The Originals: Always and Forever

Democracy or Hypocrisy?

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

-Tennyson

Strong in will. There's no doubt that I'm strong in will, but is it enough? It's a question I've been asking myself for a month. How long can I play Genevieve's game before it all becomes too much? In the last month, I've managed to avoid Elijah and Klaus completely, not setting foot in the Quarter unless it was absolutely necessary. I've ignored their calls, their texts, and managed to set up a boundary spell on the Crescents's territory to keep them from finding us. Mostly, the calls and texts have been from Elijah, trying to convince me to return to the compound, but I have absolutely no intention of doing so. I'm too close to Klaus in the compound and if I want to keep my baby girl safe, I need to stay as far away from him as possible. Genevieve's deal has made my life a living hell. In one night, I lost everything. I lost my life and I lost the trust of the vampires, but, to be quite honest, I would do it again to save Rebekah and Gwen's lives. Davina refuses to see me and Marcel calls once a week to check on me. However, I've made a few adjustments to my new life, starting with my appearance. Not long after I moved out of the compound, I got my hair dyed and cut it. Instead of it being black as the road at night, it is now a couple shades of brown lighter, reflecting the sun in a way that makes it seems golden. My stylist assured me that when my hair started to grow again, the dye wouldn't look artificial, but more like an ombre. My hair is now shoulder length; it had reached the middle of my back before I choose to hack it off. Jackson certainly approved of my hair the second he saw it, though he assured me that my old hair was just as beautiful. About two weeks ago, the full moon rose, turning my pack back to their human forms. True to her word, Celeste's cure worked and my pack is no longer cursed. The bayou has been a lot more active now that the Crescents are back. Most of the wolves were grateful for what I did, however, there were those select few who didn't trust me because of two things- what I am and my mother. They felt that my mother had betrayed them when she left and I understand why. She would've been the link that connected the two packs together and she fled. They didn't know me either; for all I know, they probably think I'm exactly like her. It's a work in progress to get them all to trust me, but I suppose it's a good way to spend my time. Being eight months pregnant has had a bad effect on me. I thought I was moody before, but good lord. One second I'm happy, the next I'm snapping at everyone. It seems almost like a dream. These past eight months, though they've been eventful, seemed to have passed by rather quickly. In a month, give or take a few days, I'll be giving birth to the only thing that matters- my daughter. It'll be a relief when I can finally have a drink. Today, the Crescents are holding a dinner for all of us. Outside, the male wolves are having a Fight Club, trying to see who's the strongest.

"Shouldn't you be out there playing Fight Club with the rest of the frat boys," I ask Jackson as we continue to watch the two wolves.

"Nah, this is just for pecking order," he answers with a smile, "they already know who the Alphas are." I smile as he leads me away from the fight and into the dining hall, I guess is what you would call it. We help to set the plates at every setting, weaving our way around each of the tables. "You've got to try Tucker's rib," Jackson tells me. He's aware that I have to drink blood on a daily basis, though he is relentless in getting me to try human food.

"Then what, we're going to go play horseshoes," I ask him with a smile.

"Hey, don't mock country living darling," he says.