CHAPTER TWELVE

"Finn has an embarrassing amount of cheese in his fridge." Kol announced with a grimace as he rummaged through the kitchen, looking for something for breakfast.

The kitchen was fairly quaint given the size of the rest of the house. It was safe to assume that Finn had expensive tastes when it came to homes and decor. The entire house had an old, expensive atmosphere. I had not gotten the chance to properly explore it yet but I was definitely planning on snooping around after breakfast.

I let out a sleepy chuckle as I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to wake myself up. Waking up had never been my strong suit but it had been especially difficult this morning since the bed in the guest room was so cosy and comfortable. With a long sigh, I collapsed into a chair and leant my elbows on the kitchen table.

"How much cheese is considered embarrassing?" I asked and Kol opened the fridge wider so I could look at the contents. My eyes widened in complete bafflement at what I saw. There were several different types of cheese, which ranged from feta to camembert. "So apparently, Finn lives off blood and cheese!"

"What would you like to eat, darling?" Kol asked, tilting his head in question, "Your options are limited to grilled cheese but you can have any type of cheese you desire!"

"Surprise me!" I grinned, "And try not to burn the kitchen down."

Fifteen minutes later, we finished eating and Kol was giving me a tour of the house. When we arrived last night, I had been too tired to look around and Kol had led me straight to the guest room. I was looking forward to seeing the rest of the house. I did not know Finn well but he had a warm presence so I was definitely open to the idea of getting to know him.

"And here is the piano, where Finn likes to torture my ears." Kol said, gesturing to the piano in the corner of the living room.

"Don't be mean!" I chuckled, playfully slapping his arm in reprimand, "I sure that Finn is an adequate pianist."

"You need to re-evaluate your definition of adequate."

I rolled my eyes before I casually began to pace around the room. There was a large, unlit fireplace and several ornate statues sat on the mantle. Above the fireplace was a landscape, which beautifully depicted sunset. As if I were drawn to the scene, I let my fingers trail along the bronze frame as I admired every inch of it. I gulped when I finally noticed the artist's name in the corner.

Letting my hand drop from the frame, I turned back to Kol, who casually leant against the sofa.

"Klaus painted that?" I asked carefully, nodding towards the landscape.

Kol nodded and pursed his lips in thought, "It is one of my brother's better pieces. I usually find his paintings to be rather repetitive and dull."

"I didn't know he could paint." I said, feeling a pit in my stomach. I shouldered a lot of guilt over rejecting him and the others. This new information brought to light how little I actually knew about them before rejecting them.

"It is one of his inane hobbies," Kol said with a scoff, "Elijah thinks that painting is his link to humanity but I highly disagree. I think that Klaus paints because the canvas is yet another thing that he can control.

"You don't get along very well with Klaus, do you?" I asked with a frown. I had not noticed the disdain in his voice when he spoke of his brother previously but it was evident now.

"The Noble Elijah likes us to keep the peace so we mainly just avoid each other." Kol shrugged, as if the disconnect between himself and his sibling meant nothing to him. "I don't really fancy being daggered and stuffed in a coffin so it all works out for the best."

"I'm sorry, Kol."

Walking over to him, I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Kol sucked in a breath, as if fully realizing his show of emotion, and forced a halfhearted smile. "I'm sorry, Kresley. I shouldn't speak badly of him in front of you. After all, he is your mate as well."

"I don't mind," I answered softly, "In fact, I cherish the honesty."

"So, should we carry on with the tour?" He asked, already making his way out of the living room.

I almost had to run to keep us with him as he led me around the rest of the house.

"We should probably go soon," I said as we stopped by the front door, "We shouldn't overstay our welcome."

"You have too many manners," Kol grinned, tapping my nose playfully, "I can't wait to corrupt you."

"You'll never corrupt me, Kol Mikaelson!" I laughed, "If anything, I think I shall corrupt you and turn you into a polite and well mannered gentleman!"

"You can do whatever you like with me, darling, but I refuse to be polite!" Kol said with a cheeky wink, "It would ruin my reputation!"

"What if there was an incentive?" I teased and Kol raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"Oh?" he asked, shuffling closer to me, "What sort of incentive are you thinking of?"

The moment felt so right so I sent him a shy grin and wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt my heart stutter in anticipation as I pulled him closer, guiding our lips closer together. Our lips were only inches apart when I jolted away from him with wide eyes.

Kol shot me a look that was a mixture of concern and confusion.

"I think Finn is coming." I said breathlessly, feeling a familiar tug of the bond in my chest, "I don't think that he would appreciate you ravishing me by his front door."

"On the contrary, darling, Finn lets me get away with anything." Kol said with a smirk but he made no move to resume, sensing my anxiety at the concept of seeing Finn. He grabbed ahold of my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze just as the door swung open.

Finn walked through the threshold, a look of exhaustion on his face. I was about to greet him when a second man walked through the door and stopped beside him. Both men did a double take when their eyes landed on me and I gripped Kol's hand as if it were a lifeline. Beside Finn stood a man that I had not seen in three years.

His eyes hardened as they met mine and I swallowed nervously under his scrutiny.

"Hello, Elijah."

Originally published: November 12th 2024