Mogami. The voice whispered.

Kijima groaned wanting to run away from the voice, but his body felt like it was buried in cement. Something gripped his soul draining his will power and he couldn't wake from the darkness.

Mogami. It was the kind of voice that sent shivers down his spine. The kind of voice that let Kijima know that the speaker was one who delighted in causing pain.

Kanae could hear it too and the voice filled her with dread. That voice had turned her into a beast and taken away all of her autonomy.

Mogami.

Kyoko woke up with a start her heart pounding and she looked around the empty room. She was in the medical center in LME. Machines beeped all around her announcing the presence of other patients. She tried to swallow but her throat was so dry all she managed to do was cause herself pain. Wincing she tilted her head to the side eyes losing focus for a moment as they adjusted to the dim light in the room. A low pulsing sound brought her attention to the bed directly beside hers.

Green eyes met Kyoko's and she flinched. The king was sitting on the edge of his bed and staring down at her. The look in his eyes frightened her. It was the look of a ravenous beast. She trembled and tried to get up and run from him. The sound of metal clanking against metal alarmed her. Curiously she looked down at the arms she couldn't lift and found that she had been cuffed to the bed. Her heart raced in panic as she tried to kick her legs only to find herself restrained at the ankles as well.

Ren stood up drawn to the staccato rhythm of her heart. His eyes zeroed in on the veins pulsing where the cuffs of digging into her wrists. She opened her mouth to speak but her dry throat could only choke on the syllables. Panicking she spit out incoherent words as he drew closer to her. The cuffs clanked against the bed rail as she violently tugged on them. There was no trace of sanity left in the glowing green eyes of the king. Those eyes didn't even look like they were seeing her. A low menacing growl sounded from deep within him. She breathed in a deep shuddering breath.

He swooped down and bit into the metal snapping it in half. With her hand free she attempted to push him away so she could escape. He ignored her shove like it was nothing and reached over to break the other cuff. Both hands now free she tried to fight him off, but he seized her wrists and shoved her down onto the bed. Even when Sho had used her for his meals she had never felt this powerless. The king's strength was only amplified by his hunger. He loomed over her inching closer to her neck even as she struggled in vain.

"Please don't." she managed to croak weakly.

Lips skimmed over her throat, feather light and shaking. A shudder ran through him and his hot breath caressed her skin. His tongue drew close to her pulse almost licking her skin. With a deep shuddering sigh, he managed to hold himself back when his fangs were a hairsbreadth from sinking into her rapid pulse. He was so very hungry. His eyes filled with tears, and he forced his mouth closed.

"I'm sorry." He spoke softly.

His hands released her wrists and she shoved him away. She stumbled out of bed. Fatigue in her legs made it difficult but she managed to scramble away from him with her unfocused eyes frantically searching for the exit. It was behind him.

"I'm sorry." He said again raising himself up and holding his hands up high so she could see them. "I woke up and I was starving. That's no excuse but that's what happened." He wouldn't say that he had woken up as Kuon. He wouldn't admit that he had very nearly lost himself to the darkness and drained her blood. He wouldn't tell her that he had very nearly become a Vukodlak again. There was no reason to scare her more than he already had.

"Woods-san must be in her office napping. I will find her and have her bring us some blood." He said trying to hold her frightened gaze. "I'm sorry."

Kyoko gave a quivering nod if only to get him to leave. She didn't want him to come back and she really didn't want him to bring back Jelly Woods. It had probably been the witch who had had her cuffed to the bed. If they came back, they would probably shackle her again. He nodded with her and backed up hands still raised.

"I will be right back with Woods-san." Ren said backing out of the room being sure not to lose contact with the glowing golden eyes staring back at him until the very last second.

Tentatively Kyoko stood up and took small steps towards the door. She sniffed the air and listened for heartbeats or footsteps. If she could make it to the door then she might be able o escape. She would have to run for the rest of her life to avoid imprisonment. Maybe the Darumaya couple would shelter her for a few days, but she wouldn't want to bother them. There was no where else for her to go.

She stopped at the entrance. Her stomach churned in need. It was a painful sensation that made her want to vomit. There was a faint beat coming from just down the hall. She bit her lip imagining the thick warm liquid sliding down her throat. Another heartbeat pricked her ears up and she drooled. Her hands reached for the door handle, but she took a step back. The king had nearly devoured her because he could barely contain his hunger. She didn't want to cause anyone else that kind of distress. Lost in her thoughts she missed the slow steady heartbeat coming towards her until the person was standing right in front of her.

