KLAUS, Valentina, and Stefan silently hiked through the Smoky Mountains where Ray's pack was supposedly hiding.
"Are you alright, my darling?" Klaus asked Valentina out of genuine concern. She had been dragging behind them with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Yeah." She lied horribly with a curt nod of her head. The truth was she barely slept the whole trip there.
Klaus knew instantly that she was lying but chose not to push the subject further. His glance lingered on the side of her face for a moment longer before he looked back at the path in front of them. "You okay? Is Ray getting heavy?" He asked Stefan, who carried Ray over his shoulder, mockingly.
"I'm fine." Stefan gruffly assured him, not up to making conversation with the hybrid.
"You sure about that?" Klaus challenged in an attempt to push Stefan's buttons. "You know, we've been walking for quite some time now. If you need some water or a little sit-down..."
"Nik," Valentina called out to him in a warning tone of voice.
Stefan nodded his head with a bitter smile but didn't stop walking the trail. "You know, I get that we're, uh...we're stuck together, but if we could maybe just skip the chitchat, it'd be great."
"So much brooding. Your self-loathing is suffocating you, my friend." Klaus commented lowly causing Valentina to poke him hard underneath his scapula. He swatted at her hand and pointed a finger in her direction, daring her to do it again.
Instead of feeling intimidated, she simply snorted out a laugh with an obvious eye roll. "Oookay."
"Maybe it's 'cause I'm a little tired of hunting werewolves. We've been at it all summer." Stefan explained in frustration.
"Thanks to our pal Ray, we found ourselves a pack," Klaus said as they came to a clearing full of people wandering about. "There."
Stefan entered their camp and set Ray on the ground earning their attention. "Ray! Oh, my God!" A woman with short brunette hair ran over to check on the dead werewolf and then glanced at the three strangers. "What's going on? Who are you?"
"The important question is who am I." Klaus arrogantly replied on his way toward them. "Please forgive the intrusion. My name is Klaus."
"You're the hybrid." She concluded while slowly rising to her feet.
"You've heard of me. Fantastic." Klaus mused in glee with a devious smile then sat down on a fallen tree trunk with Stefan. "It's fascinating, actually... A werewolf who isn't beholden to the moon, a vampire who doesn't burn in the sun. A true hybrid."
Valentina leaned up against a nearby tree and rolled her eyes at his smug attitude. "Glad to see your ego is still in check, Nik." She mused sarcastically earning a proud smile from him.
Suddenly Ray woke up with a loud, dramatic gasp for air and rolled onto his stomach.
"Excellent timing, Ray. Very dramatic." Klaus commented through a stage whisper.
"What's happening to me?" Ray asked them, glancing around frantically at his pack.
"Stefan." Klaus gave him the cue to take over.
Stefan flattened his lips into a firm line before standing to his feet. "Are any of you human? Your friend here needs human blood to complete his transition to vampire. If he doesn't get it, he will die."
"Doesn't take much, just a sip. Anyone? A boyfriend, a girlfriend, along for the ride?" Klaus questioned them then managed to smell out the human hiding amongst them and pointed him out. "You!" He sped over to the man, sinking his fangs into his forearm.
Stefan grabbed the human and threw him down on the ground in front of Ray. "No!" The woman protested but Klaus wrapped his arm around her throat, strangling and holding her in place.
"If you don't drink it, Ray, I will. Problem is I don't know how to stop." Stefan breathlessly confessed his deepest sin as he held the human down.
"It's the new order, sweetheart. You join us, or you die." Klaus informed the werewolf fighting against his grip.
"I'd rather die than be a vampire." She snarled furiously through gritted teeth.
"Wrong choice." Klaus scolded then bit into his wrist and force-fed her his blood until she fell forward in exhaustion. He chuckled quietly while petting her hair. "She'll thank me for that later." He said to no one in particular before snapping her neck and carelessly tossing her body to the ground. "Okay, who's next?" He questioned the rest of the pack, flashing them his golden eyes and protruded fangs.
Valentina raised her chin but didn't otherwise react in any way. She had to admit, his new hybrid face was attractive. It sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach and her heart skipping a beat.
Klaus did the same to each of the wolves as he had Ray then looked around at their dead bodies with a pleased smirk. He walked over to give the human his blood and compelled him. "There. Good as new. Now you relax, okay, mate? We're gonna need you when the rest of them wake up."
Ray, having given in to the transition, sat on a rock nearby, grabbed his body, and trembled with tears. "They're dead. They're all dead."
Valentina walked around the camp, studying each of the bodies lying along the dirt floor. "Seems that way doesn't it?"
"Ah, he's through his transition. He should be feeling better soon." Klaus tilted his head to the side when looking over at Ray.
"So is this your master plan? Build an army of hybrid slaves?" Stefan questioned snarkily and leaned up against a nearby tree.
Klaus seemed offended by that accusation. "No, not slaves. Soldiers, comrades."
