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chapter twenty-two ━ and so it beings

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❝ disgrace to wolves ❞

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THE FIRST THING she heard when she finally came to was the sounds of Hayley screaming in agony. Athena's head lolled to the side, her eyes blinking, her senses adjusting. She realized that she was in the church because she saw statues of angels high up on the walls. Ironic. Her eyes focused and she looked over to see the witches gathered around Hayley, holding her down. She could smell the blood and knew what was happening. She went to move, only to find that she was chained down to the ground, sitting next to one of the benches. The redheaded bitch saw her awake but glanced her way once and didn't look at her again.

"Let her go!" she hissed, her eyes turning violet as her hybrid face appeared. She went ignored as Hayley continued to fight back with all she could, only to fail, yet she kept trying. The chains were thick, difficult to break. Even if they were thin, she didn't think she could get free. Whatever Genevieve did, whatever spell she cast, made her body weak, was draining her of her energy. She was powerless and tears reached her eyes, streaming down her cheeks.

Her niece, her innocent niece was about to be killed, she could sense it. Why else would the witches be so adamant on Hayley having the baby? And here she was, forced to watch. She felt pathetic, worthless. She promised to protect her family and she was failing. No. She had to save them, she had to save the mother of her niece, she had to save her pack. One of the witches looked up and threw her hands up, using her magic to push Athena against the bench, making her growl.

If they wanted the baby, what was she doing here? She looked around the room but found no indication. Genevieve came over to her, keeping distance which was smart and the Queen hated that. "I'm sorry about this, Athena. I liked you, and Hayley. But this must be done, the ancestors demand it. They want some of your power, they fear you will upset the balance."

"They didn't seem to care before," she scoffed, shaking her head, looking disgusted. "You claim you work with nature but here you are, ready to murder an innocent mother and her child. I know once you are all dead, choking on your own sins, you will rot in hell and will suffer even when eternity ends. And I wish I could see that for myself." She spat on her face, making Genevieve wipe her face, glaring down at her, and then go back over to the table.

Klaus came stumbling through the doors, not long after, limping and saw the scene. Hayley saw him, looking shocked and relieved. Athena even sighed her expression the same as her's. He lunged toward one of the witch guards and ripped his head off. One of the teen witches, along with Genevieve, linked hands and telekinetically pinned him to the wall. He fought against the spell to the best of his ability. To no avail. The teen witches anchored the spell, emotionlessly turning back to Hayley as if they didn't think there was anything wrong with what they were doing.

Athena tried to pull against her chains again but her body was getting weaker, her skin turning pale, as was her brother's. She watched fearfully as Genevieve grabbed the ceremonial athame that was used for the Harvest. Klaus was equally as horrified, forced to watch this all happen before him. Hayley continued to scream in terror as the redhead turned to address the three.

"You should know this brings me no joy. I promise I'll make it quick." They covered Hayley's lover half. "Let's begin, shall we?"

Minutes felt like hours. What should be a remarkable family moment, a monumental memory for the Mikaelson family had become an absolute tragedy. Athena couldn't stop sobbing, watching as Hayley begged for them to stop, trying to keep herself from not letting the baby come. She had never seen anyone fight so hard, so much, and be so desperate. She couldn't begin to describe the emotions she felt, everything was clashing. Something was awakening inside of her the more she wept. Something powerful and despite that, her skin remained pale, her cheeks sunken.

"I will bring hell to your family!" Klaus shouted for what had to be the millionth time, trying to threaten the witches, get them to end this. He too went ignored. She had never seen her brother so heartbroken, not even when Kol died. This was his child, this was the mother of his child he had grown to care for deeply, she could see it in his eyes. He was truly afraid.

Genevieve was speaking kindly to Hayley that Athena wanted to spit in her face again, tear her face to shreds. "One last push! Push! The baby's almost here!"

"I will bathe in rivers of your blood!"

Hayley screamed, fighting back, the tears starting as she wailed, holding back as best as she could. "No! No!" The mere sounds of her plead made Athena cry that much harder, fighting back against the chains even though she was barely moving a muscle. She still tried, she was not going to give up on her family, not for a single second.

