FIRE AND ICE ⎯ n.mikaelson¹

ˏˋ 14

Thea could only roll her eyes at the sight; both completely exhausted and irritated to still be within their company. Elijah remained rigid; his eyes narrowed and his stance defensive as though he wasn't willing to back down so easily.

"Relax, Elijah," Klaus smirked easily, his tone light as he shrugged on his coat, "all is forgiven." Elijah clenched his jaw in response. In truth, the elder original was not seeking forgiveness ⎯ he had saved his brother's life purely on the premise that he would be reunited with the rest of his siblings; his care for Klaus' life hadn't been a priority.

"Where are they?" Elijah growled, his eyes narrowed at his brother sternly. Klaus smirked, knowing he had won ⎯ he had the upper hand, as he always did, and Elijah was one of his many pawns.

"You need to lighten up. I'll bring you to them soon enough," the hybrid replied with an easy smirk. Klaus spared one last questioning look to the wolf stood a few feet away from them; his curiosity causing an unsettling intrigue.

There was some kind of connection between them, that much he was certain of. Had the feeling of yearning every time he was in her presence not been enough of an indicator, the fact that she had appeared in most of his dreams for over a thousand years was large enough proof. What he did not know was why.

And if there was one thing Klaus Mikaelson hated, it was not knowing. When it came to the mystery of Thea Lockwood, Klaus was five steps behind. The mystery of their connection left him open to weakness ⎯ a weakness he could not afford to have with the number of enemies he had piled up over the years.

Patting his brother on the shoulder, Klaus masked his internal debate with a smirk before he sped away from the clearing; plotting his next course of action. "You realise I had to, right. I had no other choice," Elijah spoke almost hopefully as he turned towards Thea.

"Everyone has a choice, Elijah," Thea replied with a shrug. "I just hope, for your sake, you made the right one." Elijah frowned in disappointment. Whilst he didn't regret his actions ⎯ his family would always come first ⎯ he did feel a little guilty that he had lied and betrayed Thea.

She had been the first one to trust him and give him a chance and he had thrown her efforts back in her face. Even if, in part, his actions had been to save her too. Elijah's frown deepened as he watched the wolf begin to walk away from the clearing with her arms wrapped around herself.

"Where are you going?" the original called out with a hint of concern laced in his tone. Thea rolled her eyes as she stopped, turning back to face the vampire with a bitter scowl. "My friend just lost his last remaining family in one night ⎯ I'm going to make sure he's alright."

. . .

The sun had started its descent as Thea made her way through the Town Square on her way back home. After the events of the last three days the wolf was exhausted and in dire need of a shower ⎯ or rather, a well-deserved soak in the bath.

The brunette had searched the entire town for Jeremy, unable to find him or any of her other friends in their usual hang-out spaces. It was as though they'd all simply disappeared ⎯ a fate the wolf didn't rule out as a possibility now that Klaus had broken his curse.

"Damon, stop! You're hurting me..." Thea stopped in the middle of the street, turning her head in the direction of the familiar tone. "Damon, you don't have to do this..." With a curious frown, Thea followed the noise into the woods at the edge of the Town Square finding Damon stood with his teeth dug into a familiar brunette's neck.

Without a moment's hesitation, Thea rushed over to the pair and used her strength to snap Damon's neck ⎯ and as his body fell, Thea's eyes widened in shock. "Elena?" the brunette whispered as she stared at the doppelganger as though she'd seen a ghost.