o o o
The Hiou clan saddled the ridge overlooking the Kurenai sects. The direct descendants forked into the left and the all-male medicinal village steered to the right, forever private, and distant from both clan members. A large body of river teemed like silver ashes over the Kurenai clan. Pillaging the sharp mountains, white water swept softly in narrow streams and plummeted into a large warm geyser that curtailed one of the many entrances inside the Hiou clan. The peaceful sun shimmered across the stretching water, rippling about the fountain netted in rouge cherry blossoms. The wind stirred, and the flowers freed from homes, caressing into the glittering water.
She stuck her hand in the warm water fumbling down the geyser, the smell of flowers drizzled densely in the sun. A white contour stirred around her fingers, whirling out of the way and slipped in the shallower rims of the pool. Her rouge-pink eyes narrowed suspiciously at the looping shadow. She stood tall, her silver hair flinging in the breeze down her back and the sleeves of her kimono.
"Who are you?" She waited warily.
The shadow swirled timidly, so as not to perturb her calm and neat presentation. The white snake peeked its head on the surface, sparkling emerald green eyes blinked. The pureblood standing was not the mature and prominent Kuruizaki-hime. It retracted under the water in sudden confusion, ingesting the sight of the unknown woman.
"Let me warn you, not many are welcome in the Hiou land. If you trespassed, get out before I skin you and eat you for dinner." She sternly slurred, the soft tinge of her eyes darkened from the order. She raised the right sleeve, her sharp claws glinted in the sunlight.
The white snake wove out of the pool, glittering white-gold dust in midair and transformed into a wet and unrefined blond green-eyed gasping vampire. Takuma ruffled wet hair from his eyes to greet her properly.
Her eyes instantly brightened; the firm line of her mouth parted in infallible flabbergast.
He deposited a dangerously ebullient smile that could melt ice and granulate the stone-heart of a giant. "I'm sorry for interrupting your morning peaceful hour. It's stunning out here in the quiet, but the year-round cherry blossoms make it extra special. I can see why you like to sit here, heh." Takuma flashed another heart-stirring smile, "Do you come alone?"
Her hand crawled over her chest. She blinked raptly, discreetly revoking the daze and averted. "This is my home. Who are you?"
"Home?" Takuma favorably observed the panoramic mountain weaving the Hiou clan's home and the waterfall. "Your home isn't only extravagant but beautiful. It's sad not to share such a beautiful place with others."
"You can thank the Kuran king for that," She retorted, her pinkish eyes malevolently narrowed, "He can't stand a difference in belief and shamed my mother. We enjoy a peaceful and leisure lifestyle and don't prefer entertaining outsiders. You don't look like a Kurenai monk practicing medicine. Your hair isn't silver, and you're not a pureblood," Her gaze drizzled in eager decisiveness down his wet shirt, marveling at the transparent material outlining his torso. "Don't tell me you came this far for a dip?"
Takuma uncertainly folded his arms under her ravenous scrutiny. "No."
Her barefoot rippled on the grass, whiter than the clouds and striking like her silver hair. "I've never had a snake before." A claw hooked the divested button, tugging it. A pink tongue traced her lip hungrily.
Takuma politely unfastened the claw and stepped back, "Snakes aren't good for health actually." He scratched his head nervously, but she closed their distance more, "Y-you said, mother, do you think I can speak to her? It's a very important matter."
"She doesn't care about things outside of the mountain." Her fingers danced over his collar bone, "You have amazing bone structure."
He fidgeted and carefully retracted another step. "She should. We're amidst a pureblood battle. Someone will come seeking her support. I wanted to wait for him beforehand."
She tipped her head to the side. The act made her long tresses slather down her shoulder. "Support for battle? Why isn't he here with you?"
"I was worried about him and wanted to be here when he arrived," Takuma explained.
Red-pink eyes narrowed at his ruddy cheeks, "Everyone knows she is the worst person to engage in debate with. She is ill-tempered. There's a reason why she's referred to as the 'Mad Blooming Princess.' "
"I understand, but she needs to know the dire situation affects her too," Takuma yanked his chin away from her caressing fingers.
"First, she'd kill an outsider like you on sight."
Takuma steadied her reaching hand by the wrist, sighing, "You seem patient and understanding unlike her. Don't let her vanquish me. It's known Kuruizaki-hime isn't receptive. I risked coming to hold out for the crowned prince. He didn't want to give up negotiations."
Her brows inclined high in deliberation, "Negotiations?" Her laughter caused the cherry blossoms to swirl in clusters of pink around the fountain and waterfall. "He mustn't have many options left to want to deal with her."
"Our lives will end if we don't win. Lord Toma has become a ferocious enemy of the crown and to purebloods everywhere." Takuma warned bitterly, "We're desperate."
Ai Hiou pulled her soft white hand from Takuma's mechanical grip. She nodded at the drenched vampire. "A state of emergency mustn't be left to fate, action is the best solution,"
Takuma's gaze shifted from despair to illuminated agreement, "Exactly."
"When do you think the crowned prince will sneak in?" She inquired.
"I'm not sure," Takuma mumbled with dread and scratched his temples, "He was supposed to arrive a few days ago. The plan was he'd come no matter what."
"You've been in the water for many days?" She gestured to the pool.
He beamed, "The warm water combined with the cherry blossoms created an aromatic water therapy. I slept—"
Her claws tore open his wet shirt in frisk fluidity. His glistening torso shimmered from dripping water dots, mounting like crystal diamonds across pale skin. An exhilarated smile crowned her mouth as her eyes feasted on his pants.
"Uh—" Takuma sagely backed away.
Ai innocently chiseled his chest with a palm, "Let's get you to my room. You don't want to welcome the crowned prince unkempt?" Her fingers skipped to the mouth of his pants.
"No, th-thank you," Takuma stammered, reverting toward the pool, "Water snakes can hibernate in the water."
Her claws tore into the back of his shirt, easily letting the material flap on the ground. "There are specific rules in the Hiou household. You must always look presentable. If I let you stay, you'll need to comply," Ai ran her fingers down his muscled back in relish.
Takuma was concerned for his life. He was also anxious about Kaname and Yuki making it to the clan in one piece. He'd have better ground control once they arrived. Presently he was at the pureblood's disposal, whose assistance and patience were impertinent to making sure a deal could be initiated with the clan matriarch. He didn't exactly have leverage, but the covetous pureblood was distinctly pining after his physicality, err, masculine specimen. He could hide in the water if things went south, he decided. Her silver hair danced down her back as she slowly walked with enchanting grace over the grass and up the stoned ridges toward the glass-like house of multiple pagodas. She did not speak and kept her pace agile, orderly. Instead of the main hall, she led him to the third and farthest den.
