Edited by the amazing and extremely talented Anastasia Dreams. Her encouragement has been relentless.

Songs for this chapter :

* Death cab for cutie - I will possess your heart

* The Borgias Main theme [extended version]

* Moulin Rouge – Bolero (Closing Credits)

Disclaimer : I own nothing.

Warnings : Dark story here. It includes adult and abusive themes.

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I had a dream, which was not all a dream.

Darkness – Lord Byron

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Previously in Sweet Nightmares...

"When the clock strikes midnight you will fall into a deep sleep…"

And then the clock struck midnight…

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"You are a very, young vampire Caroline," he said dismissively. "And you have a very wrong perspective as to what is right and wrong or even what time means for our kind. The problem lies in the fact that you never had the proper opportunity to learn what it truly means to be a vampire," he told her in an alluring soft tone and yet she could clearly see that his gaze had turned dark and calculating.

Fear instantly consumed her as the murmuring stopped all of a sudden and the only thing she could hear was her own blood coursing through her own veins, pumping hard under her skin.

"But we are going to rectify this…" he then said with a wicked smile.

A bright light blinded her and she couldn't keep her eyes open.

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When Nightmares Come to Life

Part two _ Aches for Blood

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We have fallen far from grace and the devil made us sin. Our virtue washed away in a sea of blood. And yet, here we stand bare and broken with an unspoken hope that we hold as our shield. It wasn't our will; it was the serpent that deceived us. It happened in a dream where our real selves were covered under the cloak of seduction. Tempted into a dance of murder and sin.

But it wasn't really us. It couldn't be.

For if it was, then the devil would be part of our soul. And you can hide from everyone, but yourself.

Would you then dare to whisper again that the devil made you sin?

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When she reopened her eyes she saw that she and Klaus were not the only people in the room anymore.

There was also another girl who was dancing in slow circles, humming softly. She seemed to be in some kind of a trance.

Caroline's heart stopped and started to beat faster and faster. She could hear every hollow breath that pumped vibrantly in her veins.

Klaus sat on his wooden carved chair again in front of the fireplace. He raised his hand towards the dancing girl but his eyes were still locked on hers.

Caroline couldn't do anything as she watched the young woman that had now stopped dancing and humming.

The girl seemed to have eyes only for Klaus and as if she was mesmerized she slowly went and stood in front of him and smiled her brightest and contented smile. Her eyes seemed to be vacant. Her white dress was making her skin seem pale under the dim lights in the room and her black tresses were shining and reflecting the obscure light from the flames in the hearth near her.

Caroline squinted her eyes. She knew that girl but somehow no matter how much she tried she couldn't remember from where she knew her.

Klaus looked at the girl from head to toe like she was some sort of merchandise and then he gave her a slight nod. That was enough for the girl to give her hand to Klaus. He gently took it in his palm and his fingers started caressing her wrist. The more his touch lingered on the delicate flesh, the more the girl's veins became clearer on her skin.

Klaus' beautiful ingénue took a sharp intake of breath and her arousal bloomed.

Caroline gulped and Klaus smirked. His fangs emerged and with his vampiric eyes looking only at Caroline he slowly took the human wrist in his mouth. He bit with fervor and the girl moaned in pleasure.

The scent of blood filled the air and Caroline's mouth suddenly went dry. She tried to keep the smell at bay, but in each breath she was taking the scent of that girl's blood in. Her hunger was awakened and Caroline was mesmerized by the hot intensity of Klaus' vampiric gaze on her. Slowly but surely, her instincts came to life. She wanted to join Klaus, but most of all she wanted her lips to replace his and savor the same taste that dueled in his mouth right now.

Klaus released the girl's arm and she started moving in slow circles in front of him again. Her wrist was bleeding and a river of red was moving down her hand. Drops of blood colored the floor all around her with each slow circle she took. She seemed to take no notice.

But the smell of blood was becoming almost too much for Caroline to bear. So much, she had to close her eyes.

Stefan once told her that taking deep breaths helped in maintaining control but now with each deep breath, control was slipping away and giving way to a craving so intense she spiraled.

She jolted backwards when Klaus' hands caressed her shoulders. She opened her eyes and saw his blue eyes looking directly at her.

But she could only look at his mouth and at the little droplets of blood that escaped his lips while he fed on the girl.

She took another deep breath. The bloodlust was clouding her judgement.

Klaus' thumb swept that tempting drop of blood from the edge of his red lips and brought it to Caroline's mouth.

She couldn't even control herself as the web of black thin veins covered the skin around her eyes. Klaus' finger lingered on her lips and without any logic, her tongue darted out of her mouth and licked the saccharine essence.

Klaus smirked at that and she blinked, surprised, and took a step back.

"No, sweetheart, don't," he purred and his incredibly calm and yet alluring voice tempted her to unintentionally move closer to him.

Behind him the girl kept dancing and twirling around as she hummed her haunting tune again. Her bleeding wrist was leaving a path of blood all around her.

Caroline wanted to tell him to stop, but she didn't trust her own voice anymore. Klaus seemed enchanted by her now. Her vampiric nature was dancing in her eyes and it was like he was proud of her somehow.

That sick look brought her back to reality.

She jerked away and looked horrified. Had she really licked his thumb?

"Stay away from me," she yelled at him in frustration,n but that only made his smile wider.

Her eyes turned to their normal emerald color again and her anger started to flare.

"Break the connection now! Let me wake up!" she all but ordered him, looking at the girl. She felt like she was on the verge of hysteria.

"Why is that, sweet Caroline? Is the temptation too much for you to handle?" he asked with his baritone voice.

She was frozen to her spot now and her gaze locked with his. She somehow refused to back down in this little game of his. She knew, though, he was right. The temptation was too much. All she could hear was the girl's heartbeat and all she could feel was the taste of the blood she moments before tasted from Klaus' finger. It was becoming hard for her to resist. She was feeling the need to attack the girl. To sink her teeth into her throat and lose herself in the blood. But, she had to hold on to something. This was exactly what Klaus wanted.

She didn't know why it mattered since all this was a dream and she couldn't really hurt anyone in a dream, but aside from the fact that all this seemed and felt painfully real she knew that if Klaus wanted her to succumb to her hunger, it was because he had an ulterior motive.

"There is no temptation," she told him, standing her ground.

He looked at her, amused now.

"This is a dream, it isn't real," she declared and she kept thinking again and again that all she had to do was wait. To buy some time. He couldn't keep her in this dream forever. Sooner or later, he would have to let her wake up. It would all be over then. At least, this trial would.

"This is where you are wrong, love," he said in a soft voice and she tried to control her anger once again. This thing that he kept doing with reading her thoughts was getting old! And it was really making her furious!

He spread his arms wide open. She wanted to roll her eyes at his theatrical gestures, but instead, she gritted her teeth in anticipation of his next move.

"All this is not real in the way the world and reality are perceived, yes, but dreams are always real Caroline," he told her.

He pointed at the girl with his hand.

"Your need for blood is more than real," he stated in a persuasive tone.

His eyes examined hers.

"Your dreams are the way for your subconscious to express all of the suppressed needs and desires that are hidden in your soul. Everything you crave, everything you keep running from. Your hopes, your fears. Everything you want from life. And that, my dear, are all very real," he emphatically said with a pointed look.

Caroline took a deep breath as she looked at the girl and her bleeding wrist. Saliva was forming in her mouth.

