Hayley laughed as she watched the young kids of the Crescent Pack high on excitement of the bonfire tonight and watching the cursed wolves turn. The new pack that would be joining the Crescent pack and seeing hundreds of wolves together, running off together into the woods. Hayley turned her head to Liz with a wide genuinely happy smile, "I had forgotten how much I love pack life," She admitted.
"I can see, that's why you were a great Alpha Hayley, you love the people you want the best for them, I take it your first night here was what you needed?" Liz looked at the beautiful brunette the dark cloud that had surrounded her had lifted from her.
"It has, this house the compound was just what I needed to get my head together and this party and run was a great idea, so much better than feuding fighting packs."
"We are two of the strongest oldest packs in the world. We both take in the Labonair, Aumont blood lines, few packs can boast such lineage and it helps that Morgan Poldark and Klaus Mikaelson are receptive towards peace and not acrimony. One of our untriggered wolves old Harrold and an untriggered wolf from the NEA pack will cross the state driving with clothes for the end of the run and our stay at the Hotel. Can you make sure you have a bag for yourself packed and waiting at the loading bay before nightfall? The memo has gone out to other wolves in the pack and when you're in the kitchen just give the wolves a reminder, most are pretty good but some of the young ones forget." Liz asked with an all knowing smile having dealt with the younger wolves for years.
"Sure they are all excited about tonight." Hayley grinned, Liz nodded with a smile herself moving off.
Hayley went and helped with setting up tables and then went to the dining mess large kitchen to help and a young triggered wolf Dean who was cutting up veggies turned to Hayley as she washed tomatoes, "As a hybrid do you still eat regular human food?" Hayley smiled.
"Yeah I do, I was a wolf longer than I have been a vampire and I love the taste of food," She remarked.
"Do you need to drink blood everyday?" He asked, interested.
"Yes I do, it keeps me strong, but I can go days without it, the wolf makes the vampire grounded, I have less bloodlust than a vampire." Dean nodded.
"And you don't grow old and die, that is so cool and you are a lot harder to kill right? and the sun doesn't burn you."
"Hybrids are harder to kill and no the sun can't burn us," Hayley smiled.
"So hybrids can't be made anymore is that right? there is only you and Klaus Mikaelson who are hybrids?" Dean questioned, Hayley nodded.
"That's a pity I would so go for being a hybrid, turn when you want to. I would spend weeks as a wolf," Dean confided, Hayley looked at Dean. "What about turning into a hybrid? Does it still hurt like a cursed wolf?"
"It becomes easier the more you turn and it is so fast as a hybrid you hardly notice it happening." Hayley shared.
"Who knows one day hybrids might be able to be made again," Dean commented and Hayley murmured.
"Maybe."
Hayley welcomed the North East Atlantic pack wolves as they arrived at the bonfire to get together and they had all come to celebrate and meet and mingle, triggered and untriggered wolves, kids, the older people, the Elders and the Shamans. They were mingling, talking and laughing. The groaning laden food tables surrounded with laid back people enjoying the company and surroundings. The Full Moon is still low and new in the night sky. Hayley was standing with a group of wolves in a circle when a person spoke out, "Did you hear the BosRoq pack in Atlanta had a unknown pack come through their camp last week."
"Yeah," A guy from NEA called out, "Three were killed."
"Any idea who the wolves were?" Hayley asked.
"No idea other than the Barry pack had a run in at their local bar with a group of loner wolves and words were said, a few fights broke out. Could be a group of loner wolves getting together making trouble. Morgan and Klaus are looking into it, they better not come to New Orleans or they will get more pissed off wolves than they counted on with the two packs."
"Yeah and two hybrids that can rip them to shreds if needed," Dean called out joining the group.
"Yeah," A woman interjected, "That's true, we are pretty protected," And the woman looked at Hayley, "Would you do that for the pack to protect them?" She asked Hayley.
"If they were hurting pack wolves definitely," Hayley replied, looking back at the woman.
"Yes don't be fooled by the beautiful face, Hayley Marshall is ruthless when it comes to protecting those she cares about," Klaus walked to them from nowhere appearing next to her and she turned and gave him a smile, feeling warm at his compliment.
"You're just the same," She answered knowing what he would do and had done, for those he loved and cared about.
"I am," Klaus admitted smirking at her, Hayley chuckled as she looked into the mirthful cerulean eyes that were looking back at her and Dean called out again.
