The long awaited chapter is finally here! I can't thank you enough for your patience and continued support throughout this long period. All previous chapters have been updated and changed to fit better with the story. As I have said before, I made a critical error which I had to fix immediately. Which resulted in a major change to the storyline and Jessica's character. However, it's much better and more fitting with the vision I had for her. I was much younger when I began this story and didn't fully understand the mechanics behind it all, but now I do. So, if you want to continue this story, I suggest you reread all the previous chapters so that you're caught-up with all the changes that I have made.

Thank you once again, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter. It's well worth the wait in my opinion.

The Mansion was eerily quiet as I tip-toed down the large staircase. It was very early in the morning, and truth be told, I was restless. Laying next to Klaus in his bed was making me itch. Since transitioning, I have been feeling things much more easily. Heightened emotions, Caroline called them. My senses were on overdrive. My smell, taste, and sound were just a few of the things that had evolved since that night. Now I was fighting against another emotion. Lust. Being near Klaus was driving me insane. His smell. His touch. Just being in the same room as him was intoxicating. The more distance I tried to put between us was futile. I craved to be near him. In his little bubble. I had to restrain myself. There were bigger things at play now. Tyler and Hayley were in full motion with their plan to release the hybrids from Klaus' sire-bond, and I had to fight against all the urges to tell him about the whole thing whenever I was with him.

Tyler was right about something though. Ever since I triggered my curse, I had a newfound loyalty to other werewolves. Like they were part of my extended family. I had a stronger loyalty to Ty though, I always had done since we were little, and I now know the reason why. Not only were we blood related, we were the same species. I had come to terms with it now. I didn't have another choice regardless. This was my new reality for the foreseeable future, there was not turning back the clock.

I wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. The sun was slowly creeping up in the distance as I looked out of the window and sipped from my plastic bottle. The sky was still a deep shade of blue with the slightest tinge of amber as the sun began to rise in the distance. As I walked around the house for a while, trying to clear my mind from the racing thoughts, I continued to drink the icy water as I approached Klaus' study. The door was slightly opened as I nudged it and walked inside.

I had some much needed time to kill until the Miss Mystic planning event began, not to mention I had energy that was pent-up inside, bursting to get out. As I wandered around the room, I looked to my right and found a blank canvas leaning against the side of his desk. I smiled and lifted it up in the air, blowing away the light layer of dust that coated the top before placing it onto the easel. Wiping the surface with a rag to remove the remaining dust, I simultaneously picked up a glass palette that was stained with paint from Klaus' previous work. I had chosen my desired topic to paint and prepped the palette with the appropriate colours.

I dipped my brush into the oil before mixing it into the deep blue paint to create a pliable substance to work with on the canvas. As soon as my brush hit the gritty, white canvas, I was off. Transfixed with the way the paint moved, blended and mixed with one another, all under my control. Nothing happened unless I desired it so. I hadn't realised how long I stood in front of the canvas. The sun had risen in the east, illuminating the previously dim-lit room with its rays. I stood in the centre of the room in front of a large window as I continued painting my piece happily.

I smirked, "I know you're there..."

I placed the pallet on to the desk and turned around. Klaus was leaning against the door frame as he watched me painting. I don't know how long he stood there until I took notice of his presence. I caught his scent as I stepped back from the canvas to admire my work.

He walked further into the room and stopped in front of the canvas as I stepped aside.

"It's beautiful," He grinned as he cast his artistic eye over the painting. "Cold." He added.

"Is that a good thing?" I asked.

Klaus sniggered, "Art is whatever you want it to be, love. There is no right or wrong answers."

I rolled my eyes, "So it's bad then." I placed the paint brush down on top of the desk and grabbed my bottle of water, popping the cap off before taking a long sip, "It's alright, you can tell me." I laughed lightly as he watched me contently.

"No, no," Klaus chuckled, "It's good."

"Hmm,"

"What?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I'm not the artist here, you are." I said as I pointed to his painting that littered the room we stood in. "I'm merely a pianist."

"Is that so?" His eyes lit-up at my words as he stalked closer towards me.

"Mmm," I hummed, "Maybe I'll play something for you one day."

I could feel the head rising from my own skin as he neared me, his too was radiating.

"How about now?" Klaus asked with a twinkle in his eye. His hand brushed the hair from my face as I inhaled sharply. I looked over his shoulder and my eyes widened as I noticed the time on the clock.

"Shit!" I gasped and side-stepped him. As I rushed past, he caught my wrist and tugged me backwards.

"What's wrong?" He asked sternly. I smiled and laughed lightly at the seriousness on his face, "What is it?"

"I'm going to be late." I replied.

"Late for what, sweetheart?"

The knot formed in my stomach as he pulled me closer into his body.

"T-The Miss Mystic event preparation is today," I murmured, "I'm on the set-up crew, and if I'm not there, my sister will hunt me down and kill me where I stand."

