The Major's Mate

11

Celeste progressively gets worse, and when the hallucinations start only Jasper remains in the room with her after the first incident. The three of them had been watching with heartache and worry as Celeste whimpered and called for her mother, she then speeding out of bed when Esme tried shushing her and pinning her to the wall. Fangs dropped and face contorted in rage, Celeste had snarled about it being all her fault she was like this in the first place- that if she had only let her live her life out as a human she wouldn't be in this predicament right now. Jasper and Carlisle, who'd both been too shocked to move, had quickly realized that Celeste thought Esme was the woman who had turned her so long ago. But then Celeste's mind had cleared and she backed off with a sob, tears streaming down her face as she apologized over and over to Esme.

Now laying in bed side by side with her mate, Celeste practically floats in a pool of grief, anger, sadness, and pain. Jasper can't quite keep a lid on his emotions, which means he can't help her, and Celeste is getting the brunt of his failure as a mate.

"Don't die on me. Please."

Celeste smiles weakly, angling her face so she's staring at him. "You kidding me? You're stuck with me for all eternity, handsome." She tries to laugh, but it only comes out as a cough.

Jasper grimaces. "Rest. Niklaus should be here soon."

Soon turns out being half an hour later. Celeste's breathing was raspy now and she could hardly keep her eyes open. She was unusually pale and sweating buckets, and Jasper was on edge. Any little noise sent him into a snarling rage, Carlisle then opening the door very carefully when Niklaus finally arrived.

Jasper growls at the newest additions to the room, both vampire and hybrid treading carefully at the onyx eyes glaring at them. Niklaus visibly falters at the wall of grief he walks into, but quickly shakes it off.

"Jasper," Carlisle calls out softly. "This is Niklaus Mikaelson. He's here to help Celeste. You need to go hunt if you want to keep a level head."

Niklaus steps closer to the bed, but Jasper growls at him. Eyes glowing gold, Niklaus growls back. "I am not your enemy. If you do not let me feed Celeste the cure, then she will die."

Taking a moment to get himself under control, Jasper asks, "Why can't I give it to her?"

"Because the cure runs through my veins."

From the doorway, Esme gasps and Niklaus smirks. "Now I'm going to come closer. Do not test me." Jasper eventually gives him a terse nod in response, he moving off the bed as the hybrid got closer. "Good." Then settling on the bed himself, Niklaus scoops up Celeste's limp body to cradle in his arms. "There, there, darling," he coos. "You'll feel better soon."

"..Nik?"

"I'm here."

The Cold Ones watch on in fascination as the hybrid raises his wrist to his mouth and bites down, he then placing his bleeding wrist to Celeste's mouth. It takes her a few seconds before she can latch on, her eyes bleeding red and the black veins slithering to the surface beneath her eyes the longer she drinks. A minute passes and then Niklaus pulls his wrist away.

He stands, nodding to the family. "She's going to be fine."

Jasper is immediately back on his bed, carefully maneuvering Celeste and checking her wound. Right before his eyes, the wound slowly closes and the most beautiful smile Niklaus has ever seen graces the Cold One's features. As one, Carlisle, Esme, and Niklaus seems to sag in relief as the atmosphere in the room completely shifts to one of a joyous feeling.

When Carlisle catches Niklaus' curious gaze, he says, "Jasper is an empath. My first child is a mind reader and another daughter of mine has visions of the future."

Nik hums in understanding.

Carlisle and Esme then take a moment to introduce themselves to Niklaus- please, call me Klaus- as Celeste slowly gets her strength back. A cup of blood is eventually pressed into her hand and Celeste quickly guzzles it down before speeding off to the bathroom to brush her teeth.