Ah, sorry I've been gone for so long! This has been done for a month or so, but I've just been so busy this summer that I totally spaced it! I'm very sorry! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I hope you all have been having a good summer! :D

Cat McHall: I hope you enjoy this chapter. It'll give you an idea of what Shiro is really after! :D

ZaxForever: I hope you enjoy his pitch! Haha.

Sarahnoel03: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update! Thank you for your compliments! :D I hope you continue to enjoy the chapters!

Guest: I'm sorry I took so long! Thank you for your kind review! I appreciate it. (:

Guest: I'm glad you love the story! Sorry it took so long!

freeminds4all: I'm sorry it took so long! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

rabiosarabiosa: I'm sorry it took me this long! I tried to make it a little longer, but I'm not sure if I did! Please enjoy!

Thank you for reading!


She cautiously climbs out of the car. Her attention shifts from the familiar, who remains beside the door, to her friend, who is walking down the steps toward her. His face had seemed stern before, but it now has become frighteningly cold. It takes her a moment to realize why. Embarrassment begins to gnaw at her stomach. For some reason, it hadn't occurred to her to change her torn clothes before coming, so she's unwittingly revealing quite a bit of awkward skin. Her arms unconsciously wrap around her abdomen, and her eyes fixate themselves on the ground. Why didn't she take a shower? At the very least, she should have gotten some appropriate, non-bloody clothes. She closes her eyes and releases a soft sigh to try to steady her nerves. Unfortunately, it does little to help, so she clears her throat and says as loudly as she dares. "Ah, sorry about my clothes. I was…"

She's unexpectedly cut off by a rough snarl. "Who did that to you?"

Her eyes snap up, and she's startled at how close Shiro suddenly is. She didn't think that she had been looking down for that takes a step back, and her heart skips a beat. Shiro lifts his hand, as if he plans to reach out and touch her. A blur of black appears out of the corner of her eye, and Shiro is lost behind the familiar, who had placed himself firmly between Shiro and Mai. Her eyes stare at the back of his head. The familiar's voice is a low growl that it's barely audible. "Do not touch the masters' guest."

The voice is so icy and emotionless that Mai can almost literally feel her skin crawling. She unconsciously steps back until the hard metal of the car presses against her body. and she still presses even harder against it. Shiro's voice is equally as cold as the familiars. "No one is interested in you, demon. Get out of the way."

A strange noise leaves the familiar. It's best described as a gurgling, dog-like growl. Every hair stands on end, and she quickly steps around him. Despite not wanting to, she forces herself to reach out and place a hand on his arm. "It's ok. He's….my…."

Something catches her eye, drawing her attention away from what she was going to say. Her eyes meet Shiro's. A guilty look quickly takes over the angry one, and her gaze slowly drops to find something that makes her blood turn to ice. A long silver knife rests in Shiro's right hand, only inches from his knee. His knuckles are white from gripping the handle so hard. She forces her gaze to slowly lift until she meets Shiro's guilty one once more. He quickly shifts the knife out of sight, but it does little to help sooth her now frazzled nerves. His deep voice is oddly gentle. "Mai, I can explain."

She gives a shake of her head and steps back behind the familiar. Her body starts to shake, and her mouth goes dry. She never thought she'd be grateful to have something inhuman to hide behind. There is so much that she wants to ask Shiro such as: what is he doing with a weapon? Isn't this supposed to be a friendly meeting?

A sudden, sickening thought occurs to her. Did the familiar sense the incoming attack before she could? Shiro hadn't planned on attacking her from the start, had he? Was that his plan all along? Her mouth becomes painfully dry, and she can barely hear over the sound of her racing heart. She leans closer to the familiar in front of her. She can feel an unnatural chill, even through his clothes, but she doesn't let that stop her from pressing her forehead into his back. Her breath hitches in her throat, and she is suddenly fighting tears. What's wrong with her? Why can't she have normal friends? Why did she have to attract only the most dangerous of the outcasts?

In an effort to steady her racing thoughts, she clears her throat. She should ask him directly instead of just assuming things, but she doesn't get a chance to ask anything. Shiro's voice drifts to her from the other side of her human-like shield. "Listen, Mai. You're in a lot of danger. You need to come with me right now. Please, Mai. You have to trust me."

She closes her eyes for only a moment before opening them again. It isn't wise to not see the attack coming, even if she didn't want to see it at all. She lifts her head to focus her gaze on the familiar's back, but it does little to help settle her nerves. She pulls her hands close to her chest and begins to wring them to try to stop their trembling. She stubbornly tells herself that Shiro has never done anything to harm her before, so why would he start now? To be honest, he never gave any sort of indication that he wanted. She flinches as a disturbing thought floats to the surface. Just because he has never harmed her in the past doesn't really mean anything. It's always the least expected, and often times most loved, who turn out to be the killers after all. She releases a shallow breath, gathers what little, tired courage is left, and sternly says. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I need to help Yui. Besides, and you can't blame me for this, I don't think it's wise to go alone with someone who's carrying a knife."

Shiro lets out a dry chuckle before there is shuffling. The familiar steps to the side, and she can hear a snarl from Shiro. She can only assume that Shiro had tried to unsuccessfully slip around him. Her mind refocuses on the problem at hand. She has so many questions to ask her 'friend', but she isn't quite sure where to start. Thankfully, she doesn't have to. Shiro starts talking on his own. "I just want you to know that I never thought you were crazy. I believe in vampires, too."

"Then you're the crazy one," Mai states. She tried to make it sound playful, but it comes out dull and flat. It sounds like she's making a statement instead of a joke. Shiro simply continues as if she hadn't spoken in the first place.

"I believed everything you told me, and I want to help you. I have something that I need to tell you, and I want to be the one to say it. I don't want that…. That…" His voice trails off for a moment. Mai presses her hands even tighter against her chest and barely manages to gather the courage to try to peek around the familiar. The urge quickly dies the moment she remembers the knife. She feels a shudder run down her spine, and she curls in on herself a little. His voice draws her attention back to the familiar's back. "It doesn't matter. I just need to tell you. Listen, I was sent to help Yui, but it appears that I'm already too late to do anything. We're always too late to help the brides, but you weren't supposed to be tangled up in this mess. You ar-"

"Wait," Mai says. There are a couple of things that she's confused about. First of all, she doesn't understand what he means by 'we'. Second, does that mean that the 'bride' subject is known past the Sakamaki family and those who are associated with them? Her body begins to feel heavy and cold. If he knew about the brides, her answer had been there all along. The more she thinks about it, the more her head spins. She lifts a hand to press against her forehead. He had been there before this whole mess had started. He could have saved Yui. Frustration starts to fill her body. He knew what was happening, yet he didn't do anything at all to help her. She closes her eyes tightly and releases a slow breath to steady her mounting anger. She needed to get some questions answered first. It only takes her a moment to decide on a good starter question, though it's harder to get out than she expects it to be. "What do…. What do you mean… by 'we'?"

Everything suddenly becomes deadly silent, save for Mai's loud shaky breaths. Her eyes drop to the ground between her feet, and she mentally urges Shiro to answer. It feels like hours are ticking past, but she doubts that much time has really gone by. Finally, Shiro sighs and softly says, "It'll be easier if I just show you. Will you come with me?"

A sharp bark of laughter escapes her, causing her to flinch. The sound came out warped. It sounded like a mixture of laughter and sobbing, though she isn't sure why she feels like laughing and crying at the same time. She clears her throat and states as sternly as she can. "I'm not going anywhere with you, Shiro. Yui is…"

"Fuck Yui, Mai! She's already gone!" Shiro practically yells, desperation coloring his voice. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see the familiar shift. For a brief moment, she wonders if Reiji had asked it to watch out for her. The moment she finishes that thought, she finds herself seriously doubted it. With a shake of her head, her attention is brought back to the conversation at hand. She hates to admit it, but Shiro hitting very close to the truth when it comes to Yui. She starts to feel sick to her stomach once again. There's no way she can just leave a friend to the mercy of that woman.

With a jolt, she realizes that it's not just one friend she is thinking of. Everyone's faces begin to race through her mind. Even though she hasn't talked to her much, Mai finds that she doesn't like Cordelia, and, now, she's free to wreak havoc. It affects more than just Yui. It affects Laito, Ayato, and Kanato as well. It may even go as far as to affect Shuu and the others as well. She glances over her shoulder at the car and wonders what she can possibly do to even help. She's nothing more than a silly, powerless, little human, and it seems like everything she's ever done to help has painfully backfired in her face.

Still, she doesn't feel right abandoning someone who needs her help, no matter how insignificant that help may be. It might actually be the kickstart Yui needs to fight Cordelia's control. The thought causes a small flicker of hope to light amongst the dark, cold feeling of helplessness.

"They'll take you away from your parents! They'll take you away from the human world, Mai! They'll toy with you until they are bored, then they'll kill you in the most painful way they can imagine! Just look at what they've done to Yui!" Shiro's voice cuts through her thoughts like a knife.

Mai feels her hands slowly ball into fists. Why does it feel like she's the only one left in the dark? She's the only one that is not being told the whole story! She knows she told Shiro a lot, despite much of it being scared ramblings. Something no one should ever believe. She should have been suspicious when he didn't turn her in or laugh at her. Her voice comes out shaky. "How… Why did you believe me?"

The following silences serves to make her even more desperate for answers. She just wants one person to not hide anything from her. "Shiro, answer me."

Her voice is low. She puts as much strength into it as she possibly can. Once again, she's not answered. She thought she'd feel angry, or upset, that he isn't even bothering to tell her anything. Unfortunately, all she feels is numb. He's hiding some big secret. The feeling deep in the pit of her stomach tells her so.

"Shiro!" She finally snaps. The familiar shifts in response to her voice, and that serves to irritate her even further. She releases a sharp sigh and steps around the familiar. A movement that she regrets instantly. The familiar didn't move in response to her voice. He was responding to Shiro himself. There is a sickening crunching noise, followed by an ear piercing shrieking. Her eyes widen when she takes in the scene before her. The knife Shiro's carrying is plunged all the way to the handle in the chest of the familiar, who begins to melt away into a black pool. A sickening hiss, much like a cat's, leaves the puddle once the familiar is done melting. Mai takes a couple of steps back, and her heart leaps into her throat. A look of triumph covers Shiro's face while he stares down at the puddle. How could Shiro do something like that so easily? How could he look so pleased with himself? She tries to swallow, but her saliva seems to have turned to a thick paste in her mouth. Is he not human either? That'd explain why he seemed to believe her so easily.

The overwhelming sense to flee takes over her. There is no way she can fight Shiro, human or otherwise. He's much larger and stronger than her. Without a second thought, she bolts around the car. She hears a desperate call of her name, but she doesn't look back. She's too afraid it would slow her down. Instead, she pushes as much energy as she can into her legs. She's vaguely aware of the sensation of the bruises hurting, but she doesn't give herself time to think about it. Adrenaline courses through her veins, fueled by her need to run from the danger.

