AN: Very Very Sorry for the late update. Writing story is fun but only when you don't have classes, homework, tests and projects to worry about. Boy I wish my days were 36hrs and I had some great multitasking skills. I'm doing alright, health wise. Thank you for worrying about me so much. Once again sorry to keep you waiting long. This is another chapter for you. Hope you like it. I'll certainly be looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks to- Guests, sousie, night kanaze, Death Seiren, Sake, Lotus-kun, Kaze-chan, bubbleTART, Daughter of Trickery, cassiejones07, Cyan Clair S3, WeirdBlackCat, asanokatsuya10, ChientzNimea2Wind, Legend, Kuroexakatsuya, Carstairs-SujuEXO, Lanyath for your amazing reviews.

Chapter 21: Enemy's Enemy Is Friend

It was the time for the switch over. The day class students were crowding in front of the moon dorm gates just like every day. Yuki and Zero were standing guard and trying to control the crowd. Another usual everyday thing. Everything seemed normal and unchanged. Only it wasn't quite the reality. Zero's life for one had changed drastically. From a frightening ex-human with a bad attitude, and short temper, Zero had turned into a concerned father. A father who was constantly worrying about his daughter.

'Is Amaya still upset? Could she be crying at the moment? She must be feeling so lonely. She is all alone. Oh, why did I have to be so harsh with her? The words I said to her... were so cruel. I could have been a little kinder. I should've been a little more lenient. I will make it up to her the first chance I get... Amaya, please... just don't hate me.'

Such thoughts were running wild in Zero's mind. Not that anyone could tell cause he behaved normally. And then there were those other thoughts popping up in Zero's mind now and then concerning a certain pureblood. Though Zero was trying his best not to think of those things. The only people completely aware of this transformation of Zero Kiryu, were Kaien Cross and Kaname Kuran. Toga Yagari was suspicious. He could see the change in his pupil but knew not of the reason behind it. Yuki was able to pick up some changes in the hunter too and the girl was indeed confused by it. She certainly wanted to know what was going on but had no way to find it out. It wasn't like Zero would just tell her what was bothering him if she had asked. Also there was another person she was constantly wondering about. It was of course her beloved Kaname. Something was a little off with the pureblood. That much Yuki could sense. But she assumed it was because of the work load or something. Speaking of the pureblood, Kaname Kuran was the other person whose life wasn't quite the same anymore. In fact the changes in his life were more rigorous than Zero's since his feelings, emotions, thoughts and the main objective of his life were quite different from what they were before.

The situation the hunter and the pureblood were in was delicate and sensitive in all senses and aspects. Suddenly discovering a daughter from the future wasn't exactly a normal thing. And having to send that said daughter away after breaking her heart was no easy task to handle either. The pain and the guilt were ever present. Zero and Kaname were the only ones who could truly understand and help out each other since a third person couldn't possibly imagine what they were going through. Unfortunately for them, neither knew the other well enough to lend a hand of comfort or support. Kaname didn't know how to deal with Zero since he had only ever looked down at the level D. Envy, jealousy, anger, condescension (sometimes a bit of admiration, but very little) were the feelings reserved for him throughout the entire time Kaname knew the young hunter. So, now even though the pureblood wanted to exert very different emotions and feelings towards Zero, he found himself at a loss most of the time. Not to mention, Zero didn't exactly make things easy for Kaname. If nothing else Zero Kiryu was extremely skilled at making things difficult for Kaname Kuran.

It had already been forty eight hours since Amaya left the academy. She had safely reached the mansion and staying there. And this entire time, Zero was avoiding Kaname as if he was some unholy incurable plague. The only time he spoke to him was when Zero had to know if Amaya had arrived at the destination safely. Even that little talk happened in Cross's presence. After that Zero absolutely never allowed them to get close to each other, let alone share a moment alone together. Kaname knew why he was being like that. That almost kiss between them was responsible. Zero was so uncomfortable around Kaname now. The hunter's heartbeat increased every time their eyes met. Even if it was only for a brief moment during the crossover or while Zero was patrolling. Funny thing was, the hunter wasn't so uncomfortable with the pureblood even when they were enemies and they hated each other. And poor Kaname thought wooing Zero would be an easy task. How misguided that assumption was. Being patient was never a problem for Kaname but unfortunately, now with Zero, he was finding practicing patience most difficult. It wouldn't be too long before he had enough with Zero's avoiding him and did something about it.

