What was once a one shot is now 20 chapters in! We have a lot more to go still.
Ch. 20 Maybe in A Palace, Maybe in The Streets
(CLARE)
"Damon called," Elena tells me as she, Bonnie and Caroline surround me at my locker Monday morning.
Klaus picked me up at six Saturday morning, he didn't call ahead and he just walked into the house. So he found Damon and I naked and in my bed. He made a comment about joining us before Damon told him to leave. They began fighting of course, until Stefan came in and got them to stop. I got dressed quickly kissing Damon before leaving with Klaus, only we didn't go to his house. He took us out of town, two hours away where we spent 48 hours feeding from strangers and making love.
I've come to savor and anticipate my weekends with Klaus as much as dread and detest them. I relish and luxuriate in the way he worships my body with his eyes, his tongue, his own body. I relish the things he does to my body, how he indulges me. I revel in the sensations he brings me in our love making, how he spoils me even out of bed.
I loathe forced feeding from live humans, I have no choice but to do so however. Klaus compelled me to do so whenever I was with him. I abhor how much I enjoy it in the moment and how terrible and guilty I feel when it's done. How terrible I feel when wiping the warm blood from my lips. I despise the monster I fear Klaus is trying to turn me into. Most of all, as much as I enjoy being with him, and trust him to a point I fear him. He can still compel me, he's much stronger than me, I have no power over him and if he wanted to he can still kill me.
I don't know that he would, I'm sure he doesn't want to, not currently anyway. Not that I'm under any illusion that Damon loves me, but I trust him more than I trust Klaus. There are times when I think Klaus might truly care, that despite centuries as a vampire some piece of humanity still lies within him. Times when I believe there's more to him, to us, than sex and giving in to every single desire. Then there are times when I feel I'm but a toy, fulfilling his needs, something he can play with and mold to his liking. Pet may be more accurate, the way he commands me and trains me to be a deadly hunter just like him. No one else knows I hunt and feed from live humans when I'm with Klaus. I hope they never find out, I never want them to look at me like the monster Klaus makes feel like.
Klaus and I didn't return until this morning and he had brought me straight to school and said he'd drop my bag at the Salvatore house. I hadn't yet seen Stefan, in fact Elena, Bonnie and Caroline are the first ones I had seen. Jeremy joins us now as well, I haven't seen him but I picked up his scent as soon as he began walking over.
"Damon says you don't want to celebrate your eighteenth birthday, we can't have that," Elena comments.
"The Salvatore house is great for parties," Jeremy remarks.
"Or Tyler's house, I'm sure we could get his mom away for the night. Your birthday is even on a Saturday, and Tyler's house can hold the whole school," Caroline says volunteering her boyfriend's house without his knowledge I'm sure.
"I don't want to invite the whole school, I don't want a party at all," I reply closing my locker and leaning against it.
"It's your birthday Clare, you have to celebrate," Bonnie chimes in, "even vampires only turn eighteen once." She keeps her voice low for the second part so no one else in the halls hear. Well, aside from Stefan who joins us just now.
"She's right you know, you only get one eighteenth birthday," Stefan comments before kissing Elena.
"Only it's not really my eighteenth birthday, I'm not really turning eighteen," I reply.
"When's your birthday?" Tyler asks joining us and now the group is complete.
"Saturday, but she doesn't want to celebrate," Caroline tells him as he puts his arm around her.
"You are turning eighteen Clare, you may not age but that doesn't mean you shouldn't celebrate the years you live," Stefan advises. "Anyway, we all want to celebrate with you and Damon, and possibly Klaus will give them a nearly endless budget to work with. Elena, Caroline and Bonnie will have a massive party planned for you by the end of the day."
"Yeah, we can have it at my house," Tyler says.
"Fine, we'll celebrate," I give in with a sigh and the other girls squeal. "No party, dinner, at The Grill with everyone. You can get a cake, the rest of you can eat, us vampires can pretend and have coffee or alcohol. That's it, no party, promise me," I assert to everyone.