"You can stay here until they come," She opened the screen door to a large room.
Instantly, Takuma wanted to shrivel back a footstep and bounce back out. The wooden floor glistened white in the sun pouring through the open windows overlooking the terrace below and conjoined courtyard. The room was not what Takuma imagined the graceful and pale pureblood to reside in, considering the remarkable contrast it presented to her mellow demeanor. Her kimono was silk white and dusted lavender, blending with her enchanting and lustrous hair. The furniture was crimson. A circular red silk bed appeared several steps beyond the foyer, divided by another red screen. The chairs circulating the small table at the foyer were clothed in red as well. A large muscular man morphed next to the door patiently. His naked torso glistened from oil or sweat, Takuma could only deduce so much at first glance. He wore a transparent red hakama, the portion of his pants that managed not to be transparent was specifically designed to entice the imagination while the rest of him was visible for appreciation and praise. He bent reverently on the floor to welcome his master.
His black eyes shimmered joyfully, "Ai-sama," The vampire servant raised his head and smiled excitedly, "You're finally back."
"Yes," She caressed his jaw, her claws barely leaving a trace before withdrawing the white hand, "I met a-" Ai observed Takuma's watchful expression of reluctance and self-preservation, he had not moved from the threshold, "Fine guest."
The vampire stood up briskly and bowed out of respect to the guest. "Welcome to Ai-sama's private quarters."
Takuma straightened and bowed as well, "Takuma Ichijo."
She gestured to her servant, and immediately he knelt at her leg, "Find him fresh clothes and have food delivered here."
"Yes, Ai-sama," The servant bobbed his head energetically and danced through the doors.
Ai neared Takuma, raising a gentle white hand to caress his right cheek, "Takuma," She whispered softly, "I like the name a lot. What does it mean?"
He shivered from her invisible touch, averting, "It means 'true.' "
Ai smirked saucily, "Does that mean you'll remain true now that I've let you wait for the crowned prince?"
He blinked wide, "Why would you think that?"
Ai ran a finger down his collar and into his sternum, enjoying the mounts of muscle, "I'm taking you under my custody, it's only fair you stay true to me until it's time to leave."
Takuma whipped his head in her direction finally to slice reality back to her hallucination, "There's only one person I remain eternally true to, Kaname. I've sworn my mind, body, and soul to him. We've been around each other from the age of six. He will die if I desert him." Will he? Of course, not. Not to mention if Kaname ever heard him say the words, he would murder Takuma. Thankfully, he could mouth as much as he wanted to leverage his predicament and value.
Ai snickered musically, her crimson eyes crinkled from hilarity at the statement, "You know what turns on a pureblood, Takuma? Eternal loyalty. We lose people we care about. It gets our blood pumping and heart racing when a person swears themselves to us forever." Ai touched his open lips generously with a digit. Her eyes widened hungrily at his flushed skin.
Her finger traced the tip of his tongue. He pulled back tetchily, "What're you doing?"
"I've decided after you've nourished and rested, I will make you mine." She declared.
He stumbled away from the pureblood, "Yours?"
Ai's eyes narrowed in superior amusement, "Isn't that what noble-blood vampires want? To stay close to a pureblood and secretly covet them? I'm making your dream come true."
"I don't want to be yours. I can't leave Kaname. He will have no one in the palace." Takuma objected.
"I'll just buy him from you," Ai replied.
He wanted to laugh but resorted to scoff angrily at the outrageous and sheltered solution. "I can't be bought. I am an Ichijo, son, and heir to the third powerful clan in the nation."
"And I am the next matriarch of the Hiou clan," Ai summed congenially, "You and I make a fascinating pair. We don't have to live here, but I'm willing if you are. We'll have lots of children who'll bear my passion and elegance, and your evergreen emerald eyes and sexy bone structure."
Stumped, Takuma couldn't believe his ears. For a moment, he felt smoke gush between his eyes and figured it had all been a tumultuous nightmare. He clenched his jaw and blinked dizzily at the floor, unable to make sense of the situation. He couldn't reject Ai Hiou and make Kaname lose the opportunity to ally with the clan. His jaw slackened slightly at the dismal revelation, nonetheless, he remained even-eyed and cool-headed as he regarded the smirking pureblood, her eyes turning steamier by the second.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Takuma interrupted composedly, "I'm here on official business, not a romantic tryst. I'm sorry, you're a beautiful pureblood who can have anyone, and I don't want to violate the rule between purebloods. I'm responsible for keeping laws, not breaking them,"
"Who cares?" Ai shrugged, "Aristocrat vampires are not the problem, our children—"
"We are not even together," Takuma interjected.
She mused as if he had not uttered a syllable. "Our children don't have to grow up in the country, we'll run away."
Takuma raptly shook his head. She made a mature first impression, but he realized, her true nature was that of a birdbrained thirteen-year-old human girl. "Ai-sama," He tilted his head pleadingly, "Please, listen carefully. I'm willing to stay hidden in your quarters. After Kaname arrives, you must forget the story-tale illusion of our life together. Once I leave with Kaname, I will never return."
Ai glided toward the adamant blond vampire. She slipped her arms around his naked waist and leaned against the column of his body on her tip-toes. "We'll see, Takuma. We'll see if you can resist me."
He flew out of her arms, "Stop putting your hands anywhere you want."
The door slipped open to reveal the servant carrying fresh clothes.
o o o
Lord Toma was at the bottom of a hollow, flooded pit of ash-water and poisonous sea urchin. He avoided the mountain, the streams, and engraved caves enmeshed throughout the region. He resorted to the dangerous and less than agreeable hideout to recuperate. His temporary reprieve was fortunately missed by the searching party. He transformed back into a bat, weaving the winding tunnel and wedged between boulders to plunge into the near opening that clashed with fresh wind and crisp sun. He managed to transform back to his human form and sink in the corner, scanning for noises and movement. The scent of the Toya clan wafted like smoke, whisking through the nostrils and pricking his eyes with tears. He waited in engaged and steady breathing, watching the white clouds wade in streams of birds and light.
A shadow lurched at the entrance, the sizable figure flapped through the narrow opening and whizzed down the boulders, leaving a trail of dust. He crouched farther out of sight, but the silhouette flew directly at the hiding pureblood.
The eagle unraveled long wings, shaking off the misty and clammy wind of the tunnel. It transformed into a blank white silhouette, pale hair twisted in the humid air, flapping against the armor of his back as he stepped on the boulder Lord Toma hid behind.
"Fancy meeting you here, Shizuku." A voice purred beyond the steep boulder. The contour folded in sequential weight, a dance between falling chains on the ground as he regarded the paralyzed pureblood.
