The meeting finally came to an end. Hayley stayed a little longer at the Mikaelson compound to nurse and take care of Hope.
"I'll stay a bit and then head home," Hayley said, looking at Nik.
"Alright. Call me if you need anything," Nik replied, gently patting her head, making her melt a little before leaving with Caroline and Amara.
Outside, the three of them stopped.
"Babe, can you keep an eye on the little wolf?" Nik asked Caroline. "I'm sure she's going to mess something up."
"Ummm," Caroline looked at him, then at Amara. "That's not fair. You two get to have fun while I'm stuck babysitting."
"I'll let you drink as much of my blood as you want when you get back," Amara said in a tone that clearly promised she'd regret that later.
"I'll personally take care of you all day tomorrow," Nik added with a smile. "And once Amara recovers from her anemia…"
"Perfect!" Caroline cheered and vanished.
--+++--
When they got home, Nik and Amara stepped inside, and Amara didn't even have time to take off her armor.
Nik grabbed her by the neck and pulled her into a kiss. Amara immediately melted into it.
But the next moment, Katherine opened the door.
Nik let her go instantly.
Katherine looked like a happy ten-year-old bursting into the room.
"Niky! I learned how to write today! Wanna see?" she said, bouncing in and hugging Nik, then Amara. "Mom, look, look!"
She showed a stick-figure drawing of five people: a man (Nik), a blonde woman (Caroline), a brunette woman, a curly-haired woman, and finally herself.
Nik stared at the fourth figure and knelt beside her.
"Who is she?" he asked.
"What are you talking about, Niky? That's Kat! She's always with us!" Katherine replied, as if it was obvious.
Right… Katherine's inner vampire personality. That tracks.
"Wanna play?" Nik asked.
"Yesss!" she jumped excitedly.
Nik glanced at Amara with a look full of desire.
"Go eat well… because when Katherine falls asleep, it'll just be you and me, my little goddess," he sent into Amara's mind.
"Yes…" Amara replied in thought, extremely happy.
Katherine practically exploded with joy.
— "Yaaaay!"
She grabbed Nik's hand and dragged him through the house.
— "We're playing monster hunt!"
— "Katherine, I'm literally a monster."
— "Then you're the super monster!"
— "That doesn't sound like a promotion."
— "Move it!"
Nik sighed dramatically.
— "I feel exploited."
— "You are."
Amara laughed from the hallway as they disappeared.
For the next hour, the mansion turned into complete chaos.
Katherine built a pillow fortress.
Then declared war.
Then made Nik defend it.
Then decided he was a dragon.
Then a knight.
Then both at the same time.
— "That makes no sense."
— "It does."
— "It doesn't."
— "It does because I said so."
— "Unbeatable logic."
She crossed her arms like a queen.
— "I know."
Later, Katherine returned with a crooked paper crown.
— "Niky."
— "Yes?"
— "Kneel."
— "This is starting to worry me."
Still, he knelt.
She placed the crown on his head.
— "I hereby name you…"
She paused dramatically.
— "Sir Niky, the Destroyer of Vegetables."
Nik went silent.
— "Why?"
— "Because you make me eat vegetables."
— "Fair."
— "And I'm the queen."
— "Of course you are."
— "And Mom Amara is a princess."
Amara raised an eyebrow from the kitchen.
— "Am I?"
— "Yes."
— "Can I refuse?"
— "No."
— "Understood."
Later, Katherine proudly showed everything she had learned.
Every letter.
Every word.
Every drawing.
Every scribble.
— "This is you."
— "Correct."
— "This is Caroline."
— "Correct."
— "This is me."
— "Correct."
Nik pointed at a strange blob.
— "And this?"
— "A horse."
— "Katherine…"
— "Yes?"
— "That looks like a potato."
— "You don't understand art."
— "That phrase is becoming dangerous."
As evening came, they went to the garden.
Katherine ran between the trees while Nik followed behind.
