"So just walk in there, look her straight in the eye and say, 'Bonnie, I know you and I have different opinions on Kai but can we put this behind us and be friends again?' Maybe add a 'pretty please' to sweeten her a little?"
I shot a look towards my blonde friend as we walked side-by-side in the direction of her dorm room. "She was the one that walked out, Care. Not me."
Caroline threw her hands up in frustration. "Well you guys need to come to some sort of agreement - I'm not having my best friends fighting forever!"
I snorted. "It won't be forever - just until she kills Kai."
"Kayla," she tutted, tilting her head disapprovingly at me.
"What?" I asked, raising a brow. "Am I wrong?"
"Be quiet!" she whispered as we stepped outside her door. Listening carefully with her vamp hearing, she turned to look at me nervously. "She's inside. Stay here. I'll go in and speak to her first, alright?"
I saluted her sarcastically. "Yes Ma'am."
Throwing me one last frown, she entered the room, disappearing out of sight. I leaned against the wall of the corridor, folding my arms across my chest as I listened in to their conversation.
"Hey Caroline, where've you been?" Bonnie's warm voice asked, though there was a hint of suspicion to her tone.
"Hey!" Caroline replied in her typical cheery way. "I was helping Mikaela with some, uh, things."
"Oh," Bonnie said quietly, pausing briefly. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she's okay now. She's actually outside waiting to speak to you."
"Caroline!" Bonnie hissed.
"What?" Care replied easily, as if she had no idea why Bonnie could be reacting in such a way.
"You know I don't want to see her right now, why would you bring her here?" the witch snapped.
Caroline groaned. "Because you guys are best friends and this is stupid!"
There was a moment of silence before Bonnie spoke again. "It's not stupid to me."
"Ugh, that's not what I meant-"
"But that's exactly what you meant, wasn't it?" Bonnie yelled, cutting our blonde best friend off. "You're not seeing it from my point of view. You were there, Caroline! He strangled you too! How can you be so accepting of him already?"
Caroline sighed in frustration. "I haven't accepted him fully just yet, he has to prove himself. But he's good for Kayla, Bon. He makes her happy and he always puts her first. I can't ignore that."
Her words warmed my aching heart.
"How can a sociopath who murdered kids - his own siblings to be precise - put anyone before himself? You're being blinded by his charm just like she is."
And just like that, the coldness returned.
"Okay, I get where you're coming from but if you could just give him a chance-"
"Never going to happen," Bonnie said matter-of-factly, refusing to let Caroline finish her sentence.
"Bonnie, come on-"
I didn't stick around to hear how the rest of the conversation went. Slipping away from the wall I'd pressed myself against, I stormed towards the end of the hall, hurrying down the staircase, eventually finding myself in the empty Student Lounge.
Breezing past the bookcase, I scanned the shelves, searching for something remotely interesting to read, hoping it would distract me just long enough for Caroline to realise she had lost and to grab my car keys so that I could leave.
Gaze falling upon a book with the title 'Crime and Punishment' written up the spine, I grabbed the novel and found a comfortable-looking armchair in the corner of the lounge.
Five minutes into the first chapter, I suddenly heard footsteps heading towards me from the hall. Looking up expecting to see my bubbly best friend stood staring at me, huffing about how Bonnie and I need to sort things out before she throws us in a pit and forces us to talk, I was surprised to find it wasn't Caroline at all.
"Hey, Luke," I greeted him with a small grin. It was a face I hadn't seen in what felt like forever.
"Kayla!" he gasped out, clearly as shocked to see me as I was him. "Hey! How are you?"
I chuckled without humour. "I'm alright. Been better but been worse. And you?"
Luke smiled in reply. "Yeah I'm good. What are you doing here?" he wondered with a slight furrow to his brows.
"I'm waiting for Caroline, she's upstairs trying to convince Bonnie that we should talk." I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
"Yeah? How's that going?" he asked with a laugh. "The fact that you're sat down here reading a classic novel tells me it's not going very well."
