•|•
Isabel and Eve were in a shack, where Eve was helping her prepare for giving birth the natural way. She was laying on her back with her arms supporting her weight and her legs spread as if she was giving birth. Isabel vaguely remembered doing something similar for a short period of time at a class before giving up and she regretted it with Rose.
"That's it. Inhale and release," Eve said softly as she knelt in front of the blonde girl.
"I guess this means no epidural, huh? You sure I can't do this thing in a hospital? The place with the doctors and the drugs? It's so much easier there."
"Honey, the werewolves have been having babies out here since before you were born. Stop worrying."
"Okay. Fine." She conceded. For a moment she wondered if she could tell her but she quickly decided it was best to talk to someone like Eve. "I'm nervous, Eve. I mean Rose was a learning experience but this baby. She's a Mikaelson. She's something different and I just- I don't want to fail her."
"Trust me, when the time comes, you'll know exactly what to do and how to handle her." The woman smiled. "You've done perfectly with Rose. You'll do just fine with this one."
"I sure hope so," she said as she sat up from her position. "As fun as it is to image Klaus changing dirty diapers, I'm pretty sure that I'll be doing this alone."
"I somehow doubt that." Eve admitted.
"Pardon the interruption," Elijah said from the doorway. "I wonder if I might have a quick word with the conspirators of a supposed uprising."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Elijah stood across from Jackson and Oliver, inside the main shack. Isabel sat on a long wooden bench. Isabel had Eve check on Rose who was a wolf again while she dealt with Elijah.
"You're making a grave mistake." The Original told the werewolves.
"So, you're just worried about us. Is that it?" Oliver asked mockingly.
"Look, Elijah." Jackson started with a calm voice. "We know all about your brother's reputation, but if there is even a chance that these rings can help us take control of our curse-"
Oliver interrupted him not liking the way Jack talked about the wolf gene. "-Our gift-"
"-Then, honestly, we don't care what he's really after. Won't have to." The curly headed werewolf finished.
"I see. There are those in the Quarter who will consider this a great provocation." Elijah retorted.
Oliver smirked. "Apparently, most of them see us breathing the same way."
And Oliver was right. Not many people liked the werewolves so whether they had the rings or not wouldn't change much.
Elijah looked to the blonde werewolf with a pleading look. "You signed a pledge, and you looked me in the eye as you did so."
Isabel sighed softly. "We aren't trying to start a fight, Elijah. That's not what we want. What we want is a better life."
"Allegiance with my brother will guarantee you anything but that." The oldest alive Original argued.
The sound of a motorbike approaching cut their argument short and drew everyone's attention to it.
"What the hell?" Jackson asked confused. He glanced at Isabel to see looked at him with the same expression.
Jackson walked off, followed by Isabel. Elijah and Oliver share a quick glance before following after the two. The four walked out of the shack as a man on a motorbike rides into the encampment and stopped as they approach him.
"Which one of you is in charge?" The human asked glancing at all of them.
"Who's asking?" Jackson asked with narrowed eyes.
Elijah noticed something off about the man, and reflexively tackled him, just as the motorbike exploded. Everyone yelled as they were thrown backwards in the explosion.
Elijah picked himself up off the ground and looked down to see his clothes and skin are all singed and covered in ash. It takes a moment for Elijah's ears to heal enough to hear anything. He saw injured people all around him stumbling around, including Jackson, Oliver, Hayley, and Isabel.
Isabel quickly shook it off and got up to see the brunette woman she use to hate impaled with a branch.
"Oh god, Hayley!" She exclaimed as she hobbled over. "Elijah I need some help over here!" She yelled over her shoulder. She lifted Hayley's head up only to feel blood oozing out. "You're going to be okay. Elijah!"
Isabel swiftly pulled out the branch from Hayley's lower stomach and applied pressure. "It's okay sister. I'll be fine." Hayley mumbled drowsily as her eyes fluttered open and shut.
"What?" She asked confused just as Elijah came over and bit into his wrist.
"I got her." He told her. "Go check on Rose."
She nodded and hesitantly stepped away from the girl. On her way to the shack she stayed in, Isabel found a little boy and had Jackson help him. "Eve?! Are you guys okay?"
"We're fine," Eve said as she placed down her cup of water.
She found her daughter curled in a ball on her bed with her tail tucked between her legs. "Thank goodness." She walked to her little girl and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Mommy is going to be right back, sweetheart." She caressed Rose's furry forehead which caused Rose to unfurl and let out a happy yipping sound. Isabel smiled fondly at her daughter happy she was completely okay. "She just has to take care of something." She stood up and looked at Eve desperately. "Make sure she's safe. I'm gonna take care of this."
"Be careful!"
Isabel stormed out of the shack and eventually found her way back to see Elijah looking over a man.
"Wolfsbane."
