In my story Kol wasn't daggered by Klaus and has been wandering freely until Elijah called for a family reunion in Mystic Falls.
Meanwhile, Elena has just broken up with Stefan and is struggling to move on.
Disclaimer: Not my characters. Satisfied?
The second their eyes meet all he hopes to see is fear.
Those tiny beads of sweat forming on their forehead, hugely dilated pupils, that delightful bobbing of their throat as they nervously swallow, the spasms of facial muscles as they try to appear impassive - a pitiful attempt at most - and the way their jaws clamp together… just seconds before a thrilling, bloodcurdling scream.
But the best part?
The part that really gets his heart pumping…
Is the moment when their eyes blaze with this intense determination and you know, without a doubt, they're on the brink of breaking into a run.
Truly, there is nothing better than the chase.
Predator and prey.
On the hunt for his next snack as he pursues his latest victims at a comfortable speed, merely prolonging the evitable - teasing them, really. Because, in the end, they haven't got a chance.
Vampires are by far the more superior species and with the gift of inhuman strength and agility on their side, they will always have the upper-hand.
Killing is in their nature, and for Kol, it's like an addiction.
He can chose not to, for sure, but the problem is, he wants to. And Kol doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. As a matter of fact, the aftermath is sometimes more exhilarating than the killing itself. There is something remarkably tantalizing about holding the fate of someone's survival in your hands.
Kol ends lives for fun whenever the notion takes him.
He has no intention of overcoming this habit any time soon.
Unfortunately, however, there is someone who is adamant that he does so of his own free will and will stop at nothing to ensure that Kol's indifference towards death is shattered.
And as morally questionable as it may be, she knows just the way to do it…
Kol wets his lips in anticipation.
It's been four nights since he last fed, and he is famished. Since arriving in Mystic Falls at the insistence of his interfering brother, due to the recent frequency of 'animal attacks,' any blood that Kol has been drinking has been straight out of a blood bag, and by now, he's hankering for something a little fresher.
Elijah stressed the importance of keeping peace with the locals and warned more times than he could count not to feed off of any humans, but Kol's not one to abide by the rules - regardless of who happens to be enforcing them.
The door to The Grill bursts open then, and the sound of high-pitched, drunken laughter spills out onto the street as three, young women stumble to locate a cab. From the shadows, Kol watches as one particularly stunning girl falls behind, adjusting the strap of her heel, and her friends carry on without a backwards glance, chatting loudly amongst themselves - seeming to have forgotten that they were ever anything more than a pair.
Fixing his most charming smile in place, Kol steps out of the darkness just as she staggers forward and decides to offer the stranger some help.
"Alright there, love?" he asks in his melodious, refined accent, allowing just a trace of amusement to ooze into his low voice. "Need a hand, by any chance?"
Raising her head, she smiles warmly up at him, eyes sparkling under the overhead streetlight.
"As a matter of fact, I do," she replies, half-laughing. "I can't seem to get these heels to come off. My feet are killing me."
Kol crouches down, but reaches for it hesitantly, judging her expression. "May I?"
"Sure," she nods. "Go ahead."
With a slight tug, the shoe effortlessly slips off - as does the other one after that - and the young woman chuckles in embarrassment and decides to point out in her defence, "Well, it's freezing out here. Maybe my fingers are just numb."
"Have you by any chance been drinking?" Kol asks, arching a playfully disapproving brow.
She looks away before denying, "No."
"Uh-huh," he says doubtfully. "Sure. Are you even old enough to get served in there?"
"Why do you care?" she asks bluntly. "You gonna report them?"
He gives a lazy, one-shouldered shrug. "Nah. Don't want to seem like a hypocrite. I've been partial to some wild partying myself." Kol grins. "Besides, I wouldn't want to get anyone in trouble. That doesn't seem very fair, now, does it?"
She smiles, and Kol glances back to see that her companions are long gone.
"It would seem as though your friends have abandoned you," he comments, and she rolls her eyes.
"They're drunk," she states dryly.
"And you are not?"
She shakes her head and says lowly, almost to herself, "Let's just say I wasn't in the mood for girls' night."
Kol cocks his head to the side, feigning a puzzled look of concern, but she doesn't elaborate, just pulls her jackets closer and tenses from the cold.
They are silent for a few moments as they gaze at each other.
The woman's eyes narrow, taking in his handsome features and seeming to have difficulty placing them. "Do I know you?" she says finally. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"No. I just moved."
"Oh?" Her expression reveals only a mild interest.
"It seems like a pleasant enough town. Quiet, though. Don't know how long I'll stick around. One could easily become… bored, in a place like this."
"Your voice…" she murmurs, her forehead creasing. "It sounds so familiar…"
Kol frowns. "Well, I'm fairly certain we've never met. I would have remembered such a pretty face as yours." He pauses, rising to his feet and holding out an outstretched hand. "Come on, I'll walk you home," he suggests smoothly. "It's too late for a girl like you to be out on her own."
She sighs, worrying her bottom lip. "I don't need a body guard. And no offence, but I don't know you."
"True," he concedes. "It's up to you, I guess. But I really do think you should be careful." The cool breeze carries the scent of vervain, so Kol knows he cannot compel her. Not quite yet. But perhaps he can persuade her. Old-fashioned style.
"I don't think that would be such a good idea…"
"As you wish." He bows his head. "Have a nice night," he murmurs softly, before turning and walking in the direction he knows she is headed.
