Chapter 7

"Bye." Caroline simply cut in before Klaus could make another comment with his perfect manners that made her grit her teeth due to its falseness.

When she brushed past him she had expected to be stopped by his iron grip. Klaus however didn't make a move towards her and she felt a huge amount of relief, getting nearer to the door as quickly as she could without tripping over.

"Well that's a shame." She easily heard his distinctive accent over the noise.

Keep walking Caroline.

"I guess I'll just have to find some other way to pass the time."

Don't stop, you're almost at the exit.

"I'm afraid I'll have to find someone else, to be more specific."

Quit listening to him, you're so close.

"Someone I'm sure I'll be less…agreeable with."

She halted at the threat.

Sighing, she turned back and saw him looking at her smugly.

Tilting his head to the side he observed her with interest, "You people really do respond better to violence."

"If you kill anyone Stefan –"

At the mention of the Salvatore brother Klaus's whole demeanour changed abruptly to the icier, darker, harsher side of him.

"Stefan," Klaus spoke the name with heavy disdain, "will not care about these cattle."

She was shaken at his attitude change. It was weird how she kept forgetting to be afraid of him merely because he displayed a friendlier disguise. She bantered easily with someone she should be running from.

"Besides, Stefan will lose his leverage soon enough." Klaus said, regaining his easy and cool outlook, "My hybrid will see to that."

She was tempted to run for it then to warn someone and anyone that Klaus had figured out a way to find the coffins. Knowing she wouldn't get anywhere with the hybrid's eyes stuck to her she held her ground.

"What do you want, Klaus?" She asked while fighting against the slight fuzziness the alcohol was causing.

"Always to the point." Klaus said disappointed, "Very well. Please, join me for a drink."

"And if I refuse?"

"Hmm. Let's see." He looked over to a young brunette who had just walked in, "She's a pretty little thing." A wicked grin appeared on his handsome face, "How long do you think she'll last with me?"

"Fine!" Caroline snapped, stumbling into him accidently on her way back to the bar, "I want the strongest drink this place has to offer then."

"Careful sweetheart," he chuckled while following closely behind, "I did only just get into your mother's good books and I wish to remain that way."

She sat herself down at the bar, tapping her fingers as a sign of her impatience when she wasn't immediately served. Klaus slid onto the seat next to her with the utmost elegance that made her feel like a wobbling mess.

"You had better inform the boy that glaring at me insistently isn't the best idea. Humans and their vervain, they always believe they are untouchable." His eyes took on a dangerous glint, "I have many ways to change that."

Confused, she looked past him to see Matt staring irately in their direction, his eyes darting back and forth between her and Klaus. She shook her head at him when he went to approach and gave a reassuring smile in the hope it would stop him rushing in to get himself killed.

The waitress Klaus had spoken to earlier appeared then, "The drinks you ordered." She clarified, not paying Caroline any attention and only focusing on Klaus. She was sure the slut had batted her eyes at him once or twice, before sauntering off.

She angrily grabbed the glass, not bothering to check what it was before guzzling most of the contents.

"No need to be jealous, love. If it makes you feel better," he leaned close to her as if sharing a secret, "you are far more beautiful."

Beautiful. That's what every girl wanted to be called at least once in her life. Yes, that's why she was feeling like if she could blush she would be. Not because of him.

"Why would I be jealous, you.." Caroline waved her hand around as if it would create an insult, "you, you…"

"Take your time," Klaus took a sip from his whisky, still almost full, "I'm in no hurry."

"You controlling, obsessive, scheming, disturbed," she slurred most of those words, "...hybrid." She finished lamely.

Seeing his increasing amusement at her outburst she continued, "What are you doing? Why am I even here with you right now? What's your motive?" She poked him in the chest when he went to deny, "No, no, no. You are Klaus. You always have motives! You don't give presents, compliments and.. and," she gestured around them wildly, "have drinks with people!"

