The crowd was booing and hissing Zero's appearance; plenty of voices screaming out to kill him. The roar grew as a large man holding an axe stepped onto the stand.

What could she do? She hadn't expected him to come back into her life in this way! She was about to witness something that she really didn't want to witness. The world around her went quiet. Time seemed to slow to a snail's pace as the two guards forced Zero down over the block. Why wasn't he fighting? He could easily overpower them, so why wasn't he? Those ropes were tight, but they were flimsy. Was she expecting too much from him?

A cold sweat broke out as the axe was risen high above his head to the growing roar of the crowd. How could her uncle do this to her? He had heard her pleas for him not to hurt Zero; the least he could do was perform these cruel acts away from her.

What was she thinking? She didn't want him to be killed in some dank cell where she would never know his fate. She wanted him alive!

In front of the eager crowd, the axe cruelly descended. She forced herself into action, flinging herself down between the axe and Zero. She heard a panicked gasp and felt the blade of the axe come to a stop just above her neck.

She clung desperately to the body beneath her despite Kaname's and Rido's angry yells. The crowd was like a frenzied animal whose prey had managed to escape. She turned to her remaining family members with tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"You can't do this!"

"Why not? This man is a wanted criminal." Yuuki felt Kaname's hand on her shoulder, gently attempting to remove her from the confused man underneath her. She refused to be moved. Now, if she knew her uncle…

"Isn't it too kind? After what he did to me and father, wouldn't you want him to suffer?" She swallowed, displeased with her own cruel words. "What better way to make him suffer than to make him our personal slave?"

"Humiliation, eh? I knew you would come around, Yuuki." Yuuki sensed a wave of bile rise in her throat. She felt dirty. She felt a subtle motion from the body under her that told her he felt the same way. "Alright."

She didn't allow herself to be moved until he had confirmed the new arrangement to the crowd. He attempted to calm the disappointed, angry crowd as Zero was brought to his feet. Yuuki gave the command to the nearby guards to take the restrained Zero to her room. She silently apologised to him. She would untie him later.

She could almost feel the angry look she was getting from Kaname, who was thankfully keeping silent. Refusing to look at him, she began to follow after the guards and Zero.

"You'd best be sure you know what you're doing, Yuuki." She heard from Rido. She didn't dignify him with a response. The crowds seemed to be focused on Rido; she hadn't received any comments as she had expected.

Now that her newly acquired servant was safe, at least for the moment, she allowed herself to revel in his familiar scent. He reminded her of herself in his cleanliness, or lack thereof, when she had first been locked in that small room. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Zero himself seemed like a lifetime ago; her constant thirst becoming a permanent part of her.

That eager prickle in her throat intensified. She could hear the soft whisper of her vampire instincts as though she were a separate being in front of her. He belongs to you now, she whispered temptingly, you can drink as much blood as you please…

She paused a moment outside her door, reigning herself in as she took in the strong, comforting presence of the man she had fallen unexpectedly in love with. A couple of deep breaths later, she felt as in control of herself as she could be. His head turned in her direction as the door squeaked open. He was wary, like a cornered animal, as she came to a stop in front of him.

That temptation was back in her mind again, but she ignored it as she untied his hands. He removed the rest of his bonds effortlessly, rubbing his aching wrists as the blood began to circulate freely once more. Then he fixed a fierce glare on her.

"What exactly were you thinking? Putting yourself in danger like that?"

"I couldn't just let you die!"

"You're too reckless, Yuuki!"

"You shouldn't have let yourself get caught!"

He was on his feet now, towering over her. She returned his angry glare; the first to see his expression soften before she found herself in his embrace for the first time in over a year. She missed her opportunity to hold him back; too shocked by the sudden closeness and the way he squeezed her, one hand lightly gripping her hair.

"Think of yourself for once, would you?"

"In my first act of selfishness, you need a bath!" She retorted. She didn't know how to react to Zero's sincerity. That he cared that deeply about her made her happy, but she had to remind herself once more that she had decided to forget him. She would find a way to free him, and then he would be gone again. Maybe she could ask Aido to recreate the pendant that was currently in Yui's possession.

He chuckled so lowly that she almost missed it. She lead him into the ensuite and subsequently caught him eyeing the room in an impressed manner before he noticed that she was watching. It was endearing to see a man who seemed so unaffected by everything almost becoming the wide eyed child she imagined he was before.

"I'll be in here if you need me." She pointed back to her room, earning his signature nod in return. The soft click of the door was followed by the sound of water running. She rested against the hard wood, listening to the sounds of activity in the other room.

