1 Chapter one

Hope Mikaelson was a hermaphrodite, it was just another part of her miracle existence alone with her tribrid nature and her impossible conception. Born with both male and female genitalia, Hope had never felt quite comfortable in her own skin either as though she didn't belong or that something was missing, she was never sure which. Personally, she put it down to the universe playing yet another trick on her another cheap laugh at her expense. This had played a huge part in Hope's martyr complex and hence in how she isolated herself from everyone holding them at arm's length.

Her isolation was how on the morning of her eighteenth birthday Hope could be found in her room after an exhausting two-hour practise session with Dr Saltzman. Rick as he preferred to be known, had given her a wrapped present before they spared Hope had done her best to keep her birthday secret from most people not that, it had taken Hope much effort. Isolated as she was, Hope didn't expect any special treatment on her birthday, nor any celebration of it at all really. She knew her family would send her presents but they would arrive several days if not weeks after the event, other than them, Hope knew that only Rick would have known let alone bothered to get her anything.

Twisted the gift in her hands Hope decided against opening the cylindrical present setting it down deftly on the writing desk that occupied the top right corner of her room, well away from her bed. There would be time for that later she decided Hope was still very hot and sweaty from her two hours of sparing, through these days Hope more often than not outmatched and was far stronger than Rick, especially since Hope was part werewolf and so possessed more than average strength, speed and reflexes, it still did not mean that these two-hour training sessions were not mind-bogglingly hard for her, she could never wait for them to be over despite how much she looked forward to them.

Peeling off her sweat sodden shirt was the work of a moment for Hope as she walked towards her own private, ensuite bathroom. That Hope reflected as she stepped through the door was a luxury few other students possessed. Few rooms in the Salvator school actually had an ensuite, most students made do with a communal shower area which had ten different shower cubicles. There were two such rooms one for the women and one for the men. Hope assumed she owed her own ensuite as much to the sizable fortune her family had contributed to the school as to her genitalia. Hope definitely pushed that thought aside, instead she whistling an upbeat tune despite her deep thoughts and tiredness.

The tune died on her lips as Hope stepped out of the shower she had enjoyed so much, truly there was nothing like a shower to ease fatigued muscles, especially when you cast a spell on the water to make it massage you such as Hope had done only a few minutes before. Hope stared into the slightly fogged mirror aghast. There, as plain as day tattooed onto Hope' skin on her upper right arm bellow a beautiful black wolf head in breathtaking flowing, curling letters was a name. A name Hope recognised instantly, how could she fail to, she had, had a crush on the girl since she could remember. It had not as Hope often liked to pretend, both to herself and others, that the crush had only lasted a matter of days, deny it all she wanted, Hope still loved that girl with a deep and passionate ferocity. That girl's name, one Josette Olivia Saltzman, the daughter of the school's principal. That self-same girl's name was now for some unexplainable reason, tattooed into Hope's upper arm, near her shoulder.

Hope raced towards Alaric's office she knew that she only had a few minutes before she was due in class, despite this Hope knew she had to talk to Rick about this right now. After all, Josie's life might be at stake. Hope's heart thundered in her chest at the thought of Josie being in danger, she couldn't let that happen. One thing Hope knew for certain, that if anyone could help her discover what this was, it was Alaric Saltzman.

Hope was happy to see Rick was alone when she entered. Without hesitancy, Hope launched into an explanation of her sudden visit.

"May I see it?" He requested after Hope had concluded her breathless recounting.

Hope nodded pulling up the elbow length sleeve of the black t-shirt she was wearing so as to allow Rick better access to the tattoo-like marking.

Rick examined the marking for some little time and returning to his desk as mystified as Hope had been. The only two things Rick could definitely say about it was that it was magical and despite its similarity to a tattoo, it was not one.

Rick sighed as he leaned back in his chair, "Hope, have you been experimenting again?"

Hope knew immediately what he meant, Hope was the most powerful Mikaelson witch to have lived and Mikaelson witches were known to be one of the most powerful bloodlines. Thanks to her aunt Fraya and the copious amount of grimoires her family had gathered over the years, Hope had been taught well in advance of both her classmates and her age. She regularly did unsanctioned magic inside her own room, sometimes with negative consequences to herself.

"No," Hope said after a brief pause for thought, over the last few days, she had done several spells that were not taught in class, but each of them had been spells that she had done many times before to no ill effect, it couldn't have been them.

"Ok then," Rick said with a sigh, "I will set Dorian on it. In the meantime, you have to get to class.

Hope nodded and left, she trusted Dorian to get to the bottom of this mystery. If there was an obscure mention of it in a written text from anywhere in the last four hundred years, you could bet Dorian would find it.

Hope wondered idly what Dr Saltzman could have found out, she had been called to his office just after lunch, which as was customary for her, she ate alone.

"You will want some of this, I know I did." He said gruffly as Hope entered the room.

Rick poured a generous amount of Bourbon into a glass and set it before Hope.

"She's your soulmate, Hope", He said very slowly letting every word sink in. "It's very rare but occasionally, between very powerful wolves, a soulmate bond is formed. When they turn eighteen a mark appears somewhere on their body such as the one you have."

Hope took a large gulp of the strong alcohol that burned the back of her throat. "How do we get rid of it."

Rick gave her a worn, yet reproachful look, sometimes Hope didn't know when to count her blessings.

"I don't think you can Hope, then again there has never been soulmates who were not both wolves in many ways here we are dealing with something for which there is no president."

"Thanks, Rick," Hope said draining her cup of Bourbon.

"Remember, Hope, you have two years to tell Josie about this. Don't let her find out on her own." Rick told her as she left his office.

Later that night a knock came on Hope's door.

"Come in." Shouted Hope who was lying on her bed reading a book, her attempt to find out more about soulmates. She set the book down as the door was opened.

Hope's heart leapt as she realised it was Josie who had knocked on the door.

"I came to give you this," Josie told Hope, holding up a sealed envelope that obviously held a card.

Hope sat up to face Josie and immediately judged something to be wrong. The other girl's face was stained by salty tears, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

"I had a fight with Penny." Josie reluctantly admitted trying to smile but not quite finding it.

Hope tensed up at Penelope's name and she barely suppressed a deep growl that was developing in the back of her throat.

Josie dropped the envelope down on Hope's bedside table, an ornately carved piece of 1800s furniture, clearly brought with her from New Orleans, and began to walk back towards the door.

"Wait, Jo, want to watch a movie with me?"

Josie nodded. It was only then that Hope remembered her present from Alaric, it had been a fairly expensive bottle of Bourbon and on a tag hung around it, Alaric had written the words, don't drink it alone. Now Hope took out the bottle and shoved it to Josie.

"Do you want some?" She asked, a smirk rapidly brightening her features.