Chapter 34: Romances with Wolves
Author's note: In this human!Klaroline story, Caroline has developed an inconvenient crush on her ridiculously attractive coworker at the wolf sanctuary. Throw in missed signals and then mixed signals, a snarky best friend and a mischievous little brother and it's enough to make anyone howl.
"A gentleman is simply a patient wolf."
— Lana Turner
The wolf's gray-tipped ears immediately twitched as Caroline Forbes stepped into view. Suddenly, the animal leapt through the air with the ferocity and grace of a powerful predator, hurling its massive body against the petite woman's. She quickly crouched, planting her feet wide so that she could take the brunt of the hit without falling on her backside. As the wolf began enthusiastically licking her cheek, she giggled, telling it softly, "And good morning to you, too, Loki," giving the alpha male an affectionate rub behind his ears.
An amused chuckle startled her, and she felt her body instantly warm as the familiar voice flowed over her, his seductive British accent making her heart flutter. "So this is why Loki wasn't with the rest of his pack this morning; he was far too busy wooing a pretty blonde." Klaus Mikaelson stood outside of the large enclosure, smirking down at her. She had started working with him at the Moonstone Wolf Sanctuary a month ago and still couldn't seem to control the way her body instinctively reacted to his presence. It didn't help the fact that even though he had implied he was in a relationship, he was still a friendly, if somewhat flirty fixture in her professional life.
Klaus was the animal care supervisor at the sanctuary, overseeing the feeding and health of the wolves, which meant that he worked closely with Caroline, the newly hired vet. From the moment she met him, it was obvious how much he cared for the animals, from the way he looked at his charges with respect and even reverence, to his compassion for when one of them became sick or injured. Caroline had grown up around large dogs and always had been drawn to the graceful beauty of wolves, so to find a kindred spirit in her coworker had been both a blessing and a curse.
It was no secret that Klaus was quite possibly the most beautiful specimen of a man she had ever encountered, but add in the fact that he seemed to share her passion for taking care of wolves, and he was irresistible. No one in her life had ever really understood the passion she felt for her work, and the fact that she now got to interact with wolves on a daily basis, a goal she'd had since she was a child, was a dream come true. Except she had developed a completely inconvenient (not to mention inappropriate) crush on her coworker.
She still recalled how she had been trying to slyly get to know Klaus those first couple of weeks, asking about his family and hobbies, and she felt like she was making great progress. She had just started working up the nerve to ask him out when he had gotten this enormous grin on his handsome face. And started talking about this guy named Stefan. "We've been through a lot together. I can't imagine what my life would be like without him," he had confessed, the fondness in his voice sending stabbing pains through her heart. So, he was clearly taken. And she had no business lusting after someone else's boyfriend.
She had managed to force out the brightest smile imaginable and told him with the utmost cheer, "That's fantastic you found each other." She would have given anything in that moment to have been able to enthusiastically extoll the virtues of her own boyfriend to show Klaus that she wasn't a sad, lonely loser who threw herself into her work so she didn't have to think about how alone she was, but there was no boyfriend (mostly for all of the reasons she just listed), so instead she started telling him all about Enzo.
Enzo had been her best friend in high school and college, and they had been there for each other through some rough times. He had helped her cope when her mother died of cancer and she had supported him as he figured out his sexuality — no easy feat in the narrow-minded, small town where they grew up. The kinship they shared was something she wouldn't trade for the world, but she sometimes worried that she would never connect with anyone else the way that she had with him. She had been so caught up in telling Klaus the amusing story of their high school graduation and how she had to wear stripper pasties and a thong in the school's colors underneath her graduation gown because she lost a bet with Enzo, that she hadn't noticed the way Klaus' strong jaw had tightened and something dark had flashed in his gray eyes.
She did notice that for a few days afterward, Klaus had been a bit distant, but she had been somewhat relieved because she had been trying to figure out how to "de-crush" so that she could learn how to be just friends with Klaus. Fortunately, they had finally gotten over the awkwardness between them and had returned to their teasing banter and made a wonderful team at the sanctuary.
Snapping fingers grabbed her attention, forcing her out of her reminiscing. "Earth to Caroline. Did you hear me, love," Klaus asked, his grin widening as he watched Loki sweetly nuzzle her neck.
"Sorry," she answered with a blush, "I'm just not with it today, I guess." She allowed him to help her up, brushing the dust from her jeans as she reached for her large medical bag, flicking open the two metal latches to rifle through the top drawer.
