1492 AD

Scrathclyde, England

"Do you remember it?" Lilly asked as they watched the men disappear into dots.

"What?" Lyanna answered.

"What it used to be like... when we'd laugh. When we used to laugh all the time?" she replied, sadness evident in her voice as she wistfully looked after the Mikaelson Lords.

Greyshaw used to be filled with lightheartedness and love. Lilly was right, making Lyanna suddenly feel horribly guilty.

"Yes," she answered, to no one but herself, turning to find Elspeth waiting for her.

Alone, the kind old woman reached up, her fingers tracing the corners of Lyanna's mouth. "You were so full of light, Love. Still are."

Lyanna missed the laughter. She missed the simplicity but most of all she missed the illusion of love.

The bedding sunk down around Lilly, a warm hand and then a voice in her ear, "Lilly."

When she didn't stir, it became more persistent, "LILLY!" it commanded.

When her eyes popped open she found Lyanna staring down at her, smiling.

"What is it?"

"Lammas Day celebration," Lyanna answered, holding out a small thatched sack.

"Witch leafs," she tempted.

Shooting up from the bed, Lilly saw Katerina hovering in the doorway, a bottle of brandy in her hands, "Happy Lammas Day."

"I thought we used them all?"

"Hardly," Lyanna urged, "Come."

She slipped off the bed and followed Katerina. Bare feet padded along stone hallways and hushed laughter bounced of walls as the girls skidded into the kitchen. Popping the cork from the bottle of brandy with her teeth, Lyanna poured leaves into the three goblets.

"Too much, Lyanna!" Lilly warned.

"Hush," she snickered, watching the dried plants dissolve in the strong liquor.

As each took a glass, Katerina eyed the girls suspiciously, "What does it do?"

A wicked grin passed over Lyanna's face, "Opens the mind."

There was a moment more of a pause before the three women toasted, "Lammas Day," their voices echoed throughout the large cookery.

The brandy burned on the way down, bitter and hot. Katerina made a face, coughing.

"That tastes terrible."

"Just wait," Lyanna promised, pouring each girl a new glass. Shaking her head, Lilly tried to refuse. She had only had witch's leafs once before, months before Nathaniel died. When he had found out, he was furious that Lyanna had taken them with her. She never had more than one glass of wine and never brandy.

Refusing to take no for an answer, Lyanna filled her glass to the brim, challenging her. Katerina had already finished her second and was tapping the rim for her third."It is not as bad as I thought," Katerina mused , feeling the room growing warm and slightly fuzzy, the contrast of the colors around her starting to glow.

Both Lilly and Lyanna poured another brandy, "Is it warm in here?" Katerina murmured.

Opening the heavy wooden doors that led to the grounds, warm air poured into the room, barely a breeze in the warm summer night.

"Wait," Lyanna had almost forgot. Disappearing for a moment, she went down into the dark cellar, grabbing two bottles of summer wine that she and Elspeth had recently cured with Vervain and Wolfsbane leafs.

By the time she had made it back into the kitchen the girls had wandered outside, bare toes sinking into warm grass and the cold dirt of the garden.

With the bottle of brandy dangling from her fingers as she pointed up at the sky, Lilly bumped into her, Katerina questioned, "Are they not beautiful?"

"Do you see it? Lya…" Lilly answered, tracing the pattern of stars in the sky with her finger.

"Ladies," Lyanna interrupted. Holding up the bottles of wine she grabbed Katerina's hand, "Come."

Like children the girls giggled, their white shifts glowing in the full moon as they ran through the garden, stopping when they reached the woods.

"Lyanna, it's dark in there," Lilly warned.

"Hush, we have the moon," she answered, pointing up at the sky. The girls glommed together as they passed into the dense, darker woods.

"Lyanna, I feel funny," Lilly laughed.

"Good," she encouraged.

Katerina, trailed behind the girls staring off into the trees- at all the funny, pretty colors she was seeing.

