Chapter Twenty One: This One's for You
"The course of love never did run smooth
I'll try; I'll try to dream on my own tonight
We will meet in the moonlight, meet in the moonlight
This is not pretend, don't play the end
I know you're real and not just a book I read
Soon I will show you how a heart can never fail…"
Ooo0ooO
I ran in my wolf form in the direction Rebekah and Kol had disappeared. I followed their scents easily through the trees, weaving in and out of them with ease.
My thoughts were dark and clouded, jumbled with Klaus and trying to figure out what was going on. Something in my gut told me that the Mikaelson siblings weren't going off to have tea with someone.
Pushing Klaus into the corner of my mind, I ran as quickly and silently as I could through the dark.
No matter how much Klaus tried to push me away, I would keep my word to him. I wouldn't run away.
I knew by the look of self hatred in his eyes that he would need someone to pull him back from the edge. That's what I planned on doing.
Ooo0ooO
In my thousand years of existing, I went through many dark times were I wanted to end my life just for the sake of dying. But after seeing that blank look of hurt in Annabelle's eyes when I backed away from her… Nothing could compare to the dark, dark feelings I was battling within me now.
I lied to her, I hurt her, I ran away from her. More than once.
And yet, she still stayed with me, I thought.
Not after this. Certainly not after all of this, whispered the evil inside my head.
Shaking my head, I flashed towards my destination rapidly. When I overheard Damon and Jeremy's voice, I felt a cold smile spread across my face.
"I'm sorry did I interrupt play time?" Both men turned at the sound of my voice. Damon winced a little and Jeremy stiffened.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Jeremy demanded.
"I'm appreciating the sights and smells of nature. Neither of which presently include rotting vampire flesh so I'm a bit concerned… How many vampires has he killed?" I focused my stare on Damon, who eyed me with icy blue eyes.
"If we throw Jeremy out into the world right now he's chum," Damon stated.
"Yeah see that's not a number. Twelve. That's a number. That's how many of my Hybrids I slaughtered with my sword. Three. That's how many days it took to quell the urge to kill your brother after he knowingly watched as I walked into a death trap…" I trailed off a little when Damon gave me a twisted grimace that could be loosely called a smile.
"One. That's the number of purposes you serve. You are here to grow Jeremy's mark so I will ask again… how many vampires has he killed since he's been here?"
"Zero," Damon stage-whispered. Anger boiled inside me and I gave a slight laugh.
"Hm. That's a pity. I'm going to need that cure sooner rather than later," I stated, pacing a little. "Hybrid shortage and all. How can I help?"
"You know, now that you mention it… Jeremy, watch and learn." Damon rapidly picked up a small gun and fired three shots into my chest. I grunted and growled softly against the again as I glared at Damon. He simply curled his lip at me.
"That's for Carol Lockwood."
Ooo0ooO
Rebekah and Kol's scent trail lead me to the high school. I picked up the scent of others as well. I sniffed and growled warily.
It seemed Stefan, Elena, Caroline and April were inside as well. I noticed, once I hit the school's entrance, that Kol's scent branched off while Rebekah's lead inside. I followed Blonde's trail, figuring her brother would show up again.
Walking up the steps, I shifted easily, keeping my footsteps light and quiet. With my supernatural hearing, I heard the footfalls of someone walking down the hallway. I peeked around the corner and saw April walking towards what looked like was the library.
"April!" I called softly. She turned and her blue eyes widened.
"Anna! What are you doing here?" she asked in a hushed whisper. I walked over to her cautiously, keeping my eyes and ears alert. I noticed April take a step away from me, her eyes filled with warning.
"I know what you are," she said.
"What?" I asked, looking around again.
"I know you're like them. Like Klaus and Rebekah and the rest of them." I looked at her, narrowing my eyes.
"What do you know about Rebekah?" I demanded.
"That's she's a thousand year old Original Vampire. And the others are vampires too. Except Klaus and Tyler are part werewolf too." April's eyes narrowed in turn. "So what are you? Vampire or werewolf?"
