✓ | 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂, Stefan and Damon

Chapter 26

Everything had come together all at once. Nik had been going crazy because he just couldn't seem to sniff out his precious mate. Caroline had her mating bond blocked. They had never met with both of them in their normal bodies before that damned curse had been placed over Caroline. Bonnie had not only hurt her friend, she hurt Nik, my own brother.

Nobody was allowed to hurt my brother.

"It was you all along," Nik muses, his voice low. I could tell that my older brother was on the verge of tears. He had been waiting so long for a mate and here she was, standing right in front of her. "That Bennett witch," Nik's voice now became angry, cursing slowly under his own breath, his vampire wanting to kill the one who had cursed his mate and caused them so much pain.

"Klaus. That's why she didn't want me to meet my mate. Oh my god, you're my mate, Klaus," Caroline looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Please don't kill her. Please," Caroline begged my brother.

"Nik, my name is Nik," Nik tells her in a pleading tone. The name Klaus was the one he used when he wanted to be feared, to be hated by everyone. It was the name of a king. Nik was the name of the boy from the village, the name that his family used. He wanted her to be his family. "Only people who hate me call me Klaus."

Caroline looks confused, but gets up off the couch and comes to him, standing in front of him before giving him a huge hug. 'I'm sorry, Nik. I'm sorry about what I did. I'm sorry that I couldn't stop it from happening. I should have had a backbone," Caroline apologizes to her newly found mate.

The anger had flown through me. This would normally be a joyous occasion, one of my brothers finding their mate, but it was clouded by the dark magic that had started it all. Henrik had to come over and calm me down. I knew that it was probably just the dark magic inside of me. I didn't want to use it for anything, but it would cloud my judgement as long as it stayed deep in my chest.

Henrik placed his arms around me as I growled. "Astrid, I know you're really mad, but please don't hurt Bonnie for this. She doesn't know what dark magic does like you all do. She's just a stupid senior who has no idea what she's doing in life now that the supernatural has entered the chat," Caroline pleads with me. Nik just looks to her and wraps his arms around her, clearly just as upset as I was.

While my vampire was known to get attached to people, it was also known for protecting anyone that I loved. I was not an angry person. No, I was almost always just upset with someone or something that happened. Now, pure fiery anger flowed through my veins. I sped out of the room to go and find my mates. I needed them to calm me down.

No doubt Damon and Stefan felt my anger shake through the bond. I found them at the table in the dining room, Damon sucking on a blood bag while he and Stefan talked about something of importance. Kol and Elijah were there as well.

Everyone had turned to me. My face was bright red as I flung myself at Stefan, giving him a hug. I needed something physical from him. Physical affection seemed to be the only thing that could calm me down when I got this angry at someone.

"Sweetheart, what happened? Why are you so angry?" Stefan asks, rubbing my back as I bury my head in his chest, rubbing my scent all over him in some sort of primal vampire dominance. I turned my head to see Kol and Elijah looking worried as well.

"Is Caroline okay now that you took the magic out of her?" Kol asks, knowing what was going on upstairs. Elijah still had yet to be told about it. He looked annoyed that he had been left out of the loop while Kol knew everything.

"That fucking Bennett witch is on her last fucking straw with me. I swear to all that is holy she better be praying on her goddamn fucking knees because I am ready to tear off her head and give it to a pack of werewolves," I seethe, cursing up a storm, something that only happened when I was really angry. Elijah takes a step back, not wanting to be on my bad side while I was this angry and ready to pop someone's head off. Decapitation, even if it won't kill an Original Vampire, was not pretty at all.

"What did Ms. Bennett do, Astrid?" Elijah asked awkwardly.

"She blocked Caroline's mating bond. Turns the fuck out that she knew who Caroline's mate was all along. She's known for like a year and allowed Caroline to suffer the whole time. Damn bitch, she knew that Caroline would turn against Elena if she knew who her mate was. Did she want her friend to go feral or something? It's not like he's even that bad. Well, Elena thinks he's that bad. Fuck, I hate life right now," I inform my older brother, who came over and patted my head gently.

"Who's Care's mate, Astrid?" I shook my head at Stefan's question as Nik and Caroline came down the stairs. Everyone turned to them and just waved.

"Wait a minute, wait a damn minute," Kol looks at the two of them and then looks at the group. "Am I the only one who knows who it is already?"

"Fuck off, Kol," Nik glares at his little brother who just sticks his tongue out.

"Am I the only one who's confused as hell?" Damon asks. Elijah and Stefan shake their heads, also extremely confused at what was going on in the household. They were always the slow ones. They could sniff out a traitor, but in many ways they were the thickest people I knew, the three of them.

"Have you told them, little one?" Nik asks me, looking for an immediate answer. I shook my head. This was not the time and place for my oversharing of Nik's life. This was Nik's time to shine and introduce Caroline to the family.

"Told us what, little brother?" Elijah asks, shaking his head, his eyes filled with curiosity and confusion. Kol and Caroline laughed at them. Damn morons, my mates and brothers. I swear, are the men in this family doomed to not pick up on things?

"Well, you see, big brother," Nik motioned to Caroline in all of her bombshell beauty, "Caroline here is my mate."

Kol started laughing harder than ever. He knew, he just thought that Elijah was being funny as hell right now. Our older brother was cute when he was being stupid, which was a lot of the time. "Welcome to the family, Caroline Forbes, you better make my brother stop daggering me or I'll be peeved."

Caroline glares at Nik and he gives her a what did I do? Look. "I promise you that Niklaus Mikaelson will not dagger you for at least another millenia," Caroline promises my older brother who then pumps his fists in the air in triumph. "I also extend that promise to you, Elijah."

"You are a noble woman, Caroline Forbes," Elijah chuckles. Oh, Caroline, you are now my favorite sister. Sorry, Bex, but you just got replaced!

"You better hold the same promise as your mate, Nikky boy," I tease. Yes, this is the good life.