Edited by myladyelise
Re-edited 8/31/15
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Caroline exited her car, slamming the door behind her. Taking a step towards Klaus' mansion, she was instantly flanked by what she assumed were several hybrids. She was struck at how they all looked somewhat similar. While they all had different eye and hair color, they were alike in that they all seemed to be around college age and very muscular. They could easily be bouncers for a bar, albeit a somewhat classier one based on their preppy dress of button down shirts and jeans. Her skin prickled and tingled at being surrounded by the supernatural creatures and she tensed automatically, ready for a fight. They sensed her change in demeanor and stepped back, one of them bowing to her.
"Miss Forbes, the master is expecting you," greeted the nearest hybrid. "If you will step into the house, I will show you to the study where he is waiting for you."
"Um…Thank you." Caroline relaxed at his soothing tone. "And, you are?"
"Tim."
She followed the hybrid servant into Klaus's house, the beauty of the place dwarfing her. The two-story entryway, grand staircase, and the crystal chandelier dangling from the ceiling were unlike anything she witnessed before. She couldn't imagine living surrounded by such grandeur but Klaus fit in here. No doubt like all the palaces he visited over his lifetime. All that experience, the things he saw and participated in over the centuries unsettled her. She stamped down her insecurities. She wasn't about to let any of that lessen her anger, her fury over his high handedness in taking over her finances. She called all over town to other designer stores and found he opened up accounts everywhere for her. There wasn't any place she could shop where they would willingly take her money. He quite efficiently made her financially dependent on him. It infuriated her and she hated him for it.
The hybrid led her down a hallway to the left and she rehearsed her speech in her head. At last they stopped at a double door made of some crazy priceless wood.
"Thanks, Tim." Caroline threw back her shoulders. "I can take it from here."
"I need to announce you, Miss Forbes."
"Seriously?" She rolled her eyes. "Are you his butler or something? I can guarantee he already knows I am here."
Without waiting for an answer, she yanked open the double doors, determined to give Klaus hell. He sat on a leather chair by a crackling fireplace, a sketchbook in his hand. He looked so natural, normal even, the way he lazily sketched from a pencil between his fingers. It took her aback, softening her anger.
He lifted his gaze to hers, looking at her intently from the depths of his clear blue eyes, making no effort to hide his pleasure at seeing her. A boyish smile lit up his face and his radiant happiness tempted her to smile back. Nothing like the controlling, hybrid monster she built up in her mind the past day, she faltered in her resolve. Shaking it off, she strode into the room.
"How dare you!"
Klaus set down his sketchbook, rising from his chair. "It's pleasure to see you too, Caroline."
"Well, it's not a pleasure to see you," Caroline snarled. "How could you?"
"How could I what, love? You will have to be more specific."
His voice was low and throaty and even in her anger Caroline was affected by it. It swirled around her like a heated caress, bringing to mind the kiss shared in a haunted house in the middle of a rainstorm. Killing the images he evoked she stalked towards him.
"You paid for my dress."
"So that is the reason for this little tantrum."
"I am not having a tantrum."
Klaus gave her a sidewise look that told her he thought otherwise and she wanted to stamp her foot to show him how angry she really was.
"Do you like the dress?"
"Of course, I like the dress!"
Klaus shrugged. "Then why does it matter who paid for it?"
Caroline yanked her wallet out of her leather purse, pulling out a wad of cash. "Because you can't pay for my clothes." She waved the money in the air. "And, you certainly cannot go around town setting up accounts to pay my bills."
"Why is that?"
"Because — because you can't." Caroline thrust the money at him. "This is the amount I owe you for the dress."
"Why can't I, Caroline?" Klaus murmured, taking a step towards her. "Don't you think you deserve pretty things?"
Caroline stood perfectly still at his approach. Klaus slowly circled her, like a bird of prey until he stood directly behind her, his mouth an inch away from her ear. "Aren't you worthy of such luxuries? A sheriff's salary doesn't go far. In fact, your mother barely makes ends meet and as for your father, he never made much to contribute to your living. If not for me, who else is going to buy you designer clothes, dress you in the jewels you deserve?"
"It is not your right to buy me such things." Caroline ignored the weakness in her knees, the thundering of her heart at Klaus' breath dancing over her tender earlobe.
"Then whose right is it?"
Caroline turned abruptly to faced Klaus. She held out the money. "Not yours. I can buy my own things."
"Maybe, but it is my pleasure to treat you to the nice things in life. Don't deny me something that gives me such joy."
The emptiness, and lonely timbre in his tone tugged at her heart. Except, she wouldn't be swayed. Even if it killed her not to have designer clothes and fancy things, she couldn't accept such gifts from him. It was wrong. She was not his to buy for.
"Here is the money for the dress." Caroline forced the money into Klaus' hand.
Klaus looked down at the cash in bemusement. "What am I supposed to do with that?"
"I don't know. Since you seem to have more money than God, maybe give it to charity."
"Charity?" Klaus smiled at her, flashing his dimples. "Sweetheart, vampires don't do charity."
Caroline look down her nose at him. "Well, you should."
"Vampires aren't exactly the widow and orphan giving types," Klaus said with a chuckle. "If you want to start a charity with it, by all means, go ahead, but if not…this money means nothing to me." He walked over to the fireplace, holding the wad of hundred dollar bills above the cracking flames.
"You wouldn't," Caroline choked out. That money might mean nothing to him, but it would take her a long time to pay off even the interest. The least he could do was give her the satisfaction of paying her debt to him.
