Saved By The Devil

Chapter 4

"Mm, Klaus?"

The breathy sounds of Caroline's voice, rising from her little nap, brought his attention back from his thoughts. While she slept, he had taken care of the body, nicely keeping that morbid little factor from her as of yet. He had already skillfully managed to help her forget that she actually killed someone while it happened, but she was up now, and the blood lust had surely left her system. Things might be different now.

He immediately was her at her side, sitting on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling, love?" he asked, letting his fingers gently touch her warm cheek.

She smiled, stretching from underneath the smooth, silk sheets of the hotel bed. Her clothes were still on, save her jeans, which she had kicked off after the little mirror incident. He had to admit, he liked her like this; his.

Caroline curled her arms around his waist, looking up at him. "Why didn't you sleep with me? Most guys would have you know."

"I'm not most men, love, you ought to know that by now." He winked, letting his fingers trail softly up through her hair, although, why hadn't he? It's not like he hadn't bedded women in the past on bare whim, in fact he had lured many just through that factor alone, to his home, only to slaughter them shortly after. Why would sleeping with her be any different?

Because she was beautiful, and better than that; not some common whore. She just met him. He wouldn't have it; besides, he had gotten from her what he wanted; lesson number one, well served.

Frustration twisted in his head, and a slip of irritated fury ran up his veins. He got up, moving to the small end table by the far wall. "I got you some lunch while you were out, from down in the lobby. You should eat before we get going."

"What? We're leaving already? We just got here. I mean, this place is gorgeous. I've never been anywhere like this before. This bed, alone, is as big as my room, Klaus."

Klaus grabbed a small plate, and placed one of the small delicatessen sandwiches upon it as gently as he could, even though something within him wanted to rip it to pieces. Why? He didn't know. "I only got the room so you could feed, Caroline. We're heading to New York. I have my own place there."

"So wait," she said, sitting up in bed. "You're telling me, you got this entire room, just for a few hours? What are you like a billionaire?"

"Yes, I'm a billionaire," he said, voice taut, as he rolled his eyes. "Here, eat your food."

Caroline gave a disgruntled pout. "Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?" he asked, turning around to walk back to the table. He didn't know what was more annoying - being irritated, or being irritated at being irritated. He wasn't supposed to feel anything.

"Like, I don't know. You're all grumpy now. I mean, look at this place. Can't we just stay for one night? Please…I bet they have a pool."

"I don't swim."

"Ugh. God," Caroline wined, finally making him turn around. "Why are you doing this? Did I do something?" Her eyes widened then, and her face drew pale. "Oh, my God. I did, didn't I?" Her hands cupped her mouth, as her gaze hinted with rising flecks of tears. "This always happens to me. I get with a guy, and then they don't want me anymore… or they hurt me."

Klaus was at her side in an instant. "What are you talking about? Don't be ridiculous." His gaze panned over her, trying to understand, and read just what she could possibly be thinking. He took the plate and set it to the side. "I won't have you speaking such things. Do you hear me?"

"But it's true."

Klaus met her gaze, the corners of his lips drawing hard, and firm, realizing this wasn't the first time she had spoken of such things, and a low burning fury boiled in the darkest part of his core. "Who hurt you, Caroline? Tell me."

She waved her hand. "It's nothing. Just forget it," she said, shifting back on the bed.

"WHO HURT YOU, CAROLINE!" With a rush of speed, he grabbed Caroline's arms, and she gasped. He pulled her up to him, and his face twisted with a burning rage.

"I can't!" she said, shaking. She wouldn't look at him. "Just stop it. You're scaring me."

"TELL ME!"

"Damon Salvatore," she confessed with a short sob. "He's a vampire like us, but please, please. You can't do anything. He's friends with my best friend, …and I can't hurt her. I…"

"What did he do?" he interrupted, refusing to hear her plea. Everything else around him seemed to dissipate into a blank void.

"Klaus, please…"

"WHAT DID HE DO, CAROLINE?"

"He compelled me to be with him, and fed on me when I was human. There, I said it. Are you happy?!" She paused, as her lips pulled down. "I just don't want you to hurt me."