"See two protective hybrid wolves to protect the packs, it is so cool." And the other's standing around grinned and nodded.
"WOLVES TO THE WOODS," Morgan shouted out with Elizabeth at his side and the energy of the bonfire party became intense and fiery the wolves stimulated by the night's festivities and the large numbers of the group gathering and going on a long run as a pack was not something many of either pack had done. Klaus and Hayley moved off, as partnered wolves who were leaving behind untriggered partners or kids hugged and kissed goodbye and the young triggered wolves worked themselves up inflaming their wolves. The wild wolf close to the surface and growls could be heard as the one hundred and forty three triggered wolves moved deeper into the woods shedding their clothes as they strode along. Hayley watched as some wolves embraced the breaking of their bones standing tall under the Full Moon their arms wide breaking at odd angles and growling deeply and fiercely through the pain. Even when their leg bones broke and brought them to the ground they kept their heads lifted in pride. Hayley felt a sense of camaraderie, the purity of the proud wolf thick in the air and she started to undress and smelt Klaus beside her, his wolf musk scent pungent and caught his movement in the corner of her eye ripping off his own clothing, as she ripped the last of her clothes and with a resounding roar she shifted and she saw the huge black wolf just ahead of her. He was quick and fast, comfortable she realised with his wolf, she leapt forward giving over to feral tameless wolf burning inside her and ran.
She could hear cheers and whistles from the untriggered wolves back at the bonfire and thought she had never experienced anything like this as a wolf before with a pack. Hayley was just behind Klaus at the side of Morgan as they ran at the head of the pack they had reached the Cliff line of the Sea in New Orleans and turned and headed North. The wolf pack stretching out strong front and hind legs, their massive clawed paws gripping the sandy rocky ground as they pounded along, their large regal wolf heads raised forward their glowing gold eyes focused as they thundered past hills, fields on the opposite of the Ocean, an open long stretch of ground before them.
Luca looked up at Mario as they dragged the body across the open plain toward the Sea and cliffs and stopped.
"We are getting too old for this," Mario grumbled, "These bodies are getting harder to drag and dispose of," Stopping to catch his breath, "Way out here at the Sea."
"I know mate, we are getting to be old fellas, but you know what they say, 'You can't leave the Familia' the only way is to die, is on the job," Luca retorted breathless. And just as the two breathless old mobsters got closer to the edge of the cliff they looked up as solid deafening,pounding sounds headed towards them, the ground underneath their feet shaking with tremors from the incoming impact of large momentum movement and froze when a giant black wolf with amber glowing eyes eyes turned his massive head and looked and snarled at them. Then hundreds of large wolves belted at high velocity towards them, the noise deafening, the dust blown up from the rocky chalky ground a voluminous cloud around them and the snarling and snapping of razor sharp wolf teeth glistening in the moonlight.
As what seemed like hundreds of large wolves belted at high velocity past them, the two Men stood there with their mouths open in complete shock, their eyes bugging out from their skulls.
"Fuck did you just see what I saw?" Mario asked, his voice strangled.
"You mean gigantic fucken wolves over a hundred of them?" Luca quavered.
"We gotta quit this job," Mario shook his head.
"Ain't no one gonna believe this story," Luca commented, shaking his head the rock dust still blowing a trail behind the thundering sounds of the disappearing wolves as the men watched, shaking their heads.
The packs continued on for miles up the coast. Klaus in front and Hayley just behind him, the two hybrids having the strength and stamina to keep running at full pelt, then wolf/Klaus skidded to a halt, teeth bared and he turned his head and gave a snarl to the pack behind him. The wolves stopped and stood still, ears pricked.
"Do you smell them Hayley?" Klaus/wolf asked through wolf telepathy.
"I smell six men and gunpowder," She answered to him in her mind.
"Morgan keep the pack back, stay still and silent," Wolf/Klaus commanded.
Wolf/Klaus stealthily and silently moved forward. Wolf/Hayley step for step with him and they saw the weekend Hunters ahead and in the low scrub.
"Tear their heads off little wolf," He demanded and leapt away. Tearing the head from the first Hunter the sound of crushing bone and tearing flesh could be heard against the roar of the sea and the slight breeze in the air. Hayley had torn two hunters heads from their shoulders when the rifle went off, she felt a searing burning pain in her shoulder, she looked around to see the Hunters all dead Klaus having killed the rest and shifted, she twisted her arm behind her back to reach the imbedded bullet, but it, the bullet was lodged where she couldn't reach and panting feeling the blood trickle down her back she whimpered the burning pain of the foreign object under her skin agony and then felt warm fingers on her shoulder.