Klaus raised an elegant brow at her reaction. "I can toss this into the fire right now, or you can find some other use for the money. It doesn't matter to me."
He would do it too. What was twelve 2400 dollars to him? She could owe him nothing and have him burn the money or she could take it and maybe make something good come from this. Her decision made, she reached his side, holding out her hand for the money.
"I knew you would make the right decision." He smirked and handed her the cash.
"Oh, I'm not taking the money," Caroline purred, returning the money to her purse. "Rather you have just made a donation to the first ever Vampire Survivor Fund. I am going to use this money to create a charity for victims of vampire attacks. It should be easy to talk my mom and the council into creating a program like this. You should be honored. You are going to be the first donor and I am sure with the example of generosity you are setting I can get the Salvatores to donate too. So apparently vampires do," Caroline paused to offer him a charming smile, "do charity."
Klaus chuckled, his eyes alight. "I guess they do now. In fact, I might even be tempted to make a further donation to your cause."
"In return for what?" Liquid fire roared into her veins, a haze clouding her vision at the remembrance of his lips on hers, his hands on her waist when he pressed her body into his.
"I know that look, sweetheart." Klaus took a step towards her, his fingertips lightly grazing her cheek, before he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "You are already thinking dirty thoughts about me and what I might request of you."
"No, I'm not." Caroline swatted him away. Of course, he knew she lied.
Klaus smiled at her, his gaze knowing. He walked towards the corner of the room where a chess set sat on a small, round table. "Play a game with me?"
"Wait…what?" Caroline frowned at his request. It couldn't be this simple.
"You want money for your Vampire Survivor Fund and I want to play a game of chess with you. Surely we can make a deal?"
Caroline walked over to him. "Let me get this straight… you are willing to give money to my charity in exchange for a game of chess."
"A large sum of money," Klaus affirmed.
"What kind of game is this? Strip chess?"
"Again with those dirty thoughts, love," Klaus chuckled. "Although, that strip chess idea is an interesting one."
Caroline blushed, heat striking her cheeks. Why was it that he always managed to twist things to make it seem like it was she who had her mind in the gutter, when everything he said and did dripped with sex and innuendo?
"This is just a simple game of chess with one caveat. For each piece that is captured the loser must answer a question the the other poses."
"I don't understand. It can't be as simple as that. What is your ulterior goal?"
Klaus picked up a chess piece, twirling it between his fingers. "Must there always be an ulterior goal?"
"With you, yes."
"Then, you wish the truth?"
"Yes."
Setting the chess piece back on the board again, Klaus moved towards her, his eyes darkening to midnight. "I want to know you, Caroline. Know everything about you."
Her lips parted, yet no words came out. Mesmerized she was held captive by the desire she saw in his face.
"Would you let me in?" His voice lowered and he moved closer, narrowing the space between them. "Would you let me learn everything about you? Discover you as I please." Klaus tipped her head up with a fingertip looking deeply into her eyes. His gaze burned through her, igniting a fire within her blood. She understood what he asked, the meaning behind his words, and it was more that she ever gaze anyone before.
"Klaus…"
"It is just a game, love. Think of all the good you can accomplish with my money. All those victims' lives you can set aright. "
Could she do it? Let him in? Maybe she could view this as only a game. She could always lie if she didn't want to tell him the truth. He would probably know she did since he somehow was an expert at the slightest changes in her demeanor. As for the money, if she were to agree to this game, she would demand enough money to compensate every victim who was attacked and all the families who lost a loved one. She doubted that asking for that much would dent Klaus' personal fortune. Besides, him giving generously to a vampire victims made her oddly happy.
"Okay. I will play."
The beautiful smile he offered warmed her to her very core and this time she returned it.
Klaus eyes sparkled at her reaction. With a sweep of his arm, he gestured towards one of the delicate, gilt chairs that sat in front of the table. He waited for her to sit in front of the white chess pieces before he sat down.
"The game is a fairly simple one. Have you played before?"
Caroline shook her head.
"Chess is all about strategy. All you have to do to succeed is stay one step or more ahead of your opponent. What is most important is to expect the other players move, get into their mind so to speak."
Had she had made a grave mistake? Doubt rumbled in her stomach. If Klaus played this game like he lived his life she had no chance of ever capturing one of his pieces. She would end up spending the night answering question after question until he won at last.
"Think of the pieces as part of a kingdom. The names of the pieces and the power of each one form a hierarchy. The lowliest piece on the board and the first to move is the pawn. On the first move they can move one or two spaces forward after that they can only move one." Klaus picked up the black piece, an arrogant look on his face. "As you can see there are a lot of these and while they are necessary, you shouldn't get attached to them. They are canon fodder in the game. They do all the dirty work."
Caroline ran her finger over one of her pawns. "I understand how they feel."
"Is that how you see yourself? A pawn?"
"Sometimes." It seemed at times as if life chewed her up and spit her out. She spent every day ignoring her suffering, putting on a happy face to go through the motions, proving to everyone that the happy cheerleader they knew hadn't changed. She threw parties, offered support and tried to prop everyone up even when things were at their worst.
Klaus set his pawn down forcefully with an oath. "Who makes you feel these things? Is it the Salvatores? Damon?"
"No, of course not," she rushed to assure him, accepting the lie. She was always a pawn in their plots and schemes. Something she couldn't let Klaus know that. She had no illusions that he would gladly murder the brothers if she gave him lead to.
"I promise you shall never be made to feel like a pawn again."
