Chapter Twelve: Unseen and Unspoken

Elijah watched as the woman his brother had nicknamed the "little wolf" strolled through the gardens. Dressed in worn jeans and a faded shirt, she stuck out amongst the roses and daisies.

The gardens grew in a quiet corner of the Quarter, not far from the Abattoir. Elijah believed that this place, apart from the cemetery perhaps, was the one place someone could be alone, surrounded by the quiet.

He didn't mean to intrude. He had merely come to be alone, and it seemed that was her goal as well. He found it curious, since many of the wolves he knew preferred to be around others, primarily their pack. But this girl, this wolf, seemed content whether she was walking down the crowded streets or standing in the sun patched garden, with nothing but flowers to keep her company.

Elijah watched her still, his own curiosity growing. He could see in many ways why his brother seemed so… fascinated by her. She was a singular beauty, with an obvious strength and grace that anyone could see in her every move. Plus, power radiated in her posture, and in her eyes.

… Which were now staring back at him.

Hayley knew that the man had been watching her for some time now. Her keen senses had alerted her to his silent presence from the moment she has entered the garden. She had found herself wanting a moment of silence, and was pleased when she found this spot, a spot very different from Klaus' own Garden.

Hayley eyed the man, who had dark hair and eyes, yet features that seemed familiar. It wasn't until she saw the silver ring, adorned with the cursive M, that she realized who he was.

"If your brother is King, does that make you a prince?" Hayley asked casually, glancing down at the lavender colored rose in front of her.

"You know who I am?"

"Is it a family trait to wear tacky jewelry with the family crest on it?" Hayley returned, lifting a brow.

Elijah glanced at his family ring. Oh. "Indeed," he said humorously. "But no, I don't believe I own the title of prince. I never looked good in a crown."

Hayley glanced his way again, this time with amusement in her gaze. "Crowns are tacky too, so that's a good thing."

"So you've never tried one on for size?" Elijah asked, moving down the aisle of roses parallel to her.

"I think the title is enough. I'm a minimalist."

Elijah chuckled. "I'm Elijah."

Hayley glanced his way again, her eyes holding a certain level of disinterest. Elijah had to wonder if that was aimed towards his person, or towards this conversation. Perhaps both.

"If you wish to be alone…"

That disinterested gaze sharpened with annoyance. "I came here to get away from a certain Mikaelson. I think I'm going to extend that to the entire family."

Elijah winced. "I understand. My apologies."

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should teach your brother some of your manners." Then she turned, but not before giving him one last look. "See you around, Elijah."

"I suppose I will," he replied evenly, stepping away from the wolf.

When she was alone, Hayley touched the silver necklace that Sophie had given her. She frowned, narrowing her eyes.

It wasn't usual for her to be rude or dismissive, but she hadn't had the best experience with anyone by the name of Mikaelson, so naturally when the brother presented himself, Hayley had been prepared to deal with another Klaus personality. Yet, Elijah had been polite, his demeanor much more calm than his brother's.

And she didn't trust it for a moment.

Ooo0ooO

When Hayley returned that evening, she was unpleasantly surprised to find Klaus lounging in the chair by the fireplace in her rooms.

"Neediness isn't an attractive quality in a person, I hope you know that," Hayley told him with a lifted brow.

"Have you thought of my more attractive qualities then, little wolf?" Klaus asked, smirking when Hayley scoffed.

"What do you want?" Hayley asked, crossing her arms.

"Did you have a nice stroll in the gardens today?" Klaus asked, moving towards the liquor cabinet before pouring himself a drink.

"Figures you had someone spying on me."

"Oh no, little wolf, this news came from my brother. He seemed… quite interested in you."

Hayley suddenly picked up in his velvet soft tone, and felt her skin prickle. She lowered her arms slowly, turning to face him. Her wolf growled, but she didn't allow the noise to slip past her lips. "And your point is?"

Klaus shrugged, draining his glass.

Hayley watched him carefully. She stiffened when he moved closer to her, moving into her personal space, so she could feel the heat radiating off of his body. Werewolves' body temperatures were warmer than a human's, but Klaus felt like a furnace.

Hayley lifted her gaze towards his, unblinking and defiant, unsure what he was about to do, but not unprepared to defend herself. Her hands curled slightly, ready to strike.

Klaus reached up, touching the silver necklace the witch had given her. He palmed the pendant. His eyes were dark, unreadable.

His attention then turned to the bronze necklace Eve had given her. His lips gave a twitch when he saw the crest of her pack. Then his thumb brushed over the sapphire. "To ward off evil," he mused softly. His eyes were nearly as dark as the stone. "Is there an evil you wish to ward off, Hayley?"

Hayley flinched. Klaus had never used her first name before. She stayed still, but her body buzzed with adrenaline and anxiety. "Yes."

Klaus smiled slowly. "Am I that evil?"

Hayley reached up, grasping his wrist. Her claws bit into Klaus' flesh. "Enough."

"Not nearly," Klaus whispered, his eyes now blazing into hers, but if it was with anger or desire, Hayley couldn't tell.

Hayley broke his grip on her, stepping away. "Isn't it time for you to go?"

Klaus kept staring at her.

Hayley bared her teeth. "Don't."

So the Hybrid relaxed his stance, any anger wiped from his expression, leaving behind his trademark smirk. "Dream about my attractive qualities, little wolf."

"Is that an order?" Hayley snarled sarcastically.

Klaus' smirk widened, then he winked before leaving her alone in the room, which suddenly seemed much cooler than it had been moments ago.

Ooo0ooO

Hayley's luck with avoiding the Mikaelson family didn't last. The very next morning, she left the Abattoir only to run into the other two Mikaelson siblings.

