Author's note: This is a sequel to Chapter 76: Part 3 - Klarosummer Bingo - Just Drive Until You See Water. The war between the vampires and witches has started up again in New Orleans. Caroline is fighting for her coven's freedom and to save her fellow sister witch, Bonnie, while Klaus has stubbornly refused to pick a side.
Warning: Some sexytimes!
And thank you so much for supporting my writing; I was nominated for multiple KC Awards for this series!
Best AU supernatural one-shot: Summer of Salvatore - Chapter 70
Best AU human one-shot: Brewery weekend - Chapter 74
Best smut one-shot: Rocinante Holiday - Chapter 87
Best comedy one-shot: Shrieky Clean - Chapter 88
Best one-shot series: A Beautiful Symmetry
Best comedy author
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Pure human terror stank. It leeched from their pores in nauseating waves and made them almost unpalatable to all but the most famished of predators. Centuries ago, he bore witness to the permeating fear of humans in a hidden bayou just outside of New Orleans as they foolishly traded pieces of their souls to Bosou Koblaminin; their eyes turning empty and black once possessed. This violent voodoo loa often was invoked during times of war, imbuing those he deemed worthy with the power to defeat their enemies. He'd watched in fascination as the humans became mere shells the voodoo loa inhabited, the stench of their terror instantly melting away.
As Klaus stood among the jeering crowd of Marcel's vampire army, he couldn't help but think back to that night. Something felt off. He'd foolishly assumed that Caroline's coven, no matter how carefully hidden, would give away their strategic positions because of the human body's natural reaction to fear. Frowning, he reached out with his original hybrid senses, surprised to detect...nothing. They showed no fear.
Something had caused the witches to be unusually confident in this war. It was especially odd considering their dark history of servitude and often death under Marcel's rule for the past decade. Not to mention the witch was only moments away from execution. For the hundredth time, Klaus questioned why he was here — the Bennett witch's execution neither hindered nor helped his own cause. And yet you came.
Grumbling under his breath, he allowed his hybrid gold to bleed into his gaze, unable to lie to himself about his true purpose. There was a particularly vexing blonde who was determined to rescue her fellow sister witch even if it was against Marcel's formidable army. Despite her stubborn refusal to acknowledge the connection they shared, he wouldn't allow her to be harmed in this ill-advised battle.
Marcel's cruel smile was all the signal his nightwalkers needed before a handful leapt into the binding circle where Bonnie was being held. However, before they could tear her to pieces, a wall of flame erupted, flinging the vampires around the courtyard. An unearthly shriek tore the air, and Klaus was startled to see Caroline emerge from a sinister red mist and decapitate two vampires with her nails. He wasn't aware she could do that.
She tossed back her long blonde waves, leaving behind streaks of blood and gore that made his monster rumble in pleasure. "Did you pick a side yet," she taunted him with blue eyes full of mirth, the dominance in her tone strangely arousing. Not bothering to wait for his reply, she turned to charge another vampire, her attack swift and brutal.
Klaus quickly broke the neck of a foolish nightwalker who attempted to challenge him, peering over the crumpled body to answer Caroline. "At the moment, I'm firmly on my side, sweetheart." When another vampire lunged at the fierce little witch, Klaus plucked out the heart, offering it to Caroline with a dimpled smirk. "But there's always room for a feisty blonde to join my side."
She rolled her eyes at him, disappearing in that same peculiar red mist. He looked wildly around the courtyard of the abandoned hotel to find her, noting that despite the ferocity of Marcel's nightwalker army, Caroline's coven was faring quite well. In fact, the few that had been harmed seemed to have suffered only mild injuries while the vampires had been decimated. The few that still clung to life were broken, bloody shells that writhed at the witches' feet. Given the age and nearly feral natures of Marcel's nightwalkers, this was quite surprising. Caroline's coven had been fortunate. Almost too fortunate.
A pained cry drew his attention, and he spied Marcel wrenching Bonnie's neck to side, digging his fangs into her flesh. It was a waste of a perfectly good witch. And Caroline will be displeased. He flashed to the binding circle, stopping short when the foreboding red mist curled around Marcel's incensed form. Bonnie was pushed out of Marcel's clutches, and Caroline effortlessly lifted him off his feet, her nails digging into his throat as she raged, "You enslaved my people. And slaughtered us on a whim."
"No," Klaus interjected, delighting in the ferocity of his blonde witch's gaze. "Marcel is still of use to me."
Caroline increased the pressure of her grip; Marcel's blood running down her forearm. She released him with a chuckle, playfully telling Klaus, "Play your games for now, hybrid. But remember — Marcel owes me a death." She stroked Klaus' jaw, favoring him with an impish wink as her fingers left smears of blood behind. Minx.
