Shining golden eyes watching Klaus, Juliana stood before him with pride. Ears forward, silent encouragement beckoned him to join her.
He shook his head. "Juliana, I-"
What are you afraid of? The wolf lifted her snout, nearly touching his chest as her gaze searched his face.
Klaus's brow furrowed in confusion as his eyes widened. "Did you…?"
Yes. You can hear me because you're my sire. A flash of mischief danced in her gaze before she shook her head. All wolves possess the ability to communicate with their pack. You sired me, and therefore are my pack.
Juliana circled him, rubbing her head against his back. While his mother had cursed his werewolf side into submission, his father taught him wolves were abominations; hesitation was natural. For all his strength and boasting, the scars of his upbringing remained; freedom is daunting to a creature familiar with its cage.
Klaus, it hurts only a moment, and the more you shift the less you notice. Moving forward, her tail curled around his waist. Let the monster within come out to play. Show me the real Niklaus, no curses or condemnation to restrain you.
War raged in his eyes, desire to relent conflicting with fear of the unknown. "And if I lose control? If my mind retreats?"
You can't hurt me, and we're far enough into the wild that we won't find anyone else. Continuing to pace the floor, her attention remained on him. Prove them wrong or prove them right, Klaus, but we are what we are. Fearing your nature will serve you in no way.
Another moment passed before his attention broke away, his hands removing his clothing one piece at a time. Juliana watched as his body twisted and contorted, his pained cries and snapping bones echoing in the night.
Others who beheld him saw a monster, thirsty for power, an empty soul caring only for himself, but when she looked at him something else shone beneath his hardened exterior. Suffering, loss, pain, and sorrow hung on Klaus like an unshakable demon, all because of the circumstances of his birth. He deserved peace and freedom to be his truest self, even if only for a night. To know freedom and not hear the word "monster" or "beast" from the one who gazed upon him. He needed to know, to see, he was not alone.
As the cries shifted to snarls and growls, an obsidian wolf stood before her, his golden eyes shining against his coat like a midnight sun.
Exhilarating, isn't it? Juliana rubbed the top of her head against his jaw, the back of her neck pressing against his chest. The power coursing through your veins, the cries in the night calling to your primal nature. Feel the earth beneath your paws, the scent on the night wind.
With a huff, Klaus stepped forward. Ears turning in different directions, he inhaled the warm night air. This is- not what I expected. Last time, I had no control, as though the wolf had a mind of its own and I sat back and watched. Why is this different?
Because now you're with your pack. With a tilt of her head, Juliana trotted toward the exit. Now, use those wolf instincts and catch me if you can.
Wolf form was a second skin for Juliana. The air filled with amplified scents, echoing sounds of creatures her human form could never detect reaching her pointed ears. Each pressed step against the earth fueled a connection to the world around, as though everything had been muted; this was an experience to live for.
Her breath matched each step, her pace increasing as she weaved through the trees until she could run no faster. And Klaus was somewhere in the darkness beside her; after centuries, she had someone to share this with.
A howl echoed on the wind and Juliana stopped. If wolves could smile, hers would have stretched across her face. Power and strength stood before her in the form of a midnight wolf; Klaus, fully embracing his new form. This is incredible.
A playful glint flickered in her glowing amber eyes before pouncing, a mass of black and blonde fur tumbling through the dirt beneath the stars. Tonight, Klaus would understand what it was to be fully alive.
ii
Do you hear that?
Klaus's voice pulled Juliana from her slumber, her eyes sliding open as she yawned. It's probably nothing. Come back to my side, we still have time before sunrise.
There it is again. Ears forward, his head swiveled to the side, searching for the source.
Klaus, I don't- Juliana rose to her feet before shaking the dirt and leaves from her fur. Nose in the air, she breathed in the bayou. I smell blood, human blood, and a lot of it.
Mimicking her, Klaus snorted. Fresh as well.
Following the smell, Juliana moved without sound, the soft earth sinking with each heavy paw pressed against it. Seems like someone else fancied a good time in the bayou as well. Should we find out who?
If they're this far out, I can't imagine it's for pleasure.
Juliana lifted her head once more, searching for the unmistakable metallic smell beckoning them forth. South. With a playful nudge, she shoved Klaus aside before bolting into the darkness.
Along with enhanced hearing and a larger size, the hybrid wolves benefited from sharper vision as well. Weaving through the trees, the trail grew stronger with every breath; their prey, whatever it may be, stood no chance of hiding. Had the witches come to practice magic away from Marcel's ever-watching eyes? Did the quarter witches perform sacrificial magic?
