Chapter Fourteen:
I had to apologize to Subaru. It was the only thing on my mind as the school day continued to pass by slower than ever. I knew that he should probably apologize, as well, but I was never going to get anywhere with any of the brothers if I always assumed I was in the right. And what right did I have to get upset about any of their pasts anyway? It was like getting jealous over something a new boyfriend's ex-girlfriend did in the past. He'd even openly admitted that sleeping with human girls meant nothing to him, so it wasn't even like I had anything to be jealous of… It had just come as a shock to me, is all…
And now I had plenty of other things to think about—mainly, the other brothers and what they might have done. It seemed obvious to me that Laito must be the most promiscuous of the family. All this time, I couldn't believe I just assumed they were all… inexperienced. How could I have possibly thought that about Laito… or even Ayato… That was another problem. I wanted to talk to Ayato about the people he'd been with in the past, but what good would that do? What would asking him possibly accomplish, other than making me feel a little better… and to be honest, it would probably make me feel worse about everything, anyway.
And then there was the fact that the brothers that hadn't bonded to me yet were out drinking from other people in the middle of the night, and I would have never known about it. The worse part about all that was Shuu. For some reason I kept picturing him in some dark, back alley, feeding on a beautiful woman, hanging off his shoulders as he cradled her gently in his arms. And it almost made tears come to my eyes. I knew they all had to feed. They were vampires, so of course they needed blood… It was just, when I was human, I knew that they were all feeding on me, so I doubted that they needed to go out at night to satisfy themselves… But now that I was a vampire, I couldn't do that for them… And it made me strangely sad. I would have expected to be glad that they weren't all making me pass out for half of each day. But instead, I found myself missing it sometimes.
And then there was everything happening at school, thanks to Ereka and her gossiping mouth. And not only that, but Subaru asking for me in the middle of class had already stirred up a whole new pot of gossip. Now I was some kind of a prostitute for the whole family, according to a few people who commented on it right before last period. I felt terrible just being in the building. I felt like I never wanted to come back here once this long day was finally over.
And just as I thought that my worries couldn't get any worse, I entered the limo and saw Shuu sitting in the corner, his eyes closed and his arms folded lightly across his chest. Not only that, but he was the only one in his seat. The others hadn't gotten out of class yet. He was mad at me before… There was probably no chance that he'd forgotten about what happened, either.
But I already had too many problems piling up, one on top of the other, so I figured I might as well start trying to make things right. I stepped inside the back of the car and quietly sat to Shuu's left, making sure I moved enough in my seat so that he'd know I was there—not that he wouldn't have realized my presence even before I got into the car…
I slowly lifted my hand and placed it on his shoulder.
"Shuu…," I whispered, wondering how loud his music was. Maybe he couldn't hear me at all… "Excuse me… I wanted to apologize for before—"
He immediately turned his head to face me and stared right into my eyes. I was startled by how sudden his reaction had been, but I tried my best not to look away. But as I expected him to reprimand me, or be angry, or have some kind of negative emotion, he just leaned into me with his shoulder, and tilted his head so the side of his face was in my hair.
"I know you don't understand," he said softly. "But taking my blood when I'm not bonded… It was like you were attacking me… Like you wanted to bring me harm… I know that wasn't your intention. Just… don't do it again. It felt like you were… not on my side." And then his face nuzzled into my hair and I heard him inhale, slowly. When he exhaled, it was even slower. It was calming, just sitting there, listening to him breathe.
"Oi, Pancake! Where have you been?!"
My head snapped up and Shuu grunted and positioned himself to lean on the window instead. My face fell and I turned to him to protest, but Ayato was already in my face.
"I thought I told you to wait for me after your last class!" he shouted angrily.
"You did? I… don't remember you saying that…"
"Maybe you should start paying attention, then!"
"Oh… I'm sorry." Ayato grumbled something, and then moved to sit on the opposite side of the car, swinging one leg dramatically over the other before tossing his head to the side and staring out the dark window. "Hey," I whispered, placing my hand on Shuu's arm. He didn't respond, so I carefully wrapped my fingers around his bicep. After a few moments, he loosened his arm to let me hold it. I hid my smile by looking between my feet on the floor. And then a thought hit me. Maybe I could solve two problems right now. The "talk" with Shuu was already over… "Are you… thirsty?" I whispered to him, and Ayato's ears perked up. I saw him glance over at me for a split second before looking away again. On the other hand, Shuu slowly turned his head and gave me a very confused expression.
"What?" he asked, narrowing his eyes a bit.
"It's just… Subar—err… someone told me that you were going out at night for…"
"Do you think that's odd?" He tilted his head. "We all need blood."
"Oh… Well… I was just thinking…" I stammered, "If you're thirsty tonight… you don't have to go out anywhere…"
"Are you sure you two don't want to talk about this in a more private setting?" Reiji cut in, flashing into his seat. I jumped and looked up to find that everyone was seated now. The door shut and the limo began moving. "And it doesn't sound like you're extending this invitation to all of us, so please be more careful where you hold your private conversations."
"Like right in front of me," Ayato snorted. "I mean, come on. At least bond to him first. Just offering blood is a little cruel, right Shuu?"
I lowered my head, but Shuu immediately grabbed my jaw and lifted it, exposing my neck. In the next moment, I felt fangs dig into my flesh right below my jaw and I yelped in pain and shock. The back of my neck throbbed from the whiplash of how fast he moved me, and my eyes widened with the pain.
"Easy," I heard Subaru say warningly, through Shuu's light gulps right next to my ear. I gulped too, from the awkward position of my neck.
"Are we sharing?" I heard Laito ask, only a few seconds before another pair of fangs dug into my leg, right above my ankle. I pursed my lips so I wouldn't shout.
"We can drink from you now?" I heard Kanato say, and I couldn't tell if he was happy or unexcited, but another sharp pain hit my shoulder and I couldn't help but yelp again. And out of the corner of my eye, I saw the top of Reiji's head coming closer. But before he could bite me, too, I squirmed, feeling lightheaded and uncomfortable.
