Chapter 15: Fretting Zoo

Author's note: Thank you for your continued support of my series! I really appreciate you taking the time to send me your thoughts. In this installment, the mighty hybrid Klaus is on a mission to intimidate the silly young witch Caroline, who has transformed his mischievous brother Kol into an animal. What a pity he never learned the valuable lesson about making "ass"umptions.


"I think you have all drunk of Circe's cup."

The Comedy of Errors, William Shakespeare


"No, I don't want to pet the pygmy goats! You turned my brother into a bloody pig; change him back right now!" Klaus' anger radiated off of his tense body in waves as he glared down at the petite blonde who had the audacity to send him a flirtatious grin. Under decidedly less-stressful circumstances, he could admit to himself that he would be intrigued by the beautiful woman before him, who fearlessly met his gaze with piercing blue eyes.

When his troublesome younger brother Kol failed to return home in more than a week, Klaus had sought out a useful local coven that was loyal to the Originals to perform a locator spell. What they found had puzzled them; apparently their magic tracked Kol's essence to a small petting zoo on the outskirts of town, but the curious bit they uncovered was that his brother's core being had been transformed into that of a barnyard pig. The coven's elder had cautioned the volatile hybrid from confronting the proprietor until they learned more; apparently the unusual power they felt emanating from there made them wary.

Naturally, Klaus had scoffed at their warnings; he was the most powerful creature in the world; he could easily subdue an upstart witch who dared to tangle with the Originals. He had immediately flashed to the small petting zoo with the memorable name of Circe's Creatures. He demanded to speak with the owner, which is how he found himself yelling at a breathtaking blonde who seemed oddly unfazed by the gold that angrily bled into his eyes as he bellowed.

She stepped out of the small paddock enclosure, shutting the white wooden gate behind her as she dusted off her hands. Flashing him a confident smile, she held out her hand for him to shake. "You must be Klaus. You can call me Caroline." She unabashedly looked him over, letting her twinkling baby blues linger as she took in his muscular chest and broad shoulders. "Your volatile reputation precedes you, but I had not been informed of the agreeable package your surly nature was wrapped in."

Klaus felt himself grow uncomfortably warm under her blatant perusal, and realized he was still gripping her hand rather than shaking it. He quickly let go, needing to reassert his dominance. "I don't know who you think you are, love, but waging war against the Originals is a grave mistake."

Caroline rolled her eyes, sighing. "I told you — I'm Caroline. Seriously, evil villain masterminds such as yourself should be able to menace and listen for pertinent contextual clues at the same time. Can't you multitask?" She began walking away from him, heading downhill toward the barn painted a cheerful red. She tossed back her long blonde braid and called over her shoulder, "What are you waiting for? I thought you came to visit your brother?"

Growling, he hastened his pace to keep up with her as they made their way along the winding gravel path. "I am not here to visit my brother, sweetheart; I'm here to force you to release him from your preposterous spell," he said in a tone that fell short of conveying his anger and instead came across as a petulant schoolboy.

"Force," she asked with a tinkling laugh, "Is this ham-fisted method how you approach all of your negotiations?" She winked at him before her attention was captured by a group of children in the apple orchard playing in a pile of brightly colored leaves. With a hum of satisfaction, she added, "Autumn is my favorite season. After all these years, it's still such a marvel to live somewhere with seasons. You somehow forget that in some places the weather can transform the land in predictable intervals."

Intrigued despite his vexation, Klaus asked, "So you're a recent transplant to our town then. Where did you live before?"

Amused, Caroline answered, "Recent is a relative term for me. But I've spent some time on an island. As I'm sure you know, when you're in a land that calls to your blood, time loses its meaning."

Klaus found himself charmed by her pretty words as he too understood the feeling of peaceful calm that washes over one when they exist in a place they belong. He studied her lovely profile as she walked beside him, delighting in the way her pale pink tank top had come partially unlaced, placing the gentle swell of her breasts on display. He inwardly scoffed when he noticed the edge of a black-ringed symbol tattooed over her heart.

It likely was the traditional Celtic knot, the triquetra, that impressionable young witches all seemed to embrace and tattoo upon their bodies until they had bled all meaning from the symbol. He had seduced many a foolish witch under the guise of offering them power and knowledge so that they could excel in their craft. Caroline would clearly be no different. According to his allies' claims of her unusual power, she could prove a useful resource once he coaxed her to his side.

Making up his mind, he smoothly grabbed her hand, sliding his thumb over her pulse point as he turned over her palm. He took advantage of her wide-eyed surprise and tugged her close to him, bringing her soft palm to his lips as he placed a gentle kiss upon it. "We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, love. Please forgive my rude ways." He allowed his accent to deepen, rolling around the syllables as though savoring them as they touched his tongue. "It is my fondest wish that we can reach a peaceful accord, Caroline. Surely there's something I possess that you need. You'll find that I can be a very generous man when the mood strikes."

Caroline chuckled softly as his boldness. "There's nothing I like more than a generous man, Klaus. So often I find your gender to be boorish, selfish louts. They see the world through a narrow lens, assuming everything and everyone is for the taking."

