Chapter 34

Hope was at a loss for words.

And she was utterly exhausted.

She had tried to make the effort to reestablish communication with Josie, and though it got off to a fairly decent pace after the beginning, it very quickly dissolved into coldness once more.

She was out of angles to try. And on top of the stress of sorting out things with Josie, she still had to deal with Landon.

She had been very unsure of her feelings for Landon over the past few days. They had hung out since she returned from New Orleans, but as best as she could she kept him just slightly at arm's length. She had shown him affection as she still very much felt affection for him, but even that had its limits. She couldn't help that her feelings were waning and even though she loved him, she knew she had fallen out of love with him. Or rather she was forced out of love with him by falling in love anew.

She could be with Landon still and he would probably make her feel content. But he was no longer who she wanted. He would be nothing but a consolation prize if she were to truly lose the one she longed for; the one her wolf longed for; the one her soul longed for; the one her heart longed for.

Josie.

Hope trekked up to her room with a heavy heart, the image of Josie walking away from her in the garden a short while back still playing through her memories. She just needed a breather, but she would have no such luck. She was rather surprised to find, upon entering her own room, a lazy Lizzie Saltzman lounging around on her bed, clearly waiting for her to make an appearance.

"What are you doing in here?" Hope blinked at the blonde, then scowled. "Wait, how did you even get in? I always charm the lock."

"Why's that? Got something to hide?" Lizzie smirked and drew herself into a sitting position on Hope's bed, eyeing her curiously.

"Uhh, my privacy?" Hope arched one brow and gave Lizzie a pointed look of indignation.

"Well, your privacy is boring. I already checked. Nothing fun and interesting hidden away in here." Lizzie shrugged and casually moved off the bed and glanced around the room with a look of disappointment.

"Lizzie! How did you get in, and why are you here?" Hope reiterated her initial questions. She was building an intense headache and was honestly not sure whether she had the strength for the blonde twin right now.

"I'm a siphon, Hope, or have you forgotten? I can suck the magic out of just about anything. Your charms won't work with me… well unless…"

"Unless I put a siphon block charm up as well, thanks. I'll remember that next time." Hope grinned at her sarcastically and moved past her to her chest of drawers, looking for some casual clothes as her academic day had come to an end and she could change out of her uniform. She fully intended on spending the rest of the evening in bed, and then going for a run all through the night. She had a lot on her mind that needed outing. "And again I ask, what do you want, Lizzie?"

"You and my sister to make up." Lizzie said simply, crossing her arms.

Hope paused for a moment, then glanced back over her shoulder without actually meeting Lizzie's eyes. "I tried. She's not having it."

"Well then you need to try harder, Hope, because I can't stand another night of her crying herself to sleep in my arms." Lizzie ground out, demanding that Hope pay her some proper attention now as she spoke.

Hope turned around and sighed, finally looking up at the girl. "She wants me to claim my birthright and take alpha position in a pack of wolves I don't even know. It's just really overwhelming to think about." Hope tried to defend herself, but there was also a pleading quality to her tone of voice, very much like a scared little girl.

Lizzie noticed and softened her features. "Does she know that? Have you told her you're not ready?"

"Yes? No… I don't know – we fought about it, but… I don't exactly express my emotions very well, and she hasn't been very willing to give me a chance." Hope shrugged, feeling defeated.

"You know, she doesn't cry herself to sleep every night because you're not stepping up to be alpha, Hope. She cries herself to sleep because she figures that you don't see yourself sharing a relationship – a real relationship – with her in the longer term." Lizzie raised her brows and took a seat in the chair by Hope's desk, observing her facial expressions and body language carefully for what it may reveal of her true thoughts and emotions.

Hope deflated instantly as her eyes turned watery. She wasn't difficult to read at all.

"You're in love with her." Lizzie said simply and gently, nodding her head at Hope as if to encourage her to admit it herself.

"I am…" She whispered and sunk down on her bed. "Why would she think I wouldn't want…"

"Hmmm well, Hope, and I don't mean to be the bitch here – or maybe I do – but you have Landon on one side, who is supposedly the love of your life. And then on the other side, you unknowingly – or at least without realizing it – forced Josie into trapping her wolf on a subconscious level just to appease you. You also seemed unwilling to consider unifying yourself with her, which hurt especially because it would save our lives as Gemini twins." Lizzie sighed deeply, but continued talking as Hope was still digesting. "I'm not saying any of what you did was wrong, but your communication needs to stop sucking so much, Mikaelson. If you're not ready to be an alpha, tell that to Josie. She thinks you will never want to be one – but you and I both know you will, just not right now. If you're not ready to go through with the unification, then tell Josie that. She thinks you don't want her like that, when you just admitted to me that you're in love with her."

"How do you know I will eventually be an alpha? I'm not sure…" Hope started, still riddled with self-doubt and stubbornness, but the younger girl cut her off very quickly.

"Your father was Klaus Mikaelson, your mother was Hailey Marshall, also known as Andrea Lebonair. Being an alpha is in your blood; it courses through every vein in your body. You couldn't avoid it even if you tried. But keep on trying," Lizzie scoffed, "it's kind of cute."

"I can't unify myself with Josie unless I become an alpha." Hope pointed to the next problem.

"So? Does that also mean you can't be with her? At all?" Lizzie asked incredulously.

"Well… no…" Hope muttered.

"Well then you're just being an idiot, Hope. She's madly in love with you. And you're clearly hopelessly in love with her. So, what are you waiting for?" Lizzie threw her hands in the air in frustration.

"She won't listen to me!" Hope cried out in equal measure of frustration.

"Because you haven't been saying the right words, Hope!" Lizzie flung right back at her and shook her head.

"Try again." She uttered at Hope sharply. "Try. Harder."

(…)

"Oh good, you're still here." Lizzie grinned and hopped over to her sister as she entered their room and found Josie lingering.

"I was just about to…" Josie started, but she quickly found herself being drawn into a sitting position on her bed as her sister grabbed and tugged her by her hands. "What's going on?"

"Well, Jo, my dearest sister… How can I put this gently…" Lizzie started slowly, then smiled lovingly at her sister before crooning out, "You need to dump the vampire."

"Jade? We're not dating." Josie scowled at Lizzie, then quickly turned indignant. "And that's none of your business or your decision to make."

"You're in love with Hope." Lizzie pointed out with a straight face. "Don't even try to deny it."

"Lizzie, not this again…" Josie sighed and moved to get up and head for the door. "I have to meet Jade. She's waiting for me already."

"Jo wait, I'm serious." Lizzie jumped to her feet and moved for the door faster than Josie could get there, shoving it closed. "Jade – as much as I dislike the ripper – does not deserve your half-assed affections. And Hope does not deserve you flaunting Jade around in her face as a way to make her jealous."

"That's not what I was…" Josie's frown ran even deeper then, but her words seemed soft and unconvincing.

Lizzie raised a knowing brow at her. "Just bite the bullet and do it, Jo. It's the right thing."

"Since when are you bothered with doing the right thing?" Josie scoffed at her sister, then immediately felt bad as Lizzie seemed insulted by the insinuation.

"Since it affects my sister's happiness. But thanks for that, Jo. Really appreciate the vote of confidence." Lizzie sneered.

"I'm sorry, I didn't…" Josie sighed and tucked some hair behind her ear nervously. She knew, deep down, that Lizzie was right. What she was doing with Jade was not entirely of pure intentions. And even though she felt affection for Jade, she had no real intention of investing nearly as much into their relationship as Jade was willing to.

Lizzie shook her head and lifted a hand to silence her sister. "Look, I know you're meeting her now. Jo, I beg you… just do what you know has to be done."