Chapter Eight

The day after I was bitten was spent with me in bed, re-gathering my strength. I spent most of the day sleeping and drinking the cups of blood Klaus had bought up for me. I assumed he had compelled the staff to bleed into them for me, but I didn't say anything, grateful that he was being so thoughtful. I was even more surprised every time I opened my eyes, because Klaus was there without fail. I don't know if he ever actually left the room, and part of me was afraid to ask because if he hadn't I didn't want to consider what that meant. Or rather, what I hoped it could mean. I refused to focus on the fact that my stomach had filled with butterflies, and my heart had squeezed whenever his blue eyes had greeted me when I woke up from my slumber. That day passed by quickly and before I knew it night had fallen and I was dozing off yet again.

When I woke the next morning, I jolted up with a start when I heard something banging from the floor below. It sounded like someone had just been thrown into a wall. I listened for a moment longer and realised it was Klaus having a spat with one of his men. With that I relaxed, knowing the wolf in him assured he asserted his dominance over those who worked for him as often as possible. I threw the covers off me and tentatively asked the maids to bring the bath in—I was desperate to wash off the dried sweat and blood that had gathered on my skin all of yesterday and a few hours of the day before. When I slipped into the pleasantly warm bath I realised that Katherine would be arriving in two days.

It's fine. She'll be here for three days and probably won't be anywhere near you during that time. You just need to lay low and keep an eye on her to assure she doesn't escape.

The scents that had been added to the bath helped soothe me as well as the temperature. I felt like I was lying in a meadow with the smell of roses, lilies and jasmine that were emanating from the water. I took my time, lying there until the water ran cold and then I quickly washed my hair before getting out. After dressing in a loose red dress I tied my hair up with the hair tie that had thankfully been around my wrist when I had gotten here. Once it was secure I decided to make my way out of the room to find out what everyone else was up to, and maybe convince Klaus to do something fun—Katherine would be here soon and I wanted to make the most of her absence. Elijah was nowhere to be found, but after focusing my hearing I managed to locate Klaus in the room next door to his chambers. I tentatively knocked on the door, wondering what he could have been doing.

'Come in,' his voice was soft and I wondered if it was because he knew it was me knocking. I shook that thought away and opened the door before stepping inside.

'Wow.' I breathed, I don't know what I had been expecting but this definitely wasn't it.

The room was full of paintings. Some were of landscapes, others of people and objects. A few were still unfinished and on easels but even I, a complete art novice, could tell they were going to be wonderful when they were finished.

'Not the reaction my presence usually gets but I'll take it,' he teased, drawing my attention back to him. I could read the shyness in his eyes; I assumed allowing me to see his artwork was something that made him feel vulnerable.

'Did you paint all of these?' I asked quietly, my feet carrying me over to the landscape painting on the far wall. It was a picture of a meadow illuminated by moonlight. I couldn't explain it but I felt like I could step into that painting and feel as calm and serene as I did looking at it.

'I did.' He murmured, coming to stand beside me.

'They're incredible. I had a feeling that the paintings around the house were yours.' I admitted, not taking my eyes off the painting.

'You'd be the first.' I could hear the surprise in his voice, but I didn't comment on it.

'You have a gift, Klaus.' My hand came up to touch the painting, following the bumps of the paint that detailed the flowers and the grass, 'you should have galleries of your own all over the world. Why don't you?'

I looked over to him when I was met with silence and saw that he was frowning and deep in thought, probably thinking over whether he could tell me something. I didn't say a word, wanting him to think it over on his own and by the looks of it; he was thinking it over very thoroughly.

'You've shared so much with me since you've been here.' He murmured and for a moment I wondered if he'd spoken aloud without realising it, 'the least I can do is tell you about The Destroyer.'

'I have been wanting to ask, but I sensed that you'd rather I didn't.' I admitted with a sheepish smile.

'You sensed correctly. The Destroyer is also known as Mikael or rather, my father.' My draw dropped open in shock from his words.

'Your father is hunting you?' I continued when he offered a grim nod, 'why?' I remembered Elijah telling us about how his mother was unfaithful and that was why Klaus was half werewolf, but I couldn't recall all the details, I'd mainly retained the details of the ritual.

'Well, that's a long complicated story.' He smiled as he repeated my words from a few days ago.

'If you want to tell me, I'd love to hear it.' I murmured back.

