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Elizandra rolled her head back to rest against the booth. She was slipping in and out of consciousness. Never even recalling when it started. It was all just a blur. She could hear two voices going back and forth. There wasn't any arguing. It was just Connor speaking to Jeremy. Almost sounding like a mentor, setting Jeremy up for what he needs to hear, not what he wants. Telling him vampires were not his friends and they never will be. There was something about Jeremy and his demeanor. Almost like he was accepting it. And that scared Elizandra the most.
Elizandra eventually finds her strength to stay conscious when music roared throughout the Grill and the lights were killed. She sat up abruptly in her seat, ignoring the continual burns on her wrists. She hastily looks around; her Direwolf sight allowing her to see clearer in the dark.
"Jeremy!" Elizandra growls. She slightly whimpers; her levels of anxiety only increasing with the intensifying tension in the room and the last of the Larkspur finishing its cycle throughout her system. She tugged at her cuffs and whined furiously.
"Easy."
The very recognizable voice of her uncle was enough to ease her nerves. Elizandra shakily exhaled and back into her booth to shield herself from any harm that was about to come. Knowing her uncle was somewhere near by coming to the rescue and most likely with the others, comforted her. It didn't take very long to see an unfamiliar man sneaking his way in. She could catch his scent. Wolf. And vampire. One of Klaus', she assumed. She watched him take notice of the booby trap set at the front door. He stepped over the line, but what neither of them detected was the platform just below it. Stepping off it triggered one of Connor's bombs; blowing the hybrid away. Elizandra was across the room but she still flinched away as pieces of glass scattered in various ways. She breathed out and looked at the destruction, just as Connor made his appearance carrying a rather large gun.
"Conn – "She screams but was cut off by the release of his weapon. The hybrid was left with a hole in his chest. Jeremy reappears and approaches Connor who was whipping off his jacket and admiring his right arm.
Elizandra then sensed another presence. It was Stefan entering from the bar. Connor takes notice too and pulls Jeremy in as a shield; shooting in Stefan's direction.
"That's it." She mumbles to herself as chaos unfolded around her. She focused solely on the cuffs around her wrists, and began pulling at opposite directions. Her teeth gritted together and her eyes squeezing shut. She had enough of feeling useless and the cuffs were the only thing holding her back at the moment.
The firing stopped and Jeremy calls out for Stefan. The concern in his voice stole Elizandra's attention away from her cuffs. She looks over at the boy who stood on another one of those platforms that blew up the hybrid. Keeping her focus on Jeremy, his life in danger was the drive she needed to break the cuffs around her wrists. She exchanges a quick, knowing look with Stefan.
"Connor, we can end this right now! Just put down the gun and come with me!" Stefan tries to reason. Keeping Connor's attention on him, Elizandra was fixated on releasing herself from the cuffs around her ankles. "Think about this. No one has to die. I'll tell you everything you need to know!"
The tension in the room was rising, the beeping of Jeremy's bomb was irritating, and the burning on her palms and fingers as she tried to break free was provoking. She knew the glow in her eyes was pulsating as she felt her fangs beginning to appear from her gums. The Direwolf was coming out, and she didn't think she could hold back from transitioning; especially with the Larkspur vanishing from her system.
"I don't make deals with vampires!"
"Listen to me, if you die right now, then your whole life, all that killing; it'll all be for nothing." Stefan tried to reason. Classic Stefan, and at this moment it was only bothersome. "I can give you the truth. Just put down the gun and let Jeremy go!"
Elena suddenly barges in; her hands out in front. "Please! Don't hurt him."
"You come any closer, he's dead."
"Elena, get out of here!" Jeremy pleads.
"Goddamit." Elizandra tugs hard at her cuffs; her breaths laboring as she feels the wolf in her craving to come out.
"He's the only family that I have left. Just – just let him go."
To Stefan, Connor shouts, "You hear that? Your girl is watching. I will shoot the boy right in front of her! On the count of three! One! Two — "
Stefan stands up with his hands in surrender. Happening all too quickly, Elena speeds over to Connor, resulting in the release of a bullet in Jeremy's abdomen. Elena and Connor are on the floor, both struggling to have the upper hand. Stefan accelerates over to Jeremy and effectively shields him from the explosion. Elizandra emits a growl as the cuffs snap apart and she transitions into her gorgeous, tan and red wolf. Seeing Connor over Elena, on the verge of staking her, she spurs into action and reaches them in just seconds. Elizandra's wolf crashes against Connor's. From the harsh impact, his body slides across the hardwood floor and crashes again the wall. Stefan appears beside Connor in his weak state, and in a blink of an eye they're both gone. Elena nods to Elizandra in a grateful manner. Elizandra lowers her head, then leaps into a run. She exits The Grill through the back alley. There waited Brady. He was leaning against the wall as if he were waiting for her.
"Took you long enough." He mused. She lightly growls. He pushed off the wall. "I'll meet you back home."
Elizandra blinks away from him and kicked off the ground and into a run towards home like Brady said. But, she would be making a detour through the woods; her getaway. Her wounds healing was all too euphoric, especially after enduring the Larkspur in her system for hours. She felt entirely useless in those few hours. Jeremy seemed so afraid. She was a Direwolf for crying out loud and all she ended up being able to do was attack Connor at the very end. Of course she saved Elena, but it was Elena. No matter what she would be saved; if Elizandra were there or not. Why was she feeling like this all of a sudden? Why was she feeling so weak? So idle?
