𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧- 𝐄.𝐌

8. Reigning Pains

There was no question or doubt that the world outside the large building, was burning while Maeve had spent the last two days having a party and celebrating a victory that was long time coming.

Now, here, standing inside the Abbatoir she faced an unlikely scene. A dinner table was set up in the courtyard, a clear indication of some form of celebration. The vampire army, including Marcel and his closest friends, were seated around the table, and Klaus and Hayley were at each end of the table. Klaus was on the other end of the table, on his feet and holding up a glass in hand and a fork in the other.

"What did I just walk into?" she asked herself.

"Maeve!" Klaus said with a cheerful smile on his face. "Please join us." He gestured with his hand to the table. A compelled waitress approached the table with a chair for her. Maeve looked around the room and reluctantly sat down at the table. She sat the bottle she brought with her on the floor next to her chair.

Klaus continued, "Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift: immortality. After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt, for its beauties and its sorrows do diminish with time. But, as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans could possibly imagine."

Compelled waiters and waitresses, collectively approached the table, in order to serve the vampires at the table. " Insatiable need, exquisite pain..." the waiters and waitresses slit their wrists with knives and poured their blood into glasses, "Our victories, and our defeats." Klaus raised his glass and added, "To my city, my home again. May the blood never cease to flow..."

Marcel lifted up his glass, "...and the party never end!" he said. Everyone in unison cheered on the toast to the city. 

"I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent change in leadership, and I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have. What Marcel, in fact, took and built for this true community of vampires." 

Diego rudely pointed at Hayley, "What about her? The wolf."

Hayley looked offended by his comment, "What about Maeve? She is a Lycan...just like me." Diego looked over at Marcel hoping his leader slash friend would respond.

"Lycans are different. They have been here for almost a decade. Maeve is an old friend and Kalons are a part of this city."

"We all are well aware of the connections Maeve had with the previous government. Furthermore, had you'd let me finish, Diego, you would know that there is, of course, one further matter I would like to address." He walked over to the other end of the table where Hayley was sitting. "As many of you know, the girl is carrying my child. Consequently, I trust you will all pay her the appropriate respect. However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumour that I intend to use the blood of our child to create hybrids. I assure you I do not."

"Father of the year." said Hayley with a hint of sarcasm. Maeve smiled lopsidedly at her. She held up her glass of Scotch looking at the werewolf, she winked at the werewolf.

Klaus looked mildly frustrated at the short quick interaction between the two, he decided to speak further. "It appears I will have to earn your trust. Very well. We'll eliminate the root of your anxiety. You see, how can I sire any hybrids if there are no more werewolves alive in the Bayou to turn?

Hayley sat up immediately, horrified by the solution Klaus offered, "What? Klaus, no!"

Klaus decided to ignore Hayley and add, "So──eat, drink, and be merry. And, tomorrow, I suggest you have yourselves a little wolf hunt. Go ahead, have fun. Kill them all!"