A/N: I know I have left you hanging for so long and anything I say now are just excuses TT I just got inspired again and hopefully will be able to post the next chapter soon...

o-o-o-o-o

When he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, Senri couldn't help grinning. He didn't think it would be this easy, considering how stubborn the silver-haired boy is known to be. It only means that the hunter is truly curious and interested in the pureblood's situation.

The said footsteps stopped which made him do the same.

"Where are you going?" Kiryuu asked for the first time since they left the premises of the campus and trekked through the forest.

"You mean, where are we going?" Senri finally turned back and caught the other boy staring at his expensive sports car parked on the side of the street. They have just reached the highway after a more or less 10-minute walk in the woods. Before Kiryuu could respond, he answered his question fast. "To Kaname-sama, ofcourse."

It was clear that he had changed his mind. Senri can see him shaking his head as if he just realized he made the wrong decision. He doesn't want to hurt him or have to drag him to the pureblood. Ever since he learned of the pureblood's unexplainable attraction to the hunter's blood, he'd been doing his own research of such a rare case. While he has not been able to find a concrete answer yet, he has his own suspicions.

"I'm going back." Zero decided.

"I've heard you are a lot of things, Kiryuu…" Senri's gaze was piercing and inquisitive, "-but not a coward." Zero's back straightened and he knows he just needs to push more buttons.

"I'm-,"

"Then what are you scared of?"

He saw him clench his fists, "I'm not scared of Kuran or any of you. I just think this is none of my business." The hunter explained.

"Huh." Senri shrugged and then sighed. "Even if that means you'll be getting your questions unanswered?"

Shit. Don't force me Kiryuu! Senri geared up for his next move. Kiryuu looked like he already made a decision.

"I can get them answered when Kuran comes back." Kiryuu was already six steps away, back to where they came from when Senri thought of using his last card before he used his ability against the boy.

"We're losing him." He confessed and he's sure with what he'll say next, Kiryuu will definitely turn back. "Because of you."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Zero stopped at that. "What?!" He turned abruptly at the absurdity of such a claim.

"It was you who made him that way." The redhead continued, throwing accusations with a straight face. " Unconsciously , I believe."

He looked away, remembering the times he caught sight of the pureblood's perplexed expressions before.

' I do not know why your scent is appealing to me...but a pureblood cannot be denied his bloodlust.'

'No! It is you!'

'You did this to me. I didn't choose this!'

Zero remembered the unguarded expressions that escaped the impassive facade the pureblood always wears. It was as if taking his blood is really against his will but he can't stop himself.

"How is that my fault?' He asked the boy whose name he still doesn't know yet, but he thinks it's pretty unnecessary since this might be the first and last time they'll ever talk anyway.

"It's not Kaname-sama's fault either." There was a clear irritation in the vampire's tone. "It's unheard-of for a vampire- most especially a pureblood, to lust after the blood of someone like you."

That sounded very offensive, "What do you mean someone like me? "

"A hunter and an ex-human." The vampire responded rather casually.

He was taken aback. It just occurred to him that while he hadn't experienced any signs of the transformation yet, it was easy for other vampires to know and detect what had happened to him. That he's no longer… human.

Straightening his back, he glared at the vampire. "I still don't see how this is any of my business." He said, "He needs my blood for some reason and had stolen from me countless times before. I will no longer let that happen. That is his problem and not mine. What's happening to him doesn't justify what he did to me. If all the crimes in the world can be absolved because the criminal is having a crisis, there wouldn't be any need for justice and law enforcement." Just that and then he left.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Senri felt the back of his headache and his face heat up in anger. He tossed the box of pocky none too gently and raised his right hand, then bit his point finger hard, feeling his own teeth sink in his own flesh. He felt the warmth of his blood as it was trickling down his finger, a strong gust of wind distracted him followed by someone snatching his hand too fast that he felt the comforting wet and warm lips around his finger first before Takuma's figure materialized in his eyes.

