Hello again!
Honestly, I could pretty much say that at this moment I am a very very happy person (never mind what may happen next) and it is all because of the lovely reviews that I've got. I feels good when so much love is shared! Thank you all of you!
Also, I'll just like to mention that since I'll be back to college and a very busy schedule this coming week, I might just be able to update only on a weekly basis around Fridays/Saturdays depending on what I'll probably have in my hands and the workload that is waiting to pounce on me. I hope that is fine by all of you. I will try to update as frequently as possible, without compromising on the quality of this fanfic -it is rather dear to me. Which is why - I'm leaving you guys with an early update!
Now, as is customary, I'll go on to address my reviewers before we finally get onto the chapter.
DreamsForTheDead - I am so sorry, you have a very long PM waiting for you and it should reach you in a few. I understand you've been very busy and trust me, so have I, infact I'm pretty sure that today is probably going to be my last day of freedom and then comes college! *Pheww* Thanks for the amazing review. I've taken into consideration ALL the suggestions you had. And see - I'm already putting one into effect - Its a Saturday :P Please be sure to leave a review and receive a PM soon! :D
BarbarafromGR - Its lovely to hear from you again! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, I hope I can keep you interested for longer! Please do leave a review for this one too!
LyssaLoo - Thank you for your encouraging words. I hope to hear from you after this one too!
Cielja - Thank you for that valuable feedback. I was a bit apprehensive at first to involve ANYONE from Mystic Falls because, honestly - I don't want this to a typical Kol/OC fanfic where we have the Mystic Falls gang too involved and the OC ending up as the BFF of Elena Gilbert. No sir! As for Kol - well, be sure - I'm not going to portray him as a soft-melancholic romeo ever. Even his romanticism has an air of eccentricity! So, I'll leave you with this update and look forward to hearing from you!
Kathryne Buzolic - Hello again! Nice to hear from you. Umm, you didn't expect that - is that a good thing or a bad thing? I'm kind of confused. But, by the other part of your review - I'm thinking its a good thing. I hope you like whats coming up - please do share your opinion!
CritiqueOfReason - Someone happened to tell me you're here for the long haul? I really really hope so. Its such a pleasure reading your reviews. You are right, Kol DID compel that server. He has to be cocky doesn't he? And Arianna and teetotaler - Ha! Right. Okay :P Thank you for showing faith in my style of writing. It has only encouraged me to write more chapters! I'll be on the lookout for reviews!
appreciation - Hi! You know I was almost about to leave you a shout out last time saying - WHERE ARE YOU? Ha! But you totally made up. Thank you so much for reviewing. I've left you a PM so that I don't unnecessarily keep you here reading my note and let you proceed to the next chapter.
bettingonalice01 - Heres the next one for you! I look forward to what you have to say.
WhatsGoingOn - Kol only keeps getting worse. You'll have to watch out :P
LucyRider17 - He does have a pouty little ego - Doesn't he? I hope you like him though!
ConsistentlyRandom21 - Hello! I really thank you for reading my fanfic and appreciating it. I'm glad you like what I've written so far and my portrayal of Kol. I intend to stay true to his nature - dark and psychotic. I completely look forward to hearing from you again!
Lotheriel - Thank you for being so so very kind and reviewing instantly. Its lovely to have reviewers like you who view the fanfics here with a matured mind. I'll always be looking forward to your reviews! Oh, and - you're the only one who had guessed correctly what the Melanie incident is going to lead to! - Enjoy!
Snowberryxoxo - Thank you, I'm honored beyond words that you read and gave me such lovely reviews. It makes me completely thank the insane part of my brain which asked me to impulsively PM you. I hope you like whats in store. I'm short of words to express my gratitude.
TinyDancer563 - HELLO! You're back and I am too! And I'm super excited to have you on board! I think I've already reiterated that a lot of times before. Please bear with me. But, I don't have to say that I look forward to hear from you right? :D
Chapter 5
Arianna watched her friend as she lay on the stretcher, IV attached to her veins. Melanie still looked anemic, her skin pale, drained of all color. Arianna had been terrified at the sight of her friend's bloody and mangled body. She couldn't fathom the events that were coursing around her. She had been acting purely upon impulse. Only now when she finally had the time to settle down did the gravity of the situation befall upon her.
She exhaled heavily covering her face with her sweaty palms. She felt giddy after having donated blood to her ailing friend. As the adrenalin began to dissipate from her system, warm tears pooled in her eyes threatening to fall over the rim. She sniffed, trying to hold them back as she thought about the events of the day.
