AN: This is my first co-authored story with DarylDixon'sLover. Super excited. Please please review and let us know if you like it. :)

We own none of the The Original's characters. We own the story and OC. **This is a story that is being co-authored by SarahSmiles222 and DarylDixon'sLover. Please note this story contains themes of an adult nature. Rated M for sexual situations in later chapters.

Chapter 1

Clara Sofia Lescheres sat beside her older brother Will and her older sister Julia as they listened to the leader of the Lescheres Pack, Nathaniel, as he proposed a plan to strengthen their alliance with other werewolf packs in the city of New Orleans.

Clara didn't believe it would work, especially with the Labonair family and their savage ways as she absently tucked a strand of dark brown hair behind her right ear. Everyone began to leave then as she looked at her two older siblings.

"Do you think the Crescent Wolf Pack, will come?" She asked curiously and Will looked at his younger sister thoughtfully before shaking his head.

"I hope not Clara, I don't trust that pack." He said grimly as they reached the Lescheres Estate and made their way inside the manor, Clara took off her shawl and made her way into her bedroom while Will and Julia talked quietly in their late father's study.

She opened the large black book that was her grimoire, the pages were filled with drawings and spells that she had learned along with her brother and sister from the French Quarter Coven, that they were members of.

Clara was a werewolf/witch hybrid and considered a princess, given her family's heritage as she looked through the pages and began levitating a fountain pen as she picked it up and began to write in her journal.

She really despised werewolf/witch politics, however, it was a necessarily evil in her life. Her brother Will would definitely assume control of the pack some day and Julia would probably marry into another pack. It was what was expected. Clara herself hoped to marry for a bigger cause, love.

The next couple of days would prove interesting what with meeting of the packs quickly approaching. Clara planned to take as much time away from the meetings as possible. She found it a little too ridiculous for her tastes, with the male wolves trying to prove their alpha standing and the women fawning over the available wolves. She'd rather just stay in her room and write or walk among the trees in the forest.

Hmmm, that sounds like a lovely idea. It was only nine o'clock and she wasn't really tired yet. The weather was calm in New Orleans. Scrambling off her bed, she grabbed her shawl and headed for the door and down the winding staircase. She yelled that she would be back soon to her sister and brother, but they were busy discussing plans for the meeting.

It was definitely a beautiful night. She could hear the crisp leaves falling from the trees and hitting the ground. It was almost winter, the leaves were crunching beneath her feet as she walked. The moon was not full but it would be in two days when the packs came together. She was very happy that she didn't have to turn on the full moon, having never broken her curse. Finding a hollowed out log on the ground, she sat on it, looking up at the full moon, sighing at the beauty of nature.

She had always loved the night and her father joked that she had gotten it from her mother, Charlotte as Clara smiled fondly at the memory of her parents.

Her hazel eyes observed the forest and she then saw a young man come out, he was older than her and had short dark brown hair and he had dark brown eyes. He saw her as he stepped through the tiny clearing.

"What is a beautiful young witch like you, doing out here at this time of night?" The man asked amused as she looked at him in surprise, soon after she realized who he was. It was Kol Mikaelson, the younger brother of Elijah and Klaus Mikaelson. He was deeply respected by the witches of New Orleans. She looked at him quietly.

"And what concern is it of yours, Kol Mikaelson?" Clara asked calmly even though her heart was pounding as she regarded the legendary vampire.

"Nothing but my brother would be worried if he knew what his great niece was up to." Kol said amused.

She regarded him suspiciously…"and how will he know unless you tell him?"

He laughed out loud as he studied her. "You know most people would be afraid of the woods and running into people like me." His gorgeous smile was unnerving her at the moment. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable about witches but he was indeed one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. She couldn't help but be drawn to him.

"Well…" she turned and looked at the peaceful setting around her, "I'll never be afraid of these woods nor anything in them. I know them like the back of my hand. It's my sanctuary."

"Yes, it is peaceful isn't it? I used to love these woods when I was younger before I understood how cruel the world truly is." There was sadness in his eyes as he said it. "Things were simpler back then."

"Well…" she chuckled. "Things are pretty simple now too." Life had an ease about it most of the time. The wolves pretty much stayed to themselves and she didn't see the Michaelson's that often. Klaus was always involved in some scheme or another to take over some part of the city. To be honest, they kind of made her a nervous being the all powerful creatures that they were. Her heart was still beating out of her chest with Kol being this close. Considering what it must truly be like to be one of them for a second, she thought of faraway places and traveling, about the furthest she had been was to the bayou and that was just not that thrilling to her. She dreamed about falling in love. It never seemed like a real possibility for her though. Her brother and sister probably already had her groom picked out. Granted, Clara would fight them on it. She wanted to marry for love and passion, something they could never understand.

