AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello Lovelies. I hope this update finds you well, sorry it's been so long. I won't take up your time with a long explanation, basically real life has been busy and somewhat shitty over the last few months and writing wasn't something on the front burner. Hope there are still a few of you reading this fic and will enjoy this part. I want to thank everyone who left a review or read the last part. Your response blew me away, I wasn't sure how Brady would go over, but your reviews were perfect.

Thanks to marvellouskatie, klarolineepiclove, and loveyou914 for their help with this. Writing from Klaus' POV was a bit tougher than I thought it would be.

Part 5

Klaus watched her as the two women made their way into the Alpha's office. He focused on Caroline's face, wanting to see her reaction to what she was walking into. His wolf could not help but preen when he saw her gaze sought him out almost immediately. A bit of the tension in his body dissipated at the tenderness he saw there. At least, until her blue eyes moved from him to the other occupant in the room besides himself and Bill, and watched as they changed from recognition to confusion.

"Brady?" Caroline said, obviously familiar with the wolf enough to know his name. Jealousy coursed through Klaus. The fur beneath his skin ruffled, standing on edge. His claws and fangs pushed to come out, itching to lash out at the intruder. He wanted to do that from the moment that Brady had introduced himself to Bill and declared his intentions, but managed to keep his temper in check until the Alpha came to an official decision. He was starting to reach his limit.

"Caroline." Brady greeted, smiling as he stood and moved towards her.

Unable to stop himself, Klaus let out a low growl, a warning, while angling his body in a display of dominance. The move made it clear that the stranger would not be getting any closer to Caroline.

"I see that our visitor was correct and that the two of you have indeed met." The Alpha declared but Klaus did not take his eyes off the threat his wolf perceived in front of him. He had no doubt that his eyes glowed wolf gold but did nothing to force the wolf to retreat. He focused on Bill's explanation to Liz and Caroline.

"This is Brady Amell, and he is here to speak with us about Caroline, he claims he is her mate."

"Excuse me," Liz stated. "Did you just say that this stranger is claiming to be Caroline's mate?"

Before Bill could respond to his wife's question, Brady spoke up. "That is correct ma'am."

"And how may I ask do you know my daughter?" Liz questioned. The tone in her voice, one that Klaus was familiar with, was what everyone in the pack termed her 'sheriff' voice. One that meant business and that she had no time to listen to anyone's bullshit.

"We met over the Thanksgiving day break, in Florida while I was with some friends from school." Caroline answered before looking at Brady. "How did you know I was here?"

"You posted online that you were traveling home for the holidays," Brady replied. "Since you said you don't go home to your pack's inner territory much, I thought it was the best time to come and officially make my claim to your father and Alpha."

"A claim that is null and void, Caroline already has a mate, she is mine." Klaus snarled, the sound echoing through the silence of the office. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Caroline's body stiffen a bit at the possessiveness in his voice and knew that she wanted to argue his words like she did the night before. Yet thankfully, she said nothing. She might be infuriatingly independent, when it came to their bond but she was not stupid. Caroline knew that to do so would put some legitimacy behind Brady's claim.

Her lack of argument also reassured Klaus that she still felt the bond between them, which meant that the other wolf's claim was a false one. Though he knew it, it soothed his wolf a bit to have the confirmation from her.

He watched Brady as his words sunk in, the warning clear in his voice. t Klaus flashed his fangs for emphasis. Brady did not flinch, instead standing his ground. It both pleased and irritated Klaus, who wanted him gone but also itched for a fight.

"I don't know pal, she didn't mention a mate when she was with me." Brady taunted, his eyes locked on Klaus as he moved forward, until they were chest to chest. "Not when we met, or any time after. Certainly not when we were alone in my bed."

The small amount of control that Klaus still had snapped at Brady's statement. Ignoring the sound of Caroline's gasp, he lunged forward. The only thing that kept Klaus from ripping Brady's throat out was Bill, who stepped up and placed a hand on Klaus' chest, halting a fight before it could begin.