"That's a bit dramatic, love." Klaus smirked.

I frowned and raised my brow, "Do you know my sister?"

He thought about his previous statement and shrugged, "Fair point."

"Have to go shower," I said quickly, and before I took notice of what I was about to do, I leaped forward and placed a kiss on his cheek, catching him off guard as well as myself. His grip loosened and my wrist slipped from his grasp and I rushed out of the room.

Jeez.

Once I had showered and gotten dressed, I made my way to the Lockwood estate. As always, the Miss Mystic pageant was being held there, not that I ever complained. The grounds were beautiful, the perfect place for such an event. As I entered through the house and outside the onto the back porch, I noticed Caroline walking down the stairs, her phone pressed tightly against her ear as she frowned.

I followed on behind her, keeping my distance as she came to a halt at a table where Gabby had been arranging flowers as the centre pieces. In true Caroline fashion, she snatched the vase from her and rearranged them to fit her high standards. I wasn't surprised when Gabby gave me a knowing roll-of-the-eye as she passed me by. If anyone knew how particular Care was, it was me.

Caroline froze on the spot by the table and sighed loudly, her shoulders relaxed. I was caught off guard by what she said next.

"All the more reason you need to cure her." She said hopefully.

She hung up the phone moments later and I approached her.

"Cure her?" I said as she turned around, "What are you talking about?"

She clamped her mouth shut instantly, "W-What?"

I rolled my eyes, "You just said 'cure' her, Care." I sighed, "Stop playing dumb and tell me what's going on."

She sniggered, "I thought Klaus would have told you."

"I'm really not in the mood to play point-scoring games, Caroline. Tell me what's going on or I'll find someone that will."

"Okay, okay," She groaned and looked round, "Not here."

Her scepticism only made me wonder more about what was going on. Something else that I was being kept out of by the looks of it.

Once Care and I were out of earshot, she filled me in on what has been going on lately. She told me everything she knew about the cure for vampirism, well, everything that Stefan had told her that is. He was sworn to secrecy by Klaus, which explains why he was acting shifty at Tyler's when the hunter had Jer, Matt and April held hostage at the grill. He told me to ask Klaus, that he couldn't tell me himself, but I never did.

"So, you're telling me that this 'hunter' grows a map on his body, and this 'map' leads to the cure for vampirism?" I looked at Care sceptically. She nodded her head. "But the hunter is now dead, so the map is lost for good now?"

"Not exactly," She smiled, "When Elena killed the hunter, a new one was born."

"Yeah, yeah," I murmured as I thought back to the night in The Grill, "Jeremy... He killed the hybrid at Tyler's that night. Is he now the map to the cure?"

Care nodded her head slowly, "We're still figuring a lot of the details out, Jess."

"Yeah, understandable."

"I'm surprised Klaus never told you."

I rolled my eyes, "You're not the only one." I groaned and stood from the bench, "You said he swore Stefan to secrecy, but yet, he told you anyway."

"Yeah. I think after everything that's been happening with Damon and Elena...He just needed someone to talk to."

"What's happening with Damon and Elena."

"She said she has feelings for Damon." Care groaned as we began to walk back to the main garden.

"Seriously!?" I gasped, wide eyed, "I mean, it's clear that Damon has feelings for Elena, and I guess I can see that she has them for him."

"She doesn't!"

I smirked, "Care, I could tell from a mile off that they two had a thing for each other. Maybe it just took becoming a vampire for her feelings to be heightened for her to realise that herself."

"You're not helping, Jess." Caroline moaned as we approached a small table.

As I looked up from the table, I noticed that Elena had arrived. She was standing by another table, arranging some flowers into a vase. I nudged Caroline on the arm and she followed my gaze. Her shoulders slumped as she looked onwards.

"Don't mention anything about Damon and Stefan," I warned her as we made our way over to the brunette, "It's none of our business."

"I won't." Caroline replied sharply.

"Elena, Hey." I smiled as we approached her.

"Hey, guys." She greeted with a smile.

We fell silent for the briefest of moments until Care opened her big mouth.

"Look," She sighed, "I'm your best friend and I would never pick sides, but are you sure this is what you want? Because Stefan is your soul mate."

"Caroline!" I groaned.

Elena looked up at the eager vampire and pressed her lips into a fine line.

"Sorry. Picking sides." Care sighed and began to fidget with a petal.

"It's not like I don't love Stefan anymore, but I can't deny that ever since I turned, my feelings for Damon have become more intense." Elena informed us.

"Yeah, I know." Caroline rolled her eyes, "Stefan filled me in on all the gory Damon details."

"He did?"

I nudged Care on the arm again, "Caroline, you're being so rude right now."

"Is he okay?" I faced Elena as she looked towards Caroline, her face was saddened.

"No, he's heartbroken."

"Well, what was I supposed to do? Lie to him?" Elena sighed in frustration.