"I can see the baby!" the brunette teen witch spoke, causing Genevieve to tell Hayley in a sickening gentle voice to keep pushing even though it was painfully obvious that she was not making an effort to push the baby out, knowing what would happen if she did.

"You will die screaming!" Klaus shouted again.

After he did, Hayley fell backward onto the table, exhausted. A cry pierced the air as the baby was born. For a moment, everything went quiet besides the tiny cries of the child. Athena was mesmerized, hiccuping, her eyes going a bit wider. Beautiful. One of the witches cut the umbilical cord and then Genevieve wrapped the baby in the blanket.

"You have a beautiful baby daughter," she announced. The three stared in shock, but they were in awe. "We must start the sacrifice as soon as the moon sets with the morning sky—"

"Please," Hayley whispered, interrupting her, the tears not stopping. "Please, can I hold her?"

Someone who could idly stand by and justify this as "what needed to be done" was a monster. A true monster. Athena still could not process how someone could do this. How could someone stand there and listen to someone begging for their child not to be hurt or taken from them? How could someone be so cruel and evil? The world was evil, people were evil. Witches were evil. The only decent one in the world was Bonnie. Least that's all that came to mind.

Genevieve surprisingly gave Hayley what she wanted, bringing the baby over so she could hold her. Hayley was amazed by the sight of her daughter, looking up at Klaus and managed a small smile before kissing the baby on the forehead. Suddenly, the brunette teen witch grabbed Hayley by the hair, pulled her head back, and slit her throat with the knife. Hayley gasps, her blood spilling out.

Athena screamed and so did Klaus, the two witnessing as Hayley fell backward, dead. The female hybrid sobbed loudly as the felt the bond to her snap, someone cutting the string that connected them together. The witches took the baby, leaving the church without saying anything to them. The same witch that killed Hayley twisted her wrists, making Klaus fall to the floor and the chains from Athena's wrists to break. Both fell to the ground, staring up at the dead body in horror.

———

By the time Elijah and Thomas burst into the church, Athena was sitting next to a distraught Klaus who had Hayley's head resting in his lap. Both had no tears, one from crying too much that she had none left, the other because he could not seem to process what was happening. The two males stopped dead in their tracks once they saw what had happened. Slowly, the two approached them, looking horrified.

Athena looked up to see them, revealing her bloodshot eyes, sweaty, bloody, ghostly pale skin. She reached both her arms out and her mate fell to his knees in front of her, wrapping his arms around her and brought her close to him, kissing her forehead. He was relieved to have her in his arms but he could feel, he knew, that she was broken by this death. He offered his wrist to her and she slowly grabbed it, tilting her head down and bit into his skin. She drank greedily but he didn't stop her, rubbing her back.

She took as much as she needed, pulling back. Her skin was returning to its normal color, the cut on her hand gone. Whatever the witches did, she didn't feel the pain anymore, no longer weak and yet she felt utterly exhausted. Why she always seemed to cry was beyond her. She felt like Elena Gilbert. No. She was not like her. She wasn't selfish, she fought for her family instead of forcing her brother to kill vampires to complete a mark like the doppelganger did.

"Hayley's gone," she whispered and that sent Klaus and Elijah into tears, both crying softly. The latter was given some blood by the other since he was bitten. She raised her head and looked at Thomas, laying her forehead against his cheek. "She was so strong, she fought back until the last moment. I tried and I failed to save her."

"This isn't your fault, stop blaming yourself for these things, Ena," he told her gently, appalled that she would even think to say that she should be accused of not being able to save Hayley. "You tried, you fought until the last moment too."

She wiped her eyes and sat up, looking at her brothers. Elijah laid Hayley back on the table and looked at her and then at Klaus. "How?" The question was so simple and yet the answer was not easy to give. How could they tell him? He loved Hayley, he loved her and now she was gone. Out of all of them, she knew that Elijah and Klaus had the closest connection to her but that didn't mean the death didn't hit hard.

"I was bested," Klaus replied numbly.

"We were bested," Athena corrected, not allowing him to take all the blame because she too was at fault.

