Hello lovelies! Your eyes aren't deceiving you, I updated. Sorry for the long wait, there is a lengthy note at the bottom of this as well as one in my profile to explain. Since it has been so long, you might want to reread the first few parts of this story to refamiliarize yourself with it, I know I did!
Huge thanks to Ravyn (cupcakemolotov) and Bo (MissBootjah) for their help with some lines in this story that I was stuck on, as well as Alex, (klarolineepiclove), Katie (hybridlovelies) and Jay (klovec) for their betaing help.
Part 4
After she and Klaus parted ways, Caroline left the hunt, grateful that most of the pack was still busy running through the woods or doing...other things to notice her absence. She needed solitude, to think about her conversation with Klaus. Her first thought was to turn into her other form again but she would not find solitude given that the woods were full of other wolves. Instead she retreated to her bedroom.
She changed into a pair of pajamas, trying not to notice the fact that Klaus' scent lingered on her skin, tend curled up under the covers on her bed. Her thoughts raced through her mind in a loop, replaying the events of the night in her head, especially the conversation with Klaus.
Had she been wrong from the beginning about how she handled things with him? At the time things had been so clear, so black and white; she wanted to go away to school and leave Mystic Falls. Klaus wanted nothing more than to stay with the pack. Therefore she had never asked him to go with her, not even chancing a goodbye. Caroline knew that her actions hurt him, but she didn't see any other way. Now it looked like she couldn't have been more wrong. The sun was just peeking through the curtains when Caroline finally gave into her body's need to sleep, not waking until midafternoon.
Despite wanting to just stay in her room for the rest of the day, Caroline knew the self-doubt would only drive her nuts. She decided to seek out someone who listen and give her advice. The alpha female of her pack, her mother.
After a quick shower, to wash the rest of Klaus' scent from her skin, Caroline searched the house for her mom. She found her in the kitchen just as Caroline finished braiding her damp hair. "Hey Mom."
"Caroline." Her mother welcomed her with a smile and a big hug, obviously happy to have her daughter home again. "It's about time you woke up; I thought you were going to sleep the day away. I take it that means you enjoyed the hunt."
"It was incredible, as much as I love school, I can't have nights like last night there," Caroline confessed as breaking away from the hug. Her mother knew how much Caroline's wolf would enjoy the time spent with the pack. It's the reason her father arranged for the hunt, to celebrate her homecoming and give her the wildness her wolf craved. "Well, not without scaring the entire population of the campus half to death."
"Sorry that I missed it," her mother said.
"Yeah, duty calls right?" In addition to her mother's role in the pack as Alpha Female, she was also the town's sheriff; her protective instincts extended to include the humans in town. On duty the night before, her mother missed the hunt. Her deputies were a mix of wolf and human, which coupled with the fact that the mayor was human, gave the town a feeling of balance between the two species that shared the town. They had similar setups throughout the territory with other wolves that reported back to their Alpha.
"That it does. Luckily it doesn't seem like any of the younger wolves created any trouble in town, they kept to the woods and fields," Liz said. She went to the fridge and pulled out food for Caroline, somehow knowing that her daughter would be hungry. Liz put together a sandwich before handing it to Caroline.
"The pack was thrilled to see me; I think I might have a few bruised ribs from the hugs, most likely from Lexi," Caroline told her a smile on her face when she thought about her friend. She definitely needed to see if she and Bonnie wanted to come over for a girls' night before she headed back to school.
"They most likely are, that girl missed you," Liz commented before adding. "Though I can think of someone who beats her out for missing you the most I'm sure.
"Subtle Mom, real subtle," Caroline mumbled before taking a large bite of the sandwich. She tried not to moan at how good it was. She should have eaten before going bed. She went on a hunt on an empty stomach which was difficult given wolves' high metabolism. Especially when turning. She could eat pretty much anything and not gain weight. It was something her friends at school had envied.
"Did you really expect me to not say anything when the pack gossip is all aflutter with the news that you two were seen talking last night? Everyone has been keeping an eye on the two of you to see when you'd come face to face since you hit the town line," her mother explained a knowing look on her face.
Caroline rolled her eyes as she picked at the edges of her sandwich. Wolves were notorious gossips as a whole, but add in the fact that Mystic Falls was a small town, the combination was far worse. She wouldn't be surprised if every wolf in town knew every detail of both encounters she had with Klaus since she came back, even the younger wolves. That wasn't something she missed while she away.
