Sardonic - The Originals (The Hunter Book 2)

Chapter 70 - 'Always And Forever.'

Klaus let out a sigh, his eyes set with determination as he fought off the Hollow's whispers, before he looked Wolfgang in the eyes as the Nachtstern tightened his grip on the white oak stake.

"Niklaus." Elijah warned as he appeared at the clearing, too late to stop Klaus from taking the Hollow. Klaus shook his head as the hunter took up position, pressing the stake against Klaus' chest.

"You can't stop me, Elijah. This has to happen." The hybrid announced. Wolfgang placed his hand on Klaus' shoulder and prepared to stab him with the stake, ending both the Mikaelson and the Hollow for good.

"Dad?" Hope asked as she joined them in the clearing, wearing Wolfgang's ankle-length overcoat over her clothes, "What're you doing?"

Klaus turned to face his daughter in shock and Hope's eyes narrowed as they fell on the stake in Wolfgang's hands.

"They put it in you." Hope said softly as she realised and Klaus nodded before turning back to Wolfgang. The tribrid looked at Wolfgang, betrayal evident on her face, "You were going to let him do this?"

"He had no say in this, love." Klaus defended, meeting Wolfgang's hazel eyes with grim determination, "Now leave. I've made my choice."

Hope nodded before she grimaced, holding her hand up. Wolfgang lowered the stake as he realised what she was about to do, showing his support of Hope's intentions.

"And I've made mine." Hope replied, her face set with as much determination as Klaus, clenching her hand into a fist as she telekinetically snapped Klaus' neck. The hybrid crumpled to the ground as Hope regarded his body with tears in her eyes.

"I can't let you do this."

**********

Wolfgang shifted Klaus against the pillar as he tied the shackles around the hybrid's wrists. Elijah watched on as the hunter worked, ready to move and help restrain Klaus at any moment.

"Just when I thought he was showing the vaguest signs of maturity, our brother makes a unilateral decision that leaves the rest of us stewing in his melodrama. " Kol complained but Rebekah shook her head, "His death is not a melodrama. "

"Well, he's spiralling. This energy feeds on anger," Elijah argued, standing to his feet as Wolfgang continued to observe the black veins spreading across Klaus' body, "and our brother, as we know, has enough to set the world on fire."

"How many times are we going to play this game?" Kol replied, rolling his eyes, "Right, calamity and doom approaches our brother, and then, all of a sudden, a trapdoor appears and, poof, he escapes. He's a cockroach that will outlive us all, including Wolfgang. And we're immortal."

"Not this time, Kol." Wolfgang said as he stood up, turning to the Mikaelsons with a grave expression on his face, "For Nik, it is, well and truly, the end."

Elijah nodded and Rebekah continued to stare at Klaus' immobile body, tears welling up in her eyes at the idea of what her brother was doing.

"We should honour Nik's sacrifice. Let him spend his last hours surrounded by his family." Rebekah suggested. Kol shook his head, turning on his heel, "I don't think he would notice or care that I wasn't there to witness it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going home. "

Rebekah clenched her jaw as she watched Kol walk away. Wolfgang stepped forwards, placing a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"He'll come around." Wolfgang assured her but Rebekah shook her head, crossing her arms as she did so, "Will he?"