2010, Mystic Falls, Virginia
776 Years Later
Something was going on.
Caroline didn't know what plan her friends had concocted this time, but just the way Elena and Matt acted when they arrived alerted her that something was up. Not to mention Rebekah of all people was supposed to be Matt's date for homecoming, but was now suspiciously nowhere to be found. And it was definitely suspicious, because the evil blood slut wouldn't shut up about the homecoming dance the last time Caroline had seen her, back at cheerleading practice. She wouldn't have missed her chance to be Prom Queen. Adding that to the fact that Elena and Matt were not surprised at all at Klaus' presence, made Caroline hyper aware they were hiding something from her.
She tried to ignore it. She would not let it ruin tonight, not on her watch. This was their senior year - their final year - and the last chance to make memories; the only opportunity to experience High School with the people she grew up with. Yes, she was a vampire now, and a seventeen-year-old vampire at that, one that could go back to high school whenever she wanted. But never again with Elena and Bonnie. So she was going to enjoy their homecoming, regardless of the fact that the dance she had meticulously planned had been cancelled due to a flooded gym (she was not going to consider Tyler had deliberately sabotaged it for Klaus, she was not) and her friends were lying to her face. Caroline Forbes was not so easily defeated, thank you very much. She was Captain of the Cheer Squad and Miss Mystic Falls - she could do this. All she had to do was conjure that radiant cheer she was known for and enjoy the brilliant party her Klaus-sired boyfriend had planned behind her back. No big deal.
At. All.
None whatsoever.
She was fine.
Caroline watched as a jock brushed past her - Tyler's teammate Jace, if she recalled correctly – her eyes following the carotid artery in his neck that jumped with each loud heartbeat.
Ok, maybe she wasn't fine.
Her teeth clenched, gums aching as her fangs tried to erupt, but she pushed the urge down, turning her head away. She was definitely going to need something stronger than a spiked punch. Or beer, for that matter. Where was the Salvatore wine cellar when you needed it?
Tyler did tell her once that Carol always kept a bottle of vodka in her desk, and well, since her boyfriend seemed to have ditched her to play host…
Mind set, Caroline turned around, walking deeper into the house, abandoning the spot in the corner that had been hers for the last half an hour. After an awkward moment where she had to ask a grinding couple to move off the door, Caroline managed to slip into Carol's office, raiding the drawers and finding the infamous vodka bottle. It was funny - Caroline would have expected a high priced bottle of champagne to be hidden away, not a bottle of cheap vodka. But who was she to complain?
She pilfered a crystal tumbler too, unscrewing the bottle and pouring herself a glass as she walked back to the party. Carol Lockwood could miss her alcohol. Call it pay back for shooting her full of vervain.
Placing the bottle down on a windowsill, Caroline observed the party unfold as she took her first sip from her glass. A band was playing outside round back, the pounding music vibrating through the air even inside the house, lights flashing across the windows. Her classmates had already set up tables of beer pong and other drinking games, laughter ringing through the throngs of people. From the scent wafting in from the drawing room, Caroline was pretty sure the stoners had made themselves at home as well, everyone seeming to know where they belonged.
Except her.
She turned her gaze from the sight, placing her glass on the side only to replace it with the bottle, swallowing down a huge mouthful despite the way it burned down her throat, making her wince. Caroline looked out the window, hoping the Lockwood landscaping would offer respite from this terrible disaster of a dance. Instead, she froze.
It was hard to see because of the darkness, but there was definitely something – something big – standing out there. It stood between a pair of tall sculptured trees, and Caroline would have brushed it away as simply a creepy shadow, melting into the dark as it was, if it wasn't for the yellow eyes that stared out into the night.
A werewolf.
Even from a distance, it looked tall enough to bring a horse down with ease, larger than any werewolf she had ever seen. Tyler's wolf form had to be a fraction of its size. It wasn't a full moon. There was no reason to believe it could be able to transform, but there it was. From the direction it faced, she knew it was watching the party happening out back. Listening. Ears twitching. Waiting.
Shit. Maybe it was a hybrid. A hybrid sired to Klaus. She had to warn Elena, if they were planning something and that thing was on Klaus' side-
Caroline knocked a vase off the side table as she backed up, cursing as it fell and shattered into a million pieces. Her face flushed with embarrassment, despite no one around her sparing her glance let alone caring of the mess she made, and she moved to bend down and clean it up. Halfway down, she froze, remembering the werewolf standing outside. She jerked to her feet, eyes finding the trees where it stood.
