𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 ; 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝗺𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

ii. the hybrid

"No!" presumably his girlfriend shouted, rushing to save him, but Madelyn's hand shot out to her neck, choking her.

Klaus passed off the man to Stefan who pushed him to lay next to Ray, his bloody arm tempting the werewolf.

"If you don't drink it, Ray, I will. Problem is I don't know how to stop," Stefan said.

"It's the new order, sweetheart," Klaus said to the girl Madelyn held on to. "You join us, or you die."

"I'd rather die than be a vampire," the girl said.

"Ooh." Madelyn pretended to wince. "Wrong choice."

Madelyn passed the girl off to Klaus, who force fed her his blood before Madelyn snapped her neck. 

Over by Stefan, Ray was now drinking the blood in front of him eagerly.

"Okay, who's next?" Klaus asked.

~

Stefan pushed over the last of the werewolves they had killed to start their transition. Klaus was giving the human blood bag some of his blood to ensure he had enough in him for the rest of the wolves when they woke.

"There," he said. "Good as new. Now you relax, okay, mate? We're gonna need you when the rest of them wake up."

"They're dead," Ray cried. "They're all dead."

"Oh, don't be a sissy," Madelyn said. "They'll wake up soon enough."

"So, is this your master plan?" Stefan asked Klaus. "Build an army of hybrid slaves?"

"No, not slaves," Klaus said. "Soldiers, comrades."

"For what war, might I ask?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, you don't arm yourself after war has been declared, Stefan," Klaus said. "You build your army so big that no one ever dares pick the fight."

"What makes you so sure that they'll be loyal?" Stefan asked.

"Well, it's not difficult to be loyal when you're on the winning team," Madelyn answered. "That's something you'll learn once you shake that horribly depressive chip off your shoulder."

"Is that why you're keeping me around, Klaus?" Stefan asked. "To witness my attitude adjustment until I'm just as loyal as your friend here?"

"I chose Klaus because he is family," Madelyn barked. "He did not change me to be loyal. I would've been a fool to run from his companionship."

"Quit your bickering," Klaus demanded. "You'll know why I'm keeping you around, Stefan, when I've decided that I want you to know. Something's wrong."

Klaus observed Ray's shaking form as perspiration formed on his forehead and he bled from his eyes.

Stefan got a closer look. "Huh. That shouldn't be happening, should it?"

"Well, obviously."

"You said it was gonna feel better," Ray cried. "Why doesn't it feel better?"

The werewolf was shivering as he looked up at Klaus for an answer. The Original hybrid didn't have one.

"Some master race," Stefan said.

"Don't you just suck the fun out of everything," Madelyn said with a sharp glare towards Stefan.

"Lose the attitude," Klaus said, looking at Stefan before he turned his gaze towards Madelyn. "Both of you."

A gasping was heard behind them. It was the girl in the maroon shirt from earlier who Madelyn had choked.

"Derek, come feed your girlfriend," Klaus said to their human blood bag. The man stood up and held out his already wounded arm. This seemed to trigger something in Ray as he roared before running off. 

"Go get him," Klaus told Stefan. "Madelyn and I will work on feeding our precious wolves."

Stefan ran off after Ray, Klaus following not long after because he 100% trusted Madelyn more than Stefan. 

Klaus came back to camp right when the last of the werewolves were waking up from their death. Madelyn had already gotten started on feeding the others with human blood.

"Klaus..." Madelyn called. "Same thing's happening to little Miss Maroon over here that happened to Ray. I think we're missing something."

Klaus sighed heavily. "Well, keep on feeding the others and see if one comes out successful. If not, I think we might have to pay a visit to a witch in the Windy City."

Madelyn smirked. "I've always loved it there."

~

By the time Stefan came back with a wolf bite and Ray's dead body all the other failed hybrids were dead along with him. Klaus stared disdainfully at the last body Madelyn had dumped in the fire with the others.

"They went rabid," Klaus said. "Some of them were killed, the others just... bled out. In the end... they're all dead."

Klaus yelled in anger, chucking his beer bottle against a rock. It made Madelyn flinch, still not used to his temper after all these years. 

"I did everything I was told!" he yelled. "I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse. I killed a werewolf. I killed a vampire. I killed the doppelganger."

Both Klaus and Madelyn looked up into Stefan's eyes. It was obvious that he was scared, but Klaus just thought it was of him. 

Madelyn knew better. Yes, he was scared of Klaus, but not because of his sudden outburst. No, it was because he was hiding something.

"You look like hell," Klaus told Stefan. 

Stefan played off his fear, reverting back to his "normal" self. "Last I checked, I'm dying... and you don't want to heal me."

Klaus thought on that for a second.

"I had to take him out," Stefan broke the silence, gesturing to Ray. "I didn't have a choice. I failed you. I'm sorry. Do what you have to do."

Stefan moved to stand in front of Klaus, expecting to be killed by the hybrid. But it seemed to be that the Original believed Stefan's half-assed apology, making Madelyn internally scoff.

"It should have worked," Klaus repeated, a lot calmer than before.

Klaus walked away from Stefan to grab an empty beer bottle. He turned back to the younger vampire before biting into his palm and letting his blood drip into the bottle.

He offered the bottle to Stefan. "Bottoms up."

Stefan accepted the bottle with a slight hesitance.

"We're leaving," Klaus said. He made it a few steps away before turning back to Stefan. "It appears you and Madelyn are the only comrades I have left."

"You'll always have me, Nik," Madelyn whispered softly, but both boys heard with their advanced hearing.

Her tone had surprised Stefan, him not having heard her speak anything but sassily and menacingly. He could tell that despite all the horrible things they had done, they still managed to care about each other. Just like how he cared about his brother.

Madelyn watched as Stefan took a swig of Klaus's blood before leaving him to follow after the hybrid. She would follow him anywhere.