Her heart fluttered at the intensity of his reaction. Klaus was truly angry at her being a pawn. No one else in her life ever expressed such feelings on her behalf. With a half-smile, Caroline moved one of her pawns forward one space. Klaus followed, moving his two spaces.
"Now, the next piece is the knight. It is the one that looks like a horse. The knight moves in an L formation. Three spaces down and one over. It's very limited compared to the other pieces, making it almost as ineffectual in its moves as the Salvatore brothers"
"At least they try," Caroline retorted, refusing to recognize that Klaus was right in his observation.
Klaus ignored her, moving his knight.
Caroline did the same.
"The next piece, shaped like a castle tower, is the rook and it moves vertically and horizontally as many spaces as you choose." Klaus picked up another piece with what looked like a pointy hat. "This is the bishop. They move diagonally and, like the rook," Klaus set down the pointy piece, "they can move as little or as many spaces as you please. Frequently they seem to come out of nowhere. A surprise attack."
"Something you excel at."
Klaus returned the bishop to the board. "Is that how you see me? Is that why you are always on your guard? I swear I mean no harm to you, love."
"Maybe not intentionally, but you would harm my friends and that hurts me." On some level maybe he didn't mean her injury, but his very interest, his obsession with her, harmed her. How couldn't he understand that.
"Have I not promised you I would not touch those that are dear to you? What more do I have to do to prove to you that my attentions…my regard for you is honorable? I have been more than fair with you, Caroline."
His bitter words lashed at her, ripping holes in her every defense. "I suppose you have."
Pleased at her answer, he pointed to a tall piece with a crown on top of it. "This is the king. He can move one space in any direction and his safety is what the game is all about. The whole objective is to capture your opponent's king. In order to do this, he has to be trapped with no way to escape. If you can put him in a vulnerable position he can escape from you say, 'check'. If he cannot escape you say, 'checkmate' and you have won the game." Klaus picked up a smaller figure with a crown that stood next to the king. "Last of all, this is the most important piece in the whole game."
"Wait, I don't understand," Caroline interrupted. "Isn't the king the most powerful? What piece could possibly be more important than the king?"
"The queen, love. It's always the queen," Klaus answered, catching her gaze with a intense, blistering look that warmed her skin all the way to her heart "The queen has complete control of the board. She can move horizontally, vertically, diagonally as many spaces as she wishes. She will do anything to protect the king and without her he is doomed."
Caroline picked up the piece, staring at it. "You wouldn't think that it would be a queen who would have so much influence on the outcome of a game."
"Maybe not, but it is true. Without her, the king is nothing, has nothing."
The ardent tone in his voice, forced her gaze from the queen to stare into his face. The passionate, violent look in his eyes scared her. They were no longer talking about the game. Her heart tightened painfully in her chest, her breath hitching in her throat. She couldn't deal with this. It was too much. She returned the queen to the chessboard. "Shall we continue?"
Klaus sighed, moving his knight. In silence they traded moves. The pieces sliding over the board. It didn't take long for him to capture one of her pawns. Caroline scowled at the loss of her piece, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach. She should never have agreed to this game.
"The first question of the game. I wonder what I should ask." Klaus leaned back in his chair, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. "I know. Are you afraid of me, love?"
"No. Absolutely not, and yes, terribly so," Caroline let slip without thought or reason.
"That is a contradiction, not an answer," Klaus replied with a chuckle.
Caroline let out a small laugh. "You are right, but it is how I feel." She moved her knight and they continued their play until Klaus once more caught another of her pawns. With a sigh, she surrendered it.
"Answer me, honestly." Klaus moved forward in his chair, locking his gaze on hers, holding her hostage and forcing an intimacy she did not wish for. "Do you think I could ever hurt you?"
She pondered the question. Weeks ago she would have said yes. Except now, Klaus' behavior towards her, his feelings were different in a way she couldn't begin to fathom. He spent time with her; opened up his soul to her when he spoke of his father and even kissed her. Yes, he had made threats, but not towards her.
"I don't know."
"Yes, you do, love." His voice deepened when he said her name, as if he attempted to compel her. "Answer the question."
"I know you won't hurt me physically. I can't explain how I know that." Caroline pulled her gaze from his, lowering her eyes to the chessboard. "But you easily could mentally."
"What do you mean?"
The air was impossibly still between them and the whole world slowed, standing still in expectation of her answer. She considered lying. Could she do that when he stared at her as if his entire being hinged on her answer.
"Because of the things you make me feel. It frightens me. I am afraid you will break me."
"I feel the same way," Klaus murmured.
Caroline knew he looked at her, sensed he was memorizing her, this moment. She couldn't handle it, the magnitude of what lay between them…what was left unsaid. Clearing her throat, she stared steadfast at the board, searching for a way to steal one of his pieces. At last she saw it. Her queen could take out his castle. She squealed in triumph and picked up the piece, setting it alongside the chessboard. "My turn."
Klaus smirked settled himself in his chair. He stretched out his long legs with lazy aplomb as if he hadn't a care in the world. "Go ahead, I have no secrets."
He was nothing but secrets. The problem was finding the one that she wanted revealed the most. She wouldn't likely get this chance again. There was one question she yearned to ask, but didn't dare. If should found out what could hurt of kill him besides the white oak stake, it could be taken from her. Caroline wanted to do Damon's bidding and protect Elena, but at what cost to herself? Bringing about Klaus' downfall left her torn and racked with guilt. Not wishing to explore the subject further, she thought of another question. "What is your greatest fear?"
