Hellfire | Hayley Marshall

Chapter 37

Elijah and Klaus were in agreement with Eisa.

"The swamp?" cried the hybrid. "So my child can be protected by the very wolves Dahlia so easily defeated? Absolutely not!"

"You know," snapped Hayley, "I am so over taking advice from you, Klaus. All it has done so far is put Hope in danger. From now on, I am going to do what I want to do. We're leaving, no matter what any of you think."

Hayley shoved past him, and he pushed her back. "You're not going anywhere unless I tell you to."

"Get your hands off of her," Eisa snapped at the same time that Hayley yelled, "I am not your prisoner, Klaus!"

"All of you, please," said Elijah, trying to keep them calm. "We're playing into Dahlia's hands."

"Not doing as I say plays into her hands" retorted Klaus. " While you three have been kow-towing to Freya and devising ways to flee with your tail between your legs, I've been forging a new path. I know what Freya was planning, and I know how to kill Dahlia."

Eisa crossed her arms. "Well, do tell."

Klaus started to explain. "Freya objected to us making a single weapon because it spoiled her plan—"

"KLAUS!"

Hayley frowned, seeing Jackson, with a body over his shoulder, and a few of his wolves trailing behind him. "Jack?"

"KLAUS!" Jackson roared, stepping into the building and revealing that the body was Aiden's.

"Oh my god," said Hayley in shock as Jackson put the body on the table. "What happened?"

"Klaus made Aiden spy on us," said Jackson venomously. "Instead, he told me everything—" he faced the hybrid with a mutinous look, "so you killed him!"

Eisa looked up, from where she'd been observing the claw marks on Aiden's face, and the empty hole where his heart should be. Klaus was stone-faced, but he seemed surprised.

Hayley glared at him. "You killed one of the wolves sworn to protect our daughter?"

"So what if I did?" said Klaus coldly. He pointed at the body. "This is what happens to anyone who dares cross me."

"Niklaus!" spat Eisa. "Read the bloody room, don't say that!"

"Just give us the word, Jackson," one of the other werewolves growled.

"Yes, come and have a go!" Klaus challenged. "But you'll be putting your life on the line for one who is all too willing to betray you. Perhaps this never would have happened if he'd had a real Alpha."

Both Eisa and Elijah immediately started chastising him, but their words were drowned out by Jackson punching Klaus in the face. Klaus shoved Jackson back, and the wolves moved forward. Hayley got right between them, and Klaus punched her right in the stomach, sending her flying to the side. Eisa jumped in, catching Klaus's fist in her hand to stop him from hitting Jackson, though, that left her to be hit in the head, knocking her forward and nearly making her and her brother topple to the ground.

Eisa whirled around, slamming her foot into Jackson's abdomen. The other wolves converged on her, and she felt them bite into her, but with ease, she swiped her hands up, slapping them back. Hayley got in her way before she could round on Jackson again.

"You wanna kill me, too, Eisa?" she said shakily.

"Don't be ridiculous, I wasn't going to kill him!" she snapped.

"You lot should make better use of your time," said Klaus snarkily, smirking at the defeated wolves. "I suggest burying your dead."

"Don't even get me started on you!" spat Eisa.