Regret ▻ The Originals [2]

14

At the bayou, Jackson, Hayley, and Ophelia were meeting with Aiden at Jackson's trailer, where he dropped nearly a dozen moonlight rings into a bowl on the picnic table, "Well, that's the last of them!" He informed the group of three, "Everyone out here is officially ring-free."

"And better off," Hayley commented and Aiden gave her an annoyed look.

"Easy for you to say!" He replied in a sarcastic tone, "You and Ophelia are hybrids. I'm back to turning every single full moon. And, if the wolves who are loyal to Finn come back here, they're gonna rip right through us."

Ophelia and Jackson turned to look at each other, both of them feeling guilty. Both Hayley and Aiden looked anxious as well, "So, I gotta ask," Aiden told them, glancing between Ophelia and Jackson, "When is this wedding?"

"Ten days," Jackson informed him, "After that, Ophelia's power is your power. The full moon won't control you anymore," He paused, allowing Ophelia to nod her head in confirmation, "Spread the word. Any wolf who wants in needs to be here to bear witness to the wedding."

"Yeah, I can do that," Aiden hesitantly agreed while Hayley seemed confused about it all.

"Since the wedding's in ten days, what the next step of the process?" Hayley asked Jackson curiously, "What are you guys gonna do now?"

Jackson smiled, "We're going to meet an Elder!" He informed the group, causing Ophelia to stare at him in confusion as he turned to her briefly to explain what they were doing, "We need an old-school Crescent wolf to conduct the wedding. Then, there are the trials."

Ophelia began to look alarmed about it all as she shared a worried glance with Hayley while Jackson just laughed, "Don't worry!" He assured her, "We say a few oaths, do some trust falls, smoke a little blue calamus root out of a peace pipe. Piece of cake!"

Jackson smiled at Ophelia reassuringly, but Ophelia still looked nervous while Hayley and Aiden noticed her hesitation, "Well, good luck with that!" He told her before he and Hayley left together.

After they were out of sight, Ophelia nervously bit her lip, turning to look at Jackson, "So, you got any ideas on where the hell we're going to find an Elder?" She asked him curiously.

Jackson smiled down at Ophelia, "Well, that depends, Ophelia! You think you're ready to meet my Grandma?"

Ophelia smiled at Jackson, "Oh, I don't know," She jokingly replied, "Don't you think it's too early for that, Jackson?"

The duo laughed at Ophelia's crappy excuse for a joke as they headed in the direction of the Jackson's grandma's house.

___

Several moments later, Jackson and Ophelia were walking through the woods of the Bayou together, on their way to meet Jackson's grandmother. As they walked, Ophelia suddenly let out a large, dramatic sigh, "At this rate, we'll reach Mystic Falls within no time," She commented sarcastically, causing Jackson to raise a brow at her, not knowing what she meant, "It's a long story. Meant for another time," She assured him, causing Jackson to chuckle softly, "Anyways, are we almost there?"

"Just a little bit farther," He assured her, "You nervous?"

"Nope, not at all," She replied, shaking her head, "Although I should be. She is your grandmother, after all."

"Huh. She usually likes the girls I bring home." Jackson sarcastically commented as he smiled down Ophelia.

"Wow, I feel really special all of a sudden," Ophelia jokingly remarked, "Tell me, how many girls have you brought to meet her?"