"That's enough." Subaru pulled Laito away from me and then Kanato. I gasped and looked up at him as best I could with how my head was being held. Shuu was still drinking as Subaru ran his fingers gently through my hair. I felt something warm over the pain on my leg, and managed to see Ayato's hair. "He'll heal the punctures. Try not to get my brothers all riled up like that anymore. It's best to offer blood in private, like Reiji said."
"That's not like you, Subaru," Laito whined. "Don't you like to see her squirm? I would have thought you'd let it happen just so you could watch, hmm?"
"You wouldn't understand unless you were bonded."
"Ouch… But just look at Ayato," he said with a grin. "I bet he was getting turned on watching us suck the blood from his mate until she started writhing. Weren't you, Ayato? As long as we don't hurt her, you don't care, right?"
"She belongs to me. If you idiots do anything to her, I'm going to get pissed."
"But we just drank from her…" He licked his lips and smirked.
"She was enjoying it. I could easily feel when she didn't want it anymore."
"What a blessing," Laito said, tilting his head way back, "To be bonded and—"
"Give it a rest, will you?"
"Shuu," Subaru warned. "You're taking a lot. She's getting weaker."
Shuu released my jaw and I slowly let my head move back down to its normal place so it wouldn't cramp. I felt him start lapping up the excess blood and running his warm tongue over the two marks he left behind. I grabbed onto his upper arm again and he wrapped his free arm around me, pulling me closer to him. The sides of our faces touched and I could hear a faint drumbeat coming from his earbuds. Or maybe that was my heartbeat… But I didn't have a heartbeat anymore, did I? …Did I?
"Shuu," I whispered, and he responded by pausing his ministrations for a moment to nuzzle his face against mine. It lasted only a moment before he went back to licking at the fang marks. The world around me was a little dizzy, and I felt like I was being enveloped in Shuu. It was warm and comforting, and before I knew it, my eyes were shut and my mind was blank.
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When I woke up, I was in my bed… well, the new bed, in my new bedroom, thanks to Ayato and Subaru breaking my old one. I didn't mind, though. After all, this room was closer to Subaru's, and someone had already moved all of my things into this room. It looked almost exactly the same, but it had a fresh, new feel to it and it smelled like a hotel.
I must not have been out for very long because the sun was still down, and outside the window, the treetops were bathed in soft moonlight. I reached one hand up to my neck and felt two healing punctures. I slowly reached down to my ankle and ran my hand up my leg, but Ayato must have fully healed Laito's bites, because I couldn't find any scabs or bumps left behind.
I stretched my arms above my head and sat up. My stomach growled for a split second. Getting some food in me sounded like a great idea, so I threw on my pink nightgown over my thin pajamas and headed out into the hall.
It was quiet and empty.
"Hello?" I whispered, but even after waiting a few moments, no one showed up. I shrugged to myself and headed for the main staircase, walking along for a few minutes before finally making it to the kitchen. I found a pre-made salad in the lowest drawer in the fridge. It was strange to see real human food in there, considering that the Sakamakis could eat, but blood was the only thing their bodies really required. I wonder who liked the taste of lettuce just for the sake of it. It was probably Reiji, and as I grabbed a fork and began eating, I hoped he hadn't been saving it for later. It must have been in there for a couple days anyway, so hopefully it was just a leftover.
When I was almost finished, I heard the front door slam and I jumped, nearly dropping my fork. I stood, leaving the salad on the counter and walking around the corner into the foyer. I walked over to the large double doors and opened one a crack, peeking outside.
It was for only a moment, but I could've swore I saw a flash of orange hair in the distance, walking down the driveway. Was that…?
"Oi, what do you think you're doing?" Ayato shouted from the top of the stairs, and in the next second, he was beside me. "Close the door. You're letting in cold air. And you know you're not supposed to leave without one of us, Pancake. What were you doing?"
"I just… thought I saw Shuu…"
"He's probably going out. Why do you care? Did you want to bond with him tonight?"
"W—What? No, I… I was just wondering… where he was going, or…"
"Out. He's going out." Ayato smirked.
"What does that mean?" I dared to ask. "He's going to feed on people? But… I just gave him my blood in the car and… How much more could he want?"
"Maybe he's going out for fun," he shrugged. "It's none of my business."
"Well… where would he go for… fun?"
"Probably some vampire club in the city or something. I don't know."
"Haven't you even gone to one? Where have you gone in the city?"
"Why are you so interested all of a sudden? Those back-alley vampire clubs aren't for people like you."
"People like me? What's that supposed to mean?"
"A female vampire," he frowned, and I felt stupid for a moment. "There's no reason for a female to be at a place like that unless they're looking for random males to bond with or feed on. Neither of those are things you should be doing. The only females there should be human anyway, and what with the way you smell, you could probably pass for one, too. And that wouldn't be very good, either."
"So… Shuu is going… to a place with a bunch of human girls… for fun?"
He shrugged again. "Probably." Ayato turned and frowned at something in the kitchen. "…Is that my salad?"
"But why would he do that?"
"Do what?" Ayato turned back to me, crossing his arms.
"Well… isn't he going to feed on them and… and…" I couldn't bring myself to ask the question foremost on my mind, and I ended up lowering my head. "Do you think he thinks I don't care about him?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Ayato narrowed his eyes, clearly confused. I frowned, knowing that he would have understood what I meant if he was human. This would turn into the same argument with Subaru if I wasn't careful with my words.
"Subaru told me about how vampires sleep with humans when they feed…" I said softly.
"And?"
He really didn't get it… It was the same with Subaru. Something about this topic for vampires just didn't click with my human point of view. They didn't see it as actually sleeping with someone, but just as a kind of… flavor enhancer. This one was going to take me a little while to get adjusted to. But I would have to learn on my own… Ayato and Subaru both couldn't understand that I felt there was something wrong, but I had a feeling I knew who I could talk to about it.
"I'm think I'll just go to bed. I'm really tired," I lied. He looked at me for a few moments before he nodded and I headed upstairs. After silence drifted over the house again, I waited a few minutes before cracking open my bedroom door and whispering a name I thought I'd never call, even in my worst dreams. "Laito?"
