Chapter 4:

Mari hesitated for a moment before letting her knuckles hit the door. For some reason, it was more awkward having to go to Kol's room on her own, instead of being escorted. She didn't want to seem like she wanted him to drink from her, or that she was seeking out his company. Kol seemed to fragile, and she didn't want to do anything to set him off.

"Excuse me," she softly, quickly pulling her hand back against her chest as she waited for Kol to answer the door. "Kol?" She called a little louder, not wanting to knock again just in case he heard her the first time. It took a minute, but he finally came to the door, although she was surprised to see him in only a towel. Her cheeks flushed, and she turned her face away. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"I was in the middle of a very relaxing shower. Is there something of importance that you've come knocking about?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow at her. She just stared at the ground for a long moment, not sure what to say.

"I thought... I was still supposed to feed you."

"I'd like to finish my shower first, if you don't mind love," his eyebrows furrowed a little in annoyance. "Unless you want to join me, then I suppose-"

"N-no," she shook her head quickly. "No, I'm sorry for bothering you." She turned on her heels and headed back to her room, her head low. She kicked herself for being so stupid, and for not being able to speak without a stutter when she was nervous, which she always was around their family. They all held an air of royalty, of power. It intimidated her to her very core, as a small, fragile, and defenseless human.

She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to force her anxiety away, when suddenly she ran directly into something solid. She put her hand out to push away, then looked up to see Klaus staring down at her quizzically. She jerked back, pulling her wrists against her chest whend she realized she once again had her hands on his undeniably firm chest.

"I thought those were supposed to better your sight," he commented, flicking his finger towards her glasses. "Yet you seem to not be able to see where you're going. Perhaps you should look into getting a different pair." She would have been hurt by his words if there was a tug of a smile at the corner of his lips.

"I'm sorry, I was just... I was zoned out." She cleared her throat, cursing her heated cheeks for exposing her embarrassment so openly all the time. "I was heading back to my room. I'll get out of your way now."

"Have you seen Kol today?" Klaus asked before she could run off. Her cheeks stayed hot and pink as that entirely separate embarrassment fluttered in her chest again. She took a deep breath and nodded in response. "How did he seem today?"

"Wet," she said instinctively, then quickly clarified. "I went to let him have a drink, but he had been in the shower so I left. I was bothering him."

"Make sure to return later if he doesn't seek you out. Your purpose here is to get him to feed," Klaus said, looking around her at Kol's closed door. "We're all very worried that he may never truly recover. It's odd. He's lived for centuries, but this... is the most broken I've seen him."

"It hurts to lose someone you love," she noted with a sympathetic expression. Klaus looked at her curiously.

"Do you have experience with loss, love?"

"Some," she told him, reaching up to push her glasses back into place. They had been skewed since she ran into Klaus. His eyes followed her hands as they moved. "I've only ever been with one person, so not much experience. He... was in an accident, and he wasn't the same after. His family moved his away to a hospital that could help him, and I haven't seen him since. I know it's not the same, but... it's all I have to use to relate."

"Loss is loss, I suppose," Klaus shrugged his shoulders. "Your story is tragic in its own rights, and it ends the same, with you alone." That word sent a pang of something through her chest that sucked the breath out of her for a moment. She had been alone, for so, so long. So long that she had grown quite desperate to change it.

"Kol isn't alone. He has his family."

"There are certain things we cannot provide as his family," Klaus said softly. "Kol is strong. I am sure he will recover, and you have helped him along enough to keep him going. Thank you for that. Don't let him slip back again, please, darling. Make sure he eats."

"I will."

"See him again, tonight." Klaus nodded, then turned and headed the opposite way. She watched him walk for a moment, eyes unfocused as her thoughts ran away with her. How had she gotten into this situation? Why was she so incapable of thinking straight around him? So many questions that even she herself couldn't answer.

Later that evening, as Mari was getting prepared to try to reach out to Kol again, she was a little shocked to hear a knock at her door instead. She got up from the bed, straightening her shirt before she headed to the door.

When she pulled it open, Kol came through without any reluctance. He pushed the door closed behind him, eyes locking onto hers.