A muscle twitched in Klaus's jaw, his face tightening, but the smirk on his face remained. "I don't think you are ready for the answer."
"Try me."
"I fear only two things." Klaus held up two fingers, to count of his answers. "Being left to rot in a coffin for all eternity."
"Funny, I am sure your siblings feel the same way."
Klaus glowered at her for a moment before continuing, "The second is losing you."
Speechless, Caroline stared at Klaus, searching his face for the truth. Without faltering, he met her gaze, like he dared her to question him, to deny his words. In the heavy silence that lay between, he seemed to be waiting for her to say something, anything. She didn't know what to think.
The intimacy of the moment was lost when Klaus tore his eyes from hers. He roughly knocked over another one of her pieces, claiming it as his. "Tell me, sweetheart, how do you deal with pain and loss?"
"What do you mean?" Caroline's voice trembled.
"When your father chose death over being a vampire like you, proving to the world he would never accept who you were… how did you deal with that? How did you react to the reality that he didn't love you enough to live for you?"
The harsh sting of tears gathered in her eyes. "You are too cruel. I don't want to play this game anymore."
"You agreed to play. Now answer the question," Klaus demanded.
"I…I pretend I'm somewhere else, anywhere else." Each word was painfully dragged from the core of her being.
"Where do you go, love?"
At Klaus's gentle endearment, his soft tone, she closed her eyes. "A place where I can be myself. Where no one cares that I am a vampire. Somewhere my parents love me and are proud of me."
"You never have to be anyone other than who you are. Not with me."
"But, I want to stay there and never leave. I don't ever want to be found."
Her eyes opened and she shivered when she sensed his gaze on her. He looked at her so deeply, so intently she felt the need to distance herself from him. Except, she was stuck. Lost completely in the blaze of his eyes.
"I will find you, Caroline. Wherever you are, I will follow. I will always find you."
Caroline shuddered at his words. They were a promise, like he swore an unholy oath to her. She hated this game and wanted it to end. Staring at the chessboard, she sought a way to take one of his pieces, to make him suffer for the pain he caused and the confession he dragged from her. At last she saw it, a way to take his knight. She moved her bishop, knocking his piece over. The question bubbling in her would give her the greatest ammunition against him.
"Tell me how to kill you?"
His head snapped up, his eyes narrowing to amber slits. "Is it for the Salvatores you ask or for yourself?"
"This game is about truth, is it not?" Caroline taunted. "I have been honest with you and now it is your turn. How does one go about putting you in your coffin."
"Ask another question."
Icy, cold rivers of fear worked their way through her veins at the wild look on his face. She overstepped herself. He would not hurt her physically. Someone else would pay for her sins if she continued to incite him. "Fine. Teach me how to enter another's dreams and their thoughts."
With a deep breath, Klaus' whole body relaxed, the flames of amber in his pupils disappearing, his eyes returning to their natural, clear, blue. "Did the Salvatores teach you nothing?"
"No, not really. From Stefan I learned to hunt small furry animals," she wrinkled her nose in disgust, "and from Damon I learned how not to be a vampire."
"Then you have learned nothing at all." Klaus rose from his chair, making his way over to the leather couch that faced the fireplace. "Come sit with me, sweetheart."
Caroline joined him on the couch, sitting as far away from him as possible.
"That will never work," Klaus said with a laugh, sliding in next to her until she could feel the warmth of his thigh against her own. "We need to be touching. The more intimate the better."
"I think this is intimate enough." Caroline's whole body stiffened at being so close to him.
Klaus gathered one of her hands in his, pressing it against his temple. His curls were soft against her fingertips and a series of images flashed through her mind of her tugging on his hair, drawing his head to hers. The eroticism of the scene, was enough heat pooled in her belly.
"Are you doing this to me?" Caroline asked.
"What?"
She turned her head to look him in the eyes. Finding nothing to justify her suspicions, she sighed. There had to be something wrong with her that she couldn't even sit next to him without having salacious thoughts. "Nothing."
"Then may we begin?" he asked a mischievous smile at her. He knew.
She nodded.
"I need you to close your eyes."
Caroline did as told, shutting out the light.
"First, we need to ground you so you don't get lost. I need you to picture yourself as a giant tree with your feet the roots. Feel them growing down into the dirt, cementing themselves to the earth until you are immovable. It is this link that will keep you from losing yourself in me."
She did as he asked, picturing her feet as roots digging their way into the earth until she felt more tree than human.
"Now I want you to clear your head and focus entirely on me," Klaus said, his voice becoming more hypnotic with each word he spoke. "I need you to reach out with all your senses until you feel you have captured my essence."
That wouldn't be hard for her it all. Being this close to him, smelling his natural scent, feeling his thigh against hers and with her hand on his forehead…He was all she could think about. His dark, blue eyes, the irises ringed in gold, his often unruly, head of hair and his long, lean muscular body. It wasn't enough. She needed his essence so she recreated their kiss, tasting him in her mouth, smelling his scent in her nose and his muscles beneath her hands. She was there. Blinded by a flurry of bright, blinding colors she jumped at the sound of slamming when everything disappeared behind hundreds of white doors.
"What happened," Caroline whispered.
"Did you really think I would let you read me?" Klaus' voice was a rough as gravel. "You don't want to know what is in my head."
Klaus right. She had no doubt his thoughts, his memories, were filled with horrific sights. One of the doors opened, enticing her forward. She stood in the hallway of his mind pensively, unable to make a decision. "What are you doing?"
