I'll Be Your Last

Three Originals and a Baby (Vampire)

“Elijah!” I heard Rebekah yell, loudly.

Then I felt cool air and strong hands reached for me, gently trying to move me into a sitting position. I just so heavy, out of it. It was then I realized I was in a car. Why was I in a car? Then I remembered the restaurant, the two vampires who’d attacked us. The vervain…

“Get your hands off her!” Rebekah demanded and in an instant, those hands were gone. “Elijah!”

I jerked in surprise when something hit the car, hard, behind me. It sounded like a struggle.

“Have you lost your mind?” Klaus demanded.

“Have you lost yours, brother? Elijah!” Rebekah’s voice was growing louder.

“What is all this about?” Elijah’s voice was calm as he came towards us. “What has happened to Caroline?”

“Two vampires attacked us in Baton Rouge, one of them used vervain on her while Niklaus watched,” Rebekah growled.

A deep sigh. Then the world spun as I was scooped up in very strong arms. He smelled wonderful, a hint of sandalwood. I realized then that it was Elijah who carried me.

“What happened to her?” another female voice asked. It took me a minute to realize it was Haley.

Very carefully I was set down on something soft. I struggled to open my eyes and saw that I was in the living room of the mansion, curling myself into a ball because I was too weak to do much else. Every part of my body hurt.

“I’m told that she’s been vervained,” Elijah answered Haley. “And I’m waiting for an explanation.”

Elijah stood above me, leaning down to place his hand on my cheek. His movement was fast and I flinched from his touch because I hadn’t expected it. He was looking into my eyes, examining me. I felt cold but it wasn’t the reason I was trembling. That I couldn’t seem to stop.

Removing his suit coat, Elijah draped it over me. Then he rounded on his siblings.

“Her assailant gave her a substantial amount,” he told them. “While that wouldn’t have much of an impact on us, she’s a very young vampire and it could take a couple of days for her to get it out of her system and not without discomfort. Now what exactly happened?”

Rebekah stood feet planted apart, fists clenched at her sides. “They were Marcel’s. They followed us to Baton Rouge. They wanted to know what happened to a couple of friends of theirs, namely the two vampires we killed for attacking Caroline the first time.”

My gaze found Klaus and his face was etched in fury, his expression on me even as he answered his sister. “Again, Rebekah, this is all your fault. If you hadn’t taken out that first lot of vampires because of your pitiful obsession with Marcel –“

“Don’t you dare blame me, Nik!” Rebekah yelled at him. “Not for this. Yes, I regret what I did because my actions were the reason she was attacked the other day. But we weren’t even in New Orleans! We weren’t on Marcel’s turf. Perhaps my actions prompted them to follow us but it didn’t need to go that far.”

Klaus shot her a murderous look. “You’re slowing with age, sister. If you’d moved faster, they wouldn’t have touched a hair on her head.”

I snorted weakly. “I don’t need anyone protecting me.”

If anyone had heard me speak, they didn’t show it.

“If you’d gotten your ass out of the car and helped me, they definitely wouldn’t have,” she threw back at him.