"You should be in bed young lady." The okami-san said and fearlessly took Kyoko's arm and tugged her over to the bed. She tsked at the broken cuffs and shoved them off the bed. "I told them not to do that. I had already heavily sedated you with a spell to stop you from attacking everyone. Not that it mattered since your bloodlust quieted down when we moved the king into your room. Fledglings are always comforted by their first blood source."

"I attacked people?" Kyoko asked rubbing her throat.

"You kept trying to bite everybody. Mind you that is pretty normal for a vampire who has used so much of their power and lost so much blood." The older woman explained.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt anybody?" Kyoko asked worried that she may have done something reprehensible in a state of bloodlust again.

"No dear, you saved everybody." Okami-san replied while patting Kyoko's hand. "By the way, do you know where the king has gone? He was supposed to be in here as well. Yashiro-san regretted having to cuff him to the bed too, but well..." Okami-san trialed off unable to explain the traumatic scene she had witnessed of the vampire king in a rampaging bloodlust.

It had taken Yashiro and the Taisho having to hold him down as she cast calming spells. When that didn't work Ruto, and Lory used their powers to bind and sedate the king. They had finally gotten him under control but then Kyoko woke up in a bloodlust as well. Chaining them to the bed with special handcuffs had been the only solution but it appeared not even those had worked.

"He went to get blood for us." Kyoko answered still finding it painful to speak.

"That was a good idea. I did bring you both a cup, but I suspect you'll need more." Okami-san said and opening her palms produced two identical cups filled with blood.

Unable to care about her manners Kyoko snatched a cup and gulped down the warmed red liquid. Her body hummed in need and annoyance; this was not the blood it wanted. This was refrigerated blood. It was low level blood that someone had warmed in a microwave. Still Kyoko drained the cup and frantically snatched the other to drink it down as well. It was all she could do to keep herself from attacking the kind woman in front of her. She understood exactly how the king had felt and how much strength it had taken him not to eat her in that moment.

"You have been out of nearly a week. You and the king." Okami-san explained. "I am glad that you have woken up." Warmth shone in her eyes as she spoke. Kyoko's heart gave a gentle squeeze at the notion that somebody cared about her enough to worry.

"And everyone else? Maria-san? The wolf woman? Are they awake?" She inquired then dropping her voice asked, "Fuwa? Is he alright?"

"Maria-chan is awake. She's been demanding for updates on you and the king. She didn't like it when they changed you both up." Okami-san explained. "Fuwa-san woke up just a few hours after the attack. He has been diligently looking over you as you sleep. He only left moments before I came so he could have a bite to eat."

Kyoko made a face at the thought of Sho watching over her as she slept. Did they leave him to guard her and Ren all by himself? That was rather reckless considering he had been her abuser for so many years. Though if the other covens had arrived and were causing a fuss then he would be the only one they could spare. She supposed she could accept him being on guard duty if it was because everyone else had things to deal with.

Jelly woods entered the room with a bright smile on her face. "How is our patient doing?" she asked ushering in a cart of blood. "Hungry?"

"Yes!" Kyoko said scurrying over to the cart and taking a cup of blood.

"Ren-chan had a cup as well. It's a wonder either of you survived your ordeals with so little blood in your system." Jelly said glancing off to the side as though she were glaring at Ren. He had stayed behind in her office however to avoid scaring Kyoko again. "It's a wonder that boy can survive anything let alone attacks from a rogue dhampir like Kijima-san." She grumbled.

"Kijima-san?"

"Yes, he was possessed it seems, but somehow the vampire controlling him was forced out. He's recovering now but he is also being confined to his own room." Jelly said as she picked up the remains of the cuffs that had been binding Kyoko to the bed. "The young Strigoi vampire who attacked the palace is also in recovery. You saved her life by forcing the other vampire out. Do you remember how you did that?"

Jelly took a seat on Kyoko's bed and gave her a friendly smile. It was meant to be sincere and to coax Kyoko into trusting her, but Kyoko looked down at her cup of blood. She didn't feel like she could trust anyone here. They were going to lock her in the palace again once she was healthy enough to leave the hospital. Maybe that was for the best as she could hurt people if she were left on her own, but that didn't mean she had to like being their prisoner.

