Chapter Text
December 24, 2012
“I’ll do it.”
She shouldn’t have opened her mouth. Shouldn’t have made an offer to lose her freedom and maybe even her life.
But she couldn’t take it back. Not when she saw the relief in Hayley’s eyes, the way her shoulders relaxed, the way hope radiated off of her when she realized that maybe she wouldn’t have to give up her freedom (and her relationship with Elijah, which everyone knew about) to help her Pack.
There was always another way to do these things.
“You mean it?” asked Hayley softly, scarcely able to believe it herself.
The woman across from her nodded, ignoring the way her hands trembled as she internalized what it would mean to take on this task.
“Yes,” she spoke after a brief pause. “You said it yourself— you and Klaus are the only hybrids left. Your parents and mine parents arranged a marriage between you and Jackson before they knew everything was going to go to shit. You are not bound by it. You shouldn’t feel like you have to marry one another for the sake of the Pack. He may have been in love with you for many years, but that was not the case for you. Neither of you should have to deal with the many cons of arranged marriages.”
She unclenched her hands, watching as blood flowed back into her fingertips. “I’m the oldest. I’m the Alpha. It should be me. My duty, my responsibility, my sacrifice. The Unificiation Ritual will happen. And if one day, you fall in love with my brother, you are welcome to marry him. But marry him because you love him, not because you feel obligated to help the pack.” She swallowed the lump in her throat, speaking into existence that which she dreaded, “I will marry Klaus and accept the gift for the pack.”
They heard a loud thump behind them. Jackson tossed aside the axe he’d been working with, staring at the woman beside Hayley with an angry expression. “No. No way in hell,” he said. “You’re not marrying him!”
“We need this ritual to get the wolves back, you said it yourself,” his sister replied. “As soon as Hayley offered the idea to you, you turned it down, and it isn’t fair to either of you if you’re bound by an arranged marriage when you’re both so young and you don’t love each other that way. Klaus is going to want to control the pack anyway, Jackson. If I’m his wife,maybe I can work things out so he doesn’t cross a line. If you marry Hayley, what’s to stop him from killing you right after the ceremony and putting himself in as Alpha? He will have a say in what gets done anyway. Maybe if I give him a direct responsibility, if I integrate him into the Pack and force him to interact with all of us, he’ll care more about our people than he would if he’s the puppet master behind-the-scenes.”
“And how do you know he won’t kill you ten seconds after you marry him? How do you know he won’t beat you half to death the whole time you’re married to him?”
“I don’t. But unless there’s a way to turn some other decent werewolf into a hybrid, someone who is willing to give up their freedom for the sake of this pack… then we’re out of options. Klaus will try to control us either way. He wants to be part of a wolf pack, even if he doesn’t admit it. Maybe, just maybe, our way of giving him that and encouraging him to show empathy at the same time is… to do this.”
“Damn it,” said Jackson. “Damn it, Ibeth.” He knew deep down that there really wasn’t any other choice; no one in their pack wanted to become a hybrid, and they didn’t know many wolves from outside of New Orleans. Those they did know would never be willing to make such a sacrifice. “Grandma Mary is going to kill you.”
It wouldn’t be the first nor the last time that Mary Dumas would be this furious with her granddaughter. But at the present moment, Ibeth Kenner didn’t care what her grandmother thought of her plan.
There was no way in hell she would allow her brother to marry Hayley when, one, Hayley hardly knew him and didn’t see him as more than a friend, and two, Hayley was in love with another man. Ibeth didn’t trust Elijah and what he might do if Hayley married someone else. Either way, she knew Hayley would never be satisfied with Jackson if she was still involved with Elijah. Ending that involvement quickly for an emergency wedding could go down poorly.
This was for the best.
Or so she tried to tell herself.
Things had been so different just a year ago. She’d been in her wolf form, leading her pack and trying to help them survive each full moon. Jackson constantly snuck away to supervise Hayley, all while Ibeth had to rush around stealing food and gathering supplies so that Eve and the children wouldn’t go hungry.
