I glared at Katerina as she smirked at me. She was inching closer and closer to my son Kolinn who had learned to walk and was now trying to teach a very disinterested Geena. Geena had deliberately plopped herself on my feet, leaning into my leg. I snorted at Katerina before giving a very gentle smile down to Geena.
I picked her up and she cooed at me. I sat her on the couch before nuzzling her, kissing her cheek as I backed off but quickly stopped as I noticed she'd grabbed handfuls of my hair. That was when I heard jealous whining from Kolinn. I easily, gently plucked her hands from my hair before getting up, picking up Kolinn, and plopping him on the couch with us. This time I gave Katerina a smirk.
Kolinn started crying as he grabbed onto my arm and tried to get more of my attention. I happily turned my gaze to him and nuzzled him as I had his sister. He stopped crying at once and started laughing, causing Geena to whine and cry for attention. I scooted her over to her brother and kissed them both on the forehead, causing Geena to squeal with delight.
"Dada." Kolinn pushed at me, wiping his forehead. I gave him a hum.
"So you do know who I am." I gave him another kiss and he shoved at me again. I wouldn't be having any of that so I kissed his hand that were so persistent. I heard tummies growl and smirked. "Sounds like someone's hungry." I cooed. I proceeded to gently touch his tummy and felt the rumbles as he giggled.
I was surprised when both children were taken from me. I looked up to see Hayley walking away. She was cooing away at them herself. "Looks like she doesn't trust you." Katerina said, irritatingly happy about it. I stood slowly, inching my head to the side to look at her.
"Yes. It does. But at least I have you to play with." She scoffed, smiling.
"It would seem that way, wouldn't it? Well I've got to go find something else to do, besides for looking at a hybrid who's full of himself." I vamped up to her and grabbed a fist full of her hair and yanking her to the floor, quickly releasing her.
She grimaced with pain and tried to swoop my feet out from under me and I took a leap back, hissing at her. I grabbed her neck and the closest object and jammed it into her stomach. She hissed with anger and clawed at my hands, trying to make me let her go.
Instead I pulled her to her feet and saw I'd shoved a candelabra into her. I smirked. "Now that looks painful." I quickly pushed it all the way through. She couldn't die easily, unlike other vampires. She hunched over in pain and I stepped back to admire my work. "You're a beautiful piece of art, love." I chuckled. She pulled it out, looking to be in great pain. "Might want to clean yourself up. Maybe have a blood bag or two."
Though to my surprise she smacked me with it. I flew backwards and knocked the couch I'd been sitting on askew. I growled at her before catching the thing as she tried to hit me again. I pulled it closer, she let it go, and I hit her with it, causing her to come crashing down towards me. She kicked me in the face and I grabbed her foot, squeezing until I heard bones break.
"Niklaus! Katerina!" We both look up to see Elijah of all people. I half heartedly bared my teeth at him.
"Come get your girl, why don't you?" I shoved Katerina away from me. Though apparently it wasn't just Elijah interrupting us.
"Mother!" Nadia called, clearly upset by Katerina. I sneered at Katerina before standing up, dusting myself off.
"Whilst this little scuffle of ours was quite fun, I really must get going." Before I could even move, Elijah was right in front of me.
"Could you please sit on the couch?" He asked even toned. I looked at the couch then back at him, sitting on one of the couch. "Thank you. Katerina." He turned to her. She sat on the other end and I growled at her. "Enough." He snapped. He took a moment before speaking to both of us. "What happened to 'won't do it again'? Unless, of course, Niklaus was telling the truth about it being a habit between the two of you."
"Well, Elijah, if you could only see that your now wife is a sadistic woman, you'd know that when she tempts me, which starts it, I only give her what she expects."
"And you only ensure she will do so more often, and I want it to stop. When you stop raising to her bait, she'll surely stop." Elijah countered.
"Well, that's not it. It's also about establishing dominance in this family. The moment I stop giving her what she expects, she'll walk all over me, and at that point, I'll have no choice but to kill her." I replied, sneering at her. She just raised her head, returning me with disdain. I growled at her and she smirked, but it was dropped at Elijah turning his gaze on her.
"You will do no such thing Niklaus. Katerina! Do you think this is funny?"
"No, Elijah." She replied.
"Then what is so funny?" He asked. I saw her idle for a reply, even if Elijah did not.
"I was listening to one of the kids make a joke while you were having a private conversation with your brother." Elijah frowned.
"Are you lying to me?" I smirked as she frowned, clearly feeling guilty.
"I'm sorry Elijah." She replied. Elijah rubbed his forehead in thought before spoke to us both.
"I assume you two understand what you did wrong?" He deliberately pointed at the whole in her shirt. I deliberately avoided looking at her torn and bloodied shirt. Not my fault.
"Yes Elijah." Katerina replied.
"I assume I know what you didn't like about our behaviour. You know, trying to change your wife slash girlfriend is a sign you don't love her the way she is."
"If she were human and was a smoker, would you have this same argument?" Elijah asked. I hummed.
"I believe I would, but that change would be for her safety."
"And if she were human and over fed herself, weighing more than necessary, causing her health problems?" I looked down at my shoes, knowing very well what he was trying to get across to me now. I turned as I saw him come closer. He grabbed Katerina under her forearm, gently helping her rise to her feet. "Katerina, I want you to wait in our room. Don't leave it." He ordered.