It was staring at her.
Caroline gasped, terrified eyes wide as she backed away from the window, those yellow eyes boring into her. In her panic, she backed right into someone's chest, flinching out of her skin when strong arms settled on her waist.
"Woah, Caroline, it's me!" The familiar voice said as she spun to face them, their hands rising, palms flat, to show they meant no harm.
"Tyler?" She blinked, relaxing slightly as she met her boyfriend's concerned gaze.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
Caroline couldn't offer a response. She spun around again, eyes searching for the wolf, moving towards the window to get a better look. It was gone. Almost as if it had never been there at all.
"Caroline?" Tyler called softly, his tone even more worried now due to her unnatural silence. She turned her gaze back to him, noticing how his usual teasing grin had fallen. "What's wrong?"
"I-I… I thought I saw a werewolf." Caroline stuttered, releasing a deep breath. "Like a werewolf off freaking Twilight, Tyler - it was huge!"
She felt stupid as soon as she opened her mouth. It was dark out - it probably had been a creepy shadow that her tipsy mind had twisted for her. She had to be imagining things. But from the way Tyler's brow furrowed, his teeth clenching as his head spun to follow where she had been looking, perhaps her fear wasn't unfounded.
"Tyler?"
"Do you think it was a hybrid?"
She laughed, and even to her own ears it sounded hysterical. "Tyler, I was probably just seeing things, it was stupid, I should have never said anything-"
"Caroline." He urged, making her jump as he gripped her arms so tightly she was feared it would bruise. That was when she recognised the look in his eyes – fear.
"I-I… maybe, yes." She frowned slightly, backing away when he loosened his grip. "Tyler… what's going on?"
He glanced nervously around them. "I need to talk to you. Come on." Grabbing her wrist, he began to lead her out of the room. Caroline managed one last glance out of the window where the Black Wolf had stood, before Tyler pulled her away.
The music pulsed through the air, the sound pounding into the earth, strobe lights flashing as the crowds danced to the beat. The back of the Lockwood Mansion had been transformed, an entire stage built for the band performing, high schoolers screaming and cheering as the band moved onto the chorus of the current song. Klaus watched everything with sharp eyes, cataloguing every face, every movement and exit. His new hybrids mingled in with the guests, wading through the crowds, similarly alert. They blended in with the sea of unfamiliar faces; wolves dressed in sheep's clothing.
He regretted informing Tyler of their presence. He hadn't needed to point that out, just him threatening to hurt the boy's girlfriend would have perhaps been enough. But the boy had been so eager to please him, and even though logically he knew it was because of the sire bond, it had aggravated the last pieces of his frayed nerves, not trusting it.
Despite his confidence that he could not be out-matched, unease still clawed at his insides. He hadn't heard from his sister in hours, his calls going straight to voicemail, and her absence unnerved him. The Salvatores who were also suspiciously absent. He'd talked to Stefan earlier, demanding they bring Mikael's body to him but he had since vanished. Elena had arrived with the human boy, not Damon, and so the unease in his gut only grew. He had seen the picture of Mikael, seen with his own eyes the evidence of his desiccated body… but still, it rang untrue. He wasn't stupid after all. He could sense a trap – over a thousand years of looking over your shoulder tended to give you a sixth sense for such things.
But back then, he had others at his side. Elijah, Kol, even Finn. But they were not here - the rest of his family remained in their coffins. Not including his hybrids, he was alone.
Klaus glanced away from the party, towards the Lockwood grounds, eyes raking across the dark treeline, hoping to see something, anything. Even a bloody shadow. He could feel the weight of his phone in his suit pocket, a heavy reminder of the call that went unanswered hours earlier. He had been left with no choice but to leave a voicemail, hoping it was heard in time. Now he realised it didn't matter if it had been heard or not – it didn't guarantee he would come. Not after their last argument.
"You can not just go rampaging across states, killing werewolves left and right for your own ends, Niklaus!"
"Your blood runs through my veins, the blood of an Alpha! I was not meant to bow to anyone, not Mikael, not you, and certainly no werewolf that was exiled for their betrayal! They don't deserve your mercy."
"So you wish to make them your hybrids instead then? Enslave them to servitude, cage their wolves just as you were?"
"I'm trying to build my own pack. Isn't that what you wanted?!"
"I wanted you to come home, little wolf."
"Your pack is not my home. It never was."
