17 | a hybrid's vulnerability
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀WREN SAT IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF HER CAR, HER HANDS TAPPING AT THE LEATHER STEERING WHEEL. KLAUS WASN'T HOME YET, but they'd been back for over an hour.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She couldn't help but be worried. What if her coven had made the first move? They weren't on the best of terms with the Original Hybrid.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She finally gave up and went inside for a while, sitting by the piano with Rebekah and Nina - who were in a deep conversation.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I don't care if we have to lock you two in the basement, that was your last trip to the Bayou. It's too dangerous, what with Marcel's men roaming around." Rebekah knocked back a shot of bourbon.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I had to see if that was my coven, Rebekah. They're my family. That might not mean much to some but it means a lot to me." Wren poured herself a glass.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Rebekah snorted. "Family is a pain in the behind, if you ask me." She poured another shot. "Take it from the one who has to deal with your mate - minus the softness he shows you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren rolled her eyes. "Right," she mumbled, "softness."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Any lesser woman would've died today for what you said to him." Rebekah stared at her with a serious expression. "For a moment I feared his anger would get the better of him but he controlled it. He did that for you, Wren."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The door swung open, as if it could sense the conversation within. The hybrid came through, a small smirk on his lips.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Finally," Rebekah breathed, "what took you so bloody long-?" Her eyes widened as a second figure came through the door. "Elijah!" She rushed to hug him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren stayed a few feet back, but moved closer when his gaze shifted to her. "Good to have you back." She gave his arm a light squeeze.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You're safe!" Rebekah breathed. "Now that you're home, is your first plan to kill Niklaus?" She smiled teasingly toward her other brother.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, certainly." Elijah gave a happy grin. "For now, I'll postpone my revenge in the name of a happy evening."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren smirked and moved her eyes to Klaus. Subtly, she nodded for him to follow her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She could feel his heated gaze on her back the entire walk to his study. Her skin prickled as his warmth neared her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The atmosphere in the room shifted as soon as the door was shut. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren turned to him, eyeing him up and down. His eyes spoke of a hidden anger that he had buried. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm fine, love." Klaus sat down in the armchair in the far corner of the room. The lack of light made him melt into the shadows.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren wound her fingers together unsurely. "You don't seem like it."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus shrugged. "Any news I should be aware of?" he asked, trying to change the subject. His current vulnerability wasn't going to help them in the long run.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren furrowed her eyebrows and walked toward him, stopping when her toes bumped against his. She could see him a bit better - and the blank look on his face didn't settle her nerves any. Sighing as she weighed her options, she headed over to the bookcase and chose a random tome.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What are you doing?" he questioned, watching her through confused eyes.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren pulled a chair over by him, plopping down into the plush seat. Innocently, she blinked her eyes at him. "I'm keeping you company."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus eyed her for a long moment. Finally, he looked away, reaching beside him to click on the table lamp.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The serene silence between them remained unbroken for hours.
♔
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Everything that brought us here to New Orleans was a lie." Elijah stood straight behind his desk, his light grey button-up taut against his pecs. "This story that Sophie Deveraux fabricated, this struggle for control of the French Quarter, this war between vampires and witches, wasn't over territory at all, this was over Davina."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"So now what?" Wren sat forward in her seat. "What's our next move?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Our next move is yet to be determined, Wren." Elijah fiddled with a pencil that he found on his desk. "Eight months ago, Sophie Deveraux and her sister Jane-Anne lost everything. Now, four months before that, a young witch and her family move to town. They discover her link to Niklaus - and suddenly, all hope is renewed. Jane-Anne actually sacrificed her life so that her sister can use you to find Davina." His eyes stayed on Wren for a second, taking in the discomfort that flittered across her features. "If Sophie Deveraux is successful in capturing Davina, she can return Jane-Anne's daughter back to life.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"We thought we'd come here to wage a war for power. This is about family. In order to return her niece to life, Sophie Deveraux will fight to the death." He looked to Klaus. "That makes her more dangerous than anyone. "
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren mulled over the information for hours, even as the sun began to rise and peek through the windows. She could help them - but for that to happen she would have to reveal to them that she had known all of this all along.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She would rather not go through all of that yet.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Rubbing her tired eyes, Wren stretched in the chair she had been sitting in for the better part of a night and looked over. The place where Niklaus should've been was empty.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Pressing her lips together, she sighed and marked her place in the book before setting it aside. Her quiet footsteps were nearly silent to her own ears, but she knew that everyone in the house could hear her every move.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It was both comforting and weird.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Climbing the steps, Wren gently ran her hand along the railing and imagined how it must've been back in the eighteen-hundreds. If it was as flawless as it was now, or if the original had been replaced in favor of smoother timber.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She blinked away her thoughts and headed for his room door. It was shut, and there was no light coming from beneath it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ignoring her heart as it sped up, she twisted the handle and walked inside, closing the door behind her. It was dark inside, the only light being the streams of moonlight that painted the plush carpet.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀His window had been left open, causing the sheer curtains to blow in the gentle breeze.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The warm air caressed her arms like a touch, making goosebumps rise along her skin.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Her eyes fell away from the window sill, moving to the inky bed. It had only one occupant - her mate.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Moving toward him, she surveyed his face as she came to a stop next to his bed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀His features were relaxed, no sign of the normal anger he normally wore.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀If she had looked at him now, with no prior knowledge of who he was or what he had done, she would've thought he was just a normal guy. But looking at him, the way his eyelashes brushed his cheeks gently and his plump lips sat so temptingly, she could almost forget who he was.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Almost.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀There would always be that reminder in the back of her mind - a little voice telling her that he was dangerous. He was a ticking bomb - ready to be set off at any second.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She lowered herself next to him, sitting on the edge of the bed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He didn't move a muscle, but something in her knew that the simple movement had woken him up. The peace in his body had left, replaced by a tenseness that didn't belong to a slumbering soul.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I didn't mean to wake you up," she whispered, adjusting herself. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright before I went to bed. You left without saying anything."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus opened his eyes. "I'm fine, love." He sat up, his chest nearly touching hers. "There's not many people who can sneak up on me."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm not most people." Wren allowed herself to smirk. "I'll let you go back to sleep." She went to stand, pausing as he grabbed her hand.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Stay," he said simply, but his eyes spoke volumes.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren furrowed her eyebrows but nodded, moving to climb into the bed. She shuddered as the cold silk slid over her arms, moving closer to him unconsciously. "Goodnight, Niklaus," she mumbled, the darkness covering her eyes once more.