The Red Queen | Lucien Castle & Tristan de Martel

Chapter 15

The hands dropped with hers. "Yes," she said. "I have not fought a wolf in wolf form. I wouldn't know how to defeat an animal that big and that powerful. Their bites will kill you. Me, I'll just be in pain for a few hours, feel a tad dizzy. Even The Strix vampires I train don't know how to fight wolves that way. They can kill any werewolf with their bare hands when they're in human form, even those as tough as the Guerreras that used to live here. But we're all at a loss this time so go on, if you want to follow an idiotic command to go and slaughter wolves you already put down a while back, go get killed, I promise you he won't give you his blood if you get bitten and he won't do shit if you're ripped apart. Out in the Bayou, they're the predator. Do what you want, but nobody better be crying at the end of today."

She held up her drink. "I offer you all an alternative. Stay here, don't hurt the wolves– no sense in tormenting them further– and I'll give you all a training session. You all think you're very strong but I don't believe it. I've turned wimps into warriors more times than I can count. All those names you think are legends... Shen Min, The Red Sorrow... Antonella Dagomari, The Viper... Aya Al-Rashid, The Strix Reaper... Mohinder, Eater of Men. Who do you think trained them?" She held out her arms. "Me, The Red Queen. Whoever wants to learn, you can stay right here and reach your full potential."

Klaus was very displeased.

"When I order werewolves to be hunted to extinction, I expect you to stand aside and let the blood flow!" he snarled.

"I'm not in the habit of letting you tell me what to do," said Vivalda sweetly, leaning back and polishing her knives. "Besides, they have to learn something productive at some point. Don't complain that I'm giving my services for free. They can survive being uneasy with the wolves existing, they're not bothering anyone."

He huffed. "You're clearly growing attached to Hayley and her brethren."

"As you should be, considering your child is going to be part wolf and will most likely need to interact with her Crescent family members someday. She will learn from them since you're so inclined to throw away that part of yourself. Tell me something honestly, Nik, now that it's only us. Why don't you use your wolf abilities... ever?"

At first, he didn't seem to want to answer. His lips twitched, and at last he sat down. "My entire life I was denied the ability to know I was a wolf because of our mother's lies. That curiosity I felt, the curiosity that got..." he lowered his voice, "that got our brother killed... it came from somewhere and I had no idea. When I finally learned of it... I transformed into what they called a beast. It was pain like nothing I'd ever experienced, and I still recall waking up to you and Rebekah, eyes wide, covering me with a sheet and asking if I was alright. I recall how Mikael and Elijah held me down while Esther cast her spell. I wasn't allowed to be... what she made me. She bound me to clean up her mistake. By the time I managed to become a hybrid again... I'd lost all of you. What was it you said to me? Eyes filled with hatred, you said I'd finally done it, turned into a hybrid, that you'd place me on a leash and walk me around."

Vivalda stared at her feet. "None of us have made you feel comfortable with it. So you deny it, you hate that part of yourself. I am sorry, Nik. Truly. I don't think I ever sat down to think about how I made you feel with those comments. I wanted to hurt you and I did. I'm sorry."

He let out a weak laugh. "And now my daughter will grow to hate that part of herself, too. It won't ever end."

"That's not true. You can teach her not to hate it. You can teach her to be proud. Getting to know Hayley, I've gotten to appreciate werewolves. They suffer a lot and yet they continue with smiles on their faces. She can learn a new perspective of it. Because one day she will go through that same thing you did, that Hayley did. Triggering her curse. But Esther is not here, nor is Mikael. You and Hayley decide what she knows and you can teach her the wonderful things you know about it. You can make her admire who she is. And it starts with letting yourself admire other wolves. To learn about them, if you'd like. Whatever you decide, I support you."