Mockrát děkuji to the readers in the Czech Republic! :)

I hope you'll all enjoy today's chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it... smut warning though...

Thank you, everyone!

XX

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

SIGNUM

Wrapped in a thick white bathrobe, Caroline was bundled up in a big, comfortable chair next to the window, staring at the darkness outside. As the hotel was relatively isolated, there weren't too many lights disrupting the night, and Caroline found it very relaxing to just sit and gaze at nothing in particular. Almost everyone had retired for the night, safe for Klaus and Elijah who had excused themselves for a short while to again speak privately in Elijah's room, and Damon, who was trying to drink the downstairs bar dry ever since Elena had gone upstairs with Stefan. After dinner, Silv had spelled all of their rooms to give everyone a little more privacy. She looked worse for wear after she was finished and immediately left for her room, which made Caroline and Rebekah look at each other in serious concern. They knocked on Silv's door, but the witch just told them she needed some alone time and was perfectly fine. They agreed to speak to her again first thing in the morning to find out what was actually wrong. Something seemed to be virtually draining her and they would have to make sure she was fine. Elijah looked like his usual serene self, but it was clear that he was deeply worried about his former lover. However, he didn't seem to be able to bring himself to go to her. Caroline was debating whether to drag him to Silv's room herself but thought the better of it after catching a warning glance from Klaus. She had grown to rather like Silv. Like Elijah, she was someone to look up to. Her subdued but sophisticated ways, her easy humour, her intelligence, her elegance – she liked all that about the witch. Elijah and Silv would be so perfect together… let's hope they can work it out.

Wrapping her arms around herself, Caroline kept thinking about Klaus' plan. She knew she had given him her word that she would leave, but how could she? Almost everyone who meant something to her would be in those dungeons, so staying behind and waiting things out was not really an option. What if Mikael and Prelati brought reinforcement troops? What if some part of the scheme didn't go according to plan? Klaus would be royally pissed off if she broke her word, she was well aware of that… it was just that sitting around and hoping for everything to end well was simply not bearable, not with the man she loved and her friends in there, facing their most dangerous adversary. If Mikael thought her dead and she reappeared out of nowhere – wouldn't the element of surprise give the others some leverage? Klaus, Elijah, Damon and Stefan knew how to take advantage of even the briefest moment of their enemies' distraction, so she might really be able to make a difference. Now the only thing she needed to work out was how to approach the battlefield without attracting anyone's attention after feigning to leave.

"So pensive?"

Caroline gave a little start. She hadn't heard a thing – no rush of air, no steps, no door noises. Incredible.

"Will you stop sneaking up on me like that? It's rather scary, you know?" she murmured, glad he was finally back.

"Do I detect a hint of envy there, my darling?" Klaus chuckled. "Unlike my other unique Original Hybrid qualities, stealth can actually be learned," he teased, taking her hand and placing a soft kiss on the tips of her fingers.

It can? So why don't I let him teach me how to be stealthy? I might need that very soon… "Will you show me how?" she asked casually, hoping he wouldn't be able to guess her motivation like he did so many other times.

"Why not? How about we start tomorrow, and you can test your abilities on the more obnoxious members of our illustrious party? Like Kol or Damon?" He lowered himself to his knees in front of her armchair, his hands softly touching her calves beneath the bathrobe.

"Should be fun." She paused. "We had no chance to talk about your conversation with Elijah yet."

"It seems that… you were right about his reaction. Again. But if you don't mind – can we just not touch on all of this for a few hours? I do need some time away from the memories."

Caroline nodded and sighed quietly at the tension that was still hovering beneath Klaus' surface whenever that topic was brought up, and she did understand he would need a long time to truly come to terms with what had happened. His having spoken of it was a very big step, but it had been haunting him for too long to be wiped away just like that. And he was the only one who could tame the beast of his memories. Neither Elijah nor Caroline herself would be able to do it for him, but she was confident. Klaus was strong, very strong, not only physically, and he would pull it off eventually. And she would be there with him. There was no other place for her.