"And am I not your family?"
A pause.
"No. No, you're not."
Klaus closed his eyes, swallowing down the foreign emotion in his throat, remembering the heartbreak that had shattered his blood father's face as soon as the words had left his lips. He'd been so angry, so hurt that his father yet again just didn't understand he wasn't another of his wolves. He wasn't a vampire. He wasn't a werewolf. He was something else - a hybrid. And as a result, he belonged nowhere. He had no home.
Not unless he made it himself.
So he lashed out, like he always did. Only this time, he regretted every second of it because deep down, the part of him that he had thought died when he became an Original was still that scared little boy who ran from Mikael into those dark woods. Still that little boy that trusted the big black wolf he had met that night to protect him. Even if it was from Mikael. Especially if it was from Mikael.
It was fine. He had survived his entire childhood without his blood father, and then another two centuries after that. He didn't need him.
Klaus moved, grabbing a bottle of beer from a nearby stand and immediately opening it, popping it open with brute force. He took a large swig of the cheap alcohol, scowling darkly as he made his way through the crowds. If only this party had been for supernaturals, not humans. Then he could have had some fun, blown off some steam. Challenged some of the older vampires to a spar, maybe broken a few bones. Kol would have liked the entertainment.
Longing settled in Klaus' heart, twisting painfully. No matter how far he tried to bury it, he missed his siblings. He always had.
He paused in the middle of the crowd, debating whether or not to go inside. The pounding music was beginning to irritate him, still not used to how sensitive his hearing was now. He glanced towards the mansion, only to catch Elena walking out, stopping at the steps and looking out into the partying crowds. Klaus raised the bottle to his lips, taking another large drink, before moving forward, approaching her from the side. When Elena saw him, she released a sharp breath, not spotting him until it was too late. Klaus suppressed a smile, a dark part of him pleased by her unease.
"Where's your date?" He asked, expressing a mix of fake concern and barely concealed mockery.
She glared at him in response.
"Getting me a drink."
He offered her his bottle of beer, which she looked down at before her eyes snapped back up to his face. She looked both disgusted and offended at the very thought. Despite himself, Klaus couldn't help but laugh, raising the bottle to his own lips instead. The liquid slid down his throat, and he winced slightly, wishing he had something stronger. Or at least something that wasn't cheap swill.
Youth these days. They had no sense of taste.
"Seems I have you to thank for Mikael's demise." He said after a moment, standing beside her.
Elena tensed, but didn't run away, despite it being clear she wanted to. Brave girl.
"He came at me. I didn't have a choice."
"Still, I'm impressed." He glanced at her, eyes slowly trailing up her figure. To him, she didn't look a threat - and somehow she had taken down Mikael? Did they honestly believe he would fall for that? "It's not easy for a human to dagger an Original."
"It wasn't the first time."
"Right." Klaus chuckled. "Elijah." He turned around to glance out across the lawn, where the guests were dancing to the pounding beat of the band, glasses of alcohol raised high above their heads. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elena shift nervously on her feet, eyes flickering to the side as if trying to find the best possible way she could escape this conversation, and by default, him.
He was about to say something to make her run along, perhaps a final threat to warn her not to try anything tonight, bored of this interaction already, when a breeze picked up in the night air. It ghosted across her skin and tugged at her hair, carrying her scent towards him. And perhaps, if he had been a vampire, he wouldn't have noticed anything different, the scent of doppelgangers almost identical.
But he wasn't a vampire. Not anymore.
And that definitely wasn't Elena.
Elena didn't smell of iron, like blood, nor did she reek of decay, death clinging to her like a wraith. The doppelganger scent was still there, yes, ancient and indescribable, but there was also the whiff of leather and expensive fabric, even the hint of vervain.
The corner of Klaus' mouth ticked up, a ghost of a smile. He turned, eyes narrowing on the woman before him - not a girl. Katherine hadn't been a girl in a long time.
"You seem nervous." He pointed out, amused.
She blinked at him and-
Oh yes, there was the defiance and anger he was familiar with.
"I'm not nervous. I just don't like you."
Charming.
This was definitely Katherine - he was pretty sure the human doppelganger wouldn't dare say that to his face. He would have been impressed, if it wasn't so easy to see through her little trick.
