Author's note: This is a sequel to A Beautiful Symmetry - Chapter 150: Part 2 - Burning Love. Thanks for all of your requests to see this one continued! Klaus was told the wolves had killed his love centuries ago. But now his love has returned to him, bringing a story of betrayal by his most trusted ally.
Warning: Klaroline sexytimes!
"She's mad, but she's magic. There's no lie in her fire."
― An Almost Made Up Poem by Charles Bukowski
She was a radiant monster. Klaus' shock at seeing Caroline after all these centuries threatened to swallow him whole, and it was only thanks to a millennia of practice at hiding his emotions was he able to keep upright in this earth-shattering moment. He openly admired her as she feasted before him, needle teeth savaging the dim-witted human's flesh. Richard Lockwood choked on the blood at his ruined throat, broken body seeming to wilt the longer he remained in Caroline's clutches.
When she tossed him to the forest floor, Klaus spitefully kicked the shattered shell, his chained wolf snarling at the thought of Lockwood daring to touch what was his.
"He was guilty." Blue eyes blazed at him, her pallor casting an ethereal glow in the dark forest. As though mistaking Klaus' stunned silence for condemnation, she explained, "He demeaned and he terrorized and he beat his kinsmen. My hunger may have been great, but his punishment was just."
Disbelief colored Klaus' tone as he asked, "Surely you don't think I would begrudge you a meal, sweetheart? However, I suspect this miserable town's late mayor was quite the meager bite."
Her delighted laugh seemed to jar them both out of their hazy stupor, reminding them of the enormity of this moment. Eyes widening in disbelief, Caroline stepped over the crumpled Lockwood carcass and hoarsely whispered, "Niklaus."
He wanted to weep — to hear her speak his name after so long had been his greatest desire, an impossible impossibility that had stripped away what was left of his soul even before his monster came along. "My love," he breathlessly replied, scarcely believing she was real. He caressed her face with both hands, awestruck as he pronounced, "My Caroline."
Nodding tearfully, she pressed her lips to his, a desperate kiss that reminded him that his mouth was meant for her kisses. And hers for his. They branded each other with moans colored by the pain of being separated for centuries. Every question of what had become of her bled out of his skull and all he knew was the deep-rooted need to bathe his beloved in his scent.
With an unearthly snarl, Caroline slammed Klaus against an old walnut tree, her unbridled display of power making his cock painfully press against his zipper. Rough hands tipped with black claws ripped away his gray Henley, while her blue gaze was alight with a raging fire that he longed to taste. Back in their village, she'd possessed a raw, natural grace that had captivated him instantly. But now every move was tinged with a dark, sensual purpose, making him giddy with anticipation.
While she explored his bare chest with claws and tongue, Klaus tore through the pale blue gossamer that had danced so sensuously across her body, impatiently tossing aside the remains of her dress. He groaned at the glorious feel of her naked flesh, using his speed to switch their positions and shove her onto the gnarled knot jutting out of the tree. She gasped as he tossed her legs over his shoulders.
Trailing his lips along her spread thighs, he paused to hold her gaze. "Your scent is delectable, sweetheart. Red mulberries," he murmured with a nostalgic smirk, "you always tasted of those sweet berries we'd pluck straight off the trees."
With a breathy sigh, Caroline threaded her claws through his disheveled curls, tightening the hold as she purred, "You drank their juices and then you drank mine."
Fuck. Bloody fuck. Her wicked words had him surging forward, eagerly running his tongue along those ivory thighs, delighting in how she trembled. He drew the tip of his tongue along her flesh in deliberate patterns, shifting closer and closer to her center. He delighted in watching her tense at every punishing swipe. Once he dipped inside her core, that first dizzying taste sent him reeling. He licked and teased as she writhed in beautiful agony, her breathy moans forcing him to grind his growing bulge against the tree trunk in a desperate attempt to gain relief.
Caroline's delectable body convulsed around her orgasm and Klaus lapped up her essence until she shrieked his name, catching him off-guard when she leapt into his arms with such force it knocked them both to the forest floor. She wound her limbs through his, undulating flesh and bone as they moaned and shrieked their pleasure-pain. "I longed for you," she hissed, ripping apart the rough denim to expose everything she knew to be hers. With a possessive gleam, she ran her claws along his aching cock, teasing the points as his flesh twitched in delicious agony. "Mine."
"Yours," he agreed, letting out a hoarse shout when she latched on with her needle teeth. He shoved his hips forward, craving a brutal release that only his love could give. The spicy copper of his blood permeated the air, and Caroline's muffled growl went straight to his cock until he nearly burst. She took him so well, never balking from the force of his thrusts. Deeper. Faster. Yes. He wanted her to use him up, and with a final, fluttering curl of her tongue, he began to spasm, urging her to suckle until he was spent.