Back to the usual things that happened at the crossover. The girls screamed at the top of their lungs as the gates of the moon dorm opened. They started to yell out their favorite night class student's name. Usually Zero would've rolled his eyes but at that moment, he had his mind elsewhere. With a certain female silverette, of course. Besides, since his side of the crowd was rather tame and not causing so much trouble, the hunter let himself get lost in his own thoughts. Yuki as usual was having much difficulty with controlling her side of the horde. At one point she was pushed down but someone caught her before she could hit the ground. When Yuki looked up it was actually Aidou who saved her from the fall. The noble flashed her a dazzling smile which caused Yuki to blush a little. He helped her stand up properly.

"Thank you Aidou." Yuki thanked the blond vampire; bowing her head as she did.

"Don't mention it. But if you want to return the favor you could always let me drink your blood." Aidou said playfully. A sweat drop appeared on Yuki's forehead.

"No, I don't feel that grateful." She said awkwardly. Watching their interaction (not really hearing their conversation) the girls surrounding them were turning green with envy and jealousy.

"Hanabusa, we're getting late for class." It was Kain who said that and dragged his cousin away before he did something deserving of reprimand from lord Kuran. As soon as they walked away, the mentioned pureblood approached Yuki.

"Yuki, are you alright?" Kaname asked with concern. Yuki immediately blushed a little and smiled brightly.

"Of course Kaname. I'm perfectly fine." She said, feeling a little embarrassed. Kaname must've seen her almost falling on her face. Why was she so clumsy?

"Please be careful Yuki. Don't let yourself get hurt." Kaname said gently. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Zero watching their interaction. It appeared the hunter had finally decided to snap out of his own thoughts and see what was happening in the real world. If the arrival of Amaya had never happened, Zero without a doubt would've marched over to them and pull Yuki away from Kaname. But now, he only watched. However with an unreadable expression on his face. An expression that was a mix of confusion, curiosity, guilt, awkwardness and something else.

As soon as their eyes met for a second, Zero quickly looked away from the pureblood. A little blush threatened to appear on his cheeks (due to nervousness and something else that didn't have a word for it) as the hunter's face heated up. Zero tried his best to hold it back, to think of something else. And not to think of 'that' (their almost kiss). Unfortunately, he couldn't control the rise in his heartbeat. Zero cursed the heart for being made of uncontrollable muscle. It certainly didn't make things any better to know for sure that the pureblood must've heard that fast and loud heartbeat.

"I'll see you later Yuki." Saying that Kaname began to walk away; with the intention of going over to Zero. He wanted to talk to the hunter. Zero would want to know how Amaya was doing. His familiar was keeping a close watch on their daughter. She was of course completely safe but very very sad. Kaname didn't want to let Zero know that because he knew, the hunter was already very worried about Amaya and feeling very guilty. It was just that, he needed to talk to Zero. Hear his voice (because Zero refused to even shout at the day class girls in Kaname's presence). Have the hunter look at him and in return let him look into his captivating eyes. Kaname simply wanted to have a moment with Zero. Even if a short and simple one. Even if they were surrounded by many people. What to say? The pureblood was desperate.

However, before Kaname could walk away, Yuki stopped him. There was something she wanted to ask her beloved lord Kaname for a couple of days now. But she didn't have the courage to do so. If Amaya was here, she'd have helped Yuki. Give her tips and encouragement. She'd have even helped her out somehow. But sadly since Amaya wasn't here anymore, Yuki had to mature up and take this step herself. She had to. There was no other way.

"Kaname….. um I was wondering….. if you're free tomorrow night, since it's weekend….. and… there's this carnival taking place in town….. so I was thinking that perhaps you'd liketogotherewithme." Even though Yuki talked really fast and stuttered the entire sentence, Kaname was able to understand what she really said. Basically, Yuki was asking him out again. This time she was brave enough to ask him face to face. However, if Yuki was smart enough, she'd have found it very odd that she needed to ask Kaname out again. Because any guy into a girl, would've gone on a couple of dates by now already. And really for the second time, Kaname should've approached Yuki himself with such proposal. Not wait for her to ask him out again. But instead of finding it odd, being the oblivious naive girl she was, Yuki only thought that Kaname was someone very different. So obviously things wouldn't be normal with him.