She met Hayley when the Crescents were invited to a party at the Mikaelson plantation house. No one had expected it to be a trap. Jackson and Hayley had nearly died inside the living room when Ibeth had gone out to instruct the wolves to start making their way back into the Bayou.
She met Elijah when she was pounding on the door, screaming and hoping desperately that the spell would lift, that she’d be able to break inside to save them before they burned alive. She was thankful to him for having rescued them. But she hadn’t trusted him one bit when she saw the way he glared at Jackson for no apparent reason.
She met Klaus the night of the peace treaty party at the Compound. He’d invited her up to his art room, roping her into his plan.
“I’m so glad you accepted my invitation,” came Klaus’s voice behind her.
She turned, having been looking at a fresh painting of the New Orleans skyline. He’d made it seem as if the city was on fire. “I imagined denying would be a death sentence,” said Ibeth realistically. “I can’t imagine anyone survives after standing you up.” She extended her hand. “Ibeth Kenner.”
He shook her hand. “Klaus Mikaelson. Hayley has told me about you. Alpha at the age of fifteen. How did that happen?”
“Our Alpha disappeared,” she said. “Eve told me he was supposed to meet her— in wolf form— to deliver supplies before the full moon that day. I went looking, found a poacher loading him into a truck. He was already dead. So I killed the poacher. I had some time to arrange my things before I turned once the moon vanished from the sky. I became the leader because I avenged the Alpha.” She tapped her elbow. “I don’t imagine you called me here to hear my life story. Am I here to die?”
“I’m not here to kill you,” said Klaus. “I’m here to offer you a gift.”
“We’re exchanging presents now?” asked Ibeth. “And here I thought your heart was made of ice and stone.”
He smirked. “Our hearts are more similar than you might realize. You see, long before I evolved, mine beat as a werewolf. I know your power. I know your burden. I'm here to take the latter away.”
She backed away, holding up a finger. “You are not turning me into a hybrid. I still intend to have children one day, furthering my family line. I refuse to be part vampire. I am the Alpha, and I am not compromising myself. If I were a hybrid, you could compel me and force my loyalty. My pack is my priority. I wouldn’t be able to prioritize them if I was a hybrid.”
“That pride, that sense of loyalty? Well, that's exactly why I haven't snapped your neck yet.”
“How touching,” said Ibeth curtly.
“I wish to give you back the city that was taken from you,” said Klaus. “What do you think of that?”
“I think it makes no sense considering your brother is literally holding a peace party outside. This isn’t what he wants. I thought your whole motto was ‘always and forever’ regarding family loyalty and all that. Isn’t this going behind his back?”
“I'm not trying to undermine Elijah's venture. I'm supporting his vision. Vampires destroy life to survive, witches are only as powerful as their dead, but the werewolves have thrived because their strength comes from family unity. The safety of that unity is what I want for my unborn child. The painful truth is, vampires are the antithesis of unity.”
Ibeth cast him a cheeky smile. “So, you want to deny your vampire side and connect with your werewolf roots for the sake of your baby? How cute. You’re invited to the Crescent orientation. If you’re willing to dirty your fancy little shoes with Bayou bog.”
“The orientation could take place here in the Quarter,” said Klaus smartly. “Once the wolves return to it, that is.”
She narrowed her eyes when she realized he was serious. “And how would that happen?”
He pulled out a ring. She snorted, “Are you proposing?”
He rolled his eyes. “My mother was a very powerful witch. I watched her craft all manner of magical items, but her most prized possession was this ring. I hadn't seen it for a thousand years, and then it turned up hanging around the neck of a werewolf— a direct descendant of my biological father. I believe she gave him this ring as a way of freeing him.”
“Freeing him… how?”
“Daylight rings shield vampires from the sun. So, why not a moonlight ring to protect werewolves from the curse? Think about it! No more breaking bones, no more losing control to the beast within.”
“And you could guarantee that for my entire pack? How? Who would perform the spell? That little redhead you’ve been sleeping with? She’s a bitch.”
“Any witch could perform this spell. I could guarantee rings for as many wolves as you would like. If you wish to help your pack, that is. Freeing them of their curse.”
