Elijah and I were walking through the cemetery towards the City of the Dead, my blood boiling with rage and irritation at the fact that Hayley had disappeared once again. I have tried and tried to keep this woman safe, but she was making it damn near impossible when every time I turned my back, she would disappear on some hell bound family mission. Camille was back at the compound with Klaus. Elijah had brought him home and decided to take out Tunde's blade. While he was in his weaken state, Camille was going to do her best to talk Klaus out of killing his sister. Elijah and I were trying to find Sabine.
"I have had it up to here with witches." I seethed, my nails growing and clicking together as a growl rumbled in my chest. "I am going to slaughter the lot of them."
"Please do try to calm down, Hayden." Elijah said soothingly and I glared at him, the sound of his voice doing very little for me at that moment.
"Calm down? Calm down? Elijah Mikaelson, did you honestly just tell me to calm down? I have lost count on the number of times Hayley has gone missing and ninety-nine-point nine percent of the time it has always been the witches to blame. So, excuse me if I fantasize about how I'm going to slaughter and eat every single witch that I come across." We entered the crypt to see Monique laying on her back with her arms raised above her, chanting in a foreign language. When she sensed our presence, she stood up and faced us, not bothering to hide the look of annoyance as she scanned us.
"When order is restored, your kind won't be allowed in here." Monique spat at us. She was a young girl with toffee colored skin and dark ebony curly hair. She had brown eyes that were not warm and were full of death and resentment.
"Well, fortunately, that day has not yet come." Elijah smiled bitterly at her.
"We need to find Sabine." I said hastily, scanning the crypt to make sure Sabine wasn't hiding out here. When my eyes told me nothing, I sniffed the air to validate my results. "We believe she's taken someone very important to me." Monique scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"And you thought I'd help you? Sabine is one of us, committed to the rise of the witches."
"The only thing Sabine is committed to is the destruction of my family." Elijah informed her.
"And that would be a bad thing why?" I took a menacing step towards the little witch, growling, but Elijah held out his arm to block my path.
"Like your mother, my mother was also a witch, a very powerful witch. In fact, because of my family, her power now flows through your veins. Now, once Sabine manipulates those around her, she will do what she has always done. She will jump into another body and disappear, leaving your witches powerless." Monique's face contorted with concern.
"No. She has the faith. She will see our power restored."
"There's a way of guaranteeing this. I'll also secure the safety of yourself and your kind." Elijah took a step forward to hand Monique a piece of parchment. "Here. This is from my mother's grimoire. Celeste used a similar spell to body jump. If what Sabine says is true, when she sacrifices herself, all of her power will flow back to the earth. However, if she has lied and tries to take another body, this spell will deliver her to a very different destination. Now please. Locate Sabine."
TO
Monique was able to track Sabine down to the bayou at the very shack that Hayley, Elijah, and I were holed up during his werewolf feverish state. It was a cool autumn day and the breeze cooled my heated cheeks and the rage that was burning inside of me.
"Always leads back to the freaking shack." I muttered, storming through the woods and not bothering to be quiet about it. We broke into the clearing of the shack to see Eve and Hayley standing in front of Sabine with her hands tied in front of her. Wolves were scattered all around in the woods but the closest one to Hayley, I recognized as Jackson. Hayley was holding a mason jar of a green liquid substance. She looked up at us as we approached her.
"Hayden, it's ok." She assured me but it didn't help my anger. "I'm ok." I stormed up to her and punched her in the jaw, pulling back at the last second so I didn't use my full supernatural strength on her. The attack made a cracking noise. Jackson lunged at me, growling, and pinning his ears against his head.
"Back off, Wolf Boy, or you're next." I snapped without looking at him and holding up my hand to silence him.
"What the hell, Hayden?" Hayley snapped, gripping her jaw as she glared at me.
"Normally I would draw the line at punching a pregnant woman, but I have had it up to here with you, Hayley Marshall. I have had it. If you are going to do something crazy and reckless and stupid, then you let me know so that we can do it together. Or have I not made myself clear?" I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "I'm sorry I hit but I said what I had to say." I spun around and glared at Sabine. "And what are you doing with his crazy bitch?"
"Whatever she's promised you, it's a lie." Elijah warned Hayley, stepping up to my side and gazing at her. "She cannot be trusted."
