Okay, guys, this chapter is a bit longer than the last. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. I have some things planned for the next couple of chapters plot-wise and I think this will move things forward in the direction I was hoping for, but I don't want Klaus to become out of character on us. It took a lot of tinkering around to get this chapter where it is.

Also as I was making some edits my internet dropped and I lost all the changes I was making so I'm sorry if this isn't as good as it could be. I tried my best to remember the changes I had made... but I can't be positive I caught everything.

Warning: Mature/ Sexual Content Ahead


Chapter Twenty One: Birthday Blues

The next morning, the five of them met outside of the motel deliberating their next moves. It was a nice day to sit outside. Clear blue sky, shining sun, and cool breeze. Although anything would have been better than being stuck in another motel room.

Happy to have a moment to clear her head, Kiara sat down under the maple trees near the parking lot and read a book that Klaus had picked up at a used bookstore a couple of days ago for her. It was War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. A classic. Kiara probably wouldn't have chosen to read this book on her own, but she figured if an original vampire picked it out she should give it a chance.

A short distance away Klaus was talking to Preston near his car. Kiara hadn't had a chance to speak to Preston much. He was usually out doing some errand for Klaus. Today, they were discussing some potential leads that Preston heard about in the nearest city. If the information was correct, there would be a new person for Kiara to question soon. Klaus's eyes kept wandering over Preston's shoulder to look at Kiara. He thought he was being subtle, but being subtle wasn't exactly Klaus's specialty.

Everyone could feel the tension in the air. Kiara was usually quiet this morning and after last night it seemed everyone was feeling uneasy. And Klaus was feeling particularly self-conscious. Not that he was avoiding her or anything. He just didn't know what to do now. Between Stefan's attack and Kiara's night terror, Klaus was stuck.

Show too much concern for her and Klaus would prove Stefan right—she was becoming too important to him. Ignore his feelings and he might go mad.

All the while Kiara could feel his internal struggle itching at her insides. She had enough of her own issues to deal with so she was doing everything she could to distract herself. But even reading a book was difficult to do when she could feel eyes on her.

They'd been trailing behind this mysterious wolf pack for almost a month and Kiara was beginning to doubt it even existed at all.

"Hey," David said, sitting down next to Kiara in the grass. "How ya feelin'?"

Kiara shrugged, unsure of the answer herself. "Okay. You?"

"Honestly? I've been kinda worried. Heard ya screamin' last night."

"Oh. That," Kiara tucked her hair behind her ear. "That was nothing. I just, I had a nightmare that's all. No big deal."

"It kinda seems like a big deal… " David said. His hands pulling at the blades of grass in front of him. "Ya even got Boss Man over there lookin' worried."

Kiara smiled a little. "He sounds like a mob boss when you call him that."

David shook his head at her, but he chuckled anyway.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Kiara wondered, nodding her head towards Klaus and Preston. "You're a member of the boy's club. You should be with them."

"Oh, I don't know about that. If he was over there, who would protect you?" Stefan asked, appearing from the treeline behind them. His arms were crossed over his chest.

Kiara closed her book at the sight of him. "Protect me from what? You?"

"Maybe." Stefan shrugged. He took a few cocky steps forward and turned to face them.

Annoyed that he was looking down at her, Kiara stood up. "Well, his protection isn't necessary. If you even think about touching me again… you'll be sorry. I can promise you that."

"I know." Stefan's eyebrows lifted as he tucked his chin down to meet her eyes. "Klaus already made that abundantly clear."

Without thinking, Kiara turned her head to look in Klaus's direction. As if feeling her eyes on him, he glanced at her and met her eyes. There was a ghost of worry on his face as if he knew what they were talking about. He probably did. Kiara looked away immediately.

"And, for your information, I already promised to be on my best behavior. Wouldn't want to hurt his…" Stefan looked her over. "Whatever you are."

Kiara crossed her arms and pressed the large book in her hands in front of her chest like a shield. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You tell me," Stefan stepped towards her. "Klaus almost ripped my head off last night. You wanna tell me how you became so important to him?"

"Are you accusing me of something?"

"Maybe."

Kiara scoffed and went to walk away. It wasn't worth the argument. She knew from experience that he wouldn't believe anything she said. His brother certainly didn't. But Stefan caught her elbow and tried to pull her back. When she turned to face him her eyes were glowing their eerie green color.

"Let go of me," she said.

"Not until you answer my question," he told her.

"I don't know what your problem is," Kiara glared at him. "But you should really back off now."

Stefan smirked at her. "Why? What are you gonna do?"

