Xanders POV:

I had left the guards long behind.

It was nearing the evening, and I was just leaving Nico's cell when two of Dad's guards came down to deliver an urgent message to me.

"It's happening." was all they said, obviously clueless to what their message actually entailed.

I knew immediately what it meant and ran before giving them any kind of answer.

Khloe's third stage was beginning.

The one that was said to be the most dangerous in the transition, but was also the last thing that needed to be done before Nico and Khloe could be united again.

So once again my blood was here to save the day.

It seemed like every situation I gave my blood for became more dire, but God I really needed this one to be a success.

I practically burst through the door to where Khloe was, immediately trying to pinpoint where she was in the process.

I spotted her immediately, limbs trembling as she and claws digging into the bed as she leaned against it for support.

Her breaths were quick and heaving while her eyes were wide with fear.

And despite the sweat, it looked like the process had just begun.

I looked from her and towards my parents who were both looking straight at me, seeming relieved at my punctuality.

Despite my mother's best effort to stand beside Khloe and offer comfort, I knew it wasn't going to help.

"Thank god," My father began, "We need-"

"I know," I cut him off, stepping further into the room and rolling up my sleeves again.

From what I'd researched on my own time, She needed to complete the full blood moon-Esque change before receiving the blood to negate it and complete her shift entirely.

Meaning going through every painful detail that this bloodlust brings us, on top of sprouting wings.

All of these new predatory instincts torturing her into a feeding frenzy

All without breaking the remaining human she has inside her.

Just by looking at her, her trembling yet tense stance, the pinch in her brows, and the way her eyes were squeezed shut, I know she was feeling the effects already.

Her head slowly turned up to meet my gaze, her eyes carrying a mix of pleading and terror through the tears understandably brewing in her eyes

"Both of you leave," I stated, catching both of my parents off guard.

Being the Lord and Lady for as long as they have been. They haven't experienced the full-on concentrated effects of the blood moon in centuries.

I doubt they have any idea how to handle this, not to mention that I knew their presence stressed Khloe out.

And that was the last thing she needed right now.

"What!?" My mother replied as if my order was ridiculous.

"She doesn't need everybody watching this and you'll only be distractions till this is done!" I turned to my father, both quieting and tightening my voice, "So help me if anything gets in her way of completing this, I'll never forgive you and I can assure you Nico won't either." I hissed.

Lord only knows what Nico was planning down in that cell.

His eyes widened in an almost worried look I'd never seen on him, but he nodded, gesturing for my mother to follow him.

She hesitated, her and Khloe sharing a short glance at each other before she finally moved.

I took her place in an instant, hearing them shut the door behind them.

Okay... I just needed to make sure the gets it through this.

I tried not to let that stress press against me too much.

I know I had something more important to take care of right now.

"Xan... der," She barely got my name out through her hard breaths.

I couldn't even respond because just barely a second later she let out a cry of agony, her body recoiling as if she had just been hit in the chest.

The pain in her body was increasing.

Her body nearly crumbled but I caught her before It could, her eyes squeezed shut again as she tried to deal with everything she was feeling.

When she opened them again, that was the first time I'd seen her pupils thin.

It was an interesting sight against the blue, but it was a sign that the process was progressing.

Her chest heaved and breaths shook with every one she took, her body wincing violently yet again as she endured it.

I had no idea how to even begin to console her through this.

It was one of those things that you couldn't really stop and was only going to get worse.

Still, that didn't stop me from trying.

The only thing I could do was try to keep her from panicking too much.

"You've got this. I know this sucks, but you're doing good so far," I said, realizing I just repeated the most generic comforting words imaginable.

Another groan passed her lips, her body shifting and learning further against me.

"I-It hurts." She sputtered through her tears, promptly squeezing her jaw shut as to stop herself from biting me.

Okay, there was a problem.

She was fighting it, and as a response, the vampirism was fighting back, just as it does for us when we try to ignore it.

"I know," I responded, "I know it does, but you've got to stop fighting it. I know its a terrifying thought, but you have to let this take over you. The sooner you do that, the sooner this will be over."

That was one of the hardest things about the blood moon, or at least it was for me.

Letting something involuntarily take your control from your own body, not knowing what was going to happen once you black out.

The look on her face told me that those were similar thoughts to her own at this moment.

Anyone in their right mind would be scared of that, especially someone doing this for their first time.

I had a theory that the reason that humans die during this part is because their remaining humanistic instincts to survive fight the vampiric instinct trying to take them over until they wear themselves out so much that their body fails.

She just needed to let it take her.

She needed to let the process run its course.