I watched her leave. She kept glancing back but Elijah, from the look of him, was firm in this decision. He stared back at her patiently. She walked into Elijah's room. She knew better than to leave Elijah's side. When she does, she's dead.
Then something hit me.
I realized what was going through my brother's head the moment he grabbed my forearm. However, I knew there was no fighting this. Might as well get it over with. I got to my feet and followed him to my room.
"Niklaus, I want to assure you I don't love her more than I love you, I will always have time for you." I rolled my eyes as he started talking. "I only wish to get through to you. Please remove your jeans and boxers." I just crossed my arms over my chest.
"Elijah, this isn't necessary." He ignored me for unfastening my jeans himself. He quickly bared me before pulling me over his lap. I laid there obediently and sighed. 'Just get it over with.' My words were falling on deaf ears. Stupid, stubborn Elijah.
"What did you do wrong Niklaus?" He asked, lying his hand on my bottom.
"I attacked your wife." I replied simply.
"Can you please tell me why that was wrong?"
"Because you love her."
"Try again."
"Because she is your wife."
"Which makes her?"
"Your wife."
"Niklaus, are you going to be stubborn about this? Because if you are, we can start off with a paddle instead." Before I could stop myself, I scoffed at him. I was forced to my feet. "Niklaus go get me the paddle." He ordered. I just crossed my arms again. He stood, swatted my bottom twice before leaving to get it himself. I waited for him to come back, not stupid enough to hide. When he came back in, he was holding a paddle. This time, I was a little hesitant to put myself over his lap, but I needn't have bothered. Elijah pulled me over his lap himself. He laid the paddle on my bottom this time. I grimaced. "Let us start over, shall we?" I didn't answer. "What did you do wrong Niklaus?" He asked, beginning the punishment.
"I attacked Katerina."
"Can you please tell me why that's wrong?"
"Because she's your wife."
"Which makes her?" I sighed, thinking I might actually know what he wants me to say.
"Related to me." He stopped, and patted my back. I grimaced, his praise doing nothing to ease the tension.
"Yes Niklaus. Thank you. If she's related, that makes her?"
"Family." I snapped. He delivered two whaps with the paddle to my thighs, beginning again, on my bottom.
"Yes, family. Now, what were you two doing?"
"Fighting." I replied quickly.
"Niklaus, now is not the time for an attitude. So I suggest you drop it." He punctuated his last two words with two whaps to my thighs. I whined from the pain as he returned to my bottom. "Are family allowed to fight?"
"… No." That rule is really going to start biting at me isn't it?
"Was it not you who made that rule?"
"Yes, meaning I can take it away."
"What would be the point in that? Family not fighting family is a common sense that should be very understandable. Even if you were to remove the law, I would still abide by it, and make you abide by it as well." I glared sullenly at the covers of my bed.
"I hate you." He ignored me. "And if I promise not to do it again?"
"You and I both know that will not work with you. So now that we've gone over what you did wrong, let us start the real punishment." He began aiming at my thighs with the paddle. SWAT! I jumped up, startled. SWAT! I gasped from the shock. I was kind of expecting that to be the punishment. "Niklaus I am disappointed with you for your behaviour. I have asked a numerous amount of times for it to stop. You never listened to me. I am sorry I believed I had to result to this. Sometimes this is the only way to get you to listen. I love you Niklaus. I also love her though. I love both of you, and she can never replace you. I have time and love to share with the both of you, with all of my family." I groaned.
"Elijah stop. I don't need to hear this all over again. I am sorry Elijah. Let me up please." I was beginning to struggle from the pain this punishment was causing. He began aiming in random places between my bottom, sit spots, and thighs. I whined and moved my head to look at Elijah. "Elijah." I sobbed.
"Niklaus please listen to me." I whined in reply and nodded. "I love you. That is why I do this. Because I know you love me too. I don't care how many times I have to do this to get myself clear to you." I began to cry and tried to squirm from his grasp, it hurt to hear him disappointed in me. He continued to lecture me about family, love, and violence. "You do these things even though you know I do not like them, whether it is safety or not." I cried harder, stopping my squirming. "Do you understand me Niklaus?" He asked, pausing.
"Yes." That was all I was able to sob out. "Sorry Eli. So sorry. Please forgive me Eli. I don't know what I would do if you didn't." I stopped sobbing hard enough to hear his answer. He stopped spanking me and sat me up on his lap. I sobbed into his shoulder and he began to comfort me.
"I forgive you Niklaus. Of course I do. I can never stay mad at you for a long time." I gave a weak laugh, wrapping my arms around his neck, refusing to let him go see Katerina. He was mine. There's no way in hell I'm sharing him. I let myself cry out all my pain into Elijah's shoulder as he comforted me, he kissed my cheek.
"Shush Niklaus." I continued to cling to Elijah.
"I am sorry I hurt Katerina. I promise to stop."
"I will believe that in time Niklaus. Now, speaking of Katerina, I need to go deal with her." I wrapped my legs around his waist. "Niklaus?"
"I forbid you to leave me." I heard Elijah chuckle as he put a hand on my back. He quickly put me in a holding position as he laid back in his bed. I laid my head on his chest and he continued to rub my back, whispering into my ear sweet nothings like 'I love you and I always will' and 'I forgive you', and sometimes placing a kiss to my forehead. Eventually I fell asleep, too comfortable to fight it anymore, enveloped in my big brother's scent.