"Talk to me Caroline, I can tell you there's something on your mind you want to talk about. You haven't been away so long that I can't read you," Liz said as she began to busy herself with cleaning up. Her mother could always multi-task and still give her daughter all of her focus.
Though she sought out her mother, Caroline was now hesitating for some reason. She would have preferred to bring it up herself but there was no going back now. But, before she asked for her advice, she wanted to ask something else first. "Klaus and Greta."
"Ah, I was wondering if you were going to ask about them. I wanted to tell you, but whenever your father or I brought him up, you were always so quick to change topics or end the conversation," Liz said. "Did one of the boys tell you about them or was it Bonnie and Lexi?"
"Neither. I ran into the two of them yesterday in front of the house. Klaus was here to meet with Dad, I assume and Greta showed up to give him a ride. She was quick to let me know of how 'close' they've become while I've been gone," Caroline said, her last words coming out almost as a growl.
Reaching over, her mother brushed a stray curl out of her face before lifting her daughter's chin to look her in the eye. "Caroline, did you not consider that something like that might happen?"
Caroline shrugged, not saying anything so Liz went on. "While I supported your need to go away to school, you did what you felt was best for you but you have to realize there were some consequences, like Klaus being with someone else."
"I did, but I guess I never really thought it would happen until I saw it with my own eyes."
"We wolves want nothing more than affection and touch, especially from our family and mates," her mother told her. "Klaus was a lone wolf for years, but at the time he didn't know what it was like to be around a pack. And while Klaus still had the pack, he didn't have you; the loneliness was eating away at him. So, when I first learned of him and Greta, I wasn't surprised; upset naturally, knowing it would hurt you, but not surprised."
Ironically, Caroline of all people could understand the loneliness that her mother talked about Klaus feeling. She had been a lone wolf since she left for school, only having contact with other wolves when her parents visited and one other instance when traveling with her girlfriends. Those infrequent interactions were not enough to sate her wolf's need for touch. It left her wolf edgy often and lonely. It was worse when she first got to campus, but got better once she met people and made friends with people who didn't think it weird if she was a bit affectionate. They thought her loving nature was a part of her. Their attention was enough to pacify her wolf, so she never needed a different type of attention from members of the opposite sex. Klaus, however, chose to go to Greta.
By the way her mother was looking at her; Caroline knew that the sadness she was feeling must have been apparent on her face, especially when she added. "I do not believe that he has any feelings for her, his heart is still yours."
"I'm not sure if that makes me feel any better," Caroline admitted. The night before she felt relief at Klaus' confession for not caring about Greta, because she selfishly didn't want him to, but it still stung to know he was with the other girl while he cared about her. Not that she held it against him. "I almost wish that had been able to avoid him while I was here…."
"No chance of that," her mother interjected. "And I don't think you really would have wanted that. If he hadn't sought you out, you would have found him. The two of you wouldn't have been able to stay apart knowing you were so close to one another."
"He found me in the woods, during the hunt," Caroline explained, unable to keep the small smile from her face as she remembered the few minutes they shared, how good it felt to be near him, to feel him. At least until Klaus took things too far by marking her. If she was honest with herself, the thought of doing the same thing to him crossed her mind when he saw him with Greta. "He followed me out when I tried to leave. He insisted I talk to him, wouldn't let me leave until I did."
"That doesn't shock me a bit. I think he's the only other person I know who can out stubborn you," Liz declared. "Did you work things out?"
"Yes," Caroline nodded. "And no. He wanted to know why I didn't tell him I was leaving and why I went away without saying goodbye. He also asked why I didn't ask him to go with me."
Her mother somehow didn't looked completely stunned at Caroline's admission. As if she knew that Klaus going with her could have been an option if she had just asked. Holding her mother's gaze, she asked, her voice soft. "I didn't think he would be willing to go with me, I was wrong. I messed up Mom, and I don't know how to fix it."
"Maybe the two of you should talk more after he finishes with your dad."
"He's here?" Caroline asked. "In the house?"
"In your father's office. A guest to the territory showed up this morning wanting to talk to the Alpha. After hearing his request for an audience, your dad thought it was best that Klaus be with him. They've been in there since shortly before you came downstairs," Liz announced.
