Prologue
Vampires and wolves have been at odds since the beginning of the 16th century. Constant wars have plagued the supernatural world between the two with blood casualties, forbidden affairs, and legendary family wars that shaped the relationship between the factions; to be a werewolf and share relations with a creature of the night is to break Lycanthropy's most sacred law, while vampires remain more liberal in their beliefs, lycan and vampire relations are frowned upon within their regiment. New Orleans wolves have remained in the bayou borders with the Lebonair's pack at the head of leadership, while the vampires have ruled the city with a vengeance by the legendary Mikaelsons. Paths are rarely crossed and when they are, blood is often shed.
"We enjoy the night, the darkness, where we can do things that aren't acceptable in the light. Night is when we slake our thirst." William Hill.
The Treaty of Mikaelson & Labonair
"Hayley Andrea Lebonair got in this house right now, we're leaving in 10 minutes and you're still not ready!" Her mother shouted as she scurried down from the tree she was playing in with some other pups.
"Bye Oliver bye Jackson!" She squealed behind her as she ran into her fathers open arms where she was attacked with kisses.
"Your mother has been calling for you for the past hour little wolf…" her father chided her.
"But daddy Oliver and Jackson said they could climb the tree faster than me and I had to show them they were wrong." Young Hayley giggled.
"Did you at least win?"
"Of course dad…" the little wolf child reassured, "but I ripped my party dress." She admitted sheepishly, earning a proud look and a laugh from the older wolf.
"Diana!" Called her father, "Our little wolf is in need of a costume change but I assure you she has a good reason."
"Hayley Andrea Lebonair!" Her mother huffed in exasperation, placing her hands on her hips for emphasis.
"Mama I won!" Hayley grinned up at her mother.
"Honey she won." The father wolf tried.
"You are just as bad as her." Diana huffed, "…alright young lady which color, peach pink or pastel blue?"
"Hmmmm the blue one please mama."
"Let's get you changed, Marcus we'll meet you in the car."
"Mama do I have to go to the party tonight, can't I stay and play?" Little Hayley questioned.
"No my darling not tonight, tonight is very special and you need to be there." Her mother assured.
"Why?
"You're father and I have been working very hard to make peace with the vampires and tonight a very important piece of paper will be signed that will make us friends for hopefully a very long time."
Listening to her mothers words, Hayley thought about what the importance of tonight meant for her family as her mother tied a pretty blue ribbon into her hair.
"Aren't vampires bad mama, why would we want to be their friends?" She questioned.
"No my love, vampires, like wolves, are capable of doing bad things but that doesn't make them all bad and tonight the party we're going to will be hosted by the Mikaelson family who are vampires. They wish to bring an end to the war between our kind like your father and I." Diana explained gently to her daughter.
"Is that why you're friends?"
"Yes and hopefully we as a pack will all become friends with them." Diana said. Noticing the confused pout on her daughter's face she turned her daughter towards her, "what's wrong my love?"
"Jackson and Oliver say that vampires are monsters and will eat me if I ever meet one." The little wolf confessed tearfully.
"Hayley that simply isn't true my sweet wolf, tonight you shall meet some and then you will be able to make up your own mind of what the truth is. Do not ever listen to Jackson and Oliver, their parents are small minded."
"I am scared mama…what if they don't like me." Hayley sniffled.
"An impossible thing." A voice answered behind them causing both ladies to turn to see a loving father and husband standing in the doorway. "Tonight is for you my little wolf, your mother and I want you to have a future filled with possibilities and I promise you that everyone at the party will love you as much as your mother and I do."
"I love you to daddy." Hayley said, running into his arms.
"Look at my gorgeous girls in blue." Marcus complimented proudly as his wife took her place by his side. "Are the Lebonairs ready?"
"Let's go make new friends!" Hayley shouted with a new found excitement, causing her parents to laugh.
~M&L~
"Marcus and Diana, welcome to my family home!" A tall blonde man greeted her parents.
"Thank you Klaus, we're so excited for tonight."
