XII.
Katherine somehow managed to survive until they left a few days later. It obviously cost him some effort, but Klaus was polite to her, even pleasant if Stefan or Elijah were around, and Katherine stayed out of his way for the most part, occupying herself with cleaning the car of what she imagined to be "werewolf smell" and spoiling Charlemagne, who seemed to have no recollection that he'd almost died a few days before. The only thing that bothered her was that she and Elijah never seemed to find a chance to be alone to continue what they'd started the night before everything went to hell. When Klaus and Stefan weren't there, Charlemagne was, and Elijah refused to let the dog out of their sight with Stefan's past track record with animals. Katherine had a feeling that Elijah thought that was worse than Stefan's days as a ripper-slash-serial killer.
At long last, Elijah was well enough to leave Klaus's almost suffocating care, and they drove up to Seattle, arriving by late morning. Before they went to the docks to see about getting transit to the island, however, Elijah insisted that it was time for them to go clothes shopping. She was sorry to see the jeans and Henley shirts go, but she had to admit that she was looking forward to the suits again, especially the way they looked on Elijah.
In addition, Elijah thought she would need some evening clothes when they went to see Edwards.
"What, are you planning to entertain him to death?" she asked incredulously.
Elijah let out a put-upon sigh. "You sound like Niklaus."
"Well…" Katherine said. "I think he'd have a point in this case."
When Elijah deemed they were ready, they left for the docks. Edwards' island was located somewhere in Puget Sound, and Elijah had hired a boat to take them there. Once they arrived, some men took their luggage and headed up to the house, while Katherine hung back. She put her hand on Elijah's sleeve, stopping him as he started to follow the men.
"Wait," she said. "Time for the truth." When he merely raised his brow, she rolled her eyes and continued. "You're Mitchell Edwards, aren't you. Come on, the same initials? It was a no-brainer. I'm sort of an awesome detective, remember?"
Elijah laughed and looked away, his tongue darting out to moisten his lips. "If you knew, why did you come along?" he asked, looking up at her again, his eyes earnest and, if she wasn't mistaken, hopeful.
Katherine shrugged. "I was curious, I guess," she said. "Why did you lure me here?"
Elijah suddenly looked very uncomfortable.
"Can't you guess?" he asked.
Katherine gazed at him for a long moment. She knew what she wanted his reason to be, but she'd been burned so often in the past that she wasn't sure she could bear it if she was wrong this time.
"You tell me," she said cautiously.
Elijah returned her gaze for a long moment, his eyes filled with uncertainty.
"Fine," he said finally. "I needed to see… if we still had a chance. After everything."
Katherine gazed at him for a long moment and then she smiled. Her chest felt oddly tight and she was afraid she was going to burst into tears and ruin everything.
"Yeah," she said. "I think I can give you a chance. Or at least I'll try. Charlemagne might have other plans for us."
Elijah laughed. "I'm sure we'll think of some way of convincing him," he said. He took a step forward and cupped her cheeks. "I love you."
Katherine's throat suddenly felt very tight. She'd said those words so many times over the centuries, for all the wrong reasons, but now they seemed foreign and new.
She cleared her throat and met his eyes. "I love you, too."
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It was chaste and pure and Katherine had to grip his elbows to keep from swooning.
"You're not leaving." It was a statement rather than a question, and Katherine couldn't resist the urge to needle him, just a little.
"Maybe," she said. "Not if you clean up your bad habits."
Elijah's eyes narrowed. "Bad habits?" he said. "Like what?"
"Like picking up strays off the streets," she said. "And you have to loosen up a bit. Stop being such a snob. And get that mahogany stick out of your ass."
Elijah grinned as he slipped her arm around her and guided her towards the house.
oOoOo
It turned out there really was a Mitchell Edwards—Elijah's butler. He took Charlemagne out of their hands, promising the overjoyed dog snacks and a bath as they got ready for dinner. When Katherine came out of her room, Elijah was already waiting, leaning against the banister at the top of the stairs looking so devastatingly handsome it took her breath away. When he saw her, he lost balance, catching himself just in time before he toppled down the stairs.
"You look stunning," he said, looking her up and down like he was memorizing the moment.
"So do you." Elijah held out his arm and she took it.
When they reached the dining room, Charlemagne was already seated at the table, freshly groomed, his fur all puffy and white like a perfectly coiffed halo. Edwards had also dressed him in a bow tie.
"Wow," Katherine said. "They weren't joking when they said that dogs start to look like their owners.
"I think he looks very distinguished," Elijah said, flicking open his napkin and putting it on his lap.
"Of course you do," Katherine said, giving him a sweet smile. As Elijah narrowed his eyes, she grabbed a wine glass and added quickly, "To my very distinguished boys."
