Disclaimer: I do not own Elijah or any elements from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. I do, however, own my OC Eternity and any elements from my up and coming novel. Please review! I'd appreciate it a lot! Thanks and happy reading!

He watched.

He waited.

Elijah Mikaelson observed from the Paris rooftops, as his prey moved amongst the crowds of people on the busy streets below. She could sense him, constantly looking over her shoulder, knowing he was there, despite not being able to see him. He could practically taste her fear and it was delicious, calling to his baser self.

Soon, the predator would have his prey in his clutches...once more. It was only a matter of time now.

The hunt began three years ago with a legend circling in the supernatural community of a strange white beast that roamed the woods of Mystic Falls. It was said that this creature was one of great power and if one could catch it, they would be granted use of the mythical being's wonders. Many sought it, but none could ever capture the elusive beast, as it was too clever for them, able to vanish at a moment's notice before one could even get near enough to claim it.

Some who bore witness to it claimed that it appeared to them as a single horned creature of legend - a unicorn. Others claimed that this mystical being appeared to them as a pale, naked woman with long white hair and large sapphire eyes - a nymph. Both groups claimed that the creature was beautiful beyond measure, leaving them weak kneed and weeping at the very sight.

Unicorn or nymph, Elijah was intrigued by the prospect of claiming this powerful creature's talents for himself, for the sake of the survival of his family. The Mikaelsons were the most powerful of the supernaturals, the Original Family of Vampires, but because of that status, they also had a lot of enemies. There were those who wanted to topple Elijah and his siblings, out of rightly placed fear mostly. To have the power of this fabled creature under his control, he could ensure nobody dared to cross him or his.

Determined to claim this legendary creature for himself, the Original traveled into the Virginian woods of Mystic Falls, hunting for it, whatever it was. He traveled in the nighttime with only the light of the pale moon to guide him, as he stealthily moved amongst the trees. He waited for a sign that he was drawing closer to the strange beast he had heard so much about, knowing that there would be one according to the stories.

After an hour of traveling deep into the woods, the sign of the creature's presence came to him in the form of a sweet floral scent. Like the predator he was, Elijah moved silently closer toward the scent, following it to a clearing in the woods, where the moonlight shone down in beams. Centered with these strips of soft light, the legendary creature sat amongst the foliage like some sort of feral deity, ethereally shimmering with graceful, measured movements that were quite otherworldly.

The creature took the form of a woman, bare and beautiful, as the tales he had heard had described. Elijah found he did want to fall to his knees and weep at the sight of her, but he was not so weak as to actually do so. He was stronger willed than to give in to such an overwhelming and supernatural reaction. Therefore, he remained upright and dry eyed, as he hid in the shadows, watching her patiently as a good hunter does. He would wait and watch for as long as it took for the right moment to strike present itself to him. He wouldn't let her escape his clutches.

The ethereal beauty didn't seem to notice him there, watching her. She seemed completely oblivious to the predator waiting in the wings to capture her, as she sat amongst the flowers and braided together a flower crown, humming to herself.

Elijah found her captivating. She was everything the tales said she was. She had long white hair that rippled all around her like ocean wave with every movement. It looked soft to the touch and reflected the light of the moon every now and again, if it hit just right. Her skin was nearly white as well, with large almond shaped eyes that were like deep blue sapphires and plushy rose pink lips that looked so damn kissable. She wore nothing for clothing. She was naked and vulnerable, speaking to his inner beast that wanted to claim her in the basest way possible.

She was perfection and he found himself wanting her for himself, so that no other could claim her. Instantaneously, he didn't just want to secure her powers for the sake of his family, he also wanted to claim her as his lover. No...more than a lover - his wife, to ensure that she'd be his forever.

Determined to have her, Elijah made his move, using the element of surprise and his vampire speed to his advantage. He was truly the predator locked onto his prey. He moved silently though the shadows, keeping down wind so that she could not smell him coming. Closer and closer, he came with patience, unhurried and well paced.

Then he struck. Once in range, with vampire speed, he grabbed her and pinned her against the nearest tree with a firm hand around her throat as she struggled like the feral creature she was. Without hesitation, Elijah reached into his pants pocket and slapped on a golden bracelet onto each of her wrists.

