They didn't speak of it.
As soon as he'd stopped crying, he'd tapped her wrist to let her know that he wanted her to release him. She did so, and he turned to face her, wishing to embrace her, but knowing he wouldn't be able to stop himself from going further. He kissed her forehead gently before speeding away, leaving her alone in front of the nearly dying fire.
The following morning, he left a note, telling her he was going to run an errand, without specification. She had her breakfast, then checked her phone, seeing that Elena had texted her, asking if they could talk on the phone.
"Hi," said Esmeray quietly. "What is it?"
"Esmeray, I'm sorry," said Elena sincerely. "I didn't know they were going to stall you, they told me that they wanted to ask you for help with Alaric. Which... is why I'm calling today. You don't have to say yes. But we know your specialty is Mind Spells, and Bonnie's didn't work. He has the last white oak stake and if we don't get it to Klaus, Stefan and Damon will die."
Esmeray let out a sigh. "I'm only going to help because you were the one that asked, and I know you just want what's best for Ric. After that... I don't know."
"I know we all screwed up big time. I'm sorry. I understand if you don't want to help after this."
"I just... I just think it's time for me to go explore, Elena. I stayed here thinking I was going to genuinely be happy. I thought Damon and I would be in a relationship. But this has just become a place where I feel... like I'm doing the same things over and over. I want to go and have Anya help me with my ritual. She offered to travel at my side to see if we can find some Poldark wolves. As far as she knows, I'm the last pure one left, but I still want to look, and see if I can find even one mixed wolf with a drop of Poldark blood. After that... we'll see. I know Klaus doesn't want to stay here forever and I might choose to follow him in his travels. All I know is that I want to start doing things for myself. It's been long enough since I awoke from my slumber. I'm ready to leave."
She arrived at the Salvatore House within the hour. Alaric was being kept in the dungeon that her coffin had once resided in. By then, Damon and Elena had left (apparently to get Jeremy) and Esmeray walked in to find Stefan and Alaric drinking bourbon together.
"Well, don't let me interrupt this cozy little get together," she said, raising a brow when they stopped drinking at the sight of her.
"You came," said Stefan, looking surprised.
She cast him a cheeky smile. "Not for you." She looked at Alaric. "You understand what you're agreeing to, don't you? I know I've already seen into your mind in the past, but I'll be going in deeper this time, and it won't be pleasant."
"I get it," he said, nodding his head. "What do you need me to do?"
"Keep drinking, for one," she said, sitting beside Stefan. "It'll be easier on the both of us if you're a bit intoxicated."
There were several minutes of silence as the two men continued to drink. Alaric cleared his throat, checking the time. "So um, they should almost be in Denver by now."
"They should," said Stefan, leaning back and glancing at his phone. "Haven't heard from them. Elena's worried about him, knowing that she can't count on his ring anymore."
"Who knows?" said Alaric with a weak laugh. "Maybe his alter ego is a pot smoking, hippie pacifist."
Esmeray laughed dryly, and Alaric continued, "I can't say I thought mine would be so hostile and militant."
"That actually makes perfect sense," said Stefan. "Your wife left you to become a vampire and your girlfriend was killed by one."
Alaric winced. "You must really hate me. Here I am, the failed hunter slash drinking buddy of vampires."
"Ah, he's too judgmental," said Stefan, waving his hand dismissively.
"The thing is, he's me," murmured Alaric. "I'm not compelled, I'm not possessed, there's no humanity switch. What drives him is me."
"But he isn't you," countered Esmeray, looking at him intently. "He's got parts of you— all the darkest bits that stay buried. The psychotic side we all have. This magic has corrupted your mind, brought out all the worst fragments of your subconscious and used it to enact its own agenda. This can happen to anyone under the influence of magic, it's not just you. I mean, look at me. None of you blame me for all the destruction I bring about, but that is actually me. My inability to control my temper leaves me damaging the streets of Mystic Falls whenever I get angry. I do that without it being dark magic. That ring altered your psychology and turned you into a vampire hunter, but that doesn't mean it's you."
They all heard footsteps, and turned around to see Klaus in the doorway. "Well, this is depressing, isn't it?" he said, holding up a stake. "I found this upstairs. Now, by my count, there should be one more."