"No, but you weren't supposed to let Damon weasel his way into your confused newbie vampire heart."

"Well, he did and that's exactly what I am. Confused. I need to figure out what these feelings actually mean."

I placed a hand on her shoulder, "Elena, you don't have to rush anything." I gave her a reassuring smile, "Just breathe and take your time."

As I smiled at Elena, Professor Shane approached us as he descended the stairs.

"Excuse me, I'm a little lost. I'm here to interview contestants." He smiled gleefully.

"You're Professor Shane." I said with a furrowed brow.

Caroline, Elena and I shared the same sceptical look.

Shane sniggered lightly, "Yeah, that's right. Professor by day; pageant judge by other day. In spite of being absurdly unqualified, I'm apparently awarding a scholarship."

Caroline cleared her throat and pointed towards the back of the house, "Uh, inside by the parlour."

"Right in here?"

"Mhmm."

"Alright," He smiled and fixed his tie, "I'll just follow the scent of hairspray and world domination."

I chuckled lightly at his comment as he headed towards the house.

"He's the one who told Damon how to break the hunter's curse." Elena informed us.

"Really?" I asked with a frown.

"Yeah," Caroline snorted, "He's also the one that has Bonnie so obsessed with practising magic that she bailed on pageant prep."

"Yet he's here...Judging Miss Mystic Falls?" I raised my brow and folded my arms across my chest.

"Jack of all trades or kind of creepy?" Elena said.

I nodded as I watched him enter the house, "I'd go with the latter."

A while later, I was standing in the middle of the backyard, a clipboard in hand as I instructed people where to go and what to do. Caroline had given me a list of things to get done, and if there was one thing my sister and I had in common, it was that we were meticulous.

"No, no, no, stop!" I raised my hand in the air, stopping the three girls that approached me with flower arrangements in their hands. "Those ones go in the back. Didn't you look at the chart Caroline gave you? Well?" I said as they stared at me doe-eyed, "Take them back to where they're supposed to be."

"Thank you!" I yelled after them as they headed in the opposite direction.

As I looked down at my clipboard, I felt his presence standing close to me.

"Now, how did I know I'd find you at the helm of the ship?"

I looked up at him and then straight back down to my board, "Go away. I'm busy."

"I was wondering what time I should pick you up tomorrow."

I looked up from my clipboard once more and smirked at the hybrid.

"For what?" I smiled as I played dumb.

Klaus frowned, "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

Once again, the heat from my body was rising. All I could smell was his scent, and I craved it more than anything in this world.

I pushed my longing down long enough to glare at him. "Why didn't you tell me about the cure?" Hmm?"

His shoulders slackened and his face fell.

"Let me guess, Caroline?" Klaus all but growled. "I'm going to kill that Salvatore."

"That doesn't matter, Klaus." I groaned, "Why would you keep something like that from me?"

"It wasn't about keeping it from you, love." He cooed as he neared me, "The more people who find out about it, the more people will want to get it."

"Do you expect me to believe that?" I rolled my eyes and gripped the clipboard tighter. "You know what, forget about it. I can't be bothered to argue with you anymore."

I turned on my heels and headed towards a table where someone placed some flowers.

"Jeez," I sighed, "You really want something done correctly, you do it yourself." I snatched the vase of flowers from the table and marched over to the buffet table and set them down angrily.

"Are you alright?" Klaus said from behind me.

I turned to face him, "Yeah..."

"You're lying."

I sniggered, "Rich, coming from you."

"Don't be like that, love." Klaus groaned and rolled his eyes, "You now know everything, what's there to be mad about?"

"I'm just frustrated!" I yelled, "Okay."

Klaus smirked, "You never did answer my question."

I furrowed my brow, "Which question?"

"About what time I should pick you up tomorrow."

"What makes you think that I'll be attending?"

Klaus scoffed, "Surely, as a member of one of the founding families, you'll be attending, and you won't be attending alone."

Damn, he was right. Mrs. Lockwood would kill me if I wasn't here. I already missed Miss Mystic Falls last year when I was with my father. I even made it as a contestant along with my sister. If I were to miss another, or better yet, show up alone, I'm sure she'd hunt me down. As would Care.

"Besides," Klaus smiled coyly, "I'm sure your sister would be disappointed if you didn't show up. She could use your support, what with Tyler coming with that Hayley girl."

"He's coming with Hayley?" I frowned.

It was news to me. However, I knew that they would do what's necessary to keep up the ruse. To keep Klaus in the dark about what they were really up to.

Now I was feeling guilty. Guilty for keeping the secret from Klaus, but also for Caroline. She had to keep up the ruse as well, which couldn't be easy. I just hoped that Ty told her that he was coming with Hayley tomorrow.

"Fine," I placed the clipboard down on the table, "Since you insist on coming tomorrow with me, Caroline and I have a lot of things to finish here tonight and early in the morning. So you can meet me here. Two p.m."