He appeared in front of me about fifteen seconds later, stretching his arms out to both sides and letting out a huge yawn. His shirt was baggy and half off one shoulder. When he stopped yawning, he looked down at me with a playful smile.
"Ohhh, are you finally ready for me?" he asked.
"Actually, I was hoping you'd help me with something…" I trailed off, wondering if it was really okay to call Laito here like this. He always seemed a bit… impulsive, like I could never tell what he was going to do next, much less his intentions. But through everything, I honestly believed that he would never hurt me, so I wasn't too nervous. "Shuu… he went out to the city, I think…"
"And if Subaru or Ayato knew you wanted to go after him, they'd probably strap you down until morning, hmm? So, here I am."
"Well, I think Subaru couldn't care less about me right now, but pretty much."
"Technically, I could still strap you down…" he trailed off and smirked. I did my best to ignore his comments.
"Do you mind taking me?"
"Hmm… As much as I love scandalous activities, why would you want to follow him to a place like that? Why not just wait until he gets home and bond to him then? It really isn't a place for female vampires. You'll attract a lot of attention. Not to mention you also smell like the most delicious human on the planet. Being surrounded by a bunch of horny, hungry vampires isn't exactly your smartest decision, Little Bitch."
"But… you'll be there. And we can find Shuu, and… No one would try to hurt me because then bad things happen to the males then, right?"
"So you can't be raped. That doesn't mean they can't force you down and drink your blood, or rip open your throat or tear off your limbs. And not to sound humble, but I'm not sure if I could defend you from a hundred vampires, high on blood and booze and the smell of sex in the air."
"But… I want to see it for myself. And…"
"Yea, yea. I know. My Little Bitch wants to be with Shuu, the deadbeat. What else, though? There has to be something other than just wanting to see him. I think you know all too well that you'll end up seeing him drinking from another… Maybe even fucking another female. Won't that bother you, since you come from a human background? Or are you… looking for trouble? Maybe you want to get a little excited, hmm?" he smirked, poking fun. I did my best to not let him change the subject.
"I… I know what I might see, but… Subaru was so angry because I didn't understand what vampires do and how they act and… I think it would be important for me to see it for myself. I don't want to not understand you and the others. I think it's important for me to… immerse myself in vampire culture. And to try to actually be a vampire. This whole time, I thought I'd be fine just because I listened to Reiji rant about what I should and shouldn't be doing, but Subaru still got so mad at me… Over something that seems so wrong from a human point of view. But it's not about what I think, really… It's about being willing to be a vampire. Maybe even to leave my humanity behind me… I have to do this. And not just now, with Shuu, but at all times. If there's something I'm doing wrong, I want to change it. I want to be a better vampire, for myself… and for you... and everyone. I think this is how I have to learn."
"That doesn't mean you have to put yourself through something that might cause you pain, mental or physical. You and I both know that seeing Shuu with other women is going to drive you crazy… Or at the very least, you'll get upset or jealous. And the only thing wrong with that is that you'll probably end up taking out that frustration on my brothers. That's what they don't understand. It wouldn't be fair to them to have to take that from you, especially since we're already bonded, and you to the two of them."
"I…" I paused, and had a quick thought, aside from the fact that he had some good points. And the way he spoke to me was as if he completely understood what I felt as a post-human. "I never thought I'd be able to talk to you like this, Laito…"
"Like what?" he smirked. "You called me here either because you know that I can understand your human side way better than my brothers can… or you wanted me to show you the best night of your life." He took a step towards me and I immediately put my hands up to stop him. He paused, but didn't stop smirking.
"Laito, please. I'm serious."
He sighed. "Fine. I'll only take you if you promise to tell Ayato not to kill me when we get back." I nodded. "And you stay with me at all times." I nodded again. "And if at any point, I tell you we need to leave, you need to listen to me and leave."
"I promise."
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I sighed and turned around to try and see where we'd come from, but we'd walked so far that I couldn't even see where the streetlights started… or ended, or whatever. Laito seemed to notice my frustration and he laughed a little. If I was supposed to get some kind of vampire stamina or something, it wasn't working. And it wouldn't have been as bad if Laito hadn't kept looking over at me with such a mocking expression.
"Why couldn't the limo just have dropped us off in front of the door?" I asked, folding my arms a bit. I didn't want to act like a child, but I wouldn't have been surprised if the night was almost over already.
Laito laughed again and I had to stop myself from groaning. "We're trying not to draw attention to ourselves, remember? Pulling up to a club in a limo comes off as a bit suspicious, don't you think, Little Bitch?"
"Of course, I agree, but we've been walking for how many blocks now? I'm sure it could have dropped us off a little closer."
"Better safe than sorry," he laughed again.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you? I'm sorry, but I don't have any super speed like you, despite being not human and all…" I paused. "Do you think… Do you think that'll develop at all? Like my fangs came in? Maybe I'll get some kind of speed or strength."
"There's no one in the world that could give you an answer to that question… And you already knew that. Why bother asking? You're one of a kind."
"Well, Laito, maybe I'm just so sick and tired of walking that I figured I'd try and talk—"
"There it is," he said, cutting me off. And I didn't even care, because that meant I could finally stop walking. I looked ahead to where he was pointing and found myself staring at a very inconspicuous front door. The only thing that made it stand out were a pair of dim red lights, illuminating the street ahead, and a pair of large men standing outside the door to match. There were no stairs, no signs, and barely anyone walking around outside. It looked like a few other clubs were down the street, but for the most part, vacated or shut out apartments surrounded the lit up buildings.
"This… is it?"
"Not what you were expecting?" Laito asked, immediately beginning to walk ahead of me. I frowned and tried to keep up with him as we neared the entrance.
"It's just… I would've thought that a vampire club would be much brighter… or louder… or crowded or something. I don't know… this seems a bit… odd."