Elijah looked like he was about to argue, but then Charlemagne barked, and Elijah raised his glass, defeated.
After dinner, Edwards whisked away Charlemagne again as Elijah led her upstairs.
"Is he stealing our dog?" she asked with a frown.
Elijah chuckled. "No," he said. "I, uh, asked Edwards to keep him occupied tonight."
Katherine turned and gave Elijah a long look.
"I see," she said. "Very smooth."
"Unless you want him to watch…"
"No," she said quickly. They arrived at his room and she pushed open the door, entering the room and then reaching through the doorway to grab him by the lapels and pull him into the room.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey," he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her soundly. He kicked the door closed behind him and walked her backwards towards the bed, his hand already working on opening the zipper running down the back of her dress.
"I'm dying to see what you bought at Victoria's Secret," he said.
"Well, that will have to wait," Katherine said. "Since I'm not wearing anything under this dress."
His eyes widened and she moved away, letting the gown slide off her shoulders and down her body. Katherine shivered as his eyes raked her form and she stepped back, sprawling on the bed.
"Come here," she said, crooking her finger at him.
She blinked and he was already naked before her.
"What, no strip tease?" she asked.
"We have plenty of time for that," he said, crawling onto the bed until he was hovering over her, his eyes fixed intently on her as his knees nudged her legs apart. "But right now, I need you too much."
His mouth descended on hers, crushing her lips, brutally at first, but then gentling, as his hand slid down to squeeze her breast. He broke the kiss and then lowered his mouth. She gasped as he sucked her nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue, and then she cried out as he sank his fangs into her tender flesh. The pain soon ceded to a pleasure that was almost too intense, and she felt her own fangs lengthening in response.
All too soon, he released her breast from the exquisite torture and then kissed and licked a path down her stomach to the apex of her thighs. He started to lick her in earnest there, sliding his fingers into her. She came almost immediately, barely cognizant of him biting into her inner thigh as she rode out the waves.
He moved up her body again, a teasing grin playing on his lips. "What was that you said about premature—"
"Shut up," Katherine said, grabbing his face and kissing him soundly, licking the taste of herself from his mouth before sinking her fangs into his lower lip, moaning as the delicious taste of his blood mixed with hers. He gasped and then thrust inside her, groaning deep in his chest as he started to move.
She broke the kiss and fell back, watching his face, the veins darkening his eyes and his fangs extended, blood smeared across his lips and dripping from his mouth. From something she'd overheard Klaus say during their visit, she knew Elijah very rarely showed his true face, even when feeding. That he would show it to her made her chest ache.
"I love you," she whispered and then she surged up, sinking her fangs into his shoulder.
Elijah let out a harsh cry and then he thrust into her one last time, going rigid as his whole body shuddered in orgasm. Once he was spent, he collapsed on top of her, his mouth seeking out hers once more.
After a few moments, he rolled off her, but not away, pulling her into his arms. She pressed her face against his chest, running her fingers through the sparse hair.
"Oh. My. God."
She looked up to find Elijah gazing towards the foot of the bed, his eyes wide in shock. Katherine pushed herself up on her elbows and followed his line of vision, gasping in surprise. Charlemagne was sitting on the foot of the bed, his tongue lolling out of his mouth like he was laughing at them.
"How does he do that?" she asked. Charlemagne took the sudden attention to mean that his presence was wanted and so he made his way up the bed until he was lying between them like a giant sausage-shaped purity ring.
"I have no idea," Elijah said, shaking his head. He rolled onto his side until he was facing her and took her hand, pressing his lips to it. "Good night, my love."
Katherine shivered slightly as he called her 'his love.'
"Good night," she whispered, her eyes already falling closed as she slipped into a deep, contented sleep.
oOoOo
The next morning they got up before sunup and went down to the beach to watch it rise, walking arm and arm on the sand as Charlemagne ran circles around them before getting bored and racing to chase the waves washing up on the shore. Within no time, his short, stubby legs got stuck in the sand and Katherine rescued him, returning to Elijah with a laugh, wet and bedraggled, covered in sand from the equally damp and filthy dog.
"What am I going to do with you?" Elijah asked, tugging her into his arms as she came into reach.
Katherine's heart started to pound Elijah leaned down, his intent obvious, and his eyes fell closed. All of a sudden, Charlemagne poked up his head between them and slobbered all over Elijah's face. Elijah jumped back, grimacing in disgust as Katherine started to snicker. He glared at her as he removed his handkerchief from his pocket and shook it out.
"So you think that's funny," he said. Too breathless from laughing, all Katherine could do was nod. Elijah grinned then and took a step forward. "Well, fine. I'm still going to kiss you."
"No!" Katherine shrieked. Hugging Charlemagne to her chest, she whirled around and took off running to the house, Elijah hot on her heels.
Finis