Seasons-in-DL: I think Reiji would probably be one of the worst to fall asleep around. :p I hope you like this chapter though! I'm glad you found my idea creepy! :D I think it'd be even worse for Mai if she knew what they were actually made of.

hellokitty70705: Haha gotta love those cliffhangers. ;p Thank you! :D I am planning to try to have her spend time with the other brothers equally. It might get a little tricky with some of the brothers like Shuu or Subaru. I hope that you enjoy this chapter! :D

FMVampire Lover: :D I'm glad you came back to review! I hope your trip is going good so far! :D The kiss was probably the funnest to write, because I couldn't imagine how it would be to have to kiss someone in a situation like that! :D I hope you enjoy this chapter! ;p Thank you for the wonderful suggestions! :D They both gave me some good ideas! :D

She thought she had heard someone saying her name, but she wasn't sure. She slowly opens her eyes. She felt so groggy, so she was positive that she was dreaming about her mom. She missed the safety that her house once offered. She didn't move from her hunched position for a few minutes. She just stared at a bookcase. Once again, she wanted to pretend this was a dream, but she knew it wasn't. With a sigh, she starts to move around. One of her arms had moved to rest in her lap, and the other was being used as a pillow. She lifts her head up slowly to find that she was alone in the office, but she was silently thankful for that. She had almost expected to wake up to Laito or perhaps Kanato.

The more that she moves, the more she realizes that something is wrong. The grogginess was slowly easing away, and she could finally understand why she felt wrong. Her head felt oddly heavy. After a little more thought, she realizes that the heaviness wasn't just in her head. It felt like her whole body was heavier than normal. It took more effort than it should have to simply sit up. Her mouth and throat felt so dry that it hurt to try to swallow. She flinches when she realizes that she had drooled all over the arm she was using as a pillow. The drool had run down the sides of her arm and formed a puddle on the desk. She hadn't drooled in her sleep in years. She quickly tries to wipe the small puddle away with her hand, but it just smears. She grimaces at the sight. She didn't know why she didn't do it first, but she uses the bottom of Yui's shirt to try to clean it up. Luckily, it clears away with a faint smudge. When she looked closer, she could see what appeared to be a light smudge mark where she had rested her arm. She once again tries to wipe it away with the bottom of the shirt, but it just makes it worse. She gives up and settles for wiping her mouth and cheek free of drool. She briefly looks around for a mirror, but she can't find one. She silently hoped that the drool hadn't dried anywhere on her face and left nasty white residue behind. She uses a hand to feel over her face before turning in the chair to look at the window. Her heart skips a beat. It looked like the sun was starting to rise. It was light enough that she could barely see the forest beyond the house. She leaps up from the chair and moves closer to the window. A smile breaks out over her face. She had somehow slept through the entire night. The most exciting fact was that Reiji had told her she'd be able to go home today!

Her heart races with excitement. Still, something was nagging her. She hadn't thought she was that tired. She stiffens as a sickening realization dawns on her. If she had really been out cold, Laito could have done something to her. She immediately starts to check over her body. She was feeling oddly numb now that she was standing, which only served to frighten her more. Something was terribly wrong with her body. Something had happened, but her clothes weren't in any more disarray than what she thought would be normal from sleeping. She jumps when she hears the lock clicking. She glances over her shoulder in the direction of the door. Unconsciously, she lifts her arms up to cover her chest. Despite her panic, it still felt so weird to not wear anything beneath her clothes.

It doesn't come as a surprise to see Reiji standing in the doorway. A jolt of pure panic runs through her when he closes the door behind him. She turns to fully face him, still carefully covering her chest. Every warning bell was going off in her mind. She was relieved to not hear him lock the door. She offers him a weak smile. "I, umm… I get to go home today, right?"

He doesn't say anything. Instead, he slowly starts toward the desk. His eyes lock with the faint smudge marks. Her heart skips a beat. She didn't think it would be noticeable across the room. In fact, she couldn't see them from where she was standing. She watches as his hand reaches out. His fingertips lightly touch the top of the desk. She felt like her heart had stopped completely. She unconsciously sucks a deep breath in and holds it. After a few seconds, she releases it. She softly clears her throat, but he doesn't look up at her. His face was unreadable, so she couldn't tell if he angry or not. She didn't think he was, but she felt an overwhelming need to apologize.

"I….umm… I didn't… I'm sorry."

"You can't even apologize correctly, can you?" He coldly asks. Mai flinches. "Why bother apologizing when you clearly don't mean it?"

It felt almost like he was sneering at her, but his voice didn't hold any tones that let her know that he was upset at her. She felt so bewildered. She had no idea what to even say to him. His eyes slowly raise to meet hers. His voice doesn't change at all. "I know you are with one of the triplets, but your manners need to be addressed."

"I'm… I…What?" She had no idea that Laito was a triplet. This shocked her more than she wanted to admit. She knew that him and Ayato looked eerily similar, so she had figured that they were twins. It suddenly occurs to her that she hadn't denied being with Laito. She flinches. She should have denied being with him right off the bat instead of stuttering like a fool. At least, she assumed Reiji was silently referring to Laito. To try to make it as believable as possible, she forcibly says, "I'm not with Laito, if that's what you mean."