"You never returned."

"I wanted to give you plenty of time," she said in her defense, wondering why he was so upset that she didn't come sooner when he could have come to her at any time. "You seemed annoyed, and I didn't want to make it worse."

"I'm a bit grumpy when I'm hungry. I'd like to go ahead and feed, if you don't mind." It was so straightforward and emotionless. His words lacked depth or expression, which was even more intimidating than if he was grinning and making remarks like he had before.

"Um, sure," she nodded, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. She tilted her head to the side to exposed her throat to him. "Like this?" He had been so creative and specific in his feeding demands before, so she didn't know exactly what to expect.

"No." He stepped to her, taking her hand away from her hair and jerking her forward. She hit his chest with a thud, then looked up at him with wide, frightened blue eyes. "Remember my compulsion? From now on, you'll enjoy my bite. So..." He looked down at the bit of thigh that was exposed by her shorts. He rested his finger there, trailing it up a bit. She grabbed his hand.

"My... thigh?" She hoped that's what he meant. She wasn't prepared to accept anything more than that. Kol's eyes darkened a little, his eyes never lifting from the soft, bare skin of her inner thigh, midway to her knee. "But, why?"

"Because I can only imagine the sounds you will make." Kol's tone took a softer, more sultry tone, and she stared up at him in shock. "I'd like to hear them." His moods fluctuated dangerously, and she never knew what to expect from him.

"B-But... It's just that I..." She didn't even know what to say in response to his seduction. "I'm not ready for... things like that..."

"It's just a bite. I'll be quick." He backed her towards the bed, and when the back of her knees hit the edge of the mattress, she was forced to him. Using his body that towered over her, he forced her onto her back, then further up onto the mattress. He slid down a little, down towards her legs. Her breaths started to quicken, almost into rapid pants.

"Kol," she whined. "It's too close."

"Close to what?" He questioned, and she knew he was doing it to torture her. He rested a hand on her thigh, then slid down a little closer to her knee, which made her relax a little. He parted his lips, letting his fangs slide from his gums. "You won't be so opposed once they're in your skin." He bit down, and an overwhelming sensation coursed through her.

With a gasp, she laid back on the mattress, her hands grabbing bundles of the sheets underneath her and her eyes squeezing shut. Her skin was alight with chills and tingles that she hadn't felt before. They weren't unpleasant in the slightest, and that scared her. What should have hurt, no longer hurt, but instead felt... good. Enjoyable, even. What had he done to her?

"Kol, please," she breathed, her fingers finding their way to his hair to push him away at first. However, when his jaws tightened, and his fangs dug a little deeper, her fingers instead curled in his hair, grabbing it loosely in her palm. "Kol!"

He pulled away then, her blood still on his lips. She sat up breathlessly, reaching down to cover the puncture marks midway down her thigh with her hand. They would be visible , so she'd have to wear pants until they healed. She looked at him in bewilderment, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

"What happened to me?"

"You were aroused by my bite," he chuckled, linking the blood from his lips and standing up in front of her. "Compulsion is a hell of a thing, darling." Her cheeks were burning now, but less in shame and more because she was flustered by the sudden and new feelings he stirred in her. "Shall I return tomorrow."

"You will no matter what," she said, knowing her opinion hardly mattered. "This is a game to you, isn't it?"

"Not really, but it is quite fun," he smirked at her. "Sleep well, love. I'll see you tomorrow." He winked quickly, that wicked smirk never fading, then headed for her door, quietly leaving the room and closing the door as he went.

Mari flopped back on the bed, bringing her hands up to cover her face. What had she gotten herself into? She'd asked herself that so many times, and now she was really starting to question her decision. While part of her believed she was being taken advantage of, another part of her couldn't deny the feelings that came with that deadly bite. It was frustrating, but it was something she was going to have to deal with.

Yay! Update! Lol thanks for reading guys :) I'm soooooo excited this story is getting some feedback because I think it holds a lot of potential and I'm thrilled to continue it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter :D let me know if there's something in particular you want to see or if there's any questions. And reviews always speed up my updates so leave a little something if you want more ;D