"Who might this little wolf be?" Klaus asked playfully as he crouched down to her eye level.
"Hi I am Hayley." She introduced herself timidly.
"Welcome to my home Hayley, my family and I are so pleased you could join us tonight and we're excited to have you and your parents here." Klaus smiled softly.
"Thank you." She smiled back feeling a little more confident. Looking up to meet her mother's gaze, she smiled in reassurance.
"Ah, the Lebonairs, welcome…." Approached another voice, "I trust your travels were well?"
"Yes, thank you Elijah. We apologize for our tardiness, our little Hayley here had a last minute wardrobe malfunction." Her mother announced causing the adults to laugh as Hayley stared shyly at the new dark haired figure.
"Hayley this is Elijah Mikaelson, Klaus's brother." Her mother introduced while pushing her forward slightly.
Mirroring his brother's movement, Elijah kneeled down to meet the youngest wolf's gaze. "Hello Hayley, my name is Elijah." He reintroduced softly. Feeling a sudden heat spread across her face, Hayley's confidence evaporated as quickly as it came. Stumbling backwards into her mother, Hayley hid her blushing face into the skirts of her mothers gown.
"I apologize…" Elijah frowned as he straightened his stance, "…it wasn't my intention to frighten her."
"I think she may be feeling a little overwhelmed…" she heard her mother say, "…she was a little scared to come tonight as I am afraid her friends have been repeating what their parents were taught of our generation, I am sorry."
"I assure you there's no need for an apology, I completely understand." Little Hayley heard the vampire who made her cheeks warm reassure her mother. "Please enjoy the party to your leisure and my brother and I will find you when it is time to conduct business."
As the brothers retreated to continue to socialize, Diana pulled her daughter from the comfort of her skirts. "How are you feeling my love?"
"I am sorry…" Hayley said, ashamed to let her parents down.
"Why are you apologizing, you've done nothing wrong." Her father exclaimed.
"Were you uncomfortable or frightened?" Her mother asked worriedly in which Hayley nodded her head, no.
"You can tell us at any time if you don't like it here."
"I do like it here." Hayley finally said.
"Then wh-"
"He made my cheeks hot mama." She admitted shyly. Hayley jumped slightly when her father burst out laughing, causing a few eyes to turn.
"Marcus!" Her mother scolded.
"Our daughter has her first crush." He stated as if it gave him an excuse.
"No!" Hayley frowned at her father.
"I beg to differ." The older wolf teased.
"I don't," she pouted, stomping her little foot.
"Alright you two that it is quite enough, Marcus make yourself useful and go get us some cider and champagne." Her mother ordered before things got out of hand and she glared daggers into her father back as he retreated.
"Honey…" her mother tried getting her attention. "…honey look at me."
"What mom?" She grumbled looking down at her sparkly party shoes.
"Can you look at me?" Huffing, the young wolf met her mom's gaze.
"Your father is just being a man but it's okay to have crush my love, your feelings are nothing to be ashamed of."
"MOOOOMMMM!" Hayley whispered loudly. "I don't"
"Okay, if you say." Diana said warmly. An awkward silence passed between mother and daughter as they waited for her dad to return with their drinks.
"Mama?' Hayley started.
"Hmm."
"I- I might have a little c-"
"I know honey, it's okay."
"It is?" She was surprised by her mothers response.
"Yes my love."
"But he's a-a vam-"
"Hush now…" her mother whispered abruptly. "…this will be our little secret my little wolf, yes?"
With a questioning look, she nodded in compliance to her mothers wish, "Yes mama."
~L&M~
"Tonight we gather for the first time in centuries not as enemies but as allies and as friends. For too long our kids have spilt unnecessary blood, fought wars with no justification, and remained enemies but tonight I am here to tell you that we as Vampires and Werewolves are stronger together. United, we can achieve greatness for our newborns and pups and supply them with opportunities we never had. Tonight we sign a treaty with the Mikaelson clan and the Labonair pack, breaking the cycle of natural enemies and forging a new beginning." Hayley watched on in amazement as her father gave his speech and those around her cheered. "To the Mikaelsons and Laboniar's" Her father shouted.
