[ Chapter One ]

IN THE SECOND level study of the Mikaelson Compound, Freya Mikaelson sat at the desk with a sheet of paper spread out in front of her. She had a pen in her hand and proceeded to write out a letter addressed to her younger sister, Rebekah.

"My dear Rebekah, I hope this finds you well. I write to offer an update and ask for your advice. Our brothers remain at odds. Klaus will never apologize -not for the blood he's shed, nor the suffering Hayley continues to endure -and Elijah can never forgive him. Despite my efforts, we are a house divided. Which is not to say I have no good news...

Niklaus kept his word -Marcel controls the Quarter. There, he has founded a fight gym in the old St. Anne's Church where he tests the mettle of those who wish to join his vampire community. Elijah has begun joining him for sparring. I believe it helps him work through his anger -and he has much anger.

While Hope continues to flourish, it is clear she misses her mother. Though Niklaus remains the doting father, he has been of no help in finding a cure for Hayley's curse. Despite mine, and a reluctant Raylynn's, best efforts, we've yet to find the means to undo the spell placed on her and the Crescent wolves, and Hayley herself continues to struggle, unable to see her child except for the one night a month during the full moon. Her friendship with Raylynn remains strained, causing both women much grief. I just hope they will be able to put this behind them, for both their sakes. And we're in not position to ask for outside help -Davina's rage at our family has only grown. And, as Regent of all covens, she is far too formidable to be swayed.

Meanwhile, Niklaus and Raylynn have started seeing each other romantically. Elijah claims it has been a long time coming, so I shall accept this new development with open arms. I can tell she brings out the best in our brother. She has also insisted that Niklaus start seeing Cami for what she calls 'little talks'. He claims a desire to amend his ways. In truth, he seems utterly free of remorse -which only drives Elijah further away.

I wonder if you would write me with any advice you have on how to heal their fractured bond. Until then, I remain your loving sister, Freya."

Freya set down her pen after she finished the letter. She picked up the paper and examined it, before she proceeded to crumple it up in her hands. Her eyes closed as she began to mutter a spell under her breath. She tightly clasped her hands around the letter then opened them to reveal the paper no longer in her grasp.

_______

Three months had passed since the spectacular defeat of the Mikaelsons' aunt Dahlia. Three months was all it took for everyone's lives to change, Raylynn Montgomery's especially. The huntress watched all those months ago as everything shifted around her. Relationships were broken, shattered to only small slivers of what they used to be. People were hurt, and others lost the lives that once knew. Nothing seemed to be the same. Nothing at all.

Raylynn went through the motions on most days, trying to navigate her new found freedom. There were no witches threatening her life. No vampires out for her blood. Even the murderous Mikaelson family members were put to rest. She now had to figure out what she wanted and who she wanted to be.

Around her, the Mikaelson family had their own issues they had to work out. Klaus and Elijah do not speak to each other since the night Dahlia was vanquished. And if they do, the only thing heard throughout the home was heated arguments and pointed insults. Hayley and the Crescent wolves were still cursed to only become human on the full moon. While Freya, well, she seemed to be the relatively normal person in the whole bunch, aside from her need to push her brothers together every chance she got.

As for Raylynn, she had not done much over the last few months. Mostly because she had no idea what to do were her free time, so she spent almost all of it with Hope. She knew that the little girl missed her mother terribly, but there was really nothing she could do about it. Despite her reservations, she did try to help Freya every chance she got to find a spell to reverse the Crescent Curse. The problem was, they had no idea how Dahlia performed the curse in the first place. A crucial element when it came to reversing any kind of magic, or so Raylynn learned.

And it was not like Raylynn wanted Hayley to remain in the body of a wolf forever, no matter how pissed she still was that the woman left her high and dry for people she hardly knew. Hope needed her mother, and Raylynn would try to the best of her ability to get Hayley back to her.

