Chapter Six

It did not take Elijah long before he found a small lake behind the property, the full moon shining bright in the sky with its twin reflecting in the dark waters below. It was quiet here, only the soft sounds of nature and the wild around them. Sinking gently to his knees in the compact sand of the shore he could feel her body relax slightly in his arms, some corner of her mind finding solace in nature. Unwrapping the blanket, he picked her up so he could sit down on the blanket himself, settling her into his lap. With one hand under her back holding her to him, his other caressed her face.

"Let me in my love." He pleaded gently, trying not to let fear wash over him. How could she have overcome so much to save them, just to be lost now? In the few years he had been lucky enough to have her in his life, there were far too many false starts. Too many almosts. "Please Hayley. You have carried so much for so long. Let me help."

He bent forward, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips, nuzzling his forehead against hers in the manner she had once done to him in a troubled moment, the memory of the warm light by the fire of his study in the Quarter passing through his mind. Please. He whispered against her skin.

Taking a breath to shore himself against the chaos he knew to be inside her, he pushed against the threshold of her mind, relieved to find it open for him this time. The feeling of being unsettled overwhelmed him, surprising him with the power of nausea that hit him even without a physical body. Disorienting and jarring, Elijah found world inside her mind constantly shifting between thoughts and moments beneath his feet. It was if she had lost her center, and was drowning in her own memories.

Quinn's words echoed in his thoughts, as he realized that it was not only her body they had to break apart to piece back together with the blood of the Seven Packs. It was her mind.

Hayley, in her early teens living in the back woods with a ragged pack of other young wolves. Picking a fight with a bigger kid, and winning for a can of food. Surrendering that same can to a skinnier little girl than she.

Shift.

The horrified eyes filled with disgust from step-parents at what she had become. Trust and safety they had provided ripped away.

Shift.

Hayley, in her early teens living in the back woods with a ragged pack of other young wolves. Picking a fight with a bigger kid, and winning for a can of food. Surrendering that same can to a skinnier little girl than she.

Shift.

A little dark haired girl hiding in the shadow of a large man standing over her with a closed fist.

Shift.

Laughing and young as she danced on a bar, pouring drinks down the throats of men, far too old for her.

A small whine startled him from visions of Hayley's past. Elijah turned to see a large wolf behind him laying down on its side. Recognizing Hayley in her wolf form instantly, he went to his knees beside her as she lifted her head to acknowledge him. Running his hands through the coarse coat, he buried his fingers in the scruff of her neck, holding fast. He looked into her golden eyes, so familiar, pained and exhausted.

"You are having a hard time putting it together?" He asked quietly. She leaned her head back down on the ground, a quiet whine escaping her chest. Elijah could sense a deep weariness in her, understanding now why she could not wake up. Her body had healed, but her mind was too exhausted to complete the task of piecing back what the spell and science had shattered.

For the first time thankful for the rest his long sleep had provided his own battered mind, Elijah concentrated on gathering up his own strength. With a slow exhale he closed his eyes and pushed it towards her exhausted spirit like an offering, bolstering her dwindling strength.

He could feel the memories, almost like a force of wind as they moved past him. Slow at first, then faster and faster as the breeze of her very mind caressed against his own. He kept his eyes closed, trying to let her preserve her privacy, so much of who she was on display, without the luxury of filter. He of all people knew how important it was to preserve your mind's own boundaries. He was so focused on keeping his eyes shut, he failed to notice when the coarse fur beneath his fingers shifted to soft skin, the breeze slowing to almost a standstill. Fingers moved to touch his face, almost startling him.

"Elijah." She spoke softly, her voice holding a gentle playfulness that relaxed him instantly. "I want to share something with you, something that I won't show anyone else."

He opened his eyes, seeing familiar hazel orbs gazing at him above a the ghost of a smile. He returned it with one of his own, almost giddy to see her well. Elijah's gaze shifted upwards, the sight that he found there more beautiful than anything he had ever seen.

It was a gorgeous summer evening. The heat of the day giving way to a breeze with the first hints of the coming fall. The whole world was bathed in stunning rich tones of browns and greens and oranges. People gathered about in formal clothing, laughing. Explosions of colors as beautiful arrangements of flowers hung from trees with glowing lanterns. A flash of bright blonde hair, dark skin and a brilliant smile. Rebecca and Marcel dancing…

A couple glimpsed for a moment as they snuck off into the woods, a flash of Kol's mischievous grin and a petite woman with dark wavy tresses.

