𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ↠ 𝐊𝐎𝐋 𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐀𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐎𝐍 [1] ✔️

31 | 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐨𝐧𝐞

The brunette looked up towards her with an inquisitive look. "What is it?" Before she could answer, Damon's loud voice could already be heard from the front of the building; only a few feet from the couple. The original held in a groan as he grabbed onto Eleanor's hand and pulled her softly towards his side, wrapping an arm around her and moving them behind a shelf to stay out of the approaching duos sight as they'd began walking further into the establishment.

"What the hell?" The raven-haired vampire commentated, his crystal blue eyes scanning each surface of the bar with narrowed eyes. Crimson blood splattered the walls, the floors and even touched the ceiling with light splashes. "Well, it looks like someone got here just before we could."

Jeremy stood beside Damon with apprehension, his shoulders tense as his hold on the crossbow tightened. His steps were small and stealthy while he tried to calm his racing heart. Although he'd spent a long time getting used to vampires, the young Gilbert was still a bit shaky around them. His brown eyes caught on a long trail of blood, following it all the way up to the entrance way curtains that blocked the rest of the path. "Look." His voice came out as a soft whisper, nodding his head towards the blood. Damon's eyes fell to where Jeremy pointed out, and he pressed his finger to his lips — as if it were needed to be known that they had to be quiet. The duo made their way for the back, Damon pushing back the flimsy curtains with little effort. The vampire suppressed an annoyed groan as he stared at the pile of bodies.

In this moment, Kol had let go of Eleanor's hand and walked out from their 'hiding spot'. The usual devious smirk plastered itself onto the originals lips as his hand wrapped around the bat he'd brought along. "Well, isn't this a nice surprise!"

"Kol," Damon venomously spat, his eyes narrowing further as movement from where Kol came from occurred. As the blonde stepped out from where she'd been, the eldest Salvatore rolled his eyes. A loud groan erupting from his lips as he connected everything together. "You have got to be kidding me!"

"El?" Jeremy asked, lowering his crossbow. Her blue eyes clashed with his brown ones, making a wave of guilt wash over her. The worry in his eyes and look of betrayal, made her almost entirely regret helping Kol slow the race to the cure. "Why did you do this? Both of you?"

Kol shrugged nonchalantly, his grin broadening as he twirled the bat between his hands. "Well mate, we can't let that little tattoo of yours grow much more. Can we?"

"You killed all these people, just to make sure my hunters mark doesn't grow?" Jeremy scoffed, trying to ignore the wave of nausea hitting him at the beginning smell of death and the metallic tang of blood.

"Klaus had them in transition. Your mark would have grown a lot more. You know that. We can't let you, or anyone, get to the cure." Eleanor stated matter-of-factly. Crossing her arms over her chest, she met Damon's hard glare with her own. "We just can't let it happen."

"El," Damon groaned, rubbing a hand over his face before looking around the back room one last time. "I get that maybe you're in love, and happy with your little psycho over here, but that doesn't mean you have to do what he does!"

This time, it was her turn to groan. She rolled her eyes, hating the nickname Damon had given Kol months ago. The blonde knew what she was doing, and knew that she was doing it because she thought it was the right thing to do. "I'm doing it because I believe it's the right thing to do! I'm not doing what he does, and no, Damon, he isn't a psycho! We have our reasons, just as you do." Eleanor dropped her crossed arms, trying to soften her gaze a little to make the tension less palpable and dissolve the issues. "If you just let me explai-"

"No. I think we've heard enough." Damon cut her off, ignoring the flash of a pained expression that had overtaken Eleanor's facial features. "You say you're never on a side, and that you just do what you think is right... but it seems to me that you have chosen a side. And at this point, I don't think it's the right one. C'mon Jer, let's go." As Damon turned to leave, Jeremy followed. The two leaving with strong expressions, but both were tangled in pained emotions towards Eleanor being there. Damon hated the fact that she was even dating Kol, and that she couldn't just help their friends once in the recent months. It had all been about the Mikaelson family in the Salvatore's eyes. He'd felt betrayed. But for Jeremy, all he felt was worry and guilt for just leaving her there. Of course, the teenager didn't approve of her dating Kol but he couldn't exactly judge her as hard as Damon was for doing so. But, the youngest Gilbert couldn't help but wonder what happened to the girl who swore she'd never want to become a vampire; the girl who was always by their friends sides. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, she'd changed in more ways than just becoming a vampire.

As the door shut closed to the bar, Eleanor let out a soft sigh. Her eyes watered for a second, before she blinked away any possible tears. Damon was wrong. She hadn't chosen any side. Right? But still, although her head comforted her in the fact that she didn't think she did, her heart still clung to the words Damon had spoken, and the look Jeremy had sent her way.

"Eleanor," Kol spoke quietly, cupping her face in his free hand while the other still held his wooden bat.

She cleared her throat, and shook her head. "I'm fine." She forced out, giving the boy in front of her a tight smile. In the end, she could only hope that everything would be alright.

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a/n
i posted!! woohoo! so, i've been very busy and that's why updates have been lacking, but i've also been working on the final upcoming chapters...! there's only a few left 🤭 i hope you guys are as excited as i am!!

ALSO IM SO SORRY IF THERES LINE AND SCENE MISTAKES HERE, BUT ITS BEEN A WHILE AND IM GOING OFF MAINLY MEMORY.

ALSO TYSM FOR OVER 100k READS! WTF?! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE, AND COMMENTS. IT JUST MAKES MY DAY!

ANYWAYS, I WILL LIKELY UPDATE AGAIN IN A FEW DAYS AFTER EDITING THIS CHAPTER A LITTLE!