She shook her head. No, he was lying!

"This is not my dream. This is your sick twisted fantasy. You are forcing this," she accused him and her face hardened.

Klaus smiled and moved closer. He prowled around her and he stood in front of her, obviously enjoying their close proximity.

"Here is where you are wrong Caroline. Have you ever tried to force your way into someone's mind before?" he asked her curiously.

She didn't answer.

No, she never had. She was always feeling too uncomfortable to do something like that. It felt like she would be invading a place that should be unreachable for anyone else aside from the person the thoughts and dreams belonged too. That and the fact that she didn't trust her inexperience with this.

"Sweetheart, your morality is holding you back." He sighed tiredly as he mocked her.

He could hear and feel her thoughts so when the first thing she thought was that she really wanted to find something to smash on that thick skull of his, he had to control himself from telling her how cute she was and from provoking her into trying to do what she felt like. It would certainly be fun…but maybe another time he thought…

"What would you know about morals?" she spat at him.

He smirked as if he was enjoying this moment to no end. Her emotions of anger were quite a treat.

"About human morals? Not much, I admit; I was never that interested in them since I am not a human… as you are not one also," he said as he continued taunting her.

She refused to say anything. She just slowly moved her head from one side to the other.

He could feel that she really pitied him in that moment.

'He doesn't have any humanity left in him does he?' was one of her thoughts that somehow hurt him the most.

It did hurt, when he knew that it shouldn't have. He always considered humanity to be a weakness so why was he feeling bad when Caroline was realizing that, indeed, he had banished his humanity away? It was an achievement that he was proud of. So why did it hurt?

His eyes darkened for a moment, but then he sighed.

He decided to let that pass. It would be for the best if she believed that he was completely ruthless and inhumane. Which was true, since his only shreds of humanity were practically nonexistent and somehow they seemed to appear only in front of her.

But, his cruelty was going to make her fight him harder and at every lost battle, she would understand that there was no point in struggling against him. She would be giving in more and more with each lesson learned.

Tonight, against all logic, he gave her a chance to do all this in an easier way. For a moment, he hoped that she would give him a chance. And he found himself hoping against all hope for her to do so. He still couldn't understand why he made her such an offer. It seemed that Caroline was making him do things unthinkable for him. Only she had that ability.

When she rejected him once more, he felt a destructive force claiming his heart and mind.

It would have been easier for her to submit, but his Caroline never did things the easy way. And this was one of the reasons why he was so attracted to her.

He had shown weakness. He had shown to her that there was a part of him that hated hurting her and that he would prefer to have a chance with her where she would be willing to follow his mentoring and where he would give her the time to come to terms with now she belonged to him.

That was the one and only moment of weakness that he would show. And, he would never allow, not even to her, to take advantage of his momentarily lapse of judgment. Should he not say, stupidity.

Caroline Forbes had decided her fate and now they would do things the hard way. And that way insured complete surrender on her part.

He had to lure her in and make sure that she would make the right choices from now on.

He looked at the bright color of her eyes. A mixture of green and blue that changed shades constantly. He smiled at how innocent she looked at that moment.

A vampire perceived as an innocent creature, could be very powerful and deadly. Even her appearance could be a lethal weapon in her hands if she only knew how to use it properly.

He stood in front of her and decided to use his most tender voice. He didn't want to scare her anymore. He hoped for her to give in because she was tempted. He could threaten her into submission if he had to, but for now he preferred the skills of persuasion better.

"In any case, Caroline, if you had ever tried to use your telepathic abilities you would have realized that someone's mind is a very complex tunnel. A dream is a place of endless possibilities. Possibilities that already exist in you; and even though I am able to project to you a reality that I control, in the end this is still your dream," he explained to her.

Usually, he didn't feel the need to use so many words or to explain his actions, but this time it was necessary. She had to understand the rules of their little game and it would be a good thing if she were to start becoming intrigued when it came to her vampiric abilities. It was a great shame that she was holding herself back when she should be exercising all of her talents constantly and excel on them.

The positive of this peculiar situation of hers, of course, was that he would be the one to teach her. And he would find great pride and pleasure in doing exactly that.

He looked at her and he could feel the wheels of her mind constantly turning as she took in all of the information he gave to her. The workings of her mind were a magnificent creation, indeed.

Caroline pulled her eyebrows in contemplation. If what he was saying was true and if this was still her dream, then she could still have a chance to find a way out of this. It seemed impossible, though. She could feel Klaus inside her mind. He had taken complete control. If what he was saying was true, that meant that even though this was still her dream, he still was the one in the driver's seat pointing her and the direction he wanted.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" she asked him, feeling unable to hide the venom and despair from her voice. But somehow curiosity was also creeping in.

Klaus leaned forward eliminating the last of the space that was between them.

The aura that his body emitted was mixing with hers and enveloping her in a Cimmerian shade. She lowered her gaze until it was hidden under her long eyelashes. He wouldn't be able to see her eyes and she wouldn't see his. She needed distance, but he was too close.

She could feel his voice whispering over the skin of her face. Soft, low, a drawling caress.

"Because you need to understand that no matter what happens next, this is your dream. Everything you feel, everything you need is coming from you. This is your world Caroline, your insatiable desire and ultimately… your own choice."

She dared to steal a quick glance at him and the intensity she saw in those eyes made her feel like her feet no longer touching the ground.

A storm was coming.

He pulled her firmly to him. He bent towards her until his mouth was against her ear. Each word was sending a warm breeze of air straight to the skin on her neck and causing shivers to pass through her.

"I am showing you a path that already exists inside of you and the choice to walk on it will be yours. Because we both know that no matter how hard you try to fight your nature, deep down you crave nothing more than to embrace it."

She bit her lip and then let her breath out slowly. She hastily moved her head away.

"Being a vampire doesn't mean becoming a monster. I will never choose to become one no matter how much you will try to turn me into one," she said with bitterness as her body trembled with tension under his hands.

"Sweetheart," he sighed, "being a vampire doesn't make you a monster. You detest parts of your nature because of this unfounded fear that has been wrongly developed inside of you."

He slowly moved around her without letting her go and stood behind her. His hand gently swept the golden locks away from the side of her neck and his chin rested on her shoulder while his other hand wrapped around her waist in a possessive unrelenting hold.

"Look at her Caroline. She is human. She is fragile. Her nature is flawed. She will live and no matter what dreams she'll make it won't be enough. She will eventually die," He said unemotionally.

"She doesn't exist in order to serve you Klaus," she replied angrily, trying to get out of his hold without any success. She huffed, agitated at his hand holding her in place.

"No, she doesn't. And I would never want that from her or any other human that is like her. This isn't personal sweetheart. Her existence means nothing to me."

His words were infuriating her. He was talking about a human being and he had no respect for the human life. How could someone be so cruel?

"It means more than everything for the people that care for her. For her family," she argued bitterly.

He let her go and moved to her side. His hand caught her wrist and he dragged her closer to the girl. She tried to break free, but she couldn't.

She was too close now. The blood that was still running from the girl's wrist was creating such an intense hunger it brought tears in her eyes. She knew it wasn't real, but it smelled as if it was, and it was driving her crazy.

Klaus brought her next to the girl and held her there.

The girl stopped dancing and stood in front of Caroline. Her expression blank.

Caroline tried to move away, but Klaus held her in her spot from her upper arms.