The intensity of her longing for him was completely foreign to her. The physical part of it was overwhelming like a devastating storm, making her wonder if she would ever remotely come to terms with it – whenever he was near, all she really wanted was to feel his skin on hers, no matter the circumstances. She remembered his story of how he had had sex against a burning barricade with a revolution going on around him, realizing that she didn't find the thought absurd in the least. Sex with Klaus was a revelation, her own personal miracle, and if there was one thing Caroline was absolutely certain of, it was that she would never crave anyone else's touch again. The damn guy had spoiled her for other men. Completely. But her longing went so very much deeper than that. There had always been a part of her that was desperately lonely, even when she had been surrounded by her friends, her mom or Tyler. That part was the one that longed to be accepted, cherished, loved just the way she was. The relationship with her mom had always been difficult, and there was a deeply rooted, nagging feeling inside her that neither of her parents had ever been able to love her unequivocally, just as her friends and even Tyler had always been just a tad judgmental. She had believed it to be her fault, her mistake that she couldn't live up to anyone's expectations. She knew she was far from perfect. But if she was able to accept others with all their flaws and eccentricities, why couldn't everyone do the same for her? She loved Elena dearly, but the course of events over the years had told Caroline that her friend was apparently more valuable than she could ever be, as everyone kept going out of their way to impress her, court her, save her – whatever the order of the day was. Elena was always put before everything else, by everyone. And then Klaus had shown up, and from the very minute he had stepped into her room, Caroline had been the focus of his attention. Even among the worst of chaos, his eyes had always softened for an instant when they came to rest upon her, and no matter how many times she had deceived him by playing the blonde distraction, his interest in her had never wavered. Unbeknownst to her consciousness, he had started to fill that lonely portion of her heart from the very beginning. He had never once judged her or her actions, not even when she had played him, and from the moment he had chosen to save her over his own sister, something had whispered to her she would always be his first choice, even though she had refused to let the thought take hold inside her at the time.

He had sneaked his way into her heart and soul with his genuine interest in her mind, never even remotely treating her like the naïve, small-town teenager she secretly considered herself sometimes. Caroline remembered how his eyes had lit up every time he had returned from one of his trips and found her in the study, reading. He had dropped everything to spend hours with her, quizzing her about her thoughts, explaining whatever she wanted him to, discussing her take on historical events. Her lips curved into a small smile, her memories returning to one evening after she had started to read about Talleyrand, whom Klaus admired so much, declaring with utter conviction that the diplomat had first and foremost been an opportunist and a traitor to almost all of the regimes he served. Klaus had looked at her attentively and asked her to explain. She had struggled a bit with her chain of reasoning, stating that he had started to serve his respective masters with enthusiasm which at some point always turned into disdain. Klaus had never once interrupted her or looked impatient, even when she knew she was getting tangled up and no longer being logical. When she was done, he had thoughtfully stroked his chin and nodded.

"I gather your point of view, love, which by the way is shared by many French to this day. However, do allow me to explain how I perceive him in this respect. It was perfectly summed up by Talleyrand himself during the Congress of Vienna: 'Treason is a matter of dates.'"

He had then gone on to describe how Talleyrand had actually had very steadfast principles, and when those were compromised, his loyalty ended. The diplomat had admired and followed Napoleon for reinstating order and prosperity in France after the revolution, but he had never shared his quest for world dominance.

"Talleyrand said, 'The only policy suited to free and enlightened men is to be sovereign over one's own affairs and not to have the ridiculous pretension of imposing it on others.' And before you point your finger at me, sweetheart – no, I am not always acting on that maxim. But then I am not a statesman. Do ask yourself this, though: When you are following someone because he or she shares your ideals and visions of the world, and that someone gradually begins to make a one hundred and eighty degree turn, beginning to represent a stance you abhor with every fiber of your being, is it treason to renounce your allegiance? You will have to find the answer to this within yourself, and in my book, there is no right or wrong. In cases like these, it is personal principles versus loyalty, and everyone will have to decide for themselves which of these two occupies a higher rank within one's own value system. No man or woman can make that decision for another. Talleyrand did not have too many principles, but he stood by the ones he had."