Elijah's face went from horror to rage within seconds. "You were bested." He walked towards them and stared at them both furiously. "You were bested?" His siblings glanced up at him with shock at how he had just lost his temper. Thomas kept himself for snapping at the noble brother not to blame them for this. "My invincible brother and sister!"

The three stood on their feet. Klaus was the first to say something. "They took the baby. But there's still time. We can save her."

———

Time was running out and they were desperate to find the baby before the witches could complete the sacrifice. Athena swore they were going in circles, checking the same tombs repeatedly. Neither of her brothers listened. Until Elijah finally stopped to take a breath, frantically looking around. "The tombs are empty. The grounds are deserted. She's not here!"

"This is the only place they can be!" Klaus exclaimed. "We'll keep searching. The Harvest was here! The Reaping was here! They're about to perform a ritual that will feed their ancestors for centuries! Ancestors who are buried here!"

Athena had about enough of their bickering, huffing and jumped on top of one of the tombs. Her eyes went wide as she saw what was in front of her. Well. What was surrounding them. The males sensed her shock, Thomas's eyebrows furrowing, the other two fearing the worst.

"What is it, Ena?" the ginger asked softly.

She clenched her fists before she jumped down, pointing at an angel statue that was nearby, looking frustrated. "That statue? We've passed by this three times at least, all whilst going in the same direction. We are enclosed by an infinite number of tombs. The cemetery looks endless."

Elijah punched one of the many stone walls before storming forward. The rest followed after him. Along the way they picked up a piece of chalk, marking the tombs that passed by so they could see if their theory was correct.

Klaus sighed. "It's ingenious. I can see them, I can feel them, and yet they are not real."

Thomas kept watching Elijah, knowing he was about to break any second now. With the way the vampire was searching, his eyes scanning, looking for any indication as to where the baby could be. He was absolutely distraught, running his hands through his hair. "There has to be a way. Even if we could just push through—"

"—What we need to do is focus."

That's when he snapped. "My only focus right now is that child and her safety, do you understand me?" He glared at his brother furiously, the latter looking shocked at the outburst, as was Athena, though she understood why. "This—all of this—this is the world that you created, Niklaus. All of your scheming, the enemies that you have made every single day of your miserable life — what results did you expect? That your child would be born into a happy life? That the mother would be alive to know her daughter? That we could live and thrive as some—as some sort of family?"

"That was your fantasy, brother, not mine!"

Athena stepped forward, speaking up. "Stop this! Both of you! Arguing is not going to get us anywhere or any closer to the baby. This is not some sort of fantasy, we can be a family, a happy, loving family if we try and fight for just a little longer. Please." She turned to Klaus, eyes soft. "Do this for Hayley."

Her words seemed to touch Elijah emotionally, causing him to tear up. "This was our hope. This was our family's hope." He agreed with what she was saying, she could hear it in his voice. Their noble and collected brother began to hyperventilate, trying to catch his breath. "And now she is gone. Do you understand? I let this person in. I let her in!"

She felt her heart shatter, not sure what to say in reply to that. Thomas still hadn't spoken a word, knowing this was entirely a family matter and him being here ws only for backup. He did not wish to intrude so he didn't.

Elijah tried holding back his tears, failing to do so.  "I don't let people in! You knew this. You've taken her from me! I needed her, and you've broken me." He sat down on one of the steps to one of the tombs, his head in his hands. His siblings sat beside him to provide comfort, Klaus gripped his arm while Athena laid her head on his shoulder.

"You can tell your niece how much you cared for her mother when we save her," the male hybrid whispered, their sister nodding in agreement.

———

Each time they broke through a tomb, they found themselves in another one that they have already been in before. Elijah was looking hopeless again, punching the wall. Klaus merely marked the stone a third time. Athena sighed and rubbed her temple, Thomas nearby as he tried to come up with a better plan.

"We've passed through here twice already," he pointed out. "We need a plan, we're running out of time, we need to move faster."

"Or smarter."