I mock-gasped. "Look at that. Got it in one."
"I'm very perceptive," he said with a wink.
I laughed softly. Out of the blond Parker twins, Luke was definitely my preferred option to be around. On that train of thought, an image of wild curls and a sarcastic sneer popped into my brain.
"How's Liv?" I asked suddenly.
Luke blinked, confused for a moment before gathering himself. "Oh, yeah, she's okay. A little shaken up after what went down with Kai yesterday but she's, um..." He gulped. "She'll be okay."
"Good. I'm glad." I paused, trying to ignore the awkward silence nudging me to let him leave without another word. "Hey, Luke?"
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Did you know?"
"Know what?" Luke wondered, pretending to be oblivious. But it was written all over his features - he knew exactly what I was talking about.
"About Liv wiping my memories," I replied bluntly.
A soft sigh escaped his lips which had pulled into a thin line. "I did."
"And did you know the reason why?" I pushed on, tilting my head.
Luke gripped the the strap of his backpack tighter in his hand, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Clearly uncomfortable. "My dad can be a real piece of work sometimes-"
I scoffed, unable to hold back my disgust at the mention of Joshua.
"-but everything he does, he does for the benefit of our coven. Kai's our sworn enemy, we'll do anything to keep him out of power."
"He's also your family," I pointed out, setting my jaw furiously.
Luke shrugged. "We may be related by blood but he's no brother to me." The words fell out of his mouth so easily, without a care for what damage they could potentially cause.
Suddenly I decided I disliked both of the twins.
"Hm," was all I said in reply, too angry to say anything else. "Well, I guess I'll see you around."
Luke bobbed his head once, forcing a false smile. "Yeah. See you soon. Take care of yourself."
My gaze fell down to the page I had been reading before he had arrived. "You too," I replied bluntly.
There was no further conversation, the sound of Luke's boots hitting the floor as he walked away filling the otherwise silent air.
Kai's POV
Wasn't it crazy that even though I was only walking down the Main Street in town, something that any normal person would do, I couldn't help but feel slightly on edge?
I kept my wits about me, made sure to use caution when turning any corners, my body tense as I anticipated any sign of attack.
My father knew that I was out of the Prison World - Olivia's little memory wipe confirmed that - so I knew it was only a matter of time before he tried to take me down once again.
For good this time.
Unluckily for him, Kai Parker was very hard to kill.
Keeping my hands out of my pockets as I walked - something that didn't happen very often - I forced my body language to appear relaxed, in case any peeking eyes thought I was an unsuspecting fool.
Only seconds away from turning into the record shop, an arm flew out to stop me, gripping me by my collar.
Ready for a fight, my fists clenched, arm swinging backwards before pausing in the air, the features of my attacker unfamiliar.
"You're that little weasel everyone's been talking about," the raven-haired man said, malicious grin painting his lips.
"Brother, you're causing a scene," the guy next to him pointed out quietly, glancing around as he cleared his throat.
As my attacker's fists balled tighter around the material of my shirt, his face only inches from mine, his nostrils flared with defiance, his brother's words registering in his mind. Light blue irises searched my features for a moment before he finally let go of me.
Brushing down my now-creased shirt - yeah thanks for that, asshole - I sighed, raising a brow expectantly at the brothers stood opposite me. "Look, man, if you wanted to get my attention, there's other ways of doing it, you know?"
They stared back at me, brows furrowed in confusion.
"Anyways, as flattered as I am, I'm already taken. So sorry." I tried to continue with my journey, desperate to get a look at those glossy 12-inch vinyls that I spotted through the store's window.
Much to my frustration, the irrational brother stepped in my path, arms folded as he looked up at me.
Yeah, that's right. Up.
"We need to have a little talk. It's about Kayla."
I rolled my eyes. "Talk? I don't even know you, I-" My words cut off, her name registering in my mind. "Mikaela? What about her? Is she alright?"