"Well, I'll get straight to the point then, shall I love?" He smiled, and this time it was all teeth. Katherine froze, that dead heart of hers beating a little faster. It only made Klaus grin wider. "People have been after me for a thousand years and I am always one step ahead. So whatever it is you're thinking of trying…" He trailed off, searching for some indication of their plan in her face. Katherine's expression had gone blank however, unreadable even to him. Even so, her silence was telling.
He had been right after all - they were planning something. And if Katherine was here, then that meant whatever they were planning was big, big enough they knew he would try to retaliate. Hence why the Salvatores were unwilling to put Elena in danger and had called in Katherine.
"Go for it." He finally dared, wanting them to try him tonight. "Give it your best shot." He sneered. "You won't succeed."
He watched as Katherine clearly gathered herself, not breaking away from his gaze. No matter how she tried to act aloof, she was unnerved.
"It won't be for lack of trying." She muttered, finally looking away and stepping forward to walk around him.
Oh, no, she wouldn't escape that easily.
Klaus stepped into her path, blocking her from leaving. She looked up at him, waiting, but not appearing afraid. Yet.
"You'd be smart to tell Damon to mind his manners tonight because if I die," He paused, watching keenly for her reaction. "I've already ensured he'll die along with me."
And there it was - the slight widening of her eyes.
Klaus felt his features slowly crawl into another fierce grin. He'd initially planned the threat to be for Elena, knowing she cared for both Salvatores, stringing brothers along like every Petrova doppelganger had before her. But plans often changed, and it wasn't like he couldn't adapt to the situation. Besides, it seemed she wasn't the only one who had a soft spot for Damon.
How interesting.
"Even in death, my hybrids have their orders. So, you kill me, you're killing him too."
He walked away before she could say another word, the Wolf inside him pleased to see the fear finally flicker across her face as he left. Let them come.
He wasn't going down without a fight.
Caroline followed Tyler into his bedroom, waiting while he shut the door behind them. It clicked shut, and almost immediately afterwards, he spoke.
"What are you up to with Klaus?"
Wait-
What?
She blinked, surprised. It wasn't what Caroline was expecting, and the accusing note that had edged Tyler's voice caught her off guard.
"Nothing." She said quickly.
Tyler didn't say anything for several moments, staring at her, his face blank.
"He's onto you, Caroline." He said eventually, when he took a step forward, watching for her reaction. "Whatever you all think you're about to pull off, he's two steps ahead of you."
"Okay," She drew out, eying him warily, "I don't know what you're talking about."
It wasn't even a lie. She didn't know what was going on. She didn't even know what was going on had something to do with Klaus. Or that Klaus clearly saw through the plan, making whatever plan they had most definitely suicidal. Nobody told her anything.
Tyler's eyes didn't soften - in fact, he scoffed, shaking his head and looking away from her, before sending her a heavy stare. "You're lying to me."
Was he serious?
From his expression, he had to be.
He really didn't believ-
A hysterical laugh escaped her throat without her bidding. "You know, actually, I'm not." Her words came out harsher than she intended, anger rising from her hurt and confusion. "I don't know anything, but even if I did, I wouldn't tell you about it because you're sired to team Klaus now. And you can't be trusted." She spat, watching as those words landed, his expression flickering, and suddenly the worst of her ire dissipated. She sighed, stepping forward to walk past him. "So can we please go back to the party now?"
She didn't have time for this. She had to warn Elena and Bonnie about Klaus, about the hybrid she saw outside. It was probably because she was so distracted with worry, that she didn't notice Tyler's hand move behind his back. Didn't see the needle until it was too late.
Tyler flashed to block her path, and in the next second, there was a sharp prick of pain at her neck, before it spread into a scorching burst of burning fire as the vervain was injected into her blood. She barely had time to gasp at the sudden pain, before the edges of her vision started to black out, her limbs failing her.
Tyler caught her in his arms, something he'd done a hundred times before, but this time it didn't feel safe. This time it reminded her of her Dad, of how he'd knocked her out, catching her before she fell. Right before he took her away, intending to 'fix' her.
"Sorry, Care." She heard Tyler say somewhere above her. "But I can't let him hurt you."
As she passed out, the only thing she could focus on was her Dad had promised he wouldn't hurt her either.
Klaus rolled the small white ping pong ball in his hand, an air of disinterest about him. Centuries he had spent roaming the earth, experiencing every wonder, every phenomenon the world had to offer, meeting geniuses and artists that were now immortalised in the history books. Klaus Mikaelson had witnessed empires rise and fall, watched cities burn to the ground, stood by as atrocities shattered civilisations. And somehow, he had ended up here.
