All characters from Vampire Diaries belong to L.J. Smith as well as all characters from Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. I own nothing except my version of events.
Chapter 46 Come Back to Me
It felt like it had been so long since I'd last seen my mate. A long dark eternity while in reality it had only been a couple of days. The quiet desperation I felt with his absence consumed the majority of my thoughts. If it weren't for my responsibility to maintain my family confident and assured of the upcoming battle, I would have surely crumbled from the pain.
If only I could speak to him, to know that he remained safe and alive it would lessen the pain in my heart, I was sure.
I'm an idiot! I finally thought to myself as I realized I could always try to contact my mate telepathically. We had never been this far apart before and I didn't know if it would still work or not but now was the perfect time to find out.
Nik? I asked, in hopes that he could hear me.
Niki? Please answer me if you can hear me. I waited with bated breath, I wanted to be optimistic about receiving an answer but if I didn't get one I also did not want to be disappointed. So I decided to try one last time before giving up. Nik? Can you hear me?
Ok, that didn't work I thought sadly until I heard a whispered, Angel… in my head, instantly bringing tears to my eyes.
Oh god, Nik, are you ok? I asked, hoping he would answer more this time.
Yes Angel, I'm alright. I can't believe neither one of us had thought to try this before. Please tell me you are ok. He begged me with a detectable sense of worry in his tone.
I'm alright… I just miss you. I responded quietly, trying to disguise my pain but knowing he wouldn't buy it.
Oh, Angel, I miss you too but I have promised to come back to you and I will.
I sighed in consternation, I know… now tell me what you have encountered so far. I ordered, my vain attempt to dig myself out of the worry and misery I had fallen into and focusing on my duties instead.
We've infiltrated their compound in Austria but have found nothing of importance. The witch twins are taking the reins in that location, or more like making sure no one falls out of line. We are currently making it closer to the Serbian campsite but do not worry, we'll be safe. I'll contact you later before we head back to the castle.
Ok I love you Niki.
I would bet a million dollars he had a small smile on his face when he responded. I love you more, Angel.
I smiled happily, earning questioning stares from both Kol and Paul.
"I just talked to Nik, I guess our telepathic abilities still reach long distances. He said they've already infiltrated their location in Austria with nothing interesting to report and they are currently entering Serbia."
"Bad news he has nothing to report on Austria but great news that you are both freaks and can still communicate with each other, eh?" Kol teased.
I laughed as I slapped the back of his head, feeling more like myself now that I knew my mate was alright and that I could communicate with him whenever I wanted. Honestly, I don't understand know how it had slipped my mind. I am an absolute moron, I wasted so much time feeling lost and worried without my mate that it had clouded my mind. Once he returned I would make sure to never leave his side again.
"Shut up and let's get shit done! We don't know what news Nik will bring but we have to be prepared for the worst." I reminded him as he passed me the last crate of vials he'd gotten from storage. I had made a large batch of the werewolf potion and I was currently filling up the vials and passing the filled ones to Paul as he placed a colored sticker on to let the user know what it was for.
Paul and Kol made small talk while I carefully poured the finished potion into vials, not letting a single drop go to waste. I was making large amounts and therefore using up a lot of my magic to do the spells and I didn't have my necklace. I could feel the difference it made on my body, I would get intensely hungry and sometimes even take 20 minute naps to keep my energy up. It was really annoying, I could also take the energy from the air around me but sometimes it wasn't enough.
"Bella!" Felix exclaimed, as he entered our witch's lab his eyes scanning over the crowd.
"Uh, right here Felix." I said, waving my hand in the air.
"Ah, there you are. I have an important message from Master Marcus. He told me to give you this and that he's sorry he hadn't thought of it sooner but he said better late than never." Felix explained, shrugging his shoulders as he gave me a jewelry box.
I frowned down at it in curiosity, it was a beautiful jewelry box made of stained glass like you find in cathedrals. I almost didn't want to open it, fearing it would break in my hands.
"Oh bloody hell, will you open it already?" Kol grumbled in annoyance.
I rolled my eyes at his impatience and did as he asked but what I found had my mouth falling open in surprise. He could not be serious, I thought to myself as I placed a shield around us. Not wanting another witch to be aware of what I was holding.