A bolstress explosion of laughter from Freya and Klaus as they watched Hope-almost a woman grown- with a riot of bright pink hair, cast a spell on an unsuspecting Vincent, drenching him in champagne.

A half vocalized chastisement from Hayley, resplendent in white lace and silk, was silenced by a smiling kiss from Elijah, gold ring glinting on his finger as he buried his hands in the curls piled thick at the base of her neck.

Elijah, overwhelmed by the sight of his greatest wish-true peace-made manifest slammed him back into his conscious mind, warm night air flooding his lungs.

His whole body shaking with the vision still burning behind his eyes, he looked down to see Hayley, fully awake in his arms. She reached up to the hand that cradled her face and lifted it, pressing a kiss to his palm, returning the endearment he had given her so many years past. How many times had she thought of gentle strength of his love in simple gestures. When he spoke, his voice trembled with the emotion stirring in his chest.

"What was that?" He asked, voice whisper soft in fear speaking of it could break his hold of the memory in his mind, like a fading dream. Hayley leaned her cheek into the palm of his hand as she looked out over the black waters of the lake.

"I'm not sure. A hope possibly, or a dream….I saw it the first time we performed a blood bond, so I thought that with all the magic involved, I thought it may be a true vision. But... after what happened with the prophecy…." Her voice trailed off, but he knew what she was thinking.

If this was something more than a dream, a prophecy born of the powerful magics needed to change Hayley's blood, it could be very dangerous. A lesson hard learned three years past. By fighting to prevent a prophecy, they had only managed to force it into fruition. Would the opposite hold? Would trying to force a vision into being, simply prevent it from becoming real?

Hayley seeming to pick up on his very thoughts turned in his lap slightly so her chest pressed against his.

"For me, it was enough just to hold it as a dream." She swallowed hard, trying to reign in her own heightened emotions. "To hope that after so much pain, and so many terrible things, that we could be happy. That people like us could be loved…" She released a shaky breath, searching his eyes for some sign of his thoughts.

"Hayley." He admonished softly, fingers moving along the edge of her jaw. He realized that for all of his many years, he couldn't find the words he needed to help her understand just how badly he wanted her dream to become real too.

Mouth capturing hers on instinct more than anything else, he realized that he didn't need words. From the moment he had met her, sometimes their best communication had always been without them. She responded to him immediately, sighing almost in relief against his mouth, body arching against him. Tongues slowly exploring, tasting every edge, rediscovering.

Running the edge of her teeth along his lip, she pulled away from him. Standing slowly, she tested herself, glad to find her limbs strong as she drew herself to her full height. Her newfound power coiling with rising desire low in her belly. She took a step back and reached down to the edge of her shirt, pulling it up over her head, exposing her pale skin to the moonlight.

Elijah moved up to his knees as she stepped up to him. Pressing soft kisses along her abdomen, he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her leggings and panties. Drawing them down slowly, he rested his hand on her hip to steady her as she stepped out of them, feet already bare. Standing only in a black lace bra, she reached out to him then, pulling him up beside her. Eyes locked onto his, her hands moved to unbutton his shirt as he kissed her again as she tugged it from his trousers and off his shoulders.

She leaned her forehead against his chest then, giving him better access to remove her bra as she went to unbuckle first his belt, then his trousers. Slipping off her final article of clothing and dropping it off the blanket next to his shirt, Hayley moved to kneel down on the blanket, smiling at Elijah's curious look. Unlacing his shoes, she helped him out of each, just as he had assisted her out of her own clothing.

Naked before each other, he reached down for her hand, pulling him up to him once more. She stepped into his embrace then, resting her head against his shoulder, taking in deep breaths of his scent. Her breasts pressed against his chest is it rose with his own deep breaths, the fullness of his erection pressed hard against her. They were not sure how long they stood like that, with nothing between them, just taking deep comfort in being together.

Elijah's hands spanning across her naked back, thumbs drawing slow circles as he turned his head to capture a kiss once again, as comfort slowly gave way to rising passion.

One hand moving behind his neck to encourage his kiss, her other moved lower, needing to feel the fullness of him in her hand. Wrapping her hand firmly around his cock, she squeezed him slowly, gently tugging upwards.