"No blood will be shed here," Bill said His voice full of Alpha authority and dominance, left no room for argument. Not unless they wanted to challenge him, something that would cause another set of issues. Issues Klaus' wolf was almost willing to risk if it meant the trespasser would die. It was only the feeling of a hand on on the small of his back, soft skin touching his own, the touch of his mate that brought him out of his rage.

Coming to his senses, Klaus began to back away from Brady. Once he was an appropriate distance away, Bill went on. "This mating claim is an uncommon one, I have not heard of an instance like that in the past where two males claim to have a mating bond with one female. The unusualness of the situation combined with Caroline's station in the pack and therefore her mate's, it cannot be dismissed or accepted immediately. That is if you still both make your claims as Caroline's mate?"

Klaus gave him a sharp nod in response, while Brady answered. "I didn't make this trip to go home empty handed."

"Then you will wait as I make my decision." Bill declared.

"Well then, Brady, since it appears you will be a guest in our little town for a bit longer," Liz said, stepping around her husband to approach the stranger, guiding him away. Klaus could see that Brady was not pleased but knew not to argue with the Alpha Female either. "There is a hotel on the edge of town, by Wickery Bridge, that will have a room for you."

"There is no need for that ma'am," Brady assured her. "I brought a small camper with me."

"Then a small spot in the woods. Tony and Daniel will show you the way." Liz explained before she brought her hand to his arm and led Brady away.

As soon as the door clicked closed, Caroline turned to the Alpha. "Dad…"

Bill raised his hand to signal her to be silent. Caroline had been away from other wolves for too long, had forgotten about their hearing range. A few moments later, Liz returned and they knew that it was safe to speak.

"Dad, you can't seriously be considering accepting his claim?" Caroline asked, looking towards him before continuing. "It is not possible that what Brady said is true, I already have a mate. Regardless if I haven't been around him for over a year, he's..."

"Caroline, sweetie you're rambling." Bill interrupted her, effectively silencing Caroline, something Klaus had only seen the alpha being able to do. "But to answer your question, no, I'm not accepting his claim on you."

Klaus wasn't sure which elated him more, that Caroline was so steadfast in their bond, or that Bill was not mulling over the possibility of that what Brady claimed could be true. "Why then did you stop me from attacking him? Why allow him to stay?"

"I want to know his motivations. Is he here because he genuinely believes that Caroline is his mate or could this be a power play?" Bill asked. "Brady is not just some lone wolf, an omega wandering. Not only he is a member of the Lockwood pack, but cousin to their Alpha. They are a strong pack, especially since Mason's nephew Tyler mated with one of the Crescent wolves I want to know what his motivation is for making this claim. They may be our allies, but that does not mean they could not be planning to strengthen it again by claiming Caroline as his mate."

Bill paused for a moment as the three absorbed weight of the Alpha's words. "Caroline, tell us more about your time in Florida. When you met with Mason, did he try to probe you for any information?"

Caroline shook her head. "I never met with him. I followed the rules of traveling to another pack's territory, I contacted the Alpha to meet with him, but he told me there was no need. If I remember right, his exact words were 'He doubted that one shewolf traveling with a bunch of college girls was hardly a threat.'"

"Then tell us more about your time with Brady." Bill ordered, looking a bit uncomfortable in doing so, no doubt due to the fact that he was asking his daughter potentially about her sex life.

"He was with a group of guys my friends met at a bar by our hotel. I recognized him as a wolf right away so I was cautious when I approached him, but he was very friendly." She explained.

Thinking about how 'friendly' Brady claimed to be with his mate, Klaus couldn't hold back the growl that rumbled in his chest. "I bet."

Her eyes snapped to meet his, glaring at him. "I meant that he didn't act like I expected another wolf to act when they encountered a strange wolf. My friends took a liking to his friends so over the next few days we hung out. But nothing beyond friendship happened."

"Caroline…" Her mother said, a note of understanding in her voice, trying to reassure her daughter but it was obvious that she was having none of it.

"Nothing happened. I don't know why he said it but we never shared a bed." Caroline said adamantly. "We talked."

