On My Own | Hale - TVD/TO/TW [4]

46 | Hunted for Centuries

Bugs fly around the Bayou as heavy breathing fills the air. "That's it," Lexi says, her voice echoing through the small area near the water. The whole pack looks around in search of the missing blonde. "Inhale and release."

Stiles steps in front of his friends with his hands outstretched. "Ok, we know this place. Lexi took us here to train."

Ignoring the pack, Derek finds himself inching towards the house on the pier. As he looks inside, a small smile spreads over his lips before it disappears. "Everyone here is going to die," he says as he looks around. Wolves move around the small camp.

"How do you know?" Malia asks. "Lydia hasn't said anything—"

"He's right." The banshee steps around, her eyes bouncing from different wolves. "Half of these people are going to die." Her gaze lands on the house. "At least one person in there."

Suddenly, Elijah passes through the group and pauses by the threshold to the house. "Pardon the interruption," he says. "I wonder if I might have a quick word with the conspirators of a supposed uprising."

He chuckles at Lexi's groan. Before long, she and Hayley step out of the house. Lexi glances back, saying, "We'll be back, Eve. It was nice to finally meet you."

"Her," Lydia says as Lexi, Elijah, and Hayley enter the back part of the house, away from prying eyes. "She dies here. Today."

"I'm more interested in what Elijah's talking about." Peter sends them all a smirk before he jogs after the group.

Inside the small house, Elijah faces off against four werewolves: Jackson, Oliver, Hayley, and Lexi. The blonde stays further back by the door with her arms crossed as the pure wolves stand before Elijah. "You're making a grave mistake," Elijah says with a frown.

Oliver chuckles humorlessly. "So, you're worried about us. Is that it?" He shakes his head and moves back towards Lexi.

Jackson sighs. "Look, Elijah. We know all about your brother's reputation, but if there is even a chance that these rings can help us take control of our curse—"

"Our gift," Oliver snaps.

"Then, honestly, we don't care what he's really after." Jackson shrugs. "Won't have to."

"I see." Elijah waves his hand nonchalantly. "There are those in the Quarter who will consider this a great provocation."

Lexi raises her finger. "To play the devil's advocate, Elijah, most of them see these wolves breathing the same way." She shakes off his glare. "They have for centuries."

Elijah then turns to Hayley. "You signed a pledge, and you looked me in the eye as you did so."

"We don't want a fight, Elijah." Hayley pushes off of the pillar she stands against. "We just want a better life."

"Allegiance with my brother will guarantee you anything but that." With a heavy sigh, he glances at Lexi. "This is unprecedented, Alexis. How could you, a bastion of peace, support Niklaus' idiocy?"

She clenches her jaw. "Peace is an illusion of acceptance," she replies with a pained expression. "You have no idea how much I want your treaty to work, brother, but it never will. It is a fantasy. The vampires will never give up their power, the humans will always be greedy, the witches never fail to become a pain in the ass. The werewolves deserve equality to those around them. Perhaps Nik's plan is borderline mad, but it might just work. If they had this protection for the past three hundred years, I doubt so many would be dead."

"I can think of another reason so many are dead," he snaps at her, narrowing his eyes as his anger gets the better of him.

After a moment of realization, Lexi forces neutrality on her face. "So you do believe it was my fault."