"What? What is it?" Paul asked, knowing it was something important.
"It doesn't look anything extraordinary, is it worth millions or something?" Kol asked.
"Absolutely not. It's worth more, it is the same stone as the necklace I gave to Nik. It keeps a certain amount of energy within our bodies to prevent us from depleting our energy when we exert too much of power. I've thought about looking for another one for Nik but with the war and all the chaos going around I haven't had the time. This is exactly what I needed, now that I gave mine to Niklaus but this time I can specifically design it for him when he returns!" I said happily.
I reached into my desk to grab my grandmother's journal and found the page with the picture of the necklace on it. I read the passage explaining how to recreate its magic and memorized it.
"Ok. Let me get the necessary materials and we can head outside. I'm going to need the power of the earth to complete this spell."
Once I had everything in hand we made it outside and I removed my socks and shoes. I channeled the energy of the earth, letting it flow through my body like an electrical current. When I knew I couldn't take in anymore I centered it on the palms of my hand while I held on to the stone, willing it to activate its powers and infusing it with my own essence building it with a more male aesthetic than the one my grandmother had left me.
"There!" I exclaimed, "It's ready. All we have to do now is test it." I said as I placed it around my neck and teleported across the field and back. "It works! I feel fine and still energized. Remind me to thank…" I stopped speaking when I felt a punch to the gut. No, no, no, no , no…
Bella! I heard Nik yell in my head.
Nik! I screamed in fear.
Bella! They know we're here. I don't know how but they do. I'm sending the rest back but I have to stay.
What why? You can't stay! You promised you'd come back! I begged him frantically.
I will. I promise, but I have to do one more thing before…
Nik! I yelled in desperation but I didn't get an answer back.
"Bella!" Paul screamed as he shook me by the arms.
"It's Nik he's sending…" but I didn't get to finish what I was going to say when suddenly his team appeared before us.
"What happened?!" I yelled at them.
"Their leader. He scented us, he knew we were there but he couldn't see us. He was getting a witch to cast a spell to find us, Niklaus sent us back and said he would be right behind us." A man named Darius spoke as he looked around us to see if he could find him.
"No, no, no. He needs to come back, if they find him…" I couldn't even finish that sentence, terrified of what that would mean for my mate. I was starting to panic when Paul grabbed onto my face.
"Focus, Bella, your mate needs you right now. Calm your breathing and focus on him, try to reach him again."
"But I can't hear him anymore!" I yelled in fear, tears falling from my eyes.
Paul shook his head at me. "It doesn't matter, focus on Klaus and find him. Only you can do that, B. Breathe with me, come on you can do it." He fiercely said as he started his deep breathing.
I closed my eyes and listened to his breathing, following the pattern and mimicking it with my own. I found my center and focused my mind on my mate. I was the only one that could save him, it was up to me.
Slowly without realizing it I slipped into his mind, I could hear him screaming my name and I delved deeper following his voice until suddenly I could see through his eyes.
Nik was trapped on one side of the room, he was teleporting in and out of the same space but unable to leave the area surrounded by a group of ten witches chanting something over and over again, all being led by one man. He was tall with hair as white as snow, hair of an aged man but not at all in accordance to his appearance. He was well built and tall, a looming presence above all others. He was incredibly handsome but his face showed clear anger and annoyance, yelling at the witches to do better.
"Nik!" I yelled, trying to find him and get him to focus. "Niki, I'm here! Listen to my voice baby, I need you back with me. You promised you would come back to me… in order to do that I need you to focus, Ok?" I asked. I could see it slightly working as he stopped trying to teleport and stood to the side holding his head.
"Bella..." He whispered but that's as much as I got from him. I needed to do something immediately so I came back to my body and teleported myself to the place I saw in Nik's head.
I appeared behind the witches and shielded myself as I used my powers to throw them against the stone wall to the side if us. I could see most had died from the impact but I didn't care, no one mattered but my mate at the moment. I shielded my mate as soon as he was released and he fell to the floor.
"You!" Their leader yelled at me as he tried to advance toward me but couldn't with my shield in place.
"Yes, me. Wish I could say it was a pleasure to meet you, though I don't know your name."