"I suppose Enzo kept you up last night," Klaus offered, an odd tightness to his voice.
Caroline wondered if he was coming down with something. She made a mental note to suggest he take some vitamin C since Hel, one of their timber wolves, was due to have her litter possibly later that week and Caroline had no interest in one of their flaky interns assisting her during delivery. "Come to think of it, he did come back home with this icky zombie apocalypse game and I swear between the noise and the disturbing imagery, it was tough to get a good night's sleep. One of these days, his PlayStation is going to overheat from all the hours he spends on that thing," she said fondly.
She and Enzo shared a townhouse, the only way she could balance her massive student loan debt from vet school and still have a gorgeous view of scenic White Oak Park. Enzo was still working on his Ph.D. in engineering, so he was thankful for the extra stability her half of the rent offered.
"He spends his free time playing videogames instead of doing things with you," Klaus asked, a wrinkle appearing on his forehead as he frowned.
Caroline shrugged, pulling out her stethoscope to listen to Loki's lungs. "His schedule is packed between his dissertation and his teaching assistant responsibilities, so I guess when he gets home, he just wants to relax." She was relieved to hear that the beautiful gray wolf's lungs were clear. Whatever respiratory issues she had discovered a few days ago appeared to be clearing up nicely with the special cocktail of antibiotics she'd administered. "We did go see the new King Kong movie last weekend. Enzo has a thing for giant apes."
Klaus muttered under his breath, something that sounded suspiciously like, "No surprise there," but otherwise, seemed content to watch her examine the wolf.
"What about you and Stefan? Do you guys have big plans for this weekend" she asked, trying to keep the edge out of her voice as she said Stefan's name. She realized that it was completely irrational the way she hated the feel of those pretentious-sounding syllables in her mouth. At her age, she really should be able to rise above this kind of petty bullshit. Stefan. What a stupid name.
Klaus seemed somewhat uncomfortable as he helped keep the large wolf steady while Caroline finished her exam. "Actually, Stefan and I are throwing a party Saturday night and wanted to invite you and Enzo if you weren't busy."
She froze, fingers clutching unnecessarily at the wolf's thick coat. Did she really want to spend her Saturday night watching the gorgeous man beside her rub it in her face that he was passionately in love with someone else? She inwardly scolded herself for being such a terrible, selfish friend. Klaus was her partner and a wonderful, caring man, and she should want to be closer friends with him. Maybe the best way to get rid of this inconvenient crush on Klaus was to swallow her pride and meet his boyfriend. Surely once she saw how blissfully happy Klaus and Stefan were, she could move on with her life? Or, if that failed, at least she could drag Enzo along and they could get hammered until it didn't hurt so much to see someone else make Klaus smile.
Caroline gave Klaus her best former beauty queen fake smile as she chirped cheerfully, "That sounds absolutely wonderful — we'll be there!"
"That sounds like a completely avoidable disaster, gorgeous," Enzo quipped from above her on their comfy leather couch, leaning over to squint at her as she sprawled out on their floor.
She rubbed both hands over her face, pausing to massage her temples that had started to throb as she began to panic at the prospect of being in such close proximity to Klaus and his partner while drinking. What if she made a complete ass out of herself? Her filter was known to malfunction when she reached a certain level of inebriation and the last thing she wanted to do was make Klaus uncomfortable by accidentally blurting out her feelings for him when it was obvious he was in a happy, committed relationship.
She groaned, "What the fuck is wrong with me, Enzo? The second I found out he was taken, not to mention gay, my feelings should have shifted to something more akin to a friendship/sibling-type situation, like how I feel about you."
"Feelings can't be controlled like a faucet, dumbass," he pointed out helpfully. "Also, you know better than to make labeling assumptions. Sure, Klaus might be gay, or he might be bisexual, or maybe he's figured out that the world is his delicious, all-you-can-eat buffet just like I did," he added, furiously wiggling his eyebrows.
Caroline could hear the slight hint of reproach in her best friend's voice, and she sat up, squeezing his hand as she replied quietly. "You're right. I'm sorry." She sighed, tugging on the frayed hem of her worn jeans. "I'm so pathetic I actually have this detailed fantasy in my head of how Klaus and Stefan will breakup. How awful is that? I'm a terrible, awful person, Enzo."
