Okay so I can tell people are getting REALLY eager to see Crystal, but you need to be patient. She'll show up really soon, I promise ;)

P.S. Every My Candy Love character belongs to Beemoov Games Network. :)

13. Swift retribution

The next day, when Leigh came from his room, he was face to face with Castiel. At the abrupt nod of the vampire's head, Castiel neared him and whispered. Very few things could anger Leigh, but that malicious light in his orbs told that a nerve had been touched. Patting Castiel on the back, he stormed out, nearly shoving the back door of the school off of its hinges as he entered for the day. All day Alicia had done her best to get Leigh to relax, but ultimately she had to admit she'd failed miserably. He didn't even want to tell her why he was so angry, by insisting that he wasn't. Others such as Nathaniel or Jade had also felt his anger, since they were more sensitive to moods and feelings in those around them.

By the time classes had ended, Alicia was sitting on the grass with her arms wrapped around her knees, watching Jade plant some rose bushes nearby. She was reviewing in her mind everything that had happened throughout that day, trying to realize if it was her fault that Leigh was upset. She remained there even after Jade had finished, now watching the rising moon as the sky grew dark and stars began to wink at her. It would be only minutes later before that breeze returned, Dimitri materializing in front of her. When he raised his hand to grasp at her, his arm had immediately let off a loud snap, a deep dent appearing in the flesh.

Now, Leigh appeared as the obvious culprit in that injury, what with the side of his hand firmly crushing into that wound. Dimitri's eyes went wide before he felt Leigh's fist smash into his fangs, breaking them off into his mouth. The turned vampire's stomach was then dented by a spinning heel kick, which sent him skidding on his back. All that stopped him was Leigh landing on his groin with both feet before the pureblood shifted his feet to the ground, letting loose a merciless barrage of knuckles into Dimitri's mouth and eyes. Startled by the man's sudden appearance, Alicia nearly fell onto her back trying to avoid his hand. Her gaze was drawn to the left, however, when Leigh showed up.

"Leigh... stop!" she called out at some point.

She didn't know if he wouldn't be punished for killing another student... and a vampire at that. When he didn't yield, however, she lowered her head and did her best to avoid watching. The vampire stood over his adversary, teeth bared.

"I should beat you until you can't use your power for a while then tie you to a tree until dawn... but I won't, this time. Next time... I will."

Leigh turned from the downed foe, each footstep taking him closer and closer to Alicia. Now, calm was ever so slowly coming over him, draining the rage from his body language. Now watching Leigh as he walked toward her still seated form, Alicia fought the urge to move away. The change in his gaze told her he was finally calming down. So that had been the fun Castiel had mentioned... as she'd anticipated, she didn't like it in the least. Still, she held out a hand to Leigh once he was close enough to grasp it.

Instead of taking Alicia's hand, Leigh bent forward and grasped her sides in his hands, gently raising her and putting her down on her feet. Then, he lightly embraced her, saying nothing as he kissed the strands of her hair. Dimitri himself didn't move at all, being unconscious. It wouldn't take him too long to recover, but that show of Leigh's wrath would last for a very long time. Blinking at that, she then relaxed in his embrace, setting her arms around his waist.

"Thank you... for not killing him."

She didn't even know why she was thanking him for that. But at least he wouldn't have to suffer any consequences such an act would have possibly brought upon him. Her voice did, however, faintly tremble. Now that she was more sensitive to others' feelings, especially Leigh's, she found that his anger wasn't anything easy to endure.

"...He was about to abduct and rape you. But, I will never let that happen to you... I will protect you, my love."

He knew how other vampires worked... and he wasn't about to see that happen to Alicia. She meant so much to Leigh, who wasn't going to see her go through such pain. Even still, in his gradually passing rage, he wanted to make an example out of Dimitri, despite the excessive nature of that act. Then, his thoughts turned... she belonged to him, and only him. No other man would have her in the ways he did.

"R... really? I thought he just wanted my blood."

Tilting her head back, she now looked up into his eyes.

"But... don't kill him. I don't want you to get into any trouble because of me."

Her hands clenched onto his coat as she stated that, her gaze gaining a worried shade. After all, she had no idea how vampire society worked and what laws they guided themselves by.

"Castiel told me of everything he said to you in your last encounter with him... the fact that he came within arms' reach of you after saying such a thing, meant that he wanted more than blood. Male vampires mostly treat females as slaves... I am one of the few exceptions. He would have taken you away, for you to serve his whims. I know that for certain."

During her second statement, he locked eyes with her so as to focus on her expression.

"...I will not kill him, unless I must. If he leaves you alone, I will leave him to exist."

Her eyes slightly widened at his words, and she tightened her hold on him out of reflex.

"I didn't know I'd be so much trouble..." she muttered, lowering her gaze to settle the side of her head against his chest.

By then a pair of amber eyes was watching them from atop the main building, the slender girl seated a few steps away from where Castiel was standing. When she'd gone out to take some air, Rosa had never imagined she would get to see Leigh kicking Dimitri's ass. A slight smile crossed her lips as she now watched him and Alicia. She didn't regret that they'd broken up... it was too obvious that he loved Alicia in a way he'd never loved her, and that Alicia made him happy as she'd never been able to.

"You are no trouble... you are my happiness. Without you, I'd have none."

Due to knowing his strength quite well, he'd kept a soft, but guarding hold on Alicia. Meanwhile, Castiel gazed down on them, one foot on the ledge with his upper body slanted, his forearm across his knee.

"...Bah..."

He'd always been rather averse to romantic situations, though he'd never given any reason for that. For all of his bluntness, he did keep some parts of his past to himself, and trusted none with it. A soft giggle left Rosa's lips at that sound.

"Not fond of romantic hugs, eh Castiel? Maybe you should try a girlfriend. You might get the taste for it."

Floating off the ledge she now slowly faded into thin air. Come to think of it, maybe it was time for her to get a boyfriend as well. She and Leigh had broken up long before; she was over that by now.

Looks like Leigh is a bit overprotective, but with good reason. Next chapter's gonna shift a bit to another guy... and no, it's not Castiel yet, fangirls... you'll see, I'm not gonna spoil the surprise ;)