In the trees just beyond the clearing, the silent watcher scowled and bit back a curse as both vampires jumped up and ran off towards the sound. He'd been so close to achieving his objective… his hands curled into fists at his sides. Still, he was no stranger to disappointment. There would be other opportunities. He turned silently and stalked away, his black cloak whipping around his ankles like shadowy tendrils. His employer would need to be informed of this complication.

x--x--x

In less than a second, Kaname and Zero were on their feet and rushing through the trees. There hadn't been a second scream, and that made them both run faster.

There were sounds of a struggle ahead, leaves crackling, clothes shifting and harsh voices. Kaname gave Zero a meaningful glance and a small jerk of the head. Zero understood, and split off to the left. There was obviously more than one opponent, so parting ways and attacking from different directions would be the wisest course of action, giving at least one of them the element of surprise.

What Zero saw when he broke through the trees to the well-manicured lawn next to the lake sent an icy chill of fear through his whole being. Five vampires bent over a whimpering figure, baring their fangs and preparing to bite any piece of exposed flesh. A deadly calm washed over him as he allowed his well-honed hunter instincts to take control. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the Bloody Rose, while already calculating the best shots in his head. He needed to distract them first, before they could hurt Yuuki. His voice was not loud, but it carried the promise of swift retribution.

"Get away from her or die."

As one, the black-clad figures straightened up to assess the threat. One of them – Zero took him to be the leader by the way the others seemed to look to him for guidance – took a step towards him, both hands extended in a gesture of surrender.

"Now, now, I'm sure there's no need for this unpleasantness. My men and I were merely tired and hungry after our long journey; we were only going to take a little…" His eyes shifted down to Zero's collar, where dark smudges of blood were still visible. "Or perhaps, you've come to offer yourself instead? It seems the vampires in this academy truly have strange tastes…"

Before Zero could say anything more, the very air around them seemed to chill. A figure came striding out of the forest behind the group, exuding menace.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kaname's voice was like frozen steel.

All five of them spun around. The leader only flinched, but his men were visibly panicked and took several hasty steps back from the irate pureblood before remembering themselves and sinking into formal bows. Somewhat more stiffly, the leader acknowledged Kaname in the same way.

"Apologies, my Lord. We meant no offence…"

As one, all of them began making hasty excuses and expressing their regrets.

"Silence." the command was absolute. "I have no interest in the rest of you." Kaname glared at the leader. "You will explain."

When he found his voice, it was shaky. "We were sent by the Council, my Lord. We are your personal security detail."

"I see. Were you briefed on the rules of this institution?" his gaze intensified, and the commander found he could not lie.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Then I hold you personally responsible for the actions of your subordinates. This – incident – will not be forgotten. In fact, were it not for the abundance of infuriating paperwork it would cause, I would kill you where you stand." Kaname swept his eyes across the rest of the guards. "The next one of you to even contemplate touching any student at this academy will forfeit their life. Am I clear?"

Murmurs of assent came from the others.

"Good. You will accompany me at once."

They assumed formation, flanking Kaname on either side. The pureblood turned to Zero, but did not meet his eyes. "Kiriyu, see to Yuuki."

Zero could only nod, putting away his gun before turning to where Yuuki lay on the grass. Her eyes were open, although she didn't seem to be registering much of her surroundings. He knelt next to her, wanting to put a hand on her arm but not knowing how she would react to being touched right now.

"Yuuki? Are you okay?"

His voice seemed to get through to her, because she turned her head towards him.

"Ze…ro?" she blinked for a few moments, trying to collect her thoughts. When her hand flew to her mouth and she gasped, he knew she had remembered.

"Shh, it's all right. They're gone now. Let me help you up." He reached out a hand to her, and was glad when she took it without hesitation. He pulled her gently to her feet, and she leaned against him for support, her knees still feeling weak from shock.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked. He could smell blood, but it wasn't fresh. He knew she hadn't been bitten, but he thought she might have other injuries. She shook her head though. He looked down at where her hand was clutching his arm, and noticed several scratches. He took her hand in his, lifting it so he could see it better.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Those are nothing - I just… got caught in some brambles earlier."

He raised an eyebrow, but decided not to interrogate her further.

"Let's get you back to the chairman's so we can clean them."

She gave him a smile. "Thanks Zero."

He shrugged, as if to say it was nothing, but the concern in his eyes told her otherwise.

x--x--x

Later, Zero sat on the windowsill, gazing into the darkness. His mind kept returning to the night's events, playing them again and again, like a silent film he had no control over. He didn't know what had possessed him in that clearing. He had followed a strange compulsion and gone to talk things out with Kuran, but somehow they had ended up intertwined on the forest floor...exploring each other. If it hadn't been for Yuuki, he really might have done something he would always regret.

