Niklaus was on his knees and his hands trembled slightly as he looked at his open palm, once more glazed in the deep crimson of some stranger's blood. He unconsciously licked his lips, the simple action leaving a tingly sensation on his tongue. He still found it strange how the still warm liquid seemed to magically breathe life into him, a sensation his body seemed to be craving more and more lately. He could feel some of the blood trickle down the side of his lips and just as he moved to wipe it off with his shoulder, his gaze shifted to the ground before him.

Two bodies – a man and a woman – lay dead and pale on the muddy grass, piled next to each other. Their glassy eyes stared up to the sky, lifeless and empty, something that bothered Niklaus at one point but over time, but now he was growing accustomed to.

At the moment, he wasn't sure how to feel about anything. It wasn't many moons ago that he had failed to protect his little brother Henrik from getting killed by the beasts in the neighboring village. His mother had taken it particularly hard, pushing her to a point where she felt the need to call upon the dark forces of nature in order to protect him and the rest of his siblings.

Except the steps that his mother had taken seemed to have left the family with some unforeseen… side effects. He was stronger, absolutely, but he was also plagued by this inexplicable thirst that only seemed to go away when he fed on the blood of others.

At first, he was always hit with a small pang of guilt after a kill, a part of his humanity still lingering as he took in the fact that he had just taken a human life. But over time that part seemed to dim down, his dark side taking more and more control as he strived to quench that everlasting need within him that never seemed to go away.

He knew his siblings were going through something similar as well but for some strange reason, he always got the impression that his condition was somewhat worse than theirs. It was like there was this deep animalistic urge locked deep within him that was aching to burst out.

He wanted to reach out to someone; the moments of peace between kills giving him clarity of mind that made him recognize there was something inherently wrong. Tatia was gone; Elijah would be there sometimes to help control his urges even when he knew his brother was dealing with his own. His mother seemed to be losing her mind and his father… well, he knew what his father would do to him.

He was sitting by the bank of a river that flowed through his village, washing his hands of his sins as blood seemed to swirl off his skin and blend into the clear water leaving his hands clean like nothing had ever happened.

It was getting dark; he would have to return home soon. It wasn't that he was afraid – he was quite confident he had the upper hand against anyone – however, the people of his village were starting to get suspicious of him and his family as their fellow villagers were starting to drop dead. The Mikaelsons were the prime suspects and there were talks of a targeted attack on his family. Being unsure of the extent of their powers, it was decided – by their father mostly – that it would be safer to stick together during night time, just in case. Niklaus never understood why they needed to do that; he had never felt more powerful and it felt beneath him to resort to laying low.

But he didn't dare defy his father either.

He splashed the cold water on his face, letting some of it wet his hair as he ran his fingers through the long waves of his dirty blonde mane. He was just about to get to his feet and walk away when the sound of cracking twigs somewhere nearby caught his attention.

It was almost completely dark now, too late for anyone to be out here, so far away from the safety of the villages. The darkness didn't bother him; his heightened senses allowed him to see just fine. He was however still getting accustomed to his enhanced hearing, sometimes finding himself mildly bothered by the extent of its power.

He continued to hear some more snapping of twigs and was just about to attribute it to a stray animal roaming the woods when he saw her.

A woman dressed in loose robes that reflected the colors of the twilight sky above him came into his view as she climbed atop a flat rock across the river, slightly further away from him. He had no difficulty seeing her but she was too far away to spot him just yet.

The artist in him wondered how she had managed to capture that shade in her clothing. Before all this change had come to be, he recalled the amount of time he spent looking for just the right flowers so he could recreate the night sky on the animal skin he had procured for that very reason. No matter how hard he tried, he never came across one that was just right, being overwhelmed with reds and oranges.

And here this woman was, wrapped in the very shade he had been searching for so long.

The half crescent moon suddenly came out from behind the clouds, shining further light upon her visage and Niklaus exhaled sharply.

Her milky skin seemed to glow in the dark as it reflected the moon's glow from above. Even from the distance, he could see the bright rouge of her slightly parted lips as she seemed to glance at the water with uncertain eyes. Her golden hair was heavily braided, making it difficult to tell how long it extended but he found himself curious to find out.

He wanted to get closer; something about this woman was pulling him towards her. It wasn't hunger, of that he was certain, having just had his share of blood so recently. It was a feeling from deep within that he had never felt before, or perhaps came close to with Tatia.

