Author: woooo new chapter! Now sleep! Enjoy everyone!

" FIRE FIST!"

Lucci felt an immense heat and light slam into his face, wrenching him away from the small blunette. " Bastard!" He snarled as he saw the Prince and several others surround the area, poised to strike.

" AI!" Ace yelled, catching her as she swayed backwards, away from Coby. Her dress and cloak heavily saturated with blood. Her face was pale with a slight hint of blue to her lips. " Hey," he whispered, cupping her cheek gently. " I need you to open those green eyes of your's."

" Ace, you need to get her inside!" Koala said worriedly. " It's to cold out here for her!"

" Yeah," Ace said taking his cloak off and wrapping it securely around Ai.

" Ace…"

The prince looked down to see Ai's eyes flutter open weakly. " I'm here."

" Luffy…" He heard her whisper weakly. " He's hurt…"

Ace looked around and quickly spotted his younger brother in wolf form, stalking slowly towards Lucci. To his eyes, Luffy looked perfectly fine. " He's fine, Ai." He whispered to her. " But we need to get you inside."

" I would suggest giving her a couple sips of your blood first, though." Ace jumped at the sound of a familiar raspy male voice from behind him.

" Rayleigh." Ace said spotting middle aged man with long strawberry-blonde haired that held flecks of grey in it. He wore round glasses and was dressed in a long white cloak.

" Your Bride won't make it to the castle if you don't hurry up and give her some of your blood. She's losing to much of her own to last much longer."

" Ai," Ace said tilting her upwards gently. " I need you to try to stay awake for me."

" I'm tired, Ace." Ai whispered. " I just need to rest my eyes for a bit."

" No you can't." Ace said quickly. " I need you to drink something for me."

" Ace…"

A smile spread across his face as he heard the annoyance in her voice. Lifting his wrist to his mouth, Ace sank his fangs in deeply. Instantaneously, warm blood flowed into his mouth. Quickly he pressed his mouth to Ai's and let his blood flow in.

" ACE!" Ai coughed as she struggled to drink and stay awake.

" Just listen to me for once, woman!" Ace demanded, pressing his bleeding wrist to her lips. " Now drink!" And for once the blunette listened.

Ace only started to relax when he saw a hint of pink return to her cheeks. Removing his wrist he lifted her quickly into his arms. " I need to stay awake now, Ai." With that he darted swiftly towards the castle.

" But I'm so tired." Ai said quietly as she snuggled against him.

" I know but just do it, okay!" Ace said as he began to close in on the castle.

" Fine." Ai whispered. " Why do you have to be so bossy?"

" Because that is the only thing that gets through to you!"

" What do you mean by that!"

" That you are a stubborn and thick headed woman who gives a man blue balls!"

" YOU J-wait…what are blue balls?"

" I'd rather not tell you that right now." Ace said opening a side door to the castle. Ducking quickly inside he darted down the hall towards the stairs to his room.

" ACE!"

" Shit!" Ace growled at the sound of Ai's brother's voice. Looking over his shoulder he saw Thatch stride angrily towards him.

" WHAT HAPPENED TO HER!" Thatch snarled angrily, his hand gripping one of his machetes. " WHAT! HAPPENED!"

" I don't have time to tell you!"

" YOU WILL TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO HER!"

" I didn't do anything to her!"

" IT LOOKS LIKE YOU LOST CONTROL AND ATTACKED HER!"

" THATCH!" Ai yelled angrily. " STOP IT! HE DIDN'T DO THIS!" Ace tightened his hold on Ai protectively. He became nervous again as what little color that had returned to her face vanished. As she swayed slightly in his arms.

" Ai-"

" Ace wouldn't do this!" Ai repeated weakly. " He wouldn't ever hurt me."

" Ai, I need to get you upstairs." Ace said hurriedly.

" O-Okay," Ai said in a distant voice. " Th-Thatch…"

" Yeah, Little Sister?" Thatch replied, stepping towards the blunette worriedly. " What is it?"

" O-Order."

