I found Elijah bent over the body of Papa Tunde was dead in the middle of the courtyard. His once perfectly white suit was now stained with his own blood as he laid in the middle of his own sacrificial symbol. Marcel and Klaus stood across from him.

"Can I get you anything, brother?" Klaus asked hastily, growing impatient. "A magnifying glass, a pipe perhaps?"

"You have a theory that you'd like to share with us, Niklaus?" Elijah retorted, standing up.

"Back in the day, the witches wanted to send a threat, they'd just kill a chicken and leave it on your doorstep." Marcel said.

"It's a rather large and ominous chicken, wouldn't you say?" Marcel shrugged his shoulders.

"Papa Tunde defeated Rebekah with ease, almost got the two of us as well." Klaus reminded us. "If he was supposed to be their prize fighter, why leave him for dead in our front yard?" Rebekah walked in from the side alleyway and walked over to us, her blonde hair bouncing against the shoulders of her black leather jacket.

"Well, don't you all look cheery." She chimed. "Listen to this… a girl literally exploded from a grace today as Sabine was giving her tour of the city of the dead. It was Monique Deveraux." All our eyes grew wide. She was supposed to be dead from the harvest ritual.

"What?"

"The tourists thought it was part of the show, but the witches are celebrating like it's some kind of bloody miracle."

"Maybe it is." Marcel suggested and we all looked to him for an explanation. "They think that all hope is lost, but now suddenly a harvest is resurrected. This is how we're gonna get Davina back—kill the witch who took her place."

"I have a theory about who one of them could be…" Hayley called out and I looked up to see her draping the drawings that Davina made over the railing, all taped together to form the face of Celeste. "Celeste. I mean, it's got to be. Davina was trying to tell us. She was drawing pictures of Celeste. She was warning us that a great evil was coming."

"First Papa Tunde returns to settle old scores." Klaus muttered. "Now your murdered lover is back. This isn't witches attacking vampires. They're declaring war on us."

TO

Hayley pulled up to the plantation house and Rebekah got out of the passenger seat and I climbed out of the back. It was a crisp autumn day and I inhaled deeply, happy to be breathing in the smell of sodden leaves and fresh air instead of the city smug. It was peaceful and serene out here, especially now with cooler weather approaching. I turned to Hayley.

"Rebekah made a bet that I was gonna have to drag you to the plantation kicking and screaming." I laughed, stretching my arms above my head, and reveling in the relief that it provided my muscles.

"Yeah, well, we all just want to protect me and the baby, right?" Hayley muttered in a monotone voice as she walked to the manor.

"So sassy. I'm on your side. What gives?" Hayley spun around to face me, her chocolate brown hair cascading around her shoulders.

"Tonight's a full moon, Hayden?"

"So what?" Rebekah questioned her, coming around the car. "You're preggers. You can't turn."

"Yes. But I wanted to invite a few people over." I narrowed my eyes at her with suspiciousness and Rebekah rolled her blue eyes and sighed.

"Of course. Every red-blooded American werewolf will be a bundle of fur and sharp teeth tonight whilst your cursed crescent clan will be—"

"—human but only for a few hours and won't be again until the next full moon. So, I asked Josh to get a message out to Eve in the bayou."

"Josh isn't dead yet? Well, good on him. I love a nice survival story." The door to the house opened and a man with a two-wheeler walked out onto the porch. I took a defensive stance in front of Hayley. "Who the bloody hell is that?" Hayley looked over my shoulder and called out to the man.

"Kegs out back, right? Ahem." She cleared her throat.

"Yup." The man answered giving her a thumbs up before leaving and Hayley turned back to Rebekah.

"Oh, you ordered kegs." I mumbled. "Lovely."

"Right." Rebekah said, crossing her arms over her chest. "It appears you weren't going to wait for me to grant you permission to throw a kegger."

"Listen, you all want me safe, fine." Hayley sighed. "I'll do as I'm told. I'll play damsel in the glass tower but tonight's the one night a month that I can meet my family. Now, you could rat me out, send me to my room, or you could help me throw one hell of a party." Rebekah and I stared at her for a moment.

"Ugh." I finally groaned. "Fine." I threw my arm around her shoulder and began to walk up the front porch steps. "But no drinking. You may have a miracle baby in your tummy that's able to heal you but you're still not drinking." She laughed as we walked into the manor.

TO

The moon was full and bright, hanging high in the sky. After phasing and changing into clothes that Hayley had left out for them. They were outside dancing and playing instruments, celebrating what few hours they had to be as humans. Rebekah had cooked up some gumbo and Louisiana style food for them to eat and they left no scraps. I was inside with Hayley helping her clean up the plates and cups left in the sitting room.

"Don't you have anyone cute in your family?" I asked her jokingly and she laughed.

"I thought you already had eyes for someone." She smirked at me under her thick eyelashes.