"Katerina, hurry!"

Running to catch up, Katerina stopped when she saw water. Standing on the edge of the bank the women looked out over the lake. The water shimmered, like it was lit within. "What will we do now?"

Handing Lilly a bottle and setting her own on the rocks, Lyanna tugged at the hem of her shift, drawing it up over her head. "Go for a swim."

"Lyanna!" Lilly hissed, "What if someone were to see?'

"Who would see? Everyone is asleep," past midnight, not a body stirred from Greyshaw Manor in the distance. When the white cotton, fell to the uneven ground, Lyanna grabbed her bottle from the rocks, tossing the cork as she waded into the delightfully cooler water.

Unashamed of her nakedness, she looked over her shoulder, "Are you coming?"

Shrugging, Katerina slid out of her shift, walking into the water, leaving Lilly no choice but to join or be craven.

"Shh…" Niklaus warned Kol as they approached.

"What exactly is your plan?"

"Do not worry."

As the approached the great house, not a candle lit within, Kol asked, "Yes and why is that? How do you hope to get inside?"

"Simple," he replied, moving towards the stables, "Go to the stable master."

"And…?"

"Compel him."

"And no one will notice you stealing inside Katerina's room, dragging Lady Lockwood behind you out the door?"

Elijah smirked behind him, feeling just as sure as Kol that this plan was mayhaps not the best one Niklaus had ever had. However, this was their window, it was a full moon. They had their witch, found their doppelganger, would snag a wolf and be done with this whole business.

"Well, that is why we have you now isn't it?" Niklaus snapped.

Stopping for a moment, Kol scoffed, "Why must I be bait for hysteria?"

"You are the least valuable," he shot back.

When the reek of manure was strong, signaling that they were there, Niklaus was prepared to duck inside and find the old man, Jon, Lady Lockwood had called him, when they heard laughter in the distance.

It stopped them briefly, before maybe considering it as a fluke, when they heard it again. Had they been human it would have been indistinguishable, but without a doubt all three brothers had made out the same noise. It was surely laughter, female laughter.

Cocking his eyebrow, Kol headed off in the direction of the gardens, "Kol," Elijah called. But his younger brother ignored him, passing through the rows, towards the woods.

"This is why we cannot take him anywhere," Niklaus hissed as the men were forced to follow. Reluctantly the men passed through the woods, trailing after Kol as the sound of splashing water and female voices grew louder. Finally catching up to where Kol had stopped, still covered by the woods.

"Happy Lamas Day," he smirked as the brothers caught what had him grinning ear to ear.

In the full moonlight they could see them perfectly, their heads and shoulders hovering above the water. Light ricocheting off the glass bottles they raised to their lips.

Happy Lamas day, indeed. Although annoyingly deviating from his plan, Niklaus immediately began reconfiguring his strategy. This was much easier than entering the house. What the hell were these foolish women doing out in the middle of the night?

More laughter.

"Spirits," Kol chuckled, clearly realizing the same as his brothers that the women were drunk.

"What is it like?" Lilly questioned.

"What is what like?" Katerina answered.

"Being kissed…"

"That would depend."

Looking along the shore line, Niklaus tried to think of the best way to enter the water to retrieve the girls when he noticed it. Distracted by the bathing women before it was clearly evident to him now that taking the ladies by water would not be possible. Vervain plants sprouted up all along the shoreline, the reek of it heavy in the air, most certainly poisoning the water.

"On what?"

"Who it is that you would be kissing."

"What does it feel like?"

"Have you never been kissed before, Lilly?"

The girl blushed, more from the herb and drink than embarrassment at that point, "Who would I kiss?"

"Lord Mikaelson, mayhaps?"

"That would be nice," she answered wistfully.

Elijah looked to Kol who was clearly enjoying himself, beaming with cocky pride.

"No," Niklaus answered, knowing already what he was thinking. "Not part of the plan."