Before Caroline could respond, the door to her father's office opened and he bellowed out. "Caroline, come into my office. You as well Liz."
Caroline glanced over at her mother, who shrugged in reply before the two followed his order and went to his office. Caroline studied her father's face; he had what she had used to call his 'Alpha' face, stern and all business. As she made her way through the door, she caught sight of Klaus. He wore a similar expression, his jaw clenched. He was also angry about something.
However, it was the third person, another male, in the room that confused her the most. He was one of the last people she expected to see again. "Brady?"
"Caroline," the male wolf greeted, moving towards her until a growl from Klaus made him halt.
"I see that you two have indeed met," her father said from behind her before turning to his wife. "This is Brady, and he is here to claim Caroline, he says he is her mate."
/
"Sweetheart, we're going to give the neighbors a show if your hands keep wandering like that."
"I'm sorry, am I making things too hard for you?" Caroline snickered from her position behind him, yet didn't withdraw her hands from where they ran along his chest. Watching Klaus struggle with opening his apartment door was fun. His scent combined with arousal, along with a hint of her perfume. All her wolf wanted was to press up against his skin and breathe him in. Leaning forward she crushed her breasts flat against his back, running her nose against the curve of his neck to do just that. Her lips curled up as her actions caused another muttered curse as he loudly fumbled with the keys.
Both sides of her, the human and wolf, loved seeing the effect she was having on him. It wasn't just sexual attraction. Sure his desire for her was always there, simmering just beneath the surface when he looked at her, mirroring the desire she felt for him. However the nervous anticipation that rolled off of him now told her that he felt more than lust for her, something she already knew but it was nice to confirm.
A few months passed since Klaus showed up injured at her house and the two shared their first kiss. The night Caroline decided to give him a chance. In that time, the friendship they shared grew into something more and now they could no longer wait to know another side of each other.
Finally managing to get the door unlocked, Klaus shoved it open, pulling Caroline inside with him and slamming the door behind them. As soon as it shut Klaus pushed her back against it, not a sliver of space between them as he angled his mouth over hers. His kiss, demanding, tongue moving aggressively past her lips, felt different this time. He was trying to claim her, just as she was planning to claim him.
Her hands threaded through his hair as she pressed against him, allowing her to grind her body against him as she clutched him close, and moved her mouth over his, matching his aggression. When the kisses grew frantic and sloppy, Klaus pulled back, his teeth giving a tug of her bottom lip before ending the kiss. Caroline released a protest before turning it into a moan. When he moved to nip at the pulse on her neck, his stubble scraped against her skin in way that sent shivers straight through her. It caused her body to grow even hotter. "Klaus…"
"Do you want me to stop?" he whispered hotly against her skin. "If you do, tell me now and I will stop. Despite the fact that my wolf wants nothing more than to take you... as do I."
"I want you." She panted before slipping out of his arms and out of his grasp, giggling at his confused expression when he looked over his shoulder at her. While her wolf wanted him, she also liked the idea of playing with him, making him work for it just a little. Bringing her hands up to her collar, Caroline began to slip the buttons through their holes, undoing her blouse. She loved the flash of gold in his eyes while he took in the exposed skin of her stomach and breasts. "But you'll' have to catch me."
His apartment was not large; just one bedroom, with a living area and small kitchen, after all Klaus didn't need much space. Many of the other wolves he tended to spent most of their time at the house of his alpha. His apartment had enough space for an adequate hunt. At least for the kind Caroline wanted.
She might have been the prey, but instead of trying to escape her predator, she led him right where she wanted, his bedroom. She barely passed the door frame when he caught her, taking hold of her wrist again and spinning her around. He brought her hard against his chest, but the momentum carried them forward, causing them to tumble onto his bed, trapping her underneath him. Caroline enjoyed the contrast of the soft mattress at her back and his hard body at her front, the wetness between her legs increasing and the scent of her arousal hung heavy in the air.
They lay there for a moment, nose to nose, breathing hard, with excitement coursing through their bodies. Klaus brushed her hair away from her face, ran his nose along her neck and jaw before he looked back into her eyes. "Caught you."
"Yes, you did," she said. He kissed her, this time more passionate than before. The blood pumped wildly through her veins.
