Happy Tuesday! Thank you so much to honestgrins and klarolinedrabbles for beta work. I hope you guys enjoy this! And to the person who commented on this chapter title: you were right and all of the chapter titles will be lyrics from Cruel Summer, following my tradition of linking Taylor Swift song lyrics to inappropriately kinky stories.


Chapter II: Angels Roll Their Eyes

"You look lovely, by the way."

"Thanks," Caroline said, trying not to sound too annoyed with him. She felt the burn of his palm at the small of her back when he gently pressed it against her to lead her down the front path of the house, his arm curling to settle around her waist after they'd reached the gates so that he could apparate them.

"I know a good place on a side street by Diagon Alley," Klaus offered.

"Sounds fine," Caroline said with a weak smile, her heart thumping in her chest. It was so weird to be so close after so long apart, searching his face for tells as much as she could for what he was thinking or feeling. Klaus had never shown much emotion, even if she'd been able to read him better than most, and just the warmth in his eyes was unnerving, since she couldn't find the disingenuousness that she'd been sure was there.

"Before we leave, I'd like to talk a bit about how this will work."

"Of course, love."

She turned to face him, fiddling with the cuff of her robe. "So, I don't know how much my dad told you, but the reason we have to get married quickly is because my cousin Camille wants to take over the company. Well, really her husband does. We can't let that happen."

"Right."

"So, here's the thing. Everyone could tell that my parents weren't in love, and that's why my mom could never use our political capital the way we needed her to. Everyone knew that she and my dad were going to get divorced. For this to work, people need to think you're a permanent fixture."

"Aren't I?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean, we both know you are," she said hurriedly. "But they won't, especially not after how we were in school."

"How you were in school, you mean?" he asked, clearly amused.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I never did anything to you, love. The aggression was all on your part. To this day, I still don't know what I did to attract your ire."

She rolled her eyes. As if he wasn't self-aware enough to know that he was a complete psychopath.

"Not the point. The point is that we need to make them believe that we're in love so that you can do what you need to do. Okay?"

"Understood," he said, his lips twisting in a smirk. "And how do you propose we do that, love?"

"Act like a couple, I guess? At least in public."

"We are a couple, sweetheart. Aren't we?"

She wanted to protest, but the words stuck in her throat before she could get them out. "I mean, we are, but not like, for real."

"And why not?"

She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Because..." she trailed off, trying to come up with a reason that wasn't 'because you make my gut scream run before you get eaten alive.'

"Because?" he prompted.

"This isn't a real marriage, Klaus. This is an arrangement."

"An arranged marriage."

"Right, but like, not with feelings, or anything."

"You mean to tell me that you don't intend to even try?" Klaus asked.

"Don't look so hurt about it. It's not like you're in this for me, anyway," Caroline said, scoffing.

He frowned. "What d'you mean?"

She let out a sharp breath, closing her eyes for a second, trying to center herself. Why was he pretending that he wasn't marrying her for her fortune and influence? It's not like it had to be a secret. They could be honest with each other about it being a business arrangement, couldn't they? "Look, we just have to act like we're in love with each other enough for Camille to not have the capital she needs to snatch the family vault and put it into Damon's dirty paws."

"That will be no burden for me, I assure you."

She assessed him with narrowed eyes, her lips pressed together. His charm was starting to grate on her. She'd forgotten how smooth he could be, how easily he could make you feel like his attention was centered on you. She forced her shoulders to relax slightly, resolving herself to keep her guard up. She couldn't let him get under her skin, but she couldn't make him think she was scared of him, either. That would be a bad precedent to set. "Good. So, where did you want to go?"

"The Harpy's Nest. It's in the nicer area. Next to Parvati Patil's Atelier and the jewelry shop, and I know there's a Witch Weekly photographer that comes 'round at about this time of day for coffee across the way, so it's likely we'll make the news. We can pick up a ring while we're there, if you'd like."

Ugh, she'd forgotten about the ring. "Okay! Sounds good."

He offered her his arm, which she reluctantly took, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow. They had to play the part, she reminded herself, trying to ignore the clear lean muscle beneath her fingers through the thin cloth of the henley he was wearing.

That familiar hook of apparition pulled on her, followed by the horrible squeezing feeling before they appeared in front of the muggle entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, landing solidly on their feet. She stiffened when he pressed his hand to the small of her back and reached to open the door for her, leading her through the building and ignoring the glances of the patrons.

