Chapter Ten: Animal I Have Become
"So what if you can see, the darkest side of me
No one will ever change this animal I have become
Help me believe, it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal…
Somebody help me through this nightmare, I can't control myself
Somebody wake me from this nightmare, I can't escape this hell…"
Ooo0ooO
When I woke up, Klaus was gone. I sat up and looked around but the room was empty and quiet. I got up and walked towards the closet. Slipping on a warm sweater, I walked downstairs to find him.
The smell of oil paint and turpentine hit me immediately, so I followed it, padding down the hallway quietly. I found Klaus in his drawing room, painting over a canvas in smooth, steady strokes.
"Good morning, love," he said without turning to face me. I smiled, wrapping my arms around my middle.
"Morning," I said. Walking over to Klaus, I stood on my tippy toes to kiss his cheek. Resting my head on his shoulder, I looked at the canvas. It was a beautiful picture of a falling snowflake, up close falling in the middle of the forest at night. The canvas was a gorgeous swirl of dark blues, blacks, muted grays and whites.
"It's beautiful," I whispered. Klaus turned his head to brush a kiss over my forehead, inhaling quietly.
"I have seen something much more beautiful," he murmured. I laughed, pressing my face into his shoulder harder, trying not to blush.
"What's on the agenda today, my sweet Anna?" I froze at his softly spoken words. His voice was filled with tenderness, such gentle affection my heart flopped under my ribs and melted pathetically.
"You never call me Anna," I said. Klaus turned to look at me with amused eyes.
"You did say I could, sweetheart," he pointed out while raising his brows. I blinked at him before grinning.
"I figured you'd call me Belle just to spite me," I teased. Klaus cupped my face in his hands, brushing his thumbs down my cheeks.
"Annabelle," he said patiently. Sighing, knowing he wanted an answer and for me to stop dodging him, I shrugged.
"April told me there's this Winter event thingy today in town. I figured I would go check it out." Klaus laughed.
"Ah, yes, the Winter Wonderland Charity Event. Where do you think this is going?" he asked, gesturing towards the painting. I smiled.
"I'm sure everyone will love it," I assured him, holding his hand and giving it a squeeze. "I'm going to get ready then I'll head into town to see if April needs some help with the event."
"All right, love. Keep your phone by you in case I need you," he told me, turning back to the canvas. I grinned wickedly at his back.
"Need me, hmm? Was last night…unsatisfying?" Before I could blink, Klaus had turned around and took me into his arms. His lips were hot and insistent on mine and I groaned, heat exploding throughout my body. When he leaned back, he looked at me with swirling gold eyes.
"Annabelle… When will you learn that you drive me insane? Nothing with you could be labeled as 'unsatisfying'," he growled. I leaned in close so our lips were almost brushing.
"Same goes for you," I said before kissing him. Pulling back, I reached around and gave his ass a friendly pinch. Giving him a saucy wink, I turned around and walked out of the room. Suddenly, I felt a gust of wind and gasped when I felt a pinch on my own bottom. I whirled around but didn't see anyone. I glared at the drawing room door, sensing Klaus's quiet laughter.
"Sneaky," I said out loud. Turning, I nearly ran into Stefan Salvatore.
"Oh! God, you scared me. Stefan, right?" I asked. Stefan cocked his head, his green-hazel eyes focusing on me with intent curiosity.
"Yes… I don't believe we met," he answered in a cool tone.
"Sorry, Klaus told me who you were. I'm Annabelle," I said easily, sticking out my hand. He shook it and I struggled not to cringe slightly at his cooler touch.
"Nice to meet you," he said politely. His eyes were still blazing with questions so I sidestepped by him.
"Nice meeting you too, Stefan," I said over my shoulder. I saw him watching my progress up the stairs before heading down the hall to the drawing room.
An hour later, I returned downstairs to find Klaus sitting on the couch.
"Where's Stefan?" I asked, knowing he heard our little exchange we had earlier.
