Sorry for the longer wait to update!

I went on vacation with my family and have been playing catch up with a lot of tasks because of that!

Updates should be more regular going forward.

Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy!

While my bath was filling, I stared at my battered reflection in the mirror and desperately tried to swallow the sobs pushing their way out. The marks on both my thigh and neck were completely gone, not even a scar left to commemorate the attack. Sasuke must've been patching me up after each attack. I wonder why his repairs were perfect after the first attack and not so perfect after the second one? My once expertly styled hair and makeup was completely ruined, eye liner and mascara completely gone with the sheer amount of tears I'd spilled between wherever I'd been and Sasuke's room and strands of hair slipping messily from the bobby-pins once holding them in place.

Who had even attacked me this time around? It was definitely a man, but I couldn't remember what their voice sounded like for the life of me. Is this another side effect of being fed from? The familiar burn of self-loathing brought an angry scowl to my face and my fists clenched at my sides. I couldn't have been more stupid, could I? I've been surrounded by predators for over a week now and it should've been obvious. Now that I knew the truth, I remembered all sorts of little hints that should've tipped me off. Mikoto looking like she's in her twenties when she's really who knows how old, the family's separation from the citizens of their town, and even something as stupid as the deep red liquid that Madara was drinking during the ball that I'd assumed was red wine. Now that I think back, it appeared much thicker than normal wine should be. He was drinking blood out in the open like that as though it wasn't an issue and no one even noticed.

Even more than I was angry with myself, I felt absolutely betrayed. Mikoto, Sai, Sasuke, and all the rest of them, they'd all lied right to my face. Mikoto almost hurt the worse because of how kind and motherly she'd seemed up until now. She knew I was being attacked by her family and how much danger I've been in all this time and she didn't do a thing about it. My vision was suddenly blurred over with the sheer amount of tears pouring from my eyes and I turn away from the mirror, finding my way to the bath by memory and removing my underwear before climbing in. The hot water burnt my skin, but it was nothing in comparison to the burning inside of my body. Mikoto and her family always seem to know exactly what goes on in every inch of the castle, so will she know that I've found their secret out? Will she have me killed or erase my memory? What if it's neither and she refuses to let me ever leave the castle again, forcing me to become cattle for them to feed on whenever they feel like it?

My body began shaking in fear and I tried to push the terrifying thought from my mind. If it comes to that, surely I'll be forced to kill myself. There's no way I'm going to lay still and live a life like that. Ino's shy face from earlier as she talked about her feelings for Sai suddenly crossed my mind and my eyes shot wide open. Oh no! Is he feeding on her as we speak? What if he's been hypnotizing her this whole time! My eyes searched the bubbles surrounding my body as I tried to come up with a plan. Ultimately I decided that if he hasn't killed her yet, she surely wouldn't be killed tonight, especially after being introduced as his date in front of the entire town. It'd look too suspicious. I'll have no choice but to come clean to her in the morning. Even if it puts her in more danger, she deserves to know about what's going on around her.

Exhaustion seeped through my skin and I sank slowly under the water to wash away the rest of my tears for the night. I'll just have to woman up and deal with this one way or another, even if it kills me. It's not like I'm destined for having an amazing life, anyway. Hell, if the Uchiha's decide to let me leave after my sentence is fulfilled, for some reason, I'd be homeless and jobless. Dying quickly in the comfort of the castle's riches sounds better than suffering a slow painful death at the hands of the elements and starvation. I just have to try and save Ino before that happens. She has such potential to be an amazing and high end designer, even the queen herself said so. My lungs began to burn under water and I thought about not coming up for air for just a millisecond, but ultimately did just the opposite, frowning to myself as I washed the remainder of my dried blood off my skin. Nothing was quite as it appeared, it seems.