Thatch tensed at the one word that made his blood almost freeze in his veins. " I see." He said in an overly calm voice. Reaching into his pocket, Thatch pulled out a blood red veil and handed it to Ace. " Give this to her for the pain."

" Th-Thanks…I think." Ace said blankly. " Where are you going?"

" To take care the problem outside." Thatch replied. " You take care of my sister."

" No shit." Ace growled before darting up the stairs to his room.

" Be careful."

" He'll be fine, Ai." Ace said cooly as he opened the door to his room and darted inside. " Drink!" He demanded, offering his wrist once again, relieved that she didn't fight him on it.

Cradling her gently against him he began to unwrap their cloaks from around her. " What are you doing?"

" Just keep drinking! I need to see how bad your wounds are."

" Wh-What?" Ai squeaked as Ace started to unlace her dress. " W-Wait Ace!" She started to squirm away from him as her dress loosened.

" I can't wait, Ai!" He growled pulling her back against him. " You'll bleed out unless I close them!"

" H-How are you going to do that?" Ai became even more uncomfortable as he started to slide her dress down past her shoulders. " W-Wait!"

" I can't!" Ace growled opening the bottle Thatch had given him. " Drink!"

" Ace-"

" I SAID DRINK, DAMNIT!"

Ai took the bottle and drank it as quickly as she could. Dizziness flooded her mind instantly as Ace returned to sliding her dress lower. " A-Ace, w-AH!" Ai broke off as ace buried his mouth against her right shoulder, sucking at the puncture wound present there.

Her would rushed around her as she felt Ace's lips mouth from one wound on her back to the next. Her pain started to vanish and was quickly replaced with pleasure. " Ace-"

" Quiet!" The dark haired teen replied sternly, locking his free arm securely around her waist, preventing her from making any attempts to wriggle away to freedom.

Anger surged through him as he continued to close her wounds. Vampires could cure any wounds that a mortal received with their blood and saliva. He knee his blood was working on her, replenishing her own lost supply, and as he moved to her left shoulder he could tell that the wounds to her right were healed.

That didn't matter though. His Bride had been attacked in his own home. He wanted Lucci's head for this. His Companion demanded he go to the grounds and tear Lucci's heart out right now. It also demanded he Claim his Bride this moment as well. He was very tempted to give in to that demand but he knew he couldn't.

The cool touch of her pale skin reminded him once again how fragile she was. He was going to have to Change her soon, he knew that, but convincing her to let him do it would be difficult.

" Ace!"

A smirk flashed across his face as he heard a loud moan escape from the blunette as he brushed his tongue lightly over the nape of her neck. Making a mental note of that for a later time.

Sliding her gown down lower he felt her tense up quickly. He felt her attempt to wriggle to freedom before he pulled her tighter against him.

" A-Ace, n-no!"

" Stop it!" He replied angrily. " I need to close your remaining wounds!" When he went to lower her dress even more she almost managed to jerk free from his hold. " DAMN IT, AI! DO YOU WANT TO DIE!" He yelled angrily, pulling her around to face him. " DO YOU HATE BEING HERE THAT MUCH THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO BLEED TO DEATH TO LEAVE?"

" N-No!"

" THEN WHAT! WHAT IS IT? IS IT ME? DO YOU HATE ME THAT MUCH?"

" NO!"

" THEN WHAT?"

" I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE THEM!"

Ace froze as he saw tears swell in her green eyes. " See what?" He watched as the tears fell down Ai's face as she desperately clutched her dress to her. Cupping her face gently, he lifted her face upwards so that she had no choice but to look him in the eyes. " Ai…see what?"

" S-See…" Ai trembled, unable to finish her sentence, as one hand reached up and covered the jagged bit marks on her neck.

" Ai…" Ace whispered realizing what she meant by them. Pulling her to him he kissed her temple gently. " I don't care about those."