It had been an absolutely terrible day.
By the end of her first day in Mystic Falls she had caught her younger brother taking to substance abuse, she had fought with her mother and for now, she was sitting outside the hospital ward of her ailing friend who had been hale and hearty not an hour ago.
All this while however, the question that clouded her mind was what exactly had happened to lead to such circumstances?
She couldn't comprehend how her friend had been reduced to her condition without so much as raising any alarm. Arianna knew that there was certainly something that was being kept secret. The Sherriff's expression clearly gave away her recognition of the wounds that covered Melanie's arms. She had to know what had happened to her friend; she had to know who it was that had put her in this predicament.
Trench coat in hand, Arianna looked around her surroundings one last time before she departed from the hospital for the night.
She stood before the cordoned off vicinity of Mystic Grill. Black and yellow pamphlets were plastered on the outer walls, prohibiting any civilian from entering the scene of crime. She however wasn't one to comply. With a gloved hand, she pushed open door.
The lights still illuminated the place, but not a soul was to be found. She looked around carefully for any trace of evidence she could find that would help her solve the clueless puzzle she was determined to find a solution to. Cigarette buds lay on one table, extinguished, a half empty glass of beer on another. She slowly ran her hands over the corners of the chairs and tables she passed, hoping they would reveal their story to her.
She began to feel the familiar jolt of pain in her head, her eyes struggling to enable her vision for long.
The Mystic Grill was bustling with people. Matt Donovan was surely having a very tough time managing the crate of washed beer glasses he carried. Melanie Strider smiled at the blond boy. He smiled back, a bit flushed. The Donovan boy had always been a little infatuated with Melanie since he was little, but she knew as well as him that she was way out of his league.
Melanie Strider never dated younger men.
"Do you need help with that?" she quirked an eye brow in his direction. Matt watched the way her lips curved to form a slight smile.
"Uhh... no, umm... I've got this." He nodded, slightly abashed over stammering constantly. Melanie laughed softly and proceeded to the washroom.
She secured the lock on the door and looked at the mirror before her, opening her sling bag to retrieve her comb. Just as she was about to put it away, the door of the small washroom opened to reveal the form of an exceedingly attractive young man, he looked to be in his early twenties. The dim light that lit the little area of the washroom fell upon the young man's features. To say he was good-looking was a gross understatement. Fazed brown hair, not too short but not long either, complemented by a pair of mischievous brown eyes, a hard jaw line and lips that were temptingly wicked.
Melanie couldn't recollect seeing him in town, surely he must have been one of the many travelers that kept coming and going.
"Excuse me, sir?" she asserted herself angrily at the imprudent man. "Can't you see the washroom is occupied? How did you even get in?"
The young man with brown hair smiled, a twinkle reaching his eye. "Oh come on love, I thought we could have some fun, you and I." He moved towards her, an unforgivable smirk remaining an omnipresent feature of his angelic face.
Melanie's eyes quickly diverted from the man to the light click of the door lock. She was panicking, but she was determined to not let her face betray her.
She stood her ground, eyeing the man and his inappropriate behavior with distaste. "I'll scream if you touch me." She warned, stepping slightly away from the man.
The young man laughed. Arianna had heard the sound of that laughter before but she couldn't quite put a finger to it instantly.
"Now now darling, not many women do understand my fancies." He inched closer to her, his long fingers tracing her jaw line. Arianna remembered that gesture. She knew what was coming. "And women like you… who understand…" he breathed her scent, bringing his lips closer to the hollow of her neck, "are a rarity". He slowly, sliced through her supple skin, tasting her blood as her hands impatiently hit hard on his firm back.
"Get away from me you monster." She yelled, her voice however remained muffled. She struggled with all her might. The man seemed not to move. Melanie tried to scream but her mouth was covered. He pressed the girl against the far wall of the little washroom, holding her hands tightly in his grasp, rendering her incapacitated.
Her vision seemed to take have taken a turn choreographically. The once good-looking man had morphed into a monster – the monster from her dreams. She thought she was hallucinating, she hoped desperately that it was a figment of her imagination and no more. She wanted to wake up. Arianna found her breathing grow uneven and soon her feet gave away. She collapsed.
Latched onto Melanie's neck was the tormentor from her dreams – the creature with the stature of Adonis and the face of a monster.
Black.
It was the only color she saw when she awoke abruptly. She lay still, trying to comprehend her surroundings. The platform seemed softer, the ceilings bright and white. Cold breeze was gently swaying outside, the open window shades were rattling. Apart from the occasional calls of the creatures of nature, it was silent. It didn't take her long to realize that she was in the safe confines of her house. She could not recall how she had gotten home from the Mystic Grill.
