Chapter 05
While they were eating their dinner, Alexis explained how her own gift worked. “You were right, witches and vampires should be mortal enemies, and having a witch like me working for someone like Lucien… well…. let’s just say that I’m not popular in the community,” she smiled. “Thankfully, I’m not a New Orleans witch, that would have been far far worse. They’re so attached to their old beliefs and rituals that it’s pathetic.”
“I don’t like witches much. Especially those who can see the future,” Bella replied as she took another bite of her food. She had to admit, it was delicious, one of the best things she had ever tasted.
“I know that, and that’s why I want to be open with you, because I don’t want to give you any reason not to believe me. Or trust me, but trust is something sacred, trust is to be earned. Lucien mostly uses me to predict the future for him. He’s quite the successful business man, but he’s had some witchy help on his way up. He drinks from me, and I can see his future. Or at least bits and pieces of it,” she explained. “Images will become more clear once the opportunity approaches, but I’m good at what I do.”
“Giving him bits and pieces doesn’t sounds like you’re good.”
“Hey! I do that to protect myself, you know. Self preservation. I like to stay alive.”
Bella slowly nodded as she continued clearing her plate.
“It works different on non-vampires, like humans and witches. With you, for example, the moment you stepped into the penthouse last night, I started getting dreams about you. About your life, not quite clear as some areas are hidden, but I got the reader’s digest version. When I woke up and saw you, I started to see endless possibilities for you. And it was then when I realized what you truly are.”
A little bit alarmed by what Alexis could have found out about her, Bella looked at her with big eyes. “What do you know about my life?”
“Just that you’re a whore and have been running from a coven of Cold Ones, but that you’ve also protected yourself with magic that I can’t get through to, so maybe it’s for my own good if I don’t pry.”
Sighing slightly, she nodded again. She was grateful that even with her having fallen off the face of the Earth for a while, there was still an active protection spell around her, hiding her true life, hiding Débauche to protect the other girls.
“I had to double check my information so I called my mentor with a hypothetical question about what you are and he confirmed it. What you are, Isabella, is quite rare and quite powerful.”
“What am I?”
“You’re a singer.”
She winced at that. Edward had called her his singer. Emmett had killed two singers because they smelled so good and she was pretty sure that all the other singers had been turned or killed. “That’s nothing new.” She then smirked. “If you’re referring to my voice, then you’re out of luck. I can not hold a tune even if my life depended on it.”
“Well, if you know you’re a singer, then you must also know that they don’t tend to survive for very long after getting in contact with their audience,” Alexis pointed out with an amused smile on her face. She liked the snark that Bella was throwing at her, she was definitely hiding something. Why else would there be an entire blank section of her life in her dreams?
“No, they don’t, but I escaped seven years ago and I’m still running.”
Alexis nodded and took a sip of her drink. “Did you know that singers become more potent, more powerful, if they stay alive longer? Their blood could start to appeal to other Cold Ones, almost drawing them in, making it harder for the singer to stay human.”
Bella snorted out her drink. “That is just the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I’m sorry, but that’s just…” she hiccuped. “Impossible.”
“No, I’m serious,” Alexis laughed. “The longer you stay human, the more potent you’ll become.”
“And what could I do, other than attracting Cold Ones and pray that they don’t kill me?”
“You kill them, of course,” she replied nonchalant as she put her empty plate on the table and crossed her legs over each other. “You lure them in, and kill them.”
Bella smiled at that. “And how do I do that when they’re made out of a solid mass, their blood is poisonous and on top of that, even Cold Ones have trouble with pulling Cold Ones apart so how am I, a mere human, supposed to kill them?”
“You become immortal. You’re in a city filled with vampires! Have some blood in your system, jump off a building and rise more powerful than ever.”
Alexis was telling a story, and Bella was not going to fall for it. “My knowledge of your vampires is quite slim, but isn’t it the same way as with the Cold Ones, that if you’re remotely magical you’ll lose that upon death?”