Esmeray stepped forward to keep him from getting closer to Stefan and Alaric. "You're supposed to be running errands," she said, crossing her arms. "I'm handling this. Let me deal with it."
"Just kill him, love," said Klaus, pointing at Alaric. "It'll make your job far simpler."
"No," she said sternly. "We're doing this my way, and I don't want him dead. If you want to be here to watch it happen, fine. Sit next to Stefan like a good little boy and read or drink some bourbon. Who knows, maybe you'll be playground pals again. Otherwise, wait at the Mansion or literally anywhere else. I need Alaric to be drunk and calm. That's not going to happen if you're thinking to kill him. Trust that I'll get this done, Klaus." She looked back at Stefan. "Escort him to the door, please."
Klaus smirked in amusement at Esmeray, winking at her as Stefan made to lead him out. "No one would be able to resist a command like that when it comes from you, love. Fine. I'll be expecting you at home." He put an emphasis on the last word as if to rub in the fact that she preferred living with him than here in the Boarding House. "And for the record, little werewitch, I trust you quite a bit. It's them I have no faith in."
The two vampires made their way out, and Esmeray turned to Alaric, half-smiling. "Relax your body," she said, coming over to where he was sitting on his cot. "Think of something that calms you. You're buzzed enough, and I want to see how it goes with this first attempt. It might still hurt, but let it out. If you feel it resisting, start thinking dark thoughts, make him come out. Think of blood and gore and all the things you dislike about vampires and force him to show himself to me so that I can access his mind and find the stake."
Alaric nodded, shaking his shoulders a bit before closing his eyes and slouching a bit forward. Esmeray let her hands hover on either side of his head, humming and then closing her eyes, bringing her thumbs to touch his temples. "Apen sind tenebris avsløre, oppna apertum sinne animaus tankene—"
Suddenly, his hands were around her throat, and she was slammed to the ground, his eyes flashing with malice as he started pressing roughly against her trachea, making her gasp for air, her hands flailing to try and get him off.
And then he was thrown off of her, a loud snapping noise echoing around the room. Esmeray felt a sharp pain in her head, and she let out a whimper as someone pulled her to her feet.
"There," said Klaus, already having bitten into his wrist and pressing it into her mouth, looking at Stefan, who was in the doorway. "Sleeping like a baby, and with a perfectly justifiable reason for doing it."
Esmeray moved back, massaging her neck and looking down at Alaric, the pain in her head from feeling him die subsiding, allowing the new memories to settle in nicely. She gulped, looking up at Klaus feeling embarrassed.
"I won't say 'I told you so,'" said the hybrid, not even in a teasing manner. He glared at Stefan. "You will not leave her side."
Esmeray made to retort, but Klaus put his finger over her lips. "I know you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. But you would be safer if you weren't alone. Until you become a fully realized hybrid and have heightened senses, you can't be safe from surprise attacks like this. It does not mean you're weak, love, it just means that you can still get hurt— as can any of us."
He walked off, and the werewitch looked back at his departing figure as Stefan came to sit beside Alaric.
They had to wait several hours before Alaric woke back up. In that time, Stefan and Esmeray got to reading some books, not making much conversation. Every now and then, one would leave to get either water or a blood bag, then would return and casually nod to see if the other was fine. They spoke once about the changing weather. Another time, about how long it would be until Alaric arose. Stefan's prediction had been closer.
"Esmeray, I'm sorry," said Alaric as soon as the vampire explained to him what he'd done, and he'd been conscious enough to wrap his mind around his current situation.
"It's fine, it wasn't you," she said quickly, not wanting to discuss it. "Let's just get on with this, shall we?"
Stefan handed him the bottle of bourbon, and Alaric started to drink, forcing himself to down half of the amount left so that he'd be inebriated enough for the spell. Esmeray came to stand in front of him as she had before, and closed her eyes as she started the spell again. "Apen sind tenebris avsløre, oppna apertum sinne animaus tankene, morker revelare avsloja løfte sløret. Apen sind tenebris avsløre, oppna apertum sinne animaus tankene, morker revelare avsloja løfte sløret..."
