Protecting Them (Only His Series: Book 3) *OLD VERSION*

Chapter 22

Alex's P.O.V

I felt someone shaking me awake and I opened my eyes to see Hayley. "It's Klaus. Jackson -" I sped away before she could finish her sentence.

I saw Klaus punching Jackson and I jumped on him. I straddled him as I punched him in the face violently several times until Klaus grabbed my fist and tossed me off of him before getting onto his feet. Hayley was helping Jackson and I stood in front of them, protecting them from Klaus.

"I trust them, Klaus. Do you hear me? You're not going to kill them. Not unless you want to go through me." I said to him and he looked impressed.

"You truly believe that they are worthy of your trust?" Klaus asked me.

"Yes." I yelled and he looked at me surprised.

"Well, you are stubborn, little wolf. Perhaps we were meant for each other. Go on, then. Tell them. We'll have the wedding. Save your wolves." He looked at Jackson and Hayley. "But, you mark my words, if you either of you ever betray her, I will find you, and I will deposit your head on the end of a spike. Perhaps I'll leave them in your grandmother's garden." Klaus said and gave me one last look before speeding away.

I turned to help Hayley tend to Jackson, who was still healing from his many injuries. I approached him and looked at him with concern. "Here." I said and caressed his face affectionately as he leaned against me for support.

"I got him, go after Klaus and talk to him." Hayley said and I looked at Jackson. He nodded and I sped away. I saw Klaus walking through the Bayou and I leaned up against a tree a few feet behind him.

"You know you never asked me." He stopped walking and I stood up as he turned around to me. "You never got down on one knee and did all that crap. I just told you we had to get married to save my people and you agreed." I said as I walked over to him.

"So, what? You yell at me. Defend people I still don't trust. And expect me to get on one knee and propose to you?" Klaus asked me and I laughed.

"Well, Hayley is still blood related to me. But I always did expect my one true love to get on one knee and ask me to marry him." I looked up at the sky and so did he. "Under the night sky." I said to him and he laughed at me.

"Of course you did." Klaus said and got down on one knee, then held the ring out to me. "Alexandria Elizabeth Salvatore, will you marry me?" Klaus asked and I smiled.

"I thought you never ask." I said and he smirked as he placed the ring back on my finger. He stood up and I kissed him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and brought me closer to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, as my fingers tangled in his hair.

"I love you, and I do trust you, Alex." Klaus said when he pulled away from the kiss. I pecked him one more time and smiled.

"I love and trust you too." I said and he let me go after kissing me one last time. He sped away as I sped back to Jackson and Hayley.

~

I came back to see Mary was patching Jackson up, and Hayley sitting next to him, on her back patio overlooking the lake. She finished up by placing a bandage on his stomach before speaking.

"There. You let that sit." Jackson smiled at her, and she patted him on the shoulder. "You'll feel better in the morning." Mary said to him. She got up to leave when she saw me.

"Mary, I am so sorry." I apologized to her.

"For what? Knowing a monster? Having baggage in your past? We all got that. Some worse than others." Mary said to me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I looked at her with guilt in my eyes. "When Jack and Hayley were down, you fought for them." She smiled at me. "A lot of people don't get friends like that."