So he did. He told me about how his mother had cheated on Mikael and the result had been him. No one had known of his true lineage, no one except Ester, until they had been turned into vampires and Klaus had triggered his werewolf gene with his first kill. He told me how his mother had preformed a ritual to supress his wolf side in an effort to make her discretion up to Mikael, he told me how he had tore his mothers heart out afterwards—a fit of rage had overcome him when she had called him her "greatest shame". At that my hand had found his in a way of offering comfort; no mother should be anything less than proud of her son. He told me how his siblings believed Mikael had killed her and how Mikael had vowed to kill Klaus in a bid to rid the world of the "abomination" that he was. He told me how they had spent their immortal lives running from him, never able to settle down due to the fear of him finding them.

Just like he had a few days ago, I had to take a moment to digest everything he told me and honestly I was disgusted. Disgusted in his parents for failing all of their children, especially Klaus. He deserved better, how could Mikael be mad at Klaus for something that was beyond his control—Ester had been the one who had the affair, shouldn't she be held responsible? As for him killing her, I couldn't deny that I understood where he was coming from. He had told me he couldn't understand the pain from losing a parent and now I understood why, because his parents hadn't been parents. I understood why his paintings weren't in galleries and being talked about by everyone, because he and his siblings couldn't draw attention to themselves. They weren't living.

'I'm sorry.' I said after a while, breaking the silence that we had lapsed into when he had finished his story.

'For what, love?' he frowned, confused.

'For the miserable excuses for parents you got stuck with. You deserve better.' I told him honestly, squeezing the hand I was still holding.

'Thank you,' he whispered so quietly that I almost didn't dear him.

It hit me then; no one else knew of what he had done to Ester, and so he hadn't had acceptance from someone that had all the facts in a long time. I realised that he needed to hear that; he needed to know that he wasn't completely at fault for the events that had been thrown upon him and his family.

He cleared his throat and released my hand to move over to the painting he had been working on when I walked in. He had barely started on it yet, so there was no telling what it was going to be.

'Was there something you wanted?' he asked, clearly trying to lead the conversation into a much more unemotional topic.

'Actually yes.' I smiled, walking over to him with my hands behind my back, 'I was wondering if you could do me a favour.'

'Consider me intrigued. What can I do for you?' He smirked, his eyes dancing with amusement.

'Well seeing as tomorrow will be spent preparing for Katherine and she will be here the day after that, I was hoping you could give me today.' I held my hands out as if that would convince him.

He looked up from his painting to fix me with his stare; it was both amused and surprised. But for whatever reason, he was also hesitating.

'Come on, show this twenty first century girl the best things that the fifteenth century has to offer.' I tried to pout to get him to cave, but his laughter implied I wasn't successful, 'Klaus!'

'Alright.' He managed to contain his laughter after a few attempts, though my irritated look almost caused his effort to wain, 'I'd be more than happy to show you everything that the world has to offer, Evangeline, but I suppose for now we'll have to settle for fifteenth century England.'

I felt my heart skip a beat at the implication, but I managed to gather myself and take his offered arm. I couldn't contain my excitement as I followed him out of the house; I was getting the opportunity to experience the way life was lived before I was born and I was looking forward to it. When he led me to the carriage the caskets had travelled in I smiled in bemusement.

'Where are we going?' I asked after I tried and failed to overhear his words with the man leading the horses.

'We're not that far outside London. I thought you'd like to see it.' He commented casually, but he smiled when I couldn't contain my excited squeal.

'It's going to be weird going back to my time.' I mused, staring at the passing scenery, 'I'm getting used to life here.'

'When do you have to go back?' I looked over to him when I heard his melancholic tone.

'After the ritual.' I smiled sadly when he frowned, 'can I admit something to you without you thinking I'm completely selfish?'

'Of course.' He smiled a little and expectantly waited for me to elaborate.

'Part of me doesn't want to go back.' I looked back out of the window, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes, 'for the first time I'm not waking up everyday thinking about what I need to do for everyone else. Well aside from planning for the ritual, but it's not the same. It doesn't consume the whole day, and I'm doing stuff for me, I'm doing what I want to do for the first time in the longest time. Does that make me selfish?'

His hand reached into my lap to entwine our hands together. I felt the familiar warmth from his touch spread up my arm and it caused me to look over to him. When I looked into his eyes I didn't see the disappointment or disgust I thought would be present after my confession. His expression was soft, affectionate even.

'It doesn't make you selfish to want to do what makes you happy. If those in your life truly care about you and love you like I think they do, your happiness will matter to them, Evangeline. You do not need to sacrifice that for others—they wouldn't want you to and most importantly, living for everyone else isn't living.'