"Just wait—"
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" a deep voice cut through the air and I looked around Laito as he came to a halt. He stood in front of the door, and I blinked a few times. There was a small line of three people ahead of us now, standing in front of the door. I blinked fast again. Did I miss something?
"Listen, I gave him the money last week. Just let me talk to him," the first man in line pleaded, but then one of the large men at the door suddenly bared his fangs and let out a violent hiss, his eyes glowing a beet-red. I jumped at the sight, and jumped again when Laito laughed under his breath. The man in line suddenly flashed away and my eyes darted around, but he was gone.
"Go ahead," I heard the other large man say, and the next person in the line slid through the door as it cracked open, and for that time, I heard loud music and chatter coming from inside. Lights flashed onto the street, as well. But as soon as the door shut behind him, the street went back to dead silence.
"I remember you," one of the men said, and I shuddered at his tone, noticing Laito slide his hands into his pockets and whistle for a second. I wanted to shoulder him, but I didn't. "I told you that you had to bring some girls this time, or you can't get in. I gave you a pass last week, but you know the rules. You can't just come in here, not pay, drink from our ladies, and walk away, just like that."
The other large man stepped forward. "It's a little stupid of you to come back here without the proper ratio, or at least a handful of cash and an apology. Don't make me rip your throat out, okay? Get lost."
The man in line hissed, but as soon as the sound left his throat, one of the other men punched him so hard his feet came off the ground and he landed a few feet back, cradling his jaw. He hissed again and the other men's eyes glowed red and one stepped forward. In a flash, the man on the ground was up, and in the next second he was gone. The men turned their gaze to Laito, and then to me. I held my breath and made sure to stand behind him, trying to avoid eye contact.
"Laito!" one of the men suddenly exclaimed, and gave him a hard pat on the shoulder. "You've been avoiding us! Our ladies have been complaining day in and day out!"
"Can't please them all," he smirked.
"And who's this? A new face?" The men were all friendly now as they neared me, but I was still scared. "A shy one, huh? She looks a little too fragile for your… tastes. Trying something new for a change?"
I looked at Laito, wide-eyed, but he was barely paying me any attention. He looked at the two men and shrugged nonchalantly. Maybe he was just trying to avoid giving me a lot of attention. But my mind couldn't step off the fact that these two vampires knew who he was, and apparently, he frequented this place a lot, and probably had a lot of girls come here with him… but this was why I was here, to get adjusted to this sort of thing… And if any of the brothers were going to be openly shameless, Laito was the least surprising. But Shuu was still on my mind.
"Well, go on in. I'm sure everyone's been wondering where you've been these past few weeks."
"And try and keep your pants on for more than ten seconds this time!"
Laito looked at me for a moment before wrapping an arm over my shoulder and leading me into the building. He opened the door and instantly I was flooded with way more senses than I was prepared for. The lights were blinding, the sounds deafening, the air shook with noise and stunk of so many things, it was hard to put a finger on any one of the smells. I immediately looked behind me just to watch as two pairs of bright red eyes were shut out, along with the peace and quiet of the empty street outside. Laito gave me a tug and I faced forward again, but everything was so disorienting that it was hard for me to focus on any one thing at a time.
"Laito…" I said, but there was no way I was going to be able to hear my own voice. Music pounded the air against my chest, pushing against my lungs. People were screaming and it sounded like they were in pain, pleasure and everything in between. Something wet hit me in the face and I flinched, reaching my hand up to wipe it off. It smeared and came off red. I slowly looked up and stared, standing perfectly still. People were strapped to the ceiling, and bleeding raindrops onto the floor. When I finally managed to adjust my eyes, I looked back down at some of my surroundings as Laito continued to guide me through the mess of people. I felt suffocated.
"No, don't!" I heard a woman scream, and looked right beside me to find a vampire digging his fangs into the side of her face, one of them going straight through her cheek into her open mouth. My body convulsed a little and she screamed and Laito pulled me harder, almost dragging me away. I turned to try and see where I was walking, but I came face-to-face with another woman. Her face looked dead, pale, with blood running down her forehead.
"Laito!" I screamed, and he immediately turned, his body flush against mine, and pulled me into him. His face came down to mine and for a moment I froze, thinking he was going to bite me.
"Shhh," he whispered loudly in my ear, and he just held me for a few seconds, rocking me slowly back and forth. "Just walk with me, okay!" he shouted in my ear, and I nodded, gulping. I coughed when I tasted blood in my mouth, and moved to lean over to spit onto the floor, but Laito grabbed me and pulled me along again. I spit anyway, and watched as a vampire, fangs bared, glared at me with glowing eyes. He looked like an animal, eyeing me, his face darting left and right as his eyes stayed fixed on mine as I slowly got farther and farther away. But then his mouth opened wide, blood coming out and dripping down his chin, and he let out an inaudible scream. His body flailed for a moment and he began shoving people away as he charged at me. I screamed and grabbed at Laito's arm, digging my nails into his skin. I felt him drag me backward and spin me behind him. In the same motion, he backhanded the vampire, who spun and hit the floor. Laito gently hissed, glanced at everyone around us, and then began pushing me through the crowd.
I looked up again when blood dripped through my hair. The ceiling was high… at least three stories high, and walkways lined the upper walls. People and vampires hung from the railings above. Some swung from thick red ropes across the room in the corners. I watched for a few moments as a woman climbed over the third-floor railing and jumped.
"Laito!" I screamed again, pointing frantically, but I couldn't see where she landed over the mass of people in front of me.
"That way!" he yelled next to my face, pointing ahead, a bit to the left. He continued pushing me until I could see the end of the crowd as it began to thin out. I hurried forward, eager to be out of the throng of bloody, sweaty people. The scents were all so overwhelming. I needed some kind of relief, and I was hoping whatever was beyond the crowd would provide it.
I tripped over someone's foot and almost fell out into the open, but Laito was beside me in a second, holding me upright and urging me to continue moving forward. I lifted my head and my eyes to look around, but everything in front of me was now covered in a thick layer of red steam. I shuddered from the condensation getting on my skin and instantly evaporating in the heat of the room. Red eyes flickered and blinked through the fog, and for a split second, Laito let go of my arm and I just yelped and whipped around.
