Merry Christmas, seriouslymilady!
“Caroline.”
Caroline froze halfway across her lawn at the sound of her name. Not because someone was calling her, but because of who was calling her, a voice she hadn’t heard in almost a year and a half. Five hundred and seven days, if you were keeping track, not that she was. Okay, maybe she was. Why wouldn’t she? After all it was how long it had been since Caroline had packed up her car and headed off to college, leaving behind everything she had ever known. The town she’d grown up in, her friends, her pack, her parents, and...him. Now she was back due to her father’s orders and had hoped to avoid seeing him for as long as possible, which of course meant that she would run into him within hours of her being back in town.
Cursing her luck, Caroline turned around, a small smile on her face. “Klaus, hi.”
“Hello love.” Klaus replied.
“Um, how are you? You look good,” she commented, cringing as she did. Had she really just said that? More often than not, she said the first thing on her mind before she could stop herself and this was definitely one of those circumstances. Klaus did look good though, actually good was an understatement. She wasn’t sure how it was possible but his shoulders seemed wider, his curls a bit longer, and he seemed to have gotten more handsome since she’d been gone.
All of which she wanted to use as an excuse for the sudden warmth Caroline felt throughout her body but she knew she’d be lying to herself. Simply being near him again was the cause of that, her wolf recognizing him instantly after being apart for so long and she could feel her trying to push Caroline to get closer but she fought against it.
She watched as one of Klaus’ eyebrows arched in disbelief at her question. “‘You left without a goodbye & have refused to talk to me for over a year and that’s the first thing you say?”
“I was trying to be polite,” Caroline replied, laughing nervously. “I see that you’re still as blunt as always.”
“When have either one of us ever not been?” Klaus retorted.
“With the way Daddy has been talking you up, I thought you might have picked up a few bits of tact under his tutelage.” She declared. While she hadn’t spoken to Klaus since she left, he had been the subject of several conversations between herself and her father, mostly with him singing Klaus’ praises.
“Well Bill might be a good Alpha, but he isn’t a miracle worker.”
Caroline couldn’t help but let out an unladylike snort at the truth behind his statement. Even someone like her father would be unable to change Klaus if Klaus didn’t want to be changed. Though if he was going to take over as Alpha for her father some day, like he planned, he would need some diplomacy. Of course by thinking of Klaus learning from her father reminded Caroline exactly why he was in that position (Well without having challenged her father) and suddenly she became tense again.
“Though he did manage to finally get you to return home so perhaps I am underestimating him.”
She heard Klaus add, his voice teasing with a hint of spite mixed in, causing her nervousness to be replaced by irritation. However before she could give any kind of comeback, they were interrupted when a car stopped at the end of the drive, the driver being one of the last people Caroline wanted to see.
“Everyone said you were back, but to be honest, I didn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.” Greta stated as she got out of the car and made her way towards the two of them. “The prodigal princess returns.”
“Yes, just for a visit.” Caroline grumbled. She hated when people called her that, and Greta knew it. She was the one who had started it after all when they were in grade school. She knew she couldn’t pick on the daughter of the Alpha, but she could still torment her in some way.
“I know your parents missed you, and some of the rest of the pack too. Though I don’t know about everyone.” Greta commented, a sly smile appearing on her face as she brought her hand up to grasp Klaus’ arm.
At the sight of the other she-wolf touching Klaus in such a familiar way, Caroline’s wolf bristled and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from growling in challenge. ‘Mine,’ She thought before she shoved the thought away and regained control. But not before Greta noticed her reaction, her smile expanding to a full fledge grin.
“We should be going, only a few hours before nightfall,” Klaus said suddenly, breaking up the face-off between the women.
“Right, we wouldn’t want to be late for tonight’s hunt. What with it being to a welcome home for Caroline and all.” Greta stated as she let Klaus lead her back to her car, opening the driver door for her to slid in before making his way back to the passenger side, glancing at Caroline as he did.
“Until tonight sweetheart.”
#######
As she ran on all fours through the woods, Caroline felt a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in months. She had been able to change and go for runs while at school but it paled in comparison to how it felt to run through the woods that she had grown up in.
Her father had arranged a full moon hunt to mark her homecoming and while she had hated the attention, she was enjoying herself greatly. Since turning, she had been running almost the whole time so when she came upon a stream, she decided to take a break for a drink, refreshing herself.