Playing beer pong at a party.
A high school party.
Somewhere, he knew his enemies were laughing at him. If Elijah was here, he certainly would be, smirking fondly to the side, in the way only he could pull off. The thought only made him scowl harder.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Mindy walking towards him, stopping by his side.
"You have a visitor." She informed him.
Klaus' lips twisted, not sparing her a glance. "Well, tell my visitor I'm on the brink of victory here."
"He said his name is Mikael."
With one name, Klaus felt his insides freeze.
It took a few seconds for him to assemble his armour, hardening his expression so no emotion broke through the cracks. He could do nothing about how his shoulders had tensed upon hearing the name – his hybrids would just have to be trusted with witnessing that reaction. He threw the small ball, watching as it bounced and landed inside one of the plastic red cups, using the time to take a deep breath. And stall for time. Stalling was good. Anything but facing the man he once called father.
Revealing nothing, Klaus turned to face the pretty young hybrid. "Then we mustn't keep him waiting." He declared, forcing a small – if totally fake – smile. "Move everybody out back. I'm going to have a little chat with my Dad."
The hybrids did as they were told, many guests releasing over dramatic protests as they were ushered outside. Klaus ignored the ruckus, instead deciding it was time to leave. "Tony, you know what to do." He muttered to one hybrid as he strode out the room. He didn't wait to receive an answer.
Klaus slowed his steps as he rounded the corner, arriving in the foyer. And there he was, standing outside the threshold, front door wide open. The man he had once called father, the man who had hunted down like a dog for centuries.
Mikael.
"Hello Niklaus."
Discreetly as he could, Klaus swallowed, stepping forward. For a moment, he clenched his fist, trying to dissipate the internal fear that was rising in his chest, developed from years of being weaker, vulnerable - beaten and bruised by the man who now stood feet away. It was funny, how over a thousand years had passed, but standing in front of Mikael, he felt just as small and vulnerable as he had as a boy. Like nothing had changed.
The thought turned him bitter and cruel in his defiance of it, his features twisting into some resemblance of a smile.
"Hello, Mikael. Won't you come in?" He asked innocently. Klaus grinned fiercely, faking recognition. "Oh, that's right. I forgot – you can't."
Predictably, the hate in Mikael's eyes sharpened, hissing his words out because he was gritting his teeth so hard. "Or you can come outside if you want."
"Or I can watch my hybrids tear you limb from limb." Klaus countered. Outside, Tony led his hybrids onto the lawn, blocking Mikael's exit. The older man didn't even turn around to face the threat, even though there was no doubt he knew they were there.
"They can't kill me."
"True. But it'll make one hell of a party game." Klaus stated casually. He raised his hand, two fingers touching. "All I have to do is rub these two fingers together, and they'll pounce."
Mikael's expression revealed nothing, standing there, not making a single move. Every moment of silence and inaction unnerved Niklaus. Mikael wasn't quiet. He raged and roared, his fury as loud as a turbulent storm, and just as destructive.
Finally, Mikael chuckled. Somehow, that made Klaus nearly flinch far harder than any yell of anger ever would.
"The Big, Bad Wolf." Mikael mocked. "You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward." He spat. "You forget, they may be sired by you but they're still part vampire. And they can be compelled by me."
Klaus felt his stomach twist as Mindy moved to Mikael's side, whatever confidence he had managed to scrape together wavering. Then the doppelgänger was dragged forward, her eyes panicked, and for a second Klaus felt his last slither of control plummet into the abyss - until he realised this wasn't Elena. She was wearing the same dress as earlier, the same jacket.
This was Katherine.
Finally, Klaus realised what their plan had been all along.
"Come out and face me, Niklaus, or she dies." Mikael threatened, grip tightening on the doppelganger for emphasis.
Klaus blinked, glancing at Katherine, fighting the horrible urge to laugh. He was almost certain Mikael wouldn't appreciate it.
"Go ahead." He said after a moment, utterly calm. "Kill her."
"No, Klaus. He'll do it." Katherine pleaded.
He really didn't care. If anything, this was damn near poetic. Did his father know he would be doing him a favour?
His thoughts must have translated over to his body language somehow, because Mikael's brows furrowed slightly. It was perhaps the closest Klaus had even come to seeing the bastard look confused. Katherine's pleading expression also faltered, sensing something off.