“Ah, yeah,” she sounded bummed out and thought for a moment. “That is true… but you’re not a witch. You’re something else.”
“But still, even if that was the case, if somehow I became like… those things in mythology, a siren, that would be lost the moment I turn,” Bella shrugged. “Nice story, Alexis, but I’m afraid you and your mentor have lost the plot.”
“Damnit, I was so excited for you about this. That you’d finally have answers. Or a purpose. You deserve that. Those rotten Cold Ones have been messing with you for far too long.”
Bella shrugged as she put her plate on the table and pulled on her shoes before getting up. “Well, story time’s over. I think I’ll leave now.”
“But Lucien…”
“No, you’re right, this is freaking me out. A nice vampire and a witch working for him? No, this is just too much. Tell Lucien I won’t tell on him for what he wanted to do last night but I can’t stay,” she turned around to address Alexis even further, but all of a sudden she could feel her head spin. “Oh, that’s not good…”
“You might be resistant against compulsion and mind invasion, little girl, but you’re not resistant against drugs or magic, sleep tight!”
~o.O.o~
Bella came to to Lucien yelling at Alexis. “I specifically told you not to harm her!”
“She wanted to leave! She can’t leave! She’s special!”
Bella smirked at that. She could turn this entire situation around and make sure that she wouldn’t end up hurt. She was going to demand money. She was going to command the place and own it. Hell yeah. Damsel in distress? Nah. She was kickass.
“Alexis, I know that but if she wanted to leave you should have just let her go,” Lucien sounded desperate. “I was trying to have her getting to trust us.”
“And she saw right through that. She’s smart, Lucien. She knows more than she lets on. She could be dangerous.”
“She’s human.”
“Yeah well, while she’s out, I took a few vials of blood for testing.”
“Alexis!”
“You were gone for days, Lucien. Days. I had to keep her here for when you’d return, and I did. So, go make nice to her. She must be waking up by now,” Alexis said playfully. “Careful though, I think that for a human, she packs quite a punch.”
Lucien barged into his bedroom finding Bella sitting up and looking at him as if her look could kill. “Isa… I am so terribly sorry.”
“Save it,” she said with a shrug. “You owe me 5 grand.”
Lucien blinked. “That is outrageous! For what!”
“My time. You were gone for days, I hear. I’ve been keeping your bed warm. I think 5 grand is a decent fee for keeping your bed warm,” she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Because your witch kept me asleep all the time, I had to include hazard pay. Risk of bedsores and all that.” She then smelled her armpits. “Be glad I don’t make it 6 grand for making me stink like a fish vendor.” Bella got out of bed and picked up the clothes that Alexis had bought her. “I’m going to take a nice, refreshing shower. When I’m done, I want you to have the money or I’ll tear off your cock and shove it up your ass.”
“What?”
“You heard me,” she smiled at him as she walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open. “For another 200 bucks you can have me any way you want. If you want a date night, that’s 500 bucks, including valet parking of your cock in my pussy. 750 bucks if Alexis wants to join us.”
“You’re insane!”
“Fork over the money and decide what you want,” Bella said as she started to throw her worn clothes out of the bathroom and filled up the bath. She was being bold, but having been out for the count for so long had recharged her batteries.
If they wanted to screw with her head, she was going to screw with them. Survival of the fittest and she knew all about survival. Taking her blood for ‘testing’? Lucien had said that he didn’t want her blood and yet the witch took it from her. No, something shady was going on and Bella wasn’t having it.
Going head to head with vampires? Well, maybe she had a death wish, but at least she’d die trying. But she was quite sure that they wouldn’t kill her, otherwise Alexis would have done so already. They wanted her for something and she was going to exploit that.
She realized that Myriam must be worried sick, and made a mental note of sending Myriam a message from her ipad if there was a free wifi signal. If all went well, Bella would be home in no time. Yeah, maybe it had been a little bit too soon for her to spread her wings and go ‘fuck all’.
Bella was just about to get into the bath when Lucien entered the bathroom, fully clothed. She turned around to face him in all of her naked glory and cocked her head as she eyed him. He was holding something behind his back. “Whatever that is, it looks too big to be my money.”
