Clair de Lune - K.M.

c h a p t e r f o r t y o n e

Klaus and I wake up the next morning on the island to the sound of shouting. When I unzip the entrance to the tent I see Elena yelling and approaching the center of the clearing, the rest of the group convening around her.

"What's going on?" I ask Bonnie as I catch up with her, Klaus following sleepily behind.

"Jeremy is gone," the witch replies in a worried voice. "He dissapeared sometime last night."

"Shit."

"Did you guys find anything?" Elena asks, coming to a stop.

"He's not on the trail," Bonnie tells her.

"His gear's still here," Shane points out, holding up the missing young boy's pack.

"We checked the quarry, he's not there either," Stefan says as he and Rebekah approach from the side.

Elena lets out a frustrated groan and rubs her temple in stress as Damon looks around.

"Alright, split up," the vampire says. "He's got to be here somewhere."

"I'm going to stay and try a locator spell," Bonnie says, heading over to grab her pack.

"Okay. I'll stay here and make sure she's safe," Shane tells everyone.

"I'll stay here and make sure you're not lying," Damon says in a distrustful tone as Elena glances over at me. I give her a reassuring nod and she lets out a sigh.

"Fine. I'll go with Stefan. Stella, you and Klaus work back in the direction we came and we'll head around the other side."

Rebekah rolls her eyes at this suggestion but Klaus wastes no time in grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the small clearing. The two of us walk side by side for a long time, ears strained to hear any other sounds of life through the trees.

"What do you think the chances are that both Rebekah and Elena are still alive later?" I ask him, accepting his help in stepping over a large branch in our path.

"Likely about fifty-fifty," Klaus grins and I can tell he's trying to keep the mood light. "My money is on my sister, however."

"Unfortunately mine is too. God, we're going to be lucky to all get off this island alive."

"I don't think-"

Klaus is cut off by a soft clicking sound in the distance. It only take a split second for him to move and he immediately pins me against a nearby tree, nearly avoiding the large wooden spike that shoots through the air towards where we were just standing. I gasp as his body covers mine to protect me from any other attacks that might be coming our way.

"You were saying?" I ask breathlessly when it's clear that we're safe for now.

"Shut it," Klaus responds, his forehead pressed against mine.

I realize that he's not pulling away and decide to ride the wave of adrenaline crashing over me. I reach forward to grab his belt, yanking his hips against mine. Klaus moans deep in his chest and braces himself on the tree behind me.

"Careful, pup," he says in a threatening tone. "Touch me like that again and finding the boy is going to be the last thing on my mind."

"What, like this?" I ask in an innocent voice as I reach under his shirt to run my hands along his stomach. I can feel the muscles flexing beneath my palms and I grin as Klaus' eyes flutter closed.

"Stella-"

"You're so easy to mess with," I whisper in his ear. I catch his earlobe between my teeth and give a quick tug before sliding out from between him and the tree.