"To new beginnings and friendships." The Mikaelsons joined in. The room echoed the leader's words and toasted in glee as a new peace with blood signatures on a scroll of parchment were signed, stamped, and sealed.
~M&L~
"Did you have fun tonight my little wolf?" Diana asked her daughter as she tucked her into bed.
"Yes mama, I like our new friends and their house is so big I hope we visit often, will there be more parties?"
"Hahahah I am sure there will be many more nights like these."
"You were right mama…" Hayley said while fighting a yawn, "…all the vampires were nice tonight and none of them tried to eat me."
"A very good thing." Diana chuckled.
"Vampires aren't monsters, they're my friends…" the younger wolf mumbled as she nodded off. With a kiss to her daughter's forehead, Diana made her way to turn off the light.
"Mama?" Hayley whispered.
"Yes my love?'
"Can we talk about our secret now?" Pausing for a moment, Diana turned and made her way back to her daughter's bed where she took a seat on the edge.
"What would you like to talk about?"
"Why do we have to keep it a secret?" The younger wolf frowned.
"There will be many around you who will not understand, they will become angry with you and maybe even say hurtful things. So for now I think it's best only you and I know of this my darling."
"Would people be mad if I had a crush on a wolf?"
"Do you?"
"How do I know?" Hayley frowned.
"Earlier tonight you said your cheeks became warm, you were blushing, have you ever felt that before?" Diana asked in which Hayley nodded, no. "I want you to understand that I am not saying that one day you will be with a vampire…I want you to know that it's okay to be with them if you fall in love with one, one day, or a wolf, or even a human but not everyone from our pack will feel the same so for now we must keep it a secret, does that make sense?"
"Yes mama, I won't tell anyone that I think Elijah is handsome like father." Hayley agreed through a yawn. A gentle smile spread over the mother wolf's face as a seed of worry grew for her daughter.
"Oh my kind and sweet little wolf." Diana whispered as she watched her daughter succumb to sleep.
~M&L~
As Diana crawled in bed and relaxed next to her husband, she couldn't help but worry for her little Hayley.
"Marcus…" she whispered into the night.
"I know, I heard."
"They'll stand against her."
"Or with her."
"It's not the same for her, she's different."
"We don't know for sure, she's so young."
"She'll be twelve soon…and you know just as well as I do that wolves know their instincts."
"Honey it's a little crush." Her husband tried.
"Her cheeks heated, which means she felt something. We're not like the humans Marcus, you know as well as I what this could mean for her."
"Diana…Diana…look at me?" Her husband coaxed softly. "I know you're worried but we will be there for her every step of the way to help her if what you believe to be is true. The Mikalesons are a good family and I believe that in time they will be strong allies and good friends of ours…besides I believe Elijah is known as the noble one, is he not?"
"Marcus…" Diana laughed softly. "Go to bed."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
~M&L~
Hayley awoke groggily as the bayou sun glared through her purple curtains, rising from her bed, she made her way out to the kitchen where she knew her parents would be.
"Mom can we have waffles?" She asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Surprised to be met with silence, Hayley looked around in confusion at the empty kitchen. Making her way to the living room where she was met with more empty silence, Hayley figured they must still be sleeping from their late night. Knocking on her mom and dad's bedroom door before slowly entering, Hayley called to the two forms in bed. "Mom, dad, are you awake yet, I am hungry?"
When she didn't receive a response she went to her mom and pulled the covers back when a blood curdling scream escaped her mouth; her mother was covered in blood from her throat being slit. "Mama…" Hayley sobbed not knowing where to touch her. "Dad wake up!" Hayley screamed running over to her fathers side of the bed only to be met with a similar site. "D-dad?" Hayley cried. "Please wake up…"
"HELP…PLEASE…" Little Hayley screamed with tears running down her face while she placed her hand over her fathers neck to stop the bleeding. "SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!"