She's not sure where she is running; she knows that she has to get away. It's not long before she hears the sound of heavy footsteps behind her. Panic fills her mind. She really needs to learn to pick better friends. Preferably ones that won't kill or maim her. She takes a sharp right around a corner, almost losing her balance. Somehow, she manages to stay upright. Her heart skips several beats at the sound of his footsteps getting even closer. She tries to surge what strength she has left into her legs, but she can only do so much on adrenaline. Tears fill her eyes when hopelessness threatens to take over. Her legs begin to feel heavy, and her lungs start to burn with the need to let out a sob.

"Stop!" Shiro's voice echoes throughout the street.

"Go to hell!" Mai responds before trying yet another sharp turn. This time, she feels a small tug on the back of her shirt. She is jerked to the side, and one of her feet slips out from under her body. She's pitched to the side, and she reaches out an arm to break her fall. Unfortunately, she doesn't get her palm out fast enough. She hears a sickening rip, and pain courses through her knee, forearm and elbow. She tries to ignore it though. She can hear his feet scraping as he tries to stop. She shoves herself onto her feet with a hiss and bolts once again.

"Please, Mai! Listen to me!" Shiro's voice calls out behind her. She can hear his footsteps chasing her once again. Her lungs are burning, and her leg hurts to put weight on it. She lets out a wheeze and tries to tell him where to go. It comes out awkward and unintelligible.

She's too tired to even feel frustrated. It is all she can do to keep her current pace. That's when her eyes lock with something vaguely familiar. It's been such a long time since she'd stepped foot in it. She knows that she won't be able to hide, but there is plenty of things to put between herself and Shiro. It'll give her a chance to catch her breath. She silently prays that the doors aren't locked. That'd be her luck.

Thankfully, luck seems to be on her side. She hits them full speed, and they easily swing inward for her. She almost stumbles on the rug, but she manages to keep her balance. She races up the aisle toward the podium. Once she's at the front, she takes yet another sharp turn. Thankfully, the carpet helps her keep her balance a little better. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Shiro barrelling past her with an outstretched hand. He had been so close to capturing her that her heart completely stops, and her breath hitches for a moment. Thankfully, he misses her and crashes headlong into the small stage. He lets out a curse when he lands in an awkward heap with a loud thump, effectively bringing the podium down with him. She uses this chance to hurry a few rows down and slide into one of the pews. She spins to face him. Her breath starts to come out in ragged pants. Sweat clings to her skin, making her acutely aware of where her skin is broken. A sharp sting is racing from her arm, knee, and abdomen, but she does the best she can to ignore it. Her eyes locate Shiro and remain locked on him. He is thrashing wildly while trying to dislodge the pieces of the podium. It would've been almost comical if she was not in her current situation. Finally, he manages to free himself and rolls to his feet. His breath isn't as ragged as hers, but he's still panting. A light sheen of sweat covers his forehead, causing his hair to stick to his skin. His eyes find hers. Neither say anything, nor do they move aside from gasping for breath. It feels like hours pass by, and Mai isn't any closer to capturing her breath. If anything, it's making her body ache to remain stationary. She reaches out and grabs the back of the pew in front of her and uses it to shift some weight off her sore knee. She doesn't dare look down to see the extent of the damage. Finally, Shiro breaks the silence by letting out a snort. "God, you're quick on your feet."

Mai grits her teeth, but she doesn't say anything. She can still see the familiar melting in front of her. She doesn't see the knife anywhere, and that frightens her even more. Shiro releases a sigh after a few minutes of silence passes. It appears that his breath is returning a lot faster than hers. He slowly stretches then focuses back on her with a serious look. His eyes seem to drink in the blood slowly sliding down her arm. She's faintly aware of it, but she honestly hadn't given it much thought other than the ever growing pain in her arm. His voice is gentle when he says, "I'm sorry about earlier. I thought I had a better hold on your shirt. I forgot it was ripped. You took quite the fall. Are you ok?"

She isn't sure if she should feel relieved or disgusted at his concern. What's wrong with him? He just killed someone, and he isn't even fazed. She grits her teeth. The familiar might not have been human, but that noise he released meant that he was at least alive. She asks before she can stop herself. "Did you have to kill him?"

Shiro tilts his head for a moment. A questioning look overtakes his face. Seconds later, a look of realization replaces the confusion. His look quickly hardens, and he sternly says. "That wasn't a person, Mai."

Taken aback, she finds herself only able to stare at him silently. She tenses when he shifts a leg. He gives her a frustrated look in response before sighing. His eyes remain locked with hers while he eases himself down among what is left of the podium. With one leg bent slightly, he slings an arm over his knee and leans back onto his other one. The other leg is outstretched in front of him. He gives her a serious look. "It seems like we need to have a serious talk."

"No shit, Sherlock." Mai snaps. He gives her a stern stare before continuing as if she hadn't said anything.

"Now, I need you to listen to me until the end. Understand? Don't interrupt." He pauses, which she assumes is where she is supposed to agree. She stubbornly lifts her chin and gives him a cold look. After a brief staring contest, he finally gives in and rolls his eyes. He shifts again, causing Mai to flinch. Once more, he gives her a frustrated look before plunging into his story. "I'm not going to bore you with the details. I'm just going to tell you I had a fairly normal childhood, aside from the fact that my parents were fairly religious, much like Yui's father. I grew up knowing that there are things that lurk in the dark, which is fine. I was taught that they only bother humans from time to time. The church that Yui and I belong to was formed to help protect humanity should one of those monsters overstep their boundaries."

"Wait," Mai says. Unfortunately, Shiro isn't interested in what she has to say or ask. He just continues on even louder.

"It's because we found a method to kill them that a pact was formed. We'll overlook missing people, as long as they don't exceed a certain number. To uphold our part of the deal, we give them a chance to police their own criminals. We also offer a sacrifice of sorts to the king of the demon world whenever he requests it, but it can only happen once every few years."

Mai's blood runs cold. Her body feels oddly numb. Unfortunately, Shiro keeps going. "We don't intend for them to die. We try to retrieve them several months later, but we're always too late. They only want females, and we were never told why. We chose not to inform the people we sent to them. We figured it would be easier to face the upcoming battles without knowing the outcome."

Shiro lets out a soft sigh. A look of regret passes over his face, and his eyes drop. Repulsion runs through Mai's body. They had knowingly sent people to their deaths? Had Shiro? Bile starts to claw its' way up her throat. She feels like she's going to be sick. Now, she has even more questions to ask, but she finds that she doesn't have the nerve to do so. She doesn't want to know anything else. Unfortunately, Shiro isn't done. His voice lowers a little. "Her father didn't know. He thought that she'd be safe while he was gone. He's beside himself now. He wants to see her, but I told him no. He can't go to her right now. He'll… he'll kill her and everyone around her, including you."

Mai's stomach twists, and she gives a violent shake of her head. This isn't making sense to her. She can't wrap her head around it. She leans even more heavily on the pew. The adrenaline has worn off, and she's having an even harder time standing.

A gentle look spreads over Shiro's face. He says softly. "You can sit down, you know. I'm not going to hurt you."

Mai's eyes narrow. Her legs start to tremble, but she stubbornly says. "I'm sure plenty of victims have heard that line before."

He lets out a chuckle and gives a shake of his head. "I don't kill people."

"You killed the driver," Mai argues.

The laughter disappears from his face. The cold look from before reappears, and he sternly says. "Mai, it was not a person. It was a thing."

Mai tries to bite back a retort, but she is unable to. "He wasn't human. That's the only difference. If you go by that logic, then it's fine for Laito and the others to kill humans."

His eyes narrow. "That is different, and you know it."

"Why? Because we're human? They might think of us as animals. Did you ever think of that?" Mai argues.

Shiro's fist lands hard beside him, causing a loud noise to echo eerily around them. Mai flinches back. Her knees hit the pew, and she finds herself landing hard on the uncomfortable wood. She lets out a hiss. Shiro's cold tone causes every muscle in her body to tense up. "God damn it, Mai! Use your head for once! Why are you protecting them?!"

She finds herself unable to explain why. She doesn't even try. Unfortunately, that seems to be just what Shiro is hoping for. He leans forward, pulling both legs beneath him, and growls softly. "You don't have an answer to that, do you? Do you know why you don't? It's because you're smart enough to see the flaw in your own argument. The only reason you stayed is because you had some delusion that you could help Yui, but you can't. She's beyond help. She's a vampire now, and you know it. There is not a thing you or anyone can do now. There never has been a way for you to help. You just tangled yourself up with those blood suckers so much that you no longer know which way is up or down. Listen, Mai. I was too late to save Yui, but I'm going to make up for that by saving the only person who kept her human for this long. I know that's what she'd want, and you know it, too. It's time to throw in the towel on this one and run for your life."

Frustration builds in the pit of her stomach. She hates that some part of her agrees with Shiro, while another other part stubbornly holds onto the belief she can still help Yui. She firmly tells herself that she has to get back or Yui'll be gone forever. That thought makes her blood run cold once more. Ayato and Laito's faces surface, and she finds herself frowning at Shiro. She now has her answers, but it did little to help her with her situation. If anything, it makes it even more clouded on what is right and wrong. She softly clears her throat and sternly says. "They aren't the best, but they're my friends. I can't leave them as they are now. There's something seriously wrong going on here, and I can't just run away from it."

Shiro curses softly before he closes his eyes. He presses a hand over his face and lets out a loud groan. "You're so stubborn."

He slowly slides his hand off. A thoughtful expression spreads over his face. His eyes raise to meet hers, and it almost appears that a light bulb turns on over his head. He slowly climbs to his feet, and Mai quickly scrambles to hers. Her knee protests, but she still doesn't bother looking down. Instead, she keeps her gaze locked with Shiro's. Much to her displeasure, he gives her a playful grin and asks. "Ready for a real stumper?"

Uncertainty fills her body, but she doesn't get a chance to respond. He simply shrugs his shoulders and says as if it's a joke. "I'm a hunter."

He chuckles, but she doesn't quite understand the joke. Apparently, the lack of response isn't what he is expecting, since his laughter starts to die away. She simply stares at him silently. She's heard the word before, and she assumes he isn't referring to hunting animals.

He shuffles his weight back and forth, causing her eyes to narrow. She could've sworn that he scooted toward her just now, but she can't be sure. Every hair stands on end, and her breath hitches when he reaches into a side pocket on his cargo pants. She quickly side steps until she is near the aisle. Shiro hesitates for a moment; a look of uncertainty passes over his face. It feels like time both speeds up and slows down at the same time. Finally, he decides and rips his hand out of his pocket, revealing the silver knife from before, only it's neatly folded to easily hide in his pocket. Her breath rushes out like a punch to the stomach. To keep herself from collapsing , she reaches out to grab the back of the pew once more. Her eyes nervously flick between him and the knife. His few shuffled steps don't go unnoticed this time. She matches with a few steps side steps of her own. She's only a step or two from the aisle now. It'd be a straight shot to the door, but she isn't sure her muscles can take it yet. That's nothing to stay about the knee that still doesn't want to bear much weight.

Too much has happened in such a short amount of time. She fights back a choked sob. A look of unease settles over Shiro's handsome face. His voice holds a hint of desperation when he pleadingly says, "Please don't cry, Mai. Let me help you. I can rescue you. I really can. My group will hide you away. They will protect you."