All around her, Caroline could hear her packmates moving through the woods, tracking various animals or like Caroline herself, simply relishing the event. She had been reunited with several friends, both in human and wolf form, but so far had only seen Klaus from a far, just after the pack had met up.
As if the mere thought of him summoned him, Klaus appeared from the brush just behind her, and she was wondered if he hadn’t been tracking her. She wouldn’t be surprised if he had been, considering he didn’t look a bit startled to see her there. Instead he moved towards her, his head slightly bowed as he watched her, his eyes the same blue color in wolf form as they were in human, waiting to see if she would bolt at his attention. She knew she should but couldn’t make herself do it. Not even when he came so close that their coats brushed against each other or she felt his nose bump her muzzle.
Wolves as a whole were a touchy bunch, and it felt completely natural to her, especially considering who it was. Caroline couldn’t deny it, even to herself that she had missed him, which was why she afforded herself a moment of weakness to reciprocate his affections. His tawny coat held the familiar smell that was uniquely Klaus, woodsy, wild, with a bit of something that just made her feel safe. She also noticed that the only smell she could pick up was his, and not of any other wolf.
It wasn’t until she felt him put one of his paws up on top of her neck that she realized what he was really doing. Klaus wasn’t just trying to show her attention or show that he might have missed her too, he was marking her; making sure that she was covered in his scent so that anyone who came near her, especially males, would know that she belonged to him. Well that was what he thought.
Turning her head quickly, Caroline lashed out, catching Klaus’ leg between her teeth. She didn’t bite hard enough to do permanent damage, but hard enough to let him know she wasn’t happy, and just in case he didn’t get the idea, she followed it with a deep growl. Klaus yelped slightly at the attack, and pulled back though he didn’t withdraw completely, letting her know that t he understood but that she didn’t scare him off. No longer wanting to be near him, Caroline took off, heading back towards her home. Unfortunately Klaus decided to follow her and stayed on her tail, literally, the whole way.
They both turned quickly, Caroline using her anger to push her body to its limits in an attempt to speed up the process but Klaus still managed to best her, standing tall in front of her as she came back to herself. But if he thought that gave him the upper hand, he was mistaken for the second time that night.
“What the hell do you think you were doing?” Caroline yelled as she glared at him. “How dare you mark me like I am yours!”
“Because you are,,” Klaus snapped back. “As much as you might want to ignore that little fact, no matter how far away you run, it doesn’t change that you are mine Caroline.”
Before Caroline could argue back, Klaus was in front of her, so close that she could feel the heat of his body, as well as his breath on her face while he cupped her cheek. “Just as I am yours and have been since the first day we met. We are mates.”
At his declaration and his touch, Caroline couldn’t help but close her eyes at the sensations that overtook her. The bond between them felt just as intense as it had before she left, more so possibly due to how long they had been apart and all she wanted to do was wrap herself into it, into him. Only instead of giving in, she pulled back however before she could turn tail and run, Klaus grabbed her and stopped her escape. “I’m not making it that easy on you love, I’m not letting you run away from me again. Not until you talk to me.”
Caroline could see by the look in his eyes how serious he was, his dominance flowing off him in waves, and knew she was stuck. Suddenly very aware of how naked both of them were, and not wanting to have this conversation in that state, she nodded as she said. “Fine, but put some clothes on first. I can’t talk to you seriously like this.”
A cheeky smile twitched on his full lips at her words. “What’s the matter, love? Is my nakedness too much of a distraction for you?”
“As if that were true.” Caroline said as she grabbed the first pair of sweats that she thought might remotely fit him and threw them at him while she looked for something for herself to wear.
“Wouldn’t be the first time, or the second or third…” He trailed off as he pulled the pants on over his long legs just as Caroline pulled a large t-shirt over her head.
“So what do you want to talk about?” Caroline demanded, making sure to keep a little bit of distance between them while also trying to ignore how the sweatpants sat low on his hips.
“I want to talk about you,” Klaus explained. “And why you took off without a word to me, waiting until I was out of town for your father instead of talking to me face to face. I never knew you to be a coward Caroline.”