"Gone. Probably headed for the Grill," he informed me. His eyes scanned over me, taking in the soft red winter dress I was wearing. It was woolly and thick, with a scoop neck, three quarter sleeves and ended at my knees. I also wore thick black tights and knee high boots to complete the look.
"You're still so thin," Klaus murmured. Flashing, he ran a hand down my side, his fingers tracing the faint outline of my ribs. I shivered at his touch.
"I'll fill out in no time," I said, patting his hand. He looked at me with concern. I smiled.
"I have to go meet April," I reminded him. He nodded and stepped back.
"I'll see you later than, sweetheart. I plan on stopping by the event to check on…things," he said. Nodding in understanding, I adjusted my purse over my shoulder. Giving Klaus one last kiss, I headed to the door.
Ooo0ooO
I watched Annabelle leave before letting out a sigh. Running a hand through my hair, I considered what going to go one today. I had a feeling that Stefan was up to something, and if my few conversations with that wolf girl Hailey, Tyler had roped my Hybrids into going behind my back.
Heading up stairs, I got ready for the Charity Event. Dressing in a white button down topped with a black dinner jacket and slacks, I headed out into town in my car.
When I pulled up the Grill, I caught Annabelle's scent; warm and flowery, lingering outside. Getting out of the car, I approached the entrance. When the door opened, I was immediately engulfed in scents and noise. Cheerful Christmas music played and people were chattering like animals and the whole establishment smelled of spices, paint, pine and an assortment of flowers. I spotted Annabelle standing near the bar, talking to Matt Donovan and April Young.
Smiling, I strolled through the crowd of people, scanning for any faces I knew. Standing by my painting with a curious look on her face, was Caroline. When she saw me approaching, something flickered across her face and was gone before I could figure out what it was.
"Here to steal Tiny Tim's crutches?" she asked sarcastically. I smirked at her.
"Dickens was a dark man. You'd like him," I replied easily. Caroline started stepping to the side and I kept myself aligned with her, so we circled each other slowly.
"Nice snowflake, by the way," she commented, stopping to look at the canvas again. I glanced at it as well. Feeling a flash of annoyance, I looked back at Caroline.
"Is my work really that literal?" I demanded. Caroline's green eyes flashed back to me, full of honesty.
"I'm serious… There's something… Lonely about it." My mind pictured Annabelle and I glanced her way. She was laughing at something April had said. As if sensing my gaze, her eyes met mine. She smiled, a simple curve of her lips, and a wave of understanding passed between us. Directing my gaze back to Caroline, I gave her a serious look.
"I'm going to take that as a compliment," I informed her in my calm voice. Leaning back on my heels, I watched as Caroline gave me a wary look. "Could I offer you some champagne?" I said politely.
Caroline turned and walked a few paces away from me and I followed. "Can't," she told me, "Too many adult prying eyes. I don't want to be the net high school cautionary tale at the net town meeting." Her eyes looked back at me.
"Well the, it's a good thing the high school part's nearly over," I commented lightly. Her face went from gentle to very businesslike. I recognized that look.
"If we are going to be nice to each other, I'm going to need that glass of champagne," she told me. I stepped closer to her.
"Is that our thing?" I asked. Caroline looked at me pointedly.
"We don't have a thing." Indeed not. I looked over at Annabelle again.
"Allow me," I said, walking away. I approached Annabelle and April, who were still talking with Matt at the bar. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that Caroline had disappeared. Shaking my head, I focused back on my mate.
"Annabelle," I said. She turned around, gray eyes warm. Without saying anything, she stepped up to me and kissed me. Her lips were soft and sweet, tasting of champagne and strawberries.
"Well, I'm going to see if Mrs. Lockwood needs anymore help. I'll see you around, Anna," April said. Annabelle looked over her shoulder and smiled at the younger girl.
"See you, Miss Mystic Falls," she replied, her voice teasing. April blushed prettily before scampering off. Annabelle turned to face me again.
"Why were you talking to Caroline?" she asked. I sat down at the bar and she took the seat next to mine.
"Do you guys want anything?" Matt asked after turning back around from cleaning glasses.