She thought it over. “Fine. You have a deal.”
She never anticipated it would go so poorly. She’d danced with Klaus that night, a simple meaningless bit of swaying back and forth to encourage the attendees to keep the peace, to make Elijah think his treaty was working. He could make funny quips when he wanted to. She didn’t exactly hate being in his arms. She simply didn’t trust him.
She’d danced with him again on another night after that, a Fête de Bénédictions for the witches. She wasn’t in the best mood after seeing the way the witches had treated Davina Claire, instigated by that redhead Klaus had slipping in and out of his bed. The vampires had attacked that night, leaving her thinking that maybe Klaus’s plan for wolf domination was a better path to follow than waiting to see if the vampires adhered to the peace pact. For those two brief nights, she had believed he might one day be a friend to her Pack. A friend to her.
Her brother and Oliver had helped her procure the materials. Marcel Gerard had ruined their plan when he took the stones and beat them for refusing to reveal what they were for. Klaus had acted like it was entirely their fault they were kidnapped. All he could do was rub in their failure. She stopped believing in the possibility of friendship. Even an alliance seemed out of the question.
Ibeth had been optimistic that even with their ‘failure,’ the Pack would thrive. She was wrong again. The Guerreras had caught them all by surprise. Jackson and Ibeth had returned to their cabin following the full moon that night, confused to find Oliver waiting for them with Francesca and her four brothers.
“You did what?” said Ibeth, clenching her fists as Francesca revealed that she and her brothers had killed almost every single member of Marcel’s army at the Mikaelson Compound. “We had a deal with Klaus and Elijah— we were aiming for peace! This is an act of war!”
Francesca smirked to herself. “It was a lesson. When people have forgotten that they need to fear you, you need to give them a little reminder.”
“And how the hell are you going to explain this to the city? A great deal of the population all gone in one night? Your little reminder is going to draw a lot of unwanted attention to this community.”
“Gang violence,” said Francesca with a shrug. “I have half the police department in my pocket. My family has been a pillar in this community for decades. We’re very creative when it comes to covering things up for outsiders. But insiders will know that the wolves are in the driver’s seat again and that they can either roll with it or roll under it.”
Jackson narrowed his eyes. “Where does Hayley fit into all this?”
“She doesn’t. The witches will take care of that. The last thing that we need is the reestablishment of the Labonair clan. But you… you’re welcome to join us. Just like Oliver did.” Ibeth and Jackson noticed Oliver had been trying to hide a black kyanite stone in his palm. “A moonlight stone will be yours just like in your deal with Klaus. And we will get more stones, and make more rings. Oliver tells me your pack might be amenable.”
“Back up,” said Ibeth suspiciously. “Why won’t Hayley fit into this? What did you do to her?”
“You shouldn’t worry about that.”
She had a bad feeling she knew the answer to her own questions. “And what happens if my pack doesn’t fall in line with your twisted agenda? You’ll bomb us again?” She glared at Oliver. “I bet you helped them with that, didn’t you? Eve died that night, Oliver, and so did several other wolves.” She clenched her fist, deciding not to wait for his response. “The answer is no, Francesca.”
She got to her feet. “I am the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack. I have been the Alpha for over a decade and we would rather suffer each full moon for the rest of our lives than align ourselves with those who use their abilities to intentionally murder innocents. I suggest you get out of my cabin right now. As of this moment, anyone aligned with the Guerrera Wolf Pack is forbidden from entering the Bayou. Any found on our territory will be killed on sight.” She leaned over the table, sneering in Francesca’s face. “You have a minute.”
“Boys,” said Francesca sweetly, waving at her brothers. “Leave them for dead. Just as we did with Hayley and that abomination of a baby.”
The Guerrera brothers beat them as severely as they could without killing them, dumping their bruised bodies far out in the Bayou. Ibeth would have had it far worse if Ansel hadn’t come in the nick of time to get the brothers away from her. They wanted to make an example out of her, whatever that meant. Ansel saved her from what was sure to be a gruesome fate.
Jackson felt at peace when he was with Ansel. He had no interest in returning to be part of a pack that’d completely fallen apart. Most wolves stood with the witches, doing their every bidding and showing off their moonlight rings.