Lord Toma backed against the wall, frightened by the perching predator. There was not a pureblood on the land that did not fear him.
"A flash of lightning caught my attention a few days ago, you wouldn't happen to know what that was about?" He ruminated, silver locks drizzled down his defined cheekbones and jawline.
Lord Toma felt crushed by the glaring eyes piercing his soul. He slumped on the floor, outright conquered by the nonchalant pureblood who hadn't moved or uttered a threat.
"Nothing in the world escapes you, my lord." Lord Toma shriveled feebly on the knees.
He chuckled at the sight of the once boasting pureblood that yearned to usurp the Kuran throne. "You've been recuperating for several days here. A good omen the Toyas haven't gotten to you yet. Are you thinking of resurfacing and taking revenge on them?"
Shakily Lord Toma crouched on all fours and pushed his head on a sharp rock in submission.
The pureblood paid no attention or indulged in the display, "The Toya clan isn't strong in numbers compared to the Toma samurais. How is it possible you lost the battle?"
"The Light of Heaven was an imitation," Lord Toma moaned from the ground, unable to lift his head and meet the pureblood's murderous stare, "I was fooled from the start. My men and I were on the verge of winning. We didn't expect the dragon blade to appear."
A cold sheen flashed through his mercurial eyes, Lord Shoto considered the pureblood frozen in self-penance. "I should've taught you better and nurtured you wholeheartedly than left you to your foolish egocentric illusions." He sliced, "The Light of Heaven isn't relevant."
"It is!" Lord Toma yanked his head up in alarm, "Kuran souls fused the sword, generations of Kuran kings resigned their life's essence to increase its power. It's stronger than the hunter weapons. How can I rule without the ultimate weapon?"
"Shizuku," Lord Shoto irritatingly called out, "For centuries Little Nine reared you, taught you to defend and lead battles. Why do you let your commander and trainer down on useless accounts? A weapon is a mere tool. The real power is the person wielding a weapon. You sure have a knack for disappointing her."
"Fff-forgive me, Shoto-sama," Lord Toma mumbled weakly and lowered his face back on the ground, "I wanted to win only to learn the Light of Heaven must be utilized by a Kuran."
"If it is as you claim," Lord Shoto murmured, "Why don't you create your own weapon?"
"How would I go about doing that, my lord?"
"I fused Little Nine's ashes in the hunter weapons. Artemis, Bloody Rose, and the others my hunter army wields are unmatched. I find it interesting why the king didn't use the Light of Heaven on you? You should take advantage of his benevolence. The crowned prince is young, wise, more powerful than he lets on, the embodiment of an eternally omnipotent pureblood. You should take his soul to fuse a weapon. Not only does it rid you of a hindrance, but it will withstand the Light of Heaven well, a Kuran soul against Kurans."
Lord Toma's eyes eagerly widened. He jerked alertly to his knees at the suggestion. "Can I really harvest his soul?"
"Once again we're in a predicament because of Little Nine's unquenchable love for the king. She told me about the origins of the mythical dragon blade. There's a crypt in another dimension the kings slumber."
"Dimension?" Lord Toma sank on the floor, "I mentioned the Light of Heaven was a sword of another world, but the king scoffed at the idea."
"He isn't the type to goad an enemy," Lord Shoto accorded kindly, "The dragon blade is a mysterious backdoor to the crypt. The blade is tied to the Kuran, but it happened to leave the lineage and came to Little Nine once. It unfailingly goes to the person meant to cross the door. She entered the crypt to revive the king who was unconscious for years and was presumed to be a pureblood shell."
"During the battle, the huntress by the name of Yuki Hanako activated the dragon blade," Lord Toma growled.
"So, her secret is out," Lord Shoto discerned, "She released the Oracle Dragon guarding the crypt."
"If it weren't for the dragon, we'd have won, and I'd be on the throne as we speak."
Lord Shoto analyzed the pureblood, trained under the Shoto regime thousands of years ago, and won battles at his daughter's side. He was also a companion of the Kuran king. The years had been hard on him. Shizuku was a durable fighter of war and strategy, yet he lacked self-faith. He always felt he was undermined by the Kuran. Whenever he was a step closer to accomplishing a goal or wish, Shigeu outsmarted or received the praise. The jealousy cost him his self-esteem. He couldn't stand the thought of letting the Kuran lord over vampires anymore.
"I don't care who gets the throne," Lord Shoto disclosed, "You can play your power game as long as I permit you to. I'm not after worthless aspirations. The dragon blade is not just a key, it can take a Kuran's soul. The king must've been annoyed after learning the little huntress's identity and killed her to maintain his reputation. Take the blade from him and forge your sword."
Lord Toma nodded but furrowed his brows, troubled, "Why do you help me if you don't care who wins?"
The guild leader and master of the hunters simply turned and began to hike to the mouth of the tunnel. His silver hair rippled in the wind with each surging footstep he took toward the blinding sun. "The nation will belong to the hunters. When it's time, I will seal the Light of Heaven from vampires of the world. Can you stand up to me then, Shizuku?" He chuckled and dispersed into white light, merging into an eagle and flew into the clouds.
Lord Toma gaped in horror at the disappearing lord, whom no man or vampire had ever defeated.
o o o
Tears dribbled down her cheeks, she steered the horse through the gates, riding ferociously on the rumpled, wet ground, splashing mud on nearby vampires. The dead were being buried, and the living grasped any hope they could fathom. Juuri yanked the reins of the horse upon the courtyard, her tearing crimson eyes passing the guarded-looking vampire lords and human warlords. Their hands reassigned from weapons to their hips, a bridled relaxed pose after observing the harmless pureblood. She dismounted the horse. Her fervidly shaking hands detached from the reins and turned in time to encounter a pair of fast approaching blonds.
Lord Ichijo instantly bowed to his knee in front of her, wide-eyed and nervous by her appearance. "My lady, what brings you to the village?"
Juuri clenched her gloved hands and rearranged her hood, "I must speak to Haruka."
Slowly, the lord rose to his height, "Lord Tsunamasa has gone hunting with Lord Kurosu and Kiryuu."
She began to mount her horse to the lord's surprise. "Which way did they go?"
"It's not safe," Lord Ichijo cried, "Lord Toma is dangerous, we're moving to the Kurenai village. They'll meet us there."
Juuri spared him a glare, "Which way."
