Tainted | Finn Mikaelson

Chapter 30

Klaus didn't leave her side.

Katya cried for what felt like hours. She had left her shirt sopping wet, and her eyes were red and puffy. Still, he'd remained there, holding her, even if he didn't speak much (or basically at all).

"Perhaps you should eat," he suggested when she'd finally stopped. "You look famished."

"I'll cook something," she said, sighing and rubbing her forehead before getting up.

"Nonsense, let me bring you blood. Food will not satisfy you."

"Okay," she said, since she hadn't yet stocked up on blood bags. "My favorite is type A."

Klaus half-smiled. "I'll return shortly."

In the time it took him to go to the Compound, she brought out every last bottle of alcohol that she owned (and there were many, especially recent additions she'd stolen using compulsion). When he came back, four glasses awaited them— two for her, two for him, one for blood and one for alcohol for each person.

"I could never say no to bourbon," he said, taking a bottle and pouring some for himself as she grabbed one of the blood bags, practically devouring it before she served herself some scotch.

"You Mikaelsons seem to like bourbon more than anything," she mentioned, swirling her drink around before sipping. "Thank you."

Klaus shrugged. "It was nothing."

"You have a habit of saying that whenever you do something really kind. Like, you don't want to acknowledge that you were nice to someone."

He blushed. "You sound like Camille."

"She is one of my best friends. How are you two doing, anyway?"

He sighed, pouring himself more bourbon and taking a swig before he said, "Not going. Whatever we had... I think it's over."

"Why?"

"She was right, in all the things she said when she first turned. I liked being able to control her when she was human because I could protect her. I've never quite been able to stray away from that."

"Do you not like her now that she's a vampire?"

"I love her more now that she is a vampire," admitted Klaus. "As a human, she was everything I could have ever wanted. Now, she is far more independent and fierce and it draws me more to her. She holds back nothing, she seizes what she wants and is far more confident than she's ever been. But she appears convinced that I no longer like her. In reality, I was simply appalled by the way she pushed me away when I was only trying to help her learn."

"Because of the control thing. You still wanted to control her, but it wasn't as easy anymore once she stopped having to be slightly dependent on you."

"I felt as though she was slipping out of my grasp. As though her vampirism now made her despise me. It was because of me that Aurora turned her. Because of me that she was in danger, as I did not get rid of Aurora when I should have. I tried to reach, tried to hold on, and she was able to swat me away. She no longer needed me. As a result, I felt she no longer wanted me. I grew annoyed. Even more so when the white oak went missing on her watch."

"Do you think you could learn to be less controlling?"

"Perhaps... if I felt more confident in the fact that she could protect herself. If I could teach her to fight as I do, I would have faith in her safety when she is on her own. Even then, the worries will never dissipate... anything could happen to her, simply because of her association with me. If my enemies were to know about her... they would torment her to no end."