22 | the river in reverse
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀WREN WALKED AROUND THE HOUSE WITH A CUP OF ORANGE JUICE IN HER HAND, her face set into a glare just in case she encountered her mate. He had been strangely absent from the kitchen that morning, and from her room.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She turned the corner into Rebekah's study, only to stop in her tracks as she saw a blonde sitting at the desk with a typewriter in front of her. The blonde, who she originally assumed was Rebekah, was, in fact, a bartender she had seen at Rousseau's a couple of times.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"-accused me of using Wren for my own gain. Trusting others before their own blood."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The blonde had stopped typing and instead stared at Wren with some sort of masked shock. "That girl you're always talking about... your soulmate." She kept her stare leveled with Wren's. "She's standing in the hallway and she does not look happy."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Let her," Klaus snapped, "she's siding with all the rest of them."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren scoffed, quickly swallowing her orange juice before she choked on it. "Excuse you?" she exploded, shoving the door open and stomping into the room. "I was the only one that was willing to defend you and then you had to go and bite Elijah - who, by the way, is still in the Bayou! Don't be out here rambling on about how everyone has forsaken you when you are the one who forces them to!" She hadn't even noticed how animated she was being with her hands until Klaus pried the cup of orange juice from her fingers and handed her a napkin.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, so I forced Elijah to make those vile accusations against me? I forced Rebekah to go and lay with Marcellus when she should be helping me reclaim our home? Please, explain to me how I forced them into such actions!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"By being an asshole!" Wren shoved him back as he advanced toward her. "Don't touch me, Klaus."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He flinched back like she had slapped him. She'd never called him by that nickname. "Love..."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She rolled her eyes, grabbed what was left of her orange juice, and stormed out of the room.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well... she was nice." The bartender shuffled her papers.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus stared after his mate with a mixture of hurt and anger. He turned his head, swallowing his hurt and his pride. "Where were we?" he asked as he poured himself another glass of bourbon.
♔
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nina walked into the tent, smirking at Elijah. "We have a visitor," she hummed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren walked in behind her, smiling awkwardly as she saw the sweating vampire. He had been laying on a sleeping bag, his suit coat discarded on the floor of the tent. Another sleeping bag was sprawled out next to him with blankets.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The vampire sat up, groaning. "You came back." He watched her in confusion. "Where is my brother?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren rolled her eyes. "Drunk off his ass at the house. He's got that bartender writing something on a typewriter that is probably older than I am." She sat down. "I figured I could help you out a little." She gestured to her neck.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"How so?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren reached forward, securing her fingers around his wound. She winced as he groaned, apologizing under her breath. "This'll only take a second," she mumbled. Focusing, she pulled the magic from the bite.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It disappeared and sealed back together again, leaving flawless skin behind.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"How is that possible?" Elijah reached up, his fingers searching for the bite. The pain was gone, and so was the ache that had been torturing him all night.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Runs in the family," Wren shrugged. "Nature wanted to punish the Gemini coven a couple centuries ago, and thus a new species of witch was born." She gestured to herself. "Siphoners, population one."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I don't understand - you can remove magic?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren winced. "In a way? I can take it and use it." She looked down at her hand, summoning a small bit of dirt on her palm and making a tiny hurricane out of it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Magnificent."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nina yawned from where she was laying with a book. "So what made Klaus change his mind?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren pressed her lips together, looking down sheepishly.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"He didn't, did he?" She looked at Wren with narrowed eyes. "He doesn't know you're here."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I figured I could get back before he woke up from his drunk nap."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Did you see him fall asleep yourself?" Elijah asked. "Are you sure he isn't aware of your defection?" Wren didn't answer. "We must return you at once. Niklaus will be furious if he's learned you've left without his permission."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm not scared of Klaus."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"And I'm not suggesting you should be. He is difficult and infuriating but I doubt he will ever harm you intentionally." Elijah stood, grabbing her arm to pull her with him. "Do not give up on him - he's allowed you closer to him now than he's allowed me in centuries."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren bit the inside of her lip, nodding.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Let's go. Nina and I will return later tonight, but if we come home now he will know something is amiss."
♔
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren closed the door behind her, wincing at the creak it made. She slowly turned toward the open house, noting its silence.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus appeared in front of her in an instant. "Where have you been?" He grabbed her arms, searching for injuries. "Are you hurt?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She sighed and shook her head. "I'm fine. I just went out to get something to eat and do some shopping."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What part of 'it's too dangerous' did you not understand?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I understood it perfectly - I just didn't care." Wren walked around him, dropping her bags on the floor. "Is the bartender gone?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"She left hours ago." Klaus took her coat, hanging it up. "I was planning on seeking you out to apologize for my actions, only to find that you were gone."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"There's still time." Wren turned fully toward him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus sighed and rolled his eyes. "You missed your chance, those feelings of remorse are long since buried."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren clenched her jaw. "Fine, then."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Don't be ridiculous, I was only kidding." Klaus grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. "I'm sorry about being an arse earlier."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren searched his eyes. "No you're not, you're sorry that I got upset about it." She pried his fingers away from her bicep. "Come talk to me when you've found some genuine emotion in that maze of a mind."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Wren." Klaus' voice was firmer, now. "Stubbornness will get you nowhere with me."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Won't it?" She smirked up at him. "It's gotten me everywhere with you." She didn't even flinch as his eyes flashed, instead watching in fascination. "Why do you try so hard to hold back from doing what you want most?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus didn't have an answer. He swallowed as he watched her light green eyes blink up at him demurely. "Because if you knew even a fraction of my true desires, I fear that you would run for the hills."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren laughed through her nose. "I haven't yet, have I?" She took a step closer to him, watching the way his fingers curled as he fought off his desires. "I trust you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus drew back as she went to touch his chest, feeling his wolf curl and coil to the surface. His nostrils flared as he caught her scent in the air.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Niklaus," she murmured, grabbing his arm. He didn't flinch away this time. She brought it closer, running her soft hands over his palms and fingers. Those hands had been the end of many, but brought her only comfort and calm.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus watched her with some form of fascination as she brought his hand to her face. He rubbed her soft cheek with the pad of his thumb, feeling the heat from them. His hand dropped down, grazing over her throat and collarbone as they continued their exploration.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀His phone rang in his pocket - interrupting their quiet moment.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren sighed and stepped away from him, kicking her heels off as he answered the phone.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It was Josh, informing him that the compound had been cleared and the time to act was now. Klaus clenched his jaw and hung up the phone. "Love..." He watched her as she stripped off her hoodie, leaving her in a tank top.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Go," she murmured, shooing him with her hand.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus moved toward her like a shadow, grabbing her around the waist and pressing his lips to her cheek. "I will be back," he swore, "I promise." He moved his lips closer, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren sighed, fighting a smile. "I know." Her smile dropped as he left in a flash, and the warmth around her faded.