He felt weak at the suckling sensation and the way Takuma's tongue gently swipes on the length of his finger up and down.

"Takuma…" He was getting weak on the knees at the speed his lust was consuming him.

But the blue eyes that were looking at him were filled with anger and disappointment. That the heat gathering in his body dissipated quickly and replaced by coldness from those beautiful blue eyes.

"I told you not to touch him!" Takuma said through gritted teeth the moment he let go of his hand.

"I didn't!" He cried out.

Takuma shook his head slowly, not believing him. "You were about to ."

"I'm not going to hurt him, damn it!" He was getting frustrated again that when it comes to matters with Kaname, Takuma is too sensitive and possessive.

"I told you not to get involved." His words and tone were too cold that Senri was frozen in place, unable to speak. He was only able to recover when Takuma had already left.

Now Senri wants to hurt someone.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Two weeks later:

"Hello? Earth to Zero-kun?"

Yuuki puffing her cheeks was what he saw first after his consciousness landed back on the ground. "What." He said unconsciously.

"What, what?!" She exclaimed.

Wondering what made her so exasperated, Zero tilted his head and asked in bewilderment, "What?"

"Ugh!" She literally pulled her hair in frustration. "Were you sleeping with your eyes open?"

He glared at her for such a stupid question which seems to have added to her irritation.

"I've been asking you and calling you out for most likely half an hour, it was funny at first but now I feel ridiculous. Are we still doing this?"

It was only when Yuuki started tapping the textbook with her fingers that he remembered that he was actually teaching him their lessons for the week, as promised, for the delicious food she gave him.

Yuuki must have seen something in his face that softened her up and made her worry instead. "Are you okay, Zero-kun?"

"Yes, just sleepy. Sorr-"

"You've been spacing out a lot recently like you're worried about something or someone and-"

"No, I'm not worried about anyone... I'm just tired, see you tomorrow. Good night." He stood to leave in haste, and it was only until he was already about to close the door that he realized he hadn't gathered his things and brought it with him. So he returned, uncomfortable under Yuuki's curious and suspicious gaze.

"You're acting weird…" She commented, watching him pick his books and notebooks up.

"No, you are…" He said.

Annoyed, Yuuki pretended to move her hand and intentionally elbowed his highlighter that she borrowed earlier. "Oops! Sorry, my bad." She smirked at him, not moving an inch to pick it up despite the object being so close to her that it's almost even touching her foot.

Zero is just so done with Yuuki that he doesn't even want to deal with her anymore. He wants to get out of here as fast as possible, so he went to her side of the table and leaned to pick his highlighter up. He's so irritated right now that even the smell of Yuuki's shampoo makes him sick.

And made him sick it actually did, like a heavy punch in his gut and a sudden tightness in his chest followed by an extreme dryness in his throat… he started coughing and choking to the point of forgetting his position and intention at the moment.

It seemed like an entire minute or more had passed that he didn't notice, because when he came to his senses from the indescribable pain that attacked him, he felt a cold hard glass being pressed on his lips and heard the sloshing of water inside it and with every involuntary expulsion of air from his lungs, the said water splashed his face. Yuuki's arms were wrapped around him and she was making him drink water thinking that it was gonna make him feel better and that it was just a regular coughing fit.

His senses suddenly overwhelmed him that he felt goosebumps on his skin. His awareness heightened and expanded up to where he could hear voices of people talking at the same time somewhere, he could smell a multitude of odors; some pleasant and some that aren't, and he could sense lots of auras more than before like how he knows the headmaster is in his room pacing and the group of powerful vampire auras in the distance.