He prowled along the edge of the river, using the heavy foliage on his side and the darkness to his advantage without taking his eyes off her for even a moment.

He watched as she began to slowly use her fingers to take apart her braids one by one and Niklaus found himself entranced by her simple actions. Her loosened curls dropped down almost to her hips and Niklaus' jaw dropped slightly as he felt an eagerness to see her hair down in its entirety.

He was much closer now, near enough to be able to see the sparkle in her eyes as she undid her final braid and flicked some of her loose hair ahead of her shoulders to detangle them further. Niklaus idly wondered what it would be like to run his fingers through them as he watched her close her eyes and take a deep breath.

He took that moment to just take in her essence that seemed to be what was drawing him in. He was certain she wasn't from around here; there was no way he would have forgotten seeing her around. With radiant skin and flowing locks of gold that shone in the moonlight coupled with a slender body cloaked in the colors of the clear sky above, surely, she was a Goddess that had dropped down from the heavens.

The woman's eyes flickered open and Niklaus let out a shot breath he didn't realize he had been holding so far. He was still learning that in his new and advanced form, there didn't seem to be a need to inhale the air in order to survive. He watched as she reached down to the knotted coir rope around her waist, which seemed to be the only thing that was holding her clothing in place. His eyes went wide as she firmly tugged on the ends of the rope, successfully untying it as it dropped to the ground.

He swallowed, his mind tingling in anticipation of what he knew was going to happen next.

Sure enough, the beautiful woman gently pulled at the collar of her robe and slid it off her shoulders, letting them pool at her feet before she took a step closer to the edge of the river.

Klaus gasped softly as he felt his lower body tighten. He wanted to look away out of a sense of respect for her but found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her angelic face.

She was glorious.

Before he could contemplate any further on his sinful gaze, she stretched out her foot and dipped her toes to test the water. She seemed to be satisfied and began to walk in to the water depths until all he could see were her head and shoulders floating above.

Her head dipped under water for a moment and even though Niklaus' chest seemed to have stopped thumping since his mother had turned the family into a group of bloodthirsty creatures, he was sure he felt it come to life for that very instant.

Worry pricked at him the longer she stayed under and he began to wonder just how long she could go without coming up for the air she surely needed. He was on the verge of going into the water himself to look for her when she finally came to the surface, her long hair now darker and slick against her back. Her skin gleamed with the water that clung to her skin and Niklaus heaved a sigh of relief.

Thank the Gods.

Just then, the woman's body stiffened and that's when he realized… he had said that out loud. He watched as she turned towards the direction of his voice with curious eyes.

"Who's there?

Her voice was music to his ears and he was pleased that she spoke the Common Tongue. He wouldn't have wanted to be unable to explain his presence in a way that would create more misunderstanding. He stood out of the shadows and came to stand in the moonlight on the edge of his side of the river.

"Apologies my lady," he said with a small smirk. "I was only worried you had lost yourself to the river's depths."

"I can take care of myself," she promptly replied and Klaus found himself more intrigued by this feisty creature.

"Is that why you chanced staying out so late in the woods? There are dangerous creatures that lurk in these parts. Many a villager are being killed by forces unseen."

"If that's the case shouldn't you be home as well?" She raised an eyebrow at him that made him chuckle lightly.

"You make a fair point, love," he commented. She narrowed her eyes at his term of endearment before seemingly deciding to ignore him, taking another dip under the water. Niklaus looked on, patiently waiting for her to surface again.

He enjoyed the sound of her voice and wanted more.

The top of her head finally came into view and her eyes went back to him, while she kept her mouth below the water. Klaus took the chance to strike conversation again.

"You aren't from around here, are you?"

She lifted her chin above the water and Niklaus was momentarily distracted by a stray droplet rolling down the side of her smooth face. She brushed her hair back with her fingers.

"Are you trying to get me to open up to you?"

"Well…"

"I'm not sharing anything without getting something in return."

Klaus was amused by this beautiful woman's lack of any fear. "What would you like to know?"

"What is it they call you?"

"I'm Niklaus, son of Mikael."

"Niklaus…" she whispered, testing the unfamiliar name on her tongue. He felt a glimmer of something ignite within him and then she continued. "I think I'll just call you Klaus. Would that be alright?"

Klaus wasn't sure if it was the way his name escaped her lips but he found himself liking it instantly.

"Alright."

