Chapter Three: Queen of Hearts

The sky was laced with colors of lavender, pink, and orange as the sun slowly began to rise. All was quiet in the foothills, with the wind whispering through the tall grass, and with the world waking.

At the top of the tallest hill, sat a lone wolf. Its coat was a dark brown color mixed with reddish undertones, like a typical timber wolf. Its gold eyes stared out over its territory.

It was believed that the wolf form you to on reflected some aspect of your human form. It could be that your coat matched your hair color, as Hayley's somewhat did. It could reflect your inner self, or your age, as Eve's white wolf did. As the eldest in the pack, Eve was much older than Hayley and the others, but only her wolf showed such.

Hayley listened intently, her body facing towards where the wind blew. It didn't bring any strange smells or sounds, just the distant smell of the woods.

When she had first found her way to the Crescent Wolf pack, Eve had been their interim Alpha. The last Alpha had been killed in a territory fight against another pack that had come from the South.

At the young age of sixteen, Hayley had stumbled her way into these mountains and had been found by Eve and a few others. She had been hidden away in the thickets within the woods, shivering and starving.

Eve had claimed she had seen something in Hayley from the start. She claimed it was something in her blood, more than the wolf, but something of royalty. It was later revealed to Hayley that Eve knew her birth mother, and had shown her the books that depicted her bloodline. In every sense, Hayley was a Queen, descending from an ancient bloodline that dated back to the first werewolves.

So by her twentieth birthday, Eve had groomed Hayley into the Alpha she was meant to be. Hayley met any challengers and defeated them all, rightfully claiming her place as Alpha of the Crescent Wolf pack. And for the past several years, she had led them, using her instincts and Eve's guidance to be a fair and kind ruler.

Hayley had never believed in becoming a tyrant, and ruling through fear rather than trust. There was plenty of temptation to rule in such a way, especially when their territory was threatened as it was now. But she knew that she could not allow her darker emotions rule over her, or else she would be left alone once more. And that was a feeling she never wished to feel again.

Hayley turned when she heard the familiar call of Eve's howl, which was calling her back inside. Shifting back, she walked down the hill, then back into the safety of the camp.

Eve was waiting for her inside the main hall, sitting over a cup of coffee. Her long, pale blonde hair was pulled back into a tight braid so it stayed out of her face. When she was Hayley, she shoved another cup of coffee in her direction.

Hayley picked up the warm mug, sighing as she took a long sip. "Thanks."

"You shouldn't go off by yourself, not if there is something out there killing supernatural creatures," Eve told her, giving her a stern look.

"I'm perfectly capable of defending myself," Hayley said with a small frown.

Eve gave her a look, which was both patient and firm. "I never said you couldn't. I'm just saying you need to be cautious."

Hayley sighed. She knew Eve was only protecting her, as she had for the last ten years. Even though Hayley had no real memory of her birth mother, and only painful memories of her adoptive mother, when she thought of how her mother truly was, it was Eve.

"I'll be careful," she promised.

Eve smiled, sitting back in her chair. "Good. Now, tell me, why were you off by yourself in the first place?"

Hayley sat back as well, sighing again. "I was thinking."

"About?"

Hayley frowned, her brows furrowing. "If there are Hunters near, why are they attacking now? None of us have seen or heard of them for ten years, why are they back now?"

"We don't know if it is the Hunters," Eve reminded her.

"My instinct tells me otherwise," Hayley murmured, her gaze lowering.

Eve considered that. "Then why do you think the Hunters have returned?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't heard about anything that would catch their attention. Any witch, wolf, or vampire knows to keep a low profile. The Hunters might have been around as long as we have, but we also know how to hide our existence well. But if something has caught their attention, that may be why they're making their debut."

"Wouldn't we have heard about something?" Eve wondered.

"I have a theory."

Hayley and Eve turned towards the voice and they saw Jackson standing at the doorway of the hall, leaning against the wall.

Behind him was Mason, who looked uneasy.

Hayley met Jackson's gaze. "What?"

Jackson and Mason took a seat across from the two women. The former leaned forward, folding his hands in front of him.

"I'm sure we all know about the Summer King," Jackson said, raising a brow.

Hayley's brows shot up. "The Hybrid? Who hasn't?"

"Well, rumor has it, he isn't the only Hybrid anymore. There's been whispers that he turned another werewolf into a Hybrid like himself. Now this new Hybrid is drawing in more creatures to New Orleans, some who want to see if he's real, some to fight him. The Summer King's games are almost as well known as he is."

"He turned a wolf?" Hayley repeated. "Do we know who?"

Mason spoke up. "Tyler. His name is Tyler."

Hayley looked at her Beta, who looked pale and saddened. Then she realized something, something Mason had told her a while back. "Tyler Lockwood. Your nephew, the one who went missing from the northern pack."

Mason nodded, lowering his gaze.

Hayley exchanged a look with Eve, who looked equally as shocked.

Ooo0ooO

The sound of rapid footsteps echoed down the hall, approaching a set of white double doors.

Behind the doors sat a woman, who looked rather annoyed. That look turned to a venomous glare when the doors swung open.