He lets out a low scoffing sound. "I have no desire to hear about what you believe or not. Tell me how you plan to fix your mistake."

She can only stare at him. He seems to be patiently waiting for her response. The few minutes of silence only serve to grate on her nerves. It would appear that he was upset about a few smudges on the desk, though she couldn't fully understand why. She finally manages to say, "I tried to clean it up. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I just got so tired."

She was happy that she hadn't made it sound like a snarl. He releases a slow sigh, and he closes his eyes. She flinches when he lifts a hand, but he only uses it to push his glasses up. "It is a wonder what he sees in you. There is nothing worth mentioning, and your skills in everything are sorely lacking."

"That's rude!" She snaps. She tenses when he slowly starts to make his way around the desk. She quickly moves around the opposite side. He pauses almost instantly, and she mimics him by stopping as well. A brief smile spreads over his face, but it's gone before she can really be sure she saw it. She shudders at how alike Laito and Reiji seemed to be. She watches as he closes his eyes once again.

"I see."

She barely resists the urge to ask him what he meant by that. She had a feeling that he wouldn't answer, even if she did ask. His voice is back to a polite undertone. "I suppose I can forgive you if you clean up your mess."

"I tried though." She argues, but she instantly regrets it. She searched his face for traces of anger, but she didn't find anything. She had a feeling that was worse than if he were to yell at her. He lifts his hand and snaps his fingers. She jumps when the old man from the door seems to appear beside her. She spins to face him and steps away. Her heart was racing painfully. She knew that vampires weren't normal, but she didn't think there were more than six in the house. The thought of more than that sent a shiver down her spine. That's when she noticed the old man was holding something. There were several different cleaning supplies. There was even a polish. She turns her attention back to Reiji to see he had stalked closer to her while her attention was divided. She quickly presses her back into the book shelves. A frown flashes over his face, but she doesn't let him say anything. "That is an insane amount of cleaning for just a few smudges."

His voice has a strange sound to it that Mai can't place. It sounded almost like anger. "Where are your hands?"

She stares at him silently for a few seconds before it registers what he had meant. Her hands were on either side to brace herself against the bookshelf. She slowly pulls her hands away, though she isn't sure why. He takes a step toward her, and she unintentionally jerks back harder into the bookcase. The looser books shift, and her heart skips a beat. Thankfully, they don't come down on her. She lets out a sigh of relief. She turns her attention back to Reiji, though she's careful to try to keep an eye on the old man. The old man hadn't moved an inch since he had appeared. His head was bowed, and he stilled held out the cleaning supplies. Mai found it to be a completely chilling sight. The sound of Reiji's deep voice draws her full attention back to him. "Clean the desk, chair, and the bookcases. I don't want a filthy human's scent hanging around long after you are gone."

She once again finds herself staring at him in stunned silence. She didn't even know how she was supposed to argue against that. He holds out a hand, but she presses harder against the bookshelf. She flinches when he releases a sigh. "Give me your hand."

"No." She states with as much strength as she can muster. She hated that Reiji seemed to frighten her so bad. A frown passes over his face again. His hand lashes out to grab her forearm. She tries to keep him from pulling it forward, but it was like she hadn't even tried to fight against him. With his free hand, Reiji reaches out to the side with his palm facing upward. Somehow, the old man produces what looks like a short whip. It was only a couple of feet long and looked more like an antennae than a whip to her. She jerks back into the bookcase again. The shelves dig into her from behind. It's not yet painful, but it's uncomfortable. Her heart had felt like it had stopped. There was no way she was going to let him hit her with that!

She aims a kick at his shin, but he jerks her forward by her forearm, preventing her from getting much momentum. His elbow catches her in the diaphragm, effectively winding her. Her back collides with the bookshelf once again, only harder this time. She flinches when the sound of thumping echos around her. A heavy book falls and bounces off of one of her shoulders. She bites back a whimper of pain. She closes her eyes tightly, fully expecting a book to hit her in the head. To her utter relief, it never happens, but a sickening, slapping sound makes her snap open her eyes. It looked like her forearm had been cleanly split. Red was slowly bubbling up from the wound. It wasn't deep, nor was it long. In fact, it looked like it was only a few inches long.

The weirdest part was that she knew she should feel the pain from being hit by his whip, but she didn't feel anything. Her wide eyes rise to meet his. He lets out a sigh. "It seems like I may have used too much. Human bodies are so unpredictable."

Anger surges through her. This had to be why her body didn't feel right. It wasn't normal to be so numb! The way she had fallen asleep hadn't been normal either! "What did you do to me?!"

He scoffs and releases her arm. "Clean up your mess. Should you get blood on the floor, you are cleaning the entire floor as well."

She clenches her hands into white knuckled fists. He simply stares down at her with what appears to be a patient look. That only infuriated her more. She opens her mouth to snap at him, but he closes his eyes and says, "If you clean up your mess, I will arrange for you to go home today."

She immediately shuts her mouth tightly and settles for glaring at him. The thought of going home was just too tempting, but she didn't know if she could trust him. He opens his eyes to watch her with that infuriatingly patient look. She slowly releases a breath that she didn't even know she had been holding and turns to grab the cleaning supplies from the eerie old man. The sooner this humiliating task was done; the sooner she could get home.

