Chapter 20 - Aubrey
I couldn’t breathe as I watched Riley and the others pull him back and chain him to the ground in the other room. He stared at me, his eyes looking filled with hurt, but there was something else. Something dangerous within them.
He didn’t look like Klaus at the same time. And that smell—I could tell it was starting to come from him as well. As badly as I wanted to tell them to stop, I was afraid of him.
“Shit,” Janella whispered. “This isn’t good.”
“I knew we shouldn’t have come down here.” Dustin barked. “It’s latched onto him. This cauldron is just a problem! We need to move it!”
“We can’t move it. If we move it, what if it starts to latch onto other members?” Titus barked back.
“It stays down here,” Riley snapped as he took a step away from Klaus. Klaus stood still, his eyes still locked on me.
“What do we do?” Janella asked. “We can’t keep him down here. This place is not set up for locking people up.”
“He seems calmer than I expected,” Troy added. “When I was losing my control, I was a lot less aware.”
“Maybe it hasn’t attached to him,” Elize added, hopeful. “Maybe he’s mistaken.”
I stood numb as I stared at him. I didn’t know what to say. I was hardly able to wrap my head around everything else going on, and now this? What else was there that they could throw at me?
“We will need to move him to a healing center. They have the proper equipment to take care of him and, if needed, sedate him.”
I felt tears forming. I took a slow breath in, trying to remain calm.
“Aubrey.”
I turned as Troy spoke to me. “Call Cal and let him know what’s going on. He’s going to have to step into the role while Klaus is out.”
“Step into the role?”
Troy nodded. “He will be Alpha until Klaus settles. We need to move him. Does your infirmary have room for him?”
I shrugged, feeling the tears blooming. “I don’t know. I… I don’t know. I’ve never been there. I’ve…” I’d spent my entire time either in the library or at the house. Sure, I got out and started learning the layout of the pack, but I didn’t know the details.
“I don’t know.”
Troy reached out, placing his hands on my shoulder. “Take a breath. Breathe. And settle.”
I heard a loud growl erupt, and Klaus yanked hard on his chains. I jumped, watching the way he snarled. “Do. Not. Touch. Her.”
Everyone fell silent, and Troy dropped his arms from me. I suddenly felt utterly alone.
“Call Cal.”
I nodded and pulled my phone out. I quickly dialed his number and felt tears breaking free as I moved down the hallway.
He answered, but sounded half asleep. “Lord, Aubrey. I was sleeping.”
“Cal…” My voice broke.
“What happened?” His voice quickly shifted into worry.
Tears broke free. “It’s Klaus. He’s… he’s not himself.” I wiped at my eyes. “Can you please come to Riley’s pack? We… I… We need you.”
I paced because I didn’t know what else to do. The others huddled together, trying to figure out how to move him. But I knew the only one who would know Klaus like I did was Cal. He would know how to help.
I heard footsteps and turned as Cal came running down the stairs. He looked confused as he stumbled to a stop. “Aubrey, what’s going on?”
He quickly spotted the others, and his shoulders dropped. I wet my lips. “The dark magic attached to him. They were trying to figure out what to do. They need to know if we have room in the infirmary for him.
Cal nodded. “Yeah, we do.” He moved closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “I’m fine. I’m not the one that you need to be worried about.”
Cal crouched down. “I know, but I also know that Cal would want me to watch out for you.”
I felt more tears break free, and Cal pulled me into a hug. I sobbed into my arms, afraid I was going to lose someone so important to me.
Troy drove me home. I sat speechless for most of the drive. I kept seeing Klaus’s face switch as he grew angrier. Troy pulled up in front of the house. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay with Elize and me? We would be more than happy to have you.”
I shook my head. “No, you guys are bringing Klaus here, and I’d rather be here. I want to help with whatever I can.”
Troy nodded. “He’s going to be okay, Aubrey.”
I nodded, hoping that was true. Troy and Riley managed to break free. But I also knew that Elize and Janella had more control over their magic. I just got mine free. We weren’t the same.
