Caroline slowly lowered the phone, fingers of one hand covering her mouth in shock, but her guilty look quickly changed to defiance. "This was my idea."
Klaus did not reply to her. "James, Diana. Escort Miss Forbes home."
The two hybrids walked over to flank Caroline. She looked to Klaus, but the words froze in her mouth as she caught his furious expression. She shot a worried look at Stefan, who just shook his head slightly, and urged, "Go."
As she walked by Klaus he put his hand out, palm up. She was flustered at first, unsure what the gesture meant, but then catching on, quickly placed the cell phone in it. He closed his fingers, crushing it into powder and then opened his hand allowing the dust to waft to the ground.
She tried to turn back, scared now for Stefan, but the hybrids each gripped an upper arm and hustled her out of the alleyway.
Stefan, carefully watching Klaus, spread his hands in a placating gesture attempting to reason with him. "This wasn't against you. This was for Caroline. She's just a kid, Klaus. She needed to talk to her mother."
Klaus's gaze was piercing, full lips compressed to a thin straight line, nostrils pinched white with anger.
Stefan was seriously worried. He knew that eventually he would have had to face Klaus, but he had expected to have time, some distance between the call and Klaus's eventual knowledge. He had not expected to be caught in the actual act of defying him. Now I'm in for it. He looks insane with anger.
Stefan let his eyes slip away, gently breaking contact with the hybrids'. He relaxed his tense shoulders allowing his hands to hang by his side. He turned slightly so his body language did not challenge the hybrid. As Klaus's eyes burned into him, some primeval alarm system prickled a warning in his spine. An ancient area of his brain woke, sensing the gaze of the predator and knew fear. An involuntary response froze him, warning him that maybe, just maybe, if he stood very still, the predator might lose interest and silently pad away.
No such luck. In a blur of motion he was picked up and slammed against the wall, skull cracking painfully against brick, toes not touching the ground, held by an iron hand that crushed his windpipe.
When Stefan still refused to make eye contact Klaus used his free hand to grab Stefan's face, digging his nails into the flesh, demanding his attention. "You should have come to me. Asked me. I would have understood and allowed her to talk to her mother but no, you made me the enemy and joined forces against me." Klaus's voice was so cold and remote it sent a shiver down Stefan's spine.
Stefan kept quiet, not having the slightest idea what he could possibly say to calm the enraged hybrid.
A smile that could only be called evil spread over Klaus's face. "I am clearly not getting through to you. I've tried since I brought you here to get you to reach out to me. You could have anything you wanted if you just ask, but no, you keep pulling back further. I tried it the nice way. Now let's try the hard way. It's time for you to remember what it's like when you're on my bad side." His voice was terrifyingly intense.
Stefan's eyes opened a little wider. The tight grip on his throat rendered him unable to swallow what little spit was in his mouth. He attempted once again to defend himself, but no air could pass to form sounds.
"Don't bother. Too late."
Klaus released his grip allowing Stefan to drop to his feet with a thump. He didn't know if he should rub his cracked skull or crushed throat first.
His voice was husky as he tried to push words out his bruised throat. "It was a misunderstand—"
Klaus stepped in close, invading Stefan's personal space. "I've been exceptionally patient with you. My patience is now at an end."
"Klaus!" The word came out as a plea.
Klaus just pointed in the direction of the home.
Stefan searched his face, but if he was looking for mercy he could find no evidence of it in the hybrid's hard eyes and stony expression. He began to edge past Klaus only to be grabbed by the back of his shirt. It was twisted into a stranglehold, and he was dragged along so swiftly he was barely able to stay on his feet.
They returned to the house only to have Klaus take him to his room and throw him into the wall. "Consider yourself on room arrest." Klaus left, slamming the door.
Stefan gingerly picked himself up off the floor and walked over to sprawl on his bed, listening to the retreating footsteps before stretching out, hands behind his head, resigned to waiting.
He was left for two full days without food before Klaus came to visit, bringing a juice glass of blood. Stefan smelled it before the door opened. He tried not to stare at the glass, but he couldn't stop his eyes from tracking it.
Klaus smiled cheerfully as he made small talk. "It's a beautiful day. Sun is shining. Great day for a walk. They're not predicting any rain. That's good news because there's a polo match I want to attend. I would have been so disappointed if I missed it."
