Chapter 11:
Mari was hoping to avoid Kol if it was possible. She stayed in the room all day, turning even Freya away when she asked if Mari wanted to join them for dinner. So many things whirled through her mind. That part of her that care about Klaus didn't want him to know. Then again, Klaus made it clear he wasn't interested romantically, but it was hard to believe that Kol would be.
However, she couldn't avoid the situation forever. Late that night, once everyone dispersed for their rooms, and the compound grew quiet. Mari was wearing nothing but a tee shirt and a pair of plain white underwear after taking a shower. She dropped her head, letting her hair fall in front of her and using her towel to dry it a bit.
When she stood up straight again, throwing her blond curls back over her shoulders, she came face to face with Kol. He was standing in front of her door, leaning back against it after closing it. Her eyebrows furrowed and her cheeks flushed.
"Kol. You scared me." She held the towel down by her waist, using it to block a little bit of her bare thighs that were exposed underneath the large tee shirt she was wearing. It hung down just enough to cover her underwear, but the majority of her legs were still exposed. "What are you doing here?"
"You've been avoiding me, darling. What did you expect?" He pushed off of the door, taking a few slow steps towards her, like she was a timid animal he was trying to capture. "Not a word since yesterday. Did a little kiss frighten you that terribly?"
"What it meant or didnt mean frightened me. You... you and Klaus think it's easy to just..." She cleared her throat and looked down at her feet, clearly embarrassed about the entire situation. "I'm not like you. I'm not interested in something casual."
"How do you know that I am?" He questioned, stepping closer. Mari instinctively took a step back. She turned her face away from his, unable to look him in the eyes.
"Because you are still in love with Davina. Just like Klaus still loves Camille. You're both trying to use me as a distraction, and that's not what I want to be." Kol stepped closer; she stepped back.
"What do you want to be, Marigold?" He asked, his voice low and sultry. He reached out, taking a strand of her golden locks between his fingers and twirling it. Her hand flew up instantly, grabbing his wrist. She pushed his hand away.
"I dont want to be a toy for you and Klaus to fight over." She no longer feared they would hurt her, eapecially after they rushed to her rescue. This gave her a little more confidence when dealing with them. A little more trust in herself and her decisions.
He circled her, stopping behind her back. Mari kept her head facing forward, ducking it low to avoid showing fear. He could probably hear her heart thudding away anyways.
"Do you want to know something interesting, Mari?" Kol grabbed her hair away from her face and pulled it back to expose her neck. Mari knew she should have turned around, pushed away, slapped him if she had to. For some reason, she could do none of those things. There was an unsettling desire to wait, to see what he did next. Could be the compulsion that made her enjoy his bite. He didnt say if it would wear off.
Her body jolted a little when his lips suddenly touched the soft skin of her shoulder from behind her. His hand gripped the sleeve of her tee shirt, tugging it down to expose her neck and shoulder even more. Mari whimpered a little and shuddered.
"Kol, I don't want to be something you use when you feel like it."
"Are you sure about that?" Kol whispered in her ear, sendinfmg another wave of chills throughout her body. "You could run from me, but you're not. You could curse my existence, but you don't. Your heart may crave my brother, but I think your body craves something else." His fingertips slid down her shoulder, down her arm, before intertwining with her fingers.
"Kol, I..." She was breathless, her chest heaving with each new touch. This wasn't her. She wasn't this kind of person, so why wouldn't her feet carry her away? Why was there some deep part of her that kept her still. "S-stop." With her hand now in his, Kol spun Mari around to face her. He tilted her face upwards with his thumb so he could look her in the eyes. Her head jerked away instinctively to avoid compulsion. He frowned.
"Are you afraid of me? Or afraid of how I make you feel?" Both, she answered internally. Kol was unpredictable at times, and incredibly volatile. Despite that, he was also incredibly tempting and alluring when he wanted to be. Mari hated it. He lifted her hand above her head, holding tightly even when she tried to pull away.
"What if Klaus finds out?" She stammered out, stumbling slightly as he backed her towards the wall, pinning that hand against it and above her head. His other hand grabbed her free wrist and put it up there as well. He leaned down close to her, brushing his lips against hers.
"I told you to forget him. He doesn't love you. He never will." As much as she hated to admit it, hearing Kol say it so bluntly hurt her feelings a little. She lifted her leg high enough to push her foot into his thigh, trying to kick him away from her. "Flexible little thing," he purred.
"Let go of me, Kol," she told him. "You're right. He doesnt love me. You dont either." She kicked a little harder, swinging back against the wall under his grasp. "Kol!" She cried out a little more desperately. He released her wrists, then, taking a step back to give her space. Mari slid to the ground, grabbing at the wrist he was holding.
