Chapter 11

"You temperature is normal so it's not a fever." Kaien placed his hand against Yuuki's forehead again, but couldn't detect the slightest bit of warmth. Not the kind that would cause someone to be sick. "What exactly is wrong with you?"

"I don't feel good." Yuuki was covered up to her nose with the bed covers. Whenever someone ask her to removed them, she would refuse. "I don't think that I can go to school today."

"You missed school yesterday. Unless you tell me specifically what is wrong with you, then you have to go to school."

"I can't!" Yuuki didn't like how whinny she sounded, but if she went outside then she would have to show her face, and her neck. She could wear a turtle neck to cover the damn thing, but it would look to suspicious.

"Do I need to call a doctor?" Kaien wondered.

"Or a shrink?" Zero muttered from the doorway. Yuuki glared at him, but he wasn't even looking at her. Instead he just frowned at the wall. Lately that frown seemed to never leave his face.

"I heard that! And I can't go to school."

Kaien sighed and sat down on the edge of the bad. He reached over and stroked her hair. Yuuki tightened her grip on the bed covers should he try to remove them. "Fine. You can stay home today too. But it will be the last time. Unless you give a reason for all this-" he waved his hand at her "-then you're going to school tomorrow. And that's final."

That was fair. She knew how strange this must seem to them, but she absolutely needed to hide it. If they saw it then there would be a lot of questions that she didn't know how to answer.

"Fine." Yuuki agreed. She would just have to think of something.

Kaien kissed her forehead and left the room. Zero still wasn't looking at her, but neither did he move so she guessed that he had something to say.

"Will you ever tell us the truth?" Without waiting for her answer he left.

After counting to 100 and making sure that she heard no movement outside her door, Yuuki pulled down the covers from her face and reached over to the hand mirror on her bedside-table. She examined the tattoo on her neck in the reflection. It was an odd design, and the memories of the event two night ago came back to her.

"What do you mean bride? I'm not your bride!" Yuuki yelled. The whole situation was freaking her out. "Let me go!"

"You can't be serious." The female said. Long blond hair fell down her back and she held an air of superiority.

"C'mon Ruka. Lighten up she is cute." The easy-going guy said and approached Yuuki. He took a lock of her hair between his fingers and sniffed it. A slow grin appeared on his face and revealed to pointy teeth. "Just one bite."

Yuuki gathered enough air in her lungs to scream but before any sound came out, a hand slapped him across the face.

"Aidou. Stay away. No. One. Touches. Her." Kaname said and made sure to make eye contact with everyone so that the message was made clear. He wanted none of them near her.

"I still think that she is unworthy." The girls named Ruka whispered. Kaname ignored her and she seemed hurt. Another guy wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulders. He look slightly like the one named Aidou, but taller and a bit more mature.

"What do you want?" Yuuki wished that she sounded braver.

"I already told you. To make you my bride." Kaname said.

"Don't I have a say in this? Doesn't two have to agree to marry?"

Kaname lowered himself until they were at eyes level. "You don't want me?"

Yuuki gulped. "Not like this."

He leaned in and slightly brushed his lips against hers. "You will."

Against her better judgment, Yuuki headbutted him. That clearly threw him off. He wasn't expecting that. This would have been the perfect time to cry for help, if not someone had appeared beside her and held something sharp against her throat. From the corner of her eye she saw an unknown girl with shoulder length hair. Yuuki hadn't even noticed that she was in the room before.

More fear grew in her stomach when she realized that the scarp thing against her throat was nails. The girls nails.

Kaname brushed off Ruka's arms and once again approached Yuuki.

"Be careful." Ruka warned.

He waved away the girl next to Yuuki and within a second she seemed to disappear. Yuuki quickly turned her head from side to side to see where she was hiding. The woman couldn't have just disappeared in thin air.

"There is not need for violence. I will not take away your free will. After the ceremony then it is your choice if you wish, or wish not, to see me again." He told her and stroked her hair.

"Ceremony?"

"A ceremony to mark. To always protect you."

Yuuki quickly put away the mirror and pulled up the cover when her door opened again. It was Zero.

"What do you want?" She hadn't meant to sound so annoyed.

"I'm off to school." And with that he closed the door. Yuuki knew that she was acting strange lately, but so was he. But then again Zero has always been strange. He didn't seem to fit in anywhere. There seemed to be something strange about him.

Again she counted to a hundred before pulling down the covers. The tattoo on her neck stood out to much for her to be seen in public like this. But she would have to leave her room sometime and then she would have to hide it. The question was how. Make-up was not strong enough to cover it. She could wear a scarf. A big one. But that too would attract attention.

Yuuki groaned in annoyance. Kaname had told her that it would protect her. Protect her? How? From what?

"I hate this." She risked the chance of sneaking out of her bed and dashed towards the dresser. She had to get a change of clothes, and a shower. In the bathroom. Across the hall.

Grabbing a hand full of clothes and her toiletries, she slowly opened her door. Made sure that no one was in the hallway. As far as she could see and hear, it was deserted.

Quick like a cat she moved towards the bathroom door and went inside.

Farther down the hall Zero watched her from the shadow. He had seen all he needed to see.

To be continued...

SPOILER!

Zero will soon reveal his true self.

Comment:

Updates will appear irregularly. I'm lazy. Not trying to hide it, but I also have a lot on my mind. I still hope that you like this story and will wait for the next release. I have big plans for Zero! :) Please Comment! And let me know if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes. Really tired know and don't have the energy to check it myself.

Bye!