"Then the men you have met are utter fools," he swore vehemently. "You are a stunning creature and are deserving of respect. Of my respect." He threaded his fingers through hers, adding, "I would like to offer my vast stores of resources to your disposal. I sense that you are serious about your craft and eager to learn more. Allow me to guide you, love. With my extensive allies in the magical community, you could grow into an extraordinarily powerful being."

She pulled him down the path, smiling enigmatically. "I am a seeker of knowledge. How generous of you to become so invested in my education."

He grinned, sensing his victory. This young witch had easily fallen for his charms and soon Kol would be restored. He eagerly anticipated their liaison, and suspected that her youthful exuberance and passion would keep calling him back to her bed. This would prove to be his most favorable alliance yet.

She paused by another fenced enclosure where a little girl was feeding a small white goat. She bent down to give the animal a gentle tap upon his furry head. Smiling indulgently as the girl ran off to join the other children still playing in the growing leaf piles, Caroline jerked her chin in the goat's direction. "That's one of mine. His pride was wounded after I rejected his clumsy advances using what he called his patented "eye thing". He chased after me in the dark, and when he menaced with his black veins and vampire fangs, I thought it only fitting to turn him into this."

"A goat," he questioned, not understanding the merriment he saw in her blue eyes.

"That particular breed is a Carpathian goat," she said with a youthful giggle that lit up her whole face.

Klaus chuckled lightly. "How droll." He glanced around the small farm, taking note of the clucking chickens and the donkeys, Shetland ponies and calves grazing nearby, and asked curiously, "And how many of these creatures were also once unfortunate men who deserved your wrath?"

"All of them," Caroline said with a shrug. "Well, the ducks and geese swimming on the pond in the distance are actually rude telemarketers and unscrupulous life insurance agents." She thought for a minute, then added, "Also, only five of the rabbits and two of the lambs are dim-witted frat boys who assumed no was merely the opening kickoff to a hookup."

He grinned at the ferocity he heard in her voice. "Aren't you a vicious little thing, sweetheart." He leaned in close, allowing his breath to gust over the base of her neck where her thick plait began. "Just imagine the power that could be at your fingertips if you accepted my bargain. There's so much I could share with you, pet." At her inquiring eyebrow, he explained, "For instance, I'm intimately familiar with Tamsin Blight's work, and have in my possession several of her grimoires that would be at your disposal." He grinned smugly as her eyes sparkled in wonder.

"Really? The 19th-century healer from Cornwall? But that was so long ago; you really do know what speaks to a girl's heart," Caroline remarked sweetly.

He smirked, flashing his dimples at her as he rumbled, "You'd be amazed at what a powerful, ancient being can teach you."

"Indeed," she chuckled, grasping his hand and leading him inside the barn. A litter of pink and white pigs oinked cheerfully when they entered their enclosure.

Klaus tried to ascertain from their mannerisms which one might be his brother, but Kol apparently was already too much of a pig to begin with. "Out of curiosity, what did Kol do to earn your ire, love?"

She snorted derisively, and said, "He had the audacity to grab my breasts in the middle of a crowded pub and swore he lost his eyesight in Australia while wrestling crocodiles." She wrinkled her nose in the direction of one of the pigs. "I decided against turning him into a crocodile as they're far grouchier to transport than your everyday pig. Instead, I settled on making him an Australian Yorkshire."

Klaus knew he should still be furious at the silly witch for harming his brother, but he couldn't help his grin when he watched how Kol seemed to take particular delight in wallowing about on his back in a large mud hole. "So sweetheart, I trust we've reached an accord," he asked, casually tucking a few blonde strands that had escaped back into her elaborate braid.

A sly smile broke out across Caroline's face as she nodded once before waving her hand in the pig's direction. "You know," she remarked softly, "a traveler once came to my island and we had a slight disagreement over my treatment of his companions. He was exceedingly clever, which I enjoyed." She slanted her fiery blue gaze at Klaus, adding, "You possess a similar honeyed manner."

He couldn't decide whether her odd tone was complimentary, so he remained silent, fixing his stare upon his brother who suddenly returned to his original state and comically crouched on all fours in the cool mud.

Panicked, Kol jumped to his feet and shouted at Klaus, "Nik! You don't know who you're dealing with!"

Alarmed by his brother's outburst, Klaus grasped Caroline's shoulders, pulling her close to him as he felt his claws and fangs release at the threat of danger.

Her lovely face remained impassive despite his obvious rage, and she coolly declared, "I've granted your brother his freedom; it appears I've found an even more arrogant man to add to my collection." Clenching her fist, she gave him a small, secretive smile and added, "We'll revisit your predicament in a while — to see if you learned anything about making assumptions."

Confusion touched his handsome face as he tried to make sense of her words. In their struggle, the edge of her top dipped low, fully exposing her tattoo. His eyes widened as he realized it was not the symbol of a silly little witch with no understanding of her craft. The four interlocking circles...it was the mark of Circe. All this time, he had thought her a foolish young upstart, but instead, she was a powerful Greek goddess. Suddenly, it all made sense.

Caroline was Circe.

Too late, Klaus realized his predicament as he felt his body transforming, ears growing tall and pointed, hands and feet melting into small hooves, molding him into something new. A loud, braying noise emitted from his throat as he felt his skin roughen into a bristled hide.

His arrogant words came back to him: You'd be amazed at what a powerful, ancient being can teach you.