9 | beautiful creatures
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀WREN WATCHED ON WITH SOME SORT OF INTRUIGED HORROR AS THE VAMPIRES DESCENDED UPON THE HUMANS OF THE PARTY ━ screams and growls ringing out around the courtyard.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"This is how I keep my guys happy," Marcel grinned, "the occasional all-you-can-eat buffet." He looked over at Klaus, who had a smirk on his face. "My nightwalkers love it ━ got 'em working hard trying to earn one of these daylight rings." He flashed a lapis lazuli ring. "They deserve to blow off a little steam."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren gripped the railing tighter. "You invite us here as friends, welcome these people here with the promise of music and memories ━ and then you massacre them?" She looked offended ━ appalled, even.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Relax, sweetheart ━ we don't kill them all. We just heal 'em with a little vamp blood and send them on their way. No muss, no fuss." Marcel smirked at her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren's lip curled. Her eyes flickered to the self-proclaimed King, something dangerous shining in them. "Yes, well I'm sure the humans see it the same way you do." She gave a wry smile.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I got them right where I want them." Marcel eyed her. "With full pockets and tight lips."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What about the victims?" Klaus cut in. "Seems like a lot of graves to dig."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Can't kill 'em all," Marcel answered, smirking toward Wren, "too many bodies ━ tourism drops. Can't have that, can we?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"No," Wren answered in a curiously calm voice, "we can't."
♔
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The blonde witch was slipping a nightgown over her figure when a knock came from her doorway. She sighed before calling, "Come in!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The door creaked open, revealing Niklaus ━ still in his black button up and pants.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She looked away, grabbing a hairbrush off of her vanity and beginning to pull it through her locks. "What is it, Niklaus? I'm tired." She pulled her hair up into a tight bun.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm going out to the pub with Marcel in the morning. Rebekah will be here, so you can rest assured on your safety." He shifted on his feet, eyeing her closely. "The house will be moved over into your name by the end of the week."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren set to work on pulling the covers back on her bed so she could lay down. "Yes, ━ because I feel so safe with another vampire watching over me." She kicked her slippers off, climbing into the bed. "I think I'd prefer being alone. If the witches want to kill me, let them try." She sighed loudly. "This heat might end me first though."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I assure you, love, anyone who attempts to harm you will meet a swift and quite inescapable end." Klaus' voice had lowered dangerously.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren lay back against her pillows, studying Klaus. "This whole thing with Marcel," she started, narrowing her eyes on his face as his jaw tightened, "it's obvious that you two have a history. Why do you want to take him down so badly?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Niklaus stood at the end of the bed, looking down at her with an unreadable expression. "I made him everything that he is. I took him in, treated him like a son. Yet when my father chased me and my siblings from New Orleans a hundred years ago ━ we believed him to be dead ━ we each mourned him in our own way.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"And yet, when I returned, I found out that not only had he survived ━ he had thrived. Instead of seeking us out ━ instead of sticking together as one ━ he made a choice to take everything my family had built and make it his own. Now he is living in our home, he is sleeping in our beds." He clenched his jaw. "That 'M' he stamps everywhere ━ it's not for 'Marcel'. It's for 'Mikaelson'.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I want it all back ━ and if I have to push him out to get it ━ that's exactly what I'll do." He began to walk out of the room. "I'll have someone see to the air conditioning."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren smiled to herself, waiting until the door was closed before she tossed the covers off and rolled over with the intention of going to sleep.
♔
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Softly-sung tunes and the crackling of the stove were the only sounds present in the kitchen. The early morning light spilled through the open window.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It was peaceful ━ at least until booted footsteps walked into the kitchen.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well isn't this just darling?" Rebekah's voice came from behind. "My brother has you playing the good housewife now?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren sighed, placing her spatula aside after moving her pancake over to a plate. "Your brother is out attempting to secure intel about this secret weapon that Marcel possesses. He thought bringing me along again after my first introduction might be disastrous."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Is that what he told you?" Rebekah smirked. "How about that he and Marcel are out there right now, ogling women like they used to do in the eighteen-hundreds?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren turned off the stove and placed the pan in the sink. "If you're trying to make me jealous, it's not going to work."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Rebekah's smirk widened into a smug smile. "I never said anything about jealousy, love. I'm only trying to help you out ━ us girls have to stick together."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Placing her plate on the table, Wren grabbed a glass of milk and returned to her seat. "Well then, let's talk about exactly how we can help each other."
♔
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus took a sip of his bourbon, eyeing Marcel as the man watched a blonde from across the bar. "In pursuit of the bartender from Rousseau's, I see." He painted on a smirk as his friend turned to him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"She's a work in progress." Marcel shrugged. His eyes slipped back over to her as he took another swig of his drink.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"And yet here you are ━ pining over her when you should be eating her for lunch." Klaus shook his head, refilling his drink. "Well, she must be special."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You're one to talk," Marcel shot back, "where's the dame you had last night? Fiesty little thing. What is she, anyway? Never known you to have a human for a lover."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus' expression tightened for a split second before he forced it to relax. He threw on an easy smile, leaning back in his seat. "Recovering in bed ━ quite an eventful night I'm afraid." He twirled his glass between his thumb and middle finger. Once to the left, four times to the right. "As for the matter of Wren, that is for me to know and for you to find out." A devious, teasing smirk graced his mouth.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Marcel's eyebrows shot up. "Damn." He eyed his friend for a long moment. "Why don't you give her a call ━ I've got another party coming up that she might be interested in." He put his hand up to stop Klaus as the man opened his mouth. "No murders this time ━ just good 'ol diplomacy."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus narrowed his eyes, realizing what the man was doing. He was seeing if Klaus was telling the truth. Sighing, he pulled out his phone ━ tapping her contact and raising the phone to his ear.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It rang once before the line connected. "Hello?" her sweet voice answered.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hello, sweetheart," Klaus forced out, making sure to keep his voice smooth. "I have just received a most intriguing offer from our friend Marcel. He says he'll be hosting a party soon and wonders if you might be interested."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He heard her take in a breath before a bit of shuffling went on in the background. "That depends ━ do you want to go?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I could never miss a party," Klaus responded, smirking at Marcel.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well, there's your answer."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Lovely. Call me if you need anything." Klaus hung up. "Satisfied?" he asked Marcel.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Marcel couldn't keep his grin contained. "You are whipped," he laughed at Klaus, "that girl has no idea how tightly she has you wrapped around her pinky finger."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes ━ it's all very amusing." He knocked back the rest of his bourbon. "Now, why is it that you've called me here?"