“Wow, well… uhm,” Lucien said as he hungrily licked his lips. “You are beautiful.”
“I know,” Bella replied curtly. “Thanks.”
“I was gone for a couple of days, yes, and I am very sorry for what Alexis has done to you, but I promise you, you weren’t violated in any way.”
“She took my blood.”
Lucien winced and then shrugged. “Apart from that.”
“I want it back.”
Sighing, Lucien slowly nodded. “Very well, I shall get you the vials, but in the meantime, maybe my present to you would please you?”
Bella crossed her arms over her chest and hoped that she could continue to keep up the surge of confidence in herself, she was feeling awesome despite the fact that the vampire was probably mock grovelling at her feet. Her eyes widened in shock when he produced her present from behind his back. “How?”
“As I said, I was gone for a couple of days because I came across this one,” he said as he looked at the head that was dangling from its red strands of hair. “She made some rather crude comments about your scent being on me and what she wished to do with you. Of course, to defend your honor, I dismembered her. Made sure her body burned and brought you her head. Now, sweet Isa, what do you wish for me to do with her head?”
She was slightly taken aback by Victoria’s head, it was still moving and luckily it wasn’t speaking but a sense of relief came over her and she couldn’t help but to smile widely. “Do you have the intention to make use of my offer, Lucien?”
“Perhaps, yes,” Lucien smiled at her. “I wish to take you for a night out in town. A friend of mine just opened an exhibition and I really wish to see the look on his face when we meet. I haven’t seen him in centuries.”
“After?”
“Yes, perhaps after that, we could continue the night together.”
“Good, then I want her in the bedroom, facing the bed. She can watch us,” Bella said with a nod and got into the bath, grateful to see a clean razor sitting on the edge of the bath. “I suppose I’ll have to prepare for our date,” she said playfully and winked at him. Bella had no intention of going back with him, not if she could help it. She hoped that she would be able to message Myriam and that she would come and find her. But the idea of Victoria watching Bella have sex with someone thrilled her as well.
Maybe Myriam could wait for one more day…
~o.O.o~
Well, at least Alexis hadn’t dressed her like she was starring in some sort of clothing commercial. Bella still hated her, she hated seers, but at least the clothes were alright. The red and black pencil dress was figure hugging and accentuating all of her curves in the right places and the heels weren’t too bad either.
The best part about the dress was that Lucien couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. Yeah, she was definitely going to have to wear him out in bed later. She was now in work mode and there was nothing that could stop her from doing anything else. She was in control – for the moment.
Lucien’s driver took them to Algiers, to a jazz club with a very rich history. Klaus had told Bella about this once; St. James Infirmary was a staple, it had been a neutral meeting ground for all three factions of New Orleans for centuries and only last year they warded it with spells so that nobody could use offensive magic, only defensive. It was a safe place, it was also a place where Bella couldn’t be tracked.
The way Lucien spoke of his old friend made her wonder if they were even friends. The words he spoke were laced with contempt and anger and when she asked why he was being so weird about it, he truthfully said that his friend had deceived him once or twice, but despite that, there weren’t any hard feelings. It happened centuries ago and who held grudges for centuries?
Bella knew the answer to that. All vampires did. Now she wasn’t so sure if she’d leave the party alive or in a body bag.
She looped her arm through his as they walked into the building and the first thing she noticed was the amount of paintings on display. There were a lot of them. Then there were the people and a particularly loud art critic. “It’s a derivative fiasco– little atmosphere, less technique. It’s nothing more than a self-congratulatory ego trip,” the man said, causing Lucien to grin and carefully maneuvering the both of them around a few paintings before Lucien spoke up.
“I wouldn’t expect you to host an art show without compelling the critics to speak your praise.”
“And I wouldn’t expect an uncultured savage to crash such a formal affair.”
