Chapter Seventeen: A Fork in the Road
Hayley could sense Klaus' wariness as they moved through the forests, towards where the pack was hiding away.
She felt some trepidation herself, since she was not sure how the meeting with the wolves would go. After all, it hadn't been long ago that they expected her to take down the man next to her. Even Eve had told her to strike him down, before amending the drastic statement, and guiding Hayley towards the path of alliance rather than war.
It seemed everyone was wary on how to approach the situation, and both Hayley and Klaus were no exception to this. It was a new path, a path that had never been taken before by anyone.
Hayley could only hope that this path lead her to a world that no longer feared the monster Klaus could be, but rather saw him as the man he was.
She glanced at him as that thought crossed her mind. It was something her mind seemed stuck on, like it was a sort of puzzle she wanted to solve.
Klaus didn't miss the thoughtful expression on her face. He answered by raising a questioning brow at her.
Hayley merely smiled, her green eyes now focused, as if she was directing her thoughts to the task at hand. Her lips only dipped into a frown when she thought of how certain pack members might react to seeing Klaus, such as Mason.
Or Jackson, her mind also supplied, which only made her grumble and roll her eyes.
As they drew near the encampment, Hayley gestured for Klaus to wait while she went on ahead. She instructed him to stay until she gave him the all clear.
"I'm not a dog that needs to be told to stay," Klaus growled.
Hayley shot him a look, which read to the effect of shut up and do what I say.
When she walked into the clearing, she saw that most of the pack was outside, enjoying the warm weather. Eve was moving among them, her bright hair making her stand out. Then she saw Mason, crouched by a narrow stream, drinking the clear water.
Hayley went to him first, since he was her Beta. When she called his name, he stood immediately and went to her.
He paused when he caught Klaus' scent around her, his gaze instantly suspicious.
Hayley lifted both hands, palms out. "He came here with me," she said cautiously.
"You brought him here?" Mason growled, his body tensing.
Hayley kept speaking calmly. "Yes. He's here to meet the pack."
"To meet us?"
Hayley sighed sharply, giving him a narrowed eyed look. "I'm not going to allow him to hurt anyone, you know that, Mason."
Mason seemed to chew her words as he looked around uneasily. "Tyler?"
Hayley's gaze softened. "Back at the Abattoir. He broke his sire bond to Klaus."
"Then why…?"
"The Hunters," Hayley stated. "They're still watching. If the second Hybrid disappears from the Quarter, they'd trace him back to us, then the northern pack. We can't risk that, not right now."
"So you want to form this alliance with the King, in order to him help help us with the Hunters," Mason concluded.
Hayley shrugged. "Something to that effect, if need be. Right now, all I want is for you to see Klaus and to keep your minds open, like I've been doing."
"That won't be easy."
"I know. But I have to ask anyway."
Ooo0ooO
Klaus waited for Hayley to come back with a strong amount of impatience. He placed his hands behind his back, and paced between two trees.
He turned when he heard someone approaching, then furrowed his brows at Hayley's tense expression.
She tried to give him a smile, but it came across more as a grimace. She stopped in front of him, and released a quiet breath.
Klaus waited for her to speak, half expecting her to call the whole thing off. He would understand, given the circumstances… After all, given who he was, the idea of creating peace was… a pipe dream.
"Ready?"
Klaus startled at that. He blinked. "Ready?" he repeated back.
Hayley's eyes didn't leave his. "Ready to meet the others?"
"But I thought…"
"Come on," she said, interrupting his doubt. Then she gave him a small smirk. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
Klaus' brows shot up, and it took him a moment before he returned that smirk. "Will you, little wolf?"
"Promise," she said, her tone now washed of any humor. Her eyes were now serious, locked on his.
Klaus looked forward, before taking a breath. "Lead the way."
Hayley turned, only to pause to look down at his hand.
Klaus wondered briefly if she was going to take it, but when she shook her head slightly and kept walking, he had to fight off the small surge of disappointment that welled up inside his chest.
When they stepped into the clearing, Klaus was met with the sight of over twenty wolves facing him and their Alpha. In the front was the second, whose expression was a smooth, emotionless mask, and the oldest wolf of them all, a blonde haired woman whose gaze looked between himself and Hayley with a certain degree of interest.
Hayley stopped, and Klaus followed suit, keeping slightly behind her.