And truth to be told, if the situation was like before, Kaname would've done just that. He'd have announced to the world that he and Yuki were now lovers. They'd have done more than going on dates for sure. Even now, if things were like before Amaya's truth was discovered, Kaname would've said yes to Yuki without wasting a single second. He'd have been over the moon about this. But since things weren't exactly like before anymore, the pureblood hesitated. He knew saying outright 'no' would break Yuki's heart but he didn't want to say yes either. Kaname wished to lessen Yuki's feelings for him, not deepen it further. The time would come when the truth would be revealed to Yuki. The truth about herself and also the truth about Amaya. Amaya's truth would make Yuki understand that there was no future for her anymore with Kaname. That realization would inevitably break her heart if she was too deeply in love with him. How devastated she'd be then. Obviously, Kaname wanted to spare Yuki this heartbreak. She was after all someone he still cared very much about. Someone he promised to protect with his life. A promise he intended to uphold.

Of course there was a huge possibility that Kaname would end up hurting Yuki anyway, even if he kept her life safe. If Yuki couldn't stop loving him, couldn't stop feeling for him, there was no way losing Kaname wouldn't hurt her. Not to mention, losing Kaname to Zero. Someone she also cared very much about. It could completely destroy her. She might even perceive it as a betrayal. Zero and Kaname together with each other. How preposterous! Right now, Yuki wouldn't even think of such a thing in her wildest imagination. And Kaname couldn't see her handling it well in the future as well upon learning about it. Yuki would certainly be allowed to make a decision. If she wanted then Kaname would never show his face again to her after he was done destroying Rido. Yuki would become the queen of the vampire society and Kaname would disappear from her life. She'd rule with trusted advisers (Kaname's inner circle) guiding her. She'd be completely safe with them. No one would ever dare to threaten her life again. She'd be in such a powerful and strong position that no one would even think about it. Of course, Yuki could always make another decision. The decision to forgive Kaname for breaking her heart. To have him in her life as a brother. If so, Kaname would gladly and grateful accept that decision. In his heart, the pureblood certainly wanted that.

However, there was a third decision Yuki could make as well. And that was because there was no guarantee if the vampire Yuki and the human Yuki would be the same in nature. If anything, they could be completely different from each other. Human Yuki was a kind hearted girl. A girl who'd sacrifice her own happiness for others. She would do anything to protect the ones she loved. But vampire Yuki? Would she be kind? Would she be selfless? What if instead of asking Kaname to leave and never show his face again after hearing about him and Zero, she refused to let him go? What if she refused to give him up to Zero? After all she indeed had a right on Kaname as his fiance. They were chosen for each other. Vampire Yuki would understand the meaning of this better. She would understand the strength of her claim on him. And if she desired to be with Kaname, the entire vampire world would support it. Two purebloods belonged together. Their bond was necessary for the continuation of the Kuran bloodline. To throw that away to be with a mere level D, the entire vampire realm would be outraged. And even though, no one may dare to touch Kaname but life would certainly become difficult for Zero (he was hunted down and killed in the future for a reason). Not to mention, Amaya as well would be in trouble. Even if Kaname protected them both with all his might but he'd never be able to go against Yuki. Not her whom he swore to protect.

And then there was this un-ignorable fact that, if Yuki still wanted Kaname even after knowing the truth about Amaya, if she wanted to be with him, Zero would never fight for Kaname. In fact, by the look of things, he'd happily give them his blessings and disappear from Kaname's life along with their daughter. As if Kaname would just let him. He had no intention of letting Zero have a separate life from him. And it wasn't only because of Amaya. Whether anyone believed it or not, the pureblood now loved the hunter with all his heart. Yes, the future Kaname may have tried to pass his own feelings into the present Kaname and perhaps he had even succeeded in manipulating the present Kaname's feelings accordingly. But none of that mattered anymore. Because the present Kaname had already accepted them as his own feelings. There was no conflict anymore within the pureblood. He knew he loved Zero. He wanted him. Hence, Kaname would never let the hunter go. Never. And unlike Yuki, Zero didn't have the luxury of making a choice. He was stuck with Kaname, period. The hunter was oblivious to it now but he'd realize it soon enough. Kaname would do anything to make Zero fall for him, just as he had fallen for the stubborn yet endearing hunter himself. Also he'd start putting a distance between himself and Yuki too. Then eventually cajole her into seeing him more as a friend than a lover. Though in the end, Kaname would need to hope for the best regarding Yuki.

