Chapter 24 - Aubrey
“I’m taking her home,” Klaus said as he pulled me up in his arms. I frowned, trying to wiggle myself free.
“Klaus, I can walk by myself. I don’t want you pushing yourself.”
Jasmine shook her head. “We can’t have you guys leaving. We need to discuss what happened.”
“No, we aren’t discussing this right now. I haven’t slept in days. Aubrey nearly died. The last thing I want to do with you is stand here and discuss how you all fucked up!”
Klaus turned toward the door, slipping past everyone. His arms were holding me tightly against him. But I didn’t fight him. I leaned into his arms, inhaling his scent. I’d missed him.
I smiled softly as my eyes grew heavy while he walked. I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting his warmth wash over me.
“You should take a hot bath when I get you home. You’re soaking wet and shivering.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want anything but him and a warm bed. I wanted to curl up in his arms and just sleep. I didn’t want sex or his hands on me in that manner. I just wanted him and his warmth.
“I want to sleep,” I whispered, my eyes growing heavy. “Just deep sleep. Nothing else.”
I don’t remember falling asleep. But I woke up to Klaus placing me in his bed. He threw a shirt onto the bed and reached for my clothes. “Let’s get you out of these.”
He pulled my clothes off, stripping me naked. I held my arms up as he slipped one of his shirts onto me. He tugged the sheets over me, and I grabbed his arm, tugging him down.
“Don’t go.”
“I’m not.”
I moved the sheets, yanking at his shirt. “In bed now. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.”
He softly chuckled. “You give orders well.”
My eyes were too heavy. My body had nothing left to give. “Please.”
I felt the bed move as he crawled in next to me. His arms wrapped around me, and I rested my head in the nook of his arm. “I missed you,” I whispered, tightening my fingers around his shirt.
“I missed you, too.”
I sank back into sleep, not remembering the last time I’d slept so heavily.
I woke up still curled in Klaus’s arms. He was in a deep sleep, his face relaxed. I stared at him, not remembering the last time I’d seen him like this. He’d been so tense since being locked up, even before.
I adjusted the pillow, and his eyes slowly opened. He spotted me and smiled. “Morning.”
I smiled, reaching a hand up and stroking his hair. “Morning. You looked like you were sleeping peacefully.”
“I was. You look rested.” He ran his hand over my eyes. “You don’t have as big bags under your eyes.”
“That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me,” I teased.
His smile grew. “If I didn’t have so much on my plate right now, I’d spank you.”
I smirked. “If I weren’t so comfortable, I’d let you.”
He kissed my forehead and then my nose. I placed my hands on his chest as he softly kissed my lips. I sank against him as his lips hungrily kissed mine. I parted my lips, feeling his tongue slide over mine. I moaned as he hooked my leg, wrapping it around his waist.
“Fuck,” he grumbled, his forehead pressing against mine. “I want you so badly, Aubrey. You have no idea.”
I stared into his eyes. His eyes had always been black, but they looked so soft and longingly at me. His hands tugged me closer. I could feel how hard he was underneath the fabric, his dick pressed against my thigh.
I cupped his face, his nose running against mine. I kissed him softly. I’d let him have me. After everything that happened, I’d give him anything.
“Maybe a quickie,” I offered. “Just put everything aside and focus on that?”
Klaus groaned, shaking his head. “We can’t. I would love nothing more than to spend the day in bed with you, but we can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because…”
Because we still had so much to do. Everything from last night hit me, and I knew his point.
We had to meet with the council members and make sure everyone was okay.
We had to assess the situation with the pack and see if everyone else was healed.
We needed to go to the infirmary and check on the guys down there. We couldn’t be doing this right now.
“Okay,” I said, “Later.”
His eyes sparkled, and I felt his thumb graze over my lower lip. “I’ll hold you to that.”
I wrapped my legs around him, turning until I was seated on his lap. I placed my hands on his chest and gave him one more quick kiss before I moved, sliding off him.
I moved toward the door and chirped over my shoulder. “I’m going to change and then start some coffee.”
He groaned. “You’re going to put those legs away? But I wanted to stare at them all day.”
I paused and pulled the shirt up. I knew he could see my ass, and I watched his nostrils flare. “Do you want this shirt back?”
“You’re a cruel woman, Aubrey. You should know my restraint only goes so far.”
I chuckled as I moved into the hallway. “I’ll see you downstairs for coffee.”
I slipped into my room and changed. I pulled on some jeans and a simple T-shirt. I yanked on some socks and slipped back into the hallway.
I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. I was starting the pot when I noticed someone was outside. I moved toward the window, and my body froze. There was a crowd outside the house.
I moved toward the front door and unlocked it. I pulled the door open and stepped outside. I quickly spotted Cal with them. He was trying to move everyone back.
