Author's note: Written for the Klaroline Spookathon. The spoiled Lords Mikaelson are on safari, and count a number of secrets and vices between them. If only they knew better than to stray from the campfire after dark...
The wind was up; something was coming. Lord Niklaus Mikaelson scoffed at the peculiar thought, blaming his sudden flight of fancy on the bracing spot of laudanum he'd imbibed from Kol's satchel. He'd registered concern at the near-empty state of the bottle, having been with his younger brother when he purchased it right before boarding the steamship. Less than a fortnight and Kol already had drunk it down to the dregs. Niklaus vowed to discuss the matter with Elijah once their safari concluded. No reason to invite such unpleasantness on their holiday.
He rubbed the scruff of his jaw, registering a warm, pleasant dulling of his senses. He deserved a fair bit of dulling after enduring Elijah's droning lecture for wrenching his knee while chasing after the wounded cape buffalo. But his anger at allowing such a marvelous trophy escape had gotten the better of him, and Niklaus had ignored the admonishing cries of his elder brother as he crashed through the underbrush in search of his prize.
The manner in which the blood trail suddenly had stopped was...troubling. Tall, ragged grasses were slicked with the beast's blood, but it had disappeared without a trace. What could've possessed the strength to spirit away such a creature? When his knee had given way in the midst of his fruitless search, Niklaus had felt a small sliver of fear before he angrily pushed it aside. The only reasonable explanation for his sudden wound was having caught it on a scraggly bit of brush or a stray branch.
But then he'd examined it in the firelight, and was struck by the shape of the injured flesh. Almost like claw marks. Even Kol had fought through the fog of his drunken state to study the wound. "Did you tussle with a lion, Nik," he'd teased, but his normal jovial mood seemed tense. Certainly, in the southern region of the continent, there were several species of cat large enough to have caused such an injury, but Niklaus had registered nothing — a rarity for such an accomplished hunter.
Kol shakily had risen to his feet, stumbling a bit under the weight of his "medicinal needs" to loudly proclaim his need to relieve himself. Elijah seemed ready to admonish his uncouth ways, but thought better of it and waved him off with a disgruntled sigh. However, Niklaus' keen eye noted the way Kol kept patting the pocket of his traveling coat, his fingers covetously stroking the outline of the spare laudanum bottle he'd secreted away.
The cry of a small child reached their ears before Kol had returned, causing both men to cast their gazes wildly about the plain, their small campfire a paltry weapon against the darkness. "I'll perform a quick search once Kol has returned," Elijah said, the uncertainty in his voice apparent as another pitiful wail pierced the night. The child sounded terrified, and Niklaus could feel his elder brother's concern. And shame.
Elijah never spoke of the acclaimed actress, Katerina Petrova, but a picture began to form most unwillingly if one knew the signs — the hushed, furious whispers between their father and the constable, the abrupt closure of the White Oak Theater's latest play, and the mysterious woman's hasty departure.
The child's cries had grown weaker, but no less heartrending, and Elijah wordlessly rose from the fire, trembling but resolute in purpose. It didn't occur to either brother to question why a child would be roaming the wild.
"Brother," Niklaus began uncertainly, heart beginning to pound as he noticed Elijah's blank stare. Whatever warning he'd intended to give died on his lips as he watched his normally overly cautious sibling suddenly race into the night without so much as a backward glance. The cries stopped as soon as they began, and Niklaus listened intently for both of his brothers, only to be alarmed when he heard nothing. The area had been alive with buzzing insects and squawking prey animals all bloody day, but now it seemed as though the night was holding its breath.
For what, Niklaus thought fuzzily, fighting back the absurd, yet jarring certainty that the wind carried secrets. His body started to tremble the moment he heard her voice.
"Niklaus," she cried brokenly, her sweet melancholy drawing him in like a siren's song.
His Caroline. She'd been an ethereal, wondrous light that never should've crossed his path. And yet the brash shopkeeper had stormed into his life with all the vigor and vitriol of a longshoreman, demanding justice when his light-fingered sister had foolishly taken liberties with a costly bolt of fabric. In time, he would learn that Caroline's feverish kisses were even more fiery than her temper.
But concerns of her lesser station and the heavy expectation of his surname caused a rift before a true connection could be forged. He still recalled the colorful curses she hurled his way as she boarded the steamship back to Virginia. Niklaus had been too cowardly to learn the details of the arrangement his heavy-handed father had forced upon her.
