AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter contains MATURE content. If you wish to skip it, I suggest you read the first part of the chapter - you should be able to tell when the content gets too heated for your individual preference, at that point (if it comes) skip down to the ~O~ and continue reading. Yes, it's long, I know, but I had fun writing it ;)

A big thank you to Atlafan1286 for reviewing last chapter and to all those who favorited, followed and read! Please continue to do so, it certainly makes my day to see the e-mails on my phone. Also, if you could please review this chapter (especially this one), I'd really like to know your thoughts on it. Thank you again, much love!

"All of my heart, every part, I can't stop thanking you
I got brighter days, you get all my praise
I will always love you, you saved me
How can I stand next to you all alone and do nothing at all?
It starts in my hands, straight to my bones, head spinning when you fall
With my heart safe and sound, I stay
And my feet on the ground, I say
I've never been higher
Let the world catch fire
Living, loving, I stay." – Hedley, Beautiful Girl

I slowed to a human pace a few doors away from my house and just stopped for a moment to catch my breath. The tears were slipping slowly down my cheeks because I knew that Alaric was gone by this time and I swiped at them furiously, bringing my fingertips up to wipe underneath my eyes. Black eye makeup smeared the edges of my fingers and I unconsciously rubbed them on my dress before I began plucking at the pins in my hair. Piece by piece my hair fell until I had an entire mitt-full of bobby pins and I stuffed them, as well as my silver comb and feather clip into my bag, and then I fluffed my hair out. My head had been throbbing for the past few hours, and relieving myself of all the little pressurized pin pricks in my scalp eased the throbbing substantially.

I was exhausted. For such a small town, there was just too much drama for me, and this is coming from someone who lived and breathed the nightlife in New York for years. I should be able to handle this, but unfortunately, my body can recuperate faster than my mind and my heart can. I gently slipped my heels off and padded up the stone walkway barefoot as I dug into my bag for my house keys, but I stopped dead at the center and straightened up, my shoulders stiffening in anticipation of an attack. I could feel someone's eyes on me and I turned to face the street again, but found no one as I peered at the houses in the dark, studying every dark space large enough for someone to lurk in. I heard no unfamiliar footsteps, and there were no unusual scents that I could pick up on. There was absolutely nothing. But I could feel someone's eyes burning into the back of my head as they studied every one of my movements hungrily.

Gritting my teeth against the creepy discomfort, I clenched my fist around my keys and forced myself to walk calmly the rest of the way to my front door, and once inside I dropped them into the bowl on the table where they rattled noisily. All I could think about was pouring myself a drink, drawing myself a hot bath and then going to sleep as I flicked on the lights. I'd leave torturing myself over Esther's words for tomorrow's agenda and although this was my plan for the evening, I froze at the center of my main floor between the living room and the kitchen after throwing my bag in the living room's general direction, and I didn't hear it land. Slowly, I turned around so I was facing the living room and found, who else, but Kol standing in my living room, clutching my bag in his fist. His bowtie was undone and thrown over the back of my couch and he had unbuttoned the first two buttons on his shirt, exposing flashes of his naked collarbone. I made a sound that was half a sigh of frustration and half a groan of annoyance while letting my head fall back and then stomping into my kitchen. I muttered darkly to myself about wishing I had stayed with Elena that night because of all the things I wanted to do right now, fighting with Kol didn't even make the list.

"It's about time you came home."

I rolled my eyes with my back turned to him as I poured myself a full glass of whiskey before chugging half of it down, wincing at the harsh burn. This certainly wasn't the smoothest brand I've ever purchased and I vowed to never buy it again. "Well excuse me for being preoccupied with your mother," I snapped without facing him, "in case you've forgotten, a friend of mine has died tonight rather than go through with whatever plan Esther put in motion by turning him into a vampire. So, if you really think I'm in any mood to fight with you, you've got another thing coming."

"If you think I'm just going to let you and Damon go because you aren't in the mood –"

I tossed back the remainder of my drink and without really aiming I whipped it across the room in Kol's general direction. He ducked as it hit the wall behind him and I came around the island, readying myself for a fight. "What the fuck do you want to talk about then?" I snarled, "You want to discuss this kiss between Damon and myself? Then fine, let's discuss. He kissed me. I slapped him. He chased after me. And then you showed up, I'd say that about says it all."