Klaus smirked and walked closer to me as I held my breath.

"It's a date."

As I walked around my room clipping the back of my necklace together, I slipped my feet into the black heels that lay at the foot of my bed. I fixed my hair which hung in its natural form of loose curls as I took a final look in the mirror. I was pleased with how I looked. I wore a cream coloured knee length slip dress which hugged my body in all the right ways. I ran my hand up my left thigh, making sure that the dress wasn't rolled at the hem. Once I was satisfied with everything else, I grabbed my clutch and headed to the Lockwood Mansion.

When I arrived at the mansion, I made a b-line for the room where the contestants were getting dressed at the request of my sister. As I opened the door and walked inside, I was met by a chipper Caroline.

"Jess, perfect timing." Caroline motioned for me to walk further into the room. "Which dress do you think April should wear? Elena and I both say the blue one is much better."

I bit on my lower lip as I cast my critical eye over the dresses which April held for us to see. I looked between them both. Each had their own unique style and vibrancy, but one stood out from the other effortlessly.

"The red one."

Caroline tutted loudly, "Jess! You're supposed to agree with us."

I shrugged, "You asked my opinion and I gave it." I smiled awkwardly at April as she watched on in embarrassment as we argued, "The red one is bold, beautiful, and not to mention sexy. The judges will love it."

"The blue one does seem a little safe." April sighed as she looked at the dresses in her hands.

"Safe is good when it comes to the judges." Elena imputed into the conversation trying to reassure her.

"She's right. Gracie Lockwood had a three-foot slit her year and practically got laughed off the court." Caroline glanced over at Elena as they chuckled lightly, remembering back to that day. "Besides, red won't get you the votes.

"I was going to wear red last year?" I scowled at my sister.

"Yeah, but you weren't here, so that doesn't count."

I rolled my eyes, "If I were here, you can bet on it that it would have been me wearing that crown."

Caroline balled her fists as we stared at each other, but before she could reply, the door to the room swung open and Damon walked in smiling, causing all of us to stare at him in surprise.

"She got my vote."

"Get out, lurker!" Caroline threw something black in his direction, hitting him on the chest.

"Ouch," He muttered sarcastically. Caroline crossed the room and began to usher him out of the room. "Where's professor Shane?" He asked as he stood at the doorway.

"I think I saw him floating around the judges table before I came up here." I informed him quickly before Caroline attempted to thrust the door closed in his face. Damon stuck his hand in the gap pushing it back open, and halting my sister's efforts to rid him from the room.

"Red one, definitely." He said as he glanced at April.

Caroline had stopped in the middle of the room, midway between Elena and Damon with her arms crossed.

"We've already agreed that the red one is a little bit too showy."

"I chose the red one," I clarified with my hand in the air.

"See, Jessie agrees." Damon smirked. Besides, its a pageant. That's the whole point."

Caroline groaned and placed her hands on her hips, "Did you win Miss Mystic last year? No. I don't think you did."

Damon scoffed, "Neither did Elena and she wore blue."

"Nobody cares what you think."

"I care." April spoke up from the sideline.

"See? April cares. Red, right, Elena?" Damon looked across the room at Elena.

I narrowed my eyes as Elena looked at April and then Damon.

"The red is pretty." She admitted flatly.

Caroline's face fell and Damon smirked in victory.

"And my work here is done."

He turned on his heels and left the room, leaving an awkward atmosphere in his wake.

Care spun on the spot and glared at Elena, "Uh, what happened to thirty seconds ago when you hated the red one? What happened to safe is good?"

"Back-off, Care. It's April's choice at the end of the day." I said as I tried to reason with her.

Elena gave April a sheepish smile, "Whichever one you want to wear, April."

Caroline stared in disbelief as Elena walked out of the room. "What just happened?" Why did she change her mind like that?" As I opened my mouth to speak, Caroline raised her hand to silence me. "Don't tell me she can change her mind. People don't just change their mind and opinions like that."

I shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you, Care. Come on, let's just let April get change."

A while later after Care and I left April to get dressed, she wasted no time in ordering me around the estate. I once again had a clipboard in my hands as I wandered around the tables in the garden, making sure everything was in its specific place. Heaven forbid something was where it shouldn't be. The judges had all they needed at their table, the guest tables were all set up with flutes of champagne and everything else seemed perfect. Everything was great in my opinion, but I don't know if that's enough to satisfy Caroline's perfectionist standards.

Guests began to arrive in crowds for the pageant and I did the meet and greet at the top of the stairs which led down to the garden, smiling as I welcomed them and guided them to their tables and the refreshments. I had to hand it to Caroline, no matter how crazy she became while doing this event, she had done an excellent job at pulling it off.

Once most of the guests had arrived, a hush had fallen over the crowd as I descended the staircase and took my place beside the refreshments table as I watched Carol tap the microphone.

