Chapter Seven: Love Song Requiem
"I die each time you look away
My heart, my life will never be the same
This love will take my everything
One breath, one touch will be the end of me…"
Ooo0ooO
I woke up slowly, realizing I had a smile on my face. I knew why.
Klaus.
I was happy that he finally opened up to me and was beginning to trust me. I knew it was probably difficult for him to trust anyone after dealing with its consequences multiple times over the years but it felt…right. Something in my heart was at peace with the idea of having his confidence.
I rolled out of bed and got dressed for the day. I chose a warm knitted sweater and slid it on, smiling at the fact that it matched Klaus's eyes perfectly. I slid into some jeans and boots, tying my hair into a loose French braid. Deciding against makeup, I walked out of the room to find Klaus.
He was sitting in the living room in one of the big leather chairs, reading. I was a little surprised to see him drinking a glass of blood. But then again… part vampire, right?
"Good morning, Annabelle," he said without looking up from his book. I walked over him to look down at what he was reading. I raised my eyebrows.
"Edgar Allan Poe?" I asked curiously. Klaus hmphed and swirled his blood before taking a sip. I wrinkled my nose slightly at the smell but ignored it.
"I never took you for a guy who would read a story about a guy talking to a raven," I murmured. Klaus looked up at me and smiled.
"Says the girl who reads monster stories before bedtime." I smacked him lightly on the head and he laughed.
"Don't be so sassy," I scolded. Klaus flashed so he was standing behind me, making me turn around with a gasp.
"Make me, sweetheart," he challenged. On a playful growl, I launched myself at him and he easily caught me, pretending to fall back until we collapsed on the couch. I giggled, looking down at him. Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to his lips.
"What are we going to do today?" I asked, placing my hands against his chest while his roamed up and down my back, fingers trailing along my spine. I shivered.
"Shall we go for a walk?" Klaus asked, his fingers now playing with my braid. I grinned and placed another kiss on his lips.
"Okay," I whispered against his mouth. I jumped up quickly and he followed me.
Once we were outside, Klaus reached over and took my hand, brushing his thumb along my knuckles. I smiled softly at him and squeezed his hand. We walked into the woods, enjoying the cool morning air. The sky was spotted with puffy clouds and birds were out and singing.
"Annabelle?"
"Hmm?" I turned to look at Klaus. His eyes were looking into mine, searching.
"How exactly did you end up in Mystic Falls?" I sighed, reaching out to pluck a flower from a nearby bush. I twirled it between my fingers.
"When the dreams first started, I told my brother about them. He told me he would go with me to help me find some answers about why they were happening so we travelled from Colorado, where we lived, to towns were we knew other werewolves were. Most of the wolves we asked were friends, others were ones we came across, but no one knew why this was happening. One day, somewhere in Montana, we crossed the path of a large wolf pack. My brother, Charlie, got into a fight with the Alpha of the pack when he tried to drive us out without answering my questions. He claimed we were trespassers on his land and saw us as a threat. I jumped in to fight by my brother's side but things got ugly quickly. Charlie ended up killing the pack Beta and I was knocked out by someone else. When I woke up… he was gone. I searched for him and for the pack but they had disappeared. I tracked their scent to Michigan but then lost their scent. Ever since then I have been travelling on my own, keeping away from any unfamiliar wolves. And one day I happened to stumbled across a wolf who had heard about what was happening here so I decided to come here. I went with just the clothes on my back, stole what I needed, lived as a wolf most days… I barely ate or slept, I barely was human… Then you found me." I struggled with my swelling emotions, biting my lip.
Klaus wrapped an arm around my trembling shoulders and kissed my neck. "You don't have to talk about it, sweetheart," he murmured soothingly.
"You told me about your family. Fair's fair," I mumbled. I leaned against him though. His hand ran up and down my arm.
"After I lost my parent's from a car accident, Charlie was my rock. He was my brother but he was also my best friend, the one person who was always there for me and when he disappeared, my world crumbled. I had nothing, nothing but these dreams of a man I didn't know." I looked up at him sadly.
"I just miss him so much, Klaus," I confessed, tears filling my eyes. He gently took my shoulders so I faced him. He looked directly in my eyes, his midnight orbs serious.
"I have connections, Annabelle. People that could help find your brother. If you want, I could have someone look into the situation." My eyes widened and the tears dried. I stared in shock.
"You would do that for me?" I whispered. He reached over to brush his fingers down my cheek delicately.
"Of course, love," he said softly. Throwing my arms around him, I hugged him fiercely, laughing breathlessly. His arms wrapped around me just as tightly.