"Alright, no party, just dinner. I'll talk to Matt and request that he reserve us a table on Saturday at seven for nine. That is assuming Ric is invited?" Elena asks.
"Of course he's invited, but it would be ten, Klaus too," I reply.
"Right, Saturday at seven for ten. We'll get a cake and some decorations, we should have a theme," Elena remarks as she, Bonnie and Caroline start walking ahead and make plans.
"They're not going to let me get away with a simple small celebration are they?" I ask Stefan.
"No one would," he grins.
By the end of the day Elena tells me everything is arranged and everyone knows. She does assure me she only invited those that I wanted there, even Ric. He's been rather morose today with Miss Scarlett's departure. Jeremy and Elena both told me today that he spent every last moment with her, he didn't return home until late last night. It would certainly take some time for Ric to get over her.
The rest of the week passes normally, almost mundanely, which after recent events is welcome. With Nathan dead we're not in fear any longer. With Miss Scarlett gone fights, and jealousy along with libidinous acts have returned to normal. Damon comes to the school everyday at lunch, except for Thursday when he's meeting with Liz. Damon is always there to pick me up after school, we go home and make love, then I eat and talk with Adam before homework. Adam was glad to hear that I was going to celebrate my birthday, even if it was just a dinner which paled so greatly to my original plan. Every time we talked he asked if I was going to meet them for March Break, and every time I could only tell him that I would think about it.
Friday afternoon Klaus was waiting to pick me up. We didn't spend all weekend out of town this time, not with everyone expecting us for my birthday dinner. We do however go a little out of town to the university and find a frat party at which to feed as we've done before.
I hardly sleep at all Friday night, waking early to Klaus' laptop ringing. I know it's Adam and I slip on Klaus' shirt (as it's the only thing I can find) before I answer. Klaus leaves the bedroom without getting dressed, although he does have clothes downstairs.
"Hi Adam," I smile at my best friend.
"Happy birthday," Adam grins, "I'm going to pretend you're wearing something more than one of Klaus' shirts. I'm also going to hope that Drew and Dallas don't wake up and come in and see you that way. Though they're sure to call or at least text you at some point today, so will the others. We were supposed to be celebrating this day together," Adam reminds me as I hear Klaus leaving.
"I know," I exhale with a rueful sigh, "I'd been planning it since summer. An entire birthday weekend at a cabin outside of Barrie, no parents, a hot tub, skiing and a whole weekend of fun. Reduced to a dinner with the only nine people I really know here, and a dinner I only agreed to so I could avoid a lavish party."
"I know it's not what you wanted, but try to be happy and celebrate your birthday," Adam remarks.
"I know, I will," I reply mustering a smile for my best friend.
"Have you made a decision about March Break?" Adam questions and I shake my head. "Everyone misses you Clare, they're all going to ask when they call you today. If you don't decide to come for break then I don't think I can stop everyone to coming to Mystic Falls for all of March Break."
I bite my lip at Adam's words, I cannot allow my friends to come here for a week. Their lives would be in danger and I don't know that I could keep this world secret from them.
"Okay, I'll meet you guys in the falls for the weekend, but Damon at least will have to come with me. Maybe Stefan too, or Bonnie or something."
"They'll be happy to hear it Clare, we'll begin looking for rooms. Happy birthday Clare, I hope it's a good one even if it's not the one you were hoping for."
"Thanks Adam."
I close the program and Klaus' laptop taking off his shirt while I walk to the washroom. I get in the shower relaxing in the warm water for a long time. I hear Klaus return and expect him to join me, but he doesn't. When I get out of the shower he has a blood bag for me. I'm surprised at this, but happy that we're not running off to compel some poor soul into letting us drink from them.
Alli and Jenna call me first, just as I'm finishing my blood bag. They wish me happy birthday and are excited to hear that I'm meeting them for break. I don't mention it and Klaus is upstairs or he would have asked about it because he would have heard them through the phone. Drew and Dallas call me next, wishing me a happy birthday and lamenting that we're not celebrating the way I had wanted. K.C. calls me next, I'm surprised to see his name on my phone.