She was still licking her lips when Klaus kissed her, savoring how their flavors mingled together. They were one. His caged wolf was in agreement, whining and clawing as it insisted that he take her now. He flipped them over, running his hands appreciatively along her trembling frame. Her kisses were filled with fire and frustration, enticing him to speed up his movements. He loved the way her breasts perfectly fit inside his palms, and just as he began to tug at a nipple with his blunt teeth, she reminisced, "You would torment me in these woods; shattering my composure with teeth and tongue until I'd beg you for release."
Flicking the hardened nipple with his tongue, he smirked, "You'd beg quite prettily." Her voice was a comforting velvet, and he used to lose himself in the sweetly sorrowful melodies Caroline would sing during their jaunts among the trees. Unsheathing his fangs, he pressed the razor edges to her soft curves. "Will you beg for me now?"
With hooded gaze, she bit her lip, replying with a wicked grin, "Only if you've remembered what I like."
Challenge accepted. As though Klaus could forget all the ways he could make her writhe in ecstasy. He roughly tweaked her nipples, the sweet pinch making her groan and arch into his hands. He slowly traveled the length of her body, leaving bruising kisses in his wake. Nimble fingers made their way to her sopping core; she rode every finger he gave her. Even as humans, they were not gentle creatures; they'd chased crude passions with a raw, satisfying fervor. His hand was a blur of movement, stroking ever bit of her soaking walls until they convulsed.
"Yes," she moaned, bucking her slick thighs to meet his driving thrusts. "Harder," she panted with a breathy sigh.
"Harder," Klaus coyly asked, slowing down his movements to barely a brush of fingers, knowing his taunts would drive her mad.
With an unearthly shriek, Caroline suddenly sat up, grasping his chin with her claws as she snarled, "Niklaus. Fuck me hard. Now." At his taunting brow, she huffed and petulantly added, "Please."
Minx. Thinking to command him. Fuck, he'd craved her fearsome spirit just as he'd craved that glorious body. He adored the way her claws scrabbled against his stubble, and he leaned into the harsh points to draw out drops of blood. He allowed her a moment to lick along her claws and then he captured her lips, pressing his fangs against her needle teeth to draw out her own blood, an earthy aroma with a honeyed flavor that danced along their tongues. Unable to quell his caged beast any longer, he shoved her onto hands and knees, kneading the delectable globes of her ass. Running his cock along her swollen lips, he delighted in her sharp intake of breath when his tip grazed her cleft. "Like that, sweetheart?"
"Yes! All of it," she gasped, slamming her hips back into him until his vision went white.
His beast howled triumphantly as he pushed his swollen cock inside, that tight passage nearly breaking him in two. And he loved every moment. He rutted against her, sacrificing finesse for brute strength until he had to lock arms around her to keep from toppling them over. Yanking Caroline's body up until her smooth back was pressed against his chest, he growled in her ear, "Squeeze that tight little pussy. Make me feel it."
She let out a high, needy whine, clenching around his cock as he drove into her with an ecstatic ferocity. Hard, fast strokes sent them hurtling toward release and when they came together, it was as snarling, howling creatures. The forest seemed to give a rapturous sigh as they lay among the scattered leaves, exhilarated. Whole.
His wolf stretched within his bones, content despite its cage, and Klaus knew that even the sour stench of Lockwood's ruined carcass couldn't steal this golden moment from them. He savored the feel of her fingers running through his curls; the tune she absentmindedly hummed was one they'd brought from the Old World. It evoked memories wrapped in honeyed mead and he wished they could put to rest the centuries of longing for each other without bleeding dry those wounds. But they couldn't.
Because of Rebekah. "My sister told me it was wolves." At Caroline's obvious confusion, Klaus explained, "That day in the village, Rebekah ran out of the woods in ragged, blood-soaked garments, carrying with her a woeful tale of wolves attacking you both in the forest. She said you gave your life so that so she could escape." He paused, considering the shadows he saw in her gaze now. "And yet, here you are."
She'd stiffened at his accusing tone, the angles of her body growing sharp as she denied herself the comfort of his arms. "One blissful, throwaway day, I fetched water at the river, firm in our love and the plans we'd made to secure our future. But Rebekah found me, her rage nearly as monstrous as the beast she carved into me. She denounced our union because of my low birth, knowing it would prevent her from acquiring her own favorable match."
ljúga beiskaldi*. Klaus' rage uncoiled like a snake, prepared to strike out at all who would dare to harm his love. Tightening his grip around Caroline, his voice was a deadly whisper as he asked, "What did Rebekah do to you, sweetheart?"
"As a human, she practiced seiðr, the old magics, and forged a spinning charm just like the Nornir measuring fate." Pale, angry fists clenched around his wrists as she venomously spat, "She cursed me to roam the lands as huldra, the mindless creature of our people's nightmare folklore. She stole my memories, leaving me a hollow, primal force. I roamed for decades, tearing apart those who strayed too far from villages."