"Of course, someone as young as you would not know who the Great Bogdan is. I have ruled my kind for centuries. Longer than the insignificant speck you have created amongst your own. Stand down and claim defeat… you do not know who you are dealing with, child." He threatened.
"And neither do you. I might be young but do not pretend to know what I am capable of, you have no idea." I threatened back.
"You insolent child!" He yelled, but I grew tired of his self-righteous indignation and placed him in a shield.
I lifted him high in the air and tightened the shield around one of his arms to show him what I meant. I obliterated his arm in a split second as he let out a ferocious roar.
"Bella!" I heard Niklaus yell my name as he got to his feet, just as more witches appeared chanting once again. "We have to get out of here!" He yelled but instead of running to me he ran to the wall where I had initially thrown the first group of witches.
"Nik!" I yelled just as I saw him use the wall to hold himself up and reach down to pick up something… wait not a something, more like a someone. I ran to him as I felt my shield being hit by the witches.
"Now, Bella!" He yelled.
Without a second to spare I teleported ourselves back to the castle.
We landed at the garden and we fell down on our knees. I was slightly out of breath but I was more worried about Niklaus, he looked incredibly pale. I grabbed his hand and placed it on the ground. "Take the earth's energy. It'll hold you for now until you can get some blood in your system."
He did as I asked and I saw his color returning as I did the same.
I heard our names being called and I looked up as we were surrounded by our loved ones. "He needs blood." I ordered anyone who would react the quickest.
"Bella, what happened?!" Paul exclaimed as he dropped down on his knees to get a good look at us. "And who is that he asked?"
I looked at the person in question and my face filled with confusion. "I don't know… Nik?" I asked.
Nik shook his head as if he didn't quite know. "I've only seen her in pictures, but I think it's…"
"Didyme." Marcus whispered as he dropped down on his knees in front of Nik, who was still holding her in his arms. "It can't be…" He said, letting the last word trail off.
"Here!" Jasper announced as he handed Nik a bag of blood, but instead of drinking it himself he cut it open and poured the blood slowly into the woman's mouth. Slowly her color started returning and she looked more and more recognizable by the second.
Her long black lustrous hair shined in the moonlight casted above us. Her body started filling in once again and I could see what Nik had been saying. She did look like the woman we saw in the paintings hanging everywhere in the castle.
Marcus pulled her from Nik's arms and brushed her hair delicately off her face, as if she would disintegrate at any second. She slowly blinked her eyes opened and looked up at Marcus.
"Are you real?" He asked. I could detect pure hope in his voice but it was tainted by the raw fear and pain in his voice, afraid his eyes were deceiving him.
"Marcus…" she whispered quietly as she slowly reached up with her hand and caressed his face. "It is I… I am no longer alone, now that I have found you once again." She said with sadness and joy mixed in her voice. Without another thought Marcus pulled her up and embraced her in a gentle but firm hug.
I turned to my mate and cupped his cheek as I realized she was the reason why he wouldn't leave. He risked his own life to save another, if anyone dared to doubt Niklaus' intensions now would undoubtedly be a complete idiot. It was because of his resolve that Marcus' soulmate was finally back home. "You surprise me every day. I love you more than anything." I said, as I kissed him tenderly. I pulled away and frowned down at him. "But if you scare me like that ever again, I will kill you myself. Now drink the damn blood." I berated him as I pulled a blood bag from Jasper's hand and shoved it in front of his face.
Nik didn't bother to reply as he chuckled and opened the blood bag and started to drink, pulling me to fall beside him as he squeezed me tightly to his side. I leaned my head on his chest in defeat knowing I would never be able to stay mad at him when I was just grateful he was alive and in my arms once again.
"Anything else any of you can recall?" Jasper asked Niklaus and his companions.
We were all sitting in the conference room, taking as much information as we could gather from what the scouting team had seen. I'd asked Jasper to take point knowing I had no experience in war nor battle. I would never know what to ask or how to interpret whatever information we received. Lucky for us they had sent one of Aro's guards who knew military speak.
Everyone shook their heads as they couldn't offer any more information than what Jasper had already asked.
"Thank you for your service. You may leave and recuperate now." He ordered them as Nik's team left but he remained sitting. I walked over to him and stood behind him placing my hands on his shoulders. He reached up and caressed my hands before placing them back on the table, I knew he was tired but we needed just a bit more information out of him.
