Love, Hate and Mistrust

Chapter Eleven

The hot searing punishment of his lips on hers was enough to make her gasp if that were remotely possible, as it was she felt robbed of every last bit of breath in her lungs. She knew she should be doing something...pushing him away? But the feelings that radiated off him were that of an intense need that if he didn't express seemed powerful enough to cause him suffering.

Though he was far from tender as he kissed her, she felt no pain under his rough grasp and assault and found herself cautiously responding. As her lips opened with powerless invitation she felt his tongue invade and clash with hers. The slight metallic taste of his mouth finally seemed to bring her to her senses as it flashed a memory of how Stefan had tasted every time after he had quenched his un-dead thirst with a stolen blood bag.

The second the memory hit her she stiffened as reality came back into focus and she managed to tear herself from his grasp and speak, "No!" she cried when air finally reached her lungs.

Elijah's harsh sharp breaths were his only response as his eyes flashed with anger and disbelief. Whether the anger was over her sudden outburst or at himself for what had just transpired he didn't know. The sweet tantalizing taste of her kiss still lingered on his tongue making him harden more with want and forbidden need; and gritting his teeth was all he could do to resist reaching out and closing the distance once more with another savage scorching kiss.

"That shouldn't have happened" Elena protested between stunted gasps for air that showed how still affected she was from his passionate touch. She lightly shook her head although the action seemed more directed at her than him as if she were mentally berating herself.

"No" He finally spoke in a low harsh grunt, his tone more controlled than hers had been, "It should never have happened" he agreed as he slowly became his more reserved self; once more hiding his emotions behind a calm unconcerned expression of control.

Elena barely stopped herself from demanding why he thought it a mistake, trying to remind herself that it had been and it was right of him to agree; if not apologise for losing control in the first place.

"But so it seems it must be considered a consequence when one rudely storms uninvited into one's private rooms" he countered with censure.

Elena felt the anger she'd felt when she'd first entered his room resurface at his accusing words, "Rude?" she demanded letting disbelief rule her tone. "Rude is kidnapping someone, Rude is threatening them, and Rude...is dumping them in a room and leaving them there while you storm off in a tantrum" she threw back at him.

Elijah barely stopped his jaw from dropping in reaction to Elena's continued fearlessness and readiness to stand up to him no matter the obvious danger of rousing his temper and savage retaliation; as if she had nothing to be apprehensive of.

He gave her a hardened warning filled glare as he stepped away from her in an attempt to covertly flee from her intoxicating scent that filled the air surrounding them. "I can assure you I was not having a tantrum" he spoke carefully. "I pride myself in always being calm and collected in any situation" he stated as if it were a matter-of-fact.

Elena rolled her eyes in scepticism, "Sorry to break your fantasy bubble but this whole night you have been anything but calm and collected" she replied without hesitation; not missing the clenching of his jaw in reaction.

He looked as if he were about to again refute her words before stopping and scowling, she could almost see the night replaying in his mind lending evidence of the truth she'd voiced.

"Oh come on now" Elena barely resisted the urge to croon, "Everyone has an off day every once in a while" even though her words sounded slightly comforting they both knew it was her sly way of teasing him.

Something else that would normally make him fuming mad at anyone but her it seemed. He sighed as he realised that by playfully taunting him she was magically most likely unknowingly calming his irritation. The warning glint in his eyes became a puzzled glance instead as he observed her silently with interest.

"What?" she asked, at last beginning to really feel uneasy under his scrutiny; the sudden change in him confusing her.

He suddenly smiled and gave her a small shake of his head, "You're right" he replied with amusement evident in his voice, "I haven't managed to remain calm or collected in your presence this entire evening" he admitted with the slightest of shrugs as if to ask no one in particular 'what gives?'.

His smiled turned slightly affectionate as he gazed upon her, "There's something about you that makes me forget myself".

Elena felt a little uneasy at his easy admission, what does one say to that? Words struggled to come to her as his echoed inside her mind.

"I-I'm...I don't know what you mean" she stuttered with embarrassment.

"Yes you do" he accused gently; softly.

"You cause me to do things I shouldn't, voice things I shouldn't even think" he confessed as his expression opened enough to show her a glimpse of sadness and regret; his smile turning into a frown.

"Consider things that could ruin plans centuries in the making" as he saw understanding dawn in her chocolate rich eyes he sighed heavily, "Yes, Elena" he continued, "I find myself battling my need for revenge with a need to keep you as far from my brothers clutches as possible".

Elena has already known he hadn't wanted to use her as the tempting bait in drawing Klaus out, but that he was telling her, trusting her with the knowledge of how uncertain he was made her wonder why he was so trusting that she wouldn't use the knowledge to further attempt to sway his decisions.

She looked away from him to her far left, down at the detailed intricately woven expensive rug covering a substantial amount of his bedroom's floor, "You waited so long to get him" she foolishly reminded him in a whisper, looking back up at him with a worried frown, "Why give me hope that you'll change your mind when you're still torn?" she cried with frustration, "I can't make the decision for you".

Elijah frowned as he found himself more enamoured of her, again refusing to use the ammo he freely gave to plead and beg for her freedom and continued existence. Would Katerina have responded so?

"I'm sorry" he grunted sincerely, "You're right" he said sadly. "I've waited so long with thoughts of nothing and no-one else for the day I could finally make him pay for all he is accountable for, In all the years of my lonely existence it's driven me without pause" he ran a hand through his hair and turned from her; striding over to a dark mahogany tall boy dresser and picking up what appeared to be a worn silver pocket watch on a long chain. He turned back and after closing the distance handed Elena the watch indicated for her to open it.

Once opened Elena found a small lock of honey golden hair meticulously tied with a coral blue ribbon inside. "My sisters last gift to me" he answered when she gave him a curious look, "She said I was a stickler for time" his face held a fond smile as loving memories seemed to haunt him. "...'so you'll never have the excuse of ever being late to see me again' she told me" his smile gradually gave way to that familiar sad frown she'd continually caught him showing, "The very next day she was gone" he stated coldly.

Elena understood what he meant, "Klaus" she whispered.

Elijah gave her a answering nod, "We had it planned" he grunted, "She was to meet me at 1'o'clock precisely, I hadn't let her know what I was planning, I was going to get her away from him before she ended up like Flynn or Kol" Elena gathered from his tone of voice when saying those names that those had been his brothers.

"What happened?" Elena asked begging him to continue.

"He knew" he looked at her with regret and remorse, "Somehow he knew what I was doing and disappeared, I haven't seen either of them since" he snarled with frustrating helplessness. "There's no doubt in my mind she ended up like the others" another statement of fact he needed no evidence to prove.

"I failed to protect her" he whispered sadly, "In the end she was wrong, I was too late to see her, ever again" he ran a hand through his hair again before reclaiming the watch from her and replacing it back where it belonged.

He turned back to face her and saw the sympathy and shared sadness in her eyes, his heart tightening at the thought that the fine sheen of unshed tears glistening in her eyes were for him.

"The need to protect her from him and failing in doing so angers me like nothing else" he growled softly clenching his fists, "I haven't felt such a need to protect someone since her" he made his way over to her till they were barely a foot apart and she had to stare up at him. "No one" he repeated firmly before finally letting the anger and past resentment fade to show an intense caring look, and whispered softly yet fiercely "Until you".