I grabbed at his arm, and in a fraction of a second, I noticed Laito beside me, and the arm I just dug my nails into was attached to a brunette woman. She looked at me, wide-eyed, and I released her immediately. We both looked down at her arm to find blood coming up through the skin. She looked at me in fear and turned, beginning to push her way back into the crowd.
"What… What was…"
"Look at me," Laito said, and it was easier to hear him here, rather than in the mess of people. "Yui, look at me."
I slowly brought my gaze up to him. His face looked normal. He wore his usual, playful, happy smile. I didn't even want to know what my expression looked like. But the longer I looked at him, the more I realized that something was different about his expression. It wasn't just playful and happy… It was… concerned? For me? I could barely think straight… Of course he was concerned, right? I was scared to death of everything around me. I didn't even know what was happening. It was just strange, to see him wear an expression I'd never seen on him before.
"Just a little further, okay?" he said, trying his best to be reassuring. But no matter what he said, if he was going somewhere else, there was no way in hell I wasn't going with him. So I managed to nod once, and he started leading me through the fog.
Once I began to see what was in front of my feet again, I looked up, and what I saw was much different from the rest of the club… I didn't even know what to call it anymore. I couldn't call it a vampire club because it sounded so childish compared to what it really was, on the inside. I hadn't been prepared at all. This definitely wasn't what I was expecting to find. I was picturing some college party in a basement with blood in solo cups and bad music being played from a wooden stage, and people dancing indecently. Instead, people were screaming… people were getting hurt, maybe even killed. Was this really what I had in store for me if I wanted to start acting like a true vampire? This wasn't something I could handle. There was just no way…
"This way. Over here. You can sit down," Laito said softly, pointing past my head. He nuzzled his mouth into my hair when I stood frozen. "Come on. You have to keep moving. Just…" he trailed off. I couldn't feel my legs. How did he expect me to— "All right. Up you go," he whispered, lifting me into his arms and walking over to a red leather couch. They lined the walls in the part of the room. A huge, circular burgundy carpet lay in the middle, and red couches of various sizes and fabrics lined the bottom floor. Some even went up the walls, and I could freely look up here, from Laito's arms. Vampires had humans on the beds on the walls, and they couldn't escape, otherwise they'd fall three stories down onto the carpet. There were already a few bodies lying there, in the center, unmoving, their bodies at awkward angles. I tried not to look, but I couldn't look away once I'd already seen it.
"They… They're killing those women…" I breathed, just as he gently set me down on a couch.
"Hmm?" he asked, lifting one eyebrow. "Killing is against the rules," he said with a frown, but I pointed to the bodies on the carpet. But when I looked at them again, they just rolled over and stood up, brushing themselves off and walking back towards the crowd. I stared at Laito, confused. He looked at me gently. "You're scared. Everything's going to look its worst to you right now. You need to calm down, okay? No one's going to hurt you, not while I'm here." He pursed his lips. "You've already drawn a lot of attention, Little Bitch," he smirked, but it seemed halfhearted. "I know you love attention, but we need to fit in now, okay?"
I just nodded, half listening to him, but before I could register what either of us had said, he leaned over me and his body came on top of mine on the couch. I jumped, but he gently put his lips over mine and kissed me slowly and delicately.
"Laito," I breathed, squirming under him. Now really wasn't the time for this. My eyes stayed open and they darted around, but I noticed now that the vampires on the couches were all with humans, and they were all kissing… and biting… and other things. Some were naked. Some were… flavor enhancing. I lightly gasped. "Laito," I breathed again, more forcefully as I tried to push him away. He obliged and sat up, taking me with him.
"You wanted to experience this," he said. "Once you stop being afraid, you'll blend in. But when you're this scared, everyone can smell it."
"Laito… I… I don't like it here… I want to go home."
He pursed his lips. "You wanted exposure, and you're not even going to give it a shot now that you're here? Look, you made it here. And if Shuu is around, then this is where he'd be. He likes to hang out over here because he can just lounge around and enjoy the smell of blood." He waved his arms around, motioning to all the couches. I looked towards the far end of the building and saw some sections blocked off with scarlet curtains. It wasn't difficult to imagine what went on behind them, though. I looked around again, trying to spot a familiar puff of orange, but I didn't see anything.
"Can you… Do you know where he is?" I asked.
"I sensed him before… I'm pretty sure he's around here somewhere." Laito shrugged once, then looked back at me. "Come on. If you don't want to sit here, then come dance with me." He stood and held out his hand to me, but he was talking about going back into that crowd. I froze again, unable to lift my arm even if I wanted to. "If you don't get up, then I'm going to have to stay here on this couch with you. And who knows what I might do to you, the more bored I get, hmm?"
"But those vampires… they were hurting those women… those girls. Some of them look like… like my age. Maybe younger… How could they…?"
"No one is forced to come here…" he said slowly, "Every girl that walks in here is looking for a good time with vampires. And why not? They can have as much sex as they want and not be afraid of diseases or getting impregnated. And they can enjoy the trill of having their blood taken, with the promise that they'll have no scars or wounds tomorrow morning. Trust me, the worst thing here is the alcohol, not the vampires."
"But that one, he tried to attack me… And that girl looked so afraid…"
"First of all, you spit on him," Laito laughed, "And second of all, when you smell the way that you did a few minutes ago, there was a lot of attention on you for that blood of yours. Fear makes you smell delicious, by the way. And you weren't acting like you were with me, so other vampires will just assume that you're alone and easy prey. And that girl… maybe she just had someone heal her, and then you hurt her arm again. Who knows? Maybe it was just too much blood loss. But no one dies here. That's what those vampires out front are for. They don't let in the bad ones."
"And what if a bad one gets in anyway?" I asked harshly.
"What do you even mean by a "bad one?" Because, if you're talking about a strong vampire… purebloods are as strong as they come." He winked at me.
"No, I mean… someone that wants to… kill."