Klaus was silent for a while. He then, with deliberate slowness, reached out towards her. She closed her eyes to block out what she was sure would be a painful experience when she felt a soft tug on her scalp. Opening her eyes she could see that Klaus had picked up one of her many blonde curls and was now wrapping it around his finger.

"What…" Her question faded on her lips due to their proximity.

"Maybe I just enjoy your company, Caroline." He murmured, then looked up with that knowing smile of his and shrugged, "Or maybe this is all part of my elaborate plan to cause devastation. Take your pick."

"I don't need to. You already know which one I believe." Her words came out quieter then intended.

"Pity, it was worth a shot." He replied unconcerned.

Klaus then found great entertainment in antagonizing Matt from a distance by raising his glass to him in false pleasantry with the hand that wasn't still holding a curl.

Caroline took that time to study Klaus; to really look at him without throwing insults around or planning an escape. He was leaning casually against the bar looking….normal. Well, as normal as he could get. Klaus was the type of guy you peeked glances at when you could from afar. She quickly checked her surroundings; yep, lots of females peeking glances. If only they knew of the monster that lurked beneath, she thought unpleasantly.

Not that she could blame them. Klaus was handsome no matter how hard she tried not to notice his appealing features and utmost graceful control in everything he did. His cloudy blue eyes that demanded your attention from just from a glance, the soft sandy hair that looked far too inviting to touch accompanied with an accent pleasing to the ears. He is a gentleman, alluring women with his pretty words and dazzling looks, to hide the predator within.

She finally slapped his hand away when she saw his growing smugness in the form of a widening grin and leaned away from him as much as she could without falling off the stall.

"What about you, love?" He asked, pleased at her delayed response to his advance.

"What about me?" She hissed, grabbing someone else's drink off the bar and scaring them away when they went to protest with a glare that even Damon would be proud of.

"Well we always seem to end up discussing me and my motives, what about yours?" At her silence Klaus carried on, "You're here all alone, drinking away your sorrows no doubt, while your pals seem to be doing everything to get in my way."

She didn't reply and merely tasted the stolen drink, cursing the stranger's horrible taste. Klaus's grin widened and she felt slight terror from the predatory look he was now regarding her with.

"Ahhh. I see. Left you out of their plans did they? Wouldn't be the first time, I'm sure." He mocked.

She slammed her glass down, enough force to send the message but not enough to shatter it.

"Don't talk to me like you know me or my friends!"

"Oh?" Klaus grasped her wrist and pulled her closer, "I know you very well, Caroline. I know you yearn for more than what this pathetic town can offer you. I know you don't feel valued by your friends as much as you should be. I know you are foolish enough to endanger your life by putting yourself in my presence for love," he held her gaze with his own, "and I know that no matter how hard you try you will never feel like you belong here compared to how you once did when human."

It was a good thing she didn't actually need to breathe anymore as the only thing she could manage to do was stay upright because everything he had said was correct. She would never let him know that though, know he had read her so easily as if he had known her for years. Klaus shouldn't even have his own emotions after what she had witnessed him do in this town, let alone be able to understand hers.

The sound of a text message brought her out of their staring contest and, still holding her wrist, Klaus checked his mobile.

"Fantastic," he murmured, more to himself then her.

He let her go then and got up. She could finally exhale now he wasn't so close. Sure, she didn't have to, but she really needed to do something to calm her down.

"My apologies, it seems I now have family business to attend to." He smiled, pocketing the phone swiftly.

Caroline wasn't going to give him a farewell and hoped her quietness would bore him; a childish approach, but effective nonetheless. As usual she was wrong when it came to the unpredictable Original as he left her with a final parting.

"I'm sure you'll be far more impressed with my latest gift, love."

By the time she had processed what he had said to reply, Klaus had already disappeared. Puzzled, she then looked at her wrist he had been holding to find something on one of her fingers that absolutely wasn't there before.

It was a silver ring.