He sighed and relented, "Down the river. Allow me to escort-"
Juuri drew the reins and nudged the horse into motion. The second blond vampire shirked from the neighing horse. Aidou stared after the pureblood racing back out of the gates.
o o o
Even though the pool was shallow, a globe of white light shimmered from the bottom, an effervescent bubble sizzled to the surface for moments at a time. The medicinal properties clung to his veins by penetrating the skin, fusing through the nervous system, and anchoring into his pureblood organs. He had closed his eyes to suppress making painful twitches and exhaustive sounds to avoid alarming the whirling butterfly in the stone cave. A faint dash of light lanced through a narrow opening in the corner of the high ceiling, a distant galaxy peeking into the trenches of limestone. Kaname concentrated on breathing as his muscles and bones contorted in reaction to the herbs and elixirs of the water. Breathing was torturous. From the inside-out, every inch of him was in pain. He appeared peacefully frozen in the pool, and the butterfly settled on a plate that had been left distinctly in plain sight and within reach under the sunlight. She required light to retain energy as well as her form, but he had partly expected her to find the loophole and reverse the transformation.
"Are you embarrassed?" Kaname whispered.
The butterfly trickled in soft fluttering motions off of the plate and away from the pureblood.
"You're a smart girl, you can figure out how to transform back," He steadily caught his trembling breath and trained his eyes shut as the stinging wove around his bones. "The Hiou clan isn't far from here. The king will be nearby, assembling troops. The garrison will have moved to the Kurenai clan, so will your father. He's been on your mind."
She lowered on the poolside. His red eyes unsealed to take note of her frail and light form.
"Purebloods can last in our vampire essence for years. You haven't practiced and won't last if you fly there yet," Warmth candor glazed his eyes as he enunciated, "I can't see you further decrepit yourself. I'll spoil you after I've healed."
Kaname soaked in the stream and washed the toxins from his body, it flushed down the stones and drained into a sinewy ripple out of the cave. He saw her float somewhere behind the boulders to provide him privacy, which absolutely amused him. He did not take Yuki to be shy until he tasted her blood. He realized how undoubtedly soft and tender she was on the inside. All the sword-flashing and egomaniac hunter absurdity signified zilch to her authentic self. He couldn't be fooled if he had been before, which was rare since he saw through her rough behavior and brutish garbles. He robed in a white yukata and layered his shoulders with a jacket the aides delivered to the cave.
The aides added more herbs for him to soak later if he chose. Before leaving, they set up a table of medicine for him to drink. The duo smiled pleasantly toward the pureblood, bowing patiently, "The medicine was granulated by the healer. He also suggested you ingest the sleeping aid."
"Understood," Kaname immaculately studied the valves arranged next to the Water of Life, "Bring extra clothes." He said suddenly.
The aides blinked at each other but nodded and hurriedly departed with the order.
Kaname waited with arms folded as they giddily returned and peered elatedly at him for further orders.
"The stone tablet was used by the former king centuries ago. It will heal your blood and bones stupendously. We will guard the entrance to ensure your recovery is uninterrupted, my lord." An aide relayed.
Kaname nodded, "That'll be all, you can leave." He said quietly and watched the duo trail sadly out of the narrow crevices of the passageway, outside. He listened for the stone doors to glide against the ground and seal shut.
He sought the butterfly daintily sitting on the edge of a boulder. He raised his palm and she glided reflexively in the cradle of the hand. Her light and formless shape glimmered in the shadows of the cave. Kaname trailed toward the edge of the pool, he peered intently at the lustrous butterfly, "Now pay close attention to the loophole. In the future, you'll need it."
A wicked smile caressed his mouth. Kaname drew the butterfly close and kissed it.
Light traipsed out of his palm, coiled through the fingers, and dripped like wax. The light waved into arms, splashing in the warm water. Her head bobbed to the surface as she gasped, brown-red eyes widened in astonishment at the triumphant pureblood. Yuki waded in the sizzling water.
"Ouji," She glowered in disbelief and disappointment at the trick.
"I'll stoop to any standard to please you," He stated, as simple as that, "It doesn't change a thing how treacherous it is. You were enervated by the dragon blade, the water will restore your powers."
"Why didn't you warn before transforming me?" She wiped the water from her eyes.
"Yuki, you're always getting in trouble, either someone enslaves you, attempts to abduct you, or wants to kill you. How do you expect me to comfort you if we're not close to each other?" Kaname had knelt by the pool, eyeing her in loving patience as her wheels turned.
She frowned at the pureblood, "I might be a handful, but I am also a big help."
He bobbed his head in acknowledging praise, "Were it not for you, the village would be overrun with Toma samurais. But if you hadn't activated the dragon blade, the king wouldn't try to kill you. We wouldn't have to secretly share a cave."
Yuki blinked at the backhanded compliment. "Fine." She swallowed her pride. "I will make sure you are glowing and pristine by the time we leave. Don't let me slacken and help you recuperate, Ouji. I am here for you."
A tricking fang hooked the corner of his mouth, Kaname smirked, his wolf ears turning and canines hanging wide. "I'm touched by your earnestness, Yuki. You're the only person who understands me."
"I don't want to see the people in my life hurt or die." Yuki waded toward the pureblood, "Can you promise not to go overboard anymore?"
He blinked slowly in contemplation. Fingers drizzled over her wet scalp, coiling around a few strands next to her cheek, "A mindless question like that deserves a mindless answer, no."
Anxiousness and doubt imbued her longing stare upon the pureblood. Kaname smirked and held out a hand nobly from his kneel. "Give me your clothes."
Yuki thrashed about disruptively at the mere order, it wasn't as much as nature, but the tone, as if his liquid and silk words would see to being realized and followed without a hassle. She should give him a hassle, however. Her very right and dignity were on the line. Bearing naked in front of a pureblood was unrecoverable, she ought to know, he'd seen her naked an embarrassing amount of times.
"Are you insecure your body changed?" Kaname observed her qualms festering to a brilliant faze across her sharp eyes, "I've seen you a thousand times."
Last time it was a dozen, now it's a thousand times.
Yuki clenched her fangs, "I'm not insecure."
Kaname regarded the enclosed and soundproof cave underground. "There's no one in proximity. The doors are sealed. It's just you and I, what're you afraid of?"
Yuki glared at the wolfish smirk he'd adorned, murmuring. "I'm safer with the clan members outside than you."
"My heart aches to hear that," Kaname's brows trembled from unsaid emotion or hilarity. It was difficult to deduce with the composedly controlled pureblood, Yuki chewed her bottom lip from indecision. "I kept you undetected, covered your vampire essence with a disguise. The head of the village is trained to catch female essences. If he took notice, he'd consume your powers and use your bones for medicine. Can't you be kind to your Ouji?"
Yuki's frown anxiously untwisted to work words at the sight of his saddening gaze, "But, Ouji, you can't look,"
Calmly, Kaname nodded, "I didn't ask you to bathe with me, I won't look."
"Promise?"
