Anonymous asked: Klaus and Caroline au soulmate meeting before the ritual


"Hello, love."

Caroline looked up, terrified to note that Tyler still hung limp in his chains. Luckily, the guy strolling down the stone steps and the young woman following him hadn't glanced her way yet. She shrunk back against the wall as she felt the danger rolling off of them.

The guy knelt down in front of Tyler, gently lifting his head and patting a cheek. "Come on, little wolf, time to wake up. Curses won't break themselves, I'm afraid."

While Tyler slowly lolled to life, the woman moved over to where Caroline was bound. Though still new to the whole supernatural life, she could feel the magic barely restrained. "You're a witch," she accused, her voice hoarse from yelling for help.

"And you're going to die," the witch answered blithely. She reached for her chin, but Caroline was quick to bare fang, smirking when the girl jumped back.

Unfortunately, this caught the man's attention. If she felt the magic on the witch, there was something far more potent coming from him. He grinned down at her, tracing a soft finger over the veins under her eyes. "Aren't you pretty?"

She fought hard against the instinctive gasp, forced herself to remain still against the icy burn of the words splayed across her ribs. No, no no no. It couldn't be-

Biting her tongue hard, she wouldn't let him know. She couldn't. Talking about curses, hoarding people as ingredients, this could only be Klaus. The Klaus. The guy was evil, totally, completely. He had no business, none whatsoever, being the soulmate she'd dreamed about for years.

Someone who would truly, for once and forever, be only hers.

And Caroline refused to give this Klaus the satisfaction of being his, not when he seemed determined to kill her and her friends.

No.

But he was looking at her funny, pushing the witch back toward Tyler. "Take care of our friend, love. Leave this one to me."

She fought against the chains as he reached toward her. It was futile, apparently, because she could tell he was stronger than Damon or Stefan would ever hope to be.

Easily snapping the manacles from her wrists, he had the gall to smile as he pulled her to her feet. "You must be Caroline."

Still, she wouldn't speak. She didn't see any words on his skin, but she refused to chance it. But then the witch held out a hand to Tyler, who managed to tackle her before whatever spell she tried to cast could take hold. Instead, Klaus nearly broke her wrist in a stranglehold while going for him with full fang. "Don't you dare hurt him."

The words were instinctual and effective, if Klaus's reaction meant anything. Like he'd been hit, he stared at her with venom and surprise. When she'd been a vampire ready for sacrifice, he'd looked at her like a toy to be carved apart for fun.

Now…now, he just stared.