He growled darkly as he prowled closer towards me but I held my ground, there was no way in hell that I was going to cower from him this time. It probably wasn't the best idea for me to throw that glass at him because I could see the fury that burned in his eyes and I let out a long breath of air to relax my tensed shoulders and lifted my hand. I heard the little tinkling noises of the glass shards as they scraped and bumped against the floor and themselves while they were being lifted into the air. The broken shards parted around Kol's form as I brought them back into the kitchen and lifted the trash lid up with my other hand, I dumped the shards into the can and the lid shut with a metallic clang.

Leaning against the end of the island, I studied Kol with softened dejection, "I don't know what you want me to say, or what you want me to do, Kol. I really don't, because I feel like no matter what I tell you, you're still going to be angry. Hell, I'm angry at Damon, but we already had our words and now I have to have them with you? What's the point when there's nothing I can say to change how you feel?"

He still wouldn't speak, but I could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to figure out just what he wanted to say. The anger still emanated off of him like heat from a fire, he was never one to let things go so easily. "You want to know what I think, Kol? I think you're insecure. These reactions have gone much further than me being yours and you not liking others laying their hands on me. I think that you're afraid I'm going to leave, that I'm going to turn my back on you like I thought you had done to me for so many years. So, what is it Kol? Why are you so insecure?"

Finally, he found his voice as he stepped menacingly up the steps that led into the kitchen. "Is that what you think I am?" He hissed from a few feet away from me, "Insecure? What makes you think that I'm afraid of anything, let alone afraid of you leaving? If you want to leave and run along to Damon Salvatore, then go ahead – I won't stop you."

"Oh, bullshit!" I snarled while moving away from the island, "If that were the case you wouldn't have fought so hard to put yourself between him and I!" I roared and I felt the glassware in my kitchen cupboards rattle dangerously, "and of course I think you're insecure, you're the one who explodes into a jealous rage every time someone looks at me in a way you don't like! And I don't understand why, do you really think it'd be easy for me to just leave you behind? If it were, I would have done it years ago!"

"Well, darling, I'm not insecure. I'd have to care for that to be true, and I don't."

I stared at him, taking in his appearance as if for the first time. From the mess of his hair from him pushing his hand through it too many times, from the shape of his shoulders and the way the fabric draped over them, from the way he would shove a hand into his pocket and the way that he stood with his legs just slightly wider than shoulder width. "You do care," I muttered as I studied the face of an Original vampire who tried so hard to make it look like he didn't have feelings, but he did. "But you only know how to express that through anger, and then there's me. Things can literally blow up when I care too much – and I think this is a problem for both of us. You don't express your feelings enough, and I express mine too often; we can figure that out together, because that's where we balance each other out.

"Everyone has insecurities, Kol. Your brother has them, and Klaus doesn't care about anyone or anything besides himself, and even I can tell he has abandonment issues –"

Kol took an imposing step forward and I barely registered the declining space between our bodies. "Don't you dare compare me to my brother," he growled darkly and I pressed my lips together in a thin line.

My hands flew up in surrender, in an attempt to calm the crackling anger that he was expressing. I flinched involuntarily when his tone turned from just angry to threatening and I swallowed against my suddenly dry throat. "I'm not," I said warily, attempting appeasement but when his gaze turned even colder I pressed on, further determined to defend myself, "Kol, I'm not comparing you to him—"

"Do you love Damon?"

I bristled against the accusation and marveled slightly at how he could make a question sound like a blunt statement. I was so startled by the question that I stood there gaping at him for several minutes, unable to speak, unable to even gather my thoughts to make a coherent sentence. "What?" I finally asked with incredulity.

"Are you still in love with him?" He enunciated slowly as if speaking to a child and I glared at him for being so condescending.

"How can you even ask me that!?" I snapped, my tone turning shrill.

His lips twisted into a nasty smirk as he slowly began to stalk towards me and as he continued his approach his form loomed higher and higher over mine without my heels on. "It's a very simple question," he sneered venomously and I scrambled around the other side of the kitchen island, eager to put distance between us. "Do you, or do you not love Damon Salvatore?" He demanded again as he followed me around the island and I froze when my back hit the counter.

"Of course I don't love him, Kol. He kissed me; it wasn't the other way around!"