They all spun around when they heard that voice, seeing Hayley standing there in the doorway, looking dazed, exhausted, yet determined. Athena was perplexed, sensing that she was no longer just a wolf but how did she miss her coming back? She must have been too focused on recusing the baby to feel it.

Elijah rushed over to Hayley, touching her face, making sure that she was actually there and that this wasn't some sort of dream or another illusion. "How are you here?" His voice was quiet and Athena knew that he was not letting himself believe that this was real, just yet.

"I woke up in the church. I felt this hunger. . .I knew what I needed. I can feel her. She's here. I can feel my baby."

The Queen instantly knew what happened, or what was in the process of happening. "She died with the baby's blood in her system." Her brothers looked at her with shock once they realize what she was saying. "She's in transition."

Elijah was horrified, knowing what this meant. "Which means she has to drink the blood of the child if she is to survive. To be reborn a hybrid."

"I don't care about me," Hayley told them simply. "I'm gonna go find our daughter." She left without a word and they all rushed after her. The wolf, now a possible hybrid, was leading the group, her body bloodied as was the rest of theirs. Together they arrived at the altar where the witches had the baby, ready to kill the innocent being.

"Nouvelle vie, nouvelle âme, mélange avec nous."

"No!" Hayley yelled, getting their attention. Elijah picked up an urn, lobbing it at the witches, it slamming against Genevieve's hand which caused her to drop the athame. The five rushed towards them as fast as they could. But before they could, Monique and Abigail, the teen witches, linked hands and channeled the ancestor's power to throw them backward while Genevieve went to find the athame.

"La mère, le père, le frère, la sœur la mère, le père, le frère, la sœur," the blonde chanted.

"You fools!" Monique sneered, making the group glare up at her. "To come against us in our place of power in our strongest hour? You don't face three, you face us all!" As the magic continued, they finally saw the hundreds of dead witches that have come together to protect them so the sacrifice could be completed.

Athena grabbed Thomas's hand, pulling him in the opposite direction with her while Klaus and Hayley went in the other direction, Elijah rushing straight towards them. They hoped this way they could overpower them, get an upper hand. Hayley began to fight with Genevie while Klaus was thrown backward by two dead witches.

Athena ran to Hayley's aid, smacking her across the face, shoving her down. Thomas was tossed back by another spirit, grunting as he fought back. Klaus was still wrestling with the twin dead witches so he got up slowly, fighting against the power. The redhead bitch cast a pain spell, making the girls fall to their knees. Elijah managed to get close enough to the baby just as Thomas went to the wrought iron fence, breaking off one of the spikes, throwing it as hard as he could towards the blonde witch, impaling her through the stomach which instantly killed her. It broke the connection, giving them a chance.

Klaus nodded to Thomas in gratitude, getting a nod back. Monique ran to the athame, going to finish the sacrifice herself. Athena yelled and launched herself at her, only to be thrown back with the rest of her family. A wall of fire appeared, blocking them from stopping them. Right as Monique went to kill the baby, a Devil's star was embedded in her stomach, causing her body to be covered in cuts. She coughed up blood, collapsing. They turned to see Marcel who quickly grabbed the baby and sped away. Klaus wasted no time in following.

Athena raced over to Genevieve, grabbing her in a choke-hold before she could do something else. She dragged her to one of the many tombs, the rest of the group joining her. They shackled the witch and the Queen took a step back, letting Hayley take the reigns. After all, she had been the one to almost kill her baby.

"Why?" was the first question.

"The Ancestors left me no choice," the redheaded bitch explained weakly.

A scoff passed Athena's lips before she could stop herself, not that she wanted to. "You went through with what they wanted, even though it meant an innocent baby dying? For what? More power? If that was the case, you could've just had all of mine!"

Thomas did not look happy when she said that, grabbing her arm and kept her close to him. Genevieve shook her head. "No, not just power! It was the Ancestors' decree. It was her decree. Besides, we only needed some of yours, having all of it would mean nature is unbalanced."

Elijah gripped her roughly by the face, forcing her to look him in the eye. "It was whose decree?"