"For what war, might I ask?" Stefan inquired curiously.
"Oh, you don't arm yourself after war has been declared, Stefan. You build your army so big that no one ever dares pick a fight." Klaus proclaimed, avoiding the question as much as possible.
Stefan smirked condescendingly at him with a small shrug of his shoulder. "What makes you so sure that they'll be loyal?"
"Well, it's not difficult to be loyal when you're on the winning team. That's something you'll learn once you shake that horribly depressive chip off your shoulder." Klaus replied, giving him an amused smirk.
Stefan looked down at his shoes and laughed humorlessly. "That's why you're, uh... you're keeping me around? To witness my attitude adjustment?"
Klaus noticed that something was wrong with Ray and sat down on the log next to him. He grabbed at Ray's face, turning the new hybrid over to examine him. Ray's eyes were bleeding and he was sputtering out coughs. "You'll know why I'm keeping you around when I've decided that I want you to know. Something's wrong."
Stefan bent down to observe Ray for himself. "Huh. That shouldn't be happening, should it?"
"Well, obviously." Klaus snapped sarcastically out of pure frustration.
"You said it was gonna feel better. Why doesn't it feel better?" Ray whimpered in pain, his body shaking rapidly as if he was freezing.
"Some master race." Stefan rubbed the failure in Klaus' face.
"Lose the attitude." Klaus snarled back in aggravation and folded his arms over his chest. The woman from earlier gasped awake so Klaus ordered the human to do what he was compelled to do. "Derek, come feed your girlfriend."
Ray growled viciously then suddenly took off into the woods on all fours.
"Go get him." Klaus commanded Stefan, who anxiously hesitated for a second before following after the rabid hybrid.
Valentina gave Klaus, who raised an eyebrow, a disapproving look then followed after her younger brother. She came up from behind Stefan, startling him slightly, and was horrified by the werewolf bite on his arm. She opened her mouth to speak but they both heard Damon and Elena arguing in the distance. Walking over to the edge, the two Salvatores watched as Elena, Damon, and Alaric trudged through the trees.
A branch cracked behind them causing Stefan to whip around frantically. Klaus approached them and Stefan closed the distance so the Original wouldn't see the trio wandering the mountains.
"Where did he go?" Klaus asked curiously.
"He, uh...he got away. Forget him. Let's go." Stefan brushed off nervously, trying to keep from seeing them.
Klaus noticed something off about Stefan's arm and grabbed it for further observation. "A fatal werewolf bite. Ouch."
"Yeah. I'm gonna need your blood to heal me." Stefan replied calmly despite the anxiety coursing through him.
"Well, I tell you what. You find Ray, and then I'll heal you." Klaus set the terms causing the siblings to look at him incredulously.
"Nik---" Valentina began to argue but was spoken over.
"Can't be serious." Stefan challenged with a scoff.
"You better hurry, 'cause that bite looks nasty." Klaus urged him to go then glanced at Valentina, who was glaring furiously at him. He brushed past Stefan on his way back to the campsite.
Valentina nudged Stefan gently, motioning that they should get going. Stefan nodded his head after a moment and they started stomping around the woods. It was silent between them for a moment until Valentina finally spoke up. "He's not gonna let you die."
"Yeah. Because of you. He seems to do just about anything you ask." Stefan remarked with an incredulous scoff then tilted his head to the side. "So... you ready to finally tell me what's going on between you two? And don't say nothing. I'm not stupid or blind. Not deaf either."
"Oh. Yeah, um--- we've just been having a few---" she lowered her voice to a hushed whisper, hoping he wouldn't hear the remainder of her sentence. "Marital disputes."
Stefan stopped in place, blinked repeatedly, and gaped at her in astonishment. "Marital? As in, you two are---"
"Yes." She cut him off and breathed out a heavy sigh. "He and I are married."
He stood there, still as a statue with shock written all over her face. "I'm sorry. I, uh---" He laughed humorlessly while walking over to stand beside her. "I think I misheard you. Klaus is your husband?!"
She hummed in response, nodded her head, and continued searching for Ray. Stefan stayed still for a second before following behind her. It was quite between them as he tried to process the news completely. He ran his tongue along his lower lip, opened his mouth to speak with a finger held up then shut it and lowered his hand.
"Out with it, baby brother." She coaxed knowingly without having to turn around.
"Do you still... love him?" Stefan asked oddly, almost like the question was extremely discomforting. He sensed her hesitation to answer by her long silence. "Just be honest."
"Yes." She admitted strongly with a nod of her head. "I love him but I can't be with him," Valentina said monotonously, trying to hide her heartbreak. "Not when he's doing this to you and despite every part of me that wants to run back to him, I won't. Not until you're free."
Stefan's lips turned down into a frown. While he didn't like the idea of Klaus being married to his sister, he hated seeing her upset.