Ibeth would not give up so easily, trusting even those wolves would one day come back. She left the two men to live on their own deep in the Bayou while she went back to lead the wolves that remained. In the time when the Guerreras were still in power, they hunted her mercilessly to try and end her reign. She had the advantage of knowing the Bayou like the back of her hand. Those stupid brothers couldn’t find her no matter how hard they tried.
When they were killed, Hayley started coming around more often. Ibeth tried as hard as she could to bring the wolves back into the pack, but they refused to abandon the moonlight rings and return to a life of torment each full moon. She started to lose hope. Hayley was miserable, Jackson wouldn’t show his face, Aiden and Oliver had left her behind, and she was alone.
Lonely people did desperate things sometimes.
But there was desperate and then there was just plain crazy.
A year ago, she would have cringed at the idea of marrying Klaus Mikaelson. She wouldn’t have been able to fathom how anyone could ever see him as a potentially good husband. Surely he had some tender quality, but as far as she’d seen, it only extended toward his baby, who was no longer alive. When she’d gone to the Compound to extend her condolences, he looked like he wanted to kill her for even bringing his daughter up. Not once had he come into the Bayou to see how Hayley was doing. Ibeth wondered if he even cared about her, despite the fact she’d carried his child for so long. Now that the baby was dead, what were the chances he’d ever be kind to anyone?
What were the chances he’d be kind to her if she became his wife?
She didn’t like her odds. And still, she did not back down.
Hayley took her to the Compound to propose the idea to Klaus. Maybe he would say no. Then she could say she tried to get Hayley and Jackson out of it, but that Klaus had come through being an asshole as usual.
“Klaus,” she heard Hayley saying upstairs in his study while Ibeth sat by the fountain, nervously wringing her hands together. “Remember how I told you about the Unification Ceremony?”
“Yes,” he said distastefully. “That silly ritual my father mentioned to Jackson.”
“Well, we were thinking about it. And I thought I could marry Jackson—”
“Absolutely not.”
“You didn’t let me finish. I thought about it. Jackson didn’t want to, understandably. And I didn’t want to. I just thought it would help the pack. But then… Ibeth had an idea. She could marry you. You could do the Unification Ritual with her. Your ability to turn at will would go to the wolves.”
Ibeth heard them move into Klaus’s bathroom, the sink being turned on so the flowing water muffled whatever they began to discuss next. She began digging her nails into her skin, closing her eyes and trying to breathe. She had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling.
What was it that needed to be discussed privately? Ibeth was the one thinking of marrying Klaus, she ought to know why he would accept or decline.
The water stopped running.
“Get me that journal,” demanded Klaus. “I wish to know every detail.”
He’s considering it.
“I’ll get it. Let’s go tell her.”
He said yes.
She really shouldn’t have expected him to say anything different. He’d been wanting to control the Crescent wolves ever since he arrived in New Orleans. Finally, he was getting a direct in. He’d be a fool to deny it.
She got to her feet as they came downstairs. Klaus’s face bore a wicked smirk, one she wasn’t sure she fully understood. Was it only because he was going to get the power he wanted and the loyalty of the wolves? Or could it be because he was delighted with the prospect of tormenting her for every second onward, until death did them part?
“Have you read the journal?” was the first thing he asked her.
“Yes,” she said, as steadily as she could manage. “I was there when Ansel told it all to Jackson. We grew up with those stories. There is a process we must follow. Marriage trials. A ceremony conducted by an Elder. The journal will tell you all the logistics. When you’ve read it, we can prepare.”
“The wedding must happen as soon as possible,” said Klaus. “I want the journal by tonight.” He pointed at Ibeth. “You will move into the Compound.”
“Then I want a car,” she said flatly. “I still need to lead my pack.”
“Soon to be our pack,” said Klaus, lips curling further upward, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. How long until he claimed it was his pack, and his alone? Would it be after he killed her? Would he kill her? If so, how soon after the wedding? Oh god this was a mistake…
“Our pack,” she corrected herself calmly, collectedly. “You are right, you will be a member of it soon. We need to be going to the Bayou often to lead them, to ensure they have everything they need. I can live here, but I need a way to get to the Bayou quickly, in case of any emergencies.”
