𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 29

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Annalise crosses her arms over her chest as Elijah crouched down to examine Papa Tunde's dead body that was left on the doorstep of the compound.

"Can I get you anything, brother? A magnifying glass? A pipe, perhaps?" Klaus sarcastically offered as he and Marcel also stood watching the corpse.

Elijah sighed, "You have a theory you'd like to share with us, Niklaus?"

"Back in the day, the witches wanted to send a threat, they'd just kill a chicken and leave it on your doorstep." Marcel commented making Anna snicker, "I used a rat once."

Klaus scrunched up his features in disgust as he glanced over at his friend, "What? We ran out of chickens." the girl muttered.

"It's rather a large and ominous chicken, wouldn't you say?" Elijah pursed his lips as Klaus spoke up again, "Papa Tunde defeated Rebekah with ease, almost got the two of us as well. If he was supposed to be the prize fighter, why leave him for dead in our front yard?"

Anna furrowed her brows, "Perhaps he had completed what he was set out to do."

The three males turned to glance at her when Rebekah suddenly joined them, "Well, don't you look cheery. Listen to this," the blonde began rambling, "A girl literally exploded from a grave today as Sabine was giving a tour of the city of the dead. It was Monique Deveraux."

Klaus' lips slightly parted, "What?"

The blonde continued, "The tourists thought it was part of the show, but the witches are celebrating like it's some kind of bloody miracle."

Anna's eyes wandered as she thought about the situation at hand.

"Maybe it is. They think that all hope is lost, but now suddenly a Harvest girl is resurrected. This is how we're gonna get Davina back, kill the witch who took her place." Marcel explained as Hayley stalked towards them.

"I have a theory about who one of them could be. Celeste. I mean, it's got to be. Davina was trying to tell us, she was drawing pictures of Celeste. She was warning us that a great evil is coming." the werewolf looked over the lot of them.

All eyes went to Elijah who seemed in shock. Anna frowned, the older Mikaelson couldn't feel very at peace with what was being discovered.

Klaus groaned, "First, Papa Tunde returns to settle old scores, now your murdered lover is back. This isn't witches attacking vampires. They're declaring war on us."

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Annalise entered the study along with Rebekah and Elijah that trailed behind the brunette.

"It's not too early for scotch, is it, with all the witchy shenanigans and subterfuge afoot?" Rebekah questioned as she poured herself a drink.

"Take it lightly if one intends to drive." the heretic told her friend. "Funny, I don't have any plans to go anywhere." the blonde vampire muttered before sipping on the alcoholic beverage.

"Hayley will become collateral damage if she stays. It's not safe for a pregnant werewolf here." Anna explained earning herself an agreeing nod from her soulmate.

Rebekah rolled her eyes, "You know how much mama wolf loves being told what to do."

"I'll be going with you to make sure she is safe." Anna told her best friend. 

"The three of you will go to the plantation where it is safe, Klaus and I will take care of things on this end." Elijah reassuringly added. Rebekah let out a sigh, "Fine, just because you two asked so nicely."

The original walked out of the study leaving Elijah and Annalise alone inside.

"Are you okay?" Anna's soft tone of voice echoed through the room. The Mikaelson male nodded, "I am. Not entirely fond of Celeste being back but I will have to handle it."

Annalise stepped towards the vampire and grasped his hand in hers, "If you need any help at all or just need someone to talk to, I'm only a call away."

Elijah's gaze softened as he watched the heretic before him. Never in his one thousand years of living had he felt so completely bewitched and entranced by a single person. He had found love in his long immortal life twice but now he didn't think he actually loved any of them.

Annalise Martin. He was at her mercy. The original would allow himself to be hurt by her and only her, such a wonderful soul the universe had gifted him.

"Be safe out there my dear. I don't know what I'd do with myself if you got hurt." Elijah gently squeezed the girls hand as he spoke.

Anna smiled up at him, "Worry about keeping yourself safe too, I'll be fine."

Elijah's gaze flickered down to her lips and he lifted his free hand to caress the brunette's cheek. He would do absolutely anything for the young heretic before him.

Elijah forgot all about their problems, worries, and the war that beginning to stir up as he stared down into Anna's eyes.

The original slowly leaned down his lips softly brushing up against hers.

"Anna! Get your bloody ass in this car!"

Anna jolted away at the sudden call for her, she looked down at the ground as she felt her cheeks grow warm.

Elijah sighed and released the girls hand, "You have people waiting."

The heretic gave him a longing look before forcing herself to walk out of the room. Why couldn't Rebekah have waited two more minutes.

