His Love

Chapter 20

Klaus's POV
It had been three days, and things were going well. Tara seemed like a whole new person—happier, more relaxed. It was Monday, 7:00 a.m., and she was still asleep beside me, curled up against my chest.

I carefully sat up, trying not to wake her. The sun had started to shine through the balcony doors, its light falling across the bed. Tara stirred, turning away from the brightness.

I pulled the sheet back over her and turned when I heard a phone vibrating. Realizing it was in my nightstand, I quickly answered it before it could wake her.

A familiar voice spoke on the other end.
"Honey, I'm sorry we haven't spoken in a while. Things have been... complicated. But we're almost ready to come get you."

I was silent for a moment before responding, my voice cold.
"You're trying to take her from me."

My tone must have risen because Tara stirred beside me. Her body shifted slightly, and I instinctively reached over, gently rubbing her head. She relaxed and fell back asleep. I stood, stepping out of the room and quietly closing the door behind me.

"Listen to me," I growled into the phone. "I let you and your wife live because Tara will need family for her wedding. But—"

"BUT NOTHING!" her father interrupted, his voice furious. "WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER? SHE WOULD NEVER IGNORE OUR CALLS UNLESS SOMETHING WAS WRONG!"

"Lower your voice, you pathetic warlock," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "Your daughter is fine. She's with me, and she's staying with me. If you come for her, I will kill both you and your wife. Tara doesn't want to speak to you anymore. This conversation is over."

"DON'T YOU DARE HANG UP ON ME, YOU DEMON! GIVE ME BACK MY DAUGHTER!"

I laughed darkly and ended the call, stuffing the phone into my pocket.

When I returned to the bedroom, Tara was already up and dressed. She turned to me, looking anxious.

"Klaus, I can't find my phone. I'm going to be late."

I stepped closer, taking her hands in mine. "What are you going to be late for?"

She gave me a confused look, as if I'd asked something ridiculous, and pulled her hands away, continuing to search under the bed and around the room.

"You're not going to school today," I said firmly.

She froze, then turned to me with a small, amused smile, like I'd just told a joke. Ignoring me, she grabbed her  bag and headed for the door.

"I'm serious, Tara," I said, stepping in front of her.

Her smile disappeared as she frowned at me. "Klaus, I know I've probably missed a lot of days because of my accident, but I have to go. If I have to do it without a phone, so be it."

She tried to move past me, but I blocked her path. She stepped to the left, and I followed. She stepped to the right, and I mirrored her again. After a few rounds of this, she huffed in frustration, crossing her arms.

"I can do this all day, love," I said with a smirk.

"Klaus, I don't have time for this! Why can't I go to school? I'm perfectly fine—see?" She gestured at herself, her voice rising slightly.

"You need to get checked out by the doctor first," I replied calmly.

"Please, Klaus." Her tone softened, and she unfolded her arms, her eyes pleading.

I sighed, relenting. "Fine. But I'm taking you to school and picking you up."

Tara squealed in excitement, grabbing her bag and running downstairs. I followed quickly, just in time to catch her by the hip before she tripped on the last step.

"Careful," I said, keeping a firm hold on her until we reached the bottom. Together, we walked into the courtyard, where my siblings were gathered.

"Rebekah, watch Tara for me," I instructed.

Rebekah turned and nodded as Elijah stepped forward. I left them in the courtyard and headed to the kitchen to make a phone call.

⸻

Tara's POV
"Elijah," I began, "we haven't had our reading session yet. I was wondering if we could go through that romance novel from 1880?"

Elijah's lips curled into a small smile. "Of course. How about later today, after school?"

"Perfect," I replied, grinning.

I glanced around, noticing Klaus wasn't nearby.

"If you're looking for Niklaus, he went to make a call," Elijah said. "In the meantime, why don't we chat in the parlor? You must be famished—I'll get you something to eat."

"Sure," I agreed, letting Rebekah guide me to the parlor.

The room was unlike any I'd been in before. It was furnished with vintage chairs, two off-white couches, and a low, brown-stained coffee table between them. Rebekah and I sat on one of the couches.

"So," Rebekah began, "what are we wearing today?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Don't you like it?"

Rebekah gave me a once-over, unimpressed. "I think we need to take you shopping."

"Hey, this is simple! Jeans, shirt and shoes ."

She smirked. "Honey, women have fought for you to wear couture. To thank them we must look our best everyday."

"You trying to be comfortable and look good in these colors," I shot back, laughing.

"Oh, trust me, I did—in the 1920s," she said smugly. "I've attended many schools. The first preparatory school with girls is wearing ugly outfits . Truly hideous."

We both burst out laughing.

A knock on the door interrupted us, and Rebekah called out, "Come in."

A maid entered, carrying a tray of breakfast croissants and a kettle of tea. She set the dishes down and left.

I grabbed a croissant and offered one to Rebekah.

"I'm fine, darling," she said. "You go ahead—I'll prepare the tea."

The croissant was warm and buttery, the smoked bacon inside perfectly tender. I watched as Rebekah poured tea into two cups, the steam curling into the air.

"Two sugars or one?" she asked.

"How about five?" I replied cheekily.

She gave me a horrified look. "Absolutely not. Nik would dagger me if I gave you diabetes."

She settled for adding three sugars to my cup and two to hers.

As I sipped the tea, I asked, "Did you like the 1920s? What was it like?"

"Oh, darling, it was incredible—jazz, big bands, flappers. Flappers were feminists, and might I say, quite attractive."

I blushed, looking away. "So... you've been with women?"

"Of course," she said matter-of-factly. "When you've lived as long as I have, you realize gender doesn't matter."

I nodded, taking another sip of tea. We continued talking and laughing about the roaring '20s, enjoying each other's company.

⸻

Klaus's POV
I glanced at the caller ID...

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How does feel about Rebecca and Tara sister bonding? Don't forget about Freya their sister bounding will come soon. Who do you think Klaus is calling? Please like and comment!