New Orleans 2014

I woke up and my body didn't hurt. I couldn't feel the stiffness of dried blood on my shoulder or abdomen. It didn't hurt to breathe. I looked to my side and saw Klaus. Those eyes. I remembered everything.

"You asshole!" I shouted. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You compelled me to drink your blood?"

"You wouldn't have drank it if I left the choice up to you," he answered calmly.

I moved to stand from the bed, quicker than I had ever moved in my life. I tried to hit him, but I stumbled, surprised by my own speed and strength, and he grabbed my wrists. "Of course not!" I kept struggling. "I've hunted vampires, monsters, all my life. Now I am one?"

He didn't reply, only slide a ring onto my finger. "That is a daylight ring, never take it off. I had it made while you were asleep."

"Dead," I corrected and then asked: "Why?" I wasn't sure if I was questioning God, or just asking myself the question.

Klaus smirked, but it didn't seem genuine. "Come on, luv? You haven't figured it out? Come. You have to feed to complete the transition."

I shook my head. "Then I'll die like I was supposed to." As the words left my mouth, I felt them fall flat. I didn't want to die; it was scary enough the first time, but I was not going to kill humans after protecting them for so many years.

"I'll bring you the blood," he offered, knowing my thoughts. "But promise me you'll stay here."

"No human blood," I said. "Niklaus, promise me, you will not kill anyone," I repeated when he didn't respond. "Promise me it'll be animal blood."

He nodded and left me alone in the strange room.

I sat back on the bed. The mattress was extremely squishy and I considered going back to sleep, but I wanted to use this opportunity to snoop. He seemed to own a lot of books, old books, but nothing useful. There was a first edition of The Count of Monte Cristo and a signed copy of Dorian Gray. They were interesting and I was jealous, but there was nothing informative like I was hoping for. Across his desk were notebooks and drawing supplies. Sketches on loose pieces of paper littered the space. His renderings of people were highly realistic and I picked one up. My eye is drawn first to the tattoos and it caused me to think that it's a drawing of myself. Upon closer inspection I realized that it actually was me. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by the brightness of the room. It was loud, too. Cars rushing by and a thousand voices. I yelped, clapping my hands over my ears and sank to the ground. But that left me vulnerable to all the smells of the city: sweat, beer, shit, dogs, cum, sage, meat, gasoline. It was awful.

"Hey, hey." Someone was tugging on my wrists, removing my hands from my ears.

I hadn't realized my eyes were closed until I opened them to see Klaus. "No," I whimpered, shaking my head. "It's too loud."

"It's okay, luv," he said. "Focus on my voice. Just my voice."

I watched his lips as he spoke and all the other sounds faded away. I did the same thing to block out the city smell, focusing on just his scent.

"Better?" he asked gently and I nodded, biting back tears. "It'll get easier." His eyes landed on the piece of paper that had floated to the floor next to me. "It's not finished yet," he commented, picking it up and rubbing the negative space gently with his thumb. "I couldn't remember all of your tattoos."

"It's really good," I told him as the smell of blood began to overwhelm me. On the desk sat a glass filled with the dark liquid.

He followed my gaze and brought it over to me. "You need this."

"You're not going to compel me to drink it?" I sneered, not sure where the anger came from.

"I'm sensing some hostility, luv. You need that blood. I don't need to compel you," he explained. "I promise I will never compel you again. You have my word."

I accepted the glass and began drinking it slowly. The small sips soon turned into chugging. When the glass was empty a second later, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I felt strong, better than I ever have before, but then it hit me; I had just drank blood. My stomach churns and I put a hand to my mouth, thinking I might vomit, but it soon passes.

"Full-fledged vampire," Klaus grinned at me. "Come. There are people I need you to meet."