"Is this the same group that gives girls like Yui up to a horrible death?" She couldn't help herself. The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She flinches when his face smooths over into a look of indifference. Silence fills the air between them once more. Mai tells herself that she doesn't feel guilty for her words.

She tenses every tired muscle in her body when he doesn't even try to hide the rather large step that leaves him at the first pew. Unfortunately, he's headed for the center aisle, much like Mai is. Why hadn't she noticed that before? She quickly takes a couple awkward side steps further into her row. This was a bad idea. She is trapped like a rat. She should've just kept running.

He slowly lifts up the knife, causing Mai to flinch. He clearly forces an apologetic smile onto his face. His free hand slowly reaches out toward her. Mai's eyes flick between his face, the knife, and the outstretched hand before starting all over again. His voice drops to almost a whisper, but it still echoes eerily through the empty church. "I know you're scared. I was too. I promise you won't get hurt. I know you want to rescue Yui, but we both know it's too late for her. She's already one of them. If you don't get out now, you might become one of them, too. You wouldn't like. You'd never get to be with your family again. Life would ch-"

"I… I…" Mai whispers, effectively silencing Shiro. Her eyes lock onto his hopeful face. This is the chance she's been fighting for since the beginning. Why is she hesitating now? Her vision slowly starts to blur again. She knows the reason, but she doesn't want to say it. She slowly starts to shake her head. "I appreciate it, but I…"

"You can't abandon Yui, can you?" Shiro states. To Mai's surprise, it isn't as cold as she's expecting. In fact, she can almost detect a hint of admiration in his voice. Still, that statement isn't quite right. It isn't just Yui now, but she won't admit it out loud. In fact, she inwardly cringes at the thought of even admitting it silently.

She can't just abandon Ayato to the torture of having to watch his loved one wither away into someone else. Even if he is an asshole most of the time.

She can't abandon Kanato either. She doesn't get along with him, and she gets a tinge of fear whenever he's around, but that isn't enough of a reason for her to leave him to that monster.

She doesn't even want to consider her feelings for Laito, but she has a cold, nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that she'll have a hard time abandoning him, despite everything he's done to her. She unconsciously wraps her arms around her upper abdomen, presses her thighs tightly together, and hunkers down a little.

It might not affect them as much, but she still can't leave Reiji, Subaru, or even Shuu to the fate of having to deal with that monster for who knew how long. The faces of all the women Kanato turned into dolls flash through her mind. A cold sense of terror settles in her stomach. She finds it harder and harder to come up with excuses to remain. Her eyes lock with Shiro's hand once more. Just a few steps, and she can rejoin a much warmer realm. The sun will warm her skin once more. She'll become a normal teenager again.

In the deep recesses of her mind, she knows she'll never be normal again. She now knows there are things stalking the night. Now, she truly has a reason to fear the dark. She swallows hard and shifts her gaze back to Shiro's face. Her resolve slowly begins to crumble. What can one human possibly hope to do against seven vampires? Frustration at her own indecision fills her body. Why can't she choose what side she wants to be on?

A gentle voice interrupts her thoughts. "I know you're scared, Mai. I know how scary this seems, but you've lived through so much worse. I can't even promise this'll be the hardest part. If you come with me, you'll be happy. You'll need to see someone about your attachment to such a destructive relationship, but it'll the first step toward healing. I promise you'll be ok. You and your parents will be ok. You can be as close to a teenager as you possibly can get. You'll have friends that you can discuss boys, makeup, or whatever you choose. Your biggest worry will be the next test, or maybe even curfew. You'll live where you belong. You'll be with your own species. I promise to not let anyone force you into learning how to fight and kill them. I promise. Can you trust me?"

It feels like the last pillar of her resolve is close to crumbling. She knows that she needs to get out of her current situation. There's no doubt that being around Laito isn't healthy. Other faces slowly start to surface. She can see Yui's smiling face, and Subaru's snarl. She can see Ayato's face after a prank he just pulled on Kanato. She can even see Reiji's frowning face when he disapproves of something going on around him. The last one to pop up is Shuu. She can see his tired, one eyed gaze. None of them were healthy to be around. They were demanding and dangerous. She releases a heavy sigh and shakes her head to try to clear those thoughts. They only muddle her thoughts even more.

She's not sure when she had looked down, but she now realizes that she's been staring at the floor between her feet for some time. She quickly glances up. Relief feels her body when she finds Shiro hadn't tried to approach her. In fact, it appears as if he has backed up a couple of steps. A hopeful look passes over his face when their eyes meet. She finds it hard to trust him, but the thought of being normal is almost too tempting to pass up. Besides, what could he do that the Sakamaki's haven't already done, or might do in the near future? How long has it been since she spent time with normal humans? She flinches at the thought. She doesn't even remember the last time she talked to a normal person.

A bitter taste fills her mouth. She can't call Shiro normal. In fact, she realizes that she knows next to nothing about the boy standing not far from her. He hasn't lied to her, but she still feels that he isn't being completely truthful either. She quickly shakes the thought from her mind. It's best to not even think about that right now. She takes a moment to try to convince herself to just accept his offer when darkness covers her vision while something cold snakes around her waist. A horrifyingly familiar scent rushes through her nasal passages when she sucks in a sharp, startled gasp. Something soft is covering the upper portion of her face. Without warning, her head is craned back into something hard and cold. She can only assume it's a shoulder or possibly a collar bone just under the base of her skull. Her head is tilted awkwardly to the side, exposing part of her neck. A cold body presses against her back, almost shaping to her form. Her heart stutters to a stop. This all happened in the span of a few seconds.

With her sight gone, every other sense seems so much sharper. She can feel his hair tickling the side of her exposed neck. His chin comes to lightly rest on her shoulder, much too close to her neck for comfort. Full panic starts to set in, and she immediately reaches up to pull at whatever is blocking her vision. Her fingers meet the soft edge of his fedora and wraps around it. She pulls hard, but he seems intent on keeping it right where it is. The hat presses even tighter against her face. Her breath hitches, and the feeling of being suffocated starts to take over. She immediately drops her weight and starts to thrash. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the desired effect. All it does is cause pain when her feet blindly strike the pews in front of her. Much to her frustration, Latio easily keeps her held up using only one arm. Her body becomes rigid when his lips ghost over the skin of her jugular.

It's a silent warning. She's hates herself for doing it, but she immediately obeys. Now that she isn't flailing, she can almost feel the tension in his body. She's not sure why, but there is a sharp racing up her side. She didn't think she hit that area when she fell. Finally, it dawns on her. It's around her waist, exactly where his hand's resting. She closes her eyes tightly and barely represses the soft whimper from springing forth. She tries to focus on her breathing, but she's distracted by a soft noise of irritation coming from directly in front of her. Shiro's now cold voice echoes louder than before. "Release her, leech."

Mai's heart drops to the pit of her stomach, and she silently urges Shiro to be quiet. She can feel Laito's body tense even more against her own. After a moment, his cold breath brushes over her skin in the form of a chuckle. It isn't his usual seductive one though. This one sends a cold feeling into every cell in her body. It's painfully clear that he isn't amused by Shiro. The more she considers it, the more she realizes that it's nothing more than an empty, hollow sound. Goosebumps form all over her body. She can feel her hair stand on end. There's something very, very wrong with Laito.

She will go so far as to say that there is something dangerous about him right now. Overwhelming fear wells up, but it's not for her wellbeing. It's for the wellbeing of her friend. She barely catches the soft click from somewhere directly in front of her. Shiro's voice drops even lower before. In a frighteningly cold voice, Shiro states. "I will not ask you again. She doesn't belong with you and your disgusting kind."

Laito responds with a soft scoff. It's silent for a few minutes. Finally, it's broken by a soft, almost animalistic growl from Shiro. She flinches when he practically yells. "You bastards have already claimed enough human life! The church has always turned a blind eye to it, but you have overstepped your bounds this time! Mai has nothing to do with our organization! She is nothing more than a simple human being, and you have dared to spread your disease amongst the innocent! I will not allow this to continue to happen!"

Without warning, the fedora is removed from her face. She blinks rapidly for a moment. While doing so, she finds that Laito has loosened his grip enough that she can move. She lifts her head from his shoulder in order to look at her friend. Shiro has gotten closer than she would've liked. The bitter taste of panic fills her mouth. There is something very, very wrong about this situation. Something bad is about to happen. She can feel it deep inside her bones.

Laito pulls away from her a little more. She wants to chance a look over her shoulder, but she can't find the nerve to do so. Instead, she remains locked onto Shiro's face. He's wearing a fierce, yet cold look on his face. She grits her teeth tightly. She needs to do something to protect him, and she needs to do it soon.

"I've never infected an innocent life before," Laito playfully states, but she can almost hear a cold undertone to it. He releases his seductive chuckle, so she chances a glances over her shoulder at him. He's wearing his usual smirk, and he seems to have relaxed. Still, his eyes don't hold their usual playfulness. In fact, they look almost emotionless, and that scares her more than Shiro's knife. For a brief moment, his eyes drop to meet hers. An emotion flicks by so fast that she almost doesn't catch it.

It almost looks like loneliness, but she doesn't think that's quite right. She quickly turns her attention back to Shiro. There's a more pressing problem than Laito's feelings. Said problem is still slowly advancing toward his possible doom. Her breath hitches in her throat. She wants to call out and tell Shiro to run. She wants to tell him that he's in an incredible amount of danger, but she can't seem to find her voice.

To her absolute horror, she sees Shiro's mouth moving, but she can't hear what he's saying over the pounding in her chest. She finds herself unconsciously clenching the sleeve of the now loose arm around her waist. She can feel Laito's chest rumble behind her, but she can't hear any sound. But this one isn't due to the fact that her heart's racing. This is due to the ear piercing screaming that seems to be assaulting her from every direction. Without warning, the overwhelming scent of decay begins to fill her nose, easily overpowering Laito's much more pleasant smell.

"Danger!"

"Death!"

"Kill!"

"Die!"

Those are only four of the words being chanted, but she can't figure out what the rest of them are saying. Her head starts to spin, and it feels like her breath is hitching in her chest. It feels like someone is trying to strangle the life out of her. The screaming becomes even louder, and she can now pick out a couple more words.

"Traitor!"

"Murderer!"

"Monster!"

A sense of vertigo threatens to force her to pass out, and she leans backwards into Laito without a second thought. Vomit begins to climb up her throat, and she has to fight to keep the urge at bay. She tries to focus on Laito's cologne to keep herself from being lost to the screaming. She tries to force their cries from her mind. Despite knowing they may not mean harm, they still frighten her. She can feel a layer of cold sweat covering her body. She needs to distract herself, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to even form a thought. From the sounds of it, they want some sort of answer. She forces herself to focus on Shiro's angry face when a question floats to the surface of her mind, though she's not sure why it's this question.

His mouth is moving, but she can't hear his voice over the screams. "Did you know?"

Her voice cuts through the screaming, and everything becomes eerily silent, save for her ragged panting. Her eyes lock with Shiro's, and she finds a variety of emotions there.