"I saw what it was," he hissed lowly as he loomed in ever closer, cornering me with only a few feet between us and I flinched under his icy stare, tears welling in my eyes. "You didn't react nearly as fast as you've been insisting upon." I couldn't look at him because it hurt too much to hear what he was implying, didn't he get it by now?

"Kol, I—"

He took a final step forward, his stance wide. There was nowhere to go, all he had to do was reach out and grab me if I tried to run. But there would be no more running. "What is it, Olivia?" He questioned tauntingly, his accented voice gliding icily over the words, "What excuse do you have for me this time, darling?"

Slowly, I lifted my head and glared determinedly through the tears that threatened to spill over my cheeks. "Don't you get it?" I asked, my voice breaking slightly, "I found out tonight that even if you were to die, terminating all vampires of your bloodline, I would come back as the phoenix that I was supposed to be. As your mother put it, I would no longer be 'tainted' by your 'poisoned blood', I would be pure again. But she was wrong. I would die, I. Would. Be. Nothing if you were gone."

Kol took a fumbled step back, the anger on his face dissipating. "So no, Kol. I do not love Damon Salvatore, and I was a fool to think that I could, I was a fool to blindly believe that I could substitute you for him. Especially now, when I've finally figured out that I would rather experience our most destructive," I ranted, the words just bubbling out of my mouth as I took a cautious step forward. "Terrifying," I continued, while taking a second step towards his still form, "and painful fight." The words were coming easier now that I saw his anger ebbing away with my confession, and I closed the rest of the distance until our chests brushed against each other and I was tilting my head up to capture and hold his gaze. "For the rest of my existence than ever consider loving someone who wasn't you."

He was staring at me with a blank face but I felt the smile on my lips when I saw the warmth return to his eyes and I watched with fascination as they went from black to their familiar warm brown tones with the golden specks. "I. Love. You, Kol," I whispered, but refused to touch him, my hands hanging at my sides, "and I'd rather be fighting with you, than not have you at all."

I waited for him to do something, for him to say something, anything and my rosy lips parted with anticipation, the bright redness of my lipstick having rubbed off hours ago. In a split second his lips were striking at mine, claiming them with fervent passion as his arm snuck around my back so he could rope his fingers into my hair. I reached up and touched his cheek with my fingertips as we joined in a furious, lip biting, teeth grazing, blood drawing kiss. The different flavours of our blood mixed together and I shut my eyes tight against the desperation that ripped at my heart, and the tears that had threatened to fall escaped from beneath my eyelashes and rolled down my cheeks until the saltiness mingled with the tang of our blood. I just wanted to prove to him that I loved him because I felt like my words didn't say enough.

He pulled away slightly but held my face firmly between his palms. I could feel his breath caress my face as he took deep, gasping breaths and I studied his crimson stained lips, knowing that they mirrored my own. His thumbs wiped away the tears just before he pulled me in again for a second heavy kiss but he made no move to lay siege on my mouth with his tongue, he only held me there so our soft and swollen flesh could mould against each other until neither of us remembered where his lips began and mine ended. My fingers slid deftly into the thick strands of his hair and then he coaxed my mouth open with a single swipe of his tongue across my bottom lip, coercing a low moan of satisfaction out of my mouth. He smiled into the kiss and I stroked the center of his tongue with mine as my palms slid over his chest and underneath his jacket so I could force it over his shoulders and down his arms until it landed on the floor behind him.

Kol wrapped his newly freed arms tightly around my waist, holding me flush against his chest and I arched into him, making sure to drive my hips upwards into his. He growled deeply against my mouth and tugged at my bottom lip aggressively with his teeth, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. My skin prickled as his hands smoothed random paths up and down my spine and unexpectedly, he curled his fingers around the top of my dress and tore violently at the fabric. The dress split down the center and before I could say anything, his hands were sliding over the curve of my ass and he was lifting me onto the island's counter top. The fabric stretched awkwardly over my knees, preventing him from moving closer, so, he grabbed the hemline with both hands and ripped that apart too, the harsh sound echoing throughout the kitchen. He wasted no time and quickly curled his hands around the backs of my knees, dragging me almost to the edge where he stood between my thighs with a look of dark desire burning in his eyes.

With one hand still at my thigh and the other cupping the side of my face, he planted a long, lingering kiss on my lips. "I think," he began while pulling away so his lips barely touched mine, "that a hundred years of foreplay is long enough."