And, just as he predicted, he soon hears her call out, "Wait! I'm going that way, too. I may as well accompany you."
Suppressing a smirk, Kol says cheerfully, "Very well. Let's get going, then, shall we?" As courteous as ever, he waits for the young lady to catch up.
"Such a gentleman," she remarks lightly, smiling.
"Indeed."
They continue the walk with a little small talk about this and that, and while, at first, Kol thought he was just buying time, he quickly comes to realise that he is actually rather enjoying her company.
But he hasn't forgotten his hunger.
And once he selects a target… Well, that's it. They're a goner.
Then, all too soon, the beautiful stranger announces, "Well, this is it. My home."
He only spares a momentary glimpse. "I'm sorry, but you haven't given your name…"
"As I recall, neither have you."
"Hmm...How about you tell me yours then I'll tell you mine?" Kol proposes, no longer sure where he is going with this, or why it is in any way significant when he plans to kill her in next to no time.
"And why would I do that?" she asks, peering up at him from under her lashes.
"Common courtesy?"
"Nope. Not gonna cut it."
"Please?" he murmurs in a breathy rush, with his most persuasive look.
She sighs in defeat.
Jutting out her hand, she says politely, "I'm Elena. It was nice to meet you."
Huh.
Something about that rings a bell, but he decides not to dwell on it. His thoughts are presently elsewhere.
"Oh, no. The pleasure is all mine," Kol murmurs, his voice taking on a colder note as his fixed stare hardens with a dangerous, almost voracious glint.
Taken aback by his sudden shift in demeanour, Elena backs away with dawning understanding.
"Y-you never t-told me your name," she says nervously, her hands clenching into fists by her sides - not that any of her self-defence classes will do her any good if her suspicions are correct.
"Didn't I?" Kol laughs. "Why, I do apologise. My mind's been on other things." He moves forward, distracted by the way Elena's body trembles in terror even as she tries so hard to stay strong.
Breaths coming quickly, Elena turns to flee, but Kol swiftly seizes her wrist. Even so, she retreats until she is cornered, back pressed against the side of her home, scared out of her mind, comforted only by the knowledge that he hasn't been invited inside… There's still a chance.
"Scream and I'll tear out your throat immediately, alright?" Kol says merrily, tilting his head to the side brightly, and she nods in agreement.
"Now…" he continues softly, brushing her hair back from her shoulder with precise, gentle movements. "This… this is what I've been looking for." He lays a finger lightly on the spot where he can feel the throbbing of her pulse most strongly. "Mm… It is at its finest fresh from the vein, you know. Anyone ever told you that? I'm sure you've gathered as much from all of those ghastly horror movies they flog nowadays as entertainment."
"Please..." she mumbles, growing desperate. "Please don't kill me."
"Now, love. You and I both know you are wearing vervain, but were foolish enough not to ingest it. So, really, this is all your fault." Kol pauses with a wicked smile. "I mean, I could always rip that pretty little necklace off and compel you to forget, but then, where's the fun in that?"
"I beg you… Please, just let me go…I have a brother. I'm the only family he has left…"
Kol shrugs. "Good for him. Family sucks."
He stops, deep in thought.
"Where was I? Oh, yes." He taps his chosen area. "This one'll do."
Just as he leans in closer, Elena flinches away, and Kol laughs and says, "Don't worry. I'll make it quick. And as for my name? It's Kol. Kol Mikaelson."
Elena's eyes widen in recognition.
And just as she is about to scream out of sheer instinct, Kol's fangs protrude from his gums in a flash of brilliant white and red, demonic eyes, before sinking into her neck.
She slumps in his embrace, eyelids fluttering as the face looming over hers blurs and everything goes black.
The first thing Elena becomes aware of is a confusing pressure on her cheek.
It feels… almost like…
The gentle caress of a thumb?
No, that couldn't be right, could it?
As she begins to regain consciousness, Elena realises that her head is cupped between two hands and she tries to open her eyes, but they feel so damn heavy. And she is so tired…
Light-headed and in disarray, it takes a moment for her to distinguish the sounds of a man whispering sweetly to her as he clutches her limp body to his chest. Her breaths stop. Oh my God… she thinks. Stefan?
But, no.
It doesn't sound like Stefan. Not in the least.
"I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to. I'm so, so sorry, love," he repeats over and over again, in this heartbreakingly distraught voice.
Elena frowns. She remembers leaving The Grill with Caroline and Bonnie who were intoxicated beyond belief... and then there was this gorgeous man offering to walk her home and talking to her with this irresistible English accent…
And then.
He tried to kill her.
"Kol?" she croaks in absolute bewilderment.
Am I dead?
Because this certainly can't be real.
"I'm right here, my darling," he murmurs, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I never meant to hurt you… I just lost control, I swear."
What the hell?
"Kol," Elena mutters, forcing her eyelids apart to see the Original staring anxiously into her eyes. "What on earth are you talking about? I am not your anything!" she spits in disgust. "What is wrong with you? Let go of me."
His frown deepens.
"Is the blood loss interfering with your memory as well?" he asks, smiling weakly though she can see his underlying worry. "Elena, I cannot apologise enough. I don't know what came over me..." His exhales, running a hand roughly through his hair. "I would never purposely do anything to hurt you," Kol says softly, tucking a lock of hair tenderly behind her ear, before adding offhandedly, "I love you."
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