Moonlight fell through the scattered openings of the treetops, offering a lighted path for the wolves to follow; they were close. In the distance, a dark shape took form on the ground, a body slain and left to rot.
Klaus, is that? Juliana slowed as an all too familiar scent reached her. Rebekah?
Laying in the dirt before them was Rebekah's lifeless body, two arrows protruding from her chest.
Footprints. Juliana sniffed the ground. A small group, a hunting party most likely, and Rebekah stood in their way. But if they weren't after the Mikaelson sister, then what were they chasing and why was she here? As she moved closer to the body, an unexpected scent caught her attention; slight and hidden beneath the blood, but present nonetheless. Rebekah had been with Marcel prior to her arrival.
What is she doing out here? Klaus sniffed the arrows in his sister's body. Would he catch it as well?
If Rebekah had betrayed them, concrete evidence would be needed before Klaus was aware; betrayal was not something he easily forgave, and if she had grown close to Marcel perhaps there was a way to use it to their advantage.
Following the trail of footprints a short distance, Juliana froze; another scent of someone who shouldn't be this far into the bayou. Klaus, this one is- they're after Hayley.
Ears flattened against his skull, Klaus snarled, his fangs glistening in the moonlight. What? Who?
Humans. You don't think Rebekah-?
If she has, I'll see her pay with her life. His jaws snapped together. Find them!
The trail offered a single scent, albeit muddied by the natural odors of the bayou and the thickening smell of fresh blood; blood that didn't belong to Hayley. Was she fighting them off one by one? Or was someone protecting her?
This way! Time stood against them. A hunt born of curiosity evolved into a race to save Klaus's child and its mother. Conviction gnawed at the back of Juliana's mind; Klaus couldn't track them, not as well as she could, and someone had been bold enough to attack Hayley while she was under the care of the Original family. Would Marcel and his vampires be so foolish? Or had the witches grown impatient?
A choice presented itself: she could lead Klaus astray with ease, give the hunters time to find and eliminate the only threat to her rekindled relationship. Hayley and the child would be gone and the blame would fall anywhere but her feet. But did Hayley deserve to die for a drunken one night stand? Could Juliana pass the same judgement Mikael issued upon her? Death because she dared to care for Niklaus?
Racing through the trees, it wasn't long before the wolves happened upon more bodies scattered along their path; individuals taken down one at a time with overwhelming force. Ripped throats and mauled limbs, there could be no question a wolf was responsible, but who?
Hayley's sharp cry pierced the night, jolting Juliana from her thoughts. They were close, but not close enough; the humans found her first.
There! Juliana growled, her lips pulled back as her head lowered. Four men behind the trees and they have her cornered. I'll take the two on the right. She stopped, crouching low as her lips curled into a vicious grin. Think you can handle the two on the right?
Klaus responded by disappearing into the darkness, head lowered and ears flat; a predator on the prowl.
Juliana set her sight on the man closest to her; a bow in his hands as he reached for an arrow from the quiver on his back. Undoubtedly he had been the one to fell Rebekah.
Animalistic fury burned through her body as she launched forward, supernatural speed closing the distance between them. Lips curling around sharpened teeth, she could all but taste the blood flowing through their veins. Excited anticipation caused her jaw to quiver, her body aching to feel the flesh rip between her teeth.
Moving with silence, she closed in on the unsuspecting hunters, powerful hind legs propelled her into a monstrous leap; a beast falling onto her unsuspecting prey.
Juliana's teeth sank into the archer's soft flesh, his clavicle crunching beneath her shutting jaw as blood sprayed over her face and across her tongue. Claws dug into his chest and legs, the sticky warmth of his blood coating her paw pads as she shook her head.
His gargled screams fueled the excitement rising in her chest, the animal within craving more. It was difficult to say when his cries stopped, or when his body stopped resisting, but she didn't care. The wolf wouldn't stop until all that remained of her quarry was a mangled hunk of shredded meat.
Movement behind drew her attention, her eyes finding the only remaining survivor fleeing for his life; a foolish mistake. Leaving her victim, Juliana leapt forward, gaping jaws reaching for his leg. More screams filled the air as her maw clamped around his shin, but when she pulled, she found resistance. Another set of bloodied teeth latched onto his extended arm, his body hanging in the space between two ravenous predators.
Did you lose something? Klaus teased, blood dripping from where his fangs sank into the tender skin.
It's more fun when they think they have a chance to escape. She laughed before giving a playful tug.
"No, please! Help!" The hunter screamed, terror heavy in his tone. "I'll do anything!"