"Happy birthday," K.C. says when I answer.
"Thanks," I grin.
"I heard some rumor that you're in the states now? Living with some guys, and you're happy about it?"
"You make it sound so scandalous," I giggle. If K.C. only knew the depths of the scandal I find my current life to be. "I'm living with brothers, and it's a good opportunity here and I'm happy."
"Yeah, Adam said you were happy, as long as you're happy I can't be too worried."
"I'm happy," I assure him. I'm not lying, I am happy, as I can be in my current situation.
"Good, and I hope you have a wonderful birthday."
"Thanks K.C. it was good to hear from you," I say hanging up with K.C. and as soon as I do my phone rings again. "Hi Jake," I answer after seeing my stepbrothers name on my phone.
"Happy birthday."
"Thanks."
"You mind telling me what you're doing in the states and why all our parents will say on it is that you're happy?"
"It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, and I am happy Jake."
"I suppose that's all that matters. So, what big plans do you have for your eighteenth?"
"Nothing big, just dinner, I won't be with all my closest friends so the celebration is small. Intimate rather, with all the people I'm closest to here."
"Sounds nice, I'd send you money for your birthday but that notion about poor college students is true."
"That's okay, I don't need money or anything else really. Damon and Stefan take very good care of me."
"Who?"
"The brothers I'm living with, they have family money."
"Mom and Dad said nothing of you living with brothers. I feel like I should be worried," Jake remarks.
"There's nothing to worry about Jake, but I should go I'm getting another phone call," I lie. I really just don't want Jake to pry.
"Alright, happy birthday Sis."
I hang up with Jake and set my phone down. Klaus distracts me by kissing my neck, which leads to my clothes coming off and him eating me out. My family and friends call or text all day wishing me happy birthday. At seven we meet everyone at The Grill for my birthday dinner. We have a reserved table, actually three tables pushed together to fit all ten of us. It's a nice dinner, there's cake which I eat though it is not satisfying. Everyone got me gifts, Tyler and Caroline got me a wonderful outfit which I've no doubt that Caroline picked out and Tyler paid for. Ric got me a fascinating looking book which I can't wait to read. Jeremy, Bonnie, Stefan and Elena got me some posters and artwork to decorate my room with, and a gift card to the store so I can get more things to personalize my room. Klaus bought me an amazing dress, very expensive and elegant, it's very beautiful and I've no idea where I'll wear it, though I'm sure Klaus has plans. Damon bought me a beautiful and expensive ring of white gold and my birthstone.
"Have you heard from your other friends today?" Stefan asks.
"Yes, they've been calling all day. They wished me happy birthday and were very happy to hear that I would be joining them for march break weekend," I announce to the table. They were all going to find out at some point, might as well tell them together.
"You're what?" Klaus asks.
"Are you sure that's wise?" Stefan questions.
"I told them you would come with me," I say looking at Damon.
"Of course I will," Damon smiles.
"I'll come too," Klaus insists.
"I don't know if my friends can get that many rooms in a hotel you will like," I comment to Klaus.
"I assure you that won't be an issue," Klaus grins.
I'm about to argue when the door opens and we catch a familiar scent. All the vampires look at the doorway, as does the wolf, and the humans follow just as Eli begins walking toward us. On either side of me Damon and Klaus stiffen up and move to get up, but I catch their arms and stop them. Our movements are too fast for human eyes to see.
"We'll have to compel him with something else, I guess he needs more than to know you're happy," Stefan remarks.
"I told you he was obsessed," Jeremy comments as I get up from the table to confront Eli.
"Eli what are you doing here?"
"I had to see you again, to wish you Happy Birthday, and to rescue you. Get you away from here," Eli says.
"Eli I don't want to leave, I'm happy here," I reply with some exasperation in my tone. Damon and Klaus both get up and come to my sides and slightly in front of me. Their alpha male territorial move only angers Eli more. His face goes red and his fists clench as he glares at the men on either side of me.