"Mmm," Kaname gestured to his outstretched hand.
Yuki blinked uncertainly at the pureblood. "Turn around."
"I thought you wanted to have many love affairs, but you're surprisingly bashful," Kaname remarked as he stood and turned. He heard the water splash and sprinkle, the quiet stirs of her quick undressing. The sound of material sliding against skin tickled his ears, a host of titillating insight. She fidgeted in the water for seconds, wading to the edge of the pool to stash her clothes. Kaname heard her meander a great distance, he glanced at the clothes sitting by his foot. "There's a set of clothes next to the screen." He gestured on the right.
The aides understood the luxurious amenities primed a pureblood's livelihood, which denoted to elegant artifacts and furniture. They had imported a gold-leaf engraved stoned lounging couch to beautify his stay in the otherwise barren cave. There was a screen dividing the poolside from the lounging area and stoned tablet, coupled with a dresser for him to muse over his reflection. Kaname put away her clothes by the mirror and turned to find her mesmerized by the bubbling chemicals and herbs around her shoulders and hair.
Kaname shrugged his broad shoulders and sank on the couch, accompanied by the table of medicine. He lounged comfortably in the cushion, a hand tucked under his chin, and watched Yuki dive underwater and appear on the surfaces moments later. He couldn't linger on the sentiments surrounding the noble vampire. Hanabusa Aidou didn't suggest a hymn of adulating emotion in her body, blood, mind, or heart. She was inclined to accept him as a suitor because it was the safest route. After the king's recent decision to eliminate Yuki, she was largely uncertain and afraid of her future. The Aidous were malleable with power and an outstanding army, but they weren't illogical enough to disobey the crown if the king commanded them to turn her over. Originally Kaname wanted to integrate Yuki in the clan without the king's knowledge. She was safer far away from the palace, away from the king's scrutiny. The situation had gotten out of control the moment she triggered the dragon blade. He'd left it with her as a virtuous ode of protection, not endangerment. If it made Yuki happy to choose Aidou, he wouldn't destroy her happiness. Along the year, at the nuance of inexpressible longing she endured toward—not Aidou or Takuma—but him, the pureblood she was wary of but verily treasured. Yuki could not put it to words, but the feelings festered frustratingly in her blood, a flagrant vault ready to rupture.
o o o
Juuri yielded at the sight of the three men under the tree. She'd ridden five miles from the river Lord Ichijo directed. Zero Kiryuu was the first to stand on his feet at the nearing pureblood. She dismounted, surefooted on the ground and stalked toward the hunting party.
"Juuri," Kaien exclaimed, "Wh-why are you here?"
She had spent a good part of her trip weeping, the second half in self-blame and self-resentment. Her blood was bitter than poison, boiling under her skin. Her dark eyes chiseled the hunters and hooked on the silent but vigilant lord rising next to Kaien.
"I came to warn you," Juuri stammered, out of breath, but tears began to cloud her vision, "The king has decided to punish you, he will come for you."
Kaien speechlessly glanced at Haruka for a moment. He nodded considerately in their direction, grabbing Zero by the arm and began to walk away.
Juuri wiped blood tears on her wrists, sobbing as she mumbled, "I have failed you both. I am the worst person there is. I've decided to take the punishment on your behalf, regardless of what he says, I won't stand and watch you die too."
Haruka had paled, his very life drained out of his body and sank against the tree trunk. "So, it's true…?" He whipped away, unable to believe her words, but a mountain of tears and heartache was upon him.
"I wanted to protect you two. I tried my hardest all these years. He was too quick for us." Juuri sobbed.
Haruka clenched his eyes shut.
She launched against his shoulder, sobbing despairingly, "Forgive me! This is my fault. I'll take the blame for it. Run away while you can."
Tearfully Haruka peered down at her trembling form, sobbing heavily. His arm curled around her back, collecting her fiercely into a tight hug. "I won't run away." He decided.
"I can't watch you die, Haruka." Juuri sobbed.
"You won't have to." He whispered in her hair, "It would be best for you to get out of here."
She pulled back indignantly, "You want me to abandon you? I've had to live without you and Yuki for so long. Now you want me to mourn you?"
"I won't avoid my punishment," Haruka stated stoically.
Juuri clenched his hand, tugging it against her bloody cheek. "I don't want to be in a world where you are not alive, Haruka. You and Yuki mean everything to me."
He relinquished a quiet but strained smile. "It will be for a short time, you'll grow to forget us and make another family."
She was betrayed by the remark, shoving him angrily against the tree with an arm. "You hate me even now. I was trying to protect you both. I wasn't trying to hurt her or you. Why are the ones I love in pain because of me?" Juuri sobbed against her sleeve.
Haruka hadn't moved to stand straight or emote, his dark eyes grayed and downcast. "Juuri," He whispered, "You and I were living a dream, but we had to wake up. You wanted to protect Yuki, I did too. The king already took our girl from us. Let's not beat each other down. We should perform burial rites for her. You held her when she entered the world, it's sad we can't hold her after she departed the world."
Juuri guiltily sank to the ground, weeping.
Haruka blinked back a tear, but three dropped on the soil, all blood tears. "It's said, vampires spend blood tears when their heart is in agony. Yuki didn't deserve to be killed. We're responsible for our child. I'm willing to take the punishment. As her father, I need to perform the rites to bid her farewell honorably. She may have been a half-pureblood, an aristocrat, but she was still a being, a life we bolstered. Your blood is like the blaze of the sun, she imbues sunlight. My gentle care is like flowers in spring, she carries the scent of roses. Juuri, you helped us live this far and long, we're grateful," Haruka knelt in front of the sobbing pureblood.
"My effort has gone to waste," Juuri mumbled, head bowed. "Haruka, I beg you not to take the punishment and run away. I will take it in your place, I owe her."
Haruka combed her brunette silk hair back from her cheeks. "If it were up to Yuki, she'd want the best for you and me. She was upset you were alive, astounded you were a pureblood, and she was ashamed you might've happily deserted us. Ultimately, she faced her darker side and a broken heart. She gave you a chance because she realized it's ten times harder to live silently away from the people you love most. She also saw how grieved I became. If I opened my heart to a pureblood, how could I feel opposite years later? She hoped I return to the person I used to be when we first met. Half Kuran, half Tsunamasa—she made quiet the bewildering child."
"I'm sorry, Haruka," Juuri clenched his hand, "You raised her with your heart. I couldn't stop the king—"
"It's only a matter of time we cross paths," Haruka realized, nodding in clear surrender.
"You don't have to do this, Haruka." She pleaded, "I will go in your place and set things right."
"How do you expect me to return to Kurashiki in our empty home?" He countered.