"You'd be surprised how easy it would be for me to kill you," Kiara said. She may not have taken a life before, but she knew when she fed that she held her victim's life in her hands. She's felt death's pull. One lingering moment and she could take everything they had.

"Maybe," Stefan said, stepping into her personal space. "But you wouldn't. Would you? Because, unlike me, you don't kill people."

David placed a hand on Stefan's chest. "Alright, buddy. You and I are about to have a problem if ya don't back off of Miss. Kiara right now."

"What are you saying that I should feel bad for not being some crazy out of control killer like you?" Kiara said, raising her voice as Stefan's hold tightened on her arm.

"No. Of course not," Stefan said. His voice laced with sarcasm. "What would you have to feel bad for? You're perfect."

"Why don't you just say what you really want to say, Stefan?"

"How do you think Elijah would feel about you snuggling with his brother every night?"

Kiara slapped him before even thinking about it.

"Everything alright here, love?" Klaus asked, suddenly behind her.

"Yeah. Everything's fine," Stefan said, finally letting her go. "I was just trying to apologize to her for last night."

Klaus stared at him with a blank expression on his face. He had obviously heard what Stefan said. They all had. Vampire hearing and all. Maybe that was part of the reason Kiara was so upset.

"With all due respect, I wasn't asking you, mate."

Kiara took in a breath and said, "I'm fine. He still has my blood in his system. He couldn't really hurt me right now even if he wanted to. Not physically at least."

And he did want to hurt her. There was no doubt in Kiara's mind about that.

"Yes, well," Klaus tried to catch her eyes, but she avoided looking in his direction. "Preston, Stefan, and I are going into the city for a bit. We shouldn't be too long," he told her. Then looked at David. "David here will keep you company."

David nodded in agreement.

"Do you want me to bring you back anything, love?" Klaus asked her.

"Hm…" Kiara pretended to think. "Well, I'm almost done with War and Peace. But if you can pick up a pair of headphones... I'd really like to listen to some music again if that's possible."

"Sure thing, love." Klaus smiled and headed back to the car.


Kiara and David watched them drive off together. Then it was just the two of them. It wasn't the first time they had to pass the time together, but David seemed to be struggling to find something to say to her today. Obviously what Stefan said bothered her and it was strange that Klaus had chosen to ignore that fact. The whole situation was strange. David must have known better than to mention it to her directly, but he was still curious to know what that was all about so he searched for some roundabout way to bring it up.

Finally, he settled with. "Well, that was… tense."

Kiara glanced at him with an annoyed look in her eyes.

"Deny it all ya want, but I know somethin's botherin' you," David said, pulling a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and lighting it. "And I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't ask about it."

"Friend?" Kiara wondered.

"Well, yeah," David brought the cigarette to his mouth and then blew out smoke. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Kiara bit her lip. She silently wondered if vampires could get sick from such a terrible habit, then figured he probably couldn't and neither could she. So she didn't comment on it. "Honestly, I'm not sure if I can really have friends. The last people that got close to me… well, it didn't work out so well for them."

"What are ya talkin' about? What happened to 'em?"

"They, uh, they died," Kiara said. "Trying to protect me. They just, one second they were there, and the next they were just gone and there was nothing I could do to save them."

David cleared his throat. He hadn't expected that answer. "They must'a really cared about ya."

"Yeah? Well, they shouldn't have."

"Kiara…"

"It's true," she said, glaring at the ground. "They died because of me. I knew he wanted me dead. I should have just left town with Holly, but I didn't."

"Wait, what are ya talkin' about?"

Kiara paused as if wondering if she should even tell him. She's been running from her father for years. It was her biggest secret for the longest time. She wondered if Luka and Jonas would still be alive if she hadn't told them. It was obvious they would have been better off never having met her, but even if that had been inevitable, there was no reason for Kiara to bring them into her problems. She should have just left town the day that letter appeared in her mailbox. She and Holly should have packed everything into her car and drove until they reached the ocean. But no. Kiara didn't want to leave. She didn't want to let go of the things she had there in Mystic Falls. And people died because of her selfishness.

"Who wants to see ya dead, Kiara?" David asked again.

"My father," she told him. When he didn't respond, she looked over at him. He was frozen. "It's kind of a long story, even I'm not sure if I understand it. All I know is… six years ago tomorrow, my mother died and my father's been trying to kill me ever since."

David frowned and brought the cigarette back to his mouth. "So that's why ya had a nightmare last night..."