Bella held her breath in shock. She knew that voice. It was Klaus! Luckily, she was still hidden by some paintings and quickly unhooked her arm from Lucien and walked to the other end of the infirmary to collect herself. She didn’t smell like herself because of the products in Lucien’s bathroom that obviously belonged to Alexis and she was wearing new clothes so hopefully that would diffuse the scent somewhat, but she was panicking.
There was no doubt that Klaus would send her home. Immediately.
Her eyes fell upon a painting that she sort of recognized. Moving towards it, she observed it, the brush strokes and the image itself. It was obvious, to her at least, that it was her. Her face was unrecognizable and it was mainly her back, but it was her. She recognized the curtains that were hanging in her room at Débauche. Her image was holding the drapes, almost as if she was hiding or peeking through the windows and it was just so beautiful.
Then she saw the tag next to it. The name of the painting was ‘A candle lit in the night’, watercolour painting and it wasn’t for sale. She just kept staring at the tag and the painting as if she was in some sort of trance. It didn’t make sense. Why would he have pushed her away if he thought about her like this?
“You do realize that your absence in the lives of your friends, your family, is felt quite deeply, don’t you?” Klaus’ soft voice sounded from behind her.
She wiped away the tears that she hadn’t realized that were falling from her eyes as she turned around and met his gaze. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was going to send Myriam a message but I was indisposed for a few days, and now I’m working.”
“You are?”
“Hmm,” she nodded. “I felt that I needed to make him pay for what he did. But don’t worry, I’m not hurt, he didn’t hurt me. In fact, he’s really nice.”
“Of course he is,” Klaus smiled at her, but she could see the worry in his eyes. “Well, enjoy the party and your date. I shall not interfere or alert our mutual friend that you’re here. I’m here if you need me.”
She was shocked at his words. “You’re not going to drag me by the hair and force me to go home?”
“You’re safe, that’s all that matters. Were you planning on going back home with him?”
“Maybe, it depends on how he’ll treat me at this party of yours,” she said playfully. “Perhaps I could persuade the artist of these glorious paintings to make me a better offer?”
“No persuasion needed. Enjoy your night out, Isa, I’m certainly going to do that myself now that I can breathe a little bit better.”
She couldn’t believe him. Was he really leaving all of this up to her? “Make the offer when you feel like it and I shall send my date home after returning his money,” she gently put her hand on his arm and squeezed it before excusing herself and went to find Lucien.
“What was that all about? Do you know Niklaus?” Lucien asked confused. “Is everything alright?”
“Everything’s fine,” she smiled up at him. “We have mutual friends. Had I known you were going to take me to his party, I would have definitely packed more condoms in my purse. Are you going to buy me a drink?”
“I will buy you a drink, but then you’ll have to explore the gallery a bit on your own, I do need to talk to Niklaus for a moment or two.”
Bella pouted. “You’re no fun.”
“I want to reminisce a little, it will be no fun to you because you don’t know what we’re talking about. Now, be a doll and behave yourself,” he said kindly as he pulled her along to the bar to order her a drink. Handing her the glass of wine, he let go of her and playfully smacked her ass. “Off you pop.”
“Asshole,” Bella muttered as she walked away. “Men are such pigs. It’s a good thing they have money but ugh.”
“I heard that, love.”
“I know you did, dear,” Bella smiled at Lucien as she looked over her shoulder before making her way to the other side of the room to create the idea of privacy between Klaus and Lucien.
She hated Klaus. Oh, she hated him so much and yes, he’d been right, it was either her or the club, but she hated him so much. And she hated his brother, as he wanted to ‘meet’ in the fanciest restaurant of New Orleans and she was currently sipping from a glass that contained some very expensive wine as she silently watched Elijah Mikaelson watch her in fascination.
Myriam was sick with worry about Bella’s disappearance and here she was, ‘meeting’ Elijah Mikaelson. The stuck up Mikaelson brother who did nothing but hamper most of Klaus’ ideas, who did nothing but belittle him, baby him, all in the name of the fear that the mighty hybrid might get out of control.
