Chapter 13 – The Thunder Before the Storm

It was too easy to spot Mikael's minion. All Damon had to do was sense the one male in the crowd that shot him a look; even a brief one. He was used to women looking at him, which he enjoyed immensely and was great for his ego, but at the moment, he could only think of Stephanie. In a flash, Damon had the minion by the throat, threatening him with his vampiric eyes. "You're just a little too curious about me, aren't you? Where is your puppet master right now?"

Struggling to breathe, the young, dark-haired werewolf managed to whisper, "At the Memphis airport. He's taking a private plane."

"When is that leaving?"

"He is already airborne. He will be here soon. You're going with him to London."

"Says who?"

Damon suddenly felt surrounded. He slowly let go of the smelly beast and looked around. He met the eyes of three individuals – a blond male werewolf, a brunette female witch, and a red-headed female vampire. Damon threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Looks like you got me! Too bad Old Pops couldn't handle this all on his own. He sure scraped the bottom of the barrel to come up with you all."

"Shut up, Salvatore!" It was the witch. "You do not want to get on my bad side!"

"Oh, I get it. This is your chance to get revenge on me for the witches I've killed, who were probably your friends or relatives. Well, I'll be happy to have you join them if you get on my bad side!" He smiled menacingly at her.

She took a step towards him, but the dark-haired male werewolf extended his arm to block her from advancing. "Mikael told us he had a mouth on him. We have to keep him here."

"What does he want with me?" Damon asked.

"Mikael doesn't tell us his plans, we just do as we're told," he replied.

He wants me to help him bring down Klaus. Steph is just the bait.

They all stood in silence, watching each other carefully. "I hope you all realize that you're doomed when this goes down," Damon said in a mocking tone.

"Mikael has promised us a new kind of immortality," the vampire replied.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. Do you really think it's a good idea to trust a dead guy?"

The witch stepped forward. "He has witches on the other side, my sisters, helping him."

"So, what's in this for you?"

"Power. He will make me the most powerful witch in the world."

"Promises, promises. Again, I ask, do you really think it's a good idea to trust a dead guy?"

"Oh, what does he know? He can't even hold onto a girlfriend for more than a decade," spat the other werewolf, who had sandy blond hair and a European accent.

Holding back the urge to rip this guy's heart out – gotta stay cool

"Mikael's here – we need to get on board," the female vampire announced, ushering everyone towards the runway. Damon walked casually as the others began running. "Mikael doesn't like to be kept waiting, Salvatore! Move it!" She grabbed his arm and forced him to walk faster.

"Hey, watch where you stick those claws! This happens to be 100% Italian leather," he brushed off her hand and rubbed the arm of his leather jacket, examining it for damage. He noticed her rolling her eyes out of the corner of his vision. Smirking at his little victory, he proudly walked onto the plane, not recognizing Mikael and walking right past him.

"You haven't changed a bit, Mr. Salvatore."

Damon stopped and turned around to face the new Mikael. "Did you choose that face on purpose, or were you just desperate?"

Mikael smiled coldly, nodding his head. "Still the arrogant young vampire that thinks he has all the answers, hmmm?" He stood from his seat and stepped inches in front of Damon. "After all, everyone, including your precious Stephanie, knows that you are a selfish bastard that shouldn't be trusted."

Crap, he knows what I wrote in the note. Having difficulty hiding his disturbance at the invasion of his privacy, he swallowed and replied with deadly intention, "You need to deal with your son without my help and you need to leave Stephanie out of this."

"My whole purpose here is to make Niklaus suffer, and, of course, eventually eliminate the vampire race off the face of the earth. You know this. Right now, he has your girl in his custody. I would think that you'd love the opportunity to take back what is yours and knock my boy off his high horse. Am I right?"

Damon shrugged non-chalantly. "If I feel like it."

Mikael laughed menacingly. "Why don't you sit down and have a drink? We've got a long flight ahead of us."

