LUST~NIKLAUS MIKAELSON(book 1)

A blessing and a promise

The days that followed were filled with a strange, fragile peace. Klaus seemed to sense my unease, though he never pressed me about it. Instead, he devoted himself to me with an intensity that both warmed my heart and deepened the ache within it. Every morning, he brought me fresh wildflowers, their bright colors a stark contrast to the dark storm brewing inside me. Every night, he held me close, whispering sweet promises of a future I wasn’t sure we could have.

But as much as I tried to focus on the present, the uncertainty of what lay ahead gnawed at me. Rebekah, always the most observant, had begun to notice my distraction. One morning, as she braided my hair, she hesitated, her fingers stilling as she glanced at me in the mirror.

“Bonnie,” she began carefully, her blue eyes narrowing with concern, “you’ve been quieter than usual. Is something troubling you?”

I forced a smile, trying to brush off her concern. “It’s nothing, Beks. I’ve just been... thinking.”

“About what?” she pressed, her tone gentle but insistent.

“About the future,” I replied honestly, my heart heavy with the truth I couldn’t yet share.

Rebekah studied me for a moment longer before she nodded slowly, her hands resuming their work on my hair. “Whatever it is, you know you don’t have to face it alone, right?”

I nodded, but my smile didn’t reach my eyes. “I know.”

As Rebekah finished the braid, she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and left the room. I was grateful for the moment of solitude, even though it only gave me more time to dwell on my worries.

That evening, Klaus was unusually absent during supper. The table felt emptier without him, though his absence allowed my mind to wander to the looming choice I would soon have to make.

It wasn’t until later that night that I found out where he had been.

Rebekah burst into my chambers, her eyes wide with excitement and a mischievous grin on her face. “You’re not going to believe what I just heard!” she exclaimed, practically vibrating with energy.

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her enthusiasm. “What is it?”

“I overheard Niklaus speaking to Mother,” Rebekah said, her grin widening. “He asked her for something very important.”

My heart skipped a beat, dread and hope battling within me. “What did he ask?”

“For her blessing,” she answered, her voice filled with glee. “He wants to marry you, Bonnie! He said that with no family of your own here, Mother is the closest thing you have to a parent, and he wants her approval before he proposes.”

The room spun around me as her words sank in. Klaus wanted to marry me. A part of me was elated, but another part was filled with fear. What if we did get married? What if I stayed in this time, forsaking everything and everyone I’d ever known? But even that terrifying thought was tempered by the warmth that spread through me at the idea of becoming Klaus’s wife.

Rebekah’s grin softened into something more tender. “He really loves you, Bonnie. I’ve never seen him like this with anyone.”

Before I could respond, the door creaked open, and Klaus stepped inside, his eyes immediately locking onto mine. Rebekah winked at me and slipped out, leaving us alone.

Klaus walked over to me, his expression unreadable. “Did Rebekah spoil the surprise?” he asked, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

I managed a small laugh, my heart racing. “She might have mentioned something about a blessing.”

Klaus chuckled softly, taking my hand in his and leading me to the bed. He sat down beside me, his gaze intense as he studied my face. “Bonnie,” he began, his voice low and sincere, “I know this is sudden, and perhaps it’s not the most traditional way to do this, but there’s nothing about us that’s been conventional.”

He took a deep breath, his thumb gently tracing circles on the back of my hand. “You’ve brought something into my life that I never thought I’d have—hope. Hope for a future, hope for a family... hope for a love that lasts beyond time itself.”

My breath caught in my throat as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, ornate box. Opening it, he revealed a stunning ring—a simple band of gold set with a deep, blood-red ruby that seemed to glow in the candlelight.

“Bonnie Bennett,” Klaus said, his voice trembling ever so slightly, “will you marry me? Will you be my wife, my partner, my queen, for as long as we both shall live?”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at him, at the man who had somehow become everything to me. My mind screamed of all the dangers, of the uncertain future, but my heart knew the answer.

“Yes,” I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. “Yes, Nik, I’ll marry you.”

A brilliant smile spread across Klaus’s face, a rare, genuine smile that made my heart skip a beat. He slipped the ring onto my finger, and as I looked at it, sparkling on my hand, I felt a strange sense of calm. This was where I was meant to be, at least for now.

He pulled me into his arms, and as he kissed me, all the doubts and fears faded away, leaving only the warmth of his love.

But even as we held each other, the future loomed like a shadow over us. There were so many things I still didn’t know, so many challenges we would have to face. And with Ayana’s warning hanging over me like a dark cloud, I knew that this moment of happiness was just the beginning of a much longer, more dangerous journey.