BLOOD WITHIN ✔︎

40 | the blood thing

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Are we gonna
Live or die?

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Talia ran downstairs and out the back door into the late evening. The sun was just about to set. Talia followed Kol's scent through the woods until she came to a meadow. Talia stepped into it and spotted Kol laying on the ground, looking at the sky.

Talia walked over to him and sat next to his head. "Elijah told me about the blood thing." Talia picked at the grass.

Kol frowned. "Elijah should keep his mouth shut."

Kol started to get up. Talia flung out her hand and caught his wrist. "Wait?"

Kol sat up facing Talia. "What?"

Talia blushed and looked at the ground. "Would you be able to control yourself if I offered you some?"

Kol frown deepened. "You don't know what you are asking."

"Yes. I do." Talia lifted her head to stare at Kol. Her cheeks on fire she kept talking to him. "I have been having some similar thoughts." She admitted. "A couple of times today I had to stop myself from staring right here." Talia reached her hand out and placed it on Kol's neck. She traced her fingers over his carotid artery.

Kol shivered and caught her hand. He laced his fingers through hers. "I thought you wanted to go slow?" His voice sounded husky to his ears. "Because this Darling, is the opposite of slow."

Talia shrugged. "It feels fine to me." Talia's eyes were latched on Kol's throat.

Kol reached out caught Talia's chin with his other hand. He brought her face up to his. "What is really going on Talia?"

Kol's brown eyes held Talia's green ones.

"It's just, I feel for you. I don't understand or have gone through what you are going through with my blood. Don't get me wrong! I wasn't making up my own urges. They are manageable. It's just when I let it consume me it is all I can do to stop myself from taking a bite out of you." Talia spilled. Talia closed her eyes in shame. "I just don't want you to be hurting."

Kol softened. His Talia was amazing. Who could ever believe that she could be his? Such a strange and beautiful creature. Kol let go of her face and hand and pulled her body into his. "Talia." He breathed. "I'm fine. I am not hurting. I have gone through worse pain than this. I can manage it. It's just that I want to be the only person to drink from your vein." Kol's vampire face came out at the thought.

Talia pulled back to see what had his body stiffening. She caught a glimpse of his fangs before he closed his eyes to compose himself. "Don't." She whispered. Talia reached out a hand and traced the dark veins under his eyes.

Kol's eyes snapped open at her touch. "Talia." He growled warningly.

Talia framed Kol's face with her hands. She brought her lips to his.

Kol remained frozen for a minute. He then returned the kiss. He forcefully kissed her. He deepened the kiss immediately. Talia traced her tongue carefully over his fangs and Kol stilled. He pulled back, breathing hard. "Talia. Stop."

"No." She murmured, trying to kiss him again.

Kol pulled his head back. "I know what you are doing. I promise you. I am fine." Kol's face was back to normal.

Talia wouldn't look at him. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Kol hugged Talia to his chest. "I am fine Darling."

Talia was unresponsive at first, but then she curled into his body.

"When you are really ready we will talk about this again, but until then, know that I am fine." Kol muttered into her hair.

Talia stayed in Kol's arms until the sun had fully set.

"We should probably go back." Talia spoke softly. "Last I heard was that they were getting things ready to go to New Orleans."

"Why?" Kol asked, running his hand over her head.

Talia sighed. "It's worse there than you think. The witches aren't able to defend themselves. Marcell has been giving vampires daylight rings for serving him."

Kol's mind was raging. His people were in danger. Only Talia's body curved into his kept him grounded.

"The werewolves are banished to the bayou and vampires who enter the city are told to either serve Marcell or die. They need us." Talia, sensing her mate's distress, cuddled closer. Talia placed a kiss under Kol's jaw.

Kol shivered. Didn't Talia know that a vampire's neck was sensitive? Obviously not.

"Don't worry. We will save them. Just like you are keeping me from moving too fast and destroying what we have, I will stop you from going too far. I promise. We will save the witches." Talia whispered.

Kol's arms tightened around Talia. "Thanks, Darling."

Kol and Talia laid back and watched the stars come out.

"This place was one I liked to come to when I was human. Back then it was much bigger. The trees have taken over this place." Kol looked around this clearing. Kol heard a wolf howl in the distance. Kol glanced up and saw that it wasn't a full moon. Just a regular wolf then. Kol held Talia closer. "Please tell me you know how to save the witches."

"I will know when we get there." Talia assured. Talia climbed out of Kol's arms and stood up. "Come on. We have to pack." Talia offered her hand to Kol after wiping down her backside.

Kol looked up at her. "Will you still share a room with me?"

Talia smiled softly at Kol. "Of course." She promised.

Kol got up on his feet. "Let's go I have a feeling that if you told Elijah and Nik about the daylight rings they probably wouldn't have told me. They will have thought I would go off the rails."

Talia smirked. "And I am sure you are going to do something about it."

Kol grinned. "Absolutely, Darling."

Kol and Talia ran hand in hand back to the mansion.

At the door they parted ways. Kol ran upstairs to confront Elijah and Talia ran to their room to start packing.