"Do you know why Didyme was there?" Jasper asked Nik.
"A little. Bogdan kept talking about some queen but he was never clear, he referred to her in a derisive tone as if mocking her by calling her queen. I never thought it would actually be her. He said something about leverage and how he couldn't wait for the big reveal. I can only assume now, that he was planning on using her as leverage… it would also explain why he targeted Marcus in West Virgnia. He thrives on others' pain and misfortune, the witches with him are mostly scared of him. There are, however, a select few that willingly remain by his side. He's promised them power, an opportunity to reign alongside him. The few keep the many in fear, they have taken families of witches using them to get the witches to do their bidding. If a witch doesn't comply he punishes a family member instead. The werewolves on the other hand… it's where it gets a bit trickier. I couldn't tell if they were being forced or not, it mostly seems as though they do not know any better. There have been generations upon generations of werewolves that have been in Bogdan's pack, or a pack under his domain. They follow his teaching because they do not know a world outside of it, their parents and parents' parents have been taught to breed as many wolves as possible. Some do not agree but fear retaliation if they do not follow in their families footsteps."
"It sounds like a cult." I surmised, I got more than a few weird looks from the older people in the meeting. "A cult? No one older than 100 years old has ever heard of a cult before?" I asked incredulously.
"Cults didn't exist back in your time?" Paul asked just as incredulously, as he looked at me in confusion. He and I have seen our fair share of documentaries about cults and things of the sort. It always boggled my mind how one corrupt person could lead hundreds of others to follow in their wake, falsely believing in the 'the greater good' of their people but never realizing what a farce it all was. Created by a twisted man who only sought power and control over others.
"Well a cult is basically what Nik expressed. A group of people following the principles and ideologies of their leader by blind faith or commitment to whatever spiritual or philosophical beliefs they live by. The problem is when they are led by an egotistical self-righteous leader who seeks his or her own personal gain by using the unquestioning commitment of its followers."
"Ok. So that's bad?" Caius tentatively asked.
I rolled my eyes at the question. "Yes it's bad. This changes everything."
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Well, we can't just kill them all. We have to give them a chance."
Aro stood up then, "You cannot be serious." I could tell he was in the verge of another hissy fit, so I chose my next words carefully.
"Yes. That does not mean we will not punish those that have willingly done wrong but we can save the innocent and prevent more bloodshed. We don't want to erase the werewolves from existence. We can show them there is another way, that they don't have to follow after a crazed man who only wants to take control over the world. We can all live peacefully and coexist with one another. The world is a big enough place to accomplish that."
"Bella…" Aro started but I cut him off.
"No. You asked me for my help and I am giving it to you. It may not be the way you expected it to be but it is the way it has to be, and I won't change that to make you happy. I will not ask my family to kill blindly simply because you want them to. That's not how it's going to work. You said the Volturi laws revolve around one rule, keeping the humans from knowing of your existence and we will keep it that way Aro but if you expect me to kill innocents then you do not know who I really am." I finished my speech, I wouldn't budge. If he expected me to kill blindly then he shouldn't have asked for my help in the first place.
It suddenly felt more like an ultimatum, like this was the last chance I was giving him to accept my terms. It was this or we would leave him and his Volturi army, we didn't need them anyways. I had faith in my people and knew we could do it without him.
He looked around him and found that no one would be on his side, he took one last look at Caius and Marcus hoping he'd find his brother's support but deflated as he realized he had lost. "Very well, we will do as you ask, my lady." He finally said, as he sat back down and steepled his fingers together.
Ok, this was good. I would have been greatly disappointed if he had chosen another path. Wanting the tense atmosphere to dissipate quickly I redirected my gaze, "Peter?" I asked.
"Yes?" He responded quickly.
"My powers are going haywire right now, please tell me yours are as well?" I asked. Since returning from Serbia I've been getting premonitions about what's to come but I hadn't allowed myself to focus on it too much because my emotions were still frazzled so soon after almost losing my mate.
He looked back at me with a look of constipation, if it were in any other situation I would have laughed. "Yes but I can't really make up the words. It's like they are all jumbled together and not making any sense."