“Guys, I know you all want to talk with Klaus. But it’s at the ass crack of dawn, and your Alpha is not a morning person. So, let’s all get off his lawn before he finds out you’re even here.”
“Aubrey!” someone yelled my name, and Cal turned.
I stepped further out, letting the door shut behind me. “What’s going on?”
“You.”
I stiffened, not sure what would happen. Last time there was a crowd around me, they didn’t want me here. I had worked hard to integrate into this pack, but that didn’t mean everyone would accept me.
I swallowed, not sure if I was in the mood for anyone’s quick insults and jabs. But I couldn’t exactly go inside either.
“You saved us.”
I blinked, and my jaw hung open for a moment. I quickly shook my head. “I didn’t do anything.”
“You brought him back to us. You helped clear the pack of everything evil. You did this.”
Cal looked at me and smiled. “All the guys at the infirmary are healed. The pack is healed. You did it.”
I suddenly couldn’t breathe. Klaus and I finally did it. We healed the pack.
“What’s going on?” Klaus stepped onto the porch, and the crowd started to cheer. I turned to him and smiled. “Everyone is healed. Klaus, your pack is safe.”
Klaus looked stunned, then down at me. He pulled me close. “No. Aubrey, our pack.”
I felt my heart melt at his words, knowing that this is where I wanted to be.
After settling the pack down, Klaus and I headed to City Hall. The council had called Cal and wanted a meeting at once. Apparently, they had already been waiting a couple of hours by the time we arrived.
“Glad to see you both are okay with wasting our time.”
Klaus pulled my chair out and pushed me in. He stayed standing as he spoke. “I just spent several days locked up. Cal and Aubrey had to handle my pack. So excuse us if we decided to sleep and rest rather than report to you.”
Kelly narrowed his eyes at us but didn’t say anything. They all fell silent for a moment. Klaus pulled a chair out and sat down next to me.
“The pack is healed. Everyone who was in the infirmary is now out.
I expected that the Council would look pleased, but they didn’t.
“The cauldron is still bubbling, and the others are having issues.”
I frowned. I should have known that would be the case. Janella and Elize talked about how they healed their own packs, but not others’.
I chewed on my cheek, the happiness starting to dissolve. “Excuse me.” I slid out of my chair and moved away from the table. I slipped out into the hall and leaned against the wall. I closed my eyes, suddenly feeling like I hadn’t done enough.
“Aubrey.” Klaus stepped out of the room and spotted me.
I gave him a weak smile. “Sorry. I just needed a moment. I was so happy that we healed the pack and they kind of… dumped on it.”
“They have a talent for that.” He walked closer. “What we did is still great, Aubrey. Don’t let them make you think it’s not.”
I nodded.
“I was going to grab the diary.”
“I’ll come with.”
We headed down the hallway toward his office. He pushed the door open, and we stepped inside. I froze when I spotted the diary sitting on his desk. “Did they say who they were pairing up next?”
He shook his head. “No, they didn’t say.”
I reached for the diary, and my vision shifted.
I was no longer standing in the room with Klaus.
I was in a dark room that was lit by a few candles.
I turned, and my body stiffened. A woman sat on the edge of the bed, holding the diary.
She had the diary open to a blank page with a pen in her hand. She sat still, staring at the pages.
But she set the pen aside and snapped the diary shut. She placed it on the edge of the bed, and I watched as she placed her hand over her stomach.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered into the room. “I’m so sorry, little one.” She turned, and I took in her face. She was beautiful with bright blue eyes and a pale complexion. She had that look of a model, flawless and smooth.
And she had black tears rolling down her face. I knew instantly that it was a sign of dark magic. That turning point when emotions took hold, and you no longer had control.
I looked down at her hand, seeing the bump. She had to be a couple of months along. She was small enough that you could hide it, but her hand on her stomach gave it away.
“You deserve so much better,” she whispered, her eyes seeming to stare right at me. “I’m broken, and I can’t be repaired.”
I came slamming back into the room with Klaus. He was holding my shoulders, his eyes staring at me. “Aubrey?”
I blinked, letting my mind catch up with what I just saw. “She was pregnant.”
Klaus’s eyebrows went up. “Who?”
“The witch… she was pregnant. She was going to write in the diary about that day she was left at the altar. She was pregnant. She had black tears rolling down her face. She knew she was changing into something sinister. She was apologizing.”
I frowned. “There’s a child out there. This child has to be an adult now. They have to know something. They must know the answer or have been helping keep this going or something.” They were the key to our problems.
Klaus didn’t seem to know what to do with that information. He slowly pulled the diary from my hands and pulled me close. “Okay, we will tell the others about this.”