"What if I do it wrong?"

Katerina cackled, "That's why you practice first."

"Practice?"

"Well of course," setting her bottle on the little stone island that sat in the center of the lake, she reached out, pulling Lilly in. "With a friend."

"Lyanna?" Lilly questioned, but Lyanna was lost, hallucinating, tracking the "pretty fish" that swam below the surface of the water.

"I will not bite," Katerina teased, taking the girl's face in her hands.

Elijah glanced at his brothers. Niklaus seemed mildly amused, most likely plotting out the rest of the evening, how he would extract the ladies from the water that reeked of Vervain and Wolfsbane. Kol was completely enthralled, most likely forgetting that they did have a purpose for being there, besides gawking.

Although Elijah knew he should be the voice of reason, and felt slightly guilty for listening to their private conversation, Kol seemed disinclined to act gentlemanly, leaning forward as the women's lips touched, like a child grasping for a prize.

When they parted, Lilly looked back at her, wide eyed, "Was your tongue supposed to do that?"

Katerina laughed, "Yes."

"Oh, it was nice."

"All the things, I could show you to do with your tongue," Kol murmured, eliciting a stern look from Elijah- Niklaus ignoring him, still thinking of the best way to snatch the doppelganger and drag Lady Lockwood behind.

"Full moon, finding a wolf should be easy," he thought, tirelessly plotting away. Everything revolved around breaking the curse, breaking the curse. No time for mindless chatter and a perverted look at nude skin. He had bigger things to do.

"It will be better when it is a boy."

Needing little encouragement Kol began tugging at his tunic, ready to rip it from his head and show the ladies, Lilly, exactly how nice it would be, when a hand shot out stopping him, "One more move and you're dead. Can you not smell the water you fool?"

"I will take my chances," he answered hastily.

"Vervain," Niklaus snapped, the plants growing alongside the Wolfsbane, petals and stems dipping below the water's surface from the banks.

"Lyanna?" Katerina called.

"Hmm, what?" Lyanna answered, head popping up like a muskrat from a hole.

"Shall I kiss you as well?" Katerina's voice echoed off the rocks, perking Niklaus' attention, Elijah forgetting momentarily about honor as well.

"Oh, no Love, I am too smart to be seduced by your charms," she answered, splashing her with water before spitting out "Have you kissed Niklaus?" not sure why she asked. She didn't care. She was sure of it, she absolutely did not care.

Then why had she asked?

Katerina smiled, retrieving her bottle from the rock, taking a large swig, "Mayhaps," she replied cryptically.

Elijah looked to Niklaus who was suddenly quite interested in the conversation. A Cheshire grin on his face, guilty with knowing.

"Of course," Elijah thought. Niklaus had never been one for subtlety with women. He had probably pawed away at Katerina close to a half dozen times by now.

"Ooh, how was it?" Lilly pandered.

"Well…"

"Ew," Lyanna interrupted.

Kol snickered, a smile twitched at Elijah's mouth. Five hundred years and neither brother could remember a girl responding to Niklaus with repulsion.

"Please," he felt like refuting. If he wanted to he could easily seduce Lady Lockwood.

"It was nice," Katerina sighed.

"No, thank you," Lyanna disputed.

"Oh Ly, you know he is beautiful." Niklaus knew there was a reason why he liked Katerina, even though she could be tedious. At the very least the woman had good taste.

"If you enjoy tiresome bravado, unwarranted notions of superiority and ignorance, mayhaps," she commented, unimpressed.

'Unwarrented notions of superiority?' He had half a mind to risk the burn by Vervain and wade into the water, rip her body limb from limb and then see what she had to say about unwarranted notions of superiority. Clearly, Lady Lockwood was confused. He was the Alpha Male, period. He needed not to use bravado. It was fact.

"I think he's beautiful," Lilly chimed.