As he allowed the worries of his world to melt away for a time, Yuuki made a move to gather new clothes for him to change into. She knew that they had a spare butlers uniform laying unworn in a store room five doors down from hers, left over when a former butler met a rather unfortunate demise. It looked like it would have fit Zero as she had known him before; however, she thought, it may hang loose on him until she could return him to a healthy weight.

She knocked lightly on the door upon her return, smiling a soft smile at the sleepy "yes?" she received.

"I brought you a change of clothes. May I come in?"

"It's your house." Was the reply. She ensured to cover her eyes before she stepped inside, placing the uniform down on the corner table. She considered 'accidentally' taking a peek, if only to gauge his current condition now that the filthy rags were off him. Speaking of, she grabbed the offending garments before she exited, disposing of them quickly.

Her task completed, she collapsed listlessly on her bed. The pure adrenaline that had been coursing through her veins had prevented her from feeling the raw exhaustion that had risen since her uncle's announcement. She glanced over at the clock. It had only been six hours since she and her brother had set foot outside the house. It had felt like an eternity.

"Hey, Zero…How was everyone doing when you left?" She called through the door, hearing the slosh of water as he adjusted his position.

"Those who weren't with me were alright."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't. It's not your fault, Yuuki."

Her exhaustion overwhelmed her and she lapsed into sleep. Through her dreams, she could have sworn that she heard Zero promising to protect her.

~Z~

Yuuki spent the next few weeks in a better mood than she had been in for months, reaching a level of euphoria she had only dreamed possible before. Her thirst, still, was never far from her mind, but his close proximity made it worth it. He had performed his assigned tasks admirably well, which had Rido deeply suspicious. Yuuki had been doing a good enough job of protecting him during his stay, however; she, at the very least, was able to distract him whenever he began to look too deeply into Zero's activities.

Kaname had made himself scarce, though Yuuki didn't know why. She wondered if it had anything to do with Zero. She had caught some odd looks from Kaname that Zero didn't seem to notice. She had held herself back from commenting on it in case she had broken the wary peace between the Kurans and Zero. She needn't have gone the route of tact, it seemed.

In light of this, she was amazed that Hanabusa accepted her random invitation. She considered the two of them friends, but he was more likely to accept Kaname than her. She had an inkling that Yori had more say than Hanabusa would like to admit. She had kept the letter vague. She wanted Yori to be surprised when she saw her (surprisingly submissive) childhood friend once more.

Rido had made his excuses and left, much as Yuuki had expected. He deemed himself too important now to deal with lesser nobles. It made Yuuki's life easier; she no longer had to protect her human friend from his unwarranted verbal assaults. She had done enough of that for Zero. She had also had to spend a good deal of time scolding him; he had an acidic tongue when it came to Rido. Her personal (and secret) favourite had been an insult involving a horse and butternut squash.

"What is it?" She hadn't realised that she had been smiling dreamily at him as she remembered that particularly amusing fight.

"Nothing. I was just thinking."

"That must hurt."

"Impossible. Yuuki is incapable of thought."

She spun on her heel at the new voice, an annoyed pout on her face. Why did everyone always seem to gang up on her?

"That's funny, Aido. I got the same impression about you!"

"Please. Unlike you, Yuuki, I am a genius."

"Yeah, yeah." Yuuki waved a hand dismissively. A couple of servants that Yuuki didn't recognise hurried past with his cases, meeting with her own to reach Aido's usual room. She peered behind him. Hadn't he brought Yori with him?

"So that was Zero Kiryuu, huh?"

"Was?" She turned to the spot that Zero had been occupying just a minute before. He was gone. She assumed that he had disappeared to do his assigned tasks, but she wished he would have stayed long enough for her to introduce them. And for Yori to appear. She so badly wanted to see their reunion.

"Oh. Wait, you know who he is?" Yuuki continued. He arched a brow at her, subtly reminding her of Zero.

"Who doesn't know who he is? Mainly due to your disappearance. It's your fault, really."

"Well, I'm sorry that I got taken away!"

"As long as you admit it."

"Next time, I'll get them to take you!" She poked a playful tongue out at the blond vampire, who affected a slightly exaggerated look of offence, complete with a shocked hand to mouth. It wasn't often that he was in the mood to play around with her.

"Lord Aido, may we borrow you for a moment?" A young female servant called from behind him.

"I'll talk to you later."

"M-hm." Yuuki took the opportunity to slip out the back into the grounds. Aido often gave Yori the freedom to roam the grounds for at least one hour during the day. He had told her once that she was happier after she had been amongst the lush, beautiful scenery.