He looked at her intently, she was truly beautiful in an obvious way with her long wavy brown hair, hazel eyes and perfectly full lips. However, she was more than just beautiful. Clara was kind hearted, she had an air of innocence about her, but she also had strength. Her mind was racing and he could hear her heart. It was beating so fast. Did he make her nervous? That was utterly amusing to him. Dropping his head, he stared at the forest floor for a moment before standing up and offering her his hand.

"Shall we sweetheart? I should get you home before they send out patrols looking for you and label me a monster."

She giggled at that and stretched her hand out to meet his. Her laugh was intoxicating. How had he never noticed that before?

Kol shook his head in amusement and took Clara's hand as they began walking back to the Lescheres-Deveraux Estate where she lived with her two older siblings.

"Thank you, Kol." Clara said softly and she smiled at him as he simply smirked and kissed her right hand, her heart missing a beat as he looked at her with those bewitching dark eyes.

"My pleasure, darling." He said seductively and left as she watched him go down the streets and shook her head, before entering the house.

She saw her siblings hadn't missed her. She listened intently to Will and Julia who were arguing in the study angrily now, Julia saying something about how the Labonair family weren't to be trusted.

"We can't do this to Clara, forcing her to marry Royce Labonair is a mistake and it will make Clara unhappy!" Julia protested heavily as she glared at her older brother.

"We have no choice, we need to build alliances." Will said calmly but she could see her older brother hated it as much as she. He looked at the letter sent by the Labonair Crescent Werewolf Pack.

"But Clara hasn't even broken her curse yet!" Julia protested and Will became silent then.

"She will be breaking in two nights, when she becomes a member of the pack and meets Royce at the ball hosted by Elijah Mikaelson." Will said finally.

She stormed through the door of the study as she stared her two older siblings down. "I WILL NOT marry a Labonair!" She looked at her older brother. "How could you do this to me?"

"Clara…it is a political union. I KNOW you understand that."

"No. I don't understand that. You know the Labonair's. They are horrid people who live in the bayou in nothing more than wooden shacks. How could you do this to me?" She was so angry that tears started streaming down her face. "I won't marry him!" With that she stormed up to her bedroom.

How could they do that to me? They know. They knew what kind of people the Labonairs were, they were uncultured people who lived deep in the bayou. She would not marry such a man. The tears were still spilling down her cheeks. She would end up stuck in Louisiana with five children living in the swamps.

She picked up her journal and furiously started writing. It was the only way to get her feelings out at the moment. She had been so happy an hour ago, walking hand in hand with Kol. Now she was being sold off to the highest bidder.

The next day was a quiet day in the Lescheres mansion. Will and Julia were off making deals to sell her into marriage. She was desperate to escape the monotony and decided to walk in the woods and write the entire day. Deciding to revisit the place where she had run into Kol the night before, she was taken aback when she walked into the little clearing and saw him sitting there.

"Well Mr. Mikealson. You certainly have a habit of popping up when you are least expected." She couldn't help but smile at him as he looked up at her with that devastatingly handsome face of his.

"Clara…two days in a row. I must have done something right in the world to have the pleasure of your company again." He stood and kissed her hand. She bowed her head as she joined him on the log.

"Yes, you managed to show up at the same exact spot we met at last night." She laughed. "Are you going to the ball tomorrow night?"

"Ah the ball…yes my brother Elijah's doing. Are you going?" He studied her.

"Yes, I fear that I have no choice."

"Then I will be there. No choice?"

"It seems my siblings are selling me into marriage with Royce Labonair and as I haven't figured out a way to escape this punishment, I have no choice but to go." He felt a pang of jealousy stab him through the heart.

"What? The Labonair's are little more than savages. They would sell you into marriage to that?" He was truly baffled at this turn of events. Clara was a beautiful and cultured lady, usually matches were much more suitable for someone so beautiful and someone who was considered Werewolf royalty. Not to mention a distant relative of the Mikealson's. Klaus would no doubt be distressed by this news, while he did not see Clara very often, she was his favorite niece, well great niece to be exact. It made no difference to Klaus that it was only by marriage, he took family very seriously. He said once that she reminded him very much of Vivianne. The resemblance was uncanny at times, she was not her twin. In Kol's eyes, Clara was much more beautiful, however the family resemblance was definitely there.

Subconsciously, his hand drifted on top of hers, making her suck her breath in silently. Trying not to be obvious, she looked down and felt her heart stop at the sight.

Kol smirked but none the less held her hand as she concentrated on making a rose revive. He smiled at the sight as she revived all of the wilting flowers around her. The large and heavy grimoire that she read from was very impressive, it seemed very old but had beautiful illustrations of spells and rituals scrolled in it.

