WARNING: While this story is marked as complete, it was completed by way of a summary because I went through a very rough patch mentally, drifted away from the series as a whole, and lost motivation overall. I originally wanted to take down this story due to its incomplete status but received a suggestion to just post a summary, which I followed. This was done after a general consensus was received from the viewership at that time and I hope you understand and take this into account before deciding whether or not to read this.

A/N: This story was conceived after TVD 04x12 and hence only strictly adheres to canon up to that point. Spoilers are however, up to 04x23 though a lot of things are changed (mostly applicable to summary chapter at the end).

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries TV series or any of its characters; those belong to the CW network and all other respective owners. This is purely for entertainment.

Prologue: Hunter Hunted

Slovakia, 1112

The raucous laughter of the patrons filled the air as the sky grew ever darker, gradually approaching midnight. Yet another bout of laughter emanated from the little tavern as a pair emerged through the swinging doors, leaning against one another heavily in a hopeless bid to stay upright. The woman wrapped her fair arms around her companion's waist, giggling as he gently towed her away from the hut and into the darkest of the shadows. There was no moon on this night, the only source of illumination coming from the candles in the homes of whoever was still awake and of course, the tavern. As they moved, the laughter gradually got further and further away until they could not hear it anymore. The man acted, pinning his partner against the wall of a nearby home. He was not worried about being heard; he knew for a fact that the house was abandoned and few chose to settle in this part of town. He leaned forward toward the woman as she continued to giggle psychotically, oblivious to the impending danger. He stared into her eyes, glazed over and unfocused from having far too much to drink.

"Behave."

The girl abruptly stopped laughing, going still as she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. The man leaned in, moving closer and closer to her exposed jugular as he breathed in her scent. His lips parted, his warm breath lingering over her skin as the hairs stood on end. But she did not move. The man put his lips to her neck as he let the blood lust take over, his eyes growing charcoal black as fangs grew from his canines, preparing to sink into the soft skin. Then, a new scent hit him, drawing him in as sharks to blood. He abruptly pulled away, the meal before him suddenly seeming bland as compared to what was now offered to him. He looked into the woman's eyes again. Perhaps he would have her later as a snack.

"Stay here until I return to you. You are not to speak with anyone."

The girl giggled again and grinned at him before sliding down the wall and sitting on the cold earth, hiccupping.

He ran a hand through his jet black hair before starting after his new found prey, following the enticing scent. It eventually led him to a lady in her early twenties, wrapped snugly in furs, her long wavy blonde hair spread out behind her and her back turned to him. His eyes narrowed as his fangs grew once more without his control. He will not be playing with this one; he would not be able to stop himself when he started. He quickly approached her but before he got close enough to attack, the girl moved, disappearing into the space between two abandoned houses. The man grinned; perhaps he would be getting a little fun after all. He followed after her but when he turned the corner, the girl had disappeared. He growled; the need to feed overwhelming all rational thought. He charged down the small space, reaching the end in seconds. Confused, he turned only to find himself at a dead end.

"Hello. Looking for someone?"

The man whipped around, eyes going black before charging toward the source of the voice with his enhanced speed, his hands raised to grab his prey. But instead of meeting flesh and bone, his fingers caught a net. The rope seared his skin, burning straight to the flesh as he stumbled backwards. He screamed, holding his hands out as he tried to pull the net off of him. It charred the flesh, peeling the skin the more he struggled. The cackle of a whip tore through the quiet of the night seconds before the man felt a fiery pain snake around his ankle. The whip tightened and then with one hard tug, the man was pulled off his feet, collapsing hard onto the dirt path. Pain shot up his spine as he continued to try to get the rope off of him, already feeling blisters forming upon the abused skin. The man rolled, unintentionally tangling the rope even more around himself, screaming in pain as the vervain soaked through his clothes and burned his skin. The blonde smirked, walking up to her prey nonchalantly as she reached a hand into her coat.

"Bloodsucker."

With that, she drove a wooden stake straight through the vampire's heart.