She was livid at this point. It had felt like hours had gone by. She had ended up cleaning every inch of the room and reorganizing the books. She had tried not to think about how embarrassing it was to scrub without a bra. Every time she did something that wasn't satisfactory to Reiji, he'd whip her across her hands or arms. She would flinch, but she still couldn't feel it. He would mutter something under his breath at her reaction, but he would simply ignore her questions when she asked. She had eventually given up and focused on cleaning as fast as she could.

It seemed like she was finally done. She had built up a light sweat, which just made her feel even more self conscious. Yui's t-shirt seemed to be sticking to her more than she liked. She was grateful that the shallow wounds on her arms didn't bleed over onto the floor. The last thing she wanted was to have to clean the floor all over again. That was the most humiliating part. She had to clean on her hands and knees while the old man and Reiji watched. She found that she hated Reiji the most out of all of them.

Though, she was sure that it would change at some point. She was bound to run into Laito or Kanato again. She straightens up from the floor close to the door. She turns her attention back to Reiji. He was sitting behind the desk. His eyes were drifting back and forth as he read whatever was in front of him. She didn't care enough to look at that point. She manages to say calmly. "Can I go?"

His eyes slowly raise to look at her. "It appears the dog can learn new tricks."

She grits her teeth, but she decides not to comment. She didn't want to give him a reason to prolong her suffering. She tenses, when she watches him slowly close the book in front of him and lean back. For a brief moment, she thinks he looks almost like a teacher. She flinches at the thought. She couldn't imagine him trying to shape young minds.

He slowly stands and starts around the desk. She resists the urge to back into the door. The cleaning supplies and the old man had disappeared at some point, but she was worried that, if she touched anything else, he would make her clean everything all over again. "You will personally return those clothes to this house upon cleaning them properly. You will also not tell anyone about what happened here, nor will you tell them that you were here."

She can only stare at him in disbelief. There was no way that she was ever going to willingly return. She could feel her anger building to the boiling point, but she bites back a retort. There was no way that she was going to stand there and argue with him. She was uncomfortable and just wanted to go home. She was determined to tell the police and her parents about everything. She would inform the police of Yui being held captive, and all the suffering she had only experienced in one day. Mai glares at Reiji. There was no way he would let her go if she told him that. Slowly, she nods at him. It's silent for a few moments before Reiji says. "You are a pathetic liar. Shall I give you some incentive to not discuss your last twenty-four hours?"

"There is nothing you could give me that would keep me quiet," Mai sneers at him. Reiji doesn't make a sound. Dread fills Mai when a thought occurs to her. Maybe he wasn't referring to giving her something. Maybe he meant to take something away. Still, she wasn't about to give into his demands. She keeps a glare on his face, but she choses not to say anything to him.

"I will know; should you decide to tell anyone." He had slowly approached the door. She quickly steps away from him. She didn't want to be within striking distance of him ever again. She was sure that her wounds would start to hurt eventually. Without saying another word, he opens the door and steps to the side. He makes a shallow gesture for her to step in front of him. She hesitates, but this was the first indication that she had that she was going to go home. She had noticed something about Reiji. He had been cruel to her, and he had simply not given her an answer to her questions. Yet, it appeared that he hadn't actually lied to her. He had told her that if she made a mess she would be required to clean it up. He had said that she would go home today, and it looked like he was allowing her to do just that. Slowly, she makes her way toward the door. Her eyes never leave his body. Her heart starts to race the closer that she gets to him. She jumps when he finally says, "If you would kindly hurry, I have things I must do. Your pathetic attempts at cleaning have put me behind schedule."

Mai flinches and hurries past him into the hallway. She jumps when she thought she heard Laito chuckling. She turns to look up and down the hallway, but, to her relief, there isn't anyone. The door shuts with a soft clicking noise, causing Mai to tense and step as far away from Reiji as she can. It's silent between them for a few awkward seconds before Reiji speaks once more. "Do you need to be told everything you have to do?"

She flinches and steps away from him. He turns and starts down the hallway, in the opposite direction that she remembered the living room being. She opens her mouth and closes it before she turns and hurries toward the living room. It comes as a huge relief to see the living room empty. She had thought, with her current luck, that Shuu would still be laying on a couch. She pauses and looks back down the long empty hallway. Maybe she should go back for Yui. She flinches. Yui had probably been up all night, and Mai wasn't sure if she wanted to deal with Ayato. It'd be better if the police were the ones to deal with it. She quickly makes her way down the stairs, trying not to feel guilty.

She's not sure if she should be relieved to find the front door wide open or not, but she figured that it was Reiji's doing. There was even a pair of shoes sitting beside the door. Light was pouring in through the door, so it helped to ease her nerves. She glances back just to make sure she wasn't followed. She is cautious to step through the door. The last thing she needed was a repeat of the night before's events. The sight of the fountain makes her flinch. She glances around unsure of what to do. The road leading to the house was empty, but the gate was open. With a sinking feeling, she realized that she had been hoping for a ride, but it wasn't looking like she was going to get one. The sun was shining brighter than before. She takes a deep breath and sets out like she had done the night before. She wasn't about to stay any longer than she needed too.