Klaus let his eyes flick to the doppelgänger's face for a second, not intending to linger, but then he caught her eyes, and he couldn't stop the small smirk that ghosted the corners of his lips. Katherine saw it, and perhaps that, paired with their conversation earlier, the knowing glint in his gaze only intensifying now, was what made her finally put it together. She paled, freezing in Mikael's grip.
"If she dies, this lot will be the last of your abominations." Mikael remarked, voice cold yet confident, hoping to prompt weakness.
He wouldn't find any. Mikael, at least, had taught him that.
"I don't need them." Klaus snarled, turning his gaze back to Mikael. "I just need to be rid of you."
"To what end, Niklaus? So you can live forever with no one at your side?" Mikael taunted. His mouth twisted, voice rising to a roar. "Nobody cares about you anymore, boy!"
Klaus flinched.
And then - and then Mikael smiled.
A spark of anger flooded Klaus upon seeing Mikael so confident, so pleased. This was a game to him. He was enjoying watching him squirm. And in that moment, Klaus hated him more than he ever had.
"Who do you have, other than those whose loyalty you've forced? No one." Mikael sneered, his words hitting Klaus like physical blows, more painful than any time the man had raised a hand to him. And Mikael knew it. He leaned forward, his eyes flashing with vicious delight. "No. One."
Klaus tried to swallow down the ball gathering in his throat, his vision blurring with held back tears. Because, although his wolf rebelled at the thought, the scared little boy from all those years ago agreed. Maybe Mikael was right.
"Don't listen to the liar, little wolf."
The voice - his father's voice - echoed inside his head for the first time in over a thousand years. Klaus gasped against his own accord, momentarily stunned. He hadn't heard that voice inside his head since the day his mother bound his Wolf, the day he lost everything. He hadn't been able to hear the wolves speak, not after. For a second, he wondered if it was even real.
But then his sharp eyesight caught movement far behind Mikael and Katherine, behind even the hybrids blocking his escape. It was the silhouette of something, standing silently amongst the trees, too dark to be a shadow. Two bright yellow eyes glowed out of that darkness, a flash of white just identifiable amongst the black - the reflection of moonlight on sharp, glistening teeth.
On the lawn, one of his smarter hybrids noticed Klaus' gaze had shifted, and followed it, turning around to look. The dark shadow amongst the green foliage shifted, a twig snapping as the leaves rustled. The hybrid, fully alert now, took a wary step forward.
Klaus clenched his jaw, returning his gaze to Mikael, his rage engulfing the hurt. But also, flaring inside his chest, was beautiful, powerful, blinding hope.
"No." Klaus snarled, only half aware of the hybrid inching closer to the trees out of the corner of his eye.
Mikael laughed. It wasn't a nice sound. "No?"
"No." Klaus confirmed. "I'm not alone. I never was."
A scream tore through the air, slicing through Mikael's expression of confusion, causing every supernatural present to spin in the direction of the sound. The hybrid Klaus had seen earlier was scrambling backwards, away from the trees, falling onto his back as terror seized his limbs. His mouth opened - perhaps to scream again or warn his brethren - but he never got the chance.
The Black Wolf pounced, yellow eyes blazing, his teeth and claws tearing into the hybrid with ferocious efficiency. In one sharp, ruthless movement, the giant wolf had torn the hybrid's head off his body in a single bite. As the head rolled across the grass, the hybrids scattering, some even screaming, the wolf grabbed the corpse by the leg, flinging it through air with a powerful twist of its body. It crashed against the trunk of a tree, bones shattering on impact.
While everyone else with any sense fled, Mikael stood frozen, mouth agape and eyes wide. The Black Wolf turned to face him, baring his teeth in a feral snarl as his ears lowered against his head, yellow eyes locking with Mikael's gaze.
"You." The Original whispered, barely audible. The Black Wolf snapped his teeth in response, his growl rumbling like thunder.
Mikael's features hardened to stone, and he threw the doppelgänger to the side, forgetting Klaus altogether. Katherine fled as soon as she got the chance, and while she ran, Mikael's monster revealed itself, driven mad by rage, his eyes bleeding red and skin blackening as if diseased. Sharp canines grew and lengthened, lips curling over teeth that could tear through flesh like scissors through paper.
"I will take pleasure in finally destroying you, beast." Mikael declared, descending down the steps. The Black Wolf raised his hackles even further, fur standing on end, as if electrified. A terrifying growl rolled out of his throat, piercing through the fear in the air.