"True," he said, "But in two or three life spans away, which are nothing more than a mere wisp in your eternity, no one will even remember that she even existed. No one will care or love an insignificant memory that will fade in time," he said, his tone indifferent.

The girl with the white dress seemed to be in a trance. She brought her bleeding arm higher and the blood dropped on her white soft dress.

Caroline had to look away as she tensed.

"How can you say that? We were human once. We were not born like this," she muttered so low that most of the words barely came out of her mouth.

He turned her around in a spin. His eyes drank her in.

"Exactly Caroline. We were human. We are not anymore. You are not anymore. You are a vampire sweetheart, you can't be both."

He seemed like he was trying to reason with her. His voice was soft with understanding as he shook her. He seemed like he was desperately trying to make her understand and each word was like a blow on her heart.

With each word, he was slowly breaking her. She loved being a vampire. She would never revert back to being human, but she still loved her human memories. She still respected what being a human meant and represented, and she didn't want to let go of her own humanity. Not while her very human mother was still alive, and if she was honest with herself, not ever. Humanity was her part of how she perceived herself; it was part of her identity and she was not about to relinquish it to any man like Klaus or anyone else for that matter.

Part of her still felt human in a very raw vampire way.

"Human Caroline lived her life and died. Maybe her human years meant something for those close to her, but her time was up. It was her destiny to die. The memory of her human existence won't matter in a few decades. A few more and no one will remember she ever even existed."

Her eyes glittered with teardrops that refused to fall. She was just so tired and every emotion seemed magnified somehow. His words were provoking a sorrow inside her that was causing her sanity to falter. Her palms rested against his solid chest and she tried to push him away, but it seemed like her strength was fading away. Not her physical strength. It was a weakness that was coming from the inside.

"No…" she sagged in his arms. Everything he was saying was just reminding her of how weak she once was. How her human self was not worthy of being remembered. How she used to be weak, shallow…a waste of space.

"Yes," his tone was hard now.

If she didn't know any better she would believe that those words were hurting him too. He seemed to share the same agony. His words were sinking in and each one of them was trying to tear down her whole belief system.

"You might be oblivious to it because you are still so very young and attached to this constricting little human world but the human girl that you used to be died. Mourn her if you must, but eventually you will have to move on and embrace the woman that was born from her death."

He sounded tired and yet his voice was laced with unyielding force.

"You are eternal, Caroline. You are magnificent. Never-ending. Your dreams can now reach the impossible. While before they could only reach as high as mortality allowed. You have no limitations holding you back anymore. You are truly and undeniably free."

His hand slipped to her cheek. A touch that was too warm, too intimate.

She looked at him and slowly she brought up her own hand and covered his. That simple gesture seemed to mean the world to him as he closed his eyes in a serene way.

Her touch was soothing the monster inside and for a moment he felt like she could finally understand him. She was still holding on to her humanity. She didn't want to let go, but he had. In order to survive he had to let go of everything that kept him human in the past.

How could someone do that? How could he rip out his own human heart? She was a vampire and, yet, she could still feel her heart beating in a human song. She didn't want to silence that sound. He had, though.

A part of him craved those human emotions. If he didn't, then why would a simple touch from her ignite such turmoil and peace inside of him? Even he couldn't lie like that. He needed a human touch even if it came from a vampire. From her.

"And, yet, all of my memories are those I had as a human. All my dreams are shaped from what I was born to be. Those memories and those dreams shaped the person I am now," her voice was gentle. This time there was no anger.

He slowly opened his eyes. The pain she saw in there caught her off guard. If there was so much pain in those eyes then maybe there was a chance of redemption even for him.

"Would you revert back then? Given the chance, if it was a possibility, would you turn back into her? Into the human version of you?" his question burned her defenses.

She didn't answer. She bit her lip and closed her eyes.

"You wouldn't, would you?" he said with a certainty that was causing her pain and even shame.

A shame that was born every time Elena spoke of what it meant to be human and every time Stefan cursed his vampirism and mourned the loss of his human nature. A shame that was rooted in the way Bonnie would somehow, at times, still look at her with contempt, and how her mother would gaze at her with pity and sorrow. A shame that was born from the fearful gazes Matt would cast her way all those times he thought she wasn't looking. And yet, she would never turn back. Because that shame didn't stop her from embracing the person she became after she turned. A person she was proud of.

"No." She whispered and let her hand fall from him.

His fingers moved slowly tracing patterns on her cheek and on the side of her lips.

That caress made a slow moan slip from her mouth.

"And that is what makes you strong Caroline. This is what makes you special. Have you ever thought that there is a reason that you feel that way?"

His hand moved south. He caressed the line of her neck until her heart fluttered and her skin flushed with need.

"There are some of us that were always meant to be that way. It has been and will always be our fate. And, you are one of us, Caroline. You are a vampire. All you have to do is fully embrace your nature. Not hold back."

He took her hand and moved her so she was standing again in a very close proximity next to the black haired girl.

Caroline squirmed and her backside hit his chest. She couldn't back away and she couldn't move forward. His body was an object she couldn't move and in front of her was a temptation she couldn't ignore.

Her thirst was rising and, yet, something was still holding her back. Her need for control was too great and she needed to try to resist. She felt like she was on the verge of losing herself.

"I don't want to forget who I am…I don't, I don't want to be a …monster…please…" she pleaded again to him.

He held her from her shoulders. He kissed her neck as the girl came even closer.

Caroline was trapped between two bodies now. His was igniting a carnal need like she never felt before and the girl was causing a hunger that was making her throat protest like it was on fire. Her gums were aching so much.

Klaus' lips were tracing a path from her neck to her ear causing the ache to multiply.

"You will never forget who you are. If anything, being a vampire insures that what you are is more now. Everything is amplified. You are not human, but you have the best traits of a human. In ways no human could ever experience," his voice was like an electric current. It was licking her flesh, it was setting her skin on fire.

An inner darkness was rising. It was creeping inside her mind like a shadow. Her heart craved pleasure now.

Her body was adjusting to his touch and as she closed her eyes she could feel the lust rushing through her veins. Black lines formed around her eyes and then faded. But his words kept making those blackish veins form again and again. She felt like she couldn't control the vampire inside of her anymore. It was taking control. It was swallowing her whole.

She threw her head back as she rested against him. What was happening to her?

"Where you used to love, now you simmer with unthinkable emotions. You were intense before, now you burn with a passion that reigns higher than any human emotion. You will never forget Caroline, but what you are now is more than what you used to be."

It was like the devil was after her soul. His words were more than just a temptation. They were opening new worlds in front her. Calling her closer. Giving her anything and everything she could ever ask for and, yet, there was a pang in her heart. She was melting to liquid fire in his hands. She was craving blood and his voice, melodic and magnetic was making everything seem easy. Too easy. And somehow there was a part of her that was feeling like she was at the end of a cliff. The stupid, superficial, shallow human girl that craved love and hoped for a simple life where she would be cherished and safe was about to be lost forever and she didn't know if she was ready to let her go.

She turned in his embrace once more and this time he let her.

Her eyes were haunted with desire for the man she should despise completely. She knew that he could be causing this desire, but somehow she trusted him when he told her that this was her choice and that meant that a part of her wanted him. She couldn't ignore it right now. Not when it was consuming her.

She could tell that everything in this dream was magnified to a point she couldn't even begin to comprehend, but the desire had to be there to begin with. And it was there. She knew all along that it was there, no matter how much she kept trying to deny it.