Her mouth and throat felt even drier. She regretted not asking for some water before she left. Whatever was numbing her before had worn off. Her entire body was in so much pain. She still felt heavy, and her head was throbbing with each step. Sweat was getting into the numerous cuts on her arms and hands, making them sting painfully. She had been walking along the road for so long that she was starting to think that she would never reach the town. She has to push herself to keep walking. Her mind kept going back to her parents. She had been told they were ok, but she needed to see the for herself just to be sure. She comes a bend in the road. Her heart stops when she turns it. She was a lot closer to the city than she thought she was. Despite hurting and feeling exhausted, she starts off in a jog. She was so close to her home.

It was nothing short of relief to finally make it to her front door. She could hear noise inside, but she didn't care. She quickly shoves the door open. She was just about to call out to her parents, when she realized what the noise was. The crying sound stopped her heart for a moment. She wanted to feel happy that she was home, but the sound was so heartbroken. She slowly makes her way into the house. She finds her mother sitting at the table with her father's arm around her body. She slowly creeps into the kitchen, though she's not sure why. She keeps her voice low. "Mom?"

Both of her parents spin around. Looks of mirrored horror and relief fills their faces. Mai flinches when they scoop her up in a hug. She returns the hug trying not to cry. She fails and leans into her parents. They were both talking over the top of each other, but she didn't even try to listen to what they were saying. She just wanted to hold them. They were ok. Laito hadn't done anything to them. Her father finally pulls away. He gives her an expectant look, and she immediately tells him almost everything. She tells him about Laito showing up and shoving her against the door. She tells them about waking up Yui's room. She pauses to beg them for help with Yui, but, to her disappointment, her father waves off her plea. She doesn't tell them about her kissing Laito in an attempt to have him help her. The fact that she had been tricked was embarrassing. She just tells them that her begging got him to help her. Her father was getting angrier and angrier by the second. She finally finishes with her walk home. It had taken her most of the day. Her mother had gotten her some water, which she had downed as quickly as she could. Her father steps away to call the police.

Her mother hurries her to the car rush her to the hospital, just to be sure that she was truly ok. She tries to argue that she needs clothes, but her mother tells her that she will return and get her some. Mai leans against the door of the car watching everything slide past. She had apologized about losing her phone yet again, but her mother had told her not to worry about it. She wasn't worried about a phone.

Arriving at the hospital is a blur of motion. She had been asked if she was sexually assaulted, which she had said no to. She ended up with an iv for her dehydration, and thin gauze-like bandages were used to cover up the whip marks and scrapes on her arms. An antiboitic and a pain killer was added to her iv, but she didn't care what they were called. The police and her father arrived a short time later. She tells them everything aside from the supernatural stuff. She didn't want them to discredit her statement as hallucinations due to dehydration, though she wasn't sure they would believe her anyway. She begs them to go help Yui, but it felt like something was off. They continued to ask her the same questions over and over until Mai felt so frustrated that she was starting to cry. To make it even worse, they seemed to brush off the fact that Yui was in trouble. Her mom gives her a kiss to the top of her head when the police finally leave. She watches the doorway feeling helpless. She should have just went back for Yui. Her mother tells her that she was going to go get her some clothes. Mai just nods numbly. Her father was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. His arms were folded over his chest.

She was staring at the blanket that covered the bed. She was still wearing Yui's clothes. Mai glances up at the clock to see that her entire day had slipped away from her. It was nearing ten p.m. at that point. She finally says, "Dad?"

He makes a soft grunt to let her know that he had heard her. Her gaze drops to her lap. She lightly fiddles with some of the tubing beside her bed. "Can I…. I don't want to live in this town anymore."

He sighs softly. She flinches and says quickly. "I mean, I know that you are under contract at your job, but I was thinking that maybe we could… I mean…. We can look into boarding school or something, you know? It's only for another year, but I can't go back to that school. I….. I don't even feel safe at home anymore."

He doesn't make a sound. She lifts her gaze up to look at him. He had leaned forward with his hands covering his face. Her heart feels like it's breaking at the sight. He mutters "I'm sorry Mai. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. Your mother and I have discussed this. We don't want you to leave us, but we agreed that it was for the best. We will look into a boarding school tomorrow."

Pain flickers through her chest, despite asking for it. She nods and opens her mouth to say something when a ringing echoes around the room. Her father grumbles and pulls out his phone. Confusion flickers over her face, before he looks up at Mai. She forces a smile onto her face and waves at him. "I'm in a hospital full of people. Nothing bad can happen to me."

Her father gives her a worried look, before he stands and answers the phone. He quickly steps out of the room. He had said his boss' name, which struck Mai as odd. She rolls onto her side and closes her eyes. "Are you tired?"

Every muscle in her body tenses. She abruptly sits up to look toward the door just as the lights start to dim. She considers crying out, but the doctor holds up his hands. He gives her a nervous smile and slowly closes the door until it's only open a sliver. She reaches out for the call light button, but the doctor quickly says. "Wait, I took over your case. I have somethings to tell you."

She hesitates for only a minute, but she hits the button. He releases a sigh and moves over to her bed. She scoots as far away from him as she possibly can. He doesn't seem offended by it. "Well, I've only got a few minutes now before the nurse shows up. It's about your mistake."