Old Blue-Eyes tutted. "She's absolutely fine, unless Blondie has torn her and Bonnie apart from frustration."
These guys knew the girls too?
I studied their features, both similar in that sibling way. Something was a little off about them. The way they stood, the power they radiated, their clear lack of fear.
Brothers. Who knew Mickie and her friends. In Mystic Falls. Probably vampires, right?
That's when it hit me.
"Ohhh," I gasped out, elongating the word. "The infamous Salvatore brothers. Nice to finally meet you." I held out my hand, waiting for one of them to shake it.
They didn't, both glaring down at it before back up at my patient smile.
"Wow, tough crowd," I murmured, coughing to clear my throat. "You know, if I'd known you guys would be such douchebags, I would've trashed your house a little more in the Prison World."
"Watch it," the older brother warned, stepping closer to me. "It would be so quick and easy to take that annoying head off your shoulders, no one around here would even notice."
"Sorry, uh-" I racked my brain for his name. What was it Mikaela had called him? "Demon."
Clearly I had made a mistake, his jaw clenching as he stared me down.
"But I wasn't the one who attacked you, remember?" I continued, ignoring his furious features. "I was just trying to enjoy my day before some psycho-vamp decided to jump me."
"Damon gets a little... impatient sometimes," his brother explained, deciding to take the reins. Ah, Damon! That was it! Oops. "What he means to say is that we know what you've done and what you're capable of. We're here to offer a deal."
Now this was more like it. "Deal? What kind of deal?"
"Well, you spent enough time with her in the Prison World, and you guys seemed to have gotten, well, close," he said the last word with difficulty, "so I'm sure you would've heard about her sire-bond with Klaus Mikaelson, right?"
I sighed and folded my arms across my chest, sick of hearing the sound of his name. "Yes. What about it?"
"Are you also aware of the drinking problem she's been dealing with since becoming a Hybrid?" the nice brother continued. Was it Steven? Steph?
"Just say it how it is, blood-sucker. She's a Ripper. You'd think someone like you would be able to say the word without flinching."
"Oh, come on, Stefan. Let's just kick his ass now and be done with it. He's no help to us," Damon growled.
"No," Stefan replied sternly. "He means something to Kayla. He may be our only option."
"You guys know I'm right here?" I pointed out. There was nothing I hated more than being spoken about as if I wasn't around. As if I didn't exist.
"We need to break that sire-bond to Klaus before she does any more damage," Stefan continued, this time talking to me directly. "Whilst she's still under his command, she'll never learn to control her thirst. More people are going to die if we don't put a stop to this as soon as possible."
I shrugged, unbothered. Still didn't see what this had to do with me. That 12-inch vinyl was practically calling my name by now.
"So what? People die every day. That's life."
This time it was Damon who spoke up. "Someone who murdered children clearly would have no care for death, but maybe you'll care when it's Kayla that dies." His tone was threatening. It made my blood boil.
Without hesitation, I took a step towards him, clenching my jaws together. "If you lay a hand on her I swear I will-"
"I'm not going to touch her you idiot!" he snapped, pushing me away from him. "She's my friend, if you even know what that word means?"
I was losing my patience with every word that fell from their lips.
"If she goes on another killing spree, her life is at risk," Stefan explained, calmer than his brother. "She could be hunted down. Klaus could kill her when he's done with her. She could even take her own life from stress-overload."
"What if she turned off her humanity? That way she wouldn't be stressed," I pointed out.
"Would you listen to this guy?" Damon groaned, turning away in disbelief.
"If Mikaela turns off her switch, it would be near impossible to bring her back. Trust me, I've been there. And there's nothing to say that she wouldn't kill you too."
I shook my head, laughing. "Mickie would never kill me now. She cares about me."
Stefan shrugged, expression completely serious. "With your humanity off, you don't care about anything or anyone."
Sighing, I shifted my weight from foot to foot. "Fine. Where do I come into all this? I've been saying that she needs help, why is it only now that people are listening to me?"