"Yes. I used to get them all the time. Holly would have me drink this tea to suppress my dreams, but it stopped working when I became… this. Now I really only get them around my birthday," Kiara shrugged.

"Your birthday?"

Kiara sighed and closed her eyes. Her red curls floated in the wind making her look even more inhuman than she already did. "Yeah. Don't tell anyone but… it's kinda tomorrow."

"So…" David tried to wrap his mind around the idea. "You're sayin'… ya mom died six years ago, on your birthday?"

Kiara nodded.

"And your father's been tryin' da kill you ever since?"

"Pretty much."

"I don't get it," David shook his head. "Why's yer old man wanna kill you?"

"I wish I knew," Kiara said. "He just… he said it should have been me. I never really knew what he meant by that. Maybe I'll never know."

David pressed the cigarette butt in his hand into the tree nearby before tossing it into a nearby trash can outside of the motel. "He sounds like an ass," David said.

And Kiara laughed. Stray tears fell down her face and she wiped them away. "Yeah. Ass about covers it, I think. Anyway, Holly and I managed to hide out in a town called Mystic Falls for a couple of years before my father found us again. A witch named Gerald came to my house. He said my father sent him and… well, let's just say if it wasn't for Klaus, I'd be dead right now."

"Weird, I've nev'a known Klaus Mikaelson save anyone," David bumped her shoulder with his. "Wanna tell me what that's about?"

Kiara's face warmed at the question. She turned and walked a couple of steps away from him, hugging herself. "I guess he felt bad for me."

"Please," David rolled his eyes. "I've known Klaus a long time. Long enough ta know that he ain't keeping ya around out a pity. Don't think I haven't noticed the way he looks at ya."

"That's just because of the link… I don't think he really knows how he feels about me."

"Yeah, yeah. Ya tell yourself whate'va ya need to."

"Don't be a jerk," Kiara turned and punched his arm. "Besides, even if he did… care about me for real, I don't know if I can forgive him for what he did to Elijah."

"Elijah? Ya talkin' about Klaus's brother?"

Kiara nodded.

"Is that what Stefan was talkin' about? Were you two like… a thing?"

"I," Kiara sighed and sat down with her back against the building. "Sort of, I guess. I think we may have been starting something, but Klaus daggered him so I guess that doesn't really matter now, does it?"

David sat down next to her. "Look, I've known Klaus almost a century. He's been daggerin' his family on and off for years, but he loves 'em. I doubt that's the last you'll see of Elijah Mikaelson."

"I hope you're right about that, Dave."

The two of them sat together enjoying the day in comfortable silence. It should have been relaxing, but ever since last night Kiara had one thought in her mind: you let your guard down. It was unreasonable of her. Crazy even. But ever since Klaus took her in, Kiara felt protect. Like he wouldn't let any more har come to her. She stopped looking over her shoulder. She stopped worrying if her father would be around every corner. She hadn't even been that at ease living in Mystic Falls. If last night taught her anything it was that that was a mistake.

"Hey," Kiara said. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Depends on the favor…"

"Do you think you could teach me how to fight?" she asked him.

"Fight?" he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. "Why would ya wanna do that?"

Kiara pressed her lips together. "Well after Stefan… I just think maybe I should be better prepared. You know?"

"A'right…" David nodded. "Why not?"


For the next hour or so Kiara and David trained together. They were going easy, of course. Kiara had little fighting experience and David isn't an idiot. If last night proved anything to him, it was how much it pissed Klaus off to see Kiara hurt.

Thankfully David knew what he was doing. Even as a human he had experience teaching others how to defend themselves. He had worked for Al Capone in the 1920s so he knew a thing or two about swinging a fist. He wasn't in Capone's close circle or anything, he didn't work for him long enough to earn such a trusted position, but being a mobster was one of the things that attracted Klaus to David in the first place. Klaus caught him in an alley one night "taking out the trash" and the next thing David knew, he was dead. A vampire.

It was hard for Kiara to wrap her head around because David was always so sweet to her. But as he was charging at her, Kiara caught a glimpse of the killer in him. She wasn't afraid though, he made it clear he was holding back. At least at first. It turns out, Kiara was a quick study. Her body seemed to know how to move on instinct and as time went on David had to try a little harder to be more of a challenge for her.

And that was what Klaus pulled up on when they came back: David pulling back his arm ready to strike Kiara. Klaus didn't even wait to see what Kiara would do in response. Instead, he slammed his old friend into a tree.

"Klaus!" Kiara rushed towards them. "Stop. Let him go."

"Now why would I do that?" Klaus said, casually holding David by the neck. "He defied me. Something he knew to be a deadly offense. The way I see it, I have every right to kill him where he stands."

