudia knew something went wrong when he didn't return home with the rest of the "wolves", her mother trying to hide her concern the best she can. Yet, there she was, standing back and blocking Claudia as if she was protecting her from her own son. Claudia wanted to cry, confused as to why her brother was getting into such a situation.

The thought of him killing someone made her skin crawl, the picture of her older brother playing around with her in the woods was splattered with the blood that covered his face. Though, Claudia wondered if he was even in control when he killed the person from the other village. She shook with the idea of the people from that village coming over to attack them, it was always a threat that their alpha seemed to have on the forefront of his mind.

"I am so sorry," her brother pleaded, the alpha still standing over him. Claudia wanted to rush over there and hold her brother close, to protect him like he did for her on a number of occasions. Though, she knew that this time it was all on him and there was nobody there to defend him.

"Claudia," her mother whispered, turning partly towards her. Claudia was almost to her height, the two of them looking quite alike. Her mother placed a firm hand on her shoulder, forcing her daughter's eyes away from the scene in front of them.

"Listen to me," she said, Claudia picking up on the alpha moving swiftly towards her brother and pulled him upright. Her mother shook her again, Claudia's attention completely on her once again, her eyes shaking from fear.

"You need to leave, quickly," she said, "you do not need to be witness to this."

"Mother, brother needs-"

"No," she stated, "go for a walk, but, please, stay away from the other village. Who knows what will happen if they see that you are from here."

Claudia nodded, trying not to look towards her brother as she left. Her mind was racing, she wanted to be there for her brother and yet she knew that this had to be. She decided she needed to be in the sun for a while, maybe find some sort of relief from this.

Even if it was only for a few short minutes.

She sat under the shade of a tree, allowing a few rays of light to hit her face through the branches and leaves. Elijah wasn't sure if he wanted to disturb her, she looked so peaceful and deep in thought. This was the spot where they met when they could, Claudia was usually up and smiling at him when he came down the path. But, she seemed distant today, and he wondered if he should just let her be.

Then, it was too late, as Claudia seemed to notice his presence. Her eyes widened in surprise, her hand moving to her stomach as she let out a breath.

"You startled me," she remarked, watching Elijah as he approached her. He gave her a small smile, Claudia returning it quickly, though it didn't touch her eyes at all.

"You seem troubled," Elijah commented, taking a seat down beside her as Claudia returned to looking towards some trees across the field.

"I am," she said after a few moments, "though, I do not want to bother you with my issues."

"I am your friend," Elijah stated simply, gathering that would be a good enough reason as to why she could tell him. Claudia chuckled softly, turning to look at him.

"You do not want to know what is happening, Elijah," she said, "believe me."

Elijah was silent for a few moments, Claudia thinking that he would drop the subject once again. She was hoping he wouldn't come to see her today, that she would be able to sit alone for a while, and then head back home. Yet, it was her fault for sitting in the spot she did.

This place felt safe, and she gathered she had no other place to come to.

"Has it something to do with the body we found outside our village?" Elijah asked, Claudia seeming to flush slightly at the mention of that.

"Yes," she muttered softly, not looking away from the spot she was staring at across the field. "my brother is being punished for it."

Elijah knew that she lived in the village with the wolves, though Claudia didn't seem to show signs of being one. She was rarely aggressive, and on the days of the full moon, she seemed to be calm and collected. Worried about his family and their protection from time to time, but she didn't seem anxious or in pain when the night would fall and she would hurry back towards her village.

Still, it surprised him from time to time that he would forget that she wasn't part of his village, and that she did feel guilt and shame when one of the wolves would kill someone from his village. Claudia shook her head, leaning her head back against the trunk of the tree.

"It's foolish of me to think that it would never happen to my family," she said, studying the branches of the tree above her, "and yet, I should be suspected this. My mother suspected this, and my father I'm sure did too."

"Do not blame yourself," Elijah said, "I am sorry that this happened to your family."

"Please, do not apologize for the fact that my brother took a life last night," Claudia said, sounding bitter and angry, "he is being punished for it."

She looked at him with a sad expression, Elijah seeing that she was holding back tears. He recognized that expression many times on his sister, Rebekah, though she was a little less composed than Claudia was. Claudia rarely showed if she was upset by something, and it was rare to see her actually break down in front of someone. He often thought she hid behind her smile.

The two of them sat under the tree for a while, the sun reaching it's peak in the sky and the day's heat was starting to be felt. Elijah stood, Claudia watching him for a few moments before she stood too.

"I have duties I need to do," Elijah said, Claudia nodding her head in understanding. "it was a pleasure to see you, as always."

Claudia laughed outright at that statement, "I think we both know that this wasn't a very good visit, but I am happy to have spent time with you as well. I shall see you tomorrow, hopefully."

Elijah gave her a nod, biding her farewell and headed back up the path towards his village. Claudia watched him go for a few moments, the feeling of loneliness hit her slightly harder than it usually did when he left.

She brushed the feeling off and walked back towards her village, bracing herself foe what she would find there.

She arrived a completely different person the next day, there was more light in her eyes and a bright smile on her face. Claudia talked of the dogs in her village and how the pups were doing, one of her favourite things to talk about. She didn't speak of what happened the day before, if her brother was fine, but she seemed happy and content. More grounded.

Elijah didn't want to shatter that by talking about dark things, but his village was growing more and more hostile towards the wolves. More so his father, but things seemed to have died down a little bit for now.

Still, this was the Claudia he liked to see, and he found himself having a harder time leaving her when she was like this.