She suddenly stopped.
— "Niky?"
— "Hmm?"
— "Are you going to leave like the others?"
The question hit unexpectedly.
Nik looked at her for a moment.
— "No."
— "Promise?"
— "I promise."
Katherine thought about it for a second.
Then smiled.
— "Okay."
And ran off like the conversation had never happened.
But Nik kept watching for a while.
When night came, she was clearly exhausted.
Her eyes kept closing.
She yawned every few seconds.
But she kept denying it.
— "I'm not sleepy."
— "Of course not."
— "Not at all."
— "Obviously."
— "I'm super awake."
She yawned so hard she almost fell backward.
Nik just smiled.
— "Come here, little monster."
He picked her up.
She immediately rested her head on his shoulder.
— "Today was fun."
— "It was."
— "Can we play again tomorrow?"
— "If you want."
— "I want."
— "Then we'll play."
She smiled.
— "You're the best Niky in the world."
— "I hope I'm the only one."
— "You are."
A few seconds later, she was asleep.
Nik carried her to bed in silence, covered her, gently messed up her hair, and watched for a moment.
Because wars, prophecies, and enemies would always exist.
But moments like this?
They were rare.
And he intended to enjoy every single one.
--++--
"Now… it's just you and me."
Nik approached Amara, grabbing her by the neck and pulling her into a kiss.
Amara blushed at the sudden grip, but melted into it, stepping backward as they kissed.
They reached their room.
Nik kissed along her neck, his fangs extending as he bit her.
Amara let out a breath between pain and pleasure, completely giving in.
And there, what the readers are imagining… happened.
---+++---
Hayley walked through the forest after leaving the Mikaelson house and sighed when she saw a small group of people.
It was Jackson in human form. It was a full moon night, and several other werewolves stood with him.
"I thought something had happened to you since you stopped coming," Jackson said, relieved.
"Something did happen. I'm here to tell you I have no interest in marrying you," Hayley replied coldly.
"Wait, but it's our destiny!" Jackson pleaded. "You can't do this!"
"I can. And I will."
Hayley crossed her arms.
The group went silent.
Jackson looked lost for words.
"Hayley, this isn't just about us…"
"There is no 'us,' Jackson."
The answer came instantly, making even the other wolves uncomfortable.
"There's the pack. There's legacy. There's the future."
"Then find someone else to carry it."
Hayley turned her back.
She was tired of this conversation.
Tired of the pressure.
Tired of the wolves.
Tired of everything.
Then one of the she-wolves frowned.
"Wait."
Hayley stopped.
"What?"
The she-wolf studied her closely.
"Something's wrong."
"I didn't ask."
"It's a full moon."
That made the others exchange glances.
She continued:
"We can all feel it."
Hayley said nothing.
"So why aren't you shifting?"
Now everyone was staring at her.
Jackson blinked.
Then realization hit.
"She's right…"
Silence spread.
"She should be transforming."
"Every wolf transforms."
"Especially an alpha."
Hayley closed her eyes briefly.
Damn it.
"This isn't your business."
That only made things worse.
Whispers erupted:
"She's hiding something."
"The Mikaelsons did something."
"She's a hybrid?"
"Impossible."
"Maybe it is…"
Tension rose.
Hayley stepped back.
"Move."
The same she-wolf stepped forward.
"Not until you answer."
She reached for Hayley's arm.
Mistake.
Pure reflex.
Pure instinct.
Hayley moved.
A blur.
The she-wolf hit the ground.
The entire group froze.
Not because of speed—
But because of what came next.
Hayley's eyes turned red.
Not gold.
Not yellow.
Red.
Deep red.
Ancient.
Predatory.
For a second, nobody understood what they were seeing.
"What the hell…"
"Her eyes…"
"That's not a wolf…"
The fallen she-wolf tried to stand.
She couldn't.
Hayley wasn't even using her full strength.
But her presence crushed the air.
Some of the wolves stepped forward.