"Then they would be stopped and killed. There are plenty of vampires around who would be happy to teach such a person a lesson or two. If humans start dying in here, then they'll lose business, and the humans are the only reason vampires even come here. They'd just stop showing up if it became known that it wasn't safe, and then why would we come here if there's no blood to drink?"
"This place… still scares me."
"Well, get up. Take another look around. You're a vampire now, and just because you don't need to drink blood, that doesn't mean you can't revel in it like the rest of us. Come on, try and enjoy yourself." He frowned when I didn't move from the couch. "All right, how about this? You give it a try for a little while and then we can go look for my lazy brother. Sound good?"
I continued to frown at the ground, but nodded. I wasn't getting anywhere on this couch, and I was starting to think about all the things that had been done on it in the past few hours, and decided it was time to stand up. Laito reached out his hand and I took it. He was gentle in wrapping his fingers around mine and helping me up, and he barely pulled. He just let me walk and made sure I stayed with him. I felt a little safer, now that I was more adjusted to the sounds, but the smells were starting to give me a minor headache.
"Stay with me. Don't act like you're afraid. Act like you belong here." He motioned me to walk beside him back through the fog and I did my best to oblige him. I didn't want to stand out. That was the last thing I wanted to do right now.
As soon as we were out of the foggy area and back near the edge of the bloody, sweaty mob of moving people, Laito stepped between vampires and pulled me along with him. Now that I was a bit calmer, I looked around at the people and noticed that it was, in fact, mostly indecent dancing, like I'd thought. They were just all being bitten in one way or another. Some girls even looked like they were passed out in another's arms as they were drank from. I tried to stay calm and focused on Laito, and eventually he stopped walking and took my other hand, turning me towards him. He lifted an eyebrow and started to dance a little. I stood still. I couldn't help but be frozen. He started trying to move me by tugging on my arms, one at a time, until I was moving a little on my own.
"There you go," he mouthed to me, starting to dance with a little more provocation.
Someone bumped into my back and I bumped into Laito. I looked up to apologize, but he just wrapped his arms around me and continued dancing, moving side to side as best he could between a sandwich of people. He parted his lips and exposed his fangs to me in what I took to be some kind of affection… or flirting. I couldn't tell, but I knew it had to be one of those because it was Laito.
He looked away for a second and I noticed a man smiling at me to my left, holding out a cup with something in it. I took it from him, he nodded, and I looked inside. The liquid was clear, like water, and had no smell. I gently put it to my lips, but not before Laito snatched it from me and laughed.
"Not for you," he smiled, downing the entire thing in one gulp and tossing the cup blindly over his shoulder. Then he stuck his tongue out and leaned down fast to kiss me hard. My lips parted in shock and a very strong bitter taste hit the tip of my tongue and I almost wretched. Laito smirked. "And you were going to try and drink it."
"What was it?" I asked.
"Nothing you've ever heard of." He closed his eyes and moved his hips a bit harder against mine. I pursed my lips. "It would make you more… compliant to persuasion. But little do they know…" He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "I don't need fancy drinks to make you more compliant." I shivered when he ran his tongue around my ear and down to my throat. "You smell so good right now," he breathed. And I almost lost all reasoning in that moment… Almost.
"—Shuu," I quickly said, momentarily noticing a flash of tall orange hair at the far end of the crowd. "Laito, I think I saw Shuu just now."
"Aww," he rolled his eyes and his head leaned back in mock-frustration, "Can't we just ignore him for a little while? I thought we were having a good time. He'll still be here in ten minutes."
And for a moment I felt bad, and then I found myself looking up at him in silence, like there was no one breathing down my back or bumping into my sides. And then I just nodded at him and he smiled like a devil. He leaned down again and matched his lips to mine. I found myself kissing him back, eagerly. At first, I thought it would be a mistake, but when he responded by pushing his hips forward, I was strangely satisfied. I breathed out and opened my mouth at the feel of him, almost hard already against my stomach, and he brought his head back to look me up and down, his eyes always coming back to mine with that devil's expression. He was hot. I'd never really looked at him like this before, but I was starting to understand just how experienced he could be, just from how his eyes met mine. He was confident… way confident. There was something about the way he looked at me that just made my mouth water and I had no idea why.
"Easy, now," he smiled, pulling back so I couldn't feel him against my stomach anymore. But it was already too late for me and I took a step forward, into him. He breathed slowly, still watching me with those eyes, now lidded as he looked down at me.
"Take my blood," I begged in a breathy whisper, and I could barely understand my own actions. I wanted him to bite me, to show me what he could do to my body, and I was actually begging him for it. I felt like I wasn't myself, or at least not totally in control. But at the same time, I knew that was exactly what I wanted, and I couldn't deny it, either.
"Mmmm," he moaned, but shook his head. "Not here. When I make you scream, Little Bitch, I want it all to myself."
"There were curtains," I breathed, leaning further into him, thinking of that back room with the couches. I needed to feel him again, but he kept me at a safe distance and it was driving me crazy. "Don't lie. I could feel you. You were getting hard for me. You want to bond to me, and I want you to. You shouldn't wait, or I might change my mind."
"Ooh, you want to play like that, Little Bitch?" He bared his fangs again and leaned down, scraping them against the skin over my collarbone. "Then are you ready?"
"Yes."
He pulled back again and laughed as I groaned in frustration. "And you'll be ready until we get home, where I can fuck you into tomorrow morning."
"Laito!" I grunted, pushing against his chest as hard as I could. He didn't budge.
"I know. The sexual tension is killing me, too," he smirked, sticking out the tip of his tongue between his two fangs. He wasn't going to do anything… "Let's go find Shuu then before I do something I might regret."
"Really? All your talk and you won't even give me a little taste?" I crossed my arms. "Careful, Laito, or I might start to think you're all bark and no bite."
He immediately grabbed me around my waist with a single arm and snarled as he pulled me flush against him. I responded within a fraction of a second by pushing myself into his hips and meeting his eyes, just above mine. I gasped when he reached around with his free hand and gently brought a few fingers between my legs. He paused there, rubbing slowly up and down until I started to pant, and I was leaning on him for support.