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The three females arrived at the former Mikaelson mansion and began walking towards the porch.

"I thought I was gonna have to drag you to the plantation kicking and screaming." Rebekah softly chuckled. Hayley shrugged, "Yeah, well, we all just wanna protect me and the baby, right?"

Anna furrows her brows at the slight edge in her tone, "What's with the attitude? We're on your side, remember?"

The werewolf sighed, "Tonight's a full moon."

"So what? You're preggers, you can't turn." Rebekah quirked a brow up. Hayley placed her hands into her pockets as she spoke up again, "Yes, but I wanted to invite a few people over..."

Anna sighed as she realized where this was going.

"Of course. Every red-blooded American werewolf will be a bundle of fur and sharp teeth tonight, whilst your cursed Crescent Clan will be-" Rebekah rambling before Hayley cut her off, "Human, but only for a few hours, and won't be again until the next full moon, so... I asked Josh to get a message out to Eve in the Bayou."

Anna crossed her arms, "Josh isn't dead yet?"

"Well good on him. I love a nice survival story." Rebekah smiled. Annalise and her blonde friend noticed a man wheeling a dolly out of the house.

"Who the bloody hell is that?" Anna furrowed her brows. "Kegs out back, alright?" Hayley told the man who simply nodded at her.

"Right. It appears you weren't gonna wait for us to grant you permission to throw a kegger." Rebekah smirked clearly amused.

"Listen, you all want me safe? Fine. I'll do as I'm told. I'll play damsel in the glass tower. But tonight's the one night a month that I can meet my family. Now, you could rat me out and send me to my room, or you could help me to throw one hell of a party."

Anna sighed, "At least tell me you got good booze."

Annalise and Rebekah were cooking up crawfish when the blonde picked up her phone to leave her ex lover a voicemail.

"So help me God, Marcel, if you don't call me back with an update, I will kill you myself."

Anna chuckled as she chopped up some lettuce for a salad. "Well he ought to call you back after that inviting voicemail."

Suddenly, a blonde, shirtless Crescent wolf shows up in the kitchen. Anna scrunched up her features as she noticed the wolf, "Bloody hell, we left clothes at the entrance for a reason mate."

"I was expecting someone furrier." The blonde chimed in.

"You're one of them, aren't you? An Original?" the werewolf questioned the blonde. "Yes. You might want to say that with some more respect." the vampire paused for a moment, "I suppose you'll be wanting Hayley."

The werewolf named Oliver smiled, "Or I could just talk to you. I'm Oliver. I didn't catch your name."

Anna quickly dried off her hands scurried out the kitchen before yelling into the backyard, "Hayley the party's here! It's also flirting with Rebekah!"

The blonde vampire glared at her best friend who merely smiled at her and disappeared from view.

Most of the party had moved into the backyard, which was decorated by dozens of candles and strings of lights hanging by a few trees. Some werewolves were playing instruments while the others dance to the music.

Anna held a glass of whiskey in her hand as she watched Oliver lead Rebekah into dancing with him. The heretic chuckled before glancing over at Hayley who was accompanied with a curly brown haired werewolf.

The heretic took a seat in her chair as she took a deep breath. It was nice having a little break from everything that was happening around them.

Anna stood and walked over to get a plate of food when she listened in a conversation, "I'm sorry. I really like you, but this is the deal we made."

"What deal? With whom?"

Anna turned realizing this was an ambush but felt all the air in her lungs get knocked out as a werewolf peered over her. Annalise winced as she felt the tip of the stake scrape against her heart.

The heretic dropped the glass she held in her hand as the world began to spin. She had been poisoned with Lobelia. Now she could taste it, they had spiked her alcohol.

The stake was impaled further into her body and she watched as the werewolves all scurried away. The Martin girl collapsed on the ground as her vision faded to black.

Inside, Hayley watches as Jackson attempts to break the window with a piano stool but it breaks on impact, leaving the window perfectly impact.

The werewolf frowned as the flames began to get larger. Suddenly, the window shatters. It's Elijah, who had thrown himself through the wall from the outside, the original grabs Hayley and Jackson and speeds out before looking around.

"Where's Anna and Rebekah?" the vampire impatiently questioned. He knew the heretic was hurt, he could still feel the lingering pain his stomach where the stake had pierced his soulmate.

"I-I don't know, they were out back!" the werewolf told him.

Elijah sped into the backyard and his eyes surveyed the lot until he noticed his brunette that laid limp on the ground by a table.

The Mikaelson moved quickly as he carried the girl bridal style in his arms and zoomed out of the burning house.

Celeste was not entirely fond of Anna. That she had made sure was known.