But everything in him suddenly focused on Yuuki, like a vacuum; her scent alone sucked all his senses and it all now concentrated on her. "Come on, just a little." She leaned to him further, some of her hair now brushing his face. Her scent is much much closer now, permeating through every part of him, sensitizing his entire body to her presence. He could hear the sound of her gulping, her heartbeat, and her pulse. Yuuki smelled so good and sweet that it made his teeth so sensitive especially when his lower and upper teeth touch. He wants to sink them into her soft skin and feel the way the flesh would tear apart in between his teeth-

Darkness passed once again and Yuuki's pleading voice woke him up from what seemed like a very short trip to nothingness "No! Stop it. Zero! Please. It hurts." She was pushing him so hard, her lithe and weak body trembling beneath him as he realized he was now hunching over her, pressing her against the floor with his body. He pulled away from her as fast as he could, thinking what and how in the world this all happened.

And it was her fear-stricken brown eyes that got him first before his peripheral caught something reddish below her small face. Zero's heart skipped a beat.

His greatest fear… It has finally happened.

"Y-Yuuki…" He reached out to her, just wanting to console her shaking body but Yuuki flinched so hard in fear and tried with all her weakened might to get as far away from him in her current state. His eyes caught the way her tears started rolling down her face and his hands paused in the air. He moved his mouth to utter his apology but no voice would come out. He felt so cold in his own skin, and he started sweating buckets.

This is not happening. This is not happening.

The sound of hurried footsteps nearing the room scared him so much that he bolted through the open window like the coward monster that he had become. He knew by the aura that it was Cross.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Is it working?" Takuma asked, too curious about the result.

They were all huddled outside a special chamber they made for Kaname. It has been two weeks since they had to lock the pureblood in a magically sealed chamber to prevent him from running away in his current situation. He has stopped responding to the liquid suppressant no matter how many shots they give him, he just becomes all the more aggressive. He had been in his beast form since then… until today.

Dr. Akiyama from the HVRO medical department headquarters personally tended the pureblood. He knew the trouble that awaits if they failed to suppress the beast.

'It could become permanent .'

The doctor told some stories he had heard and read in the past about purebloods losing their humanity.

' It was catastrophic. They become so powerful that they destroy anything and everything in their path, that without their humanity they no longer have any reason or capability to think. They just fall into a nonstop rage even against other vampires. They become the ultimate killers that only live on constant hunger and instinct. '

And because of that, Dr. Akiyama worked night and day to come up with a suppressant that he hopes to work on the pureblood.

He came up with the second version of the liquid suppressant that he previously administered.

Through the glass panel, they could see the brunet pureblood starting to wake up. He lost consciousness due to the potency of the medicine that according to the doctor is very fatal to non-purebloods.

When awake, the beast usually takes over the pureblood's body but when asleep, Kaname reverts back to his human form.

They watched as Kaname slowly opened his eyes and started to expand his senses. The way that his aura spread out through the glass chamber made them brace themselves.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Zero ran as fast and far as he could without looking back. His hammering heartbeat was so palpable against his rib cage. He could hear a loud ringing in his ears and his body's very low temperature was dropping all the more by the minute.

He must have been running for over an hour or so. When he felt like he had run far enough, he finally stopped by an unfamiliar clearing right before a small stream that was hidden behind a huge pile of rocks.

Coward! Coward! Monster!

He went to hide behind the biggest rock and dropped on his knees to finally let go of the tears he didn't know he was stopping while he was on the run. Images of Yuuki being scared and her neck covered in her own blood made him wail in so much guilt and pain.

He thought he still had enough time but was told it was long overdue. They said it was his hunter's blood that delayed it and he became too complacent.

Now he hurts the person he wants to protect the most. He screamed in frustration and guilt.

Everything now flashed before him. This is it. This is the end of him. He will die without having achieved the justice his family deserved. Yuuki might later try to understand him out of the kindness of her heart but he won't forgive himself for his own recklessness. He can no longer live with them or anywhere else because now that he has started to change, any moment now he will lose his sanity. His name might already be on another hunter's list now. So in order to atone for what he's done to Yuuki and for it to not happen again to anyone, he needs to do the right thing.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered to the wind and hoped that it would be carried over to Yuuki and the headmaster. He looked up at the sky and uttered, "I failed you…" to his parents and Ichiru.