When my bath was finished and I was wrapped in my usual fluffy black robe, I slipped out of the bathroom and headed straight to the couch where my blanket was waiting for me. I ignored Sasuke's calculating gaze and pulled the blanket clear over my head so he wouldn't be able to see the look of absolute terror on my features. My thoughts were so loud and hectic that I never thought I'd be able to fall asleep, but the exhaustion coming from blood loss and being drunk shushed them and stole my consciousness fairly quickly. Just as it seemed I'd fallen asleep, it was morning and my eyes were creaking open. My blanket was still swaddled around me, but when I looked around I realized I was laying on Sasuke's bed instead of the couch. I shot up, immediately regretting the action as a massive pain cut through my head: a hangover no doubt.

Through winced eyes, I glanced over to see Sasuke fast asleep on his back on the couch, muscular arms crossed over his, for once, clothed broad chest. He must've moved me over while I was asleep as a way to try and get back in my good graces. While my back is very grateful, the rest of me couldn't agree that it made up for what he's done. My gaze widened in realization. He probably doesn't even sleep, does he? "You're not asleep, are you?" My voice was gravelly and blunt, all professionalism gone. He replies without changing his facial expression in the slightest, "No." I climbed out of bed and ran my fingers through my hair a few times to sooth it down from it's usual crazy morning mess, "Do you ever sleep?"

His eyes crept open, thankfully showing his usual obsidian irises instead of the terrifying red glow he'd offered last night, "Rarely." My hands froze in my hair and I tore my gaze from his appearance. How am I supposed to act around him now? "So I suppose there will be consequences to me finding out, right?" His eyes followed my movements as I crossed the room to approach my miniature dresser and find a dress to wear for the day. "That depends." His deep voice which usually stirs something animalistic in my lower abdomen was just making my teeth grit in annoyance today, "What's with the short answers? If you're going to kill me, just say it now." I closed the drawer harder than I meant to and stood to face him.

He'd yet to move and hadn't even changed his facial expression. "I won't let you die." My face paled at his monotone answer. What's that supposed to mean? Uncomfortable now under his studying gaze, I wordlessly entered the bath room and freshened up for the day. I'd be back to my original schedule since the ball was now in the past. Once my hair is brushed and pulled back into a messy braid, I brush my teeth and wash my face before applying minimal make up to cover up any signs of how much I'd drank the night before. When I reopened the bathroom door to head out, Sasuke was standing there blocking my way. His eyes ran down my body before finally meeting my own shaken ones. "M-Move, Sasuke."

My voice wavered, betraying me. He slowly reached forward to lay a hand behind my neck, pulling it gently to the side so he could see where I'd been bitten yesterday. I gulped anxiously as he leaned down, trying to look at anything but him and failing. My body was shaking like a leaf and when his lips met my skin, my hands actually shot up on instinct to push him away, but he didn't budge. My breath caught in my throat and I did what I could to mentally prepare myself for the sting that was no doubt about to follow when he bites in, but it never happened. His lips pressed against the tender skin on my neck for a few moments before he pulled back slightly, just enough so our eyes could meet, "I won't do it until you tell me to."

My whole body is cold and frightened at his proximity since I know now just how dangerous he was. He releases his hold on me and I hastily step around him, my anger from last night returning. I turned to face him once I was at the door and he just stared as I spoke to him hatefully, "You're absolutely insane. I'd rather you just kill me than use me as your twenty four hour snack." I stomped out of the room, seething, and shut the door behind me. The day goes on normally until breakfast considering the fact that I didn't see anyone else at all while sweeping and mopping the halls. When breakfast time came, I headed downstairs cautiously. Sasuke hadn't told me who'd attacked me last night and I'd forgotten to ask so all of my defenses were up. The hair on my arms was sticking up as I peeked around each corner before entering each hallway. As I neared the dining hall, someone poked me in the middle of my back and all of my alarms went off. I span on my heel and was ready to do whatever I could against my attacker, only to be met with Ino's amused smile, "Someone's on edge...Good morning, Saku!"