She saw flashes that made her wince. Stefan moved forward worriedly, because Alaric started to twitch as if restraining himself from attacking Esmeray again. She tried to move as fast as she could through memories, through the labyrinth that existed in his subconscious where his alter ego was buried. She could sense she was close to finding it as the discomfort heightened, and Alaric started to shake. Stefan held him down, and at last, Esmeray saw the cave that she had been kept in, a place she'd never even set foot into, and she knew that had to be it.
She pulled back, and gave a soft sight. "Found it," she mumbled, flexing her fingers as Alaric slumped back tiredly. "Let me try a spell to soothe your mind, it might help you keep your alter ego buried." She put her hand on the man's forehead and chanted a similar spell quietly, but there was a zapping noise, and she jumped back.
"What happened?" asked Stefan immediately.
"That magic is darker than I knew," she said, though this wasn't the full explanation. It felt like someone was not only suppressing her own magic again, but also fighting back from inside Alaric's head. And she had a sickening feeling in her stomach that let her know who it was.
Stefan and Esmeray left Alaric and made their way upstairs, finding that Klaus and Rebekah were waiting for them.
"Where is it?" asked Klaus immediately.
"The cave with the runes," said Esmeray, tucking her hands in her pockets.
"Lovely," said Rebekah, speeding away. She returned holding Alaric by the collar of his shirt. "I'm going to take him to the caves." She faced the man. "You're going to go inside and fetch me the stake, and if you think you're going to hide, you're wrong." She yanked him away, and Klaus offered his arm to Esmeray. As soon as she took it, he whisked her back to the Mansion.
"Are you alright, love?" he asked when they got to the front door and she made a beeline to the kitchen to get some water.
"Something was wrong," she murmured shakily. "Something was fighting back when I was trying to ease his mind from the damage the ring inflicted. It was like an outer force keeping my magic at bay, and the way it felt..." she looked up. "I think Esther still has a hold on me."
Klaus frowned. "But... she's dead."
Esmeray flinched. "What?"
"She was here earlier. She came to see Rebekah— told her she was dying because her grip on the Bennett line was weakening. She's in her coffin now, dead, if you would like to verify it yourself."
Esmeray shook her head. "No... no, I must just be tired, then. The spell took a lot out of me, too." She bit her lip. "But maybe you could search my mind now, to see if she's still in there."
Klaus raised an eyebrow. "You want me to search your mind?"
"Yes. You know your mother, you can pinpoint if there's any trace of her there aside from my memories of her, can't you? Just to see if maybe my magic is still in recovery after what she did to me."
"Only if you're certain you want me to do that, love. Then again, I do not know if my vampiric abilities will be a match for your Mind Spells."
"I'd be willingly opening my mind to you— it should be fine."
As soon as she'd gotten something to eat, they gave it a try. Esmeray first did a spell creating a sort of magnification portal with her mirror, and then took her desk chair, sitting in front of it and doing another spell that would allow her mind to not put up any defenses against Klaus. He stood behind her, and she closed her eyes as he put his hands on her head, diving inside of her mind.
"There is no trace of her," he said slowly, once he had looked through all the newer memories that he hadn't seen.
"Then why do you sound so nervous?" asked Esmeray worriedly, opening her eyes. "Klaus, is someone tampering with my magic again? Do you have any other witches in your family that I need to know about? This isn't good. If she's still in there somehow, I can be put to sleep again, this time for good. And she might've even hidden herself, so maybe there was something you missed—"
He knelt down behind her, coming to her level, his head beside hers, one of his hands coming to hold her neck lightly, making her stare at their reflections. She shivered as his other hand wrapped around her front, and her heart skipped a beat, unable to tear her eyes away from his.
"What I saw," he said quietly, his breath fanning over her ear, "was a naughty little girl who did unspeakable things with my name on her lips all while she was so intent on getting me away from her."
Esmeray's entire stomach did a massive flip. He'd seen what she'd done when she had last been in heat. Her recreation of him, from the memories, to bring herself some pleasure. Her crying out his name even if it wasn't really him making her feel good. But since the sensation of what it would have been like to have him touch her wasn't real, it had left her dissatisfied, which was why she'd gone to the bathtub and been inside of it when he'd gotten home.
"You saw," she said in a bit of a high-pitched voice, her face progressively becoming redder. "This is embarrassing..."