"Which makes his coming here, and his claim on you all the more suspicious." Bill stated. "Since we can not obviously contact his pack, I will try to make other inquiries, quiet ones, with other packs to see if they have heard any rumblings of the Lockwood pack wanting to expand their territory more. In the meantime, we will keep an eye on Brady."

"Maybe I should talk to him?" Caroline asked. She obviously noticed that her idea wasn't met well as she quickly moved to explain. "Hear me out. He came here for me, to convince me to take him as my mate. So wouldn't you think then that in his attempt to do so, he might let something slip? Or maybe if he is here for innocent reasons, I can convince him that I'm not his mate?"

Klaus wanted to argue with her, his wolf bristled under his skin at the thought of her being even remotely close to the other wolf who wanted to take her away from him, but her reasons were good. Something he saw Bill agree with.

"Alright then, let's go over what you should do."

/

The large house loomed in front of him as Klaus drove down the driveway, its dark red brick and grand white pillars a clear sign of dominance to those who visited, leaving no doubt that the wolf that lived within was the one in power. Definitely the den of an alpha.

Passing the fountain, noting the wolf sculpture in the middle, Klaus pulled his bike up close to the brick staircase before killing the engine. As he slipped off his helmet and gloves, the wolf gave the house a closer inspection.

It looked to be one of the original residences in the area and well taken care of. None of the bricks looked broken, the white paint fresh, and the grass and foliage trim and green. No doubt the pack took pride in its care. He had visited many pack houses in his travels, both in the States and abroad, and while the architecture was different, they all gave off the same vibe. He picked up dozens of scents, confirming what he'd been told about the pack and its numbers. He hoped one of them could give him the information he wanted to know, that he'd been searching years for. Information about his birth father, even if he was too late to meet the older wolf.

Klaus didn't know that werewolves existed let alone that he was one until he was sixteen, when the full moon suddenly called to him, triggering his first turn. It had come on so fast, the pain so excruciating that all he could do was scream and writhe in pain. Unfortunately, he had been driving his little brother home from a friend's house at the time and he had lost control of the car. He came out of it unscathed, Henrik hadn't been so lucky. Klaus had not been able to do anything to help him, not in the form he was in. The crash had done nothing to halt his transformation and once he was fully transformed, had sat by his brother's body.

At the time he had no idea how to change back to human, or even if he could. He didn't turn back until the next morning, but by that time he had gone back to his family's home and his transformation was witnessed by his family. He still remembered the fear and shock he saw on their faces and the rage on his father's. Not only was his transformation into a wolf prove to him something he had suspected years before, that his wife had been unfaithful, but that the abomination, Klaus, that came from it had killed his son. Mikael didn't care that Klaus had loved Henrik more than anything and would never have hurt him if he had had a choice; he no longer wanted him anywhere near the family.

The older man had attacked him, and Klaus had no doubt that he would have tried to kill him if Klaus hadn't fled. He hadn't seen his home or his siblings since. His mother, on the other hand, was a different matter. He had seen her once more.

Climbing off his bike, Klaus made his way quickly to the door before ringing the bell. A few moments later, the door swung open, surprising Klaus when it revealed a young blonde woman. An extremely beautiful one at that, one that had his wolf standing at attention and pushing against his skin. She looked to be a couple years younger than him; long blonde hair that hung in curls around her shoulders, shoulders that led down to a toned curvy body, and legs that seemed to go on forever from her short black shorts. But it was her face that captured his attention, with rose colored lips that he'd like to sink his teeth into and a pair of stunning blue eyes that looked at him in question.

"Can I help you?"

Catching a whiff of her scent, an alluring mix of dominant wolf, a light perfume of citrus, and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. Something that made him curious to figure out what it was. His wolf would like nothing more for him to bury his nose in her throat so that he could drink her scent in more depth. Something the man in Klaus wouldn't mind doing either, except he had something else to do first. "I hope so love. I was told that I could find William Forbes at this address."

The she-wolf opened her mouth as if to say something but it wasn't her words that gave him the answer he was looking for.

