A New Beginning | Emma Petrova (TVD & TO) [BOOK 2]

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Today is the day!

Klaus early today has set up a dinner table in the courtyard to celebrate his return to leadership over New Orleans and his repossession of the compound from Marcel. He made me tag along with him because he wants to make sure that everyone knows me and they should obey me and bla bla bla.

The vampire army, including Marcel and his closest minions are seated around the table, Klaus and Hayley are seated at each end of the table and I'm sat right beside Klaus. Everyone looks at Klaus like they want to kill him and every now and then I catch them glaring at me too.

Klaus takes his hands on mine and brings it up to his lips, kissing it and giving me a little wink. All of a sudden he stands up from his seat, grabbing everyone's attention to give a speech by tapping his glass with his fork.

"Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift: immortality. After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt, for its beauties and its sorrows do diminish with time. But, as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans could possibly imagine." Klaus gives everyone a little smile before he gestures towards the group of waiters, and they immediately walk over to each of us and stay right behind us. "Insatiable need, exquisite pain..." Klaus continues as the servant behind me slit his wrists with a knife, filling my cup up with blood. "Our victories, and our defeats." We all raise our glasses to toast with each other as Klaus continues his speech. "To my city, my home again. May the blood never cease to flow... and the party never end!"

"To New Orleans." I say, raising my glass as everyone repeats what I said and take a sip of their drink. Klaus gives me a grin as he mentions for me to stand up, but i give him the 'really, now?' look, making him give me a knowing nod.

"I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent change in leadership, and I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have. What Marcel, in fact, took and built for this true community of vampires." Nik takes a pause, opening his mouth to speak again but he's rudely interrupted by one of Marcels' minions.

"What about them?" He points at Hayley at the far end of the table and then at me as he's right in front of him. Didn't anyone teach him that pointing is rude? "The wolf and your girlfriend. She's your girlfriend, right? Because I'm a bit confused about who she is and-." Klaus cuts him off, giving him his best death glare.

If looks could kill, he would've killed Diego twenty times by now.

I sigh, rolling my eyes at Diego who is smirking. "Had you let me finish, Diego, you would know that there is, of course, one further matter I would like to address." He walks over to the other end of the table, standing behind Hayley. "As many of you know, the girl is carrying my child. Consequently, I trust you will all pay her the appropriate respect. However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor that I intend to use the blood of our child to create hybrids. I assure you I do not."

Hayley smirks sarcastically. "Father of the year."

He walks over to me and makes me stand up, causing everyone to look cautiously at me like if they look at me the wrong way, Nik will kill them. "Emma here is my girlfriend." He reaches to my ear to be sure no one hears what he says next. "But not for long." He gives me a smirk and I roll my eyes knowing what he means. "You shall show her your respect, loyalty and protect her at all costs. She's your queen and she shall not be treated any less."

"So we have to take orders from her to?" Some vampire snorted, making Klaus eye him.

I smirk at the vampire before Nik rips the guys heart out as he's considering it right now. "Don't worry, I'm not very demanding. But I do wish that you would shut up until I say otherwise."