“Thank you for driving me home.” I pushed the door open and slipped out. I headed up the sidewalk and unlocked the front door.
I stepped inside the house and frowned. It felt so large and empty knowing that Klaus wasn’t here. I took in his shoes by the door and his jacket from this morning that he forgot.
Peanut came out of his office and meowed. She walked toward me, rubbing her body against my leg. I bent down and picked her up, holding her close to my chest. “I miss him.”
I sighed, heading up the stairs with Peanut. I headed into my room but paused in the doorway. I took a few steps back and stopped at Klaus’s room.
I pushed his door open, and the smell of him seeped out. I stepped inside, taking in his space. His hamper was full of his laundry, with his clothes hanging on it. His bed wasn’t made, and I could still smell his aftershave in the bathroom.
I walked over to his bed and leaned over. I inhaled his scent and crawled under his sheets. Peanut sprawled out on the pillow next to me. I hugged his pillow, feeling like part of him was here. His comforter was heavy and weighted.
I felt my eyes growing heavy, but before I drifted off, I heard knocking on the door. I frowned, tempted to just ignore it. But the knocking continued. Peanut even popped her head up at the noise.
I crawled back up and marched down the stairs. I opened the door to Cal. I frowned. “Cal, what are you doing here? You said you were going to watch after Klaus and take care of things.”
Cal nodded. “I was. We got him in the infirmary, and he asked me to stay here and watch after you.”
I frowned. “I don’t need to be watched after. I need you to watch after him.”
Cal shook his head. “I’m just doing what he asked. He might not be in the right headspace to be Alpha, but I will always follow his orders, Aubrey. If he wants me here watching after you, here is where I will be.”
I sighed, pulling the door open and letting him come in. I didn’t have the energy to argue with him. I also didn’t want to be alone. “Do you want to use Klaus’s room?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m just going to sleep in the living room. I don’t want to get in the way of your routine.”
“You can use my room. Or Klaus’s. Honestly, Cal, you can have a room.”
He shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but if Klaus catches wind that I was sleeping in a bed while in this state, he might actually kill me before I could explain. I’ll take the couch.”
I hugged my middle. “Is he worse?”
Cal frowned. “He’s just not himself. But he will be. Go get some rest.”
I nodded as I turned on my heels and went back up to Klaus’s room. I crawled back under the sheets and stared at the ceiling. I could hear the TV in the living room turn on.
I rolled over, watching Peanut stretch on the pillow. I reached a hand out, rubbing my finger over her paws. “He’s going to be okay,” I whispered to myself.
I woke up to the smell of bacon, and a part of me thought Klaus was home. I sat up and smiled. But all of yesterday’s events hit me. Klaus wasn’t a morning person, and he certainly wasn’t going to be up at seven in the morning.
I rolled over, clinging tighter to the sheets. I wanted to melt into the bed and never come out. I was warm, and I felt safe.
I felt Peanut moving closer, brushing her body against mine.
“Aubrey. Are you awake?” Cal’s voice traveled up the stairs.
I groaned and threw the sheets off me. I slipped down the hallway and down the stairs. Cal was in the kitchen flipping the bacon.
“Oh, good, you’re awake.”
I scowled. “Do you realize the time?”
“Early bird gets the worm.”
“I don’t want the worm,” I grumbled, sliding into a chair.
He smirked. “You sound like Klaus.”
I paused, knowing he was trying to make a joke, but it twisted me up inside. I tried to shake it off. “How long are you exactly planning to be here?”
He tossed the bacon onto a plate. “As long as it takes Klaus to get better.”
I frowned. “No offense, but I don’t need you here, Cal. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“Klaus requested it.”
“I understand, but still. You can’t be around me at all times.”
“I’ll sure be trying. Klaus wanted me to watch after you and keep you safe.”
It didn’t make sense. I understood Klaus wanted someone to check up on me, but to follow after me? Why? What was the reason?