"Welcome to this season's Miss Mystic Falls." The crowd began to clap in unison as she continued on, "We are so excited to showcase our most outstanding community leaders in the making."

As people mingled and chatted amongst themselves, I wandered aimlessly across the lawn before I saw Caroline berating a bus-boy near some empty tables. As I grew nearer, I could hear her snapping at him as she slammed down some empty flutes onto his silver tray. I watched as he hung his head and walked quickly away from the situation before I turned my attention to Caroline, but before I even parted my lips, she rushed past me and made a b-line for the orchestra.

"Caroline!" I hurried after her.

"Will you guys pick up the tempo!" She snapped her fingers at them arrogantly, "This is a pageant, not a funeral."

As she turned to walk away once more, I shot my hand out and grabbed her by the arm. She turned around and faced me as she sighed deeply. I smiled, "Will you chill out and look around." I said as I pointed into the filled lawn, "Everything's perfect, Caroline. You've done an amazing job."

My hand slipped for my sister's arm as his voice reached my ears, "And how am I doing?"

I turned around to be met by Klaus as he stood behind me smiling. He was dressed in an elegant deep, navy blue suit with a pale grey buttoned-up shirt and a steel grey tie.

"You're...perfect." I sighed with a smile. "So much so that it's annoying."

Klaus chuckled lightly as he gazed upon my figure, "You look exquisite."

I smiled, "You like?" I twirled in the spot, giving him a view from all angles.

"Very much," He all but growled as he grasped my hand and pulled me into his body. I chuckled lightly as he snaked his arm around my waist, pulling me closer as he placed a delicate kiss on the top of my head. "They didn't waste any time, did they?"

"Who?" I asked in confusion as I pulled away from his chest and followed his line of sight.

My lips pressed into a fine-line as I watched Hayley and Tyler enter the venue from the lawn below, hand-in-hand. My stomach instantly flipped as I thought of Care. She was going to be devastated once she saw them here together. Even though it was all a ruse, It still wouldn't be easy.

"I have a bad feeling about this," I groaned as I continued to follow them with my eyes. "Caroline is already stressing out about everything, I feel this might just tip her over the edge."

"We'll keep our distance." Klaus said to reassure me, but it wasn't working.

I was too anxious all of a sudden.

I turned to face him and offered a weak smile, "Let's just get today over with."

Klaus nodded his head and offered me his arm. I took it without hesitation as we made our way over to the staircase as the announcements were underway. Once we took our place, a smile grew on my face as I saw that April had decided to go with the vibrant red dress.

"Something you want to share?" Klaus all but whispered as Caroline spoke from the bottom of the staircase.

"She wore the dress I picked." I smiled as I looked up at him. Klaus just frowned in confusion, "April," I clarified, "She was torn between two and she chose the one I picked."

"Ahh," He nodded his head as he looked back at the line-up. "Well, you do have exquisite taste, love."

A heat began to creep up on my skin as my tongue swept over my bottom lip, giving them some much needed moisture. I cleared my throat, causing Klaus to chuckle quietly to himself as I tried to focus back on the announcements. The procession went by smoothly, that was until it was April's turn to walk down the stairs to meet her escort. Caroline announced Jeremy as her escort, but he was nowhere to be seen. As I waited by baited breath, I blew a deep sigh of relief as Matt emerged from the crown and waited for April at the bottom.I smiled and clapped along with the others as he escorted her onto the dance floor with the other contestants.

"I'll be right back," I muttered absent-mindedly as I watched Caroline walk down the staircase and make her way over to Elena. My arm slipped free from Klaus' as I made my way through the crowd and over to the pair.

"He's not picking up." Elena groaned in worry as she lowered her phone from her ear.

"Do the math," Damon interjected as he appeared by my side, "Emo teen, open bar, it's fine."

"Matt said that Jeremy's been having nightmares about killing vampires and he's been hiding it from me."

"I'm sorry, what?" I gasped softly, "That's something to be worried about, Damon."

"Relax," He drawled, "I'm sure he's fine."

Elena shook her head adamantly, "I don't know. I have a bad feeling."

"If I'm not worried, you shouldn't be worried. Let it go. I'll go look for him." Damon told her.

"Okay," She whispered.

Once Damon had walked away, Caroline instantly began to assign us our orders in a hushed voice, "Okay, you go home. Jess and I will start to ask around here."

Elena shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe Damon's right," She said as she back-tracked, "Maybe hes grabbed a bottle from the bar and snuck off to the woods."

Caroline and I shared the same look of confusion at her words.

"No," Caroline sniggered, "Damon is never right. Damon is sneaky and manipulative and rude, but he's never right. How can you not see that?" Care stared at Elena, completely dumbfounded by her lack of worry regarding her missing brother.

"I don't know, but why do I think that you won't hesitate to tell me?" Elena said with no attempt to hid the annoyance in her voice.