The sound he made into her mouth in that moment sparked a powerful feeling in Hayley that she had not allowed herself to entertain in a very long time. All of those endless heated daydreams, so long unrequited began to swell up in her once again. Distracted by her thoughts, she was surprised by the barely gentle tug at her hair, forcing her to look up at him.

The heady mix of love and desire she found in those dark eyes of his reminded her that she was not alone in feeling as she did. His need matching her own. Tugging her head back just a little more to expose her neck, he bent down to the long lines of her throat, alternating between sucking at its hollows and placing small agonizingly gentle bites along the sinew to her collarbones.

While one hand held fast at her hair, his other made it way south. So distracted by the lavish attention being paid to her neck she was caught by surprise when his fingers slipped between her wet folds. She cried out softly then, body shuddering hard against him.

Lifting his head to watch her face as he slipped one digit, and then two inside of her slick heat, thumb moving in gentle circles over her clit. Her eyes were closed, surrendering to his ministrations. They had only be lovers twice before, but even then Hayley had come to understand that Elijah's iron clad control had an unexpected boon when it came to his lovemaking.

His relentless pursuit of her pleasure.

Calculating almost in his desire to pull orgasms from her before ever entertaining his own endgame. He watched her face growing more wild as he slipped another digit inside of her and she ground herself against his palm. The sounds spilling from her beautiful mouth making him harder still. Setting loose her wildness, not for the sake death or pain, but purely for pleasure and love satisfied him in a way he couldn't describe.

Abruptly he removed his hand, causing a small whimper from her at the loss of the friction she craved.

Unceremoniously he picked her up, and deposited her gently down on the blanket. Leaning in to kiss her once more, nipping gently at her lip, he pulled back when she reached for his cock, smiling at the pouty look she gave him when he denied her.

Not yet. His playful look seemed to say as he straddled her on all fours. Moving down, his mouth moved to place kisses along her collarbone, then to her breasts. Place his weight largely on his elbow, he lay on his belly between her thighs. Pulling a sensitive nipple into his mouth, his tongue flicked gently across the peak, circling the pink flesh of the areola. Blowing cool air gently across the newly heated flesh he reveled drew soft sighs of pleasure from her. Making slow progress at checking off the mental list of pleasures he had in mind for his lover, compiled over their long absence. Paying equal attention to the other breast, his other hand splayed open across her belly, thumb absently rubbing against her navel.

Drawing his weight to his knees he continued his attentions, kissing his way down her stomach. He grinned as she hissed irritation at his gentleness, and rewarded her by dragging his teeth along her hip, nipping almost painfully along the inside of her thigh. Hayley sighed then, allowing her head to roll back, surrendering entirely to him and the intentions she knew he had next.

He waited only a moment to allow himself the pleasure of seeing her so, perfection beneath the moon, laid open to him. Searing the moment into his memory, he bent down to her then, touching her clit with the tip of his tongue. Teasing once, twice, three times until she whimpered her impatience. Sucking it gently into his mouth, his skilled tongue danced across it. Alternating between teasing, gentle ministrations to intense vibrations as he hummed low against the sensitive nub as a one hand moved to bury itself in his hair. She moaned deeply then, loud as her other hand grabbed the blanket for purchase.

One hand moving to support her lower back, he released her clit then with a soft pop sound, tongue moving to dip inside of her pussy, probing her as he took in her sweet taste. Already close from earlier, he could feel her thighs begin to quiver against his unshaven cheek as she teetered on the edge. Running his tongue along the sensitive outside edge of her labia, he smiled against her as pulled her clit into his mouth at the same time he drove two digits deep inside her.

She came apart beneath him then, back arching off high the blanket with the strength of the orgasm that slammed through her.

Waiting until her back relaxed, he moved beside her, laying against the length of her as she slowly came back down to earth. When she finally had enough wits to look at him properly, the amount of smug on his beautiful face made her laugh unexpectedly. Grinning her contentment, he leaned down to kiss her, and she could taste herself on his tongue.

A long moment passed before she broke the kiss, finally speaking as she wrapped a long leg over his hip, rolling her pelvis slightly towards him, pressing his cock against her. He seemed to read her silent question, nudging her head upward so he could gain access to her throat, his fingers pulling almost harshly at her hips grinding himself against her belly.

"We are not going back to that house until dawn."

Liking that his control was begging to slip, Hayley turned slightly to look at the horizon, glad to see that the sun was hours away.

To be continued...