Kindred (The Hybrid and The Wolf - Book 2)

Chapter 9 - Reigning Pain in New Orleans

Klaus and I sat at each end of the dining table in the new house while Marcel and his vampires occupied the rest of the seats. The Original was hosting a dinner party to celebrate his new status as the King of the French Quarter.

I sat there and watched as he clinked his champagne glass to get everyone's attention.

Klaus stood. "Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift - immortality. After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt, for its beauties and its sorrows to diminish with time but as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans could possibly imagine."

He motioned for his compelled staff to serve his guests.

"Insatiable need," he continued. "Exquisite pain."

I looked away as they cut each of their wrists and poured their blood into the bowls in front of the vampires.

"Our victories and our defeats," Klaus looked at Marcel before raising his glass, addressing everyone. "To my city, my home again. May the blood never cease to flow."

Marcel raised his glass too. "And the party never end."

Diego was the next to share in the toast. "To New Orleans."

"To New Orleans," Everyone chimed in as they drank. 

"I understand that some of you have questions regarding the recent change in leadership and I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have. What Marcel, in fact, took and built into this. A true community of vampires."

"What about her?" Diego pointed at me. "The wolf."

I glared at the vampire but kept my mouth shut.

"Had you let me finish, Diego," Klaus walked towards my end of the table. "You would know that there is, of course, one further matter I would like to address. As many of you know, the girl is carrying my child. Consequently, I trust you will all pay her the appropriate respect. However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor."

I looked down as Klaus placed his hand on my shoulder. "That I intend to use the blood of our child to create hybrids. I assure you that I do not."

"Father of the year," I murmured, bitterly.

Klaus left my side to return to his seat. "It appears I will have to earn your trust. Very well. We'll eliminate the root of your anxiety. See, how can I sire any hybrids if there are no more werewolves alive in the Bayou to turn?"

I looked at Klaus with wide eyes. "What? Klaus, no."

"So eat," he said, loudly, ignoring me. "Drink and be merry and tomorrow, I suggest you have yourselves a little wolf hunt."

Klaus looked at me as he said, "Go ahead, have fun. Kill them all."

I shook my head, hurt and betrayed. No . . .

~*~*~

I walked around a corner, looking around to make sure I wasn't being followed. I had to get out to the Bayou before to vampires.

"Going somewhere?" Diego asked.

We stared at each other before someone threw him against the wall.

"Elijah," I said, relieved. "Hey, you shouldn't be here. Klaus has these guys watching me."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about them."

I turned around as I heard somebody groan in pain and saw two vampires being thrown to the ground. That's when I saw Rebekah join us.