He blamed it on instinct – on his vampire nature dominating his rational mind. In fact, he had felt strangely detached from the situation, like he was watching it from afar rather than... participating. He told himself over and over that it didn't matter, it was nothing. Just another of the pureblood's sick games – of course, Kuran knew all about how to provoke a vampire's true nature, and it would be just like him to give Zero a stark reminder of his cursed existence. A reminder of how the debt Zero owed him could never truly be paid, not with the blood of a mere ex-human. A low growl escaped him as he thought back to the scene at the lake. Kaname's cruelly casual dismissal -

'Kiriyu, see to Yuuki.'

- as if nothing had happened. As if Zero had not offered Kaname the one thing he had sworn he would never allow another vampire, let alone a pureblood, to have. But the thing that riled Zero most, was that Kaname had said it as if Yuuki didn't matter. And that, Zero could not easily forgive.

x--x--x

Feelings were strange things, Yuuki decided. Just when you thought you understood them, they eluded your grasp by changing. A few days ago, Zero was just a brother, a constant, someone to rely on. Now she was so confused… she had enjoyed the kiss, the feeling of closeness it brought, and the way it had made Zero smile afterwards. But there were her feelings for Kaname to consider, which made her feel guilty as well.

Then she had followed Zero to the clearing. She had thought her emotions were a tangled mess before, but after seeing the lengths both men she cared so deeply for would go to in order to prove to each other who loved and deserved her most, it had been as if all her feelings had shattered into a million shards, all strewn across her heart, and she couldn't distinguish one emotion from the other. Couldn't distinguish one love from the other.

Silent tears began to trail down her cheeks. If she was honest with herself, she knew now that she loved both Kaname and Zero. She had been so blind for so long, telling herself Kaname was just a crush, Zero just a friend…

She also knew that soon, she would have to choose one over the other… it would be unfair of her not to. That wasn't what made her cry though. No, it was the knowledge that by choosing one, she would forfeit the other…

Zero?

Kaname?

… and right now, she wasn't sure she could picture her life without either one of them.

x--x--x

Kaname had maintained his threatening aura as he made his way across the campus towards the moon dorms. None of the guards had dared speak since they'd left the lake, and for that Kaname was profoundly grateful. He could barely keep control of his rage as it was. Yuuki had almost been viciously mauled by this group of uncivilised scum… it made him want to rip something to shreds. To make things worse, he'd been forced to hide his worry for Yuuki, leaving her in Kiriyu's care. He had so badly wanted to stay with her and see to her wellbeing himself, but these guards were the eyes and ears of the Council. He needed to maintain his carefully cultivated air of detachment in front of them, or risk people like Asato Ichijo gaining information to use against him.

Once they were inside, he sent for Takuma, asking him to ensure the guards were made comfortable. The commander began to protest that as his security detail, they should be with him at all times, but he quelled that argument with a single glance before heading up to his room to be alone with his thoughts.

He felt better after he had taken a shower, but that was only on the surface. Nagging doubts were beginning to take hold in his mind, and all of them centred on what had happened with Zero.

It was easy enough to attribute his own momentary lapse in good judgement to the newly-forged bond. The need for physical closeness was always worse when it was fresh, and especially so when one of the bonded vampires was a pureblood. But there was something else at work, Kaname would have sworn to it. Kiriyu had acted so boldly, as if he too had lost all his inhibitions, and that was very strange as his bloodline was not pure.

The bond might explain a lot, but it couldn't justify why he had gotten the distinct sense of being watched in that clearing. He'd ignored it at the time, being more preoccupied with losing himself in the silver-haired hunter's blood… but now… now it was starting to bother him. It had been a very disconcerting feeling, as if someone was not just watching, but manipulating him. It occurred to Kaname that he would never usually ignore such a sense, and he began to realize that perhaps he had been influenced in some way. Absently running a hand through his hair, the pureblood sighed. It seemed the peace here was once again under threat.

x--x--x

Footsteps broke the silence of the early morning air. A tall, lean figure strode towards the gates of Cross Academy, where a second, shorter figure leaned against the gatepost, obscured by a black cloak which seemed to blend with the shadows.

The tall one spoke.

"You have something to report?"

"Yes. There has been a slight delay…"

A long-fingered, elegant hand was held up for silence.

"The reasons are unimportant. I can see I need to take a more active role."

"Meaning?"

A smirk, exposing even white teeth.

"It's time I went back to school."


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