A Different Path Taken

Chapter 20

Mia POV

"One more." I begged Tyler before he got in his car. He grinned as he cupped my face, bringing my lips to his for one more kiss. Tyler was taking his mom, along with Jeremy and Jenna up to the Gilbert lake house.

They needed to be away while this went down. I needed Tyler out of town because last night, Klaus sent me a note that he wanted to meet in the afternoon for Katherine's location. I wasn't going to miss the chance to see the look on her face.

He drove off and I rushed back to the house, changing my outfit to get his scent off me just in case. Dad and uncle Stefan were off hunting to charge up for the ritual. Care and Bonnie were with Elena making sure they went over the plan for her "death".

I was pouring myself some blood when there was a knock on the front door. I sniffed the air, but the scent wasn't Ric's. I didn't recognize it, so I grabbed a stake just in case. I walked over to the front door, looking confused when I saw a vampire.

"I've returned to my original body, little one." Klaus smirked and I had to admit, he wasn't too bad looking. Though he did scream danger and jackass at the same time. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Sorry. Only a human can." I faked a smile, there was no way in hell I would ever let him in my house. "Let me grab my jacket."

I went to the living room, pulling out my phone to send a quick warning to my dad, before grabbing my hoodie. I tossed it on and went over to the door, looking at his offered arm to me, not knowing if I should trust him.

"If I wanted to kill you, trust me, you would've been dead the moment you confronted me." He smirked as I took his offered arm. "Now. Katherine and the moonstone?"

"I will give you the moonstone when Elena leaves with you. Katherine is at the old tomb under the abandoned church ruins." I widened my eyes when he grabbed me and ran off. He was definitely much faster than anyone I've known.

"Ahh the fear I wish to see in her eyes the moment Katerina sees me." He smirked as we walked through the woods, close by the tomb. "Though that does beg a question, what could Katherine Pierce have possibly done to Damon Salvatore's daughter? You make no sense to me seeing as your father is stuck at 25, yet he couldn't have a child at 8, seeing you're a teenager."

I stopped walking, mentally praying that he didn't use this against me. "I didn't turn at this age. I turned when I was six years old. Pearl turned me so her daughter could escape the night everyone found out about Katherine. When I was in transition, I remembered everything. Katherine would feed on me multiple nights, she would compel me to throw tantrums so my grandfather could discipline me while my father was away. Then, they put me in the tomb and I was stuck there until a year ago."

I peeked a glance at him, his face gave nothing away but his clenched jaws and fist gave away his anger. It reminded me of the pity Elijah gave me when I told him and I hated it. "Klaus, I may be much younger, but I am not a weak vampire."

"You aren't." I looked at him in surprise. "I may not care for anything, but no person could condone what they did to a child. How did you grow?"

"Emily Bennett. She protected me a lot when I was with her. The night I turned she put a spell on me that allowed me to stop turning at a certain age. I grew up in the tomb and some vampires used their teaching me as a way to ignore the pain without blood."

"Let's go, little one. I have a certain Petrova to torture." I watched as he stormed off, but I followed after him. We walked down the steps to the tomb and I grinned when I saw Katherine slumped against the wall, looking much older and a bit desiccated.

"Oh hello gorgeous." I teased at her, "you don't look a day over 70."

"I can't wait until I'm out so I can rip your head off." Katherine hissed quietly, but didn't look up until she heard Klaus' angry voice.

"Even think of laying a finger on her and I'll compel you to rip your own heart out, Katerina."

She immediately looked up in terror, her eyes wide and I felt this sick satisfaction at seeing her in fear. This was what I wanted. I wanted her to fear for her life.

"K-Klaus. What are you-"

"Quiet." He hissed as he walked closer to the tomb. "Thank you for the gift, little Salvatore. I accept that deal for the favor."

"You handed me over for a favor?!" Katherine shrieked at me and I rolled my eyes at her.

"I owe you nothing, Katherine. You're lucky I didn't kill you already. You'd do the same if you were in my shoes, no questions asked. Klaus, enjoy this." I went to leave him, but he called out to me.

"Wait." I turned to him in confusion. He walked over to me, leaning close to me and I tensed. He whispered quietly in my ear, "Never fear her again. I swear it. She will pay."

I nodded to him, not wanting to smile as I still didn't know if I could truly trust Klaus Mikaelson. I walked up the stairs, grinning as Katherine begged me not to leave her alone with him.

I felt a buzz in my pocket and pulled out my phone, seeing a text from Elijah. He wanted to see me at my house. I figured Klaus could handle himself as I rushed off to meet Elijah.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Elijah immediately rushed to me the moment I walked into the house. He held me at an arms distance, checking over me for any injuries. "I can take him, but I'll kill him if he hurts you."

"He didn't. He...he made me feel safe around him. Especially in front of Katherine. He defended me even." I watched the surprise grow in his eyes with every sentence.

"Little one, you truly are one of a kind."