For what sins an ancient vampire had taken an interest in you, you still couldn’t understand. You were only human. A girl with her own problems, school, and a life that always felt too complicated, and yet somehow his gaze kept returning to you. If it weren’t for the vervain hidden inside your necklace, you would have probably been walking through Mystic Falls with erased memories and emptiness where thoughts of him should have been. Elijah was polite. Impeccable. Almost frighteningly composed. And maybe that was the worst part.

The evening was cold and far too dark for walking alone, but a difficult day at school had successfully robbed you of common sense. You needed air. You had arranged to meet Caroline for coffee at the Grill, and for a moment it had felt like the best idea in the world. The streets were nearly empty, wet asphalt reflecting the streetlights while the cold air stung your cheeks as you walked quickly.

You never made it there.

First came the shiver.

Sharp. Unsettling. As if the air had suddenly grown heavier.

Then the cold.

And that irrational feeling that someone was watching your every movement.

You looked around quickly. Nothing. No people. No movement. Only empty streets and branches rustling in the wind. You shoved your hands deeper into your jacket pockets and kept walking, trying to convince yourself it was only paranoia.

Less than a minute passed.

A crack sounded behind you.

You turned immediately.

And there he was.

Elijah Mikaelson.

Elegant, motionless, almost unreal standing in the darkness, his coat shifting with the wind and that calm expression on his face that never meant anything good. Your heart jumped into your throat. You jerked back instinctively, trying to step away, but he was faster. His hand closed firmly around your arm while the other instantly covered your mouth as a scream escaped your throat.

He didn’t handle you brutally. He didn’t need to.

His strength was overwhelming.

He held you securely against him while your quick breaths pressed against his hand and your wide frightened eyes locked onto his.

Then he leaned closer.

Close enough for you to feel the cold of his breath near your ear.

“Dont scream,” he whispered. “If I intended to harm you, this would look very different.”