It was that first drop of human blood rolling down her chin that told her to move on from this cottage. Nightfall came and it would provide some cover to escape the terrorizing that Lord Klaus will do if he finds her in this state. She didn't get a chance to say good bye to Trevor for the last time before Rose rushed her out of the door.

Katerina Petrova—disgraced lady of Bulgaria—is now a vampire. She lifted her chin up to keep the nervous tingles in her body from surfacing. It was her only way to stay alive. Looking straight ahead and walking down the road away from town, Katerina heard a low voice calling to her from the side of the road.

Maybe it wasn't particularly close to her, the way she was able to pick up on things quite a ways distant from her. She scrunched up her nose, narrowed her eyes as the person came slowly toward her. The way he held himself as he moved, he must have been born a nobleman, but he was dressed like a commoner.

"I beg your pardon, miss, but I don't think a lady of your beauty should be out this late," the male voice spoke fluidly, "there are dangerous men about, and very few of us are noble." His face still hidden in shadow, he shuffled into the moonlight that came through the gap in the trees. Katerina backed up uneasily.

A gasp escaped her lips when she recognized familiarity in his eyes. Trying to run, she failed to get away as the man reached out and grabbed her in the crux of her elbow—she saw his mouth twist into a crooked grin as he whispered, "What's your hurry, milady, you should have a drink with me."

Struggling was futile as the grip this man had on her arm remained firm, tightening as she kept trying to back away, she raised her other hand to smack this insufferable gentleman across the face. As if anticipating this movement, he grabbed the wrist even firmer as her back was suddenly pressed up against a tree.

This man pressed into her from the front, a knot in the tree pressing into her from the back left Katerina struggled defenseless as heat and warmth magnified under her skin. She spat, "Let go of me, I will not let you take me back to Klaus."

Immediately, the man let out an uproarious laugh, his eyes barely noticeable in the darkness would have been glimmering with mirth as he suddenly let go of Katerina's wrists. With a grin, he said, "I guess you know who I am, don't you?"

Katerina narrowed her eyes, kicked a loose dirt pile next to the tree. Unamused, she retorted, "It would be hard not to mistake you for Lord Elijah in this light."

"Fair enough," the man backed up slightly, bowed, and kissed the palm of Katerina's hand, "the name's Kol. I didn't quite get your name, my lady. My brother Niklaus is insatiably rude about talking on things that concern family."

Flushing at the brushing of Kol's lips against her palm, Katerina gave a light smile and nodded, "Yes, forgive me for my rudeness. Lady Katerina Petrova, Bulgaria," there was a pause as each of them studied the other, "why aren't you taking up at your brother's castle?" She asked this curiously, but Kol dropped her hand, turned as if he wanted to go somewhere more private.

"He may be my brother," Kol said over his shoulder, "but he doesn't have any bearing on my life. If you want to join me for a drink, I'll accept your company," he added, "from the way you had a time defending yourself, you could use an extra order of blood."

"How did you know?"

"That you're a vampire," Kol asked, smiling, "I smelled it on you. New vampires reek of uncertainty and desperation to survive."

Before Katerina could say another word, Kol was walking away. Long legs putting distance between them as she used her own vampire speed to keep up, they eventually found their way into town. The street lamps illuminating the town's cobblestone streets gave Katerina more of a chance to take several sideways glances at Kol as she walked along besides him. It was intimidating how much he resembled Elijah in the chin and eyes, and the broadness in his shoulders, as she noticed Klaus had, were even more pronounced under Kol's highwayman appeal.

"Are you going to tell me what we are doing here," Katerina asked, curiously. They were right outside the local inn and tavern, Kol opened up the sturdy door that wafted out sweet scents of smoke and ale. Out of impulse, Katerina scrunched up her nose at the revolting spectacle as she followed Kol into the establishment. With a selective hand gesture to the innkeeper, Kol ushered Katerina to a back room to sit down in a couple of chairs, a maiden appeared obligingly holding her neck out towards Kol, who pulled her toward the only bed.

Fangs bared, Kol licked his teeth and ran one of his fingers along the maid's neck. He looked intently at Katerina as he massaged his victim's neck, he purred, "Watch me take this young lady to the brink of death and then pull back." Exposing more of the neck for him to bite, he bit down on the maiden, blood dripped down the front of her. Katerina inched her way over to the pair as blood oozed out of this girl's neck, Kol held her tightly.

The smell awoke Katerina's senses as it hummed out from the maiden's neck. Veins pulsed through face like she was going to have a migraine, her own fangs bared as she watched Kol devour his victim before her eyes. Hunger for a taste of this sweet savor, Katerina licked up the runaway flow of blood from the girl's neck. Kol ran a finger along her jaw line and sniggered, "The night is young, darling, you'll get your fill."

Having proceeded in getting another serving girl brought back to their private party, steins of ale were brought to them as Katerina felt fueled by bloodlust. In her blood addled haze, she watched Kol take a vein and drink, then repeat.

Reveling in this ecstasy, Katerina leaned back on her haunches and watched the other vampire suckle the life out of his latest victim. She smiled and edged over to him, curled slender fingers around his free wrist, she ran her fingers along the inside of his forearm. Teasingly, she breathed hot into his ear, purred softly, she whispered, "Don't take me to Klaus."