"I'm sorry Yuki. I can't give you an answer right now. I've to check if my schedule is free. I sometimes have work even on weekends." Kaname said apologetically. He gave Yuki a very guilty look.

"No no, that's absolutely fine… it's alright. Work is more important...I-... Let me know if you can go" said Yuki. She was turning red from embarrassment. Why didn't she think Kaname could be busy on weekends too before jumping in and inviting him to the carnival?

"Sure" said Kaname, smiling at her gently.

"Thank you for understanding Yuki." He said affectionately. Of course he couldn't behave coldly towards her all on a sudden just because he needed to put a distance between them now.

"Yeah sure." Yuki said smiling widely at the pureblood. Kaname gave her one last smile before walking away from her. He stopped in front of Zero just as he had planned. However, the hunter refused to acknowledge him, much to Kaname's disliking. Zero was a little troubled about what just happened right now. Since when did Kaname Kuran refused to a chance to spend time with Yuki? Well obviously since he started wanting Zero Kiryu. But the hunter didn't know that. Well more like he refused to know that. Therefore Kaname's action confused him very much. And made him wonder what the pureblood was up to?

"How are you today Zero?" Kaname asked with a smile that was full of accusation and displeasure. The reason- Zero's not paying attention to him. It angered the pureblood more when Zero refused to answer his question. Not to mention he was audacious enough to turn around in an attempt to walk away from him.

"It seems to me you don't care about a certain person anymore. Given that you make no inquiry about her. And here I was worried you'd be pestering me day and night asking about her." Kaname said baiting Zero. He knew this would poke the stubborn hunter in the right spot. And true to his assumption, Zero turned around and glared daggers at him.

"Don't speak as if you know me or what I'm going through." The hunter growled out in low tone of voice. He was pissed off alright. His aura made the day class girls nearby run away as if they were being chased by ghosts. Kaname smirked in satisfaction for finally getting his hunter's attention. He stepped a little closer to Zero, making the hunter immediately tense up. Though not because he felt any danger. It was something completely different. A tingling sensation in his stomach that threatened to make him shiver.

"Meet me at our place tonight. I'll be waiting for you." Kaname whispered it to Zero. This time the hunter couldn't stop the shiver from running down his spine. Damn, why the hell the pureblood was suddenly having such affects on him? Kaname walked away after that. He knew Zero would come. And that thought already made Kaname very happy.

If Zero didn't long to hear about Amaya, he'd have refused to meet him right away. Now he had no choice but to go. But he dreaded the thought of being alone with the pureblood too. Not because he was afraid of Kaname making a move on him. But because he wasn't confident anymore that he'd be able to fight him off or resist his advance. Zero almost gave in the last time. True that he was vulnerable that time and Kaname was comforting him but still, for him to even let it go that far. Zero could still feel the brush of Kaname's lips on his. And it wasn't exactly an unpleasant feeling either. What if he gave in again? NO. Zero vehemently shook his head. He wouldn't give in. Not before the crucial time when he'd need to give in for Amaya's sake. Zero wouldn't let Kaname's seduction get to him. Never. Only if Zero knew exactly how powerful the pureblood's seduction was. Even more as it was a seduction laced with love. Evading that would be next to impossible.

Later, when Zero arrived at their secret spot after doing his patrolling, he found that Kaname was already waiting for him there. Zero got straight to the point. He asked about Amaya. Kaname answered his questions. Then Zero tried to leave. But Kaname stopped him. One thing led to another, and before long Zero was pinned against a tree by Kaname. In retaliation, the hunter sank his fangs into the pureblood's exposed neck. Hard. Hoping that it'd make him let go. But Zero was wrong. His biting only made Kaname smirk to himself and hold him tighter.