She remembered the entrance of the Grill, she remembered the black and yellow stickers, she remembered the scene of crime, she remembered Melanie, she remembered the man, and she also remembered collapsing to the ground.
So that was it then, she had fainted.
She tried to shift from her bed, her whole body felt stiff and uneasy. She ached all over. Slowly and steadily she made her way to her bedroom door, careful not to lose her balance considering her mind still hadn't awoken from its state of stupor.
"Do you think… Was it…" she recognized her mother's voice immediately.
"Yes, it was…" the other woman replied. Arianna peaked trying to be inconspicuous. She knew it wasn't polite to eves drop on other's conversations but this was a pressing matter.
"Did Ms. Strider ever… consume…?" the other woman spoke, questioning her mother.
"No, not that I'm aware of, no." Her mother replied vehemently shaking her head. Arianna decided to make her presence known.
"Mom?" she descended the stairs.
"Arianna." Her mother was taken by surprise. "This… this is Sheriff Forbes." She pointed at the other woman. The small blond woman gave a tight lipped smile and shook Arianna's hand firmly.
"Hope you're not hurt?" she enquired.
"Sheriff Forbes' men found you unconscious at the Grill." Her mother explained.
"Yeah… I…" she grew self conscious. "I just wanted to… know what… happened."
"Arianna, I understand you are concerned about your friend, but we don't know what's out there." The sheriff briefly paused to glance at Eleanor Griffiths. It appeared that both women were keeping something in the dark and Arianna didn't quite miss the secretive glance that was shared. "So, let my men take care of it and we'll see who did this to her. Alright?" she held her hand reassuringly.
"I'll keep you posted." The sheriff looked one last time at Eleanor and nodded before she took her leave. Eleanor sighed.
"What were you doing there?" Eleanor questioned her daughter once she heard the light click of the door.
"I… just wanted to know… what happened." Arianna repeated. She couldn't disclose the details of her vision. Her mother would only question her sanity again.
"You could have been killed Arianna. Your recklessness amazes me. Do you not understand the gravity of this situation?"
"No maa, I don't." Arianna bit back. "I don't understand because there is something you're not telling me."
It was obvious that Eleanor was taken aback momentarily at Arianna's outburst. She hoped she hadn't made it too obvious. "It was just an animal attack Arianna, nothing else. We've run the tests, she has been put on IV and a constant supply of blood is being administered. She'll be fine."
Arianna had never seen her mother struggling for words. She knew her mother was trying desperately to keep skeletons in the closet. She was shivering for crying out loud! She would not have it, however. "I saw those marks mom. I saw them on her neck, on her wrist." Her opaque determined eyes reminded Eleanor of her late husband. She was just as determined, just as stubborn. More often than not, it was that characteristic trait that always seemed to have gotten both of them into trouble. "If you're sticking to that story, the animal was a bloody neat animal I'd gather." She muttered sarcastically.
"Arianna…" he mother looked at her, contemplating, her voice soft and unsure.
"What is it that you're not telling me mom?" she pressed her case further.
Eleanor paced worriedly in a dilemma, thinking if it was appropriate to make known to her daughter the secrets of the town, the secret existence of the world of immortals. After giving it much thought, she convinced herself that it was probably the only way she could keep her daughter safe. She needed a guarantee however, "Promise me that you will have no part in this. That you will let the Sherriff and her men look after it." Arianna wanted to protest, but decided against it considering it the only wise solution. She merely nodded.
Eleanor walked to the library, making herself comfortable before the cracking fire from the burning logs. "The Griffiths family was one of the founding families of the town of Mystic Falls…" she began.
That night Kol Mikaelson was rather pleased with himself. The look of utter horror on the face of the poor little beauty had reinstated his belief in the proverbial saying – revenge was a dish best served cold. He smiled to himself, downing another glass of his favorite blended scotch.
"Kol, are you not coming?" he had barely noticed his sister's arrival.
"No Bekah, I prefer sitting here and whiling away my time while Nik and you do all the dirty ground work." A sense of unmistakable merriment prevailed in his voice.
"You sound too happy?" Rebekah enquired suspiciously. Kol simply smirked at his sister, unyielding.
"'Bekah." Niklaus called their sister, entering the room.
"Are you two over your chit-chat?" their brother seemed livid. Probably his beloved little infant vampire had turned his affections down again.
"Kol wants to let this one pass." Rebekah sighed dejectedly. Niklaus looked at his brother questioningly, confirming the same. Kol simply shrugged and took another sip from his scotch filled glass.