"Who are they Clare? They're too old for you," Eli growls trying to stare them both down. I bite my cheek at this comment, if only he knew how old they really are. I move between my two lovers and take Eli's arm pulling him toward the pool tables. All the vampires and the wolf will still be able to hear us, but the humans probably won't.
"Eli you need to go, I am happy here, I belong here, I'm going to finish out my senior year here. You need to stop worrying about me and stay in New York," I assert but he's not listening.
"Is it those two men? Are they keeping you here? Tell me what they have on you so I can help Clare," Eli says brushing his fingers along my cheek. I close my eyes fighting the desires currently raging war within me. I can smell the blood in his veins, hear his heart pumping fast and hard because he's angry. I picture pushing him to the pool table and drinking from his wrist before ravishing him, and then drinking from his naked thigh.
(KLAUS)
I watch Clare and Eli near the pool tables, I don't like his determination, his obsession or the way he looks at her. Nor do I like the way the conversation is going or the look on Clare's face. I know that look, it means she's fantasizing and thinking of what she wants to do to him. I go over there and Damon comes with me, I take Eli's arm pulling him from her and holding his face so he can look me in the eyes. When his eyes lock on mine I can feel that he's in my power.
"You will walk out that door and never return to Mystic Falls. Return to New York and never come back here. Clare is no longer yours, she belongs to us now. She is happy, you are happy for her, and will never bother her again."
"I will return to New York and never come back, I'm happy for Clare and will never bother her again." Eli repeats. He turns and leaves The Grill, I take Clare's hand.
"That should take care of him," I grin pulling Clare close to me. "I can smell Eli on you," I comment through gritted teeth.
"So can I," Damon says in almost the same tone.
"We're not doing that again, don't even think about it," she replies and begins walking back to the table.
"He shouldn't ever return or bother her again," I comment.
"For his sake I hope not," Damon says.
"We'll see what's stronger your compelling or Eli's obsession," Jeremy remarks and Clare shakes her head stabbing her fork into her cake.
We only stay for a few more minutes while Clare finishes her cake and says goodbye to everyone. Damon and Stefan will take all her gifts to the house with them, but tonight she returns with me. The dress I bought for her comes with us, I will keep it at my house. I would have given it to her privately but I wanted everyone to see it.
When we walk out to the cars Damon kisses her long and deep before saying he'll see her tomorrow night. For the entire drive home all I can smell on her is Eli's scent, he hardly touched her but he was close enough that it wrapped around her and I don't like it. I compelled him to leave and never come back but I still feel the need to reclaim my territory.
I park at home and take her out of the car into the house, I don't bother closing the front door, we're too far out for anyone to come by randomly. She starts going up the stairs to the bedroom, but I don't even let her get that far. I grab her on the stairs and push her against the wall catching her lips with mine into a fierce, fervent, fiery kiss. My lips caress hers, my tongue goes in, exploring the depths of her mouth, taking possession of it. I undress her quickly by ripping her clothes off. She doesn't even bother to complain that I owe her new clothes, she knows I'll replace them.
I rip her panties and bra off as well, tossing them over my shoulder and the banister. I don't undress, not entirely, just take my pants down enough to get my cock out. Then I pick her up and she wraps her legs around my waist, her arms link around my neck and she moans as I slowly impale her onto me. Her body trembles and she deepens the kiss. I start moving her along me, slow, controlled, possessive. I move her up so that only my head remains inside and then pull her down slowly until I'm completely inside of her.
"Klaus, faster," she begs breaking the kiss.
"No, not yet," I reply pulling her down my length again.
She whimpers, letting out her frustration by ripping open my shirt. She tears it off me, her fingers drifting over my skin softly and then dragging her nails through my flesh. I continue to move her slowly, despite her begging I'm in control and I will not go fast. Her body is mine for the next 24 hours and I plan to enjoy every centimeter of it, every sensual opening of it until I have to get her back to the Salvatore house. Moving slowly, with careful steady movements I bring her to the first of many orgasms of the night.
