Claudia Lockwood-Mikaelson

Chapter 44 - Back to Eden

"No," Elijah shouts in alarm but the dagger pierces his chest despite his panic.

Nik and Marcel appear in the room and Nik's face turns as white as a sheet.

"Claudia Claudia, stop," my mate rushes forwards and I respond immediately to the terror in his voice.

The dagger's tip remains in Elijah's chest but I haven't pushed it to the hilt yet. I don't want to continue now Nik has told me to stop.

I step back and leave the dagger half-embedded in Elijah. Nik's full attention is on his brother now, as if I'm not even there as he stares at him in horror. He doesn't take the blade out, he just stares at it in fear as he frantically looks between Elijah and me. Why is he so scared? 

A second later he comes to his senses and Nik yanks it out with a low grunt from Elijah. They both turn to me and I start bawling my eyes out, confused as to what just happened.

I bet he is furious with me now. I just stabbed him. Oh God. He's going to kill me, I'm finally going to see what it's like for him to be angry at me.

Being Nik's mate won't save me now. I'm done for. I start shaking in fear as Nik steps towards me but I don't expect the words coming out of his mouth.

"I'm so sorry Claudia," he apologises profusely. "I should have known, I'm an idiot for not realising I'm so sorry."

He steps towards me again but I back away from him, tears streaming down my cheeks. I don't understand what he's talking about. How could I do such a thing?

Am I just as bad as Celeste? That's what she told me wasn't it? That I was just like her. I've proven her right. I can't be anywhere near this family if I'm like her. Including my mate.

I can't blame Celeste's hex for my actions. I knew what I was doing. I thought Nik wanted this and so I wanted to do it for him. He told me to but clearly I was mistaken since he was the one to pull the dagger out of Elijah's chest not encourage me to finish him off.

I must be losing my mind to believe he would want that. What was I thinking?

"You're sired," Elijah states as he examines the dagger closely inspecting every crevice like he's looking for some sort of flaw or weak point. "It's not your fault Claudia, I hold no animosity toward you. You're not to blame."

I'm not to blame? How is it not my fault? Has he already forgotten I was the one who stabbed him?

"When you transitioned to a hybrid you had my blood in your system," Nik explains but I'm unsure how this is relevant. "Do you feel any different towards me?"

"No, I love you and I've always loved you."

He sighs before explaining, "a sire bond formed when you transitioned with my blood and had feelings for me prior to becoming a hybrid."

He rakes a hand across his face and looks at me with a pained expression.

"I'm sorry," I say to him but I don't know what I'm exactly apologising to him for. I just hate seeing him so downcast, I'll do anything to cheer him up. "I don't want to upset you. I didn't want to dagger Elijah but I thought you asked me to. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Stop. Just stop love, I caused this. I told you to do it last night."

His words hurt and I'm really confused. So he did tell me last night? I swallow hard and look at the floor. What if he doesn't want me now? I know I've disappointed him even if I don't understand much else.

"You did nothing wrong Claudia, I'm not rejecting you," he reassures me sensing my inner turmoil through our bond. "Any direct or indirect request I make, you follow exactly as I say because I am your sire. I should have guessed but I thought our mate bond wouldn't be affected. I should have seen this coming..."