To Be Or Not To Be » Stefan Salvatore

Chapter 17 - Blood and Betrayal

Living in a house too big and too empty—one that wasn't even hers—did nothing to dull Skye's grief. Losing her sister had left a hollow ache inside her, one that only deepened as she watched the people she loved slip through her fingers, one by one.

Klaus breathing down her neck didn't help matters either. He'd left for Italy to dig up the sword, leaving her behind in Mystic Falls with one task—keep an eye on Stefan.

Breaking that news to her other brothers hadn't gone over well.

She'd kept the cure a secret, of course, but she did tell them she was staying because Niklaus had daggered Rebekah. Elijah, ever the worrier, feared for her safety, afraid she'd end up in a coffin again. Kol, on the other hand, was less concerned—he just wanted to kill Klaus.

Skye didn't entirely blame him.

To make matters worse, the hunter had managed to escape Klaus's grasp—taking Nate's head with him. Another one of Nik's hybrids, gone.

So now, on top of trying to find the cure without anyone else finding out, they had a supernatural hunter armed with werewolf venom roaming Mystic Falls.

Great.

April—the girl she'd met at the party—kept showing up at the house, knocking at the door. Every time, Skye caught a glimpse of her through the window and pretended she wasn't there. Rebekah had promised to help her figure out what happened to her father, but Skye couldn't exactly explain that she was currently lying daggered in a box.

It felt like she was constantly running to catch a train, only to stumble just before she could reach it.

Then Niklaus called.

Meet up with Stefan. Talk about the hunter.

Skye groaned but relented, shooting Stefan a quick text to meet her at the house.

She took a shower, curled her hair, and slipped into a floral dress, a little more effort than usual. Not that she'd admit she was dressing to impress.

The doorbell rang, and she schooled her features into something neutral before pulling it open.

Stefan stood on the other side, his expression gentle, the corners of his lips just barely curved into a smile.

Her eyes flicked over him, assessing. He seemed fine—mostly. But there was an edge to him, something tightly wound beneath the surface.

She stepped aside, letting him cross the threshold before closing the door behind him.

"Do the others know you're here?" There was no time for distractions. No time to indulge in feelings. They had a hunter to deal with.

Stefan gave a small shake of his head. "They've called me, but I'm not answering."

He didn't sound particularly happy about it. She understood why. Secrets had a way of corroding things from the inside.

"So, you're ignoring them?"

His lips parted, like he wanted to argue, but he thought better of it. A beat passed, then a slow, reluctant nod.

Skye considered that, then walked past him into the living room, pouring them both a drink.

Stefan followed, taking a seat beside her as he accepted the glass of scotch. She took a sip, ignoring the burn as it slid down her throat.

"Any ideas on how to deal with the hunter?" she asked, glancing at him. "One that doesn't involve killing him? Since we need his tattoo and all."

And, if she was being honest, she'd rather not end up cursed. Klaus had been insufferable last time, more aggressive than usual, shutting himself away for days at a time. The few times she had caught him mid-hallucination, it had ended with her gasping for breath, angry red marks blooming around her throat.