"It's in deep love this is going to hurt," He whispered just behind her ear his warm breath fanning her neck and his voice low, warm, confident his reassuring touch had her naked body relaxing.
"Just do it Klaus," She commanded, her voice low and felt his fingers in the wound digging deeper separating tissue, muscle and sinew as his fingers tried to get a grip on the bullet. Hayley bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop the scream that wanted to rip from her throat and felt her bottom lip puncture with the pressure of her bite feeling her blood dribble down her chin and then she felt Klaus's fingers wrap firmly around her other shoulder to steady her as he pulled the bullet from her shoulder. Hayley let out a shaky breath when it was over and he held his palm out flat in front of her, showing her the casing.
"It felt bigger," She tried to joke, feeling her wound heal slowly, as she picked it up from the palm of his hand and let it fall to the ground.
"You were always brave little wolf," He complimented her, his voice hushed close to her ear, the warmth from his body close behind her. Hayley wanted to lean back against him at his endearment again, "Here drink you will heal quicker," He told her putting his bitten wrist in front of her mouth and she latched on gratefully, greedily drinking his blood and feeling her wound heal completely, She turned her head and looked at his face, inches from hers.
"Thanks Klaus," She whispered gratefully, staring at those blue green eyes.
"Your welcome love, Elijah would make my life living hell if I let anything happen to you," And he took a step away from her and was a wolf again in a second stride and Hayley growled with frustration at him bringing Elijah up again! shaking her head she shifted to her wolf and ran to join him and the pack again.
They had arrived in the forest of Pensacola just as the Moon started to lower over the burgeoning of a new dawn and the packs shifted back into human form. The two men from the pack that had driven with their bags and followed the pack had lined them up in female and male groups. The women looked for their bags pulling their clothes out starting to dress and as Hayley looked over the women she couldn't see the blonde Kelly and frowned.
After getting her hotel room and the rest of the pack settled and were allocated rooms and keys. Hayley after arriving in her room, took off her clothes and looked at her back in the mirror, seeing the smooth unblemished skin she felt the shoulder still feeling the searing pain and Klaus digging his fingers inside her to retrieve the bullet. She shook her head and got in the shower to wash and freshen herself. They had booked the garden restaurant for brunch and Hayley planned to drink a lot of Mimosa's.
Hayley was just closing her door when Morgan was coming out of his room. "How are you Hayley? I saw you got shot," Hayley smiled and joined him as they walked the hallway corridor to the lifts.
"All healed, the magic of vampire blood," She chuckled.
"Those weekend warrior hunters that shoot at night are a pain in the arse for wolves. You and Klaus tore the bodies apart, it will look like a mountain lion got the lot of them, that should put hunters off for a while," Morgan commented relieved.
"I encountered them on the Appalachian Trail years ago, trouble with getting shot as a cursed wolf. It can be fatal or take weeks to heal, they are a threat to us at times."
"Yeah, they always will be, but we are lucky to have you and Klaus you saved us so thanks," Morgan offered.
"Your welcome Morgan, I didn't see Kelly tonight."
"No Kel's not a triggered wolf and if she has her way she never will be."
"Oh," Hayley replied, slightly shocked she had assumed the girl was a triggered wolf specially if Klaus was dating her, "But she gets on well with the pack, lives with the pack."
"She loves the pack and wolves, they are her family. She is proud to be a wolf gene carrier, she would rather not trigger her gene that's all. She is right into her sculpture and art and she is an animal rights activist and pacifist."
"A wolf pacifist with triggered wolves in the family and she lives on a wolf compound, how does that work?" Hayley asked, "Isn't there a conflict of values?"
"Nah, Kel is, live and let live. She has her philosophies and values and respects everyone's right to choose and live as they want, she is all inclusive, most of us are in the NEA pack, we don't have a right to tell others how to live."
"True, most want everyone to mould to how they see things though," Hayley responded with a small smile.
"Yeah that's never going to work, we are all too diverse. Our Dad was really big on autonomy and free will, it has shaped Kelly and I."