Defeated, Juuri paled.
o o o
Yuki was floating comfortably in the warm ripples, diving between bubbles, absorbing the healing antibodies of the water. She felt more alive than the last few days on the mountain. Basking a deep breath, Yuki dipped underwater and swam toward the glowing orb underground. The limestone shimmered from its alluring crystal at the bottom. She touched the healing element, instantly noting heat envelop her arms, the warmth continued to cascade around her legs and waist. She swam back to the surface, sighing refreshingly in the clear air. Tossing around, she checked the surrounding for the pureblood who was in an apparent sleep. From the distance, Kaname appeared lounging the same. His head cradled against a wrist, both eyes closed. She neared the side of the pool, he was utterly still.
Her brows furrowed, she stabled a cautious hand on the stoned edge, peeking curiously at the motionless figure.
He was frozen.
His skin had begun to crystallize. The hand on his hand was clamped by layers of ice. "Ouji!" Yuki scrambled toward the screen for a jacket. She crawled out of the pool and covered herself.
Kaname's yukata shivered as she rushed upon him, his hair contained marginal streaks of white, the shallower layers of ice wove around his throat. Yuki shook the pureblood worriedly. He did not budge or rouse awake from the motions. She scanned the tray of medicines, unable to recall if he'd ingested any while she swam. If she gave him another dosage of medicine, would it counter-indicate and worsen his health? She tipped the Water of Life on the parted line of his mouth, two drops sipped on the tongue but failed to wake him. She gathered Kaname around the shoulders, recounting the head of the village's warning.
" 'Good thing you arrived or your capillaries would burst, and your nervous system would shut down.' "
Yuki blew on his cold fingers. He appeared at ease earlier, but the internal injuries hadn't completely repaired yet. He needed the rest on the tablet. The lair was fifteen paces away. She couldn't carry the pureblood, but she could try dragging him. Biting her lip pitifully at the coat of ice on his eyelashes, she began to shift and arrange their positions. His fingers knotted powerfully on her sleeve, a warning reflex.
Crimson eyes peeped open through white-coated eyelids. He studied her pensive and wide-eyed hover.
"You're awake," Yuki gasped, "How can you grow unconscious, what if you'll turn into a block of ice next time?"
Kaname queried her panic-shriveled voice. Fear filled her dark irises, her hands hadn't stopped lapping his arms and shoulders to retain warmth. It was hard to move, but Kaname felt blood circulate his shoulders, energetically rise between his chest, down his solar plexus. He reined a controlled, torrid breath and blinked at her failing grab of the valves.
"Just when I think you're doing better," Yuki rambled, twitching indecisively over the medicine, "If I compound a large dosage, wouldn't it be toxic?" She stammered.
Kaname brushed her wet hair back from her cheek, tears were dripping down her chin. He restrained an arm around her waist, clutching her tightly as she sobbed.
"I don't know what to do, what if it's a recurring reaction you can't overcome?" Yuki wept, "I brought this on you, and I can't even help you!"
His arm restricted around her rib cage, "Stop it." Kaname buried his face in her hair.
Angrily she wiped her tears and poured the medicine shakily in the Water of Life. "Your system needs time to repair. I'll test it to see if the dosage is toxic." Yuki took the glass and consumed the burning, bitter medicine. Her mouth was on fire, scorching her tongue. Her eyes blurred from tears again.
Kaname bolted her around. She squinted her eyes from the venomous taste. He clenched the hair at the back of her head, tugging her against him. Yuki collapsed against his cold chest, her fingers unhooking around the glass. Kaname fastened his mouth on hers, sneaking open her lips and sipped the hot substance from her tongue.
She floundered in his tightening arms. Kaname drew in the medicine entirely from her burning lips. Yuki gasped in his mouth, shuddering from the sensual linger of his tongue, whisking obdurately around the walls of her mouth, against her fangs. His breath intermingled hers, fueling her for a suspending moment. A wave of desire copiously infringed her blood, lathering her thoughts, and milking her bones. Kaname peered at her through the lashes. She had sunken into it, dreamily, her eyes were glowing in profound need. He pulled back, the taut arm around her waist switched to her chin. Yuki stared hazily up at the pureblood, illuminated by ardor, hunger, an interminable urge.
"You like that, don't you?" Kaname whispered at her starry impassioned eyes.
She breathed hard, quivering.
He caressed her lips with a thumb. Her eyes closed from the gentleness of the touch.
"The dosage wasn't toxic," Kaname consoled, tugging her back in his arms. He rested his chin on her head. "Death won't touch me if you—"
She hugged him tightly without his needing to continue. Kaname peeked at her face hidden in his chest. Her heart beat in drums of shock, the echo ardently electrocuting his.
"I'm glad," Yuki sighed at long last, worry and panic finally lifted from her bones, but she did not raise her head or free out of the enclosure of warm arms. "You're raising your temperature again." Heat graced her cheek, sweeping her shoulders and back.
"You were frightened," Kaname answered softly.
Yuki nodded, "I was, but not because of the cold. What if I can't help, but watch you die?"
Kaname smirked in her hair, "A courageous person can have timid moments, it's adorable." He smiled dotingly.
"I can't fail my duty and assignment."
"You were very far so my body became cold. I maintain my temperature around you. Stay with me forever then you won't have to worry."
Yuki pried out of the arms to inspect his normal-appearing countenance. "You are not tricking me again." She warned.
Kaname's brows trembled as his gaze switched to her feet. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't care about you. Everything I say to you is true. See, Yuki, you were worried about me, you forgot to wear clothes underneath."
She gaped at her bare legs slipping out of the jacket, but not before the unavoidable and unmissable naked decollete and waist, she hadn't the time to sport undergarments. Covering her face, she shrieked in annoyance and obvious mortification. Yuki whipped away from the wolfishly smirking pureblood. His canines, err, fangs glinted euphorically at the revelation. Calmly, the pureblood pawed his claws clumsily through her wet hair in neglected or distant care, unsympathetic of her troubles and self-armoring mechanisms, but his amatory stare narrowed on her reddening face. Yuki began to shuffle toward the screen as decently as the jacket allowed.
Kaname wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her back to his chest. "Where do you think you're going? I will freeze if you leave."
"I need my clothes or I will freeze." Yuki justified.
"No need," The pureblood dismissed, doing away with the worry by harnessing an arm about her and lifted her, "Body heat is all we need, not clothes." He moved toward the entrance of the healing tablet.
"You'll have to keep warm by yourself."
"But you'll cry if I'm unwell." Kaname pointed out, placing her on the surface of the stone tablet.
