Claudia Lockwood-Mikaelson

Chapter 10 - Maeve's lies

"So you've known the whole time you knew me?" I accuse harshly. "From the moment we met, you knew I was a Lockwood and yet you didn't bother to tell me anything? To warn me?"

She has the decency to look ashamed. Good. She deserves to feel uncomfortable in this conversation since she clearly needs to be told how it is.

"Yes I knew," she finally admits. "I didn't think it was my place to tell you."

"Who's place was it then? My Dad's? Elijah's? Did you have to wait for you silly little husband's approval?"

"Claudia it wasn't like that, it really wasn't." She tries to justify herself but I'm having none of it.

"Has Elijah not taught you how to tell the truth yet?" I say sharply, annoyed at her. "You've been manipulated by him, I don't even recognise you Maeve."

"It has nothing to do with him," she argues.

"Oh I think it has everything to do with him. Both you and him. Did you think it would be funny to keep this from me? Did you have a good laugh with him at my expense?" My blood boils at the thought of them discussing me, knowing secrets about my own family that I didn't even know myself. Agreeing to hide it all from me.

"No of course not, you wouldn't have believed me if I told you anyway," she denies.

"I might have done, but we'll never know now will we?" I say sarcastically. She's not even apologised yet, or is trying to. I wonder if knowing about me was the only reason we became friends. We were studying completely different courses and only met because we bumped into each other in the library. The thought makes me even more agitated.

"Is this why we became friends? Because you realised I'm a wolf?" I ask and I'm honestly scared to hear her answer. It's like I'm talking to a complete stranger.

"No of course not, I like talking to you Claudia. You're a good friend," she tells me.

"Well you should have been honest with me if I was such a good friend. Do you even know how to tell the truth? Or is that a privilege only reserved for Elijah?"

"I'm sorry Claudia I really am. I don't know what you expected me to do."

"It's simple. Just. Tell. Me. The. Truth. You should have done so when you realised I was a wolf years ago."

She falls silent realising I'm not going to let this go easily. I feel so betrayed my whole body is heating up in rage and I'm full of resentment at her hiding so much about me. Not to mention everything about her. I truly believed we were closer than this, I told her everything. Clearly she doesn't feel the same way about our friendship.

"And I've only now been informed that you're also a wolf. And a witch." I look at her expecting an answer and start pacing when I don't receive one almost immediately.

After a pause she begins explaining to me. "You're a medical student. You study science based on what's been proven in studies. You'd never have believed anyone telling you about werewolves and witches existing, even if it was coming from me. I'm sorry I didn't, I'm sorry I hurt you. Please understand that I didn't mean to."

I listen to her and mull over her words. She's right but I refuse to admit it. I wouldn't have believed her. I proved as much when I scarpered from my dad after he told me. If I couldn't believe my dad, I definitely wouldn't have believed her. She knows she's right about that. I also believe she didn't mean to hurt me. But she did. And right now that's all I can think about. I trusted her but she couldn't trust me. What friendship do we even have?

"I know you didn't mean to upset me, I know you well enough to know that Maeve. But the fact of the matter is that you did. You didn't trust me enough. You could have taken a risk and told me. Even shown me. But you were too afraid."

"Yes," she says lowering her tone. "You're right I was afraid. And I wanted to keep you from activating your curse. I was trying to help you all along even if I didn't reveal the Lockwood curse to you. I thought if I told you about yourself or even me, you wouldn't want to be friends any longer and I wouldn't be able to prevent you becoming a wolf."

"It's not up to you to look after me, I appreciate you thought you were trying to help but it happened anyway. If I was aware of it, things might have been different. It might have all ended up differently. I might have been able to avoid activating the curse."

I blame her but I know I'm wrong for it. It's not her fault I killed that man in Central Park and it's unfair to blame her for my actions. It was me, nothing to do with her. And at the rate I was going, struggling to control my anger more and more, it would have happened sooner or later anyway.

"I would have still been friends with you Maeve. I may not have believed you but you're wrong there. Maybe I'd have thought you were a bit crazy or even delusional but in the end it wouldn't have mattered to me. We were friends."

"We still are friends Claudia," she says. "Aren't we?"

"I don't know. I was such a fool.  I thought you trusted me. I certainly trusted you with everything. What sort of friendship can we have now? You clearly don't trust me and I most definitely can't trust you now. Not after learning about this."

I see her crying and I refuse to let it affect me. I can't give in the minute she gets upset. "You were my best friend Maeve. I trusted you..." I try to explain my reasoning to her but fall short as I've already said pretty much everything I need to.

"Please can we try again, I can't lose you as a friend," she pleads.

"You lost me as your friend the second I learnt you lied to me. Repeatedly. For years. Covering up something that is so vital I know. I don't even want to look at you right now Maeve. I promised Nik I would stay here for a bit and not leave so soon but if you even try to talk to me while I'm here I will leave this compound without a second thought. You'll never hear from me again."

The words fall out of my mouth quicker than I can process my thoughts but space from her is exactly what I need right now. She gasps and brings a hand to her mouth saddened at my insistence on having nothing to do with her. I refuse to even acknowledge her distress or I'll start getting angry at her again, what did she really expect? Nothing she can say will take back what she's done. I can't suddenly trust her just as she couldn't for me.

I leave her crying and walk back up to the guest room I'm staying in, thinking about how alone I feel. The fact that Nik is the only person I can trust right now is depressingly tragic as we've only recently become friends, but it's not my fault. I'm not on good terms with Dad, Maeve or Elijah. I vow to never trust anyone new again so soon to not be taken as a fool again. Never again will I trust so willingly.

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Another early post, hope you enjoy!

Ceryn x