Thanks for all the lovely reviews guys! I'm so pleased that the first chapter went down so well. Just to note: Yui will be more like the manga version than the anime version. She's a bit feistier and less afraid to speak up for herself - much better to write and it soothes my feminist conscience (which is raging at me for liking this show so much anyway). Anyway - here's the next chapter!

-0-

By the time Yui awoke, Ayato was already gone. She was relieved in a way, it would have been hard to speak to him after-

What had she done?

Yui sat up in her bed and tucked her arms around her knees, burying her head in her lap. Could she blame it on the lack of blood? Obviously not, it would stupid to deny that she had not pushed him away. Her eyes clamped shut. Did she want to do that again?

"I heard you last night," a low voice said from in front of her.

She yelped and dropped her legs back to the bed, raising her head to find the source of the voice. Subaru stood at the end of her four-poster, crimson eyes focused on her. He was dressed in his usual attire, hands shoved deep in his trouser pockets.

"Subaru! I didn't hear you come in," she said, pulling the covers further up her legs. After a pause, she processed what he said. He heard - surely not? Her face flushed red. "What do you mean?"

"I heard you last night," he repeated, clenching his fist at his side. "You were so loud."

"I don't know what you mean," she replied, pulling her knees back into her chest. "I-"

"You and Ayato. I heard you," he stated, shutting his eyes. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You still reek of him."

"I-I," she stammered, lost for words. "I, um-"

"You are so irritating," Subaru snapped, looking down at his feet. He let out a shaky breath, as if trying to contain his anger. "I also heard what you said in the entrance hall."

Yui frowned. "You did?"

"I am going to be frank with you, Yui," he said, slowly. "I think you would be making a mistake if you continued with Ayato."

"Pardon?" she spluttered, sitting upright.

"He is the most sadistic of my brothers. You should not feel safe with him," Subaru responded, turning his eyes to the ceiling. His eyes fluttered shut and he lowered himself to sit on the end of the bed.

She scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. Yesterday's events replayed through her mind - Subaru hadn't paid her any mind when she begged him to stop, bloodied and near-vomiting in the attic corridor. "Ayato took the time to heal my wounds. At least he helped me - he didn't just continue without a care."

Subaru head flicked back to her and he fixed her with a stony glare. "You are such an idiot."

"And you are a hypocrite," she snapped.

He scowled. "Where did this new-found courage come from? You are usually so...docile."

"I-I've just had enough," she replied, clenching the sheets between her fists. "It isn't fair."

"Life isn't fair," he answered, anger starting to rise in his voice.

"How would you know?" Yui said, hotly. "You were dead before you were born."

Subaru remained silent, but sat up and turned to face her, eyes lifeless and blank for a moment. Slowly, his features descended into a scowl. He wrenched the sheets toward him, tearing them away from Yui.

"I would not speak to me like that, girl," he snarled. Yui froze, inching away from him. Subaru's temper was volatile at the best of times - she was knowingly pressing his buttons. His lip curled as he took in her frightened expression, but he didn't move.

"Subaru, I-"

"I am not heartless, Yui. I am only saying this to you as one who has a modicum more compassion than his siblings - do not go down the road you have begun to walk."

She stared at him, wide-eyed. "Why not?"

He sighed and grabbed ahold of her foot, tugging her down the sheets. Yui shrieked as he maneuvered his body on top of her, stretching her arms out to her sides and pinning them down. She struggled against his grip but was unable to move him.

"Get off me right now Subaru-!" she blurted out.

"Listen to me, Yui. Stop moving," he said, calmly. She slowly stilled, though her face still flushed with anger. "I do not wish to hurt you. You are just a human - humans should never get mixed up with our disgusting race." His harsh glare softened and after a pause, he released her wrists and sat back on his heels. "Ayato does not think in the same way. He would heal you just to hurt you far worse then next day."

He ran his hand through his hair and clutched the white tendrils between his fingers. Yui hesitantly reached out and touched his forearm. He peered up at her and she gave him a small smile.

"I will be careful, Subaru," she said, softly. Though she was uncertain of his intentions, She couldn't help but feel he cared - even if he denied it. "Thank you."

"He will kill you eventually, Yui," he said, a hint of anger tinging his voice. She withdrew her hand in shock. "When he gets bored, or you get broken."

"I-" she began, lost for words. "I don't..."

"Bear it in mind," Subaru interrupted, as a flicker of anger crossed his face.. "Before he fucks you."

Yui was so surprised by his words that she let out an incredulous laugh as she sat up. "I'm not going to let hi-" Subaru lurched forward and grabbed ahold of the collar of her night-gown, pulling her close to him. She clenched her fingers around his fist and started to scratch at his cold skin. "Get off me! Put me down!"

