Beauty and the Beast

Part II

A/N:Excuse the mistakes and enjoy.

Caroline woke with a loud, throat-burning gasp. She raised into a sitting position and gripped her flaming neck. Where was she?! How did she get here?! She looked around the lavishly decorated room and noticed a crème wedding dress…her wedding dress. Everything that happened to her yesterday came flooding back into her memory;

Volunteering to save Elena from the Beast, preparing for her wedding, riding to Castle Black, meeting Elijah and finally, her husband…the Beast. He'd deceived her!

There wasn't much light in the room for the heavy drapes but her eyes felt like they were melting inside her head. Her eyes darted around wildly for the Beast but was thankfully alone. How to escape? If she jumped out the window she'd surely die…

"I died?" she croaked quietly to herself. She remembered the Beast biting into her throat, but upon inspection with her hand, she was unharmed. But still, her throat felt like fire was being poured down it with every breath she took. A tentative throat-clearing caused her to collapse back unto the bed with a huff of misery. She needed some cool water.

Caroline spotted a room with a chamber pot and basin to her left. There had to be water in there! She got to her feet and entered the opposite room, finding a large bathtub with the chamber pot and water basin. The soft padding of her feet against the stone floor irritated her ears and her necklace felt unbearably chilly and rough against her neck. Everything just felt more...intense.

She must had drank too much wine.

Besides the sensitivities she was experiencing, she found she didn't feel any bad after effects from joining with a man for the first time. If anything, she was a touch weary, even after waking just now. Caroline found a thin bathrobe and slipped it on to hide her nudity. She quickly picked up the pitcher sitting beside the basin and guzzled the cool water.

Relief filled her for only a second, before she turned and vomited into the unused chamber pot. "Uhh." The painful burning returned more intensely. What was wrong with her?

"Water won't help you."

Caroline started and clasped a hand over her heart. She spun around and saw a beautiful woman leaning against the door frame. She was looking at Caroline with a haughty expression. "Who are you?" she demanded with bravado she didn't feel.

The woman rolled her eyes and approached her. She was one of the most beautiful women Caroline had ever seen, with long, unbound, straight blonde hair, shinning blue eyes, and milky white unblemished skin. She wore a velvet dress green like moss and a thick leather belt about her hips.

"My name is Rebekah. I'm here to help you."

Her words were kind but her tone insinuated she wanted to do anything but help her.

"Can you help me escape?"

Rebekah glared at her. "You ungrateful little swot. My brother has given you a great gift." She grabbed Caroline by the arm and drug her into the bedroom.

Caroline tried to fight back, but she felt like a newborn foal; gangly and unused to her body. "What are you talking about? Let go of me!"

The other blonde released her and peered into Caroline's frantic gaze. "Do you feel like the life is draining from you? Is your throat aching with some unknown thirst?"

Caroline nodded. "Please help me." She begged again.

A knock sounded at the door and Caroline was terrified the Beast had returned.

"Ah, that's our help now."

Caroline looked at Rebekah sharply, hoping flaring in her chest.

"Come in!" called the other blonde.

A lone man entered, seeming dazed, just like the priest that married her the day before. He was a little older than her and looked like he's spent his entire life outside in the sun. Rebekah brought him close to Caroline.

"You're going to die, Caroline." She stated unkindly, but quietly.

"I died last night." Caroline snapped, "The Beast ripped my throat out!" Nothing made sense. She gripped her aching head. This was all too much.

Rebekah's lips quirked like she'd spoken a jest instead of the truth, but she didn't deny Caroline's accusation. "You're transitioning. If you don't drink, you'll die. You won't wake this time."

Hadn't Caroline made it clear that she had no desire to die? She was just seventeen! "Drink what?"

Rebekah produced a knife from a pocket hidden within her dress. She held the man's wrist up and sliced, drawing a thin line across it that steadily began to drip dark blood to the floor.

Caroline gasped. "What are you doing?!" Even with her outrage, she couldn't look away from the dripping blood. Her hearing become tunneled until all she could hear was the vein pumping blood out of his wrist.

A sharp pain erupted behind her eyes and inside her mouth. She felt something clink against her bottom teeth. Hesitantly, she ran her tongue along the line of her top teeth and felt two long fangs in the spot where her canine teeth had been. She gasped and covered her mouth in fear.