'Thank you,' my voice was barely above a whisper, because I didn't trust it not to break with emotion at a louder volume.

'Of course.' He flashed his dimpled smile and leaned forward to place a kiss to my cheek.

He lingered and all I could think about was how the skin he had kissed was tingling pleasantly. Klaus pulled back a little, but only far enough to allow him to stare into my eyes. I didn't know what he was looking for, but he must have found it through the lust I could feel on my face as his gaze flickered to my lips before he leant forward, closing the gap so that there was a mere inch between us. Knowing he was waiting for me to make the final move, I didn't waste any time and pressed my lips to his. This kiss was different from the last one we shared. That was inspired by lust and an animalistic hunger. This was softer and more emotional; the affection we had for one another was clear, an aspect that had been absent in the woods. We didn't know each other well then; both of us had been looking for a release. But now I could feel the way he cared for me from the gentleness of his lips moving against mine, from the way he caressed the side of my face while his other hand was tightly grasping mine. I had never been kissed this way before and it was overwhelming in the best possible way. It felt like he was worshipping me, treating me is if I were the most important thing in the world to him. I knew that couldn't possibly be true, but I couldn't deny how cared for he was making me feel in that moment.

I don't know how long we were kissing for, but eventually we pulled apart, both of us a little breathless. We shared a look before he placed a kiss to my forehead and we resumed the journey in comfortable silence. It was in that moment that the feelings I had been repressing, or rather ignoring, for the hybrid came back full force and I realised… I was in love with him. That was definitely not a part of the plan.

Xxx

It didn't take much longer for us to reach London and when we did I was practically vibrating with excitement. Klaus chuckled at me as he helped me down from the carriage, linking my arm with his as he started leading me through the streets. The cobbled streets were incredibly narrow, so much so that I wondered how carriages managed to fit through them. The buildings were built of brick and wood and I couldn't help but stare in fascination at how different they were to the buildings in the twenty first century. My eyes greedily drunk in every detail, the bread, cloths, jewellery and fruits that were being sold on different carriages. The sounds of horses' hooves against the cobbled roads, the sounds of men shouting in a bid to entice customers, the sounds of people merrily chatting amongst themselves.

'You know, I've been to London many times over the centuries and each time I find myself amazed by the culture,' Klaus mused from beside me. I looked over to him only to find his gaze already fixed on me.

'Is it one of your favourite destinations?' I wondered, curious—a man who had been alive for so long must have seen everything; I wanted to know what his favourite was.

'Before we came back to England, Paris was my favourite place to visit,' his stare turned affectionate, 'but recent developments have me changing my mind.'

I blushed and glanced down, unable to hold his stare due to the intensity behind it. His thumb brushed over the knuckles of the hand that rested in the crook of his arm. I smiled a little and looked back up at him.

'I've never really travelled anywhere, but I think England is always going to be my favourite.' And I honestly did; I would always cherish that moment with him.

He smiled softly and placed a kiss to my forehead before leading me further down the street as he continued to talk.

'I'll take you,' his dimpled smile greeted me when I looked over to him in surprise, 'anywhere you wanna go.'

My heart leaped in my chest and my stomach filled with butterflies, but I forced it down. I shook my head as a light laugh tumbled from my lips, 'as enticing as that sounds, you know you're going to forget about me as soon as I leave.'

I started when he pulled me to a stop in the middle of the street, his hand came up to caress the side of my face and I couldn't help but lean into his touch.

'Evangeline—,' I couldn't help my irritated frown when whatever he had been about so say was cut off by me being shoved from behind. I was pushed into his chest and the intense stare that had been on his face a moment before fell into anger. His eyes tried to find the culprit over my shoulder, but they were long lost in the bustling crowds.

'I've seen London,' I murmured, drawing his attention back to me, 'what else is there to see, Lord Klaus?' I smiled when he smirked at my teasing.

'Not so much of what to see, but more what to do.' He said ominously, leading me back to the carriage that had bought us here.

Xxx

'Okay, I might have been good at the sword fighting activity…' I trailed off as my eyes flickered between the crossbow and the smirking hybrid a few feet from me, 'but there is no way I'm gonna be able to do this.'

'Patience, love.' I didn't need to look at him to know he was smirking at me.

