Dark Moon | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 53

Unfortunately, Oliver was right.

"Are you serious?" Hayley snapped as she and Esmeray burst through the doors of St. Anne's Church. "You're dividing up the city, and the werewolves don't even get a say?"

Diego sat up angrily. "What the hell is she doing here? The only wolf I ever agreed to work with was Esmeray, so I don't know why the fuck—"

"Diego, sit," Elijah said sharply. He looked at Hayley as if slightly peeved. "We are not dividing the city. We're establishing boundaries—"

"No, Elijah," Hayley said, stopping at the edge of the table. "There is not gonna be a peace if the werewolves are excluded. They want a seat at the table. And if they don't get one, I can guarantee that you will all regret it."

She pointed at Genevieve, who was sitting all too comfortably next to Elijah. "I cannot believe that she gets to be here looking smug after what she did to Esmeray. At least Esmeray was trying to include everyone!"

She grabbed Esmeray's arm like a protective mother who went to defend her daughter from a school bully. "We're waiting outside until they're done being unfair."

Esmeray just followed along looking shocked. Within minutes, those gathered inside left, and Hayley marched back in, seeing Elijah alone now.

"Do you have any idea what it took just to get those people in one room together?" he asked.

"Yes, I know," said Esmeray hotly, because Hayley didn't know how to answer this. "I worked with them for weeks and they're difficult, but what I was doing was working, even when I included everyone. Why exclude the werewolves?"

Elijah looked like he was trying his hardest not to be harsh with her. "I excluded them because they no longer reside in the French Quarter. My immediate concern is to end the mounting conflict here. Now, I can assure you once this treaty is solidified, it will expand to include your people."

Hayley scoffed. "And until then, we should tell them what? Sit? Stay? Roll over?"

This time, Elijah shouted. "I would prefer that you both remove yourselves from the process all together!" Seeing the glare on Hayley's face and the hurt look in Esmeray's eyes, his voice softened, and he directed his speech to the wolf. "Hayley, are you absolutely certain that you shouldn't return to the compound?"

Hayley laughed sarcastically. "You think the baby belongs there? You think that's where she'll be safe?"

"Is the Bayou any better?"

"The wolves deserve a voice. Give them one. You know it's the right thing to do." She turned around and marched out the doors, and Esmeray stared up at Elijah, crossing her arms.

"Why?" she mumbled. "Klaus told me that you wanted to do what I'd been doing before I was kidnapped. Why change it?"

Elijah sighed. "The witches kidnapped you because they did not wish the wolves to be included, and sought to use your magic against them and my siblings. If they were going to accept you as a leader, they were going to accept only the witch half of you."

"They almost killed me!" she hissed. "You saw that! You saw Genevieve was willing to let me die, Elijah! She's the one that revealed Rebekah's secret to Klaus and left your sister to die, trapped inside of the Cemetery. There will be no peace unless everyone gets a say. What I was doing was—"

"You gave up," he said, cutting her off. "Esmeray, you gave up, and for good reason. What you were doing was working but not fast enough. You devoted more attention to the wolves than the witches, and they retaliated. It wasn't good enough."