"Ahh…" I breathed, but he stopped and pulled away again with a smirk.
"Let's go find my brother."
"You don't want me," I frowned, still breathing heavy.
"We both know that's not true."
He tilted his head, watching me with what I could only guess was patronization. I frowned at him and I felt my legs involuntarily close together. I pursed my lips and he frowned back at me. He held out his hand, but I just stared at his open palm. I didn't want to take it yet.
"If it's not true, then why are you teasing me like this?" I almost cried. "You always mock me and tell me that you want me, or… you just tease me, is that it? You don't really care? And here I thought you understood me. That's why I called you to bring me here tonight. But it turns out—"
"Stop being overly dramatic," he lightly hissed, going back to his usual smile. He took a step forward, again, and brought me semi-close. I couldn't feel him the way I wanted to anymore. "If I bite you… even if your skin gets punctured, the smell of your blood will attract every vampire in here. They'll all want a taste… On the other hand, if you get too turned on…" His smile got wider. "Then they'll be able to smell you for what you really are. Thankfully, for some reason, your scent isn't as strong as a normal female vampire's… until you get riled up by me, that is." He chuckled, but I just stared at him, unsure what to say. He pointed over his shoulder. "Let's go say hi to my big bro, hmm?"
"Well… I mean…" I paused, suddenly feeling like I wanted to go home. "I got the exposure I was looking for. I don't think I need to see Shuu… And you're right. What you said before, about me seeing him, maybe with someone else… I don't want that. I don't want to see that."
"Why not? Isn't that all part of the experience?" He shrugged. "Maybe we could even join him. It's not like he wouldn't prefer you to every woman in here… Maybe you could even remind him of that. It's sure to get him all worked up, and I'd pay to see that pile of bones get off his ass for even a second."
"I… I don't even know what I'd do—"
"And isn't that the point, hmm? I'll show you. We can teach you how to be a vampire in a place like this. And then you can have Shuu in this crowd. And you can beg him to drink your blood, too…" He trailed off, and his words sounded so seductive, whether he meant them to or not.
"Okay… W… Where did he go?" I asked slowly, looking around. I could barely see over the people right next to me, much less any farther than a few feet.
"This way," Laito whispered, holding out his arm. I breathed in and took it, and he lead me back out of the crowd and into the fog. Once it started to thin out, and I could see the carpet and the outlines of the couches, I squinted my eyes, searching for orange hair. And once the fog was behind us, I found exactly what I was looking for.
"There…" I said, pointing, but the longer I looked, then more I saw, and the more I wished I didn't see. A naked blonde was on the couch, sprawled out, legs spread, arms above her head with her mouth wide open. Shuu was on his knees, facing away from me. Bite marks covered the girl's body and she looked ready to pass out.
"Oh, boy…" Laito walked forward, taking me with him whether I liked it or not. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to see any of this. And now I really didn't want Shu to see me. I wanted to turn and run and never look back and never let him know that I watched him do this. I wanted to take this to my grave, but before I had time to think of a way out, we were standing right behind him. "Hello, brother."
Shuu groaned, his mouth still buried in the blonde's perfect skin. I gulped.
"Didn't I tell you never to bother me when we're out—" He turned and froze, staring up at me, blood dripping over his bottom lip and running down his chin, splattering against the red carpet, leaving barely a mark. He didn't say a word. He just… kept staring. And when he finally stopped, his eyes turned angrily on Laito. "You brought her here? What's wrong with you? If Ayato and Subaru don't kill you, I just might."
"Wow, brother. I haven't heard you put that much emotion into a full sentence in years." He went back to smirking, and pointed at the girl. "I see you're still into the blondes… Funny how you started that trend a few weeks after Yui moved in with us, hmm?"
"Shut up," he rolled his eyes and turned away. He was about to bite that perfect skin again, but I yelped.
"Shuu! Stop!" And then I covered my mouth with my hands, embarrassed at my own outburst. He didn't bite the girl. Instead, he turned back to me and started to get up. I wondered why I'd shouted at him, because it certainly wasn't because I was afraid for the girl. I just couldn't stand the sight of him biting her when he knew I was right in front of him…
"Why are you here?" he asked, standing at his full, intimidating height.
"I… I thought I could learn something about vampire culture," I said, because it was only a partial lie. I was definitely interested in learning more about their culture… our culture.
He grunted a little and turned back to the girl.
"Shuu, please… Don't drink from her… in front of me…"
"Do you know why I came here tonight?" he asked slowly, bored, turning to me with a blank expression. I shook my head. "To get a break. From all the drama going on in my house." He growled at Laito and looked back at me. "Did you ever consider that the reason I left was so that I didn't have to see you?" It felt like I'd just been hit, and I could already feel myself starting to cry from just that simple sentence. "You and my brothers, and your emotions and your humanity. It's… tiring, to say the least."
"I gave you my blood… I apologized for trying to take yours… I don't know what else you want from me," I said, holding back tears.
"Yes, you do."
"It's not like I don't want to bond with you, Shuu!" I cried, and a few tears finally spilled over.
"How about we don't do this here, hmm?" Laito said, grabbing my arm, but I yanked it away and stared at Shuu, still not getting up off the floor. The blonde on the couch was out cold.
"When else are we going to do this? He'll just keep running away," I frowned. "You have to know that I want to bond with you." I turned to Laito. "With all of you! I just need some time… It's a lot to just change about myself and get used to. I told you that! But you… you know that doing this kind of stuff hurts me, don't you?"
"I would feel something if you were in physical pain."
"That's not what I mean and you know it."
"That's also why I left. So I wouldn't have to listen to you whine and complain about your human perspective. Do you really think that the rest of us didn't overhear your little spat with Subaru earlier today? We know you're going to be upset with all of us now, whether we like it or not. Forgive me if I just didn't want to deal with that yet."
"You could have just talked to me…" I replied. I could feel myself losing this battle, just because I couldn't stop the tears that I knew were on their way.