Her face turned up to his.

"This is how you justify everything you have done?" she asked him. Only this time there was no judgement in her voice. She needed to learn. To understand. How could someone tempt her like this when he was capable of such evil?

And maybe he could mold her in many shapes and forms, but becoming evil was something that she would never allow. Never.

His smile was sad. He gently tugged a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What you need to understand is that being a vampire doesn't make you malignant. You are a creature made in darkness and meant to walk in the night, but you are not evil. That is a choice and you are a spirit of light, sweetheart," his words were covered with an intensity that he couldn't hide from her anymore.

His dark eyes met her gaze. A brutal honesty was shining there.

"Vampires are neither good nor evil. We are capable of great monstrosities, yes, but we are also capable of greatness. In the end, every creature on this earth succumbs to its nature, love. What is yours calling you to be? What is it that you need?" he asked her urgently.

He was making her weak. His voice, his eyes. Her body was coming alive. He was slowly opening her heart. He was tearing it open with heat and teeth and he was binding its chords into her bones. So deep she could turn to ash and he would still be there in an unfathomable echo of a beating heart. He was turning her heart into an organ of fire and he was about to enter and take reign there.

She shivered and moved closer. She felt like she was about to fall, but his hands that had found their way to her waist were holding her steady.

"I want…" she closed her eyes and stopped talking. She weakly rested her forehead over his, her breath coming out harshly and uneven.

"Yes?" his voice was so tender now she felt safe.

But, what she was really feeling was too hard to fight. The smell of blood was reaching her nostrils. She was feeling breathless.

"I need…" her chest was now rising and falling with longing.

"What my, love?" he seemed to be gently swaying her into the direction he wanted.

She was giving in. Her breath was labored.

She opened her eyes before clenching them shut again as the agony of hunger was invading her every cell. She was at the precipice of mania. She couldn't feel anything else.

She opened her eyes and they were filled with darkness.

"Blood…" she willingly pleaded.

His smile was one of triumph. His hand motioned to the girl to come to them.

The girl robotically moved and approached them. She gave her bleeding hand to Klaus. He brought the bleeding wrist centimeters from Caroline's mouth.

"Then have at it," he encouraged her.

Caroline bent her head closer to the source that could give her relief. But she turned her gaze to Klaus again. This was torment. Her control was her biggest enemy. Still present. Still fighting.

"No…I can't," she swallowed hard.

"Why not?" he said as his eyes hardened. Impatience clearly pictured in his features.

"This isn't right, I don't want to hurt anyone," she told him and she watched the girl once again. She knew her. She could swear she had met her before, but she couldn't remember from where.

Klaus let go of the girl's hand and turned all his attention to Caroline again.

"Blood is life Caroline. Humans are instruments for us. Their existence ensures our survival and our pleasure," he pressured more as he brought the girl closer to her.

The girl came near Caroline and this time Caroline pushed her aside more violently than she intended. She could hear the girl's heart beating and the scent from her blood was overwhelming.

Her thoughts were hazy and all she wanted was to bury her fangs in that girl's hand, in her neck, in all her arteries. To ravage and kill and to drink every drop of blood that hid away in that body.

"No, I…no!" she yelled and it was the sound of her own voice that made her vampiric features vanish from her face.

This was insane. It was like she was two people. Both fighting for control. Her control and her instincts were at war here and when Klaus got closer to her it was then that her control was retreating, leaving her completely defenseless.

Klaus took a deep breath. He advanced at her again. Thankfully, he didn't touch her. She seemed to be losing herself when he did.

"Don't you feel incomplete without it? Don't you feel something missing inside when you don't hunt?" He asked, his eyes scrutinizing, "It is not just physical, sweetheart. It is not just survival. You are a predator now. You are meant to chase, to be wild, untamed."

He was making the irrational sound like it was logical.

"Please stop," she said and stepped back. The girl had started that damn humming again. It was messing with her sanity.

"Being a vampire isn't just about just drinking blood. It is also about procuring it. Feeling the rush…the sensation…You are a hunter now." he pressed.

Caroline looked at him, begging him to understand and to let her go. This wasn't her. That need that was staining her soul black couldn't be her.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," she kept repeating as she wrapped her hands around her trembling body.

Klaus seemed to mellow down a little bit, but once again he didn't relent.

He moved closer and took the girl from her upper arm with him.

He dragged the girl that didn't resist and Caroline found herself again facing the temptation of blood in close proximity.

Klaus grabbed the girl's hair and pushed it aside.

His nail scratched the skin on the girl's neck while she hissed, not with pain, but pleasure.

A dribble of blood poured on the pale skin.

Klaus's lips found their way there and his tongue lapped the thick liquid. He moaned in pleasure and it made Caroline shudder.

Klaus looked straight at her and smirked as he could sense her desire.

"You won't, Caroline…the moment when your teeth connect with a human vein is the moment where a human feels the greatest emotion of their life. It is the moment where their fear will turn into pleasure as they give you their life as a gift. They are fulfilling your destiny, Caroline, and theirs."

He shoved the girl onto her and Caroline caught the girl instantly. This time she didn't push her away. Her eyes were fixed on the bloody wound in the throbbing neck. She dreamt of tearing that jugular apart.

Klaus came closer and stood behind her once more. He bent so his lips would be close to hers and she could smell the girl's blood on his breath. It was intoxicating.

She was still holding the girl in her hands and she gripped her harder. The girl inched closer to her. Caroline's chest heaved. This was unbearable. She longed for things she never thought she would long for. It was not just about the blood. It was every need she ever had combined in bloodlust and…lust.

"It is the circle of life and death. You are granting them their wish. For a moment in time, through death, their life will accelerate to the point of infinity. Without you, they would live a meaningless life in anonymity, their skin would break and then melt in time. Instead their blood will re-animate you and will become your source of eternity. A part of them will flow inside of you forever." His sensual tone was making her whole body vibrate.

"This is insane," she said and she let her hands fall. The girl with the familiar face was once again free.

"And, yet, somehow it feels right doesn't it?" he asked her darkly.

"No," she denied, but her voice lacked conviction.

He took her in his arms, but this time he wasn't trying to seduce her. He seemed desperate.

He shook her as his gaze reprimanded her.

"For how long will you keep lying to yourself, Caroline? For how long will you keep denying what you truly need?" his voice was hard.

"It is not what I need. This is not it," she insisted as she tried to get out of his hold.

This whole thing was messing with her mind. She couldn't keep up with him. He was reverting from hot to cold from one moment to the other without any warning and it seemed that she was doing the same thing too. She was feeling ready to give in and at the next moment she fought with fists and nails.

All she knew was that even if this was just a dream, she couldn't give in. It was not in her nature.

"It is! You can run away from it, but in the end it will catch up with you. As it does with all of us. Why do you think Stefan has lapses in his control?" he asked, bringing Stefan again into this.

She was still feeling sick. She could still remember all the images he forced her to see. In all those images, Stefan was not her friend but the ripper Klaus liked so much.

Klaus was growing frantic and she could tell by the way he was trying to make her see things from his perspective. The seduction was gone. He was shaking her now and he was showing her all the grim possibilities. This time he was trying to ignite fear.

"When you keep denying your nature, your instincts will eventually retaliate. The insatiable void will only feed the beast until it breaks free; and then there will be no control, no light, no mercy. In the end, your existence will be just a circle between the brutality of a demanding blood lust and the remorse from the last remnants of a humanity long gone. Is this what you truly want for yourself Caroline?" he asked harshly.