"I only met your Dad a few times, he was a good man. I know Klaus liked him which was rare back then," Hayley confided and Morgan smiled.
"Yeah Klaus is in a league of his own," Morgan chuckled and Hayley could see the young Alpha was fond of Klaus and respected him. Hayley was pleased for Klaus for some reason her view of Klaus having done a 180 since the renewal, her dislike and suspiciousness of Klaus melting and drifting away at new discoveries about him in this timeline came to light.
The packs were in high spirits and drank and ate heartily. Hayley included and she was looking through slitted eyes as she got up from the table and staggered off with some of the other girls from the pack as they wobbled and laughed to the lift. Even though she was hyper aware of Klaus and his movements, his chuckles and voice, his low toned conversations with other wolves, she had a great time and saw he looked relaxed also in a way she had never seen him in her time. Never with the family and never where she could see. But had she really paid much attention to Klaus in her timeline? She was always angry or pissed off or a bitch and avoiding him. And Elijah was always there he would talk and appease her in that smooth calm voice and she would just disregard and block Klaus out. She had seen in the review of their lives that they had become partners for Hope but she didn't have the finer details or intimacy, it was an overview of their lives that she was discovering for herself.
Hayley walked in her house on the hill at the Crescent compound after the luxury tour bus had dropped them back at the compound. It was now late afternoon after the pack had slept for a few hours back in Pensacola. As she entered the house she saw the beautiful flowers in the centre of the table and a few more personal touches added to the room, throws and a beautiful watercolour painting above the stone fireplace, that was all Hayley in taste. Rebekah walked out of the kitchen wiping her hands, "Welcome home love thought you could use a more personal touch in here," She said with a smile.
"I love it Rebekah, it really looks like a home, like my home., thanks Bekah," Hayley smiled gratefully at her.
"The surprises aren't over, put your bag down and come with me," Rebekah instructed her and they walked away from Hayley's house and back towards the main buildings of the compound then up the hill and Hayley stopped, looking at Rebekah with wide eyes.
"Already? I've been gone a night and day."
"Well I started planning, organising and calling workmen the moment you asked me for help. The building work and construction just had to be done and that was completed today. I had the builders here before the sun was up, what do you think?" Hayley looked up at the Crescent Archive Shrine.
"It's beautiful, it has a peaceful calm feel to it," Hayley acknowledged pleased.
"Come and see inside," Rebekah grabbed her hand and they walked up the stone steps. Hayley took it all in. The books of the Crescent's history and artefacts, a library area and comfortable seating and centre stage in the glass cabinet room was the Land Title Deed.
This land is owned by the Hope Andrea Mikaelson Trust.
In Perpetuity for the Crescent Pack of New Orleans Louisiana.
Thirteenth Of March 2015.
.𝒩ℐ𝒦ℒ𝒜𝒰𝒮 ℳℐ𝒦ℰ𝒜ℒ𝒮𝒪𝒩
And Niklaus Mikaelson's sweeping signature across the bottom of the document.
Hayley wiped her eyes, "I want every Crescent wolf to know her Father did this for her and the pack. I want them to know he is not just a monster that he loved Hope and that he would do this for the pack." Hayley huskily replied looking at Rebekah.
Rebekah hugged her, "Nik only lets a few see his loving generous nature, he prefers the world see his cold cruel bastard visage. I am glad you are finally seeing the other side of him."
"I was such a fool Rebekah," Hayley whispered looking at the framed document, "I never looked beyond what the gossip told to me. I pride myself on being fair and discerning. I was just a bitch in my timeline." Hayley admitted.
"Love he was a bloody cruel bastard make no mistake he could have been kinder to you, specially when you were first pregnant. I know you are living in those early years but Hope had a longer life than babyhood and Nik was a selfless Father. He was a better man because of Hope, she had changed him irrevocably. Keep reviewing and don't be hard on yourself, from what you were just weeks ago, I think you have made leaps and bounds forward. Enjoy yourself and get ready for a wild night on Saturday," Rebekah smirked referring to the night of the Ball.
"I got drunk at the wolf brunch today, ahhh it was fun," Hayley smirked at her, not telling her about the bullet or those private moments with Klaus she wanted to keep those to herself.
"That's what you need, more fun, parties and booze. We have to pull Keelin, Freya and Davina out for a girls night out, hit some clubs, flirt, dance and have some boozy fun together."
"Sounds good," Hayley agreed.