My lips ached faintly from the rough kisses we've been sharing, and I swallowed shakily with anticipation, feeling the dull throb between my legs grow. He pressed in closer and attacked the side of my throat with his lips and tongue and I tilted my head back in ecstasy as he found the familiar blue vein again. My thighs tightened around his waist, drawing him in closer and I flexed my hips against his firm erection; he groaned against my soft flesh in response to the delicious friction and I gloried over how he barely contained his desire. He bit down on my flesh with his human teeth and I growled, reaching down to pull the hem of his shirt out of the waistband of his formal slacks and in a single, fluid motion, his shirt was over his head and discarded behind me.

I pushed him away, enthralled with the sight of his bare chest, his smooth skin begging me to explore the naked plains of his firm muscles and I relished all the places where my fingers dipped into their hard lines and I marveled at where my fingers rose. When I finally gathered the nerve to drag my gaze of wonderment back to his face, he was watching me in amusement, a mischievous glint in his eye. I pressed a gentle kiss at the corner of his lips, and then one at his jaw, his jugular and a final one in the space at the center of his collarbone. My lips turned up naughtily as I trailed purposeful wet kisses over his chest, through the light dusting of hair and over his heart where I swathed his nipple with the wet heat of my mouth, my tongue swirling around the stiffened peak once, at a teasing pace.

In a flash, he was yanking the tattered remains of my dress from my body, forcing me away from his chest and the sexual frustration was evident in his eyes when I glanced at them, sinful lust bleeding in from the edges when they met. I was now completely exposed, save for the black underwear I had chosen and I squirmed beneath his calculating gaze as he drank in every curve and swell of my body. It was embarrassing to be studied so thoroughly, as if my body was the map that could lead to the answer of the world's darkest secret. He claimed my lips again, his tongue caressing the length of mine with languid strokes and I purposefully rotated my hips against his enlarged erection in a frantic motion, mewling recklessly against his lips at the explosive pleasure that rooted from deep within my core. I tore myself away from his mouth, gasping deeply for air that I didn't need and he returned his lips back to my throat.

I entwined my fingers into his hair again as he sucked mercilessly on my soft flesh, his tongue tracing a path upwards to caress the hollow beneath my ear as he cupped the underside of each breast, their weight supported by the palms of his hands.

My mouth fell open when he began to twist and pull at the nipple, releasing it quickly so it would snap back and the stiffening peak grew more sensitive by the second. Waves of uncontrollable pleasure rolled over me and I panted heavily, but, as soon as his hands found my exposed breasts, they left, and I whimpered in protest. He silenced me with a kiss, his hands cupping around the backs of my thighs and he lifted me off the island, carrying me over to the kitchen table. I felt his leg move to hook around the leg of the chair and I squeezed my thighs tightly around his waist as he pulled the chair out and kicked it off to the side where it slid a few feet before tipping over and falling onto its back.

The kitchen table was unyielding beneath my back as he lay me across it and he abandoned my lips to follow a wet and luscious path down my throat and over my chest. His lips enclosed a nipple and I gasped in surprise at the sensation of his velvet soft tongue tracing slow, teasing circles around the sensitive peak. Erotic desire built up and my lips parted when I felt a wave of moisture pool between my legs and his name caught in my throat when he switched sides. I arched beneath his expert mouth and his lips pulled back into a smile, his tongue slowly caressing the rosy peak. I was tugging on his hair now, desperate to pull him back up to my lips but he released me with different intentions; fixing me with the smirk of a predator as he continued to plant wet kisses down my torso, I whimpered anxiously, anticipating where his lips were going to lead to next.

Capturing my gaze and holding it wilfully, he casually hooked his fingers underneath the waistband of my underwear and teased them down the length of my quivering legs. I had been perched on my elbows to watch, but I fell back with embarrassment as he fondled the damp fabric between his fingers and then balled them up before tossing them to the side. I felt so indecent, being exposed to him as I stretched over my kitchen table like an open buffet just for him; his gaze burned every inch of my skin as he drank in the sight and I closed my eyes against the awkwardness. I felt his hand curve around my chin, urging me to open my eyes, and his torso hovered over my naked form. I bit my lip against the moan that wanted to escape when his clothed erection pressed against my now exposed core.

"Don't hide from me, little dove," he whispered, his eyes warm and inviting, "I want you to be aware – with all your senses – of everything I'm going to do to you. I want to feel your body respond to me." His hands trailed down my sides and over my breasts again, and I arched beneath his hands. "I want to see every. Little. Emotion. That fills these beautiful eyes," he purred and I felt my heartbeat pick up as desire heated my core.