"She's the only one that can help my pack." Hayley explained.
"Do you have any idea what she has done to our family?"
"I know you want revenge, and come the next full moon, when I'm sure her cure works, she's all yours."
"Are you suggesting that we hold her, her, captive for an entire month?" I exclaimed, wide-eyed. "Absolutely not, Hayley. That puts you at too much of a risk. It would take an army."
"And I've got one." All around us wolves began to howl, echoing the woods and carrying on into the distance. "So help me or get out of my way." Using vamp speed, Elijah snatched the jar from Hayley's hand and grabbed Sabine and the two of them disappeared into the woods.
"God damn it, Elijah!" I roared, clenching my fists, and looking around at the trees for any sign of him or Sabine. "Why does everyone keep leaving me?"
TO
After about an hour of pacing back in forth in front of the cabin with Hayley sitting on a stump, a branch cracked to my left and I turned to see Elijah coming back to us with Sabine and the mason jar in hand. Hayley stood up and we walked over to meet Elijah and he handed her back the mason jar which she eagerly took.
"You came back." I observed.
"I'll always come back." Elijah smiled at me. "Take it. It will work." Hayley smiled brightly.
"Eve and I will round up as many of our people as we can." Hayley assured him. "Come full moon, I can finally free my family." Hayley gave Elijah a hug of gratitude before turning to walk back to the wolves who were waiting for her. I began to follow her, but Elijah's fingers locked around my arm and pulled me back to him.
"Hayden…" He brushed my blonde hair back over my hair before cupping my face in his hand and I fought the urge to close my eyes and moan and lean my cheek into his calloused palm. He leaned in and my heart fluttered at the thought that he was going to kiss me but at the last second, he pressed his warm, soft lips to my forehead instead before pressing his forehead against my own. The forehead kiss was big as a gesture as any kiss on the lips and I closed my eyes and reveled in it. "I wonder if Hayley has any idea how lucky see if to have you."
"Mm." I hummed, inhaling his warm scent but I couldn't stay. Reluctantly I pushed myself away from him and shifted, trotting over to Hayley's side to where Jackson had taken up residency. Snarling, I shoved him away from her, baring my teeth. He whipped back around and snarled right back at me and I swiped my paw at him, daring him to come any closer.
"Would you two knock it off?" Hayley barked at us. "He's fine, Hayden. Lay off." Ignoring her, I gave him one last warning growl before shoving him once again and following Hayley. Jackson let out a low growl before padding along behind us keeping a safe distance away.
TO
I laid next to Hayley by the fire as the stars shined above us. The crackling of twigs and the popping of air bubbles in the logs was soothing and I focused on it to drown out the screaming insects from within the forest. It was a little cold and Hayley had her coat on and laying closely to the fire, I could feel the heat radiating from it and it warmed me. A large branch snapped, a human footstep, not werewolf, and I jolted to my paws to look in the direction of the intruder. I relaxed when I saw Rebekah slowly making her way to us, her hands stuffed inside her jacket pockets and her blonde hair cascading down around her shoulders. Her blue eyes were soft and sad as if she had been crying. Hayley stood up from her chair to greet her.
"Rebekah, what are you doing here?" Hayley inquired.
"I came to say good-bye." Rebekah said quietly.
"What happened to us girls sticking together?"
"Well, Nik and I came to a sort of all or nothing arrangement. I leave town for good, he allows me to. Can't pass that up." Hayley let out an amused chuckle and shook her head.
"A thousand years with Klaus, I guess you deserve a few vacation days."
"Listen. About Nik, he is a monster. Do not ever cross him, but he does want more from life than to just be feared. He's too broken to find it himself, but I do believe there is hope for him in the baby that you carry, and speaking of your child, our family has no shortage of enemies. She will inherit all of them. Please be careful." Hayley looked down at me before looking back at Rebekah.
"You know you can always come back and visit. I've been known to keep a secret or two from Klaus."
"Well, if I can't, you make sure to tell that little girl of her crazy Auntie Bex and let her know, despite my absence, I do love her very much." Rebekah's eyes began to water, and her voice quivered as she spoke. Rebekah gave us a final sad smile before turning and disappearing into the night.