One new development that happened over the course of the three months still took a bit getting used to. Raylynn and Klaus decided to explore the growing feelings they had for each other of the last couple years. They certainly were not the type of couple that labeled themselves as such, nor were they the mushy kind that always showed explicit displays of affection. Well, not to the point where people wanted to shoot them in their presence.

And to her dismay, Raylynn heard an earful about it from Elijah. The two of them were definitely not on the best of terms, but they spoke to each other back and forth when it concerned Hope. He told her several times that he thought their relationship would be for his brother. That the huntress would now be able to calm the hybrid down when his actions became out of hand. Raylynn hated to tell him, but they were not those kind of people. She was not about to try and change Klaus now that they were together, and vice versa.

Raylynn adjusted the grey scarf around her neck as her heeled boots clicked over the sidewalk of the French Quarter. She rubbed her hands together, before she shoved them into the pockets of her faux leather jacket. She kept on her path until she reached her destination. She pushed open the entrance of St. James Infirmary and was immediately hit with a rush of warm air. Her eyes flicked over dozens of paintings that were set up on wooden easels and were hung on the walls.

"Well, there you are," the voice of Klaus Mikaelson called out as he walked around a wall that separated the front room from the others. "I almost thought you had gotten lost."

Raylynn gave him a look and stepped toward him. "It's freezing outside, and I walked. You're lucky I'm even here at all," she quipped with a slight upturn of her lips.

Klaus rolled his eyes in a teasing manner. "You'll be fine. And, I'm glad you actually came."

Raylynn shrugged. "Yeah, well, I had nothing else to do." She smirked.

Klaus shook his head, before he leaned down to meet the woman as she stopped in front of him. Raylynn sighed as their lips pressed together in a kiss. Her eyes fluttered closed, enjoying the seemingly to short moment, before the two of them pulled apart. The huntress smiled, while the hybrid mirrored the expression.

Klaus gestured to the room around him and said, "well, welcome to my new exhibition."

Raylynn glanced over the paintings. "So, why are you showing all of these off again?" she asked.

Klaus exhaled. "I spent the better part of a millennia trying not to draw my father's attention. And now he's dead, and all those who stood against me have been vanquished -I see no reason the fruits of my labor should go unappreciated."

Raylynn nodded, understanding his words. She continued to examine the paintings, recognizing a few of them from recent past. There was the New Orleans skyline that once hung in Hope's nursery, another that he painted with the blood of the Guerrera wolves, and the few that were painted with Mikael's ashes to kill Dahlia. Many others she had never seen before, but they were amazing nonetheless.

Raylynn turned back to Klaus and found him watching her intently. "You know, I might not be able to stay long tonight," she told him. "I'm either babysitting Hope for Elijah, or babysitting Freya. Which, by the way, are equally as draining." She did not fail to see his expression fall just a bit, but he swiftly covered it up.

"I remember," Klaus said. "Just try to not get into too much trouble with my sister. She's becoming more rebellious by the day."

Raylynn released a huff. "Yeah, don't I know it," she voiced, before she leaned up gave him a quick peck on the lips. "See you back at the compound." She then turned on her heel and strode out of the club.

_______

Later that day, Raylynn occupied part of a couch in the upstairs living area. Freya and Hope were on a blanket spread across the floor in front of the piece of furniture, while Elijah stood by and fiddled with a cuff of his suit.

Raylynn still could not bring herself to forgive the Original just yet, but her anger was different when it came to the witch. Freya only wanted to get rid of Dahlia so she could have the life she never had. Elijah, on the other hand, just wanted his brother out of the way so he could deal with the situation his way.

"She's getting bigger by the second," Freya spoke from where she sat beside the little girl.

She was not wrong. Now that Hope was over a year old, she would begin to walk on her own any day. So far, she had taken to pulling herself up on couches, chairs, and tables to stand on her chubby toddler legs, but she would fall back down a moment later. Raylynn hated that the milestone was missed by Hayley, so she took to recording and taking picture of Hope whenever she could. While she was still pissed at the woman, she was not about to let her miss every important achievement in her daughter's life.

