B E T T E R M A N | KLAUS MIKAELSON

SIXTEEN

That same, gruffly heavy voice began to speak again, not taking her blatant ignorance of him as a sign to leave. "Mind if I join your game of pool sweetheart."

Left hand squeezed at the wooden frame of the table, anger getting the best of the hellhound. Adriel, though concerned about his sister's blatant hatred for the man joining them, didn't seem to notice anything wrong with the man, initially at least, he would even go as far as to be confused as to why his sister was treating him in such away. "My sister here isn't feeling well, so I suppose you could stand-in for her and finish our game?"

Oh Adriel, always the nice guy.

"Sounds like a sure thing mate." Even hearing his voice was sending her spiralling, though the deep earthy scents of rain-soaked moss were still trapped within her nostrils, confirming that it had been him that had forced the demons back to bed. She supposed she should thank him, but she wouldn't.

Finally loosening her grip, mostly in fear that she would lose control and out herself to pretty much the entire town, Rhine moved closer to her brother. Adriel didn't seem the tiniest bit fazed by the man joining their game, or by Rhine's outright disrespect. Instead, the mundane proceeded to carry on playing the game as if he was still playing against his sister.

Tufts of stark black hair caught her eye, the amber in them sparking as she noticed he hadn't come alone. There stood off to the side slightly, but still within reach, was Tony. Alarm bells went off in her mind, he was here for something, she prayed it had nothing to do with her.

Searching the grill, she spotted Elena, standing with what looked like Stefan's brother. She assumed he was also a vampire, and judging by the looks she was being given from the pair, they had already had their talk with the man. The two of them were coupled together by the bar, sets of ices sending a careful warning through the space in between.

It didn't take long for her to put it all together.

"Klaus, what do you want?" The venom in her voice didn't go unnoticed.

Adriel paused, entire body freezing up at his sister's words. His russet eyes caught her own, showcasing their worry as he stared between her, and the original hybrid stood opposite him at the other end of a pool table. The male's usual lightheartedness disappeared altogether, mind wrapping itself around the fact that he had been enjoying a game of pool with a literal hybrid who had killed thousands, and destroyed the lives of probably double that, including his sister.

"Now, now love. No need for such hostility." He smirked, arctic eyes sending chills racing through her frozen veins. "I'm just here to play a little bit of pool, your brother here is quite the player by the way."

Adriel gulped. But Rhine wouldn't let up, it was time for her to play the protective sibling.

"That's bullshit." The confident facade she seemed to be putting up worked, for the hybrid seemed all the unaware of her crumbling mind underneath. "Why are you really here? Cause last time I remember, I told you not to talk to me again."

As she stepped forward, so did Tony. She eyed him up, a heavy growl beginning to grow in the depths of her throat as amber hardened over, squinting at him as though he was to be her next meal.

"If you really must know love, I've got some business with some of your friends, and really I just couldn't help myself when I saw your pretty self over here." Klaus stepped forward, one arm leaning on the upheld cue stick that had been in her possession only ten minutes earlier.