"Because Plan A failed," Damon replied simply.
"Horrendously from the seems of things. Not only did you fail to remove her sire-bond, you also let a psycho loose in Mystic Falls."
"I can just as easily take you straight back out," he snapped.
Ignoring his comment, I nibbled my lower lip softly in thought. "I could've helped her, you know?" I said. "Before you guys wiped her memories she was on the right track."
"Yes, we understand that, which is why we're asking for your help now," Stefan replied.
I glanced back and forth between the brothers, my eyes narrowed in thought. "What do I get out of this? Since you guys kind of messed up my attempts the first time."
"Is freeing Kayla from the sire-bond not enough for you?" Stefan asked in shock.
"Come on, brother. This guy is a sociopath," Damon pointed out sarcastically. "He needs more than that."
I mean, he wasn't exactly wrong.
I smirked, holding Damon's gaze.
"What is it that you want, Weasel?" he wondered, tilting his head slightly as he studied me.
"I want comfort. I want to be sure that you won't rat me out to my father. That you won't get involved for what's about to go down when I finally take back what's rightfully mine." I glanced between the brothers, watching their reactions intently.
Damon held up his hands. "Done. I couldn't care less what you and your creepy coven get up to, as long as it doesn't affect me or my life."
"Wait, Damon, don't you think we should discuss this?" Stefan said to his brother with worry. "He's dangerous, we could be agreeing to something that will put a lot of people in danger."
Damon smiled nonchalantly. "He's not going to hurt anyone that Kayla cares about, and luckily for us, that's also everyone we care about."
"Still here guys," I pointed out.
The brothers turned to look at me. Stefan sighed, clearly not convinced this was a good idea. "Fine. You've got a deal."
"Great! Can I go and get my vinyl now?" I wondered, leaning closer to the store window with every passing second.
"Uh, sure," Damon replied, raising a brow, stepping out of my way. "You're a weird guy, you know that?" he said as I breezed past him.
I just smirked to myself, saying nothing else.
You have no idea.
Mikaela's POV
I'd managed to get through the first two chapters of 'Crime and Punishment' by the time Caroline appeared in the Student Lounge, clearly frustrated. As she let out a big sigh, I glanced up at her arrival, smirking to myself.
"So was I right or was I right?" I commented smugly.
"Shut up," she snapped, flipping her glossy hair over her shoulder before folding her arms in a huff. "She'll back down eventually."
"Mhm," was all I replied, turning my attention back to the novel.
"So what do we do now?" Caroline continued, making her way towards where I was still sat in the armchair.
"We don't do anything. You get on with whatever you usually do in the life of Caroline, whilst I take my car keys, get in my car and drive back home, pretending none of this even happened."
"But you just got here," Caroline whined, pouting slightly.
Closing the book and placing it to the side, I got to my feet, shooting my best friend a sarcastic look. "You knew the deal, Care." I held out my open palm, waiting.
"Ugh, fine!" she groaned, digging into the pocket of her jacket before slamming the car keys into my hand. "Suit yourself."
I snapped my palm closed around the keys, flashing her a grin. "Thanks."
"Whatever," Caroline sighed, before pulling me into her embrace. "Get home safe. I love you," she whispered close to my ear.
"I will. I love you too," I replied, swallowing down the sudden lump forming in my throat. Pulling away, I gave her one last smile before breezing past her, heading towards the front door.
Once in my car, I let out of a sigh of relief. It felt good to be in control again. Alone in my own car, with no expectations to live up to. For a moment I could just breathe. I could just exist.
I started the engine a few minutes later, pulling out of the parking lot and driving away from Whitmore College, unsure when I would get the chance to return.
Halfway to Mystic Falls, I'd already sang along to a dozen songs on my playlist before I decided to check my phone. Trying to keep an eye on the road at the same time, I quickly glanced at my inbox, hoping to see a new message symbol glowing at me.
Nothing.
Maybe he was just busy...