"Fine," Caroline snapped sharply, "Friend-intervention. I think your so-called 'feelings' for Damon are really starting to cloud your judgement and I don't like it." As Caroline continued to shame Elena, I had a moment of welcomed relief as Klaus approached from behind and stood by my side as Caroline went on. "And the thought of you two together really makes me want to barf."

"Calm down, Care." I said in a hushed tone as I tried to reign in her fraying temper. I knew all too well what it was like to be on the other end of one of her disproving 'relationship' speeches. So I knew exactly how Elena was feeling at this very moment as she hung her head in shame. It's not up to you who Elena can or can't be with, Caroline. If she wants to be with Damon, then who are we to disapprove?"

"Thank you." Elena whispered as she gave me a small, weak smile. As much as I tried to have Elena's back in the situation and keep the peace, I seemed to only anger my sister more, and gave her an opportunity to turn on me as well.

"Don't get me started with you!" Caroline pointed her finger inches from my face, "Stay out of it if you're not helping."

"How is this helping?" I hissed and pointed between the three of us. "What gives you the right to dictate who we can and can't be with? Hmm? Her eyes narrowed as I continued on, "First you threatened to compel me into submission, and now you're berating Elena for the same thing. When will you back the hell off and stop trying to control everyone around you!?"

"Easy, love, you're making a scene." Klaus whispered lowly and placed his hand on my lower back.

"Thank you, Jess," Elena smiled before turning to Caroline and the smile fell, "Caroline, thank you for making this very difficult time so much easier."

I watched as Elena walked off and headed up the staircase as Caroline's mouth hung open. "How did I become the bad guy?"

I sniggered, "Because in this situation, you are the bad guy." I informed her with a tight-lipped smile. She shook her head with a grunt before storming off through the crowd.

"And here I was, feeling bad for her about Tyler being here with Hayley." I sighed and turned to face Klaus.

Klaus still had his hand rested on my lower back as he nudged me forward, "Come on, love. Let's go and get a drink." As he ushered me over to where the bar was, I stood idly by watching the world pass by as he collected a bottle of champagne and two glasses before returning to me. Then, together, we walked along the edge of the large pond that filled the back part of the lawn.

"I can't lie and say it wasn't strange," I sighed as Klaus and I walked along the edge of the pond, "One minute she's adamant that it's the blue dress, and then Damon comes into the room, tells her that the red dress is the better choice and then she suddenly changes her tune and agrees with him. It's not like her."

"So, being a vampire has changed her?" Klaus asked in an amused tone.

"Being a vampire only amplifies who you already are. Hence why Caroline is a bigger control freak than ever before," I scoffed and smiled to myself, "It doesn't completely change who you are as a person."

"It's very peculiar." Klaus grinned from ear-to-ear, and it quickly became clear to me that he knew something I didn't.

"What's that look for?"

"It'll all make sense eventually."

"Ass," I smiled and shook my head as we approached a stone bench and took a seat. I sat with a sigh, "The sooner you find this cure, the better. Then Elena can return to normal and all this weird shit stops."

"So you're not mad at me about keeping it from you anymore."

I shook my head, "I guess not."

"Well, I'm working on it, sweetheart."

I watched as he carefully placed the glasses onto the bench and began to rip the foil from the champagne bottle. "Would you take it?" I asked out of nowhere. Klaus gave me a side-wards glance, "The cure. Would you ever take it?" I repeated for clarification.

"Now, why would I want to cure myself of being the most powerful creature on the planet? Hmm?" He raised his brow smugly.

I rolled my eyes, "Of course. Can't have you losing all your 'power', now, can we?" I laughed lightly. "Seriously though. There's not one single moment in your whole life that you wanted to be human?"

As Klaus flashed me an all-knowing smirk, I jumped slightly at the noise the cork made from the champagne bottle as it flew through the air with ease once Klaus popped it open. He tilted the bottle and began to decant the liquid into the flutes, avoiding answering my question entirely.

"How about you?"

I frowned, "It's not a cure for werewolf-ism," I laughed as I tried to think of the correct word to call it.

Klaus chuckled and reached into his breast pocked and retrieved a sheet of paper. "Life used to be a lot easier. Don't you miss the days of being..." He stood from the bench and unfolded the mysterious piece of paper before he began reading from it. "'Joint co-captain of the cheerleading squad' and the 'Director of the Policeman's Yearly Raffle."

I looked up at him through horrified eyes as he continued to rhyme off my Miss Mystic application answers.

"Is that my Miss Mystic application?" I quickly shot to my feet and slapped the sheet of paper from his hands. "Where did you find that?!"

Klaus laughed and reached into the air, effortlessly catching the paper and continued to torment me with my own words. "'When I am chosen, I intend to redefine excellence.'" I placed my hands on my hips as he laughed, "Now, I'm really enjoying your use of 'when' here. It's very confident."