"You lie," Katerina taunted, Lyanna, "He is practically Juniper," she defended proudly, because he was hers.

Lyanna teetered in the water as she rose, damp blond curls falling over her shoulders, water glistening down her bare back. "You mean, Jupiter," she corrected.

"Yes, whatever it is called in those books of yours."

"More like equus fundus," she snarked, eliciting a roar from Lilly whom understood instantly.

It was settled. Niklaus had made up his mind. Lady Lockwood would be the first to go. Ines would have to make due with a dead body. As soon as she got out of that water, her seconds alive were numbered.

"Equus fundeas?" Katerina slurred, confused.

"Fundus," Lyanna corrected.

"What does that mean?"

"Horse's arse!" Lilly blurted out.

"He is not attractive. He is ignorant and stuffy and…." She was running out of words, so instead proclaimed, "I would rather kiss Jon."

"Ew!" The girls sneered. "He is so old. He has no teeth."

"Mayhaps he will not be so cheeky then."

"Well you will never know," Katerina answered, smugly.

"Mayhaps you will kiss Elijah?" Lilly hinted.

"You did seem to enjoy his company," Katerina added.

"Hmm… Elijah. Yes, I wonder what it would be like to kiss Lord Mikaelson," Lyanna pondered. "He is wonderfully sweet and intelligent."

"Too serious!" Katerina criticized.

"I like that," Lyanna defended. "No, I think he could be entertaining as well."

"Entertaining?" Katerina coaxed, alluding to a sexual nature, completely lost on Lilly but understood clearly by Lyanna.

Lyanna smiled, raising her eyebrows. The last time she had been touched by a man had been more than a year past.

"What do you think it would be like?" Katerina questioned.

"Alright, that is enough," Niklaus whispered, not willing to listen to another word., For whatever reason the last thing in the world he wished to hear was Lyanna's musing on what coitus would be like with Elijah. Turning he moved to go back into the woods. They would find their wolf first and wait the women out. Eventually they would have to leave the water.

Elijah beamed, his hands balling into fists at his side, listening intently, probably imagining things. Things Niklaus would prefer to pretend he wasn't imagining.

"Enough," Niklaus hissed again. But Kol and Elijah remained unmoved. Turning back, to force them to follow, he caught what his brothers were staring so intently at. As Lyanna pondered what it would be like to having Elijah kiss her neck, touch her breasts, look at her appreciatively, she'd risen further, the edge of the water hovering at the base of her spine.

Showing much more skin than they'd seen of the other women, water slid down her back, dripped from her long blond hair. If Niklaus had a heart it would have stopped as she slowly turned.

He disliked Lady Lockwood, everything about her made him want to shake her, till her neck snapped from force, drain her dry while she cried out in fear, apologizing for every time she was ever stupid enough to challenge him. But as his eyes followed the curve of her breast peeking into view, he felt his body instantly react, without his approval.

Plans, he had plans. What the hell were his plans again? All murderous thoughts of proving a point with the bold woman, finding out the mystery of the reappearing hunter, using the doppelganger, breaking the curse, momentarily flew out of his mind.

"Well I think," Lyanna started, biting her bottom lip, "He might be gentle."

Elijah swallowed, his breaths labored. Kol's eyes bugged out of his head, his tongue passing over his lips. Niklaus did not consider himself jealous. He would just as soon pass any woman he fucked on to the next man as soon as he was done with her. And he was sure that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with Lyanna. He was going to kill her gladly, as soon as his witched solved the resemblance mystery.

Why the hell would he be jealous?! He, Niklaus Mikaelson, soon to be the most powerful walking creature on the planet, indestructible, greater than even fucking Jupiter himself. He did not need to be jealous of anyone or anything. He hated this woman, in more than one lifetime.

But as her breasts came into the full view, rational thoughts fell into a dark abyss of idiocy, never to be retrieved. He forgot how much he detested her when his mind instead instantly began wondering what they would feel like in his hands. What she smelt like up close. As soon as the thought passed through his mind, before he could internally chastise himself, he became keenly aware that his brothers were watching the same thing, most likely thinking the same thoughts.