She smiled weakly, clearly amused. "I'm surprised you have to ask." She laughed darkly. "After all, you were the one who convinced your siblings to consecrate her on New Orleans soil." He let her go instantly, visibly disgusted as was Athena when she too realized who was being referenced. It did not take long for Thomas and Hayley to follow suit.

"Esther," Athena hissed. "The bitch couldn't stay dead the second time either huh? Couldn't just leave things along, she's still hellbent on ending her entire bloodline." By this point, she could feel the newfound strength inside of her. What the witches did to her niece and Hayley had triggered such, as well as the bayou bombings.

"This isn't the end," Genevieve told them, anxious. "As long as that child lives, the witches of New Orleans will never stop coming for it." She began to cry for whatever reason. "Esther will never stop coming for it. It has been decreed that your baby will be consecrated among her ancestors. She will not live."

None of them spoke a word, glaring at her with hatred. Athena was even pleased when the witch began to bleed from her eyes, the tiniest smirk appearing on her face. Genevieve had the audacity to continue speaking. "They're coming for me, I can feel it. I failed them. Understand. . .I just wanted to live. Tell Klaus that I'm sorry." She choked up blood and they watched her for a moment before Hayley grabbed the athame and stabbed her, cutting her abdomen open.

"I'm not."

She walked out of the tomb with Elijah trailing behind her. Athena stayed, watching as she died, still restrained by her wrists against the wall. Thomas let her stare and then came up behind her, taking her left hand in his right one. Without a word spoken, he led her away, sensing the new determination in her.

———

The baby was home, in Hayley's arms. Thomas awaited his mate at his apartment, giving her some time with her niece, her family. She sat at the couch in Hayley's room, talking to her brothers about their current situation which was not looking too bright. Klaus was infuriated when his siblings told him about who orchestrated the entire thing, though he honestly did not look surprised.

"We should have felt our mother's hand in this. We should have known she would not be bound by anything as obvious as death. And now she has control of the witches. They will never stop." He tossed his hand up. "Nor would I expect the Guerrera wolves to back down. Hayley and the child are wolf royalty, not to mention Athena and Thomas are literal royalty and as such, they are a threat to Francesca's claim to the leadership. No doubt that's what Athena was tied to the spell, which only leaves to question what they plan to do with Thomas."

He made excellent points, they both knew it. Athena nodded along, knowing they had to take one thing at a time. Esther was bigger picture, Francesca and her league of brothers could be taken care of soon by them merely slaughtering the lot which she was most certainly up for. But she was worried because Thomas had yet to be attacked. Why?

"They will never be safe," Klaus continued, pausing. "What was it you said to me earlier? That I have made enemies every day of my miserable life? Well, the worst of them are within these borders, brother." Elijah sighed, looking guilty. "I have brought into the world a weapon they can use against me."

Athena stood up. "Then we will fight, we will fight everything they try to throw at us. Haven't we won so far? We can do this, we can protect the baby and Hayley. No one will stand in our way, we will build ourselves a fortress if needed, so they are safe."

"I will not have her live her life as a prisoner."

"Then we leave here, together," Elijah offered. "All of us."

Athena did not want to leave, liking it here, adoring the ambiance. She could see them having a home here and she did not want to leave because of that. However, if she had to leave to keep her family safe, then she'd do it in a heartbeat. Her family meant more than her happiness.

"Wherever we go, however far we run, those who seek power and revenge will hunt us!" Klaus stressed. "They will hunt her. She has inherited all of our enemies with none of our defenses. Either way: we stay, or we leave — we condemn her."

Hayley appeared in the doorway with the baby in her arms. "There's a third option. I grew up in a warzone." The three looked towards her, seeing the wrecked expression on her face. "My parents thought they could protect me. But, in the end, they were slaughtered, and I spent my childhood alone and unloved." She looked down at her daughter, smiling while trying not to cry. "I made a promise, to my baby, and to myself, that she would not grow up as I did. That she would grow up safe and loved. And yet, here she is, on her first day in this world, with a grandmother who is bent on sacrificing her." She stuttered as she cried. "And a-a mother who has to drink the blood of her own baby to survive transitioning into a hybrid. And I'm the one who loves her the most."