Elijah stepped toward his sister and said, "thank you for all of your care." He glanced at the huntress. "Both of you."

Raylynn did not even acknowledge him. She was too busy taking pictures of Hope's adorable pink headband and denim dress she put her in that morning.

"Tomorrow's the full moon, I can help you bring Hope to Hayley, if you'd like," Freya suggested.

Elijah gave her a kind smile and shook his head. "That won't be necessary. You deserve the night off," he said and leaned down to Hope. Before he could greet her, Klaus strode through the open door of the room and captured his attention.

"I'd offer to accompany you myself, but I fear my fragile ego could not endure the litany of insults Hayley has no doubt prepared," Klaus stated as he moved further into the room.

Elijah sighed and stood back to his feet. "Yes, I doubt that your presence is particularly welcome anywhere."

Raylynn groaned loudly, leaning back against the back of the couch. She really did not care if she came across as obnoxious. She just did not want to hear another insult-off by the two brothers. They were rapidly approaching her last nerved.

Klaus held a hand to his chest to feign offense. "My own brother, greeting me with such disdain!" he exclaimed and then turned to his sister. "What do you think, Freya? Is he still angry for my part in Hayley's curse? Need I remind him it was my play that kept her alive?"

Elijah whirled on his heel to face his brother head on. "Of course, forgive me. So, you would call this an act of heroism even as you bask in her torment?" he questioned in a sarcastic manner.

Raylynn locked her phone and raised her hands to rub against her temples. Not again.

Klaus stared at the Original, entirely unamused. "Or perhaps I'd be more sympathetic if Hayley apologizes. After all, it was her that tried to run off with my daughter," he countered.

Freya pushed herself to her feet to put herself between her brothers. "Oh, if you two must poke at one another, may I suggest doing it elsewhere?"

Elijah's jaw clenched, glancing down at where Hope looked between them all. He ground his teeth together, before he stormed out of the room.

Freya stared after him with an exhale and began to leave herself, but she turned back to face the hybrid. "Nicely done. At this rate, you'll drive the entire family away," she said and started toward the exit.

Klaus stared after her with a blank expression.

"You could give him a fake apology," Raylynn voiced, drawing his gaze to her. He simply gave her the same look. "Hey, just a suggestion. No need to get hostile."

_______

Once Freya had left for her night out on the town and Elijah took Hope out to the bayou for the full moon, Raylynn departed from the compound to attend Klaus's art exhibition. She pulled her jacket tighter around her body as she, once again, walked all the way to the St. James Infirmary. She would have driven, but the dense traffic would have taken the trip a lot longer and she was a very impatient person.

Raylynn entered the club and found dozens of people were inside, chatting amongst themselves as they looked over the artwork. She moved further into the building, being stopped by a passing server who offered her a flute of champagne. She turned them down and continued on her way to search for the contributor to the entire event.

Klaus appeared through the crowd with light grin on his lips. "Well, you are definitely late, but I'm glad you came," he voiced as he approached the huntress. "I should also let you know, Cami decided to stop by for a bit."

Raylynn's brows raised. "Really? What did she want?"

"Someone is apparently torturing and killing locals around the Quarter," he said nonchalantly.

Raylynn pulled her lips together at the statement. "I'm not at all comforted by the way you said that," she told him and then shifted her gaze around the club. She came to a stop when her eyes landed on a tall brunet man toward the back of the open space. She immediately did not like the way he stared at her. He seemed off, really off. "Who's the creep looking at me like I'm about to be dinner?" she asked, pointing in the man's direction.

Klaus followed her gaze, hesitating a moment before he said, "old acquaintance. Nothing more."

Raylynn looked over the hybrid skeptically. Before she could say a word, the mystery man shouted from across the room.

"'Old acquaintance?' You wound me!" He held a hand over his heart.

Raylynn sighed when she realized he heard every word they said. She turned to Klaus and exclaimed, "seriously? He's a..."