Ridiculously acting on instinct, like an offended mother, his hand shot out, covering Kol's eyes, a gesture so pathetic in its childishness that if Niklaus was thinking straight he'd be disgusted with himself.

Undeterred, Kol peeled his fingers apart, looking through the small slit of allotted space as Lyanna continued, "Mayhaps…" she laughed, coming out of the water further, sliding onto a rock, beaching herself like a water nymph, fully naked for the viewing.

If he could reach Elijah, he'd be attempting, like an idiot, to cover his eyes as well, stifling whatever ravenous thoughts he was conjuring up. And then promptly attempt to close his own and refocus on the plan.

None of that was happening.

"He would take his time…." Undoubtedly Elijah was taking notes. Pondering all the different ways he would, if given the opportunity, to be attentive to the Lady Lockwood as she lay under him.

Struggling with Kol, the word 'stunning' was drifting through the subconscious recesses of Niklaus's mind. He remembered see that body once before. Shaking with fear and innocence as Hannah foolishly gave herself to him. He didn't remember having such greedy lecherous thoughts at the time.

But Hannah never touched herself like that. When Lyanna's hands snaked down over her sides, sliding over her hips and legs, Niklaus was absolutely sure of one thing, Elijah would never touch Lyanna.

"Mine," a childish voice, recited in his ears. His mind had plunged into a fully fledged fantasy world, of all the different ways he wouldn't be gentle with Lyanna. All the ways he would plan to have her, pull her hair, listen to her moan, and recant every word she'd ever uttered about him.

"Oh, you mean…?" Lilly finally seemed to be catching on.

"How was it… before?" Katerina questioned, pretending to be innocent and unknowing on matters of sex when both her and Lyanna knew that was not the case.

Lilly seemed to cover her ears, not interested in hearing about her brother.

Two things now, Niklaus did not wish to hear: Lyanna's musings on being seduced by his brother and what kind of lover her former dead husband was. Both were dark clouds, unwelcomingly edging its way into his little fantasy world. Threatening confident notions that the mouthy blond would stupidly worship him, pathetically call him whatever he demanded, beg for more to which he could smugly deny.

"It was… kind, comforting, lovely," she answered nostalgically, for a moment hinting at sadness.

Her legs dipped back into the water, her hair falling over her breasts.

"My fingers are wrinkling, "Lilly hiccupped, looking at them in the moonlight.

"I am empty," Katerina pouted, holding up her bottle, looking through the small hole and seeing the bottom.

At this point the women were thoroughly intoxicated, no longer even feeling the chill of the water.

"More?" Lyanna questioned.

'The last thing, they needed was more,' Niklaus thought. They couldn't have made it any easier if they tried. They'd most likely have to lean on one another to stumble back to main house. They didn't stand a chance for survival.

"Yes," the girls answered.

Pointing to their clothes where they laid hidden on the shore, Lyanna slurred, "Tooo the huse-house."

Stumbling, the girls' half swam, half walked, to the shore line, before disappointingly disappearing out of view as they slipped their shifts back on.

Nodding in their direction, it was clear that the show was over and it was time to return to business. Niklaus sniped, "Shall we?"

As the brothers moved to complete the task that had originally brought them to Greyshaw and had led them to Scrathclyde England, the ladies had headed out before them, wandering back through the woods.

It was a simple plan. It was an easy execution. The only problem was that Niklaus didn't count for the outlying variables. It happened before any of the men had time to react. They smelt it first before the scent was shortly followed by a screaming cry, reverberating throughout the woods.

How would they explain how they'd arrived in the woods, why they were there, any of those variables, would become a problem later. At the moment, the only thoughts rushing through Niklaus's mind were that some idiot wolf was slaughtering his doppelganger, ruining his chances for the next 500 years.