Klaus slid his hands along her thighs, positioning her knees around his hips so that their sexes were that much closer. Enjoying the feeling, Caroline couldn't stop herself and rolled her hips against his hardness. Klaus growled. It rumbled low in his throat, his hands clenched against her hips. Using the momentary distraction to her advantage, Caroline rolled them over so she was on top, astride him.
Caroline tore her mouth away from his and sat up. Her hands slid away from his neck and down his chest to the hem of his shirt which she quickly began pushing up. "I don't think it's fair that I'm the only shirtless one here do you?"
"Not to argue semantics here love, but you do technically still have your shirt on." Klaus declared as his hands rose from her hips, under the shirt that though unbuttoned still hung on her body. Caressing the soft skin he found underneath, his hands moved up until they met the lace of her bra. After he undid the front clasp, his warm, calloused hands cupped her breasts, the rough skin of his palms against her hardened nipples sent shivers of arousal and Caroline was beyond grateful she decided to wear that bra.
She watched him knead her breasts through hooded eyes but the heated sensations that he caused on her heated flesh was over too briefly. Klaus' hands moved up to her shoulders to slip the material off her body; his eyes drank in all of the bare skin now on display to his hungry gaze. His stare so intense, Caroline felt a little self-conscious, at least until he said. "Beautiful."
Sitting up, Klaus lifted Caroline up enough so that his mouth was even with her full breasts; his ruby lips closed over one of her pert nipples, his tongue laving her while his hand cupped the other breast, kneading it expertly. The dual sensations wreaked havoc through her body, the throbbing of her core increasing until she was desperate for relief. Both her wolf and her whined in need. Caroline arched her back, grinding down on his erection for the friction she desperately needed, but it wasn't enough. She needed to feel him, to taste him; she needed more of his skin.
Her hands clawed madly at his shirt, almost ripping it off, she yanked it upwards. Klaus had to pull away from his worship of her breasts to allow for the shirt to go over his head. It made Caroline wish she had ripped the stupid shirt off. Nevertheless she achieved her goal and she now had a shirtless Klaus to explore.
Pushing him back to the bed, Caroline ran her hands over the muscles of his chest, and down to curved V of his lower abdomen causing his breath to hitch ever so slightly. He was the one that was beautiful, all toned, lean muscle that flexed and moved as she ran her fingers over it. She had seen him shirtless before of course, that night at her house, as well as other times when they changed and ran together. This time was altogether different. Unable to resist, the blonde she-wolf leaned forward to press her lips to the muscles beneath her fingers, her tongue coming out to trace patterns and tasting his skin as she moved lower. The combination of their mixed scents on his skin drove her desire higher and higher.
She made it down to the waistband of his pants, had just pressed a kiss an inch above his straining erection, when she felt his hands under her arms, hauling her up his body. Her gasp silenced by his mouth on hers, which he took full advantage of to slide his tongue into her mouth, tangling with hers. Entranced by his talented tongue, Caroline almost missed the feel of his hands attacking the zipper of her jeans, trying to rid her of the article of clothing as best he could. In his haste, Klaus forgot that her position didn't exactly allow for it. Chuckling against his lips at his impatience, she spoke. "Problems?"
"This would be much easier if you were wearing one of the dresses you are so fond of."
"True, but dresses aren't exactly the proper attire for going on a motorcycle ride with your boyfriend," she mumbled against lips. "Unless you want to show everyone you pass by exactly what is underneath."
Caroline could tell by the possessive look in his eye what he thought of that idea. Drawing back from his mouth and she slithered off his lap to stand in front of him.
Eyes locked on his darkened ones, Caroline ran her hands under the waistband of her jeans, pushing them down to her ankles, taking her panties along with them. Kicking them as well as her flats off, she moved back to hover over Klaus, this time reaching for the fly of his jeans. He lifted his hips to help her remove the last barrier between them. She unashamedly licked her lips when she caught sight of his erection, imagining how good it would feel inside her, perfectly fitting. He noticed her perusal. The smug smirk was anything to go by. Rolling her eyes at his ego, she moved to straddle him once more.
