15 | paper hearts
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀WREN WOKE SLOWLY, IN A POCKET OF WARMTH AND MUSCLES THAT SEEMED INESCAPABLE. SHE WHINED, stretching as best she could in her position. Her tired limbs popped and ached as she arched in the bed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A throaty groan reverberated around her as muscled arms coiled against her waist.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren's eyes snapped open, meeting creamy skin that was littered with tattoos and the occasional scar. Defined muscles stretched over the expanse of his body. Grimacing, she dropped her hand to his arm as it tightened around her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀In discomfort, she looked at his face to see if he was even the slightest bit conscious. His eyes moved beneath his eyelids, and his breathing was steady. Asleep. "Niklaus," she whispered, hitting his arm lightly.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀His face tightened.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Rolling her eyes, Wren pushed at his shoulder. "I know you're awake," she grumbled.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Is it a crime to want to hold you for a while longer?" he mumbled back at her. His voice was raspy from lack of use.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren could've melted into the bed. Disguising her reddening cheeks as being hot, she pretended to fan herself. "I'm hot, and your werewolf heat isn't helping."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀His eyes fluttered open, a look of mild annoyance in them. "Take the bloody sweatshirt off, then."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She sighed and wiggled against him. "Let me up," she groaned, "you're too warm." She writhed a bit more before he finally released her. With a sigh of relief, she stood and trotted over to the window. Her thin hands pushed it open, a breath of air being sucked into the house.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The room door pushed open, revealing a curly-haired werewolf. "Am I interrupting?" she asked with a smirk.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"No," Wren said.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yes." Klaus' voice was unamused. His eyes had closed again, and he lay on his back in the bed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What's up?" Wren asked, offering her friend a smile as she stripped off her hoodie to reveal a black tank top beneath. She tossed the offending piece of clothing onto the bed, coincidentally hitting her mate in the face.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I was wondering if we could head into town to get some clothes. Those witches that attacked us kind of burned my car - and all of my luggage."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, I'll go with you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"No, you won't," Klaus piped in again.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Did you hear that? It's almost like there's a tiny voice somewhere in the room, disagreeing with everything that I say."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀An arm wrapped around her midsection, pulling her back into a toned form. "That little voice just so happens to be the voice of reason in the room. Every time you leave this house, you get yourself into some form of trouble. Therefore, if you go anywhere, it is with me." His hot voice against her neck made goosebumps spread over her skin.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I get myself into trouble because my family seems to have it out for me, now that I'm bonded to you." Wren looked over her shoulder, drowning in his dark blue gaze. "So if you want to keep me safe, you need to come with me."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You two are adorable." Nina's wry voice broke their stare off. "But I need something other than dresses and tank tops."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren broke away from her mate, blushing. "You can borrow some of mine for now."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Great." Nina looked away from them, a smirk on her lips. "I guess I'll order in, considering there's nothing to eat in the fridge."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Exactly!" Wren nodded her head. "I've been telling them for weeks that I need something to eat other than PB&J's. I'm getting fat." She frowned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Nonsense." Klaus butted in from across the room where he was checking his phone.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hush, you'd like it if I got fat. Then there'd be no chance I could be taken from you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"There was no chance in the first place." Klaus placed his phone down on the bedside table. "I've ordered one of everything from the local pizza joint."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nina's eyes lit up.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"One of everything?" Wren repeated in horror. "I'll never be able to eat all of that!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus smirked to himself. "Tell Rebekah to be expecting guests. I'll be in the bath if you require anything." He sauntered toward the bathroom.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren watched him go, her eyes dripping down his back. She licked her lips as her gaze dropped to where his waist tapered in. "Thank you," she forced out before she forgot.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus stopped in the doorway, shooting a heavy glance at his mate. His darkened eyes spoke a thousand words to her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Goosebumps spread over her skin.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nina grabbed Wren by the hand, dragging her from the room. "No, no. You two are not getting it on in the bathroom. Let's go."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren's face turned bright red. "Nina!" she hissed, slapping her wolf friend on the arm. "Don't be ridiculous."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You're mates. It's bound to happen." Nina shrugged, shooting her friend a sly smile. "I'd just rather it not be while I'm here, considering I have supernatural hearing. Rebekah wouldn't appreciate it either."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"On the contrary, Nina, I'd rather Nik lose that rather large stick he has up his arse." Rebekah sat on one of the couches, texting idly on her phone.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Niklaus said to tell you that the pizza guy is coming," Wren informed the blonde vampire. "He ordered one of everything from the menu."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Rebekah sighed. "At this rate we'll have to utilize one of the guest rooms as a storage unit." She eyed her brother's mate. "Fine, but don't bug me for food for a few days."
♔
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren smiled awkwardly at one of the workers who was trying to hold a conversation with her. He kept studdering over himself, scratching at the back of his neck so often that the girl feared he might end up harming himself on accident.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"So this house is pretty great! Do you three live here alone?" He sat on one of the bar stools that he had brought in and assembled. "Seems pretty expensive."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I wouldn't know," Wren shrugged, shifting her body so that she was further away as he leaned over the counter. "I don't take care of the finances."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Who does, then? There's gotta be a man in the family."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Why?" Rebekah piped up from where she was eating a piece of pizza. She furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Are you insinuating that us three couldn't possibly pay for this mansion by ourselves?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"No! No! It was just a question!" His face turned pink. "I was just thinking - it's a really big house and this property is really old. To have been maintained this well and restored the way it was..."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren stiffened as Klaus came into the room. His hair was wet and dripped water down his forehead. He had put on a pair of black jeans, but his torso remained bare to the room.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Rebekah scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Bloody hell, Niklaus, you're going to give the poor girl a heart attack."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren opened her mouth to respond to the boy she had been talking to, only to have Nik wrap an arm around her middle and press a kiss to her forehead. Her mouth fell further open, her eyes widening.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What was your question, mate?" Klaus asked without breaking his stare from Wren's. "I feel I may be a bit more informed on the matter, considering I own the property."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The guy turned even redder as Wren placed her hand on Nik's arm. "I was just wondering why the three of them owned this place, sir."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Let me guess your name... Thomas? Mark?" He smiled as the boy confirmed the latter. There was no friendliness in that grin - it was malicious. Like a wolf baring his teeth to remind his adversary how willing he was to open their throat. "Seeing as I hired you to simply deliver and install a set of barstools - the likes of which you are now occupying - I don't believe you are in any position to ask such questions."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Sir-"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"These ladies are very clearly uninterested in anything you have to say, and therefore you are dismissed - without pay - to go about your other duties. Leave."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The boy didn't move, only sat with his mouth hanging open.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Shall I have you removed?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren closed her eyes and sighed, turning to lean against the counter as the boy stood and left. "You didn't have to do that," she mumbled. Her hands retreated to her sides, picking at the soft fabric of her sweatpants.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Of course I did." Klaus stood a bit straighter. "He was bothering you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"The world is not going to crumble because I'm the slightest bit unhappy, Niklaus." Wren shook her head. She pushed around him, leaving the kitchen in a whirlwind of emotions.
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