The man interrupted her. "...hard of hearing? Quite the opposite, actually. Side-effect I inherited from Nik," he said, gesturing to the hybrid.

Klaus appeared mildly annoyed by the conversation. "We can discuss my discourteous friend Lucien later. I believe you need to go watch over Freya," he told her with a slight urgency to his voice.

Raylynn's eyes narrowed, but she decided not to bring it up. For the moment. "Whatever, have fun while I'm gone," she said, before she spun on her heel and strode out of the building.

_______

It did not take Raylynn long to make her way from St. James Infirmary to Rousseaux's. The restaurant was packed with the Quarter's typical night crowd. The strong aroma of sweat and alcohol wafted into the huntress's nose as she made her way into the building in search of Freya. She had to make sure that the woman did not do anything too reckless, considering no one wanted another public scene made by the Mikaelson family.

Raylynn sighed when she found Freya dancing atop the bar with her phone held to her ear. She figured that the person on the other end of the call had to be Elijah, otherwise she would not have answered. Raylynn pushed her way toward the woman, watching her jump down from the bar and put her phone away.

"There you are. You're late," Freya said when she stopped in front of the huntress. "And now Elijah needs our assistance."

Raylynn released a short breath. "Sorry, I had to make a pit stop."

"At Niklaus's art exhibition," Freya supplied as she ushered the brunette back through the crowd and to the building's exit.

"Yes. But now I'm here. Why does Elijah need us?" Raylynn questioned as the two of them moved around the front of the restaurant to the alley beside it.

Freya shrugged. "He said he had to deal with 'a necessary evil,'" she said with air quotes.

"So, he's going to kill someone?" Raylynn suggested.

Freya nodded. "Seems that way." She held out her hands in front of the huntress. "Now, we need to get to the bayou quickly. Grab my hands."

Raylynn reached out and grasped the witch's hands in hers. She and Freya had been working on strengthening and harnessing her newfound magic over the last three months. Considering Davina was now on a huge power trip, the Mikaelson woman was all she had left who could possibly help her. And as it turned out Freya had a history of accidently blowing up things with her magic as well. So, it was basically a match made in heaven. Or hell, depending on how one looked at it.

The two woman closed their eyes and focused on the magic that ran through their veins. Air rushed past Raylynn's face as the dropped into the heart of the bayou. They open their eyes and found themselves on the porch of a familiar small lakeside cabin. Elijah stood in front of them, nodding curtly before he sped away from the scene.

Raylynn rolled her eyes at his sudden disappearance, before she set her attention on Hope, who remained strapped in her stroller.

"Hello, sweetie," Freya said in a high-pitched tone as she approached the little girl. "You'll have to excuse your Auntie Freya. I've had a few big girl drinks tonight," she slurred slightly and plopped down onto the porch.

Raylynn snorted and moved over to sit next to the witch. "And now Aunt Ray has to babysit the both of you. Isn't that fun?" she exclaimed with a bright smile.

Hope simply grinned groggily, before she rested her head on her arm and closed her eyes.

_______

Shortly after Raylynn left St. James Infirmary, Klaus learned of the real reason why his friend, Lucien, was in town. The old vampire informed him about a feud that had broken out between the sirelines, the successions of vampires turned by Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah. Their separate lines were fighting against each other. Lucien thought that the almighty hybrid could help.

Klaus followed the man to an incredibly extravagant apartment complex. The double doors of the penthouse opened to reveal many people partying inside. Vampires feed on humans all around the space, while music blasted loudly around them.

Lucien smirked toward his sire as they entered. "Please excuse the mess! I've been entertaining," he exclaimed over the noise.

Klaus looked around the apartment with an amused expression. "Well, you never were one for subtlety."

The both moved into the master bedroom. Inside, a table was set up with various animal bones, bowls of herbs, and a few lit candles.

Klaus saw the scene and gave the other vampire a skeptical look. "You brought me here to have a séance?"