"Mari, I didn't mean to scare you," he said quickly. When he moved to kneel down in front of her, he was suddenly thrown backwards, sending a pang of fear through Mari's chest. Her eyes flicked to Klaus, who was standing there now, gaze fixed on Kol.
"What are you doing?" Klaus demanded to know, hands balled into fists at his side. Kol looked up at Klaus as he stood, dusting himself off and regaining his composure.
"Oh, having a bit of fun is all, Niklaus," Kol answered with a smirk. "Nothing that concerns you." Klaus looked back to Mari, who was on her feet now but still pressed into the wall. "Mari is moving on, Klaus. Does that anger you? Does it frighten you?"
"Jesus, you two, you're like children," Mari said out of sheer frustration. They both look to her, shocked by her sudden outburst. Shes breathing heavily, panting even. She grabbed her towel from the floor, then stalked to her bed. She sat on the edge of it, running her fingers through her wet hair slowly. They both stood there, looking a bit ashamed of themselves. "Tell me what you want from me? I'm not interested in being a toy for you to bicker over. Im a person. A woman. Im not an object."
"Yes, Klaus. Why don't you tell her what you want from her? Oh wise and noble brother. Gentle and kind as you are." Kol was being a jerk, and Klaus knew why. Mari turned away at the mention of gentle and kind, hating that Kol was using her words to mock her.
"I want her to be safe and protected. Even from you." Klaus looked back at Mari. "Please excuse my brother. He has very little control as of late."
"And you're superior, are you?" Kol scoffed. "As I recall, you tried to get Mari into bed with you very recently, in fact. You blatantly told her you want only her body."
"Mind your tongue, Kol, before I rip it out," Klaus seethed. Kol smirked,
"Have you reconsidered? Are you actually interested in that fragile heart of hers?" Kol glanced over at Mari, whose face was flush with anger and shame. "Do you think so, Mari? As you said earlier, he is most certainly still in love with Camille."
"Please, stop," she squeaked out, bringing her hands up to cover her face.
"Maybe I want more than her body," Kol went on. "Maybe I'm actually interested in all of her, as she is, and not because she resembles anyone else. She's nothing like Davina. Could you stand to back down if I told you I wanted her, Niklaus?"
"I think the choice belongs to Marigold," Klaus said through his teeth. "It didnt seem like she wanted you the same way, Kol."
"Oh, but you're wrong. She was responding to my every touch, shivering as my fingers explored her sweet skin." Kol was just trying to get a rise out of Klaus, so he could understand his true intentions. Klaus would either admit that he cared or prove that he didnt. The tightening of Klaus's jaw gave Kol a clue, but it wasnt enough. "I kissed her, Klaus, and her lips are so sweet. She only pulled away when I mentioned your name."
"Is this true?" Klaus turned to ask Mari. She stared at him for a moment, then, with a deep breath, nodded.
"You said you couldn't give me anything, so I didn't plan on pursuing you. Itd be pointless, wouldn't it?" Her eyes were wide, doe-like, but full of tears. She had this look of innocence, of purity. Maybe the monster inside of Klaus only craved it so he could destroy it.
"She's moving on, brother," Kol shrugged. "Should be good for you. Better than breaking her heart again."
"Maybe you should both stay away," Mari said suddenly. "I dont want to cause tension or fighting. Your brothers. Act like it." She pulled her blankets up over her legs. "I'm only staying her until you talk to Marcel or figure something out. Then... Im going home."
"Home?" Klaus asked, a look of concern replacing the anger that previously controlled his countenance. "To your abusive father?"
"Where else can I go without being involved with the two of you?" She scoffed. "All I've done is cause problems. You two are fighting because of me when neither of you really feel the way I want you to feel about me. Im not stupid. I know I shouldn't be here anymore."
"Are you really going to let that men lay his hands on you again?" Kol growled lowly. "The only thing waiting for you at home is suffering and abuse. Why go back?'
"I still have my little brother to look after. It'll be okay. It doesn't happen that often." Mari laid back, pulling a pillow to her chest. "Im telling Elijah my decision tomorrow. Now please... let me sleep." Kol looked to Klaus,
"We cant let her go back."
"It's kidnapping if we stop her." Klaus let out a long sigh. "Sleep on it. Dont make this decision so rashly, Mari, love. You're safest here."
"I dont think I am. Not anymore. Goodnight Klaus. Goodnight, Kol." The brothers exchanhed glances, but they left her she requested. There wasnt much of a choice. They would figure something out, Kol was sure. He wouldnt let her suffer anymore because of her drunk father. There had to be a better solution. There had to be.