"Vladislaus!" Degana called as she burst into the library. Dracula turned nonchalantly at his name from where he stood before a shelf, flipping through an ancient looking book.

"I've decided." she said. Vladislaus slowly shelved the book.

"And?" he said walking up to her. Degana swallowed.

"Yes," she said quickly, before she could change her mind. Dracula smiled and without saying anything, scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the room she had woken up in. He laid her gently on the bed and then leaned over her, his hands on either side of her waist.

"Trust me and you will not feel a thing. I will watch you as you sleep and be here when you wake. Close your eyes," Dracula said his head bent towards hers, his mouth at her ear. Degana closed her eyes slowly, the last image she saw was Vladislaus gazing down at her. When her eyes were closed, Dracula's fangs grew to three times their normal length, and he put one hand on her waist the other tilting her head to the side as he bent closer to her. Degana's heart beat quickened as she felt his teeth graze her skin and she cried out when they pierced it. Almost immediately the pain was gone, however, and Degana felt as if she were floating on a sea of cotton. A single tears escaped her eye as Dracula changed her and the last thing she thought about as her mind finally failed was Alessandra calling out to her, tears streaming down her cheeks and her arms reaching out.

Gabriel and Carl raced up the stairs and towards the door with the light escaping from around the edges. Gabriel reached the door first, threw it open crossbow out, and froze at what he saw. Dracula was pulling away from a limp Degana, blood trickling down his chin. He wiped it away and slowly turned to the shocked Gabriel.

"Welcome, Van Helsing," he said, stepping off the bed and standing facing Gabriel with his hands clasped behind his back.

"What have you done to her?" Gabriel cried. Carl finally came in view of the room and his hands flew to his mouth at the sight of Degana lying lifeless on the bed, her head tilted to the side facing the door and her arm hanging off the side of the bed.

"I have done what she asked of me. I gave her a choice and she chose the life of the vampyre. It was of her own free will," Dracula said spreading his hands.

"You bastard," Gabriel spat. Vladislaus shrugged.

"You may think what you like, but she holds the truth. Now. If you leave right now, I will spare yours and your little friend's life. Goodbye, Gabriel Van Helsing," Dracula said and watched as Gabriel gave one last sorrowful look at Degana and then grabbed Carl and hurried out of the castle.

Degana sat at her vanity, trailing her brush through her hair absentmindedly, humming. She had been so busy in the last few days planning for her upcoming wedding, she was bubbling over with excitement. She couldn't wait to be married and start a family. There came a knock at the door.

"Come in," Degana called in a singsong voice. Gabriel entered the room and immediately Degana's face fell as she saw how haggard and worn her he looked. His normally neat brown hair was unkempt and his clothes wrinkled.

"What is it?" Degana cried as she leapt up and offered him her chair which he took gratefully. Gabriel shook his head and looked at Degana mournfully.

"I bring sorrowful news to such a happy occasion," he said softly. Degana stared at him, her body tense and waiting for whatever he was to tell her.

"Vladislaus is…" he started.

"What? What has happened to him?" Degana cried, extremely worried, all signs of her previous elated state of mind gone.

"Vladislaus is dead," he said finally, his head in his hands. Degana's world fell around her at that moment, everything coming crashing down. She stumbled backwards until her back hit the wall and she slowly slid down it. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes hadn't left Gabriel for a second. Her hands, which were shaking violently, went to her mouth.

"Oh my god," she whispered. Gabriel looked over at her.

"I'm sorry, Degana," he said, his voice breaking.

"What happened?" she said, her voice flat and toneless. Her eyes filled with tears waiting to spill over as she stared at him. Gabriel opened and closed his mouth like a fish on land and he turned his eyes away from her, shamefully.

"He is dead by my hand," he said. Degana stared at him, her face emotionless, her arms hanging loosely by her sides. She slowly got to her feet and Gabriel rose with her, his arms out to take her into an embrace, trying to comfort her. But instead her hand shot out and connected with his cheek, sending his head snapping to the side.

"Why, Gabriel? Why!" she cried and ran out of her room. Gabriel ran after her, but she eluded his grasp, her gauzy night gown slipping through his fingers.

"Degana, wait! It's getting dark out, wait, Degana!" Gabriel called as Degana escaped into the frosty night where snow was just beginning to fall. Degana didn't feel the cold as she raced into the forest soon getting lost. As she stopped, panting hard, the cold began to get to her, causing her to shiver violently. Tears streamed down her face as she stood in a clearing, shivering, her arms wrapped around herself. As she stood there, there came the sudden howling of wolves. Degana's eyes shot into the darkness of the trees surrounding her, and soon all around her was filled with the baying of wolves.

"Help," she whispered, almost inaudibly, knowing that no one would ever hear her or find her in time. A monstrous wolf stepped out of the tree line in front of her, its yellow eyes blazing and its sharp teeth bared as it snarled at her. Five more stepped out, advancing slowly, jaws dripping with saliva. Degana's mind was blanked as she stared in horror at her impending doom.

"Back!" came a voice suddenly, and the familiarity of it caused Degana to stare. Vladislaus stood ten feet away, arms outstretched, calling out to the wolves. Her mouth hung open. Two of the wolves slunk away but the other four advanced, their eyes keen on their dinner. Degana's eyes met Vladislaus', and they pleaded silently to be saved.

"Back! Back!" Vladislaus called again and again but the wolves ignored him. Suddenly the lead wolf lunged at Degana, his jaws closing around her neck. She screamed as she fell backwards, her life breath escaping through her scream.

"Degana!" Vladislaus cried reaching out to her. He ran towards the wolves waving his arms and brandishing his sword. The wolves looked at him, and then turned tail and ran back into the woods, leaving a small circles of churned up and bloodied snow where Degana lay in the middle. Vladislaus took her body into his arms, and after brushing hair out of her face, seeing her open and glazed eyes confirming that she was dead, he buried his face into her hair, crying openly for a love lost.

Degana sat bolt-right up in the bed, instantly awake and panting. She had just seen herself die and she felt as if it had happened all over again.

"Vladislaus?" she called hesitantly, her voice edged with tears. Dracula immediately appeared in her room and hurried to her side. Degana buried her face into his shoulder, sobbing, as she let free all of the emotions that she had kept pent up for the past few days. Dracula stroked her hair, and held her until she had finished crying and she pulled away.

"Do you feel any different?" Dracula asked. Degana thought about his question and found that indeed she did. She felt more alive, and not tired at all. Her hair felt stronger and her muscles more toned and her body leaner.

"I do actually. Is this what happens?" she asked, pulling a little back from Vladislaus and brushing the tears from her cheeks.

"It is. Isn't it a wonderful feeling?" he said with a smile. Degana gave a smile in return, shaky at first from the tears.

"It is," she answered.