18. road trip

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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

road trip

road trip

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three months ago.

THE SUMMER HAD BEGUN, and Mystic Falls seemed quieter than usual. The air was warm, with the sun casting a golden hue over Valentina's apartment, but for Valentina, the days felt oddly empty. Klaus had left for his road trip with Stefan and not knowing what was happening with them, was killing her. It also meant the plan 'get Kol and the other siblings undaggered' was on pause.

She tried to go about her day as normally as possible. There were errands to run, things to do, and a life to live, even if it felt like she was simply going through the motions. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. 

Kol looked outside of her window and then disappeared for a moment before returning right next to her. "I think you've got a few admirers. There are four vampires that have been following you the whole day."

Valentina paused, her hand frozen mid-reach for a book she'd been attempting to read. "What?" she whispered, glancing around as if she could see them through the walls. "And you just decided to tell me?"

Kol's ghostly form materialized beside her, leaning against the edge of the table. His expression was serious, a rare look for him. "I'm guessing Klaus sent them. Probably told them to keep an eye on you, make sure you're safe while he's off playing with his new hybrid army."

"Are you kidding me?"

A couple of weeks passed and Valentina was an anxious mess. Her summer in Mystic Falls started off with an unsettling mix of loneliness and tension. Though she and Kol had grown closer, their relationship becoming something more profound and tender over the past weeks, the fact that he was still a ghost weighed heavily on her. He would leave her alone from time to time, giving her space to navigate her life, but the emptiness of her apartment often felt overwhelming. Despite Kol's presence, there were moments when the silence of the walls around her seemed to close in, amplifying her solitude.

She could feel the tension in her shoulders as she moved around the kitchen, kneading dough with more force than necessary. The knowledge that Klaus had ordered vampires to watch over her—an unseen presence that loomed over her life—added to her unease. She couldn't see them, but she could feel their eyes on her, like shadows lurking in the corners, and it made her skin crawl.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered, grabbing her phone from the table.

She sighed, her fingers hesitating over Klaus's number. Finally, she hit the call button and pressed the phone to her ear, pacing the length of the living room as it rang.

CUPID mikaelson menWhere stories live. Discover now