He grinned deviously at my heart's obvious flutter and I noticed how the waistline of his pants clung to his hips, now, I really wanted them to come off – it wasn't fair that I was bared to him but he wasn't to me. The pressure of his hands on the insides of my creamy thighs startled me from my thoughts and he urged them open wider, exposing my hot center to his utmost desires. It was embarrassing that there was no part of me left unseen to him and I squirmed beneath his gaze. He shushed me softly before lowering his head to place a kiss on my navel and then allowed his lips to travel further south.

"K—Kol…" I moaned softly, and he smirked at me over the plains of my body before delivering one long languid lick up the center of my hot core with the flat of his tongue and my head fell back in reckless elation. A breathless sigh escaped from my parted lips as he began to suck gently at the folds, tugging at them with his lips. Soon, he neglected the luscious strokes of his tongue in favor of more quick, precise flicks of his tongue and I undulated beneath him, my muscles quivering uncontrollably. I tried flexing my hips against his mouth but he held them down with firm pressure to the insides of my thighs and I couldn't hold back the moan as he teased my clit with the tip of his tongue, my back arching as shock waves of pleasure exploded throughout my body. My fingertips dug into the top of the table and then dropped down into his hair, they roped into his silky strands and I tugged slightly in hopes of deterring him away, but to no avail. He coaxed my legs further apart and circled the small nub with his tongue, refusing to adhere to my frantic desperation.

A wordless cry of shameless desire spilled from my lips when he ceased the flicking movements of his tongue and wrapped his lips around my clit, I thrashed from side to side, my hips grinding furiously against his hands when he began to suck languidly at the nub, his tongue swirling around its circumference. My toes curled against the raw, delicious pleasure that took its toll on my body, every muscle had lost its strength and my entire body seemed to vibrate beneath his tongue.

I cried out his name and felt a hand leave my thigh, his fingers quickly joining the assault. Writhing in ecstasy as he slid a finger deep inside of me, I panted heavily when his mouth finally parted from my clit, the deep breaths flooding my lungs. He leaned back to admire his handy work with a smirk and slipped a second finger inside of my slick canal, forcing my mouth to fall open mindlessly when he curled his fingers around to massage deep inside, coaxing heavy moans from my mouth. He increased his luscious strokes to rough thrusts, the wet sounds of my muscles contracting and then being spread apart by his fingers resounding throughout the kitchen and I pushed my hips up against the palm of his hand, circling them around.

He crushed his mouth against mine in a rough kiss, his tongue snaking out to stake its claim on mine and I moaned deeply into his mouth as he shared my juices. He pulled away with dark desire in his eyes and slowly slipped his fingers out, the sudden emptiness an unwelcome feeling.

"I could have spent all night buried between these beautiful thighs," he muttered huskily and he squeezed the fleshy underside of my leg. "But we'll save that adventure for another time," he continued with a carnal edge to his promise. I whimpered dejectedly and he smiled knowingly at me. "Darling, darling, darling," he cooed, "trust me when I say that I wouldn't stop even if you begged me to." He smirked dangerously and I swallowed hard when my core throbbed and my eyes widened slightly as I watched him lick his fingers and lower them so they could press furiously against my clit. My hips involuntarily bucked against the circling movements of his wet fingers over the slick little nub.

"I could have you screaming my name, over and over and over again - and still I wouldn't stop. Not until your orgasms bled into one another, not until you've had so many that you feel like you're about to pass out from complete, and total, ecstasy."

An incoherent sound of pleasure burst from between my lips and he grinned cheekily. "You like the sound of that don't you?" He teased in a whisper as he moved back to my breast to twist and roll my over sensitive nipple again, "Does being at my complete and total mercy turn you on, little dove?"

Brutal desire ripped through my body setting my slick core ablaze with arousal that reflected in my eyes and I surged upwards to capture his lips in a forceful kiss. One hand fisted into the hair at the base of his neck while the other caught his face underneath the jaw and I propelled our bodies upwards until he was standing again. He mirrored my ferocity and delivered the same bruising pressure as I gave him; his hands coming up to cup either side of my face, holding me there as his alpha personality took over, seizing control of our locked lips. I hooked my ankles around the backs of his knees, my toes curling against the erotic sensuality that his tongue coaxed from deep within my core and he sucked on my tongue as he had at the slick arousal between my legs and I groaned at the memory. I began to furiously work at the button and the zipper of his pants and he tore himself away from my lips, his eyes flushed with desire. With my forehead leaning against his chest, I finally managed to free the button and tugged the zipper down in a brash movement.

