Deadly Surrender

Cross has found a half-dead woman on his way home from a trip. She has no memory of what happened, but something isn't right. Especially those eyes of hers. And with a name like Ketsueki Okurimono, things are bound to go wrong. What are a headmaster and his charges to do?

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or the characters that are in it. But I do warn you now, things could get very bloody and also very hot.

Chapter One

"There, there, now. No need to worry about a thing. I will help you," the headmaster said pleasantly as he smoothed a towel over a small body's head. The body squirmed a moment, as if the hands were too rough before settling. Cross smiled to himself as he thought, Poor thing. But he doubted she would appreciate being called such. She hadn't spoken a word, just wrote down her name and accepted his help with almost empty eyes. They were mismatched. Her right eye was a smooth purple like velvety night sky, the pupil slit a fraction while her left was…He shook his head a moment as he continued to dry the girl off. Her left eye was rich amber, the pupil very much the same as the right. When he had first found her, symbols were burning like blue fire around that eye before they faded out like they had never been. He hadn't seen them since.

But that wasn't the only thing he had noticed. She had no fear. When she had come to she had simply looked around his large office and then down at herself. She had been bleeding from a number of wounds, but had been bandaged up while comatose. She took it all without so much as batting an eyelash. Though she was wrapped like a half-hazard mummy, she moved fluidly, almost with the same vampiric grace of the night class. It would have been eerie except for her adult yet childish face and her soft, easy sighs. She was hardly older than Yuki, but the maturity was so much more apparent in those silent eyes. When he touched a wound, she did not wince but turned the other cheek, like a soldier who was used to getting shot. But how could anyone be used to that? Certainly not this young, beautiful girl with moonlit locks that had been tipped in painted midnight, her skin so pure and pale like virgin snow. It was almost too much to bear for Cross. His heart was so close to breaking each time she looked at her bandaged hands with a hint of recognition, her eyes almost saying, "Hello, old friends."

Cross's hands stopped moving and the young girl looked up from the safety of the towel. Her eyes were almost questioning, her lips slightly parted as if to impart such a question to him when there was a faint knocking at the door and Yuki's clear voice asking if it was all right to come inside. He smiled, feeling his heart swell with fatherly pride. The young woman in the chair beside him crossed her arms over her eyes as he bade his daughter to enter. He looked at her and blinked, about to ask what was wrong when Yuki interrupted him.

"Headmaster, what happened to this girl? And who is she?" Concern was etched into her smooth features, worry coating her eyes like tears. Her body was tense as she kept herself anchored in place, noticing the girl's odd behavior somehow made beautiful by the porcelain brilliance of her skin. But the bandages were so much more visible now that she had knocked the towel off her head and shoulders. The only thing covering her body besides that was a pair of shorts and a half demolished shirt with one sleeve. Obviously, Daddy dearest hadn't been able to find anything for her to wear without invading his daughter's room. She found it strange that he hadn't considering how he always took things without permission. She rolled her eyes a moment, noticing how it would be hard to fit the girl into her clothing. Her bust was much bigger, her hips holding more curve. She was taller by two inches, or so it seemed. Still…

"Yuki, this is Ketsueki. She was attacked from what I could tell, by whom, I have no idea. But you are to look after her and get her settled at the school. From what I can tell…She doesn't have a family or she doesn't want to be found. Either way, we're keeping her." His voice was unusually soft, his face strangely looking tired, adding years. Yuki blinked several times at this before her attention was grabbed by the girl moving her arms down. She appeared genuinely confused, almost like she hadn't expected Yuki's easy smile, or the way she spoke very loudly and gently.

