Chapter 5

Klaus lead Caroline up to the first floor living room. Sun filled the room and Caroline felt her skin start to burn. In all of the excitement of getting out of the dungeon she had forgotten to put her ring on. Klaus turned and saw her. He hurried over and took the ring from her hand. He lifted her right hand and slid the ring on her index finger.

"Lets be careful. We don't want to burn up." he smirked.

She smiled back at him, she couldn't help it. He traced his finger down her cheek.

She walked around the room and to a large paneled window. She pulled the heavy burgundy drapes open and looked onto the grounds of the house.

"I am assuming that this is not your house." she turned and faced him. The sunlight lite up her hair like a golden aura around her. A smile spread across his face.

"No this is not my house. The owners are out of town."

"Out of town?" she looked at him skeptically.

"Yes out of town. They were persuaded to leave town for a while."

"I figured." she said walking towards him. She ran her finger along the modern table behind the couch. "I would not have pegged you for a modern type of guy."

"You would be surprised at the type of guy I am."

"I bet." she said picking up a vase and inspecting it.

Caroline walked past Klaus and sat on the couch. She was getting a little more brave when it came to him. If he wanted to kill her he would have done it by now. But with Klaus you never could tell.

She ran her hands along the soft leather cushions of the couch. This was more like it. If she was going to be held captive this was better then a basement.

Caroline looked back up at him. "So are you going to stand there the whole time?" she asked

Klaus smiled and sat on the couch and faced Caroline. He leaned back and exhaled, relaxed.

"Tell me Caroline. You have a friend that is a werewolf."

"Tyler?"

"Yes Tyler. I am interested as to why you were friends with him after you knew he was a werewolf… a vampires sworn enemy so it seems." He smiled at the irony of him asking that question. Caroline shot his a look.

"I don't know. I have know Tyler my whole life. When he became a werewolf he was scared and I knew how that felt. I had a friend help me so I figured I would pay it forward and help him."

"Thats all?" he questioned.

"What are you asking me Klaus? Did I have feelings for Tyler even after he became a werewolf?"

Klaus did not answer. He adjusted himself on the couch and looked back at Caroline.

"No Klaus I did not have romantic feelings for Tyler before or after he became a werewolf. And it wasn't his fault that he was a werewolf. It was in his bloodline. He never knew about it. I wasn't going to abandon him because of his heritage."

Klaus looked down a the floor and covered his mouth his his fingers. He stared at the same spot on the carpet for a very long time before speaking again.

"You are a very loyal friend." he finally said. "And a great ally. That is very admirable."

Caroline noticed a sadness in his eyes. He seemed far away.

"What's the matter?" She wanted to reach out and touch his arm.

"Nothing. Just remembering a time long past."

"What about you? You had werewolf blood in your veins and never knew. How did you react to it?"

She was asking him about himself. No one really cared before.

"That was a long time ago. Too long ago to remember."

"I don't believe that about you for one minute." she said and laughed softly. She looked away shyly.

He had not talked about himself and his feelings in several hundred years. To Klaus it was a sign of weakness to show emotion like that but then again he was here with her. The feelings she awakened in him were getting stronger. He had spent over 1,000 years alone. Why spend the next that way too.

He took a breath and spoke. "I never really had anyone to count on like that when I was turned into a vampire or found out that I was part werewolf."

"Didn't you have your family?"

"Yes. To an extent. But nothing like you Caroline. Tyler is lucky to have you as a friend." He caught her eyes then he looked away quickly. If he had had someone in his life like her back then things may have turned out differently.

One of Klaus' men came up form the basement with Caroline's things.

"What is happening?" she asked nervously

"I am having your things moved to a bedroom on the second floor. To make you more comfortable. No bars on the doors or windows." he smirked and Caroline felt like she would blush.

Something about this exchange felt ok to Caroline. It almost felt good.

"Thirsty." he asked her, the corners of his mouth fighting another smile.

"Yes." she said shyly.

Klaus nodded to another henchman and he walked over with two wine glasses. He handed one to Caroline and Klaus took the other one. He looked at her and clinked glasses.

"Cheers." he said and raised his glass to his perfect lips. He watched her as she raised the glass to her lips. She smelled the blood and then drank. She hadn't had blood like this in a long time.

"This is human blood." she said.

"B positive." he said and took another sip. She looked at him and furrowed her brow feeling guilty for enjoying this then drained the rest of the glass. She closed her eyes and let the smoothness of the blood take over her. She breathed deeply.

Klaus watched her and smiled. Caroline opened her eyes and looked at Klaus. She raised her hand and wiped a drop of blood from the corner of her mouth then sucked on her finger. His eyes never left her face. If he had a pulse it would be racing at that moment.

"More?" he asked taking the glass form her hand.

"Yes." she said

The glasses were full in an instant. Caroline raised the glass and drank the entire thing. Klaus saw the look in her eyes. He knew that look. He invented that look. Her eyes were starting to glaze over as the blood took its hold over her. Her movements were more fluid and smooth.

"More my love." he asked pouring more into the glass already. Caroline looked at Klaus. She scrunched her face for a second thinking if she should have a third glass.

"What the hell." she said and reached for the glass in his hand. He fingers skimmed across his as she took the glass from him. His fingers pulsed holding back the urge to take her hand and lace his fingers with hers. Klaus was proud of himself. At any other time and place he would have overpowered the situation like he always did and taken her already. This was the first time in a very very long time that he had these types of feelings for another person or vampire for that matter. It was the first time in a long time he had let a woman in. He half hated the feeling but enjoyed it more.

Caroline stretched herself out on the couch feeling much more comfortable now. She raised her arms and ran her hands through her hair. Klaus held his own glass of blood in his hand and watched her.

"That was really good." she said giddy like she was intoxicated. "I almost feel bad. I have not had human blood in a long time."

"I don't know why you ever stopped." Klaus said positioning himself closer to her. He held his hand over her leg wanting to touch her but held back.

"Because its wrong Klaus."

"You are a vampire Caroline. Is kind of what we do."

"Stefan survives on a diet of small animals not human blood."

"Oh and we see what kind of vampire he is." he laughed.

"Stefan is my friend. Thats not nice." she said and giggled. She moved her body up a little, getting a little close to Klaus. "Without Stefan's help I would be dead. Really dead. I owe him."

"You owe him for making you less of a vampire."

"What?" she said sitting up straight. She was almost face to face with Klaus.

"Caroline you don't even know how powerful you are. How incredible you are. Stefan did you a disservice by taking that away from you. Not letting you explore your potential. You are still too attached to your human life."

She tried to get up but Klaus held her seated. "Stop it Klaus. You don't get it. I am 16 years old. All I have ever know is this life. I was not ready to give it up. High school, my friends, Matt, my mom."

"I get it Caroline. I get you more than anyone will ever get you." His breath was hard in her face. His eyes searched her face following the lines of her lips. He want her. He wanted to disappear in her kiss. "I was you. I am you still."

Caroline was able to break away from him and stood up.

"I really can't do this " she said shaking her head uneasy about what she was feeling inside. "I need to be away from you." she said and was up the staircase in a flash.