I crossed my arms. “Why? Why would he feel the need to have you hound me? I feel no danger, and I’m perfectly fine. The only danger I had was Mike, and he’s dead.”
Cal’s lip twitched, and it made my entire body go cold. He must have noticed because he nodded. “You’re right, I’m maybe overstepping. I was just doing what Klaus asked me to do.”
It was too late. My gut knew something was wrong, and I was finding out what.
I glared at him, angry now. “What are you not telling me, Cal?”
He waved the spatula. “Nothing.”
I could hear the shift in his voice. Cal was never good at lying. “You’re lying. I can hear it in your voice. You are shit at lying.”
“I’m not lying.”
I stepped closer, raising an eyebrow at him. “Spill it, Cal. Or else.”
His lips remained sealed. So, I turned on my heels and grabbed the car keys. “Aubrey.”
I grabbed my shoes and shoved them on. “If you’re not going to tell me, then I’ll get it out of Klaus.”
He rounded the island and walked toward me. “He’s just protecting you.”
“I don’t need him to! I need you and him to just be honest with me. Is that so much to ask?” I snapped. “He’s the one that’s locked up, Cal! Not me! So, you need to be honest with me.”
Cal sighed, and I watched as he rubbed a hand over his face. “Mike’s body is missing.”
My eyes widened, and I couldn’t wrap my head around what he was saying. I opened my mouth, but I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to yell, but not at him.
I turned, and I stormed out of the house. I drove across town fuming. I wanted to scream at Klaus for keeping something like this from me.
I arrived at the healing center and went straight to Klaus’s room. His room was small, consisting only of a bed and a bathroom next to it. He was chained to the wall, sitting on the bed. He was staring out the window, looking like he was bored.
I crossed my arms as I stepped inside, letting the door slam shut behind me. “How could you not tell me?”
His head snapped toward me. He stared at me for a moment before he sighed. I watched his shoulders fall. “I thought Cal could keep a secret better than this.”
“How could you not tell me? Klaus, I deserved to know that Mike’s body is missing.”
He frowned. “We don’t know what happened. It could have been a mix-up.”
“You hide it from me! Why hide it if it’s nothing to be concerned about?”
He turned from the window. “Because you’ve been happy. You’ve been relaxing. I didn’t want to ruin that.”
“I had a right to know, Klaus.”
He took a breath, and I could see the struggle in his face. I frowned, realizing now was not the time to fight.
I looked away from him, needing to take a moment. I understood why he kept it to himself, but it brought up so many questions. Where is the body? How did it just disappear? It couldn’t just disappear, could it?
I leaned against the door. “How long has it been missing?”
He rubbed at his eyes. “A few days.”
I nodded, deciding we could argue about this at another time. A time when he wasn’t grappling with his insanity. “How are you feeling?”
He gave me a sarcastic laugh. “Dandy.”
I frowned. “Klaus.”
“Aubrey, if you came here to yell at me, you got what you needed. So, you can leave.”
I shook my head. “I’m not leaving.”
“Aubrey, please!” I watched as his hands curled in, that anger simmering in his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially you.”
I pushed off the door. “Klaus, you would never hurt me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do, and I also know that your chains wouldn’t even allow you to come to this doorway. So either way, I’m safe.”
“Aubrey.” His voice shifted into begging.
“Klaus, I’m not leaving. You deserve to be treated like anyone else.
You’re not madly pacing this room, planning to rip the brick wall apart brick by brick.
You, just like the others, have fallen victim to the dark magic.
I’m not treating you any differently because you are still Klaus.
” I crossed my arms. “So, you can either talk with me and have a conversation, or you can listen to me banter on endlessly, but either way, I’m not leaving. I’m not going anywhere, Klaus.”
Klaus was quiet for a moment before he turned toward me. He leaned against the wall. “What did Cal say that gave it away?”
I smirked. “Your Beta is not as stealthy as he thinks he is.”
Klaus smirked. “Not something we train.”
I clicked my tongue. “I know. You’re not good at it either.”
He gave me a soft smile, and it gave me a little hope that he would be okay.