"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me," I told him. Klaus pulled away.
"I know that there is nothing more important than family. For you, Annabelle, I would turn the world upside down if that meant reuniting you with your brother." Choking back the tears that returned to my eyes, I hugged him again, burying my face in his neck.
"Annabelle," Klaus said, his voice suddenly angered. I pulled back and saw he was looking over my shoulder with a vicious look on his face. I turned to look and saw a tall guy with dirty blonde hair sitting a little ways away, talking on his cell phone.
"Who's that?" I asked.
"That, sweetheart, is the one and only Stefan Salvatore. I think him and I are do for a little chat." Within a blink of an eye, Klaus flashed over to Stefan. I gasped when I saw Klaus grab Stefan in a choke hold, whispering furiously in his ear. The men broke apart and Klaus was glaring while Stefan looked wary. Klaus said something else before Stefan nodded and flashed away into the forest.
Klaus returned to my side and I cocked my head at him. "What was that all about?"
"When I found out about the cure for vampirism, I only told Stefan about it and ordered him to keep quiet about it. He, of course, did not listen to me and told all of his little friends… Let's just say I was not pleased with him. However, he told me he would keep finding vampires for Jeremy Gilbert to kill so the Mark would be completed as quickly as possible."
"Was the choke hold necessary?" I scolded, shaking my head at him. Klaus rolled his eyes at me.
"Certain vampires need stronger convincing than others, darling. Stefan is hell bent on finding the cure for Elena, since he believes if she becomes human again she will become the girl he fell in love with again… The only twist is the fact that Elena has been lusting after his brother, Damon, and with her being a newborn vampire, those feelings have only been multiplied."
"God, this is exactly why I stay out of drama. That just sounds like one big teenage dramafest. It's so ridiculous," I said, shaking my head. Klaus chuckled, putting his arm around my shoulder so we could continue walking. I wrapped my arm around his waist, leaning in closer to him.
"Speaking of teenagers and drama, how would you feel about attending the Miss Mystic Falls pageant later this afternoon?" Klaus asked. I looked over at him in surprise.
"You don't strike me as a pageant going guy," I teased. Klaus laughed.
"Ah, Annabelle, who could pass up the chance to watch foolish girl talk about world peace and cry over a silly little crown?" I found myself laughing with him.
"You have a valid point there, Klaus. Okay, do we have an invitation to go?" I asked. Klaus paused, looking at me with amused eyes.
"I'm sure an Original Hybrid won't need an invitation to go where he pleases. Neither would his girl," he whispered against my ear, before running his lips down my neck, causing me to tremble.
"You girl?" I teased. "Is that what I am now?" I felt his quiet laughter against my neck.
"Unless you want another title, sweetheart," he murmured. Pulling away, he looked into my eyes.
"What's wrong with 'girlfriend'?" I asked, elbowing him jokingly. "Unless you have something else in mind as well…" Klaus's eyes flickered briefly before filling with humor.
"Annabelle, the girlfriend of the strongest creature in the world," he mused. I giggled.
"Has a nice ring to it," I commented. He kissed me as if in agreement.
Ooo0ooO
When I arrived to the Lockwood home, I saw Caroline ordering people around, obviously getting everything in order for the event later. The sight of her being in charge made me smile good naturedly.
"Now how did I know I'd find you at the helm of the ship?" I called. Caroline turned and spotted me before rolling her eyes at me in exasperation.
"Go away I'm busy," she snapped. I stepped towards her.
"I just wanted to inform you that Annabelle and I will be attending your little pageant later," I said smoothly. She looked up, surprised.
"Oh. I don't know-," I cut her off with some impatience. I wanted to get back to Annabelle, who was waiting for me by the river.
"Come now, Caroline. We won't cause any… drama," I said, borrowing Annabelle's words. Caroline arched a brow at me. Rocking back on my heels, I eyed her coolly.
"I'm sorry you have to go stag after Tyler's little indiscretion with his lady werewolf friend," I said. Caroline glared. Huffing, her shoulder slumped.
"Fine! Be here at two. Black tie optional," she hissed, starting up the stairs to the house. Unable to resist, I called out to her.
"We'll see you later then, Caroline."
Ooo0ooO
Klaus returned to me quicker than I expected. I was sitting out on a rock in the river, with my boots off and jeans rolled up so I could dip my feet in the cold water. I glanced up when I heard him approaching from the woods and smiled when I saw him.
"That didn't take long," I said. Klaus tucked his arms behind his back and smirked at me.