The stares and whispers were much more than Steph expected as she and Klaus emerged from the restroom. They sat down in their seats and immediately ordered their drinks. Steph's stomach was in knots as she agonized over what had happened between her and Klaus. He leaned over to her and said quietly, "You have nothing to feel guilty for. Faithfulness does not come easy for an immortal. Didn't you know that?"

She looked at him incredulously. "That can't be true!"

"Well, it's not like you and Damon were committed, am I right?"

Steph thought it over, then sighed, "No, I guess we weren't committed. Not officially."

"I can assure you that Damon and Elena had their moments of weakness with others, too. It's the blood lust, you see. It can be so powerful that it takes control of all other senses. So, you cannot feel guilty for indulging in what you are."

Steph looked down. "I love Damon."

Klaus took hold of her chin and raised it, forcing her to meet his gaze. "And you love me."

She sighed. "Yes. Yes, I do."

He let go. "Well, matters of the heart for an immortal are something entirely different. I suggest you try and rest some more. I know I'm rather tired after our enjoyable interlude." He gave her a cocky grin, kissed her seductively on the lips, then closed his eyes as he leaned back in his chair.

She did the same, trying to erase the guilt that weighed heavy on her heart.

"Wake up, Love. We've landed."

Steph opened her eyes and saw Klaus standing over her. His blue-gray eyes stared into hers and she was lost for a moment. I wish he wouldn't look at me like that. "Where's the minion?" She looked around and noticed that everyone else was gone.

"I have sent him on his way. I discovered that Mikael does not know the exact location of my vacation home. Using my special influence, I convinced him that we will be staying in London for the day. That will buy us some time."

"What if Mikael finds us anyway, shows up, and we're not ready to do the spell?"

"I always have a back-up plan. Now, let's go." He escorted her out of the plane and through the airport terminal, where a car was waiting for them.

It was near midnight and the moonlight shed a gentle glow on the landscape. The English countryside was full of winding roads and small farms. Steph couldn't stop staring at the beauty of it all and, even though she had been there before, it was like seeing it for the first time. She could feel Klaus watching her. Almost instinctually, she reached over and found his hand without taking her eyes off her surroundings. This place was special to her and it was because of him. He was her savior at that difficult time in her life and this was her heavenly escape. They finally reached Klaus's home by the sea. While he went inside to make sure everything was in order, Steph took her time walking around the garden area that was full of sweet smelling flowers, the small dock leading to the water, and the large willow trees that had to have been there for centuries. She stopped at the water's edge, gazing out at the vast body of water. Klaus walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"My servants have prepared dinner. Would you like to dine on the deck?"

She turned to him and nodded. They walked together arm in arm back to his house and settled at the outdoor dining table. The servants were humans: one attractive male and one attractive female. The male served Stephanie a glass of Pinot Noir and an English cucumber salad. The female served the same to Klaus. Once they went inside, Steph asked, "How long have they worked for you?"

"About two years. Both are learned chefs from London that can make just about anything your heart desires."

"They clean the house as well?"

"Yes. Anything I ask of them, they do." They both began to eat. "How is your salad?"

"Very good. You remembered my favorite wine."

"How could I forget? The last time we were here, I purchased a bottle of Pinot Grigio and you almost threw it at me." They both laughed.

"If you recall, it was more than just the wrong wine that upset me."

"Yes, you were jealous of the lovely young delivery girl from the village that brought it here."

"She was nothing but a flirt."

"Well, you took care of her, didn't you, Love?"

She remembered vividly draining her dry and enjoying every moment of it as Klaus watched. He had praised her for acting on her instincts, even though she felt guilty for what she had done. "I remember what I did, but more importantly, I remember that my greatest joy was pleasing you."

Klaus chuckled softly. "That is true, Love. Your devotion to me was extraordinary and I was a fool to let you go." He leaned over and took her hand. "I humbly ask for a second chance."

Steph gazed into his soft eyes. "Klaus, I'm sorry. I can't."

"Because of Damon," he said through slightly gritted teeth.

"Yes, because of Damon. You were my hero when you found me and I will always love you for that. You gave me a new life when I thought I didn't want to live anymore. You left and I moved on."

