Wicked Schemes

Chapter 17

But staying wasn't a viable option, was it? What about school? What about her friends, her mom? There was Bonnie's death to deal with and Jeremy's return, but after those were done did she have to stay in Mystic Falls? There were so many questions she didn't have an answer to and didn't think she would for a while.

Caleb watched Caroline twist the card in between her hands, could see the internal struggle on the girl's face and couldn't imagine what must be going through her head. He didn't like Klaus or his siblings, was scared to death of the Hybrid and no longer just because of the stories he'd been told growing up. He had seen firsthand how quickly he could end a life, threaten another, and use someone else as a bargaining chip. He had also seen the way the Original watched Caroline and he didn't like it one bit. That all-consuming look of possession and another emotion he wasn't comfortable believing the Hybrid was capable of having for anyone but himself.

"We don't have to put them up..." he trailed off when she shook her head and stepped forward again.

"Here," Caroline stated and tacked the card over the werewolves before placing Rebekah and Elijah's there as well. It wasn't the best fit, but it would work for now.

Caleb glanced over at her, unsure about her answer. "Do you really think they care about the wolves?" Because he couldn't see the blonde Original or the other one giving a damn about them. Had a feeling Klaus was only using them to further his own goals.

"I think that Klaus is the one they picked to be their new Alpha so he has power over them. Just as Marcel does the majority of the vampires in the Quarter." Caroline leaned back against the table, still frowning at their work. "And I think that Elijah and Rebekah will stay by their brother." For the moment at least. She wasn't sure how long that would last though. "It's not like we can't move the cards around if we need to."

"They can see it anyway," Caleb pointed out, nodding back toward the doorway that led to wherever Rebekah and Klaus were currently.

"I don't exactly know what would have been better for us, to go with the rest of the Coven or coming here or what, but we're here now. So we deal with these circumstances and use them to our advantage." Caroline shrugged and looked over at him again. "Maybe we can't trust everything that's said to us by anyone because everyone has their own agenda, but one thing the Originals do know is the history of New Orleans. Or at least old New Orleans. And we're going to need that." Glancing back at the board she let out a needless breath. "They've also been pretty insistent on saving my life."

Rebekah had done so against the vampires in the bar and slapping some sense into her back at the old place. Klaus when he set out to find her, believing she was kidnapped and possibly dead. Helping to protect her mother. Even getting her to safety again should have been points in their favor. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if there were ulterior motives but then again she already knew that there were. They simply weren't the usual ones most probably had when helping a Harbinger.

Klaus wanted her alive because he cared for her, and while Caroline wasn't stupid enough to think he wasn't going to use her new status to his advantage however he could, she also thought he might not purposefully put her in harm's way. He seemed to be doing what he could to keep her out of trouble—which was downright annoying at times because she could take care of herself. Hello, vampire! But was that really keeping her safe or just hidden to unleash against Marcel when he least expected it?

She frowned. The last thing she wanted to do was start second guessing everything. Caroline Forbes was not going to allow herself to become a paranoid pessimist. No way. "I'm good with where I put them," she nodded; trying to sound determined in her response and was pleased her voice didn't sound like it was wavering.