"Go and see, love."
Caroline put one foot in front of the other until she stood right in the doorway. Peering inside she saw nothing but inky blackness. Nothing could hurt her here, she knew that. Still, some part of her recognized on a higher level that if she walked through this doorway, there was no going back. Steeling herself, she took another step, and fell into the darkness.
She stood in a small clearing, surrounded by tall trees. The sunlight was so bright it hurt her eyes. Turning around she surveyed her surroundings. Under her feet was a thick carpet of leafy foliage and grasses, but her feet made no sound when she walked. Around her she could hear the rustling of wild creatures, the trilling of birds calling to one another and the soft nicker of a horse. The sound was so out of place, she followed the direction it came from and there she found him. Klaus.
He stood leaning against a tree, an anxious look on his face. He was dressed in old-fashioned clothes. She couldn't place the time period, maybe Renaissance? He wore a doublet fashioned of slashed blue velvet. At her approach he didn't look at her, in fact he didn't seem to notice her at all. There was an agitated air about him and he appeared like he waited for something of importance to happen. When the horse tied to the tree whinnied, he stroked her black head murmuring something in a soft tone. At the sound of hoof beats in the distance, the tension carried left him. His eyes took on an eager gleam, his lips curving into a smile.
A small-cloaked figure in green, on a white horse approached the clearing. Slowing down to a walk, the horse moved to where Klaus waited. He reached up to the female rider, lifting her down from the saddle. The woman fell into his arms, her hooded cloak falling around her gracefully.
"Niklaus." The name rang out sweetly and clear as a bell.
Caroline moved in closer, eager to hear their conversation and to see the woman who seemed to affect Klaus so deeply.
"I was getting worried," Klaus said his voice full of concern.
The woman's small, gloved hand reached out to stroke the stubble on his cheek. He allowed the touch for only a moment. He captured the hand and pressed it to his lips.
"I had trouble getting away. The Queen was cantankerous today. The meeting with the Spanish ambassador did not go well and all our efforts to soothe her went awry. She even threatened to smash Cecily's lute if she played one more note. Even reading to her the most recent work of Edmund Spenser, something that normally works, left her more ill tempered. Then after she had sent us all away, Mistress Blanchard followed me back to my chamber to lecture me on my indiscreet behavior these past few weeks. I think she is watching us."
Caroline shook her head. Why was this woman so afraid of Mistress Blanchard, but not of Klaus. Didn't she realize that the man she was so intimately close to was a vampire? That he would soon bite into her neck, draining her blood from her body?
That woman, can go to the devil," Klaus growled. "Don't worry, I will take care of her."
"You mustn't. It will only make things worse for us. She will go right to the Queen."
Stepping closer, Caroline accepted there was no way to save the poor girl from being Klaus' next victim and she wished he would get it over with and kill her. She couldn't bear his playing at being the suitor, pretending to care.
"Run away with me. I will take you anywhere you want to go. Paris, maybe? We can see the world together. There is so much I can show you."
That couldn't possibly be a plea Caroline heard in Klaus's voice could it?
The woman leaned her cheek against Klaus's chest, turning her head so Caroline couldn't see it. "You know I can't. The Queen has need of me."
"You would choose her over me?" Klaus said and the bitterness in his tone pierced Caroline's heart. He wasn't going to hurt this girl. He genuinely cared for her. For some reason this revelation tore at Caroline and she wanted more than anything to see this woman's face. Who was this person that she could command Klaus's affection in this manner?"
"Never. You are first in my heart, always," the girl replied, tipping her face up to look at Klaus. "But I have a duty to the Queen. She has been both mother and father to me and I owe her my loyalty to the very end. When she…when she at last passes, I promise to go wherever you wish."
"Ever loyal you are, my lady. " Klaus lowered his head, his lips descending over the girl's. When they kissed, pain strung at Caroline's heart, hot anger rising in her chest. She wanted to turn away, force her eyes from this intimate moment. It was torture, yet she kept her gaze on them. She flinched when the woman wound her arms around Klaus's neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss.
Caroline needed to get away from here, could bear it no longer. She started to turn away.
The girl pulled away from Klaus and when she did, her hood fell back from her face.
"No!" Caroline screamed. It couldn't be. The woman Klaus was with was her. Her screams continued until they rang in her ears, but the couple neither heard nor saw her.
The woods disappeared in a flash of white light and Caroline floated in darkness. It pressed in on her until she couldn't breathe, until she suffocated. Her insides twisted into ravenous knots and she knew a hunger like she hadn't experienced since she was first made. She needed to get out of here, needed to eat. Once more she began screaming, forcing her body to move against the pressure of the black space. She was trapped.
"Caroline! Wake up!
It was Klaus. He found her. Never had she been more thankful to hear him. She focused in on his voice, the black pressure on her limbs receding with each minute. Once more able to move, she faltered. It took all of her strength to wiggle a toe let alone an entire foot. The hunger like a caged beast tore at her insides.
"Caroline? Can you hear me? Open your eyes, love."
She could hear him. She tried to to open her eyes, tightening her muscles with all of her might. At last they flickered.
Looking down at her, a look of utter panic on his face was Klaus. His eyes were dark and tortured and when they connected with hers.
"Caroline? It it you?"
"Of course, it's me," she snarled. "Who were you expecting? Maybe the Caroline from your little historical porno?"
A look of bemusement settled over Klaus's face. "What are you talking about?"