The ones that bring an uncomfortable feeling to the pit of her stomach are the looks of guilt. His voice drops to a whisper, and his voice becomes strangely gentle. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mai. What would I've known?"

Frustration fills her body. Tears blur the image of her friend. Without meaning to, she snaps. "About the women? Did you know that they were being sent to their deaths? Did you willingly take part in that? Why?"

She hears him mutter a couple of things before saying. "I told you earlier. The church is the one who decides. They're the ones who chose the next bride candidates. Or at least they offer up choices to Tougo."

She barely bites back the snarl. "That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking if you ever brought anyone here knowing they were going to die."

Silence is her only answer.

Disgust fills her stomach. She had so much to think about earlier that this simple little fact must have slipped to the back of her mind. She finds herself clenching Laito's arm tightly. Her body starts to shake with rage and sorrow. Her voice is low when she coldly states. "Then you're not much better than Laito."

Laito's laugh pierces the air, and her frustration grows even more. She easily rips herself from Laito's loose grip. Thankfully, he wasn't bothering to really hold her in the first place. She awkwardly spins to face him in the limited amount space she has and practically sneers. "You're one to laugh. How many innocent people have you hurt? How many girls have fallen for your disgusting charms and become lost in your cold embrace? You're just as pathetic as Shiro is!"

His laughter cuts off abruptly, and he levels a cool gaze at her. To her utter horror, his eyes are glowing eerily. It suddenly seems like he is towering over her, but she still refuses to shrink down. She continues to glare at him before the scraping of a shoe draws her attention in Shiro's direction. Her anger flares even more. Disgust at herself fills her body. How could she have been so stupid as to think that she could trust someone other than herself?

A warm feeling begins to fill her eyes before cascading down her cheeks. She has been so worried about picking a side that she didn't realize there truly is no one on her side. She clenches her fists as tightly as she possibly can. Pain races through her palms, but she stubbornly ignores it. She glances back at Laito's coldly amusement expression before turning her attention back to Shiro. She does this a couple of times before snapping. "You two only think of yourselves. Shiro, you're only trying to ease your consciousness by 'saving' me, but it won't attone for the women you and your friends willingly sent to their deaths. How many women knew what they were walking into?"

"I-" Shiro starts, but Mai lifts a hand, effectively halting whatever lame excuse he planned on using.

Her hand is shaking in pure anger and sorrow. "I don't want to hear about 'how it's for the greater good' or whatever other bullshit you all spew to yourselves to justify your actions. I know Yui wasn't informed of what she was walking into. There has to be others."

Her head snaps back to Laito, and she barely keeps herself from curling her lip in disgust. "And you! You're nothing more than a pathetic womanizer who only cares about his own carnal pleasure. You spout pretty words, but they're completely meaningless in reality."

Laito lets out a soft amused chuckle. Before she has a chance to cut him off, he playfully says. "Do you think that your words can hurt me? You're my plaything, so you're opinion doesn't matter to me. It'll be so much easier if you just played along. You'll find it much more pleasurable."

It feels like all the blood in her body rushes to her head, but it's not in the form of a blush at his purred words. Instead, it's overwhelming anger. She barely bites back a cry of frustration. Her mind races for an appropriate response. Unfortunately, she doesn't put much thought into her words. Instead, she says the first thing she can think of to harm him. "I can find pleasure in another form."

Laito raises a playful eyebrow before he releases yet another chuckle. She doesn't give him time to ask though. Instead, her eyes narrow, and she quickly, and awkwardly, climbs over the back of the pew in front of her. To her surprise, Laito allows her to do it. The new height gives her a false sense of empowerment. She stares down at Laito, who is giving her an amusedly expectant look. With a jolt, she realizes that he doesn't think she will. She quickly scrambles for a name and says the first one she can think of. Her voice is steadier than she could've hoped for it'd be. "I'd rather have Shuu than you."

"Mai!" Shiro calls out, but she doesn't even spare him a glance. She gives Laito a smug look. He continues giving her an amused look, but it still makes her nervous, and she's not sure why. She quickly climbs off the pew and makes her way past Laito. Cautious relief begins to fill her body when he doesn't try to stop her. She quickly makes her way out of the pews and almost speeds walk toward the door with cautious glances over her shoulder at the vampire. His glowing green eyes never leave her. Her heart races wildly when her mind catches up with what she had said to the two boys. Her breath catches, and she finds herself running out the door. She doesn't slow down to shut the door; she doesn't bother looking over her shoulder to see if she's being pursued.

In fact, she doesn't slow down until she is standing in the police station. The second they take in her tattered appearance, an uproar appears around her. She's shuffled into a room with a large two way window. Questions are thrown her way so fast that she barely has time to process them. She doesn't even try to hold back anything anymore. She breaks down in tears and tells them that her friend's in danger. She begs them to go to the mansion and get her away from the people who are harming her. The police interrogating her seem to be taking it seriously until she mentions the fact that vampires are holding her friend captive. She knows it's the wrong move the moment she says the word. All seriousness melts away from their faces, only to be replaced by a look of irritation. She tries to ignore it and keep telling her story when one of the police officers cuts her off. It's clear that he's trying to sound gentle, but he's barely able to contain the frustration in his voice. "Now, Ms., you know it's a crime to lie to the police, don't you? You're old enough to know that. If this is some prank you and your friends are pulling to waste our time, we won't hesitate to discipline you all."

"I-!" Mai starts, but she's interrupted when the door bursts open. She doesn't get a chance to see who it is before she is swept up to her feet and trapped in a bone crushing hug. Her face is buried against a shoulder, and a scent she finds familiar, but can't place, fills her nose. She starts to struggle when the person hugging her begins to start talking.

"Oh my god! Thank you! We were looking everywhere for her!" Kou's panic filled voice fills the room. Confusion fills her body. Why is he here? What's going on?

"You are?" A muffled voice asks. She wants to feel relief when Kou finally releases her, but she finds herself unable to. He keeps her pulled to his side. All she can do is breath and try to wiggle free. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem keen on allowing her to escape him. Finally, she turns a questioning glare up at him. He gives her a look of perfect worry before quickly turning his attention the police officers, who are both standing and giving the blonde vampire wary looks. A truly grateful smile spreads over his face before he finally releases her. Mai takes this chance to quickly back away from him.

He gives her a gentle smile before turning his attention back to the police officers. "I'm sorry! I'm her older brother. We've been looking everywhere for her! She's…"

He gets a difficult expression on his face for a moment before he turns to give her a gentle look. Much to her irritation, it's convincing enough that it might make anyone believe what he's saying. "She's prone to delusions. We've had this problem before. I'm sorry if she caused you any problems!"

He turns to give them a small bow. He straightens up and reaches over to pull her into his side again. She tries to resist, but his grip on her wrist tightens for a moment before releasing. It's almost like he is trying to tell her something, but she doesn't know what it could be. A sad expression spreads over his face. "She was hospitalized a little bit ago, I don't know if you remember her. She's the one who harmed herself in the school bathroom. They said that she has probably been having these delusions for years, but they're only to going to get worse."

"That's a lie," Mai whispers, but no one listens. She turns her eyes on the policemen and gives them her most desperate look. In a louder voice, she says. "Please don't believe him! I don't have any siblings! I don't even really know him!"

The men share an unsure glance between the two of them. A look of pain passes over Kou's face, and he reaches out to lightly ruffle her hair. "Don't you remember me? I promise I'm not one of those storybook monsters you ramble about. I'm your big brother."

His eyes slowly fill with tears, and he clears his throat. She turns a panicked gaze to the police officers, only to feel all hope wither away deep in her gut. They are now wearing looks of pure sympathy on their faces.

They seem to be completely taken in by Kou's acting and lies. Her shoulders fall, and she feels herself feeling strangely empty. She numbly watches Kou give them some sort of ID. Once everything is checked, he promises to keep a better eye on her from now on. She watches the whole thing unfold with a sense of numbness invading her body. In fact, the only time she reacts is when he presses a light kiss to the top of her head. She flinches a little, but she doesn't protest. She allows him to steer her out of the police station. He calls out a couple thank yous over his shoulder.

Her gaze locks with three pairs of eyes just outside the station. Her body tenses upon seeing a boy that she didn't know standing near the back. He has dark, short hair with a cold expression on his face. Unfortunately, she doesn't get much of a chance to inspect him, since Yuma had stepped in front of him. She considers turning toward the police that had escorted them, but she doesn't get a chance to. Kou suddenly leans closer to her and mutters softly. "Be quiet and obedient if you know what is good for you."

He lightly nudges her in the direction of the other Mukami's. She makes it down a few steps before she stops. Why is she going along with this so easily? She turns to face the police officers when Yuma's large arm wraps around her head. All of a sudden, she finds herself pinned against his side in an awkward position. She lets out an awkward squeaking sound which becomes a hiss of pain when Yuma painfully grinds his knuckles along her scalp in the form of a noogie. He states harshly. "Good god, kid! You had us worried! Didn't we tell you not to run off? You can get hurt!"

Unfortunately, she isn't able to make a sound around Yuma's arm. All she can do is flail pitifully against his side while trying to find the best way to land a punch. Unfortunately, they all seem to harmlessly bounce off his body.

She faintly hears Kou talking to the police, but she isn't able to make it out what is being said. After what feels like an eternity, she is released. She wastes no time in gasping for breath and quickly reeling away from Yuma's towering form. Unfortunately, she's still on the stairs in front of the police station. Her foot misses a stair, and she feels weightless for just a moment before her body collides hard with something. Her head falls back with a solid crack, and white hot pain shoots through her brain. She releases a cry before squatting down on the stairs and cradling her skull. Kou and Yuma begin to laugh, much to Mai's humiliation. Despite the pounding in her brain, she forces herself to look behind her. To her surprise, she finds she had crashed into Azusa. His emotionless eyes regard her silently, though he has a bandaged hand lifted to his face. She releases a groan of pain and closes her eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, she forces her eyes open. With a jolt, she finds herself surrounded by the four brothers. She quickly straightens, trying to ignore the dizzy feeling. Her gaze flickers from one face to another until it falls on the unfamiliar boy from before. She knows Kou told her his name, but her panic stricken mind can't seem to pull it up. She awkwardly makes a noise that's suppose to be the question 'what do you want'? Instead, it comes out garbled jumble of words. A sadistic grin spreads over Yuma's face before he lets out another loud laugh.

The dark haired boy gives Yuma a cool look before turning his attention back to Mai. He clearly gives her a once over, causing Mai to feel a sense of self-consciousness. He releases a soft indescribable sound before he says in a low, calm tone. "You're not what I was expecting."

Before she has a chance to ask him what he means, a hand shoves her. She barely manages to catch herself before she falls head first into Azusa. Unfortunately, it seems to be the cue to start walking. She awkwardly finds herself walking along side them in favor of being shoved. Her tongue feels heavy in her mouth, and a million questions run through her mind. Thankfully, she doesn't have to voice them, since the dark haired boy leading the way starts to speak. "My name is Ruki Mukami."