Before trudging into the woods to search for the legendary creature, he, of course, did his research on how to properly capture it. Though there wasn't much outside of what he heard from others, he did discovered one text that described the need for a special, enchanted gold that would suppress the powers of the strange beast, keeping it from vanishing or retaliating in any way.

By chance, Elijah found such gold in the form of two plain bracelets that would latch onto the creature once put into place. Once he had them in possession, he had begun the hunt and now that he had her, he could reap the rewards of his victory.

"I have won the challenge set," he told the pale beauty. "I have captured the elusive otherworldly creature of great power and you are now mine to command, yes?"

Timidly, she nodded.

"Do you have a name?" He asked gently, not wanting to frighten her more than she seemed to be.

"E-Eternity," she replied, her voice soft and melodious.

Elijah smiled, "Eternity, a fitting name. I'm Elijah Mikealson. Have you heard of me?"

Eternity nodded again quickly. It was obvious that she had heard of him, just by the way her eyes widened marginally in recognition. It was made more obvious when she swallowed thickly, as her fear of him grew exponentially.

Immediately, he realized the potential reason for that fear as he still had his hand around her throat. Therefore, he released her from his hold, not wanting her to be so scared of him while also knowing she wouldn't flee him, now that her powers had been suppressed. He smiled gently, reaching to cup the side of her neck tenderly to show her he did not mean to harm her in any way.

She flinched at his touch, but didn't pull away from it, relaxing considerably after a moment.

"Please, do not be afraid of me," Elijah told her softly. "I will not harm you, given you do not give me reason to. As long as you mind me, as the reward of my victory dictates, I will treat you well. I will give you everything this world has to offer - and more."

Eternity stared at him distrustingly, but did not protest in any fashion. Her fear was still present, but it had cooled somewhat, which pleased him greatly. He couldn't have his future wife be afraid of him unnecessarily. It would be one thing if she had done something that warranted her fear, but she had not.

Therefore, Elijah didn't want her fear, only her cooperation - her submission, as the rules of this challenge dictated. He was effectively her master now and it was her duty to obey him, though he preferred a partnership over such barbarism that was slavery. So long as she minded him, when he made requests of her, he saw no reason to lord over her. He had ever intention of treating her as the equal that she deserved to be.

As a show of good faith, he removed his suit jacket and put it around Eternity's shoulders, covering her nakedness. Though, he observed that she didn't seem to even notice it. It was as if it were the most natural thing in the world to her to be without clothing. In fact, when the jacket fell around her small frame, she stared at it as if it were something strange or rather something foreign that she had never seen before.

It seemed it would take some time for her to get used to the idea of clothing, something she was going to have to adjust to as he moved her from the wilderness into civilization. He couldn't have her prancing about naked all the time, though the more possessive part of him wasn't opposed to the idea. If he did keep her bare, then he could keep her hidden away from the rest of the world, particularly those whom would dare to try and steal her away from him. She'd truly be his alone then. Yet, the rational, level-headed part of him didn't want to make her in a prisoner, going along with his reputation for being a noble man. In his nobility, he wanted her to be free...within reason, of course.

"Come," Elijah said, as he put an arm around her shoulders and gently guided her toward the forest's exit. "It is time to take you to your new home."

Eternity hesitated at first, reluctant to leave the forest, but with his tenderness, she eventually let him lead her away. She allowed him to guide her toward the unknown of the world outside of what had certainly been her sanctuary. She was headed into the civilized world of man and it was frightening, no doubt, but he ensured that she felt safe with him.

Before long, they arrived at his car, located just outside the forest entrance. She had been quiet on the way and he didn't push her into speaking. There would be plenty of time for conversation later, once she was settled.

The car made Eternity truly hesitate. She began to back away fearfully of the big machine, but Elijah was firm in his insistence that she get into it. At first, he cooed tenderly. However, when she stubbornly refused to obey and his gently reassurance failed, he became stern. He called her name warningly, his expression darkening with an unspoken threat.