"This was a wrong move Zero. Being bitten can be very pleasurable to vampires. Especially a bite from one's lover." The pureblood teased Zero, knowing how that would make him react and lash out. As expected, Zero glared murderously at the space and bit harder into the flesh. He wanted to pull away. He wanted to push Kaname away from him with all his strength. But Zero could only hold onto the pureblood. His pure blood. That sinfully sweet luscious blood, containing extraordinary power in every drop. That blood was too tempting, too alluring to resist or let go. Zero just didn't have it in him to pull away. Even though he wasn't feeling any bloodlust just a while ago, but now he felt like draining the pureblood dry. Not to mention, his blood seemed sweeter, richer and thicker than before. It sated Zero's bloodlust like nothing else. And then there were Kaname's feelings, flowing out freely through his blood. His intense emotions were flooding Zero. And the fragments of his thoughts kept nothing hidden about what exactly Kaname wanted to do with the hunter. All these things had Zero shaking in his own body. From pleasure or fear, he couldn't tell. On the other hand, despite the brutality of the bite, Kaname didn't flinch one bit. He continued talking and holding onto Zero as if he wasn't trying to rip off the very flesh of his neck.

"I wish you were a little gentler Zero-kun. Perhaps I should teach you the right way to bite" Kaname said with mirthful enthusiasm.

He looked down at Zero's neck that was exposed to him. It was long and the skin looked so soft and smooth. Kaname felt his mouth watering just by looking at it. His eyes glowed red from desire. Never before he wanted to sink his fangs into someone so much. Kaname couldn't resist pushing out his tongue from his mouth and lick a line along the curve of Zero's neck. Touching quite a few sensitive spots in the process. Zero stiffed when Kaname did that. The fear of bite from a pureblood woken up within him right away. That fear was strong enough to make Zero snap out of the bloodlust and quickly pull away from Kaname's neck. However, before he pushed the older vampire away, he looked into his eyes. That suddenly stopped Zero from making any movements. For a while two pairs of glowing red eyes simply looked into each other. Now, why a trigger happy hunter like Zero wasn't reaching out for his gun already so that he could defend himself was a question worth millions. As unbelievable as it sounded but Zero could only stare into Kaname's eyes that moment. As if the pureblood had trapped him in some kind of a trance. Zero was indeed in a trance. Kaname's inhuman beauty, his powerfully radiating aura that was so intense it was almost palpable and it screamed lust and desire for Zero. The young hunter was just floored by that look in Kaname's eyes and his aura. The aura was surrounding Zero, strongly yet gently at the same time. It was making him feel things Zero never felt before. As a result, he couldn't even breath properly, let alone move a single muscle. He was still feeling a little scared, but that wasn't what kept Zero rooted to his spot. It was the feeling of arousal that had the hunter frozen. Seeing Zero's state, Kaname smiled at him softly and lovingly. He raised his hand and cupped Zero's face with one hand. The thumb of that hand, gently rubbed against Zero's bottom lip. The fact that his lips were covered with blood, made them look all the more delicious to Kaname.

"Don't worry Zero. I won't bite you. Not unless you ask me to." The pureblood assured.

But it didn't relieved the hunter. Not because he feared Kaname still attacking him after saying that but because of how close he was now. Zero could feel his warm breath on his cheek. The hunter felt his heart pounding madly against his ribs. His breathing got short and heavy. Sweat appeared on his face and neck. Not to mention, the way his cheeks were heating up and how dry his throat felt, Zero feared passing out any moment. Kaname only leaned closer. Not showing any mercy to Zero. It was his punishment; for avoiding Kaname for two long days. The pureblood knew he was rushing things. He was supposed to take it slow with Zero. But to hell with it. He needed to devour those sinfully tempting lips right now.

