Chapter Forty: Monsters in the Shadows

Shadows shifted and sulked, as if they themselves were corporeal bodies that could walk amongst the living. Within those shadows hid a Hunter and an Alpha wolf, with gleaming, calculating eyes and blood lust in their hearts.

The Hunter moved first, and a gleam of silver was caught in the moonlight as a weapon was drawn.

And with an attack that came too quickly to see or to anticipate, a startled, final shout erupted from an unsuspecting victim. The body crumpled to the floor, and the earth around it quickly was soaked in dark red blood.

The old, pale eyes stared up at the moon, and the smell of blood and death quickly perfumed the air.

"She will know it was us," the Alpha spoke, looking down distastefully at the now dead werewolf.

The Hunter re-sheathed his sword, not bothering to clean it. He lifted a black brow. "So?"

Aiden glanced back at the body. Although he wouldn't admit it, his stomach rolled at the sight. He knew that this newly forged alliance between him and Damon would mean more dead bodies, but his stomach rebelled against him. But perhaps it wouldn't when he was finally standing over the corpses of Klaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall.

At the thought, a cruel smile stretched across his features and the last of his nausea faded away.

So the Hunter and the wolf left the body behind to be found- the body of the elder once known as Dedrick.

Ooo0ooO

The crowd had dispersed from the Abattoir, leaving Klaus standing alone on the balcony with Marcel.

"You all right, man?" Marcel asked.

Klaus sighed. "I'm not sure," he answered honestly. He glanced at his protege. "Was I such a terrible man to them?"

Marcel snorted, brushing aside Klaus' tendency to lean towards melancholic drama. "Man? No. Terrible? Yes. But-" he continued when he saw the look on Klaus' face, "like you said, you are going to prove that you're their leader. No more Summer King."

Klaus snorted. "I don't even remember who gave me that title."

"Probably someone as equally dramatic as you," Marcel retorted.

"I liked it though. The title of king."

"Who wouldn't? Shit, I'd call myself a king if I could. I'd probably come across pretentious as all hell, but hey, if the crown fits..."

"Is that your way of calling me pretentious, Marcel?"

"As if you haven't been called worse."

"Very true," Klaus chuckled. Humor then faded away from his features. "I'm worried about Hayley."

"I think your badass girlfriend can handle herself in her own territory with her own pack."

"I didn't realize you two were friends now."

"Friends? I don't know if I'd go that far. But, I have to admit, that girl's got fire."

"I'm well aware." Klaus rubbed the almost faded mark on his shoulder.

Marcel followed the movement with his dark eyes. "So does that mean you two are engaged or something in wolf-speak?"

"Not exactly. But it does mean we are... mates, if you will."

"Mates? I thought that was made up crap for the humans."

"Part of it is, the details have been skewed over the centuries, but the core remains the same."

"Mmm. So are you two going to get engaged? You know, in the actual human way?"

Klaus frowned. "There's the small matter of my eternal life sentence."

"She doesn't want to be a Hybrid?" Marcel arched a brow.

"If she does, it'll be up to her."

"That's different, considering what happened with that Lockwood kid."

"It has to be, for her. I couldn't... I wouldn't force that onto her. Eternity is no small matter."

"Don't I know it," Marcel sighed, rubbing a hand over his smoothly shaved jaw.

"Besides, when are you going to ask for my sister's hand?" Klaus challenged.

Shifting uneasily, Marcel winced. "The day I know she won't rip it off for so much as glancing at another woman."

Klaus clasped Marcel's shoulder, grinning. "Then you're in for a long wait, mate."

Ooo0ooO

Elijah watched as Katherine made her way down the street. Her gaze lingered on a few outfits displayed in a boutique's window before continuing on her way. When she saw him, her lips curved into a devious smile.

"Did you miss me?" A small puff of air hit his lips, as she pressed herself against him, having moved quickly into his awaiting arms.

"Yes," he said, leaning down to kiss those cherry red lips. She tasted like honey and blood.

"What did you think of that meeting?" she asked casually, looping her arm through his. They walked on slowly, acting like any normal human couple in the crowd.

"I believe Klaus will stick to his word."

Katherine glanced at him from under her long lashes. "Really? Even after centuries of being king?"

"I think he has a good reason to start anew."

"Right... Hayley."

Elijah glanced down at the vampire on his arm. "Jealous, my Katherine?"

"Hardly," Katherine replied, in almost a dainty manner. "I guess I'm just waiting to see how this all plays out."

"And then what?" Elijah asked, stopping. His dark eyes searched hers.

"All I want is my freedom, you know that. So once this whole Alpha werewolf and Hunter nonsense is over, I think you and I should go on a long trip. What do you say?"

Elijah studied her for a long moment, trying to see if she was being honest. He knew she was clever, cunning, and a very, very good liar. Although she had not done anything dishonest towards him, he naturally erred on the side of caution.

"Of course," he said finally. "Anywhere you want to go."

And then, he kissed her.

Ooo0ooO

Hayley was tired. Her muscles ached and she was drenched in sweat. Her heart felt heavy and all she wanted was to lay down somewhere dark and quiet and sleep, preferably next to Klaus.

But she couldn't. She had a body to bury.