The sun had set and was replaced by the full moon. Damon walked warily through the mountains and stopped when he heard a sound rustling in the trees. Ray rushed toward him in human form, throwing him back a few feet across the ground. Damon sped to his feet then jumped up to punch Ray in the face. Ray swung at him repeatedly but Damon dodged every blow.
Damon grabbed Ray and knocked him down. Ray kicked Damon away from him, stood to his feet, and jumped over top of him. Ray growled at Damon, his eyes bleeding profusely and his canines protruded like fangs. The rabid hybrid ran at Damon, who held him away at arm's length to keep him from biting him.
Stefan came up from behind Ray and ripped his heart out through his back before he could get his teeth in Damon's throat. Ray's dead body fell to the ground with his heart in Stefan's hand.
Damon, panting breathlessly, stared at him with a scowl. "Fancy meeting you here."
"'Sup, dingus." Valentina greeted him with a jerk of her chin and a genuinely fond smile. "How you been?"
Damon turned around to face her with a relieved expression. "I'm so glad you're okay. I've been worried sick."
"What part of "don't follow me anymore" got lost in translation, Damon?" Stefan asked him harshly, tossing Ray's heart down next to his body.
"Might want to take it up with your girlfriend. You don't want her chasing you, I'd stop with the late-night phone calls." Damon suggested knowingly.
Valentina threw a hand up with a frustrated groan. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
"I didn't call her." Stefan lied through his teeth and shook his head rapidly.
"Sure you did." Damon mused then shifted on his feet and scoffed. "She's not gonna give up on you."
"She has to. Because I'm never coming back." Stefan explained to him sternly. "Why don't you get her home? See if you could keep her there this time." He whispered and started walking off to return to the camp.
Valentina stared at Damon for a moment then rushed forward and engulfed him in a hug. "I miss you."
"I miss you." He wrapped his arms around her, squeezed gently, and pulled back enough to kiss her temple. "You keeping him safe?"
"Yeah." She breathed out while backing away with a nod. "Be careful, Damon. No more following us around. It's not safe. Keep her home, okay?" She requested sternly before following after Stefan.
She and Stefan then watched from afar as Damon and Elena argued with each other before getting in the SUV and driving away.
Valentina held her hand out to Stefan once they were gone. "Phone." She ordered dully, motioning for him to hand it over.
Stefan pulled his phone from his pocket and reluctantly placed it in her open palm.
Waving it up in the air, she gave him a sympathetic frown. "You can't call them again. You'd only be putting them in danger. If you call them, they can track you. Track us. We can't risk them getting this close again. Especially not her. If Nik finds her, we're all dead."
Stefan nodded his head in understanding, knowing she had a point. Valentina pursed her lips and took a deep breath before snapping his phone on half under her grip.
They returned to camp with Ray's body to find the rest of the pack lying dead on the ground. Stefan dropped Ray down with the others and held onto his bite mark in pain.
"They went rabid. Some of them, I killed. The others just... Bled out. In the end... They're all dead." Klaus explained to them in a hollow voice then yelled at the top of his lungs and threw a beer bottle at a tree. "I did everything I was told!" He screamed furiously at the siblings. Valentina walked toward him, ignoring Stefan's looks of warning not to, and Klaus started regaining his composure. "I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse. I killed a werewolf. I killed a vampire. I killed the doppelgänger."
Stefan grew uncomfortable from the mention of Elena and wanted to do everything necessary to keep Klaus from finding out she was alive. Valentina did her best to maintain a collected expression on her face. She felt Stefan's eyes on her but gave no reaction.
Klaus slowly calmed down then turned to Stefan. "You look like hell."
"Last I checked, I'm dying... and you don't want to heal me." Stefan reminded the hybrid, showing him the oozing bite on his arm, and noticed Klaus looking down at Ray. "I had to take him out. I didn't have a choice. I failed you. I'm sorry. Do what you have to do."
"Nik. If you kill him or let him die, I will never forgive you." Valentina whispered in a soft plea and placed her hand on his upper arm.
Klaus glanced over at her, their eyes locking in a tense gaze for a moment. "It should have worked." He said more to her than anyone else and she nodded her head in understanding.
He turned around, walked over to the fallen tree trunk, and grabbed one of the empty beer bottles. He bit his hand, made a fist, held his bleeding hand over the top, and offered it to Stefan, who gladly took it. "Bottoms up. We're leaving." He informed them, glancing down at all the failed potential hybrids. "It appears you two are the only comrades I have left." He said in a whisper then walked away from the camp, leaving them behind.
Valentina let out a deep sigh and rubbed at her forehead with her fingertips with her eyes shut.
Stefan drank the blood from the bottle, healing his bite, and tossed the bottle into the woods. "We can't let him know why it's not working." He explained seriously causing her to frantically hush him and hold a finger to her lips then point to her ears.
Making a gesture for him to stop talking about it, the middle Salvatore started after Klaus. Stefan's eyes followed her before doing the same.
---
Comment
Vote
Share
Xoxo
-the1andonlytifftiff