Klaus never once sounded condescending, superior or judgmental of her opinions, no matter what they discussed. He respected her views and he was always keen on learning what they were. In turn, Caroline greatly appreciated the way he pointed out different aspects she would never have thought of herself and explained how he had come to form his own opinion on things. She did not always share his viewpoint but she invariably understood where he came from.

All of those conversations had become a part of them, a part of her, one of those little puzzle pieces that made her whole. Neither of them was perfect, they had flaws, insecurities, issues, and they could both behave like downright jerks at times. But however romance novel it sounded, Caroline felt that together, they were perfect. They were epic.

So how was she supposed to stay behind when the love of her life was going to put himself at risk like he was planning to? She looked down at him. He had been silent during her musings, just letting his fingers explore her feet, ankles and calves with gentle strokes.

"Klaus, this scares me. It's only been a few hours, and you haven't even been away, but I've missed your touch like crazy. I've never felt anything like this before – like wanting nothing more than to lock myself up with you somewhere and not letting you out for weeks, even months, leaving the world behind and not caring about anyone or anything." She lowered her gaze to her hands, embarrassed by what she had just admitted to. "I'm sorry, we have enough worries and I'm being nothing but foolish. Just ignore me."

"Caroline," he said slowly. Even though his voice was even and level, she could tell how it was full of emotion. "Tell me again." It touched her beyond imagination that he really needed to hear her say it.

"I love you, Klaus," she whispered fiercely, her heart swelling at the sheer and simple truth.

His eyes closed briefly before he opened them again and fixed his gaze on her. "Then how can you ever be frightened of what is between us, my love?"

"It is so… intense. What if anything happens to you? What if you change your mind?" she asked, a little louder than she had intended. "You said I could handle anything, that I was strong and full of light, and I believe you. I have seen it in the mirror that day. But what if… losing you… is the one thing I am not strong enough to bear?"

Now you're really slicing your heart open in front of him, huh?

"First of all, nothing will happen to me. Big Bad Original Hybrid, remember? But hypothetically – in the extremely unlikely event of any harm coming to me for whatever reason, you will carry on. You can, you will and you must. I am not even remotely worth losing your light over, Caroline. Do you understand me?" There was urgency in his voice now, betraying his anxiety. "Swear to me you will never do anything foolish. Swear it, Caroline!"

No. I will most definitely not take an oath on that.

"If you are not worth it, Klaus, then why do I love you so much?"

It was not often that she had seen him speechless. He looked at her for a long while, then he buried his head in her lap, his arms coming around her waist, squeezing tightly. The butterflies whirled like crazy, as they always did when he let her see him so vulnerable. Well, as they always did when she saw him at all. Her hands started to lovingly stroke his hair.

After a while, something started to change in the air between them. Caroline felt his hands stir on her back, his caresses becoming more determined. So did the motions of her fingers in his hair, making her stomach clench in anticipation. Seduce me already, Klaus!

Sometimes it seemed like he could read her mind after all.

"What are you wearing beneath that robe, my love?" he asked. Full-on bedroom voice. Uh-oh! But two can play at this game!

"Why don't you find out?" she purred with a smile. He lifted his head from her lap and gave her a wicked grin.

"Oh, I fully intend to, but I would like you to tell me first." My turn to give you fantasy sex?

"I'm very, very naked beneath the robe. I was considering wearing something red and lacy, but… then I thought… I prefer to feel your hands on my body, right on my skin, without anything getting in the way." He sat back, no longer touching her, gazing at her intently, a gleam of excitement in his shining eyes.

"So tell me, my sweet little one, when you were pleasuring yourself back in Tromsø that morning, what did you see me do to you?"

Caroline's face went up in flames immediately. She had so hoped he would never mention that… but she should have known better, shouldn't she? "I still can't believe you heard me… God, that was so beyond embarrassing!"