"Come here." I said as I extended my hands towards him, he walked forward and took my hands. "Will you let me in?" I asked him, he nodded at me without a question and I smiled. "Then close your eyes." I instructed. He did as I asked and I closed mine as well, entering his mind safely now that I had his permission. Once I delved deep I understood what he was saying, it was like multiple voices talking all at once. I didn't understand how he hadn't gone insane already, I sure would have if my precognition manifested itself in the same manner. I did what I could to organize his thoughts by identifying exactly how many voices there were. One by one I placed them into separate boxes, hoping to keep them contained within their own space and preventing Peter from becoming overwhelmed. Once I finished with the last voice I receded slowly from his mind, not wanting to affect anything else while I was there.
I came back to the present and opened my eyes, finding Peter staring at me in awe.
"Better?" I asked but instead of saying anything he pulled me into his arms and hugged me.
"Thank you." He said sincerely, not an ounce of sarcasm detected in his voice. I hadn't known Peter for very long but he seemed like the kind of guy that didn't let his true self out often. He always hid it behind his wit and sarcastic playful nature, I didn't quite know why that was but who was I to ask him the meaning of his character.
"Anytime." I said happily.
"It will be within a week but we will have to depart in three days to make it to the battlefield on time." He announced.
I smiled finally feeling a sense of reassurance at what I was feeling myself.
"Yes, one week. He was going to wait longer but Niklaus' appearance changed that." I confirmed.
"He wanted to gather more followers but you both just pissed him off. You took the only leverage he had and you… cut off his arm? If he didn't need to heal himself before he bled to death, he would have surely attacked us immediately." He announced as he looked at me with a proud look on his face.
I giggled in response. "Yes I got his arm, but I wish I would've had more time to end him once and for all. Unfortunately, another group of witches appeared and I had no other choice but to get my mate and Didyme out of there. They were trying to penetrate my shield."
"That's going to be a problem if they achieve that when we meet in a week, Darlin'." Jasper said with worry in his voice. "We'll need to take down the witches first before we worry about anyone else. We'll need special teams for that."
"I have a couple in mind. We have a few days to come up with a plan, that's plenty of time." Felix added.
"What else can you tell us?" Caius asked both Peter and I.
"Like I said, we will all need to leave in three days to make it to the battle grounds. He got impatient with his arm and Queen missing. He's acting irrationally, he plans to come and attack us here in Volterra but I fear the loss of thousands of lives on his journey here. We have to beat him before he arrives in larger populated places if we want to keep it from the eyes and ears of the humans."
"Where?" Aro asked, finally taking an interest in the planning.
I looked to Peter in question and he showed me his pearly whites as he smiled at me. "Near Višnjeva. It's in Serbia but near the border to Montenegro, it will keep us mostly out of their territory but near enough that they won't be tempted to kill their own countrymen."
"Yes, it's perfect." I nodded in agreement, my intuition doing a happy dance.
"We'll need to see it on a map. Show us, Peter." Jasper ordered.
He let go of my hands and walked over to Jasper.
"This is not my area of expertise so I'll head out, I have a mate to take care of. Do not call me unless absolutely necessary." I ordered as I saw numerous head nods going around the room.
I walked back to Niklaus and nudged him, he was trying to follow the conversation going on but he was too tired and exhausted to completely follow along. He looked up and nodded at me as I teleported us into our bedroom.
As soon as we got there I sat him on the bed and helped him take his clothes off. I laid him back and realized he was wearing the necklace I had given him but it was cracked in the middle.
"What happened?" I asked him before he could fall asleep.
"I don't know, I must have hit it somehow. It all happened so fast I couldn't tell you when it happened exactly." He said with a frown marring his beautiful face.
I brushed the hair off of his eyes as I looked down at him. "That explains why you seem so tired, here take some of mine." I said as I grasped onto his cheek and transferred some of my energy onto him.
His eyes fully opened this time and he smiled lightly at me as he grabbed my hand that was cupping his face. "Thank you, Love." He said gently as he turned his head and kissed the palm of my hand.
I looked down at him and noticed he still needed more, he needed more blood. I moved my hair from my neck and offered it to him. "You're still thirsty."
He shook his head in refusal, "No, Bella. You've already given me some of your energy, it's more than enough. I'll be better once I sleep."