A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest and he took a slight step backwards to kick his shoes off and then removed the rest of his clothes. He took a single step back into the space between my thighs and I couldn't help but stare unabashedly at his form. It wasn't like he had anything I've never seen before but the fact of the matter was that it was him that I was seeing, and he was utter perfection. He was watching me with amusement and I moaned in spite of myself as I buried my face in my hands, his confidence alone was enough to send me over the cliff of arousal as he stood there so tall and proud of himself. Parting my hands from my face, he unconsciously shifted closer to me and I bit my lip when I felt the weight of him against my thigh.

He gave me a look that reminded me not to hide from him and I leaned forward to enclose my mouth around his nipple again, my tongue swiping over the little peak with a wet flourish. I flashed him a naughty smile from beneath my eyelashes and squeezed the curve of his firm cheeks provocatively, his eyes acquiring a playful glint. With one hand still resting on his ass, I delivered a long lick to the palm of my other hand and tentatively wrapped it softly around his shaft, watching his face hungrily as I teased the sensitive flesh with my glistening fingertips, and when they reached his swollen head, I grinned victoriously as a low, guttural groan sounded from the back of his throat. I wanted to know his every dip, curve and ridge, I wanted to explore every beautiful inch of him until I found all the little tricks to drive him mad and I briefly wondered if I'd get the chance to do so tonight as I slid my palm back up and circled the very tip of his head with the pad of my thumb.

Subconsciously, Kol had leaned forward, his forehead resting against mine and I observed with incredulity as his face completely relaxed and he closed his eyes, the occasional moan sounding at the back of his throat. I couldn't understand how he could have so much self control, yes, age had plenty to do with it, but I've performed these tricks so many times that I should have had him eating out of the palm of my hand by now. However, the second that the pad of my thumb massaged over his swollen head, his eyes snapped open and he grabbed my wrist before tilting his head down to capture my lips in a wet kiss and a moan filtered into his mouth when I felt him nudge apart the soft folds between my legs. Slowly, he glided the tip up and down between the cleft and I whimpered desperately, my hands grasping at his hips frantically. He refused to budge and took his time teasing the slick little nub with the head of his cock and I pushed my hips forward eagerly. Eventually, he pulled away from my lips and tangled his fingers into the hairs at the nape of my neck and pulled my head back so I was looking up at him, my back arched so my chest was flush against his.

"Please…" I whined, begging him to take me and he held me in my submissive position as primal desire flickered in his eyes and ever so slowly, he pushed his head past my folds and into the wet, inviting entrance. I gripped him tightly by the side of the face and my mouth fell open breathlessly as my muscles expanded and contracted around him, clenching him tightly and pulling him in. I couldn't look anywhere but into his eyes, their darkness claiming my gaze and as he slowly pushed forward inch by agonizing inch, prolonging the erotic arousal, I dug my nails deeply into his hips. He was in complete control and his eyes bore into mine as he took his sweet time. I mewled loudly at the delicious friction, feeling him stretch my walls mercilessly as I clung to him, and finally, his entire length was inside of me, filling me to bursting point. In a flash, his hands cupped around my backside and he maneuvered me so the underside of my ass fit snugly against him and he loomed over my naked figure.

Instantly, he began to move and I tightened my thighs around his hips as he pumped deep inside of me, leaving no inch of muscle untouched. He crushed his lips against mine, muffling the cries of pleasure that wanted to escape and he picked up the pace, the force of his thrusts jostling my body. He filled me so perfectly that there was no doubt in my mind that our bodies were made to fit each other's, and I groaned shamelessly against his mouth, my fingers reaching into his hair and clawing at his muscular back.

Forcefully, he grabbed my hands and pinned them down to either side of my head and I squirmed beneath him, my hips rising frantically to meet his every thrust. Our eyes locked and I watched as the carnal face of the monster I had willingly invited into my heart a century ago came out to play. His lips parted into a snarl, torn by primitive arousal and they wrapped around the glistening white fangs. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood as he thrust to claim and to conquer me, pumping so deeply that I thought I would burst and I parted my glistening red lips, exposing the left side of my throat inviting him to take what I knew he wanted.