But that didn't stop Mikael. It never had.
With a roar, Mikael flashed forward just as the Black Wolf pounced, the two crashing together in a dangerous clash of teeth and claws, brutal strength and wild power. They twisted and spun, a deadly dance of violence and bloodlust. Mikael fell onto his back almost immediately, overpowered, the Black Wolf's sheer size making him outmatched. His hands instantly came to defend himself, the wolf on top of him, snapping at his neck. With a mad burst of power Mikael tightened his grip on the wolf's head and slammed it into the earth, intending to get out from under him. But the Black Wolf recovered quickly, returning twice as pissed, and as Mikael twisted his body, trying to roll out from under him, the Black Wolf sunk his teeth into the Original Vampire's torso, dragging him back. Mikael tried to plunge his hand into the wolf's chest, aiming for the heart, but the Black Wolf grabbed the vampire's arm with his teeth and yanked. Suddenly, Mikael was screaming as his bones snapped, the Black Wolf using the distraction to lunge and sink his teeth into the vampire's neck.
Klaus watched, too stunned to move, forgetting Katherine, the hybrids, even the absence of the Salvatores. And he paid dearly for it.
In a second, Damon had flashed up behind him, twisting his shoulder around and plunging a white oak stake into his stomach. The scorching pain that burned through his body was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and just like Mikael, Klaus screamed.
The Black Wolf whipped his head up at the sound, releasing his hold on Mikael's neck. Human-like fear and concern flashed across his wolfish features, giving Mikael the opening he needed.
The Original snarled, eyes blood red, plunging his teeth into the Black Wolf's neck as retribution, gauging on the blood supply and tearing the neck savagely, causing the wolf to yelp. He pushed his feet against the wolf's underbelly and kicked, sending the Black Wolf flying. The werewolf hit the fountain in the centre of the drive, smashing into the stone and obliterating it into pieces, falling to the ground with a pained whimper. Mikael flashed to his feet, staggering slightly as the werewolf venom hit his system, but otherwise undeterred. He reset the bone in his arm with barely a flinch as he strode forward, while the Black Wolf struggled to rise, ribs broken from the fall, his healing working more slowly than the superior immortality of a vampire.
Meanwhile, Klaus was similarly sensing defeat. Damon had him pinned to the floor, the white oak stake seconds away from piercing his heart. And worst of all, he could see Mikael prowling towards his blood father over Damon's shoulder, a murderous glint in his eyes.
"Your kind always were the weaker opponent in this little blood feud, Lycaon. It's pathetic you haven't learnt that." Mikael spat, grinning madly as he approached the fallen werewolf.
It growled as he approached, moving to bite, but this time Mikael was quicker, kicking the wolf in the snout and grabbing his head once more, pinning him to the ground. Lycaon fought, claws scrambling for purchase, but he was injured and Mikael was stronger.
"I will enjoy destroying you." Mikael ground out, inches away from Lycaon's ears, staring into those bold yellow eyes. He raised his hand, poised to rip out the werewolf's heart.
Klaus felt his eyes widen at the sight, a terrified panic flooding his soul. At the same moment, Stefan tackled Damon to the ground, throwing him off Klaus and finally freeing the hybrid. In the chaos, the white oak stake was knocked out of Damon's hand and skidded across the marble floor.
Klaus didn't even hesitate.
He grabbed the stake and flashed out of the house, straight towards Mikael. His so-called father barely twisted around to face him before Klaus thrust the stake into his heart.
Klaus staggered back in horror as Mikael screamed, magical flames leaping to life and burning the Original vampire alive. He watched as the body dropped to the floor, Mikael taking an age to die. His screams echoed in Klaus' ears.
Eventually, there was nothing left but a smouldering carcass.
Mikael was dead.
Silence reigned, and Klaus felt the tears finally fall down his cheeks. Achingly slow, the Black Wolf rose to his feet, favouring one side. It seemed he had hurt his leg, as well as his ribs in the fall. The wolf's head also hung low, movements sluggish as he neared Klaus, limping. Klaus himself didn't notice the Black Wolf limp to his side until the fur brushed his cheek, that powerful body radiating a warmth Klaus longed for.
Faintly, Klaus realised he was shaking just as much from shock as the wolf shaking from pain. Moving without thinking, Klaus swayed, leaning into the Lycaon's side. His father's side.
"He's dead." He heard himself whisper, not recognising his own hoarse voice.