She tried to get out of his hold but he held her tighter.

"No, I…you are confusing me, stop!" she protested, outraged.

"I am giving you the raw truth, sweetheart. Your control is remarkable, but it also has an expiration date. If you don't allow some freedom to the vampire inside you, eventually it will break free and then it will rain blood. Your light will fade away, Caroline; it is then that you will become a monster…it is then that you will forever forget who you used to be," his voice was eerily calm.

Caroline looked at him and cringed. This was her greatest fear and he knew it.

She looked at the girl and she tried to think.

Somehow she had to think. To use her logic, her rationality and her control. Klaus's words were so alluring and were making her defenses drop. She knew she shouldn't be tempted. She should be appalled and horrified. But, she wasn't. She was tempted. To the point where for a few moments she forgot this was a nightmare that he was forcing on her.

And, there had to be a reason. There had be a reason he wanted her to feed on that girl so damn much. He was tempting her like the devil had tried once to tempt Eve, but in this case she didn't understand why. His Garden of Eden seemed to be lost and she was running circles in a maze. She didn't understand where this was leading.

What would he gain? Why was he so obsessed with this?

If she wanted to defeat him in his own game she had to understand his motives. This was not about teaching her. This was about control. About domination. But why like this? It didn't make any sense. Not when this was not real. This was just his projection. Even if she would feed in this illusion it would still be a fantasy.

For a moment, she feared that he would be able to turn the nightmare into a hallucination in real life too, but she could tell the difference from a dream and a hallucination since she experienced both at certain points in time. She was dreaming now. She could feel it in her every fiber. It was a sensation, like floating inside her own mind. She was very aware of the fact that her mind was in a state of dream. Maybe it was a vampire ability, but she could tell what was going on.

This was still a dream. It wasn't real. Klaus was messing with her thoughts and her fears. She needed to wake up. That way he wouldn't be able to control her.

She felt her stomach clenching. Her gaze locked with his. Determination and defiance rose.

"You want me to feed on the girl; after that what is going to happen?" she asked him as she tried to keep her calm. She had to control herself. She could do this. She couldn't let him win and even though she knew he could hear her thoughts, she didn't care. To the hell with this. If he wanted to play then game on! She would fight until she would not be able to fight anymore. It was the least she could do. She owed it to herself.

"Then you will wake up," he stated with a smirk that had her narrowing her eyes.

"Just like that?" she asked doubtfully.

"Just like that," he said sounding and looking too innocent for her liking.

She looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"Where is the catch?" she asked, not believing anything that came from his mouth anymore.

"No catch, love. All I want is for you to take a taste. Indulge me," he purred persuasively.

Caroline looked at him with a venomous expression.

"Nothing is as it seems with you Klaus. This is a dream, I am not really hurting anyone here and yet it is all too easy," she threw at him with distrust.

His eyes lit with delight.

"Well, sweetheart, what can I say, I have a soft spot for you," he cooed as his smirk grew wider.

"Yeah, right," she challenged and his eyes shone with bemusement.

"Besides…you are trying too hard Klaus," she noted and she saw him raising a brow.

He then shrugged and dramatically sighed.

"Ok, I'll be honest, I want you to submit.. After all your indiscretions, it will satisfy me. You are always rejecting me. So, now, here, I want you to do what I am ordering," his voice was now a purr of menace.

She gritted her teeth and fisted her hands as fury rose in her. Becoming a puppet in his hands, even in here, and having to obey him was even worse than the last nightmare he gave her. She would prefer to be a chew toy for that wolf again, than have to deal with this. And she knew that if she didn't do what he wanted, he would find a way to make her submit anyway. In the end, he was still controlling this dream. If she wanted to wake up anytime soon, she would have to please him.

This was bad. Really, really bad!

Klaus smiled a merciless smile and his gaze turned sadistic.

"I am an Original, love. I thought of forcing you into submission in the real world too, but I would hate to permanently break that spirit of yours. So, this will have to do for now," he wickedly told her and he seemed to be deriving a strange pleasure from all of this.

"So all the big talk about being a vampire was just a way to make me play your stupid games," she said spitefully and looked at him with contempt.

His face hardened and his eyes turned to ice.

"Make no mistake, Caroline, everything I told you is the honest truth and in time, you will come to terms with it as we all do." His tone was final.

He moved closer to her. but this time she shivered from disgust. How could she have been fooled by him even for a moment? How could she have thought that there was a part of him that cared?

Klaus caught her in his arms and she squirmed to get away causing him to laugh.

He was insufferable and cruel. This was the real Klaus and she had to always remember this.

"Alas, I have to admit that it will be a pleasure to make you give your pride up and bow down to my will, even in here," he jested with satisfaction as his hand shadowed the line of her jaw and she immediately turned her head to the side, refusing to bear his touch even for a moment.

"You are sick," she spat, her eyes a mirror of loathing. She pushed him away and he let her go. She remembered the way he held her while they danced at the ball in his house. She remembered the drawing he sent to her later. But, now, she could see that those memories were fake. Just like him. And she hated herself for believing even for a moment that he actually cared.

"I would just call me eccentric." He winked at her.

"So I do this and this ends?" she asked him once more through clenched teeth.

His gaze travelled slowly over her, taking in every detail and practically undressing her with his eyes.

"For tonight," he said and he traced his fingers above her cleavage, but she angrily jerked his hand away.

"What is it going to be, sweetheart?" he asked, obviously enjoying this.

Caroline looked at the girl again and then glared at Klaus. She reluctantly nodded.

She couldn't stand this any longer. If this was what she had to do in order to get him out of her head then she would do it.

"Excellent," he said in a tone that was degrading for her.

He extended his hand towards the girl and once again the girl came next to Caroline.

"She is yours for the taking. Feed from her until you take all of her blood. Every single drop of it and then, and only then, will I will allow you to wake up," he said, excited.

He let the girl go and went to sit at his chair. He placed one leg over the other and waited, looking smug.

Caroline looked at the girl, reminding herself again and again that this was just a dream. It wasn't real.

She felt her eyes tear up and Klaus waved dismissively.

"Go on love, I am expecting a spectacle," he told her as he sat more comfortably on his wooden throne, looking all regal.

Caroline felt her anger rise and she looked at the girl. The sooner she would do this, the sooner she would wake up.

She felt her throat constrict. Klaus's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Caroline closed her eyes and let the smell of the blood carry her away. Into a world she had been craving and denying for so long.

Her fangs descended and she brought the girl closer. Klaus's gaze became transfixed.

Caroline's mouth snapped open, ready to take a lethal bite. But as her teeth were about to carve into that girl's neck, she froze in mid air, her mouth closing instantly. She blinked as realization hit her.

She repeated her own words in her head again. Nothing was as it seemed with Klaus! Her instincts went into overdrive. It was as if she was standing next to an abyss. Klaus said that she was a predator now. And, yet, she felt like prey. She was a hunter, being hunted and that made every vampire instinct in her scream and send danger signals.

Klaus…he always planned everything and nothing was as it seemed with him. He was cunning. More cunning than Katherine and Damon put together.

She gripped the flesh of the girl tighter. The tighter she was holding her, the more danger she felt. This is what Klaus wanted. This was a …distraction. She should know. She had majored in being one for him. Klaus had tried to tempt and seduce her into this and tried to scare her. Now, he was using her own pride and anger against her. He knew that his degrading words would make her so angry, her judgment would be clouded.