I took the stance he had shown me again, my right foot forward, with my left hand holding the crossbow. I made the arrow match up with the apple Klaus had nailed to the tree in front of me earlier—it was my target. I growled when I missed it again. It didn't even hit the tree!

'I refuse to let archery beat me!' I muttered, picking up another arrow but when it missed I looked over to Klaus, arching my brow at his amusement, 'what am I doing wrong?'

'Don't close one eye when you take your aim, use both eyes to line up the arrow with the target.' He stepped over to me and placed his hand on the arm that was holding the crossbow, 'and your arm isn't straight, it needs to be lower.' He moved it into the correct position before standing back and nodding for me to give it a shot.

I took a second to let the tingles that lingered on my arm from his touch to fade. After I took a deep breath, I was ready and I lined up the shot and released the arrow. When it went straight through the apple I couldn't have stopped my grin if I tried.

'Just call me a professional archer.' I cracked my knuckles after placing the bow down.

Klaus chuckled and shook his head fondly, which made my cheeks darken with colour. I cleared my throat and offered him a bright smile when he looked over to me, his dimpled smile still playing on his lips and I couldn't help but be hypnotised by them for a second before my eyes flickered up to his.

'Now I've mastered archery,' I smiled a little when he chuckled at my exaggeration, 'what else should I try?'

He just sent me a devilish smirk.

Xxx

'You're joking,' I sent him a look that was a mixture of amused and unsurprised.

'Of course not, this is a tradition around these parts, love.' He grinned and started stripping off his clothes.

'Right. And seeing me naked is of no interest to you.' I raised a brow.

He simply kept his grin in place and continued stripping. I turned my back when he started to remove his pants and shook my head when he chuckled. Apparently something to do in the fifteenth century was "strip and swim" in the river close to the Mikaelson property. I personally thought he had other motives.

'You don't need to turn around, love.' A small gasp escaped when I felt him directly behind me, his hands rested on my waist and pulled me against his chest, 'I don't mind.'

'For someone who singlehandedly took on a werewolf, I would have thought you'd be braver.' He commented and I spun around to retort against my better judgement, only he wasn't behind me when I did.

I heard the unmistakable splash of water and looked over to see him sending me a mocking wave. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.

'Give me one reason as to why this is a good idea.' I murmured, fighting down the insecurity that was trying to claw its way to the surface. I expected him to give me a funny answer, but he must have read the reluctance on my expression, because his next words were serious and soft.

'Because we only have today, Evangeline,' his expression was forlorn, 'and I'd like to make the most of it while we still can, as we both know when you fix what you came here to fix, you're never going to want to see me again.'

I looked away from his gaze for a second before turning back to him and gesturing, 'turn around.' His expression became amused before he complied with my instruction.

In that moment I was grateful for my vampire speed as I stripped off my clothes and added them to his pile. I flashed into the water and came to a stop behind him. With a hand on his shoulder, I turned him around and lowered my guard so he could read the sincerity behind my next words.

'What you said isn't true.' I smiled sadly, 'I told you before, a part of me doesn't want to go back to my time and that isn't because I prefer this century. It's because of you. It's because you make me happy and you make me feel alive. It's not that I won't want to see you again, it's that you're going to forget about me when I'm gone. And why wouldn't you? You've lived for four hundred years already and in another six hundred you're not going to remember my name, never mind my face. And I don't expect you to. But I'm grateful that I got to know you now and… I'll never forget my time here and I definitely won't forget you.'

I took a deep breath to stop the tears in my eyes from falling and forced a smile to my face. I nodded, pleased that I'd finally said what I wanted to say, well aside from the fact that I was in love with him. But that could wait until the last day, so I didn't have to feel my heart break when he didn't say it back. His index finger came to my chin and gently forced me to meet his gaze. The expression that greeted me was softer than I had ever seen it, and his eyes were also shining with tears.

'I will never forget you, Evangeline. You're unlike anyone I have ever known. You're brave, smart, empathetic, kind, compassionate, determined and beautiful. You came here to destroy me and rather than sending yourself home when your plan failed, you stayed and offered an alternative idea to save your family and friends and to rid me of a curse that I have had to live with for almost five hundred years. Despite what I have done to you, you've not treated Elijah or I with disdain or hatred, which we most likely rightfully deserve. I don't want you to go, but I know you have to.' His thumb ran along my bottom lip before his hand came to caress the side of my face, 'I can't promise you that we will find each other in the future, but I give you my word that if we do… I will never let you go again.'

