[𝟷] 𝘾𝙍𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙉𝙎, 𝘕.𝘔. [EDITING]

「xxx」

30 | fractured skulls and angry hybrids

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀WREN WOKE UP IN THE HOSPITAL, THE LIGHTS FULLY BLACKED OUT IN HER ROOM. SHAKY BREATHS OF CONFUSION LEFT HER AS SHE FELT AROUND, searching for any source of light.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Opening her mouth to speak, she found that her tongue felt limp and dry in her mouth. Her eyes blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the lighting as she looked around again. She opened her mouth a second time, croaking out her mate's name into the darkness.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He wasn't there.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren's hand moved to her head, feeling the soreness spread all throughout her skull. Her eye sockets hurt as she winced, and the feeling spread to her cheekbones and jaw. Her headache was wicked.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The door to her room opened, letting a sliver of light lick across the floor of her room. Her eyes immediately snapped away from it, pain going through her skull like a knife. "God, that's bright." She covered her eyes, moving her head away from the light.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You're awake," Klaus mused as he shut the door behind him, bathing the room in darkness again. "The nurse said you'd be out for longer."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Sorry to disappoint," Wren murmured as she reached for him in the dark, finding his supernaturally warm hands instantly. His touch sent a wave of calm through her. "What happened with Davina?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I compelled the boy to poison himself and the witch, only to discover that both you and Marcellus had ulterior motives towards the children." Klaus' eyes watched her through the dark, seeing her jaw clench as she tensed. "Now the two of them are alive - well, Davina is. Timothy is recently undead and very confused - I'm sure that was your doing."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren rolled her eyes slightly. "Did you think I was going to let you kill a sixteen-year-old boy?" she groaned as she readjusted herself in the bed, feeling his hands moving to rub at the exposed skin of her waist. "They are children, Niklaus. They don't deserve death."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Perhaps you're right." Nik bit into his wrist, holding his bleeding limb over his mate's mouth. "But because of your betrayal, we now have a newborn vampire and a vengeful witch to look after. I'll leave the simpering fool to you."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren hummed against his wrist as his blood poured into her mouth, the euphoric feeling dancing through her veins. "Niklaus." Her hand traced a vein in his forearm as his wound healed over.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nik pulled his arm away, rolling his sleeve back down. "You will return to the compound immediately." He backed away a step, his footstep silent against the linoleum floor. "There, you will find your new pet."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren sighed as she listened to her mate's footsteps leave the room. He was angry with her - that much was obvious. Her headache gone, she sat up and began to get dressed.

♔

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The compound was strangely empty as she entered. She dropped her purse on a nearby table, sighing deeply at the silence in the courtyard. It was uncommon for things to be this quiet.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Timothy?" Wren called, looking around. He was supposed to meet her here.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Mrs. Mikaelson?" the boy tentatively stepped around the corner, his shaking hands rubbing at his jeans.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren arched a brow. That was a new one. "Glad to see you're in one piece," she smirked, "how do you feel?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Alright, I guess." Timothy looked around. "Where is everybody?" he asked.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"That's a good question." Wren sighed and pulled out her phone, texting Klaus. He didn't respond. "Did you get settled in alright?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I didn't have much to move in," he shrugged, "but yeah. Thanks." His nervous hands picked at his curls. "Have you seen Davina?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren looked at him for a long moment. "She's in her room, probably - but she's resting. She had a big day yesterday." The boy was struggling with all of this. "How are you, Timothy? Truly. I know you haven't settled into this as easily as you want me to believe."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Tim looked at the ground, avoiding her piercing gaze. "It could be worse." His mumbled voice barely reached her very human ears.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Sighing, Wren picked up her purse. "I'm sorry things had to be this way, Timothy. If I could have changed Niklaus' mind, I would've."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Did you even try?" Tim looked up at her for a moment. "How do you know that there was no other way?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren's lips parted in surprise. His voice was still its usual soft tone, so she knew he didn't mean anything malicious by it. It was just a question - and a valid one, at that. How did she know?

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It was a sobering realization.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She didn't know, she just assumed that Klaus would do the most wicked thing possible and planned for it. She hadn't even attempted to change his mind, she had just gone behind his back without hesitation.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm going to rest," Wren said softly as she bunched the purse strap up in her hand and headed for the stairs. She hung her purse on her doorknob and headed down the hall toward the bar. She could feel him in there, his hand no doubt wrapped around a glass of scotch.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The door creaked open, revealing her tipsy mate leaning against the glass countertop with hooded eyes as he brushed his fingers over the pages of a sketchbook. His eyes flickered to her as she entered. "Come to gloat about the vampire prodigy that young Timothy has become? I hear he's taking the change remarkably well."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren sighed. "I came to apologize, actually." She walked up to him, closing the sketchbook and taking the glass out of his hand, setting both on the counter. "I lost my faith in you when I needed it most. I believed that you were going to kill that boy and there was nothing I could do to stop it, so I went behind your back. I'm sorry, Nik." Her hand traced the top of his.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well, I can't blame you for believing the worst of me." He gave a wry smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling as Wren's face fell in remorse. "I only wanted to eliminate the threat to our family, and to teach that witch a lesson on who she can and cannot hurt. She came for my mate, so I came for hers."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"He is a child. He's sixteen." Wren brushed her fingertips along his stubble.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I did what I had to."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren sighed. "So did I."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus, realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere in this discussion, stood. "I did what I did to protect you. I have been made to protect you, and not even death will keep me from doing so." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, smelling the sweet scent of her hair. "We have a lot to do tomorrow, best to get some rest."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren hooked her hand in his elbow as he began to walk away from her, following along with his quick strides. "We haven't slept in your bed yet."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"There are many things we haven't done in my bed yet," Klaus smirked as he walked, hearing her little heart skip a beat at his words.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren's face heated up, her hand tightening around his as a vampire passed them in the hall. There was no way he hadn't heard what they were discussing. Embarrassment flooded her as Klaus chuckled under his breath.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Come, darling." Klaus held the door open for her, watching her with darkening eyes. "We have much to discuss." His eyes watched her every movement as she bounced into his room with eager strides.