Before Klaus rescued her, she had often watched the Mikaelsons parade around New Orleans as if they owned the place. They basically did. Rebekah had always been so beautiful in her dresses, Elijah always so sharply dressed and Klaus a bit somewhere in between. She had often fantasized about meeting them, thinking that Klaus was the more approachable one and Elijah being more like Mr. Jenkins, or Jacques. Strict. Evil.
So the stories that Klaus told her about his brother made sense. Elijah Mikaelson was a control freak and Myriam hated control freaks – other than herself, she was a control freak and this ‘meeting’ was a recipe for disaster.
“Miss Jenkins, I’m well aware that you’re worried about your friend Bella, but you’re here with me and you don’t seem to be enjoying yourself,” Elijah eventually said after watching Myriam down two glasses of wine. “This is not a business meeting.”
“Then what is it?”
“I believe that we’re on a date,” he said smugly and raised his glass to toast the air and take a sip of his wine. “We’re currently drinking a 600 dollar bottle of wine while we’re waiting for our food to arrive and usually, that would make any woman more susceptible in the feeling of feeling joyous.”
She blinked at that. He really was this stuck up asshole, wasn’t he? A pompous one at that, flaunting his wealth, stroking his ego. “PF Chang’s would have been fine. McDonald’s even.”
“Please, you’re a woman of class, you deserve to be taken to a restaurant as this.”
Myriam let out a snort and shook her head. “You honestly think that me, a glorified madam, am a woman of class? Wow, your standards must be really low.” When she saw the confusion on his face, she smiled at him. “I usually get paid for dates like these, you know, expensive restaurant, some drinking, some foreplay…”
“Would it make you feel more comfortable if I’d pay you for your time?”
“In this place?” She gestured around her. “Mr. Mikaelson, you said you believed we’re on a date. I don’t date. I haven’t had a date for centuries. You pay, I play.”
“Or, you could just leave,” he said simply, an amused smile dancing on his lips. “But then we’ll have to meet at your club and I’d really like to get involved in that business.”
“Why? Why are you so interested in what I’ve built? What I’m doing? Is it because of your brother? Is that it? Jealousy, because he’s done something right?”
Elijah sighed as he checked to see if his tie was still straight. “It’s no secret that the supernatural community is quite the diverse group of people roaming this Earth. The humans have their shelters for the abused but I never once thought that perhaps someone should start a shelter, a safe haven, for the humans getting abused by people like us. We more often than not leave devastation in our wake or abuse our power. I find that admirable and I wish to support you in this endeavour, just as my brother has done and continues to do.”
“Yeah, no. Not going to happen. We’ve been doing alright and don’t need your help. Now, conversation about what I do to give back to the humans is over,” she said curtly as she took another sip of her wine. “We shall not discuss my friendship with your brother, either. And for the love of everything that’s holy, we do not discuss your family issues. I’m not a therapist.”
“Does this mean you’ll stay?”
“I don’t want you involved in my business, so I suppose I have no choice in the matter,” she said as she looked to see the waiter come with their appetizers. “But make no mistake, Mr. Mikaelson, I’m not here voluntarily.”
He swallowed his delicious piece of food and smiled at her. “Very well, Miss Jenkins, what do you do to relax?”
~o.O.o~
While her date was talking to Klaus, Bella moved through the exhibition and took in every painting. She knew the stories behind them, Klaus had told every single one of them and unknown to all of the people in the Infirmary, he was laying his soul bare for all to see. Klaus was showing his softer side, his fragility, his humanity.
And it was beautiful. She wanted to push a knife through the art critic’s chest as he was quite negative about Klaus’ work and didn’t understand why Klaus hadn’t compelled him to speak nothing but praise about the paintings, but perhaps that was also a reason why he didn’t. Klaus wanted his art to be enjoyed or hated, unspoiled by any kind of influence.
Klaus once told her why he loved to paint. He found it a metaphor of control, everything on the canvas was his choice, done by his hand, with the colors he choose. Whenever he felt that he was losing control, painting was his therapy. His soul and heart was in each and every one of those paintings and she wished that the critic would see at least that. If he was as good as everyone around her claimed to be, he would have seen it and not the fact that the work was ‘derivative’.