"Really? Because you were moaning like a bitch in heat for him last night," Subar hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"Why do you care?" Yui asked, gripping his arms to steady herself.

Subaru tensed and she could see the bones of his jaw protruding from under his skin. "I don't."

"Really?" she retorted. "Because you seem pretty concerned."

"Don't talk back to me, little girl," he said, angrily. His fist tightened on her collar, forcing the material to cut into the skin of her throat.

"Or what?" Yui replied. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest - she couldn't believe her own nerve. It was exhilarating, despite the creeping fear that she was pushing him too far. "Are you going to 'punish' me, Subaru? Going to sink as low as your brothers?"

A low growl rumbled in his chest and he shoved her back onto the bed, placing his hands on either side of her head.

"We always end up in this position, don't we?" he hissed, leaning in close to her. Yui glowered at him. He was repeating Ayato's words from the previous evening. She opened her mouth to call for the red-haired brother - he promised to come to her if she shouted his name. Before she could even utter one syllable, Subaru had clamped his hand down over her mouth.

"Get off her!" a voice called out from the doorway. There was a loud crash and Subaru's weight was lifted from on top of her.

Yui opened her eyes to see Ayato standing over Subaru, who he had flung to the floor in a fit of rage.

"What the fuck, asshole?" Subaru shouted, pushing himself up onto his feet.

"Don't touch her," his brother replied. Yui stayed silent, eyes wide with fright. Both men stared at each other, fists clenched and muscle tense, as if they were ready to pounce upon one another. "She's mine."

Subaru let out a hiss, baring his teeth and his brother mirrored his actions. They remained still for a moment until finally-

"Fuck this shit," Subaru said, roughly. He turned on his heel and headed toward the door. He paused, with his hand on the doorknob and looked back at Yui. "Remember what I said."

Before she could reply, he walked from the room and slammed the door behind him. The force of the action was so great that the wood splintered around the doorhandle.

"Asshole," Ayato muttered. He looked over at her and fixed her with a stern stare. "Did he do anything?"

"No. He just wanted to talk," Yui replied, shaking her head. He raised an eyebrow. "He's not very good at controlling his temper, is he?"

Ayato rolled his eyes. "He's an idiot."

He strode to the bed and threw himself down next to her, positioning himself so his arms were resting behind his head. He flashed her a grin and immediately her cheeks began to redden.

"Ayato, um," Yui began, lacing her hands together in her lap. "About last night-"

"Mmm," he hummed, smirking. He raised an arm and rested his hand on her thigh. "What about last night?"

Yui paused, feeling his forefinger gently stroke her knee. Before she could speak, he lurched up and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes fluttered shut and she gently sighed as he began to kiss him way down her cheek. In the haze of pleasure, Yui didn't notice his lips descend further. A low moan left her lips as he kissed her throat. She felt him smirk against her skin.

"Mine," he whispered. Yui's eyes opened at the sound of his possessive tone.

"A-Ayato," she stammered, as his hands clamped down over her wrists.

He leaned forward and sunk his fangs deep into the tender skin between her throat and shoulder. Yui screamed in pain, writhing underneath him as she cried out for him to stop. The vampire drank deeply for another minute, then shoved her away from him and leaned back on his heels.

"Fuck me, Pancake," he said, wiping a stray drop of blood from the corner of his mouth. "You taste so good."

"Why did you do that?" she asked, hissing in pain as she placed a hand over the wound.

Ayato grinned at her and pushed himself off the bed. "Don't think too much of yourself, little girl. Sexual exploitations aside, you're just my blood bank."

Yui frowned. How could he say that? After-

"Anyway. I came here to tell you something," he said, interrupting her thoughts. "My brothers and I are going away for a week. We have to visit Karlheinz. Succession discussions."

"You're...going away?" Yui replied, furrowing her brow. "All of you?"

"Don't get any ideas about running away, Pancake," Ayato snapped, scowling. "Shu is staying in the Manor. He has already made it quite clear that he's too fucking lazy to take the reigns around here. So he's staying to make sure you don't go anyway."

"Shu?" she asked, eyes wide. This was excellent! Shu was by far the laziest of the brothers - he was so unaware of his surroundings surely he wouldn't notice if she quietly slipped out of the door. This was her one opportunity to run and she was not going to let it pass without taking it.

Ayato nodded. "The pathetic oaf won't touch you if he knows what's good for him."

"I'm not an oaf, Ayato," a deep voice grumbled from the other side of the room. "And don't call me pathetic."

Ayato turned slightly and Yui should see Shu sprawled out on the sofa behind him, long legs hanging off the end. The blonde turned his head to look at them, but kept his eyes shut. He let out his trademark sigh.

"I'll be keeping watch over you. And, brother, if I get hungry I will not hesitate to drink from her."

