Chapter Twenty-Eight
I walked straight into the Abattoir, and got strange and surprised looks from the few vampires that actually noticed me. A few moments later, I was standing beside Elijah, who did a double take from Marcel to me. He seemed surprised to see me there.
"Rose, perhaps you should go back, you still don't look very well," he said, speaking of my incredibly pale complexion compared to my usually slightly tan one.
I shook my head. "I'm fine, Elijah. Don't worry about it."
"I'm sorry for leaving you," he said.
"Don't worry about it, I'm happy you did. Now you're one step closer to finding Hayley."
We had been whispering to each other, while Marcel continued his little rant. "And imagine my surprise when I realized that the Original family of vampires had taken up residence."
Klaus stared at Marcel with stone cold eyes, and Elijah folded his arms across his chest. I clenched my fists tightly, and Marcel continued after seeing our tensed up stances and smiled.
"Your girl Hayley answered the door. We exchanged hello's, that was it. You don't believe me? Look around," he said, gesturing around the building. "Hell, I'll even help you find her. But the question I'd ask is... If Hayley isn't here, then where is she?"
I clenched my jaws together, rolling my fingers in my palm to prevent myself from breaking them. My emotions were still out of check, yet another surprise after effect of that damned hex. I was fighting my own thoughts, which were simply urging me on to tear out Marcel's heart.
The other vampires dispersed, taking the unconscious bodies of the two previously fighting ones along with them. I felt Diego's eyes on me, but ignored him as much as I could.
We took a seat in three chairs around a small table, waiting patiently for Marcel to come back. Well, not so patiently. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Elijah spoke.
"Not the most attractive community, are they?" Elijah asked.
I giggled, while Klaus just smirked. "You do realize that they can hear you?"
"You do realize I don't care?" Elijah said, smiling.
Marcel and a few other vampires came in. Marcel smirked at us, looking directly at our noble little buddy here. "You know, Elijah, I liked you better in that box," he looked to Klaus. "But Klaus, my sire, you, I owe the world. And I always show respect to my elders. If your special lady friend is missing, you could benefit from the help of a witch. Since Rose seems to be a little under the weather lately, no offense," he held up his hands in defense before continuing. "And since I control all the witches in this town, I'll grant you one little locator spell," he gestured behind him, where a very annoyed-looking Sabine Laurent was being dragged into the building. "Sabine's the best guide in the quarter. You need to find someone, I guarantee you she's your girl."
I narrowed my eyes at Marcel as he spun around to leave. "And where are you off to?"
"I hate to cut this short, but the sun's comin' up soon. My night walkers need to get inside and I've got a city to run. I'll leave you to track down your lost sheep," he said, then turned and walked away.
"Can you find her?" Elijah asked Sabine.
"I can try," she replied, seeming unsure of herself.
We all went into a separate room, where Marcel had brought out a few items for us to find Hayley with. I, however, was beginning to feel something. It was down in my gut. I could sense something... Bad. It wasn't evil, it was more of an action. It felt like someone had just stuck a pin into my gut. It didn't hurt very much, but it was still an odd feeling.
I walked out of the room, heading out to the exit of the Abattoir. Soon after, I heard Elijah walk out and follow me.
I felt something coming from near us, but also far away. Meaning it wasn't in the city, but it wasn't out of state either. Was it Hayley and her baby? Or was something else happening?
Then I remembered that I got this feeling when Klaus turned Tyler into a hybrid.
"Someone has made a hybrid," I told him.
"Do you think it has to do with Hayley's disappearance?"
"I don't know... I don't have all of my magic back, so I can't get a good feel on it. I just know that something out of the ordinary is happening in that direction... I think it might be in the bayou?"
He nodded slowly. "Well, you have never been wrong before."
Klaus came out behind us. "She's in the back country. The bayou."
Elijah smiled at me. "Correct as always."
We were soon driving to the bayou, and I told the brothers when I felt that odd thing strongest. "Let's try heading south, near the water," I said as we got out of the car.