She tucked herself against him instinctively when they passed what was clearly a drunk on a stool who looked her up and down in a way that made her stomach twist, and she saw Klaus shoot him a quelling look that made even her insides freeze before he squeezed her waist in what she assumed was supposed to be a comforting gesture. It felt easier to breathe when they entered the narrow back exit of the bar, and she began to pull away from him when he took his wand out to tap the bricks to reveal the alley. He let her, though his fingertips brushed her back as she pulled away in a way that made her shiver.

"It's just at the end," he said, gesturing towards the fountain at the very end of the cobblestone street where the sidestreets began to pop up to the smaller shopping squares.

"Okay," she said, glancing at him before slipping her hand into his, mostly to avoid him putting his arm around her waist again. That felt like too much too fast (and was way too comfortable).

He'd been uncharacteristically soft with her so far, and it was rattling. She had to keep her guard up.

XXX

Caroline came home from work to find Klaus in the sitting room, lounging on her favorite chair as if he belonged there. Technically he did, she supposed. He'd wanted to move in later in the week, something about having plans and the inconvenience of the timing, but it hadn't worked out. Though she would have been excited to postpone Klaus moving in as long as she possibly could in any other situation, he could only be keyed to the secret room in the library by the warder who had constructed the spells on the entrance, and unfortunately the warder in question had picked a very inconvenient time to start his sabbatical, making that day the only day he was available for the next two months. It still felt out of place to see him among all of her things, though, even if she had expected it. "Hey," she greeted, shrugging off her robe and setting down her purse. "How did moving go?"

"Well, thank you. Jenna was quite the help with finding everything."

"Great."

"I've taken the liberty of unpacking my belongings in the bedroom she directed me to, but should you have any objections, I would be happy to move anything you like."

"How about moving yourself to your own bedroom?" Caroline said dryly.

"Oh, don't be mad, Caroline. He took as little of the closet as possible," Jenna said cheerfully, walking through the living room with a basket of laundry that Caroline recognized as her father's. Klaus sent Caroline a raised eyebrow as if to point out that this was why they were sharing a bedroom, and Caroline knew that he was right. She loved Jenna, and though their maid was likely peripherally aware of the less savory parts of the Forbes' business portfolio, she'd done her best to have plausible deniability, something that Caroline and her father were all too fine with. If Jenna didn't know anything, she had no value to their enemies, and she also couldn't betray them.

For the same reason, it was best that Jenna thought that they were in love like everyone else, or at least in a peaceful arrangement. Her getting snippy with Klaus for doing what Jenna would perceive to be a perfectly normal thing would not help that.

"I was just kidding," Caroline said quickly with a smile, walking over to Klaus and sitting on the couch beside him, kissing him on the cheek and snuggling against his side when he lifted his arm. Jenna seemed to believe her, sending her a wink.

"Don't worry. I understand. Closet space is valuable real estate with Ric and I, too," Jenna said with a commiserating nod. "I have to bring these to your father. Do you know if he's in?"

"No. I just got home. Is he doing okay today?"

Bill's condition had been deteriorating at a higher rate than she and the doctors had expected. He'd been having regular check-ups for the two months since he'd been out of the hospital, and Healer Gilbert maintained that he had up to a year, though he'd sympathetically reminded Caroline in private after the last visit that "up to" a year didn't necessarily mean that he'd last that long. She'd watched her father begin to rely more on a walker, and he'd begun to take a set of complicated potions every morning that she had to brew herself to ease his paranoia. Her father was barely in his sixties, much too young to look so frail.

Jenna seemed to follow her train of thought, giving her a sympathetic smile. "He was good this morning. He even came downstairs for breakfast after you left."

"Good."

"He wanted to talk to you about the wedding, actually. Both of you."

"Oh, goodie," Caroline mumbled under her breath, disentangling herself from Klaus and standing up. "I'll take the laundry to him, then, since I'm going anyway."

She and Klaus walked to her father's wing of the mansion in silence, though she could feel him looking at her as he followed her. Bill let Klaus into the office, and Caroline excused herself to drop off the laundry before walking back inside, seeing Bill in the armchair in the corner and Klaus settled on the couch, leaving her no choice but to sit beside him.

"Did you get moved in all right?" Bill asked, stirring cream into what was hopefully decaf.

"Yes, thank you. Caroline and your staff have made it a very easy process."

"Good, good," Bill said with a grin, setting the spoon aside and taking a sip of his coffee, settling back in his chair. "I have some documents with an overview of our business for you to take a look at, Klaus. Caroline, would you mind?"