'...dying now would be much better than dying a Level E'

For once the bastard is right. While he hasn't fully transformed yet, he needs to go. He will not die a Level E.

With trembling hands, he reached for Bloody Rose on his side.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"It worked!" Takuma uttered. He finally let go of the deep breath he was holding.

"Just a moment." Dr. Akiyama said, still wanting to make sure. It's only been fifteen minutes.

"He's getting up." Seiren added. They didn't want to chain him but restraining him was such a difficult feat that they had no choice. The clanging of the metals as the pureblood moves slowly as he feels himself and his environment added to the suspense.

They saw the way Kaname closed his eyes and the moment his entire body stiffened, his fists clenched to the tightest and the monitor showed his heart skipping a beat before returning with rabbit pumps that increased drastically.

"No…" Kaname uttered under his breath, his eyes opened showing his intense fiery ruby orbs that for some reason was full of worry and pain. "No!"

The pureblood's scream was laced with so much force and power that the ground vibrated for a few seconds before the glass panels; that were magically sealed to cage vampires as powerful as Kaname, but are now proven to not be able to withstand such claims, were shattered.

Everything happened so fast that all they could take in was the sound of the chains breaking and some sort of explosion that when they opened their eyes everything was already a mess and there was a hole on the side of the room where Kaname, who was now absent, was confined.

"What-" Dr. Akiyama, whose face is now littered with wounds from the shards of broken glasses.

"We have to follow him, Ichijo." Seiren said, and then disappeared in an instant.

Takuma reached out to the doctor, gave him a little pat, and then went on his way.

Dr. Akiyama felt his body shaking as he let himself fall on the floor to process everything despite it all being too late. Exposure to such immense power was truly draining. He is convinced though that the liquid suppressant worked because he didn't turn into a beast again. The cause of this is something else.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Seiren prides herself for being the fastest among the nobles, but the gap between her speed and the pureblood right now is incomparable. She is following his trail but she knows that he is already so so far ahead.

They have no idea where he is going at first, but the way they were heading towards is already a clue in itself. Cross Academy.

Something happened in the academy. Was it the nobles? Was it Yuuki? Or Zero...

It was in the final turn to the campus that the trail changed direction until they had totally passed the school.

Her questions were almost immediately answered the moment she reached a clearing and saw the pureblood; still in his human form, kneeling over the body of a lifeless person beside the small stream. A strong force field prevented her from getting closer to the two, but despite the distance, Seiren already knew who the other one was.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

It was that mix of pained animalistic and human wailing that welcomed Takuma when he finally arrived at the clearing.

Kiryuu Zero's body looked lifeless, his head covered in his own blood, and in his hand on the side was his anti-vampire gun. What surprised Takuma, even more, is the pureblood's reaction. He now looked so aggrieved like he just lost a very dear one.

Kaname pulled the boy and took him in his arms, lowered his head and Takuma saw the way he gently pressed his lips to the boy's.

"We can't get closer." Seiren's voice broke his shocked trance.

"I don't think we should, either," Takuma said, trying to look away, suddenly feeling as if he is intruding in the pureblood's private moment.

"It's perplexing." She commented, eyes never leaving her master. Takuma was about to speak his thoughts when he heard Seiren gasp so loud and her violet eyes widened in horror. "No! He's going to revive him!"

For a moment, Takuma wondered what was so wrong with reviving the poor boy, but he remembered that Kaname has already drank Kiryuu's blood before. He straightened up and was forced to look at the scene that they are so helpless about.

He saw Kaname bite his own wrist none too gently in haste and took big gulps of his own blood. It was as if in slow motion that Takuma saw him press his mouth on Kiryuu's to transfer the sacred blood.

There was a voice inside Takuma that prayed it was already too late. As if it wasn't enough, Kaname took more of his blood and gave it to the boy, some of them were even wasted as they dripped over his mouth.

But the gods Takuma didn't even believe in were deaf to his prayer when he heard the first pumping of the boy's heart followed by another, and then another…

Shit .

Their king is now mated to that vindictive hunter.

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