"Precisely why I need to find someone to take my mind off a certain Original vampire."

"I seriously doubt you invited us here to wait on us." A male voice sounded from the entrance of the sitting room and I spun around, eyes glowing and fangs extending as I took a protective stance in front of Hayley. I surveyed the stranger feeling defensive that he came in here by himself and wasn't outside with the other wolves. What were his motives? I growled at him.

"Relax, Hayden." Hayley said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. I cleared my throat and shook my head, relaxing.

"Sorry." I muttered. "Habit." I surveyed the man in front of us. He had black hair with dark eyes and a goatee. He was wearing a black plaid shirt with dark jeans. He took a step further into the room and I forced myself to remain relaxed.

"You're Hayley." He said. "I'm Jackson. It's nice to see you again."

"You're the wolf who's been watching me." Hayley concluded.

"That's a little creepy and stalkerish." I muttered, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet.

"All good intentions I assure you." Jackson tried to soothe me. "I got to keep my eye on you, precious cargo and all."

"She already has a bodyguard for the miracle baby, thank you."

"Hayden, would you please?" Hayley scolded me under her breath, and I growled at her softly. "Sorry. She's a little protective. Sometimes a little too protective." I scoffed and Jackson took a few steps towards Hayley and I let out a warning growl. "Hayden. Manners." Jackson chuckled softly.

"No." Jackson said. "That's not what I meant about the baby. I don't care about the baby." I frowned and furrowed my brows at him.

"That's a little harsh." I muttered.

"Sorry. That came out wrong. I mean, of course I care."

"Do you?"

"One more remark, Hayden, and I'm kicking you out." Hayley vowed under her breath.

"Sorry."

"You're a Labonair. A baby, it's a big deal but personally, my interest is in you."

"You don't even know me." Hayley told him.

"Our parents knew each other. They were of the same people but not the same bloodline. Now, you know how pack hierarchy works, right?" Hayley nodded. "Everybody has their part to play, and we had our part, too."

"And what part was that?"

"You were supposed to be my wife." Hayley was speechless as I sucked on my teeth and whistled.

"Can I eat him now?" I whispered to Hayley.

TO

Jackson had moved to the piano and played a few notes but stopped as Hayley watched him with confusion and shock. Curiosity lingered in her eyes though, wanting to know more about this part that you apparently was supposed to play. Hayley stared at him.

"I know it's a lot to take in." Jackson finally said.

"You think?" Hayley questioned him. "I just wanted to meet my family. I never imagined I'd meet my husband from some weird-ass arranged marriage."

"I guess you don't know any of this because there was never anyone around to teach you. The Crescents aren't just any pack of wolves." Jackson got up from the piano and made his way around it, so he was facing Hayley. "Ok? The bloodline goes back to the very beginning—two families—yours and mine. I guess that makes us kind of like royalty." He chuckle softly.

"This is a joke, right? I mean, if you're royalty, where's the throne?" Jackson inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to find another way to explain it to Hayley.

"New Orleans used to be our town and we lost it. All because of some infighting. The vampires came after us and if our families were united, we could have taken them. So, our parents decided to bring the two lines back together and you and I were betrothed."

"I'm sorry. This is ridiculous."

"Look, obviously things didn't work out the way anyone thought they would. Our pack made a huge misstep with the vampires when we refused to back down and Marcel had us cursed by a witch. You are the last one of your bloodline, Andrea." Hayley froze like a statue at the sound of that name. "Or, Hayley, whatever you call yourself. These people will follow you. You can help them—you and what you represent."

"And what is that exactly?"

"A time when things were different, when our people fought back and after everything you went through to find us… you're the one who's gonna break our curse." Hayley threw a side glance at me as I furrowed my brows in confusion. She looked back at Jackson.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned him, standing up and straightening my posture as I took a defensive stance next to Hayley.

"Your witch friend. She told Eve she was coming here tonight to set us free."

"Wait. What witch friend?"

TO

I pulled out my phone and my first instinct was to call Elijah. If anyone could help it would be him. He could find out what this witch was that Jackson was talking about.

"Hayden." Elijah answered his phone, his voice breathless and wearily.

"Elijah, something going on with the witches." I said hastily.

"Listen to me. Hayley was right." Elijah was panting on the other end of the line that was making me begin questioning what he was doing. "Celeste is back. Niklaus, Rebekah. You're all in danger." I walked through the kitchen to the back doors with Hayley and Jackson behind me. As I approached them, they closed on a phantom wind.

"What's going on?" Jackson demanded.

"It's a trap." Hayley explained, looking around wildly. "I didn't make a deal with any witch."

"What?"

"Hayden, you have to find Rebekah." Elijah said urgently over the phone. "And you stay with her until I get there." I tried to open the back doors, but they wouldn't budge. I summoned all my hybrid strength which should have shattered the wood on the doorframe, but they stayed intact. A glowing ember lit up on the other side of the door and I jumped back in surprise as Hayley let out a shock gasp.

