AN: Hey guys! Well, things have been pretty hectic here, to the point I didn't even realize the show aired tonight. Lol. Anyway, I've now had two books published, which I will shamelessly plug at the bottom of the page so you can elect to ignore it, but for now, please enjoy this very short chapter. I' haven't touched these characters since last year, so I'm shaking off the cobwebs. Bare with me, and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

Klaus couldn't make himself sleep. There was something itching at the back of his neck, something tickling him and refusing to let him relax.

Rolling onto his back, he glowered at the ceiling as though the white plaster would somehow reveal the reason behind his annoyance. But it didn't. Of course it didn't. For nearly three hours he'd been suffering.

As he laid there staring into nothingness, while the house was silent and the world around him slept, Klaus realized he heard something. A faint, nearly imperceptible sound crept into his ears and it made his back tighten. With every muscle tense, Klaus sat upright, propping himself up in bed to look around. He sharpened his hearing and listened.

Echoing in his ears was the faint sound of shuffling. His eyes narrowed as a list of creatures sifted through his mind quickly, but no matter what he thought of, he couldn't land on a culprit. A mouse in the walls, a fox in the woods, none of them seemed to match the sound. And then he heard it –an opening door.

With his three children in the house, Klaus reacted immediately. He launched himself from bed and through his door before his blankets had a chance to settle and what he found made his stomach lurch. The door to the children's room was open and –to add to his horror- a figure stood in the darkness.

The familiarity of it did nothing to assuage his fear.

"Kali," he hissed through his teeth, struggling to keep from waking any of those sleeping.

The young woman glanced over her shoulder and the sight of her made his blood chill. She didn't look human –beyond the obvious. Covered in the black shadows of the room, her pale skin seemed to glow while her hair disappeared into the background. Tendrils hung in her face and her eyes glistened like a dogs in dim light, reflecting like a possessed demon.

He knew instantly that it meant she was shifted –taking on her hybrid nature because her eyes wouldn't shine like that ordinarily, and the thought terrified him.

Klaus saw her hovering over Hope's sleeping figure like a creature from the depths and he knew he had to get her out of the room –out of the house- as quickly as possible. Charging forward, he grasped her bicep with every intention of yanking her away, but he was suddenly met with resistance.

He tried again, but this time K jerked back, forcing Klaus to shift his feet to compensate.

"Come with me." He said through a clenched jaw.

Her response was haunting. Instead of saying a word, a low, deep growl emanated from her throat.

Calling on more strength than he thought he needed to, Klaus grasped tightly and tore Kali from her stance over Hope. He dragged her kicking and screaming through the house like she was a wild animal. He briefly wondered how true the statement was.

He didn't stop until they were safely outside, far from the house so at least no one would hear them yelling. He tossed her away, un-surprised when she easily caught herself. He was fuming.

"The hell do you think you're doing here?!" he demanded.

"Leave me alone." She shot back.

"No," Klaus was nearly shaking with rage. "You're meant to be half-way 'round the world. You'll answer my damn question."

"What did you think would happen when you took my children away from me?!" she screamed. "I have the right to see her."

"No you don't. You gave up that right years ago."

"Gave up? Gave up?! It wasn't a choice, you ridiculous idiot! I did it to save you and your stupid family." The two began to pace one another in a wide circle. "Because, yet again, you all managed to completely fuck the world. But no shock, really. You're all Mikaelsons."

He ground his teeth. K barely seemed herself and he knew why. She was too close to Hope for who-knew-how-long. The witch inside her had to be taking control, it had to be affecting who she was and he knew it. That fact didn't make her words any less biting, however.

"Go home." He demanded, pointing a stern finger into the distance. "We'll discuss this when I return."

"You're not going to send me away, not when I'm so close to finally being able to see Hope again."

"This isn't you, Kali. The Hollow is twisting you, now leave before that bloody witch makes you do something you'll regret."

"I'm not going anywhere." She growled.

Klaus wasn't as surprised as he should have been when she began her trudge back towards the house, but her response was something else. When he stood in her path to stop her, Kali didn't hesitate to strike him. Her fist smashed against the side of his face harder than he thought her capable. He was dazed for a moment and a moment was all it took.

When his senses returned, K was perhaps ten yards from the house again and that was too close. Klaus ran for her, grabbed her by the shoulders and flung her back. Kali sailed through the air, twisting her body before doing something that nearly stunned Niklaus stupid.

A nearly black timber wolf landed in her place, glaring hatefully at him with neon green eyes, teeth bared and tattered fabric clinging to its thick coat. The animal lowered its head and drew its ears back. With a hefty shake, the clothes that once draped K's body fell to the grass.

She was immense, though he knew he could say the same for any hybrid. Her fur was dark in color if not black, with hints of grey obvious within the undercoat. She'd be beautiful if it weren't for the glowing white teeth.

"Kali," he told her in a strong, but calm voice. "Don't do something you'll regret."

The wolf's growls grew louder before it barked at him with that twisted sound wolves were known for. He knew she was lost in her anger because he'd been there before himself. He also knew the fight that was coming would be a vicious one.

When K charged for him again, Klaus reacted instinctively. He shifted as well and met her with teeth bared.

The sound of vicious fighting filled the air and gave those in the house direction. Hayley and Hope woke when they heard the scuffle to get out of the house, but Klaus and K had disappeared too quickly. Now, the ferocious sounds gave them an idea.

To Hayley's horror, two large wolves were battling viciously on her property. She didn't have to guess who they were. She simply knew, even without the clothes on the grass.

"Oh god," she muttered. "Hope," Hayley stepped in front of her daughter to shield her from the sight. "Go inside, now."

"But… why?"

"Now!"

The sharp sound forced one of the wolves to look up. Green eyes focused on Hope and just like that, the fight was over. Hayley continued to stand protectively in front of the young teen and that seemed to be what did it.

Klaus paced. With his head down, he too took a stance in front of the two young woman and squared himself off on K. Taking advantage of the hesitation, Hayley scooped up Hope and raced inside, locking the door behind her when she had.

With his daughter now away and safe, Klaus turned back into the man he once was. He stood over the wolf with blood smeared across his skin. They hadn't pulled back when fighting, and each bore the marks of it –albeit temporarily.

"Enough, Kali." He said evenly. She growled at him again. "Don't you see what's happening?! You're frightening her."

And that seemed to be what finally broke through the animal. Klaus saw her flinch and take a step back. Seeing it made Klaus relax, though only a bit.

"Please, leave." He sounded defeated.

It took a moment or two, but eventually, the animal did just that –disappearing quickly into the darkness. Klaus let his shoulders slump, but he wasn't at ease. That was far too close, too dangerous. He'd never seen Kali act like that before, at least not towards him. He knew she was capable of immense rage and violence, but this was something different and it frightened him.

What was he supposed to do when the most stable person in their marriage seemed to be slowly breaking?

AN:I hope you liked this little bit so far, and as promised, my plug. I have two erotic romances that have been published (yes, I know, lol) The first is entitled Hope, by C. Tyler, and the second is A Rockstar in her Bed. If that's your thing, check them out. You can get them on most sites that sell e-books -Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. If not, no harm done. :)

See you next time!