Only Exception
03
I woke up lying on the forest floor. Quickly I opened my eyes and everything came into focus within seconds. Sitting up I scanned the area expecting it to be void of anything or at least harbor a dangerous animal. Instead I found Klaus sitting some distance away, his back against a tree.
“I am not dead?” I said in surprise making it sound more like a question.
“Not quite,” said Klaus. “You came close though.” In a blur of motion he was suddenly sitting beside me. This time he was wearing clean clothes though and I felt myself relax more.
“How close was I to dying?” I asked.
“I had taken too much blood from you,” said Klaus. “You were going to die. I gave you some blood back though and your condition greatly improved. The wound on your neck is even gone.” Hesitantly I touched my neck and felt nothing. “Unfortunately I have some bad news for you,” he said after I made sure my neck was clear of marks.
“What is that?”
“I’m going to have to take you back to my family. I cannot have you going off and telling everyone of vampires.”
“I would do no such thing!” I said completely outraged that he could even suggest that.
“None the less, it is what has to happen. You cannot go back.”
“That is fine by me,” I huffed. “Better than being forced to marry that wretched cad.”
*************************************************************************************************
“Victoria, come,” said Klaus holding out his hand. “I have gathered my family for what I have to tell them. You are the first human that knows about us.” I took his hand and hesitantly followed him out to meet his family.
As we neared the family I couldn’t hear the sound of chatter and I held my breath as we rounded the corner and entered the large room. Each one of his family was watching me through narrowed and concerned eyes.
“Who is this?” asked the man of the house, obviously older than the others.
“Victoria,” said Klaus. “She knows about us.” He got right into it, no small talk.
“What?” said the man, anger clear in his face and eyes. I could see his face slowly change into a vampire’s and the sight terrified me. Without even thinking about it, I took a step closer to Klaus.
“How could you do such a thing?” said one of Klaus’ siblings. He took a step closer to us, his face close to the anger of his father. The anger was palpable in the room as each family member turned to glare at Klaus.
“Humans should never know about us,” said a girl stepping forward. “Too much would be at stake. Werewolves would be all over us.”
“How could you?” spoke another, echoing his brother.
“Victoria means us no harm,” spoke Klaus. He seemed unaffected by his family’s outburst. “She can stay with us, in the house if that makes it better.”
“And what will people think of us if we just take in some girl,” spoke up Klaus’ mother. “The village will be all over the gossip.”
“Absolutely not,” said Klaus’ apparent father. He said it with a note of finality that left no room for arguing. But Klaus wouldn’t have it.
“So if she can’t stay with us then what do you propose we do with her?” asked Klaus defiantly. In the blink of an eye Klaus’ father was standing in front of me with both hands on either side of my head. In the next second my head was snapped to the side and—
“I am not dead?” I said in surprise making it sound more like a question.
“Not quite,” said Klaus. “You came close though.” In a blur of motion he was suddenly sitting beside me. This time he was wearing clean clothes though and I felt myself relax more.
“How close was I to dying?” I asked.
“I had taken too much blood from you,” said Klaus. “You were going to die. I gave you some blood back though and your condition greatly improved. The wound on your neck is even gone.” Hesitantly I touched my neck and felt nothing. “Unfortunately I have some bad news for you,” he said after I made sure my neck was clear of marks.
“What is that?”
“I’m going to have to take you back to my family. I cannot have you going off and telling everyone of vampires.”
“I would do no such thing!” I said completely outraged that he could even suggest that.
“None the less, it is what has to happen. You cannot go back.”
“That is fine by me,” I huffed. “Better than being forced to marry that wretched cad.”
*************************************************************************************************
“Victoria, come,” said Klaus holding out his hand. “I have gathered my family for what I have to tell them. You are the first human that knows about us.” I took his hand and hesitantly followed him out to meet his family.
As we neared the family I couldn’t hear the sound of chatter and I held my breath as we rounded the corner and entered the large room. Each one of his family was watching me through narrowed and concerned eyes.
“Who is this?” asked the man of the house, obviously older than the others.
“Victoria,” said Klaus. “She knows about us.” He got right into it, no small talk.
“What?” said the man, anger clear in his face and eyes. I could see his face slowly change into a vampire’s and the sight terrified me. Without even thinking about it, I took a step closer to Klaus.
“How could you do such a thing?” said one of Klaus’ siblings. He took a step closer to us, his face close to the anger of his father. The anger was palpable in the room as each family member turned to glare at Klaus.
“Humans should never know about us,” said a girl stepping forward. “Too much would be at stake. Werewolves would be all over us.”
“How could you?” spoke another, echoing his brother.
“Victoria means us no harm,” spoke Klaus. He seemed unaffected by his family’s outburst. “She can stay with us, in the house if that makes it better.”
“And what will people think of us if we just take in some girl,” spoke up Klaus’ mother. “The village will be all over the gossip.”
“Absolutely not,” said Klaus’ apparent father. He said it with a note of finality that left no room for arguing. But Klaus wouldn’t have it.
“So if she can’t stay with us then what do you propose we do with her?” asked Klaus defiantly. In the blink of an eye Klaus’ father was standing in front of me with both hands on either side of my head. In the next second my head was snapped to the side and—