Hanabusa stared dully around the dank room he had been confined in since his father's outburst. As punishment he had been refused food but most importantly, blood. There was little for him to sustain himself. There was no point in trying to escape because everything had been reinforced, so he sat dully on the cushy bed that had been produced to provide as much comfort as possible in such confinements. Despite it all, a prison was a prison. This made no difference and any room that kept him from Yori was as much a dungeon as anything else. He felt dizzy most of the time, for the past several days, he had been completely deprived and he had endured with hardly a murmur. Yet the hunger grew within him, making him want to run his nails across the stones of the walls and claw his way out, but he still maintained his control, breathing as evenly as possible.

Hanabusa was doing just this as he sat comfortably, trying to control the hunger. It was growing more difficult to do so. He welcomed the door opening, any kind of distraction from the gnawing at not only his stomach, but the deep hunger that plagued his very core would be welcome. The light streamed in and he used his hand to shield out the sudden invasion. A woman stood in the doorway, looking at him quietly. For a moment he thought he saw Yori and her name left his lips. The other stiffened noticeably before stepping into proper lighting. Lilith… She smiled at him gently as she approached. Regardless of his feelings for Yori he still held an affection towards her that he held for no other. Their history was intertwined.

"Hanabusa…" her voice was shocked and sad. Did he look that bad? He took a moment to note he had not showered in quite some time and probably needed a good shave. Groaning he sat up straighter and moved to stand, but he was unsteady. Lilith shot forward and forced him back down, concerned he might fall in his attempt at chivalry.

"What are you doing here?" he quested gently. She smiled affectionately at him and ran fingers lightly across his cheek.

"After I heard of the horrible condition you were in I came immediately. I'm only sorry I had not arrived earlier." He smiled at her and avoided the touch of her fingers. It stung her, but she did a valiant job of not showing this.

"I'm surprised my father allowed you to visit…"

"He doesn't know," she said shyly. "I demanded they let me in." He was trying to stand again, moving away from the uncomfortable closeness she was invoking, but he stumbled back.

"Hanabusa! This is too cruel! When was the last time you drank?" He glanced away and didn't answer. He barely had enough time to notice that Lilith was unbuttoning the top of her dress quickly and efficiently. She pulled aside the laced clothes and offered her neck. For a moment it reminded him of his first night with Yori. The image sprang to his mind. He was distracted though in realization that the blood was beckoning him.

"You need to feed. Quickly, take what you need." His eyes widened as he back away slightly. "Don't be stubborn! If you go on like this you will most certainly grow ill." She insisted, placing her hand on his chest, moving closer. He felt her pulse, it was speeding up, quickening with very moment. He was intoxicated, his instincts taking over, but a face smiled at him gently in the back of his mind. Her voice rang in his thoughts even then. Hanabusa pulled away further.

"I am fine Lilith," he said reassuringly. She wouldn't buy it and came closer yet again, insistently.

"Aidou Hanabusa, do this for me, I cannot bear the thought of you being in pain and without blood." Looking into her cold eyes he saw it was true. She was literally pained to look at him in such a state. His hunger rose again, all encompassing, tearing at his very sanity. It had been so long. Even a simple tablet would have been sufficient, but he had nothing. Here he could feel the quickened pulse under her skin and below her chin. She offered herself, waiting anxiously. He stared long and hard at her throat, not sure of what to do next.

Seeing he was not moving, Lilith raised a finger and ran a sharp nail down her neck, drawing blood. Hanabusa's heart skipped a beat as suddenly his senses were filled with the aroma of sweet, sweet blood. He felt his fangs grow. Lilith reached up and ran a finger along the incision and smeared her finger in blood before gently placing it against Hanabusa's lips.

"Drink," she ordered gently. Her hands rested on either side of his head as she pulled his mouth closer to her neck. She noticed he was sweating horribly and breathing heavily. He did not move, but she would not let go.

Finally, as if someone else had taken over his body, he lunged forward and pinned her to the bed as he sank his fangs into her neck, drawing in her blood greedily. His eyes were a blood-red as he sucked her in deeply. The sounds of his feeding echoed within the room, bouncing off the walls and ceiling. His mind went blank with his desire to feed. Everything fell into a haze as he dove in over and over again. Things faded from the permanent grey he saw without Yori into a deep red. Nothing else was there but the live pulsing blood that coursed into his mouth. He sucked greedily, sounds emitting from him that had never come forth before.

Things spun out of control, never had he been so hungry for blood. Never had he craved to fill his inner being with that golden fluid. Nothing remained but him and the flow of blood. Everything faded to darkness as his lust overtook him.

--

Hanabusa felt more relaxed than ever before in the last week. He pulled in closer to the warmth at his side. Yori. She was there with him. He wrapped his arms strongly around her waist and pulled her closer. Her naked back pressed against his chest and her breasts resting firmly within his palm. He inhaled deeply her scent and he froze. This was not Yori. Pulling away abruptly he examined his surroundings and the woman in his arms and he felt his stomach churn.