I stay inside of her and walk her up the stairs to my bedroom, lying her on the bed. I take off her shoes off and disrobe before getting on the bed and kissing my way up along her body. I kiss her everywhere, not an inch of her flesh is left without being marked by my lips. Then I open her legs and enter her again, this time it's not slow and controlled. I'm fast, aggressive, demanding and making her moan loud and scream out my name.
"I need to eat," she says after two hours and six orgasms, "do we have more blood bags?"
"Let's go find some food then," I reply getting up.
She bites her lip but doesn't argue, I know she doesn't like it, but I compelled her to feed from live humans when she's with me and she does. We get dressed and get in my car, I drive us out to the university, it's one of my favorite places to feed near home. Far enough out that we wouldn't run into the Salvatore boys or Ric or Sheriff Forbes usually. Drunk and stupid college kids make for easy targets. Easy to compel and control and lure away. Not my favorite food, but it'll do.
We easily find a party at a frat house, there's always at least one on the weekends. Clare finds a boy she likes the scent of and follows him to the kitchen. I find a girl that's not drunk and fairly attractive, I simply compel her to come outside with me. I take her around to a dark corner of the yard and push her against the building. She purses her lips ready to kiss and then I sink my teeth into her neck, drinking until I've had my fill. She's not dead but she's weak, I look in her eyes and compel her to say she was attacked by a drunken frat boy. I tell her to scream as soon as I leave and then I run back to the car where Clare is waiting.
"When I drop you off tomorrow night I'll be going out of town for a few days. I'll be back in time to pick you up from school Friday afternoon. I'll also secure reservations for the three of us and your friends at suitable hotel for the weekend. Which weekend are we going?" I question and Clare gets out her phone to look at her calendar.
"Might as well meet them the first weekend, so I guess we'd drive up Friday afternoon when I'm out of school, and back Sunday night. That would be Friday, March 1st through Sunday March 3rd."
"Fine, I'll get us the best hotel," I smile.
"You know my friends can't afford an expensive hotel."
"I'll take care of it," I grin and she opens her mouth but I stop her by dragging my hand along her leg. "I hope you've had enough sustenance because I'm not letting those legs close again until it's time to take you back to the Salvatore's."
(CLARE)
"We have the best suite in the hotel don't we?" I ask Klaus looking out the window at the sprawling view of Niagara Falls below us.
"Would I have let us stay in anything less?" Klaus asks, coming up behind me and laying a soft kiss on my neck. My body reacts to him instantly, my eyes closing and my body trembling as I bite my lip.
After my birthday dinner last month Klaus and I returned to his place for some marathon love making. In fact after my dinner the only time I had clothes on all weekend was when he took us out to feed. When I returned to Damon Sunday evening we spent hours making love, but it was slow and tender, not nearly as aggressive or territorial as Klaus had been.
Klaus called Monday evening to say that he'd secured rooms for the three of us and rooms for my friends at a hotel in Niagara Falls. He said the rooms were paid for and I could tell my friends reservations were made under Adam's name for the rest of them. When I called Adam that evening he said the others would be thrilled, he sounded worried, I can't blame him for being so.
Unlike Adam everyone else coming to meet us in the falls that weekend was ecstatic that they didn't have to pay for their rooms. Adam didn't say Klaus had paid for the rooms, I didn't tell Adam that Klaus was coming. I was pretty sure that he'd guessed that however when I told him Klaus paid for the rooms. Actually, I was sure Klaus had paid for nothing and simply compelled them into reserving a block of rooms and marking it paid.
Drew, Dallas, Owen, Alli and Jenna had no idea Klaus was coming at all, I'd only told them Damon was coming. I was sure there would be many questions when we all met up. Though I wasn't too sure how much time Klaus would actually be spending with us. I didn't know if he had any interest in spending time with my friends. Honestly, I was kind of hoping he'd go out on his own during the day, go feed or whatever he wished to do. That he would only be with us in the hotel room at night, if he even planned to do that.
"There's only two bedrooms," I comment, stepping away from Klaus to look at the rest of the room.