Niklaus nodded at his brother as the two original siblings paced to the door, glancing once at his younger sibling, "Be careful, brother." And they were gone for the night.
After his sixth drink for the night, Kol was bored. The alcohol was slowly making its induced effect feel known making him giddy and light-headed. Kol needed amusement and he knew just where to go looking for it.
Kol leaned against the bark of an old fir tree watching the brunette beauty, still deep in her slumber. It wouldn't be long before he terrorized her again, he knew.
Oh how he loved this cat and mouse game they played time and time again. It was positively delightful.
It troubled him however that he did not yet know her name. Kol wondered what it could have been while his little mortal still slept in peace. She looked to him like an innocent damsel in distress, a naïve little girl, a forbidden beauty.
He searched his thousand year resourceful mind wondering what name could have been apt for her. Could it have been Adeline?
Was it Antoinette? Or Agatha? Or Annabelle?
Could she have been a Matilda? A Margaret? A Marie?
Oh the possibilities! Kol smiled to himself shaking his head.
At a distance his little mortal was beginning to twitch. She was clearly vexed. He waited patiently for her to join him in their little compulsion induced dream world. She twitched uncomfortably, her hair a little shabby with entangled dried leaves sticking out of it. Kol simply stared at her as she got to her feet pulling at the seams of her night gown.
The color blue suited her; it made her look more appetizing than ever. Kol wondered how she was oblivious of the things she could do to him, she was doing to him. She appeared lost and he decided to help her with her little confusion, only by confusing her further. He chuckled.
"Hello my darling." The voice was familiar.
"Who are you?" she questioned, cautiously trying to locate the source of the voice. She felt the same feeling of frustration nib at her from the previous night.
"Your… what was it that you'd called me?" a sense of playful torment clouded the exquisite voice. "Ah yes! Your secret admirer." Arianna's eyes grew wide with shock. She could feel the presence of another behind her. She was beginning to panic. The winds in her vicinity picked pace, her thin nightgown swaying like slaves to the forces of nature.
"No one rejects an offer made by me, love." She could feel the breath of the man on her skin instantly. It was warm, contrasting the frigid temperature of her environment. His fingers traced the length of her neck delicately and she shuddered at his touch. "Kol…" she whispered, with recognition.
She had said his name. He had made her say his name and it had sounded like the most sensuous word to have ever been uttered. Kol couldn't fathom the rush of feelings coursing through his body. But ofcourse he couldn't – he had never been a creature of profound thought – he was impulsive. He lived in the moment.
An unknowing frenzy took over him as he grabbed the girl's waist and sped to corner her against a tree. She was clearly taken by surprise for she did not retaliate. Her fingers dug into the bark of the tree she was pinned against as the man played with her delicate body.
She could feel his cold fingers dancing around over her heated skin. She could think of words to say, but couldn't form a coherent sentence. She could sense the imminent danger but couldn't devoid herself of the satisfaction she was acquiring. She was guilty, but she was pleasured.
Kol untied the small knot that was holding her robe securely in place to reveal slightly her glistening skin. His mind struggled to process the images his eyes were capturing at the sight that was before him. She was exquisite. Her skin, the perfect color of peach and tan under the full moon. Kol's eyes traced the contours on her neck gliding swiftly to her jaw line till it rested on her beatific face. Her eyes were closed, hair – wild, lips parted. Kol felt his self control waning. He wanted to have her. He wanted to have her on the forest floor, in the lap of Mother Nature, under the moon, marking his claim on her before the world.
As some semblance began to cloud Arianna's mind, she realized the need to put an end to their little encounter. She would not have it. She tried to pry out of his steely grasp.
"Oh my minx, impatient as ever." Kol chuckled at her vague attempt of retaliation. She was fighting him, just like he wanted. She was fighting him and he was enjoying it immensely. He loved the way her little ineffectual fists beat against his chest. He pulled her closer to himself, and before she could utter another word, his mouth covered her soft lips and her body relaxed, leaning onto Kol for support.
His dangerously intoxicating scent had her swooning with pleasure. She felt herself guiltily respond to his unasked desires. Arianna forced herself against Kol with a force so strong that had him almost unsteady, almost. His fingers had already begun running along the length of her shapely legs making it harder for Arianna to hold back her moan. Her left leg involuntarily wrapped around his hip as if it seemed only too natural for her to do so, as if she had been doing just that for ages. He tilted her head trying to gain access into her mouth. His lips were intense, hungry and passionate. It felt like he hadn't been satiated in a very long time. It was purely animalistic. She tugged at the hair at the nape of his neck, urging unconsciously his primal nature to set itself free. Kol growled at the unprecedented show of lust and his fangs lightly grazed her soft lower lips.