Lucien closed the door behind them and said, "something like that." A taller brunette woman strutted into the room from an attached space. The man gestured to her as she approached them. "I present my personal forecaster, the lovely Alexis."

"Don't tell me you're here to say some future portents of my doom?" Klaus questioned the woman, who now stood in front of them.

Lucien rolled his eyes. "Alexis is no back-alley palm-reader. She's an expert cipher -patterns, trends, cycles -she does exceptionally well on the stock market, and never fails to guess the winner of the Bachelorette."

Alexis stepped closer to Klaus, reaching out to slide her hand over his chest in a seductive manner. Lucien watched her as she spread her hand out to feel the hybrid's heartbeat.

Klaus raised a brow, before he grabbed the woman's hand and pulled it away from him. "Touch forward, isn't she?" he questioned, now annoyed.

Alexis pulled her hand back. "I've heard so much about you. The famous hybrid. Your ancient heart beats strong indeed for someone in such danger."

A faux smile formed on his lips. "If you have a warning to deliver, love, best get on with it."

Alexis shrugged, while Lucien moved behind her and took the shawl wrapped around her shoulders. "By all means! But, if you want the most from the experience, I suggest you feed on me. As you do, I'll allow you into my mind," she said, pushing her hair away from her neck. "You can see for yourself."

Klaus laughed, until Lucien took one of her arms and held her wrist in front of his mouth.

The man looked over at him and voiced, "come on, how long has it been since we shared a real drink?" His fangs then descended from his gums and he bit into the woman's flesh.

Klaus hesitated, before she moved over to Alexis's and bit harshly into her neck. The woman winced at first, but then she started to smile. Her voice lowered as scenes of the future began to flash in all three of their minds. The compound's dining room appeared is disarray, blood splattered across Elijah's nineteenth century portrait hung on the way, symbols in a grimoire, and finally, a man with extremely long fangs.

"Drink deep, but beware -what you broke is past repair.

All your oaths you betrayed, your sacred vows you've severed.

And now you see that nothing lasts for always and forever.

Three yet remain, two already crossed -yet, in one year's time, you'll all be lost.

As your family is undone, you will seed the beast that is to come."

Klaus instantly pulled away from the woman when she ceased to speak. Blood dripped down his chin as he reached out and wrapped a hand around her throat. "You think you can fool me with bad poetry and parlor tricks?" he sneered.

Alexis stared at him blankly. "My visions are conjured from you. The threat you face will be more clear the longer I am in your presence. Kill me, and you'll never see what's coming."

Klaus snapped his gaze toward Lucien, who had stopped feeding on the woman and wiped the blood from his lips. The hybrid reluctantly let the woman go, but he continued to scowl in her direction. Lucien brought Alexis's hand up and kissed her palm with a smile. She then turned on her heel and walked out of the room from where she entered earlier.

Once she was gone, Lucien turned to address his sire. "I told you -something is coming. You'll need me."

Klaus stared at him as his temper hit its boiling point. He grabbed ahold of the other vampire and threw him into the wall behind him. "I AM KLAUS MIKAELSON! I don't need anyone, nor will I be warned by lesser men!" he shouted, causing Lucien to narrow his eyes and push himself off the wall. Klaus leaned toward him and said lowly, "I am the thing that lesser men fear."

Lucien smirked. "Then act like it!" He chuckled and moved past the hybrid. "Instead of doting on your pretty human girls and pouting about your family's disapproval! Yes, you are Klaus Mikaelson! You are the most ruthless, wicked beast to ever live!" he exclaimed and poked the hybrid in the chest. "I came here to remind you of that. Because, quite frankly, I've been worried you've lost a step."

Klaus growled. "I need no reminding of who I am. That truth has been clear to me for a thousand years."

"And, in those years, you've acquire countless enemies. And, with the sirelines at war, you now have mine as well," Lucien stated, moving over a window that overlooked the city. "Anyone who would kill me can now come after you. And, since I have so many rivals, and because I do not want to die, I beg you -let me help you! From now on, I'm the only one you can trust!"