Caroline flinched at the words, at the harsh statement, though she didn’t argue because they were true. How she had left him had been very cowardly. Only because she knew if she had she probably wouldn’t have left. But it was something she had felt she had to do even it it was one of the hardest things, if not thee hardest thing she had done in her young life.
Since she had been a young girl, Caroline had felt like she was two people in one; the wolf side and the human side. She embraced her wolf, but also wanted to have a normal teenage girl’s life and she did everything she could to have it. But of course like everything else in her life, Caroline had had to go above and beyond. Instead of simply being a good student, a cheerleader, or a member of the dance committee, no she was one of the top students of her class, cheer team captain and head of almost every social committee there was at school And whereas others in the pack who had wanted to go to college went to nearby Whitmore, she had chosen one on the border of her father’s territory instead. She wanted to be her own person and figure out who she was before she became completely trapped by her birthright as the next Alpha female.
Everything she had planned had gone perfectly, until the autumn of her senior year. That was when Klaus came to town on the back of his motorcycle. He had been visiting various packs around the Eastern part of the country, trying to learn information about his biological father who he had been told was from the area and his last lead had led him to Mystic Falls. A lead that panned out when he discovered that his father had grown up there and had been friends with the Alpha, which was how he met Caroline. She had been told how it felt when a wolf met their mate, but descriptions didn’t do it justice. It was like touching a live wire, while at the same time coming out of a fog the first time she looked into his eyes.
Looking into those same eyes now, she answered him. “Because I knew if I saw you, you’d try to talk me out of it...and I knew that you would probably succeed. And I needed to get out of this town.”
“And away from me.” Klaus added.
“Yes,” Caroline admitted. “I was scared.”
“What are you so afraid of?”
“You.” She answered, her voice louder than it needed to me. “I’m afraid of you.”
“How could you be afraid of me? I would do anything to keep you safe.” Klaus declared.
“I never planned to meet the man who was my forever when I was 17!” Caroline exclaimed, stunning him at her admission. “And then there you were and things got so intense between us so fast, my head was spinning. And I saw how the pack looked at us and I knew what they were thinking. With my meeting you, the security of the pack’s leadership was ensured. It just became too much.”
“So being away at school, away from your pack is better?”
“It’s...simpler.” She replied. “I’m just like every other student and I don’t have so much on my shoulders, worrying what people will think if I make the wrong decision.”
“But is it better?” He repeated as he reached up to tuck a wild curl behind her ear, invading her space again but she did not stop him. “Are you happy?”
Caroline found that she couldn’t answer him, because she didn’t know the answer. Was she happy? She enjoyed school, the challenge it gave her and the opportunity to meet new people, try new things but she still felt like a part of her was missing. A part of her that she suddenly felt restored.
“If you have to think about it Caroline, I think that gives you your answer.” Klaus argued.
“Fine, yes, school isn’t perfect either. I don’t have the feeling of being smothered but it’s also a bit lonely.” She admitted. “I feel like I was missing...something.”
Klaus didn’t need her to explain what that something was, because it was the same way he had felt since she left. “Answer me something else, did it ever cross your mind to ask me if maybe I would want to go with you?”
“Yeah, as if that was a possibility.” Caroline scoffed in disbelief, but then she saw the seriousness on his face, her skepticism died. He really would have gone with her if she’d had asked. That bit of knowledge changed everything for her.
But was it possible? The pack would be upset, but her father would settle them down. Though he was middle age, he was still healthy and a strong leader, there was still time before he would be handing over control. It was why her father had allowed her to go away to school in the first place. And it wasn’t like Klaus couldn’t come back for periods of time when needed.
As for what it meant for the two of them, being away from the eyes and expectations of the pack would make a world of difference. That intensity and passion that had scared her would still be there, it always would be but it would give them the chance to form a real relationship on their own terms, take the time to get to know each other again.
“Klaus.” She sighed as she met his gaze again, but before she could say more, he closed the distance between them and kissed her. It was the opposite of what she expected, not rough and passionate but soft and gentle, loving. As if was trying to show her how he still felt and it sadly ended quicker than she wanted it to, causing her to whimper as he broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers.
“The pack has become a part of me but they are not my home, that’s you.” He whispered, his lips brushing hers as he spoke. “All you have to do is say the words Caroline.”
“Come with me, Klaus.”
The end