Bound in the Shadows / TVD N.M

🦋~° 13 °~🦋

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Liora

The streets of Chicago stretched out before us, a labyrinth of towering buildings and bustling sidewalks, though they were quieter in the early daylight. The light filtered through the narrow gaps between skyscrapers, casting long shadows on the pavement. The air was different here—sharp, filled with the noise of the city slowly waking up. Cars honked in the distance, and the hum of everyday life seemed to blend with the weight of the past. Chicago had history, and you could feel it in the very concrete.

I was curled up in the footwell of the Jeep, my wolf form nestled close to Niklaus's legs. My head rested against his knee, feeling the subtle vibrations of the engine as we weaved through the streets. Nik sat in the front seat, his hand occasionally brushing my fur, reassuring, possessive in a way only he could be. Stefan was at the wheel, silent and brooding, his face tight with the weight of memories. Chicago was not just another city for him; it was a place of blood and chaos, a place where his darker self had ruled unchecked.

"Welcome back to Chicago, Stefan," Nik said with a smirk, breaking the silence.

Stefan's jaw clenched, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. He had been here before, in the eighties, but his memories were fractured, clouded by too much blood, too many girls, and the haze of his Ripper days. Nik, of course, remembered everything. He always did. And I remembered too—how Nik had compelled Stefan to forget the more dangerous parts of that time, erasing the carnage of one night in particular. It had been necessary.

We pulled into a near-empty parking lot in front of a bar. It was closed, the windows dark, and the silence of the street made it feel almost forgotten. The kind of place that came alive only after the sun went down. I knew where we were going. Gloria's bar.

Stepping out of the Jeep, I followed closely behind Nik as we descended the short flight of stairs to the entrance. My body felt tense, the air around us charged with a sense of purpose. Nik made some bad joke as we entered, his voice cutting through the stillness like it was just another night out.

"Comes a Hybrid into a bar—"

"Please," came the sharp voice of Gloria before Nik could finish. She stood behind the bar, wiping down glasses, preparing for the evening ahead. "You were never funny, Klaus, and you never will be. So, please, just stop."

Nik's grin spread wider, undeterred by her lack of amusement. He stepped forward, leaning against the bar with a charm that was almost predatory. "Gloria, you look just as beautiful as the last time we saw each other."

Stefan's face twisted in confusion as he glanced between Nik and Gloria, a flicker of recognition dawning on him. His brows furrowed, his mind searching through the fog of his memory. "I know you... I was here before, in the eighties, I think." He pointed at Gloria, his expression strained. "I know you, but... shouldn't you be..."

Gloria cut him off with a wry smile. "Old and dead? I've got my ways. Spells, herbs. Slows the aging down, but don't worry, everything will catch up to me soon enough."

Her sharp eyes slid down to me, still in my wolf form, and she frowned. "Dogs aren't allowed. Get that mutt out of here."

Nik's entire demeanor changed in an instant. His playful, charming exterior vanished, replaced with something darker, more dangerous. His eyes narrowed, his tone lethal. "She stays here. She's not just a dog."

Gloria didn't push, but her gaze lingered on me, curiosity flickering in her eyes. She knew there was more to me than what I appeared, but for now, she turned her attention back to Nik.