My heartbeat slowed back down to normal and I pulled my sister into a tight hug, which she accepted awkwardly, patting my back a few times, "Um, it's good to see you, too." I then held her at an arm's length, glancing around for anyone else before leaning forward and whispering where only she could hear, "Did anything weird happen to you last night?" Her face heated red in an instant and she pulled my hands from her arms to hold them in her own, "I didn't think you were into this kind of girl talk! What do you want to know because there's a lot that happened?" My face's color soon matched hers as I realized what she was talking about. Surprised, I whispered even quieter, "You didn't sleep with him, did you?"

She released my hands and waved a dismissive hand, "Jeez, you're such a prude, Sakura. Everyone does it before marriage these days." The blood in my face drained quickly. Did they use protection? Can she even get pregnant by a vampire? My sister intertwined the fingers of one of each of our hands before pulling me towards the waiting dining room, "Let's talk about it later, I'm starving!" Everyone else was already waiting for us at the table and they watched us approach in silence. I took my usual seat in between Mikoto and Sasuke, frowning at the smitten look on Ino's face when Sai rose to pull her chair out for her.

Mikoto's silky voice spoke, causing me to physically jump in surprise, "My My My! Didn't we all have an interesting night last night? I trust you girls enjoyed yourselves?" Ino nodded, bowing as best she could in the sitting position, "Yes, Ma'am. Your family really knows how to throw a celebration. Thank you for having us." I nod shakily in agreement, avoiding the matronly Uchiha's eye contact. "What about you, Sakura? Sasuke tells me you drank a bit too quickly and retired early. I trust the portion of the party you did witness was to your liking?"

I nod again, bowing in a similar fashion as my sister had. She gently rubs a few circles in my back, my skin freezing under her unwanted touch, "Aw, our Sakura must be experiencing her first hangover. Perhaps I shall take it easy on you today and we can all eat in silence, dear." I manage to smile up at her, a shiver running down my spine when our eyes finally meet. It wasn't that she looked different since she no doubt knew I'd found out about their secret. It was that she looked exactly the same, like nothing had changed. I supposed my finding out really isn't that big of a deal to them, after all. The only people who'd be looking for me if I were killed would be Ino and Naruto, one of whom is already in their grasp and smitten with one of her sons nonetheless.

Naruto would be easily fooled, unfortunately. Madara now knows of his feelings towards Hinata, having witnessed them dancing last night, and would know to use her as bait. She pulled her hand away from me and motioned for us all to go ahead and begin eating. Breakfast was awkward and silent, not one person talking. Itachi's fiance, Temari, wasn't present and I had no idea where Sasuke's date had gone. Frankly, I didn't care where she went. If she was anything like Karin, which I had a feeling she was, I wanted to stay as far away from her as possible. Just before we were finished cleaning the dishes, Mikoto stopped both Ino and I from leaving the kitchen, "Before you go, girls, I wanted to let you know that the Subaku family will be joining us for dinner tomorrow evening.

You both left wonderful impressions on their only princess and she has returned to her home to fetch her two brothers, the crowned prince and the king of Sunagakure, Kankuro and Gaara. You'll both be free of your cleaning duties tomorrow so you have time to prepare yourselves. These are very important guests with whom we have many trade agreements in the works and we wouldn't want to deny them the pleasure of meeting you two in your very best, would we?" Her words probably sounded encouraging to Ino, but to me they felt threatening. I don't want to know what she'd do if one of us accidentally offended the visiting royals.

Later on, while I was in the laundry room on the main floor switching over some clothes from the washer to the dryer, the sound of the door closing behind me drew my attention. I shot up, spinning just in time to see Madara give me a sheepish grin, "Sorry for frightening you, Miss Sakura." Ino was helping Mikoto with her garden outside and I had no idea where Sasuke was so panic was rising fairly quickly in my blood. My anxiety was flaring up more than usual now that I knew Madara had been behind the first attack all along, playing innocent each time I'd asked him about it. I kept the large laundry basket in between us, "What do you want?" His eyes narrowed slightly, "You don't need to do that. I'm not here to force myself on you like Obito."