Kaname removed his thumb from Zero's bottom lip and pressed his lips against the silverette's lips. The moment their lips touched, both felt a spark going down their spines and spread throughout their bodies. Kaname pulled away a little to see if Zero felt what he just felt. And seeing the hunter's wide shocked eyes, Kaname knew that he did. The pureblood captured those soft irresistible lips again and this time properly kissed Zero. The hunter however didn't respond. Neither he pushed Kaname away. To make Zero response, Kaname started to roam his hands over his body. He started touching places, he knew as the hunter's weak spots. Thanks to the visions from his future self Kaname already knew every inch of Zero's body. It didn't take long before a moan escaped Zero's breath. He gasped at the sound he made himself. Zero had fought. He had fought his best and tried not to give into Kaname's touch. He tried not to lose himself in the seduction. He was supposed to just wait it out. But unfortunately he lost. The way he was feeling. No, the way Kaname was making him feel, Zero didn't even realize when his body surrendered to the pureblood. Reading the hunter's body language, Kaname grabbed his opportunity and deepened the kiss right away. This time Zero couldn't help but kiss back.

And as soon as Zero started kissing back, the kiss become more heated, intense and passionate. Lips moved against lips as if they were meant to be touched by each other. Kaname nipped and sucked onto Zero's lips now and then and the hunter reacted accordingly. Kaname wanted to keep the kiss rather gentle but Zero got aggressive soon enough and he tried to dominate the pureblood. The older vampire obviously responded to that and started fighting for dominance with Zero. The kiss became wild and animalistic instead of remaining sweet and loving. And both enjoyed it immensely. It didn't take long for Kaname to subdue Zero and become the dominant kisser. But still he treated the hunter as gently as possible. Kaname cherished every second of this intimacy. Both had drowned themselves in each other's sweet and euphoric taste. Both raveled in the connection they felt between them that moment. They pulled away only when they ran out of air and it was absolutely necessary for them to breath. Even then Kaname refused to let go of the hunter. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Zero's. Both their warm and heavy breaths mingled with each other. Neither knew how long passed in complete silence, when only their loud breathing could be heard. At last Zero spoke up and broke the silence between them.

"Why?" He whispered softly but he sounded tormented.

"Why are you doing this?" Zero asked a little louder this time. Kaname pulled away a little to look at his hunter. Yes, his hunter.

"You've drunk my blood Zero. You know why." He stated without an ounce of doubt in his voice.

"Do you honestly want me to believe that you've fallen in love with me?" Zero spoke incredulously.

"That is the truth Zero." Kaname said calmly.

"This is ridiculous!" The hunter exclaimed.

"I've told you before whatever you're feeling for me, they aren't your feelings. They aren't real." He shouted out. Suddenly Zero felt very angry. Because he just realized he was actually trying to convince himself of that rather than Kaname. Was he really starting to believe that Kaname bastard Kuran was in love with him? And was he responding to his feelings? No, it couldn't be. How was it possible? Zero couldn't let it happen. Just no. This kiss was nothing but a mistake. That was all.

"How do you know?" Kaname snapped back. He wouldn't let Zero keep on believing that his feelings for him weren't real. Because that wasn't the truth anymore.

"All that I feel are my feelings. MINE. Denial isn't gonna change that." Zero took in a deep breath to calm himself down a little. It wouldn't do good if both of them lost their temper.

"What about Yuki? How could you forget about her?" The hunter asked. Trying a different approach this time. Hoping that mentioning Yuki would make Kaname feel guilty and bring him back to the reality. The reality where the two of them could never be together.

"I didn't forget about her. I care about Yuki; more than you ever could. But it is obvious now that she and I can't be more than siblings. Not when I don't love her like that anymore." Hearing that Zero only gritted his teeth in anger. Just what the hell!

"This is completely unfair to her. She's loved you her entire life and you're gonna abandon her just like that! And for what? Because of your so called false feelings for me?! How selfish can you be Kaname?" Kaname glared daggers at Zero this time. He may love Zero but the hunter was certainly getting on his nerves now.

"Staying with Yuki and not loving her with my whole heart, you think that'd be fair to her?" The pureblood asked coldly. He moved closer to Zero; so much that their noses were almost touching. For a second the hunter thought Kaname would kiss him again. Zero gulped down the lump in his throat. He was ready to push Kaname away this time should he tried to kiss him again. Thankfully the pureblood made no such attempt. Instead he said something very serious.

"Because one thing for sure ZeRo, these so called false feelings aren't going anywhere. Like I said already, they're my own feelings now. I can never love Yuki anymore the way she deserves." A moment passed between them in suffocating silence. Both Kaname and Zero glaring at each other. In the end, it was Zero who looked away.