An awkward silence settles over them, leaving Mai to wonder if she should tell him her name. Finally, she decides that the silence is too stifling, so she opens her mouth to introduce herself. Unfortunately, Ruki calmly states, "I already know who you are. In any case, your name isn't important to me."

She can't stop herself from asking, "Then why are you here?"

Ruki casts a glance over his shoulder, but his gaze doesn't linger. She finds herself thankful for that. His gaze is almost as piercing as Reiji's. His voice floats back to her only moments later. "We aren't here to help you in any way."

She finds herself staring moodily at the back of his head. He either doesn't notice or doesn't care. He simply continues talking. "We were asked to come to your rescue before you did something that you'd regret later."

Her mouth suddenly feels dry. Who would send them? Out of the corner of her eye, she spots a head of green hair. Her gaze snaps in that direction. Just past Asusa, she finds a pair of familiar eyes. A frown adorns Ritcher's face, but he's gone after she blinks. Her gaze drops to her feet, and she feels disgust welling up in the pit of her stomach. Why isn't she resisting? She flinches. All she as to do is glance around her for the answer to that question. There are four vampires surrounding her, and they are likely just as dangerous as the Sakamaki's.

Another good reason is the sting in her knee every time she puts weight on that leg. Adrenaline had helped her to forget about it, but the adrenaline has since worn off.

She's so preoccupied with her thoughts that she almost walks into Ruki's back. In fact, it's only Azusa's cold, but soft, touch on her elbow that prevents it. Her gaze snaps up to meet Azusa's emotionless one before turning to meet Ruki's gaze. She finds it just as emotionless as Azusa, which sends a chill down her spine. It almost seems as if the Sakamaki's were more expressful. Ruki steps to the side, allowing her to see the limo waiting a few feet in front of the group.

A sense of worry washes over her. What's going to happen to her? She glances around, but they seem to have entered an alley way. With a sinking feeling, she remember the police won't do anything, even if they were called. Kou had convinced them she was his little sister. A sense of defeat threatens to overwhelm her, but she decides to fight the uncomfortable feeling.

Without warning, a cold hand lands on the top of her head. She jumps and immediately pulls away. She doesn't even bother worrying about the fact that she has pressed herself in between Yuma and Kou, who makes a sound of annoyance and steps away. She uses the new space to keep herself from touching Yuma. Her gaze locks with yet another familiar one, only this time he isn't smiling.

Touga is giving her a look of pure worry. His hand is still outstretched from before. He lets out a soft sigh, drops his hand to his side, and says gently, "Have my foolish sons been hurting you?"

She finds herself unable to even form words, let alone move any part of her body. Every warning bell in her mind is going off. Remembering how immobile she was the last time she looked into his eyes, she quickly turns her gaze to Yuma. Once his eyes meet hers, Yuma gives her a playfully sadistic grin. She returns it with a scowl of her own.

She grits her teeth upon hearing a sigh from Touga's direction. His gentle voice cuts through the air around her. "I'm very sorry for their behavior. They're obnoxious, but they all had difficult mothers while they grew up. I should've been there for them, but I had work. I know that isn't an excuse, but I still deeply regret it."

Despite herself, she finds her gaze turning back to look at him. A troubled look adorns his face, but she has a nagging feeling deep inside her stomach that he isn't troubled at all. His eyes meet hers, and it feels as if a physical weight has been placed on her shoulders. Her mind begins to feel hazy. She can feel her eyelids growing heavy, and it's becomes an ordeal just to keep them open. Before she realizes it, something cold is gently rubbing over her cheek. Her eyes slowly blink while her sluggish thoughts try to process what is happen. Once they are fully open again, it feels like everything around her has jumped back into sharp focus. Touga is suddenly too close for comfort. One of his hands is outstretched in her direction. In fact, he's the cause of the cold sensation on her cheek. His thumb is lightly brushing over the skin just below her eye. She jerks away and reels backwards a few steps before her body crashes into something solid. There is a grunt of annoyance behind her, causing her heart to leap into her throat. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she finds her eyes meeting Ruki's cold gaze.

Fear coats the inside of her mouth. She thought he was standing close to, if not behind, Touga. When did he move? And why is he standing behind her?

That's when the answer comes to her. Her eyes flick to her left to find Yuma had scooted closer, though he isn't close enough to touch.

Her head snaps to the right to find Kou just as close a Yuma. His arms are lifted, and his hands have disappeared behind his head. His gaze catches hers, and a playful smile spreads over his face. A cold sweat breaks out over her skin at the sight. It isn't a cheerful, or friendly, smile. It's clearly meant to be dark.

The overwhelming need to flee threatens to overtake her, but it won't do any good. It'll be a waste of energy, and she's likely to be hurt in the process. She slowly turns her gaze until it meets an empty grey one. He's standing just behind Yuma. One of his hands is lifted to his mouth, clearly displaying the bandages wrapped around his forearm. Her heart leaps into her throat, and she suddenly finds it incredibly hard to breath. She's surrounded.

Cold fingers brush along her jaw, causing her to unintentionally flinch closer to Yuma. Her frightened gaze snaps back to meet Touga's kind one. Oddly enough, she doesn't get the weightless feeling this time. He offers her a gentle smile and says softly. "I may not have been there for my children, but I can be there for you. Perhaps it'll help to ease some of the guilt I'm feeling over my sons' treatment."

A sick feeling pours into the pit of her stomach, but she finds it impossible to tear her gaze away from his. Thought after thought races through her mind. She speaks before she realizes it. "You'll save me from them?"

Her voice sounds foreign, even to herself. It trembles just as bad as the rest of her body. Without warning, bile starts to claw it's way up her throat, leaving a burning trail behind. The sudden, rancid smell isn't helping matters.

Despite herself, she finds herself grateful for the chill racing down her spine. As twisted as it may be, she's glad she can smell rotting flesh. It helps to pull her out of the deep pit of roiling emotions she finds herself drowning in. With renewed strength, she manages to settle a look of indifference on her face and barely manages to bite back a rude retort.

She wants to tell him that he's a failure as a father, brother, and husband. Why save her when he willingly stood by and allowed so many other lives to be lost? Why extend a helping hand when someone like Laito become a corrupted, horrible person at the hands of his own mother? Her teeth find her lip. The bile climbs up to the point she is almost gagging, but she fights the sensation. Instead, she focuses on her thoughts. The women must be helping her at this point. It'd do no good for her lose her temper or say something to anger a group of unfriendly vampires.

With as much gratitude she can muster, she states carefully, "I appreciate your offer. I truly do; however, I do not feel it necessary to save me. I'm quite happy where I am."

She fully expects to see surprise, or even anger. Instead, a smug smile passes over his face. It's as if she gave the answer he was looking for. Her body shudders when he allows her to see a look of victory pass over his face. She takes a step back, only to have her body collide with who she assumes to be Ruki once more. She flinches forward, fully expecting him to reach out for her.

To her surprise, Ruki allows her to step away. She blinks in confusion, only to find herself standing alone in the middle of the street, even the limo is gone. Her heart skips a couple of beats. This is almost too good to be true. She cautiously turns in a slow circle, looking for any sign of the vampires. She's not sure if she feels lucky or scared when she comes up empty handed. She closes her eyes and releases a sigh of relief after the seconds turn to minutes without any sign of them. Her eyes slowly open once more. She decides it's time to head home and get cleaned up. She glances down at the dried blood on her body and flinches.

At least the smell of her blood didn't provoke them into drinking her blood. The simple thought of having her blood sucked leaves her feeling dizzy. Why didn't they?

She quickly shakes her head to clear it of unpleasant thoughts. Why think about something unpleasant? Besides, she doesn't really understand vampires anyway.

A startled scream leaves her throat when she turns just in time for a familiar face to appear inches from her own. She scrambles back a few steps and presses a hand over her racing heart, as if it will help calm it.

"Hmph." The noise is clearly made in disapproval, but she could care less at the moment. The fear was already disappearing, and it being replaced by anger. Her eyes narrow at Ritcher, though he doesn't seem affected by it. He straightens his body and stares down at her in what can only be described as an arrogant manner. After a few minutes of tense, stubborn silence, Ritcher finally says, "Cordellia wants to see you."

Mai feels every muscle in her body begin to tense. The last thing she wants to do is face the imposter. She just wants to go home and take a nice long bath to soak her wounds and relax her tense muscles. She takes another cautious step backwards, while eyeing Ritcher warily. He's giving her a cold look of pure indifference, but there is a hint of impatience starting to creep into the edges. For a moment, she wonders why he hasn't grabbed her and teleported already.

Unfortunately, the moment she finish the thought is when he decides to do just that. His cold hand wraps around her upper arm, and she doesn't have time to even flinch before the world spins. A sick feeling wells up in her stomach, and tears cloud her eyes for a moment. She can feel the bile in the back of her throat once more. The spinning stops so abruptly that she feels off balance. Stubbornly twisting her body away from Ritcher, she stumbles until something bumps the back of her knees. Her heart leaps into her throat, and she's unable to catch herself. Her heart stops when she falls backwards. Thankfully, her fall is short, and she lands on something soft. Unfortunately, it still doesn't stop the startled squeak from leaving her. She flails for a moment before she notices that she's sitting on a chair in the large living room of the Sakamaki manor. The sound of unfamiliar laughter draws her gaze in that direction.

Her eyes meet haunting green ones, and the air leaves her in a rush. She still isn't used to seeing Yui's face sporting green eyes. The mocking smirk adorning her face just drives the nail deeper. Mai can feel a frown spreading over her face. Cordelia lifts a hand to cover her mouth as if to play at being coy. Her voice comes out low and playful. "Hello, sweet Mai. How nice of you to drop in."

Mai's eyes narrow, but she doesn't say a word. To be honest, she's not sure what to say. Movement draws her gaze just over Cordelia's shoulder. Her eyes meet Ritcher's cold gaze. A tsking noise draws her attention back down. Cordelia lightly flicks a hand, as if dismissing something. The silent question running through Mai's mind is answered only moments later. "Don't mind Ritcher. He won't harm you. Will you, my love?"

Cordelia's voice is hard to describe. There is a playful, almost flirtatious ring to it, but it has a certain biting undertone that Mai can't quite place. She lets her gaze flick from Cordelia to Ritcher, who gives a stern nod. Mai's gaze turns back to the female vampire and regards her silently for a few moments. Disgust fills Mai's body. Cordelia has redressed Yui into a tight fitting dress that hangs low on her chest. It pushes what little Yui has to offer up to try to enhance them. A large slit along the thigh allows Cordelia to rest her feet on the couch beside her while she reclines against the arm. Before she can help herself, Mai wonders what Reiji would think of feet on one of his couches.

Unfortunately, she doesn't get time to dwell on it, since Cordelia climbs to her feet. She spreads her arms wide as if she plans to hug the entire room. "I fear that we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, my dear."

Almost instantly, Mai feels every muscle tense, and a sense of caution takes over. Cordelia seems to sense this, since her smile widens a bit more. Her arms drop to her sides. Before Mai can react, Cordelia pushes her against the arm of the chair and crams Yui's small body beside her, effectively crushing the two of them together. The urge to flee takes over, and she tries to leap up. Unfortunately, two iron-like arms wrap around Mai's body, effectively halting any escape attempt. She knows Yui isn't that heavy, but she finds herself unable to even move. Cordelia's voice is low and sultry in her ear. "I have something to make it up to you. You just have to accept."