"That memory was no memory. That was some sick fantasy of yours." Caroline tried to sit up only to fall. She was wrapped in Klaus' arms. She struggled for only a moment before her vision wavered, blackness hovering fuzzily on the edges of her sight. Against her will, her head fell weakly against his chest.
Klaus's arm's tightened further around her. "This exercise was too much for you. I sometimes forget how young you are. You need to eat."
"I do not. I need to go home."
"You will eat if I have to tie you to a chair and force it down your throat," he threatened.
The idea of being tied to a chair, completely at Klaus's mercy was enough to change her mind.
Fine
Now that she gave in, Klaus smiled. His hand stroked her hair that fell over her cheek. She leaned into the gentle touch without stopping to think. With that simple caress she relaxed, thetension leaving her body in waves. Never before had she felt so safe, so cocooned in warmth.
"You will love, Antoinette. She has the most exquisite taste to her," Klaus murmured.
Caroline jolted from the state of euphoria she succumbed to. She tried to struggle, to no avail. Even in her weakened state she could hear the doors to the library open and footsteps reverberating on the wood floors until they stopped right in front of her.
In pain she turned her head to focus on the figure that was now kneeled in front of her. It was a young, exotic looking brunette dressed in a fitted, red, sleeveless dress. She had healed over bite-marks on her neck and arms and when she lifted a wrist to offer it to Klaus, Caroline whimpered. The rich scent of fresh, pumping blood perfumed the air and the effect on Caroline overwhelmed her. Her veins popped in her face, her fangs elongating. She wanted to ravish this Antoinette with her teeth, suck the blood from veins until they were dry reeds. Caroline was dizzy with need, with want. Her humanity was slipping from her like sand through an hourglass.
Klaus slit open Antionette's arm and Caroline tried to get as far away from the heavenly scent as possible. Like a weak kitten she struggled in Klaus's arms when Antoinette held out her wrist for Caroline to suck on.
"Eat, Caroline."
Caroline shook her head at his demand. She wouldn't feed, not if it meant eating from another person. It didn't matter if Antoinette was compelled or here of her own free will. Caroline knew that she couldn't control herself and she didn't trust Klaus to stop her from killing the woman. She would rather die of her overwhelming hunger than give into temptation.
Klaus sighed. "While I am impressed by your control…you need to eat."
"If you make me do this, I swear I will hate you forever." Caroline's voice was hoarse to her ears, practically unrecognizable.
A string of oaths fell from his mouth. "Don't you understand? If you don't eat you will die."
Caroline's eyes fluttered closed, Klaus was so far away and she was so very tired. She no longer cared about eating. All she wanted to do was sleep.
Something smelled of heaven, of kisses in rainstorms and salvation tickled at her nostrils. Caroline's eyes flew open. She recognized the smell and eagerly she accepted the wrist offered to her lips. She wanted to gulp, to fill her mouth with his blood until it overflowed her lips. She reined her greed in, sucking slowly, relishing every drop of ambrosia. It slid thickly down her throat, warming her and igniting flames throughout her body.
In her mind, she saw Klaus, how he looked before their first kiss. His hair was damp, his shirt clinging to his muscular chest and she was in his arms dancing. He leaned in to kiss her, robbing her of all her breath when he pulled her closer to him. The kiss between them burst into heat, his lips hard and demanding against hers. His tongue slipped softly into her mouth, and they both moaned at the feel, the taste, and the heady intoxication of the shared kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingertips curling into the hair at the back of his head.
She couldn't speak, couldn't think, she could only feel. His torso pressed tightly to hers and the hard planes of his chest pressed into her through the silk of her gown and the fine cotton of his shirt. His mouth moved from hers, and she made a soft sound of protest, pulling him closer. Lips skimming over her jaw, his hands slid down over her sides, to cup her bottom. She laid her head upon his shoulder and savored their closeness, his touch. Sighing, she offered no protest when his lips ran over her skin. He moved his mouth lower, his tongue creating a path down her neck and his hands…they touched, molded and cared for her, like her pleasure was all that mattered to him. Klaus seemed to know instinctively what drove her to moan against him, what made her wild in his arms.
"Caroline…sweetheart." Klaus called out, his voice rudely interrupting the scene in her head. "You need to stop before you drain me dry."
She didn't want to. She never wanted to stop the thrilling sensations that rippled through her. He tugged at her mouth, the source of her euphoria dragged from her. Making a sound of protest, she lifted her head to find Klaus staring back at her, his pupils dilated and black with lust. She scrambled out of his arms.
"You were in my head," Caroline accused him in a heated voice
"No." Klaus gave her a keen look. "Whatever was in your mind was all your own doing." He leaned over to cup her cheek. "What were you dreaming?"
Caroline was caught off-guard by the intensity of his voice, his fervent curiosity in what she visualized while feeding from him.
"It was nothing."
His face fell and Caroline wondered what kind of answer he expected? The revelation that he hadn't been influencing her thoughts terrified her. The kissing, the entire scene that left her so hot and bothered, was all her own imagination. Forced to recognize this truth, it was too much. She needed to get away from Klaus, away from his influence.
She jumped up from the couch. "I need to go home. Now."
Klaus stood, reaching for her hand. "I don't think that is a good idea. You have just been through a very rough ordeal. You would have passed into a transient state if I hadn't fed you."
"While I do appreciate that, it is time for me to leave," Caroline replied, removing her hand from his grasp. "My mother will be worried if I am out too late."