"It had to have been in the gas tank. You're the fastest. Take him and anyone else who can't walk on their own." Elijah gave her a worried look and she huffed. "It's okay, Elijah. I'm fine. They're not. They need help."
Isabel turned around abruptly when she heard Oliver throw a trash can in anger.
"Oh! Argh! Vampires. They don't even have the guts to do their own dirty work themselves. I mean, why bother when you can just compel some poor son-of-a-bitch to do it for you?" He spat, turning to the Crescent Queen. "I say we hit them back! Hard."
Isabel pushed him away from the people with a determined look in her eyes. "Stay here, Oliver. I need you to look after everyone until I get back."
"Where the hell are you going?" Oliver asked her.
"If this was vampires, I'm pretty sure that I can guess who gave the order." Isabel glanced back at her passed out sister before saying, "I'm gonna go find Marcel."
She grabbed a tree branch from the ground and broke it into a stake before heading out.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel went across the river, where Marcel was currently living, and called Elijah to assure him that she was just fine.
"Isabella."
"I have to take care of something. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Where are you?"
Isabel sighed hearing the worry in his voice. "Elijah, I'm fine. Just take care of the pack while I'm gone, please?" She asked before hanging up on Elijah.
As he turned his phone off Elijah saw Jackson walking up to him.
"Is she okay?" The wolf asked worriedly.
"Apparently, yes."
"It's a good thing that bomb went off where it did," Jackson said slightly relieved. "Could've been a lot worse. We all could've got killed."
The two walk where the entirety of the Bayou wolves have congregated after the explosion, tending to the wounded and dead. Elijah considers Jackson's words for a minute, and his eyes grow wide in panic as he realized something.
"Unless..." He noticed a bomb planted under an RV nearby "Get everyone out of here! Now!" Eight different explosions go off from various points in the encampments, damaging numerous people.
Just as Elijah began to head to where Rose and Eve were, another explosion, this one much larger, goes off right behind him, so he dived over a man to protect him.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel barged into the hideout where Diego and the other vampires have been hanging out. The blonde looked around before her eyes met Diego's and angrily marched towards him as the others around them watched.
"You done got some nerve coming up in here." He spoke in disgust.
Isabel ran at Diego and harshly knocked him flat on his back. Diego jumped back up and growled at the girl. Isabel pushed him up against a wall and shoved a stake into his chest, just barely missing his heart.
"Someone attacked my pack in the Bayou this morning," Isabel gritted out angrily. "And since I don't see any actual smart people around here... Why don't you just tell me where Marcel is, and we can both get on with our day, huh?"
Diego groaned and tried to fight against her but she is way angrier then him and doesn't budge. The image of Hayley being hurt and Rose curled in a ball flashed in her mind and she can't help but dig the stake a little deeper causing him to grunt louder in pain.
"You think I'm playing?" She snarled. "There were families out there. Small children. My child Diego!"
Diego looked crestfallen at hearing those words. He thought back to his dead family and felt guilty. "He used to keep a place. 1917 Patterson. If he's still around, he'll be there." She ripped the stake out of his chest harshly and turned around to leave.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel called Klaus as she walked over to where Marcel was supposedly staying.
"Nik, where are you?"
"His wrath burns against you, demon." Kieran's voice was heard in the background.
"I'm in a bit of a situation here, love."
"Same over here. Somebody sent a suicide bomber out to the Bayou this morning." She told him.
"What? Where are you? Are you alright? Who did this?"
"I'm in the city now. I'm fine. I figured an attack like that must have been Marcel. He's hated the wolves for years, and after that stunt he pulled with the witches... So, I tracked him down. Thought you might like to help kick his ass for trying to blow us to kingdom come."
"Would you get him out of here now, please?" Klaus asked Josh on the other end. "Make sure he remembers nothing." He then spoke to Isabel. "Hey, listen. I assure you, once I am finished here, you will have my undivided attention. In the meantime, please stay out of trouble."
Isabel shook her head, a small frown making its way on her face. "You don't have to worry. Elijah is with me," she said before hanging up and barging into Marcel's new apartment.
"Come on in," he said as he stood up from the sofa. He looked at the blonde and smiled at them. "Have a seat. I'd offer you a drink, but..." He gestured to her baby bump.
"Sweet pad." Isabel commented, looking around with the stake clutched tightly in her hand.
"Oh, it's just temporary. Friend hooked me up. Believe it or not, I still got a few of those kicking around. I need friends to keep me informed, to warn me when someone is coming looking to blame me for things that I didn't do." He smiled sarcastically. "For the record, you didn't have to work Diego like that. We are long overdue for a chat."
As he sat down Isabel narrowed her eyes at him. "You want to talk? Then talk."
"Tough girl. You're a lot like your dad in that way." Isabel looked at him surprised and her grip on the stake loosened. "Oh, yeah. I knew him. I knew your whole family. In fact, if you knew them like I did, you'd know just how many enemies they have. Back in the nineties, it was the Crescent wolves who took over the city. Or, tried to. They lived to throw down, and they were good at it, too. They didn't care who they killed as long as they got more power."