A rippled coil of pain gripped his chest, and his lips parted, seemingly unable to breathe. His hands palmed her cheeks. Caroline… "How could you possibly think that?"

Her pure, soulful eyes flicked up to his, and something in him twisted even further. "I don't understand why you're being like this?" she said, her words barely audible. "I'm nothing special. You don't even know me."

"Don't you dare say things like that. You don't know what you're talking about. Don't you dare…" He couldn't take it anymore.

He ripped himself away from her, shaking with a raging fury, he didn't even fully comprehend. His eyes burned, and he couldn't breathe. "Klaus?" he vaguely heard her speak, but he stumbled, half blind, to the door. Swinging it wide, he slammed it behind him, shutting her away; it away. He had to get out of there. He couldn't take it. It hurt.

Why did it hurt?!

He needed to get rid of it.

He slammed his palms against the neighboring door across the hall, and then kicked it in. Screams lifted to his ears, but he couldn't even see the people inside, only the melodic thumping of their hearts reached his senses; luscious life crying out to him.

In a blur of speed, he ripped the first man's head off, as the chorus of horror from the others, tore adrenaline through his veins. Relief flushed over him with a shiver, as his teeth slid down. Turning, he pulled the girl up, who was scrambling away on her hands and knees, by the back of her shirt.

"Don't hurt me," she cried, when he dug his sharp teeth into her neck, clamping down. His whole body rose with his inhaled take, and even his bottom teeth broke through her skin. Numbing havoc tore through his veins like heaven, as her blood pooled down his throat.

Thank God…

"Klaus…!" Caroline's voice penetrated his indulged mind, and he dropped the pathetic woman to the floor. He staggered back, blood dripping from his lower lip, which quivered with the rushed fever, and he rolled his eyes.

A darkened smile flickered across his features. "Hello, love," he said, just as he watched her cup her mouth at the sight of it all. Her whole body trembled, but then as he expected, the veins under her eyes, involuntarily went black as night. He nearly bit his own lip, watching her. The last man in the room, charged for the door. "Stop him," he said, simply, yet his words were an order.

Caroline moved in front of the man, before he could even see her, blocking him in his tracks. The flustered fear on the man's face, was palpable, along with Miss Forbe's. It was obvious her blood lust was warring, and winning out over her moral, human-like thoughts, and it frightened her.

"What are you?" the man spat out at her, with a look of horrified-disgust.

Klaus stepped over the two fallen bodies, and sauntered up behind the man; the stains from his first victim painting the front of his shirt. "Now that's no way to talk to a lady, is it?" he asked. The man froze before him. "Apologize."

"What?"

"Apologize."

"What are you insane?" the man asked, the tremor in his voice, vivid. "You killed my whole fucking family."

Klaus grabbed the back of his neck, and slammed his head into the hotel wall with a crack, and then pulled him back. "Apologize!" He did it again, and then again, and again… "Apologize. Apologize! APOLOGIZE!"

"Klaus, Klaus! Stop, stop it, he's dead!" Caroline cried, and then he felt the warmth of her tiny hands grab the back of his shoulders.

With a trembled, short breath, his fingers uncurled from the man's neck. He stepped back, his gaze on nothing, as the man dropped the ground at his feet. He started to shake.

"Klaus?" Caroline asked, but her voice seemed far away.

He stumbled on the dressing chair, and fell to his knees, one arm, grasping for the bed sheets to hold. Her arms were around him in an instant, her hands on his chest from where she stood behind him. "Shh, shh, Klaus, shh. It's okay. I'm here. I'm okay." Her chin rested against his shoulder. "I'm okay."

I almost continued on, but decided to cut it here on this note. I hope this made sense, as there was a lot of stuff 'felt, and showed' instead of author told here. I hope it came across right. :P Thank you, again, for all the wonderful comments you guys. It's truly an inspiration to me. I mean that more than you know. I hope you like this new update. ;) Please let me know what you think. Also, I'm curious: Is this working as a piece solely from Klaus' POV? Just curious. Thanks again!