Mai's eyes narrow at him, but he doesn't give her a chance to talk. "I found trace amounts of poison in your system. Nothing fatal, but I do think that you would have felt tired and hurt worse than usual. You were poisoned back at the Sakamaki's household through a puncture wound on your right arm. Mai, I don't think you understand who you are dealing with. They may seem like teenagers, but they are much more than that."

"You know what they are," Mai snaps at him. He sighs and glance at the door then looks back at her.

"Yes, I do. I work for their father. I'm usually called up to take care of the sacrificial brides. I just wanted to tell you that you made the biggest mistake of your life telling the police about what happened."

There was that phrase again, but she didn't get a chance to ask him. A knock on the door is the only warning they get before it's pushed open. Relief fills Mai's body when she sees that it's a nurse. Mai gestures to the doctor. "I don't want him attending to me. Please have him removed."

The nurse glances between the two of them. She offers Mai a pleasant smile and says. "Now, now, dear. He's a very good do…"

The doctor laughs good naturedly. "It's alright! I don't mind. I'll send a collegue in to keep up with her."

He glances back at Mai just as he reaches the door. He gives her an apologetic look that makes her heart stop. It was like he had done something wrong. The nurse helps her get adjusted and tells her that she will only be there for a little while longer, hour at the most. That comes as a huge relief to Mai. The only thing she really wanted was to go home. She rolls onto her side and lets herself relax. Her mother and father return at the same time close to an hour later. Both looked tired, but her mother looked highly upset. Worry bubbles up in Mai's chest.

"Mom? What happened?"

"It's fine, Mai," her mother says with a forced smile. It made Mai feel even worse. Mai stubbornly shakes her head, but the nurse comes in to pull the iv out. It stops Mai from discussing what was going on. She was only distracted for a moment before she glances back at her parents. They were muttering amongst themselves, which only made her even more worried. Various scenarios start to race through her mind at what could be wrong. Finally, the nurse gives her the release forms and tells them to leave when they are ready. Mai takes the clothes her mother had gotten her and hurries to the bathroom. She changes into a pair of black shorts that reach her knees and a plain white t-shirt. Mai couldn't describe how happy she was to have underwear and a bra again. She hurries to her mother's car and gets in.

It's silent on the entire trip back home. Mai kept glancing at her mom. She was trying to respect her mother's choice to not tell her, but she finally couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Mom, something happened, didn't it?"

They had just pulled into the driveway, when her mother nods. Mai's heart skips a beat. Her mother shuts the car off, but she doesn't make a move to get out of the car. Instead, she grips the steering wheel tightly. Head lights flash through the car; which lets Mai know her father pull in behind them, but he heads into the house looking troubled.

"We… we lost our jobs," Mai's mom whispers. Shock fills Mai's body. "We both did."

"Why?" Mai manages to ask.

"They said that they didn't have anymore work for us. They said that the grant had been shut down, so our research was now irrelevant. They are going in a different direction and wishes our family the best of luck. They are pulling the funding on your school, and we now need to pay them back for the money that they put forth for you. They said that we didn't need to go in though. They would just take it out of our next checks, which will eat up almost all of them."

Mai can only stare at her mother in stunned silence. She had a horrible feeling that this was all her fault. She slowly reaches out to awkwardly pat her mom. Guilt builds in her chest. "It'll be ok, mom. I can look for a job to try to help out. I don't…"

Her mom shakes her head. "Don't worry. We'll get it figured out."

She watches her mom exit the car and walk up to the house. Mai leans forward against the dashboard. Why did this have to happen? It didn't only affect her; it affected her parents, too. This was going too far, but she didn't know how to fix this. Reiji had once again delivered on his promise.

She had never felt so defeated in her life. She finally manages to pull herself out of her mom's car and makes her way up the stairs to her house. She makes sure to lock the door. Just as she turns to head to her room, she notices that her bat was back by the door, but it didn't do anything to help the cold feeling in her stomach. She leaves it there and walks upstairs slowly. She quietly enters her room. Everything was exactly as she had left it, but she felt like everything had changed. She slowly walks to her bed and collapses on top of it.

This was all her fault. She had made her parents lives hell now, and she wondered if Yui was suffering even worse because of her thoughtless actions. She closes her eyes against the tears threatening to spill out. Her body was actually feeling so much better. That was the only upside that she could possibly see right then.

A cold hand was touching the scratches on her back. She was laying on her stomach on her bed. Her head was resting on the pillow with her wrapped arms underneath. She slowly opens her eyes. The room was silent. The hand wasn't touching her anymore, so she shook it off as just her imagination.

"You're finally awake."

She jumps and scrambles away. She ends up tumbling off the bed, but she just uses her momentum to roll away. She hurries to her feet to glare towards her bed. Laito was sitting towards the bottom of it. He tilts his head with a playful smile. The streetlights outside her room helped her to see him a little easier. She opens her mouth to call for her parents, but Laito seems to appear before her.

"Ah, ah." His cold finger brushes her lips, but she flinches away. She quickly steps toward her door.

"Mom! Dad!" She calls out. She doubles her fist and twists to aim a punch at Laito's cheek when he had reached out to grab her butt. She was livid that he had managed to get into her house, but it didn't surprise her that he could. His eyes narrow playfully, and he cheerfully says.