The cold burned the skin of her thighs and legs. She bunched the jacket in front of her chest to secure it. Once he was distracted, she could grab the yukata on the screen, it did not sit too far. She did not want to hurt Kaname. They needed to regain their powers before they could embark onward to the Hiou clan.
This is the only time we have to respite.
The realization astounded Yuki somewhat. Kaname needed to align with the Hiou clan and lead the troops the moment Lord Toma retaliated. Most were aware, the pureblood would, no matter the cost. He had reason to fight back, his reputation and rancor of the Kuran propelled him to return to the battlefront. Yuki couldn't accompany Kaname if the king would be present, he'd try to kill her again, or seek revenge from her father. Distraught embedded the cells of her body, she lowered her head and brushed her fingers in her hair, listening to the flapping wet tresses trail against her shoulders and cheek. She did not want either of her parents to get hurt. Her father would not disown his honor and accept death immediately. Yuki clenched a hand on her throbbing heart at the thought of losing him.
Kaname's shoulders wound tight at the sight of Yuki bending over the tablet, lost in misery. He could smell her fear, anxiety, it was distinctly paralyzing and full of failure. She was eager to submit if it meant saving her parents. His fingers curled on his knees. Resolutely, he stirred on her right, leaning over the conflicted half-pureblood.
"Yuki," Kaname twined her wet tresses around his index finger, "No matter whom you choose to be with, or how you live your life, I will always be with you."
In my darkest and hardest hours, he is the one who comes to me.
Pulling her out of prison, freeing her from slavery, looking after her in the Ichijo house, and returning her home where he appeared under disguise as a wolf, never far or forgotten.
Yuki turned toward the pureblood. Her gaze warmed on the smiling brunette. "I refuse to create bad blood between the king and you. You're entrusted to inherit the throne."
Kaname folded his hand around hers firmly and retained it on his leg. "We can choose to be who we want, and do what we want. The actions I took in the past was because I wanted to. I won't feel lost if I changed my mind." His deep crimson eyes narrowed on the growing elusive smile she adopted.
Yuki brushed her knuckles against his cool cheek. "Shouldn't you rest?"
Kaname glanced at the tablet they occupied. "My grandfather healed after using it. He wasn't lucky enough to have someone keeping him warm."
"After you heal, you won't need me to keep you warm." Yuki notified.
"You're eager to run back to your fiancé's arms," Kaname muttered, and if he could have, he would have rolled his eyes. "The stage is set differently. You activated the dragon blade. He's confused by your disappearance. How can he comfort you if he doesn't know you're a half-pureblood?"
She coiled internally at the jab on her ego. Yuki lunged gently on the pureblood. Her hands mantled his shoulders and eased Kaname flat on the stone tablet. "Ouji, you're very tired. No need to sour the mood. Focus on recovering. I will watch over you and handle everything."
Kaname relaxed beneath her leaning shape, studying her large eyes and soft lips. "Now it's your turn to tuck me to sleep," His hands bristled along the palpable and incredibly divine sylph contour of her hips.
She caught her reflection in Kaname's hauntingly hungry stare. A burning sensation flexed at the back of her throat, hinting the walls of her trachea, dropping below the collar bone. Her gentle hands listlessly strayed from his shoulders. She folded her legs neatly next to him. His gaze fixed on the whimpering blush caroling down her neck, blending inside the collar of the jacket. She moved a hand slowly through silk dark hair, silently peeling strands from his cheek and temples. They glided like black water on the tablet. Her fingers threaded in his warm scalp, wringing soundlessly in soft strokes. He hadn't stopped staring at her. She had the inclination to put a hand over his eyes and force him asleep, but she could not bring herself to touch him more than she already did. Her heart knocked sharply inside her chest. Need shivered like black teeth beneath the surface of her skin, creating a sensation of unfamiliar lack, a need for closeness, an unruly and diverting touch, or caress. Kaname had soft but dangerously smooth hands if she thought about it. He could playfully nudge her hair or grab her wrist. She shivered recklessly at the idea.
Yuki mentally oriented herself and patted him on the head, yet his mirth was unmistakable and evident, winding into a large smirk that his fangs joined in the motion. "Are you copying me?" Kaname whispered.
She lightened her embarrassment by replying, "Isn't this how you put me to sleep? Sit next to me and stroke my hair."
He pinned her an endearing look of understanding. To think she appreciated his looking over her as she slept was a surprise, but she did not know yet the number of times and hours he waited for her to succumb to the dream spell instead of falling into a nightmare. Kaname lodged an arm around her waist and drew her on her side. He turned toward her, cozily yanking her in his arms. "Sometimes," Kaname whispered, watching the dried bangs flutter over her widening eyes. Yuki curled on her side, inside the bind of his arm. "But there were times you'd cling to me and not let me go."
Over her noisily shrieking heart, Yuki blinked, her confusion visible but never betraying her realization. "I clung to you?" She wondered.
"Mm," Kaname nodded, "I stayed back to quiet the nightmares you were having."
Despondence wormed into her startled eyes. She blinked at his chest. Months were spent reviewing his lessons, riding Cyrus around Kurashiki until the horizon burst with the sun in an effort to stay awake. She was willing to go without sleep to avoid the nightmares. Yuki clenched her eyes shut in constrained disappointment. She never learned how to get rid of the nightmares. The nights where she was able to sleep were like a breath of fresh air in her dull life. It had been rare, but crucial for her health and well-being.
All along, it was him.
Yuki looked into Kaname's enduring stare. "The times I slept was actually your doing?"
He traced her cheekbones, brushing wet hair back over her shoulder. Faintly his fingers crawled the line of her collarbone, wryly stirring up her neck, behind her left ear. She shuddered; a trail of red pooled the avenue of his cajole. "You were crying in sleep. I couldn't leave you to suffer alone." Kaname whispered.
Yuki closed her eyes in the loving words, basking in the thoughtfulness, and care behind it. She relaxed in his warm arms, "Thank you," She smiled.
The half-pureblood used to believe luck reprieved her from the horrible remembrances of the Toma camp. The torch, snorting men, and the unforgettable trap-of-a-cage perfect for a creature called 'It'—It wasn't long ago, and she would've died serving the Tomas. She'd never guess the crowned prince would show up with men. A person like he had nothing to do with the likes of a Toma servant. One might say, she was blessed, a guardian angel watched over her, or she was lucky. She was not. Someone always looked for her, always reached out for her, and wanted to stay connected to her. Yuki cracked open her eyes softly. As she lay against the sleeping pureblood, she shuddered.
" 'Scoffing under her breath, Yuki refolded the scroll and tied it back in her belt. "You're more stubborn than you look." She fixed her cloak as best possible in the dark and stepped out of the curb of the post. A hand tucked on her belt with eyes roaming nastily on bookshelves. "Nice library. Yours I'm assuming?" She grumbled apathetically.