"None of that!" Rebekah pushed the bleeding wrist into her face and all thought left Caroline's mind. She ripped the appendage away from Rebekah and sunk her fangs into the bleeding wrist. The first drop of blood on her tongue was like sweet life being poured into her and the burning in her throat completely stopped.

She took long, greedy withdrawals of the red liquid until she heard the thumping of his heart quit completely.

She released the wrist and Rebekah let the body drop to the floor.

"What have I done?!" The elated feeling she'd gotten while drinking his blood vanished and was replaced with horrible guilt. It was physically affecting her to the point she felt she'd vomit again. "I…I killed him!" A sob tore from her throat and tears gathered in her eyes. She wiped her mouth and found it smeared red with still warm blood. Wiping frantically, she tried to erase the horrible evidence from her being.

Rebekah appeared before her and slapped her face. "That's enough. Humans are only food, nothing more."

Caroline cradled her stinging cheek. "I'm a monster.", she whimpered.

"Your emotions are heightened, you'll start feeling better in a few days." Rebekah explained. "You must drink as often as possible until your strength returns."

Caroline stared blankly at the walls, trying to process everything. She had so many questions, but she felt like she'd been sunk inside a dark hole. "What am I?" she murmured absently.

For once, sympathy shown in Rebekah's eyes. "Vampire."

Caroline had heard of the vampires that roamed the countryside -but had never seen one, thankfully. They were supposedly hulking disfigured monsters whom feed on blood and couldn't go out in the sunlight. A cross or holy water would harm them and a wooden stake to the heart would kill them.

For a second, Caroline though of yanking back the curtain and seeing if the sun would harm her enough to be fatal, but Rebekah would probably save her and slap her again for her insolence.

Rebekah seemed to know what she'd been thinking, as her blue eyes were narrowed on Caroline. "I would catch you before you could grasp the drapes." she hissed. Caroline glared at her. She really had no wish to die, but everyone was allowed a moment of weakness. "And Nik wouldn't be please with you." She added with an vicious smile.

The newly turned vampire stiffened. "I don't wish to see him."

Rebekah barked out a cruel laugh. "Nik will do what pleases him, not matter what you wish."

"I will not!" Caroline insisted.

Rebekah was in front of her in the blink of an eye. She grabbed Caroline by the throat and lifted her into the air until her feet dangled above the ground. Her beautiful face morphed into that similar of the Beast's, but the white of her eyes bled red and only one set of fangs were bared at her. "Unless you woke up a man this morning, you are my brother's wife; therefore, his property."

Caroline gasped, trying to breathe. She clawed at Rebekah's hand.

Rebekah dropped her to the floor with a look of disgust. Her face returned to normal and she pointed to a huge armoire in the room. "Get dressed. Nik will be here soon."

The thought of coming face to face with the Beast both frightened and angered her. How dare he show his face to her after the trick he played on her? Acting to be the perfect husband and murdering her as soon as they'd coupled as man and wife.

The rage she felt caused the sharp pain to flare behind her eyes again. She didn't have to feel this time to tell her new fangs had sharpened in her mouth. Damn these monsters and what they'd done to her! She refused to bow down and be their doll to use as they pleased! With speed and strength she didn't know she possessed, she ripped off the closest wooden leg of a sitting lounge and stabbed Rebekah in the stomach.

The surprise and pain on the other woman's face was oddly satisfying.

But Rebekah only groaned and ripped the stake from her being. Caroline watched as the skin knitted itself back together and Rebekah looked back up with an sinister smile. "You have guts, I'll give you that." Caroline felt a whoosh of air behind her and hands on her shoulder and neck. "Welcome to the family, sister."

A shooting pain in her neck coupled with a sickening crunch turned Caroline's world black once again.

Once again, Caroline jerked up from the bed with a gasp. She rubbed her aching neck, wondering how she was still alive if Rebekah had broken it.

"It's alright, love. Rebekah will never harm you again."

Caroline stiffened. Klaus was lounging in the chair beside the bed, eyes glowing eerily in the darkened room.

"Get away from me!" she cried, appearing on the other side of the room with her inhuman speed. If she wasn't so frightened, she would be amazed with her new abilities.