"Hello there! My name is Yuki and I hope we can be friends," she smiled more brilliantly, only to notice that the girl's eyes were not the same color. She moved closer for further inspection and the girl did likewise. As Yuki got closer, she noticed how those eyes glimmered, made brighter by the contrast of her skin. It was breathtaking how the colors complimented one another and enhanced her beauty. There was no lying or embellishment. The girl was simply beautiful just like the night class was beautiful. Just like the…

"Is she a vampire?" she asked absently, still smiling in wonderment. At the word "vampire" the girl blinked several times, almost like she knew what it meant and yet didn't understand. Her head tilted, causing the shimmering strands atop it to fall over the left side of her face, shielding that eye and caressing her cheek. The confusion was apparent, just like how the bandage wrapped tightly around her throat soon became. But before Yuki could comment, Cross intervened with a nervous smile and some quickly spoken words about business and good luck and how she was on her own with the girl as he exited his office.

Yuki breathed out a sigh and froze as the girl reached out a hesitant hand to touch her hair. Her own dark locks were much shorter than Ketsueki's which brushed the bottom of the chair she sat in. Seeing her intent, she relaxed and allowed her to touch the silky, short locks. As her hand twirled a stray lock, she seemed to smile a little, like Yuki was more real now that she had been touched physically. It was odd how aloof this girl was, but then again, she knew not where she was or who anyone else was for that matter. As she thought more about this girl, she suddenly started to think about her first encounter with Zero and how tender she had had to be with him. It had been tense but with this girl, it was more like she was curious and shy than afraid. Hell, she had never seen anyone this fearless. It was etched in those mixed orbs. They seemed to connect on some level, this mysterious girl and her. She wanted to ask so many questions, but sometimes questions led to seclusion and aloofness. She kept her mouth shut for now, just smiling and letting the girl play with her hair. They were both much more relaxed now, that is until Yuki got a sinking feeling that Zero was about to—SLAM! The door burst open with Zero screeching about how Yuki should be on duty and not here in Cross's office-that is until he saw Ketsueki. All his yelling had caused her to withdraw, pull her knees to her chest and stare at him intently. She hardly seemed to be breathing, coiled to run at any chance she got. But neither of them noted any fear, just a sense that if she ran, she would look at them with those strange eyes as if to say, "Catch me if you can."

Oh, boy, had Zero made a mess of things. "Zero! You idiot! Your yelling has caused her to go back to being aloof! Don't you think you could have knocked before becoming irrational?" she added that last question with a dull glare. He didn't answer at all, just continued to stare at the woman on the chair, coated in bandages and wrapped with fearlessness. And God, did she smell good. It was drifting over to him, teasing him in a way that scared him. He felt a dull pain in his gums that he had felt before…before when he…He shook his head. No, he would not give in to bloodlust at this moment. Especially when he knew they needed this girl to trust them and likewise needed their protection. Taking in a deep breath, he looked to Yuki blankly.

"Are you gonna let her freeze to death or are you gonna put some clothes on her?" Yuki blushed, recoiling a little before her blush was one of anger. She stuck her tongue out at him, which caused his features to soften a little. The girl had relaxed her pose and seemed to be listening intently. Her lips, soft and almost welcoming, were curved up in the lightest of smiles…Maybe she thought they were lovers? He hoped not. He didn't want to answer awkward questions about Yuki and his relationship; mostly because he wouldn't be able to answer and didn't want to say anything that might warrant Yuki's wrath. He shuddered to think that Cross, the idiot he was, would threaten him with joining the night class if he didn't behave around Ketsueki. He groaned and rolled his eyes, well, tough, he would just have to try and behave. Yeah, right.

Yuki turned to the girl, whispered something that sounded like, "Don't worry, he's just an idiot," before delicately motioning for the girl's hand. She blinked before nodding and letting Yuki help her up. As she stood, her hair floated down to rest at her curvaceous hips, covering her ass in a sheen of black and silver. And, to his surprise, she had even more bandages than either of them first thought. And was that a tattoo on her left hip? It was just barely visible but it looked like a small cross with a pair of bat wings flanking it, a crescent moon layered on top of the cross. Though it wasn't a large tattoo, the details were unmistakable and brilliantly done, causing a certain allure when Zero let his eyes wander that far. It was black and red. Blood red.