Some idiot that was sure to die, painfully for their error. He found them before the screams could be sounded, huddled together. Someone was hovered over something sprawled out on the ground, the third nowhere to be found.

"Lilly! Lilly!"

A beast curled on its side, snapping at the air.

"What happened?" Bewildered Katerina whipped around, to reveal Lilly bleeding on the ground, her head in Lyanna's lap. With Niklaus arriving before Elijah and Kol, Kol rushed forward to see who was killed when Elijah's hand stopped him, hovering just out of view as Niklaus bent towards the body on the ground.

"Lilly…" Lyanna panted, tearing her damp shift looking at the wound.

"What happened?" Niklaus repeated. So caught up in the moment, Lyanna ignored him, not caring whom he was or why he was there. Lilly's eyes were fluttering open and closed.

It was Katerina that finally answered, "That thing attacked us!"

"Lilly, can you hear me?" Lyanna urged. The puncture wounds were deep but not fatal.

"Yes," she answered. Niklaus rose, walking over to the beast still twitching on the ground, life leeching from its body.

"It's dead," he commented.

"Am I going to die?" Lilly questioned.

"No," Lyanna soothed, pushing hair back from her eyes.

"What was that?" Katerina cried, huddling closer to Lyanna, shaking.

It was then that Lyanna looked up, noticing Niklaus standing there.

"An animal," she answered, unemotionally.

"There are wolves in these woods?" Katerina looked around foolishly.

"Yes."

"What stopped it?" She pointed to the dead beast, tears rolling down her cheek in scared confusion.

"I do not know," Lyanna lied, looking at Niklaus, whom for whatever reason she knew, knew that she was lying. They both knew very well what had killed it: Wolfsbane. Enough of it flowing through Lilly's system that the werewolf hardly had time to sink its teeth into her and let her blood pour into its mouth, before the poison had begun to take its effect. Maiming the animal and stopping him in his tracks as he doubled over in death.

"Let us get you home," Lyanna comforted, looking to Katerina to help her lift Lilly up, but Katerina was still too in shock. Taking the lead, Niklaus bent forward, picking Lilly up from Lyanna's lap.

As he carried her back through the woods to the main house, Katerina clung to Lyanna, shaking like a leaf, still hallucinating from the witch's leafs sure that at any moment they'd be attacked again. Lyanna hovered somewhere between intoxicated and harshly sobering up.

Kol and Elijah trailed behind, out of sight, unsure of what to do next.

"Why do we not just take them now?" Kol questioned.

"I do not know."

When they had cleared the woods, passing over the hills and eventually moving through the gardens, Elijah and Kol stopped not willing to wander out further from fear of discovery.

Lilly trembled against Niklaus, wet, in shock and scared. Her face tucked against his chest, the Vervain laced water burned Niklaus as it soaked through his clothing, making it uncomfortable at best to continue carrying the girl, acting unaffected.

When they arrived at the doors that lead into the kitchen, Katerina rushed inside, followed by Lyanna who waited for Niklaus to carry Lilly inside.

"Elspeth!" Lyanna cried out into the house. "Katerina, go get Elspeth immediately," she ordered. Obeying Katerina stumbled off into the large Manor searching for the old woman.

Niklaus hovered at the doorway, unable to enter without an invitation. Brushing pot and pans, vegetables and odd items to the ground with a clatter, she called out to Niklaus; "Put her here," as the house began to stir.

But Niklaus didn't enter; he stood just beyond the threshold of the door. Annoyed, Lyanna looked at him strangely, "There, please," she asked again, but still he did not move.

"Come in, Niklaus and please put her down." Finally given permission, he stepped inside the backdoor as Katerina arrived with Elspeth.

"What happened?"

"Wolf," Katerina stammered.

Elspeth looked up alarmed at Lyanna, as Niklaus laid Lilly on the table.