Enzo flopped onto the carpet beside her, pulling her into his arms and giving her a reassuring hug. "You're only awful if you don't tell me all the spicy details in this fantasy you've cooked up. Does it involve an evil doppelganger? Maybe some ancient, supernatural creature burdened with a surprising abundance of mommy/daddy issues? Tell me, what level of primetime soapy goodness have you sunk to?"
Caroline chuckled. "Nothing too drastic. Just maybe Klaus realizing that he and I have all this inexplicable chemistry and maybe he doesn't feel that way about Stefan anymore." At Enzo's derisive snort, she crossed her arms, adding defensively, "I mean, if he's into women. My fine china is magical, but even I'm not such an asshole I think it could change someone's sexuality."
Enzo petted her messy blonde curls playfully. "I'm so disappointed in your lack of imagination. Where's the drama? A boring, amicable breakup, really? At least have the decency to give me some Ru Paul-level shade about Stefan. Come on, anyone named Stefan probably spends hours shaping his hair, so maybe Klaus inadvertently uses all of his sculpting wax and it just escalates from there until Klaus realizes he's been in love with you all along."
Caroline couldn't stop the giggles that burst out of her, elbowing Enzo in the ribs as they collapsed into a heap on the floor. At least she could count on Enzo to keep her laughing during what would probably be the most awkward party of her life.
Her heart thudded in her chest as they rang the doorbell to a beautifully restored Colonial home in the stylish Gilbert Acres neighborhood. She could do this. It's no big deal. She's happy for Klaus and Stefan. Really. The door painted a bold red swung open to reveal a smiling man with soulful brown eyes who looked like he could brood attractively at a moment's notice.
Clearly eyeing the painstakingly styled chestnut hair, Enzo whispered in Caroline's ear, "I've got this, gorgeous. I'll scope out their bathroom and steal all of his haircare products. They'll be over by sunrise."
She narrowly managed to avoid choking on her tongue as she quickly said, "Hi! I'm Caroline and this is Enzo. You must be Stefan?"
His brown eyes lit up at her introductions and said with a laugh, "You've heard of me, huh? Don't believe anything Klaus has told you — believe me, he's actually more of a troublemaker than I am."
As Stefan led them into the kitchen to get drinks, she couldn't help but critically squint at the back of his carefully coiffed head. Stefan had stupid hair to go with his stupid name. Damn it. You're happy for Klaus, remember? Klaus was leaning against the ivory and silver granite island, his gray eyes lighting up when he saw Caroline. He handed her a glass of her favorite shiraz, and she tried not to swoon that he had remembered her ramblings the other day about it. "Welcome, sweetheart," he said with a smile.
She breathed in his intoxicating aromas of cedar and leather with just the hint of citrus. She was proud of the way her smile didn't falter as Stefan playfully elbowed Klaus, favoring him with a teasing grin. He leaned over to a tall, attractive blonde standing beside them and in a sly tone said, "Rebekah, this is Caroline and Enzo. You remember Klaus mentioning them once or twice, right?"
Her light blue eyes raked over them both and her red lips curved into a knowing smile. "Right. Once or twice. I'm Rebekah, Nik's sister." Her gaze inexplicably lingered on the way Enzo had slung his arm companionably around Caroline's shoulders before throwing Klaus an unreadable glance.
Caroline didn't have time to contemplate what that awkwardness was about because they were suddenly interrupted by heavy footsteps thudding on the hardwood floors and a loud voice declaring, "Sorry I'm late; got a bit tangled up with a saucy little thing with a deliciously wicked tongue. Have I missed our gormless brother making an ass out of himself in front of —" The playful voice stopped abruptly as the attractive man with mischievous dark eyes rounded the corner to find everyone staring at him.
Through gritted teeth, Klaus jerked his chin toward the man and said, "This is my brother, Kol. Kol, this is Caroline and Enzo."
With a delighted grin, Kol lunged forward, unexpectedly grabbing Caroline's hand and soundly kissing her knuckles before sneakily planting more kisses up her arm. "I've heard a great deal about you, sweet Caroline. Nik's stories do not do you justice, however."
Enzo protectively pulled Caroline's arm away from Kol and said with a bit of an edge to his voice, "Yeah, gorgeous doesn't get manhandled on my watch, mate."
Klaus' face turned sour at that, while Kol's smile became even wider. "You have cozy little pet names for each other? That's bloody fantastic! Tell me, sweet Caroline, what do you call Enzo?"
