Devil May Love | Niklaus Mikaelson

Chapter Twenty-Three: Life of an Ex-Salvatore

Evangeline Salvatore

The warmth of the bond between Niklaus and I felt comforting and surprisingly familiar when I woke up in his arms that morning. Tears were dried on my eyelashes and under my eyes but thankfully my face was clean of makeup which meant I wouldn't have a terrible mess to smudge off of my features. I could remember changing out of my extravagant dress and showering (as well as crying, I did a lot of that yesterday) but I couldn't exactly remember how I ended up falling asleep.

Last night, Niklaus and I decided we wouldn't sleep at opposite ends seeing as almost every time we did, we woke up right next to each other. Therefore, he and I slept side by side but I remember we spoke well into the night about our pasts. Not about the bad and the bloody but the good things like where we had traveled and who we met along the way. It seemed like we would never fall asleep, yet, I was waking up with my head on his chest and a yawn climbing up my throat and puffing my cheeks.

"Watch the dragon breath" Nik snickered as I yawned and rolled away from him.

Glaring playfully, I leaned over, purposely yawning in his face before running off towards the bathroom before he could fully react. He, of course, opened the door before I could lock it, pinning me against the wall with a lazy grin on his face. With sparkling blue eyes and scruffy blonde bed hair, the man looked absolutely stunning.

"Thank you" I muttered, looking up at him with appreciation, "for last night"

His soft pink lips quirked into the smallest of smiles as his grip slipped and suddenly, we were exchanging breaths. A mere millimeter kept his lips away from mine. I closed my eyes before I felt the collision and still lost my breath all the same. With every kiss, I swore Nik had a new flavor. Last night, he tasted sweet and exactly like what I needed during that time but in that moment, he tasted vibrant, alive, and completely mine.

My fingers found the soft curls at the nape of his neck like it was a second nature. I tugged, he growled, and my skin ignited like a raw flame introduced to an abundance of oxygen. My body arched towards his and his large hands engulfed my waist, urging for my legs to wrap around his. Our tongues met briefly before our lips went back to war and our oxygen levels met impressive lows. One breath separated us but we were fused back together without a first or second thought.

We were solely acting on instinct. It was our bond, we were bound to each other, we craved each other. Intimacy was like blinking: impulsive, natural, easy. God, things had changed too quickly. He and I barely spoke or thought of the bond but (ironically) his mother shows up and we're attracted to each other like moths to flames.

Before I could transform and set my mate aflame accidentally, I pulled away and laid my head on his chest. His grip around my waist tightened and we took the same big, deep breath. I closed my eyes and just listened. First, I heard his breath, missing something—a heartbeat—and then I heard my own, quick little heartbeat dancing in my chest. Then, I heard the house and those inhabiting it.

Esther wasn't in the mansion, I noticed, and that was unsettling to me. Nik seemed to notice because he pulled away and lifted my chin to look into my eyes. That was always his first move when something was off about me, look and calculate, then speak.

"What's wrong?" He murmured rubbing my chin with his thumb, an attempt to calm me down.

I shook my head and took his hand away from my chin and into mine, "Esther isn't here"

"I know" he said kissing my hand, "But I have eyes on her"

"Eyes?" I questioned, looking at him curiously.