Klaus pondered his words for a moment. He did not need Lucien on his side. He did not trust people. The only exception happened to be the huntress, Raylynn Montgomery. But, he could not let Lucien know that. He needed to make sure that she stayed clear of the entire situation, and especially the man before him.

He stepped closer to the vampire and said quietly, "I don't trust anyone."

_______

As soon as Raylynn got back to the compound, she stripped off her tight jeans and swapped them for sweats. After the day she had, she needed as much comfort as possible. Elijah had come back from his little excursion and retrieved Hope, before he left again without saying a word. And then Freya decided to head out to continued her bar crawl, so Raylynn made the decision to abandon everyone to sleep the night away.

Raylynn moved over to her bed and was about to flop onto the dark bedspread, until a knock sounded on her closed door. She sighed and called out, "come in." She sat down on the end of the bed, watching Klaus move into the room. "So, I assume you've been out with your 'old friend'. Just saying, he creeps me out," she told him.

Klaus nodded with his hands held behind his back. "That's actually what I want to talk to you about," he said as he stepped closer to her.

Raylynn's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Really? He's not that bad, is he?" she asked, even thought she had already made up her mind about the man. He just seemed -off. She did not know how to explain it. The feeling may have had something to do with her powers, which only reinforced the Lucien was bad news.

A conflicted expression formed on Klaus's face. "I haven't seen Lucien in almost a thousand years. So to be honest, I don't really know myself."

Raylynn sighed heavily. "That's what I was afraid of," she said, raising her hands to pull her hair up to the top of her head, before she secured it with a hair-tie.

"Well, I'm sure he won't be much of a problem," Klaus told her, trying to be reassuring, but he did not sound entirely convincing. He continued forward and then stopped right in front of the huntress. He then moved his hands from behind his back, revealing a small 8x9 inch canvas.

Raylynn's brows furrowed. "What's that?" she questioned at the sight of it.

A light smile formed on the hybrid's lips as his held the canvas out to her. "Well, I thought it was about time I gave you a painting of your own."

Raylynn stared at him, pushing herself up and carefully took the canvas into her hands. She looked down and found a beautiful sight before her. A snowy forest was painted across the front of the canvas with the dark figure of a huntress in the center, her bow drawn and ready to fire. She forced her gaze back up the hybrid, who looked at her with an expectant gaze. Raylynn smiled brightly. "I love it!" she exclaimed, leaning up to plant a short, sweet kiss on his mouth. "Thank you."

Klaus mirrored her expression. "You're welcome," he said, before a thought flashed across his features. He tried to shove it aside, but Raylynn noticed right away.

"Why don't you go talk to Cami?" the huntress suggested. "I'm sure she can help with whatever you seem to be worrying about."

Klaus was taken back for a moment and then nodded. "I think I will," he said. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a quick peck.

Raylynn shook her head as she watched him stride out of the room. She dropped her gaze back to the canvas in her hands and allowed a long breath to escape her. She stepped over to her dresser and set the painting on top of it, before she made her way over to her bed and dropped onto the soft mattress. Now she really needed well deserved night's sleep.

<October 13, 2018>

Welcome to the second half of the rewrite of the Raylynn Montgomery Series! This book will hold Season 3, 4, and 5 just because I don't want another set of five books names the same thing on my profile. That would be very confusing.

Anyway, I'm so exciting to be writing Season 3, again. This season is my favorite, aside from Season 1. So much happens not just in this season, but within my own storylines as well. It's just great. I love it!

I will also be changing a bit of Raylynn's interactions with Elijah and Hayley as this season starts out. I realize that I made her forgive them way too easily in the original series. Like, they betrayed her trust. That's a hard thing to gain back. It won't be terribly different, so don't hate me just yet.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

-Jordan

P.S. Unedited chapter. I also do not own the gifs I use in this book. I get them from Google.