As a MAJOR heads up, I updated two new chapters of The Beast Within which are Chapter 5 and 11. I also moved up all the chapters to make way for the new chapter 5.

For example:

The old chapter 5 is now chapter 6

The old chapter 6 is now chapter 7

The old chapter 7 is now chapter 8

and so on...

So I hope you don't get confused and think that chapter 10 is a new chapter when its really chapter 9.

Other than that, nothing else was changed. So enjoy reading everyone!


Chapter 11: Bloody Secrets

'So this is the Dark Knight those two nobles were talking about?' Kaname thought still gazing at Zero. 'Interesting indeed…'

"How long do you plan on restraining my arm, Kiryu-san?" Kaname said ever so calmly with a hint of amusement sounding in his voice.

"How long do you plan on towering over my master, Kuran-sama?" Zero retorted back in the same tone of voice as the pureblood.

Kaname smiled at that. He liked the boy's wittiness and refusal to bow down to anyone; it was daring and very clever. That it was meant to be broken by Kaname's hands and his hands alone.

"Pardon me then…" Kaname began stepping back. "Now, will you release these vines of yours?"

Zero raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Sorry, but I don't answer to you."

Behind Zero, Sara was smiling. Never in her immortal life has she ever met such a becoming playing card. Zero was like a wild card in a deck of cards, never knowing the true value of it until it's played.

"That's enough Zero. There is no need to be rude to a pureblood." Shizuka said, though there was no hint of anger in her voice.

Zero nodded and released his restraints on Kaname's arm. The grin on his face, never disappearing as he did so.

"He is quite the obedient one, if I may say." Kaname commented, rubbing his arm.

"I trained him well…" Was Shizuka's only reply before Asato Ichjirou appeared in the doorway.

"Milord and Maladies, there's something you need to know."

"What is it Asato-san?" Kaname asked.

"The other pureblood lord that would be at the party…Ouri-sama…he disappeared from his drawing room earlier."

Shizuka raised an eyebrow. "I thought there will be only three pureblood families arriving tonight?"

"No Shizuka-sama, we were expecting four tonight…"

"I see…I was uninformed of a fourth party." Shizuka side glanced at Sara who was sitting down on one of the chairs within the room. A smile that held no secret was gracing her lips as she stared back at Shizuka.

"Well that is…huh?" Asato began but stopped when an all too familiar scent assaulted his senses.

"There's a smell of blood and it appears to be fresh." Sara spoke from over the rim of her wine glass.

"In that case, Kaname-san and Asato-san please come with me. The scent of death is pretty close to here." Shizuka responded as she made her way to the door. "Zero, you stay here and keep Miss Sara-san company. I shall not be long."

Zero only nodded and watched all three vampires leave the room before turning toward Sara with an amusing smirk dancing across his lips.

"You were visiting your fiancé before our arrival here, didn't you Sara-sama? How unbecomingly vulgar of you to think you can hide the scent of your meal from me. You wouldn't have happen to done something to Ouri-sama from who you were feasting on earlier?"

Sara laughed. "It is indeed as you say, Zero-kun. I truly did something offensive. Yet, what rights have you to ask me such a crude question, I wonder…?"

Zero shrugged his shoulders. "Forgive my innocent curiosity for asking such a question. Yet, should someone like you really be so one-sided, especially when you so desperately need the assistance of my host as much as you do?"

"You play a dirty game Mr. Level E…" Sara answered with amusement. "But alright, I will be honest with you Zero. I devoured Ouri-sama's life. There were so many hunters prowling around, that I possibly couldn't miss out on such a rare occasion to have one of them take out his body's natural regenerative abilities with an anti-vampire weapon. However, none will do so willingly of course, so I had to catch one and make them into my servant for the task and when Ouri-sama invited me into his room, the hunter did as I told. And when everything was done, I commanded her to go to a different room and end her life."