The tears I had fought so hard to keep at bay were streaming uncontrollably down my face. Klaus' other hand came up to my free cheek and his thumbs wiped the moisture away. His forehead rested against mine and I once again found myself hypnotised by his tantalising red lips.

I could feel his gaze on me, warming me from the inside out and my eyes met his for a moment, both of us sharing a look of lust and affection before we moved towards each other at the same time. Our kiss was charged with promise and passion that made me want to stay in this moment forever, in the stream in the middle of the woods where none of our problems could reach us. It was just me and him being consumed by each other. My hands slid from his shoulders and up to his shoulder length hair, tangling in the curls and bringing pressing his mouth harder against mine. Neither of us broke from the kiss when his hands went to my waist and lifted my legs to wind around his hips. He walked us out of the water and laid me on the bank not far from where our clothes rested.

I removed my hands from his hair and allowed them to feel the skin of his shoulders, his arms, and his back. My own skin burned under his touch as he caressed my waist, stomach and legs. I moaned when his touch moved to my breasts, kneading them gently. His lips moved from my lips to the crook of my neck, nipping and sucking. When he found the spot behind my ear, my back arched without my consent. I felt his grin against my skin, but I couldn't find it in myself to be annoyed by his arrogance in that moment, if anything it made me hotter.

When his hand moved in the direction of my core I stopped him by grabbing his wrist. Klaus' eyes met mine and I could see the uncertainty in them, but I reassured him with a soft smile. I knew my eyes were burning with my desire for him.

'I need you, Klaus.' I murmured, hoping he understood that in that moment I didn't want to take our time, I wanted him; I needed him then and there.

His hesitation disappeared and the smile that lit up his face was a mixture of desire and pleasure. When he took position and prepared himself to enter me, my hands returned to his shoulders, my nails digging into his skin as he slid inside at a pace slow enough to make me moan. We paused when he completely filled me, both of us appreciating the feeling of us being joined together, of us finally taking this step with one another, before he started to move. The pace was slow and I can honestly say I have never felt such a strong connection like I felt as we moved together, staring into each other's eyes with our bodies working as one. It was as if we had been intimate a hundred times before. I've never known such chemistry, such compatibility with anyone. It was both terrifying and exhilarating. We reached the end together, my nails scraped down Klaus' back hard enough to break the skin. His hands gripped my waist hard enough to bruise. His forehead fell to my chest and my head fell to the grass underneath me. My hands went to his hair and his wrapped around me as we both collected our composure and waited for our breathing to return to normal.

I found myself hoping as I lay there, surrounded by Klaus' comforting scent and warmth that we would cross paths in the future. Because I was certain if we found each other, I wouldn't want him to let me go either.

Xxx

'Niklaus, there you are!' Elijah's voice caused the both of us to look over to him. I ignored his arched brow when he noticed our joined hands.

'Well, brother, you found me.' Klaus smirked, his eyes glittering with mischief.

'We have things to prepare—,' the elder Mikaelson was cut off by Klaus raising his free hand.

'Please, Elijah, not today. We have all of tomorrow to make preparations for the doppelgänger's arrival.' Klaus waved him off and stepped around Elijah, pulling me with him.

I pretended not to notice Elijah's apparent suspicion with Klaus brushing off what he usually treated as an important matter. To diffuse the tension I could feel growing in the room I decided to leave the brothers for a moment, using the excuse of needing to get ready for dinner. Neither bought it, but they didn't say anything. Before I could completely leave them in the living area, Klaus pulled me back to him and placed a chaste kiss on my lips that caught me by surprise. By the time I recovered, Klaus had a smug grin on his lips and I just left them both after I rolled my eyes and desperately tried to suppress my own smile.

As I closed the door to my chambers I couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that threatened to overcome me. It reminded me that the closer I got to Klaus, the harder it was going to be to potentially lose him when everything was over. I knew what he said in the water, but the insecure neurotic side of me was telling me that while he may mean his words now, six hundred years could change a lot. He could be with someone else, he could never find me again, and as much as he denied the possibility, he could forget me.

I shook away my depressing thoughts and comforted myself with the fact that we had right now. I had these moments, these memories to treasure forever even if he never found me again, even if he forgot me, the way if felt for him… it was worth it.

Klaus' POV

I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. Evangeline was exquisite, but it wasn't the new level of intimate that we had reached that was responsible for my good mood, though that was certainly a part of it. It was her confession, when she said that I made her happy and made her feel alive. She didn't want to go home because of me. As I sat at her bedside when she was recovering from her wolf bite, I suspected then that my affection for her was more than me fancying her, but the elation I had felt this afternoon after her admission made me certain. I was in love with her.