"I've got you though," I reassured her with the kindest smile I could muster, "I promise that as soon as you let go, I'll pull you right back up and this will be over. The pain will be gone and you'll be back with Nico."

Her breathing changed as I spoke that last sentence, a new determined, yet still nervous look crossing her face for a moment.

"Promise?" She looked up at me with those pleading eyes, begging for some kind of confirmation that this wouldn't last long.

I nodded, "I promise. Just relax the best that you can and let it take you."

I carefully took a step back, explaining myself right as her panicked look began again.

"You're going to need some space for this," I reassured her, making sure the bed would offer enough support in my absence.

"Okay," She breathed out, closing her eyes in preparation.

I watched in the next few moments as she tried to relax, her muscles seemingly fighting between what she wanted them to do and what her body thought was right.

Then, right when it looked like she had gotten it, her hands shot up to her head and she let out the most agonizing scream I had ever heard.

I physically stepped back out of pure shock, a new fear building in myself as she collapsed to the floor, that awful sound still passing through her lips.

Tears continued to run down her face as her claws scratched at the wood floor

I found myself frozen in the moment, head racing for some kind of explanation as to what was happening.

Or more importantly, a solution.

For a moment I expected that the worse had come, but that stopped the second the sound of shredding hit my ears and two large bat-like wings sprouted from her back and her cry stopped.

I paused, eyes growing wide at the sight before me.

They were white.

A color that I had never seen on a vampire before.

The actual boney part of the wings itself was a light cream color whereas the membrane was a stark white.

I looked back down at her as my relief settled in.

Usually, after their wings sprouted, the bloodlust craze takes over soon after, but she wasn't moving.

I could see it in her eyes, the thin pupiled stare she had, and the occasional hiss passing her lips telling me that she was indeed feeling it.

But she just sat there on her hands and knees gasping heavily for air, her arms looking like they were going to give out at any moment.

Even her wings fell limp beside her.

Her body was already weak from the previous days, and this takes a whole lot out of us as it is.

She must have been so exhausted that she couldn't complete the 'hunt' on her own.

And luckily I think her body and mind knew that it was going to be coming to her anyway.

I hurriedly approached, noticing that her shirt was definitely torn up but still kept together enough for Nico to not kill me after he hears about this.

Either way, I approached her from behind, kneeling down and maneuvering my way around her wings so that one arm held her up, and the other was held as an offering.

She didn't hesitate to bite after that, her fangs digging hard into my skin followed by her claws.

Just how Nico did.

It still felt like a weight had finally been released from me once I felt that she was drinking.

She did it.

Holy shit she did it!

She completed the last stage!

Relief didn't even come close to how this made me feel.

I just held her close in as much of an embrace I could pull off, feeling every bit of stress and worry that had built up these past days melt away.

She made it. Nico was going to get her back!

I couldn't help but smile as she continued feeling, little by little regaining her strength and overall control of her body.

It wouldn't be long until she'd be back from it.

I looked as her wings began to steadily rise feeling a bit disheartened as I noticed that they were quickly deteriorating and fading.

I guess since this wasn't an actual blood moon, she doesn't get them as long.

The first time she gets her wings and she can't even enjoy them.

My head shot to the door as it opened, my grip tightening on her instinctively.

There I saw both of my parents, the worried looks on their face easing immediately once they saw the results of what happened.

"She did it," My father's voice was quiet, but joyful nonetheless.

Whereas my mother brought her hands to her mouth and nearly looked like she was about to cry.

The feeling of Khloe's claw's retracting caused me to bring my attention down to her, her fangs following suit soon after with a hard exhale.

She just seemed to stare ahead, processing what happened before she looked up towards me.

"You did it, Khloe. You're a vampire." I spoke softly, reading the exhaustion all over her face.

Her eyes widened just a bit in a small slow of elation before I felt her full weight fall against me.

She had to be absolutely exhausted.

I just let her lead against me as the last of her wings disappeared.

I can't imagine she'll be doing much else for the next couple days, but I couldn't imagine that mattered.

She completed the process, and she could return to Nico.

"She's going to be insanely weak for the next few days," My father began," It might be best if we wait a little bit before-"

"No!" I cut him off again already knowing what he was going to say, "Tomorrow. You're releasing Nico from that shit hole and reuniting them first thing tomorrow morning! She can rest until then but I don't think for one second Nico will mind that she'll be weak. He can take care of that himself."

That and I don't think he was going to last much longer down there

He didn't respond at first, but I did see my mother give him a look that she agreed with me.

"Please," Khloe croaked quietly within my arms, "I need to see him."

My mother nudged him harshly with her elbow this time.

My father luckily didn't decide to show any more reluctance after that, just gave a slight defeated sigh, "Tomorrow morning it is."