"I really beg to differ. Sweetheart, can you imagine how I felt? You were there, not thirty feet from me, and suddenly I heard your breathing. I immediately knew what you were doing, and it nearly killed me. And then… at the very precise moment I knew you were climaxing… you whispered my name. You were coming for me! Until that moment, I hadn't heard a lovelier sound in the world, and you have no idea, not the slightest idea, how frighteningly turned on you had me at that very moment." She noticed that they had both started to breathe a little more rapidly by now.

"So what did you do then?" she asked in a hoarse whisper, anticipating his answer but wanting to hear it nonetheless.

He chuckled lightly. "I followed your lead, my love. Had I not, I would probably have assaulted you the minute I laid eyes on you."

"Did you at least think of me while…?"

"I made love to you in my head. So hard it would have scared you had you known."

She bit her lip, reveling his sharp hiss at the sight. "Never," she grinned, challenge in her eyes.

"And what was I doing to you to make you come for me?"

"You were making love to me in the shower. Against the wall, my legs around your waist, and you were taking me fast and hard, the way I didn't yet know I would come to love so much. And then… then you said you couldn't hold back anymore and begged me to come. So that is what I did," she added, a little lost in the memory.

Klaus licked his lips and that was all it took for the heat to spread between her legs again. "It is my arousal that turns you on the most, isn't it, Caroline?" he asked with a breathtaking smile, showing his dimples. She nodded, a little embarrassed about the fact that it was so obvious.

"Would you like to know what it is for me?" he whispered huskily.

"Yes," she mumbled, a quick surge of desire racing through her body. In a flash, he was hovering over her and his finger slipped into her moist heat. Her moan was almost a cry.

"This," he rasped, "this is what makes me lose my mind to you, my baby vampire. The way I have you soaking wet from just one touch, hell, from just one look sometimes. The way you react to me, the way you moan and gasp and scream under my hands and my mouth. The way you are always, always ready for me, no matter what, where and when. The way I never cease being ready for you, even right after I come. I want you to the point of insanity, and you will never be able to sate my hunger for you."

I'm dying. I swear I'm on the panoramic route to heaven.

His long, skilled finger was now slowly gliding in and out of her and she deliberately contracted around it when it was completely buried in her, pulling a gasp from Klaus. Caroline just loved the way she did not feel an ounce of shame, false pride or whatever it was she had occasionally experienced with her previous lovers. Everything about Klaus was erotic, natural and free-spirited, and she knew that was exactly what she wanted. It was like a miracle to Caroline how they were able to share deep emotions, tenderness and understanding in one minute and shag like animals in the next. But however down and dirty it got, and it did get dirty at times, those intense feelings for each other were always there.

"More," she whispered just before his lips crushed hers, pulling her into a heated, soft, wet kiss. Feeling another finger join his thrusts, she groaned into his mouth, moving her legs a little further apart. He continued his slow pumping, curling his fingers inside her, letting his thumb tease her clit. Unconsciously, Caroline started to roll her hips against his agonizing fingers, making him pant against her lips. He pulled his fingers from her and sucked her juices from them, giving a small sound of delight at her taste.

She pushed him back a little and murmured, "Take off your clothes." With a slight smirk, he got to his feet and pulled his Henley over his head, undid his belt and stepped out of his pants. Commando, Klaus? Well, great minds think alike… Caroline smiled inwardly before she swallowed at the sight of his perfect body. She hadn't really got used to seeing him naked yet, and it made her shiver every time around. He was about to lean over her when she said, "Stay where you are."

His lips parted when she moved forward, fully grasping his rigid cock and starting to pump very slowly.

"Ah," he moaned, "Caroline…"

It was music. She saw his head fall back and his eyes close while he gave himself over to pleasure. She inconspicuously moved closer to him, never stopping the movements of her hand around his hard length until she was close enough to run her tongue over the glistening tip of his cock. A grumble erupted from him, and she circled the tip once before slowly drawing him into her mouth, as deeply as she could. Looking up at him, she saw him staring down at her, gasping, his hands running through her hair. Caroline gripped his hip and started to move her wet lips and her hand up and down his rigid length, letting her tongue flick against the hot, soft flesh, in turn quick and hard, then soft and languidly.

