Klaus

Cooper slept on a chair in the corner of the room. His jacket collar hiked up around his chin. His arms folded tightly across his chest, while his feet rested on the coffee table that he had placed in front of the door like a barricade.

We had made it to Blair’s house without any witnesses, but on the way here, each step seemed to make Cooper more and more agitated. He was frustrated with my calmness, and angry that I wasn’t angry. It was clear he got off on making people lose their sanity, but it didn’t work with me.

Leaning back against the corner he had dumped me in, I let out a sigh. He had pressed for more information about his sister. Something else he grew frustrated about when I didn’t answer him. I was fully expecting him to hit, to punish me, but other than keeping me tied up, he hasn’t hurt me.

I hear him stir and close my eyes, just as his boots hit the floor with a thud. After listening to his quiet movements in the forest, his paces now seemed incredibly loud.

He stops in front of me. “Can’t sleep?”

I don’t respond.

“Klaus, I know you are awake.” He doesn’t move and I keep my eyes closed. “You breathe a little heavier and you usually talk in your sleep.”

Crap, what had I been saying. My eyes snap open, “How do you know that?”

He smiles. “You have a lovely home in Black Shadow.” He drops onto the floor next me, his arm brushes mine. “I get it.” He mutters, “You want to protect your pack. But you are going to have to speak to me eventually and, well, I always get what I want.”

“I will talk to you about anything other than my pack.” Maybe I could find the real reason why he was doing this.

“Why do you love that pack so much?”

I press my lips together and turn away.

“You won’t even answer me?”

“That is talking about the pack.” I keep my tone light. He hadn’t beaten me so far and I would prefer to keep it that way. “You drive a hard bargain.” He winks at me. “I like that about you Klaus. Or maybe I like it because we are mates?” “We are not mates.”

“Just because you can’t scent me right now, it doesn’t mean we are not. You will scent me again when the drugs wear off.” “Only because you are doing something to trick my mind. We are not mated.” I state confidently. I wasn’t falling for his games. “Is that what you really believe?”

“It’s what you did to Blair, right? And probably many others too. Lure them into thinking that you are there for them when in reality, it’s all about yourself. Tricking them to come with you so you can take away their abilities.”

“Maybe you are right. Maybe you have me all wrong. Only time will tell.” He pats my leg, “Get some sleep. You are going to need it.”

He pushes himself up and pauses to look at me. “You are not like the others Klaus. They do not see you as an equal.”

I roll my eyes, “Do you think I’m

going to fall for that? I won’t be

roped into your little game. Keep me your prisoner. Starve me. Lock me in a tiny room. Do what you need to do. I won’t give you the answers you are looking for.”

“You must really care for them?”

I keep my gaze level with his, he wasn’t getting anything else out of me.

He moves back to the chair, his sage green eyes are bright in the

darkness, something I couldn’t see yesterday. The drugs are wearing

off. He had given me nothing elet

and yet it was increasingly obvious that could scent him, not by much, but it was there. Maybe it isn’t in the drugs. Maybe he was doing

something to himself, projecting the scent. After all, he is part Witch.

“Why do I need my sleep?”

“I would just like you to be well rested. Not everything about me makes me a prick, Klaus. There are some things I do care about. You just don’t see it yet.”

“Like Samara?”

“Thought you didn’t want to talk about the pack?”

“She isn’t a part of my pack.” There’s a moment of delight in his sage green eyes, I could tell by the way the blue flecks popped. His sister means a lot to him, probably more than anyone else on this pl.

“You don’t have any siblings, do you, Klaus?” My name rolls from his tongue.

“No and I’m grateful, siblings always seem to cause problems, especially younger ones.” Apart from Blair, she was a little older than Neah, but still, she was a sibling causing problems.

He smiles at me and bobs his head,

“They do, I used to believe that was why they were put on this Earth. Just to be a troublemaker to the

older sibling. I couldn’t stand Samet

when we were kids. She had her sticky hands in all my things and always wanted to be where I was. She’s the ultimate pain in the ass but I need her where I can keep an eye on her.”

“Exactly why I am grateful to be alone.”