"April," I warned.
"Just tell me. If I'm your friend, you'll tell me," she stated firmly. I sighed.
"Wolf," I said simply. She cocked her head to the side and considered me. Something in her eyes said she didn't believe me, whereas another part looked…afraid of me. My already aching heart took another scratch.
"Please don't be scared," I begged softly. I flashed my wolf eyes to show her and she gasped a little.
"I just…can't deal with this right now. I have to go before Rebekah comes searching for me," she said in a rush. I laid a hand on her arm and felt a small spark of hope when she didn't flinch or cringe.
"Don't tell anyone I'm here. I'm going to figure out a way to help," I explained. April looked me in the eyes and then nodded before heading into the other room.
Sighing with some relief, I began stalking the hallways for the blonde vampire.
Ooo0ooO
The night crawled by and I found Damon sitting outside by a campfire, making tiny stakes from tree branches. I approached him easily, glancing over my shoulder briefly. I saw and heard Jeremy and his friend wandering around in the house. Satisfied, I turned my attention back to the man sitting by the fire.
"If you're here for payback, go for it 'cause you'll be stuck with the Little Hunter That Could," Damon called. I smiled and eyed his handiwork before sitting beside him.
"You know, if you adjust your angle a little bit you'll find the sharper edge," I informed him. He turned his ice blue eyes to me with a bland look. He gave me a fake smile.
"I know how to whittle, thanks. Now I know why those Hybrids hated you. You are annoying." He turned back to his whittling and I stared.
"Actually I'm just perplexed as to why Jeremy hasn't killed any vampires."
"Darwinism, Klaus. He's got to protect himself before we hunt down his first vampire nest," Damon said easily.
"And here I was thinking you were the fun brother. Let's play a little game, shall we?" I gestured towards the road leading back to town through the woods. "Jeremy needs more victims and there's a whole town of people down the road just waiting to be turned into vampires for the slaughter."
"You don't think that occurred to me, Klaus?" Damon asked, his tone serious.
"Tragedy is, Damon. And it occurred to you and yet you chose to ignore it. My guess is you did it to impress Elena. Somehow to honor her you'll find a way to spare innocent lives and walk Jeremy down the moral high road. That's why I have already made the necessary directions," I hinted. Damon shifted his gaze back to me warily, along with slight curiosity.
"What did you do?" he asked.
Ooo0ooO
I heard voices in the far corner of the library. April went inside for a little bit and I heard Rebekah bossing all of them around. She forced Elena to admit her feelings for Damon—which obviously hurt the brother, Stefan—and I figured by Rebekah's smug look that's the exact reaction she wanted.
I turned my head when I heard someone else burst into the school. I saw Tyler running towards me. Our eyes met briefly.
"What-," he began.
"No time," I interrupted. "Just don't say anything about me." He nodded and entered the library in a rush. Rebekah's voice rang out in welcome and I curled my lip.
April left the room and she nodded at me before walking down the hall. She entered a smaller room and by the smell, I judged it was some sort of lab. When I heard the school's front doors open again, I resisted the urge to snarl.
A small black girl with large green eyes dashed down the hall towards me. I saw confusion flicker over her face. I nearly sighed.
"No time," I explained. "Just shush and don't go in there."
"Shane," the girl panted, "Where do they have Shane?" I frowned.
"If Shane's that curly haired guy, Kol took him away a little while ago," I said in a hushed whisper. I narrowed my eyes when I put a name to the face. "Bonnie. The witch."
Bonnie raised a brow. "Yes." I nodded.
"I'm Anna and I'm on your side." For the most part, I thought briefly. Bonnie nodded in turn.
"I need to find Shane," she murmured. I jerked my shoulder in the direction of the chemistry lab.
"I'm sure you know where the lab is. Brew up something there," I said quietly. Bonnie gave me a dirty look before dashing off. I wanted to smile but figured it wouldn't be appropriate in a time like this.
