His Muse (Klaus Mikaelson/The Vampire Diaries)

Chapter Fourteen

As soon as they arrived in Pensacola, Klaus asked around for directions to the address where Ray Sutton worked. He was tingling with excitement, and he was eager to get down to business as soon as possible.

It was a mechanic shop, and Klaus had asked Bethany to go inside as a 'distressed woman', to see if Ray was working. She would lure the wolf out, where Klaus would then snag him, turn him, and then order him to lead him to the rest of his pack.

But of course, Bethany didn't want to be a damsel in distress. Her inner huntress, and modern day 'I don't need no man', shat on Klaus' plan.

"Good evening!" He rolled his eyes as she bounced up to the man at the desk, chirpily. That was not the sound of a woman in distress. "I'm, like, really sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if Ray Sutton was working?"

"Ray doesn't work here. Not anymore." Came the dull response, "Is there anything that I can help you with? You here with car trouble?"

"No, thank you. I was just looking for him, that's all-"

"-Look Lady, I'm sorry, but Ray left a couple weeks ago. Skipped town without giving us any notice. If you do find him, tell him that he left us in the shit with the amount of work he dumped on us. We're understaffed as it is."

"Oh, no!" Klaus heard her sigh, and he didn't know what she was doing but he could pick up the sound of a heartbeat quickening slightly. But it was not his Bethany's. "Do you think anyone here knows where he went?" Klaus could hear the pout in her voice, "You see, I really need to speak to him-"

"-Look, Lady, if he knocked you up - he ain't coming back. That guys main priority ain't gonna be putting up a crib. You want Ray, you're gonna have to find that band of freaks he's left town with. Your best bet would be to visit his mama, Ray said she lives down in Memphis somewhere. And when you talk to her, tell her to get Ray to contact me."

Klaus listened as Bethany then left the mechanic shop, and rounded the corner towards where he was standing.

"Did you hear all that?"

"I did." He replied, a little annoyed. "Looks like we're headed to Memphis. Come along, love."

He placed his hand on the small of her back as he escorted her towards the car, and his fingertips were tingling as he felt the warmth of her skin through the thin material of her top. Oh, how he desperately wanted to touch her and feel the electrical mate current...but he did not want to see those welts on her back again.

"Would you like to go back to the hotel and paint?" He asked, "Stefan's at a club, hungry, so we have plenty of time."

"Can we?" She asked, "I mean, I did bring the painting I'm doing for my sister. Perhaps, you could take a look at it? Tell me what's wrong with it?"

Klaus doubted anything was wrong with the painting, he had seen her skill himself and had been greatly impressed with her artistic flair! He did want to see her main piece though, and he felt greatly appreciative that she wanted to show it to him.

"Of course, sweetheart."

The hotel they were staying in was beautiful. Klaus had gone all out and booked the two of them into a suite, as a way of making up for the dive that they had had to sleep in before.

As they stepped into their room, Bethany ran across the lounge area and into her bedroom - through a door just off to the side. She had her own en-suite bathroom too.

She returned not a moment later, with a shy smile and her canvas. Klaus sat beside her on the sofa, and admired her work of pure perfection.

He wasn't sure if he didn't want to find anything wrong with it, or if there wasn't anything wrong with it at all. Klaus did have a severely critical eye however, so he put it down to the latter.

"This is a stunning piece." He complimented her, his eyes roaming over the meadow and the chestnut horse before him. "Your attention to detail is astounding." She had even painted each individual leaf, and Klaus could see that each one was a slightly different shade of green to the next. Bethany had really gone all out on this piece of work. "What part aren't you happy with? Because, to me, this belongs in a gallery."

He grinned when he earned himself a beautiful blush at the compliment, "Honestly, I don't know." She said, "But it doesn't look like one piece of work. It looks like a section of trees, grass and then a horse. It has no flow. It needs bringing together."

Klaus could see her point. "Paint some more willow. Drape the leaves over the horse's flank a little."

"So, it looks like she's hiding?"

"Emerging." He corrected her. "And perhaps paint a foal?"

"Ooh, I like that!" She exclaimed, diving for her camera. He had seen her taking numerous pictures of horses as they had been driving. They sat together, perusing her photographs, and Klaus couldn't help but watch her as she spoke with a passionate smile on her face. Her eyes lit up, and she spoke with such animated excitement.

Klaus couldn't help himself, he reached up a hand to tuck a lock of her unruly blonde hair behind her ear. She was truly, a stunning young woman.

He felt heat rising to her cheeks before the blush settled on her skin, and the image he saw this time, was not of the werewolf welts on her back. He felt the electrical current running through his skin, and that familiar tightening sensation within his chest.

He watched her fighting a vampire, the kick she shot to her attackers stomach was swift and true, and it send her foe tumbling straight to the ground.

Klaus was impressed. Of course, she wasn't skilled enough to take him on and he doubted she would be able to floor Stefan; but for only training for four months, she was a good little huntress. Strong, dedicated, compelling. The Original Hybrid admired those traits in a young woman, especially one so enchanting to the eye.

He felt the alpha within him eager to claim her, and Klaus had to agree that he wanted to press his lips against hers and taste her skin.

But as he moved in to kiss her, Bethany shyly turned her head away from him.

"I...err," The blush on her cheeks only deepened, and although Klaus was frustrated that she was not so easily charmed he respected her refusal of his advance. "I think we need to check in on Stefan."

"He'll be fine, no need to worry." Honestly, Klaus felt jealousy rile up within him. "He checked in about an hour ago, telling me that he had found a club. We can go if you wish?"

Bethany bit her lip, and looked over to her painting and then down at her clothes. "A club?"

"Yes, loud music, dancing, and plenty of alcohol."

He could tell, immediately, that it wasn't her idea of a good time. He didn't mind not going. If they stayed in, he would have another opportunity to attempt claiming her as his. His inner alpha wanted to mark her, he knew, and the more Klaus thought about it - the more he wanted to kiss her.

"Alright, let's go." Her words had surprised him, but he quickly covered up his obvious disappointment with a disarmingly charming grin.

"I'll let Stefan know, we are on our way."

I am so sorry for the late update!