"Don't worry, my energy won't deplete." I said as I pulled his necklace from under my shirt. "Marcus gave me another stone, I made this one for you just before you went dark. Drink, Niki, I'll be fine. Promise." I said.
He looked me in the eyes and found only my resolve, he pulled me gently forward, placing a tender kiss on my neck before his teeth pierced my skin and I released a gasp from my mouth. We had never done this before and I wondered why now. It didn't hurt like I had expected, if anything it felt good, really good.
"Nik…" I whispered in his ear as my hands tightened on his shoulders. Hearing the sudden need in my voice I felt his length harden underneath me and I involuntarily grinded myself onto him.
Before I knew it Niklaus had switched our positions, ripped off my clothes and swiftly entered me. It was nothing we had ever experienced before. A mix of emotions I couldn't begin to express… need, love, relief, devotion. I felt that and so much more as he desperately pumped in and out of me.
I could sense my blood had made him lose control and he was fighting to gain it back. As much as I wanted him to continue for a bit longer, I also knew he would not be ok with that when he regained his senses so I slipped my hands into his hair, massaging his scalp and gently coaxing him back. I'm here, Niklaus, I need you to be here with me.
His grip on my body loosened and he ended his bite with a lick around my wound as his hips slowed down to a softer pace, leaving a tender kiss on his bite before he moved his kisses up my neck and towards my mouth. "I love you, Bella, more than life itself. You are my life, now and forever. I will be with you always… until the very end." He promised as a tear slipped from his eye.
I reached up and wiped his tear as I cupped his face. He was slowly slipping in and out of me, tenderly as if he wanted this moment to never end. "You and me, forever Niklaus. My love for you will never falter, without you there is no me. I will love you for eternity… until the very end." I vowed, as tears fell from my own eyes.
He bent down and kissed me, sweetly at first but then I grasped onto his ass and squeezed. Needing for some type or reassurance that he was here and with me. I wanted him to consume me, to take over and let his presence be known. "Nik…" I whined in his ear. He lifted me up and sat up on his heels as he placed me on his lap, he wrapped his arms around my back and I could feel him going deeper as he pushed his hips upward hitting me in the perfect spot. I grasped onto his back and my nails instinctively dug into his skin, leaving deep marks behind. He growled in my ear and started going faster, so fast I had to hold onto his shoulders to keep myself on earth.
I could feel the wisps of my orgasm, grabbing onto my body and coiling into my heart and soul. He whispered, "Bella…" into my ear with so much need and love that I couldn't help but reciprocate. A whine fell from my mouth as I felt my orgasm coming in fast. My nails dug harder into his shoulders and I bit down onto his neck as I screamed with the impact of my orgasm. I felt Niklaus' teeth pierce my skin once again and it suddenly set my orgasm aflame once again. There was nothing in this world that existed any longer, it was only Niklaus and I, holding each other to this earth alone. I would be happy for all of existence if Niklaus and I stayed in this place forever.
We slowly came back to ourselves and I felt Niklaus, peppering my face lightly with kisses. I giggled and nuzzled my face into his, he chuckled in response and responded in kind, making me giggle even more. I loved it when he was cute and playful with me.
"I still want to kick your ass, you know." I threatened as I pulled away from him, leaving my arms wrapped around his neck.
"I think you already did, Love." He said as he looked at his shoulders.
I followed his eyes and saw what he was talking about as I saw the red marks I had left on his shoulders, then I peeked over his shoulders and saw more red marks on his back. "Oops." I said, biting my lip as I looked back at him.
He chuckled and shook his head. "Don't be sorry." He said with a devilish look on his face as he leaned forward to pull my lip from my teeth and sucking it into his mouth as he kissed me again.
I kissed him back but still felt a little bad that I had left those marks on him so I gently caressed the sides of his back as we kissed.
He abruptly pulled away from me and asked "What was that?"
"What was what?" I asked in confusion.
He shook his head as if shaking out a weird thought but then turned to look at his shoulders and his eyes widened, "Did you just… heal me?"
My own eyes widened and I looked at what he was looking at, I climbed off of his lap and moved behind him to inspect his back. Sure enough, his scratches were now gone.
"New power?" He asked me nonchalantly, completely opposite to how I was feeling.