"Caroline… yes… oh Gods, yes…" Klaus hissed in abandon, making her moan around his twitching cock in response. She increased her speed, her lips and hands gripping him tighter, and was rewarded with a series of deep throaty moans. More music. God, this was turning her on big time!

With the last little ounce of willpower he seemed to be able to summon, he murmured, "Losing control here, my love…" It only made her work him more relentlessly, and she saw him surrender. His hands fisted in her hair, his thighs started to quiver and he let his head fall back again, moaning with every move of her mouth and hand. Caroline felt a sudden shudder go through his cock, an instant before he went stock still. Then he came with an outcry, making her moan with delight.

"You… are… the Devil," he panted between groans as she gently rode him off his high, caressing his velvety cock very tenderly before withdrawing from him, placing a soft kiss on the tip. Within the blink of an eye, Klaus was back on his knees before her, taking her into his arms, pulling her close and kissing her for all he was worth.

Slightly lightheaded, Caroline broke the kiss after what seemed an eternity and looked at him. "That was lovely," she whispered, cupping his cheek and placing another tender kiss on his lips.

"My love," he chuckled, "you have to get over your penchant for understatement. That was magnificent. You almost made my head explode with that wicked little tongue of yours." His tone was a little teasing. "Where have you learned that, if you do not mind my asking?" Caroline smiled. It seemed he liked the thought of her with other men as little as she liked to think about him in the arms of another woman.

"You'll laugh at me," she mumbled, running her hands over his shoulders. He put a hand on his heart and grinned.

"I swear I won't."

"Cosmopolitan. UK version."

His eyes widened and Caroline saw he was fighting very hard not to laugh. It made her giggle.

"Remind me to send them a thank you letter eventually," Klaus said, still trying to keep a straight face. "Come to think of it, I should probably send the author of that piece a bottle of Krug and buy him or her a really big house." They looked at each other with big eyes and burst into laughter.

When the laughter ebbed away, Klaus slipped his hands into her hair. "I love you, Caroline. For everything you are and everything you are not. And for everything you are yet to become. Promise me you will never again be afraid of your feelings for me. Or mine for you."

"I promise," she whispered, but a little nagging feeling still tugged at her. What if he tires of me one day?

Without another word, Klaus opened her bathrobe and let his gaze wander over her naked form. "So beautiful," he breathed, pulling her hips towards the edge of the armchair. Then he slowly lifted her legs from the ground, placing them over his shoulders. Caroline's breath stopped as he started to kiss the inside of her thighs, very slowly moving towards her center. But he never reached it. He continued to kiss both of her thighs, licking her flesh, biting it with his blunt teeth, sucking and caressing incessantly. She was desperate for him to finally tend to her core, but she knew he wanted her to beg for it. Not playing along¸she thought mischievously, but as if he had heard her thoughts, he began to run his fingers over the sensitive flesh between the apex of her thighs, her sex and her butt, still not touching her center. All the while his lips never stopped their ministrations on the inside of her legs. Ah, who cares. Let him win.

"Klaus," she almost mewled. "I want you, now!"

"Mmh," he smirked against her skin, "so how do you want me, my very sexy love?"

"I… I want your mouth on me."

"You mean," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the flesh right above her core, "you want my lips to touch you…" he kissed her sex very lightly, "here?"

"Yes," she rasped. "Please, Klaus!"

"Or do you prefer my tongue to taste you," he ran his tongue over the length of her folds, slowly circling her clit, "like this?"

Her back arched from the chair and her hands gripped the armrests in desperate need for support. "Yes… that… like that… again!"

His mouth plunged into her, taking away the last remnants of her sanity when his tongue settled into a sinful rhythm. "Delectable," she heard him moan against her flesh. "Give me more of you, Caroline."

