Klaus sped through the trees, dodging the branches and snapping the ones that were in his way. Threats circled his mind, of just exactly what he planned to do to this vampire, who so idiotically thought it wise to cross paths with him.

His breathing was rough as he trailed past the forest, slowing only enough to listen for anything that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The first few pauses were empty but when he stopped for the third time, he could hear a vague pounding of some sort.

Klaus sped after it, following the distant noise. It steadily grew, until he found himself looking at the ground.

There.

Partially buried beneath debris of pine and dirt, was a thin, green music player.

He snatched it up and inspected it, rolling it around in his palms. He knew it was hers; had seen her wearing it and that made him feel almost....relieved. His eyes roved down the playlist curiously.

In that instant, another sound erupted from the distance and Klaus glanced ahead of him, momentarily forgetting the device.

He tuned in to the noises again, past the birds and the cars and the scuttling of forest creatures.

It came again and when Klaus realized it was a scream, his fists clenched so tightly, the music player bent beneath his fingers.

He didn't even hear it snap as he sped forward, following the sound of Caroline's scream like bread crumbs.

____________________________________________________________________

I thought my shoulder was dislocated. The pain scorched up my arm and I tried to stifle the cry of pain that bubbled to my lips but it was no use. I tasted the metallic tang of blood and realized I must've bitten my lip.

"Ouch, that sounded painful," the man mused, watching me calmly as if he weren't purposefully harming another human being.

Maybe they really were monsters.

I ignored him, clutching my arm go myself as I waited for the flare of pain to subside. It didn't.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked through clenched teeth. Maybe I could distract him; keep him talking. That could spare me a few extra minutes.

But for what? For Klaus to show up and rescue me? For someone else to hear me and come to my assistance, just to be killed themselves? That wasn't something I wanted weighing on my conscience.

The guy sighed loudly, crossing his arms over his chest. He toed a broken stick on the ground, flicking it up with blurring speed. It landed in his hand.

"I want to know exactly what you are to one of the most feared men alive. If I'm right, he'll be along shortly. If I'm wrong, well, apply your imagination to that scenario."

I shivered at his words, tightening my hold around myself.

"If he's so....terrible," I said, no longer bothering to shield my fear. I was scared. I had the right to be. "Wouldn't that make this kind of a dumb idea?"

He blurred faster than my eyes could follow and jostled my shoulder. The movement made me gasp as I registered the pain, those black dots across my vision bringing more friends with them.

"Please stop!" I begged, feeling more tears come. This didn't faze him though as his eyes continued to stare down at me, behind a mask of indifference.

"I'm not enjoying this," he said, flipping that piece of wood in his hand. "It's really disappointing, in fact. I'm almost hoping he fails to show because that would at least imply that I've underestimated him."

I gawked at his words, still clutching my shoulder. "And if he.....stops you?"

I avoided the word kill because it seemed that ever since this nightmare of mine started, I've faced death more times in the last two days than compiled in my meager seventeen years of life. And I didn't want to give him any reminders.

The guy shrugged, his gaze flickering away for a moment. "Even immortals die at some point."

And he said I had no regard for my life.

"How could you not....not care?" I asked, the shock leaking into my tone. For a second, I actually forgot about the pain and my own impending death. But at least I was doing it; I was distracting him.

The man came forward, still playing with that stick. He looked at me in mock surprise, as if I were an idiot.

He clicked his tongue, pacing in front of me. "Niklaus hasn't told you. Huh. Here's another lesson for you, then. You see, we vampires have a way of cheating fear. Well, fear, hate, anger, pretty much every emotion you can think of. It's like a switch that you can flip, but once off....it takes quite the effort to desire turning it back on again."

I felt my face screw up in confusion which turned into realization and then dawning horror. "You can turn off your emotions?"

He nodded to himself. "It's been, oh, roughly three weeks for me. Sure, others attempted to dissuade me, but there was just too much. And then I find you," his eyes lowered to mine. "A human girl, catching the attention of Niklaus Mikaelson. Who wouldn't be curious?"

"So you freaking stole me and did this for....that?" There was a tinge of anger to my voice and he paused at it. I felt myself still, waiting for the pain again but nothing came. Instead, he just continued to look at me, like scrutinizing a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out.

"Like I said, I wanted to see if I've underestimated hi-"

Before I could even blink, the man disappeared, his stick falling to the ground. Terror raked through me but then my eyes found him, his body crushed between a tree and another figure I instantly recognized.

Klaus.

"Underestimated, indeed," he said.