you & i | rebekah mikaelson

21|THE HYBRID

Grayson trudges behind Klaus and Stefan, her arms hanging limply by her sides. She's long since given up on swatting the flies away from her. When Klaus forced her to accompany he and Stefan, she didn't think they'd be hiking through the mountains like something off of Wrong Turn.

"I quit," she announces abruptly.

Klaus peeks over his shoulder, "it isn't a job, love... and I didn't ask. Keep walking."

Stefan exhales heavily which has Klaus slowing down to fall into step with the younger vampire. "You okay?" He starts, his voice mocking. "Is Ray getting heavy?"

"I'm fine," the Salvatore snaps.

"You sure about that? You know, we've been walking for quite some time now. If you need some water or a little sit down..."

Grayson raises her eyebrows and plops down on the ground mid-step, throwing her head back with a relieved groan. Stefan and Klaus both stop to look at her, the original giving her a bored look while Stefan looks mildly amused.

"Get up, Cordelia, we've still got a little ways to go."

"You said—"

"Get up," he growls.

Grayson stands up with a glare aimed at the man, her eyes narrowed.

"You know," Stefan begins once they continue on their walk. "I get that we're, uh... we're stuck together, but if we could maybe skip the chit chat, that'd be great."

"So much brooding," Klaus scoffs. "Your self loathing is suffocating you, my friend."

"Maybe it's 'cause I'm a little tired of hunting werewolves. We've been at it all summer."

Grayson nods, "I had plans, you know? I wanted to tan, have a fling, maybe—"

Klaus casts her a look, "tread lightly."

"Right," she grumbles. "Whatever that means."

"Thanks to our pal Ray, we found ourselves a pack. There."

Grayson folds her arms across her chest whenever Stefan shuffles into the camp of people, dropping Ray's lifeless body to the ground with a loud thump. The vampires stand back unbothered while the pack let out gasps and cries, circling around the dead werewolf with panicked looks.

"Ray! Oh, my God! What's going on? Who are you?"

Klaus moves forward, smirking. "The important question is who am I. Please forgive the intrusion. My name is Klaus."

"You're the hybrid," the woman realizes.

"You've heard of me," he grins. "Fantastic."

Grayson rolls her eyes while she moves to sit down on a nearby log, side eyeing the werewolves that scatter when she sits beside them. She frowns, her eyes squinting. "That's kind of rude," she comments.

Klaus sits beside her, resting his elbows on top of his knees. "Ray will be a hybrid when he wakes," he tells the pack. "Almost, a hybrid."

They gaze at him with wide eyes, obviously unable to comprehend what he's saying.

"It's fascinating, actually... a werewolf who isn't beholden to the moon, a vampire who doesn't burn in the sun. A true hybrid."

A loud groan rings through the air and Klaus scoffs out a laugh, "excellent timing, Ray. Very dramatic."

"What's happening to me?" He croaks.

"Stefan?" Klaus hums.

Stefan stands up, his eyes searching the pack. "Are any of you human? Your friend here needs human blood to complete to his transition to vampire. If he doesn't get it, he will die."