Athena looked away, glancing down at her clasped hands, sighing deeply. She could not begin to imagine what was going through Hayley's mind or even begin to try and understand it. All she knew was that they were going to respect her choice. Hayley sniffled. "I think the only thing to do is send her away while we stay behind and clean up the mess that we've made."

"No!" Elijah disagreed. "This is insane. You heard Genevieve — so long as she lives, that baby will be hunted."

Klaus got an idea, even though he did not look thrilled about it. "Not if no one knows she lives." They all frowned, confused by his words. "We will announce that she passed during childbirth. But they will be watching us. All of them. The four of us leaving together will draw too much attention. I will go alone. Take your mourning public when I am gone."

"I don't imagine that will be too difficult," Elijah nodded, knowing it was a good plan, albeit an upsetting one. "Grief, after all, is grief." He looked to Hayley and then Klaus. "In what world will she be safe without her father? Who can protect her better than we?"

"There is one person."

Athena felt a tiny smile appear on her face. "Rebekah."

Later that night Hayley packed a bag for the baby and she waited on the balcony, allowing her privacy with Elijah as she finished her transition. Though her cries were heard in the Queen's ears. Together they planned the funeral that would occur the next day, a crowd of people gathered in front of the memorial wall. Francesca would be there, watching them, seeing Hayley break down into tears and kiss her fingertips, gently touching the plaque. And then they would go home. That would be it.

But before that happened, Athena went to Thomas, sitting with him on his bed, trying to gather her thoughts. She had so much to say but could not seem to find the right way to say it. It was nothing bad, she just could not find a way to explain it to him so he understands how she was feeling. So, she started with how she came to feel this way.

"When Hayley was killed I felt. . .weak, hopeless. I hated how that felt. And I know this entire time I've been saying that and I've been desperate to grow stronger and learn how to fight. But I meant it this time. I want to learn everything that I can because I want to protect my family like I'm supposed to, I want to learn how to lead our people like I'm supposed to." Her eyes softened a bit, knowing he wouldn't like this one part. "I have to mature, Thomas, I have to stop being cute and naive, I cannot afford to be that way. I'll find a balance one day but for right now, I can't do it.

"And I know that you are keeping something from me and have been for a few days, maybe weeks. I won't push you to tell me but I need you to know that I want all of you, the good and bad parts. We're in this together which means you don't need to hide and neither do I. After all you've done for me, I've done nothing for you." He went to speak but she put a finger on his lips, stopping him. "I'm going to get my memories back, all of them. My mother is coming back to life no doubt and I won't stop until she gives them back. Because I owe it to you."

Thomas exhaled, staring at her for a moment, grabbing her finger and pulled it away from his mouth before he smiled softly. His hand moved to caress her cheek, kissing her passionately. She responded without hesitation, her arms wrapping around his neck. Her back met the bed, the kiss getting more intense. Before it could go farther, she pulled away.

"Hayley killed Genevieve. Francesca is mine. She's a disgrace to her fellow wolves and for that, she deserves to burn."

He smirked and kissed her again, her hands tangling in his hair as he hovered above her. He trailed them down her neck, causing her breath to hitch. Then he went to her ear, whispering in a tone she's never heard from him before. "Anything you want, my love, it's yours." He kissed down her jaw to her dress, dragging his nose down the fabric.

Athena's eyes shut and she fell into his affection.

———

If you guys have read Heal Her, ya'll already know that this episode is going to be painful for that book, yikes. I was thinking about it while I was writing this chapter and let me tell you, Klaus is going to be 100% more devastated.

Season one is finally done! I've honestly neglected this book so much that I'm mad at myself for it. But I finally finished season one, we got four more to go lol. This first part was a bit all over the place and I'm aware of it, which is why I am going to plan out the entirety of season two before I start writing, so I at least have a base of where the story is going to go.

Expect season two to get darker and steamier ;) Also, a new character will be introduced!

Part 2/Season 2 will arrive in a few months or so

I hope you guys have a great day/night and don't forget to vote on this chapter, comment your thoughts, and follow me for updates!

( credit : @pepperronys )