Klaus' heart ached for all that his love had suffered at the hands of his despicable sister. He placed a solemn kiss to Caroline's head, breathing in the earthy sweetness of Queen Anne's Lace still tangled in her hair. "My beautiful, brave girl. You've been through so much; had I known, I —" His throat closed over the rest of his words, eyes hot with tears he stubbornly refused to shed.
The rough press of her hands was gentle now, and Caroline's voice was a soft promise that comforted him. "I know, Niklaus. Dwell on such things no longer. Rebekah thought she'd taken away my love for you, but eventually I came back to myself and learned to coexist with my monster." Reaching up to place a delicate kiss to his cheek, she vowed, "There isn't a magic that exists to destroy our love."
Pulling her to her feet, he kissed her until she swayed in his arms. "I am honored that you're mine, you fierce, strong creature."
With a delightful giggle, she winked, "You have no idea."
Klaus hated to disturb the beautiful peace between them, but he needed to rectify the wrongs of his kinsmen. "My love," he began, kissing her open palms as though branding her with his vows, "Rebekah sought to ruin us, and I can't let that stand. I swear that she will never harm you again."
"Thank you for protecting me," she murmured, the slight shivers that passed through her body reminding him of her delicate nature. A fire. Once he's settled this unpleasantness, he would warm his love by a fire.
He'd thought his sister would run. But then again, she'd never had much instinct for self-preservation. Perhaps she'd assumed the bonds of family would save her? Rebekah predictably had broken the moment she saw his face — her fear had increased tenfold when Caroline stepped from the shadows to join his side. At first, her incessant prattling had been an enjoyable dark amusement, but her justifications were as tedious as they were insulting.
"Nik, what I did...you have to understand, I was a mere child and suffered terribly under the weight of our kinsmen's expectations," Rebekah faltered uncertainly, green eyes pleading for understanding. "I never wished for your unhappiness nor Caroline's discomfort — not truly. I only ever wanted a love of my own."
"I see. Well, since you truly didn't mean it, my discomfort is all but forgotten then," Caroline harshly replied, her claws digging into Klaus' palm.
Sneering at his sister's stricken face, he mocked, "Of course, dear sister. I see your treacherous ways as a gift now — I can feel my unhappiness melting away as we speak."
Pale and trembling, Rebekah stumbled back against the bookshelves, gilt-edged volumes tumbled near her feet as she shakily pronounced, "You're here to kill me then."
Despite all she'd done to thwart his happiness, it still hurt to hear her think the worst of him. Shaking his head, he icily told her, "I've no taste for your death, sister. But your punishment will be most severe." With great fanfare, he revealed the thin silver dagger with its narrow blade freshly dipped in white oak ash. "This time you'll spend several centuries in the coffin."
Klaus looked to Caroline, seeking reassurance that she would stand by his decision. As though sensing his turmoil, Caroline nodded and somberly said, "My love has been restored to me; I've no need for vengeance." His heart swelled with pride at Caroline's words. For all her ferocity and enviable power, she was a pleasingly benevolent creature. His caged wolf rumbled with pleasure. Worthy.
Rebekah foolishly attempted to flash away, and Caroline surprised both siblings when she blurred in front of her, blackened claws sunk into the roots of his sister's hair, holding her with an effortless grace — and a wicked gleam in her blue gaze. His sister babbled apologies and curses in equal measure, as though that would somehow inspire mercy at this late date. He stabbed her in the heart, and his destructive, petty side savored the terror he saw on her face. Blood will have blood.
Caroline allowed Niklaus to claim her lips in a possessive kiss once the lid to Rebekah's coffin had been closed. She could sense that his beast had settled, content in the knowledge that the balance had been restored. She favored him with a benign smile as he left to make arrangements for Rebekah's coffin to be entombed in a spelled crypt.
She opened the coffin lid, breathing in the rotted stench of Rebekah's desiccating flesh. Hollow eyes watched her fearfully, and Caroline's monster reveled in her enemy's terror. Leaning in close, Caroline whispered, "It's true I've no need for vengeance, but I desire it all the same." She plunged the white oak stake, carefully hoarded for centuries, deep into Rebekah's chest, warming herself with the flames of her destroyed enemy. Caroline's vicious, needle-teeth smile gave way to mocking laughter as she asked, "Won't you share your fire?"
She'd barely shut the lid on the ashy remains when Niklaus flashed back into the room. "There was a noise and I smelled burning," he began, looking at Rebekah's coffin uncertainly.
Caroline smiled sweetly, kissing his cheek and singing a few notes of a folk tune he used to enjoy when they would frolic deep in the woods as humans. He swayed slightly, twirling her around the study with a carefree air. With a bemused shake of his head, he brushed his lips across her knuckles and wandered off to finish taking care of the arrangements.
She called after him, "Niklaus, will you build us a fire? I'd like to share it with you."
*ljúga beiskaldi: lying bitch