"Two more glasses of champagne, Matty," Annabelle replied. I raised my brow at her while Matt set the flutes in front of us and walked discreetly away.
"Matty? Getting friendly with the help are we, Annabelle?" She snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Please. As if. Matt's just a friend. We actually have a lot in common. Besides, weren't you the one who said I should make friends?" She shot a look at me while sipping her wine.
"Indeed I did," I agreed, tapping my glass to hers before taking a drink. Annabelle smiled. Finishing off my champagne, I stood up.
"I have more business to attend to, darling, but I'll find you later to escort you home," I told her. Annabelle whirled in her seat, her eyes serious.
"Are you going to hurt someone?" Smoothing out my expression, I smiled.
"Only if someone deserves it," I said. Turning around, I left her behind at the bar, watching after me.
Ooo0ooO
Klaus walked away, leaving me with that very vague threat rattling around in my head. I sighed and set my glass down. Matt appeared and picked them up, turning to clean them.
"So, are you and Klaus a thing?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Ah… sort of," I said hesitantly. I wasn't exactly sure who to trust, since there were a lot of people out to hurt Klaus. My Klaus.
"Hey, I don't mean to pry, it's just you two were kissing…. I never saw him look at someone the way he looks at you," Matt said, turning back to lean on the bar. His light blue eyes focused on me.
"Oh?" I hummed. Matt nodded.
"He seems like…a complicated guy." I laughed and rolled my eyes.
"You have no idea," I replied before getting off my seat. Turning around, I saw Mrs. Lockwood talking to April. April nodded and smiled nervously before the mayor walked off.
Stepping towards her, I grinned. "Is she cracking the whip on her newest Miss Mystic Falls?" April rolled her icy eyes.
"She's nice but she can be really pushy," April said. We looked at each other with amusement before laughing.
"I need to freshen up in the bathroom," April said, running a hand through her black curls, sighing.
"I'll come with you," I said. When we walked toward the back, I ran smack into the other werewolf girl, Hailey.
"Oh, sorry," I said, stepping back. I felt my wolf snarl at the curvy brunette. She glared at me with her sharp green eyes.
"Whatever, just watch where you're going, wolf," she snapped, walking away quickly.
"Did she just call you 'wolf'?" April asked. My mind worked quickly. I scoffed.
"Wolf is probably just the new word for 'bitch'," I said easily. April looked at me with confused eyes but then shrugged.
Walking into the bathroom, I headed towards the mirrors as April walked to a stall. She pushed the door.
"Oh, sorry!" she said. I glanced over and saw her looking down intently. Suddenly the door opened and Caroline's limp body spilled to the floor.
"Oh my God!" April yelped.
Ooo0ooO
As I suspected, it didn't take Hailey long for her to find me and to confess what was going to happen tonight. She told me about the Hybrids and about Tyler and about how Caroline was again used as a ruse to distract me. I wasn't surprised when Hailey told me that Stefan was involved as well.
"You know what you have to do," she told me, before walking away. I saw Stefan watching us, his gaze stern.
"She doesn't like me much," I lied. "Where have you been all day?"
"Been around," the younger vampire replied. Resisting the urge to snarl, I stepped closer to him.
"I'm not interested in vagaries, Stefan. You have been dodging and Caroline has been lovely, but that I've come to recognize as a tool of distraction. Now, do you have something to share with me, or do I have to compel it out of you?" Stefan looked away, clearly weighing his options.
"I broke into your safe to look for the sword," he informed me. Suppressing the anger swelling inside me, I stared back at him.
"Why?" I demanded.
"Because I don't trust you," Stefan said, as if it was completely obvious.
"I showed you the sword. I explained its value. I've been on your side the entire time. What do you want from me, a secret brotherhood handshake?" I demanded sarcastically.
"I found the letters. There were a few…pen pals over the centuries." This time I had to tamper down the urge to roll my eyes.
"Well, was keeping my victim's letters really so different from writing their names on a wall…like you did?" I asked quietly, menacingly. "Ripper."
I saw Adrian standing a little ways away, watching me with some sort of contempt, and I knew what I had to go do. I walked around Stefan before pausing and turning back to look at him.