Yuki caught his stare and scolded him for it. "Stop eying her like candy and shoo! You need to be on duty while I take care of her." He noted a little bit of jealously in her voice which turned him on a little. Wait, no, he so wouldn't go there right now. Not with that girl in the room. And certainly not with that bold stare. He cast Yuki one last look before he vacated the room, wandering down the halls to listen to the night class a moment before disappearing to the outside world. It was gonna be a long night.

Yuki listened until she could no longer hear his heavy steps before turning to Ketsueki. She had this look on her face like she had missed something and knew it. It was laughable, but Yuki was too polite to just laugh in her face. Instead, they wordlessly left the room and headed to Yuki's quarters to get some clothes, telling Ketsueki to stay in the hall a moment while she got some clothes. She had to be quiet due to her room mate sleeping in the bed by the door. She quickly gathered a few things and headed out, closing the door with a quiet click. The girl blinked at the pile of clothes that were hastily thrust at her before being pushed towards the bathroom in order to change.

She stood there a moment, just looking at the pile in her arms while she stood in the bathroom of the school. She knew where she was, well, in a school, but knew right off that is was different than any other school. She thought about what Miss Yuki had said, but her memories escaped her, knowing and yet not knowing. It was frustrating but with practiced patience, she knew her memories would return. She wasn't stupid, hell, she was quite intelligent but still, knowledge could be locked away with missing memories. She had wanted to thank the other woman for her…kindness? but hadn't known what to say. She never talked much, if she decided to speak at all. That much she knew and remembered. She was understood much better without the confusion of words. At least, that was what she thought.

Standing before the mirror, she glanced at her reflection. She had a bandage on her right cheek, a small cut that had healed along the edge of her jaw line. Her clothes were rags and the bandages covering her made her skin appear even whiter. Her hair was messy, and she smoothed it out with her palms after she placed the borrowed garments on the sink. The skin beneath her right eye was a little discolored, but was healing fine. She looked carefully at the left side of her face before dressing with a semi-satisfied assessment: she was alive and had no serious injuries. She would heal and then…She didn't want to think about the future just yet.

The borrowed black top, which she seemed to recall was called a wife-beater (whatever that was), was snug and made her breasts swell more than usual. The jeans fit nicely and allowed her to move around without being hindered, though it gave her lower half a bit more volume than anticipated. She took the black, silk, fingerless gloves out of the pocket of her discarded shorts and slipped them on. Lightly, almost gingerly, she touched the bandages on her throat. Another reason she wasn't speaking: her throat had been cut and was still in the process of healing. She didn't like how she knew that, but whatever. Things were as they would be.

Acutely, she could hear Yuki rocking on her heels, humming very softly as she waited. Could also hear the faint beating of her heart, and almost…It seemed like she could hear the other's thoughts. Or maybe she was just talking to herself? Well…things could be stranger. And also, she wanted to have a look around, but not when it interfered with Miss Yuki's duty. Feeling a bit mischievous and curiosity pulling at her caution leash, she opened the small window and wiggled her way out onto a small landing. The air whipped about her face, tousling her hair and tugging lightly at her clothing. She took a deep breath and let it fill her completely. Here, it felt wonderful. She felt like maybe she could stay here if they allowed it. To start over, she never thought of that before. She really was starting a whole new existence in this grand place. And somehow…she felt free. Yes, that was the word.

Deciding on a course of action, she decided to walk barefoot along the lower level roofs. She passed by dorm rooms and the like. She hadn't realized how long the walk had actually been from the school to the rooms. But now she was on her way. The night was crisp and refreshing, the wind caressing her skin like a delicate petal falling from a flower. The stars glowed like crystals catching the sun's rays and the moon absolutely beamed. She felt at home here. If she had a home. It felt right to be walking out and seeing the night sky in all its glory. No judgments, no quarrels, just peace. She blinked, realizing that she no longer looked at sky but at the ceiling of the school. The doors swished closed and she suddenly felt confined. But…it wasn't bad once she grew accustomed to it. It was almost pleasant. More or less.

