CHAPTER ONE

Mystic Falls, 1864

I met Katherine Pierce on the worst day of my life. It was the day that my father voiced his intentions to have me married off by the end of the year, a decision that would consequently lead to the end of my human life. I was an oppositional girl and I evaded my father's wishes at every turn. Perhaps that was why I began my doomed infatuation with a monster.

I stomped up the stairs after my father broke the news to me, ignoring the horrified looks from passing servants for my behavior. As soon as I made it to my room, I slammed the door and perched on the window seat, tears streaming down my cheeks.

The truth was, I desperately longed for an epic romance, one that I would not find if I were stuck in an arranged marriage. Every night when I slept, I would dream of various men and women, who would whisper sweet nothings against my skin. I knew that those people existed only in my mind, and yet, I still hoped to experience a romance like the ones I had with them.

Through the cloudy haze of my tears, I looked out of my bedroom window and my heart stopped. Wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my dress, I watched a woman step from a carriage. I was transfixed by her beauty and when she looked up and our eyes collided, I felt the whole world pause around us.

I thought that Katherine was an angel sent to save me. Little did I know that she was a demon who would destroy me.

I finally let out a breath when our eyes disconnected and my twin brother, Stefan walked over to greet her. My nails dug into my palms when he took her hand and kissed it. A wave of resentment towards my brother washed over me for a moment before I pushed the feeling down.

Planting a smile on my face, I patted down my hair and hurried out of my room. From the landing, I could see Stefan inviting the woman into her home. Hurrying down the stairs, I stopped beside my brother and bent my knees in a polite curtsey.

"Miss Pierce, it is wonderful to meet you." I said with a shy smile, basking in the way her eyes trailed over me. "My name is Evelyn."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Evelyn," she replied, her voice smooth and warm, "I have a feeling that you and I will become very close."

I beamed up at her, "I would love that!"

"And please, Evelyn, call me Katherine."

Haymouth Village, 2010

It was considerably more difficult to hunt in small villages as opposed to big cities. In the city, it was fairly easy to grab an unsuspecting human off the crowded street to feed on. In a village, however, everyone seemed to know each other and any disappearances would be almost instantly noticed. For that reason alone, many vampires tended to avoid lesser populated areas. I, however, embraced the challenge.

I had come across the quaint village of Haymouth in the South East of England. It was a quiet place that I would have loved to visit if I still had my emotions. Without my pesky emotions, it was merely a pit stop to have a quick snack before I continued my spontaneous journey.

I leant against a lamppost, my eyes scanning the passersby. The sun was beginning to set and many of the locals were walking to their local pub. I watched the humans with cold calculation, trying to decide which one to snack on. It would be difficult considering none of them walked alone. Perhaps I would have to seduce one and lure them away from their friends?

Just as I was about to make my move, I got the distinct feeling that someone was watching me. Narrowed my eyes, I looked around for any sign that my intuition had been correct. Finally, my eyes landed on a man in a suit, who sat on a nearby bench. He watched me intently so I watched him in return.

I had to admit that he was rather handsome and the suit only added to the appeal. I had never been with a man before. In fact, I had never been with anyone other than Katherine. When I had emotions, sex and romance walked hand in hand. The thought of bedding someone that I did not love was just not for me. Since loving someone was out of the question, I had been celibate for a century and a half. However, now that my emotions were gone, so was my disdain of sex outside of a relationship.

The man stood and approached me, an odd expression on his face. Something about the way he moved felt very familiar but I did not recognise his face. I tilted my head to the side to study the stranger as he came to a stop in front of me. He wore an expression of suppressed joy, his eyes flashing with recognition. I was almost certain that we had never met before, however, there was something about him that had me reaching for a memory that I could not fully grasp.

The only thing I knew for certain was that he was a vampire.

"I thought that I was the only vampire in the village." I mused, placing a hand on my hip.

"On the contrary, it appears that there are two." the man responded, the corner of his lip turning upwards. "What brings you here?"

"I was simply passing by." I shrugged.

"As was I," he replied, his eyes softening.

Placing a hand on my hip, I casually asked, "I was going to go and grab a bite to eat. Care to join me?"

The vampire frowned as he watched me, as if I were a puzzle he was trying to solve. After a moment, he raised his eyebrows slightly. "Do you have your emotions turned off?"

I shrugged and forced a smirk onto my face. "Life is a lot more fun when you don't care about anything."

"What is your name?" the stranger asked, frowning.

"Evelyn." I replied, "And yours?"

"My name is Elijah Mikaelson."

A/N: I hope that you enjoyed the first chapter of Limerence. Limerence is a condition where an individual becomes infatuated with a person, often by romanticizing them in their minds. Limerence more commonly affects people with neurodivergence and, when extreme, it can negatively affect day to day lives. I am someone who experiences limerence and it can be crippling at times. When I came up with this plot, I saw so much of myself in Evelyn and the title instantly popped into my mind.

I am publishing this book as a trial run of sorts. Whilst I absolutely love the plot, I am not sure whether or not I am doing it justice. I am also unsure of whether or not people will gel with the main character since my readers usually prefer boss bitches. I would absolutely love to hear your feedback to help me decide whether or not to continue writing!