"Fine, do whatever you wish with Yuki but-" He looked back at Kaname again. This time his eyes were narrowed and full of determination in them. Zero stepped away from the pureblood as well, as if making a point here.

"Never expect me to have any feelings for you. No matter how many times you kiss me or touch me, but I will never fall for you." Instead of getting angry after hearing that, Kaname's lips curled up into a smirk.

"Is that a challenge Zero-kun?" The pureblood asked, almost sounding like a predator. Zero remained calm though.

"No. Just stating a fact." He said casually yet firmly. Kaname arrogantly snorted at that.

"We will see."

Amaya was sitting in a cafe. She was leisurely taking sips of her tea. Amaya wasn't exactly imprisoned in the mansion. She was allowed to go outside. Otherwise she'd have figured something was going on wrong and tried to escape the second she got a chance. However wherever she went, her secret body guards followed her like her own shadow. Their job was pretty difficult though since they had to make sure Amaya didn't realize that she was being watched. So far everything was going smoothly. Amaya was upset but she wasn't causing any trouble. In fact, the people in charge of Amaya's safety and protection began to think, they wouldn't encounter any problem as long as they maintained their cover. How wrong they were! How foolish to think that Amaya really didn't sense being watched. She had spent almost her entire life running and escaping from enemies. One of the crucial things for survival was sensing being stalked and knowing that she had been spotted by an enemy spy. After that there were only two things to do. Either losing that spy with wits and cleverness or make sure that spy wouldn't live to tell anyone else about her location. Losing a spy was obviously preferable since death or sudden disappearance of a spy drew attention anyway.

Amaya was certain about being watched. And it was certainly a good thing that these spies were underestimating her. But the question was why? Why was she being watched? Whose orders these spies were following and why? Kaien Cross wouldn't need to have people stalk her. It was obviously someone else. Someone with enough power and authority. The hybrid indeed had a guess on who the person was. And then there was the incident with Zero. His being so harsh and angry with Amaya all on a sudden was no less suspicious. Clearly, something had happened at the academy that Amaya had no clue about. However, she was certain that whatever had happened was the reason she was forced to leave.

'What could it be? What had really happened?' Amaya thought to herself as she took another sip of her tea.

'Whatever it is that pureblood had a hand in it. I'm sure of it.'

'Did he do anything to Zero or say anything to him? Perhaps he threatened Zero to push me away.'

'But threatened Zero with what? It must've been something very serious. Zero wouldn't have caved because of a light threat.'

'But most importantly why would he(Kuran) threaten Zero to push me away in the first place? If he wanted to get rid of me somehow, he could've done it a dozen other ways. Why involve Zero?'

'Was he just being a sadistic bastard? I certainly wouldn't put it past him.' Amaya took another sip of her tea.

'Well, none of that matters anymore. I'll protect my dad whether I'm with him or far away from him.'

'But first I must lose these spies. I think I've played the good girl for long enough.'

Amaya finished her tea and stood up. But her intention wasn't to walk out of the cafe. Instead she entered the washroom there. It was the only place she wouldn't be watched. The two spies who were inside the cafe, posing as customers were looking at the washroom door like hawks. Even though there was zero percent possibility of Amaya getting into any danger in there but they still remained alert. The spies of a pureblood took their job very seriously. Especially Kaname's.

"Shouldn't she be out already?" One asked the other.

"Hmm. Let's wait half a minute more then we'll go and check. But I'm sure everything's fine. No one could get in there without us knowing and she can't escape anywhere from there. Besides, why would she even try to?"

"I don't know. We've been watching this girl for three days now and all she has done is think. What the hell does she think about anyway?" The unnamed spy surely sounded a little frustrated about it.

"Who knows. We shouldn't worry about it as long as she's behaving and not getting into any danger."

"Still, we ought to be more caref-" Before the spy could finish the sentence, they and the entire cafe heard a loud blast. The sound came from the washroom. However the force of the blast wasn't very strong. It didn't blew up the cafe or anything. It only caused a minor damage to the washroom. Both spies sitting in the cafe and a few who were stationed outside went running inside the washroom; only to find no sign of Amaya in there and a huge hole on the floor. The toilet seat was completely uprooted.

"THE GIRL HAS ESCAPED!" It was fairly obvious by then.