She remembered the many early mornings that the two of them had spent just sat talking under the shady willow; accompanied by the view of the meandering river that wound through the grounds. Those had been more innocent days.

"I thought I might find you here." Yori's soft voice pulled her out of her quiet reminiscing.

"Yori, you did come!" She beamed at her best friend as she sat next to her, her quiet warmth a comforting sensation.

"I had to tend to the horses. Good to know you missed me." She teased.

"I always miss you."

"Like you miss Zero?" Yuuki treasured her mischievous smile.

"Oh! Wait here, I'll be right back!" She clambered clumsily to her feet, leaving a confused Yori under the willow as she retreated. If she knew anything about Zero (and she liked to think that she did), he would be slacking off from his duties in the stables. He had taken a liking to their 'demon horse', White Lily. White Lily had instantly taken to him too. Yuuki was a little jealous. She had tried for years to simply approach the beautiful white horse.

"Zero!" She hadn't been wrong. A warning snort from the protective horse prevented her from approaching him. "Come with me, I need to show you something."

"Can't it wait?" He mumbled lazily, reaching up a hand that White Lily playfully butted with her head.

"No. Up, now!" She demanded in her most commanding voice. She knew that it wasn't very commanding when he just gave her a disbelieving look, but he did sigh in defeat and get to his feet. It was a small victory, but she would take it.

"You have no charisma."

"Just do what I say!" Yuuki looped an arm around Zero's (only once he had moved far enough from White Lily that she wouldn't get kicked) in order to drag him along with her. A roll of the eyes that Yuuki didn't see was her answer.

They probably appeared as two lovers to any uninitiated servants, Yuuki mused. The more vampiric side of her enjoyed the thought, it would warn off any other suitors to her Zero. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip.

"I'm not going to run away." Zero snorted. With a startled noise, Yuuki let go. As an apology (yes, Yuuki, cutting off his circulation is the way to go, she scolded herself silently), she gently rubbed his arm. She earned his laughter, laced with affection.

"Zero?" Unknown to Yuuki, Yori had grown bored of waiting. She wasn't too far from the willow, which meant that she had only just decided to follow. If she hadn't been too shocked to see Zero himself, she would have made time to throw a teasing comment Yuuki's way. Zero appeared just as shocked, though he covered the expression much faster than Yori.

Yuuki's jealousy rose in an angry flash as Yori threw herself at her childhood friend, even though she had been expecting such an action. Her fists clenched at her side, the newly formed crescent shaped openings hidden inside.

"Yori… You're safe…" Yuuki had never felt more like a vampire than she had in that moment. The intensity of her jealousy scared her. She had to remind herself that he wasn't hers. He never would be. Someone like Yori would be better suited to him. At least a human wouldn't kill him with her desire.

"Did Lord Haruka save you too?" Yori's soft voice penetrated her inner turmoil as surely as if a bomb had been detonated. Zero's equally soft 'yeah' sent her mind in a million directions at once.

"What did you just say about my father?"

"Oh, that's right! I didn't have time to tell you!" Yori remembered, "Lord Haruka was the one who saved us after our town was destroyed. He put me under the Aido family's protection."

"He saved you too?" Yuuki asked.

"He did."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Yuuki asked. He had to have known that she was Haruka's daughter. There was only one Kuran royal family, after all. Yet, not once did he mention that he owed his life to her father.

"He didn't want me to tell you. He wanted to protect you."

"Tell me everything." Yuuki's voice had an edge to it that Zero hadn't heard before. He shuffled a little on his feet, glancing down at Yori before making up his mind.

"It's time you knew." Yuuki watched him decide upon a starting point.

~Z~

All that Zero knew was pain. Sharp, throbbing pain all over his body which made it increasingly harder to breathe. He had long since lost the energy to move. If he could, he would have moved away from the strong stench of blood that smothered his senses. Instead, the hazy blur of dark ceiling above him occupied his unmoving sight.

He could hear footsteps, but he had lost too much blood to care. If that vampire came back, then all she could do was end his suffering. Even in his young age, he knew that she wouldn't do that. Perhaps she would simply watch. He couldn't remember her leaving. He knew that there was something that he should remember. But it didn't matter now. He'd be dead soon, whether it was that vampire or a surviving human.

A new face filled his blurry vision. He made out a combination of dark hair and dark eyes. He felt tired. What did it matter who this stranger was? He spared one last look at the newcomer, who was currently glancing quickly around the blood spattered room, before he allowed himself to lapse into unconsciousness.