"I don't want to talk to you. The only things I want from you are to bond and your blood. Spare me the rest of your pointless human nonsense."
I felt my lips shake and I pursed them together, trying hard not to cry again. He was turning back to the girl on the couch… putting his hands on her naked body, his fangs protruding, ready to dig into her again. I wanted to beg him to not do it, but no words would come out. I just let a few tears spill over as I looked at Laito. He looked concerned, to my surprise.
"Tch," he said, looking away for a second. Then he looked back and me and gave a little shrug. I exhaled and he took a step forward, holding me a couple inches away from him. He sighed and then pulled me closer, but in the next moment, I was yanked from his arms and I cried out.
"I'm gonna kill him!"
"Enough!"
I yelped and looked around… And then up.
"S—Subaru?"
He was holding me from behind with one hand. The other was on Ayato's wrist, holding him back. He was glaring at Laito, who wore his trademark smirk a few paces away, his hands up in the air. Shuu looked at Ayato and rolled his eyes, but he never turned back to the girl.
"Why did you bring her here?" Ayato spat.
"Don't look at me. She wanted to see Shuu in his… natural habitat." Laito shrugged.
"What?" Shuu asked suddenly, and then looked at me for a moment. "That's why you're here?"
"I…" I didn't know what to say.
"She wouldn't have been able to get here by herself, so you helped her! Why? Don't you know what could happen if she's found out?"
"We need to leave," Subaru growled. "Now."
"She just wanted to have some fun. Some vampire fun. And it's about time, too… We all know neither of you were going to teach her anything besides how to be a prisoner in our home."
"Laito!" Subaru snarled. "The scent of her blood is strong enough. You may not have noticed because you're oblivious, but there are already vampires talking about her." He paused, and nodded his head to the back, by the red curtains. "Over there. So, listen to me… We need to get her out of here. It won't take much for everyone in this building to know what she is. All it takes is a little more attention, and then we're all in trouble."
"If anyone's drawing attention, it's you!"
"You've got to be kidding me…" Shuu finally stood, slowly looking around.
"I said that's enough! We have to get out of here!"
"And you think shouting at me is going to help? If you're so worried about drawing attention to yourself, why don't you start by shutting your big mouth?"
"Now you've done it," Shuu groaned, walking in front of me. I noticed a group of vampires with glowing eyes walking towards us, and I was a little surprised that Shuu would put himself between me and them. Before, it seemed like he didn't care about me… Maybe there was something else I didn't understand.
Laito moved to stand between us, and then Ayato. Subaru stayed behind me, gripping me by the arms. The group of vampires approaching was bigger than ours… double, maybe. It was hard for me to see.
"What do you have there—"
"It's none of your business what I have," Shuu said.
"You purebloods…" one of the glowing eyes said, "You think you're so high and mighty. You can walk around, doing whatever you want and getting away with it while the rest of us actually have consequences."
"How unfortunate," Laito smirked. "For you, at least. I hate rules."
"Well, in here, you may not have rules, but humans do. And the one you're so selfishly hoarding smells divine. I'd like a taste, if you don't mind."
"I do mind," Ayato snarled.
"But the rules say that humans make their own choices in here. Vampires can't force them to do anything. Not even purebloods. If you'd like, I can go grab one of the guards and have them explain it to you—"
"I don't want to go anywhere with you," I quickly said.
"Well, there you go. You're not allowed to make a human do anything." Subaru said. "Now get lost."
"You know… normally I would," one of the other vampires said, stepping up, "But I've been breathing in the scent of that one for the past ten minutes and I really… really need to try some of that blood."
"That's too bad," Laito said, pouting. "But a little funny from where I'm standing."
"You want to know what's even funnier?" another one of them said. "The fact that the rules also say that humans only get free admission if they're letting vampires drink from them. And I don't see any fang marks on her. And I've been watching since you brought her in here," he smiled at Laito. "She hasn't let anyone drink from her. Maybe I'll go tell that to the guards."
"Then we'll just pay the fee," Subaru said.
"Who's we? Are all of you with this human? That's a little odd, don't you think? Four purebloods… protecting one human? That's worth some looking into, don't you think? She must be valuable. Especially with blood that smells like that."
Ayato flashed in front of the one who was speaking and hissed, loudly. Subaru hissed in reply.
"Ayato! Back off!"
He gripped my arms even tighter and I flinched. But it made me look up, and I saw that there were a lot of eyes on us… A lot of eyes on me. And they were all glowing bright red.
"You idiot," Ayato snarled at Laito.
"Me? I had everything under control. If you hadn't come in here with all that noise—"
"You both need to just shut the hell up," Shuu grunted.
"We're leaving," Subaru said, turning me and pushing me forward. "Start walking towards the exit."
I started walking forward, and the four brothers surrounded me, pushing vampires out of the way when they wouldn't move on their own. We were almost to the exit when they all stopped walking and I nearly bumped into Shuu's back. He immediately turned around and grabbed me, shoving my face into his chest and shushing me. He ran his fingers through my hair and I froze. Something was very wrong.
"Wait… What's that smell?" one of the other vampires asked, looking around.
"It's… a female vampire."
My eyes went wide and darted to each of the brothers, but they weren't looking at me.
"They know?" I whispered, but Subaru turned to look at me. He shook his head.
"No, not you," he said, looking away again. "Her." He lifted a hand and pointed off into the crowd, towards the stage. I followed his gaze. There was a very tall woman with jet black hair standing above everyone. She held a microphone in her hand.
"Hello, all," she suddenly spoke, and no one was paying any attention to me anymore. "I know this may be the first time some of you have seen a female vampire, apart from your mothers, but don't be alarmed… I'm here to help some of you…" She looked around. I didn't like her eyes—a bright, pale yellow. "Recently, some of my family has gone missing… I'm here to replace them."
"We need to go," Laito said, in a bit of a panic.
"And if I'm not mistaken, the guards just told me that there were some purebloods in here tonight…" She looked around and suddenly her eyes fell on me. I couldn't look away. She smiled, baring her fangs. "Oh, how lucky for me."