"You must be Klaus. Alaric said you should be arriving sometime today." The older man said as he approached from the back of the house. This had to be the alpha he had been sent to see, the one that could tell him about where he came from.

All that Klaus had been able to gather was bits and pieces. If his mother hadn't taken pity on him and sought him out in the weeks after he'd been banished from his family home, he would not even have had that. Yet all she could tell him was that was of any use to him was that his birth father was an American who had been visiting a nearby town, a town that was known for not welcoming outsiders. A town that Klaus discovered was completely made up of werewolves, one that unfortunately had not been able to give him much information given that most of its elders had been killed off a few years before Klaus arrived. They had not welcomed him, not trusting anyone, even if he was one of their kind. So Klaus had taken to traveling in the hopes of getting answers, which had led him to Mystic Falls. "That would make you William Forbes?"

He watched as the Forbes Alpha gave him the once over, Klaus keeping his eyes gazing straight in a way that showed he did not bow to the other wolf, but also not in challenge. When a smile appeared on his face, Klaus knew he has passed his test.

"It would. Bill actually. Won't you come in? Sweetheart, don't be rude. Step aside and give our guest some room." Bill said to the female still standing in the doorway, who Klaus assumed was a family member if looks were anything to go by, possibly his daughter. Following the order, the blonde stepped back, opening the door wider in a clear extension of the invitation that he had been offered.

As she closed the door and the three of them stepped farther into the large foyer, Klaus noticed a look of curiosity in her eyes as she watched him and he wondered if she had had any clue as to why a strange wolf had been invited in. If not, she would soon he was sure of. One thing he had learned in his visits with various other packs, secrets didn't stay that way for long.

"Klaus, this is my daughter, Caroline," Bill stated as he began introductions. "Caroline, this is Klaus Mikaelson."

"A pleasure to meet you, Caroline," Klaus said, his eyes catching hers in a stare as he reached out to shake her hand, his wolf pushing again, this time to touch her. It was an odd feeling for Klaus, never before had his wolf been so insistent around a female, even one it found so attractive.

When their hands touched, her soft skin encased in his rough one, a surge of energy rushed through him. Energy filled with warmth and something else he couldn't describe, but completeness was the closest thing his brain could think of. His wolf howled within him, Klaus could feel him rising to the surface, and knew that his eyes showed that if the look Caroline gave him was any indication. Her eyes glowed faintly back at him, and his senses felt hypersensitive as they soaked in everything about the she wolf in front of him. The person his instincts were telling him was his mate, the woman Nature made for him.

"Um, it's nice to meet you too." She said tensely, obviously as thrown as he was at what
had just happened. This was the last thing that Klaus had planned on, but now that he'd found her, he was rethinking those plans.

"Klaus here has been searching the coast for information regarding his father, and according to Alaric, it appears that father could be Ansel Varg." Bill explained, breaking up the moment between them.

Klaus could see the bit of recognition in Caroline's eyes at his birth father's name but it was
gone quickly when the sound of a cell phone ringing broke through the air. It was Bill's, and the man excused himself for a moment to take the call, leaving Klaus with Caroline, something he was quite happy about.

Once they were alone, Klaus noticed that though she stayed with him, she seemed determined to not meet his eyes. They stood there in momentary silence, a silence that his mate seemed to be quite uncomfortable with though Klaus didn't mind.

"So how long do you plan to be in Mystic Falls?" She asked.

"I do not know; it depends on what information there is for me. A few days perhaps. Perhaps…longer." Klaus answered, never taking his eyes off of her, wanting to take her in completely. The wolf in him wanting to do more than just look at her, he wanted nothing more than to touch and taste her, but Klaus knew by the way she held herself, that would not be a good idea.

"Well, there isn't much in the ways of hotels, just the big one off the interstate. Mostly just bed and breakfasts, some ran by wolves, some by humans. You'd probably be more comfortable at my cousins' boarding house, it's not far from here, you might have passed it on your drive." Caroline told him, an obvious nervousness in her voice if the way she rambled was any indication. Something he found endearing.

