[𝟷] 𝘾𝙍𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙉𝙎, 𝘕.𝘔. [EDITING]

𝕏𝕍𝕀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren closed her eyes and bit her tongue. Standing up straight, she turned to glare at him maliciously. "There is nothing that you could say to make me change my mind."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Not even that I would rather you stay here, where you are safe and protected from all harm?" Klaus walked further into the room, his eyes not straying past her face. "How am I supposed to go about my business while I am worried about you the entire time?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Simple - stop thinking about me."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I can't!" he snapped. "You invade my every waking moment, Wren, I don't think you quite understand that!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren squeezed her eyes shut, putting her hand to her head in frustration. "No, I don't get it. I don't understand why you're trying to control everything I do." She snatched a long-sleeved shirt off of a hanger, throwing it over her head. "I have tried to cooperate and be patient, but you won't let me think for myself."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Every decision you have made since you came to me was, in the long run, harmful to you. How am I supposed to trust your judgment, given your history?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"How about instead of trusting my judgment, just trust me? I'm not going out there to purposefully get myself into trouble! If that is my family laying out there, rotting, then I have a right to know!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Then let Sophie go in your stead! Stay here, where no vampire can enter!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You don't get it, do you? I'm not some little porcelain doll that must be protected all the time! I'm a grown woman, and I can make my own damn decisions!" She hooked the straps over her shoulders before shoving her feet in a pair of black combat boots. "I'll see you when you get back, Nik."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He grabbed her arm as she moved to pass him.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Don't," she snapped with all the ferocity she could muster. It was a lot, apparently, because her mate flinched and recoiled away from her. Ignoring the tinge in her chest, she continued out the door.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The half-hour drive to the cemetery was full of pure silence. Rebekah sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window with a blank expression. Nina was in the back, her head buried in another journal.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀They picked Sophie up before continuing on toward the Bayou.

♔

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"- order up a few rounds of moonshine and steer clear of the dead witches for a few. Our two witches are on a burial mission, the wolf is sniffing them out, and I'm keeping my promise to Elijah to protect Wren. Stall, please." Rebekah hung up the phone, shoving it back in her pocket. "Now that he is in an absolutely dreadful mood, shall we?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The four of them walked through the woods. Nina and Wren kept ahead, having a conversation amongst themselves while Sophie and Rebekah conversed behind them.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren had been eavesdropping for a while, and the truth had finally come out that Davina was the last harvest girl. She was glad that they were getting exposed for their true reasoning for bringing the Originals to town.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The harvest was a blasphemous ritual that no one in their right mind would go through with.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀No one with a sense of morality, anyway.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nina raised her head, smelling the air. The rot was evident in the breeze, but the talking was making it difficult for her to focus. "Can you guys stop talking for like - five seconds? Please?" She glared back at them.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀When silence washed over the four of them, she tried again. To the west, there was a fresh deer. To the east, she could smell rotting flesh.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"This way," she said with a distasteful look.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren walked alongside her, dreading the view ahead.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What are you going to do if it's your people?" Nina asked her softly. "We can't move them to the city undetected."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'll build a pire for them." Wren stared at the ground as she walked, stepping over a root clumsily. "Burn them, like my ancestors did."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nina walked through a patch of trees. "We're here," she called, "watch your step. There's a head or two laying around here somewhere."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren walked into the clearing, gagging as soon as she saw the torn-apart bodies. Two men, who were mostly intact, were setting up against trees. They were paled, and their eyes stared blankly ahead.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀These men weren't from her coven.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren found herself wanting to sigh in relief. The feeling disturbed her. Furrowing her eyebrows, she looked away from the bodies and walked a few steps away. "How are we going to hide this, Sophie? People will talk."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm going to consecrate them - the rest is left up to you all."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren was turning back around to face the trio when she spotted a man on the other side of the clearing.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He looked just as startled as she was.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What the hell?" he breathed. "An Original?" His eyes were locked on Rebekah, who was standing at Wren's side. Taking a shaky step back, he turned and zoomed off in the distance.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Bloody hell," Rebekah breathed, yanking her phone out and ringing her brother.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren sighed and went to go stand by the water's edge a little ways away. She closed her eyes, taking in a slow breath.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The bodies stunk, but she tried to ignore it in favor of finding a moment of peace.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Here, dove," Rebekah spoke as she handed the phone to Wren, "talk some sense into him."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren stared down at the phone for a long moment, curling her lip upwards, before bringing it to her ear.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Did I not warn you?" he spoke. "If you think I'm allowing you out of the house after this, then-"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"The funny thing is that you actually think you can stop me from doing what I want." Wren stared out over the calm water. "The man who saw us recognized Rebekah, but didn't know the rest. If Marcel finds out that she's out snooping around he might get suspicious. Do what you will with that information." She turned to Rebekah. "I'll see you at home." She handed the phone back to her friend.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm on my way." Rebekah hung up and stuffed her phone away. "I'm off to distract Marcel. Think you can keep yourselves safe for the time being?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren nodded. "We'll be fine."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The original left in a flash.