For some reason, this forceful behavior reminds her of Laito. Cold panic settles in her stomach, and she finds herself unable to breath. It feels like weight is pressing in on her from all sides. The only thought racing through her mind is that she has to get out of there as soon as possible. Unfortunately, she doesn't get a chance to even thrash before the next unexpected thing happens.

"Hello, mother," a soft voice calls out. Mai's eyes snap up from the carpet, though she's not sure when they got there. Her eyes take in a surprising sight. Kanato is standing at the other end of the room, clutching Teddy tightly to his chest. With a far away look in his eyes, he presses the lower half of his face is against his teddy bear.

Mai's eyes flick between Cordelia and Kanato a few times before movement out of the corner of her eye catches her attention. She glances to find a body blocking her sight of Kanato. She lifts her gaze to find that it's Ritcher, though he doesn't spare her a single glance. He's standing at an angle so she can see his face. His eyes are locked onto Kanato with an unreadable look on his face.. Silence descends on the four of them for a few minutes. Mai flinches when she feels Cordelia begin shifting. A hand is cautiously extended toward Kanato, and Cordelia gives it just the faintest of flicks.

"Mai, my dear, you must hear my little song bird. His voice is simply exquisite," she coos. Her green eyes turn to meet Mai's gaze. A smile spreads over her face, and she releases a soft, almost airy, moan, effectively startling Mai. "It'll be my apology gift to you."

"I don-" Mai starts to refuse. Unfortunately, she doesn't get a chance to finish.

"Sing for us, my little song bird. You know which song," Cordelia states, clearly trying to drown out Mai's own voice.

"No, I re-"

"As you wish," Kanato states, lifting his face from the back of Teddy's head. Startled by how obedient he's being, Mai awkwardly leans around Ritcher to stare at the purple haired vampire. Without another wasted second, Kanato closes his eyes and begins to sing a soft song. Despite the fact she's heard him singing before, Mai finds his voice to be beautiful, but it does little to calm her nerves. After a few minutes, Kanato seems to finish his song. A shudder runs through Cordelia, and she lifts her hand to gesture at Kanato again. Without missing a beat, he starts the song over. Mai jumps when a sultry voice whispers in her ear.

"Isn't his voice just intoxicating?"

Mai leans away from Cordelia the best she can without touching Ritcher. The suffocating feeling is starting to swim over her once more. The expectant look on Cordelia's face lets Mai know that she won't get out of this without answering. She clears her throat. "I suppose it is."

She flinches. That's not what she wanted to say. She turns her gaze toward Kanato once more, though he doesn't look fazed by her words. In fact, it appears that he isn't even listening to them. He just continues singing. Cordelia releases a soft chuckle and settles back. Once more, a low moan leaves her mouth, causing Mai to feel even more uncomfortable. Cordelia's voice is barely audible now. "It really gets me going."

That's enough to have Mai bolting to her feet. She quickly scrambles away from Ritcher and Cordelia before spinning to face the two of them with a look of horror. Cordelia had reclined Yui's body back into an awkward position that causes Mai to quickly look away. Her eyes focus on the wall on the opposite side of the room. She stiffly says. "Ok. I think I've heard enough. I'm going to go h-"

A sharp, mocking laughter almost causes her to turn her attention back to the infuriating woman. Thankfully, she's able to keep her gaze turned away. Cordelia's voice matches her laugh. "There's nothing to be shy about, my dear. We are both women. Besides, there are no virgins here."

Heat rushes to Mai's face, and she has to fight to keep the blush from overtaking her face. She manages to grit out. "That's not the point."

Cordelia giggles like a young girl. Her next question throws Mai off guard. "So, you were with my husband?"

Mai turns her attention to find a surprisingly sharp, calculating look on Cordelia's face. She loses the fight against her blush and says sternly, "I wasn't with him! Laito is… the…."

Her voice trails off when a soft chuckle leaves Cordelia's mouth. The blush gets an even deeper red when Mai realizes that she didn't mean in a sexual sense. Cordelia slowly sits up, much to Mai's relief. Her tone is colored with genuine curiosity with her next question. "Is he well?"

"Uh," Mai stupidly states. Finally, she settles with a slow nod. Instead of relief, a look of sadistic glee passes over her friend's stolen face but it's gone only moments later. Cordelia lifts her hand to repeat the same gesture from before when Kanato's voice fades. Once again, the purple haired vampire starts the song over. Mai glances over her shoulder at him with a frown. She thought he'd be getting tired at this point. He hasn't had a chance to rest nor has he had anything to drink, but he isn't showing any signs of being tired. Unfortunately, she doesn't get a chance to say anything about it, since Cordelia starts talking again.

"Very well. I'd hate for him to not be at full strength when I kill him," she states. Mai's gaze snaps back to the woman sitting before her. A grin adorns Cordelia's face, but it's far from friendly. "Since you seem to be so close to my beloved, than perhaps you can be of use."

Disgust fills the pit of her stomach. Before she gets a chance to deny, Cordelia flinches. A look of pain passes over her face. She lifts a hand to press the heel of her palm to just above her eye. She hisses softly, "Silence, child!"

"Yui?" Mai hopefully asks. Green eyes lift to glare at Mai, only they flicker to a frightened red color. Mai stumbles forward a few steps, but red changes back to furious green ones. Suddenly, Cordelia is on her feet. Her now cold eyes remain locked on Mai, causing a shudder to run down her spine.

After a brief staring contest, the cold look melts away, but there's still a chilly tension between them. Mai retreats a few steps when Cordelia seems to appear only inches in front of her. Unfortunately, she doesn't get away fast enough, and a very cold hand rests against her cheek. Cordelia gives her an almost gentle look, but Mai finds it almost nauseating instead of comforting. She leans back, but Cordelia doesn't allow her to escape her touch. Instead, she leans further into Mai until they are almost touching.

"Kanato, leave us," Cordelia says softly. Mai turns a frightened glance in the purple haired vampire's direction, but he's already gone. Thankfully, the cold hand disappears. A puff of cold air on her cheek pulls a startled gasp from Mai. She flinches back a couple of steps while her gaze turns to glare into cold green eyes. Cordelia playfully says. "Time for some girl talk, no?"

Mai grits her teeth and almost refuses, but Reiji's words come floating back to the front of her mind. Loathing fills her entire being, but she knows this could possibly be one of her few chances to get to know Cordelia better. The better she knows her enemy, the easier it'll be to save her friend.

Overwhelming sadness suddenly takes over, and tears spring to her eyes. The thought of friendship reminds her of Shiro. He didn't betrayed her, but she doesn't know what to do about him anymore. Can she trust him? A shiver runs down her body. Without warning, she finds a weight pulling her down. She doesn't even get a chance to shake the thoughts and catch herself before she finds herself sitting beside Cordelia on the couch. Cordelia is wearing a serious expression that sends a jolt of fear to the very center of Mai's being. A small smile causes the edges of Cordelia's mouth to twitch, but they never form into one. A look of despair takes over her face, and Mai can't tell if it's an act or genuine. Unfortunately, she doesn't get long to dwell on her thoughts.

Cordelia runs her fingers through Mai's hair a couple of times before starting to lightly braid it. Mai tries to lean away, but Cordelia gives a sharp tug, effectively halting any escape. Her voice fills the silent room. "I just wanted him to love me. I felt so lucky to have caught his eye."

Confusion fills Mai, but she's not sure if she should interrupt with questions. Cordelia finishes the braid only to undo it and begin to twist it into a new hair style.

"I was his first wife, but I didn't want children. He knew that. Children are repulsive and demanding. They're never satisfied. He's the one who wanted them. When I refused, he found his second wife. That bitch Beatrix." Tears prickle Mai's eyes when pain races through her scalp. Cordelia's pulling roughly on the tender area near her neck. Mai closes her eyes and tries to ignore the pain by focusing on her breathing, since she can't find anything to say in response to what she is hearing. The last thing she wants to do is irritate the vampire further. "That little whore gave him two sons first, but it doesn't matter. Or it didn't matter."

There's a strange undertone to Cordelia's voice. It almost sounds like an angry sadness, but Mai can't put her finger on it. Unfortunately, she isn't given a chance to even say anything. Cordelia states in a cold manner. "Of course you don't like me. You've only listened to those ungrateful brats of mine. I did everything a mother could to make sure that Ayato would be the next head of the family. After all, that's where he belongs."

She practically hisses the word. The hairdo that she is working on is so painfully tight at this point that tears leak down Mai's cheeks. In fact, Mai has to bite her lip to keep from whimpering. Her hands ball in what's left of her pants to keep from reaching up to try to pull her hair free. Cordelia doesn't seem to notice though. Her voice takes on an even sharper edge as she continues her speech. "That… that little bastard attacked me! After all the careful tutoring I gave him to defeat that bitch's children. I made sure he had everything he could ever want or need, and how did he repay me?"

Relief floods through her scalp when the angry vampire begins to untwist her hair. She lets out a shuddering breath, and her tense body begins to relax. Thankfully, it goes unnoticed. Cordelia continues. "That little bastard corrupts everything he touches. Why couldn't he just do as he was told?"

Mai closes her eyes and tries her best to tune the woman out. Unfortunately, there is a sharp tug on her hair, drawing a sharp whimper from her mouth. Her eyes snap open, and she finds herself watching Ritcher, who is seated in a chair with an impassive look on his face. Cordelia releases a soft snarl. "I thought Laito would help me. After all, I had given him nothing but love…"

Mai lunches to her feet. She both hears and feels a handful of hair detaching itself from her scalp. She releases a sharp snarl at the pain and spins on Cordelia, who's wearing a small smirk. Her thoughts are racing so wildly that she isn't sure where to start. Unfortunately, she doesn't get a chance to even get her thoughts in order. Cordelia's next words send a cold chill to the pit of her stomach. "You don't care for my sons, do you?"

There's an almost challenging edge to her words. Mai clenches her jaw tightly. She has a feeling that she needs to choose her next words carefully. Thankfully, Cordelia allows the silence to prevail for as long as Mai needs it to. Finally, Mai cautiously says. "Of course I do. I care about all of them. They're…."

Her voice trails off. What should she say? They're victims of circumstance? That doesn't seem right. After all, they are all old enough to know between right and wrong, but they are clearly ignoring it. Mai's teeth clench together so hard they begin to hurt.

"Ahh," Cordelia coos. "Don't tell me you've fallen for one of them? Laito I assume. As I could see the fear in your eyes when you saw Kanato, and I've seen your interaction with Ayato through this foolish human's eyes."

A sadistic smirk spreads over Cordelia's stolen face. "Ah, but she's not human anymore, is she?"

Mai turns her gaze away, despite knowing it's not wise to lose sight of your enemies. She releases a sharp breath and says a lot steadier than she believed possible. "I don't love Laito."

It's silent so long that Mai finally manages to gather her courage to look back at Cordelia, who is reclining against the couch with a thoughtful look on her face. "If it's not Laito, who keeps you here?"