But, why? Why was it so important for him to make her feed in here? This was just a dream. It wasn't real. Just a dream. She wasn't really hurting anyone here, it wasn't as if she was losing control in the real world.

And then it hit her so hard she felt all her energy draining from her body.

He had already told her that this would be her choice. That this reality wasn't real, but the desires in the dreams were.

He had actually said suppressed needs and desires.

That was it!

Oh, God!

He was trying to ignite her need for blood subconsciously. Everything became so painfully clear the whole world spun around her and her brain showering her with the truth.

If the dreams, as he explained, were a way for the subconscious to tell us what we really want and to motivate us to act, then if she were to give in to her darkest deepest desires how long would it take for the dreams to come true? How long until all those deeply hidden desires came rushing to the surface?

If she woke up her hunger in her mind, how long would it take for her to lose control when she was awake?

Klaus would be there then. He would be there to give her the last push. He would be there to guide her and to make sure she would give in to blood and to…him.

This is what he wanted!

Caroline pushed the girl away as if she was made of fire and stumbled back horrified.

"Smart girl," she heard Klaus mumbling with pride and irritation. She abruptly turned her head up to look at him with terror. He looked at her seriously and she gulped in understanding. She had to wake up. Now. She had to wake up!

Klaus smiled now. His smile a merciless line.

"This is why I like you, sweetheart, you are so much more than just a beautiful face," he said with admiration.

Caroline took some steps back, feeling more trapped than ever. She had to wake up! She had to! She was becoming frantic and terrified.

"Why make this hard love?" he asked her in a soothing tone.

She breathed heavily as her eyes looked at him hatefully.

"This isn't happening Klaus! I am not doing this!" she yelled at him.

Klaus eyes glittered dangerously.

"Oh, but you are sweetheart," his voice was now rough.

"No I am not! This is my choice you said, so no way in hell!" she screamed at him. Fear was consuming her. Somehow, this all felt inevitable and now that she knew Klaus' true purpose it also felt horrifying.

"I would suggest for your sake to comply, either way you are doing this, so I would hate to have to make this even more difficult for you," he warned her.

She narrowed her eyes and looked at him with detest.

"Go to hell!" she screamed at him with such fervor and rage that the whole room around them shook. The floor beneath her feet quaked and for a moment she swore she was gaining control of her dream, but soon enough everything turned static again and she wanted to scream in frustration.

"Always so obstinate," Klaus lamented with a sigh.

"Oh, I am so sorry I am not making this easy for you!" she retorted, folding her arms over her chest and Klaus shook his head in bemusement for a moment before his gaze turned impassive again.

"The hard way it is then," he said in a detached tone that turned her blood into ice.

It was then the girl beside them stared at them with sheer terror. She fell on her knees and looked at them terrified. Caroline let her hands fall from her chest and she looked first at the girl and then at Klaus with an inquiring look. She tried to keep her calm, but a foreboding emotion was now filling her whole.

"Please, don't hurt me," the girl pleaded as she looked at her bleeding wrist with horror. She started sobbing uncontrollably. Caroline looked at the girl with pity and tried so hard to remember from where she knew her, but it was futile. For a moment, she wanted to go to the girl and sooth her fears away, but she had to remind herself that this was not real. And, yet, the girl's panic seemed too real and was making Caroline's heart clench.

The girl screamed as she looked at the blood that kept pouring from her hand and she cried harder.

"It isn't real, it isn't," Caroline kept repeating in trembling whispers as her eyes could not look away from all the blood.

Klaus raised an elegant eyebrow, mirth flaring in his eyes.

"So why resist temptation? If this isn't real, then why are you resisting so hard, love?" he remarked and Caroline looked at him perplexed. How could he be such a blend of fire and ice at the very same moment?

The girl started sobbing harder and Caroline closed her eyes and tried to imagine she was anywhere else but here, except Klaus was having none of that.

He approached her for what seemed like the millionth time this night and bent towards her so his mouth was against her ear.

"Tell me Caroline… after the first dream I gave you ...do you remember your bloodlust? I can make it a thousand times worse," he singsonged and she shuddered as his breath warmed her skin even as his words froze her blood inside her veins.

Klaus let his fingertip trace the column of her neck and his breath made her skin tingle with goosebumps all over.

"What did you do after I left, I wonder? You indulged with your precious blood bags, didn't you? But, they were not enough, were they?" he asked her and they both knew the answer. She had lost control. Completely. She became a savage who surrendered utterly to the commands of the vampire inside her.

She clenched her eyes shut. Klaus was gloating and she turned her hands into fists, her nails digging into her skin. She could not shut out his voice and she could not ignore the girl's pleas that were endlessly coming towards her.

"For the first time they were not enough," Klaus continued, his lips moving in a tantalizing rhythm against her earlobe. It was a sinful brush, one that was reminding her of things she wanted to forget. The silken heat of fear and ice ribbons of bloodlust invaded her soul, robbing her of the ability to even breathe. She remembered the all consuming need for blood and Klaus was not making it any easier for her.

"They couldn't quench your thirst, could they? You were starving for more...sooo much more…your body was screaming," he reminded her. The cadence of his voice was a firestorm of such intensity it had her swaying on her feet as tears fell from her closed eyes.

Why was he doing this to her? Why couldn't he just stop? And why was it all she wanted was to turn around and bury her fangs into his neck and indulge in his blood. His voice was so alluring, even more now that he was using it as a weapon against her.

Klaus buried his head to the crook of his neck in her, inhaling the scent of her hair. His voice was hoarse with need and his fingers bit into her arms.

"Just imagine what would have happened if your beloved mother was in the house that night. Would you have resisted? Would you have held back?"

Her eyes snapped open as if ice was thrown over her. She started trembling. His words echoed the strain of madness that was always part of him. His underlined threat was obvious and was not one to be ignored.

She moved away from his embrace and turned to look at him with fear shimmering in her eyes. Her movements were hesitant and she looked intensively at his face. His amusement was gone. Fierce determination was shining there and she knew not to pass that frightening line.

She was not dealing with just Klaus now. She had the Original terror standing in front of her and, yet, the wrath being born inside of her was as real and as terrifying as he was.

How dare he threaten her mother?

Her eyes turned cold. She was horrified, but most of all she was furious! She wanted to attack him. To make him bleed. To find what hurt him the most and then make him pay.

Klaus crossed his hands behind his back. She held her breath. He took one step forward. She stood immobilized.

"Here is your chance...dreams are what we make them to be...your desire is here; human blood sweetheart…it is calling for you," he once more tempted her. She knew that this was his last civil effort and she knew that after that nothing would be the same between them and still she refused to give in.

'Can you hear my thoughts?' she wondered in her head sending him a lethal glare and he nodded.

'You will pay for this. No matter what it takes' she promised and she saw how his eyes shone with darkness and he nodded again, accepting her challenge.

"What say you, love?" he asked her once more and this time she took a step forward.

"No," she simply said and she saw how his jaw tensed.

He looked straight at her and for a moment he closed his eyes and shook his head gravely.

'You leave me no other choice, sweetheart.' She heard his whisper inside her mind and her lips trembled.

Klaus straightened his spine and she looked at him with sorrow and defiance. She would hate him after this. They both knew it. And, yet, he would not relent. He would not wake her up. This was who he was.