My gaze flicked back up to the road briefly. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a figure stood only a few metres away from the front of my car. Instinctively, I slammed on the brakes, holding my breath as I prayed my reaction time had been quick enough.
I wasn't in the mood to hide any dead bodies today.
As the car finally came to a grinding halt, I blinked in the direction of where I'd seen the poor soul who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, hoping to see them still standing. But the moment I took in their features, my jaw dropped, wind being knocked out of me.
They flashed me an innocent smile before walking to the passenger's side door and sliding into the seat next to me.
"Hello, love," he greeted me.
"What the hell are you doing?" I snapped in disbelief. "Do you have a death wish?"
"Oh, come on, you know a car couldn't kill me. Especially not a tiny thing like this," Klaus teased. "I doubt I would even get a bruise."
I frowned. "Hey, watch it! Don't speak about my car like that," I warned him. "And I meant a death wish because if you'd caused any damage to my baby then I would've searched to the ends of the Earth for any remaining white oak."
"That's a bit bloody harsh," he laughed. "Are you not happy to see me?"
I scoffed. "Would it be so hard to just, oh, I don't know, maybe call me? On the phone? Like a normal person?"
Klaus shook his head. "Modern technology is not really my forte. I'm more of a direct-approach type of man."
Rolling my eyes, I started to drive again, not wanting to remain a danger on the road any longer. "I can see that," I commented sarcastically. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company today?"
"I need your help, Little Hybrid," Klaus replied simply, no hint of teasing to his tone any longer.
"My help? With what?" I gulped, panic quietly beginning to set in. This was it. Klaus was using the sire-bond to his advantage. He knew I wouldn't be able to say no, and I couldn't blow my cover - I had to keep pretending I didn't have my memories.
Klaus sighed. "Taking down some powerful witches."
I frowned, gaze focused on the road in front. "You're the Original Hybrid. What could a newbie Hybrid possibly do to help you?" I hoped my words would put him off.
They didn't.
"I've seen you in action, Mikaela. You're a force to be reckoned with," Klaus chuckled softly, almost proudly. "Plus, everyone else back home is staying in New Orleans to protect Hope."
"So what's the deal? Why are you after these witches?" I questioned. All of the Mikaelsons and Co staying to protect Hope? This must have been a much more serious situation than I'd realised.
"These witches are making it their mission to take down the 'Tribrid'," he explained, making quotation marks in the air with his fingers. "They believe that something this powerful shouldn't be allowed to exist." He turned to flash me a menacing smile. "And you know I simply can't have that."
"But they're just witches, right? You're powerful enough to take them out on your own. You could rip their hearts out in half a second!"
Klaus sighed, shaking his head. "They're not just witches - they're from a very powerful coven, the Gemini Coven."
I blinked, holding my breath.
"They're a set of twins," he continued, my reaction going unnoticed. "One of which is something they call a 'Siphoner'. They can't create magic but they can steal from others. If she gets hold of me, she could desiccate me in a matter of minutes, and once I'm out of the picture they're one step closer to reaching my daughter."
Klaus wanted me to take out a witch who was not only a member of the Gemini Coven, but also a siphoner - just like Kai.
I didn't want to do it, but I knew I would have no choice. Klaus was going to use my undying loyalty to him to his advantage.
"Is there really no one else you can ask, Klaus? I've had a rough few days and killing people wasn't really on my to-do list for today," I sighed. I tried to sound like a bratty teenager rather than someone who wanted nothing more than to be free of this unshakable bond.
Grabbing hold of my leg, he suddenly forced my foot to the ground, slamming down the brake pedal. It was a good thing I had my seatbelt on or I would've flown through the windscreen as the car came to an instant stop.
"Klaus!" I screeched in shock. "What are you doing?" I was so lucky that I was the only driver on the road right now.
He reached out, gripping my jaw in his hand, forcing me to look at him. It wasn't very often that he got violent with me, but when he did, he was terrifying.