"You fucking dare and I'll torch your room," Ayato retorted. He reached into his pocket and removed his cigarette lighter. He clicked it open and flicked the flint, watching as a large flame began to burn brightly. "Got it?"

Yui looked past Ayato's back and could see that Shu was now sat up, staring, wide-eyed at the lighter in his brother's hand. She noted the expression of fear on his face and frowned. It was odd to see the quiet, imposing vampire look so terrified. The reflection of the orange flame glinted in his blue eyes as he watched it, though for a moment his gaze locked with Yui's. Was he frightened of fire? He remained silent until Ayato flicked the lighter shut and chuckled smugly.

"Good to know we're on the same level, brother," he said, strolling past Shu and heading to the door. "Pathetic. See you later, Pancake. Be good, or else."

Shu pushed himself off the sofa and sauntered to the door, slamming it behind Ayato as he left. Yui blankly stared at the blonde as he turned back to look at her wearily.

"Try not to disturb me for the rest of the day," he said, shoving his hands into his cardigan pockets. "Your noise bothers me. I'll want food in a few hours, so make me something and call me when it's ready."

Yui raised a brow. He was such an odd character. Out of all the Sakamaki brothers, Shu was the one who had shown any restraint when it came to dealing with her. He only drank her blood when he desperately needed it and even then he made sure it was as quick as he could. She wasn't sure whether that was for her benefit or if he just found her tiresome to be around. Other than those brief interactions, Shu had barely spoken a word to her.

"Uh, sure," she replied. Shu nodded and turned away, moving to the door. "Um, Shu?"

"What?" he replied, without turning back to look at her.

"I, um, I don't know what food you like," she said, nervously twisting the blankets between her hands.

"Savoury. I don't like sweet," he answered, blankly. "And don't try to run away. That would be terribly bothersome." He stepped out into the hallway and shut the door behind him, finally leaving her on her own.

Yui looked down at her lap and saw that her hands were still clenched tightly around the sheets. With a sigh, she released them and lay back down on the bed. There was something about Shu's smooth, deep baritone that made her heart-beat quicken. In fact, her hands often shook in his presence, even when he remained silent. She was uncertain if this was due to the feeling she had that he was far more dangerous than he let on or something else entirely. It was not the rush she got from Ayato's teasing or the way his fangs so brutally entered her, but a slow, burning sensation that never reached its peak. He left her wanting.

-0-

She waited for an hour before leaving the house. So far, it was easier than she had anticipated. She had packed a small rucksack with her most precious belongings, some money and a spare set of clothes, checked the hallway for any vampires, then simply headed to the front door. If she remembered correctly, she still needed to head through the gardens, then down the driveway to the front gate. It wasn't too far and in the dark of the evening, surely no-one would see her? She looked out over the gardens and frowned - the pathways were gravel. Yui took in a deep breath and began to run, feet crunching against the stones. If she could make it to the gate quickly, she might not be heard-

A heavy weight collided with her back, forcing her to the floor. She let out a screech as her front was pushed into the ground. A hand held the back of her head and shoved her face into the gravel, causing her to shriek as the small stones cut into her skin. She was flipped over onto her back and saw Shu above her. His face was tensed, cheekbones and jawline jutting out from under his pale skin. He straddled her hips and placed a hand on her sternum, pushing her back down as she tried to struggled.

"Get off me!" she cried, clawing at his hand. He caught her wrists and pressed them into the ground beside her head.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, as if amused by her anger.

"I was taking a walk in the garden," Yui snapped back at him.

He smirked and his gaze slid to the rucksack that had fallen beside them in the struggle. "With a bag full of belongings?"

Yui gaped at him, unable to form any words. Instead, she let out a loud shriek and tried again to push him away. For a moment, it seemed as if she had managed to, as his weight lifted from her body. Suddenly, she was yanked to her feet by her collar and he held her up to his face, leaving her feet desperately kicking in the air. He pulled her in close and she could feel his breath on her face as he spoke.

"That was a very bad thing to do, little girl," he hissed, blue eyes narrowing. "I thought I warned you not to run."

"Get off! Let me down!"

He shook her, silencing her screams. "Stop your crying. You did this to yourself."

"Did what-?"

Shu chuckled darkly and pulled her forward, carrying her over his shoulder. He turned back toward the house, stopping only to pick up her rucksack, as she kicked and screamed into his back.

"Stop making so much noise," he sighed, pushing open the front door.

Yui's mind was racing - what was he going to do to her? At first, her thoughts moved to Ayato, wondering if she should scream for his assistance. Quickly she realized this was a terrible idea - he was far away from the mansion and his words still rang loudly in her head. You're just my blood bank.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

Shu grunted and circled her waist with an arm, removing her from his shoulder and settling her on one of the sofas in the main hall. He ran a hand through his hair as he glared down at her. "That was really stupid. You will never be able to get away."