The monster.

"You can choose to feed on the girl or you can choose to wake up. I leave it up to you. Your mother is sleeping in the next room," he calmly stated and Caroline let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Don't do this," she whispered to him.

"Her heartbeat is echoing around the house. How many times has the sound of her heart lulled you into a craving you could never admit, even to yourself?" he asked her, his voice husky and borderline sensual. His walls were up once more. This was the Klaus everyone feared. And right now so did she.

Klaus circled her with slow steps and shivers ran down her bare back.

"How many times have you lied to yourself about being harmless to the humans you love so much," he asked, genuine intrigue coloring his tone and Caroline's breath hitched. How many times, indeed…

Klaus stopped in front of her and his hand curled around the nape of her neck.

"If you don't feed right now you will wake up completely dried out...I will make sure of that like I did the last time. Your sense of logic vanished...the only thing left will be the hunger and a human's breathing in the house echoing and bouncing around the walls," he warned her and she looked at him appalled.

He meant it. He was ready to make his threats come true.

"Your vampire drive will be at the highest peak. Are you absolutely a hundred percent certain that you can resist the temptation, love?" he challenged her as his fingers tightened around her neck and he tilted her head up. She grabbed his wrist with her own hand and immobilized his movements.

"She is my mother," Caroline objected, but her resolve was weak. She remembered how it felt to be starving and if Klaus was to trap her in the same place with her mother…with no way out…would she be able to resist?

"She is human...she is flesh...she is blood ...and you my love are a Vampire...Are you willing to take a chance with her life?" Klaus smiled at her and Caroline became more desperate with each word that escaped his lips.

Could she gamble with her mother's life like this? Just so Klaus would not get what he wanted from her in the dream? Would she reign over her bloodlust?

Her control would fade. They both knew it. Caroline knew it. She was desperately trying to find a way to breathe now as her eyes turned glossy. She buried her nails into his wrist and he let her. She knew this was a dream he controlled. She was not inflicting on him any pain, but oh how she wanted to tear him apart right now!

"The last beat of her heart will be at your hands. There is no coming back after that..trust me I know..." Klaus knowingly told her and Caroline pushed him away as if he was made of electric currents.

"I am not like you!" she screamed at him and the room once more shook. Klaus' eyes darkened and she felt a scalding pain in her temples. She grabbed her head. She tried so hard to break the dream connection, her will clashed against him.

Klaus growled and she could swear that she heard the ticking of a clock. Her own clock! The one she kept on her nightstand next to her bed. She could wake up. She had to try. She tried to reign over her fear and her anger. Over her fury that seemed never ending. It was as if her emotions were the weapon she needed to use against Klaus' mind control.

He took a step closer and the shaking of the room continued more turbulently now. But at the same moment, when she could swear that she would wake up, the screams and pleadings of the girl reached her ears more loud than ever.

"But you are!" Klaus insisted, his voice sounded like a whisper and a roar. It was so loud and so distant. As if she was breaking his hold and as if he was gaining once more control and forcing the dream to continue.

He gripped her hands and lowered them from her head. She looked at him with exhaustion and determination. "How did it feel when you ripped your first victim apart, sweetheart?" he taunted and she felt weaker as memories she didn't want assaulted her mind, distracting her from her effort to defeat his power over her mind.

Klaus knew it and he mercilessly continued as he pushed her closer to him. The shaking of the room was dissipating and each detail was becoming clear once more.

"When you tasted the last drop of his blood. Do you remember that glorious feeling?" he demanded her attention as his lips ghosted over hers making her go all weak, "Because what you have felt, I have felt too. Deny it all you want, but we have the same nature. We are the same," he simply said, allowing the realization to hit her hard. He knew her weakness because he had been there. And, yet, he showed no mercy for her now.

Once the room stopped moving and Klaus regained control he let her go and she stumbled back feeling her whole body shake. The pain in her temples ebbed away and she wanted to cry realizing how she had lost the battle and with it her last chance to find a way out of this.

"But if you are not like me...if you can control the hunger then wake up right now...It is up to you," Klaus shrugged and as she was about to open her lips, he pressed his finger against her mouth in warning.

"But I would think twice before I would do that," he suggested.

"I am holding your body right now, love. Your struggle was impressive and even though I admire the effort, in the end, you are the one that condemned yourself. You tried so hard to wake up that you put quite a strain on your body. The veins are already cascading around your eyes," he informed her and she looked at him with trepidation.

"It is happening...and when you are fully awake I won't hold you back...I might even lock you in the same room with mommy dearest," he mocked and she took a step back and shook her head in fear.

"Take your chances, sweetheart. Feed on the girl and I will make sure to take the hunger away from your before you come back to consciousness or… wake up and deal with the consequences of your own actions. The choice is yours," he declared and looked at her intently.

She bit her lip harshly, drawing blood. She looked at the girl that stared at her, all helpless and in torment and Caroline felt her legs going limp.

As she fell, she felt Klaus hands wrapping around her body bringing her closer.

"Can a dream really harm you, sweetheart?" he coaxed and she rested her head on his shoulder. She could not fight anymore. He had won. She could not risk her mother's life, even if that meant awaking her vampire instincts permanently. She would have to give in now and deal with the consequences later. She would have to cross that bridge when she got there, but for now, she couldn't take any chance with her mom's life. She couldn't. And Klaus knew it.

"Give in Caroline...give in to me," his tone was a magnetic purr that was lulling her into a dangerous desire. She was ready to give in to temptation. To give to the devil her soul and she was about to do it fully aware of what it meant and of what the consequences would be. Klaus was forcing her into this, but he was not tricking her into it now. And this felt worse, because now she would not even be able to hold on to the excuse of ignorance.

She put her hands on his chest and drove herself away from his embrace. She didn't even spare him another glance as she stood up and walked closer to the crying girl.

With each step, the girl was trying to stumble back. Rivulets of blood fell from her neck and her hand was severely bleeding out.

Caroline stiffened as her vision was now locked on the blood. The girl was shaking; she was sweating profusely and crying out for help and viewing Caroline as the scariest sight ever to be seen, but to Caroline that somehow felt exciting. She found herself relishing in that anguish and in the terror. The hunter Klaus wanted to wake up inside of her was now clawing out. Caroline's eyes changed color. The green shade was lost in crimson and black. Veins formed underneath as sharp razors extended from the depths of her gums which now ached and burned.

She flew at the girl with a speed she didn't know she possessed. From the windows she could see her reflection. A blur of scarlet silk mixing with the white dress of her prey.

Caroline could feel Klaus' gaze burning holes to the back of her head. He was winning. Because now she had let go. And she was certain that now she had turned into the death he longed for, he was taking in every detail with amazement and pride.

Caroline gripped the forearms of the girl and she met the terror stricken eyes that seemed so familiar. She couldn't remember from where and the more she could not remember the more frustrated she became and that was igniting her hunger more. She lowered her head and her nose traced the pumping vein in the ivory neck. So soft was the skin and so fragile. Underneath it, only blood. Lifeblood that carried the scent of sunshine and warmth. Caroline's tongue lapped the drops of the blood that lingered there and ignored the screams of horror and the helplessness of her victim.

"It is not real," she whispered as the taste of blood reached the velvet of her tongue, igniting thousands of taste triggers to explode in her mouth. She moaned and tears leaked from her closed eyelids. She threw her head back and opened her mouth, her fangs shining in the candlelight.