He shouldn't have allowed his little blonde witch to distract him. He recognized the pull of old magic. Just like that night in the bayou centuries ago. The signs were all around him during the battle yesterday between the witches and the vampires — the fearlessness of the coven, their inexplicable ability to come out of the battle almost completely unscathed, and finally, Caroline's unexpected powers. Clearly something had happened between the time he'd left her shop yesterday and when she'd supposedly gone to the bayou to gather burdock root before the battle. No burdock root protection spell could explain what he saw during the battle.
When Caroline opened the door, he expected her to slam it shut once again, but instead, her blue eyes lit up in excitement and she eagerly pulled him inside. "With rescuing Bonnie last night, I didn't get a chance to properly thank you."
"Thank me," he asked in mild surprise, "given our ongoing amusing banter, this welcome was considerably warmer than I anticipated, love."
She seductively ran her hand up his chest, making his blood thrum in anticipation. As she peeked at him coyly from underneath her lashes, he impatiently batted away the small voice that told him to remember why he was there. "I'm in the mood to celebrate. Join me?"
The crash of his lips to hers made his wolf growl; the desperate clutching at his back igniting those familiar flames between them. He'd been aching for this ever since that first night with her, and he fully intended to prove to her their connection. They stumbled into the living room, bumping against furniture with muffled laughter. With a devilish smirk, he toppled her to the cushioned ottoman, nibbling along her neck as she shivered beneath him.
Caroline impatiently pushed down her colorful lounge pants, sending him reeling when he realized she was bare underneath. With an appreciative eye, he growled, "Your pretty pussy trembles, sweetheart."
She gracefully arched her body, sliding her calf along his side as she teased, "But can you make it tremble for you?"
"Challenge accepted."
Hybrid gold flashed in his heated gaze as he shredded her flimsy tank top, capturing a rosy nipple between his teeth. He was a connoisseur of pleasurable pain, and he tempered his kisses with sharp fangs, pleased to hear Caroline's frantic gasps of delight. He teased with his tongue, winding his witch up until she grabbed his blonde curls, her voice a harsh whisper as she commanded, "Bite. Now."
Klaus groaned at the taste of her, fighting tenuous control as his greedy monster bellowed for more. She was exquisite, her essence flooding his senses until his entire world was this writhing blonde creature. She ground her core against him, and with a possessive growl, he pinned her hips using his hybrid strength as he delved into her heated center, overwhelmed once more by Caroline's delectable taste. Deliciously warm and wet, his tongue worshipped her flesh as he drew out her moans. Her beautiful body tensed, and he eagerly rode her through an explosive orgasm.
The bucking of her hips had barely slowed when Klaus fumbled at his jeans excitedly, freeing his aching cock. Despite his intense need, he took his time to tease her, rubbing his leaking tip against quivering folds. The needy whine in her throat made his wolf howl and claw at his skin, and when he finally thrust home, they both sighed in relief.
He reveled in the press of her heels at his back, pulling his body further into hers with a covetous gleam in her eyes. Smooth, firm strokes ensured he touched every part of her, but soon their desire grew too powerful and their rutting was frantic as they gasped each other's names. So enraptured, they hardly noticed when two of the legs snapped on the ottoman, shoving them to the floor. The new angle tilted her hips just so and he moaned at the sensual press of their flesh.
"Fuck," Caroline hummed appreciatively in his ear, nails scratching down his back.
It was that sweet sting that made his blood hum, and he surged within her, letting his climax wash over him. Klaus reached down between them to toy with her clit, panting in his accented voice, "Your poor little button is so swollen." He tweaked it until her thighs quaked, demanding, "Come for me."
As they came down from their high, he felt a pang of regret as he recalled his purpose for being there. Caroline was very protective of her coven. What he was about to accuse her of would not go over well. "Love, there's something I have to know."
She lazily stretched, her voice a sexy purr as she curled into his side. "If it's whether I'd like another orgasm, the answer is an enthusiastic yes."
Minx. Klaus impatiently pushed down his monster that let out a pleased rumble at her blatant invitation. "Our world is a constant struggle to maintain balance. The slightest shift in power is undeniable; especially when you've attained a bit of age and know the signs." With a sigh, he added, "Watching you and your coven during the battle, it's obvious that power has shifted. Few things can move this the balance so dramatically, especially within a young witch."
"Seriously?! Quit stalling and ask whatever it is you want to ask."
Klaus narrowed his eyes, unable to keep the suspicion from his voice as he questioned, "What bargain did you make? What did you do, Caroline?"
Blue eyes suddenly turned empty and black. "What I had to," she replied.
Before Klaus could respond, Caroline's arm shot out, choking him. Sinister red mist swirled around him, pushing against his body with an insistence that was alarming. His last muddled thought was that he was the original hybrid and had nothing to fear from an upstart voodoo loa.
And then his mind went as empty and black as his eyes.