Yui remained silent and continued staring at the ground, tears now rolling freely down her cheeks.

"I should punish you," he stated. The girl didn't reply, but her small hands began to tremble.

Shu cocked his head to one side as he surveyed her. She was an irritation to him for the most part. But could he really blame her for trying to run? This house, his brothers, her idiotic faith - he could see how it would all be too much for her. It irked him that she thought him to be the weakest in the family. As if he would have allowed her to escape.

"Shu?"

He shook his head, his name bringing him out of his thoughts. Yui was looking up at him, eyes red and teary. The sight of her like that strangely excited him and his gaze immediately lowered to her neck.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice breaking. "Please don't punish me, I promise I won't try to run again."

He frowned. It was his obligation to discipline her for her misbehavior but he found himself at a loss of what to do. It was not in his nature to whip the girl, like Reiji would, nor did he wish to hurt her in the way the triplets would. He did not even want to shout at her. He sighed - this was nothing to do with any feelings he had for the girl, he simply found the idea too wearying.

"Fine," he replied, blankly. Yui's eyes widened in shock and a small smile rose on her face. "But don't think that I lack the power or the spine to do so. I am simply too tired."

"Thank you, Shu," she answered, standing. "I will return to my room."

"No," he said, moving close to her. "Not yet."

He took her arm in his hand and tugged her into his chest.

"Shu, what are you-?"

"You didn't make me anything to eat. I'm hungry," he murmured, moving her hair away from her shoulder.

Yui tensed up, preparing herself for the sting of his fangs. Gently, his tongue pressed against her skin. She closed her eyes, trying not to linger on the electric feeling he was creating on her throat. Soon after, she felt a prick of pain and he sunk his fangs deep into her throat. Yui let out a gasp and her hands reached up to grab the front of his cardigan. Shu's eyes fluttered shut as her blood entered his body. He had almost forgotten how delicious she was. It was rare to find a taste so delicate and yet fulfilling, so perfectly suited to his taste. He groaned slightly as it coursed down his throat. He had forced himself to only drink from her when he absolutely needed it. To do otherwise would have driven him insane. The taste was addictive - he could see why Ayato wanted to keep the girl all to himself. The temptation to drain her was better staved off if he kept his distance. He withdrew from her throat and opened his eyes, still reveling in the bloodlust.

As he lapped at the bite marks to collect the last droplets of blood, he heard her let out a soft whimper above him. He drew back and raised a brow as he took in her face. A light pink blush was spread across her cheeks and her eyes were squeezing tightly shut. Her lips were open and he could see her teeth biting down on her lower lip, as if trying to hold back any sound she might emit. She was breathing heavily, chest rising and falling fast, as if she were panicking. Shu smirked as she opened her eyes.

"Do you-?" he paused, noticing the way her hands were still grasping his jumper. "Like having your blood sucked, Yui?"

"N-no, of course not," she stammered, breathlessly. Quickly she removed her hands and took a step backward.

Shu stepped toward her, grin still pulling one corner of his mouth upward. "Then why do you look so aroused?"

Yui gasped and shook her head vigorously. "I'm not!"

Shu hummed and backed her up until the back of her knees hit the edge of the sofa. She stumbled, but managed to stay on her feet and held up a hand in front of her.

"Ayato said not to touch me!"

Shu ignored her and advanced further, forcing her to sit on the sofa. He placed a knee on one side of her and leaned in close to her face. Blood pounded loudly in Yui's ears.

"Do you belong to him?" Shu asked, softly.

"No, of course not, I-."

"Then I don't have to listen to a word he says, do I?" he said, amused at her reactions. He raised a hand and gently stroked the bite marks on her neck, causing her to whimper. "I like the sounds you make when you are experiencing pleasure. I wish you wouldn't bite them back."

Yui stammered out a few unintelligible noises and sweat began to shine on her forehead. Shu chuckled and leaned in to her ear. She shivered as she felt his breath touch her skin. He lowered his hand and smoothed it over her neck, then lower still, fingers dipping under the strap of her bra. He halted, fingers splayed over her shoulder. Yui trembled under his touch - this was wrong, wasn't it? It shouldn't feel this good to be toyed with.

"If you want me to go any further, you're going to need to beg for it," Shu hissed.

Yui tried to still her panting but found she could not. What about Ayato? She had only been with him the night before, she couldn't possibly continue! As much as her body ached and yearned for his touch, she couldn't. "I can't."

Shu chuckled darkly and removed his hand from her shoulder. He stepped back and moved to lay down on the sofa opposite. "Suit yourself. If you're going to be boring then stop bothering me and leave."

After composing herself for a moment, Yui shakily stood and began to walk away from the entrance hall. Her heart still pounded, her blood was still racing - once out of sight, she leaned heavily against a wall and held her flushed face in her hands. He never did fail to leave her wanting.