Then I heard yelling down the hall, opposite from the lab. I hurried down there quietly and saw Kol dunking a man—Shane?—in the utility sink, while demanding to know about someone called Silas.
I winced and was about to throw the door open when I heard a crash come from the library.
"Run! Get out of here!" Tyler yelled from inside. Shit. I looked over at Shane once before sprinting back towards the library. I managed to hid inside a classroom when I saw Rebekah exiting the room with a superior grin on her face. I hid until she walked into the supply closet where Shane and Kol where so I could run down the hallway.
In the library, I saw Caroline, Elena and Stefan watching as Tyler knocked over a whole section of book shelves. I heard bones snapping and re-snapping and knew what was happening. I looked over at the others and made eye contact with Stefan. A sort of understanding passed between us and we nodded briefly. Stefan ordered Caroline and Elena to run while I went directly towards Tyler.
Tyler snarled at me, his eyes glowing gold. Unafraid, I flashed my eyes and growled in warning.
"Tyler!" I barked. He responded by snarling and throwing a piece of broken shelf across the room.
"Tyler! Focus! Focus on me!" I yelled.
"Get out of here!" he shouted back. He looked up at me and I saw his eyes shift and knew the wolf had taken over. In a matter of seconds, the boy melted and reshaped into a massive black wolf.
The wolf lunged for me and I dodged it neatly, spinning on my toes with all the elegance of a ballerina. I glared at the wolf.
"Oh no you don't," I snapped. I shifted and snagged the black wolf by the scruff of its neck, throwing it a few feet away. It got to its feet and growled menacingly.
Before I could react, it leaped over me and ran out the door and down the hall, obviously following the three vampire's scent. Ignoring the primal instinct to join the hunt, I ran after him.
Shifting back, I saw the wolf lunging at a closed door, battering it with the force of a truck.
"Tyler!" I shouted. The wolf turned and bared its teeth. It ran towards me and I sprinted away. Zig sagging through the hallways, I opened a set of doors and found myself in the school gym.
When I heard a snarl, I whirled and shifted. The black wolf collided with me and we rolled across the floor in a tangle of snarling teeth and fur. The wolf snapped and bit down on my shoulder. With a slight yelp, I flung my shoulder out, knocking him away before tackling him down.
Using my growing strength, I pinned him down. The wolf stared at me with hate-filled gold eyes and I bared my teeth. This time, I didn't back away from instinct. And mine was screaming to assert my dominance as the Alpha female.
With a horrible growl and slashing my teeth in warning, Tyler's wolf laid limp under my paws. Its eyes started wheeling and I saw specks of brown, which assured me Tyler was grappling for control. When they faded to his dark brown, I stepped off of him. He shifted back, still curled on the floor. He looked at me, panting.
"Thank you," he whispered. With a sharp nod, I ran back towards the door. I saw Caroline flash by and cry out Tyler's name.
It took me a moment to pull myself together—literally—as I shifted back. Wincing at my sore muscles and healing wounds, I strode towards the library. I heard Rebekah's voice again and stopped in my tracks. I heard her offer to compel Stefan, to take away his memories of Elena as well as his pain.
"Do it," he said, his voice dead serious.
"Excuse me?" Rebekah breathed. I peeked inside and saw Rebekah standing between Stefan and Elena. Elena's dark eyes were full of pain and hurt.
"Erase it all, every memory," Stefan ordered.
"Stefan no," Elena begged quietly.
"I said do it." Rebekah stepped up to him and looked him deeply in the eyes. Then suddenly, she started laughing.
"No," she scoffed. "That would be too easy, I refuse to let you forget her like Klaus made you forget me. But at least you know how he really feels…" Rebekah looked at Elena before looking back at Stefan. "Consider your eternity of pain my revenge Stefan. I've used you for all your worse now you're all free to go." Rebekah exited the room and again I hid from her. She strode out with a purpose and a few seconds later, so did Stefan.