Klaus frowned. "Don't be afraid, sweetheart. You never have to fear me."

Caroline laughed dryly. "You ripped my throat out!" she exclaimed. "You tricked me!"

Klaus stood and stalked toward her, peering at her under his brow with darkened eyes. "I did what had to be done!", he bellowed.

Caroline's fear vanished in the face of his anger. What right did he have to be upset with her?! She flashed into his personal space and shoved him with all her might. The Beast didn't even budge and raised his brows. It angered Caroline even more, she hissed, "You are nothing but a beast and no one will ever love you -I will never love you!"

Klaus' face was a mask of rage. "You will not deny me!"

"I hate you!" she spat.

Klaus wrapped an arm around her waist and crushed her to him. Caroline struggled and tried to free herself, but her husband held her still. In her ear, he growled, "Stop this nonsense and come to dinner with me."

The nerve! Like this was just a temper tantrum! He'd killed her and turned her into a monster! "I will never dine with you again!" she shouted and sunk her fangs into his shoulder.

Klaus snarled his lip as he ripped her off and bared his own fangs at her. His chest was heaving with dark blood saturating his once pristine shirt. "If you will not dine with me, then you will not dine...AT ALL!" He roared.

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

The Beast took one last look at her and left the room, slamming the door shut. The click that followed was no doubt the lock.

Elijah sat in the enormous library, studying their mother's old grimoire. He's been over it a million times; but it kept drawing him back. Maybe he'd missed something that could help him break his brother's curse?

The door burst open, revealing his other brother Kol. Kol was the youngest brother within his siblings. He sported dark brown hair and eyes similar to Elijah's own. "Hello, brother." He greeted, a smug smile on his face.

Elijah fought the urge to roll his eyes. Kol was nothing but a troublemaker. He closed the spell book and sighed. "What is it?"

Kol seated himself on the edge of the desk, earning a glare from his elder brother. "I like that about you; straight to the point." Kol told him. "I spied on Nik and his new bride. I think she's the one."

Elijah had already deduced this. "I agree. There's something different about her."

"I saw her stand up to Klaus." Kol elaborated. "None have ever done that before...even Bekah likes her."

"I see."

"Speaking of the curse, the full moon is tonight."

Elijah nodded. A few years after Esther had made her children into the first vampires, a man approached Klaus claiming he was his true father. Klaus immediately went to his mother and demanded to know the truth. Fearing Klaus would tell Esther's husband, Mikael, she cursed him to change into the very beasts she'd been protecting them from. Klaus was forced to endure the horrid, painful transformation once every month under the full moon.

To guarantee her son's silence, she told him there was a way to break his curse, but refused to divulge the secret until she lay on her death bed. Klaus would have to fall in love and be loved in return. After years of mental and physical abuse by his sibling's father; Mikael, he felt no one could ever love him. So, the Original Hybrid became angry and guarded; convinced he would be cursed forever.

After years of covering up rages and endless bloodshed, Elijah had found an abandoned castle near a growing village and formulated a plan to help break the curse. He approached the villagers and offered to extend his family's protection if they could offer Klaus a bride once every few years.

The village had been plagued by the werewolves and other bloodthirsty monsters for years and had eagerly agreed. Whenever they saw a red flag flying above Castle Black, they would send a bride, thus assuring their protection for many years to come.

Elijah closed the grimoire and stood. Kol gestured to the door. "Shall we go visit the little bride and see if she's hungry?" he asked. "Klaus forbade her to eat unless she dined with him."

The elder brother nodded. "As soon as Klaus leaves this evening we will approach her. It's my understanding that she didn't take feeding from a human very well. I'll bring some blood-meade." He strode into the hall with Kol on his heels. "Now, I must go attend Katerina. I'll meet you afterwards to see to Caroline."

"Until then, brother." Kol responded. He had to go see a pretty witch with a sharp tongue anyway.

A knock on the door caused Caroline to flee behind the edge of the bed. She'd been undisturbed all evening. Her heart thumped quickly in her fear. Was Klaus back? Did Rebekah come to force her to feed again?