Eventually, the eternal beauty conceded to his insistence, letting him help her into the passenger seat. Once she was secured inside, he went to the driver's side and climbed in, starting the black Porsche Panamera and driving off into the suburbs of Mystic Falls to the Mikaelson mansion.

He found the woman beside him amusing as he drove her home. He found it adorable the way she held onto the seat with an iron grip, as if she was afraid of crashing - as if she wasn't an invulnerable immortal. Upon stopping in front of the luxurious and absurdly large mansion, Eternity quickly escaped the car, backing away from it as if it were some sort of monster.

Elijah calmly got out of the car himself and went to her side, putting a comforting arm around her as she trembled with her fear.

"It's alright, Sweetheart," he murmured to her. "The car will take some getting used to, but I assure you that it's perfectly safe. Come. Let's get you inside."

She went without hesitation, letting him guide her up the curved stone stairs that lead to the grand front entrance. He opened the door and allowed the ethereal woman to enter first with him close behind. He knew that his siblings would be up waiting to find out if he had succeeded in his task to capture the legendary creature of Mystic Falls.

They all had bets that he would fail spectacularly in his quest to secure the strange beast for their benefit. Elijah couldn't wait to see the shocked looks on all their faces, when he presented Eternity to them. He wanted to show them all that he hadn't been chasing after a myth, a fable, a story, but a real, living and breathing being.

"Come this way," Elijah directed Eternity, with a gentle hand on her back. "I want you to meet the rest of my family."

She went where he wanted her to go and they headed into the common room to the left of the entryway. There, sitting on the velvet couches or standing by the fireplace, were the other Mikaelson siblings. The eldest, Freya, sat on one end of the couch to the right. The second eldest, Finn, stood leaning against the fireplace with a glass of bourbon in hand. Elijah was the third eldest, therefore, the fourth Mikealson was his younger half-brother Niklaus, whom sat on the couch opposite of Freya. The fifth, Kol, sat next to Freya, while their youngest sibling, Rebekah sat next to Niklaus.

Before Elijah appeared in the doorway with his prize in tow, they had been engaged in friendly conversation with each other. The moment he made his appearance, however, they all went silent, as all eyes darted to the doorway to see the pale beauty they had all believed to be just a tall tale standing there before them in the flesh.

They all rose from their seats or left their perches to gather closer with looks of utter disbelief etched upon their faces. They all gaped with wide eyes, as if they could believe what they were seeing.

Eternity backed away until she was partially hidden behind Elijah, grabbing onto his arm in needed comfort.

"So, the tales are true, it would seem, Brother," Niklaus said softly with an ever growing grin plastered upon his face, as his eyes remained on the pale beauty. "You have found the legendary creature that shall secure our family's survival. I must say, she is quite splendid, as beautiful as the stories say."

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Eternity," introduced Elijah with a slightly smug smile.

"Looks like we owe you an apology," Rebekah spoke up, her eyes scanning over the small woman that cowered behind him. She smiled kindly at Eternity, "Oh, the poor thing doesn't have any clothes on! Come on with me, lovely. I'm sure there is something in this house that will suffice."

When Elijah's younger sister tried to come near with an outstretched hand, the ethereal woman gripped the older Original tighter and tried to disappear behind him completely. Rebekah frowned at her reaction and looked to Elijah for explanation.

"She isn't used to civilization, it would seem," he told his sister. "Or people."

"Yet, she has taken a particular liking to you however, Elijah," Kol grinned mischievously.

The older Original sighed, "Yes, I suppose she has. Rebekah, perhaps it would be best if you accompany Eternity and I upstairs in order to find her suitable clothes until it is convenient to go shopping for a wardrobe for her."

His little sister nodded in acceptance of his suggestion.

"Before you scamper off, Brother, I would like a word," Niklaus said.

Knowing his brother wouldn't let him go without speaking with him first, Elijah turned to the frightened woman and gently told her, "Go with Rebekah, Sweetheart. It's alright. I'll join you in a little while."

Eternity was reluctant to let him go, but eventually did so with some gentle encouragement, letting Rebekah lead her away and leaving Elijah alone with his other siblings.

To Be Continued...