"I'm trying to sav-" Mai starts, but Cordelia waves a dismissive hand in Mai's direction.

"Perhaps at first it was a foolish desire to save this silly girl, but you've realized it's impossible long ago. You may be a foolish human, but you're far from stupid. Something else drew you in. Something you won't even admit to yourself," Cordelia mutters just above a whisper. Her green eyes suddenly latch onto Mai's. "Perhaps it isn't Laito. I've seen your interactions though this girl. You fear him, though not as much as you fear Kanato."

Without warning. Cordelia is on her feet, and Mai finds herself being circled. Unease fills her body, and she turns to keep track of the woman. Her heart hammers loudly in her chest, like she's a frightened rabbit facing a hungry wolf. Cordelia's eyes easily slide up and down Mai's body. A thoughtful voice leaves Cordelia's mouth. "It's not Christa's boy, is it?"

"Huh?" Mai stupidly asks. Cordelia releases a soft chuckle and shakes her head.

"No. That brat is unlovable, and just as unstable as his own mother." A cold look settles on Cordelia's face. "So, it's one of beatrix's boys?"

"Uh," Mai stutters out. Her mind scrambles to figure out the meaning behind this conversation. She's not sure why but she thinks it might be useful if Cordelia believes she's involved with one of the older boys. If she can figure out what Cordelia's after, perhaps it'd help her figure out who to name. "Why…. Why does it matter?"

Cordelia releases an almost gentle laugh. She places a light hand on Mai's shoulder, and it's all she can to not to rip herself away. Cordelia says in a soft voice. "This silly girl keeps crying out for you to run away. For you not to believe what I'm about to say next, are you going to listen to her advice?"

Mai swallows hard. Her throat feels dry and raw. Every instinct is screaming at her to say yes and run, but there's a small flash of red that helps to steady her nerves. She can't leave Yui to such a horrible fate. At least not alone. Slowly, Mai starts to shake her head. A look of approval flashes over Cordelia's face, and she gives Mai a gentle smile. "Good girl. I want to know, because I plan to kill the vampire king myself. I'll prove my love is the strongest. Once that's done, we'll need a new vampire king. As this girl was supposed to be the bride, whomever she chose would succeed next; however, I will not abide that little bastard assuming the throne. Nor will I allow Laito to assume the throne. Both have grievances to pay for, and they'll be paying them for a long time. I'd prefer one of my own assumed the throne, but that only leaves Kanato. I'd be so lonely without my little song bird, so I'd prefer you didn't take him."

"Wait. I don't understand," Mai says cautiously. "I'm not a bride candidate."

"Tsk," Cordelia clicks her tongue in an almost playful manner. Her voice lowers like she's talking to a baby. "Of course you aren't, my dear. But you aren't a normal human either. I mean in phyical terms you are, but you've survived these tormentors for months. That's changed you, as I'm sure you have started to realize. Not only bride candidates are capable of becoming one of us, you know. Those foolish Mukami brothers were human once, but enough of the unpleasantries. I have a very important job for you to do."

"No, I don-" Mai starts, but Cordelia cuts her off as if she wasn't talking in the first place.

"First, you must tell me. Is it the oldest son?"

"I…."

"Is it, my dear?" Cordelia gives her an almost motherly smile. Mai's thoughts race wildly.

"Why? Why does it…." Mai's voice slowly ebbs out into a scared squeak, much to her displeasure.

Cordelia blinks, as if she doesn't understand why Mai is asking the exact same question again. She tilts her head a little, reminding Mai of Kanato for a brief moment. In a questioning tone, Cordelia says. "Why are you asking again? The answer is obvious. It's so I know who to get close to. It'll be easier if you chose that lazy son. He's easy to manipulate and less like that bitch."

Mai takes a moment to consider her options. It's obviously unbelievable that she's involved with Subaru, and she doesn't want to drag him any further than he already is. Shuu doesn't have any to do with their meeting. Laito and Ayato aren't part of the plan either. With a frown, Mai realizes that the best bet would be to say Reiji. The thought sends a cold chill to her heart. She doesn't want to be associated with the sadistic vampire, but she knows he'd be a smart choice. With a reluctant sense of determination, she looks Cordelia straight in the eye. "No. It's… It's… Reiji."

Those words are harder to get out than she would've liked. She clears her throat just as Cordelia starts to laugh. The sound echoes hauntingly off the walls. Suddenly, Cordelia is inches from Mai's face. A cool look of pure entertainment colors her face. "Reiji? That stiff runt? I agree he does have some looks. In fact, he looks just like a younger version of his father, but I know he's not the one. You hesitated for too long. You're hiding your real lover."

A chilly finger reaches up to run along Mai's jaw. A cold edge slowly works it's way into green eyes once more. It's a familiar cold edge, since it's one that she's seen on Laito's face when Mai begins to get on his nerves. Cold terror forms in the pit of her stomach, but she tries to ignore it. She needs to focus on the danger right in front of her. Mai's wounds give a sudden painful throb, as if to remind her just how dangerous of an opponent she's dealing with. She stubbornly starts to shake her head, but Cordelia's nail digs painfully into her jaw. With a stern voice, Cordelia states. "It's not Reiji."

"It is," Mai mutters softly. "I like R-"

She hears the sound before she feels any pain. Mai blinks in confusion for a few seconds. She reaches up to place a hand over the already red mark on her face. She finds herself staring at a now emotionless Cordelia. With an emotionless tone, the vampire says, "I don't appreciate being lied to. A punishment is in order."

Mai doesn't even bother trying to respond. She never would've had a chance anyway. A cold hand clamps painfully down on her arm, and her head starts to spin. Thankfully, it only lasts a moment. It's nothing compared to when Laito or anyone else has teleported her. It stops sooner than she expects it to. She quickly glances around, expecting to find herself in Shuu's room, but she's not. In fact, she's sure she's never been in this room before. Or at least it isn't immediately familiar to panicked mind, which doesn't mean much. Her eyes flick around, taking in the sights. One of the first things she notices is the sharp smell of chemicals that almost burn her nasal passages. The room is warmer than she thought possible. With a jolt, she realizes that the other rooms have always been cold aside from when she and Yui cooked. Book shelves line the walls behind long tables filled with various beakers and other experimentation items. Some have liquid, others are completely empty. There are a few tables that have books neatly piled on them. Comfortable chairs rest beside a few of those tables.

Mai swallows hard. She has a feeling she knows who the room belongs to.

"I see you haven't been in here before," Cordelia calmly states. With a disinterested look, her fingers begin to lightly brush a couple of the beakers. She arrives at a rather large beaker filled with an unidentifiable, clear liquid. With a little extra pressure, the beaker is sent careening to the floor.

"Ah!" Is all Mai gets out of her mouth before the sound of glass shattering fills the room. The second it breaks open the liquid begins to bubble, and a sharp burning smell starts to overtake all other smells. Mai quickly covers her mouth and nose, since she doesn't know what the effects of the liquid will be. Her eyes widen while she watches the liquid start to eat away at a beautiful rug that is resting below the table. "Wh…."

Acid. That's the only thing she can think of, but she isn't sure what kind it is. The thought of the owner's angry face is enough for her to want to flee the room. She spins on her heel to look for a door when she collides with a body. Two arms reach out to keep her steady, though she doesn't really need it. She doesn't want to look up, but her curiosity gets the better of her. The moment they lift, her heart sinks. Reiji's grip on her upper arms tighten to the point of pain, but she can't find words to ask him to release her. His face appears impassive, uncaring even, but the grip on her seems to spell out his anger. Once his smooth voice comes out, Mai wonders if, perhaps, she's wrong.

"Hello, stepmother," Reiji says politely. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Cordelia releases another chuckle, and Mai tries to glance over her shoulder. Unfortunately, the only thing Mai can see is Cordelia's back. Reiji's grip loosens drawing Mai's gaze back. For a moment, she thinks she sees impatience, but it's gone before she can be sure.

"I see you take sloppy seconds, though I do suppose you're use to such things. Are you not?" Cordelia says in a sickeningly sweet voice. Mai's eyes snap back over her shoulder, but they don't stay there long. Reiji's fingers somehow find the edge of a muscle group in her arm and dig painfully into the almost nonexistent gap between them. She releases a soft hiss and closes her eyes. She hears Cordelia's chuckle. "She's not your taste, is she? Too wild and unrefined? I've watched you for a while, Beatrix's son. I know what you look for in the opposite sex. That foolish girl tried to lie and say that you were her secret lover, but your scent barely clings to her. In fact, I smell more of Ayato on her, and even that is almost overpowered by Laito."

Mai feels sick to her stomach when the pain gets worse. Her legs give out, but that only increases it since she's now only being held up by her arms. She barely gasps out "Reiji."

Unfortunately, she is ignored. Reiji releases a sigh that almost sounds as if he were defeated. "I suppose it's b-"

There is another shattering sound, and she can feel Reiji twitch. It's so light that she almost thought that it was her doing the flinching. She forces her eyes open to look up at him. His face is still impassive, but she can almost feel the anger roiling from him. The longer she looks at him, the more she starts to second guess herself. Maybe it's her own pained shaking. Cordelia's voice suddenly fills the silence. "Don't try to lie to me, child."

"I'm not," Reiji states in a stern tone. Silence fills the room again, and tension continues to mount. Finally, Cordelia releases a soft chuckle, and Reiji pulls his fingers from Mai's arms. One arm slides around her waist, while the other hand buries itself in her hair. To her utter shock, she finds herself pulled flush against Reiji. Her face is pressed against his chest, effectively cutting off her oxygen. She's too stunned to move at first, but it slowly registers that she needs to breath. She's faintly aware of the two vampires talking, and she thinks she hears a couple of names. She puts her hands against his chest and starts to push. It feels like her lungs are gaining the telltale sign of burning due to lack of proper air, but she's not sure if it's not just her own panic making her think she's suffocating.

Thankfully, she doesn't have to wonder long, since Reiji abruptly lets her go. She stumbles back. Her feet get tangled around one another, and she ends up crashing heavily on her butt. She releases a grunt of pain before turning a glare on Reiji. He doesn't spare her a glance. Instead, he steps around her. To her surprise, Mai finds Cordelia is gone. She scrambles to her knees, flinching when pain races up her spine. Her eyes find Reiji's back while he crouches down. She can see him cautiously picking at pieces of glass. He releases a sigh before straightening himself up and moving toward a trash can she hadn't noticed before.

"Reiji," Mai says softly. A pang of guilt rushes through her chest. She sits in a kneeling postion, trying to keep from sitting on her butt directly. "I didn't…"

"Leave, human," Reiji states with a sharp edge to his voice. She tenses and considers ignoring his request, but the stubborn thought lingers for a moment. She has a feeling that he's upset, and he scares her enough when he's being nice. She quickly gets to her feet. After a glance around, she finds the door. She almost expects him to say something snide on her way out, but he remains silent. A part of her is relieved while another, much smaller, part has a nagging sense of worry. Thankfully, it's easy to crush. She slides through the door into what appears to be a bedroom. She quickly shuts the door and makes her way across the room, but her eyes still glance around. There are beautiful dishes locked behind a couple of cabinets. She wants to slow and inspect them, but the thought of Reiji's anger spurs her on. She turns her attention back to the exit and slips out into the hallway.