"So the Crescent curse was your way of stopping them? How heroic of you," Isabel said sarcastically.
"It was either that or kill them all, and I'm not big on indiscriminate slaughter. See, I have this thing about kids," Marcel told the woman.
"So I've heard," the werewolf said.
Marcel smirked. "Oh, you did more than hear about it, Thea Labonair. You and little Andréa or Hayley as she goes by now are living proof." He informed her causing her to let out a small gasp.
"How long have you known who I am?" Isabel asked. "How do you know about Hayley?"
"Listen. I didn't know what pack either of you belonged to until I saw how interested you both were in those Crescents. After your little family reunion out at the old plantation house, I started to put two and two together. Then the fact Hayley showed up with you and the rest of them at that peace party. It was all too obvious."
"Did you kill our parents?" She asked.
"There was in-fighting among the wolves. Your folks were laying low. Somebody turned on them. I honestly don't know who. I got there afterwards, found you crying over your brother and Hayley was only a few months old still in her crib."
"Give me one good reason why I should believe anything that you have to say."
"Believe whatever you want, but you are the last Labonair. I mean, could've been a lot of leverage for our side, but instead, I found your step aunt. And if you know Kelly then you know how horrible she is and she refused to take in two children. I had to give Hayley to Father Kieran."
Marcel walked behind the sofa and pulled out a duffle bag. He placed it on a table and Isabel eyed it warily.
"What's that?" Isabel asked.
"Money, mostly. Stuff you need to start over someplace safe. Whatever happened in the Bayou, I'm not your guy." Marcel told the Labonair girl. "But, the way things are going? Eventually, I might have to be."
"So this is your grand plan?" Isabel asked looking up at Marcel. "Get me out of town, and Klaus and Elijah follow closely behind?"
"I can't say that wouldn't be a positive side effect." Marcel admitted.
"So why don't you leave?" Isabel asked. "Follow your own advice?"
"I was born here." He answered.
"So was I," Isabel said defiantly.
The Crescent Queen stood up and went to leave but before she can walk out the door, Marcel stopped her.
"Guy on the bike?" He asked. "The bomber? Word is, he had a gambling problem. Owed money to the casinos-more importantly, to the humans who run them. And Isabel? When things get bad, remember, I tried to get you clear of it again."
"I'll keep that in mind."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
The sky was dark when Isabel returned to the Bayou with Andrew. She had tracked down Andrew earlier and asked if he could come down for a little bit to help or even just be with her for a little while.
They showed up at the encampments to see a bonfire burning as Oliver, passionately tried to convince everyone to fight back against the vampires, using his manufactured stunt. Isabel noticed Elijah watching him speak and headed over to him.
"You stayed." Isabel smiled at her parabatai.
"Come morning, they will know that we are not cowards." Oliver announced.
Andrew looked at Elijah with a puzzled expression. "What's going on? What is he doing?"
"We are not afraid!" Oliver called out to the crowd.
"He's making a move for power in the wake of tragedy. He's not alone. There was another attack after you left." Elijah informed the two and Isabel felt like her heart dropped.
"What?" She asked as her mouth dropped slightly. "Rose? Where's Rose? What about Hayley?"
"Your friend Jackson is with Rose and Eve. Listen he will need your help. They will want vengeance. Blood for blood. And, unfortunately, in troubled times, people do not look for the best. But rather the loudest."
Isabel quickly rushed inside the shack and stopped upon seeing Eve's dead body and Rose with her snout under Eve's left arm whimpering quietly. She gasped and tears filled her eyes.
"Isabel." Jackson spoke up softly.
"No. Oh, Eve no." She cried as she knelt down next to her dead friend. "I'm so sorry." Rose got up and limped to Isabel's side. "What happened to her? Is she okay?" She sniffled as she moved Rose to see one of her legs in a cast.
"She hurt herself jumping down to get to us so we could find Eve," Jackson told her softly. "She has to stay in this form until she heals. Otherwise she's perfectly fine. She's a strong pup."
"Hey Isabel," Andrew said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see he to had tears in his eyes. She got up and hugged him.
"I'll leave you two alone." Jack said walking out giving Isabel one last sad glance.
"I'm sure wherever she is. She's okay." He spoke up after a long silence.
She pulled back and looked at the woman she looked painless, she looked peaceful, Isabel hoped she found peace wherever she was.
"She deserves it." She kissed Eve's forehead softly.
Isabel scooped Rose up in her arms and walked out with Andrew. "I'm sorry I wasn't with you baby." She held her daughter tightly. "I'm so sorry." Rose whimpered and licked her cheek to convey that she didn't want her mother to be sad.
The amount of edits I have made for this book.... 🙇🏻♀️😂
⬇️I just saw the irony in this ⬇️ LMFAOOOO