"You don't understand," Kiara shook her head. "He was helping me."

Klaus relaxed his hold on David and turned to her. "Helping you with what exactly?"

"I, I asked him to train me," Kiara told him, shifting on her feet.

"You what?"

"I thought it would be good for me to know how to defend myself better," Kiara glanced at Stefan. "You know, just in case."

"Did you even consider the fact that any attack on you is an attack on me?" Klaus tilted his head at her.

"Oh, I, I guess I wasn't thinking about…"

"Well I did, when I started spitting up blood in the middle of the street," Klaus told her. "I'm sure you can imagine what thoughts were going through my head as we raced back over here."

Kiara closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"As you well should be."

"Klaus, come on," David said, knowing Kiara had been feeling down lately and this wasn't helping. However, he also knew that Klaus was feeling murderous so he remained against the tree as he said, "She didn't do it on purpose. Neither of us was thinkin'—"

"David, don't," Kiara kept her eyes on the ground. "It was my fault. I'm sorry I got you involved."

That should have been the end of it, but Klaus continued to rant about how inconsiderate she had been and Kiara didn't argue back like she usually would have. She was clearly back to thinking about the things that were upsetting her before. That much was obvious to David. Fighting may not have been her favorite activity, but it served as a wonderful distraction. A distraction that was gone now.

The more Kiara ignored Klaus, the angrier Klaus became. Thankfully it kept his focus on her, rather than his desire to punish David for his supposed "betrayal" until he finally decided he needed to go get a drink. By then it was almost eleven o'clock and he expected that Kiara would be going to sleep soon, as usual. In fact, he basically commanded her to.

After they left, David considered trying to do something to cheer her up. Maybe plan a celebration of her birthday tomorrow. But she clearly didn't want the others to know about that so he had to abandon the idea. Little did he know Kiara was planning on sneaking out.


Kiara knew it was stupid, but she just couldn't lay there in bed waiting for the clock to strike midnight and she knew sleeping would only result in getting stuck in another nightmare so she decided to do the only thing she could think to do. Go get drunk. She didn't have much experience with alcohol, but she figured it was part of the teenage experience and worth trying at least once. Unfortunately, sneaking out of a room guarded by a vampire was basically impossible. He caught her before she could even shut the motel window.

"Just where do ya think yer goin'?"

Kiara jumped and smacked his chest. "Jeez, David, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Looks like that trainings really payin' off there sweetheart."

"Get bent," Kiara mumbled and tried to walk around him.

Only David stepped back into her path. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're tryin' to do here, but I can't risk pissin' off the boss again tonight. He'll kill me for sure," he said.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to get a drink… you know, toast to surviving another year." Kiara shrugged, looking defeated again. "But you're right, it's not worth the risk."

David groaned and rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Aw come on, Kiara, your killin' me here. A'right… how's about we go out for a drink together? That way you get to stretch your legs a little and I get to keep my head."

When Kiara's face broke into a smile, he quickly added, "But just one drink. A'right? One drink and then we're comin' right back here. Klaus never has to know."

"Yeah," Kiara nodded. "Okay. Thanks, David."

An hour later, they were in a smoky karaoke bar just outside of the city and three drinks into what would end up being a long night.

David quickly discovered that Kiara is actually really fun once she allows herself to relax a little. After the first drink, she even decided to give karaoke a try. It didn't surprise him to learn her voice was pleasant to the ears. Sultry and smooth. The voice was an essential element of seduction. But the crowd's reaction to her was more than he expected. Up until this point, David had only witnessed Kiara's charm being directed at one poor sucker at a time. He hadn't even considered that she could influence a group of people all at once. But as the night went on David realized that was exactly what she was doing. And she didn't even know she was doing it.

It seemed the more alcohol Kiara consumed, the less control she had over her effect on others. Her charm seeped into the crowded room, an invisible set of pheromones in the air, and the people around her began to loosen up right along with her. Before he knew it, everyone was begging Kiara to keep singing and he realized it was because she wanted to keep singing. The more fun she was having, the more fun the night was for everyone else. And although David knew they should be leaving, he couldn't seem to bring himself to move from his stool at the bar.

"Well aren't you just the life of the party?" David laughed when Kiara sat down next to him, happy to accept another free drink from a stranger.

"Party?" Kiara giggled. "Yeah. I guess it is. My first birthday party and I wanna do this right. It's not exactly what I pictured, but… " She shrugged.

"What'da'ya mean? Aren't ya havin' fun?"