He bent somewhere in the shadows for the gun. A skilled sense of seeing in the dark, he ceased his reach seconds from the glaring knife against his carotid pulse.
"I do like guys who are book-smart but common sense is also a priority, no?"
He stood back unperturbed and looked down at her evenly. "You have no idea who I am, Miss."
"Ah…" A sweeping examination of his piercing ruby eyes and defined jaw chiseled her smile into a strained grin. "Pureblood." She hissed in resentment.
His aura horrendously warped around her as intended. The enormity of his power and boundless superiority bathed his beautiful and satin-white face. As she analyzed him, Yuki grasped she was becoming inhumanely attracted to his stern passivity.
Probably his pureblood aura working on me.
"Do you always have the same appeal on people or is it just me?" She wondered loudly. ' "
I was a big-headed, know-it-all.
She acknowledged numbly. Her large dark eyes swept over the pureblood. Long sturdy lashes outlined his sealed eyes. His deep breathing emanated soft gasps, oxygen rode in waves through deftly open lips. A large arm nestled around her hip and folded the small of her back, bringing her against his heat. She'd slept closely in his arms under the cliff where it'd been an emergency. Yuki feared taking her eyes off of Kaname. Intricately unwinding a hand from her chin, she summoned the courage of their combined blood to touch the perfect creature. Her fingers glided across his right cheek and temple and disappeared in messy silk hair. She delicately touched Kaname's temple. His warm skin, not only looked soft, but felt extraordinarily pliant. Lightly her fingers ran over the unruffled and gorgeous black brows, which briefly hinted his true thoughts before he confused her with tricky words. Yuki smiled in unhesitant affection. Her fingers ran over the tall bridge of his beautiful nose and stopped on his cupid's bow. She loved touching him. He was an ideal mural, the portrait of a god.
Heat singed through the walls of her heart, smoking desire in her red-brown eyes. They glittered passionately at his profile. Lying in Kaname's arms was better than nice. It felt amazing to be tucked and held tight. His warmth swirled around them, a safety net in the cold cave. She should be used to being close to him, but it continued to make her nervous. Kaname effortlessly pronounced his intentions with a caress or lick. At which, Yuki incessantly pushed aside to remain clear-headed. It was easier with Hanabusa. She never had to repress her impulses or shiver with disastrous want. Kaname was different. His longing eyes and seeking touch sent a surge of thawing relief through her nerves. As soon as she was calm, she itched for his touch, his closeness. She could ignore her devilish secrets. Other than craving his blood, his touch was next, his warmth third, and his eyes—Oh his perspicacious eyes, running over her like warm water, hugging her contour without touching. Amazing how she could sense them on her. If that was one of the traits of their blood syncing with one another, she could grasp his emotions, his urgency, and need.
Desire lanced Yuki, making her toes curl. Now her need launched its ravenous gates open. A saint could block his or her desires, not her. Being locked in his arms was not good-humored for either of them. She hadn't been passive about her hunger for his blood before, and she couldn't be passive about her urges. Hunger burned her self-defense and control, igniting the cervices of her mind, into her waiting heart. She shivered restlessly in his arm. Her blood beat friskily. Unable to lie still, Yuki clenched her fangs in frustration. The blood vessels in her red-brown eyes chiseled with need for the pureblood. Yet it overflowed, crimping her heart, syringing in her lungs and tickling the back of her throat. Down between her legs, she throbbed. Her hand trembled from his cupid's bow, landing with a controlled pause on Kaname's strong shoulder. His lips were light, almost cold-looking, but the rest of him was clearly warm and contently asleep. Leaning closer, Yuki reflected on his beautiful profile. Her eyes saturating in ardor, a pining she hadn't welcomed prior.
She inched over Kaname, brushing her warm lips on his lighter, cooler ones. A shock radiated through her body, riveting her in a lustful storm. She kissed him tentatively. The sensation of his lips was alluring than ever, causing her to lick the narrow slit of Kaname's open mouth. Chills pricked down her spine. The throbbing between her legs increased, unraveling electrocution through limbs, nerves, and bones. Her eyes remained closed in the intoxicating touch. His saliva peppered the tip of her tongue, which she swallowed back as a mind-numbing desire begged her to continue. Yuki bit her lip, indenting a large fang in her bottom lip and reluctantly withdrew back to her side. Her hypnotized gaze lingered on Kaname sleeping. She sank heavily on the cold stone, allowing her arid body to calm, or else she'd venture on a path of no return. Her veins pulsed hot blood throughout her body, an echo of desire nibbled her nerves and reflexes. Her hand slipped down the collar of his yukata, filling the gaping space of warm collarbone. Her nail scraped the flesh, wondering if blood would ooze if she nicked slightly and would he rouse awake? Half of her wanted him to wake up, grab her, show her the skills of his tongue and fangs. The other half stumbled back in the corner, unable to meet him in the eye, frozen in reticence and questions.
Yuki ran her fingers over the firm muscle on the underside of his chest, a strong heart clamored against her fingers. The pureblood had permeated her defenses, her mind. She wedged out from under the arm, stiffening at the knotting fingers on her back, arresting Yuki of further movement. Yuki eagerly peeked at his closed eyes, wanting him to wake up now than ever. His brows remained in a relaxed, neat line. She decided not to sneak away. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to lie quietly.
But his scent poured over her.
The smell of pure blood. His unique trace of rain and crisp autumn, suffused in hot thunder. Yuki twitched with need, bumping against him haphazardly. She waited for him to rustle awake. Fatigue kept him from the ability. He resumed sleeping, unaffected. Would he notice if she bit him? Her eyes narrowed. Excitement chewed her nerves. She had to remember lying next to Kaname was a fortunate and rare occurrence. Unlike the grizzly men on her assignments, he'd keep her safe, press her to him and hold her until she was comforted. She relaxed subtly and closed her eyes, focusing on his breathing, sinking in the heat emanating from his body. It alleviated the need to feel his touch by a minimum, but Yuki was grateful for it. She wasn't sure how he'd respond if he caught her tearing off his clothes. He might pat her head like one were to calm a naughty pet or throw her in the pool to cool off, or pin her down and make her his own. Butterflies rumpled up her belly. Her eyes snapped wide, she gulped.
No, he has to heal.
The latter thought disappeared as she creaked her eyes toward his profile. He was believably fast asleep. Her gaze crossed over the shivering light from the small opening in the ceiling, beckoning their shadows to the Hiou clan and impending war. Crests of moonlight frolicked the surface of the pool. White unchained and widened from one end to the other. She sighed and hid in the pureblood's arms.
o o o
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