The sister, Rebekah, eyed the wolf with an unimpressed look in her eyes. "Well, I don't see what Niklaus sees in her."

The youngest, Kol, laughed, ignoring the gold tinted glare aimed in his direction. "Perhaps he wants a roll in the sack with the lesser types."

Hayley viciously wished that she could shift and tear them apart. But, as stories told her, her bite wouldn't affect the Originals like it would for the average vampire. Still…

With a toothy grin, Hayley shifted in front of the two Originals, snapping her teeth at them. She growled low in her throat.

Rebekah merely frowned at the display, but Kol eyed her warily before giving his sister a shove so they could go about their business.

Hayley shifted back once the two vampires were out of sight.

Her gaze turned towards the forest again. Suddenly, she was overcome with the feeling of being watched.

She shifted yet again, moving into the shadows the walls surrounding the Abattoir provided.

And there, lingering in the shade of a distant tree, was a figure cloaked in black.

A scout, Hayley deduced, noting how they weren't moving, but watching.

Suddenly, a bubble rose inside her chest, filling her with anger and impatience, making her skin hot and her breathing heavy. Suddenly, she was so very tired of being watched.

When she went to move forward, she found herself unable to move. She snarled at the sensation.

"Got a hot date?" someone drawled.

Hayley's eyes flashed gold. "Sophie," she sighed, yet it sounded more like a growl.

The witch leaned against the brick wall of the Abattoir, lifting a brow at the werewolf. "My, what big eyes you have."

Hayley gave her a furious glare. She quivered in place, still frozen by the witch's power. "Let me go."

"Is that an order, Alpha?"

Hayley bared her sharp teeth. "Come closer and find out."

"Ooh, so the threats begin. Maybe being around the King isn't good for you. I have heard he's a bad influence."

"What do you want?" Hayley snapped.

"For you not to run after the Hunters in a fit of temper, for one," Sophie said, giving the other woman an unamused look.

Hayley glanced back towards where the scout had been. Her lips curled when she saw that they were gone. "Damn it."

"They're not going anywhere."

Hayley glanced sharply at Sophie. "And you know this how?"

The witch shrugged. "Call it intuition. They didn't get what they wanted the other night. I imagine they'll stick around, lurking in the shadows like the rest of the riff raff here."

"What they wanted?" Hayley repeated. Her posture relaxed, and when it did, the witch's spell was released.

"The King," Sophie stated, but leaving the lingering duh hanging in the air.

"If they wanted him, why didn't they take him?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Gods help me," she sighed. "I don't believe they factored you into their equation."

"Me?"

"I'm sorry, am I not speaking English?"

Hayley ignored the remark. "If I stopped them from getting to Klaus-,"

"That means you're on their radar," Sophie finished. "Lucky you, a two for one deal, a King and Queen matching set."

Hayley summoned her patience. "So why are you here?"

"Finally, she reaches the point," Sophie muttered. "I'm here for… moral support."

"Moral support."

"Yes, Echo, moral support. If the Hunters know who you are, my guess is you might want a friend or two in your corner in case things get ugly."

"And you're my friend?"

"Your bestie, as far as you're concerned."

"I think I can choose my own friends, thanks."

"And how's that working out for you? Find any good friends while you're in solitary confinement?"

"I'm not-,"

"I mean, I'm surprised you don't have your own royal escort-,"

"Will you stop with the royalty cracks?"

"Not if it gets you all riled up, wolf girl," the witch said on a grin, which widened at Hayley's sour look.

"How about we stick to allies," Hayley suggested.

"Deal."

Ooo0ooO

Klaus was restless. Again.

It seemed every night since a certain little wolf had made her ways inside the walls of the Abattoir, he hadn't been able to sleep or rest. Instead, he paced the confines of his room, impatience rolling off him in waves.

So tonight, he walked down into the parlor, silently moving across the freshly waxed floors. Then he paused.

A soft, tinkling noise came from the other room. Recognizing it, he went to investigate.

And there, standing next to the polished grand piano, was Hayley. Her slim fingers brushed the keys, playing out a soft song.

Her lips were curved, eyes soft and green, as though she was lost in a thought, or perhaps a memory.

Slowly, she moved to sit, her fingers skipping over the keys with practiced ease.

Klaus watched her, enthralled by how she looked, rumpled from sleep, trapped under the moonlight, playing a soft, hopeful song on his piano.

He nearly moved forward, some clever retort on his lips, but he made himself stop. If he did anything now, the spell would be broken.

And some magic, he believed, should be left alone. So he left her alone, despite his own wolf fighting him, and he walked away, leaving her be.

Those green eyes tracked the lingering shadow in the doorway of the other room. Gold flecks danced across them as Hayley's wolf recognized his scent, but they softened once more when she realized he wasn't walking in, but walking away.

So she finished the song, the tune still playing through her mind, and vibrating on her fingertips, before she finally slipped back up into her room.

And in the morning, she found a piece of paper that had been slipped under her door. Written in a fine, stylish hand was a single phrase.

I Giorni.

Hayley's gaze lifted, looking towards the doorway. So he had been listening to her, and had even recognized the song she had played.

But she felt surprised he hadn't stayed to watch her, or that he hadn't stepped into the room.

Isn't that what she wanted, not to be watched? Hadn't she told him time and again to leave her alone?

So why did she feel almost… disappointed?

Ooo0ooO

Disclaimer: I do not own the Originals.

Author's Note: I've gotten a few reviews and PMs about my decision for silver to hurt werewolves, which isn't canon. I decided to do this based on one thought- No one is invincible. So in this AU, silver can hurt the wolves. I want to emphasize that even though Hayley and Klaus might be considered a "Queen" and "King", they're not impervious to injury or even death.

Please review!