As soon as her wet center glided over his hard cock and his mouth closed over her nipple again, his teeth lightly tugging on it, stars danced in front of her eyes. He continued to tease her with his mouth while his hands gripped her ass, using his hold on her to flip them over so Caroline was on her back again. She knew it was a dominance thing for him and was about to complain about alpha males when his fingers moved between her thighs, stroking her core. His long fingers pushed inside her while his thumb circled her clit, and she climbed to orgasm quicker than she could ever remember.
Letting go of her breast with a soft pop, his eyes glowing wolf gold met hers and she knew that he saw the same gold of her wolf looking back at him, when he smiled wickedly at her. "Come for me sweetheart."
The huskiness of his voice, the thrust of his fingers, and the sudden increased pressure of his thumb on her clit sent her over the edge, caused those stars to explode in front of her as the orgasm washed over her. Klaus continued to stroke her through it, prolonging the sensations until the last shudders passed through her. He withdrew his hand from her then, bringing them to his mouth to lick clean, humming as he did. "Next time, I intend to taste much more of you. Until you are screaming my name and begging for more but right now I need to be inside of you."
Caroline whimpered at the image his words produced in her head, his tongue licking away at her slit while her fingers tugged at his curls. Of course she also thought about repaying the favor by tasting him as well and she knew that they would have to try it after they got the first round of their system.
Klaus moved to cover her body again, settling between her spread legs but was halted by Caroline's hand on his chest, a question in her eyes. "Condom?"
"Condom?" he repeated, before the word seemed to click for him.
"I have one in my pocket if you don't have one."
"No, I have one." Moving quickly but carefully Klaus reached over to his side table, she guessed to grab what she had asked for. She might have found her mate, but she was in no way ready for all that it entailed, namely pups.
As he began opening the foil packet in his hand, she reached for him, her hand wrapped around his wide girth to stroke him, though he was so hard he didn't really need the added stimulus. Caroline enjoyed the weight of him in her hand, the velvety yet hard feel of him as well as the reaction her touch pulled from him.
She stopped when he moved to roll the condom on himself, spreading her legs wider as he settled on top of her again. Caroline could feel his shaft against her entrance as he lined himself up to enter her but he did not enter her yet. Instead he took her mouth in a teasing opened mouthed kiss, full of licks and bites, until she felt as if she was melting into the mattress. He thrust into her then, sheathing himself fully inside her, her back to arching as he stretched her. She felt so full, stretched tight yet they fit together perfectly, as they should. Once adjusted, she moved her hips just enough to signal for him to move, and move he did.
Gripping her hip with one hand and holding himself above her with the other, he pulled out of her until only the tip of his cock before plunging back inside her. Over and over again he thrust into her; long, slow, deep strokes that made her claw at his back and buck her hips to meet his. The combination of him thrusting into her and the caress of his hand over the skin of her body stoked the fire inside her. When he wasn't kissing her, he was whispering into her ear, telling her how beautiful he thought she was, how she felt around his cock until it all became too much and she exploded again, crying her mate's name as she did. Moments later he followed her, groaning her name into her neck as he came.
Spent, Klaus collapsed on top of her, and she snuggled into his neck as she ran her hands over his back. He ran his hand up and down the leg she still had wrapped around his hip. Their bodies glistened with a thin layer of sweat while the two lay there recovering, breathing heavily until Klaus propped himself up to look down at her.
"I'll be right back." Klaus said as he gently nipped her bottom lip before pulling back and crawling off the bed. "I just need to clean up."
"I'll be right here," Caroline said as she pulled the sheet closer to her body to try and ward off the sudden chill now that his body heat was no longer hot against her skin. She kept her eyes glued to his very fine, very naked ass as he walked away before disappearing into the bathroom.
Once the door was shut, she closed her eyes as she thought of what they had just done, the memories replaying through her mind as well as the sensations. She brought her hands up above her head, stretching the muscles that had just been given the most delicious workout. Her wolf felt content and sated after being so thoroughly claimed by her mate, the air permeated with the combination of their scents as well as sex and Caroline couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face.
Spotting his Henley nearby where she had tossed in her rush to get him naked, Caroline extracted herself from the bedding to retrieve it, pulling it on. While she knew he'd prefer her naked, his possessive side would delight in her wearing his clothes, immersing her even more in his scent.