A tender kiss pressed into this original vampire's inner earlobe turns his attention to the ravishing, young seductress before him. Katerina traced her fingers along the curve of Kol's jaw, moving slowly over his masculine physique, she straddled him the lust for her blood dominating his lust as she could feel him pull her towards him.

Breathing into her neck, Kol licked a fine line along Katerina's collarbone, he purred, "Are you seducing me, milady," planting a kiss into the crux of her neck, "I've heard rumors about a girl like you."

Katerina pushed him back to the soft cushions as she starts gyrating against his length. The pulsing of blood that thirsted them only moments pounded against their bodies. Lust popped out their veins brought a new hunger—a humming vibration sang to Katerina as she bit down on the original vampire's collarbone.

A rush of energy fell through her as she was pulled toward Kol, who cradled her neck in one of his large hands and wrapped his other arm around her waist. His own teeth found an opening in her neckline as Katerina could feel the blood being taken from her as his blood filled her insides. The two of them shared blood like this—it felt personal but right—drinking from another vampire.

Blood dripping from her chin, Katerina removed her mouth from Kol's neck, kissed his own blood-filled mouth. The glow of two sated vampires nearly overshadowed the predawn light that threatened to come in through the window. Heat was searing to Katerina's skin as she quickly removed herself from her conquest and hid in a darkened corner.

Kol laughed out loud, saw Katerina scramble to the corner. He raised a hand to back of his head and scratching sheepishly. He smiled, "You're not protected by the sun, are you?"

Scared to leave the shadows, Katerina shook her head and curled her body against the far wall. Kol got up from the bed and stood in front of her, smiling his malicious grin. He turned his head to the side, saying, "Now, this is quite the turn of events. I've got all the power now."

Closing the gap further between them, Kol pulled Katerina's hand into the encroaching sunlight. His hand didn't burn, but hers started to sizzle, boiling and bubbled the blood as it flowed through her veins and her hand was trapped in this man's grasp. She looked up into his eyes and noticed a hard, contemplative stare studying her facial expressions. The smile widened on his face as Katerina tried to pull back into the shadows.

"Please," Katerina begged, "let me go back into the darkness. It hurts."

Keeping a firm grip still on her hand, Kol leaned in to whisper in Katerina's ear, "You don't have to be afraid of the daylight," tenderly he reached up and stroked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, "I can help you escape my brother's reach if that is your wish."

The heat was almost unbearable as Katerina slowly nodded her assent. Putting a finger up to his lips, Kol signaled her to stay quiet as he closed the shutters on the window and left her stranded in a darkened room. Hours it seemed dragged on as Katerina paced the room, shivering unwillingly at the possibility that Kol could go back on his word. She tried to plot an escape route, but it would be another half day before she was able to get anywhere if she couldn't handle the burning sensation of pure sunlight.

As she expectantly thought Kol would betray her to his brother, she didn't expect him to return some hours later—one arm promptly hidden behind his back. He smiled once again at her, the insides of her stomach clinching unwittingly. He held out a hand to her to take, and he placed the box in it. Urging her to open it, she did so, revealing a simple gold diamond.

Lifting it out of the box, Katerina saw the engraving carved into the thin metal ring:

'Amour Mi Tien'

Giving the ring back to Kol, she shook her head, "I can't accept this," she looked between it and him, and continued, "This is for an engagement."

Without being prompted, Kol took the ring from Katerina's hand and placed it on the third index finger of her right hand, kissing the palm of that hand gently, he cooed, "The only engagement I have made is to promise to keep you away from my brother," leaning in to peck her on the lips, he muttered against her mouth, "love grips even the strongest vampires."

He let go of her hand and turned to leave her again.

As she reached out to take Kol's hand again, Katerina asked, "What does that mean exactly?"

Confusion in her voice registered in Kol's ear as he turned to look at her over his shoulder, he pursed his lips together as if contemplating his answer. He said, "What do you think it means?"

Not another word was spoken between them, Katerina watched as Kol left first, opening the shutters of the room they shared in the previous night. She looked out over the lighted cobblestone streets of near mid-day—smiling at the warmth she felt on her face, she went downstairs to pay her tab for the evening.

Interrupted by the keeper, he said, "Thank you, my dear, but your way has already been paid for the night. Such a generous man, Sir Kol, I wish he would stop by again," he pulled out a letter and handed it to her, "this is for you. The honorable Kol wanted you to have it."

Taking it and thanking the innkeeper for his hospitality, Katerina walked out onto the streets to breath in the beautiful daylight. Looking down at the letter folded with her name on the top, she looked around for signs of Klaus and Elijah, running towards an alley to open it. She read silently to herself, letting the words sink in:

Dearest Katerina,

I would like to thank you for a magnificent evening last night. Your company was thoroughly enjoyed, but we must be parted now. My elder brother will not let me keep you if he finds out what I've done. I will tell you that I have friends, fellow vampires like yourself, who are living in Florence at this time. Ask for a Lady Pearl. She has a daughter, Anna. If all goes well, we will meet again someday.

Until then, take care.

Always and forever,

Kol

As she stared for the longest time at the last part of the note, Katerina's eyebrows shot up alarmed, it read:

P.S. You will be more conspicuous as Katerina. It's up to you, but I think your name should be changed to Katherine.

Folding up the letter again, Katherine smiled to herself as she made plans to go to Italy.