Speeding through the woods, she shook her head with a growl rumbling in her throat; itching to escape. She ran until she reached the end of a cliff. Her front paws just standing at the very edge of it. Elizandra looks down and watches the rocks that became loose, and topple downwards. She then looks ahead and into the sky. The sun was setting behind her and the moon was appearing. Feeling her eyes blazing red in reflection of the moon, she stands tall and howls. All her nerves and conflicted emotions from the day was released in one howl.
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When Elizandra finished her shower and dressed, she headed downstairs and to the kitchen where Brady waited patiently with a glass of whiskey in his hand.
"Nice of you to finally — "
"Why didn't you go in? I could've died." She stops in the doorway of the entrance to the kitchen. The hurt in her voice was clear as day but she could care less.
He sighs as if he knew this was coming. He takes his time setting his glass down and clearing his throat. "I had to get Matt and April as far away. Took April to Caroline to erase any recollection of today. For her safety."
"Yeah," She scoffs. "I get it. But you were back in time – relaxing just outside."
"Elizandra I knew you were going to be fine."
"No you didn't." She snapped. "You can't know that." He stayed silent. So she continued, "What about our first encounter with The Hunter? Hm? What about then? You jumped in when I was in danger."
"And he got away."
"But I'm alive in result of it!" She raised her voice.
"Elizandra, you've been acting weak lately."
She raises her brows and scoffs, "Seriously?" She knows she's been troubled with feeling useless lately but to have her own uncle, the last of her family, calling her weak was a whole other level of hurt.
"What's going on? Hm? Ever since you started dating the big bad hybrid it's like you've let your guard down."
"We're not dating — w–what's this got to do with Klaus?"
"He's not as invincible as he thinks he is. Yes, he's feared by many but he's not indestructible. You can't rely on others to swoop in every time something goes south. Klaus can't be your knight in shining armor just like I can't always be there to save you."
She won't lie and say his words didn't hurt. And she won't say he wasn't right. She drops her arms to her sides. In a more softer tone with cracks in her voice she asks, "Are you planning on leaving me?" He looks away as the features on his face soften. She sniffles lightly and glares at him harshly. "I am doing my best, okay? I know my life is far from normal, and will never be, but I'm still just a kid. You've said that before and you're right! I am just a kid ... Brady, you're the only family I've got left, but ... but if you're expecting to take off anytime soon you can just leave already. Hey, who knows maybe that's the turning point I need to not be weak anymore." Elizandra turns around and heads for her room. Shutting the door and locking it behind her, she heads for her closet in search of an empty backpack. After finding one, she packed it with clothes and the essentials. Being under the same roof at the moment with Brady made her feel depressed. She needed to get out of there and quickly.
Elizandra exited through her bedroom window as quietly as possible. Even if Brady had heard, she knew he wouldn't have gone after her. She made her way through the woods until she met the road that led straight into town, and from there, to Caroline's house. It was nightfall and the town was nearly cleared up by now.
Only minutes passed as she continued towards her destination. But then, she stops. She has her backpack hanging over one shoulder with her hand gripping the strap. Her guard is up but she learned very soon she wasn't in any danger.
"You're troubled." Klaus steps out of the shadows. Her skipping heartbeat didn't go unnoticed by either. Hearing his captivating voice and feeling his presence was something she didn't know she needed right now.
"I got in a fight with Brady." She responds lowly. He is silent for only a few more seconds while looking at her. Then, he offers her his hand. She half smiles and takes it.
Without telling her ahead, he took her to a view that looked over all of Mystic Falls and its surroundings. She dropped her backpack and walked to the very edge of the cliff so she can take it all in. Klaus watched her.
"Why were you in Italy?" She asks, trying not to sound like she was prying. She hears the leaves crunch beneath his feet as he reached her side.
"Some business needed to be taken care of. No matter."
Of course there was some truth in that. Business. But what? It had to do with Jeremy and The Hunter, seeing that Connor had brought up Klaus today and revealing Jeremy's wiped memories. She didn't have the energy to fight with anyone else today so she shrugged it off.
"Sorry about your hybrid," She looks to her left where he stood; gazing at the view before them. He was clearly upset about losing one of his treasured hybrids seeing as though he can't make anymore more. Elena begin vampire now and all.
He looks down at her backpack and nods to it, "Where are you headed to?"
"Oh," She nonchalantly says, "Probably just Caroline's."
"No need. I've got spare rooms at my place."
She mocks, "Well I sure hope so, with that big ass mansion." This earned a chuckled and grin from him. She laughs along and goes to stand in front of him. She places both her hands on either side of his face. They admire one another for a moment before stealing kiss.
The moment was good. Just the two of them; uninterrupted and in complete silence. Just the crickets and a very distant owl in the night; the moon already so high, casting the only light for the two.
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A.N: I am such a terrible person for having you guys wait so long! Last time I updated, this pandemic was only barely beginning. It's only gotten worse :(
I pray you all are staying safe and healthy. Stay real, and love hard!
Can't thank you guys enough for all the views!
Much love,
melancholyevermore