Her Purpose || Kai Parker

Chapter 15

Damon sat at the bar, a glass of bourbon in hand, staring into the distance.

Alaric and Estrella arrived shortly after, each settling on either side of him.

“I’ll have the same,” Alaric said, motioning to the bartender.

Damon, without missing a beat, turned to Estrella. “Not for you. Put it back.”

She sighed, giving a slight pout as she pushed her drink away.

Damon exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. “I screwed up.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you did,” Alaric replied, his tone unflinching.

“One hundred percent,” Estrella chimed in. “Completely unacceptable behavior.”

Damon nodded, resigned. “Yeah.”

Before the conversation could go any further, a voice cut through the air. “Gentlemen, why so glum?”

Klaus stood next to them, a smirk playing on his lips as he surveyed the group.

Alaric and Damon turned to face him, while Estrella, seeing Klaus in person for the first time, felt a chill run down her spine.

Klaus’s gaze locked onto Estrella. Stepping closer, he reached out and gently touched her cheek.

“Estella,” he whispered, his voice smooth and eerily familiar.

Estrella’s hair shifted to a deep purple, an involuntary reaction that confused both Damon and Alaric.

Damon quickly moved between Klaus and Estrella, his protective stance unmistakable.

Klaus smiled, clearly amused by the gesture.

“Ugh. Klaus, I presume,” Damon said dryly.

“In the flesh,” Klaus responded, his tone light. He cast a glance at Alaric. “Thanks for the loaner, mate.”

Damon didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “Any reason you stopped by to say hi?”

Klaus leaned casually against the bar, his eyes flicked back to Estrella, who remained silent but alert. “Oh, just here to see an old friend."

His gaze drifted lazily over the group. "And I’ve heard you and your brother have taken quite a liking to my doppelgänger. Thought I’d remind you not to do anything rash.”

Damon let out a chuckle, the irony not lost on him. “Thanks for the advice. I don’t suppose I could talk you into a postponement? You know, just for old times’ sake.”

Klaus raised an eyebrow, turning to Estrella as if to ask for confirmation. “He’s kidding, right?”

“No,” She said, shaking her head.

“Not really,” Alaric added dryly.

Damon, undeterred, pressed on. “I mean, come on. What’s one month in the grand scheme of things?”

Klaus's expression darkened slightly. “Let me be very clear. I have my vampire. I have my werewolf. I have everything I need. The ritual will happen tonight. If you want to see tomorrow, don’t screw it up.”

With that, Klaus took Estrella’s hand and kissed it, his eyes locking with hers.

“Until we meet again, Estella.” Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

Estrella let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

“And you say I’m the one who's going to get killed someday?” she muttered, her voice tinged with exasperation.