"Yes…" I said in both wonder and confusion as I caressed his back gently, still not believing I had done that.
He turned around and grabbed onto my hand, pulling me back to him "Why don't you look… happy?" He asked in confusion. When I didn't answer he frowned at me in worry, wondering why I didn't look as excited as I usually did when I discovered a new power.
I reached up and smoothed out the wrinkles caused by his frown. "I am... I'm sorry, it's just that it got me thinking about earlier today… I somehow got into your mind while you were in Serbia."
His eyes widened as he asked, "What?"
"When you disappeared from my mind after sending your group back I panicked. Paul had to get me under control. He told me you were my mate and that you needed me, that I needed to focus and get you back. I closed my eyes and tried to reach out to you but you wouldn't answer, so I kept pushing and pushing until I was suddenly in your head somehow. Hearing what you were hearing and seeing what you were seeing. That's how I knew where you were and I teleported to get you back. I saw it through your eyes, Niklaus." I admitted.
He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against mine. "I felt you there, I thought I was going crazy, imagining you being there with me in my last moments. I wanted you there with me and having you in my head was a better alternative than not having you there at all."
I slipped my fingers into his hair and massaged his scalp, hoping to bring him back from that experience. "I'll always be with you, Niklaus. Wherever you go, wherever you are... I will follow you to the ends of the earth."
He pulled me into his arms tighter as he said, "I don't deserve that from you." I could hear the pain it caused him to say those words. He wanted me but he feared losing me, like I wasn't his to covet.
"What do you mean?" I asked with worry, he couldn't possibly believe that. Could he?
"Don't you see?" He asked with disbelief in his voice. "I am like him, Bella. I have done all of those things… many times throughout my long life. I have hurt people, I have used their families and the people they loved to get what I wanted. I didn't care about the pain I caused or the destruction I created in my search for power and control. How could you possibly love someone that has ruled in the same way as your enemy, Bella? Like the man who wants to use you to gain control of the world. If you weren't my mate… I would do the same. I would use Paul against you, I would use anyone you cared about to get you to do what I wanted… it would be so easy." He said, so sure of himself but also filled with fear and sorrow. As if he were scared he would revert back to his old self.
I pulled away from him and he let me, looking down afraid to meet my eyes. I tilted his chin up and nudged him with my nose to look up at me. "I don't care, Niki. That's not you anymore nor will it ever be again. Why worry about the 'what if's' when the 'what if's' don't exist in our world? The fates chose us to be together, they chose you to be my mate and not a single day goes by that I am not thankful for your presence in my life. I love you, Niklaus. I don't know how many times I will have to tell you but it doesn't matter. I will tell you a million times more, as many times as you need to hear it because it's the truth. You are everything to me, you and I… until the very end." I promised as I kissed him lightly on the lips. "Remember?" I asked him with a soft smile.
He remained quiet for a long time, looking deeply into my eyes. As if he would inevitably find a lie in my words, but it was an impossible task. I didn't regret my words nor would I ever regret his presence in my life. I don't know why this encounter had him doubting himself and our bond but it didn't matter. I would always be there to pull him back to me.
His eyes finally softened, and I could detect the certainty he found once again with my words. He nodded at me and pulled me in for a hug.
I reciprocated the hug but nudged him back, wordlessly guiding him into bed with me. He complied and laid down with me but placed himself in between my legs as he placed his head in between my breasts. He lifted his chin up onto my chest to look up at me. I will love you until the end of time, and even then whatever lies beyond, my love for you will never die.
I smiled down at him and said Ditto into his mind, knowing I would never find better words than those just spoken.
He closed his eyes and shook his head with a small smile on his face. Laying back down onto my chest and relaxing his body until he fell into unconsciousness. I laid there in darkness as I brushed my fingers in his hair. I didn't want to think about the negative thought's swirling in my head but it was impossible not to, I almost lost my mate today… but I vowed not to let that happen again. Next time I met with the 'great' Bogdan, his arm wouldn't be the only thing I would eviscerate. Not only for being responsible for hundreds of deaths but for also putting my mates thoughts back into the dark place he once was, a place where I never wanted him to go again.
He thought he was playing with a silly little girl but he thought wrong. Next time, I would show him exactly who he was up against.