Kiara smiled sadly. "No, of course, I am. This is great really."

"Hey, Lily!" A pretty woman with pink hair yelled across the bar.

Lily was the fake name Kiara was going by for the night.

"Sing another song!"

"Oh, I don't know…" Kiara waved her hand at the woman. "Maybe someone else should have a turn."

The crowd booed at that. Suddenly it seemed like everyone in the bar was shouting encouragement at Kiara. Even David. But when Kiara brought her hand onto David's shoulder, the only thing he could feel was her loneliness. He found himself willing to do almost anything to make her feel better.

"Hey baby," David said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Ya wanna get out of here? Things seem to be gettin' a little... crazy around here."

All eyes were on her. It was like she was a famous celebrity. Men and women alike were falling over themselves trying to get close to her so David was stuck playing bodyguard for the night.

"Yeah, maybe we should go…" Kiara nodded. When everyone booed again. Kiara smiled, downed the rest of her drink, and said, "After one last song."

David wanted to say "no". He wanted to insist that they go back to the motel that second. There was no doubt that Klaus would have returned to the motel by now only to discover them missing. And David had even less doubt that Kiara was already furious with them for it. But David didn't say "no". Instead, he cheered with the rest of them.

It took Kiara a few minutes to settle on a song choice, but whatever it was, David didn't recognize it so it must be pretty current. Regardless he was so transfixed on watching Kiara, he didn't even notice someone sit on the stool next to him.

"She's quite good," the person said.

"Hm? Yeah, she—" David froze when he realized it was Klaus. "She's great."

"You want to tell me exactly it is you're doing here, mate?" Klaus asked him. Although he appeared calm, David knew better. There was a fire burning behind his eyes.

David swallowed. Although he was consciously aware of what he should say, he struggled to actually do it. "Kiara was feelin' stressed," he finally said. "Wanted to blow off some steam, I thought this was a betta alternative to swingin' a fist."

"I see…" Klaus's eyes swept over the crowd before settling on her. Kiara was swaying back and forth on the little stage with a big smile on her face as she sang the words being highlighted on the screen. "And did you think it was best to get her intoxicated as well?"

David shook his head, lifting his own beer to his lips. "No, that was all her idea. How'd ya find us anyway?"

"Oh I just followed the scent of betrayal and it led me straight to this little hole in the wall," Klaus said, slapping a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Imagine my surprise to find you here."

When the song ended, the crowd cheered. They wildly clapped their hands and whistled as she made her way back to where David was sitting. She was a little unsteady on her feet now. Watching her stumble towards him only seemed to piss Klaus off.

"I should kill you, you know," Klaus said, turning his attention back to David. "This is hardly the environment for a woman of her stature, not to mention, she can scarcely stand."

But it was more than that, Klaus could feel her. Her clouded mind. Her hunger. Her sadness. He wondered if he was the cause. As much as he wanted to blame David, Klaus knew that he couldn't. He had said some awful things to her earlier.

To his surprise, Kiara caught herself on his shoulder and giggled into his ear. "Klaus! Hey! Can you please play nice?" she pouted and leaned her forehead onto the side of his head. "I didn't exactly give Davy here much choice and I'd hate for him to get hurt cause of me. Please? It can be my birthday present, okay?"

Klaus frowned. "What did you just say?"

"Okay…" Kiara continued with another giggle. "You have to pinky promise you won't get mad," she said in a hushed tone, looking at the people around them. "Cause I had a couple of drinks… and I think I might've charmed these people on accident," She laughed and turned her attention back to him. "But only a little and I didn't mean to, I promise. You aren't mad at me, are you?"

"No, love, I'm not mad," Klaus forced himself to say.

And Kiara smiled. "Okay, good because I, I don't like it when you're mad at me," she mumbled. "I mean, it can be kinda hot sometimes, especially when you—"

"I think it's time we go," Klaus blurted out, not wanting to hear any drunken confessions from her that might be proven false later. "You need to get some sleep before we leave tomorrow."

Kiara pouted and laced her fingers with his. "Oh come on, just have one drink," she said. "Jack here makes a great shot!"

Klaus had felt a little different after walking into the bar, but it was an entirely different feeling to have her touching him. The waves of pleasure that washed over him took his breath away. He knew instantly that she was calling him to her. She was hardly holding it together. She needed him. Her desire to feed, to bury the sorrow she was filling inside under any other feeling she could take was too much. He didn't know how he missed it before. Or how she was even standing. He just knew he couldn't stay there any longer.