"Yes, I did see," he said, watching her eyes close in shame. "You don't need to feel so sheepish, love, it fills me with great satisfaction to know you felt such desire..."
"Klaus, I'm sorry," she whimpered.
"You don't have to apologize for trying to fulfill your own needs, love," he purred, his hand rubbing circles over her navel. "I'm the one that's sorry. Sorry that my wolf is so attached to yours, that we can't even lock lips without worrying that I'm going to leave you carrying my child."
Her breath hitched, and she let out the quietest of noises, making him graze his lips over her neck. "Klaus," she whispered. "We have to quit while we're ahead. It's not a good idea..."
"Is the idea of indulging amidst risk really so formidable to you, love?"
"It's too great of a risk, Klaus," she begged. "I don't want a kid yet. Maybe not ever. But I know my inner wolf does, and if she's the one that takes control of me in that moment, then you best believe we'll need to start preparing a fucking nursery..."
Klaus growled appreciatively at this, making her heart skip a beat once again as he pressed a hard kiss to her throat. His wolf liked the sound of that. Even he didn't mind it. "I don't see a problem there, love."
She put her hand on his, opening her eyes and seeing that his eyes were glowing. "Klaus," she said, trying to be severe. "Not even kissing..."
"And what if I just kiss this beautiful neck of yours?" he said. "I can refrain from kissing those perfect lips just a bit longer..."
Esmeray was torn between decisions. A major part of her wanted to just turn around and kiss him at long last. Another much smaller part was encouraging her to not let herself indulge even slightly.
"Feed on me," she whispered, looking at him through the mirror. "Just... for a little bit."
Klaus didn't need to be told twice. He kept his right arm around her waist, his palm pressing on her side, fingers able to squeeze slightly and hold her in place. He moved his left hand to first move her hair out of the way, then brought it to cup her jaw, tilting her head to the side and exposing her neck fully for him.
He kissed over his preferred spot several times, making her squirm and moan, her legs pressed tightly together and one of her hands over his, holding it tightly. He let his fangs come out as soon as she closed her eyes. He bit in as gently as he could, making her squeak slightly as she felt the initial pain. He groaned as he started to drink her blood, his thumb caressing her cheek lightly, making her pant as she felt herself start becoming lightheaded. Even though it brought her some pain, it felt amazing, and it was enough to sate her desires in the meantime.
"Klaus," she whispered, once she thought she might not be able to handle much more. "I think that's enough."
He pulled away immediately, pressing his sleeve over her wound to stop the bleeding and biting into his arm before pushing it toward her. She drank, leaning back into him, wondering if the mirror was fogged up, or her vision was just blurry.
"I want to, Klaus," she told him as he helped her up and to her bed. "I really, really, want to. But as a witch, I was taught to never ignore a premonition. I still have a nagging feeling that something bad could happen. I don't fully understand this... this bond that's between us, and until I research more, until I ask other wolves about it, until I'm able to fully tap into my wolf side and make sure that I can keep my inner wolf at bay if needed... then I don't want to risk it, because I don't want us to accidentally end up with a whole... child... that neither of us are ready for. We're not even in a relationship. I want you to know that if I got pregnant, I would try to terminate it, because I don't want to be a mother right now, and I don't think I could handle it. And like I said before, I don't know if terminating the pregnancy would even be possible, given our supernatural nature. If you'll wait, then I would really appreciate it. Just until we know what... what we want to happen with this."
Klaus nodded in understanding. "I'll wait for you as long as it takes, love. And I vow to respect whatever choice you make if we're both unable to stop ourselves from being patient." He looked away, letting go of her hands at last. "I would like to leave Mystic Falls either tomorrow or the day after that. I think it is time for us to get going. You are welcome to come with us."
She gazed up at him. "Where will you go?"
"I expect Rebekah will agree that our first destination ought to be New Orleans. If you come with us, we would first be getting a bit more of Elena's blood for you to multiply and for me to store, so that we can make more hybrids. We can first stop in Portland to get Anya so that the ritual can be performed in the New Orleans bayou."
Esmeray seemed to have stars in her eyes. "You would do that for me?"
Klaus smirked. "You should know by now that I would do anything for you, love."