She groaned loudly, lifting her legs from his shoulders so her feet came to rest on them instead and rolled her hips against his demanding mouth. Klaus slid his hands under her butt, lifting her up to bring her core even closer to his lips and allow his tongue to slither as deeply into her as possible. It was positively vicious. When she was almost there, she panted, "I want you inside me when I come."

"Yes," he just whispered. He slid up along her body, kissing every inch of skin, setting her on fire. When she felt him at her entrance, she closed her eyes, wanting to savour the moment when he would take what was his. He swiftly placed her legs over the armrests, opening her up for him and rendering her breathless again. His hands on the armrests, too, he let himself glide into her.

His thrusts were leisurely, slow at first. But when Caroline took his face in her hands and grated, "Faster!" he obliged more than willingly, falling into a strong, hard rhythm, albeit never ceasing to roll his hips against her. Caroline was starting to feel dizzy; there were goose bumps all over her, and she wanted nothing more than to just crawl into him and become one. He was pounding into her mercilessly, and she felt her orgasm looming when he suddenly slowed down and cupped her cheek.

"Feed from me," he grumbled. A quick, powerful electric shock went through her. Drink his blood? Now? Ohh… damn… hot! He continued to take her very languidly now, his hand slipping behind her neck and gently pulling her head towards his throat. Caroline couldn't help it. Her fangs broke through, and she greedily stared at his pulse point. "Do it," Klaus whispered.

She groaned and sank her fangs into the soft skin of his neck. At the very same instant, Klaus thrust into her with all his might. Caroline screamed against his neck in mindless ecstasy. His warm, delicious blood in her mouth, his hard thrust… and the sudden move of his finger against her clit – it was almost too much to bear.

"Have at it, Caroline," he groaned, as completely and desperately turned on as she, "come on, my baby, drain me!"

Choking out a strangled sob, she could do nothing but let him overwhelm her. With every thrust, she sucked his blood from him. Whenever he pulled out, she moaned in total frenzy. It was the wildest she had ever felt. Incoherent fragments of music raced through her head, monumental, gargantuan sounds, and there were storms, waves, fires. She was a goddess, and the universe was hers. He was hers.

This time, her orgasm did not build inside her. It assaulted her. All at once, a wave of his blood flooded her mouth, she exploded around him and he spilled his seed inside her. There was nothing she could do but grate out his name against his ravaged neck, his blood streaming from her mouth.

It took them minutes to ride out their devastation of a climax. They were in each other's arms, sweating, panting, staring at each other. Then Klaus scooped her up, still inside her, and flashed them over to the bed, lowering her onto the mattress and pulling the covers over them, all the while never leaving her.

"Klaus," she whispered, her heart in her throat, shivering and curling into him, safely ensconced in his strong arms. This had been the most unbelievable thing she had ever experienced. She had felt wild, dangerous, happy, ecstatic, erotic. Possessive. She remembered there had been a sudden feeling of possessiveness when she had sunk her teeth into Klaus' neck. Drinking his blood had been wonderfully succulent, and it had aroused her beyond imagination. But when they had both climaxed, his blood had suddenly spilled into her mouth of its own accord, like something had pulled it to her, and the feeling of possessiveness had magnified to the point of almost being painful. Oh, she was imagining things. Frenzy overload, probably.

She idly let her fingers run over the spot she had just sunk her teeth into. A second later, she realized that something was wrong. Her eyes popped open and her heart stopped at the sight of the two round incisions, placed exactly where her fangs had buried themselves in his neck. The spots hadn't fully healed, looking like two perfectly round, red tattoos.

"What is that?"

He was silent, just gazing down at her and tucking a loose strand of curls behind her ear.

"Klaus, the bite mark isn't gone! How can that be?"

Biting his lip, he slowly replied, "It is called a Signum. No worries, my love, it means no harm."

"Klaus," she said urgently, "what is it?"

He breathed a soft kiss on her lips, then he smiled. "It would seem you left a permanent mark on me, Caroline. How did you so aptly put it this morning? Private property."