The thought of feeding again both excited and disgusted her, but how could she be expected to harm innocent people daily for the rest of her life? Didn't vampires live forever? She just couldn't imagine it, though even now, she yearned for that sweet red liquid.

"Caroline?"

Caroline peered across the bed at Elijah and another similar man that entered. She had immediately liked Elijah when they'd met yesterday but now she was wary. She hissed at them both.

"She's got fire. I like her already." Said the strange man with a smirk.

Elijah held out a wine goblet filled with a red liquid as a peace offering. "I've brought you some dinner. We mean you no harm, Caroline."

Caroline believed him, she didn't know why, but she did. "What is that you've brought? Poison? I can't die, as I'm certain you know."

"The blood-meade you had last night at your wedding feast."

The mention of her wedding put a sour taste in her mouth. She frowned at him. "I drunk blood last night?" Her stomach rolled at the thought.

"Our blood is the catalyst for the transition." He explained. "If you die with it in your system, you'll become a vampire after you've fed on human blood."

"Did you know he was going to do that to me?" she demanded, flashing to him and snatching the goblet. She quickly drunk the contents, instantly feeling much better.

"I did not."

Once again, Caroline believed him. She turned to the other male. "And who are you?" He was almost like a younger version of Elijah, but the perpetual smirk he wore reminded her Klaus.

"Call me Kol, darling." He went to take her hand, but Caroline flinched, stepping away. He held his hands up. "I realize my brother probably has you scared to death. I mean no harm, Caroline."

Caroline met his gaze as she raised her chin. "I'm not afraid of the Beast." She placed her hand in Kol's offered one.

"I suppose not." Kol smirked and placed a kiss upon her hand. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Elijah gestured for her to sit before the fire. "If you'll sit with us, we could answer some questions I'm sure you have."

Caroline took her seat, watching them take the chairs next to her. She was brimming with questions. "Why did he do this to me?"

Elijah was at a loss for words. He honestly had no idea why his brother did most of the things he did. But he felt he needed to reassure her. "I'm sure Niklaus had a good reason. There are many advantages to being a vampire."

"So you don't know." She concluded. Kol snorted with laughter and slapped his knee. "If I must kill innocent people every day, I want no part of it." Caroline continued.

Elijah cleared his throat to hide his smile. This woman was going to be good for his brother. "I confess his reasoning escapes me, he's never turned one of his wives before."

"Oh? What happened to them?"

"Some lived here happily for the rest of their days…"

That perked Caroline up. Maybe she could find peace living here. "And the others?" she prompted.

"Few lived past the month." Kol answered honestly. At Caroline's shocked look, he continued. "You have to understand, we've lived in this castle for five hundred years. We've been home to at least fifty brides."

"And what will happen to me?"

"Like I said," Elijah began, "You are the first to be made immortal. We have no idea what he plans for you."

"What you mentioned earlier…" interrupted Kol. "About not wanting to kill innocent people." Caroline nodded. "You don't have to kill them to feed on them." He told her. "We can even compel them to not remember anything so they won't be traumatized."

Caroline was beginning to genuinely like Kol. He reminded her of Elijah.

Kol smirked. "I would never do a thing like that, but it's an option for you."

The blonde glared at him. Or not. He must take after her husband then. "Thank you for that information." She said dryly. She decided to ignore him and turned back to Elijah. "When Klaus bit me…he told me not to scream or move and I couldn't. I wanted to desperately, but I couldn't."

"That was compulsion. Like I was saying earlier, there are many advantages to being a vampire. You're stronger, faster, and able to compel the human mind. You'll never die from being old or sickly."

"Won't a wooden stake to the heart kill me?"

"That would kill anyone." Snidely whispered Kol.

"Yes. As my brother eloquently put it." Elijah gave Kol a significant glare.

"Is there anyone else here? I've only met you both and Rebekah. I didn't see anyone else yesterday either." Surely a castle this big required servants. "You're all family?"

"We are." Elijah said, surprised she had deduced it. "We don't require many things we cannot fetch ourselves, so there's no need for but a few servants."

Caroline nodded thoughtfully, her mind whirling with all the possibilities of escape. The sooner they left, the sooner she could leave. But how to get them to help?

"I think Caroline's growing tired." Kol announced, standing. "Let's take our leave, brother."

