𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ― 𝐤. 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚

𝐗𝐕𝐈

From his movement, the artist in front of him glared.

That was what Kaden hated about being considered a nobleman—the constant need for portraits. Usually Nik would be the one to paint the siblings due to his affliction for art but he had given up with his older brother because of how much Kaden detested sitting still for hours. The two always argued throughout the process and in the end, one of them would either get up and walk away or try to take a swing.

But Nik was adamant that the family needed updated portraits for the latest century. Kaden was unsure why since it wasn't as if they hung them around for the world to see knowing that their father was hunting them, and could use those paintings as a way to track them.

It didn't help that the king also wanted a portrait for the men that helped save his life. He wanted to display them like they were gods at his party he was holding to celebrate the end of the brewing war between England and Scotland.

Either way, Kaden was stuck, bored out of his mind while sitting on an uncomfortable stool for hours while the compelled artist painted him.

But then the door opened and a certain girl walked into the room.

"Ah, Katerina, darling." Kaden greeted, dropping his pose momentarily to look at the beauty that had just walked into the room; being his saving grace for entertainment, "There you are. Come." He ushered her over. He had sent for her hours ago to meet him when she was ready but it seemed she had been caught up until then.

"I don't want to intrude..." She trailed cautiously as she made her way over to Kaden, not wanting to get on the bad side of either of them for interrupting the session. Once she was in reach, he grabbed her and pulled her into his lap, causing her to let out a joyous squeal. The painter giving the two a nasty glare, "Why are you doing such a thing, my Lord?" She asked, blushing as she felt his lips press up her neck.

"Nik insists." He murmured against her skin as he continued to press kisses up her neck and behind her ear, enjoying the feeling of her shifting on top of his lap.

"But isn't your brother an artist himself?" Katherine questioned again with confusion. She remembered seeing Niklaus in his art studio, painting away the quiet times. From what she could remember also, he was very good at it.

"He is, but he's a bit too demanding for my taste." He explained and pulled away from her neck, Katherine shuffled around on his lap and pushed a piece of curly blonde hair away from his face.

The doppelgänger hummed, "Very well." She said before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips, "I won't keep you long then. I just wanted to say hello."

He gave her a lazy smile, "Well, hello." He said to her and she rolled her eyes, "Will I see you tonight at the celebration?"

"If I am wanted." She confirmed.

"You are very wanted." He murmured and his face fell at the very truth of his words. She was wanted by everyone. Nik wanted to kill her, vampires and werewolves all over the world wanted to capture her to take her to Nik to break the curse of the 'Sun and the Moon', Trevor wanted to fuck her as did many others, Elijah wanted to shield her because he still sees Tatia in her, and there were many others that wanted her for her beauty.

"Something troubles you, what is it?" She asked him when she noticed his face fall.

Kaden couldn't answer truthfully. He could really feel himself falling for her and he knew that he would have to hand her over to Nik to be sacrificed, "Only the impossible depth of your beauty." He told her and she laughed at him, "Puts the rest of the world to shame."