"I didn't think you'd need your own as you'd be sleeping with one of us each night. If you even think of sleeping with someone else I will kill them. Of course, you could always sleep with both us, we could call the siren here. I'm sure she'd love it here," Klaus remarks moving behind me to kiss the back of my neck again. Then he bites down where my neck meets my shoulder and sucks a sip of blood before Damon pulls me away.
"Clare can decide which one of us she wishes to sleep with each night. Just because she usually spends the weekend with you don't think that she's going to spend every night in your bed," Damon says licking the blood from my shoulder, "unless she wants to."
"That's Adam," I comment when my phone rings. I slip out of Damon's arm to fetch my phone from my purse. "Hi Adam."
"Hey, we just got in, we'll check into the rooms and get settled. Want to meet for an early dinner in half an hour? We figured we eat on the early side and go out to see what clubs or parties we can go to tonight."
"Sounds good, where are we having dinner?"
"We'll eat in the restaurant downstairs, Drew reserved a table for all of us already."
"Sounds good, we'll see you down there," I tell him and hang up.
"We should feed now, I'll put the blood bags in the fridge," Damon comments.
"I'll meet you in the restaurant," Klaus replies leaving to go feed from humans. I'm sure if Damon was not here with us I'd be going with him.
Damon puts all our blood bags in the fridge and then leaves out two handing me one. I didn't need to repeat my conversation with Adam to them as they heard everything. Damon and I eat and freshen up a little before going down to the restaurant. I give the host Drew's name and we're shown back to a semi-private corner of the restaurant that looks onto the hotel gardens. The table is set for nine, and Klaus has already claimed the head of the table, and pulls out the chair to his right for me to sit next to him. Damon of course sits on my other side.
We all order alcohol when the waiter comes over, though I was smart enough to order a rum in coke so my friends wouldn't question it. When the waiter asked to see my ID Damon compelled him. As soon as the waiter walks away I know my friends are coming. I can hear them talking even before the elevator doors open. I can smell their scents, natural and the ones caused by their perfumes, deodorants, shampoos and after shave. Drew gives his name and the host shows them back to the table. I start to get up to hug my friends, as soon as I move Damon and Klaus grab my hands.
"I'm going to hug my friends not bite them," I say just loud enough for the two vampires to hear.
"I think you'd have more fun biting them," Klaus says but only loud enough for Damon and I to hear. Damon responds by kicking Klaus under the table.
"CLARE," Alli and Jenna squeal together excitedly as they push their way through the guys to hug me at the same time.
"Hi," I smile hugging my two best female friends and realize just how much I missed them. Bianca wasn't able to be here this weekend since her break doesn't start until next week. Drew already told me she was staying at their house and would be spending every spare minute with Drew that she could. Connor also isn't here as he went home to visit his ailing grandmother.
"Hey, you look good, guess the states have been good to you," Dallas says, hugging me from the side.
"Yeah, I've been doing great there," I smile. It's not entirely a lie, it's not entirely the truth either.
"You should still come back, I miss my Veep," Drew whines when he hugs me.
"You've been doing just fine without me."
"I didn't realize Klaus was actually coming," Adam says just loud enough for me to hear as he hugs me.
"I didn't think you'd like that he was, he did pay for everyone's rooms," I reply.
"What's he doing here?" Owen demands while I'm still hugging Adam. I'm sure he's talking about Klaus and not Damon, their only experiences with Klaus are that he's dangerous. They know Damon to be concerned about Klaus, and about me.
"Klaus i…" I begin when Klaus interrupts me.
"Clare is our lover, we weren't going to let her come for a whole weekend without the two of us," Klaus says.
I cringe, I can feel everyone's eyes on me, I can hear the questions that are beginning to race from their minds to their lips. This is going to be so much fun to try and explain to them.
"WHAT?!" Alli, Jenna and Dallas all exclaim at once. They startle the waiter bringing the drinks for me, Damon and Klaus, he nearly drops the tray but Damon catches it.
"We should sit down so we're not blocking the walkway, and you guys should order drinks," I remark avoiding this discussion for as long as I can.