Elijah joined his brother. "Yes. We've over stayed our welcome."

Caroline was torn. She wished for them to stay and teach her more, but she also wanted to be left alone to process all the information. She walked them to the door. "Please visit me again." She pled. "Being locked in this room is driving me mad."

Elijah opened the doors and turned back to her. Kol waited beside him. "If you will promise me something, I will grant you a small kindness."

Kol glanced at him sharply.

"Anything!" Caroline immediately replied. Maybe they would help her escape! She hadn't had the nerve to ask for it earlier.

"If you promise me you will not leave this room tonight, I will leave it unlocked." Elijah knew she couldn't leave the castle grounds, and maybe she would feel less trapped if he helped her -just a little bit.

The wheels began to turn inside Caroline's mind. This was her chance! "Why tonight?" She asked, trying to seem nonchalant.

"It's not safe for you tonight." He told her. Kol threw up his hands and disappeared down the hall muttering something about 'getting all of them daggered'. "I don't want you to feel like you have no allies here, Caroline. Promise me and I'll leave it unlocked."

"I promise." Caroline said, "Thank you so much, Elijah."

"I'll visit tomorrow. Goodnight, Caroline."

"Yes, please. Goodnight." Caroline eased the door shut. It was now or never. She doubted she'd get another chance like this again.

Caroline had dressed in what she assumed was the Beast's clothes; a white shirt with long sleeves and dark brown pants. She'd tucked the shirt into the pants and tied them as tight as she could, but they still swallowed her. She hid her hair into a small hat she'd found but nothing could be done about shoes.

Caroline crawled in her bed, prepared to wait until dawn to make her escape and hope her husband wouldn't decide to visit. She closed her eyes but for a moment, just to rest them...

Caroline jerked awake and stumbled out of bed. She had fallen asleep! Peeking behind the drapes, she saw that it was still dark and sighed with relief. She would make her escape now.

The blonde opened her door and listened carefully. She was surprised at the many things she could now hear; like the stamping of horses' hooves in a barn somewhere, a owl hooting, and the cry of a wolf in the woods, but no sounds of anyone stirring in the early hours of morning. Slowly, she creeped through the halls, trying to find an exit. She was surprised she saw nor heard a soul. It was truly empty, as Elijah had claimed.

Each room was filled with wealth and beauty, things Caroline had never seen before. She was awed by the wonderful sights she beheld. Part of her ached to stay within the mysterious castle; to see all its beauty, but she knew she could never be happy with a husband like the Beast.

Spotting a staircase, she followed it to the ground floor and found a stained glass covered door leading outside. With a sigh of relief, she opened it quietly and stepped outside into the grass. She was in some sort of garden with hedges that reached higher than she was tall. She couldn't go around so she would just have to go through it and out the other side.

It was time to test her new advantages; Caroline stepped back and burst forth with all the strength she could muster.

Lost and confused, Caroline looked up and realized the sun would be up shortly. She was no closer to finding the exit than she was when she first entered the garden maze. She figured she was somewhere near the middle, the paths opened up to a bubbling fountain and stone benches. Beautiful flowers swayed in the wind and green ivy climbed up the armless female statues littered throughout.

A cracking twig caught her attention.

Caroline gasped, a huge wolf was standing not too far from her, on her left side where she had just came from. How had she not heard it? Had it been following her? It's muzzle was pulled back over its dripping teeth, ears also flat against it's head. Not a good sign. Aside from the possibility the wolf was going to eat her, it was the most beautiful creature Caroline had ever seen. It's body was sleek and muscled, the fur coating it black as a raven's feathers, and eyes that glowed gold in the dawning morning.

Caroline slowly crouched down, eye level with the now growling wolf. She wondered if she could take it with her new strength, but this didn't seem like a regular wild animal. It had an eerie intelligence in it's golden gaze.

"Please don't eat me, Mr. Wolf." She whispered. Caroline attempted to slid her foot backwards and slowly creep away from it.

A loud warning growl stopped her.

"Okay, okay. You're the big, bad wolf here." The sun rose over the edge of the hedges and it's rays shone in her eyes, blinding her for a second.

Suddenly, she was tackled to the ground with the force of a horse. The breath was ripped from her lungs and Caroline knew this was it. The actual moment she died.