“There is a multitude to choose from in the garage below. You can pick one of those. How long until we can be married?”
“Well, assuming you read the journal tonight, you’ll find out—”
“Tell me.”
She huffed. “There are four rites. They are meant to be divided over ten days, with days of rest in between before the wedding. But there is no rule that says one can’t do them all a day apart, or all in the same day. As long as the rites are done, it means the same thing. I imagine the days between was to allow other packs traveling time to attend the wedding.”
“Get me the journal and then we will decide which day we will perform all the rites.”
He disappeared after that evening when she brought him the journal. He didn’t thank her, didn’t even greet her kindly, he just took it and left.
She came back to the Compound the following morning to speak with him, and was told by Marcel that Klaus and Hayley had an errand to run. He was guarding Finn (Klaus’s eldest brother, who resided in a coffin with tiny air holes) and Kol (Klaus’s younger brother, who was performing spells and flirting with Davina Claire simultaneously), which meant he had little time to give Ibeth any further context about where Klaus had vanished to.
What errand could be important enough to draw him away completely? Why wasn’t she allowed to know anything about it, if they were already set to be married in less than a week?
In the time he was gone, her grandmother had plenty of time to yell at her for the choice she’d made. All the same, she agreed to be the Elder they needed for the wedding. She didn’t want anyone else conducting the ceremony.
Ibeth took advantage of how much her grandmother knew, grilling her with questions. Most of them related to just how much she was expected to do as Klaus’s wife. The rules stated they needed to live as a married couple, which clearly meant they had to be loyal to each other, but Ibeth wondered if it meant she was also expected to share a bed with him. If it meant she was expected to sleep with him on the night of their wedding, and any night that he wished them to.
Her grandmother couldn't answer her questions. Those specific details weren’t outlined. A thousand years ago, it was expected the newlyweds would lie together to procreate. That wasn’t as necessary now. It wasn’t the reason they were getting married.
After the ceremony, once they ensured it worked, it didn’t seem like it mattered what they did as long as they remained married. Ibeth had her fingers crossed hoping it would stay that way. She was praying that Klaus would be fine with putting three rooms between them and only seeing each other when they went into the Bayou.
A typical, royal arranged marriage in her mind. It was her duty to her people. She tried to think of herself as a monarch who was doing the right thing. Marrying to help the Crescents, not for love. It was the sacrifice that came upon her for the sake of her people.
Hopefully it meant she didn’t have to suffer too much. Having Klaus as her husband sounded stressful enough without him demanding she be at his side constantly, and god forbid, sleeping beside him every night. She had never heard of him forcing himself upon anyone in that manner, but she didn’t trust that he wouldn’t change his ways once they were married.
He was manipulative. Controlling. Impulsive. Possessive. And he had so many trust issues, Ibeth wasn’t sure how to get past it all. He’d likely want to encourage her to do things his way, threatening her and ensuring everything she did aligned with his goals, his wants. Out of nowhere things could turn around, he could become violent and accuse her of anything.
The one that scared her the most was him being possessive. Not letting her see her family, perhaps. Wanting her to be with him and only him even if they didn’t love each other, even if they would both rather be with someone else. He was still part wolf. Wolves were very against infidelity, as it swelled an unbridled rage in the inner wolf of the partner who’d been screwed over, making them dangerous and prone to very violent outbursts. Was his inner wolf going to be that possessive over her? Would he touch her to establish his dominance whenever they were around her pack?
Their pack. She had to get used to thinking about it that way.
Klaus returned as if nothing was wrong. Ibeth knew the truth— many things were wrong. His younger sister, Rebekah, had helped him and his brothers take down their mother, and had been placed in a different body. She was missing, and they couldn’t find her. That same night, Mikael (who Ibeth knew too much about) had broken Finn out of his coffin.