Thinking about what she said, Klaus saw an opening to spend more time in the company of his mate, just the two of them. "I do not recall seeing a boarding house on my way in. Perhaps after I meet with your father, you could show it to me? And maybe the rest of the town? Of course, I would want to repay the kindness. Possibly with dinner?"

Her reaction was not what he expected. Given that he knew she was as aware of the bond that had sparked between them moments before, Klaus thought that she would take him up on his invitation. Even after he saw the surprise that it gave her. However, that surprise quickly turned to something resembling exasperation and annoyance.

"Wow, please tell me that line doesn't work on all the other girls?"

"Other girls?" Klaus repeated, thrown by the fury that was wafting off of her.

"Yeah, all the human girls and she-wolves that you said that line to whenever you roll into a new town?" She clarified. "Please, don't try to act like I'm something special here. I've had enough experience with lone wolves who have come through town to recognize the tactic. A handsome face, a little charm and I bet they were quick to make a stranger feel welcome."

Klaus quickly read between the lines of what Caroline said, knowing exactly what she meant by having enough 'experience' with lone wolves and his wolf bristled at the idea of any other males touching her. True, he had been no saint before this day, finding familiar company as he traveled but it had always been an arrangement based on mutual needs, nothing more. From Caroline's accounts, though her previous entanglements had been quite the opposite, and they had hurt her, making him want to do the same to them.

Regaining control over his anger, and the sudden possessiveness he felt towards her, the male wolf quickly figured out that he needed to show his mate that he was not like those she had met before. Pulling his lips up in a smile, he stepped forward so that there were only a few inches between them. As he did, he could see that his proximity had an effect on her, her eyes glazing over just a little, while her pupils darkened and his wolf preened. Reaching up, he curled his finger under her chin so that those stormy blue eyes were fixed on him before murmuring. "Now Caroline, we both know just how special you are. You cannot ignore what happened moments ago, nor what is happening right now. You know what it means."

His words had the opposite effect that he'd been intending. They were supposed to convince him that his intentions were genuine, that he had no intentions of doing what those before him had. Instead if the fire he saw in her eyes and the way she stepped back, they did nothing but anger her.

"I know what it is supposed to mean. But just because fate has dictated that we are mates, doesn't mean that I'm going to simply drop my panties for you here and now and allow myself to be claimed. If someone wants to be with me, they have to earn it." She declared, before spinning on her heel and walking off towards the rear of the house.

Klaus watched her go, his wolf pushing at him to chase after her, but he held back from his animal instincts. His mate was a strong, feisty female who wasn't quick to roll over and show her belly to him. As much as that frustrated him, it excited him too. That type of mate did not suite him, and he knew it would be boring after awhile. And Caroline appeared to be anything but boring.

Unable to allow her to have the last word, thinking she had won their first meeting, Klaus quickly called out. "I'll take that as a challenge."

He knew his words hit their mark when Caroline's steps faltered for a moment and her shoulders went rigid, nevertheless, she did not turn to acknowledge him, most likely unwilling to give him the pleasure.

Klaus chuckled at her reaction, the rumbling within his chest not stopping until Bill rejoined him a few moments later, Caroline completely out of sight.

"My apologies for that interruption, pack business, I'm sure you understand," Bill stated.

"No apology necessary, I understand completely," Klaus assured him.

"Why don't we head into my office," Bill directed. "There isn't a lot in the official pack records on Ansel, but I have no doubt that some of the older pack members and I might be able to fill in any gaps."

"Thank you, any information you have will be of help." Klaus said in gratitude. "I would also like to talk to you about something else."

"Oh? What is that?" Bill asked curiously.

"Your daughter. She is my mate." He stated, causing the other wolf to look at him in surprise before that melted into a look of concern and interest.

Nodding towards the cabinet that looked to be holding a bottle of a familiar amber liquid, Bill said. "If that is true, I think we both could use a drink because both of our lives just got extremely more complicated."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I know my daughter, and given that she is not in here with you tells me how she reacted." Bill explained. "So why don't we talk, and get to know other another. Then I'll be able to see if I should trust you with my daughter, let alone the future of this pack."