A breath of relief leaves her when the door shuts quietly behind her. She lets out a startled cry when she hears a scoff from somewhere beside her. She whirls around to meet angry red eyes.

"Do you have to scream?" Subaru snarls at her. Mai presses a hand over her racing heart and gives Subaru a glare of her own.

"Maybe you shouldn't sneak up on people," She snaps back.

Subaru straightens himself off the wall and steps close in order to tower over her, but she refuses to cower. He leans his face incredibly close to hers and says in a snarl-like voice. "I was standing here the second you left Reiji's room. Maybe if you weren't so stupid and unobservant you would've seen me."

Mai's eyes narrow, but she can't think of anything else to say to that without sounding like she was making excuses. She decides to simply reach out, put a hand in the center of his chest and lightly push. He resists for a moment before, much to her surprise, he lets her push him away. She lets out a soft sigh of reliefand asks softly. "What do you need, Subaru?"

His red eyes flicker over her face for a moment before his cold hand wraps around her wrist. That's all the warning she gets before she's being drug down the hallway. Panic fills her chest, and she pulls on her hand as hard as she can.

"Where are we going?"

Unfortunately, her question go unanswered. Finally, they arrive at the bathroom, and she's roughly ushered inside. To her surprise, there are bandages sitting on the counter. Subaru shoves her toward the counter while he makes his way over to the tub. He sits on the rim and turns the knobs. The sound of rushing water fills the room. Subaru keeps his back to her, apparently busy adjusting the temperature of the water. Once he's satisfied, he reaches down to stop the drain so the tub will fill and finally turns to Mai. His nose wrinkles a little. "You fucking stink."

She gives him a frustrated glare but doesn't respond. She knows she smells bad. He straightens his body and turns to face her with an expectant look. A hollow feeling settles in the pit of her stomach. He doesn't really expect her to undress and bathe in front of him, does he? Despite fearing, and knowing the answer, she asks. "What do you want?"

He grunts softly and coldly snarls. "Strip."

His answer doesn't surprise her. Her face heats up in embarrassment, and she snaps back. "Like hell I will!"

He lets out a soft, dark chuckle and takes a couple of threatening steps toward her. "You fucking stink. It's so bad that it's making my eyes water. Besides, don't flatter yourself. You have nothing worth seeing."

"That's not the point, Subaru," Mai snaps back. She wraps her arms protectively around herself. "You can't just ask a woman to strip right in front of you!"

"There's a woman here?" Subaru practically sneers at her. Her mouth drops open, and she finds herself unable to respond to that. Thankfully, Subaru hasn't advanced past the first few steps, but the look of impatience on his face is growing by the second.

"I… Tha.. I…." Mai stutters in utter shock. Finally, she manages to reign in her shock and shouts. "That was rude, you asshole!"

She blindly reaches back, grabbing the first thing her hand touches. It turns out that it's a brush. She hurls it as hard as she possibly can directly at Subaru. It doesn't come as a surprise that he easily catches it. He snaps, "Knock it off, bitch!"

"Go to hell!" She yells back. Her hand latches on some bandages this time, and she hurls those. She doesn't give him a chance to respond this time. Instead, she reaches for something else. "How could you say something so cruel?!"

This time she throws a container of hand soap. Subaru doesn't bother with catching this one. Instead, he side steps. His mouth opens to snap something back at her, but a loud crack and a groan halt both of them. Mai cautiously leans to the side to try to see what her makeshift weapon had hit. Subaru glances over his shoulder. Shock fills Mai's chest when she sees her unfortunate target. Blood colors his damp blonde hair. He releases another groan and slips beneath the surface of the still running water. The seconds tick by, and neither Mai nor Subaru move to pull him out of the water. Finally, the water starts to slowly leak over the edge, so Subaru leans down to shut it off.

Mai awkwardly clears her throat and softly asks, "Should…. Should we pull him out?"

Subaru releases a scoff. "Hell no. Let him drown."

Mai reluctantly turns her gaze to Subaru. They only remain there a moment before turning to look at Shuu's slightly distorted image. Worry begins to gnaw at the edges of her heart. Finally, she finds herself making her way forward. "Will you help me get him out?"

Subaru makes another scoffing sound, but he doesn't deny her. In fact, he moves to the top of the tub, so Mai finds herself at Shuu's feet. Subaru's eyes connect with hers, and he only gives her a nod as warning that he's planning to pick his older brother up. She quickly plunges her hands into the scalding water and grabs his feet just as Subaru lifts. She pulls up on his feet, releasing a loud grunt. Every wound she has seems to cry out, and she finds herself still surprised at how heavy Shuu is. Subaru lets out a snarl and unceremoniously throws Shuu's body to the side. Unfortunately, Mai isn't ready for that, so she doesn't release his legs in time. She finds herself being pulled down and scrambles to release him. Luckily, she doesn't end up in a pile with Shuu. Unfortunately, her foot slides on the wet floor, and she finds herself sprawling out awkwardly on the bathroom floor. Thankfully, she wasn't upright to begin with, so it doesn't hurt.

It still doesn't help her pride any when she hears Subaru laughing. She rolls onto her back, flinching when hot water seeps into her tattered clothing. For a moment, she feels emotionally and physically drained. The thought of a nice warm bed floats to the front of her mind.

She wrinkles her nose. She needed to take a shower first. A soft groan draws her attention back to the present. She turns her head to find Shuu is lying not far from her. While ignoring Subaru's laughter, she slowly climbs to her feet and releases a soft groan of pain. Mai shuffles a little closer to Shuu and leans down to check on him. She feels someone's head close to hers and cautiously lifts her eyes.

Subaru finally stopped laughing and is leaning over the opposite side of Shuu. His head is a good five or six inches away, and red eyes are locked onto his older brother. Mai turns her attention back down to the blonde vampire. She flinches when she sees blood coloring one side of his head, but she can't see where it's coming from. One blue eye slowly opens to meet hers, and he mutters. "So you like to take your victim while they are unconscious. Hm, pervert?"

He chuckles lightly. Mai rolls her eyes and doesn't even bother dignifying his statement with a response. Subaru roughly nudges Shuu's side with a foot. His voice is barely above a growl, though there is a hint of amusement to it. "What the hell are you doing?"

Shuu's eye slides closed. "I heard the water and thought a warm bath sounded nice."

Subaru grunts. "It wasn't for you."

Shuu doesn't bother responding. In fact it looks like he's dozed off again. Mai and Subaru share a look of frustration before Subaru plants a hard kick in Shuu's ribs. A grunt leaves Shuu, and his eye opens once. Subaru leans closer to his brother's face and snarls. "Move it, sloth. You're in the way."

"A nickname? Are you Ayato now?" Shuu teases lightly. Subaru jerks back, baring his fangs at his brother. Without warning, Subaru's fist connects with the wall, releasing a loud shattering sound as the wall gives. Mai jumps and turns her gaze up to look at Subaru. He had teleported across the room.

"What did you call me?!" Subaru snaps loudly. His voice echoes off the walls. Shuu releases a sigh and slowly sits up.

"Not this again," he mutters softly.

"Huh?!" Subaru loudly growls. Yet another fist smashes through the wall. A sharp voice cuts through the room.

"Subaru!"

Mai jumps and turns her attention in that direction to find a furious looking Reiji.

"Fuck off!" Subaru snaps, but he disappears only moments later. Reiji releases a sigh and crosses an arm over his abdomen while using the other to push up his glasses. His cold, red eyes open to give Mai an appraising look. She's surprised to not find the usual disgust on his face when faced with Shuu. A simple glance down tells her why. Shuu also made his escape at some point. She lets herself carefully sink to her butt and releases a soft sigh. This means she's going to be the one to face Reiji all alone. She silently curses both Shuu and Subaru. Unfortunately, she doesn't manage to do it as much as she'd like since Reiji's voice cuts through her thoughts.

"You were trying to use me as a fail safe when it came to that insufferable woman, were you not." Despite it being phrased like a question, it's clearly a statement, and he doesn't bother waiting for a response. With a sigh, he coldly says, "You failed."

He snaps his fingers, and a familiar seems to materialize from the wall. Mai watches Reiji mutter something to the familiar before cold red eyes turn back on her. She waits for him to say something, but he simply turns and leaves the room. The familiar stalks closer and appears to be a female. Mai decides not to put much thought into it. She takes the offered hand and allows the familiar to pull her to her feet. A sudden feeling of homesickness starts to overwhelm her, and she asks without a second thought. "Can I go home?"

A musical voice answers her. "I'm sorry, master's guest. It's not safe for you there. We already looked into it. The hunter is prowling around your house. We'd be killed, and you'd be stolen. The master needs you for his plan to work."

Mai releases a soft sigh. She should've known she was going to be drug down even more. Suddenly feeling even more exhausted than before, she closes her eyes and allows the familiar to bear almost all of her weight.

She's faintly aware of the fact that her ruined clothes are being removed, but she finds it impossible to care at the current moment. She opens her eyes just as she slides into the warm bath water. The warm water serves to wake her up, causing her to suddenly feel awkward. She tries her best to cover her body and glances at the familiar. To her horror, she finds nothing but smooth skin. There's no mouth, nose or eyes. A jolt of fear races through every nerve in her body, and she finds herself scrambling away from the female familiar. A soft chuckle comes from her, though it has a sad hint to it.

"I won't harm the master's guests."

Mai flinches. She can clearly hear the woman's voice, but there's something creepy about not watching someone's mouth move.

"Uh…. Thanks?" She flinches at her own words, but she isn't sure what else to say. It's silent for a moment before the sound of water being gently splashed causes her to flinch away again. Harsher than she means to, Mai snaps. "What are you doing?"

"Ah… I'm washing the master's guest," the female familiar says in an unsure voice. Once again, a jolt of fear races through every cell in Mai's body, and she quickly looks away.

"It's…. It's fine. I don't need help," Mai says as gently as she can. It's silent for a few moments before the familiar softly replies.

"I've helped all the masters bathe at one time or another. I promise I won't harm you."

Mai flinches at the thought. Before she can stop herself, she blurts out. "Oh, you poor, poor girl."

A musical chuckle leaves the woman, but Mai still can't bare to turn to look at her. The water splashes once again, causing Mai to flinch. She isn't a baby. She doesn't need someone to bath her. Once again, she refuses, but she's once again not listened to. After a few more times, she awkwardly gives in.

In an effort to not focus on how strange the situation is, she tries to think about something else. Unfortunately, her thoughts keep turning back to one simple fact.

It's a stupid fact to be caught up on, but she can't help it.

She sincerely hoped the familiar had thought to drain the water.

She cringes at the thought of sharing bathwater with Shuu, who was still wearing his clothes at the time. In fact, she's sure he was still wearing his shoes. After all, he's so lazy that she isn't sure when the last time he changed his clothes was, since she hadn't been harassing him to do so for school.

The thought causes her to close her eyes and silently pray that the bath was already over.