( outfit for
chapter above )
𝔱𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔶 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔨𝔰
vingt-sept. — back to reality!
Letha's sun kissed skin erupted in goosebumps as herself and Klaus arrived back in Mystic Falls. She sat in the passenger seat anxiously tapping her leg as a frown marred her features, "Back to reality," her grumble was met with a strained chuckle from the hybrid who placed a gentle hand on her thigh. The two had been forced to cut their trip to Italy short after the vampire hunter Connor had attacked The Grill — Jeremy having been shot and promptly healed by their sister who then murdered the hunter — which wouldn't be a problem if Klaus hadn't informed her of a pesky side effect. The hunters curse. "I swear we leave for a few days and the whole town goes insane."
"Don't, it's taking all my restraint to not just tear Stefan Salvatore's head from his body." His hand gripped her bare thigh a little tighter as anger pinched his features.
Letha scoffed — head thrown back in laugher, "As if you'd ever kill your little boyfriend."
Klaus simply rolled his eyes, used to her remarks about his 'obsession' with Stefan Salvatore. He shook his head as he felt her cold skin beneath his touch — it didn't matter to her that it was autumn with winter fast approaching, she refused to fully put her summer wardrobe away. Even if it meant stealing all of Klaus' jackets when she realised her mistake after a few hours of being out, not that he minded.
The car slowed to a stop down the road from the Gilbert residence, "Stay here, love," Letha went to protest only or Klaus to glare at her in a serious manner, "your sister is highly unstable and volatile right now — I don't want her accidentally hurting you."
"Fine," she pouted a little, before her face turned slightly more stern, "she will be okay, won't she?"
The hybrid leaned in and planted a comforting kiss on her forehead — a whispered yes passing through his lips — before speeding away. Running a hand through her long locks Letha let out a long groan, before sliding over to the driver's seat. Though there trip had been cut short, at least they'd found the sword and even joined the mile high club in Nik's private plane.
"Why is it always the Gilbert's?"
—————
"—For fifty-two years, four months, and nine days. I was tormented, in my dreams, my every waking moment, relentless, never-ending torture. It was the only period of my life when I actually felt time." Letha frowned as she walked towards the room housing her sister and Klaus, already having heard this painful story before.
"So, you knew that this would happen if Connor died? That's why you got involved. Did Stefan know too?"
"All he knew was that the hunter had to be kept alive. You should have listened to him when he said he had it covered, love." Letha walked into the room, staring at her sisters pale face worriedly.
"What else does Stefan know?" Elena crossed her arms before accusingly pointing at her sister, "How much have you known?"
"Well, that's one of life's little mysteries, isn't it?" Klaus tutted and grabbed Letha's hand before backing away towards the door.
"How did you make it stop?"
"I didn't. Eventually it just stopped. The hallucinations tend to appear in strange forms." Klaus knocked on the door for them to be let out, "Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Sit tight Lena, we're gonna figure out how to fix this." Letha's comforting smile was the last thing Elena saw before the door slammed shut. Klaus pulled her up the stairs — hand clasped tightly in her own. She slowed to a stop as she noted the unnerved look in his eyes. "How long's it been since you shifted?"
He ran a hand through his curls, bones practically vibrating under his skin, "I don't know, awhile? I've been busy."
Letha sighed in frustration and dragged him outside. She didn't need her boyfriend and sister going unhinged at the same time, the hybrid had quickly learned after breaking the curse that he needed to change into his wolf form often after it being trapped inside for so long. If he went too long without turning he started feeling like he was trapped in his own skin. Leading him deeper into the woods, Letha threw herself down onto a log and pulled out a book — The Canterville Ghost — while wincing and trying to block out the sounds of Nik's bones breaking.
The transformation was rather quick as he had done it many times before, daring to peek over her book Letha was once again transfixed by the yellow eyes that greeted her. Of course he was magnificent even in wolf form, the true apex predator. His fur was a sandy blonde much like his human hair, while his beautiful azure eyes were now a luminescent yellow that Letha adored. He was large and had she not been able to still see the care in his eyes she would have been frightened.
Letha relaxed reading while Nik ran through the woods in his wolf form till he tired himself out. Around an hour later he came trotting over to her shivering form and laid his fluffy head in her lap. Lifting a tentative hand, Letha ran it through his warm fur, a soft smile on her lips as she relaxed.
Everything was calm.
—————
"What do you mean you lost my sister?" Letha growled over the phone to Caroline a livid Klaus beside her.
The perky blonde squeaked through the phone, "I know, I'm sorry! But we found a way to stop the hallucinations."
"You have ten seconds." Klaus spoke quietly — a true sign of his rage — as Letha shifted uneasily.
—————
Letha stood with Jeremy and Stefan outside the Lockwood mansion apprehension clear on her face. Taking her brother face in her hands she spoke quietly, "Jer, are you sure you want to do this? There's no turning back from this." She glared at Stefan who looked like he wanted to interrupt, "Don't let anyone pressure you into this, we can find another way to help Elena if you don't."
"I'm sure," he smiled as his sister brushed his hair back, "I'd do this for either of you, your my sisters."
Letha was still frowning as she released him and stepped back. This was her little brother, the same little brother who always used to cry when their dad would kill as spider, the same boy who made daisy chains with her when they were little — ready to become a murderer. Stefan noticing that her hands had started shaking, took hold of one of them and gave it a comforting squeeze. "For Elena."
"For Elena." Letha nodded as she imagined the hell her sister was going through in that moment. She didn't deserve it and Jeremy didn't deserve this fate. Nothing seemed fair in that moment.
The door suddenly swung open, the hybrid Letha knew as Chris walking out only for Stefan to rush at him with a stake — the hybrid falling to the ground as Hayley screamed, "No!"
Hayley covered her mouth with hands in shock, while Letha stared on at the scene eyes wide and unable to look away. Even when Jeremy too walked into the house a cleaver in hand.
"Jeremy?" Tyler shouted, "What the hell, man?!"
"I'm sorry." Stefan's voice was sincere, but his eyes were blank as he looked a Jeremy and gave him a nod.
What happened next would probably never leave Letha — not fully, not ever. Her little brother, her Jeremy lifted the cleaver and chopped the hybrids head off in one clean swing.
Letha didn't notice Hayley's screams or Tyler's shouts as she turned around and heaved outside the front door. She'd seen a lot, but nothing quite like that. Stumbling back inside she wiped her mouth staring at Jeremy in concern as his own eyes remained transfixed on his arm in a wild fascination.
"Jer?" She swallowed when he didn't reply, his grip still tight on the cleaver in his hand. Reaching out she grasped his wrist softy, wincing slightly at the blood transferring onto her skin but she didn't let go, squeezing a little tighter until he dropped the weapon to the floor and looked at her with those lost brown eyes, "Let's get you home."
She wrapped an arm around his waist, not bothering with worrying about the blood anymore. Letha sent an apologetic look to a weeping Hayley and a two finger wave to Nik before focusing her full attention on her brother as she led him out of the house.
"I've got you, Jer."
AUTHORS NOTE!
Bloody bell an update??? I'm so sorry about the long wait to anyone that is still reading this, thank you for your patience.
Uni has been so busy, I literally feel like I've had no time to write (even though I've done next to no work) let's just say my flatmates have really bought me out of my shell and we all just drink every night. It's been very fun but I'm home now — I came home early when lockdown 2.0 began so hopefully I can get back into the flow of writing if anyone wants to read my stuff still.
Thanks for reading, remember to vote, comment and or share please lovelies!! AND BIG BIG THANKS FOR 210k READS <<<3
Unedited
-summer