He gave a dramatic start as if suddenly noticing that Stefan's eyes were fixated on the glass. "Hungry?" he asked, clearly enjoying himself.
Stefan shrugged, determined not to grovel. Klaus raised an eyebrow and slowly ran a finger around the rim of the glass before dipping the tip of his pinkie finger in the blood and casually licking it off.
Stefan swallowed and tried to look away. Klaus dimpled, rolling his eyes to the heavens, as if asking for divine inspiration. "No? Well, I am a tad peckish."
As Klaus raised the glass to his lips, Stefan lost control and shot over only to be forced to his knees by one strong hand. Hunger gave him a false frenzy, but he was too weak to overcome the hybrid's strength.
"You forgot the magic word." Klaus gently scolded.
Stefan, eye veins engorged, looked at him with a blank stare, too overcome with blood lust to comprehend what was being said.
"Tut! Tut! And here I thought you were raised as a gentleman. Your manners are sadly wanting. If you want something you ask, not take."
It finally dawned on Stefan what the hybrid wanted. "Please . . Please . . Pl . ."
Klaus allowed him to drink from that humiliating position, making it clear who was in charge. When Stefan had drained the wholly inadequate amount of blood Klaus reminded him. "Remember to come to me when you want something."
A mocking grin lit his face as he added, "I brought you something to read. Don't want you getting bored now, do we?" Klaus pulled out a book he had tucked into a pocket and dropped a paperback copy of Twilight on the bed and sauntered out.
Stefan flung himself back on the bed, covering his eyes with the back of his hands. His hunger wasn't even close to being satisfied. I don't know how much longer I can take this.
Later that evening Stefan heard his footsteps approaching the bedroom door. He was stretched out on his bed, head resting on his crossed arms, having given up any attempt to read. His hunger overwhelmed all other thoughts and sensations, preventing him from concentrating.
Klaus knocked once and opened the door. Stefan's eyes latched onto the water glass of blood held in his hands.
"I brought you dinner."
Stefan attempted a joke. "Glad it's not bread and water." But he couldn't carry it off too well. He tried to raise his eyes to Klaus's face, but he couldn't take them off the blood. Stefan sat up, legs hanging over the side of the bed.
Klaus knew it and amused himself by moving his hand around while watching Stefan's eyes follow it.
Stefan tensed his muscles trying to keep himself from rushing Klaus.
The hybrid walked slowly over and sat on the bed next to him. Stefan knew he could sense the tension radiating from him. Klaus waited for a moment and then said, "Well?"
Stefan breathed deeply, forcing himself to keep his voice level. "May I please have the blood?"
Klaus slowly raised the glass to Stefan's lips. The coppery scent of the cold blood raised human hunger sensations; his mouth watered, stomach growled, nostrils flared as the smell tickled the sensory buds in his nose.
Klaus held steady until Stefan lost control. He gave up the fight and grabbed Klaus's hand raising the glass and draining it. The viscous cold blood clung to the inside of the glass, and he wrenched it out of Klaus's hands, licking it with his tongue.
Klaus never commented, just calmly watched him.
When Stefan was done licking the glass clean of every delicious drop of blood he became self-conscious and made a motion to hand the glass back to Klaus.
Klaus just shook his head and indicated the night stand next to the bed. Stefan put it down and then sat silently waiting for Klaus's next move. He felt the hybrid staring at him and waited uneasily for the next move. To his chagrin Klaus heeled off his shoes and moved over on the king sized bed, stretching out.
Stefan's eyes opened wide, and he jumped when he felt Klaus guiding him down on the bed. Stefan obeyed the pressure, lying stiff, intensely uncomfortable having his back to Klaus. He tensed even more when he felt Klaus's face against the sensitive skin on the back of his neck, pressing on his head forcing him to bend his neck exposing the jugular. His skin tickled, the fine invisible hairs prickling.
Klaus's eyes turned yellow and his double set of canines protruded. He rested them on Stefan's neck giving him time to realize what was happening before sliding them in to pierce the artery.