If he found the scent of her potent, the taste of her blood was sending him into a spiraling frenzy. Sweeter, more compelling and a delicious thick red. The unusual metallic taste of blood touched Arianna's taste buds and the horrific realization of her predicament fell upon her. Comprehending her precarious situation, she pushed Kol away with all her might, her eyes hostile.
"You really do enjoy being punished, do you not?" Kol was momentarily taken aback by her impudence, his pride was on the edge of being wounded again. His expression however did not reveal to her the boiling rage within him. He was adept at being deceptive.
She looked more ravishing than ever before, her eyes hostile yet hesitant, her face determined yet anxious, the irregular wind playing havoc with her long burgundy hair. The slender brunette glared at him, red drops of liquid glistening on her supple lips. He had tasted it. He had tasted her.
She looked around herself, searching for the most immediate exit. "The chase… It's always more entertaining when they beg, push, run…" the man's words were sending shivers down Arianna's spine. If she wanted her life, she had to flee; she couldn't stand there and be a mute spectator while her tormentor relished in her helplessness. Without thinking twice she ran into the dark woods behind her.
"You cannot outrun me sweetheart; I thought you'd have known better after our previous engagement." Tears were beginning to pool once again in her eyes. She hated being so miserably weak. She wanted this dream to end. She felt wretched, filthy even at her actions, thinking about the fact that she was licentiously lustfully attracted towards the monster who wanted to kill her. Her body desired him.
"What is your name?" the voice sounded from the deep recesses of the unknown forest.
"Annabelle?" His voice still sounded divinely seductive to her. She was feeling conflicted, but she had to keep running.
The harsh, unruly forest floor scratched and pierced into the delicate skin of her bare feet. "Elizabeth?" Kol enjoyed this tormenting game. He made the rules and he knew how it would end.
"Alright, here's my last try." He feigned frustration, albeit his voice heaving with merriment it brought to his soul.
In a desperate attempt to save her life, Arianna hid behind a tree, praying dearly to wake up, to flee the dark tormenting woods she was lost in. Hot and salty liquid uninhibitedly streamed down her cheeks as she tried to suppress her pain. She covered her mouth with her hands, willing herself to be stronger, hoping that the monster in the woods would pass.
She waited a few minutes in silence; the angry wounds on her feet were beginning to burn. She was met with an eerie silence; even the willowing winds were mute. She peaked from behind the bark of the tree stealthily. Kol was nowhere in sight. "You can do this. Arianna you're strong." She muttered to her subconscious, slowly extracting herself from the shelter of the large-canopied tree. A twig snapped under her feet and she froze, waiting for the impending doom to settle.
"Caught you, Arianna." He whispered in her ear from behind her. She closed her eyes and knew her end was near. She had resigned to her fate.
"Oh look at you." The man pulled her chin up, "you're pitiable, darling." He snapped at her angrily. "Atleast Melanie… tried to fight for her life." Arianna's eyes snapped open, traumatized. She was staring at the man with fazed brown hair, mischievous brown eyes and wickedly tempting lips… until it morphed into the monster of her dreams.
He knew then that she was aware it had been Kol's doing. "Liked my little gift, did you love?" he smiled charmingly at her.
"Kol…" she whispered horror-struck as his face steadily morphed into the monster that he was. He wasted little time to sink his fangs into her supple skin. His body had only been craving that delicious crimson liquid for too long… needless to say, the brunette beauty too.
It was a night of celebration in the Mikaelson manor. Kol was euphoric with his strange victory and had no intention of sharing details.
"Oh come on here you pretty little thing." He waved at the black-haired girl who had been their server previously upon their visit to Mystic Grill.
She smiled widely and walked towards Kol obediently. He bit into her wrist unforgiving, and pushed the girl towards his younger sibling. "Have at it 'Bekah." He smirked, contented.
She quirked an eyebrow at him. Kol had never been selfless or generous in the least, especially in the matter of appetite. He might have shared, but he did not donate.
"Consider it as a gift, baby sister."
Rebekah shook her head at the retreating form of her psychopathic brother. She however had more pressing issues to handle – like the itch in her throat and the red liquid that fell from the silly smiling girl's wrist onto the carpeted floor. She had always liked clean carpets.
What say? Good? Bad? Kol? Not Kol?
I want to hear everything! Please review! :)