Hell, she wouldn’t be surprised if Klaus either taught the master the critic thought it was derivative of or he would have been taught by the master. “Well, I think they’re beautiful,” she let out a breath as she spoke quietly as she happened to be in the vicinity of the critic.
The critic looked at her in disdain. “Well of course you’d think it’s beautiful, you’re obviously uncultured.”
Bella looked up to him with a big smile. “Bob? Is that you? Oh my god! How are you! I haven’t seen you in a very long time!”
Bob the critic turned beet red. “Uhm…”
“You definitely have to come by sometime, I believe I still have the pair of glasses you left behind, they look so sexy on me by the way, and you still need to lick my boots clean,” she pulled his head down and pecked his cheek. “Call me. Soon.” She then hit his ass playfully and made her way to the bar where she saw both Klaus and Lucien look at her with their mouths open in shock. “Close those mouths before something flies in there and get me a drink.” She sat down on a chair and let out a deep breath and eagerly threw back the tequila shot that was placed in front of her. “That was fun.”
“That was my art critic.”
“I know, right?” She smiled widely. “He used to be a regular but I haven’t seen him in a while. Great tipper. Not a lot of stamina.”
Klaus narrowed his eyes on Bella. He didn’t like her work persona very much, he never had, but never had to experience her in full on work mode. This was torture. A familiar scent wafted in and he excused himself. He needed to talk to Camille.
“So,” Bella said as she scooted over to Lucien and ran her hand up his arm. “Did you two catch up yet? Want to watch the paintings with me?”
“No, pet, I need him to come with us to the penthouse so Alexis can show him what kind of danger we all are in,” Lucien said bitterly as he strained his ears to overhear the conversation his sire was having with this Camille.
Bella didn’t like the sound of that. “Threesome? Foursome?” She said hopefully. “You know that it would cost you more if we’re going to do that. Not to mention, likely a new bed, you vampires tend to forget that you’re super strong when you’re in the moment.” She ran her hand up his arm and rested her hand in his neck where she toyed with his hair. “Why take me out on a date when you’re not even having fun? Is it me?”
Lucien ignored her as he continued to listen Camille tell Klaus about this murder victim.
Sighing, Bella let go of Lucien and grabbed her purse. “I think I’ll walk to the penthouse and wait for you there while you conclude your business. I can tell that I’m not wanted here.”
“You are not going to walk home all alone, Isa,” Lucien said as he took hold of her arm as she was leaving. “Give me fifteen more minutes. Then we’ll leave.”
She looked at his hand that was holding on to her and then up to him. “Let go of me or I’ll scream rape,” she hissed. Lucien let go of her and she nodded. “Fifteen more minutes and hope that someone doesn’t make me a better offer.”
She walked up to a server to get a glass of champagne and walked back to the paintings, making sure to stay out of Klaus and Cami’s way. This was going to be a long night. Maybe she should lift someone’s phone to call Myriam because Lucien’s chance of getting laid tonight was getting slimmer and slimmer by all the remarks that he made and how he treated her. Klaus didn’t seem to be in a hurry to bail her out either.
Bob gave her a wide berth, which was hilarious. She found a spot where she could keep an eye on him wherever he went and she liked seeing him squirm. It was the best she could do, all she wanted currently was to curl up on her couch in her fluffy pyjamas after a good soak in a very hot bath and watch Toe The Line.
But, it was likely that she was going to have to face the wrath of Myriam first.
Much to her surprise, half an hour later they were at the penthouse. Lucien, Klaus and her and Lucien was introducing Alexis to Klaus. “Isa, be a dear and go to the bedroom, this business doesn’t involve you,” Lucien instructed her. “I’ll join you shortly, I’m afraid that Alexis will need some time to recover and won’t be joining us.”