Stefan tried to remain compliant, but as his body was drained his instinct to survive kicked in, wresting control from his reasoning mind. He attempted to free himself, pawing ineffectually at the hybrid. As he weakened even further, the fight went out of him, and his hands just gradually fell.
Klaus stopped when Stefan was still semiconscious; eyes partially closed, face dreamy, body limp. He released his hold on Stefan's torso and leaned over, pulling his head back, checking his eyes. Klaus, noting that the pupils were dilated, bit his arm and forced blood into Stefan's mouth and down his throat so the neck bite would not get infected from the wolf virus.
Stefan woke the next morning, groggy, with an unaccustomed weight against him. He felt like he had been hit by a truck. He stretched his neck cautiously, rubbing the sore muscles with one hand, only to be startled when a soft voice spoke next to his ear. "I enjoyed that."
He attempted to bolt only to fall off the bed and land with a thump on the floor, his legs having collapsed beneath him. He looked up to see a sleepy, bemused Klaus peering at him over the side of the bed.
"You're going to have to watch it today, mate. You'll be woozy." Having given this helpful advice, Klaus nonchalantly swung his legs over the side of the bed, scratching his head, and left muttering, "I need a shower."
It took Stefan several tries before he could get to his feet and very carefully take a shower, every movement slow and deliberate.
About an hour later Caroline knocked and entered bringing a blood bag. Stefan was on her in a flash, draining the bag, so clumsy and weak she ended up supporting him back to his bed. He was so ravenous that he kept sucking on the tubing even when only minute droplets of blood clung to the inside of the bag.
Caroline, looking at him wide-eyed, asked, "What's the matter with you?"
Stefan, running a hand through the hair it had taken him close to a half hour to arrange said, "I'm not sure. Klaus drained me and then he ah— " He stopped suddenly. He didn't have enough blood to blush, but Caroline thought he looked flustered.
"Well, what?" she prompted him.
Stefan fumbled for the words to express his thoughts before giving up and finally settling for a vague response. "I'm not sure."
Caroline's eyebrows rose. She cautiously said, "Well, what do you think might have happened?"
Stefan just looked down and played with the crumbled comforter.
Caroline waited patiently and then seeing he wouldn't look at her, gave him a soft push on the shoulder. "Come on, spill it?"
"I think Klaus slept with me," he finally mumbled.
Caroline wrinkled her brow and said matter-of-factly, "Well, was he here when you woke up?"
Stefan sighed and said, "That's not exactly what I meant when I said he slept with me. I was trying to be delicate."
Caroline looked puzzled for and then Stefan could tell the exact moment when she understood what he was trying to say. Her eyebrows rose up to her hairline, her eyes got big, and she clasped both hands over her mouth. "Get Out!" Followed by, "OMG!" Followed by, "NFW!"
She stared at him and then to his chagrin she started to giggle. She tried to muffle the sounds but ended up rolling on the bed holding her stomach. Stefan was hurt and tried to get up and move away only to be forced to sit back down by a repentant Caroline.
"I'm sorry, Stefan. I know this upsets you." She sat quietly by for the most part, only one or two snickers escaping from her. Finally she asked, "Did you ask Klaus what happened?"
"No!" Exploded from Stefan.
Caroline's brow wrinkled as she tried to understand. "Why not?"
Stefan hunched a shoulder, sullenly.
"Why not?" Caroline demanded a little more forcibly.
"Cause. Cause guys don't ask guys those kinda things." He waited a moment and then added defensively, "Cause I don't wanna know."
Caroline put her hands on her hips and argued with him. "That is the stupidest thing I ever heard of. If you won't ask him, then I will."
Stefan frowned and then shrugged again, leaning forward, arms resting on his knees. When he didn't speak Caroline rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "We need to know what's going on. What Klaus expects from us."
Stefan sighed and reluctantly agreed. "I guess." He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it distractedly. "I guess," he repeated. "Let me know what you learn."
"Oh sure. Let the girl do the dirty work," she teased.
When he started to protest, she stopped him by getting up and putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm joking. It's okay. We gotta stick together and you got in this mess by helping me. I'll find out what's going on."
Caroline got up to leave, stopping at the door. "Klaus said you can come down for lunch today."
Stefan somber face lightened up a little, hopeful his incarceration in his room would end soon.