Chapter 6

Nora

I was a bit taken aback by his words but quickly recovered.

He actually thought me capable of murder? Yeah, right, I scoffed inwardly. After what they did to my family, it shouldn't come as a surprise to me that he would think that.

Heck! I have often wished his entire family would be stricken down by lightning or maybe even killed off by the moon goddess for what they did.

After that incident, as years passed, my anger and hatred for klaus and his family grew. That wound of losing my entire family at their hands hasn't healed and might never do so.

Who knows, if the lives of my children were not at stake, I might have actually entertained the thought of killing his father and making it seem as though he died a natural death. Feed undetectable poison into his blood that would snuff the life out of him very slowly. How would they ever suspect I did it?

I sighed. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, I won't do any of that, and I had to make him understand that.

Narrowing my eyes at him, I folded my arms across my chest as I said in a serious tone, "I would do no such thing. Given that I am here to make a bargain, I am sure you would have heard that part if you paid attention the first time," I taunted him.

He raised his brows and said sarcastically, "Yeah, right." It was obvious he still had some doubts about my true intentions.

"Look here, Klaus, I am done playing games. Do you want your father healed or not?" I asked, staring at him unfazed by his intimidating aura.

Standing before me was the man I had once loved with every fiber of my being, the man my world revolved around, but right now, looking at him, I felt nothing but hatred and disgust.

His lips twitched at my words, and he narrowed his eyes as he stared at me, his gaze equally unflinching. He looked like he was pondering over what I had said. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and exhaled, saying in a calm voice which sounded almost as though he had yielded to defeat "I want my father healed. What are your conditions Nora?"

I raised a brow defiantly. "I only have two. The first…" I paced around, circling him as I spoke, "You would have to give back my pack's relic." I stood in front of him, glaring fiercely, as I added, "The one your family stole from my pack, the one you killed my family with." My voice betrayed me, revealing hurt that I had promised myself I was going to hide well.

I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes that disappeared as soon as it appeared, his jaw tightening as he raised a brow. "And the second?"

I stepped back a bit from him, my eyes not leaving his as I wanted him to understand that I meant business. "The second is my pack's freedom. I demand that they be set free and our lands be given back to us."

"Done," he stated firmly, almost immediately, without hesitation.

I was startled for a moment as I had expected some opposition or at least a debate as to why the things I had asked were impossible to relinquish, but he had just accepted?

 Wait, what if he doesn't mean it? What if he only accepted so that when I cure his father, I would be discarded like a piece of used trash or even annihilated for good? That had to be it. He possibly thinks I am a fool. I smiled, finally unveiling his plan.

Just then, he extended his hand, "I believe we now have a deal." I looked at him, then at his outstretched hand, and then back at him and scoffed.

"Not so fast, Klaus. I am no fool. I will draft a binding contract that will be signed by both of us," 

I walked closer to him, standing just a few inches away. "One that would stipulate that after I cure your dad, my demands will be met and If it doesn't, I will file a lawsuit against you at the Wolf Supreme Court," I snarled.

"I understand," he said calmly.

There was something about the way he spoke that made me very confused. What was his play? Why was he agreeing to everything I said?

Just as I was still pondering on what was actually going on, his subtle words reached me, "Look Jessica, I know this is probably not the right time to say it, but I have been searching for you for years now because I want to make things right between us."

Make things right between us? You must be high on some hard drugs. I internalized.

"I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, but I pray that with time, you will find a place in your heart to forgive me for what happened years ago," there was a hint of sadness in his voice as he spoke.

His eyes held so much pain and regret in them, feelings I hoped weren't directed at me because it was useless. I knew just who he was, a green snake in green grass. 

If after all these years have passed, he thought he could pretend to feel bad for what he did to me and expect me to buy into it, then he was the most delusional being I have ever seen and had a long way to go.

Not wanting to deal with all that right now, I sighed, "Look Klaus, that is all in the past. Let's focus on the present. I need to see your father to check out his condition and know what is actually wrong with him."

He stared at me long and hard, "Does that mean you have forgiven me?" he asked.

Forgive you? That could only happen over my dead body! I growled inwardly.

"Easy, girl… that was a little bit too harsh, don't you think?" my wolf, kara reasoned.

"You stay out of this, kara!" I snapped at her.

Feeling Klaus's intense gaze on me, I gave a wicked smile and arched a brow, "It means I do not want to dwell in the past."

Just then, the sound of measured footsteps approaching drew our attention. I fixed my eyes on the entrance door, hoping to see who the intruder was. In a matter of seconds, a young, fair, beautiful lady walked in.

She was slender and tall with blond hair and bright blue eyes. She looked like one of those girls you could easily see on the cover of Vogue magazine.

I watched her walk seductively towards Klaus, her eyes fixed on me as she placed a hand across his waist as though she was marking her territory. For some reason, I felt a pang of jealousy gnaw at my heart.

This must be who he left me for! This must be her! The girl he told me he was betrothed to the night after he had slept with me! After he killed my family!

I bet they are already married now.

Ha! I dodged a bullet with that one.

With a broad smile planted on her oval-shaped face, the fair young lady asked, "Who do we have here, babe?"