Chapter 30
Aftermath
"What did Kol do to you?"
Klaus sounded calm but I could sense how tense he was. He was holding me so I had to pull away so he could see my answer. I signed that he took my blood.
"Is that all what he took?" Klaus asked tensely.
I nodded. He didn't seem convinced.
"Anna, you can tell me what happened. I won't be angry, I promise."
No, I couldn't tell him. He would never look at me the same way again. I signed to him that there was nothing to tell.
"Are you trying to tell me that my brother kept you for 8 months and he didn't touch you?"
I kept my face emotionless and nodded.
"How did you get away?"
I signed that Kol let me go.
"Why would he have done that?" Klaus asked disbelievingly.
I had prepared for this question and I answered as truthfully as I could. My blood had some way affected Kol and he took pity of me. He didn't want me to suffer. I left out the part that he had felt guilty for what he had done. Klaus probably didn't believe me but he didn't say it out loud. I wished I would know what he was thinking. Would he be able to get over this? I buried my face in his chest hoping he would just hold me. His body still felt tense. I was afraid that he would reject me. I knew how jealous and possessive he could be.
"Well, you are here now, that is all what matters", he murmured.
I really wished things would be that easy but I doubted that. I just had no idea what to do. I felt lost.
...
Klaus opened his eyes and reached for Anna. She was gone. He jumped up and looked around but she wasn't in the room. He wasn't sure what time it was but it was still dark outside. Where was she? Klaus went to the hallway and started to look for her. He was angry. Why had she left without saying anything? Klaus stopped in front of Elijah's room and opened the door. Anna was in his bed. Her head was leaning against Elijah's chest and he was reading something to her. In that moment Klaus lost it. All he felt was blinding rage and jealousy.
"What the hell are you doing with my wife?" he asked furiously.
They both looked at him and Elijah stood up.
"Calm down Niklaus, Annabelle could not sleep…"
"She is mine!" Klaus shouted. "You think you can take her from me?"
"Niklaus…"
Before Elijah was able to finish his sentence, Klaus grabbed him and pushed him against the wall.
"She is mine!"
Klaus was way past furious. He couldn't control himself anymore. Someone had to pay. Elijah tried his best to calm him down but Klaus barely heard him.
"She is mine! Mine!"
Someone grabbed his arm and tried to make him let go of Elijah. Klaus yanked his hand away, throwing that person across the room.
"Niklaus!" Elijah shouted.
Klaus turned and saw Annabelle lying on the floor. That snapped him out of it.
"Anna…"
She looked shocked. Klaus saw right away, that her arm was broken. What had he done? She looked at him fearfully and covered her face when he approached her. That cut him deeper than anything else.
"Anna, I am so sorry. Please…"
She was shaking.
"Perhaps you should give her a moment", Elijah said coldly. There was a judgmental look in his eyes.
Klaus couldn't say anything. He just turned and walked out. He was angry. Angry at Kol, angry at Elijah but most of all he was angry at himself. He should have protected her. None of this should have ever happened. Someone would certainly pay. At the moment, he didn't really care who.
...
"Let me see", Elijah said quietly.
I held still when he examined my hand. It would heal soon so it didn't really matter. I didn't even care about the pain. I felt that I deserved it. I was so tired. In that moment I hated being in this body. Sure I had got used to it over the years but now it felt more like a prison than ever before. It was like something inside of me had died. I just wanted to be set free. I didn't know how to handle all of these things. All of these mixed feelings. I had no strength left.
I had just wanted to feel safe, like I did when I was a child. I had needed Elijah's presence. He always managed to make me feel calm and safe. Now I had just made things worse. I knew that Klaus hadn't meant to hurt me but he would still feel guilty about it.
"Annabelle? Are you alright?" Elijah asked.
I was about to nod but I couldn't. Instead I started to sob. That was pathetic. Elijah wrapped his arms around me and stroked my back calmingly.
"Everything is going to be alright", he murmured. "My little Annabelle…"
To him I was still his child. A part of me hoped that I could have been a child again. Things were much more simple back then. I dried my eyes and asked could he read something to me. He smiled.
"Of course."
I loved the sound of his voice. I always had. I curled up next to him when he took a book and started to read. When I eventually fell asleep, I slept peacefully. For a few short hours, I forgot everything. Fortunately I didn't know then what was ahead. I certainly couldn't have slept if I would have known.