"You know I've heard stories about your family. Everyone's saying the deaths that have been occurring lately are related to the Mikaelsons."

"Is that so? And what pray tell, is the basis for these allegations?"

"Nothing. It's just…" she shrugged her shoulders. "People talk, I listen."

"I see." He took another step closer to the edge of the water and looked straight at her. "Does my presence threaten you?" He was slightly hesitant with his question, not sure if he wanted to know her response to it. She frowned.

"Surprisingly…no," she admitted honestly. "There's something about you that just… I can't explain it."

"Try, love."

"You know it would be nice if I could talk face to face." This time it was Klaus' turn to look confused.

"We are talking face to face."

"Come into the water."

Klaus blinked. "What?"

"I'm not going to be the only bare person between us."

He stilled for a moment before easily stripping himself of his clothes and wading into the river, only coming to a halt a few feet away from her.

She looked even more beautiful up close; he didn't think that was even possible.

"Why are you here, if I may be bold enough to ask," Klaus asked, unable to help how courteous his words came out. She laughed.

"We're two strangers free of our clothing in the water where one of us might be a killer and you're worried about being bold?" Her smile lingered as she spoke and he laughed, something he realized he hadn't done so openly in a while. He enjoyed the way she spoke to him without anything seeming to hold her back.

"It's only polite to do so," he said simply and she smiled again, only this time it was directed at him. He felt that thumping in his chest again like earlier; he wanted her smile to remain forever but was disheartened as it slowly faded away from her face as she spoke.

"I'm running away."

Klaus was surprised at the sudden surge of anger he felt towards an unknown being that may have caused her enough discomfort to want to run away and put herself in danger.

"Why?"

"There's a man. He asked for my hand."

Klaus clenched his fists under the water, not liking the route this conversation was going.

"I see," he commented, trying not to let his emotions show. "Do you not feel for him as he does for you?"

"He's fine. Quite the handsome man with his raven colored hair too but…" – Klaus once more felt an inexplicable pang of something within when she mentioned the other man – "I just couldn't bring myself to believe this was all I could feel, you understand?" That was when Klaus noticed she had gotten closer to him.

"What is it you mean?" He asked, inching slightly closer to her as well, seeing she didn't seem to mind their closing distance. She sighed, her shoulders slightly bobbing above the water.

"I want to feel… more. So much more." She was now close enough now that Klaus could see the light freckles that peppered across her nose.

"Like what?" He asked, slightly taken aback by how hoarse his voice sounded. He nearly choked when she reached out and palmed the side of his face.

This is ridiculous. You are a monster. How is it that a defenseless girl in the night is able to make you feel so… vulnerable?

"Like this…" she whispered and to his surprise, leaned in to place her lips on his. He responded almost immediately, his instincts kicking in as he captured her mouth and pulled her closer, running his fingers through her damp hair just like he had dreamt of a short while ago.

Her hands were pressed flat against his chest before she stretched them out to loop around his neck, his own long hair falling over her elbows. His skin burned hot with pleasure wherever she touched him and he couldn't seem to get enough. He deepened their kiss with his tongue and felt a thrill when she let him in. Her soft lips molded perfectly against his and he didn't want this moment to end as he shared this kiss with a beautiful stranger under the moonlight as the water lapped softly against their bodies.

But sure enough, it did.

Her lips let go of his gently and they smiled at each other, their eyes glistening with a combination of joy and disbelief. They simply gazed at each other a little longer and she was the one who finally broke out of their trance first.

"How…" she started, her eyes narrowing slightly in confusion. "I don't… I don't even know you and yet…" She held palm over the side of his face, her thumb lightly stroking his cheek. "How is it I am not afraid?" Her voice was a whisper now. Her bright eyes were now wide in surprise and Klaus absently noted they were the same shade as the clear sky on a bright day.

You should be afraid…he thought darkly before responding.

"I don't fully comprehend it either," he admitted, gazing back at her. "It's unsettling, yes, but strangely also provides comfort."

"Yes… it does," she agreed with a soft smile and shivered. "It's getting cold. I should get moving and cover as much ground before my family learns of my absence." She began to wade away when he tightened his hold, not wanting to let go.

"I don't even know your name."

She smiled at him.

"Caroline."

"Caroline," he repeated. He enjoyed the way it rolled off his tongue and going by the look she was giving him, she did too.

Somehow, he got the feeling this wouldn't be the last time they see each other.