There lay Lilith, innocently waking from her slumber. She rolled over and snuggled closer to his chest. They wore nothing. His eyes desperately swept the room, taking in the clothes thrown in all directions and their mussed figures. His palms began to sweat as he slowly pulled away from the soft vampiress. He inhaled quickly as she shifted closer to him. It was impossible, he could not seem to disengage from her entwined figure. He tried another tactic, running his finger up her side forcing a physical reaction to move off of his limb, but it failed as well. Sighing, he saw no other way out of it. He had to wake her up.

"Lilith," he shook her gently. She stirred and murmured his name. He hesitated. "Lilith," he said more persistently. She sat bolt upright and upon awakening, she scrambled to cover herself with the coverlet. She looked wildly around in circles.

"It wasn't a dream," she said under her breath. He heard her, but didn't quest further. An awkward silence filled the room as he shifted away from her. What had he done? The complete acknowledgement of what had happened finally seemed to hit him full on. He had slept with Lilith… LILITH of all women! He shoved one leg after another into his trousers, attempting to use the motion to distract himself from the naked childhood figure laying innocently and seductively in bed. He turned and glanced at her.

"You should go. I'm sorry for whatever happened last night, but I was drunk with blood." It was like a slap to the face for her. She stared at his back as he pulled away from her not only physically but in every emotional sense. She gathered the sheets closer to her body, trying to hold in whatever hurt feelings she could, but failed.

"Hanabusa, you are horrible!" she wailed as she grabbed up her clothing and headed straight for the door. Hanabusa was so shocked by the sudden outburst he could not stop her from fleeing through the opening. The door slammed shut and he was once again left to his lonely thoughts.

--

Yori succumbed easily to fainting spells, rampant needs for food or more specifically raw meat, as she began haunting the kitchens. The noticeable changes were taken into account by not only Yuki and the staff, but by Kaname-sama as well. He watched as she began to gain healthy weight, that which she had been missing for so long, but it expanded over the next month in her abdomen. She grew quickly, faster than would have been expected. It wasn't until one month later that finally Kaname-sama brought her to his office. She sat quietly eyeing him anxiously.

What was it, another event perhaps? He looked very serious. He was never one for beating around the bush.

"Yori, you're pregnant." She was stunned, in fact, she thought he was lying. These words did not affect her, they couldn't because they were not directed at her. She absorbed what he said to her and the full meaning began to settle in upon her. Pregnant. Her. Pregnant. Yori. Pregnant. Not her. Impossible. He was joking. He had to be. There was no possible way. It had only been a month.

"That can't be possible…" He cut her off.

"A pregnancy with vampire blood is very different from one with human. Though we age slowly we are quick to develop within the womb. It is something that is well-known within the vampire realm. The terms are not nine months, but six instead." Silence fell upon her like a curtain. She swallowed several times and her hands twitched reflexively. Ever so slowly she reached up and placed her hand gently over her womb, glancing down at the place her hand had settled.

"We're having a baby?" she said in wonderment. Kaname was not sure if she was happy or still in shock, perhaps both.

"Will you keep the child?" Kaname asked bluntly. Yori looked up at her employer quickly, eyes wide.

"What?" He elaborated.

"This is something that could potentially ruin Hanabusa. The rest of vampire society will shun him because he has turned his back on them. The child will be living proof to this. The child too would grow up in a very cold environment. Always to be rejected by others and never able to settle in one place. There are those who would seek to kill the child as well. Such extreme action I would see to it not happening, but it only takes one attempt. The child would grow in constant fear for his life."

Yori absorbed this information and her hand clenched over her womb. Who would dare to hurt her and her baby? She was surprised by the automatic maternal instinct that filled her for this unborn child.

"Hanabusa may very well request that the pregnancy be terminated. You must consider this as well." Her heart clenched. Was that something she could risk?

"I won't allow that to happen," she said firmly, seeing she had already made the choice. Kaname's eyes closed, already well aware of what this meant for Yori and he felt her sealed fate close with a resounding slam.

"You will not have a choice if the Aidou family sees it otherwise."

"They will not touch my child!" Yori reacted immediately. Kaname stared at her silently for a long moment, making her shift uncomfortably in her seat. Finally he spoke.

"Then I see I have no choice." Her heart stopped. "I will arrange for another location where you will carry the child to term. There will be only a select few who will know the whereabouts and I will also provide the appropriate midwife." Yori felt her eyes tear suddenly, in realization that Kaname would support her. Immediately her pride rose up and made her want to request that she carry the burden on her own, but seeing such a stoic look on Kaname's face, she knew right away it was no longer an option. What he had said was true and was it worth risking herself and the child?

"I will make the necessary preparations. You will leave as soon as possible. If word were to get out about your condition you would be in grave danger." Hanabusa's face flashed before Yori and she clenched her jaw. She wished to run to him and tell him the news, but Kaname's words still rang in her mind. Perhaps Hanabusa would tell her to get rid of it. The thought tore her to pieces. The only thing she could do was ride this sudden wave that developed and hope for the best.