"I know, little wolf." Lycaon replied inside Klaus' head, leaning towards his son in return. A rumble of sound built in the wolf's throat, one of comfort and reassurance, his head lowering to nudge Klaus' neck. "It's over now."
It was finally over.
Klaus ran a hand down his face, wiping away the tears as he released a shaky breath, composing himself.
"What the hell did you do?!"
Klaus turned, features hardening upon hearing Damon Salvatore's hissed exclamation. Stefan was still there, pinning Damon to the floor. He felt his father follow his gaze, a low growl of warning coming out of his throat. And that was when he remembered - without Stefan, he could have been killed. Lycaon could have been killed.
It seemed his threat against Damon's life had worked.
Klaus strode forward, walking back up the steps and into the mansion, eyeing the two Salvatore brothers wrestling for power on the floor. When Stefan heard him approach, he got to his feet, pushing away from Damon, who similarly scrambled backwards, as far from Stefan as he could manage.
"He's earned his freedom." He answered for Stefan, staring the vampire down, watching as hope sprang into his eyes. Klaus smiled - Stefan was lucky, he was in generous mood because-
He was free. He was finally free.
He merely owed Stefan the same.
"Thank you, my friend." He said, his words sincere. He let his pupils dilate, feeling the familiar pull of using compulsion. "You no longer have to do everything I say. You're free."
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Damon fleeing, flashing away, not lingering to see if Klaus would bestow the same mercy upon him. Stefan didn't notice, gasping as his compulsion was removed, as if taking his first breath after days of drowning.
"You better run along, mate. It seems your brother already had the right idea." Klaus said, watching as Stefan turned around to find Damon gone. The young vampire swallowed, looking seconds away from running himself. "Oh, and before I forget," Klaus added before Stefan could take his chance, stepping forward into the Salvatore's space, "Give my regards to Katerina, would you?"
Stefan froze, shocked to stillness. The Original grinned, already turning around and dismissing Stefan entirely. A second later, he felt the whoosh of air that indicated Stefan had gone, fleeing the scene before Klaus changed his mind.
Klaus walked down the steps again, stopping at the bottom when his father met him there. He let his walls down, putting away the mask of confidence he'd used to deal with the Salvatores, eyes catching sight of Mikael's body behind the wolf. Further away, his hybrids were re-grouping, no longer controlled by Mikael's compulsion.
Lycaon limped closer, ears twitching, waiting. Always waiting. Always calm.
Klaus had missed it.
"Thank you." He said quietly, meeting the wolf's eyes. "For coming. You didn't… You don't owe me anything."
"I will always come when you call, little wolf. Always." The wolf held his gaze, letting those words sink in, vibrating with truth. Then the wolf huffed, sniffing a little and turning his head away. "No matter how much you infuriate me." He grunted, if fondly.
Klaus couldn't help himself - laughed. It was a choked laugh, a ball of emotion still stubbornly standing in his throat. The Black Wolf lowered his head, pushing his forehead gently against his son's. Klaus closed his eyes, hiding the way they cycled from blue to yellow and back, hands rising to fist in Lycaon's fur, an echo of what he did as a little boy. But the fur didn't feel like it was supposed to, soaked as it was.
Klaus pulled away, staring at the liquid that stained his hands red. Black veins threatened to erupt across his cheeks, but he controlled it, a thousand years of practice teaching him well.
"You're injured." He stated obviously, looking up at the Wolf.
His father's voice when he responded sounded tired, amused and sad all at once.
"I've had worse."
Klaus turned his head, gaze once more falling on Mikael's charred corpse.
He swallowed, nervous to hear the answer to his next question, to let himself hope. "Will you stay?"
The Black Wolf before him hesitated for a long time.
"For tonight."
But not tomorrow, was left unspoken.
Klaus felt himself nod, both relieved and angered by the answer. He didn't argue though, knowing it wouldn't change anything, and too tired to argue besides. They'd already done so before, and Klaus had not changed his stance - he needed his hybrids and Lycaon didn't support his methods, wanted to teach him their people's ways himself. He had his family to awaken, a new home to build. He didn't need a pack. That is, if Lycaon still wanted him, after everything he had said to him in his anger.
Klaus pushed the thoughts away, leaning into his father's side, sinking his fingers into a dry patch of black fur. For now, Lycaon was here. For now, Klaus wasn't alone. And that was enough.
Mikael was dead.
Tonight, nothing else mattered.