I Hate That I Love You

Chapter 8

Hope marched into the Mystic Grill with her usual gang behind her- Kaleb, Jed, and Alyssa. A vampire, a werewolf, and a witch. Several years ago, Hope had chosen them to be a part of her little group after careful consideration. As it turned out, though, enough consideration hadn't been given. The events with Kaleb and Jed kidnapping MG two nights ago had proven just that.

"Looking to stir up some drama, littlest wolf?" a man's voice said.

Hope whirled around on the spot. "Don't you dare call me that," she snarled at her Uncle Kol. "Don't you ever dare-"

"Alright, calm down," Kol grinned. "And tell your little friends to stay put, too. Freya specifically told me that I wasn't to hurt any of her students while I was in town, and I'd hate to have to break my promise to her."

"Why are you in town, anyway?" Hope scowled. "Why aren't you off traveling and exploring the world with Davina?"

"Answer my question, first," Kol said. "What are you doing here? Did you come for a glass of soda, or for something a bit more dangerously dramatic?"

"Why? So you can stop me?" Hope demanded.

"No. Because I want to join you," Kol replied. "It's pathetic, I know- Wanting to join a group of teenagers on their little adventure of the day. But life has gotten quite boring for me. I love Davina, but I haven't been able to kill anyone thanks to her presence."

"Sorry to deliver the bad news, then," Hope snapped. "Don't mistake me for my father, Uncle Kol. I don't kill for fun."

"So you're saying you didn't shove that poor ripper vampire into a house filled with innocent human teenagers?" Kol asked.

Hope bit her lip to prevent herself from saying that it wasn't actually she who had committed the act. She needed everyone, especially her family, to believe that she was ruthless beyond imagination. Kaleb's dumb move to kidnap MG, as horrible as it had been, had proven to be quite the powerful factor in alarming her two aunts- and even though her Uncle Kol wasn't showing it, Hope knew he was surprised at what 'she' had pulled off, as well.

But if Hope wanted to get his attention, she'd need something even larger and more drastic than that.

She just didn't know how to accomplish that. Especially since she had a rule about not killing people.

"I didn't think things would get that out of hand," Hope gritted out. She then forced herself to put on a look of nonchalance. "If you'll excuse me," she said, turning away from her uncle and marching over to the middle of the Grill.

Her eyes spotted MG sitting at a booth with a couple of witches from the Mikaelson Academy. That girl laughing with him, the one with the strawberry blonde hair... Her name was Heather. She was an awfully perky girl who was so scared of Hope to the point where it was actually funny.

"Hi, you guys," Hope said in a false cheery voice.

Heather gave a squeak of fright. "H-Hope," she said. "How nice to, um, see you here?" Her voice came out as so nervous that her statement sounded more like a question.

"Take your friends and leave, sweetheart. I need to talk to MG for a sec," Hope said to Heather.

Heather gave MG a quick glance, then hastily stood up from her seat. Her witch friends followed in her example, making room for Kaleb, Jed, and Alyssa.

"Hope," MG muttered, not meeting the tribrid's eyes. "Come to kidnap me again?"

Wow. So even MG believed it had been Hope who had set him on a ripper spree.