She tried her best not to look annoyed as she got up and pulled it from the bookshelf, knowing exactly which one he was talking about. She handed it to Klaus and settled herself beside him again, watching as he opened it and scanned the first few pages.

"And this is everything?" Klaus asked, glancing up to look at Bill, who was leaning back in his chair, watching him closely.

"Yeah. For now," Caroline said from beside him, shooting her father a look that she hoped screamed 'I told you so'. "Unfortunately, some of the stuff to look at is family-only. Once we're...you know...married and stuff you'll be able to see more of it."

Klaus nodded, not arguing or asking for more information. That seemed suspicious. "Is that okay?" she asked slowly.

"For now."

They shared a charged glance, her eyes narrowed, scanning him for any hint of what he was thinking. His face remained frustratingly blank. Bill cleared his throat after a moment, and they both looked at him.

"So, as discussed, your job would be to go to the benefits and network. Caroline will continue to keep up with clients and suppliers, though you should of course spend time with them at functions if they're there. However, your job will mainly be to figure out the best charities to donate to and keep us on the good side of the public."

"At the start," Klaus said. "I assume I'll be given a position at the company after the wedding? I was under the impression that I'd be involved in the day-to-day operations as well."

"If you want it," Caroline said after a sharp look from her father, reluctant to agree. "I'm sure there's a few things you can help with, but obviously the big decisions would all have to go through me."

"This is a partnership, sweetheart," he reminded, giving her a smile that was all teeth. It made her heart skip a beat, the distinct feeling of being prey to a dangerous predator coming back in a wave. She straightened her spine. She couldn't let him steamroll her.

"Yeah. It is. But it's my company. I know you're used to being in charge and having a bunch of minions running around doing your bidding, but I've been training my whole life for this."

"I understand, love. I simply mean that you may find my counsel to be valuable."

She pressed her lips together, knowing he was right but not wanting to concede. "I probably will. I mean, that's why you're here. It's just...I'm Lady Forbes. It's my family's legacy."

"And I'll be a part of that," Klaus said smoothly, somehow staying calm and accommodating. "I want this to succeed as much as you do, sweetheart. That's why I'm here."

"Right," she said, giving him a small smile. "I know."

"Glad that's settled," Bill said from his desk, making Caroline flinch. She'd almost forgotten he was there. "Have you begun planning the wedding at all?"

"I sent Anna and Pearl an order under embargo a few days after we signed the contract," Caroline said, reaching for the coffee waiting on the table for her under a warming charm. "I told them that we were having it in mid-to-late February. I figure six months is long enough after we 'come out' as a couple that it'll seem believable, but soon enough that we have time to do some of the handover stuff after the honeymoon. Does that work?"

She was proud she managed to keep her voice from cracking at 'handover', because every inch of her wanted to burst into tears whenever she thought about it.

"You know that's fine with me, sweetheart."

"And have you decided where you want to go for your honeymoon?"

"I mean, I don't think we really have to go anywhere. It's not like we're really going on a romantic getaway or anything."

"I have to take the time off or it'll look suspicious, so we might as well," Klaus said, leaning back against the couch with his fingers laced together in front of him. She suspected that if he was in any office other than Bill's his feet would be on the table. "Where would you like to go, love?"

She was kind of tempted to say something along the lines of 'away from you', but knew her dad would chide her for it, instead trying to think of something they could do that wouldn't involve her having to spend too much time alone with Klaus. "I don't know."

"I'll take you anywhere you like," Klaus said easily. "We don't even have to limit ourselves to one city."

"I'll think about it," she said, trying not to sound too cold. She was determined to keep Klaus from getting under her skin, but being too rude would damage their working relationship, and they needed to at least get along.

"Well, let me know your plans when you have them," Bill said cheerfully, either oblivious to the tension or ignoring it. "I'm happy to help you arrange anything you like."

"Sounds good," Caroline said with a forced smile.

Bill's lips thinned when he noticed her expression, his shoulders slumping. "Klaus, would you mind if I talked to my daughter alone?"

"Not at all," Klaus said, standing up, nodding at them both before leaving.

Bill leaned forward, looking older than Caroline had ever thought he could. "I know that you're not happy about this."

"I'm fine," Caroline deflected, trying to sound like she felt it.

"I know that Liz-that your mother and I had our differences," Bill began, and Caroline snorted.

"If you mean differences in that you only got married to have me and divorced her for Steven the second you could, then yeah, I guess."