"I think you've had enough for the two of us, love," he muttered, quickly pulling her towards the door.

Kiara didn't even try to fight him.

"Did I hear you say it was your birthday, love?" he asked her as they walked to the car.

Kiara nodded. "Yeah. I'm eighteen today," she smiled, but it wasn't as wide as the last. "Gotta celebrate my birthdays while I can… if my father doesn't kill me, I'll stop aging soon and then… then birthdays won't even really matter anymore, right? Just another day among endless days."

"I wouldn't say that, love. I quite like birthdays and I stopped aging centuries ago," he told her as he encouraged her to step into the back of the car so they could drive back to the motel.

The ride was silent. Although Klaus was burning with questions, he didn't ask Kiara or David any of them because Kiara had promptly fallen asleep in the backseat. So instead he settled on clutching the steering wheel so tightly he nearly broke it in two.

The truth was, Klaus felt awful. He knew that she was feeling upset earlier, but he had credited Stefan and last night's nightmare for that. He should have known better. Something was clearly going on with her the past couple of days and he just ignored it. He had been so focused on finding a werewolf pack. And then he said those awful things…

"I'll return in a tick," Klaus said to David. "And when I do, I expect some answers."

David nodded and joined his fellow vampires who were waiting outside of Kiara's motel room. They all watched him carry her inside and David closed the door behind them.


Klaus gently placed Kiara onto the bed closest to the door. Before he could turn to leave her in the dark to rest, she reached out for him and he stopped. When he looked back down, he found her pretty green eyes staring up at him. She looked so sad.

"Hello there, love. How are you feeling?" he asked. His voice was gentler than she'd ever heard it.

"Mmm, tired," she told him, rubbing her eyes.

Klaus grinned at her. His eyes fluttering over her face. "Yes, I imagine you are. That was a lot of alcohol you drank tonight."

"You're smiling… Why are you smiling? I thought you'd be mad."

"Well I can't be mad at the birthday girl now can I?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

Kiara just looked away from him. It was obvious she didn't want to talk about that. But Klaus couldn't help himself, he had to ask her.

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday, love?"

"I didn't think it was a big deal." Kiara shrugged. Her fingers playing with the comforter underneath her.

It was a ridiculous statement to make. Or at least it was to Klaus. He loved birthdays. They were a reminder of survival. He appreciated every one of his own birthdays, especially during the years that he and his siblings spent being chased by their father. Almost every culture in the world celebrated them. In American culture, the eighteenth birthday was particularly special. He couldn't imagine why she would dismiss something like that, especially after nearly dying only a month or so ago. Wasn't she happy to be alive? But he also knew better than to push her for answers. He would have a better chance of finding out what was going on with her by talking to David. No doubt she had talked to him while they were drinking. The vampire had a certain way about him that made everyone feel like they were instant friends. It seemed it was something the two of them had in common.

"You should get some rest," said Klaus as he turned toward the door again. If Kiara wasn't going to tell him what was going on with her, he was going to have to find out for himself.

"Wait!" Kiara grabbed hold of his shirt. "Please don't leave me alone. Not tonight."

"Why not, love?" he asked her. He watched her eyebrows scrunch together and said, "Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" Klaus reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You know… I felt your sadness tonight in that bar. Even surrounded by all those cheering people, you still felt alone. Didn't you?"

In a flash, Kiara was on her knees ready to smack him across the face. But she was still a little unsteady so Klaus was able to catch her wrist easily.

"Woah there, love!"

"Just shut up!" she said, swinging with her free hand to try to hit him again.

Of course, Klaus just caught that hand as well. "What is wrong, love? Just tell me!"

She struggled a few more seconds before saying, "Please, just leave it alone. Can't you tell that I don't want to talk about it?"

"Then what do you want, love?" Klaus yelled back at her. His hands holding her in place in front of him.

Kiara froze. She took in heavy breaths and tears were threatening to take over her vision. "What?"

"What do you want? Just tell me and I'll do it! Whatever it is."

It was words Klaus had never said to anyone, not to his knowledge anyway. Although he didn't know why he said it, he knew he meant them. Every word. At that moment, he would do whatever she asked of him. Anything if it meant she would stop being so angry with him. Anything if it meant she would stop crying. If she would just stop feeling this unbearable sadness for just one second. He had spent all day trying to run away from this feeling, away from her, because deep down, he knew he was the only one who truly knew what she was feeling. Which meant he was the only one who could help her. He just didn't know how.

"I mean it, love…" he cupped the side of her face and whispered. "Just say the word and I'll do whatever you ask…surely you must know that by now."

