Chapter 14- As I lay dying.
Selene was rushed to the woods, her hair all over her face. She sits down, resting on a tree, trying to catch her breath. She looks ahead, there standing was a large, black wolf. It's light blue eyes staring right back at her. She tries not to move, but flinches when it takes a step forward.
As the wolf takes a step, Selene moves to stand behind Elijah, shielding herself from the animal. Elijah chuckles at her reaction, and holds her arm.
"He will not hurt you." Elijah informs her, pulling her to stand next to him. "Put your hand out."
Selene looks at Elijah worriedly, as she's pulled next to him. She sighs, and hesitantly places her right arm out, her palm facing the night sky. She watches as the wolf moves even closer to her. It stops, centimetres away from her hand.
After a few seconds, the wolf sniffs Selene's hand. "What's he doing...?"
"Recognising your scent. He's wondering if he can trust you." Elijah answers her, slightly smiling.
The wolf rubs his furred head against Selene's leg. She sits down, leaning against a tree.
Looking at Elijah, as the wolf lays his head into her lap, he sends her a confused glance. Looking down at the wolf, his eyes were closed. Selene took this as a sign to rub his fur, instantly relaxing when the wolf melts into her.
After a while, the witch fell asleep. The wolf went to get some food, Elijah with him.
******
In the morning, Klaus was back at her side, but in his human form. Selene wakes up, the sun in her face. She went to pet the wolf, but was met with soft skin. Instantly, she stands up to see what was in her lap.
It was a naked Klaus.
She lets out a small squeal, waking Klaus.
Klaus wakes up naked in the forest. He looks at the sun and smiles. Elijah throws him some clothes. He turns his head to him, after winking at a red Selene, who's eyes were covered by her hands.
"You've been busy." Elijah informs with a smirk.
"That was amazing. How long has it been?" He asks.
"Almost 2 days. Full moon came and went. You remained a wolf." The older vampire replies.
Klaus gets dressed. "I can change at will, then. It's good to know. I remember everything." Selene clears her throat, and avoids his gaze.
"Yes, I've been cleaning up your little mess along the way."
"Just like old times, brother."
"You've had your fun. I believe we have a bargain."
"That's right. Now, what was it again? Oh, yeah. Wait. I remember. That's it. You wish to be reunited with our family." Klaus put on his shirt.
"You gave me your word, Niklaus." Elijah reminds him.
"What kind of brother would break his bond? Even though you did try to kill me."
"I could have. But I didn't." Elijah helps Klaus put on his jacket.
"Thank God, cause that shit hurt." Selene complains, rubbing her chest. Elijah sends her an apologetic look, to which she nods at.
"And now no one can, not even you. Relax, Elijah. All is forgiven." The hybrid gloats.
"Where are they?"
"You need to lighten up. I'll bring you to them soon enough." Klaus starts walking away.
*******
Klaus, Elijah, and, Selene walked into Alaric's apartment. The view they saw was confusing, Katherine held Stefan against the wall.
"Klaus, you're back. Look who decided to come for a visit." Katherine introduced.
Klaus looks at Stefan. "You just keep popping up, don't you?"
"What're you doing here, Stef?" Selene thought. She was worried for his safety.
She didn't notice how Stefan became confused, and flinched.
"I need your help...For my brother." He said. "Well, whatever it is, it's gonna have to wait a tick. You see, I have an obligation to my brother that requires my immediate attention."
Elijah looks at Stefan "You understand how important family is, or you wouldn't be here. My brother gave me his word that he would reunite me with my own."
"And so I shall." Klaus stabs a dagger through Elijah's heart, killing him. He pushes Stefan against a wall. "Now, what am I gonna do with you?" Klaus puts a stake through Stefan. Stefan groans and buckles forward but Klaus holds him up. "Do you feel that? It's scraping against your heart. The slightest little movement and you're dead."
Before he could go any further, Selene lifts up her hand, red vapour travelling from her hand, to a pen, and into Klaus's shoulder.
Klaus turns to her smirking, and lets go of Stefan. "You need to keep your hands to yourself, Little witch."
"He's just trying to help his brother." Katherine saves them.
"The witches said you had a cure. Make me a deal. Just give me the cure, and I'll do whatever you want." Stefan negotiates.
Klaus takes out the stake. Stefan falls on the floor. Klaus walks over to the counter, puts the dagger on it, and pours himself a glass of blood. "Trouble is I don't know if you'd be any good to me the way you are now. You are just shy of useless."
