𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 ━━ KLAUS MIKAELSON

22

STEFAN RETURNED to the sight of Klaus sitting with a bottle of beer in his hand while Emery had her head resting on his shoulder, looking as comfortable as ever.

He bit back any comments when he saw the dried blood on the side of her neck. Instead, his brows arched up in concern then he looked around at the dead bodies around them as he dropped Ray on the ground, "is she okay?"

"She is now," Klaus muttered, glancing at the witch who was beginning to stirr awake. It surprised him how tired she actually was. She had managed to fall asleep in a span of seconds.

Emery sat up straight, bringing her hands to her eyes as she slowly rubbed them. Her gaze fell on a dead Ray then at Stefan who asked, "what happened?"

"They went rabid," Klaus informed, "some of them, I killed. The others just- Bled out." standing up, he approached Stefan, "in the end, they're all dead." He let out a scream and threw the bottle of beer in his hand. He then looked up at the sky and screamed, turning back to Stefan, "I did everything I was told!"

Emery slightly flinched at the sudden change in his demure. Klaus noticed and cleared his throat before regaining his posture, "I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse. I killed a werewolf. I killed a vampire. I killed the dopplegänger."

Emery didn't let the look of realisation that crossed her features being seen by Klaus. She bit her tongue upon realising that Elena was the reason he wasn't able to turn them.

Stefan, however couldn't be more obvious. But thankfully for him, Klaus didn't realise as he commented, "you look like hell."

"Last I checked, I'm dying-" Stefan replied, "and you don't want to heal me." Klaus glanced at Ray's body and Stefan felt the need to explain, "I had to take him out. I didn't have a choice. I failed you. I'm sorry-" he walked to stand in front of Klaus, "do what you have to do."

"It should have worked," Klaus muttered, glancing at Emery who had her lower lip tugged in between her teeth and a crease on her forehead while she stared at the bite mark on Stefan's arm.

He turned around and took an empty bottle of beer. He then bit his hand, made a fist and allowed the blood draining from it to fall directly in the bottle. Holding out the bottle to Stefan, "bottoms up."

Stefan took the bottle from him as Klaus continued, "we're leaving." He walked towards Emery who was trying hard to keep her eyes open. She said nothing when Klaus slid a hand behind her knees and another one on her back, lifting her up. Instead, she rested her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck to make herself comfortable.

Stefan furrowed his brows at the action but said nothing. The hybrid was about to walk away with the witch when his eyes landed on the dead werewolves and he decided to speak again, "it appears you two are the only comrades I have left."

With that, he finally walked away. Emery was relaxed in his arms and he glanced down at her when he felt her eyes on him, "what?"

"Don't drop me."

Klaus faked a look of surprise, "you think I would?"

"Honestly?" She asked and answered before he could, "yes, I do."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Klaus muttered which only earned a hum from her in response.

They continued to walk in silence when she decided to break it with a question that has been plaguing her mind for a while now. "Can I ask you a question?"

He looked down at her, "you're going to ask anyway so go ahead, love."

"How do I find another way to break a curse?" Her question had him haltering his steps. He furrowed his brows, "what do you mean?"

"You were cursed too, right?" When he nodded, she continued, "have you tried to, I don't know, find another way to break your curse? Like, instead of waiting five hundred years or something for a doppleganger?"

"I have," he muttered with a shake of his head, "there was no other way. I had to wait."

"All right," she mumbled, the disappointment clear in her tone. Klaus ran his tongue over his lips before sighing, "why are you asking me that?"

"I was just curious."

Klaus said nothing to that. He only gave her a hum of his own in response as they made their way back. Stefan had joined them shortly after and the three just walked in silence.