Then Kiara leaned forward and captured her mouth with his.

Klaus kissed her back like he was a man dying of thirst and she was the first glass of water he'd had in a long time. Her touch may take his breath away, but her kisses were electric. Addicting. Instantly, the vampire in him wanted to sink his teeth into her neck and the wolf wanted to claim her as his. It was an alarming feeling. New. But he told himself that he was simply not used to his werewolf side yet as he pinned her to the bed. She moaned when he pressed himself against her. And he growled back, rolling his hips to give her the friction that she desired. His hands wandered down to slip under her shirt happy for the chance to trace her silky skin. All the while his teeth ached to taste her. He traced kisses down to her neck and she slipped her fingers into his curls and pulled.

He gasped in surprise, even that felt amazing. His eyes fluttered. His lips remained parted as he looked at her. "Did I do something wrong, love?"

"Not at all," she said. Her eyes glowed in the darkness now. "I would just want to see you on your back if that's alright."

A shiver went down his spine. Her voice. It was so different now. Almost like it was another person speaking entirely. And the way she was looking at him. He had never felt so much desire coming from her before. It seemed Kiara was finally willing to explore her darker side and she wanted to use Klaus's body to do it. Klaus grinned at the thought. "Your wish is my command, birthday girl."

And she smirked at him in a way that was not Kiara.

Klaus laid on his back and watched as Kiara got comfortable on his lap. She pressed his wrists into the bed and her thighs against his hips. She seemed to want complete control of the moment. A thrill went through him at the thought. He watched in anticipation as she leaned back down to press her mouth against his in a searing kiss. And all the mental preparation in the world couldn't keep him from melting into it.

The Original hybrid wasn't best known for his self-control. As Kiara rolled her hips into him, he began to realize just how little restraint he had. He could feel his fangs extending, the tips brushing his lips. It seemed Kiara was aware of his growing desire because she ran her tongue along the edge of his ear before nipping the sensitive skin under his jaw-as if pretending she was a vampire herself. Even without fangs, it felt amazing.

"Ugh," Klaus groaned. "Now you're just teasing me, love."

Kiara chuckled and mumbled into his ear. "Would you like me to stop?"

His hips jolted up towards her in response. "N, no."

Kiara slid one of her hands from his wrist down to his chest. "Well... if you behave yourself, we can keep playing, okay?"

"And if I don't?" Klaus asked. His eyes flashing gold. "What happens then?"

Kiara pouted and said, "Then I guess the fun's over."

It seemed to upset her because her expression went blank and she released her hold on him. She lifted her leg as if to leave, but Klaus grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her back down onto him. They collided together like magnets. By the amusement in her eyes, she wasn't surprised by his actions. It was pretty obvious that Klaus wanted her to stay. Still, she wasn't going to make it easy for him.

"Yes?"

"I, I—" His heart was racing. He knew to give her what she wanted was the same as submitting to her and he had mixed feelings about that. But didn't want this to stop either. He rolled his eyes and finally said, "I'll behave."

Kiara smirked with the same wicked look in her eyes. "We'll see…" she looked him up and down. "Hands up, Niklaus Mikaelson, and don't you dare move them without my permission. Or the game is over."

The commanding tone in her voice and slight wiggle of her hips on his made him instantly wonder if he'd made a mistake. But he lifted his hands so they rested above his head and said, "Yes, mam."

Those words seemed to please her because she moaned before going back to working on his neck. He tensed at the feeling. Not touching her was more difficult than he anticipated. The first thing he wanted to do was reach out for her. Especially since every touch, every kiss of hers left goosebumps in its wake. He wanted to please her in return. He could feel the blood rushing down to his crouch. There was no way she wasn't aware of it while she was sitting on him. That and the fact that she was moving her hips in slow torturous circles made it clear that she wanted to bring him to the brink of breaking. It seemed she really was playing with him.

Before he knew it, his shirt had been removed and his hips were rocking in time with hers. He tried closing his eyes, to try to calm himself, but that only made it worse. Without his sight, his other senses were intensified. Her fingernails scraped at his skin so deliciously. Her mouth sucked on his skin until she discovered his most sensitive spots. Once she did, she would focus on one, his nipples or the spot just below his ear, until he was near his breaking point then she would switch to another. He was surprised how quickly he neared his climax and how easily she read his body. She would know when he was close, and just before he could finally experience release, she would freeze her movements above him. It was maddening.

"Stop," he begged. "T, that's enough, love."

Kiara smirked and kissed him hard. "Isn't that for me to decide?"