Zero crossed both arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall. "I'm surprised he didn't fight back…"

"Would you believe my words if I told you that he secretly confessed to me that he became a man who had grown too weary of his terribly long life that it mostly consisted on him waiting idly until it all finally came to an end?"

"Oddly I do…Yet, what bewilders me is what exactly do you plan on accomplishing with his death?"

Sara smiled at that. "What else than to become Queen."

"How do you expect to accomplish that? You don't think Kaname-sama or Shizuka-sama won't catch wind of this and put an end to your dream. What makes you think you can trust me with this secret?"

Sara twirled the ends of her hair around her finger as she stared at Zero with great interest.

"Well, to answer your fist question Zero. I am the least of Kaname-sama and Shizuka-sama's worries. There is a much greater enemy than I that has them pre-occupied. You think Kaname-sama or Shizuka-sama has what it takes to go against two purebloods at the same time? No. That's why their attention is more occupied toward the bigger threat that pureblood has than with me, making me free to do as I please." Sara became serious. "Now, to answer your last question. The reason why I am so willing to confess to you my intentions is not only for the fact that you play a major part in it, but also because I can see the interest in those violet eyes of yours. You are more interested in playing my game than you let on."

"Interested? Did I really show such a thing, I wonder?" Zero answered nonchalantly as he slowly made his way toward the door. "Perhaps you're right, Sara-sama. However, I don't think its interest for the role I will play or the game itself. It's more like I have an interest with the outcome. Because the most interesting thing about any game is always the outcome, and whether you succeed in accomplishing your goal or fail miserably at it, is what makes it the most interesting."

Zero stopped once he was before the door and took a quick glance at his watch before turning to Sara.

"I believe the party has reached its end, don't you agree?" Zero smirked. "Goodnight Lady Sara-sama. Enjoy your wondering freedom while you still can."

Sara watched in silence as Zero turned and left. "Quite the gusty fellow, aren't you Zero? Let's see how long that last."

-0-

"Poor thing…" Shizuka answered with little emotion in her voice as she stared at the dead hunter lying on the floor.

"It's a truly regrettable occurrence to have one of the Hunter Association hunter's fall into a condition where the only choice left was to end his own life with his weapon." Asato said behind a handkerchief covering his nose and mouth.

Shizuka stared at Kaname as he closely inspected the body. "You can see it too, can you Kaname-san? That hunter is slowly turning into ashes, starting from the very tips of his fingers and also…there is that, which no doubt is the cause of it."

Kaname didn't need to see where Shizuka was pointing, to know what she was talking about. Because right on the neck of the hunter was two small puncture wounds that without a doubt was caused by a vampire. A pureblood no less.

"I wonder who could do such a thing." Shizuka wondered in mock bewilderment. Though it was obvious to Shizuka and Kaname on who did this.

Kaname stood up from his crouching position in front of the body. "I'll report this to the Hunter Association President, as well as Chairman Cross, who for various reasons couldn't attend tonight. You Asato-san, do the same with the Vampire Council."

Asato nodded. "What will you do about the culprit?"

"Nothing as of yet, since I doubt this person will make their move during this time."

"It was nothing but a petty warning of what's to come in the next round." Zero concluded as he stood by the doorway. "But, of course this is merely my guess and nothing more."

"Zero, I thought you were keeping Sara-san company downstairs?" Shizuka questioned, though not really surprised to see Zero.

"Ms. Shirabuki-sama decided to retire for the night and left, that's why I'm here. It's been a long day and we too must retire."

"Yes indeed. We have much to do in preparation for your enrollment in Cross Academy's Night class."

Zero raised an eyebrow. "My enrollment in Cross Academy?"

"Ah yes…I didn't mention this to you before, but starting this upcoming week, you'll be joining the Night class at Cross Academy and Kaname Kuran will be your caretaker for me while you're there. So please take good care of Kaname-san from now on, Zero-kun."

Zero could only stare at a smirking Kaname with wide eyes. Everything in his body was alerting him that he will soon be entering into a lion's den. That the beast was non-other than Kaname Kuran himself.

TBC…