Before Caroline could think of something to say to ease the peculiar tension in the kitchen, a loud crash followed by cheering from the living room interrupted them and someone called out, "Klaus! Stefan! Marcel decided to whip when he should have nae nae-ed and that vase Stefan found at auction last month got in the way. Where's your broom?"
Stefan mockingly glared at Klaus and said accusingly, "You paid Marcel to break my vase, didn't you?"
Klaus clapped him on the back, chuckling as he answered, "Just think of all the other things I may have paid Marcel to break," while following him into the living room to take care of the mess.
Caroline quickly drained the rest of her glass as she watched Klaus and Stefan walk away, playfully pushing each other until they were in the other room. Enzo refilled her glass nearly to the brim, worry etched across his features.
Rebekah and Kol watched their exchange curiously, but other than brief, unreadable glances at each other, chose not to comment. Caroline couldn't stand the silence any longer and nervously asked, "So, how long have Klaus and Stefan known each other?"
"For ages," Rebekah answered, topping off her glass. "Nik met Stefan in college and just seemed to fall into a friendship right away. It's weird too because Nik was always so private and kept to himself. Stefan really seemed to open him up."
Caroline choked on the large gulp of shiraz she was drinking. She did not need to hear all the intimate details of how compatible Klaus and his lover were. "That's wonderful," she said in a high-pitched voice that didn't sound like it belonged to her. "It's not easy finding someone to connect with," she added, trying to decide if drinking an entire bottle of wine by herself would be considered rude.
"Don't be fooled, sweet Caroline, Nik has had some difficulty connecting as of late," Kol stage-whispered, tipping her a roguish wink.
Rebekah snorted, taking a sip of her wine. "Don't be a wanker. That's Nik's business," she warned her brother, nodding her head at Caroline and Enzo as she wandered out of the kitchen.
Enzo squeezed Caroline's shoulder, telling Kol amicably, "I'm sure whatever spat those two had can be worked out."
"Spat," Kol asked in confusion, pouring the rest of the shiraz in his goblet and taking a sip.
"You know, between Klaus and Stefan? Relationships are hard, but the way Klaus talks about Stefan, it's so obvious that he really cares about him," Caroline supplied helpfully, hating the way her heart had started to feel the first fluttering of hope at the implication that Klaus was having relationship troubles.
Kol sputtered, somehow managing to spit his mouthful of wine back into his glass. Coughing loudly, he took a moment to compose himself while his dark eyes had become oddly calculating. "Right. Relationship. Like what Nik and Stefan have," he said slowly. "Because they're dating...like you and Enzo, right," he added cautiously, as though testing out the words.
"Me and gorgeous," Enzo barked out with a laugh. "Are you daft? Gorgeous is my best friend. We'd never screw up what we have by turning it into a relationship." He grinned as he confessed wickedly, "Besides, I don't do relationships."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "You certainly do the relations part."
Enzo clinked their goblets together, teasing, "We need to work on you getting some relations action, gorgeous. It's been awhile."
Kol wiggled his eyebrows jokingly as he watched the friends' exchange. "Perhaps I can offer my services. I'd love to relate to you, sweet Caroline. Could we also bring along your scandalous friend here?"
Caroline huffed, noticing how intrigued Enzo had become by Kol's antics. "Pass," she said flatly. With a sly smile, she lightly pushed Enzo toward Kol, telling them, "But by all means, you two go enjoy relating."
The boys grinned at each other, walking out of the kitchen with similar swaggers. Rolling her eyes, she opened a hearty burgundy and wandered out onto the back terrace, admiring the lovely rose garden. She wondered if it was Klaus or Stefan who had a green thumb and made a mental note to ask the next time she saw one of them.
"I was wondering where you had gotten off to," Klaus' accented voice called out from behind her. He sat on the chaise beside her, his gray eyes casually sweeping over her form.
"It's beautiful out here," she ventured, taking a sip of her wine.
"Indeed," he agreed, his gaze not drifting from her face.
She nervously glanced at the colorful roses, the delightful scents drifting over on the gentle evening breeze. "So, is gardening your passion or Stefan's," she asked, keeping her eyes on the bold crimson, fuchsia and orange petals that decorated the lawn.
"Definitely Stefan's," Klaus answered with a laugh. "He insists on importing these seeds that supposedly mimic the Juliet rose, whatever that is," he explained fondly. Seeming to notice her fixation with the roses, he commented in a hopeful tone, "If you enjoy roses, maybe you would like to come with me to see the gardens downtown? Stefan swears he's never seen such variety."
