WILD ROSE | N. MIKAELSON

fifteen

Madison and Hayley, with the help of Eve, had taken Sabine, who was still being possessed by Celeste, out to the bayou where they had tied her up in front of a tree. The three women, all with rifles aimed at the witch, stood in front of Celeste, the rest of the wolf pack stood behind them, still trapped in wolf form.

"So what's this, payback?" The frustration in Celeste's voice was evident. "Look. I'm sorry I tricked you. I wasn't after you."

"What, and we were just collateral damage?" Eve raised her eyebrows. "You almost burned them and Jackson alive in that plantation fire."

Madison fired her rifle near Celeste as she struggled against her bonds as a warning shot.

"Careful, Sabine, or Celeste or whatever you like to call yourself. Sudden moves make me jumpy," the Supreme cocked the gun. "And homicidal."

"What, you're gonna kill me, honey?"

"No," the wolves behind her growled loudly, "because, you see, I know all about you. I know that you like to off yourself and then jump into other people's bodies. Well, that's not gonna happen here. I know I can't kill you, but try hexing me, and my sister Hayley here will kneecap you. Go for her, and then, well, I'll make you wish you were dead."

"So, what do you want?" Celeste leant back against the tree behind her.

"Back in the 90's, you inhabited a witch named Brynne Deveraux, remember?" Hayley explained. "Marcel had her – you – put a curse on a lot of werewolves so they'd only turn human on a full moon."

"I see. Yes. That was me," her dark eyes briefly glanced at the wolves behind the three women. "Let me guess, you want revenge."

"I want you to undo the curse," Hayley corrected, a smug smile appearing on Celeste's lips.

-

Celeste, still sat against a tree with her hands tied, mixed a variety of herbs together in a jar forming a paste.

"Here." Hayley wearily took the mason jar from her. "It's herbs ground into paste. It'll act as a conduit for the spell. On the next full moon, your people become human. Feed it to them, the curse will be broken."

"Great way to poison them all at once," Madison looked at the paste suspiciously.

"Look. I know you have no reason to trust me, but, I actually like you two. I was Hayley, caring for Elijah when he cared more for his brother, and I ended up dead. So did a lot of others. This, call it a chance for me to give you what I was too in love to give myself. It's a chance to free yourself from the Originals." If she hadn't known better, Madison might have actually believed the words coming from Celeste's lips. "And I've seen people try and change Klaus, Madison, it doesn't work.

"You believe her?" Eve questioned the sisters when a wolf began to growl behind them and suddenly Elijah joined them.

"Whatever she's promised you, it's a lie."

"Elijah, it's okay. We're all okay," Hayley reassured him.

"She cannot be trusted," he frowned.

"People used to say that about me," Madison shrugged. "Besides, she's the only one that can help Hayley's pack."

"Do you have any idea what she has done to our family?"

"I know you want revenge, and come the next full moon, when I'm sure her cure works, she's all yours," the Supreme crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you suggesting that we hold her – her – captive for an entire month?" Elijah questioned incredulously. "It would take an army."

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm telling you that this is what's happening. We have an army." The wolves howled as if they were agreeing. "So you can either help us, or get out of our way."

He paused and Madison unfolded her arms, uncertain of what Elijah would do. After a moment he sped over to Celeste, grabbed her and the mason jar, and ran off.

-

Madison sat on a log boredly, her head resting in her palm whilst Hayley paced impatiently.

"Hey, Jackson," Madison called out to the wolf and he made his way over to her. "Do you think that if none of this ever happened, and we did get married, we'd ever get to live a semi-normal life? You know, a big house with a white picket fence and a mortgage." Even though he couldn't talk, she read the answer in his eyes and sighed. "Yeah, I didn't think so. People like me don't get happy endings."

Jackson tilted his head to the side, a sad look in his big brown eyes. The Supreme gingerly reached out to pat the wolf, running her manicured fingers through his soft fur.

"You came back," Hayley suddenly called out. Madison stood up from the log, seeing Elijah with Celeste by his side.

"I'll always come back," he reassured her, handing the jar to her. "Take it. It will work."

"Eve and I will round up as many of our people as we can. Come full moon, I can finally free my family," Hayley smiled, wrapping her arms around the Original.

Elijah hugged her back, placing a gentle kiss on her head, "Hayley,  I wonder if they have any idea how lucky they are to have you."

Hayley smiled once more before turning to Madison who nodded for her sister to go ahead.

"It's okay to care about these people Madison, they're your family too."

The Supreme nodded silently, tucking her hair behind her ear and turned to leave.

"Hey, Elijah?" She turned back around. "Thank you. For looking out for Hayley, and this baby. And me."

Madison gave a final nod before turning around again and leaving for the wolf encampments with Jackson by her side.

-

Madison's cellphone rang loudly throughout the bayou, a light blush appearing on her cheeks as it did.

"Hello?" She answered, her eyebrows furrowed as the screen displayed an unfamiliar number.

"Maddy, it's Marcel. You need to get to St. Anne's. Now."

"What? Why?"

"It's Davina," his voice was filled with a mixture of relief and worry. "She's alive. But she's – I don't know. I can't explain it. Just come, please."

"Okay, I'm on my way," Madison nodded, even though he couldn't see her, before hanging up.

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one chapter left + and epilogue
all the love, M x