Ruined Kings and Their Queens

Stefan The Mad Man

Chapter Sixteen

Stefan

The ropes soaked in wolfsbane bite into Nahn's skin the moment I secure them around her wrists. She lets out a sharp, involuntary cry—a sound that should bother me, but it doesn't. Not anymore. The faint scent of burnt flesh mingles with the cool night air as I shove her into the backseat like cargo. Her body slumps almost instantly, the poison draining the strength from her faster than I expected. Good. That makes things easier.

Elena struggles as I force her into the front seat, slamming the door shut with more force than necessary. She's shouting something—pleading, questioning—but her voice is just background noise now. The only sound I care about is the steady beat of the engine and the phone buzzing in Elena's jacket pocket.

I fish it out, my fingers steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. Damon's name flashes on the screen.

Perfect.

I swipe to answer, pressing the phone to my ear with a smirk creeping onto my face. "Hello, Damon. She's a little busy right now."

"Why the hell do you have Elena's phone?" His voice is sharp, filled with suspicion.

I lean back slightly, letting the tension hang in the air like a blade. "I'm making my next move," I say casually, like we're discussing dinner plans instead of the lives I've just upended. "Let me ask you something... What will Klaus do if he can't make any more hybrids? What will he do if he loses the one person he was entrusted to keep safe?"

That gets their attention. Elena jerks in her seat, and Nahn lets out a weak groan from the back. Her head lolls to the side, sweat beading along her temple despite the cold.

"What?!" they both shout, their fear laced into the single word like music.

Damon's tone shifts—panic creeping in beneath the anger. "Stefan, leave her out of this."

But I'm past the point of caring. I roll down the window, letting the cold wind whip against my face, and toss both their phones out like trash. They hit the asphalt with a satisfying crunch, disappearing into the darkness behind us.

Elena's seatbelt clicks as she unbuckles, her voice trembling. "What are you doing? Stefan, let us out of this car! Do you hear me? Let us out!"

I grip the wheel tighter, focusing on the road ahead, my knuckles whitening. "I took Klaus's family to make him suffer," I say quietly, like it's the most natural thing in the world. "I'm not going to let him make himself a new one."

Elena's eyes widen, disbelief etched across her face. "So what are you going to do? Lock me in some cave? Keep me hostage?"

I shrug, the grin tugging at my lips again. "Maybe." I glance at her, letting the words settle before adding, "Maybe I'll just turn you into a vampire."

The fear in her eyes is immediate, raw. She recoils like I slapped her, but I keep driving, the lines on the road blurring beneath the headlights. The bridge isn't far now.

"Stop the car, Stefan!" she screams. "Stop the car!"

But I don't.

Instead, I pull out my phone and dial Klaus. My heart doesn't race, my hands don't shake—I'm perfectly calm. This is control. This is power.

Klaus answers after the first ring, his voice smooth as ever. "Stefan, how nice to hear your voice."

A twisted satisfaction curls in my chest. "Tell your hybrids to get out of town."