The Alpha took another deep breath before she addressed her pack as one. "I know many of you have questions. I know many of you want to know why my guest is here. Since he is my guest, I will ask that you treat him with the same respect you give me.
So let me introduce you to him. Many of you know him as the Summer King, the Hybrid of the French Quarter." This is where the smallest of smiles curled her lips. "But to me, and to you, he's Niklaus Mikaelson, better know as Klaus."
Klaus met her gaze briefly, taken aback by the way she spoke of him. She dismissed his titles, not out of disrespect, but merely because she was treating him as an equal rather than someone to fear. Then, in turn, she was asking her pack, who did fear him, to treat him with that same mentality.
"Thank you," he heard himself murmur.
It was the old female who stepped forward first. Her piercing gaze assessed every inch of him, giving nothing away. When she seemed satisfied, she offered him a warm and gentle smile.
"Welcome, Niklaus," she said with equal warmth.
"Klaus, please," he told her, taking the hand she offered before pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
Out of the corner of his eye, Klaus saw Hayley roll her eyes and shake her head, and knew she would tease him later about his, as she called it, old fashioned mannerisms.
"Eve," the old wolf returned. "I've heard many stories about you." Her faded blue eyes strayed towards Hayley.
Klaus gave her a wide, mischievous grin. "Only good stories, I hope."
Eve's eyes flashed with humor. "We will see."
Klaus shot Hayley a glance, which made her raise a brow. Then she shrugged, a tolerant look on her face.
The rest of the pack didn't receive Klaus like Eve did, which Klaus noted. They stood away from him, looking wary and curious. The only exception was one wolf who stood near the back, who glowered at Klaus then glared openly at Hayley.
Hayley, however, didn't miss this as well. In fact, if Klaus didn't know any better, he would have guessed she had been expecting this. So she glared back at the wolf, turning to face him head on, her eyes pinning him down until his gaze lowered and he turned away almost submissively.
Klaus narrowed his eyes. Later, he decided, he'd ask her what her… relationship was to that other wolf. For now, he turned his gaze towards the Beta, who was eyeing him warily.
He then noticed something familiar about the wolf, then glanced at Hayley.
Later, she mouthed silently.
Klaus nodded in return.
Hayley stepped closer to Klaus, facing her pack once more. "As you all know, the Hunters have attacked the Abattoir more than once. They seem to be keen on going after Klaus, and it seems they've noticed my… interference. Right now, I want all of you to steer clear of the Quarter."
"And what about you? Will you stay away?" another female asked.
Hayley forced herself not to look at Klaus then, suddenly overcome by a strong emotion she couldn't identify. She exhaled slowly. "No," she answered. "Not until it's safe."
"Safe for you? Or safe for him?"
Hayley's teeth clenched before she addressed Jackson's question. "Both. Safe for the vampires and the other wolves, safe for the witches and the humans. Safe for us all."
"Why do you need to protect them all?" someone else asked.
When Hayley hesitated, it was Klaus who responded. "Because it seems I've been amiss in my duties as an Alpha," he stated. "And Hayley has offered me her help. My duties branch further than the wolves. I am, after all, part vampire."
The pack seemed to murmur amongst themselves for a few moments before Hayley raised a hand to silence them.
Mason then stepped forward. "And what if he turns on you?"
Klaus lapsed into silence, with a furious expression etched into his face.
"I'm giving him a chance to prove he won't," Hayley said softly. "Just like I'd give any of you a chance to join us if you were an outcast."
"An outcast? He's a murderer!"
Hayley snarled. Her eyes went from green to gold in an instant.
Klaus rested a hand against Hayley's arm, which trembled beneath his touch. He could feel the hot waves of rage roll off her. "There's no denying what I am and what I've done," Klaus said, looking at the wolf who kept glaring at them both. "But I trust Hayley. Perhaps you should do the same."
Eve walked up to him, lifting a hand to cradle his chin. She looked into his eyes, before giving a small nod. "Show us we can trust you like we trust her."
Ooo0ooO
There was a heavy, tense silence between Klaus and Hayley when they returned to the Quarter. She was still infuriated over Jackson, and Klaus was mulling over what the Beta had said.
They walked inside together, then found themselves in the parlor. Klaus poured some whiskey into a decanter and offered it to Hayley wordlessly.