"Loneliness, Stefan. That's why you and I memorialize our dead. There's the briefest of moments before we kill where we literally hold their life in our hands and then we rip it away. Then we are left with nothing. So gathering other people's letters or writing their names on a wall is a reminder that in the end…" I trailed off briefly, struggling to quell my rising emotions. "We are left infinitely and utterly …alone." Stefan stared back at me, his eyes dark.
Turning away, I started walking away.
Ooo0ooO
"Oh my God!" April repeated, kneeling down next to Caroline's body. Rushing to her side, I watched as April felt desperately for Caroline's pulse. Wincing, I let her do that, knowing there was no point. The blonde vampire wasn't dead, well dead dead.
"I'm going to get help," I told her, before getting up and walking quickly from the bathroom.
I walked into the main room of the Grill again but turned when I heard Caroline's voice coming from the restroom. Matt walked towards me quickly.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Caroline had her neck snapped in the bathroom by someone and April was in there. She must have seen her magically come back to life," I told him quickly.
"Wait…you know?" he asked. I gave him a pointed look.
"I'm with Klaus, remember?" Before he could answer, we turned when we saw Caroline walking towards us, phone in hand. Not wanting to deal with the moody blonde, I began to walk away.
I listened to the brief exchange between her and Matt. I froze when I heard Matt tell her that Klaus was being lead away by one of his Hybrids, a sickening feeling building up in my chest. Running out of the Grill, I didn't hear Matt tell Caroline that April couldn't be compelled to forget her coming back to life since she was wearing Jeremy's vervain bracelet.
I ran outside to the middle of town square, looking for Klaus. I saw him talking to Stefan before walking away with a tall, dark haired man, who I assumed was Adrian, his Hybrid. Shoving through people, I made my way quickly to him.
"Klaus!" I called out. He turned, his eyes dark and angry.
"Annabelle, I need you to return to the mansion immediately without arguing," he snapped. I recognized that tone.
"Are you going to kill someone?" I demanded. Klaus didn't answer, he just turned around and him and Adrian flashed off into the dark woods. I had no choice but to follow.
Running for enough into the trees, I shifted. I ran even faster on four paws and I dug in and took off as fast as I could, following Klaus's scent.
I saw Klaus and Adrian slow at a clearing. There was a large group of people standing around and by their scent, I knew they were Klaus's Hybrids. One brunette woman in a red shirt was demanding Adrian's whereabouts, when Adrian spoke up.
"Kim?" I flinched when I saw Klaus's hand shove through the man's back. Adrian gurgled before falling to the ground. To my horror, I saw Klaus holding his heart in his hand. Shifting back, I ran towards him.
"Klaus!" I screamed. He turned, his eyes filled with shock.
"Get out of here, Annabelle!" he shouted before turning back to the group of Hybrids. Suddenly, he unsheathed a sword and lunged towards one, slicing off his head.
"KLAUS! Don't! Don't do this!" I begged. Klaus was like another person, murdering the other Hybrids without flinching or blinking.
"Klaus! Listen to me!" I screamed. Klaus jammed the sword into the heart of another Hybrid, pinning him to a tree. He turned and I saw he was drenched in blood. My knees went weak as I saw him looking at me with black eyes, full of hatred.
"Klaus, please," I said, "This isn't you. I know you. Please stop. For me. Stop killing for me." I asked, begging for him to understand.
His head rolled slightly to the side and I saw the woman in the red shirt struggling to get away, crawling towards some crumbled structure. Klaus began following her. I flashed to him, placing my hands on his chest.
"Klaus!" I shouted, cupping his face in my hands. "Klaus!"
"Let go of me," he ordered in a horrifyingly dead voice. With a flick of his hand, he smashed my hands away from his face. I yelped as his strong hit broke my wrist and a finger. Wincing, I set them back in place so they could heal quicker. When I looked up, Klaus has disappeared after the last Hybrid.
"Where is Tyler Lockwood?" I heard Klaus demand. Running towards his voice, I walked into a strange, old building underground. Klaus had the woman cornered between himself and a wall of bars.
