About a week later, Caroline is pleased to be able to pull blood from the fridge, sip on a moderate amount slowly, and put it back. That's control right there. She gives herself an imagined pat on the back for remaining injury-free, but she just hopes that it's not because Mike is ten feet under concrete.
Kol meets her in an apartment, just on the edge of town where the folk hide themselves away and no one looks twice at anyone else. Keyword: shady. The only difference is that instead of keys in her fist, she's got fangs.
"Where is he?" she asks, hands on her hips.
He pours her a drink, which she chooses not to touch. "He'll be back."
The suspicion crawls up her back. "What did you do?" Silence launches her nerves into a panic. "I told you not to hurt him."
"He's alive," Kol assures. "You're here for something else. I'm calling in my favour."
"How do I know you're not lying?" He pulls the phone from his pocket and hands it to her. "I've texted and called him a million times. Don't you th-"
Impatient, he presses a couple of numbers and the contact name 5 shows up. "Hello?"
Caroline gawks at Kol in disbelief, swiping the phone and raising it to her ear. She grills Mike on his disappearance, listening for telltale signs of extreme distress. From lost appendages or starvation, maybe.
Mike only tells her that he can't speak to her any longer and that he's very sorry for hunting her vampire ass down. When she hears the sound of the receiver, she slouches.
Kol pries his phone gently from her fingers, proud of his handiwork. "Fear is a wonderful thing. Nothing puts fear in a man's heart like the sound of a power saw."
"You terrorized him," she guesses, unimpressed. Of course he would.
"He won't be bothering you again because I compelled him not to. The rest were just precautionary measures."
Precautionary. She doesn't like the sound of that. It's not really a consolation, but Caroline is nevertheless slightly relieved to know that no one has died. Not yet, anyway.
"So what am I doing here?"
Kol steps forward. "You're going to let me drink from you."
She gets up from her seat immediately. "I'm not-"
"You are, because I need the blood of another vampire for the spell." He mirrors her movement so she'll think twice about running. "Just this, and I'll be out of your hair."
The agitated blonde is gravely offended that she would be someone else's blood bag. "You cursed or something?"When he doesn't answer, she laughs out of bitter surprise. "You are cursed. You're so cursed. You've got the magical version of an STD." Then it occurs to her. "You don't need me. You could go for any other vamp cruising town."
He doesn't want any other vamp. He's already picked her. It's obvious to anyone, but she thinks she's going to feel good hearing it directly from him.
Kol doesn't give her that satisfaction. "It'll be quick," he promises, "Just a little bite. Nothing life-threatening."
"...Knife," she indicates after a pause, somewhat considering its usefulness in a situation like this.
"No knife," he counters, to which she instinctively prepares herself to dodge. Until he taunts her. "Are you afraid of me?" He circles her like a predator, clearly trying to bait her into it.
It's working. She would never admit to being scared of Kol.
Biting her lip, she settles back down in the chair. "Get it over and done with."
Caroline tugs her sleeve up and offers her wrist to him, fist clenched tightly. She mentally prepares for the incoming sting of fangs, but fingers caress the path up her arm instead. The curve of her ear is traced with his breathing, and she feels the insistent press of his body into hers from behind as he nudges the fabric of her dress aside to expose more of her shoulder.
This is nothing, she tells herself. He's merely being opportunistic. It's totally normal for feeding to be part utility and part seduction.
Though, okay, she supposes that this is about 70% seduction because he doesn't have to lay a hand on any part of her at all for whatever bullshit curse he wants lifted. Unfortunately for Caroline, her body is responding - the very touch of him forms a warm knot in her abdomen and makes the air hitch in the pit of her lungs. When his lips graze her neck, her hand opens up and Kol slips his palm onto hers, sorely reminding her of just how long it's been since she's let anyone get this physical with her.
Too long.
Her skin finally breaks and she tenses. It's the smell of her own blood in the air that causes her to flinch, and Kol's grip turns vice-like when he senses her pulling away. Caroline swallows her noise of discomfort as he wraps his other arm around her waist to still her. While he continues drawing from her with deep pressure, it results in the most peculiar sensation skittering up and down her spine.
Initially, she finds it jarring, but the more he drinks, the more open she is to the idea of letting him really touch her.
"Relax, darling," he says, then affectionately paints a long line across his fresh mark on her with his tongue. "I'm almost done."
It evolves into well-placed kisses, followed by a gentle squeeze of her hand in his.
Kol eventually removes himself from her space, thumbing under his lip to taste her again. She reaches for tissues to pat down her wound, trying not to seem too affected by the whole experience, but too late - she reprimands herself silently for wondering if he was in it for more than just the blood. It should be obvious, but it's not.
On a scale of one to ten, she gives herself an I don't want to think about his hands or mouth or what I think was against my ass. Or how good he looks now, mussed, intoxicated, starving.
Grabbing the glass full of scotch she previously rejected, Caroline tips her head back and lets out a steady breath.
By some sort of formality, Kol extends a hand as a gesture of appreciation, which is the last thing she expects because you don't just suck on someone's neck and say thank you.
It bothers her that she doesn't just want a handshake either.
Caroline stares at him, pondering his real intentions for the briefest moment. Then she chooses, with much difficulty, to ignore his silly display of primness. She disappears from his apartment quickly, at the same speed that her sanity had been lost when she let him bite her in the first place.
It was exciting.