"Elijah, it's a spell." I breathed. "They're trapping us inside." A fire ignited on the stove and I shoved Jackson and Hayley forward and out of the kitchen towards the front of the house. Before we could run out the front door, flames blocked our paths once more. Jackson pulled Hayley back from the heat as the front door slammed on itself. I began to panic as fire erupted all around us, the smoke suffocating any kind of oxygen out of the house. My heart pounded as I breathed heavily looking around wildly for a way to get Hayley out of this burning house. I rushed through the parlor with Hayley and Jackson behind me but before we could leave the room, the doors closed all around us, trapping us here in this one room as the fire began to climb up the walls.

"We have to get out of here." Jackson panted as he grabbed the bench for the piano and slammed it into the window, but it only bounced off, the glass obviously reinforced but whatever spell the witches were performing. I phased into my wolf form and vamp sped my entire body into the doors, but they held strong. The fire alarm was continuously beeping as the fire spread around the baseboard, the carpet catching instantly. Hayley was coughing from the smoke. Jackson dumped water from a vase on a fabric lining and held it up to Hayley's face. "Here. Breathe through this." My fur felt foreign as my vision blurred as I struggled to find any clean oxygen to breathe in. I panted as my legs began to feel weak. Glass shattered on the other side of the parlor and I barely managed to raise my head to see Elijah coming through one of the windows at vamp speed. I nuzzled Hayley in his direction, and he picked her up carried her out through the window that he came in through. Jackson coughed beside me as he collapsed to the ground beside me. I didn't even have enough strength to cough or draw in a breath and then I realized that I was dying from smoke inhalation. My fur felt like it was melting to my skin and the insolation of it was cooking me from the inside out. Through my burning, blurry vision I saw Elijah come back through the window. He made me a move to go to me, but I stumbled back a couple steps, growling, before nosing Jackson towards him. I was a hybrid. I was going to heal. I could not have permanent death from smoke inhalation or burning alive. Jackson didn't have the luxury. Reluctantly, goes to Jackson and grabbed him by his arms.

"On your feet." Elijah snapped, helping him up before vamping him out of the house. Unable to stand the heat in my wolf form, I shifted back and being in my naked skin once more provided just a tiny bit of relief, but it was short lived. I coughed, my lungs burning and feeling like a thousand pin needles were going through them. I couldn't see straight as I tried to crawl across the floor towards the open window, but my body felt like lead. I just had to get to the window and then I would be free. The more I tried to pull myself to freedom, the heavier I became until I collapsed on the ground, my breath coming out in short and ragged pants. A foggy figure appeared in out of the corner of my eye and Elijah appeared, taking off his suit jacket before draping it over my stark body. His right hand slid under my knees while his left arm snaked across my shoulders and he picked me up to carry me out the window. Struggle to breath, the cool night air did very little to soothe me. Elijah generally set me down on the ground, the cold grass tickling my bare skin. "Hayden, listen to me. You've taken in too much smoke. Your lungs aren't healing fast enough. You're going to die." My heart lurched and my breathing got shallower. "You're going to come back." That's right. I was a hybrid. This was just temporarily. I would be back. "You're going to come back." Darkness finally took over my vision and I exhaled one last time before my chest stilled and my heart stopped beating.

TO

I let out a gasp as cool, clean, fresh air expanded my lungs and my eyes flew open. I blinked my eyes several times trying to gather my surrounding as I realized that I was in my bedroom at the compound. I slowly climbed out of bed and sighed in relief at the fact that my muscles and lungs were healed and no longer burning or aching. I sat on the bed for a moment or two as I reveled in the feeling before getting up and going to my armoire to change clothes. As I was brushing my hair, I heard Elijah yell from downstairs in the courtyard.

"Marcel!" I heard him shout and I walked out of my room to look over the railing and down at Marcel with his group of vampires and Elijah coming into the compound. Elijah stormed up to Marcel. "Where is my brother?" Klaus was missing?

"I got guys out looking for him right now." Elijah walked towards Marcel and two vampires stepped in his way. Oof. Bad move. Elijah grabbed them and flung them across the compound where they slammed into the walls and dropped to the floor unconscious. Elijah looked as if he were about to go after one when I decided to end it and call down to him.

"Elijah!" I snapped causing him to glance up at me before slowly turning back to Marcel who began to talk to him as if he was a rabid animal.

"Klaus threw one of his classic temper tantrums, snapped my neck, tried to take on a coven of witches by himself. He got dropped. I don't know where he is or how to find him. They also have Rebekah." Elijah looked around the compound at the vampires that were scattered about.

"Every one of you will help me to find them!" Elijah shouted as he turned to leave the court. "I'm going to kill them all."