"If you continue, I'm afraid I'll be forced to break your rules," he said.

"Oh but," Kiara bit her lip. "You look so amazing like this. I could keep you in this state forever."

Klaus knew all along that as a succubus Kiara would be insatiable. She'd basically told him as much, but it seemed she had been holding back this entire time and the alcohol allowed this hidden side of her to emerge. She took playing with her food to a whole new level.

As beautiful as Kiara was, Klaus had no idea she could be so brazenly sexy. Or cruel for that matter. He couldn't take any more of her teasing.

"Then again," she went on. "You've been so good. I suppose you deserve a reward…"

The praise made his stomach flip.

"Yes," he nodded. His hip grinding up into hers. "Just let me touch you, love. I promise you won't regret it."

Kiara smiled and grabbed his face in her hand. "Alright, love, show me what you've got."

In a blink, Kiara found herself on her back with Klaus hovering above her. His kiss was rough now as he held her by the hair. He didn't want to risk her pulling away. She had expected him to do whatever he needed to satisfy himself. After all that fun, she had more than awakened his more primal urges. So she was surprised when his free hand slid down the front of her pants. When he felt the moisture that had collected there, he groaned.

"I forgot how amazing you smell, love. You're so wet," he told her as his fingers slipped inside her. "God, the things I want to do to you. You have no idea."

Kiara closed her eyes and moaned.

"But after all that teasing, I'm afraid that will have to wait for another time," Klaus said and started pumping his fingers in and out of her. When her hands squeezed his arm, he smirked and said, "Well look at this, you're as close as I am, aren't you? Did you enjoy playing with me that much?"

"Mmmm, yes, I did," Kiara said. When she opened her eyes, they were still glowing their haunting shade of green. "I enjoy you very much, Klaus."

Klaus wanted to ask her to continue, but she grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss. Pleasure rushed through his body. It was so overwhelming, he nearly stopped moving altogether. She started to feed just as she began fluttering around his fingers. With the adding feeling that came with the feeding and Kiara's own pleasure invading his senses, it was the most intense orgasm Klaus had ever experienced. It was so intense he nearly passed out.

When Kiara opened her eyes again, she looked as exhausted as he did. More than that—her eyes were back to their normal color. Klaus watched her breathing steady and he began to wonder if she would remember any of what just happened. Not because she had drunk so much enough alcohol that she might forget, she'd sobered up plenty in the past hour or so, but because her hunger seemed to take control of her just then.

As a hybrid, Klaus had lost himself plenty of times. In his hunger. In his anger. There were many nights that he couldn't remember. Most of which he woke up after to find himself surrounded by bloodless corpses. It was entirely possible that this was her version of a ripper binge. So when Kiara's eyes started to droop closed, Klaus decided he would need to prepare himself. Just in case, he cleaned her up and tucked her into bed.


After Klaus fixed himself up, he went back outside still intent on speaking with David about Kiara. Although she seemed better at the moment, Klaus knew this relief was only temporary. This whole night had been a distraction from a bigger issue. One she was refusing to talk about.

"Tell me," Klaus said when he found David leaning against the car in the parking lot. "Why is Kiara so sad on her birthday?"

If David was aware of what happened in the motel room between Klaus and Kiara, he didn't mention it. He simply said, "If I tell ya, you can't let her know you know. Okay?"

"Scouts honor, mate."

"Well… she said somethin' earlier about her birthday bringin' up some bad memories for her," David said, looking Klaus in the eyes. "It turns out, her mother died six years ago today."

"I see..." Klaus muttered.

He had been prepared for him to say almost anything but that. But it all made sense. No wonder she was having nightmares. When he left her alone for the night, she went to a bar instead of trying to sleep alone.

"And since her father treated her like crap, it seems tonight was the closest thing she'd ever had to a birthday party," David went on. "I thought that would'a cheered her up, but..."

"She was surrounded by strangers," Klaus shook her head. "A birthday is meant to be celebrated surrounded by friends, by family."

Klaus didn't know the whole story. He didn't need to. It was at that moment he made up his mind. He was going to give Kiara the best birthday she'd ever had.


Alright guys, it's really late and I need to get some sleep. I hope you like this. I know you guys were craving some smutty goodness and I wanted to try exploring Kiara's darker/ monster side a little bit this time around. I hope it wasn't too weird or out of character for either of them. Also, I'm sorry if David's accent is annoying to read or not written correctly. I'm going for a Chicago accent here (obviously) if you can, let me know what you thought about that. I'd really appreciate your feedback.

Thank you all for reading and please review.