Bill gave her a quelling look that made her feel like she was eight years old again, and she looked away, uncomfortable.

"I know," he repeated, "that we've had our differences. And I know that you and Klaus didn't get along at school. You might not know this, but I did get letters when you got detention, and I floo'd in for a parent-teacher conference every year. I was hoping that you'd be able to set your feelings aside."

"I'm trying," Caroline said, staring at her hands and trying not to sound bitter. Her father didn't need guilt about an arrangement she'd always known she'd have on top of all of the stress going on with the company.

"I know," Bill said, making her look up in surprise. "I can tell. And I appreciate it. All I was saying was that your mother and I weren't compatible for a lot of reasons, not just because of Steven. I don't want you to feel trapped the way she did."

"I already signed the contract. I'm trapped basically by definition."

"You're only as trapped as you let yourself feel, Caroline. Use the vacation and get to know him. Let him get to know you. Maybe you'll be surprised."

"Do you think I want to be unhappy? If I thought that I could fall in love with Klaus, I would try, okay? I want to give him a chance, but there's just no point. We're really different people and this is a marriage of convenience."

Bill nodded, looking like he'd known she was going to say something like that, and it broke her heart a little that he looked so resigned. "I don't want you to give him a chance, Caroline. I want you to give yourself one. To be happy."

"You think I could be happy with Klaus?" Caroline asked, dubious.

"If I hadn't thought that, I wouldn't have accepted the proposal."

"You say that like you did it for my own good."

"It was for the good of the family. And you're my family," Bill said firmly, his eyes flashing. "The only family I trust."

Caroline sighed. "I know, Dad. I promise that I won't let you down with the business."

"I never thought you would," Bill said with a small smile. "I know you're the best person for the job, Carebear."

"Don't call me that," Caroline complained. "I am twenty-five."

"So old," Bill teased, standing up, waving his wand to let the breathing machine follow him to the door. He'd been getting worse more quickly than she'd expected, and it made her sad. "Just promise me that you'll try to let yourself be happy with him. At least at the start.

"You know me, dad. Optimistic is my middle name," she said, giving him her best thousand-watt smile, which faltered at the sad look on his face. The perfect guilt trip. "I'll try," she promised. "Don't worry about me."

"I always will, sweetie. That's my job."

XXX

Well, this wouldn't do at all.

He poured himself a bourbon from the tray on his desk when he arrived at the home office in his old house and sank down in his chair, swirling the liquid in its glass and staring at it darkly. Aiden had scampered after him when he arrived, taking the outer robes he threw to hang them up and gathering any information or messages he'd missed while he was gone. Klaus could only half-listen to Aiden information, finally dismissing him to guard the door with a wave of his hand and muttering that they'd pick up where they left off later.

He wasn't brooding, really. Just...thinking.

Caroline clearly thought that he was only making this arrangement for her money and influence. It was a fair assumption, he had to admit. However, he didn't like that she seemed so set on keeping the arrangement to business. Perhaps it was because of the way she grew up, how her parents clearly were separated from the moment they married, but she didn't seem to have given a thought to the possibility that he might want her.

Well, he'd have to change that, wouldn't he?

If Caroline was so determined to explain away his attentions as enthusiasm for the power she held, he'd have to do everything possible to convince her that she was the most important piece of the bargain he'd made with her father. He'd have to avoid that phrase, however. He doubted Caroline would take kindly to any insinuation that she was a poker chip and not a player.

Not that he thought of her that way, of course.

He sighed, sipping from his glass as he considered his options. It was obvious that she was attracted to him, at least. The flush in her cheeks when he'd touched her had told him that much. Perhaps he could capitalize on that. Lure her in physically. She had never been one for pretty words, had always seen right through him, but perhaps she'd be tempted by her physical attraction.

That could be the key. Perhaps she'd be open to an arrangement purely for sex, and then once she'd walked through that door, convincing her to want him for more than that could come easily. He'd tempt her, make her fall apart for him and trust him with her body. She was the sentimental sort, and he had no doubt her heart would follow soon after.

But how to tempt her into it?

He couldn't come on too strong, of course. She was clearly uncomfortable with his touch, though he suspected it was because she liked it too much judging by her heart rate and how difficult it was for her to rein in her expressions. It wouldn't do to pressure her, but his Caroline was fiery and contrary. If she was so opposed, she'd certainly insist on keeping their distance.

