Searching for Always and Forever

Chapter 39

The huge dinner table was filled with unique foods Hope never saw before. It was beautifully arranged in the most appetizing way. Everyone sat at the table while the help served the food... they even had people to do that, although Hope was pretty sure Klaus just compelled some poor people to do his dirty work. Klaus sat at the head of the table, and Freya at the other head. At Klaus's right Caroline and next to her sat Lizzie. At Klaus's left sat Hope and at this point she didn't really care that she was sitting by him... it was better than Lucien. Thankfully next to Hope sat Landon and he could hold her hand through the dinner. At Freya's right, next to Landon sat Keelin, Freya's wife. Freya introduced her, but after Lucien, Hope couldn't really focus on anyone else. And on Freya's left, next to Lizzie sat him... Lucien.

Hope's stomach was in a knot. The food looked delicious but she had no appetite at all. The person who murdered her parents sat right there at the same table with her. She was picking at her food, hoping no one would notice she wasn't eating. This wasn't her plan. She wanted to be the one who is a step ahead of Lucien and not vice versa. What was his plan? Why was he there? Maybe for the same reason Hope was, to gain some information before he could get to her. Aurora and Tristan said he wouldn't be satisfied with just taking Hope's blood. He wouldn't let Hope live... and what if Hope couldn't die? What would he do to her? The thought scared her, a lifetime of suffering and being kept in isolation as Lucien's personal bloodbag. It would never happen to Hope! She promised she would never leave the kids. Maybe Lucien had the upper hand now, but Hope knew exactly who he was and what he wanted. He could not possibly surprise her. She had to be on guard at every moment.

"You don't disappoint Klaus. Who did you have to compel to prepare such an exclusive dinner for your daughter's honor?" Lucien spoke and his fake laughter was disturbing, Hope couldn't help but make a disgusted expression. She accidentally looked at Klaus who had a very similar expression on his face as Hope. At least Hope wasn't the only one being annoyed by Lucien's presence.

"Only the best for my daughter." Klaus faked a smile at his friend and Hope couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh which made everyone look at her.

"Could you all please stop with the daughter crap? I'm no one's daughter, my parents are dead." Hope snapped and made the mistake, and for a slight moment when she mentioned her parents, she took a glance at Lucien with full hatred in her eyes.

"Of course." Klaus mumbled something while Hope quickly looked back at her plate and continued picking on her food in silence. She felt like she already compromised herself in front of Lucien... so stupid! She should just shut up from now on and bear Klaus's annoying comments. There was an uncomfortable silence at the table for a long time and when the silence broke, it was only Lucien who dared to speak. He made stupid jokes about how savage Klaus and the Mikaelsons were when they first met nearly a thousand years ago. It turned out he was the very first vampire Klaus turned, which was interesting information, but his constant talking made Hope's head hurt and as she glanced at Klaus from time to time, he was equally annoyed. Caroline, who sat opposed to Hope, made eye contact with Hope and smiled at her, and luckily she interrupted Lucien's nonsense stories.

"I heard you are an artist, Hope." Caroline said casually.

"I paint." Hope replied quietly. She didn't dare to look at Klaus, who she knew had this as a common ground with her. Probably this was the reason Caroline even mentioned the subject.

"Have you started painting here in the Salvatore School or is it something you did before?" Caroline asked Hope again.

"I've been painting since I was a kid." Hope shrugged.

"So, does Klaus." Caroline replied and Hope wanted to roll her eyes. She knew this was where the conversation was going. "Tell her how you made paint." Caroline tapped Klaus's arm and Hope did everything to avoid Klaus's eyes as she was feeling him staring at her.