I made another lunge for the sheet of paper, but he held it in the air out of my reach. "Mm-hmm," I groaned and gritted my teeth together, wishing that he'd hurry up and finish already.

"'And above all, I promise to aspire, inspire, and perspire.'" He grinned, "Obviously, we found a shortage of words ending in 'spire'."

I continued to nod my head with a tight-lipped smile as he couldn't refrain himself from laughing.

"Yeah, you're hilarious," I groaned and leaped forward once more in an effort to retrieve the sheet of paper. Once again, Klaus held it in the air out of my reach before he placed it behind his back. I smirked, "What? You don't think I'll be able to get it from behind you?"

"Ohh, I'm counting on it, love." He looked at me with an expression that clearly said 'try and take it from me'.

I couldn't contain my composure any longer and broke out into a fit of laughter at the silliness of the situation. Klaus joined in on the laughter as he approached me and we took out seats on the bench and continued to drink the liquid from the glasses.

A while later, I watched as April Young was crowned Miss Mystic. The happiness I held for her was unmatched. She deserved it after all she's been through this year regarding her father. It was about time something good came her way. I was also feeling smug about the fact that she won it with the red dress that my sister was so against. It was a win for me as far as I was concerned.

Klaus and I continue to walk the grounds after the crowning ceremony, engaging in idle chit-chat as we wandered.

"I never answered your question; if I ever thought about being human." Klaus had stopped walking and I turned around to face him, "Once, I was on a trek in the Andies, and a humming bird flew up to me. It just hovered there, staring at me, its tiny heart pattering like a machine gun." I smiled as he continued to tell me a tale from his past, "And I thought, what a thing, you know, to have to work that hard every day just to stay alive. To be constantly on the verge of death and how satisfying every day must be that it survived. And that was the only time I thought about being human."

"That sounds...incredible." I smiled at him. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

Klaus walked closer to me and held his palm against my burning cheek. I leaned my face into his hand with ease as he stared at me in awe. "Why don't you say we get out of here?"

I nodded my head slowly, "Lead the way."

Klaus' driver brought us back to his mansion as night had fallen. He and I sat in the back of the car together in close proximity, and I was hyper-aware of how his hand grazed my bare thigh every now-and-then. The air in the car was heavy, almost too heavy to breathe at times. I couldn't wait to escape the closed space and inhale the fresh air that outside had to offer. Once we had arrived at the mansion, Klaus climbed out of the car and rounded to my door to open it for me. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I took a sharp inhale and avoided his longing gaze as his hands rested on my shoulders.

We walked up the pathway and the driver opened the main doors for us to enter inside. The hallway was dimly lit by candles on the walls and the tension continued to build between the hybrid and I. I looked around for a brief moment before I watched Klaus make his way over to the foot of the stairs. He turned around and raised his hand in the air for me to take. He didn't have to open his mouth for me to know what he wanted, his eyes told me everything I needed to know. My eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment and I took a small inhale, trying my best to steady my rapidly beating heart before I made my way over to him.

Once my hand was enclosed in his, we began to walk up the staircase and the only sound to be heard throughout the whole house was the clicking of my heels against the marble flooring. Walking down the corridor towards Klaus' master suit, the reality began to settle in.

This is what I want. This is what I need. There was no going back after this. Not this time.

Klaus opened the door to his room and motioned for me to enter inside in ahead of him. I cast my eyes around the room and smiled from ear-to-ear when I saw a bottle of wine placed on a silver platter with two glasses. I walked over to the small table where the wine sat atop and ran my finger over the cap of the wine bottle.

"Expecting company?" I joked lightly to break the heavy tension.

Klaus walked over the room towards me and picked up the bottle of wine from the tray and grinned, "I thought that after the drama that unfolded at the event today, we could enjoy a little wine without something or someone interrupting us." He unscrewed the cap and began to decant the liquid into the two glasses, "Would you care for some?"

"Absolutely," He didn't have to ask me twice as I took the glass quickly from his hand. I was in need of some liquid courage.

"Cheers," He smiled as he raised the glass to his lips.

I smiled as I took a sip of the rich, red wine, savouring its delicious flavours. I quickly took another sip before I walked over to the large window a few feet from his bed. The trees were blowing gently in the wind as the sky blackened. The only thing to light their silhouette was the crescent moon in the centre of the sky.

"The view from here is beautiful," I sighed as I stared out of the window.

"Almost as beautiful as mine,"

I instantly shivered as he neared. My eyes connected with his in the reflection in the window as he stood at my back. I held my breath as he slowly raised his hands and swept them down from my shoulders to my wrists, all while gently pulling me into his embrace. Klaus' warm breath made the hairs on the back of my neck as he lowered his head into the crease and began to leave a tail of soft kisses along the tender skin. Just as I closed my eyes, he retracted his lips and I turned to face him. The instant disapproval on my face must have been evident as he smirked before he took the glass from my hand and placed it down onto the side table beside his large bed.