She nodded her thanks, then sat down on one of the couches with a huff. She barely moved when Klaus quietly settled down next to her.
"I can hear your mind working, little wolf. What is it?"
Hayley turned to face him, folding her legs up on the couch. "I don't think I like it when people talk to you like you're some sort of monster."
"But I am a monster." Klaus lifted a hand before Hayley could say anything. "But then again, so are you. Aren't we the things that the humans write about stalking in the shadows?"
"But they talk about you like you're a mindless killer. Like you have no heart or conscious."
Klaus looked away. "You don't know what I have done. I've more than deserved being called a killer, a murderer." Then he glanced back at her. "You've seen it yourself."
Hayley's mind flashed to the night he killed the Hunter, ripping her apart because she was going to kill him.
"And I've done worse, far worse," Klaus murmured. "Perhaps that's why they doubt I can change."
"I'm not going to fix you," Hayley said, brows pushing together. "There's a difference."
"Is there?" Klaus asked.
"If you stopped feeling sorry for yourself and if you stopped acting like a damn child, then maybe people would believe you."
"Perhaps your belief in me is misguided. Some would call you a fool."
"Then I'll be a damn fool!" Hayley exclaimed, standing up.
"You cannot redeem the irredeemable," Klaus snarled.
"And that's your issue! You think you can't be redeemed! You look at yourself and you think you're this fucked up man who can only live by controlling others. Have you ever stopped to think where your life might be if you asked someone to stand beside you rather than kneeling at your feet?"
"How can I atone for my sins?" Klaus shouted back, standing as well. "How can I wash the blood from my hands? Are you going to stand there and tell me it doesn't matter? I've killed wolves, wolves that ran in your pack, wolves your ancestors descended from!"
"Why? Have you stopped to think why?"
"Because I don't know anything else!"
They both froze at that outburst.
Klaus snarled, turning his back on her. "Don't give me your pity. It isn't wanted."
"I won't," Hayley said, her tone now soft and firm. "But… you're no longer alone. I hope you realize that."
Klaus tried to pull himself together to cast a look over his shoulder. "Am I stuck with you then, little wolf?"
Hayley smiled. "It would appear so."
Ooo0ooO
Later, Hayley went to her rooms to rest for the night. Although her day hadn't been extraneous, she felt exhausted.
She dozed off at some point, curled in the center on her bed. When she woke up, the moon had risen and there was now a blanket covering her.
Hayley sat up and saw Klaus sitting in the chair by the fireplace. He was drinking again, and his expression was thoughtful and perhaps a little melancholic.
Standing up, Hayley held onto the blanket before padding across the room. She paused when she stood next to him, and when he looked up at her, his eyes were dark and hard to read.
She gave him a nudge then settled herself on the arm of his chair, draping the blanket across them both. She reached out, her fingertips brushing the curls at the nape of his neck.
Klaus' eyes drooped slightly at the sensation. He let out a sigh, before lifting the glass to his lips again. He made a sound of protest when Hayley pried it from his hand gently, and placed it aside.
"Talk to me. Isn't that what friends do?"
"Are we friends now?" Klaus asked dully, his tone lacking the usual snark.
Hayley hummed, then moved onto his lap. Her arm stayed on his shoulder, her fingers still playing with his hair. "For now."
Klaus' eyes widened then heated, meeting hers expectantly.
"Right now we are," she amended, rolling her eyes. "You're drunk."
"I am not," Klaus murmured, turning to bury his face into her neck.
Hayley froze before relaxing against him. "Okay, you're not," she conceded.
"Are you just agreeing with me to placate me?"
Hayley shivered when his lips brushed over the curve of her neck. "No."
"So she does lie," Klaus muttered, inhaling deeply. "And she smells like lilacs."
Suddenly, he pulled away, looking at her with a wide eyed, vulnerable expression she had never seen before. "Can I become a good man?"
"Do you think you can?"
Klaus dropped his forehead back on her shoulder. "She thinks I can."
"Who?" Hayley asked quietly.
"Hayley," Klaus breathed. "And I think I want… for her."
Hayley realized he had forgotten she was there, and now was talking as though he was alone.
"I want to be," he kept murmuring. "For her."
Ooo0ooO
Disclaimer: I do not own the Originals.
Author's Note: Please review!