And then…

She let her fangs find refuge in the pulsating artery and what was not real, finally seemed to her more real than anything else she experienced before.

As her canines brutally embedded more deeply into the skin tearing flesh, she let go. She completely lost herself as she sucked the life out of the girl. The tempo of the human heartbeat grew faster and faster as Caroline gulped mouthfuls of blood. She finally felt alive. She belonged. She was strong. She was sated. She wanted more. All the previous doubts and resistance subsided. This was a moment of happiness. It was pure bliss. A long deserved freedom.

Caroline found herself trapped between the body of the girl that was fading away fast and Klaus' who now kneeled behind her, soothing her by gently caressing her hair. She felt complete. She felt like herself. As the heartbeat faded and Klaus' hands brushed her hair to the side and caressed her own neck, Caroline felt as if her soul was soaring higher and higher. She tilted the neck she feasted on to the side and bit deeper. The poor girl was whimpering now. The crying and screaming had stopped. It was serene. It was liberating.

And as the last drops of blood hit Caroline's tongue and travelled hot down her throat, the whimpering stopped and was replaced by coldness.

Caroline slid her red stained fangs out from the girl's neck and she opened her eyes, only to watch the light of life fade from the human eyes of the girl who now stared into the abyss with a vacant gaze. Blood was seeping from the puncture wounds and had soaked the white dress a crimson shade. Caroline let the lifeless body fall gently down to the floor and pivoted her upper body to face the man who held her.

His eyes were luminous in the darkness. He let his finger wander on the veins that still danced in her face. Caroline closed her eyes and breathed in. She could feel blood staining her lips and running down her jaw and neck.

She felt his forehead rest against hers, his hands framing her face tenderly. They both exhaled with relief and she found shelter in his embrace now that the thirst was no more. His gentleness made her feel safe. And so very lost.

"Red becomes you."

The sea of blood and its crimson color slowly dissolved under her eyelids and the warmth ebbed away. Her senses were gradually awakening, her eyes fluttering open, as the color of the world returned to her and golden specks appeared in the dusty faded rays of light pouring in from the open window. The curtains shimmered. A slow dance to the cool breeze that cooled her heated skin.

Caroline couldn't help the dread and the relief she felt all at once. The dream was over. She was awake and the nightmare had passed away. Images of what she dreamed of rushed through her mind, but she pushed them away, refusing to linger on them any longer. She had returned to reality unscathed and in this world she would not let Klaus rob her of her sanity any longer. She would not let him win.

And, yet, she could not deny how rested she felt. The dream and the events of it seemed to have weirdly replenished her strength. She leisurely stretched, enjoying the agility she felt and with languid movements she sat up and rubbed out the remaining sleep out of her eyes.

She inhaled and for a moment her breath hitched. Klaus's scent still lingered in her sheets. It was invading her senses and creating a new tempting haze. He had been in her bed. Holding her captive inside her dream. He needed the connection and he had to touch her skin to make sure her mind would submit to his will.

That made her feel violated. Weak.

And, in the same moment, her body thrummed with life. It was as if the air was beating a new tune. One that only her vampire perception could be aware of. She could hear sounds from miles away. She could hear the soft movements of the leaves from the trees across her house. The slow humming of the birds. The squeal of car tires blocks away.

She could smell the enticing scent of coffee that was coming from the kitchen.

She felt different. She felt alive. Completely in touch with all the vibrations of the air and the earth. Each component and object was emitting its own sound and unique pulse and she could feel and hear it.

It was as if the vampire inside her was now balanced. The uneasiness and the need to hunt she felt every morning for the first minutes she woke up were now gone. As if those needs were fulfilled in her sleep.

Her body didn't ache with the need for blood. Her throat was not dry to the point where it felt torn.

It was as if the ideas and the temptations Klaus planted inside her mind had not only taken root, but also spread inside her mind and body and were now a part of her. One she could not ignore or cast aside any longer.

As if!

She huffed and pushed the covers away from her body feeling agitated and annoyed.

He might be Klaus Mikaelson, ruler of everything evil and killer of puppies and rainbows, but she was Caroline Forbes and if there was one thing she knew how to do it was this. Persevere. And so she would!

What she needed right now was a hot bath and strong cup of coffee to clear her mind. And then she would go out and be herself as always. She would be damned if she was to let Klaus take over her life. If he wanted her dreams, so be it. But, she would make sure all the other hours of her day would be hers and only hers. She was still the same person. She still had the same morals. She only had to believe in herself and to her control.

She could do this.

She shook her head and wore her brightest smile. A new day was beginning. She tried to fill her mind with positive thoughts as she entered the shower and let the warm water and the soap lather her body. Her pores welcomed each drop of water with excitement.

She stayed underneath the spray for at least an hour, grateful that this was not a school day.

She pushed her wet hair back to her scalp with her hands as she tilted her head to the side and let the water fall from her forehead down to her body. She then rested her hands on the tiles and stretched her body like a feline.

She bit her lip anxiously as she remembered how she sent Tyler away last night and she swore under her breath. Klaus' compulsion was messing with her life, big time. She needed to find a way to balance everything out until she would be able to convince Klaus to let her go. Logically, soon enough, he would tire of this game. This could not go on forever.

She opened her eyes and increased the water pressure. She needed a plan. A strategy. When it came to Klaus, fighting him full force would be no good. If anything, it would make things worse. And she was certain that every time he acted, he expected a reaction from her. One that he would be able to take advantage of since he believed that he held all the cards.

What she needed to do was find another way. Distract him. Manipulate him. Whatever it would take.

She now knew how cruel and insane he was and even more so how much more he could become, but she also felt he had a soft spot when it came to her in his twisted own way. She just had to find a way to explore it.

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel. She went back to her room and when she opened her wardrobe she grimaced. She was planning on wearing a red sundress today, but she pushed the hanger with the dress to the side and went for a simple green top and jeans, but not before touching the red dress tentatively.

"Red becomes you…"

"Get a grip Caroline!" she reprimanded herself before she closed the door of her wardrobe so harshly it shook in its hinges.

She took time pampering herself, all the while stalling to activate her phone. Once she did she would have to deal with Tyler, and Elena and she was not ready yet.

She curled her hair and wore make up. This was to be her personal shield and she needed to feel like herself again.

She went towards the kitchen and smiled as she realized that her mom had left her fresh brewed coffee in the coffee pot. The soft light in the kitchen was soothing and she welcomed the quiet. She filled her cup and enjoyed how the smell of the strong coffee filled her nostrils, the air around her. It was vibrant and more intense than ever. She jumped on the kitchen bar and sat there dangling her legs playfully.

She played with the buttons of her phone and brought the cup to her lips before an image drew her attention. Her fingers stilled over the phone and she slowly put the cup next to her and hopped off the bar.

This could not be right.

She gripped her phone so hard that the device cracked in her fingers as she focused on the fliers on the kitchen table. The black and white photos on the missing person posters made her stop in her tracks. She grew absolutely still in a seemingly inhuman way as she realized that this was about the missing case report her mom was working on last night.

She took one of the papers in her hand and focused on the photo. No. This could not be happening. Her worst nightmare was now literary coming to life.

Now she …finally remembered.

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End of part two.

Thus the conclusion of the whole chapter :

When Nightmares Come to Life : The Monster Within Aches for Blood.

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And so a thousand years and an endless day later she finally wrote...

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