"I don't remember anything." Kyoko lied.

She could remember the feeling of power surging through her blood. She recalled melding her mind into the wolf and taking control. It had felt good to force the vampire out and take back what belonged to her. She had seen through Kijima's eyes and saw the king in his weakened state. For a moment he had looked like a young man with blond hair and green eyes. He was somewhat familiar to her in that moment, but she couldn't place him. He had had green eyes again when he was going to drink her blood.

"That's too bad." Jelly said mournfully. "No one has ever pulled anyone out of possession undamaged. It would have been a blessing if you could do such a thing. We would have no need to kill ghouls if you could heal them."

"I don't know if I could do it again." Kyoko said swirling the blood in her cup. "I was overwhelmed with a need to protect Maria and Sho. The vampire on the other end had been caught off guard when I invaded the mind he had taken over. Next time he might not be so surprised by my intrusion."

"Maybe not, but if you could hone the ability, we could save a lot more people." Jelly said handing Kyoko another cup.

Kyoko wrinkled her nose but took the cup and sucked the blood down. The lukewarm drink left her feeling queasy and she rubbed her stomach in an effort to soothe it. Her ears pricked at the sound of hearts beating. She licked her lips picking up on a scent down the hall. The slow and steady heartbeat told her that the person was unconscious but stable. She smelled warm and earthy but there was the faint musk of a dog attached to her that wasn't altogether unpleasant.

"The wolf girl who attacked us is still asleep." Kyoko stated and the Okami-san and Jelly scrunched their brows in confusion.

"Yes, she is being detained in a room down the hall." Okami-san supplied. "We have managed to locate her coven. The Kotonami clan were once rich and noble Strigoi vampires. They are directly related to the first blood king but now…" Okami-san trailed off saddened by the state of the once noble family.

"Now they are practically human." Jelly explained for her. "They have no money or powers and the Koenji coven stripped them of their noble rank centuries ago.

"They have no powers, but she was a wolf." Kyoko said with an inquisitive look at Jelly.

"Yes, and you were an ordinary human girl who suddenly rose to the ranks of a vampire princess. There are a lot of odd things occurring recently." Jelly said as she cocked her head and examined Kyoko.

"Yes, I guess that is very odd. Woods-san…. Ah I mean Ten-ss sama… Ten-san!" Kyoko stuttered as Jelly glared at her. "Ten-san?"

"Yes, Kyoko-chan?" Jelly replied with a smile playing on her lips.

"There," Kyoko paused wanting to ask about the voice but fearing what it could mean. "I heard something when I," What was it she had done?

"When you commanded the vampire possessing Kanae-san to let her go?" Jelly asked.

"Yes." Kyoko said looking down at the empty cup in her hands.

"You heard the voice of the possessing vampire in her head." Jelly said and Kyoko nodded in response. "What did they say? Could you tell what type of vampire they were?"

Kyoko opened her mouth, but her words caught in her throat. She looked between the two women afraid that they would bind her down again. She forced herself to stop holding her breath realizing that they would lock her in her room again anyway. Whether she told them everything or not she had nowhere else to go.

"Mogami." She whispered fearing the word and what it could mean.

"Hm?" Jelly cocked her head in confusion. "Mogami?"

"The first blood king Mogami Jun'ichi?" Okami-san asked, and it was Kyoko's turn to be confused.

"I thought the blood king was Todoh-denka?" Kyoko asked recalling her lessons.

"The last one was, Todoh Susumu, yes. But before any of them there was the Mogami Coven. Jun'ichi- Heika was the most powerful and most revered vampire. All the covens bowed to him until the day he died." Jelly explained. "The original upyr you see are the only ones who should have command inducement powers. There was Mogami, Todoh, Hizuri, Duris, and Takarada originally." Jelly said ticking them off on her fingers. From them spawned the Morizumi coven, the Hongo coven, the uesugi coven, the Katagiri coven, and the Misonoi coven. Then they all branched off creating Dhampir and cursing each other to become strigoi. It's all a mess because of their greed and need for power."