"Mine," He hissed and sunk his fangs into the blue vein he had been teasing himself with and I cried out at the sharp pain as he tore hungrily into my flesh. Almost instantly, the pressure between my legs built up, as if my body wouldn't even consider succumbing to an orgasm unless he was inside of me in every way possible. I laced my fingers into his hair and held him at my throat and his hands swept downwards, taking a hold of my hips, his fingers biting deep into the fleshy curve as he plunged furiously inside of me. I could feel wave after wave of pleasure and I knew he was close by his frantic thrusts and within seconds he was coming, pushing so deeply inside of me that all I could do was cling to his convulsing body, my legs wrapping tightly around his waist as he exploded deep inside of my slick core. Slowly, he lapped at the blood that had smeared over my flesh with the flat of his tongue and returned to my line of sight, his lips hovering over mine.

"I haven't had all of you yet," he growled and locked his bloody mouth onto mine, his hands pushing my legs forward by the knees and because of the new angle, his every thrust not only filled me, but would also graze against my swollen clit. It didn't take long for the shockwaves of pleasure to build and everything exploded around me. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I clung to him with quivering limbs and I smiled lazily up at the ceiling with his face buried into the crook of my neck, his breath hot against my flesh.

We stayed like that for a while, before I felt him harden again and he was pulling me up into a sitting position and gathering me into his arms before I realized it. He hoisted me up so I was wrapped around his waist, his hardening length still buried deep and he carried me up the stairs.

~O~

Bzzt… bzzt… bzzt…

I peeled one eye open just a crack and glared groggily at my flashing phone. Why is my phone ringing? Why is there someone calling me? The vibrations ceased and I sighed in relief while settling back into the pillow, my eyes closing softly. I felt Kol shift against my back, his arm flexing around my waist but he wasn't asleep, I could tell by the way his chest expanded with every breath he took. I was seconds away from drifting off when I heard my phone again.

Bzzt… bzzt… bzzt…

I groaned in protest against the intrusive noise and my arm shot out to blindly search the top of the bedside table. My fingertips brushed the side of the buzzing phone and it was nudged out of my reach, I rolled my eyes in frustration and inched closer to the table but Kol's arm tightened suddenly around my waist and he dragged me back against his chest. He pressed his lips against the center of my shoulder blades and I chuckled lightly while pushing myself up onto my elbow, he grumbled against my flesh and then I stretched out of his mouth's reach and grabbed a hold of the phone just as it began to buzz again. I rolled onto my back beneath the weight of his arm and squinted at the screen before pressing it to my ear.

"Hello?" I called sleepily into the receiver and Kol popped up beside me with a devious little smirk on his face, his long bangs falling into his eyes. I shoved his face away playfully with a smirk on my face, "Hi Stefan," I greeted and shimmied up the bed, the sheets sliding down to expose my naked chest.

"Where the hell have you been? This is the third time I've called you."

I rolled my eyes at his admonishing tone and Kol returned to my line of sight with a wicked glint to his eyes. "Stop," I mouthed silently to him and he shook his head slowly before pressing a kiss to my lips and then my jaw. "I was sleeping, mom," I quipped, switching my phone to the other hand as Kol's lips trailed down my throat and over the naked swells of my breasts.

"We have a problem," Stefan muttered into the phone and I could just picture the annoyance on his brooding face, the firm lines of his mouth swimming into view.

I let out a slow, measured breath as Kol drew a nipple into the warmth of his mouth, his tongue tracing teasing circles around the little peak. My free hand slipped into his hair, and I took my time answering, "Will there ever be a problem free day in Mystic Falls? What sort of snag have we come across, this time, Mr. Salvatore?" I glanced down over my nose at Kol, who was resting his chin against my ribcage as he sucked languidly at the stiffening peak, his eyes held mine from beneath his eyelashes and my hips shifted beneath him in response to the flair of pleasure that shot down to my core.

"Alaric's alive, Liv."

I froze beneath the Original vampire's assault and surged upwards in surprise, disrupting Kol who reared back with a sound of indignation. My hand flew up to cut him off and I balanced my weight on one hand, the mattress dipping beneath the concentrated weight, "What?" I growled, half in fear and half in frustration. Kol shot me a look of concern and I averted my eyes.