"You do well to answer me, love." I felt something inside me rip when he called her that.
"Where is he!" he yelled, shoving the woman against the bars, sword to her throat. I heard her pounding heart, I smelled the blood and I saw the look of pure fear on her face as she looked into Klaus's eyes.
"I don't know," she whimpered. I saw Klaus tense and the sword dig into the woman's throat.
"Wrong answer," he murmured. Before the woman could gasp, he slammed the sword against her throat, decapitating her. The body slumped to the ground as Klaus turned around and spotted me. When I saw the dead, blank look in his eyes, for the first time since I met him, I truly feared him.
"Klaus," I whispered brokenly. Klaus exhaled and his eyes met mine, clearing from that empty look. Blue swirled in as the black disappeared. The sword was still in his hand, dripping blood.
"Annabelle," he murmured. I started shaking and tears filled my eyes.
"Is this what you do?" I cried. "Is this what you do when people hurt you? You kill them? Don't you have a shred of humanity left in you?" My voice went higher and higher. "How can you just kill all of these people, Klaus! How!"
My back slammed against the wall and I gasped. Klaus was glaring at me furiously as he pressed the tip of the sword to my breast, right above my heart.
"Don't you understand? This is why I don't trust people!" he yelled, gesturing towards the dead body behind him. "They wanted to kill me, Annabelle. What else was I suppose to do? Let them? Is that what you want!" Tears streamed down my face as I looked him directly in the eyes.
"Will you kill me if I lose your trust?" I asked in a surprisingly calm, quiet voice. I felt the sword blur until it was pressed against my own throat. Klaus's eyes were blazing, a mix of blue and black.
"Are you going to hurt me, Niklaus?" I whispered. At the sound of his full name, Klaus's eyes widened. The sword slipped out of his grasp and clattered to the floor as he stumbled away from me. I slumped against the wall but refused to break eye contact with him. His face contorted in pain.
"Annabelle." He dropped to his knees, his blue eyes so full of pain and self loathing I nearly went to him. But I couldn't. Not now.
I turned away from Klaus and ran.
Ooo0ooO
Pain. That's all I felt. Searing, hot white pain, burning though my veins like a thousand fires.
I felt it rip through my dead heart as Annabelle turned her back to me and ran away. I looked down at my clothes and my hands, both covered with dark red blood.
"Annabelle," I heard myself say again. Begging for her to come back. Begging for her to forgive me.
Standing unsteadily on my feet, I rubbed a hand over my heart. It hurt. I never knew this kind of hurt.
Glancing down at the sword, I picked it up. It was smeared with the Hybrid's blood. I knew I had to hide it away again. But first, I still had one more thing I had to do.
Flashing back into town, I entered the Grill. It was empty, littered with trash and half full glasses of various drinks. Selecting a large bottle of wine, I drank it all. Feeling the effects, I picked up another.
Walking outside, I spotted Carol Lockwood sitting by the fountain, talking on her phone. She was leaving a voicemail for Tyler. How… perfect. I approached her slowly.
"Good evening, Carol," I called out. Her head whipped around and her blue eyes widened as she took in the sight of me covered in blood. What a sight it must have been.
"You're looking for Tyler," I continued. I'd like a little word with him myself." Fear spread across her face and she looked up at me pleadingly.
"Klaus, please. Don't hurt him," she begged. "He's my son… He's all I have." Staring back at her, I felt a tinge of twisted amusement.
"And you're all he has. There's beautiful symmetry to that, don't you think?" Without a second thought, I grabbed and twisted her head around, shoving it under the water in the fountain. I felt the darkness within me rise as she struggled and flailed about. Once the movements ceased, I looked down at her limp body before turning and walking away.
I had to find Annabelle.
Throwing aside the bottle, I winced at the pain her name brought to me.
Flashing towards my home, I flung open the front door.
"Annabelle!" I called out. In an instant, I was in front of her door. When I opened it, I saw the room was empty. Her scent was very faint and nothing was missing. It looked like she hadn't returned since she left this morning.
