-Klaus' POV-

Instead of rushing home, Klaus walked. It wasn't something he had done in a very long time. Walked somewhere at a human speed instead of rushing off as a vampire. It seemed time consuming and useless. But today something pulled at him to take his time. Stay outside and enjoy it. While painting was his ideal choice for clearing his head or working through a problem, he figured walking might do the trick. So, he took his time.

He paid little attention to the car he heard approaching until it slowed down. He tensed, expecting an attack. Needless to say he was not expecting Jeremy to offer him a ride. His head snapped up and he wanted to growl at his lover for being here. The grin Jeremy shot him as he climbed in calmed him down a little and even helped ease some of his earlier tension.

Once inside the car, he looked over at Jeremy and with a smirk asked, "Jeremy, love, what are you doing here?" His lover smiled then dropped his eyes down to the collar of his shirt and raised a brow. He sighed, "No one is dead." He tried to hide his irritation at Jeremy avoiding his question and the guilt he felt about the people he fed from, not because he drank their blood but because he had flirted and danced with them.

He startled when Jeremy took his chin and pulled it towards him, "Are you okay?" The question surprised him and he tried to reason why Jeremy was asking. Then he saw the sympathy in Jeremy's eyes and understood. "Elijah told you."

The hunter nodded, "He's worried." The hug that followed shocked him enough that it took him a second to relax into it. When he did, Jeremy's scent wrapped around him and he felt this need to breathe it in. He pressed his nose into the soft skin where Jeremy's shoulder and neck meet and inhaled. The scent was incredible and calmed him.

They stayed like that for a short time, too short, something inside him said, before Jeremy pulled away from him and asked, "Ready to head back?" He wanted to say no. That he wanted to stay here, in the car, breathing in Jeremy's scent. But that seemed ridiculous so he nodded instead.

Needing to think about something else, he asked, "Who all followed you here?" He said it teasingly because he had no doubt Jeremy's friends followed him here. The information would also give him an idea of who was all back at the house and what allies they had if a fight came their way.

"Kol." Jeremy said, teasing him back. He sent him an unamused look. Because no shit, his brother came with him. Jeremy chuckled. "Matt, Care, Tyler, and Ric." He had expected the three but the hunter slash teacher surprised him. He would have expected Ric to stay in Mystic Falls, to look after his girlfriend and Elena.

"I do believe Elijah ordered them to keep you and Kol in Mystic Falls." Klaus said, raising a brow at his boyfriend. Jeremy rolled his eyes, "We were worried." Klaus tried not to growl at the shrug that followed. Jeremy's habit of placing himself in stupid or dangerous situations because he cared too much about his friends was a problem that he really needed to correct.

"You could have been walking into a dangerous situation." He couldn't hold back the small growl that came out due to his worry and frustration.

"But we didn't." Jeremy replied, like he didn't see the problem. Klaus felt his pulse rise. He loved Jeremy and the idea that he could be so nonchalant about this irritated him.

"You do not know that. This city is on the verge of war." He felt the growl in his chest before he released it. He looked at Jeremy, hoping the hunter would understand this was important. That he was mortal and breakable and that Klaus hated the thought of losing him.

"Then we will fight it together." Jeremy said. And something snapped inside of him. The urge to rip Jeremy out of his seat and pin his young lover beneath him raged through him, and for the first time, Klaus was scared he was losing control. "Pull over," he demanded and tried to regain control as Jeremy pulled the car over, but this was different from anything he had felt before. It didn't feel like any urges he had felt from his vampire side before and it was only as the car stopped and he reached for Jeremy's seat belt buckle that he understood. It didn't feel like his vampire because it wasn't. His wolf was fighting for control in a way it hadn't before, not even on a full moon.

He heard Jeremy yelp when he picked him up and pulled him over to straddle his lap. There was a second where they stared eye to eye, where his wolf fought to nip Jeremy for disobeying and placing himself in danger. Not liking the idea of biting his lover in a way that was for punishment instead of blood or pleasure, he kissed him instead. Pouring his frustration, desperation and love into it. He could hear Jeremy's heart start to race and pulled away to find his neck. There was this desire building inside him to nip and bite Jeremy's tender skin. Not to feed, he understood that desire, this was something else. Something possessive and demanding.

"You are stubborn," Klaus chided as he nipped at Jeremy's throat. His lover moaned and Klaus rewarded him by teasing his tongue over the skin he had just bit. "And reckless," he added and bit Jeremy again. He bite harder then he had intended; the wolf in him wanting to taste more of Jeremy then just his skin and sweat. He would have apologized if Jeremy hadn't seemed to enjoy it. "I don't know what I would do if you got hurt." He admitted, before sinking his teeth in Jeremy's neck, deep enough to draw blood.