"I wish I wasn't marrying Royce Labonair, he sounds like a wild animal along with the rest of his family." Clara said bitterly as she wrote in her diary; her eyes narrow and full of bitterness at the thought.

Kol said nothing to that, he was a bit of a womanizer himself but he wouldn't go around p*** off witches or vampires who enjoyed his company during the years.

"Have you tried speaking to your brother and sister?" Kol asked finally and Clara grimaced.

"I have, Julia agreed with me but it's alright for her, she's marrying a werewolf of the Kenner Pack." She said quietly.

Why couldn't she marry for love? It wasn't fair, she wanted to travel the world and fall in love...not be forced into an arranged marriage with the family that had allied with Lily Leroux. It was just not fair!

"I wish I could just run away and never have to come back to New Orleans. I love New Orleans don't get me wrong, however, I know that there is a whole world out there, just waiting." She looked off dramatically into the sunset.

Kol smiled. "Yes, sweetheart, there truly is…so run away. You'd have to give everything up, but you could do it. I've never been one for family obligations myself."

"I couldn't disappoint my family like that. As angry as I am, it would leave my brother and sister in a bad place. It's not their fault. My brother is just trying to do what is best for the pack. I understand that. It's just…" her voice trailed off. "It's just not what I pictured for my life. I wanted to fall in love and travel."

Kol could feel the words pouring from her lips and without thought, he turned and pulled her towards him; his lips colliding softly with hers. He pulled away, leaving her in a confused state as she stared back at him. She was completely speechless.

Squeezing his eyes shut. "I apologize." Immediately rising from his place on the log next to her, he looked at longing for her to say something…anything. A few awkward minutes passed as they stood staring at each other, then he disappeared through the trees.

Her heart was pounding as it dawned on her what just happened. Kol Mikealson had kissed her! And he was her uncle…granted it was by marriage but still. She didn't know what to do or what to think. She couldn't imagine her family would be too happy about this development. She twisted around, paranoid all the sudden that someone may have seen what transpired. There was no one though. Suddenly a smile spread across face and she felt the blood rushing to her cheeks.

She ran all the way back to the mansion, her heart on fire, singing and smiling the entire way. She knew she shouldn't be feeling this way…she just couldn't help it.

Kol POV

What the hell did I just do? Kol was berating himself the entire way back to the Mikaelson mansion in the center of the quarter. He shook his head, trying to forget the colossal mistake he just made. Not only was she his niece, granted by marriage, but she was Klaus' favorite niece. And the look…the look she gave him. She was completely disgusted with what he'd done. He didn't even know how to begin to apologize for this. He just hoped she wouldn't say anything, lest Klaus kill him in his sleep, or awake. Either way, Klaus was going to kill him.

He would talk to her at the ball tomorrow. Perhaps he should buy her a gift and apologize for his grave error in judgment. After all, it was just a kiss. It wasn't like he dragged her off to some sleezy hotel in the quarter and his way with her. Although, he thought, that thought turned him on immensely. Deciding that he would indeed buy her a gift, he headed down to the jewelry shop in the quarter. It took him an hour to locate the right 'I'm sorry I just tried to ruin your reputation' gift. The gift was a beautiful diamond bracelet that was inlaid with rubies. It was perfect and it would look lovely on her.

On his way back to the mansion, he ran into Klaus, who eyed the bag. "Trying to win some girl over are we?"

Kol almost laughed at the irony and shook his head. "No it's just a gift."

Klaus departed and Kol decided to spend the rest of the day doing anything but thinking about how good it felt to kiss Clara and about how much he wanted to do it again. After all, that was the entire point of buying the 'I'm sorry I just tried to ruin your reputation gift' in the first place.

Clara POV

When she arrived back at the mansion, things were in full swing. Decorations and flowers were being strung. After all, the werewolves would have to leave the party at the Mikealson's early so they didn't turn and eat the guest list. Instead they would search out the woods, run all night and return for a BBQ and party the next day at the Lescheres mansion.

The BBQ was something that Clara enjoyed. It was a little lighter than the Pack bonfires and meetings and all the children came to the BBQ, so there was a decidedly better atmosphere without the copious amounts of alcohol present. Maybe Kol would come to the BBQ. It wasn't unusual for friends of the pack to come to the BBQ. It was kind of tradition in fact. Most months there were about a hundred people that came from all over New Orleans to the Lescheres BBQ. Maybe she should invite him. She knew that was just asking for trouble, however, she wanted to see him again. She felt like such a child for just sitting there staring at him afterwards unable to speak. She should have said something. Maybe like…Thanks. Or…That was nice. What do you say after your first kiss? She wasn't really sure. She was just so blown away that Kol Mikaelson had kissed her in the first place. At least now she was looking forward to going to the ball at the Mikaelson's. She giggled at herself, not quite able to place the feeling of anticipation that reverberating through her entire body right.