"Did you miss me?" I snorted and rolled my eyes, lips twitching. Klaus suddenly leaped over the water so he could land on the rock next to me. I turned my head so I could kiss him. His lips were warm and soft, curving under mine.
"I think we should get back so we can get ready for the pageant, hmm?" Klaus suggested. I gave a soft laugh and wiggled my nose against his, enjoying how his crinkled, going along with my affection.
"Okay," I said, standing up. Together, we leaped over the water and raced each other back to his mansion.
When we reached the house, Klaus let me bound ahead of him so I could win. Laughing, I turned to put my arms around his neck, stroking his hair. His arms went around my waist and I kissed him. Joined at the lips, he picked me up and I wrapped myself around him.
Before I knew it, he had me pressed up against the outside of my bedroom door. His lips pulled against mine, tongue insistent, causing me to quake with desire. His hard body pressed against mine and heat pooled between my legs. Klaus inhaled sharply, hitching my leg higher over his hip, biting at my neck. I gasped and groaned, tilting my head back, scraping my fingers along his scalp slowly. He moaned before biting down hard on my shoulder. I bit him in return, nipping along his neck before our lips fused together again. Our tongues and teeth clashed as his hands found their way inside my sweater, stroking my skin, sliding along my back, to my hips before cupping my breasts. My hips jerked instinctively when his fingers rolled my nipple and I rubbed against him, feeling his own arousal.
Klaus broke the kiss, letting his hand slid back out of my top. We both were breathing hardly. I started when I saw his eyes were wolf gold, glowing with desire before they cooled off to blue. I blinked at him.
"Your wolf eyes were showing," I told him, hopping down to the floor. My legs were a little weak but I stood strong.
"You don't say?" Klaus said, turning his head to the side slightly. Again, something flickered on his face but disappeared quickly. He opened the door and nudged me inside, smiling.
"Go on, darling, take your time with your girly primping or whatever it is you do," he encouraged. I laughed and shook my head at him before closing the door.
I took my time in the shower; washing my hair thoroughly and I shaved again, before scrubbing my body with a buff puff and cherry blossom body wash. I enjoyed the smell, soft and sweet. When I was done, I got out and dried myself off. I dried my hair and brushed it out before straightening it. When it was straight, it fell just past my shoulder blades.
"I need to get a haircut," I mumbled, running my hand over it. I pulled some hair back for the half up, half down look. Shrugging, I put on some mascara and lip gloss. Exiting the bathroom, I walked into the closet. After trying on some of the dresses there, I picked a soft blue one. It had slim straps and went in at my waistline before it fell in soft ruffles down to my knees. I hooked a black belt around my waist to emphasize it and picked a pair of black strappy heels to match. Pleased to see that Klaus's Hybrid had bought such a large selection of items, I hunted through the jewelry box that was sitting on a shelf. I picked a pair of dangly black earrings and a chunky black bracelet.
"Must have been a girl Hybrid," I said out loud. Chuckling, I went back into the bathroom to look over myself. I grinned at my reflection. I was still too skinny, but my skin had a glow to it and the dress brought out the color of my eyes. Pleased, I left the bedroom to find Klaus.
Klaus was waiting for me at the bottom on the stairs, wearing a tux with a light blue shirt and dark silver tie. I grinned.
"We match," I said. He turned when he heard my voice and his eyes widened.
"Annabelle, you look breathtaking," he murmured. I scoffed, blushing. When I was in front of him, he put a hand on my hip and drew me closer. He kissed me softly.
"Beautiful," he whispered. Then he tucked my arm in his and smiled.
"Shall we go?" I nodded.
We drove there in his car, a large black Lincoln Navigator, to the Lockwood's mansion. People were already showing up when we parked and headed towards the festivities.
I saw Caroline storming around like a woman on a mission, snapping at people to keep everything in order. I grinned when she ordered the band playing to pick up the tempo.
"And how are we doing?" Klaus asked when he stopped in front of her. I looked over her pretty dark gold dress, struggling not to grimace at how short it was. The slit on her left thigh wasn't making it better.
Caroline looked as over; her eyes flickering from distain, to surprise then to some sort of envy. She sighed. "You guys are… perfect. Which is so beyond annoying, I can't even look at you!" She turned and stiffened. Looking over her shoulder, I spotted Tyler walking with a curvy brunette in a flashy red mini dress.
"They didn't waste any time, did they?" Klaus commented. I smacked his shoulder. Rude!
"Klaus!" I hissed. Caroline's shoulders slumped a little.
"Let's just get today over with," she said with a tone of finality, before walking off.