His eyes showed disappointment and a slight pain of rejection. "Well, we have to live with our choices, don't we? Well, perhaps someday you will need me again." He gently ran his fingers up and down her arm, giving her goose bumps. "All you have to do is ask."

The servants brought the second course, which was beef wellington with red potatoes. They ate in silence, occasionally looking at each other with an awkward glance. Once they finished, Klaus summoned his servants and they stood at attention near the table. He looked over at Stephanie and said, "Would you care to join me for dessert?" She knew what he meant, but was somehow afraid to move. He stood up and began circling the female servant, stroking her exposed skin, then gently took her into his arms and kissed her seductively. Stephanie experienced a brief moment of jealousy, but then experienced a mix of raw hunger and lust as she watched him plunge his fangs into the girl's neck, gulping her blood with ferocity. She could feel the veins pushing under her eyes as she looked at the waiting male servant. Slowly standing up, she paused briefly before walking towards him, eager to do the same to him as Klaus had done to the girl. She couldn't wait to taste him and did not hesitate to bite his neck and drink. His blood was nourishing to her every core and she could feel her body growing strength from it. Suddenly, Klaus pulled her off of him, enraging her. She knew she must have sounded like an animal as he restrained her with his arms.

"That's quite enough, Love. I still require his services, so please do not kill him."

Steph calmed down, then stared into his eyes, overcome with lust once again that she could not control. A tear slid down her cheek as she felt the guilt of desiring him when she wanted to be with Damon. Klaus seized the opportunity and claimed her mouth with his own. She couldn't resist. Her fingers wound through his hair as he trailed his lips down her throat, tasting her skin at her pulse point. In a husky voice, he whispered to her, "I must have you again, Love. You cannot tell me that you don't want me to ravage you once more."

She looked into his eyes, desperately hoping to see something there that would end her desire for him once and for all. It didn't exist and she knew it never would. "Yes, Klaus, I do want you. I just can't do this again!" She pushed him away, hot tears stinging her eyes. A flash of anger crossed his features, then he took a frightening, predatory stance as he released his hold on her, sparking a fear of him that she had never experienced before. "I'm sorry, Klaus. Please don't…"

"Please don't what? Force myself on you?" He studied her expression with disgust. His voice became slightly strained, reflecting how she had affected him. "Do you think that low of me?"

Steph was ashamed to admit to herself that the thought did cross her mind. "No, Klaus. I know you wouldn't do that. It's just that I've never seen you angry…"

"Any male with normal functioning hormones would naturally be angry when an alluring female rejects his advances after giving clear signals that she wants to become intimate! I have always held deserving women with the utmost respect. Of course, your boyfriend has enlightened you on my Big Bad Hybrid status, so why not add attempted rape to my long list of crimes?" He grabbed the wine bottle, finished off the remaining Pinot Noir, and threw the bottle against the deck, shattering it into a thousand pieces.

Steph stared at the shards of glass, tears spilling out of her eyes as the painful truth fell out of her mouth. "Your biggest crime is that you won't allow yourself to love! All I ever wanted was your love in return! But, of course, you think that faithfulness can't be achieved because we are immortal. I don't believe that and I never will! That's why I was able to move on with my life after you left, even though Elijah took away my memories of you! I never had your love and I knew that I never would!" Klaus took a step towards her, but stopped. At that moment, they both paused to listen to a distant howling coming from the nearby woods.

He looked at her, then said with a spark of challenge in his eyes, "Well, our visitors have begun to arrive. It's time to prepare for the spell." He opened the cellar door and motioned for her to descend the stairs. Looking up at the moon, Steph tried to dismiss the sense of foreboding that overcame her. Drops of rain began to fall and a gentle rumble of thunder stirred the eerie silence. "You are still obligated to help me, so I suggest that we do not waste any more time rehashing our past or analyzing feelings that obviously do not matter to either one of us." A shiver went down her body as he looked at her with a detached coldness in his eyes. She was genuinely afraid as she slowly climbed down the stairs into the darkness, with Klaus following close behind.