He groaned, "I want to protect you." He licked at the blood, the wolf in him urging him to lap up the blood. He could tell Jeremy was getting lost in the haze of lust and desire because he was breathing fast and trying to pull them closer against each other. He obliged by shifting Jeremy on top of him, bringing their cocks into alignment and rock upward against jeremy. The human moaned loudly. "I need to protect you." He growled rubbing against his lover. He grinned when Jeremy cursed, then a wave of possessiveness washed over him, "Mine," He whispered and buried his teeth in Jeremy's already torn skin. The hunter cried out as he came. Klaus and his wolf basketed in the taste and scent of their lover as they too found their release. He pulled Jeremy into a kiss needed to taste him again, then it was as if his wolf faded away, leaving Klaus feeling a little lightheaded.

.

"Klaus," Jeremy whined sounding wrecked, he chuckled and moved Jeremy so he could lay more comfortably.

"That was different." Jeremy whispered. Understatement, Klaus thought.

"The wolf," Klaus said, trying to find the words to explain what he felt, "I normally only feel it when I use it or full moons. Just now it was so close to the surface that I could barely hold it back. It wanted to care for you, protect you," He looked at Jeremy who had at some point lifted his head off his shoulder. He reached down and turned Jeremy's head to the side with just the press of his knuckle, something warmed at how easily Jeremy followed his lead. "To mark you," He said finishing his thoughts. He felt Jeremy shiver against him when he ran his finger over the bite mark he had left. It caused his wolf to stir again. He wanted to lean down and brush his tongue over it, to taste it–

Jeremy practically jumped out of his arms and back into the driver's seat. Klaus frowned, had he hurt him?

"Jeremy?" he asked looking over, concerned. He was sure he would have smelled pain if he had hurt his young lover but maybe he had been too lost in his wolf and had missed it.

"I'm okay." He said smiling. It was off and Klaus started to worry. Maybe he hadn't hurt him.

Maybe he had gone too far, pushed Jeremy passed what he was comfortable with, or worse the biting had been too rough and now he was scared. He wanted to ask but fear stopped him. What if Jeremy didn't feel safe around him alone anymore? His head raced trying to pinpoint any moment in the past 30 minutes or so that jeremy seemed uncomfortable but he couldn't. He cursed himself for losing control and started trying to think of ways to fix it. He'd have to ask Elijah. His brother would know.

The silence as they drove was suffocating. He wanted so bad to speak to explain everything to Jeremy but his boyfriend seemed to need space and as hard as it was, he bit his tongue. The others greeted them as they pulled up to the house. Both his brothers looked unhappy with Jeremy, meaning this trip had been another reckless disappearing act on behalf of Jeremy. Klaus sighed.

"What the hell happened to you neck?" Matt shouted at Jeremy who blushed. Klaus frowned, Why hadn't he healed it? He hadn't even thought about it. He went to say something, but Ric spoke first, or at least he tried to. He was quickly cut off by Jeremy declaring he needed a shower. Klaus felt at a loss, Jeremy was acting off and Klaus didn't know what to do.

He tried to follow after Jeremy and Ric when the hunter started dragging his mentor up the stairs but Elijah grabbed his arm and pulled him into the living room.

"What happened?" Elijah asked, handing him a drink.

Klaus looked up at his brother, "I'm not sure."

Elijah raised an eyebrow, "Something happened, I can smell it."

Klaus shot his brother a glare and then sighed, "I think I pushed him too far. But he wouldn't talk to me." The look his brother sent him, said he didn't believe that was all of it.

Klaus growled, "It was different. My wolf, I think I lost control and it scared him." He downed his drink and passed the glass to his brother to fill again. When it was full and back in his hand he looked up at Elijah, "How do I fix this?" he asked hoping he didn't sound as desperate as he felt.

Elijah put a hand on his shoulder, "Talk to him. Jeremy is intelligent and kind hearted, I do not believe he will hold your loss of control against you."

"Elijah." Ric said entering the room. Klaus frowned at the apprehensive look the man shot him. What had Jeremy said? "Jeremy wants you," The teacher slash hunter gestured to the stairs with his head. His brother silently asked him if he was okay. He nodded. Maybe Elijah could get Jeremy to open up to him. His brother pulled his hand away and vanished up the stairs.

"Is he okay?" He asked, turning to look at the other man.

Ric sighed, "Klaus, he is afraid and freaking out about consequences to something I don't even understand. But I believe if you three keep it together and remind him how much he means to all of you, and that you aren't going to kill each other or run off at the first big issue then he will be fine."

"I don't understand?" He said, trying to grasp the pieces and put them together. Consequences to what? And what issue? Jeremy had been with all of us, so the sex in the car couldn't be what he was freaking out about. But if it wasn't, he had no idea what was really bothering his young hunter.