The early morning scout had found Dedrick's body in the middle of the forest, with a gaping cut across his throat. When the news had been reported back to Hayley, she knew it would be her responsibility as Alpha to bury the elder in a respective manner.

Under the grove of the pine trees, Hayley shoveled away at the soft dirt and grass. The body had already been cleaned and cleansed, wrapped in a fine white cloth, ready to be laid to rest.

And still, her heart ached.

Of course she knew who had done it. Even if their scents hadn't been lingering in the air, she would have known. And she also knew this was only the beginning, and if action wasn't taken quickly, this would be the first of many bodies to be buried.

When it was done and over, Hayley stood over the fresh grave with a vacant expression. A marker had been placed to honor the elder and she winced at the sound of a mate sobbing over the loss of her husband. She knew that Dedrick's children- those who had moved out of the western territory- would be notified soon so they could see their father's final resting place.

A gentle hand rested itself on her shoulder. "It's all right to mourn."

"I've done enough mourning," Hayley whispered. "This is the second pack member I've had to bury. I'm done mourning. I want..." Her eyes closed at the unspoken word. Revenge.

Eve spoke softly. "I understand your grief. I felt it many years ago, when I lost my mate. The western pack has suffered the loss of many wolves. It's the way things are- we are born, we live, and we die."

"But we don't have to die before our time," Hayley growled, fists clenching. "Dedrick didn't have to die alone and afraid, in the dark. He should have died when he was older, surrounded by loved ones, in his bed. Not like this, never like this."

"You cannot change what was," Eve said. "Dedrick would have been brave right up until the very end. Speaking of what could have been and revenge only tarnishes his memory."

Hayley's shoulders slumped as the anger left her body. She felt tired once more, perhaps even more than before. "I know. I just don't know what I can do, Eve, to make sure my pack stays safe. So all the packs stay safe."

Eve turned her, looking her firmly in the eye. "You keep doing exactly what you are doing. Establishing an alliance between the packs, the vampires, and the coven is something that has never been done before, and you did it. You keep being the leader I know you are, and someday you will be an even better Alpha than you already are."

Hayley embraced the older woman tightly. "Thank you."

Ooo0ooO

He could see her from a distance, and he could see by the slow way she moved something horrible had happened. Shadows were under her hazel eyes, and she looked paler than usual.

All he wanted in that moment was to take her into his arms, to promise that nothing would ever hurt her again. But he couldn't make that promise. So he did the former.

Hayley gasped when she felt warm, familiar arms wrapped themselves around her. She relaxed into Klaus' embrace, burying her face into his chest, inhaling his scent. "What are you doing here?" she asked, pulling back.

"Mason called me when the body was discovered. He figured you would need someone here. I was in my car speeding here before he even finished his sentence."

Hayley laughed faintly, feeling a rush of gratitude towards her Beta, for always knowing what she needed. "It was an elder," she said thickly. "Aiden and Damon..."

"I know, love," Klaus murmured, pulling her tightly against him. "I know."

Hayley released a shaky breath, sinking into his embrace once more as his hands rubbed up and down her back. She hardly protested when he picked her up, carrying her into the main cabin towards her rooms.

Klaus placed her down gently on her bed before joining her. Hayley shifted so she could press the length of her body against his, eyes drooping as he played with her hair and kissed her forehead. "I never took you for a caregiver," she teased, even though sleep beckoned her.

"Only for you, my little wolf," Klaus whispered. "It'll be our secret."

Hayley smiled, liking that. "Okay," she yawned. "Our secret."

When she opened her eyes again, the light of dawn was shining in through the windows. Groggy, she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Klaus?" she muttered, noticing the other half of the bed was empty.

"I'm here."

A cool rush of wind came and suddenly Klaus was there, sitting on the edge of the bed besides her. He reached out, brushing a tangle away from her cheek. "I wanted to let you sleep, so I went hunting."

Brows furrowing, Hayley batted his hands away so she could pull her hair back in a sloppy ponytail. "Hunting?"

"Animals," Klaus clarified.

As the last of her sleepiness faded away, Hayley noticed the color in his cheeks and the faint smell of blood on his breath. "As a wolf?"

Klaus nodded. "It's been a while since I've hunted that way, and there's plenty of wildlife... plus, I was thirsty."

"Oh," she breathed. "Right. Vampire."

Noticing her hesitance, Klaus tilted his head to the side. "What is it?"

"What's it like? The... thirst."

Klaus considered that for a moment. "I suppose it's not unlike being thirsty in a literal sense. But it's different... you feel like there's nothing else you want more. It gets easier to control with time."

Hayley couldn't help but wonder, if she ever became a Hybrid, how she would deal with her own thirst.

"Come," Klaus said, interrupting her thoughts. "Eve has breakfast ready."

So she followed him, still contemplating things. There was so much changing, so much that had already changed. Would she be ready to make that kind of change- if that meant an eternity with Klaus?

And she couldn't help wondering- after everything they had been through; the lies, the games, and the love, if it would be enough. Was it all enough? Was it worth fighting for?

And the answer was clear- looking at him, their joined hands, yes, it was. Because she loved him.

Now, today, tomorrow; always and forever.

Ooo0ooO

Disclaimer: I do not own the Originals.

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read and or reviewed The Summer King! I hope to see you all in the next segment of Klaus and Hayley's journey in Eternal Reign!

Please review!