"I was asking before. Now I'm telling you. You will help me because it's what I want and you will do anything to make me happy, isn't that right sweetheart?" Klaus stared into my eyes, searching for any sign of defiance. He found nothing as my body went slack and I nodded at him, unable to help but yearn for his approval
This was what Klaus wanted. And as much as I knew it would cause so much trouble, I had to do as he said. He was right. My sole purpose was to make him happy.
"That's a good girl," Klaus continued, a pleased grin stretching across his lips before finally letting go of me and sitting back in his seat. "I've already led the witches away from New Orleans, the chance to catch me alone clearly too good of an opportunity for them to pass up."
I gulped. "Where are they now?"
"On the way to Mystic Falls. I've left them a message of where they can find me to 'strike a deal'."
"What do you want me to do?" I wondered quietly, still anxious from Klaus' outburst.
"I will meet them alone in the woods. You will be hiding through the trees. I need you to take down the Siphoner - she's the most powerful and the one most likely to cause damage." Klaus looked at me meaningfully, forcing his will upon to me as I sank lower in my seat.
"Whilst you distract the Siphoner, it will give me the opportunity to kill her sister." He twirled a strand of my hair, hand inches from my cheek. "You can't hesitate with these witches, Little Hybrid. One wrong move and they will kill you."
"What if I lose control whilst I'm in wolf-form?" I asked, voice unsteady.
Klaus chuckled. "You won't be a wolf. I want you to kill her as you are. I want you to stay in control, to remember every second of taking her life."
Not remembering killing someone in cold blood was the only thing that was making this situation easier to deal with. But now I had to stay as my normal self? I couldn't stomach the thought.
"Do you understand?" Klaus asked lowly, almost as a warning.
I bobbed my head, refusing to meet his intense gaze. "I understand."
Reaching out to lift my chin gently with his finger, he forced me to look at him once again. "I'm so proud of you for helping me," he whispered with a soft smile.
Manipulating me. He knew he had complete control over me and there was nothing I could do about it. Playing on my feelings for him as well as exploiting the sire-bond.
To add the cherry on top, he leaned towards me and pressed a kiss to my lips, sealing the deal.
Maybe Kai was right. I was a slave to this man. I was just too blind to see it. And now that my feelings towards Kai were getting stronger every day, I was able to see everything more clearly.
"Come to these co-ordinates in an hour," Klaus said, handing me a piece of paper with some digits scribbled on to it, "and make sure you hide. One slip up and the whole plan fails. Wait for the signal - you will know what that is when you see it - and then you attack."
"Where are you going now?" I wondered, confused as he began to to open his door.
Klaus flashed me his typical angelic smile. "To lure the witches out."
"Be careful," I murmured, unable to stop the words before they slipped out. Even furious with him, I still longed to protect him.
"I always am, love," he replied with a wink before leaving me alone in the car, shutting the door behind him.
Suddenly, my phone lit up with a notification.
Kai.
'Are you safe?'
For now, I wanted to say. But I might not be very soon.
And you're going to hate me forever.
Instead, I just typed one quick word - 'Yes.'
Kai: Where are you? Can you come and meet me?
Not right now, I'm about to go and kill a member of your coven.
'On my way back to Mystic Falls. Bonnie drama so I'd rather just go home and be alone for a while, I'm sorry. I'll see you very soon though.'
Only a minute later, my phone lit up again.
Kai: Tell me all about it when I see you again. Stay safe. I miss you.
I sighed, my heart aching. If only he knew where I was really going.
'Of course. Always. I miss you too.'
Starting up the car, I drove towards the co-ordinates that Klaus had given me. Every fibre in my being told me this was a bad idea, but the bond was too strong to fight. I had to obey my master.
I had to kill the Siphoner Witch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note
Hey guys! It's been a very long time since I last updated, I'm so sorry!
I went through a strong phase of writer's block but I've got more ideas now😁
I'm also still very unwell so struggling with energy to write, but I will try and update much more often again🥺
Thank you all for reading, the next chapter should be more interesting!🤍