"If they come in here, I'll kill them and kidnap you. I'll chain you to my bed and do whatever I want, whenever I want."

He wraps his arms around himself, and he moans softly. He looked like he was in heaven at the thought. Mai clenches her fists and says as strong as she can. "Get out. You are not welcome here."

He stops moaning and gives her a curious look, before an amused smile spreads over his face. He moves back to her bed and sits down. Mai shudders at the thought. She would strip the blankets and sheets off when she got him to leave. He playfully pats the bed beside him, but she stubbornly glares at him.

He lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Now, now. Don't give me that look. I'll be nice and tell you why that didn't work. Did you read that vampires can't enter a house without permission?"

He starts to laugh like it was some sort of joke, which just serves to irritate her more. She doesn't give him the satisfaction of letting him know that he was right. He snaps his fingers and reaches out to her nightstand. There was a large box sitting there that she hadn't noticed before. He pulls it into his lap and opens it up. A sweet smell drifts from the box. He holds it out to her, and she glances down to see that it was full of various cookies. She gives him a frustrated look. What was he planning to do with those cookies? She didn't want anything that came from him or anyone else in the Sakamaki household. He reaches in and takes out a cookie. "I'll save you some time, nothing you can do will ever hurt me. Though, I don't mind if you try."

He takes a bite out of the cookie. Mai scoots toward her door. Her hand rests on the door handle. To her surprise, Laito makes no move to try to stop her. Instead, he leans back to rest one hand on the bed and watches her. He continues to munch on the cookies in his lap. Just as she turns the door handle, he says. "You shouldn't have crossed Reiji. He told you not to talk about what had happened."

Dread settles over her. So it was her fault that her parents had lost their jobs. She closes her eyes and pulls open the door. It would be better if she didn't listen to him. She would only feel worse about her actions. His voice appears right next to her ear. "If you beg, like a good girl, than we might be able to help you."

His arm appears around her waist before she can leap away. He pulls her back into him and reaches out to shut the door. She immediately starts to wiggle. She opens her mouth to cry out for her parents, but his hand appears over her mouth. She goes limp trying to figure out the best way to get away from him. With his hand so close to her mouth, she figured it'd be easiest to bite him. She was hoping that he wouldn't like the feeling, but her plans change when he waves her pocket knife inches in front of her face. If she could get that, she could stab him and run. His voice is cheerful when he moves it closer to her throat. This causes her to tense up. For a brief moment, she believes he's going to cut her throat. Without waiting to see if he was actually going to harm her, she reaches up grabbing his hand tightly. She pulls on his hand while leaning her head as far away from the sharp object as possible.

The hand he is using to keep her quiet pulls her chin up, fully exposing her throat to him. His face was a lot closer to her neck then she was comfortable with him being. Her heart skips a beat, then it starts to race in fear. She didn't want to get bitten again. His tongue runs along the skin of her throat. She closes her eyes tightly. She wiggles a little harder and opens her mouth as wide as she can. She can't believe her luck when she feels a part of his hand within biting range. Without a second thought, she bites down as hard as she can. Blood fills her mouth, much to her disgust She hears him making a strange moaning noise and instantly releases him. His hand was blocking her ability to spit the blood out, and she wasn't about to swallow it. Panic fills her chest. She could feel something pressing into her from behind. She thrashes even harder. She decides to try to shove the blood out between his hand and her mouth, but it doesn't work out like she wanted. She only ends up with more blood in her mouth. Her mind races in a panic. She didn't know how vampires were made, but it was clear that biting humans didn't create their own kind. She silently prays that she didn't ingest any of Laito's blood.

Since he wasn't holding her lower body, she leans it out as far as she can. She kicks at the wall in hopes that her parents will hear it, but he jerks her body back and twists her away from the door. She's not sure how he does it, but he ends up shutting the door quietly. Her back collides with her bed, and she rolls toward the foot, hoping to roll off, but he seems to know her plans. He catches her mid roll, just as she's about make it off, and he casually tosses her back toward the middle. She twists onto her stomach and tries to scramble toward the other side, but a weight presses on her back. She could hear a lustful chuckle coming from him. She thrashes around, but the second she tries to scream, his hand presses against the back of her head. She finds herself panicking even worse when her face is shoved hard into her mattress. He seems almost carefree as he starts talking. "I found out that you had been punished by Reiji. I was sad that I wasn't invited to see your punishment. Still, I wanted to be nice, and I brought you some cookies."

She screams into the mattress. She sounded so muffled, even to herself. She knew that there was no way her parents would hear her. Her head was hurting, but he just presses more weight onto her back. It felt impossible to breath at all now. Involuntary tears start to escape her eyes, only to be soaked up by the mattress. He continues on, though he has a mock sadness to his voice. "I was just trying to be nice, but you bit me. Wasn't it thoughtful to bring you a snack, because you fucked up your parents' lives forever?"

She didn't want to listen to this. She was already feeling guilty. He releases a sigh, which sets her nerves on end. His voice takes on a biting edge. "Reiji had to deal with the police showing up. Now, Ayato doesn't want anyone to play with Little Bitch. It's all your fault. You really know how to ruin people's lives."