"You two seem quite determined to find the little wolf," Klaus said.
"If we're moving too fast for you, Niklaus, you're welcome to wait in the car. Do be certain to leave the windows down."
I bit my lip, stopping in my tracks. Was that what I think it is?
"Ah, so I've touched a nerve. You've begun to admire this girl. Perhaps that's why you've been barking orders since your return, hoping to impress Hayley by assuming the role of family patriarch."
"If you're going to insist on treating her like a walking incubator, then that's your mistake."
"Son of a bitch!" I growled. They both looked at me, seeming quite surprised. "That little..."
"You smell it too?" Klaus asked.
"Of course I do. The kid smells like a football player that hasn't showered in a month," I growled out. "Come on."
"You both found a scent?" Elijah asked. "I'm assuming it isn't Hayley."
"You're right, it isn't," Klaus said, his nose crinkling up in disgust before letting out a low growl.
I spun around, walking in the direction of the road again. I continued to walk until I saw a vehicle a couple hundred feet down the road from our car. I went and grabbed the handle of the door, giving it a yank. I groaned when I ended up with a broken and unhinged car door in my hands. It seemed like it was yet another side effect. Uncontrollable abilities. I dropped it onto the ground as the two brothers came up behind me.
Klaus held back a chuckle, then frowned again when he remembered why we were at the truck.
Klaus began to pull out clothing and duffel bags from the front of the car. "This vehicle reeks of someone I thought I was rid of," he turned to face Elijah. "Tyler Lockwood."
"And why would your little hybrid sidekick from Mystic Falls have any interest in Hayley?"
"He wants revenge because I went after his girl," Klaus replied, seeming annoyed with himself.
"Why do I suspect that this was the least of your offenses?"
"When Klaus had his hybrids, Tyler was the first one that he created. It wasn't like he even had a choice, which was probably our little Nikky's first mistake," I said, gesturing to Klaus as I went and sat on the roof of the truck.
"He was loyal in the beginning, but grew insubordinate, turned my other hybrids against me. I couldn't have that," he said, jumping off of the back of the truck. "So I massacred the lot of them. Tyler ran like a coward before I could finish him off."
"Anything else that you would like to share?" Elijah said, and I could see his jaw clench.
"Well, there was this business with his mum," Klaus stated.
"You killed his mother. Wonderful."
"He needed to be taught a lesson!"
"And what will happen if he hurts Hayley? Or your unborn child?" I asked.
I saw Klaus swallow dryly. The humored expression that had once been on his face had vanished. Did he actually care about her? Well, if he does, then that is very good. Whatever feelings he has for her combined with the anger he has towards Tyler will make him that much more eager to find them both.
"You two find Hayley," he said. "I'll take care of Tyler."
He sped off, leaving Elijah and myself alone.
I inhaled through my nose, opening my eyes once I found the scent of blood. "Something is off. There's blood in one direction... But I can smell something else in the opposite one. The blood is in the east, the other thing is in the west."
He nodded. "I will go east. You go find whatever else is out there."
"Agreed," I said, and we both went off in our different directions.
Well, long story short, I was walking through that giant forest for an undetermined amount of time, and finally caught up to that scent. And, as I got closer, I seemed to recognize it. It was the scent of a certain pregnant werewolf.
My suspicions were confirmed when Hayley suddenly jumped out from behind a tree, a knife in her hand that would have gone right into my left shoulder, had I not grabbed her wrist before she did. She seemed astonished when she saw me, her eyes wide with surprise.
"And here I was, thinking that you actually needed help. Stupid, stupid me," I grinned. "Now put that thing down."
She dropped it to the side, then wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. I let out a squeak of surprise, then laughed softly and hugged her back.
"Now, I believe that we should get you home," I said.
"I agree," I heard a familiar voice from behind me.
We both turned to look at Elijah, and I smiled at him.
"But..." Elijah and I both froze, turning back to face her. She bit her lip before speaking. "There's something you two need to know about the baby."