"I will call your mother, tell her where you are. I will see to it that she understands," he argued.
Caroline's head throbbed and she reached up to massage her temples. The last thing she needed was to get her mother involved in any of this. She knew she couldn't force Klaus to let her go home so she appealed to his care for her wellbeing, hoping this slight manipulation would work.
"I am really tired and I just want to go home and sleep. Please."
Klaus's gave he a pained expression. "Of course. Let me walk you to your car." He held out his hand for her and with only the slightest hesitation she took it. "Since you are determined to go home, I am going to follow you in my car to ensure you make it home safely."
They left the library and made their way to the front door.
Caroline wasn't even going to bother to argue with him. Let him follow her if he pleased. All she cared about was getting home. Tonight was an emotional roller coaster and she was drained. While Klaus's blood revived her physically, emotionally she was a wreck and was hanging on by a single thread.
Outside the hybrids stopped whatever they were doing, standing attentively when Klaus stepped into the courtyard. Caroline was tempted to roll her eyes. From all his talk of chess earlier it was even more obvious to her that he saw himself as a king and no doubt, these hybrids were his pawns. His siblings were most likely his bishops and the rooks and knights were probably favored hybrids. Then last of all there was the queen, the most important piece he told her, but who in his life held that role? Caroline was very much afraid she already knew the answer.
From nearby there was a faint rustle and that was the only warning Caroline had. Klaus threw her to the ground, covering her with his body. Lying underneath him, the crunch of what sounded like teeth hitting bone tore the air. Someone yelled in pain. There was more shouting and the flurry of activity. Through it all Klaus held her immobile beneath him. Frustrated at not being able to see anything, she pushed at him trying to force him off of her. His body was firm and hard to her touch, resisting her efforts. At last but he shifted and she was able to free herself.
"Caroline, are you unhurt?" Klaus' gaze roved over every inch of her body.
"Of course. With you for a shield how could I not be?"
Klaus smiled and standing up he offered her a hand, pulling her to her feet. Satisfied at her response he turned around to reveal Tim, the hybrid servant who showed her to Klaus' library. His face was waxy and pale and from the way his arm was bleeding there was a huge chunk of flesh missing from him. Something attacked him, bit him, ripping through muscle, tendon and bone. Tearing her gaze away from the hybrid she found the culprit. To the left, crumpled in a heap of fur, was a hybrid based on the fact it was currently transforming from wolf to human before her eyes. From the awkward angle of its head, someone snapped its neck. Probably, the hybrid now kneeling proudly beside the creature.
Klaus contorted with anger and stalked over to where the dead, hybrid male lay.
"Sire, it looks like we were attacked by one of our own?" the hybrid kneeling asked with confusion.
Klaus poked at the creature's head with the toe of his foot. "It would appear that way. I remember him."
The quiet rage in his voice walked chills down Caroline's spine. He was furious and his control was practically paper-thin. Swallowing her own nervousness, she walked over to Klaus, touching him lightly on the shoulder.
"I don't understand? How is that possible?"
"Compulsion."
"But why? Who has the power to do that?"
Klaus turned to look at her and the glimmer of fear she saw in his eyes scared her more than anything she ever witnessed before in her life. "I don't know, but I think you were the target."
"Me?" Caroline squeaked, shaking her head. "That can't be. I have nothing to do with," she waved her hands over the crowd of hybrids that surrounded them, "this."
From behind her came a soft, groan. Turning around she found Tim convulsing, his breath coming out in pants. He was dying, but it seemed to be happening at a faster rate than it should. If Klaus was right and this attack had been meant for her then Tim had given his life for hers. Her heart clenched and her eyes became wet. The debt she owed this hybrid was one she couldn't possibly ever repay. "Do something," she whispered to Klaus through her tears.
He moved behind her and she didn't protest when his arms slid around her waist, pulling her close to him.
"What would you have me do, love?"
"Can't you save him? Won't your blood heal him like it did me?"
Klaus's became rigid behind her. "Well, yes."
Turning around in his embrace, Caroline smiled up at him. "Then do it. Save Tim's life."
"I am not going to give him my blood." Klaus looked with contempt at Tim's fallen body.
Caroline wrenched herself from his arms to glare at him. "But why? Is it because he is a pawn?"
"Of course, he's a pawn," he threw back. "And as such he is dispensable. He served his purpose. Did you learn nothing from our game?"
"That was a game. Not real life," Caroline cried.
Tim coughed, his face turning blue when blood spilled from his lips to pool on the ground.
They were running out of time. In minutes, Tim would be dead and it would be all her fault. She couldn't allow him to sacrifice his life for her.
"Please, Klaus. Don't let him die," she sobbed, tears running down her face. "If he dies it will be because of me and I can't live with that." His arms went around her, his lips pressing soothing kisses against her hair. She cried harder.
Roaring with a sound of frustration, Klaus pulled his arms from around her. "Fine," he thundered. Kneeling over Tim, he motioned for one of the hybrids to come forward. "Hold his head and keep his mouth open."
Klaus instructed bit open his wrist with his teeth.
Blood dripped from Klaus into the hybrids open mouth, drop after drop. Caroline waited for the color to return to Tim's face. The hybrid managed to sluggishly swallow the blood but there was not a single change to him to show that he was reviving. Tim's chest rose one more time, his breath rattling in his throat. The little bit of life that remained in his eyes flickered out. He was dead.
"No," Caroline whispered.
Klaus stood up, his face drawn and white. "It didn't work."