'You seem to be in a particularly good mood.' Elijah's comment pulled me out of my thoughts. When I realised what he said, my grin only grew.

'Do I?' I wondered over to the alcohol and poured myself a cup, hiding my smirk behind it.

'Yes. And it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together.' Elijah mused, his eyes flickering to the door Evangeline had left through and back up to me, 'you care for her quite a bit don't you?'

'I don't believe that's any of your business, brother.' The happiness disappeared from my expression to be replaced with anger and warning.

'You definitely care for her. I would even say you love her.' Elijah wasn't one to be deterred by my anger. I knew he was baiting me, carefully selecting his words and observing my reaction.

After five hundred years together, Elijah knew me better than anyone. It was both a blessing and a curse. When I didn't say anything in response to his words, I could tell that he had figured it out before he even spoke.

'You do love her.' He realised, his eyes flickering over the tight grip I had on my cup and the annoyance in my eyes, 'while I'm happy for you, brother, I must warn you about the danger of losing sight of your goal.'

His confusion was clear when I laughed. I subdued my amusement when his puzzlement transformed into frustration.

'Trust me brother, Evangeline is the last person who will distract me from my goal.' I smiled knowingly but I refused to elaborate. Evangeline had told me that he didn't betray me, but I didn't want anyone to know where she truly came from.

Evangeline and I being the only ones who knew, it gave us power over what could be changed. If Elijah knew, he would want to save Katarina and he would want to make sure that she didn't have to be on the run for the next five hundred years.

However, I had a plan to make sure that Katarina followed the same path that she took to bring her into Evangeline's life. The doppelgänger needed to run from me in order to meet the Salvatore brothers, because one of them was responsible for keeping her sister alive. And Katarina needed to go to Evangeline's town to assure that she turned her. I would of course have eyes and ears on her at all times and when she had fulfilled her purpose I would grant her her freedom. Apparently Elijah would take a liking to her, and I wouldn't stand in his way longer than necessary. Provided my brother wasn't getting on my nerves at that point in time.

I idly registered that Elijah left the room as I finished my drink and poured another—he knew better than anyone that if I didn't want to reveal information, trying to get it would be a waste of time. It appeared whatever he had needed to tell me about the doppelgänger wasn't important after all. I drank what was left in my glass with one gulp and quickly poured myself another. After focusing for a moment, I could hear Evangeline was in her chambers and the sounds assured me she was getting ready for dinner. I hoped she hadn't been listening to our conversation.

It wasn't that I didn't want her to know, it was that I was afraid of what would happen if she did. I hadn't been in love with anyone for a long time. The first girl I had been interested in was Tatia. She had been beautiful, seductive and manipulative. She had played my brother and I against each other successfully for a long time, but in the end we recognised the sacred bond of family. Giving her up hadn't been that difficult because I hadn't been in love with her.

Then we became vampires.

After ten years constantly running we decided to settle for a while in a castle in England. We had taken the place of those we had killed. It was there that I met her. Aurora. At first I had been consumed by her beauty and it had blinded me from her faults. She was selfish, cruel and vindictive. But I didn't realise that until it was time for us to leave, when Mikael found us again. I had asked her to flee with us and she laughed in my face and told me that now she had what she wanted, she wasn't going to live her immortal life on the run. And as soon as the words had left her mouth, I saw her time together but through eyes that weren't blinded with love and infatuation. Thanks to my epiphany, I was able to cut ties with her and that is the only time I've ever been grateful that Mikael forced us to flee.

Since then, women had been nothing more to me than food and pleasure. At least until a week and a half ago, when I came across Evangeline in the woods. When I found out that she had come here to kill me, I should have ended her life then and there. But I didn't. I still couldn't say why. Something about her bravery and defiance intrigued me. She had known who I was and what I was capable of and yet even when she tried to run from me, she refused to let an ounce of fear show on her face. From there my interest had grown into affection and love. And I was absolutely terrified.

That's chapter eight! I think this is my favourite chapter so far. I thought it was important for them to address their feelings before Katherine appears in the picture. The next day will be filled with preparing the house for the party that will introduce Katherine and then she will arrive the day after. I'm not sure if the next chapter will take place during the preparations or if I'll just jump straight into the party. We shall see;)

PLEASE REVIEW! :)