When he awoke, he was in a completely new room. This room was white, not red. He wondered if he had died. He had heard stories told about places people went after they died. He was amazed that he had the ability to lift himself up under the power of his own arms. He glanced down at said arms, catching sight of an angry red scar running down one while a needle was steadily replacing his lost blood. He reached over to pull the needle out. It didn't look right, and he did not like it there.

"Ah ah, leave that alone." A much larger hand pushed his away from the tube. He hadn't noticed anyone else enter the room. The dark hair and eyes that he had seen before he fell unconscious met his lighter features. Then the same scent that the vampire woman had carried assaulted his senses, and he whipped his hand away which was quickly followed by his body.

The man put his hands up in an 'I mean no harm' gesture. Zero silently watched him; he felt like a mouse in a trap. Any second now, this cat would stop toying with him.

"You don't need to be afraid of me." He comforted in a quiet, gentle voice. He kept his movements slow, steady; he didn't want to make any motions that would panic the recovering youngster. Zero kept his eyes fixed on the vampire as he checked the drip.

"Haruka, stop scaring the child!" An upbeat, playful voice followed. A man with long blond hair entered the white room, giving it more colour than it had before. Said child tensed, unable to focus on both of the strangers at once.

"You're more likely to scare him than me." The gentler man sighed. He came down to Zero's level, a hand reaching towards his forehead. "I just need to check your temperature. May I?" The one name Haruka asked as the child pulled away.

He waited patiently for the affirmative nod before gently pressing his cool hand against the child's warm forehead. Zero was reminded of his mother, who had performed much the same action when he had fallen ill before. He pressed his own hands to his eyes as the thought brought forward the harsh realisation that his mother, father and brother were dead.

The stoic boy was reduced to the newly orphaned child he was by the comforting embrace of a caring adult. He was desperately clinging to the same man he had been avoiding a mere moment before, revelling in the security he needed.

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve this." He heard murmured into his hair, a hand winding soothingly through the silver threads.

From that moment, Zero would refuse to admit that he looked forward to the older male's visits. He would be staying with the blond man, Kaien Cross, who was the weirdest person he had ever met. He found it difficult to bond with the often silly man, but he had already formed a solid bond with Haruka. He had adopted him as an honorary father figure.

He learnt that Haruka had a girl about his age. He also learnt that he hadn't been able to spend as much time with her as he had wanted to, his duties becoming more demanding. The young Zero realised that he probably counted as a duty too, but he didn't let it bring him down. He had enough to bring him down.

The more he heard about said girl, the more curious he became about her. From what he had been told, she was a warm and kind-hearted girl. She was already well loved by those around her. He knew it was unlikely that he would ever meet her. It didn't stop him from hoping.

~Z~

At the time Zero reached the age of eighteen, he had left the odd man who had taken care of him, having formed a fairly large colony of humans and hunters to feel safe in. He still regularly met the king vampire, though he kept it a firm secret. No one needed to know his affiliation with the head of the vampire royal family.

This time was different.

"I need a favour." Zero was told one fateful meeting. "I think someone's out to hurt Yuuki."

"Who?" Zero asked curiously.

"I'm not sure. I'm looking into it." Haruka looked far more harried and stressed than Zero had ever seen him.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"I'll be sending Yuuki out on a visit soon. I'm certain that she'll be attacked once she arrives, so I want you to intercept her and take her to safety before that happens."

"And what do I do with her once she's safe?"

"I fear she won't be safe at home. I want you to keep her with you. But she doesn't need to know why."

"You want me to kidnap her?"

"In a sense. If you don't hear from me regarding her release… Well, I trust your judgement, Zero."

~Z~

"You… were protecting me all along?" Yuuki asked incredulously. Now she knew why the aura's she had sensed that fateful day were so wrong to her. They had been the auras of vampires, not hunters. Zero nodded.

"It wasn't easy keeping it secret from everyone. You saw how Kaito was acting."

"And our meeting… It wasn't a coincidence…"

"No… It was planned." Zero took a step towards Yuuki, who moved her confused gaze from the unforgiving ground to his eyes. "The reason I told you this, Yuuki, is because I made a mistake. I thought the danger had passed, but I was wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"There was an attempt on your life only a week ago…" She heard Yori gasp. "Don't worry, I stopped it. Do you still have the knife I gave you?"

"Yes. I keep it on me at all times."

"Good. Make sure it stays that way." His expression was more serious than usual. "And what I told you stays between us. Act normally."