Klaus was forcing himself not to react to the scene in front of him. He understood that Bella was in work mode, but he didn’t like it one bit. And the idea of Lucien having sex with his Bella sickened him and he wanted to push his fist into his cavity and rip out Lucien’s heart. However, if there was a possibility that there was a threat against him and his family, he needed to know. Would he make Bella a better offer now, chances were that he wasn’t going to get what he wanted.
“Careful with believing what she says,” Bella said as she kicked off her shoes. “She’s one hell of a storyteller and doesn’t really think things true.” She swung open the bedroom door and sat down on the bed, looking into the living room with her arms crossed over her chest. She wasn’t even going to bother to look sexy until Lucien paid attention to her.
Lucien rolled his eyes as he removed Alexis’ shawl, revealing her wearing a very daring cocktail dress. “Alexis is no back-alley palm-reader. She’s an expert cipher– patterns, trends, cycles… She does exceptionally well on the stock market, and never fails to guess the winner of The Bachelorette.”
Alexis smiled as she seductively made her way over to Klaus, caressing his chest with the palm of her hand before resting it on his chest as she intensely looked at him.
“Bit forward, isn’t she?”
“I’ve heard so much about you. The famous hybrid. Your ancient heart beats strong indeed for someone in such danger. If you wish to get the full experience, I suggest you feed from me while I prophesize, to see the images connect to the words.” She brushed her hair to the side to expose her neck to him while Lucien lifted her wrist to his mouth.
“It’s been far too long since we shared a proper drink, Niklaus.”
He looked over to Bella, who sat there on the bed with her eyebrows raised. He never snacked on a human in front of her. He wasn’t sure if Myriam ever did, but this was a part of him that he didn’t want her to get involved in. Sure, she knew he needed blood to survive but drinking in front of her almost made him feel ashamed of what he was. He currently didn’t have a choice in the matter. Letting out a breath, he sunk his teeth into Alexis’ neck.
“Drink deep, but beware– what you broke is past repair. All your oaths you betrayed, your sacred vows you’ve severed. And now you see that nothing last for always and forever. Three yet remain, two already crossed– yet, in one year’s time, you’ll all be lost. As your family is undone, you will seed the beast that is to come.” Alexis’ voice sounded deeper, distorted as she was in some sort of trance, but snapped out of it once the prophecy was told and the vampires stopped drinking from her.
Klaus was angry and grabbed Alexis by the throat. “You think you can fool me with bad poetry and parlor tricks?”
She smiled lightly in return. “My visions are conjured from you. The threat you face will be more clear the longer I am in your presence. Kill me, and you’ll never see what’s coming.”
Klaus looked over to Lucien and released her with a scowl on his face. “What did you pay for the whore in your bedroom?”
“$500?”
He marched into the bedroom and took Bella’s hand. “I’ll offer you double.”
“Hold on!” Lucien stammered. “She’s mine!”
“Then make a better offer,” Bella smiled sweetly. “I know you have more, because you already paid me $5000.”
Klaus was surprised to hear that, but tried not to show it. He was certain he was going to hear the entire story soon enough.
“I’ll double his offer.”
“Eh,” Bella said with a shrug and looked up to the hybrid. “You can have me for your original offer, good sir. Lucien hasn’t been the most pleasant date. He had the nerve to call me his pet.” She then pointed to Victoria’s head on the shelf above the door. “Look what he did.”
“Well, that’s one worry out of the way, well done, Lucien.”
“What’s going on?”
“Your friend is taking me home,” Bella let go of Klaus and made her way over to Lucien. “But thank you for killing Victoria for me,” she said as she tiptoed to kiss his cheek. “I’d say that I enjoyed spending time with you but since we’ve only known each other for two days…”
“You were gone for nearly five, love.” Klaus reminded her.
“Oh yes, I told you I was indisposed,” she reminded him before scooping up her bag and joining his side again.
“Let’s go home,” he smiled at her, irritation towards Alexis and Lucien still evident in his voice, but at least he was going to take his girl home.
“Nik, forget the whore for a second,” Lucien said as he didn’t move from where he was to stop his sire from leaving. “I told you something was wrong. You’ll need me.”