Ibeth imagined he was very stressed. She told him that the wolves could try and track her. Rebekah had always been kind to Hayley and the pack, so she saw no reason not to help them. He said snidely that it wouldn’t do much, seeing as she was in another body. She didn’t offer again.
Finn had come back to trap them inside of the house as punishment for what Klaus had done to their mother. Ibeth had had to force the wolves into the dungeons for safety when they noticed the vampires were trying to rip out their throats, supernaturally-induced hunger courtesy of Finn. Not once did Klaus speak to her during this time. When the wolves were safely out of the Compound, he hardly acknowledged her beyond saying that tomorrow they would perform their trials. The day after that, they were going to be wed.
“Take this seriously,” snarled Ibeth when Klaus wiggled the pipe of blue calamus root around, having no intention of smoking it. “We have to share secrets and talk to each other. This is the last rite, we’re almost done with this bullshit.”
“I will not be smoking this, nor will I be sharing secrets,” said Klaus, handing her the pipe.
“If we don’t do this right, the blessing might not work. You demanded my Grandma Mary leave us alone, and she did, so smoke and talk.” She inhaled from the pipe. “I really don't have anything to admit. Jackson already told Hayley about our history with her parents, how my grandfather is the reason they died. You know how I triggered my curse, you know that I have been leading my pack for over a decade. I’ve never been married, never had children.”
“Have you been in a relationship?”
“What do you think?” she said sourly. “I’m a leader— my focus is my pack’s wellbeing, not dating.”
“And have you slept with anyone?”
Her cheeks reddened. “Yes, I have. A wolf has needs, you know.”
“And when did you find the time to do that, with the full moon being the only time you were human? And if I recall correctly, nearly everyone in your pack is related to you…”
She stared at her feet. He grinned maliciously. “You barely got the experience, didn’t you? When Hayley broke the curse?”
Ibeth gritted her teeth. “Sue me for being a virgin for twenty-six years. You don't get to make fun of me. I triggered my curse at fifteen when I was barely beginning to feel confident in my body, it’s not like there was time to do it before, and there certainly wasn’t time to do anything during.” She passed him the pipe. “There, I just burst out a bunch of things. Say something.”
He told her many gruesome things that she would have preferred not to hear. The ways he tortured people, the names of his victims. But technically, he was truthful. Technically (without smoking the blue calamus root), he’d ‘divulged.’
“Are you all packed and ready?” inquired Klaus as he went to her cabin, waiting for her to gather her bags.
“Yes,” she said. “I will take these tonight. The rest can be moved in tomorrow before the ceremony.”
“A room has been fixed up for you. It faces out toward the Bayou, with a larger balcony than some of the other rooms. It has a private bathroom; Hayley insisted you would like it.”
“Thank you,” she said politely, though it seemed to her that Hayley had been the one to advocate for her. Klaus hadn’t picked the room out of the kindness of his heart. “I’ll be glad to have my own room.”
He made no comment about her sleeping in his room after the wedding. She had a feeling he didn’t want her in the same bed as him. That worked out better for her.
“Come along, then,” he said, growing tired of waiting for her to fetch her things. “We must go.”
She took one last look at the cabin before following him out. Jackson and Aiden would be bringing some other items in the morning. She’d see the same cabin from time to time, but it would no longer be hers. It would no longer be her safe space when she needed a break from her pack.
“Ibeth.”
It was the first time she could recall him saying her name.
She turned to him, hanging her head as she entered the car. He’d opened the door for her— the absolute bare minimum before they were to marry.
Tomorrow, she was fulfilling her duty to her people.
Tomorrow, she was losing her freedom.
Tomorrow, she became Klaus Mikaelson’s wife.
And with that title, she knew she would experience hell.
-
A/N: Hello all! Important note to be made. In past stories, people have complained about Klaus being very toxic. I want to remind you all that canon Klaus is very very very toxic and mean and was still very rude to people even after Hope’s birth. This story will showcase that more than other Klaus stories I have written. Eventually, Ibeth and Klaus will come to care for one another but things are not going to be easy in the beginning. There is set to be a lot of angst, so just be warned. I don’t anticipate making this story have a super happy ending, if any at all. Hope you enjoy!