Without warning, Juliana pulled, Klaus challenging her with a yank of his own. Blood spilled to the earth, splashing the dried leaves as flesh and tendons ripped in two. Pleas of desperation and horrified cries echoed in the night as the wolves toyed with their victim, an arm removed from its socket, a foot ripped from the ankle. Bones snapped and muscles ripped asunder as the wolves dismantled the man, piece by piece, in a vicious and bloody game. The smell of death flooded the air as their fur grew matted with coat upon coat of crimson liquid.
As quickly as the screams came, the night fell silent, the humans scattered among the trees, food for the scavengers and a warning to any who would threaten the hybrid pack.
Dead already? Klaus shook, blood spattering the ground as it flew from his fur. How disappointing.
He didn't survive nearly as long as I'd hoped. Juliana sighed, shaking her head and body as well. I suppose we should have left one alive for questioning. See who sent them.
"What the hell?" Hayley's trembling whisper caught their attention. "Juliana?"
The gold wolf tilted her head, eyes wandering over Hayley's battered and bruised figure. Blood stained her clothing, her hair weighed down by mud and dirt from where she had fallen.
"And is this-" Hayley laid an arm over her belly, her legs buckling as she collapsed.
Juliana growled, stepping over what remained of their toy and assessing Hayley. She needs medical attention. There is a small clinic west of the sawmill, can you make it back and meet us there? And grab my clothes while you're at it?
Klaus hesitated, retreating a step before shaking his head.
We'll be fine. I can take care of her. Go get changed and get your vehicle. We will meet you there, Klaus.
ii
Fists clenched, Klaus exited the SUV before marching toward the small wooden shack. Was this what passed for a medical facility in the bayou?
Stopping in the doorway, what wrath had subsided now stirred once more. Long blonde hair hanging over her shoulders, high heels clicked against the tile as a woman looked through the supply cabinets.
"Who took her, Rebekah?" Klaus's dark glare focused on his sister as he entered the threshold.
Turning to face him, Rebekah sneered. "I don't know." Her attention shifted to the lifeless blonde on the floor behind her, a syringe beside her hand.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Klaus moved forward, his expression souring; she had to know more than she let on. Why wasn't she surprised to see him? How did she know to be here? He wanted answers and he wanted them tonight.
"I don't know. Hayley texted me about coming here and I got a bad feeling, so I came to check on her. When I arrived, I saw her running into the trees with several armed men quickly closing." Pressing her tongue against her cheek, her heated glare remained on her brother. "I gave chase and the next thing I knew, I had an arrow in my heart." Rebekah paused, hands resting on her hips. "We weren't alone out there, someone killed several of her pursuers before I caught up."
Klaus smirked, a distant howl echoing in the night as his sister pushed past him.
"Lovely, perhaps one of her cousins can fill us in."
Once they reached the wooden porch, a golden wolf emerged from the dark, Hayley resting on her back.
"Oh my God, Hayley, what happened?" Rebekah rushed to her, wrapping her arm around the young soon-to-be mother as she slid to the ground. "Tell me what happened."
"I can't remember." She shook her head, hand holding her stomach. Weary eyes watched as Klaus moved alongside and began appraising her.
"There's not a scratch on you, you've completely healed." He said in curious awe. "But how?"
"Werewolf, remember?" Hayley tossed a hand up.
With a scowl, Klaus shook his head. "No, not that fast."
"It's the baby." Juliana stated as she appeared from behind his SUV, adjusting her leather jacket. "Klaus's vampire blood can heal any wound, and it would seem his child can do the same." She grinned, clapping his shoulder. "Also, thanks for the clothes, love."
"Are you the one who ripped those men to shreds, then?" Rebekah inquired,sitting beside Hayley on the front steps.
"It wasn't just her." Hayley said. "There's another wolf that's been watching me, I've seen him near the house a few times." Her eyes dropped as she rubbed the dirt from her palms. "I think he's trying to protect me."
Fury boiled in Klaus's veins, venom seething from his tongue as he marched forward, a single finger held out. "The witches were supposed to protect you. When I get my hands on Sophie Deveroux-"
"Agnes." Hayley interrupted. "It was Agnes who sent me out here, not Sophie."
Exchanging glances with Juliana, Klaus threw his arms up, his voice rising with every word. "Agnes, Sophie, it's all the same; I'll slaughter the lot of them!"
A threat not made idley. The witches had manipulated them all from the start; no tactic seemed beneath their desire to control those more powerful. Someone would pay the price for coming for his family, his child, and they would pay with their life.