As she turned to get back into bed, his sketchpad caught her eye, a very familiar face looking back at her. It was her own face. It wasn't surprising since his first gift to her was a drawing of her, the way she looked the first day he met her. This sketch was different. It was her face of course, but along with her human face, there was also Caroline in wolf form. The way he combined the two sides of her was beautiful but what took her breath away was that somehow the adoration she had seen his eyes when he looked at her, was evident on the paper as well.
"You were not supposed to see that yet," he said from behind her. "It's not finished."
Caroline jumped a bit at his voice. Focused on the sketch, she didn't realize he left the bathroom and came up behind her, leaving only inches between them. Caroline turned; her shoulder bumped his chest as she did. "I'm sorry, I wasn't snooping…"
"No need to be sorry," Klaus assured her. "It was out in the open and easy to see."
When he took the book from her hands and began to close it, she placed her hands over top of his. "Can I see more of them? You've only ever showed me a couple pieces of your work and I'd like to see more."
From the first time she met him, Klaus had always given off an air of confidence so it was startling to Caroline to see self-doubt in his eyes. Though she thought his art was beautiful and that he was talented, he seemed not so sure. Not wanting to pressure him, she said, "It is okay, I understand. I've heard artists like their privacy."
"No, it is fine Caroline," he declared, seeming to have regained his confidence. "I would like you to see them."
Pleased that he was willing to share this part of himself with her, Caroline kissed him softly in thanks. After pulling on his discarded boxers, Klaus retrieved a different sketch book and flipped it open before handing it to her.
As she began to study the pages, he slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, peering over it to provide details of the drawings. Unlike the ones he drew of her, those were mostly of places he'd been, places he'd visited as he looked for knowledge of his father. With each drawing came a story, and Caroline soaked them all up, fascinated as always to see what lay beyond the borders of her father's territory. "Wow, these are amazing."
"Thank you, love," he said, and she could tell by the tone of his voice that her complement pleased his wolf, liking the praise from its mate.
"You've been so many places, seeing and experiencing so many things. I'm very jealous," she remarked as she continued to flip through the pages for another look. While she would always do her duty to the pack, she always planned to get out and figure out who she was before she took over as Alpha Female. First school, then maybe traveling. And now that she met Klaus, and things were going so well between them, maybe she'd have some company. The idea thrilled her.
"It is you that I'm envious of."
"Me?" Caroline asked, wide eyed she turned around so she could look at him face to face. When she did, she noticed a bit of melancholy in his eyes. "What do I have to be jealous of? I've never really been anywhere."
"But you know where you came from, had a place where you belong, you've always known," he answered.
"The world is a magnificent place to explore. I've seen quite a bit more of it than most people and I always thought I'd explore it further but there is something about this place, about having a pack, somewhere you belong. With you, everyone here, that's more important to me than stamps on my passport."
His words whooshed out all of the excitement bubbling inside Caroline. Despite all the beautiful places he'd been, things he might have done, he was the most content in Mystic Falls, with the pack he'd become a part of. Moreover it sounded like he never wanted to leave it. Caroline couldn't blame him. From what she knew, he'd lived his whole life without a pack or even another wolf and now he was surrounded by them, exactly what his wolf nature craved.
Thinking back over his sketches, she realized there was a running theme in them that she hadn't picked up on before, loneliness. Now with the pack there for him, there was none.
So now Caroline had a mate who didn't want to leave the territory, while she craved to do just that. What was she going to do?
I hope the flashback helped explain a little as to why Caroline thought that Klaus wouldn't be willing to leave with her when she went. And I hope you liked the introduction of Liz, she was fun to write. Any idea what is going on with their new visitor?
As for why it took me so long to update this, besides being super busy with my family and job in real life, (not to mention getting hacked and not having access to this account) for most of this year I've been experiencing very severe writing anxiety. I would have ideas to write, but then freeze when I went to do it, even getting mild panic attacks. It was so bad at one point that I thought of deleting this story and just stop writing all together but I was never quite ready to give up so I didn't. I am slowly making my way through it and I appreciate your patience and support as I did.
Also, I know waiting for a story that you enjoy to update can be frustrating, but please take into account that I do this as a hobby. I have gotten a couple of snarky reviews about me not updating, some I've deleted and some I haven't and those types of reviews do the exact opposite of what the person leaving them was probably intending to do, it does not make me want to jump and write, it just makes me mad.
Thank you again for reading. And please leave a review to let me know what you think.