"What happened? Why didn't it work?"
"I don't know." Klaus staggered over to her, grasping her shoulders tightly in his hands. "It could have been you and there is nothing I could have done to save you."
His eyes were stark with terror. Ill with dread and horror at what could have happened to her, what did happen to Tim, she pushed it aside. Having Klaus this unsettled scared her more than she thought possible. She needed him to be back to his normal cocky, moody self.
"I'm safe," she said soothed, wrapping her arms around him.
He started at her embrace, pressing her so tight against himself it was almost painful.
"I swear nothing like this will ever happen to you again. I will keep you safe."
"I know you will." She pulled herself out of his arms. "Now, can I please go home?"
The fear in Klaus's eyes gave way to fury. "You were almost killed on," he paused to heavily emphasize the next words, "my property." You aren't going anywhere until I figure out who is behind this and kill them."
Caroline bristled and strode over to her car. "No, I am going home."
"Love, if you think I am going to let you get into your car and go home after almost being murdered on my doorstep, you are insane. You will stay here where I can offer some form of protection with my hybrids."
"I will not be forced into staying here. Do you want my mother, Elena, the Salvatores, everyone to find out about us and this incident?" Caroline yelled. "Because if they do, I can guarantee they would die rather than have you see me again."
Klaus ran his fingers through his hair. "You have no idea what you are asking of me."
"I think I am starting to."
"So what? I am supposed to let you go home, leaving you open for attack?
Caroline rummaged through her purse for her keys. "First of all, we don't know for sure that the attack was for me, and if it was, they have proven they can get to me anywhere. Even here, at your house."
"It was meant for you. I am sure of it."
"Really? Because with all your enemies, I am not so sure about that. So until you can prove that rogue hybrid was out to get me I am going home," Caroline said over her shoulder, putting her key in the door lock.
Klaus flashed to her side. "My enemies would know they couldn't kill me with a hybrid bite."
At his words, she faltered with the key, before at last turning it. "If it was meant for me, I am sure that whoever is behind the attack will realize now that I am protected and no longer easy prey."
"So they will just try harder then," Klaus said coldly. When she didn't react the way he wanted, he fisted his hands in frustration. "Do you really mean to go home?"
"Yes." Caroline opened the car door.
"Then I'm going with you." Klaus held out his hand for her keys. "I'll drive."
With a huff, Caroline turned her keys over, allowing Klaus to walk her to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door for her and she slid into the seat. She watched through the window while Klaus gave orders to the hybrids standing around. Several of them separated from the group and headed towards what she assumed were their cars at the end of the courtyard. Finished with his task, Klaus sat down in her car and started the engine.
"I have arranged for you to have plenty of protection at your home. I am sending my best and most loyal to look after you."
"And how exactly am I going to explain this to my mother? Are they going to be hanging out in my kitchen?"
Klaus glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "No, I don't want them in your house. I don't want anyone there who doesn't have a personal invite from you. They will blend into your neighborhood, keep watch when I am not there."
"Don't tell me you are going to be hanging out in my kitchen?" Caroline asked sarcastically, ignoring she her relief at the idea of the hybrids keeping an eye on things.
"I would if you would let me."
Caroline gave him an icy look.
"Then I will stay with you only until your mother gets home."
"You can't do that. What will she think? What will you tell her? She can't know about any of this."
Klaus clenched his jaw before speaking. "That we are dating or the attack on your life?"
"Both, and we aren't really dating." Caroline knew he didn't like her answers when he stared straight ahead at the road, his fingers gripping the steering wheel so hard he left dents.
When they pulled up into her driveway, Klaus stopping the car to park it, Caroline was aware of the cars that followed them spreading out and parking along the sides of the streets.
Klaus checked out her house, exploring all the rooms before letting her inside. Yawning with exhaustion, Caroline turned to show him out the door. He settled himself on the couch in the small family room.
"What are you doing?" Caroline asked.
"I am waiting here until your mother gets home."
"Oh, no you're not. The first thing she will see when she walks in the door is you in her house."
"Then I better find someplace else to wait where she can't see me. You're bedroom maybe?"
Caroline opened her mouth to refuse, bit it was futile to argue. It was obvious to her he wasn't going to leave her alone in the house and her mom was sure to catch him here if he was right out in the open in the middle of the house; so really, her bedroom did make the best option.
"Fine," she sighed.
"Really?" Klaus asked, completely taken aback by her answer.
"Just let me get dressed and you can come in. It probably works better this way anyway because when my mom gets home you can leave through my window."
"Just like in Romeo and Juliet," he mocked.
Caroline shook her head. They were anything but star-crossed lovers. Going into her room, she shut the door. She found one of her more concealing pajama sets. A simple silky blue tank and shorts two piece. Yawning again, she managed to slip them on. She opened her door, surprised to find him already standing outside.
His gaze roamed over her silk clad form, his eyes glittering.
"Nothing is going to happen between us," she warned him.
"No." He sauntered into her room. "I am only going to keep you company until your mother comes home.
Caroline climbed into her bed, pulling her blankets over herself tightly. He sat himself down on the other side of her mattress. "
You will have to keep yourself company. I can barely keep my eyes open."
"Go to sleep then, love. I will be here keeping you safe."
"I know," Caroline replied, her voice heavy with sleep. It was supposed to be weird to have him in her bedroom again, but it felt nice, comforting even. It denied reason. With him watching she believed nothing bad could ever happen. "Just stay out of my dreams, okay?" she said right before drifting to sleep.