"Ric," He said, glaring at the man, "What am I missing?" The man didn't even seem afraid of his glare, he wanted to growl at how soft he had become because of Jeremy. But he didn't really regret it.

"Give him time." Ric said, "He'll explain." Klaus did growl this time, more out of frustration than anger. Ric just walked over and patted him on the shoulder, then took his glass and filled it. To his surprise the hunter downed it before filling it again and passing it to him. "You're going to need that." He said before he turned and left the room.

He stared at the glass for several minutes before he picked it up and finished it in one go. Then he found a couch and sprawled out on top of it. There wasn't much more he could do at the moment but wait.

Kol joined him a few minutes later, shoving his feet to the side so he could sit on the end of the couch. Kol stared at him for a moment before leaning back against the couch and saying, "So, Marcellus."

"I don't want to talk about it." He said looking away from his little brother. He didn't really believe that would stop Kol from pressing. But he hoped.

"I'm sorry." Kol said quietly. Stunned, Klaus looked back at him and he could see it on Kol's face. His brother meant it. He swallowed and gave him a small nod. They both fell silent after that and randomly sipped their drinks while in their own thoughts.

It felt like forever before Elijah entered the room with Jeremy sheepishly following him from behind. Something about the shy and hesitant way Jeremy was moving worried him. And the wolf part of him surfaced demanding that he go comfort their lover. He took a normally unneeded deep breath and pushed it down.

"What's going on?" Kol asked.

Elijah reached behind him and tugged Jeremy forward, with gentle hands he tilted their boyfriend's head to the side exposing the already bruising bite on his neck. Klaus gulped feeling guilty. But when Elijah touched it, his wolf cried, Mine, and he couldn't contain the growl that tore through him. All eyes in the room landed on him and Klaus had to shake his head to stop himself.

"The hell?" Kol asked looking between him and Elijah.

"Brother," Elijah said, "I believe we have all made a mistake, as Jeremy pointed out to me. We have forgotten you are more than just a vampire, you are a wolf." Kol gasped, and Klaus looked at him, hoping his little brother would fill in what he was so clearly missing. But Kol didn't look at him, instead he stared at Jeremy with a bewildered and shocked expression on his face.

"It's a Mating Mark." Ric said entering the room, the rest of their guests behind him. "It means your wolf has claimed Jeremy as his, for lack of a better word, mate."

His brain stopped working, as the word 'Mate,' rang in his ears.

"That's not possible." He muttered after a second. "How?" He asked after. Because Jeremy looked far too freaked out for it not to be true and Ric wouldn't have lied, not if it involved Jeremy.

"You told Jeremy your wolf took control earlier?" Elijah asked. Klaus nodded. "Jeremy's theory is you were emotionally compromised," He opened his mouth to deny it but Elijah's glare, had him slamming it shut. "He thinks it gave your wolf an opportunity to seize control and claim Jeremy." Elijah took a step around Jeremy and approached him. Klaus tried not to tense but he was starting to understand and what consequences Ric had been talking about. He had betrayed his brothers and the agreement they made when they had promised not to try and take Jeremy from each other.

"Klaus," Elijah said, kneeling in front of him, "Brother." He met Elijah's gaze, "This is not your fault. None of us thought of the wolf. It never occurred to me that it would have its own desires, or that it would act upon them. It was remiss of us to dismiss it. I do not know what the Mark means. Not yet, but I have already promised Jeremy that we will not let it destroy what we all have." Elijah broke away from his eyes and looked at Kol, "I do not plan on breaking the promise." There was a threat in the last statement, one that Kol from the widening of his eyes hadn't missed.

Jeremy moved over to Kol and took his hand, "We're okay." was all he said. Klaus figured it worked because Kol shot them both a nod and relaxed. Then it was like the whole room exhaled. Like each of them had been waiting for a fight and now it had passed.

"What does it mean?" Matt asked. Almost all eyes went to Ric, but it wasn't him that answered.

"It will connect them." Kol said, surprising everyone. "Most of the stories I have heard about Mates center around the bond, but I'm not sure how that will work given we all already share one. Perhaps it will deepen or strengthen it. I don't know. What I do know we should all avoid touching the mark, as Elijah saw earlier it will bring out Nik's possessive side."

He sighed, "There are several stories about a human mate, gaining more endurance and strength. Again, Jeremy is already stronger and faster than an average human so I don't know if that will change. There is said to be a draw to the wolf, once it has marked a Mate, it will have a stronger urge to protect them. Klaus will probably want to be closer to Jeremy, more touching and holding as wolves are tactile animals." Kol shrugged, "But that is all a guess."

The room went quiet as everyone thought over what Kol had said.