Growling, he let go of Bella and threw Lucien against the wall. “I am Klaus Mikaelson! I don’t need anyone, nor will I be warned by lesser men!” he shouted as he made his way over and pulled Lucien up by his collar until he was just inches away from his face. “I am the thing that lesser men fear,” he added in a whisper.
“Then act like it,” Lucien smirked as he pushed Klaus away and got to his feet. “Instead of doting on your pretty human girls and pouting about your family’s disapproval! Yes, you are Klaus Mikaelson! You are the most ruthless, wicked beast to ever live! I came here to remind you of that. Because, quite frankly, I’ve been worried that you’ve lost a step.” He then pointed at Isa. “Case and point.”
“Leave her out of this, Lucien!” Klaus warned him with a growl. “I need no reminding of who I am. That truth has been clear to me for a thousand years.”
“And, in those years, you’ve acquired countless enemies. And, with the sirelines at war, you now have mine as well. Anyone who would kill me can now come after you. And, since I have so many rivals, and because I do not want to die, I beg you– let me help you! From now on, I’m the only one you can trust!”
Klaus didn’t say anything and gently took Bella’s hand before pulling her towards the door. He didn’t trust Lucien. In fact, he didn’t trust anyone but himself, and perhaps Bella, but that was it. However, he was sure as hell going to find out if this prophecy was true. Any threat against him and his family – how ludacris and out there it may seem, was a threat. However, right now, his only concern was Bella and get her home. He was itching to kill something. Someone. He needed to get Bella home so it wouldn’t be her.
~o.O.o~
Bella felt as if she was dragged to the principal’s office. Klaus didn’t speak the entire way, just made sure they kept moving towards Débauche and she could feel his anger in his body language. She also knew that it wasn’t directed to her persé but she couldn’t help but to feel as if he was a walking timebomb.
She stopped him a corner away from the club. “You need to relax otherwise the doormen won’t let you inside, no matter that you’re Klaus Mikaelson. You look like you could snap someone’s neck.”
“Frankly I feel like tearing someone apart limb from limb.”
“Then do it.”
He paused, his tongue running over his lips as his eyes looked anywhere but at her before he slowly turned to face her. His hands reached up to bury his fingers in her hair as he let out a shaky breath, and shook his head. “Love, I can’t. You’re with me.”
“That’s no excuse,” she put her hand on his cheek and smiled at him. “There’s a group of purse snatchers in the alley across the street, I’m sure nobody will miss them.”
His lips curled at the corner of his mouth at her words. “You are condoning my committing murder? For no other reason than the fact that I simply have an urge to kill?”
“Look,” she caressed his arm with her other hand. “I have no problem with you being who you are. You’re a vampire. You kill people. That’s what you do. Or what you should do. I admire your restraint, Klaus, but you are on edge. And they are criminals. Not tiny babies or innocent women. I don’t have a problem with you tearing apart criminals and making this city a little bit safer for us humans,” she then scrunched her nose as if she remembered something. “I think I had a bigger problem with them killing Bambi than you killing people, how fucked up is that?”
Klaus kissed the top of her head with a smile. “We’ve never discussed this side of me before, and I think that we should. I also think that I owe you an apology and I shall do my best to do that when we get home. We should also have another talk.”
“I’m good with talking all night,” she nodded.
“Good, now, let’s go inside the club, say hi to Myriam and pack you a bag so you can come home.”
Bella looked at him, shocked, as she went over his words. “Wait, what?”
“I want you home, with me, where you belong.”
“But… but what about our talk?”
“We’ll do that once you’ve settled in.”
“But what about my apartment?”
“You pack what you need now, and we’ll get your other trinkets another day. Bella, you don’t belong there. You’ll be well protected at the compound.”
“What about my job?”
“We’ll discuss that later.”
“Klaus!”
“I’m not hearing you refuse coming to live with me,” he said playfully, his anger had somewhat disappeared by her speech, her heart, her warmth. “Let’s go tell Myriam you’re in one piece.”