Looking over the crowd of people, I saw April standing on her own in a floor length, cherry red dress. I nudged Klaus.
"I'm going to go talk to April," I told him. He nodded at me.
"Very well, I'll go fetch us some champagne," he said, heading off.
Walking through the crowd, I made my way over to April. When she spotted me, she gave me her usual nervous smile.
"Oh, hey, Annabelle! I didn't expect to see you here," she said, furrowing her brows. I smiled.
"I wasn't going to miss one of the most important events in Mystic Falls!" I joked. "You look really pretty, red looks great on you." April blushed.
"Thank you. Caroline and Elena helped me pick it out… Well, I mean, Damon kind of changes Elena's mind which I think annoyed Caroline but I don't think she likes him," April rambled, "So Elena told me it was my choice and I figured, why not?"
"Well, I think you made the right choice," I said firmly. She looked over my outfit.
"You look really pretty too," she said quietly. Suddenly, I felt Klaus wrap an arm around me.
"She does, doesn't she?" he said. April's eyes widened but she recovered quickly. Smiling shyly, she nodded.
"I just wanted to wish you good luck," I told her with a smile, "And I'll keep my fingers crossed for you." Her face brightened.
"Thanks! I better go stand with the others," she said, taking a step back. I nodded.
"See you around," I said. April gave me one last nervous smile.
"Bye!"
Klaus turned to hand me my champagne flute and I tipped mine against his. "Cheers," I said before taking a sip.
Oh, yum. It was light and frothy and went down like silk. It had been a while since I had indulged myself on something as fancy as champagne.
"Shall we find a seat?" Klaus asked, gesturing towards the white tables.
"Yes," I replied, walking with him to find somewhere to sit.
Ooo0ooO
When the pageant started, I kept my eye on everyone, listening in on what was being said. Once Caroline announced that April Young as the winner, Annabelle cheered by my side and I looked over at her.
She looked like an angel, glowing with happiness. Her smile was bright and her gray eyes were soft and smoky. She waved at April from her seat when the girl glanced our way and I saw them smile at each other. I was pleased with the idea of Annabelle making some friends while she stayed here.
But how long will she stay? I frowned at that question that popped in my head. I wondered if she would stay. Or will she leave once I find her brother? Or after I eventually pluck up the courage to tell her about the soul bond?
I hated the thought of her leaving. She was slowly getting a stronger and stronger grip on my dead heart and I knew if she left, she would take it away with her.
When the dancing started, I asked Annabelle if she'd like to take a walk around the lake with me and she agreed eagerly. Grabbing the bottle of champagne, we headed off towards the water.
"Why did Caroline sound so angry at Elena about Damon?" Annabelle asked, glancing back towards the blonde vampire. I looked too and saw she was sitting alone. I wanted to feel sympathy towards her.
"She believes that Stefan is better suited for Elena than Damon is," I answered easily.
"Okay but what's the big deal about Elena agreeing with Damon now?" I smiled, knowing exactly why Elena was suddenly so eager in agreeing with Damon.
"It will all make sense eventually." I shrugged. We sat on a marble bench and I topped off our glasses. We sat out by the lake in silence for some time, drinking our champagne, making small talk.
Eventually we started walking back, arm in arm, towards the pageant. Annabelle turned towards me with a curious expression.
"You know, I was born with the werewolf gene. I never got to know what it was like to really be human. I know it was a long, long time ago, but you were once human. Have you ever thought about being human?" she asked. I paused and faced her.
"Once I was on a track in the Andes and a hummingbird flew up to me and just hovered there staring at me. Its tiny heart was pattering like a machine gun and I thought, 'What a thing.' You know, to have to work that hard every day just to stay alive, to be constantly on the verge of death, and how satisfying it must be everyday to have survived… and that was the only time I thought about being human."
Annabelle smiled at my story. She stepped forward and brushed a kiss over my lips gently. I moved to kiss her back when we both heard Tyler's voice in the distance.
"The sooner we get rid of that guy, the better."
Ooo0ooO
Author's Note: Well the story is pretty much caught up to the show! I just need to watch tonight's episode then I'll post Chapter 8 later tonight or tomorrow!
The title of the chapter and the lyrics after it is the song "Love Song Requiem" by Trading Yesterday… If you guys don't know them, I'd definitely recommend you listen to this song and others by them!
I'm going to start introducing more of Annabelle's back story, that's why I started with her older brother and what happened with him and her parents. More to come with that!
I read some of your reviews and saw you guys liked the idea of April and Annabelle becoming friends so I'm going to start bringing the girls closer together!
Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter!