o o o
Lord Toma divided his focus between the recovering village near the Southeastern border and the Kyoto palace occupied by great grandmother queen and daughter-in-law, Hanako. Due to the streams of battle and the depleting chonin population, the Kuran king chose to move into one of the obvious target regions, the Kyoto palace. Shigeu did not operate from fear or hatred. He quickly adapted to the wild terrains of the eastern mountains and volcanic wraths and ice of the North. He was intricately familiar with the militarist modus operandi of the impenetrable Shoto clan. Likewise, he was as marvelous a battle leader as he was dangerous. From an early age, Shigeu defeated warlords and flew with the Shoto eagles. His earliest of influences was nature and battles. The pureblood was a fierce warrior and had composed a predominantly peaceful reign. That changed from the moment he ousted Lord Toma from the Grand Council and formally went on to strip the Toma clan of its reputation and endeavors by driving them out of Yamato Court. Lord Toma had no interest or desire to forgive a pureblood who did not know the pain of defeat. He genuinely wanted Shigeu Kuran to meet his demise as soon as possible, but he needed the pureblood to suffer and beg first.
Weren't it for Lord Shoto's advice, Lord Toma wouldn't be as excited to fly out of the hole he sought refuge in. The more he thought about it, the more he realized the brilliancy in the idea. Everything in the Kuran monarchy depended on the shrewd but cowardly hands of the crowned prince, Kaname. Shigeu needed Kaname more than his will and desire to live for eternity. The crowned prince was the future, the hope and spark of the Kuran clan. The house would crumble if anything happened to Kaname. Thus, Lord Toma's excitement sprouted tenfold. He needed to execute a timely diversion and it was no wonder or question he'd find the younger pureblood in the company of a particular huntress who'd thwarted his victory with the dragon blade. He didn't need to know their whereabouts. The main query was on the king's location, and how he could confiscate what he needed to make Shigeu suffer, beg, and bow in fear and pain to him.
He watched from a considerable height within the trees in his vampire essence form. His bat-eyes switched from the blank carpet of stones and patchy greens toward a sidelining pair beyond the fork of the Kurenai nest. The village of medicine men was customarily prioritized for essential managements and guests, and it was near enough for Lord Toma to digest the colossal height of the Kuran man over the petite slender figure of the huntress.
"Is it a good idea to leave without healing completely?" Yuki mumbled under her breath. Her eyes skipped toward the trees and brown-green grass next to the footpath.
Kaname's gaze narrowed decisively on her flushed profile. Her red-brown eyes teemed with unforgettable ideas and memories and dodged him desperately before it was publicized. He'd returned her back from a butterfly after leaving the medicine village, but she refused to meet him in the eye. A part of Kaname was amused, the other was beset on where her thoughts and feelings trampled on. Not only was Yuki shy around him, but did she have second thoughts and carried guilt? He didn't distinguish feelings of awry or anger and judgement in her aroma and energy field, her temperature had not dropped. Last he recalled, her blood and skin tasted lusciously decadent. She seemed relieved, somewhat pleased and secretly happy. He knew how to gauge her emotions and reorganize her puzzling notions, it was no hard task.
"I have no problem watching you wake up naked in my arms, we can stay if you like." Kaname scanned the intensifying blush on her cheeks.
Yuki barely glanced at him but continued her pace down the pebbled road. "I wanted to make good on my promise to help you recuperate." She cupped her burning cheeks as soon as she maneuvered certain distance from the tidily and slowly approaching pureblood.
The truth was he'd recovered over a day ago. He merely needed an hour most to rest on the healing tablet, but Yuki did not need to know. It was best for Kaname she continued engaging in gentle acts of care to ensure he was healthy. As far as he was concerned, if he had to pretend to be defenseless to gain Yuki's affections as well as have her fret over him, behold, he would be defenseless.
Kaname matched her short steps on the road, a meager form of her shadow as he reminded, "You can continue to keep me warm at the Hiou residence."
She chewed her bottom lip at the remark. Falling asleep next to Kaname had not been the intention. She needed to make sure he didn't freeze overnight. Yuki gulped nervously and dazedly stared at the ground. She'd woken up cozily naked in the pureblood's arms. She'd curled in his embrace during the night and he'd secured a resting and comfortable arm around her back, hugging her gently to his chest. She'd been the first to wake up and watched him breathe quietly. The silence peeled back layers of shyness and resistance she'd assumed earlier and allowed her to take the time to memorize the curling lines around his beautiful eyes, the tip of his tall nose and soft lips that'd run for hours on her skin, sometimes meeting her own and at times over secret places she'd never imagined the pureblood to discover. Was she unscrupulous or why was it easy to give in to the pureblood? Yuki didn't care to fight the ego-fight, the echelon system, or whose blood was the first to quench a vampire's thirst. She didn't want to loathe or restrict the pureblood, and she most certainly didn't want to complain and demand he take precautions of his body and blood. All she knew was his arms were amazing, he looked resplendent against her naked body, and his kisses should not be shared with any other person.
Kaname halted in front of her contemplative stature. She tucked a hesitant hand beneath the chin, her eyes downcast and distant, but her lips were hoisted in an unintelligent, otherworldly smile.
Hmm.
He raised a curious brow at her misty-eyed musing. Kaname wrapped a long arm around her waist and tugged her raptly against him. Her eyes widened and two fists hiked to his chest as automatic repellants, a reflex she had yet to outgrow around him. Acknowledging her defense, Yuki lowered them on his forearm. "See, Yuki, if you keep going in and out of a trance we won't get to the Hiou clan."
Yuki blinked starlit eyes at the pureblood bending his head slightly downward. Unconsciously her throat begged to taste his blood, thirst riled up the column of her throat, a dry screech around her larynx. She gulped and pinched the sleeves of his jacket. He noted her clipping fingers and the hunger lining her red-brown irises. Kaname slowly detached her right hand from his sleeve to trace the digits across his warm, waiting lips.
"We don't have a lot of time." Kaname murmured against her trembling fingers.
Her gaze watered with desire and her lips parted to release short, bewitched gasps of ardent promise.
"You should stay back at the Hiou clan. The king will be at the battle with Lord Toma," Kaname's eyes blackened at her look of heaving desperation.
Yuki bit her bottom lip indignantly.
This is me, losing all my senses. I can't understand a word he is saying.
"You can wait for my return there, no one will look for you."
Why does he looks so damn irresistible?
His hair swiveled in the breeze, curling and flying around piercing red eyes. Her fingers remained locked on his mouth, a fang nicked her index finger. She shivered excitedly from the contact. Yuki turned to inspect the grass beside them. It looked enough, beyond perfect. Why couldn't he simply lie her down there and resume his nightly administrations on her body? She'd give no qualms.
Yuki sighed longingly and whisked her hand back to cover her eyes.
What is wrong with me?
"Are you feeling alright?" Kaname stroked her cheek tenderly, loosening a trail of red across the skin.
She dropped the hand to follow the tingling sensation after his touch. "I'm just tired, I guess." She managed to mumble before searching the grass some more.
Kaname tensed and gave the region a perceptive scan, his crimson eyes hardened in askance. Tightening the hook around her waist, Kaname whispered, "I'll spoil you once this is over." His skin tickled from the advancing shadow. Yuki whipped her head back in alarm. He brushed her pate, and his mouth landed on hers firmly with a single order, "Revert."
Her lips fused into lavender powder along with the rest of her body. Wings fluttered in midair, raking around Kaname's shoulders in shock and disappointment. He sighed in calm understanding, "Hide in my collar, you'll see." He waited patiently and knowingly for the lingering but disapproving butterfly to tuck itself in the safety of his lapel.
A ferocious gust of wind bellowed overheard, unleashing bangs over his dark eyes. The shadow morphed from a swallowing cove of falcon birds and emerged in the sunlight as the distinctly enchanting figure of the pureblood king. Shigeu marched down the slope toward the road where his son resided. His eyes narrowed guardedly, but he looked on in stern reception as the king stopped and gave him a look over.
"You're a few minutes from reaching the gates of the Hiou clan," Shigeu registered his appearance with an approving nod, "You were nursing from the fall over the cliff in the medicine village."
Kaname calmly collected his arms across his chest and folded it. He dipped his head by an inch out of respect at his sire. "I didn't want to appear wounded, it wouldn't be courteous to a clan that has a penchant for presentation and beauty."
Shigeu continued to regard him critically as he said, "Wise choice, the matriarch won't be open minded toward us."
"It's a waste for you to come here and not greet her." Kaname implied.
Shigeu curtly curled his lips and averted, "That woman and I don't get along."
"Fine, I won't drag the negotiations and get to the point."
"I'm certain she's aware of your plans. A day ago I found her spies over the Kyoto palace. She pretends to not know or understand the political climate. Don't be fooled by her silent and innocent demeanor."
"I won't."
Shigeu paused and gazed at him intently, "Your grandmother believes recent events has caused a friction in our relationship."
A sneaky but distinct flutter of wings tickled his left ear from inside the collar, "Does she?" Kaname pretended to marvel.
"You saved her once in prison and freed her from the Toma camp. You've done enough. Don't hold yourself accountable for her fate anymore." Shigeu counseled, "You're the only one who can carry out the Kuran legacy. Your fate is that of a king. One day you'll understand why such decisions are made. The half-pureblood was important to you, but she was also a pawn Lord Toma would use to manipulate you."
"I left the dragon blade with her to protect her," Kaname informed.
"I assumed as much," Shigeu did not react but regarded him in solidarity, "We do questionable things to protect our dear ones, but she is gone, and Lord Toma can't use her against you. The dragon blade goes to the person fated to enter the dimension. She is half Kuran, the dimension is also her original home. If her fate is good and she was meant to cross the door, she wouldn't die from a cliff. If she survived, it'd be for the dragon blade's retribution." Shigeu turned to inspect him scowl in zealous disfavor. "Her purpose for living is because the dragon blade waits for her to enter the door." Out of the sleeve of his long white jacket, the Kuran king revealed the dragon insignia handle and glinting silver blade.
"I'm sorry for hurting Juuri and you, but too many half-purebloods betrayed and offended purebloods for centuries. I have no choice but to be strict with the rule." Shigeu hissed regretfully, "I request you reconsider protecting half-purebloods in your lifetime as a Kuran, as a pureblood, and a king."
Kaname took a deep breath, his eyes paneled the trees on the left, "I understand what you're saying."
Shigeu approached solemnly and offered him the mythical blade, "Do you know I never touched the dragon blade until Yuki?"
Kaname gaped the glimmering silver blade in the sunlight. "You didn't have a destiny with it."
"Someone dear to me did. I was merely an instrument for the blade to reach the woman."
Kaname grasped the dragon blade. "You speak of the late Shoto, now referred as the 'Mother Huntress.' "
Shigeu did not nod or flinch. He humbly turned and vanished in an abysmal shadow. His black hair wading around him as his form twisted out of the road. His steps faded and freed in the dusty wind. Encroaching upon the sand, Shigeu walked through the seams of the Valley of Traitors. The desert wind thumbed in heatwaves at large, whirling tornados of gold dirt. The hot air fumbled with his long jet-black hair. His white coat snagged from the twisting tide. The pureblood king stared mutely around the emptiness of the arid region. The place was marked for traitors and those that had instigated and endangered the monarchy and its allies, but Shigeu did not justify their deaths with fealty, but instead, despondence. He knelt on the sand, cupping a handful of the hot golden stream and watched the dust peter between his fingers. The final place she had stood, and the resting place of the beloved Mother Huntress.
o o o
Rui scoured the canyon but did not find what he wanted. He flew over the mountainside and lingered on the soil matted in blood. He did not go to the nearby village and stalked into the canyon where his master and sire waited, glaring at the white sky, as if he saw something visible only to him.
"There are no signs of the huntress's remains in the canyon, she couldn't have died." Rui provided and halted beside the lord.
Lord Shoto did not blink from the sky. His mouth skewed in a tight line to muster the bare minimum, "The crowned prince is responsible."
Rui nodded, "An amalgamation of blood was in the soil on the mountain, Kuran pure blood, and the other was a mixture."
"An aristocrat vampire," Lord Shoto emerged out of his trance-like stare from the sky to fuse a mercurial glare upon the metal-cladded pureblood hunter, "How will the king fare after learning she lives? If he continues to badger after her life, the crowned prince will be tempted to do the unthinkable. He cares for her too much." He sliced distrustfully.
"When the Kuran clan falls apart, the Light of Heaven will have no wielder. Once it's back inside the shield, we can destroy it." Rui assured confidently.
Lord Shoto casually began to glide in long strides out of the canyon. His son followed from a specific three-step distance at his heel. "The Light of Heaven connects to the soul of the Kuran wielding it. The sword has no physical body and is an ethereal element. It projects the souls of Kuran kings and ancestors inside the crypt and connects through the body of the bearer. The king is unstoppable, yet he keeps the shield inside a secret room in the palace known to him and the crowned prince. We can't destroy it using physical elements. As long as the sword is around, the Kurans will reign for another thousand years. The sword has to be eliminated if the hunters will ever have the upper hand."
"You sound worried." Rui remarked.
His head high and dignified, Lord Shoto yielded softly on the soil. "Do you not understand why the nation requires a rank system between vampires and humans, Rui? Kuran ancestors were aware their power would attract perverted and evil interest. Many sons and daughters died as a result of power-hungry humans and vampires. It's almost sad to remember how much cruelty and betrayal the Kurans underwent to learn their lesson."
"The Kuran ancestor who came from the dimension was a wanderer who took pity on an abandoned human woman," Rui reflected morosely, "Anue-ue said, he transformed her into a vampire. Some of their children were aristocrats and common vampires. Through mutation their children were born purebloods. The Kuran ancestor kept the Light of Heaven with him at all times and entrusted it to one child. The tradition continued ever since. Between several brothers and sisters, the desire for power broke bonds. The Light of Heaven always loomed as a coveted treasure, an ornament of power. How did he choose whom it would go to?"
"The Light of Heaven predicts the person whose soul it'll merge with," Lord Shoto answered quietly, "Kazuo Kuran showed me the names inscribed on the gold, serpent handle. It was there I read a name not yet born. His first son was arrogant and greedy but his name was not on the sword. It was 'Shigeu.' Years later, Kazuo understood why it had to be his youngest son. He was humbler, warmer, a warrior that could defend and protect."
"Where do the names come from?" Rui asked in confusion.
"That is the mystery of the ethereal sword," Lord Shoto whispered, his eyes lit candidly, "The names are the children of the Kuran, those who had been born, those who have yet to be born, including those suffering a tragic ending, but the children of the Kuran pure blood are summoned to exist in duty by claiming the sword. If there are no Kurans, perhaps the sword will be rendered inutile."
o o o
Juuri was relieved and excited to travel to the Kurenai nest. She earnestly hoped to encounter Yuki and Kaname together, but she acknowledged the dire stipulations it cost Kaname who needed to negotiate and align with the Hiou clan to sway the war in their favor. She was certain he wouldn't ditch Yuki at the nest with the king watching from the sky, but she was optimistic about cooperating with his plans of safekeeping Yuki and meeting her in an appropriate manner. Her gaze shifted toward the rider on the right. Haruka and Kaien were leading their entourage. Her heart sank weightily that her breathing shortened. She closed her eyes dismally. She wanted to see and hold Yuki regardless of how the girl felt toward her, but Juuri feared Haruka's future after he arrived at the village. The king might have set up an arrest warrant where he'd be thrown in a damaging hole waiting out years until the king decided how to start killing him.
She wanted to grab the vampire herself and run away, but she didn't have the heart to ignore his wishes.
o o o
Ai waited at the gates with a lane of servants. She imparted the orders hours ago, readied the Hiou household and battled the sleazy urge to take Takuma Ichijo for herself. Hadn't it been for her mother's guidance, she would have been a day into enraged-animal-love making with his provocative sexy body and bone structure. She hadn't realized how difficult it would be to keep her hands to herself but she noted his instant relief at her changed decorum. He was not in love yet but she didn't want to lose the chance to be together, the situation was maddening. Ai was used to getting what she wanted exactly as she wanted. Normally her servants complied and she was very satisfied by the turnout. She didn't want to lose Takuma to the crowned prince.
The Hiou spies conveyed the crowned prince was beyond the bending road. He'd come directly from the medicine village. She was slightly surprised to hear the pureblood was wounded, but she surmised the rendition had been a battle wound. At the edge of the road, a black contour appeared. Her pink-red eyes narrowed on the first glimpse of a tall, pale, dark-haired pureblood approaching in leisure strides. He was regal, of course. His walk and flare, but not without a subdued detachedness that combed through his stature. Like he could kill the population with a blink or drop the issue and disappear without a care, the level of care and dismissal was profoundly intimidating. Her silver hair swayed in the breeze, flooding around her elegant shoulders.
She folded her hands neatly across the belt of her kimono and lowered her gaze saintly before the royal pureblood. "Kotaishi K—"
"Call me Kaname," He interrupted without blinking.
Ai raised her head steadily to nod, "We weren't expecting you."
"Your spies already informed the matriarch of the current situation at the battle front. My visit will be short. I have to return to the imperial army. Let me speak to her directly."
At his daunting and steadfast appeal, Ai could not necessarily shun or pretend she did not understand. She balked beneath his wintry crimson eyes, smothered by drops of raven-brown hair. A pair of wings whisked next to his left ear, swooping to his pate and landed in his hair. The lavender creature raised and lowered its wings carefully, exhaustively.
Ai unfolded her hands and stared at the pureblood. "Since you're short on time, I'll be straightforward as well," She slanted a finger at the creature of light clinging to his head, "You come from the medicine village where women are forbidden but the woman with you is not doing well in the form. I take it the course of action was an emergency."
"You have the Izanami vision," Kaname deduced.
"The head of the medicine village didn't inherit the Hiou sight, but some of our Kurenai relatives are able to see a vampire's true essence. You endured uncommon straits to bring the woman here. First you need to speak to the matriarch of our clan, but you're harboring an unidentified individual. I ask you to reveal her accordingly before I permit you entry and grant you access to speak to my mother."
Kaname didn't refrain from obliging. He wasn't in the mood to let Yuki maintain the form for too long, but he had detected she was turning weak. She either needed blood or sunlight to sustain her energy levels. He reached over his head to gently lift the lavender butterfly and held it out toward the silver-haired, lithe gatekeeper. "Yuki is not someone who should be seen in these parts. I will judge what happens to the person who threatens her."
Ai inspected the immobile creature in his palm. "We don't like to threaten those who have not crossed us. If she is someone you protect, by all means continue to protect her. My mother doesn't take kindly to people with cryptic tactics. We're passionate people, we prefer honesty."
"I won't disappoint you." Kaname bowed his head. He glanced at the patient butterfly before whispering, "You know how to revert back to your form." The butterfly moved its wings reluctantly but opted to remain on his palm out of sheer stubbornness. Kaname smirked at the creature, "Are you feeling shy?"
Promptly her wings engaged energetically and she rippled up to claim his lips. She faintly trembled before light flashed, dashing in white flickers that transmuted into flesh. Her arms and legs reverted prior to her brown hair and large eyes. She appeared next to the pureblood and lowered her head diligently in the direction of the expecting Hiou.
Ai sobered from the daze at the vision of the two. Her pink-red eyes widened by the second in hysteria. She swallowed audibly and attempted to speak, but her vocal cords did not receive the impulse. Open mouthed, Ai gawked, feeling her heart strum with layers and layers of unfathomable conviction at what she saw and found. The pale plaster of her cheeks colored. She lowered her head and turned, gesturing the two to follow by the short wave of the hand. She led them to the main hall where ceremonies were held. Fortunately the servants were quick on their feet and distributed teas and Water of Life as they gathered around a table on the floor.
The woman named Yuki had not peeked from her lap, and the intensive pureblood had finished memorizing the room and servants without a scan. His eyes remained poised on Ai Hiou but his focus was completely captured by the woman on his left. Under the table, Kaname forged a hand over her knee, gripping her thigh. Her body reacted before she understood what she had done. She stiffened and whipped her head ardently toward him, her crimson eyes implicitly libidinous for the simple touch. And it was all Ai needed to confirm the rapid skip of heartbeats in the room. She could smell their heat, their urgency, the keeling wicked desire weaving between their minds, hearts, and bodies. His hand did not stray from her thigh, but Yuki continued to flush and force herself to remain still. Ai was more than entertained. It was like she was watching a romantic fantasy coming alive before her eyes. She'd read thousands of books and had yet to catch a pair so saturated in heat, lust, and love for each other. The intensity between the pair was visible to those who understood it, but she'd never witnessed such extreme reaction by the rarest and ordinary of gestures. The woman, Yuki, was too afraid to go in all the way with the anticipating pureblood. Ai frowned at the butterfly turned-vampire, she couldn't understand what blocked her from sinking her heart and fangs in the wired and hungry pureblood?
In her opinion, purebloods were the best lovers a person could ever acquire. They were generous, intuitive, had extremely high hygiene and stamina. They loved to please and satisfy their partners, which wasn't even the best part. To have it for eternity was a gift. Ai huffed unconsciously under her breath and took her cup from the table. Her pink-red eyes contemplated the couple over sips of tea. They were intensely tuned into each other everything was foreplay. Their energy was palpable across the room.
I have to help them.
She did not believe a man and woman who had the energetics and desire for each other should pretend otherwise. It was immoral and punishable for non-purebloods to copulate with purebloods, but they were in the Hiou residence where rules did not assign the cause or course. Ai would help them. For starters, she'd never seen two people so desperately turned on before. She could read their air, the nature of their glances and touches. His hand on her thigh was probably the most arduously sensual crave she'd endured, and if Ai looked close enough, he could eat the woman with his eyes. Next, she'd never seen such an adorable pair. His dark hair and her red eyes, it was as one would say when they saw a couple who were created for each other. Ai set her cup on the table and straightened her shoulders. The woman had begun to pick up the Water of Life with quivering hands. Ai did not underestimate why they quivered and raised a discreet brow in her direction.
"The Water of Life will energize you, but a pureblood's blood is superior than any blood drink," Ai did not hesitate to mention, passing a knowing glance at the crowned prince.
Kaname sat back in significant appeasement, liking the trajectory of the conversation. The more Yuki drank from him, the quicker she healed. She was almost a different person when she crawled over him and bit him fiercely. He loved feeling her body and listening to her drink. The memory was enough to make him sit and ruminate in silence for a year.
Yuki nodded at the interjection, "So I'm told." She continued to finish the Water of Life anyway, "We can't linger here, my health will normalize soon."
"You're not a pureblood," Ai said, "But, you look like one. Are you an aristocrat vampire?"
Yuki sagely lowered the glass, "Please, don't let my vampire status get in the way of negotiations."
Ai turned toward the crowned prince, "I don't care about the echelon system. You two are a pair I want to support. My mother will summon you."
"She must know I'm short on time," Kaname said.
"You'll know what you need to know after you speak to her," Ai reported, "We don't deal with political nuisances, and we want to live peacefully for thousands of years. The history between the Kuran and the Hiou isn't exceptional. You're the future of your clan, I am the future of mine, if we want to, we can push aside history and start a healthier beginning."
"Well said." Kaname murmured. Like Ai expected, his attention hadn't skipped from Yuki. She had finished her drink and he shoved her his share without a look. "Building a relationship takes virtue and years. I can't speak for the king, his beliefs are his own. Mine is different, which is why I also want to start fresh with your clan."
Ai watched Yuki thirstily gulp the Water of Life. "We have rooms in our house. I'd like it if you stay and rest up."
Kaname clenched her thigh pointedly and she jerked upright. "Yes, we-we'll stay. Please, don't let it hinder negotiations."
"Yuki can stay," Kaname took note of her dark blush and eyes of wonderment, "I have to oversee appointments in the area."
As they continued to stare at each other, Ai grinned at Yuki with interest, "You're very docile toward your pureblood, he must spoil you a lot."
Spoil?
The last time Kaname spoiled Yuki, she had seen a side of herself come alive she normally kept hidden. An intro to the sexiest memory of her short life as a vampire woman. Although, Yuki kept her face placid, her cheeks turned brighter than the red silk drapes in Ai's quarters.
Ai was all too aware of the meaning behind the blush. She glanced at the amused stare of the vigilant crowned prince. "After you've finished your appointments, you are free to return here." Ai slowly rose from her cushion and bowed her head at the two. "The servants will escort you to your suite. I will have dinner sent to you." With another smile, Ai walked out of the hall and away from the couple.
She returned to her quarters where the creature of her desires stared at her grudgingly. She'd spared him a shirt and the ropes but his mood had not elevated. Takuma had been in the company of her servant who sailed to his feet, bowed, and departed the room. Ai sauntered toward a chair and gracefully melted into the cushions, letting out a heaving sigh. "Your crowned prince is too occupied and doesn't remember you. You might as well live here with me."
Takuma was nibbling on sweets and wiped his mouth with the back of a hand. "Kaname has a ton of things to do. Will the Kuruizaki-hime speak to him today?"
"He just arrived," Her silver hair dangled over the chair on the floor, Ai strummed her fingers on the armrest, her eyes toured the ceiling in thought, "I will use you as a bargaining chip. If he lets me have you, he can see my mother."
Takuma snorted resentfully, his eyes narrowing in annoyance, "You think Kaname can't tell I'm here? He knows my scent and footprint. He doesn't touch anything he doesn't know how it ends. You can't beat the mastermind."
"I don't have to beat him, as long as I get you in the end, I will be happy." Ai returned.
"What makes you think I want to stay with you?" He demanded.
Ai sat up to regard him and smiled, "My love is free. If one of these days I forget to hold back, you can't be upset. I want all of your love."
"You're a delusional pureblood."
"Delusional?" Ai scoffed and tilted her chin up, "I can see when a man and a woman are undeniably in love with each other. That's not all, with the Mirror of Truth in my hand, I can easily peer into the heart of any living being I want."
"Use your magical mirror on me, it'll help you sober up." Takuma goaded.
"I did." Ai growled, "When you were asleep, I held the mirror over your heart." A frown bled into her soft, red lips. "Your words are as true as your name is Takuma. In your heart, you care about the crowned prince more than your own body and soul. It makes me frustrated and envious."
Takuma sadly averted, "You'll find someone who'll care about you too."
"I've been alone for a hundred seventy-six years. No one trespassed the Hiou land, until you. If I let the crowned prince and my mother meet today, you'll run out of here at first chance. I don't want to watch you disappear."
Growing up with Kaname, Takuma learned purebloods felt emotions deeply, darkly, in inexpiable depths that was almost toxic or detrimental. Takuma was the sun beside the moon, Kaname. He was cheerful, upbeat, although, fretful with good reason and he'd always looked out for Kaname who was not allowed to share his heart or mind with others. Ai Hiou by no means had a buoyant personality. She was a hopeless romantic, a dreamer, and she wished more than anything to be loved and be devoted to.
"You have to get used to it. I don't belong here." Takuma managed delicately, "I don't want to hurt you."
"What will it take?" Ai turned over and asked.
"For what?"
"For you to love me?"
Takuma blinked, "How should I know?"
Resting her chin on her knuckles, Ai curiously queried, "There must've been girls you liked. What were they like?"
"Girls?" Takuma chuckled suddenly, his fangs flashed and his emerald eyes sparkled, "I don't know about 'girls' but I do know a huntress. What I liked about her was how comfortable I grew around her in a short span of time. I talked to her candidly and found myself grow in ways I didn't think I could. I trusted her enough to stay around Kaname. She also worries about him, so we share the sentiment sincerely."
"Where is she?"
"Did a woman accompany Kaname by chance?"
Ai lifted an inquisitive brow.
"Kaname treasures her. He'll even step aside if she tells him to because he worries about robbing her freedom."
"This woman," Ai frowned, "Is 'Yuki?' "
He looked up brightly, "Yes!"
Ai had done them the good deed of providing room and board. She turned on her side and leaned on her elbow, studying the blond noble-vampire. "She is a huntress, how is her freedom threatened?"
Takuma bleakly smiled, "It's a long story, you won't understand."
"I want to know." Ai urged, "What is their story?"
"Freedom is one of the most important things to Yuki," Takuma began softly, "She's the only female huntress to date in the Association. It was a quiet night in the Kyoto palace, Kaname woke up from a bizarre dream and called my father. Before I met Kaname, my father was one of his shinsengumis. Kaname told him what he saw."
Ai waited raptly.
"He said, 'I saw a woman I've never seen before. Brown hair, red eyes, a familiar face, yet it's not as it seems. I've never met her but the details of her face was intricate and clear. I can't forget it. She fell from the ceiling.' The dream was ten years before the night Yuki intruded the Kyoto palace. She wasn't on assignment with the Hunters Association. She'd been looking for Juuri Kuran. Secretly Yuki scaled around the palace. By mistake she stepped on the broken tiles of the pagoda roof and fell in his library. Kaname was shocked—"
Ai gasped, cupping her mouth, "The dream!" She exclaimed.
"Same brown hair and red eyes. Her face was exactly as he remembered in the dream ten years ago."
"How is that possible?"
"Kaname won't disclose it but he has visions that later come true. Yuki is the only person connected to them."
o o o
The prodigious suite was unlike any room Yuki had seen. The perimeter went on for miles, it seemed. Lavish, long soft white drapes oscillated from the windows. A stone large terrace wedged in front of a waterfall with marble banisters waiting beyond the three-step center stage of the room. To fit the room, an extravagant bed appropriated the left end, surrounded by windows. Yuki hadn't stopped to catch her breath but managed to turn and face the dreary-eyed pureblood behind.
"She's extremely generous," Yuki panted.
Kaname's eyes flicked once to the left then to the right and swooped on Yuki's upturned face. "Or, she wants something."
"What could she possibly want?"
"She was ready to keep us knowing I don't have time. Nonetheless, it falls in your favor," Kaname noticed her fascination with the curtains and high ceiling. He snuck an arm around her waist and lunged her against him, begging for attention. "How will you deal with your blood infection when I'm away?"
Her balled fists relaxed on his chest. Against Kaname, Yuki drew an unquenchable breath and stared into his ever-deep, ever-loving crimson eyes. "I will manage fine, it's not my first time."
Kaname frowned and tightened the arm around her. She fit snugly in his arms than she did before. "Did you consider I won't be fine?"
Yuki gnawed her bottom lip at his imploring stare.
"You must hanker to hear back from your fiancé or you wouldn't hesitate to be with me."
She shoved out of his arms determinedly, "You shouldn't talk like you know everything."
Kaname let the arm dangle back to his side. His gaze forlorn and disconcerted on her averted profile. "I already know what I need to know." He approached Yuki and wrapped both arms from behind, pressing her in the warm column of his body.
Her heart doubled its rhythm, causing her blood to gush faster in her veins. Kaname nuzzled the side of her neck and brushed the sensitive skin waiting for his tongue. His lips found the hidden flesh beneath soft hair. Yuki hissed from a playful fang prior to the sudden hot-cold drizzle of tongue. Her skin tasted sweet, like fresh crushed rose petals, and the smell of the sun flourished resplendently from her dark hair. He whirled her around, loving the sultry curve of her hips. He swept her hair aside. Her eyes had darkened like red wine, desire haunted her blood, and her mouth trembled open from a cramped breath. She was trying to clutch to her senses, her wits, self-control and better judgement. Kaname saw through her. Regardless of her outer circumstances, she was trapped in the riptide of wants and compliancies. He nudged her chin up, sensing her shaking breath as her gaze switched to his mouth eagerly. Her mouth watered anxiously.
Kaname scooped her hair and pushed her lips to his. She immediately gasped from his warmth. Her lips remained parted and his tongue swept in the ring of her lips, gliding onto hers at last. Yuki moaned from the gentle pressure of Kaname's fangs and the sinful tug of fingers at the back of her head, fastening her lips a few degrees firmer on his. Kaname deepened the kiss, loving her silk tongue merge in his mouth and brush his fangs. Excitement pleated her veins, racing like fiery sparks down her limbs and arms. The arm loosened from her waist and swiveled from her hips, cutting inside an unknown but rare opening of her shirt. She hadn't realized it before, but Kaname had perceptive eyes and slipped through to cup her breast. Yuki hissed from the kiss, wheezing for air and felt her back drop against the wall. Kaname brushed his lips down her throat, connecting with the large pulse beneath the hot skin. His fingers rubbed her nipple and glided down her ribs and belly button, diving directly in the hem of the hakama. Her breathing had become frantic and erratic, her vision spotty. Kaname nibbled her lips between fangs, eliciting purrs and gasps.
His fingers slipped inside of the hakama. Her large smoky eyes swam toward his narrowed and knowing stare. Instead of pushing him away like a person of better judgement would do, Yuki did not. Instead of beating the drum of self-control, Yuki sank sharply in the throes of wild temptations. She didn't know how to stop herself. It was next to impossible. It wasn't just Kaname's touch or kiss, it was everything. The drawl of suggestive emotions heralding his maroon-black eyes as she felt his fingers enter her. The inviting smirk engaging his lips from the sound of her excitable moan. Kaname watched her shake against the wall. Her cheeks reddened like her eyes, the corners had crested with tears. Yuki made a wrestled wheeze, scampering for something tangible yet unknown. She gripped the lapels of his jacket, hoisting Kaname closer. He bent forward to let his tongue roam the land of her throat and collarbone. The sensation soothed her by a minimum, and he listened to her sigh under the rumbling current of her racing blood and rampant heart.
Kaname felt her juices on his fingers, and the untrained twitch of nerves light like fire sticks in her loins. Yuki was more than aroused. She couldn't even hear him or fathom where they were. All she felt was his lips on her neck, and the massaging, stroking fingers between her lips, drawing out shivering, delectable sighs. Her hips joined his strokes, she widened her thighs. Kaname sucked on a patch of skin on her throat. His tongue danced toward a failing button and blew the obstacle away. The sudden rain of blowing air jolted her senses. Her eyes sharply widened. Kaname licked the mound of her breast and bit down. She cried out, twisting from the vice-grip of fangs. Blood oozed like a delicious hot lava down her ribs, seeping into her shirt. Kaname dipped his fingers urgently inside Yuki. She crooned deliriously then, the pain of the bite was promptly out of her mind. Kaname loosened the grip around her head and bit a vein on his wrist. Warm drops sugared her mouth, her eyes narrowed from the distinct smell. Hunger reared demandingly, Yuki yanked his wrist and drank from the open vein.
His fingers slipped in and out of her. Yuki lazily licked her lips, satisfied by his pure blood. He placed the bloody hand on the wound above her breast. Instead of the flesh healing, light circulated the width of Kaname's palm and bite mark. Yuki whimpered from the teasing fingers moving slowly inside her lips. He drew the hand away to lap the mark with his healing saliva. The cut sealed and though the mark was pale, it was distinguishable to his eyesight. Kaname curled an arm rapidly around Yuki. Her panting lips met his, she tugged him closer to feel more of his heat, chest, more of him. He kissed her deeply, muffling her sounds and held her securely as he located the spot that made her scream. Yuki clenched her fangs and hid her face in his neck. Her eyes clenched tight but his skillful fingers resumed their magic deep inside, around and through, ceaseless. He stroked far and deep, enjoying her jerking motions and heaving grunts in his ear, but she hadn't realized she'd latched onto him. Her eyes teared and her lips were wheeled back, her fangs hanging, and her hips desperately followed his stirring fingers.
He returned to the perfect, secret point he knew threw her over the edge. She threw her head back and cried out. Kaname kissed down the slope of her perspiring throat, licking away drops of sun and rose. A sheen of faint white flooded her eyes, her body rode out the waves of ecstasy. She panted raggedly, her head twisted and her hungry eyes finally zoomed into his countenance. He wanted more, she could smell his hunger. His dark, desperate and devilish stare engulfed her, making it hard for her to breathe. Yuki gripped him around the shoulders. Kaname tugged her by the back of the head, forcing her lips open. She mewed clumsily but his tongue sealed her cries until she responded. Her own tongue met his, rummaging the pleasant confines of his mouth. Kaname peeled his fingers from her lips. Yuki twitched and throbbed as soon as his fingers slipped out. Her shaking legs left her slouching on the wall.
A stinging sensation alerted her of their environment. She made an investigative caress over her breast, immediately pausing on the increasing tenderness. Yuki thumbed the bite mark. Although, it had healed, she couldn't understand why it stung. The pureblood ran a wet finger on the spot. She could smell her juices on his digit. He pondered over the sacred mark, running two more fingers over the area.
Yuki debated his content expression. "What kind of mark is this?"
Kaname hadn't looked away from his work. "You read about it in the Shoto journal. There are various types of blood bonds. Right now, you have the mark of a Blood Summon."
Yuki froze, her eyes slowly whisked wide in shock.
He merely smirked at her expression and brushed the sweaty bangs from her eyes. "What is it?"
"You are giving me your Blood Summon?" Yuki cautiously worded.
"If you remember correctly, Yuki, there is a way to make a pureblood follow any order given to him. You need to activate it." Kaname tapped her nose.
Blood Summon caused a pureblood to forsake his or her power. Yuki plastered a protective hand over the mark, her eyes withholding a solemn promise. It was not easy to hand over the pact to another person. A pureblood had to believe and have faith he or she would not be taken advantage of, be mistreated and betrayed. She couldn't believe Kaname was being unconditionally yielding and accepting of her impulsive and unreasonable tendencies. Additionally, vampires must keep the pact secret and she was not in the right frame of mind to be used as a pawn against Kaname.
He brushed his fingers through her disheveled hair and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. Her eyes swept shut from the loving gesture. Kaname brushed his knuckles down her left cheek. "You're a smart girl, figure out how to summon me when you need me. I will come." Kaname slipped both arms around her waist and pulled her from the wall into his arms. He brushed the back of her head and felt her melt comfortably in his embrace. Yuki inhaled his scent and warmth loudly. Her eyes remained closed. Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around his back and returned the hug.
Kaname smiled in her hair, "I need to check on a few things."
She nodded soundlessly from his arms, her grip tightening.
He dropped his arms and moved to free himself.
Yuki clenched him aggressively.
Kaname peered questionably down at her, "Unless you're ready to be with me for good, you should release me."
Her hands stayed locked for multiple silent minutes. Yuki scrunched her face and reluctantly unhooked her arms from his back. "Lord Toma will have an eye on you. Try not to freeze." She warned.
"No one else can keep me warm but you," Kaname guaranteed, "I'll only be gone for a moment. Now that you've completed your task of delivering me here, I can relieve you."
She frowned, "But you're a target, who will have your back?"
Kaname raised his brows, "You keep making excuses to be with me. If I find a place far away, you can live with me."
All of Yuki's hopes of having adventures and affairs were repeatedly foiled by the pureblood. "You want me to spend an eternity groveling at your heel in a far away place? What a joke, you have a nation to lead, and a palace full of women waiting after the war."
Kaname discerned her reproach was fused with self-doubt, "I'll send them away if it makes you jealous."
"Don't be ridiculous. They spent their whole lives training and wishing to be of service to the royal family. It's expected you have a couple of wives and a pureblood queen. You get to have lascivious fun while I bend over backwards repaying my debt for an eternity." Yuki pouted.
"Look at you," Kaname amusedly tilted his head at her sullenness, "You can't stand being without me, but you're upset being with me."
"Who says I can't? I spent close to a year without you." Yuki shot back.
"That was before the war," Kaname implied, "You cry if I'm hurt, you become sick when I'm not around," He peered intently into her beaming eyes, whispering, "You love it when I kiss you."
Yuki blushed and dodged the stare. Kaname swung an arm about her and seized her in a fast kiss. She backpedaled into the wall, falling under the power of his lips and pillaging tongue. Gasping as he pulled back, Kaname checked her furiously red cheeks to prove his point. Her eyes reflected an unfinished feverish quality, she looked breathtaking. If he continued, he might have some answers. She'd succumb, of course, but not before a resistant struggle. When she'd finally surrender, Yuki would be madly hungry and needy.
Kaname nuzzled her forehead. "I will be right back."
Yuki panted as Kaname withdrew his arm and turned. His form coalesced with the shadow and wind, whizzing out of the terrace within seconds.
o o o
© Nur Misurr • Read & Review • Thank You
In response to Anon's questions: Is Ai based off Ai in VK Memories? I wonder what her appearance is like. I wonder what their mother-daughter relationship is like. What happened to Ai's pureblood father?
A: Ai is not based off of Ai in VK. You will see in the future chapters 'Ai Kuran' is the namesake of 'Ai Hiou.' Ai Hiou is crucial to character building between Takuma and Kaname. She is important to the plot as she brings about a well meaning character in Kaname's future. She looks like Shizuka. The mother and daughter are used to each other's distances. Ai's pureblood father died in battle. I will shed more light in the history between Hiou and Kuran. :) I can't go into detail without spoiling the plot. Thank you for asking!