" I-I-"

" I know," He whispered, burying his face in her hair. She cared. " But just let me finish healing those wounds. Then I'll leave you alone. I'll take you back to your room-"

" N-No!" Ai whimpered hiding her face in his chest. " I want to stay here with you…"

" Why?"

" Ace, I don't…I don't want to be alone…please…"

Sighing, he nodded. He didn't really want her to be alone either. " Fine, but I need to heal those wounds." Leaning forward he pressed his lips against her right collarbone.

" ACE!" Ai gasped, cupping his head closer, her fingers intricately lacing through his hair. His tongue felt amazing as he trailed it skillfully across her skin. Waves of pleasure danced eagerly throughout her entire body. The pain she felt earlier seemed to completely disappeared whenever he touched her. Just being around him made all her fear and unease vanish.

Ace made her feel safe…and secure.

Protected even.

But even then she still didn't fully trust him. He was a man and he was trying to make her his wife. That mean that he would control her…and she refused to let him do that.

She refused to let him control her. Him wanting to Change her was just another way for him to do that.

She saw it happen to many times in the villages near her home. Girls with some much ambition and dreams. Dreams that were tossed aside once they became wed. She saw how they lost themselves to their husband's will. A few she had even seen with bruises. She refused to let that be her.

" Last one, Ai." Ace said gently, removing his own shirt.

" Wh-What are you doing?" Ai spluttered, her face reddening as she took the sight before her. She knew Ace was strong but she hadn't realized how strong. There wasn't a single part of him that wasn't made of muscle.

He moved with the ease of a predator stalking its prey…and she somehow felt like she was said prey. Yet, when he placed his shirt onto her he did it with the gentlest of movements. His shirt was heavy and loose fitting on her, falling down to her knees, completely covering her.

" Last one." Ace said lifting her swiftly up into his arms, carrying her to his bed. Setting her gently down, he slid her dress off and tossed it to the floor. Taking her leg gently, he kissed his way upwards. " You're soft, Ai."

Ai felt heat rise in her face as Ace continued upwards, pausing around her right hip. She knew he had seen them…felt them even. There's no way he hadn't, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he continued to kiss his way upwards towards the wound just below her naval.

Swirling his tongue lightly, Ace closed the wound there. " Now," He said fixing her coverings. " I need you to drink some more of my blood. It'll help replace your lost blood supply."

Sinking his fangs once again into his wrist, he pulled her against him Placing his wrist to her lips, he allowed her to drink just a bit more.

Cradling her gently to him, he buried his face into her hair and inhaled deeply. He had almost lost her today. He didn't want to get that close to losing her again.

He would have to convince her soon to accept the Change. That was going to be one hell of a headache. One that would have to wait for another time. Right now he needed to get her to stop shivering.

Removing his wrist Ace pulled back the covers on his bed and gently set her onto the sheets. " What are you doing, Ace?" Ai asked warily as he crawled in beside her.

" You're shivering. The best way to stop that is to share body heat. And since my body is made entirely of fire, I am the best person for you to share it with."

" What about the assassin outside?"

" Rayleigh and your brother has taken care of things outside. Lucci seems to have escaped into the night."

" How do y-" Ace tapped his ears with a cocky smirk on his face. " Stupid Vampire hearing."

" Now," Ace staid pulling her to him. " You need to rest." Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes Ace continued. " I'm not going to try anything on you right now." Watching her relax slightly he couldn't help but tease her a little. " I'll save Claiming you for another night."

" PERVERT!"

Grinning evilly, Ace buried his lips against the nape of her neck, flicking his tongue lightly and earning a happy gasp from the blunette. " I'll be remembering that spot for later, Bride."

" Jerk!" Ai whimpered as Ace settled in behind her, pulling the blankets upwards.

" Feel free to call me whatever you like as long as you get some rest."

" Fine!" Ai said, attempting to relax all the while being eerily aware just how close Ace was. Several minutes had gone by before curiosity had gotten them better of her. " Ace…"

" Yes?"

" What are Blue Balls?"

Sighing in amusement, ace thought how best to explain it to her. " It is something that you are doing to me right now."