It would help if Caroline believed that he trusted her. It was a mistake to push back on whether he would have a job waiting for him. Caroline already knew in her heart of hearts that he would move to working for the family company. He had been looking through the stolen and copied records from Bill's office for weeks now, and he already knew as much as their records could tell him.

He'd been happy to find that their various files and documents were well-organized and relatively well-protected. Their apparition wards were good, but not good enough. He'd have to get them reinforced so that he could come and go as he pleased but to ensure that anyone who was even close to as powerful as him could be kept out. There was likely no living wizard who could match him, of course, but it didn't hurt to keep the security up to date. It wouldn't do to have any unwelcome surprises.

It would be difficult to keep himself from ordering her to comply with his demands. Working with others had never been his strong suit, but Caroline knew how to match him. He'd have to be careful not to be too obvious with his penchant for taking control. Luckily, once Bill was out of the picture, Caroline would need him to keep it running, even if she didn't want to admit it. She was clearly more than competent at her job, but no one could do both hers and Bill's by themselves. It just wasn't possible unless she didn't sleep and worked 24 hours a day. Still, he couldn't allow her to think that he was there to undermine her.

He was disturbed from his thoughts by a sharp knock on the doorframe, and he looked up to see Marcel leaning against it, looking alarmingly serious. He entered at Klaus's wave.

"Marcel," Klaus greeted, nodding at the chair by his desk. "What brings you here today, mate?"

"You're engaged," Marcel said dryly, dropping the gossip section of the Prophet on his desk in front of him. "To Caroline Forbes."

"I am," Klaus agreed with a dimpled grin. "Finally."

Marcel was the closest thing to a friend Klaus had. They'd been sorted into Slytherin together, and Klaus had been comforted by Marcel's refusal to be intimidated by his magic, and he'd admired Marcel's easy-going attitude and resilience. They'd both come from broken families and considered Hogwarts their saving grace.

They didn't tell each other everything, but they didn't need to. Despite Klaus never admitting it outright, Marcel had known of his greed for Caroline, the way he'd obsessed over her silently throughout their last few years of school. It was slightly satisfying to know that there was at least someone who knew how long and hard he'd worked to have her.

Marcel sank into the chair Klaus indicated, his fingers steepled as they stared at each other. "Does she know?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Know what?"

"Your plans."

Klaus pressed his lips together, glancing at Aiden, who was hovering just outside the door, a clear warning to Marcel to hold his tongue for the time being. Marcel gave an infinitesimal shake of his head, and Klaus had to resist the urge to sigh. "Aiden, leave us. Close the door."

He waited until Aiden had shut the door behind him before waving his hand to cast a spell to keep their conversation private. Marcel was familiar enough with his wandless magic that he just looked impatient. "She does not," Klaus said simply. "Not yet."

"So you'll tell her?"

"Eventually," Klaus said with a nod, waving a few glasses and a bottle of brandy out of the cabinet by the door, pouring one for each of them but leaving the brandy on the desk in case they wanted more. "She doesn't trust me yet."

"But you'll tell her once she does?"

"I'm planning to, yes."

"And what if she's never ready? You know that arranged marriages typically don't involve actual feelings, right?" Marcel probed gently.

"I'm confident I can make her see sense. I've never had difficulties before, after all."

"Well, pro tip: the arrogance won't get you anywhere with her."

"Thank you for the advice, Marcellus. Was that all?"

"No," Marcel said, picking up the glass of brandy and taking a sip before setting it down, clearly trying to figure out how to phrase whatever he was about to say. "I think we have a traitor."

Klaus's eyebrows rose. He hadn't expected that to be Marcel's message. "Do we?"

"I think he's been feeding information to the de Martels. Likely for money. The family's loaded and not happy about you leaving Aurora for a blood traitor."

"I suppose it's a good thing it doesn't matter what they think. What sort of information is our little spy giving out?"

"Information about what you're looking for. The de Martels have connections to a lot of the magical libraries and bookshops, and there are only twenty copies of that book in existence anyway."

"And five of them are lost. I'm well aware," Klaus said slowly, swirling the brandy in the glass, watching the golden liquid as it hugged the walls and sparkled in the light. "Who is it?"

"I think it's Logan Fell. Can't be sure until we get some answers."

"Not a problem," Klaus said, already getting up from his chair. "I've been saving some veritaserum for a rainy day."

"You want to go now?"

"Every moment we wait is time he could use to betray us more," Klaus pointed out, pulling on his outer robe and grabbing the fake wand he used so that people didn't know that he could do wandless magic. "I'll take care of it. Coming? Or would you rather stay?"