I gazed into his dilated eyes once he turned back around to face me. He brought his hand up and caressed the side of my face and leaned in, bringing his lips to mine.

The kiss was deep, filled with a burning desire and undeniable passion that took my breath away. I snaked my arms around his neck, pulling him in closer to my body. He smiled against my lips as he moved his arms around my body and held my waist firmly. As we kissed, he began to slowly walk backwards until the back of my legs collided with the side of the bed. I gasped slightly, breaking the kiss momentarily before he recaptured my lips.

I pulled back, causing him to groan quietly as I did so. I braced my hands against his chest as I stepped out of my heels and kicked them to the side of the bed. His hands lingered on my waist as he steadied my frame, a subtle grin crept onto his lips as he watched intently. Once the shoes were off and out of the way, I returned my hands to his chest and gripped his suit jacket and moved it back ever-so-slightly before looking up at him. He nodded slightly and I pushed the jacket from his shoulders and it fell to the floor. Not once did we break eye contact.

Klaus trailed his hands up from my waist and placed them on my shoulders and gently nudged the straps from my dress until they slipped from where they sat, and my dress floated down to the floor. He stepped back and admired my bare body as I stood before him. I stepped out of the dress and kicked it to the side before I made quick work of undoing the buttons of his shirt, and dropped it onto the floor beside my discarded dress. I grinned as I ran my hands up his bare chest, feeling his heartbeat under the touch of my hands was mesmerising.

Klaus kicked off his shoes and grabbed me by the waist before pulling me upwards, causing me to leap onto his waist as his lips crashed to mine, and I wrapped my legs tightly around his body. With his vamp-speed, he moved us onto the bed in the blink of an eye. I was pinned down under his frame as he trailed his hands over my bare stomach, reveling in the warmth my skin had to offer. I gasped suddenly as he moved his right hand down my side and caressed my thigh, gently squeezing at the flesh as he moved his lips along my collar bones.

I pushed his chest back, causing him to lean back on his feet as he grinned in amusement and placed his hands on top of my knees. I laughed lightly at the frustrated look on his face. I propped myself up onto my elbows before I leaned forward and grasped his belt buckle, fumbling with the cool, metal clip until I finally managed to free the buckle. I then wrapped my arms around his torso and pulled him back down on top of my body.

As Klaus continued to plant kisses along my jaw, I snaked my hands up his back and dug my fingernails into his flesh. He released a dominating growl as he pulled back and gazed into my eyes.

"Is that how you want to play this, love?" He goaded with a devilish grin as his eyes flashed gold.

I bit my bottom lip to conceal a grin as I shrugged my shoulders, "Play what?" I teased as my own eyes glinted yellow. My wolf yearned for his more than ever before. The undeniable desire which burned from within was something I wasn't expecting...and it felt amazing. As I brought my hand back around to his chest, he lowered his head down to my neck and I gasped as I felt the sting of his teeth piercing my skin.

As he pulled back, his eyes remained a solid-gold colour as he licked the blood from his lips. My hand instinctively went up to my neck to feel the wound, it was beginning to close over already because of my new-found abilities. I pulled my hand back and looked at the blood droplets that coated my fingertips and smiled.

Who knew something so wrong, could feel so good.

My hand ran over his tattoo which covered his upper arm and crept onto his chest.

"I like it." I smiled and traced the bird with my finger. "I have one, too." I hummed as he grinned.

"Where?"

I pushed my hair back, turned my head to the side, and folded my ear forward to reveal two ravens behind my ear.

"I got it somewhere that was easily hidden from my parents." I chuckled lightly.

"Don't worry, love," Klaus cooed, "Your secrets are safe with me."

"I bet."

I gasped as he moved his hands down my waist, stopping just shy of my underwear before he tugged them down my hips. I began to squirm under his grasp as he placed a kiss on my hip bone. I raised my hips ever-so-slightly as he slid my underwear down with one swift movement, and dropped them to the floor with the rest of the clothing articles.

I bit on my lip nervously as Klaus leaned back and gazed down upon my body. I was completely exposed and vulnerable.

"Klaus..." I whimpered breathlessly. The desire was dripping in my tone as I said his name. I didn't have to say another word as he made quick work of removing the rest of his clothing. I helped him remove his suit-pants before I tossed them across the room and dragged his body back down on top of mine, crashing my lips against his with an intense hunger. I shivered as his hand trailed down my thigh before he hitched it up around his waist and lowered his body onto mine.

The sheer pleasure that was coursing through my veins was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. His scent intoxicated me to the point of suffocation. Our bodies moved as one as he held me down against the bed, dominating the situation in true Klaus fashion. I didn't mind his take-charge attitude at all, I was actually thankful for it.

The rest of the night was filled with intense intimacy as Klaus and I became one.

A night that I'll never forget. Nor would I ever want to.

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