Hayley turned.
— "Stop."
One word.
That's all.
But they all froze instantly.
Like their bodies weren't theirs anymore.
Panic spread.
"I can't move…"
"My body…"
"What kind of power is this?"
Instinctively, some wolves lowered their heads.
Not because they wanted to.
Because they had to.
— "What… is she?" one whispered.
They didn't know.
True alphas rarely interacted with ordinary wolves.
Most thought they were legends.
But this… didn't feel like a legend.
Hayley stepped forward.
Half the group backed away.
The pinned she-wolf panicked.
"Let me go!"
Hayley didn't even look at her.
"I told you to stay away from me."
Her voice was low.
Dangerous.
She raised her hand—
And suddenly another hand grabbed her wrist.
Firm.
Unshakable.
Hayley turned instantly.
A man stood beside her.
Tall.
Calm.
Like he had always been there.
Yet no one saw him arrive.
The strangest part?
The oppressive aura from Hayley didn't affect him at all.
His eyes scanned the kneeling wolves.
Then returned to her.
"That's enough."
For the first time that night…
Hayley met someone completely unimpressed.
He was a dark-skinned man, around 60 in appearance, with white curly hair, 1.95–2 meters tall.
Powerful build under his clothes.
A calm, confident posture.
"Don't kill her. She's just a young one," the old man said gently. "Please."
"Why should I?" Hayley asked, eyes flashing red again, full of anger.
"Because our kind should not kill each other," he replied with a sigh. "I know it's overwhelming for a young alpha dealing with betas, especially unfamiliar ones… but they're just lost youths."
"Let go of me."
"Release her," he said instead.
"You asked for it," Hayley growled, shifting and kicking him.
But he only stepped back slightly.
Hayley's eyes widened.
"Damn… it's like hitting Caroline," she muttered, stepping away.
She noticed she had left the she-wolf exposed.
Clever.
"That was a good instinct," the old man said proudly. "You were trained by a powerful vampire."
His eyes turned red.
"Why don't you show yourself?"
From the shadows, Caroline appeared.
"So you noticed," she said with a smile.
"Of course. I knew you wouldn't let this girl slaughter wolves. Thank you."
"I didn't do it for you," Caroline said sharply. "Now—what is an alpha doing in our territory? And what happened to the war leaders?"
"Dead… no one on my side who tries to revive that cursed war will survive."
The air grew heavier.
"Then you came alone," Caroline said.
"Yes."
"Brave… or stupid."
"Practical," he corrected. "Killing the leaders was more efficient than negotiating."
Hayley frowned.
"And you think you can come here after that?"
"Your territory…"
He looked around.
"You're still learning what you are."
Caroline stepped forward.
"Answer."
He sighed.
"I didn't come to conquer anything."
"Lies," Caroline said instantly.
"I came to end a possibility."
"And that would be?"
He looked at Hayley.
"An alpha out of control."
Hayley growled.
"I am in control."
"You are now," he said calmly. "But not earlier."
Caroline tilted her head.
"You've been watching her."
"Since I arrived."
Silence thickened.
The old man raised a hand.
The air shifted.
Gray scales formed over his arm—thick, metallic, living armor.
"Mountain Iron Monster," he muttered.
"Created to break alphas."
Caroline narrowed her eyes.
"You talk like you have a collection."
"I do."
The scales receded.
"You are not one of them."
"You are pure combustion."
Caroline didn't respond.
"Focus on your own kind," he said to Hayley.
"And if you ever create monsters for power…"
Pause.
"Kill them after."
The air froze.
"You're giving massacre advice?" Caroline asked.
"I'm giving survival advice."
"That's the same thing."
"Depends on perspective."
"Leave."
"I came today because I saw you were about to make a terrible mistake," he said calmly. "I'm leaving now. I don't think I can beat that vampire woman over there—and she knows I could get one or two bites in… so pointless deaths don't interest me."
And he vanished into the forest like he was never there.