"Klaus," A firm yet gentle grip wrapped around his wrist as Juliana stepped in front of him, "breathe a moment." She tossed a glance at Rebekah and Hayley before continuing. "Everything the witches do is a calculated move. They knew the risk associated with such brazen tactics; they expect you to come for them, and as such, they will have measures in place."
"Are you suggesting we do nothing? We allow this attack to go unpunished?" Hatred burned in his eyes, his voice quivering as he struggled to maintain composure.
Shaking her head, Juliana grinned, a single brow raised. "Nothing of the sort; they attacked the pack, and they will suffer the consequences." Her gentle touch traced his strong jaw as she closed the distance between them. Somehow, no matter the situation, she held the power to quell his anger; a talent he admired yet failed to understand. "But it will be on our terms, and they won't see it coming."
"Not that all this talk of killing the witches isn't riveting, but can we go home now?" Hayley said as she struggled to her feet. "I'd really like to sleep for a few days."
"I think we all would." Juliana chuckled. "But she's right, we could all likely use a shower after tonight."
ii
With Hayley comfortably resting in her room, Juliana roamed the quiet halls of the Mikaelson plantation. Damp hair resting on the shoulder of her oversized shirt, she sighed; something about a hot shower after a midnight run was nothing short of refreshing.
Fingertips brushed along the smooth wooden rails as her bare feet sank into the long rug; for the first time in recent memory, she felt at home. Events of the night replaying in her mind, she paused when she arrived at Klaus's bedroom, the door cracked open.
So much had happened, it was never said where she would stay, but she hoped his bed was the understood invitation; no other place had left her with such warmth and safety. Morning would arrive in a few short hours, yet the night somehow seemed young. The delectable taste of blood still tainted Juliana's lips as she slowly pushed the door open.
"Klaus?" Stepping inside, she closed the door before crossing the room to wrap her arms around his waist. "What are you doing? You should be in bed." She rested her head against his strong back, her gaze falling on the near empty glass of bourbon in his hand.
"How am I to sleep when so many would conspire against me?" He shifted, relaxing at her touch before tensing. Restrained anger wrapped every word, while his tone hinted at defeat. "I have spent a millenium building a reputation of fear; once there was a time when my very name would strike terror in all who heard. Yet now it would seem they think me a puppy with which to toy."
A gentle caress moved across his shoulder and down his arm before she moved between him and the balcony's edge. Compassion danced on her lips, the prickling stubble along his jaw rubbing against her hand as she held his gaze. "Perhaps it is time to remind them with whom they are dealing. Reputation bears no weight in the eyes of those yet to witness its origin."
With a scoff, Klaus turned his head. "We built this city, my siblings and I. It belongs to us, to me. Is it not enough that Marcel stole it when my father forced us to flee?" Pulling away, he paced the balcony. "Now the witches move to murder my child without fear of repercussion and my father lies somewhere licking his wounds. How am I to fight enemies when I stand so outnumbered?"
"We fight one at a time and give them something to fear." Juliana stepped in front of him, her hand once more turning his head to hold his stare. "You may have enemies lurking in every corner, but I stand at your side. You are not in this alone, Klaus." Amber eyes fell to the pendant hanging around his neck; the same one she had gifted them before they're immortal life. If he was to combat those who stood against him, he needed to know the truth; withholding the truth would be no different than a lie. "But there's something you should know."
Brow furrowed, he reached for her hand. "What is it?"
"When we found Rebekah in the woods, I caught something." She frowned, her attention moving to his sapphire stare. "I smelled Marcel on her. I think she's working with him."
Klaus's jaw tensed. "Are you certain?"
"I'm certain it was his scent, but I have no concrete proof she's working against you." Eyes slipping shut, she sighed. "I don't want any more secrets between us though. I asked you to not work in secret so I'll do the same."
Exhaustion slipped through his nostrils as a deep breath, his brow resting against hers. "What am I to do, Juliana? Everything I do is for my family, but even they now conspire against me. The witches, the vampires- would it be too much to sweep you up and vanish into the night?"
"To run would be to admit defeat." She smiled, breathing him in. A lifetime of weariness bore down every word, hated for the circumstances of his birth. She would not see him branded a coward and robbed of all he deserved. "We pick an enemy and we make an example out of them. We give your enemies a reminder of why you are the feared and famous hybrid. We send a message written in blood. This city is your kingdom, and the usurper has sat on your throne long enough." Pulling away, she held his face. "Whatever may come, we face it together."
A grin spread across his lips as he ran his fingers through her hair. "But what is a king without his queen?"