"Niklaus, please," Caroline called out once again, the wind lashing at his skin with unspoken accusations.
Caroline couldn't possibly be here. And yet he longed to seek her out, fingers twitching at the thought of brushing against her soft skin. Something wasn't right. There was a desperation in her tone that settled in his heart like knives. Caroline didn't beg.
Niklaus clumsily stood , mindful of the fire as he searched the grasslands, looking for the intriguing blonde. And his brothers. How did he manage to forget them again? Kol and Elijah should've returned by now as they left...some time ago. He couldn't recall exactly how long it had been, but it seemed less important now.
Caroline. Caroline was what mattered. "I miss you," she whispered. No, she invited. Her voice soothed his broken soul, softening the brittle edges.
His body jerked toward the melodic sound, steps both willing and unwilling as he heeded her call. No. It wasn't her.
But he had to be sure. "Caroline, love?"
The tall grass tore at his trousers, and he winced at the ache in his knee from the...wayward branch? Was that how he was injured? He couldn't seem to remember.
"I'm here, Niklaus," her voice had grown stronger, as though uplifted by his reply.
He almost could taste her lips as he eagerly stumbled along, shouting her name until he was hoarse. Hot breath was heavy on his cheek; it was the only warning he received before an impossibly heavy weight crashed into him. Furious golden eyes were all he could see and as the sharp fangs dug into his throat, Niklaus realized the furious golden eyes couldn't possibly be Caroline's — hers were blue.
Author's note: Written for the Klaroline Spookathon. Mob boss Klaus knew when he was being played. But Caroline Forbes was a stunning, clever woman in addition to being an undercover FBI agent, and he intended to continue their delightful liaison once he delivered a warning.
It wasn't the first gift he'd given Caroline. But Klaus was fairly certain it would be the last — at least until she'd had some time to come to terms with it. The mob boss fought to keep his face impassive as he watched her slowly pull open the enormous silk bow. Blood red, of course.
When he first caught wind of the inquisitive, determined FBI agent looking into his business dealings, he'd been amused. The Mikaelsons were far too powerful to be taken down by such a clumsy agency whose leadership was bribed so easily. He'd intended to pass along the tedious task of managing the situation to one of his loyal employees, but then he saw how lovely Caroline was and decided to handle her personally.
It was quite easy to lull her into a false sense of security, offering the right mix of flattery and witty banter to challenge her stubborn, clever mind. Still, it was hard not to become enraptured by her bossy ways wrapped up in sunshine. If only they weren't on opposite sides. As he watched her lovingly peel away the sleek black wrapping paper, he secretly hoped that this warning would be sufficient. He didn't want to harm her. But he did need her fear.
Caroline slowly removed the lid from the box, and as she carefully pushed aside the speckled tissue paper, Klaus held his breath. He idly wondered if she realized that the spots were blood splatters.
When she discovered the bloody heart, Caroline stared at it, and Klaus was struck by her stillness. While he was certain she'd seen her share of grisly scenes in the field, Klaus was still surprised by Caroline's perfectly blank expression. Almost as though she was bored.
As the uncomfortable silence between them grew, Klaus kept his voice nonchalant as he explained, "Your partner was rather ham-fisted in his attempts to rifle through my organization's private files." Cocking his curly head, he mocked, "And here I thought they trained FBI agents to be somewhat competent."
Caroline regarded him calmly, the blue of her eyes just as warm and inviting as ever despite her flat tone. "He was expendable. Perhaps the agency will see fit to assign me better backup in the future."
Klaus watched her casually set aside the box, and he found himself intrigued by her blasé attitude. "I hope you accept my gift in the spirit with which it was given. It's a warning —one that I hope you'll heed." Because he'd realized Caroline was more than just a lovely blonde distraction. He fancied her.
A small, curling smile graced her lips as she asked, "So, you obviously know I was sent by the agency. What else do you know?"
"I know everything, sweetheart."
Tossing back her blonde curls, Caroline chuckled, "I sincerely doubt that." Suddenly, she grabbed the heart, black veins appearing underneath her eyes as she brought it up to her lips. Bloody hell. When sharp fangs tore a ragged hole in the heart, Klaus felt his own pulse race and he was afraid for the first time in years. And even more enamored. So much for intimidating his clever little FBI agent.
Klaus bit his tongue to keep from blurting out every question that flooded his mind. The idea that there were far more deadly predators in the world than he knew was quite the revelation. "It appears that we have more to discuss than I realized."