Her lungs were burning. She was actually starting to worry he was about to suffocate her. She struggles as hard as she can, but it doesn't seem to matter. "It's ok though. I don't need Little Bitch. I have you to have fun with. Right? Aren't you going to answer me?"

It didn't matter if she screamed or tried to move her head. His hand was preventing her from nodding or shaking her head. He chuckles, and, thankfully, she's flipped onto her back. Sweet oxygen rushes down her throat and into her lungs. She lays sprawled out beneath Laito. He gives her an almost, disgustingly loving look. She glares up at him while she pants. He leans down with a smile. Before she can react, his tongue runs along the bottom of one of her eyes. She flinches away from him and shoves hard. He rolls to his side chuckling. She leaps up, moves a few steps away, and spins to face him. He was laying on his side across her bed. He had his head propped up on an arm. She scoots even more out of his reach. Her pocket knife had somehow disappeared again. He grabs another cookie out and pushes the box toward her. She sneers at him. "They are probably poisoned."

He pointedly takes a bite. He doesn't say anything to her, which just sends her panic into overdrive. He reaches up pulling his fedora off and drops it on the bed beside his stomach. He uses his free hand to run though his hair. She shuffles back a little bit. She sneers once again. "I hate you."

"I don't think you do," he says almost nonchalantly.

"You've done nothing but torture me!" She snaps loudly. She was hoping her parents would hear the yelling, but she instantly regrets it when he gives her a playful smile.

"Are you talking about yesterday? Locking you out?" He was playing dumb, and she was sure they both knew it. Still, Mai just nods. It was better that he admit to something. He releases a sigh and looks up toward the ceiling. "So you didn't like my punishment?"

She can only stare at him in shock. He slowly bites into a cookie, clearly enjoying having stunned her into silence. His green eyes slowly slide back to her. She clenches her fists tightly. She wanted nothing more than to punch him. "Why would you do that?"

He clicks his tongue pretending to think. He finally says, "You played with Subaru."

"You made me!" She snaps. This was getting ridiculous. She flinches when the smile seems to melt off his face. He had stopped munching on the cookies. His now cold eyes seemed to regard her with an almost calculating look. For a moment, she feels a jolt of fear through her body, but she fights to keep it off her face.

"You had fun with another guy." His voice was colder than she had ever heard.

Livid anger surges through her. She wants nothing more than to rush forward and punch him in his nose, but she didn't dare get any closer to him than she already was. "It doesn't matter if I had fun with Subaru or not! You and I are not together! I can be with whatever guy I want!"

He tilts his head. A smile spreads over her face, and she finds it even scarier than his cold look. He slowly sits up. She takes a step back without thinking about it. He says playfully. "There are a million girls just like you. Don't you want to use the money I have to help your family?"

Mai seeths. "I'm not like those million other girls. I'm not going to just jump in bed with a guy for such shallow reasons! The only good things about you is your pretty face, your daddy's money, and his power. Without that, you would just be some douche bag who no one would even want."

He doesn't retort. Her heart slows to a stop. Had she gone too far? She hadn't really seen him stunned into silence. She shifts a little closer to the door. His voice sounds oddly cheerful when he says. "Like I thought. Nothing special."

"Then why don't you just give up?" She snaps at him.

"Because I want to see you broke beneath me, begging for more." He chuckles. Her face flushes, and irritation takes the place of her earlier panic.

"Like hell I will do anything like that with you." She instantly regrets her choice of words when he stands up abruptly. She lunges for the door, but he once again scoops her up by her waist. He pulls her in close, and his hand settles over her mouth. A rush is all she feels before she instantly feels sick to her stomach. It was like the world was violently spinning around her. It was the same thing that Subaru had done to her. He releases her so suddenly that she stumbles forward. She reaches out to steady herself on a chair. Her heart starts to race at the soft fabric beneath her hand. She looks around the unfamiliar room. It was pretty bare and colored in a darker green color. There was a bed against the wall behind her and a fireplace to her right. She straightens up trying to fight the sick feeling. Her eyes narrow due to the light. It wasn't bright, but it was brighter than her room. Her heart races when she realizes that she can't see Laito anywhere.

It doesn't matter where she looks, he wasn't there. She shivers. She was sure that this room was larger than Yui's. She turns quickly to the door, but she's not surprised to find it locked. She turns to check the windows. To her relief, they are unlocked. She picks the largest, quickly opens it and leans out. Her relief is short lived when she realizes that she's on the second floor. She flinches at the thought of jumping out. There was no way that she would make it out unscathed. She looks out over the forest with a dreadful feeling. She was back in the Sakamaki house, but she was in a room she didn't recognize. She flinches when she realizes she wouldn't be able to recognize a vast majority of their large house. She spins around to look around, only to find Laito standing only inches behind her. She presses herself back without a thought, but she's grateful that she doesn't lose her balance. She was sure that Laito wouldn't help her if she did fall. He casts a playful grin her way and gestures to the room around him. "Welcome to my room."

The sick feeling only gets stronger. She had tried not to think of that outcome. He steps closer. She reaches up to push him away, but he doesn't seem to be paying much attention. His hands slowly reach out toward her. She presses harder against the hard frame behind her in an attempt to put distance between them. Thankfully, his hands come to rest on the frame rather than her, though they are much closer to her body than she would like. He doesn't lean into her as much as she thought he would, which comes as a relief. She settles a glare on his face. Her mind races desperately as she tries to figure out how she could possibly get out of this mess.

