⋆⁺₊⋆ ⏾ 𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆

MAY 2010

The full moon cast its silver light over the rolling waves, transforming the sea into a shimmering, endless expanse. A warm breeze danced across Letti's skin, teasing her long, dirty blonde locks as they whipped gently behind her. She walked steadily along the shore, her toes pressed against the soft sand, grounding her in the fleeting moment of peace that she sought after for centuries. She breathed in the salty tang of air, offering a fragile sense of serenity. The world seemed to hold its breath, awaiting the inevitable storm.

The evening was quiet, apart from the gentle lapping of waves against the shore, the rhythmic sound blending with the soft hum of the nearby village. Very few souls were left wandering the beach, lost silhouettes against the twilight. Letti sipped at her drink as she walked, savoring the smooth burn of her bourbon. The familiar warmth of the spirit spread through her chest, a fleeting comfort that dulled the insatiable hunger clawing at her insides. Over the centuries, she'd learned to substitute the bloodlust with the slow intoxication of a strong drink, even if only for a little while. She figured out how to manage the unrelenting curse of her cravings, though she knew the hunger she'd been plagued with a millennia ago would never fully disappear. The bourbon helped, though. The solitude, even more so.

Letti stopped and sat down in the sand, pulling her long skirt over her legs to protect it from the blowing breeze. She closed her eyes, clinging desperately to the sensation of peace she'd always known she deserved, the peace she always longed for. Part of her wished she could stay on the beach, wrapped in that moment forever. But eventually, she'd have to get back to life, and life as a Mikaelson was no walk on the beach.

Being part of the oldest family of vampires in the world wasn't easy. But Letti couldn't remember it ever being this difficult. Life used to be simple from what she could recall. Old memories flashed inside her head, bringing a soft smile to Letti's face as she longed for what used to be. She recalled the many nights spent sneaking through the dense forests surrounding their home, racing Kol home before dawn at the risk of their parents discovering their absence. One of Letti's favorite things to do was braid little Rebekah's hair and decorate it with a beautiful array of flowers that grew in the meadow nearby. Gone were the days spent at the quarry catching fish with Elijah, or finding her comfort in Niklaus during a terrible storm. Now, it seemed, he brought her anything but.

The thought of her brother shifted the expression on Letti's face, darkening her features as the waves lapped over her feet. She missed the smile that would once stretch across her face at the mere sound of his name, but for centuries now such a smile was scarce. She'd long stopped expecting it, much less feeling the warmth it used to carry. Instead, Klaus's name now carried the weight of bitterness—its taste as salty as the sea breeze that stung her lips. She was desperate to find the happiness that used to be her relationship with him. Holding onto hope that one day she might was not only futile, but a heartbreak waiting for her at the precipice.

Letti forced the thought of her brother from her mind and took a swig of her drink, finishing it off. She placed the glass next to her on the sand, making a mental note to grab it later, as she continued gazing out at the dancing water ahead. For a moment, Letti felt at ease. But it didn't last.

Something was wrong.

A peculiar sensation began to gnaw at her insides. It was subtle at first, but grew to be more and more persistent. She frowned, wondering if the alcohol was clouding her senses, but it wasn't that. It was something deeper. Something familiar.

In the thousand years she'd walked the Earth, Letti had only felt this sensation once, and that was the night she killed for the very first time—the night she discovered she was a werewolf.

But it couldn't be possible, Letti thought. Her mother had cast a spell at the demand of her ruthless father, one meant to suppress the very nature she was born to. As she sat beneath the light of the full moon, a cold sweat forming across her forehead, she tried pushing the thought from her mind. But as her bones began to creak, her pain unmistakable, her denial turned to dread.

How could this be happening now?

She could only come up with one answer, a single name.

Niklaus.

Letti keeled over when the pain grew to be unbearable. She grasped the sand tightly, the small grains slipping through her tense knuckles as the gnawing feeling grew into something more—something primal. She could hear her heart hammering inside her chest, each beat another reminder of the pain wreaking havoc inside her body. Not here, she thought. Not now.

She stood abruptly, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The night air felt too thick, suffocating her as the gnawing sensation flared into a full-blown inferno, her bones protesting as they began to crack beneath her skin. She stumbled, her legs giving way as she collapsed back onto the sand. A strangled cry escaped her lips.

The few souls that remained on the beach had shifted their attention to Letti, fear in their eyes as they watched her thrash on the sand. Letti could hear their hushed voices, their cutting words meant for her alone. She needed to get away. If she transformed, anyone within proximity of her was as good as dead, and she couldn't allow that to happen.

With a quick burst of speed, Letti ran to the cliffside. Desperate to seek refuge in the dense tree-line overlooking the beach, she began to climb. The splintering of her bones echoed loudly as she ascended the rocky terrain, the fracturing of her arm causing her to momentarily lose her grip.

When she finally reached the top of the cliffside, she practically threw herself onto the ground, wanting desperately to disappear into the trees. Her spine arched unnaturally as she crawled, her muscles stretching beyond their capacity. The pain—God, the pain—it was beyond anything she remembered. The beast she'd long thought to be dormant was breaking through to the surface.

The tears burned Letti's eyes, clouding her vision as she continued her painful hunt for refuge. She wanted to scream for help, but only a guttural growl tore from her throat. Every single nerve burned as the transformation took hold. Her skin tore as thick fur began to sprout, her eyes wide with disbelief.

This can't be happening to me. This isn't supposed to be happening!

Her consciousness flickered between the woman she was and the creature she was becoming, trapping her thoughts in the darkest corner of a primal mind. The full moon above seemed to mock her, its cold light casting long shadows across her writhing body. She fought to maintain control, to keep the humanity she had clung to for so long, but it was slipping through her fingers.

Her breath came in ragged gasps, sharp claws ripping into the earth as her limbs contorted into their new form. Finally, after what felt like hours of torture, there was a moment of stillness.

She stood, trembling and panting, her mind a haze of primal instincts and fractured thoughts.

A wolf.

She was a wolf again.