The Wolf - Klaroline

18. An Unblinking Death

Season 1 Episode 18

Notes:

You guys! The Wolf got nominated for a , along with two other stories of mine. Holy crap! Thank you so much to everyone reading and commenting and kudosing and to whoever nominated this story for an award. I'm so flattered!

This chapter hasn't been beta'ed and I am HAVING ISSUES right now. lol I know I say this all the time, but I'm SUPER NERVOUS and as soon you read it you'll understand why. I really hope you guys enjoy it! Please, forgive me for all the mistakes you'll surely find. I did my best!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

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"Can I help you find something, Niklaus?" Elijah offers courteously after hours listening to his raucous efforts around the house.

His brother has gone through four rooms already, leaving a trail of destruction behind him as he searches through shelves, desks, closets, wardrobes, dressers, trunks and anything else he can find, grunting incoherently as he does so.

Elijah was kind of enjoying it at the beginning, the dull satisfaction of rattling Niklaus' cage without moving a single finger. He knows exactly what he's looking for, of course - and he also knows that Klaus will never find it because he was very meticulous with hiding this precious item he so desperately seeks. Aggravating his brother wasn't why he did it, but he has to admit that it is indeed quite vindicating - not to mention entertaining - to watch him squirm, especially after yet another betrayal.

Now, however, Klaus' fruitless struggle has started to lose its novelty. It was fun for the first hour or so, but Elijah's grown tired of all the noise Niklaus makes as he tears down the house. The moodier he grows, the noisier he gets. He cannot stand to suffer quietly; the entire world needs to be aware of his fraying temper, loudly. Dramatic to the last strand of hair on his head, his little brother.

"Yes," Klaus grumbles as he pulls books out of the shelves in the study room. If he touches Elijah's collection of rare editions there will be war under their roof. "In fact, I believe you can. I'm looking for a book. About yay big, filled with our mother's most powerful spells. It appears to have been misplaced."

Elijah arches an unimpressed eyebrow, taking a seat behind the desk. "How very mysterious."

"Indeed. At first I feared the witches had succeeded in their efforts to obtain it, but considering their last attempt ended with me relieving a rather large tattooed gentleman of his hands, I began to wonder if the thief wasn't a bit closer to home." Klaus turns to him, scowling. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be, brother."

"Well, admittedly, I did have a theory that your sudden interest in mother's grimoire was in some way related to whatever foolishness you've been conducting with the Crescent wolves. Therefore, I took it upon myself to carefully place it where naughty, little fingers could not pry." Elijah punctuates his sentence with a slight curl of his lips.

"And here I thought you of all people would understand I am simply trying to help those wolves, play Samaritan to the abused, champion to the underdog." He pauses, smirking, "So to speak."

"How splendidly noble of you."

Klaus scrubs a hand over his face, dropping the pretense of politeness, no longer keeping the bite out of his voice. "Have you ever considered that, like you, I am trying to keep Caroline safe, using our mother's magic to empower the people who have currently taken her in so that they are capable of protecting her?"