"I don't want to be here," she says softly. "You are going to do something disgusting to me."

He chuckles for a moment. It was clear that this was very amusing to him. His face slowly morphs into a clearly fake loving look. He says playfully. "I would never do anything to hurt you."

She grits her teeth tightly. Disbelief at his words filled her chest. She couldn't believe that he was saying that after everything he did. She reaches out to shove him. "You are nothing but a liar."

He leans in the second she starts to push on him. His body presses her tightly against the frame of the window. Pain races through her body when it starts to dig into her upper thighes, just below her butt. It hadn't escaped her notice that he could easily push her out the window, and that was the last thing she wanted to happen. As if he read her thoughts, he presses on her a little harder, and she awkwardly grabs the window frame between her legs with one hand and a fist full of his shirt with the other. If she was going down, she was going to drag him with her. She glares hatefully up at him, but he just leans his face closer to hers. She jerks back and turns her face just a little. His breath brushes her cheek.

"I haven't lied to you."

"I want to go home."

He chuckles. "It won't matter if you scream here. No one will help you."

That sends a chill down her spine. What exactly was he planning to do to her? She tries to keep the tremor from voice. "What do you want?"

Relief floods over her when he pulls back a little. She wasn't pressed as tightly against the window. She quickly lets go of him once she is sure that she has her balance. He chuckles and finally pulls completely away from her. He slowly stalks to the bed and sits on the edge. Silence settles over them. Nervousness bubbles up in Mai's stomach. How could she get out of this mess? She was alone with him in his room. That could only mean trouble. Mai flinches when he chuckles. He pats his bed, but she stubbornly shakes her head. He just casts a smile her way. He reaches up to play with the rim of his fedora, though she wasn't sure when he had gotten it or put it back on. "I want to sleep with you."

She couldn't stop the look of disgust from taking over her face. His smile only gets wider. She practically snarls. "I'm not sleeping with you. You are disgusting. I'm not a whore."

He lets out an overly cheerful chuckle. He doesn't look away from her though. His voice is full of excitement. "I'll take you up on that challenge."

"It's not a challenge. I'm telling you that I won't sleep with you."

He continues to talk like he hadn't even heard her. "Alright. I'll take you home, but I want something in return."

She can't contain herself. She sneers. "Let me guess you want me to fall in love with you. This isn't a movie, asshole. This is real life. I could never love you."

His chuckle is low and slightly husky. It was like she was turning him on instead of pissing him off.

"You can't buy love," Mai mutters. For a moment, a look of irritation spreads over his face, but, like all negative emotions, it seems to disappear before she could be sure of it.

"If you don't want to walk home alone late at night, then promise me something."

She frowns at him. There was no way she was going to acknowledge his request, but she didn't put it past him to try to make her walk through the creepy woods. After all, he had already tried to make her do it once. He didn't seem to need her to acknowledge it though. He just leans forward and smiles. "Let's be friends."

She frowns at him. This was a trap, and she knew it. She watches him silently for a few minutes, but she couldn't figure out any hidden meaning in the simple request. It didn't seem like he was planning to give in either. She didn't want to spend the rest of the night trapped in his room. She knew that eventually he would get bored and move in on her again. He had already been touchy feely. Finally, she sighs. She had a feeling that she was going to regret it, but she says, "Fine. We can try to be friends. You do know what a friend is don't you?"

He gives her a feigned hurt look. He's suddenly in front of her. His hands grab her shoulders painfully. "Of course I know what it means to be a friend. This will be so much fun. I'll make you love me."

She tries to jerk back, but his fingers just dig into her skin. She bites out. "That wasn't part of the deal! Friends don't try to make the other love them!"

He leans in to whisper into her ear huskily. "You never said it wasn't off the table though."

She doesn't get a chance to reply. The sickening feeling comes back. It felt like the world was spinning, and she found herself back in her room. She reaches up to press her hands to her mouth, when bile rises up. She closes her eyes tightly.

Cold hands trace up her spine. She jerks violently and quickly steps away from him. She turns to face him only to find dark shapes in her room. She hadn't realized how dark her room was. She squints to look for Laito, but she couldn't see him anywhere. She clenches her fist and reaches up to touch her forehead with her knuckles. She was regretting telling him that she would be friends with him. That was like welcoming him into her life with open arms. Still, she was sure there was a way to get free of him. She just had to figure out the best way to do it.

She flinches and lets out a sigh. There was so much that she had to look into tomorrow. She slowly makes her way over to her bed and lays on her side. She planned to find out about the white women that she kept seeing, and she would try to figure the best way out of her deal with Laito. She also wanted to find out what a 'sacrificial bride' was, and how it was related to Yui. She finds herself staring at the box of cookies that was sitting on her nightstand once her eyes had adjusted. Her heart skips a beat when she realizes that her pocket knife and phone was sitting on the top of the box. Relief floods through her body, and she considers checking her phone over, but she shakes her head. She'd tell her parents that she had gotten her phone back in the morning. For now, she would try to figure out how she was going to get her research done.