"I'm fine," Lilly answered weakly, patting around for Elspeth's hand.

"What happened to the wolf?" Elspeth answered, looking to Lyanna, fear passing palpably between them.

"Dead," she answered.

The old women's eyes went wide, before she looked down at the youngest Lockwood and began to work on her. She spent minutes cleaning the wound with water, then wrapping it, all the while thinking to herself, So it has begun, as the smell of Wolfsbane and wine hung heavy on the girl's breath.

She had never before worried that Lilly would be forced to turn, knowing all too well from Nathaniel and his father before him that to turn, you must kill a person first. Poor, sweet Lilly would hardly harm a fly, much less kill another human. Now, whether by her own volition or not it had begun.

The girls hovered while Niklaus stood in the background watching.

This was his chance. He had his invitation and they were distracted. He could easily kill the old woman and girl, grab Katerina, fend of Lyanna and send Elijah or Kol to retrieve her after. He had a plan. A plan that at the moment, under the perfect circumstances didn't feel right.

When Elspeth had finished, Lyanna looked at him, "Can you help us please?" Obliging, for whatever reason, he wasn't sure, he picked the exhausted woman up off the table and followed Lyanna and Katerina further into the Manor, down hallways and up stairs as they led him to her bedroom. After depositing the girl, Lyanna stayed behind whispering away in hushed tones things for comfort. Feeling awkward, he exited the room, Katerina trailing after him, "Klaus."

He hardly turned before she was on him, kissing him desperately, her still damp skin irritating his in the places they touched, her lips burning from the Vervain.

"Thank you," she cooed, hugging him tightly.

Uncomfortable, the thought again passed through his mind of grabbing her then and making a run for it. If there was one wolf in the woods, there would be others, easily drawn out by the sight of a vampire. They had at least another five hours until day light. It could still work. He could still finish this thing tonight.

The words came out before he processed them, "Good night, Katerina." Pulling away, his feet were motoring him down the hall, away from Katerina, his solution, Lilly and Lyanna… as fast as possible. All kinds of uncomfortable confusing sensations came over him, as his mind screamed, "TURN BACK YOU IDIOT! FINISH THIS!" But his body wasn't listening. Later he'd be mortified to realize that the sensations he had were 'feelings', such a terrible, dirty, pathetic word.

What was he to tell Elijah and Kol, whom undoubtedly would want to know what took him so long and why he'd changed his mind? He was prattling off some lame excuses to himself, bursting back through the kitchen, ready to exit the house when he heard someone yelling his name.

Keep moving, he told himself, not interested in having conversations with anyone at the moment and most certainly not with any of the women of Greyshaw nor his brothers, or himself and definitely , absolutely, without a doubt, NOT with Lyanna.

Lady Lockwood, he corrected himself in his mind, Her name is not Lyanna, it's not even Lady Lockwood. Her name is Hannah, Pest, soon to be dead woman.

"Niklaus," she yelled out again, tracking him through the garden.

Damn that woman was persistent. And if there was one thing that annoyed him it was persistence.

"Will you not stop? Or will you make me chase you all the way to Harte Manor?" She barked. That stalled him in his tracks. The last thing he wanted was to listen to her irritating voice bellowing after him over the moors, in stereo.

"Yes!?" He snapped immediately, turning around, as she plowed into him.

Pushed back, Lyanna caught herself, panting, "Jesus!" she cursed, "Must you always be so difficult?"

She looked an absolute mess, wet hair plastered against the side of her face and dirt smudged her legs. Blood caked her hands, arms and neck, staining her already soaked shift.

"I did not know I was. My apologies," he glowered, trying to clearly give the impression that he was not interested in whatever words of thanks she may have or other insults she may be conjuring up. He was working on a few rather biting ones himself, when he noticed that she was practically naked, standing in front of him panting, in a wet translucent shift, covered in blood.