She shrugged, taking another drink as she thought of all the ways it would hurt to go out with Klaus but not really be on a date with him. Maybe one day she could get to the point where she could platonically go out with him, but not yet. "Work keeps us pretty busy, so let me get back to you," she answered, wincing at the slight regret she heard in her tone.
Klaus' expression was closed off as he muttered, "Right. Of course."
Deciding that he must be upset about whatever ongoing spat he was having with Stefan that Kol had mentioned, she took that as her cue to leave. "I'm going to find a bathroom," she explained awkwardly, hastily exiting the stone terrace. She noticed a small line of people waiting outside of the downstairs bathroom, and decided to head back into the kitchen to top off her glass before getting in line. Perhaps if she surrounded herself with other people, she'd stop feeling sorry for herself?
Not paying attention to the noise around her, she pushed open the swinging paneled door to the kitchen and was horrified to see Rebekah and Stefan kissing furiously. Stefan had the gorgeous blonde pressed up against the double oven along one wall and she seemed to be gripping the top handle for balance while wrapping her long legs around his waist. They were far too wrapped up in each other to hear the small, indignant squeak that escaped Caroline while she stood there in disbelief.
Her body on autopilot, she carefully backed out of the kitchen and headed toward the terrace. Her thoughts were racing as she replayed the scene she had just witnessed. Stefan was cheating on Klaus! And with Klaus' sister of all people! What a horrible, awful person! She should have known that anyone who spent that much time on his hair couldn't be trusted. And Rebekah? What could she have been thinking?! She wondered how long this had been going on right underneath Klaus' nose.
When she reached the stone terrace again, she saw that it was empty. She quietly slipped outside, relieved to be alone so she could decide what to do. Should she tell Klaus? She wasn't sure if she could handle the heartbreak that would be on his handsome face. She decided that she should find Enzo and discuss it with him because not only was he an excellent secret-keeper, he also always gave her the best advice. He would understand her dilemma and be able to guide her to a solution her conscience could live with. Just as she started to head back inside, she was startled by Klaus appearing behind her.
She nervously tucked a few stray blonde curls behind her ear as she told him, "Hey, I was actually um, just getting ready to find Enzo."
His gray eyes darkened at Enzo's name. "I just found Enzo," he growled.
Caroline took in the tenseness of his frame, not understanding his ire. Her blue eyes widened as a panicked thought came to her. In a small voice, she asked, "You saw them together, didn't you?"
Her voice seemed to spark something within Klaus and he gently touched her cheek. "I did, and I'm so sorry, sweetheart."
She was slightly confused by his apology. She assumed that the shock was taking over and he wasn't thinking clearly. She hugged him tight, breathing in his familiar scent as she offered him the only comfort she could think of. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Klaus. I know how much he means to you."
Scoffing, he said, "Kol's gone mad if he thinks being my brother will stop me from beating him senseless." He kissed the top of her head and said reassuringly, "They won't get away with what they did to you, love. I promise."
Kol? What did Klaus' brother have to do with anything? Confused, she pulled away from him slightly, glancing up at his pale face in the starlight as she corrected him gently, "I meant about Stefan and Rebekah. That's what we're talking about, right?"
"Did you not know they were dating," Klaus asked in a puzzled tone. "They've been off and on for years, but recently got back together."
She stiffened against him at this unexpected news. Before she could form a coherent thought among her chaotic emotions, Klaus spoke again, his voice heavy with concern. "Sweetheart, I don't know how to tell you this, but I just caught Enzo with...Kol." Seeing the pity sweep across his face was too much for her and she suddenly burst into hysterical giggles as everything finally fell into place.
Quirking his eyebrows, Klaus looked down at her, studying her as she laughed. When she had somewhat quieted down, he commented in embarrassment, "I take it you're not dating Enzo and madly in love with him?"
Caroline snorted, shaking her head at the utter ridiculousness of the situation. "No more than you're madly in love with Stefan, apparently." Gray eyes wide, he looked flabbergasted, clearly trying to recall when she would have inferred he was with Stefan.
Sighing in amusement at his obvious frustration, she said lightly, "Little dating tip — you can flirt more effectively with a girl if you're not constantly talking about how close you are with another guy. Or, at least make it a point to mention that you're single."
Klaus laughed, leaning in close as he whispered, "I'm afraid I'm now taken, sweetheart," and kissed her long and deep, pressing her body to his in a way that told her he wouldn't be letting go any time soon.
