Part II of II series: Post 4x14 Klaus and Caroline love each

He loved her, more than anything in the world. An emotion that burned so deeply in the depths of his soul, her light touching every dark corner of his mind. It was not until years later though that he realized how much. She had kissed him in a last vain attempt to stop him from chasing after Lockwood. A kiss that lead to something neither of them were ready for, but the need to finally explore each other overcame their better judgment.

So they ran, both of them. He fled to New Orleans to reclaim his throne and she left to Paris. It must have been fate for one day during a stroll along the Seine the siren call of her blood carried over to him from a nearby bridge. Slowly he journeyed over to her, as she stood studying him with an unexpected emotion that beat his heart with its intensity.

They stood there drinking in the sight of each other, lips finally betraying their true feelings in a passionate greeting. Her lips were soft yet strong, just as he remembered and this time he had no wish to have a day pass without that sensation reoccurring.

What he did not except was a low growl coming from the other side of river, Tyler Lockwood's giant black wolf trying to intimidate him. Instantly he pulled away from Caroline, instant betrayal trapping all joyous emotion. She fervently told him she had no idea that Tyler had been in Paris, she had not seen him since he left all those years earlier. He didn't know if he could trust her.

But the second the black wolf jumped towards her Klaus lost it, shifting instantly in a brilliant display of power and agonizing pain. He lunged straight for the younger wolf's throat, no desire to prolong his revenge any further but Caroline beat him to it. She smacked Tyler's snout with all her strength sending the beast over the railing and into the water before. The black animal was already a mile downstream before Klaus realized what happened.

She was heaving from the fury of her effort and eyeing him with caution, gauging if she should make a run for it or stand her ground. She chose to stand her ground, squaring her shoulders and slowly moving closer to him. Klaus could realize past the haze of the beast that it was her, her sweet scent the only life raft saving him from drowning in the animal and killing her.

Her sweet scent had plagued his dreams for every night that she had been gone from his bed. The smell spiking in him clarity and awakening of the love she claimed he felt all those years ago. He dropped his aggressive stance and trotted over to her, butting her softly at the apex of her legs where the delicious heat resided, a heat he once again wished to have.

Still she didn't flee but laughed, shoving his nose away. So that night when he caressed her naked body in his arms, worshiping her the way he planned to for the rest of eternity he realized he had marked her as his mate. His wolf could only see her as such, while his vampire side shunned the very thought of love. It would be a constant battle of emotions but he didn't care.

He loved Caroline.

She loved him, more than anything in the world. A passion that ignited the minute he saved her from his own folly on the night of her birthday. However it took her years to admit that was the emotion that scorched her soul. In an attempt to stomp down her denial about her emotions she slammed her lips onto Klaus' after Tyler left. She needed to get him out of her system so she could live a happy life with Tyler.

But the problem was Klaus had found a way into her heart and refused to leave. Paris seemed like a safe refuge then once Klaus fled to New Orleans. What a fool she was to flee from love by taking residence in the very city of love. So one day years later when she was taking her daily walk and thinking about him his musky scent tickled her nose and she caught him just along the river bed, with a look she had only seen a few times before.

How she had missed that expression of devotion, staring as he approached her stopping when their feet met. She was certain he could hear the pounding of her undead heart, the sight of him completely trapping her. Not knowing the words to say, she met his lips halfway all the power and wisdom melting her as his lips expertly moved against hers.

It came to her great surprise when a familiar growl broke their meeting. Caroline gasped in horror to see Tyler in wolf form about ready to pounce. Not thinking about anything else, she thrust herself in front of Klaus. She didn't know why Tyler was there but she finally had come to an understanding of her feelings and did not want him messing them up for her.

She was annoyed with Tyler, it had been twenty years and he not once tried to contact her. She had given up after ten years of trying to get a hold of him and moved on. So when Klaus shifted and lunged for Tyler she could only think of giving Tyler a piece of her mind. In anger she flashed over and smacked the black snout and sent him reeling over the edge and into the dirty water below. The feeling of watching him struggle in the water was freeing and right.

Now there was the problem of the alpha next to her. Caroline watched the gray and white animal, trying to see if there was any sign of recognition in his eyes or if she needed to book it out of there. Klaus was growling, the vibrations traveling across the old stone and shaking her bones. She did not want to run, the promise he made so long ago about never hurting again the only thing keeping her still or perhaps it was sheer stubborn determination.

They were both so stubborn and the ace of hearts was no longer in play. That game was long over, it ended the night they gave into each other the first time. The truth of their naked bodies touching other with emotion neither wanted was the end of the game. They had been so scared to play again they turned coward and ran. But Klaus was not running now and neither was she, the wolf making over to her and butting her core, and nuzzling into her pelvis.

Caroline could not help but laugh a bit in embarrassment, face flushing as she pushed him away. Leave it to Klaus to mark her as a wolf. The thought was still scary because this meant it was real for both of them. But the thought did not seem so scary when that night he touched her unlike any man had before, sending her to heights she could only dream of. It had started out as a glamorous lie of beauty the night of her eighteenth birthday. Somehow, somewhere along the way it had been revealed to be truth. It was not going to be easy, but she didn't care.

She loved Klaus.