The hallways were coated in thousands of fragrances from thousands of nameless people. But no one was around that she could see. The place was quiet, but hadn't Miss Yuki asked if she was a vampire? Didn't that mean they had those here? The name caused something to stir in her mind and heart, but she couldn't grasp it because it slipped away. She let a frown mar her lips for a second before she stopped in mid-stride. Voices. There were several, in fact, which she found odd but at the same time natural. They were talking about something, these voices, it didn't seem important and yet the discussion continued. They reminded her of wolves in the aspect that their howls were beautiful. So were these unique voices. They carried a certain air to them…superiority? Yes, that awful word. These beautiful voices were marred by vanity. Now she wanted to get away before they noticed her steps or heard her breath. She didn't want to be around people like that. She felt her lip curve in a sneer, but it fell away as she continued to walk down the hall, passed the classrooms.

The voices stopped.

But still she walked. She noticed the absence of sound, but kept on walking anyways. If she kept her pace, she would be free of the oppressive hallway and towards another part of the school. For a fleeting moment, she wandered if Yuki had noticed she was missing. Probably. The girl wasn't an idiot. Maybe a little clumsy, but certainly not stupid. She just wondered how long it would take for her and that man, Zero, was it? to find her. She calculated she had another ten minutes or so before being found. Except she had the feeling she was already caught. And not by the others. She was at the end of the hallway when she finally turned around. As she did, she caught startled glances, weary ones, and some interested ones. But one intrigued her the most: the brown-eyed gaze of a particularly beautiful person who was staring at her intently, as though to figure her out. The leader. Had to be.

She stared them all down without flinching, no fear whatsoever. They eyed her, noticing the bandages and such as though she were a meal on a silver dish. She vaguely wondered if that was what she was to become. But the thought didn't bother her; in fact, she seemed to be intrigued by the idea. Then she smiled, a real grin, one that set several of them on edge. If she was to be a meal for these types, she wouldn't let them have it without a fight. Absently, she brushed the bangs from her face.They had fallen into her face when she turned, revealing the differences in her eyes. The leader of the pack blinked as though struck and took a step forward, the surprise thrown away to be replaced by intrigue once more. Each step he took rang in her ears, almost too loud in the deafening silence. He was standing before her now, taller from this distance. But, he wasn't looking down at her, he was looking at her with a level stare, one that she gave right back. He was studying her, watching for any signs of distress or weakness. Then she felt it, her strength was beginning to fail her. It was starting in her toes and slowly rising from there. Damnation.

"You shouldn't be wandering these halls, little wolf…especially whilst you're bleeding," he spoke gently with a matter-of-fact tone. She could sense all the others hunger rather than see it. But it didn't shake her in the least. She felt the tingle of blood slowly trailing down her neck from her wound. She had turned her head too quick. The wound was opened again. Damnation, why did this have to happen now? She lightly touched the wrappings about her throat, covering it with her small and almost delicate hand, calloused by things she did not remember. Her breathing became more shallow and quiet. Still, she held her feet.

"Can you speak?" he asked even more softly, a rare kindness in those eyes. She just felt like he hardly showed anyone such emotion, just something she felt to her bones. Which were now aching in places. Damn, her mind had tuned it all out, which was very dangerous, especially now. She slowly shook her head so as not to open the wound further, her eyes staying focused on his face. He seemed….seemed…the thought drifted away and her head began to throb. Some memory was clawing at the surface, she had seen brown-eyes like that before, not his, but another, someone….The throb turned into a burning roar and she shut her eyes, shaking from withholding sound. She'd rather shake than speak. They'd kill her if they heard it. It would be too sweet a sound to ignore.

So why hadn't this man attacked her? She wouldn't be able to defend herself unless she could force her body to run. Would she be able to? If she had to run, she would run. Survival was the only option. She would not surrender. But now she had another question, would he make her submit to him? Something in that dark gaze told her there were a lot of things in store for her…And she had no idea if she would enjoy any of it. Tonight was not going very well and vaguely wondered if she would live to see morning. Probably not.

Well, I hoped you guys liked this start on my first VK story. If you guys think there's anything wrong with it or like how it's going, please feel free to email me or leave reviews.