"One tends to knock before entering another's rooms. Or has being King made you forgot your manners, brother?"

Klaus rolled his eyes, sitting down from across the woman at the table she sat at. "I see that you're still as charming as ever, dear sister. Did you trip not amuse you like you hoped?"

Rebekah Mikaelson rolled her eyes much like her brother had. She flicked her pale blonde hair over her shoulder, her eyes cold and blue. "It amused me fine."

"Then why did I have to find out from Marcel about the bodies you so sloppily left behind?"

Rebekah's expression didn't even flicker. "Can't a girl eat?" she asked, examining her nails.

"Yes, but you know the rules. No messy feeds."

"And I suppose Marcel told you this because…?"

"He's a terrible liar, for one. He claimed he didn't know who killed them. Adorable, how he always defends you. It's pathetic, really. And after a thousand years, do you think I would not recognize my own sister's handiwork?"

Rebekah gave her brother a bored look. "Now what? Shall you bury me in the Garden? Stake me and put me in a coffin for ninety years? Please. You've done that already and we both know you'll only get bored and will let me go."

Klaus smirked, chuckling at her audacity. "No, I won't put you in the Garden nor a coffin. It would be… redundant."

"Well, since we got that nonsense cleared up… tell me, where are our brothers?"

Klaus sighed. "I have not heard from Elijah, but I know he's somewhere North. As for Kol… I cannot say. Last I heard, he was drinking his way through the whores in southern Nevada."

Rebekah sighed at that.

The Mikaelson siblings had been greater in number centuries ago. The eldest, Freya and Finn, had died long ago at the hand of their father, who had opposed him. Before they had become vampires, the Mikaelsons had been human. But their father had fallen prey to a witch and she had cursed them, turning Mikael against his family. He had turned them into monsters, and when the elder siblings had discovered his plan, he killed them both, using their blood to transform the others.

Then there had been Henrik, the youngest of them all, who had fallen victim to the cruelty of the wolves bordering their lands. The pack Alpha, the man later discovered to be Klaus's true father, had killed the youngest brother when he had stumbled across their pack on the eve of a full moon. In retribution for murdering his youngest, and for breeding with his wife, Mikael had slain the Alpha and had died himself in the process.

The remaining siblings fled, Kol and Klaus going east and Rebekah and Elijah west, and they had found each other again on the shores of the New World.

But as time passed, they departed, going their own ways. Rebekah preferred to travel in Europe, while Elijah drifted alone in the Northeast and Canada. Kol kept towards the West coast, ruling his own kingdom there, which was not as impressive as his brother's. No, Kol's was built on fun, alcohol, and women, where he drank and fornicated freely. He had no use for being a ruler or a King, unlike his brother.

Rebekah pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen before she lifted it to her ear. She paused for a moment before giving an impatient sigh. "Elijah, honestly, if you're going to own a phone, you're going to need to answer it one of these days. Come home."

She did the same for Kol, leaving a message that threatened to mangle his naughty bits more than any of his sluts ever could and return home immediately if he wished to remain whole.

Klaus stared at her, his hands twitching to cover his own manhood. "You could've asked nicely."

"They wouldn't respond to niceness. I want us together. Don't you want the same thing, brother mine?"

Ooo0ooO

Hayley was walking along the borders of their camp when she came across a group of youngsters playing under a patch of redwoods.

"Hayley!" one cried out when they saw her approaching. "Have you come to play with us?"

Hayley smiled, sitting down. "What are you playing?"

"Blackjack," the girl who had called out said in a very serious tone.

Hayley swallowed a laugh at their serious expressions. "Well, are you going to deal me in?"

It didn't take long for the children to tire of the card game, and soon they were challenging each other to see who could climb to the highest branches on the trees.

Hayley stood underneath them, her eyes tracking all of their movements. She winced sympathetically when she heard them yelp over splinters or skinned knees and palms.

Suddenly there was the sound of splintering wood and a sharp yelp. Hayley moved so quickly she blurred, and she huffed when she caught the girl who had fallen down.

"Thanks, Miss Hayley!" the girl exclaimed, flashing her a grin that revealed two missing teeth.

"What is your name?"

"Rey," the girl replied.

"Well, Rey, I think you need more practice climbing those trees."

"Don't tell my mom and dad!"

Hayley chuckled. "Your secret is safe with me."

The Alpha then put down the little girl, who proceeded to climb up the tree again after her siblings and friends.

Ooo0ooO

Miles away, hidden deep within the mountains and caves in the northern woods, a group of men gathered together around a fire.

"What news about the Hybrid?"

Another voice answered, tinged with sarcasm. "Which one, the old one or his new pup?"

"The one they call the Summer King."

"They say he's growing fat and lazy on his throne. His games will not hold his attention for long."

"And when they don't?"

There was a pause before an answer was given.

"God help us all."

The tallest of the men stood, a frown marring his features. "There is no God to help us. Only we can help rid the earth of this monster."

Then Hunter who sat to the tall man's right glanced up at him. "And how do you suggest we do that, Jeremy?"

Ooo0ooO

Disclaimer: I do not own the Originals.

Author's Note: Please review!