She stared at him, completely nonplussed. She had never heard of anything like it, but then again, what did she really know about all things supernatural? "What do you mean, a permanent mark? What does it do, and how did it happen?"

"A Signum, my love, can be compared to a territory marking. It conveys that the vampire who carries it is taken. Permanently taken. Unlike a sire bond, it does not influence feelings or work any sort of magic. It is simply there, but any supernatural being who sees it knows that I have found my mate, so to speak, and that I have been claimed by that mate. Off the market, you would probably say nowadays. Only one event could ever make it disappear."

Caroline was so stunned that she almost didn't manage to speak. "My death," she croaked, not really trusting her voice.

"Very good, my love. A Signum is very rare, as most vampires tend to avoid any permanent marks, as far as they are at all possible. I think I have seen two or three in my lifetime."

"How does it appear?"

"The two vampires in question need to be consciously or unconsciously willing to give and receive the Signum, and they have to be very deeply bonded in that precise moment. In English, they need to simultaneously reach their peak while drinking each other's blood, which is what happened a moment ago."

Caroline felt dizzy. "You knew it was going to happen. You wanted it."

"Yes, I did indeed."

"Why, Niklaus?" she asked breathlessly, not noticing she was using his full name again. "Why did you allow yourself to be marked like this?"

He brushed his knuckles across her cheek, gazing at her with so much tenderness in his eyes that she felt like weeping. "You promised me not to be afraid of your feelings for me, or insecure about mine for you. But I could see you still were, especially about the latter, so sometimes shock treatment works best to overcome your fears." He chuckled. "It might also have something to do with the fact that you have a claim on me, and mark or no mark, that claim is permanent. Caroline, I will never change my mind about you, I will never tire of you, and you must never, ever have any doubts about that."

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get a grip on the emotions that were storming through her. Ever since Klaus had stepped into her life, things had been a rollercoaster ride. She simply couldn't believe everything that had come to pass in such a short amount of time, especially over the last few days, but if there was one thing she didn't doubt, it was the genuineness of her feelings. And now he had proven his feelings for her… again… and very dramatically so.

"But… we were not drinking each other's blood. I was just drinking yours."

Klaus looked at her very sternly and replied, "I will not allow you to be marked, Caroline. You are much too young to truly know what you want for the rest of eternity, and I will leave you the choice of walking away from me. I can walk away from you, too, the Signum does not impede anything, but I will always be wearing your mark for everyone to see, conveying that even when I am not with you, no other woman could ever be more than a shadow to me. But you will keep your options." She could see the flash of pain in his eyes as he said it. "I have lived for a thousand years, and I had to find you to finally make me understand what I want and what I am fighting for. I will love you, Caroline Forbes, no matter how many eons there are yet to come, and that is why I let myself be claimed by you."

Caroline stared at him, feeling a tear slipping out of the corner of her eye. He wiped it away, gently kissing her eyes. "I should be honest with you," he murmured. "I did not just do this to dissipate your doubts, darling. I needed to do it for myself. It makes me feel like I belong, like I am part of something, and I have always wanted that. I'm sorry for overwhelming you like this. As I said, you will always be free to leave at any given moment. Although," he added in a whisper, "I do hope you might be persuaded to stay at my side."

I know he has serious issues, but how on Earth can he think I would ever want to go anywhere?

"Mark me, Klaus," she said, very calm now. The last missing piece to her epic love puzzle had fallen into place. Always and forever.

"You can ask for anything, Caroline, and I will gladly give it to you. With one exception." He sounded final and very earnest.

"I won't…" she started to say, but his finger was on her lips immediately.

"No, my love. You will remain as you are. I want you to be with me because you choose to and not because you carry my mark. You know I am very much used to simply taking what I want, be it by force or compulsion, but I always wanted you to come to me of your own accord. You did, and now I also want you to stay of your own accord. We can talk again in a couple of centuries, should you still want me then. But not now."

We'll see about that.

He kissed her, and there was heat in his kiss now. Caroline sighed into his lips. She couldn't believe what he had just done for her. For them.

He had really, truly and irrevocably chosen her.