Yuuki saw Yori nod obediently before she did the same. She needed time to think things over. Her heart twisted as the thought that Zero was possibly only acting out of obligation rather than affection for her crossed her mind. She left the two to catch up, her mind a blurry concoction of inter-connecting thoughts.

~Z~

Yuuki felt that she'd managed to compartmentalise her thoughts when her uncle approached her with some news.

"I received a letter. Your mother has called for you."

"Mother has?" She had not seen her mother for over two years. She couldn't contain her excitement at the simple thought that she'd see Juuri again. The part of her that found it odd that she'd request her presence through Rido was quickly squashed by the desperate girl aching for the gentle touch of her mother.

She received a simple nod in response.

"You're to be ready to leave as soon as possible."

Yuuki felt a pang of worry about Zero. Would he be alright if she left him behind with the pureblood who hated him the most? He was capable of taking care of himself, she answered herself. She had witnessed him defend himself against Rido plenty of times. He would be fine.

"I'll get ready now."

~Z~

Zero was surprised that Yuuki seemed to have forgotten what he had said to her so soon. In her excitement, she had neglected to keep the blade close to her. He had had to forcefully remind her that she may have to protect herself. She was a pureblood, yes, but she was still young and didn't necessarily know how to control herself. And if she needed to keep a low profile, it would be better for her to use a hunter weapon than the pureblood powers that sent an imprint of their aura pulsing through the air.

He didn't like the fact that she would be away from him for however long this visit took. He felt a very strong urge to protect her, but she wouldn't let him go with her. He swallowed down his reservations. If Yuuki ordered him to stay behind, then it would be suspicious for him to disobey that order. It could alert the assassin to their knowledge and make him or her act more dangerously.

He couldn't blame her for being so thrilled, however. He no longer had the ability to speak to his mother. At least she still could. He dismissed her concerns about his behaviour easily.

He waved her off privately. He felt no need to make a big show of it to an expectant audience. The big manor house felt lonelier with her gone, he had to admit. It also felt more hostile. He was aware that many in the manor disliked him. He felt that it was probably because he had more leisure time.

As such, he was more annoyed than surprised when he felt a firm grip on his arm. It was painful, and he knew instantly who had gripped him. The deranged sense in his aura put Zero's senses on high alert.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Zero kept his tone light with a faint hint of threat. The pureblood smirked back, silent for a moment. There was a deadly tension between them.

"You still don't remember, do you?"

"What do you mean?" Something had been tugging at the edges of his memory for days. He had kept the information back from Yuuki lest he worry her. She had enough to worry about, and he didn't think that she'd appreciate anymore negativity about her relative. Especially if his faint suspicions proved false.

"The day my dear fiancée Shizuka butchered your family…" He trailed off. Zero caught the faint glint of his pearly white fang. His eyes widened in realisation…

"You were there…" The missing fragment of his memory snapped back into place. Shizuka Hio was dead. She had been dead for as long as he had been orphaned. Rido Kuran had killed her before sealing a section of the severely injured Zero's memory. This man had taunted him ruthlessly about how he had convinced Shizuka to toy with his family and him. He had asked him why in a weak, wavery breath, and the answer had chilled him. "To instil hatred in you, of course."

"Well done." Rido seemed pleased that it had only taken a single push to bring his memories back to the surface.

"Why would you kill your own fiancée?"

"She was in the way." Rido shrugged callously.

"And what about Haruka Kuran?"

"Well, that is a story for another day. Right now, I'm more interested in you." Rido pulled something from his pocket. Zero growled in anger when he saw what it was.

The item dangling in front of his face was Yui's pendant.

"I thought you might recognise this. And if you want him to remain in the realm of the living, you'll do as I say."

"What do you want?" Zero spat. He couldn't risk any harm coming to Yui. He didn't deserve to be thrust back into the hell that he had been freed from.

"To put it simply? I need to quash those hunter bug's spirits. They've become more…rebellious since you've come here."

"You want to kill me."

"Very astute."

"Did Juuri really send for Yuuki?"

"That's neither here nor there, is it? If you don't want any harm to come to the boy, you'll wait in the dungeons like a good dog."

Zero's first instinct was to fight back against this monster, but the flash of blue that swung in his peripheral vision prevented him. It seemed like Rido was going to attempt a similar thing as before. If he was going to be put in the dungeons, it meant that Rido was likely to make a spectacle of this. At least he would have time to think of a way out.

"…Fine." He growled begrudgingly, drawing a feral smirk from the demonic pureblood.

"Good boy."