With eyes closed tight, she waited for the pain...and waited, and waited.

Getting up the nerve to open her eyes, she saw the wolf was just laying on top of her. It was panting and staring at the sun rise like it wasn't about to eat her.

The wolf was actually really heavy, so Caroline tried to wiggle away. The wolf turned its attention to her and gave a short huff in her face.

"Message received." She mumbled.

The wolf began to whine and stood up from her. It growled in warning and backed behind a hedge where she couldn't see it, growling all the while.

Caroline raised up into a sitting position, torn between running off and staying to make sure the wolf actually left and wasn't lying in wait for her to make a move. She heard it begin to whine and cuff like it was in pain. Caroline had always loved animals, she couldn't leave this one while it was in obvious distress.

The howls of misery soon began to sound suspiciously like a human. She didn't want to even think of what the horrible cracking noises were. A warning bell in the back of her mind tinkled, but she just couldn't put a finger on why this was familiar to her...

A very human groan was the last thing she heard before complete silence. Tilting her head to the side, she concentrated listening, searching for a sound that would let her know what had happened.

Abruptly, she was thrown back on her backside again by a powerful force. "Ugh!" She cried. This was getting old.

Klaus loomed over top of her with an enraged expression. Caroline shrieked and tried to scoot away. "What are you doing out here?" He demanded.

"What does it look like?!" She retorted.

Klaus put all his weight on top of her to halt her struggles and knotted his hand in her hair; forcing her to face him. "I could've killed you!"

Caroline felt rage well up inside like a fire. "You already did once!" She yelled. "What more do you want from me?!" With her chest heaving, she realized two things at once; one, Klaus was naked, two, he was hard. "Get off me!"

The Beast's face morphed as it did the night of their wedding; golden eyes and a double set of fangs. "Don't shy away now, love. Face the consequences of your actions." He purred, leaning in nuzzle her throat.

Caroline's traitorous body shivered at the contact. "You will never have me again." She vowed with a growl.

Klaus glared at her. "If you won't let me take you, then I'll have to settle for something else." With his free hand, he lifted her into his lap and used the hand he had fisted in her hair to jerk her head to the side.

"Stop!" Caroline struggled against him, hating the way her body tingled when his hard length rubbed against her just right.

Her husband lazily licked the column of her throat. "Relax, love, and this won't hurt a bit."

The blonde didn't have time to process what he's said before she felt his fangs pierce her throat for the second time. She felt a flash of pain for only a second, before she felt the most amazing thing...

A connection.

She couldn't read Klaus' mind, but she could feel the emotions going through him; anger, lust, hunger, yearning, and something she dared not name yet. She'd never felt a connection with anyone like this. It was amazing to be able to feel what he was feeling.

Soon, she was so swept up in the moment, she hadn't realized she had taken his hand from her waist and bit into his wrist. Klaus groaned, a long, deep sound that made her toes curl in response.

Her husband's blood was delicious, but it wasn't what she craved. She sought the connection that her bite could give. Now that they both fed on each other, she didn't know where her emotions began and his ended.

The ones that stood out the most were frustration, lust, yearning...and loneliness.

Caroline's heart ached. The Beast was lonely. Klaus removed his bite, but Caroline was reluctant to let go of hers.

"What was that?" She asked.

Klaus' face was turned to stone. "Blood-sharing." He untangled himself from her and set her on her feet.

The complete turn-around confused Caroline. Was he angry she bit him? "Did I do something wrong?"

"I don't need your pity!" He thundered suddenly.

Caroline recoiled. "It's not pity I feel, it's sympathy! But you wouldn't know the difference!"

Klaus stiffened. "I...I..." The blonde watched him struggle to find the words to say. "I want to apologize for last night."

"Thank you." She responded honestly. "You took my choice away and for that I may never be able to forgive you, but I appreciate that you recognize it was wrong."

The Beast offered her his hand. "We'll start over, then. I'll earn your forgiveness, however long it takes."

Caroline peered at him, deigning not to answer him. Truly she didn't know how she felt. The connection they had was obviously something special, but Caroline couldn't shake the foreboding she felt inside. After all, why does the caged bird sing?

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