"So Mogami is one of those covens that has died out?" Kyoko asked and there was a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Yes. Vampires live long lives and not much can kill them, but they can die. The Broxa finished ended many covens. Jun'ichi's great granddaughter gave birth to one and both mom and baby died. The king was devasted at the loss of his favored grandchild and died of a broken heart." Okami said sparing Kyoko the details.

"He killed himself." Kyoko concluded.

"In a sense." Jelly said. "He refused to eat and became a vukodlak. Driven mad with hunger he was confined to a prison cell sealed with magic. It is said that he ate himself."

Kyoko hugged herself shivering as she saw it all in her mind. A starkly handsome man beating himself against the walls of the cell. He bit into his own hands and arms as he wailed in agony missing the grandchild he loved so dearly.

"Why would this vampire possess people in order to find a member of a defunct coven?" Jelly mused out loud.

Kyoko shivered hugging herself tighter. She could still hear the vampire calling out for Mogami. Okami-san furrowed her brow staring at the small vampire girl.

"In any case, it is good that the king has finally woken up. My poor darling has been running the kingdom while the Ren-chan slept. Then there is our deer Yashiro-san who has been stuck dealing with all the arriving delegates for different covens. First, they were coming to meet you but now they all want to discuss the succession of the throne. None of them will accept Maria-chan because of her age." Jelly explained.

"As if any of them could inherit the throne with their maturity levels." A voice dripping with annoyance chimed in and Maria jumped onto Kyoko's bed. "It took you so long to wake up Onee-sama. I was so worried."

"Onee-sama?" Kyoko asked looking from side to side, but the child just continued talking.

"Morizumi-san even showed her hateful face demanding to see Ren-sama. Then Koenji-san came and even Kusunoki-san has suggested that she should be queen." Maria said resentfully. "I won't have it! I won't hand over the thrown or Ren-sama to anyone other than Onee-sama."

Kyoko blinked at the little girl confused. Didn't Maria hate her? Why was she sitting on her bed and talking to her about her big sister? When did Maria even get a big sister and where was she?

"Hey, Onee-sama, you'll marry Ren-sama right? I'll be super jealous of course but if it's you I won't kick up a fuss. I know he'll be taken care of if he's with you." Maria said staring expectantly into Kyoko's eyes.

Confusion washed over Kyoko's face, and she stared dumbly back at Maria.

"Are you talking to me?" Kyoko finally asked realizing there was no one else Maria could be talking to.

"Yes, of course. Who else would I be talking to silly?" Maria said.

Kyoko looked at Jelly who shook her head. She turned back to Maria prepared to ask a million questions, but the little girl beat her to it.

"Won't you agree to inherit the throne in order to protect it from the other covens? I am not strong enough to fight any of them off if they try to rebel, but you are. I am still in awe of the power you possess. It was so dark and menacing." Maria spoke excitedly as she remembered the pure dark aura Kyoko had emitted. She had only ever seen that kind of power when she had been attacked once and Ren had saved her from the ghoul. "You match him so well that I won't mind letting him go to you."

"I'm sorry but who do I match?" Kyoko asked still not comprehending what Maria was saying.

"Ren-sama." Maria said with a blush. "I sort of always knew he was only humoring me anyway. I was going to be queen when he stepped down, but I would never be his queen."

Kyoko frowned finally catching up to the conversation and feeling uncomfortable. Was Maria actually suggesting that Kyoko marry the king? They barely knew each other first of all, second Kyoko had no desire to marry anyone. Even if she had an overwhelming desire to devour the particular man in question. That Should be her third point, she couldn't marry someone she wanted to eat.

"I'm sorry Maria but I can't marry the king." Kyoko said and watched Maria's lips turn down in a pout.

"You have to! If you don't then those awful Morizumi will cause an uprising and possibly an all-out war. Since they already think you're a Takarada they won't say anything no matter how much they want to protest. Takarada are the purest bloodline left. We are the only ones left with any connection to Mogami." Maria said raising to her knees and placing her hands on Kyoko's shoulder.

"Mogami?" Kyoko asked. There was a painful stab of fear in her gut, and she shivered.

"Yep, Mogami and Takarada were siblings. That makes us the rightful heirs no matter what any of the other covens claim. They can gripe about my age but according to vampire law you are of an age to marry." Maria said and Kyoko couldn't comprehend the desperation in the child's voice. How was she to understand why Maria would sacrifice her own place in the line of succession when Kyoko had never met the heirs to the other covens.