Obito? Who's Obito? A light-bulb flashed above my head and I put two and two together. This "Obito" must be the one who attacked me last night. Somehow knowing that the person who'd touched me so sensually was a complete stranger made it worse than if it had been someone I'd met already. "Who is he?" My voice was mistrusting and I knew he could tell by the confident smirk beginning to form on the corner of his lips. It seems his prince-ly personality was all an act. "He's a cousin to the royal Uchiha family." He began pacing calmly back and force in front of me, explaining as though he were teaching history to an elementary student.

"You see, the royal family is made of pure blooded vampires while our cousin is not. His mother was a human. As a result, he lacks self control. You're lucky you were found when you were or else you may not be alive today." His eyes danced with ease down to my chest, which caused me to pull my arms up and around myself in an attempt to hide from him, "While I was referring to his feeding habits, I can see why he'd lack self-control when it came to taking your virginity as well. Even I would struggle to control myself."

He took a threatening step forward suddenly, causing my breath to be caught in my throat. The only thing separating our bodies was the laundry basket and his eyes started to glow red as he peered down into my frightened eyes, "The smell of your innocence is driving each and every one of us mad, even Mikoto. I'm surprised Sasuke hasn't taken you yet. It wouldn't be hard." One of his hands reached up quickly, so fast that I hadn't even seen it coming, and rested around my neck. His eyes rolled sickeningly back into his head and he took a deep breath in, "Your heart's beating so fast, Sakura. Your blood is pumping so quickly through your veins. I remember how uniquely sweet your blood tasted that night." His grip on my neck tightened slightly and a gasp slipped from my lips, "I'd love to get another taste, but only if you'll allow me."

I shook my head quickly and he chuckled, not loosening his grip in the slightest. My face burnt with humiliation. I was so weak compared to him. Once his laughs ended, his eyes suddenly locked onto mine and all else around me blackened. I heard his voice more clearly than last time, "Tell me to feed on you. Beg me." My lips moved on their own, as well as my hands. My arms moved and he allowed me to pull on the front of his shirt, releasing his grip around my throat, "Please! Please drink! I need you to feed from me! Please!" Tears were starting to slip down my cheeks and his lips turned up into a triumphant smile, "Well, I can't say no to that face, can I? Don't scream." He knocked the laundry basket to the side and picked me up to set me on top of the running dryer.

With a fistful of my hair in his hand, he yanked my head to the side and bit into my neck roughly. He hadn't told me not to fight him and I did try to push him away over and over with all of my strength, but I could feel my energy draining with each second of him feeding on me. In an attempt to not die, I stopped fighting and simply clutched onto his shirt for dear life, worried that if I let go I'd lose consciousness. His free hand was gripping my shoulder tightly, enough so that I was sure there'd be a bruise when he was finished. He pulled back suddenly, running his cold tongue slowly across the puncture wounds he'd caused before continuing to run it up my neck until he reached my jawline. He then pulled back, offering me a grateful smile, "Thank you for the meal, Miss Sakura. You taste just as lovely as before. I don't think I've ever tasted someone as sweet as you."

I glared at him through teary eyes, hatred seeping from my words, "Go fuck yourself, you monster." Even if he'd healed the bite wound, the memory of the raw pain that had been there was still fresh. He released his grip on both my hair and my shoulder, watching with amusement as I rushed to catch myself from falling backwards. "I think it's best if we don't mention this to Sasuke, don't you?" His eyes were still glowing red and I could tell that that had been one of the orders I couldn't break. How long do these orders last? Last night, Obito's orders hadn't lasted that long, but Madara had said that he wasn't as strong because he isn't full blooded. Madara placed a kiss on one of my hands before exiting the room, "Until next time, my dear."

I stared down at my lap and watched as tears dropped from my face onto the expensive cloth of my dress. This isn't how I want to live. This isn't how I deserve to live. Maybe I'm not perfect, but I haven't done anything so terrible so as to have earned a punishment as severe as this. I turned to look at my reflection in the tinted window. He hadn't missed a drop of blood and the bite mark was completely healed. Other than my fatigue, there was no proof of what just occurred. How am I going to get out of this one?