"Stefan wait!" I heard Elena call. She ran after him but he kept going. She paused in the middle of the hallway.
I saw the tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," I murmured quietly, sympathetically. She turned and even though she looked puzzled briefly, she nodded.
Unable to stop myself, I walked over and hugged her gently. She cried a little then wrapped her arms around me in turn. I felt a little surprise at her acceptance, but from what I heard about her- that was entirely Elena.
"It will be okay," I said soothingly. "We'll straighten all of this out."
"How?" Elena asked, voice thick from her tears.
"We'll figure it out. We just can't give up."
Ooo0ooO
I deserted the boys at the lake house after some time. I left them a little parting gift, which came in a bubble blonde package that delivered pizzas who had a dark secret.
I knew within minutes of her getting into the house Jeremy would have no choice but to stake her.
Driving down the road, I thought briefly of Annabelle.
Was she all right? Was she safe? Where was she?
I blocked out these thoughts and set my face in a grim line, turning my attention to a dingy lounge that was coming up on the right. Pulling off, I parked my car and entered the dingy joint.
I saw five or six people standing around and they eyed me when I walked in. Giving all of them a sinister smile, I walked towards the bar.
The pretty bartender eased her way over to me.
"What can I getcha?" she drawled. I smirked.
"Actually, I was hoping to have a taste of you," I said simply. I grabbed her shirt and yanked her over the bar, biting down on her neck. She screamed and the other patrons screamed but they didn't stand a chance.
Before I killed them, I fed them all my blood. I snapped their necks and let them fall on the floor, over the pool table, it didn't matter.
I sent a text to Damon to tell him where to meet me. I was pleased Damon and I had come to an agreement about what had to be done with Jeremy and his role in finding the cure.
When they finally arrived, the three men looked around in shock.
"I was beginning to worry you boys wouldn't find the place," I called out, remaining in my seat at the bar. I sipped more brandy.
"What the hell," Matt said. "Did you kill all these people?" I smirked.
"Not exactly. They're in transition. Killing them is your job," I said pointedly to Jeremy. He stared at me for a moment before turning to Damon with an accusing look.
"You said you were going to convince Klaus to do this another way," Jeremy snapped.
"Well I thought about it then I realized his idea was better," Damon retorted. I smirked again and lifted my drink in salute to him.
We all heard a few groans and the transitioning vampires started waking up slowly.
Here we go, I thought with dark amusement.
Ooo0ooO
I left Elena when she decided to head back home. I followed her example and with some reluctance, returned to the mansion.
Charlie was waiting for me in the living room, reading a book of Edgar Allan Poe poems while drinking a cup of coffee. When he saw me, he stood up immediately and hugged me.
"Anna," he sighed with relief. I hugged back tightly.
"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling back to look me in the eyes. I nodded.
"I'm okay. I think. Right now I'm okay," I said tiredly. I looked up into my brother's eyes. "Charlie I don't think I can stay here tonight."
Charlie wrapped an arm around my shoulder and lead me to the front door.
"Give me a moment," he requested. He went up the stairs quickly and returned just as fast with two small suitcases. He handed the bigger one to me.
"Basic necessities," he said, with a small smile. "So I figured I show cram as much as possible in there." I held the suitcase and stared at it.
"I'm running. I'm running when I promised I wouldn't," I murmured.
"You're not running. You're just going to stay the night in a hotel until this smoothes over," Charlie assured me. Too tired to argue, I nodded.
Somehow, I managed to walk into town with Charlie. He found a cheap hotel near the edge of town and got two adjoining rooms. He walked me into mine and I flopped on the bed.
When I started falling asleep, I felt him taking off my shoes before closing the door quietly behind him.
Ooo0ooO
Author's Note: Oh yes, a lot of drama, a lot of fighting! Did you really think everything was going to be perfect? Sorry to disappoint you… Stay tuned for the next chapter!
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