Stefan is still on the floor. Klaus has a glass of blood in his hands and crouches down to speak to him. Katherine is looking at them. "I heard about this one vampire, crazy bloke, always on and off the wagon for decades. When he was off, he was magnificent. 1917, he went into Monterrey and wiped out an entire migrant village...A true ripper. Sound familiar?"
"I haven't been that way in a very long time."
"Well, that's the vampire I can make a deal with. That is the kind of talent that I can use when I leave this town." Stefan gets up.
"What's a ripper?" Selene asks the female vampire.
"Long story." She replies, sighing.
"Katerina, come here." Katherine gets closer. He takes her arm. His face changes, his eyes are yellow. He bites her. "Aah! Aah! No. No...No. No. No." Katherine starts panicking, as Stefan pulls Selene closer to him.
Klaus bites his own wrist. He makes Katherine drink his blood. Her wound heals. Klaus looks at Stefan. "You want your cure? There it is."
"Your blood is the cure." Stefan realises."Gotta love Mother Nature." The hybrid, sneakily glances at Selene. Klaus puts his hand on Stefan's shoulder. "Now...Let's talk, you and I."
******
Klaus is squeezing a knife blade tightly, and blood is pouring from his hand into a vial. Stefan is looking at him. Katherine and Selene are in retreat, looking at them.
"There it is. You want to save your brother? How 'bout a decade-long bender? And I have big plans for you when we leave this town." Klaus negotiates.
"I'm not like that anymore." Stefan replies.
"Well, that's too bad. You would have made a hell of a wingman." He starts pouring the blood down the sink.
"Wait." Klaus stops pouring the blood.
"Now that's more like it. I want you to join me for a drink." He throws him a blood bag along the counter. Stefan takes it. Klaus watches while drinking his glass of blood. Stefan takes a sip from the blood bag.
"Finish it. All of it. You do everything I say, and I save your brother. That's the deal."
Stefan drinks all of it. Klaus throws him another blood bag. "Again."
Stefan drinks.
******
There are four emptied blood bags on the floor. Stefan is sitting on the floor finishing drinking one. He grunts, and looks up at Klaus who is standing nearby.
"You're very cooperative. It's almost as if you're enjoying it." Klaus suggests. He throws another blood bag on the floor next to him.
"No more. Not until you give me the cure." Stefan gasps out, as Selene comfortingly rubs his back.
"Not until we make a deal. It's your choice, Stefan. You can either remain here living your life in Mystic Falls, or you can embrace what you truly are, leave town with Selene and I, and save your brother's life." Klaus crouches down, picks up and offers it to Stefan. Stefan snatches it and drinks vigorously.
"Leave her out of this." Stefan snarls.
"That's the thing, Ripper. I can't." Klaus smirks. "That's the spirit." He takes the vial with his blood and looks at Katherine.
"Sweetheart..." He compels her. "Take this over to Damon and come right back."
"You want me to leave?" Katherine's eyes widen.
"No!" Stefan growls.
"Yes and if I were you..." She takes the vial and rushes out the door at super speed. "...I'd hurry." He sits down in a chair.
"She'll never take it to him." Klaus cocks his head in a gesture of indifference. Stefan looks down and whispers to himself.
"She'll never take it to him."
*******
Elijah is lying in a coffin. Klaus is looking at him. Two men are standing nearby. They are in a warehouse filled with wooden crates.
"I suppose, brother, you've been reunited with our family." He closes the coffin and looks at the two men.
"Put him with the others. We're leaving town tonight." They put him with others coffins.
"Do you not feel bad sometimes?" Selene stands next to the Hybrid, who just gave her a confused look. "Taking their freedom away..."
Klaus sighs. "I have my reasons."
Stefan is standing nearby and receives a text reading "Damon's okay. Where R U?".
"So...Did Katerina make it in time?"
"You won't be seeing her again, you know." Stefan puts his phone away.
"Because she's on vervain? I've been around a long time, Stefan. I rarely get played for a fool. Besides, she won't get far. You'll help me see to that."
Stefan walks up to him. "What is it you really want from me?"
"All will be explained in time. Once we leave this tragic little town."
"Can we go?" Selene asks, impatiently.
"Not quite." He turns to Stefan "You see, I have a gift for you. Come here, sweetheart. Don't be afraid."
A girl walks over from behind a crate. Klaus looks at Stefan.
"See, I wanna make sure you honor our deal...that you'll be of use to me." He bites the girl's neck and drinks her blood. "I could have compelled her to behave, but a real ripper enjoys the hunt." He releases her. She runs away, screaming. Stefan stops her, bites her and drinks her blood until she's dead. Klaus looks at him. Selene winces, and looks away. She didn't like the sight of blood.
"Now we can go."
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