"Esther managed to work her last bit of magic and somehow compelled Bonnie to feed Alaric her blood. He was made into a much stronger, much faster, and much more lethal form of Original vampire. He took Caroline and Elena went after her, now they're both trapped."

I glanced at Kol whose eyes had darkened into a swirling storm of fury, his lips sinking into a frown, "What do you need me to do?"

"We're going to need all the muscle we can get; Alaric has the power of an Original now. He's operating under his vampire-hating alter ego, and he has an indestructible white oak dagger."

"On my way."

The phone beeped as I hung up and I rolled off the bed, my naked form glowing white beneath the sun that streamed through the window. "Go get dressed, Kol. We need to leave."

He groaned loudly and fell back against the bed in a huff, "You should have just killed him when you had the chance, put him out of his misery."

I didn't look at him as I walked into my bathroom, "I know." I replied and shut the door behind me. I heard him exit the room and I smirked to myself at the image of him walking around my house naked while I splashed water on my face and ran a brush through my hair. I returned to my room and quickly dressed before flashing down to the main floor with my phone in hand.

I froze on the bottom stair, however, when I noticed the uninvited company that stood in my living room. Kol stood off to the side but inched forward slightly to put himself between me and my unexpected guest who happened to share the same glowing ember eyes as I did.

"So is this what you meant by 'not falling for him again', Olivia?" James inquired sarcastically with a raised eyebrow. To the naked eye, he seemed fairly calm about the matter, but I could see the hard lines of anger pressed into his expression, "Because, that's not what I would call it." He glanced pointedly at the shards of my black dress that littered the kitchen and the black underwear that clung desperately to the back of one of my bar stools.

"I would like to know why my brother's minion seems to think he can invite himself into your house," Kol growled while shooting me a questioning stare, "Don't tell me you know him."

I didn't answer immediately and gritted my teeth while raising my eyes to the ceiling; we did not have time for this. "James, not now. There are more pressing matters at hand," I snapped while pocketing my phone and stepping forward slightly, "we'll do this, later."

"This is your friend from New York?" Kol sneered dangerously, his eyes flashing, "The one up at the College."

"Yes," I replied through gritted teeth and glared at James.

You could have called, I thought angrily and he sighed before replying silently.

You're the one who lied."Once a fool, always a fool, huh Livvy?" James hissed and my lip twitched angrily in response. "You really are fucking pathetic, Olivia. Falling for the same tricks, making the same fucking mistakes like a goddamn child. Are you not capable of self-preservation, must I hold your hand through every one of your little ordeals?"

A snarl rippled from Kol's chest, his suit jacket bunching in his fist. "James, I said not now," I growled darkly while advancing a step and his golden eyes smoldered.

"Oh why in the world not, love?" Kol crowed with sarcasm, "I know Klaus would just love to hear that he's being taken for a fool."

"Your brother is a fool," James snarled and I flinched at the form that Kol's face took, "he is too absorbed in himself to even consider that the information I've been giving him may not be worth anything. Klaus Mikaelson is too arrogant to see that he is anything but at the top of the food chain—"

I eyed the muscles that coiled angrily beneath Kol's wrinkled shirt and I tried to slip myself between vampire and phoenix, "Kol, we have to go – Stefan and the other's are waiting—"

"If you think I'm going to let you go anywhere with the likes of him," James interjected with a defiant lift of his chin, "you're out of your mind. I will not let you destroy everything we've worked for by falling into the same hole that I had to drag you out of all those years ago. I won't let you lower yourself to the level of toxic waste—"

There was a loud and vicious snarl that ripped out of Kol's mouth and I whirled around just in time to see Kol launch himself at James. The force of his movement knocked me into the wall and I barely had enough time to stand upright again before the short scuffle ended. James had not expected the attack and the anger he felt towards me clouded his instincts to protect himself, I surged forward so as to try and assert myself between them but all motion and all time stopped when the loud, sickening noise of a neck being snapped echoed through my house. I watched on in horror, a scream frozen on my lips as I watched James fall to the floor as if in slow motion, his head hanging limply from his shoulders without the support of his neck. I felt tears spring to my eyes as Kol turned to face me again, the black veins of his vampire face fading away, but his lips were still pulled up over his fangs in a snarl.

"What the hell have you done?"

~O~

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