Longing ~ Klaus Mikaelson(book 2)

lost

I feel my body being jostled, each step sending sharp waves of pain through me. The world is a blur of half-formed shapes and muffled sounds, but panic flares hot in my chest as I realize something's wrong. My vision swims, but I blink against it, trying to focus. The figure carrying me isn't who I hoped for-it's not Nik.

It's Alaric.

A strangled gasp escapes my throat as terror tightens its grip on me. I try to move, try to struggle against the binds I can now feel tightly wrapped around my wrists and ankles, but my strength is gone. My magic is barely a flicker, drained after breaking Esther's barrier the night before. My breath quickens, heart pounding against my ribs. I'm trapped. Vulnerable.

I don't know where he's taking me, but I can sense the malice, the hatred radiating off him. It's suffocating. Then, with a hard thud, I'm dropped onto the cold floor. The impact rattles through my bones, but I force myself to look up, my vision blurring and refocusing.

The school gym.

The very place where the decade dance had been held just the night before, now dark and cold. My stomach twists with dread, memories of laughter and music crashing against the present. I try to call out, but my voice barely makes a sound.

"Bonnie!"

It's Rebekah's voice, sharp and full of panic. I manage to turn my head just enough to see her rushing toward me, her eyes wild with fury, and beside her, Caroline's concerned face appears, her brow furrowed with fear.

Rebekah's rage flares hot, her eyes glowing with an unrestrained fury as she vampspeeds toward Alaric, the white oak stake in her hand gleaming dangerously. In one swift motion, she drives the stake into his heart.

But it doesn't work.

Confusion flickers across her face, the stake lodged in Alaric's chest but not killing him. Why wasn't it working?

Before I can process what's happening, Rebekah is back on the attack, using her speed to distract Alaric with everything she has. Caroline rushes toward me, picking me up with a desperate sense of urgency, her arms tight around me as she races for the exit.

But it's too late.

Alaric moves too fast. Caroline's body jerks violently, and we both hit the ground hard. She crumples beneath me, her neck snapped, her limp form cradling mine. I scream, panic tearing through my voice as I look up and see Rebekah, torn between saving herself and coming back for us. I know she can't make it to us in time.

"GO!" I scream, the sound raw and desperate, my throat burning with the effort. My vision blurs again as the weight of exhaustion pulls me under. My last sight before darkness claims me is Rebekah speeding toward the exit, Alaric stalking closer.

---

When I wake, the world is quiet. Too quiet. My body feels heavy, my wrists aching from the ropes binding them to the desk. I wince, trying to shift, but there's no use. I'm tied tight.

My heart hammers in my chest as I glance to the side and see Caroline slumped in the chair next to me. She's gagged, a vervain-soaked rag shoved into her mouth, burning her skin. Her muffled cries reach me as she writhes against her own bonds.

I hear Alaric's voice before I see him, his cold tone cutting through the silence like a blade. He's on the phone, his voice low but menacing. I can barely make out the words, but when I do, my blood runs cold.

He's talking to Elena.

"... Come to the school or I'll kill them both," he says, his voice so casual it sends a shiver down my spine. I try to move, to speak, to scream for help, but nothing comes. I'm too weak. I hear Caroline whimper, and I turn to see Alaric drive a pencil through her hand, twisting it slowly as she cries out in pain.

I can barely breathe. He's torturing her just to send a message.

His next phone call makes my heart stop.

The voice on the other end-it's Klaus.

Alaric's lips curl into a sinister smile as he taunts him. "Come to the school or I'll kill her," he says, his eyes flicking toward me. "And your baby."

My baby.

Caroline's eyes widen as she turns to me in shock, realization dawning across her face. She didn't know. She hadn't known I was pregnant, and now, in the midst of all this horror, her concern deepens. I can see it in her eyes-her worry for me, for the child growing inside me.

But there's nothing I can do.

Alaric continues to taunt Klaus, the threat hanging heavy in the air, and I can feel the tension building inside me. I don't have much strength left, but I have to do something. I have to save my baby.

---

Minutes feel like hours until the doors creak open, and Elena steps inside. Alaric grins, his grip tightening on Caroline as he holds her in front of him, forcing her to endure more of the vervain-soaked torture.

"You wanted to kill vampires, right?" he sneers at Elena. "Here's your chance."

He's trying to force her to kill Caroline. Elena's eyes dart between us, panic swirling in her gaze. She's torn, desperate, unsure of what to do.

But then I see it-the glimmer of an idea in Elena's eyes as she presses the sharp point of a stake against her own neck.

It hits me like a bolt of lightning-Esther's spell.

The blood of a powerful creature-Elena is the doppelgänger. Her blood bound the spell, and if she dies, so does Alaric. Esther never intended for Alaric to live forever. She wanted him to finish the task and then die in the span of a human lifetime.

Before I can say a word, Elena acts.

In a flash, she throws the vervain into Alaric's face, sending him reeling back in pain. The second he's distracted, she frees me and Caroline, untying our ropes with trembling hands.

We run. We bolt for the door, our footsteps echoing through the hall as we burst into the corridor.

...

We barely make it out when we crash right into Klaus. Caroline doesn't stop, but I freeze. Klaus's arms wrap around me in an instant, pulling me into a tight embrace. His relief is palpable, washing over him in waves. He presses his lips to my forehead, his voice trembling with a mixture of relief and anger.

"I thought I'd lost you," he murmurs, holding me close. His hands linger protectively over my stomach, as though shielding our child from any lingering danger. "You and the baby..."

"I'm okay," I whisper, though my voice wavers. "But Klaus, Elena... we need to help her."

His jaw tightens, and I can see the fury building behind his eyes, the protective, violent need to end anyone who would dare harm me or our child. "Go home. Stay safe," he orders, brushing a soft kiss against my forehead. "I'll deal with Alaric."

But even as he says it, there's a tension in his voice, an unspoken fear that things might not go as planned. I watch as he turns, striding back into the school, ready to face whatever hell waits inside.

And as he disappears from sight, I can't help but feel the weight of everything that's happened settle deep inside me.

The danger isn't over. Not yet.