"I'll hold down the fort," Marcel promised, already sinking down into the chair behind Klaus's desk.

"We have updates coming in on the project in Edinburgh in a few hours."

"I already know that. I'm the best right hand man in the world," Marcel promised with a wink. "Don't forget to burn the body."

Klaus rolled his eyes, not bothering to shut the door behind him as he strode out, intending to grab the bottle of veritaserum he kept in a warded cabinet in the warded room next to his sitting room, stopping in his tracks when he saw Caroline looking particularly irritated, clearly in a heated argument with Aiden.

"I told you, I'm his fiancé. I need to talk to him."

"Klaus didn't put you on the list," Aiden insisted, though he at least had the sense to look scared of her.

"She's on the list now," Klaus interrupted firmly, walking to Caroline and moving to slide his arm around her. She allowed him to press a light kiss to her temple under the guise of keeping up their relationship. He wasn't one to turn down an opportunity to get closer. She smelled heavenly. "What can I do for you, sweetheart?"

"Just some wedding stuff. I need you to send your measurements to Parvati Patil's studio so that she can make the suit and your robes."

He resisted the urge to ask why she didn't just send an owl when he saw her shoot a significant look at Aiden before turning back to him. "Let me show you to my study," he offered, pressing his palm to the small of her back and guiding her down the hallway.

"Shouldn't we tell your security guard not to bother us?"

"Aiden knows better, love," Klaus assured her, gesturing for her to enter before him and following her inside. "Marcellus, we have a guest."

"Caroline," he greeted with a nod, getting up and shaking her hand warmly.

Caroline glanced at Klaus before turning back to Marcel. "Hi."

"I'll take off now," Marcel said with a nod at Klaus. He twirled his wand between his fingers before sticking it in the pocket of his robe. "Since you're tied up here, do you want me to take care of it?"

Klaus nodded. "If you don't mind," he said, making an effort to at least seem polite in front of Caroline. He doubted that she'd respond well to him barking orders at someone who was supposed to be his friend.

"Not at all."

"Thanks, mate."

"It was nice to see you again, Caroline," Marcel said with a flash of white teeth. "It's been awhile."

"You too," she said with a smile, moving to let him past her before turning to Klaus. "Um, take care of what?"

"Just looking into something for me," Klaus said, brushing her off. He realized it was a mistake when her brows knitted together, her teeth worrying her lower lip. "Really, love. It's not anything serious. Just for work."

He wasn't particularly interested in giving Caroline the rundown on the intricacies of his own illegal enterprise when they were so early on in their relationship. Best wait until she was at least comfortable with him before revealing his hobbies. It wasn't that he thought that she would object-her hands weren't exactly clean, either-but it would put her on guard and make her think that he was trying to unite their businesses, and that wasn't his intent at all.

If he wanted to be able to amass his followers and create the army he needed, Caroline's assistance would be key, especially once she figured out that he was after more than simply money and deference from people whose opinions he didn't care about. It was only a matter of time before she put all the pieces together, and he had to ensure that by the time she did, she wanted to be his queen as much as he wanted the kingdom to rule.

"Okay," she said slowly, still clearly dubious. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that there's an event I have to go to next week. It's just a gala, so the usual sort of thing you'll be doing. Do you want to come as my plus-one?"

"I'd be honored, love."

"Great," she said, launching into an explanation of the time and place. He found himself unable to pay attention, too fascinated by her lips as she spoke. He had to resist the urge to trace them with his thumb, to pull her close.

"I'll be there," he promised, taking note of the time and date on a nearby piece of parchment.

"Sounds good," she said, already adjusting her purse on her shoulder and giving him a quick but polite goodbye before hurrying out, throwing an irritated glance over her shoulder when he reminded her that he'd see her that night, making him grin.

He'd originally hoped to put off the move-in until after the moon so that he wouldn't have to suffer through his wolf's craving for her the first night she slept beside him, but her silly warder's schedule had intervened. If he'd been able to tell her he could apparate through any wards the idiot constructed around a secret room anyway, he would have, but that wasn't information he could give away lightly.

A part of him, however, was glad that he didn't have to wait. Caroline would look lovely in the moonlight beside him, her hair spread across the pillows. He'd have to make sure to unpack his sketchbook.


Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Please, please comment. It's the only way I know you liked the story and it helps inspire me to write future chapters. Did you have a favorite part or line? Any predictions? See you next week!