This morning, I thought. When she still trusted me… When she wasn't afraid of me. So much had changed since then.
I knew there was a good chance she would never return.
And that thought brought me to my knees again as the white hot pain consumed me.
Ooo0ooO
Sobbing, I hid away into the forest. I ran to the river and past it heading farther down than I had ever gone.
I found myself next to the falls. The water was glistening and reflecting the pale moonlight. Walking as close as I could to the falling water, I enjoyed the cold sensation of the breeze washing over my face. Peering into the darkness, I spotted a small cave behind the falls.
Leaping onto a rock right next to the waterfall, I balanced myself before jumping past the stream and landing on solid ground. Behind the falls, there was a small, damp cave. It was dark and smelled like earth. I found it comforting. Sitting down, I looked up at the waterfall, watching the moon reflect through the water. It was almost full.
Brushing away my tears, I brought my knees to my chest and buried my face into them. My mind whirled with what I just witnessed. All I saw was blood, hearts all over the ground, a dripping sword…Klaus, covered in blood… I whimpered and curled into myself tighter.
"Annabelle." I flinched at the sound of Klaus's voice. Looking up, I saw him standing a few feet away, his hair damp. His body was clean from any blood and his clothes were fresh, a simple button down and jeans. He watched me with a cautious look.
"Annabelle," he repeated softly. He walked over to me but I scrambled away from him quickly, flashing to the farthest wall from him, pressing my body against the damp earth. Klaus watched me with a pained expression. Everything inside me screamed in pain too, as if his pain was my pain. He reached towards me again.
"Annabelle," he pleaded. I closed my eyes and cringed away from him, whimpering softly.
"Don't," I whimpered. I heard him release a shaky breath.
"Annabelle, please look at me." I shook my head and suddenly his hands were cradling my face. I cried out and lunged quickly out of his grasp, falling to the ground. I opened my eyes and started up at him, my heart beating fiercely.
"Don't," I said, voice quivering. "Don't…touch me." Klaus stared at me before nodding.
"I understand," he said stiffly. I got up carefully, eyeing him warily. Klaus's eyes flickered and closed, as if this was too much to bear.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I never meant for you to see that side of me… That animal part of me. The darkest side of me is the farthest thing from human as you can get, Annabelle… It's something I never intended for you to experience." I shuddered at his words. His eyes remained closed.
"I was afraid of you," I told him.
"I know."
"I thought you were going to hurt me." My voice was getting quieter.
"I know."
"I thought you would kill me." That came out in a hushed whisper. Klaus's eyes snapped open, the bright blue color filled with powerful emotions, all clashing together.
"I could never do that," he said fiercely.
"Kill me… Or hurt me?" I asked softly. Klaus appeared right in front of me. I cringed again but didn't step back.
"Neither. You are too precious to me, Annabelle. You're everything to me." I looked up at him with sad eyes.
"But why would you kill so many people, even when I begged you to stop?" I asked. Klaus rubbed a hand over his eyes and sighed. Dropping his hand, he looked right in my eyes.
"Annabelle, I have a lot of enemies. Most of them want to kill me. If I hadn't-," I raised a hand to stop him.
"You really think that justifies killing twelve people?" Something flickered over his face again and my eyes widened. "More than twelve?" I choked.
"I may have left the mayor in the town square's fountain," he said. I stumbled back from him.
"How… You killed Mrs. Lockwood?" I screamed. Klaus nodded. My heart ripped and I felt pain erupt through my like a volcano, filling my veins with searing hot pain. Klaus flinched, and gasped in pain.
"You… Annabelle…" he trailed off, reaching for me. I shook my head rapidly.
"Stay away from me! Just stay away!" I shrieked.
For the second time today, I ran away from him with my heart pounding in fear.
Ooo0ooO
Author's Note: What an intense episode! It was interesting trying to write this chapter from Klaus's perspective. Tell me what you thought of this chapter!
The next chapter will be more fluff… Will Klaus find Annabelle? Will she forgive him? And will he finally confess to the secret he's been hiding from her?