"What the-?

"Why?"

"How?"

"I sense a hunter's spell in the air. It must be a blasting spell" said one spy.

"I can't believe she went in there." The spy who said that cringed unapologetically. After all it was the most nasty and disgusting way to escape.

"Should we go after her? She mustn't have gotten very far."

"But she can't know about us. Going after her would mean revealing ourselves."

"Well we weren't supposed to let her out of our sight either. Besides, her escaping like this means she already knows that she's being watched."

"You are absolutely right about that!" This time it wasn't one of the spies who said that. It was Amaya. Her sudden appearance among them certainly startled the vampire spies. The silverette's lips curled up into a grin.

"Feeling confused?" She asked mockingly.

"I certainly knew that people were watching me. But I didn't know who or how many." Amaya roamed her eyes over everyone, each one of them and her smile become wider.

"Well now I know." It became clear that the blast was nothing but a trap to lure all the spies out of their hiding.

"But you were gone from here!" One of the vampires couldn't help but point that out.

"Oh that; (giggle mirthfully) a concealing spell. It made me invisible to your eyes. Pretty handy, isn't it? Now- I have one more trick up my sleeves." Before any of the spies could do anything, Amaya opened her fist, revealing a purple colored powder in her palm. She blew it into the air. As soon as those vampires came into contact with the powder and inhaled even a little bit, they all passed out right then and there. It was another hunter's weapon against vampires. The powder helped knocking out vampires. However making the powder wasn't very easy. Quite a few rare ingredients were needed and the hunter performing the spells to make the powder must be very skilled and careful. Otherwise the substance wouldn't work. These three days, Amaya wasn't only thinking. She was subtly preparing for her escape as well. So subtly that even those expert and skilled spies couldn't tell.

The other customers and staffs of that cafe were all very scared, and confused about what was going on. Amaya didn't bother with them. As soon as those vampire spies woke up they'd take care of their memories. Escaping from there was most important for her. As such, Amaya ran out of the cafe. She ran as fast as she could. Those spies wouldn't stay down for long. She needed to get away and hide somewhere as soon as possible. Amaya wasn't gonna just run though. She had a destination in her mind. The hunter's association. Amaya knew all about the current president of the hunter's association and how corrupt he was. She also knew that through the president, she could come in contact with the head of the vampire council. An old vampire noble who wanted the end of Kaname Kuran. Asato Ichijou was also someone keeping Rido Kuran as his pet. Amaya was now realizing what Asato had realized long ago. Rido Kuran was the only one who could kill Kaname since he was the only one whom that ancestor couldn't kill. Amaya already knew of all the moves that Kaname was planning on making against Rido. Therefore, she was certain she'd prove to be very useful to Rido and Asato. And while being useful to them, she'd achieve her own goal. Destroying Kaname Kuran once and for all.

Truth to be told, Amaya didn't really want to do this. She didn't want to get involved with the likes of Rido and Asato Ichijou. Not to mention, it was that damned pureblood Rido who used the Kiryus like pawns against Shizuka Hio. He would pay for his deeds. It was inevitable. Amaya wouldn't let him go unpunished. But for now, Kaname Kuran was Amaya's biggest enemy. He shouldn't have separated her from Zero. His evil plotting was forcing Amaya into taking such action. Otherwise she was going to wait at least until Rido was dealt with before making a move against the ancestor. Now, Amaya had no choice but to side with Rido. After all enemy's enemy was a very helpful friend.

Amaya looked up at the sky. A bird was flying right above her. To an ordinary human that would've been a pretty normal thing. But Amaya was neither human nor ordinary. She was aware that the bird was following her. Or rather a pureblood was watching her. Amaya knew Kaname's familiar was either a bat or a wolf. But it wasn't impossible for a pureblood with Kaname's power to give his familiar a different form. It had to be Kaname because no other pureblood had any reason to keep a close eye on her. Amaya jumped over a building and got on the rooftop in order to get closer to the bird. Then she swiftly pulled out her daggers and she threw them aiming the bird. But one dagger was thrown a moment later the other. Hence while dodging the first dagger, the bird got hit by the second one. It immediately poofed and disappeared into the thin air. Amaya once again resumed her running.

"The game is on now... Kaname Kuran."