Protecting Them (Only His Series: Book 3) *NEW VERSION*

Chapter 40

Alex's P.O.V

~Later that Night~

"ALEX!" Klaus shouted and I almost slapped him when he came rushing in with Elijah. Victor wasn't back yet, but Hayley and Charles were.

"Shh!" I scolded him and pointed to Cordelia's crib. Klaus walked over and checked on her as I followed him.

"Why didn't you call us sooner?" Elijah asked and I turned to him on a dime.

"You don't think I did?!" I asked him. "I tried to call you guys! But since Dahlia was able to take down both Klaus and Mikael, I'm guessing that a cell phone tower was a piece of cake."

"And where were the wolves who stood guard?" Klaus asked unhappily as we moved to stand near the bar with Elijah.

"Getting their asses handed to them by Dahlia, just like you did," Charles said to him frustrated, causing Klaus to glare at my eldest before turning to me.

"Ok. That's it - you're coming with me to the compound," Klaus ordered.

"Where Dahlia sent Josephine this morning? No way!" Charles intervened, before I had a chance to say anything, and came closer to us. "They'd be sitting ducks, just like they will be here as soon as that spell breaks." My son then turned to me. "Which is why we have to go."

Elijah looked at me alarmed, and Klaus looked confused by what they meant. "Right, Alex?" Hayley asked behind me. Why did you have to say that Hayley? You've made everything slightly more complicated now. The bar went silent as I glanced at her over my shoulder. I just needed to buy time to get the bracelet before I could go back to the compound...where are you, Victor?

"Yes," I whispered and my voice cracked. It killed me to agree to this plan. I coughed a bit and looked at Klaus, who was glaring at me, to make it convincing for my son and Hayley. If only Charles and Hayley hadn't gotten here before Klaus. I could have explained everything. "Yeah...Charles and Hayley got all the supplies we need, then we are going to take the wolves and head to the Bayou." It was breaking my heart to tell Klaus this bullshit of a plan. "We're going to head to Mystic Falls to get Bonnie's help unless you've killed the witch bitch by then...then I'll just bring the twins home."

"The swamp? So my children can be protected by the very wolves Dahlia so easily defeated? Absolutely not!" Klaus shouted and Charles aggressively got in my partner's face.

"You know, I am so over taking advice from you, Klaus. All it has done so far is put my baby sister in danger," Charles growled. "From now on, I am going to do what I think is best for my family." Charles grabbed my hand and began to take me away from Klaus. "We're leaving."

Klaus grabbed my arm and turned me around to him, yanking me back into his chest. Our eyes locked and he studied my face. I kept it blank so Charles didn't catch on. I didn't know if Hayley was good at reading people, but my son was. Sadly because of this Klaus couldn't tell that I didn't want to leave in the first place and that I was only stalling. "You're not going anywhere unless I tell you to," Klaus growled.

"She is not your prisoner, Klaus!" Hayley shouted at him.

"All of you, please - we're playing into Dahlia's hands," Elijah stated, trying to defuse the tension in the room.

"Not doing as I say plays into her hands!" Klaus exclaimed, walking in front of all of us. "While you two have been kowtowing to Freya and devising ways to flee with your tail between your legs, I've been forging a new path. I know what Freya was planning, and I know how to kill Dahlia." Klaus said and I sighed in relief. I knew it! Although I wish you started with that, so I could've made up a reason to stay with you. "Freya objected to us making a single weapon because it spoiled her plan-" Klaus began to explain but got interrupted.