Hello lewd uncontrollable thoughts! Blood, hips, beautiful pink nipples, a clearly visible naval, damp hair between her legs-

"Excuse me," she interrupted, clearing her throat, pulling the material off her body, hastily trying to cover herself.

"Yes," he blinked, back to his point. Insulting Lyan- IT, (he corrected himself again), getting rid of IT, rendezvousing with Elijah and Kol and reconfiguring the plan. "You were about to thank me."

"No, well…ye- What were you doing in the woods? You weren't- How did you find us?"

"I heard screams."

"In the woods?"

"Yes."

"Why were you in the woods?"

"Why were you in the woods?" he fired back.

"Never mind why I was in the woods, they are part of my lands."

"Yes, well that is debatable."

"It is not! Those woods," she pointed, "Have belonged to the Lockwood family for over a hundred years."

"And you are not a Lockwood."

Flabbergasted, she dropped her shift, "How dare you!" she shot back with authority.

Authority? He wanted to laugh. If she was aiming at authority and being taken seriously, she was failing miserably as she stood in front of him naked, again.

"These lands are mine."

His eyes slid down over her breast, poignantly this time, just to humiliate and throw her off track. It worked as she pulled the material forward, attempting again to cover herself, "You are not a very noble man," she accused.

"I never claimed to be," he laughed shortly, cutting her off. Her eyebrows wrinkled together in disgust. Did Hannah make those same faces? He couldn't remember. If she had mayhaps he would have found her more amusing.

"Why were you in the woods?"

"I was unaware these entire woodlands belonged to the Lockwood estate."

"Well, they do."

"Then I will note that for future reference." She shifted uncomfortably, bare feet sinking into dirt, shivering.

"Are you cold, Lady Lockwood?" It was horribly rude of him to point it out, glancing at the outline of her nipples poking out through the shift, confirming his suspicions.

Her cheeks flushed pink, "You are a horrible man!"

"That is the thanks I get?"

Again with the eyebrows, if she wasn't so damn mouthy and annoying he would almost find it endearing.

"You are welcome," she snapped.

"I'm welcome?" He questioned.

Flustered, she corrected herself, "I mean, Thank you!" She practically yelled.

He smiled, smugly, "No thanks needed."

She wanted to explode. All of that, and she gets, "No thanks needed?"!

A long pause passed between them. This should have been the point where he continued his journey and she returned home, but neither moved, as she was unwilling to let him get the last word, trying to think of something to say. Unfortunately nothing was coming to mind. Finally she settled on, "Good Lamas Day to you!"

"Indeed."

She wanted to scream. Lyanna wasn't particularly fond of violence but she wanted to lurch forward and smack the smirk from his face. Why must he always have the last word!?

Narrowing her eyes, nodding her head, she turned heading back to the house, fuming. Why? She wasn't quite sure.

In the end Niklaus found himself smiling, like a damn fool. He'd won and gotten the last laugh, admiring the view greatly as she left.

It was too late now however. He would never have enough time to track down a wolf, collect Katerina and kill Lyanna. He needed to find out the mystery of the familiar face (if she was a hunter), torture her for a little while before, possibly eliciting that same annoyed look on her face for his own satisfaction before killing her.

He would now have to wait another 31 days until the next full moon. Damn werewolves. Damn the Lockwood women. Damn Lammas Day, liquor, interesting distracting, female chatter. Damn Vervain. Damn uncontrollable, entertaining thoughts about soft feminine curves paired with snarky words. Damn strange unfamiliar feelings.

Damn Lyanna (fine she could have a name) Lockwood!

Hey, congrats we live to write and read more fanfiction. Next chapter, promise will be super retardedly long. I apologize in advance

Also, if someone is an artist and would want me to be their devoted servant forever and would consider doing fanart for this story. Hi, I would love you because I can't do it but it would be SO appreciated.

Please, if so inclined: follow, fav, or better yet comment. See they really do motivate me to pump out material.