Chapter 24:

Hitsugaya looked around his Division, confused. Everywhere he looked, he noticed Soul Reapers looking distracted and red. All of them male. At first, he worried they had been bitten but none of them were rubbing their necks. When someone got their attention, they would be pulled out of their daydream and fumble for words or whatever they were supposed to grab, looking embarrassed.

Raising his brow, Hitsugaya made his way to his office and opened the door to find something else surprising. Rangiku was already there and munching on sweets. In fact, there was a whole table of them. "Good morning, Captain," she greeted warmly, cookie in her hand.

Hitsugaya's nose twitched at all the sweetness in the air. Gift baskets of fresh fruit, boxes of cookies, candy, and boxes of chocolate-dipped strawberries. "What is all this?"

"Isn't it nice, Captain?" Rangiku beamed at him. "I've been getting all kinds of gifts lately. It's so nice to be appreciated."

"For what?" he asked before he could stop himself. "If you ever leave that couch, it's to run off and leave me to do all the paperwork by myself."

She pouted. "Aw, don't be mean. I do plenty around here."

"Such as?"

"I can't think of any right now but I know I do. Oh, Captain, you've got to try these strawberries. So good."

"You know I don't care for sweets unless they're sugared beans." He also wasn't sure if chocolate would have an effect on him, knowing that chocolate and canines didn't get along. He was probably safe but wanted to be sure just in case.

"Suit yourself." She put the box in her lap and happily started eating.

Shinji came into the office without knocking. "Captain Hitsugaya, I… Aye yai yai, what is this?"

"Presents!" Rangiku said, kicking her leg into the air. "I feel like a princess!"

"Uh-huh…" Shinji didn't take his eyes off her, impassive expression on his face. "Mind if I talk to shorty here for a second?"

"Shorty?!" Hitsugaya whipped around to glare at him angrily.

Rangiku giggled and took the box of strawberries with her. "Sure thing, Shinji. Don't touch my stuff, ok?"

"Aw, anything for my first love." He waved, smiling brightly at her. As soon as she was out of the room, he kicked the door shut with his foot and spun around with a serious expression, dropping the act. "We got a problem."

"You mean about that flippant remark you made to me?" Hitsugaya seethed. "Since when do-"

"Momo showed the empty blood packs to Iba and Soi Fon. Soi Fon took them with her and said she was going to have her men investigate."

Hitsugaya forgot all about Shinji's comment and focused on the much more serious issue. "It could lead them to Byakuya and his minions. If that happens…"

"Yeah." Shinji knew this was bad news. "What if one of them takes the fall for Byakuya? That's the best thing we can hope for right now. Have one of them say they were responsible to protect him."

"There's a chance they won't believe it. They'd also need a motive. If they sense they're making a false confession, they're not going to drop the subject. And if at any time they believe Byakuya's in danger, any kind of danger, they could become irrational."

"And then we've got a real problem. It could be a bloodbath. Friends fighting friends and worse. But how do we stop this? Soi Fon's Squad's good at their job. If they confront Byakuya, just to get his story, it could lead to something major. If we try to derail this, we could be caged and it won't stop that one issue from happening, just delay it for a short time and I mean short."

"You're right," said Hitsugaya. "If we try to stop them, we'll look suspicious. If we plant evidence, same problem. And it might not do anything, like you said. They'll be looking at us and Byakuya."

"And if we're caged or on someone's radar, that's even less we can do."

"Akon better hurry up with that cure before things come to a head."

Shinji moaned and looked to the side as if he had been asked to write an essay. "Tellin' people the truth won't help matters either," he said. "Even if they believed us, they'd try taking matters into their own hands. That doesn't bode well for either party. If we tell them there's a cure, that would put Akon in danger because Byakuya would want it destroyed. There's also a good chance they won't care and handle it the way they want. Soul Reapers can be a stubborn bunch."

"And impatient," said Hitsugaya. "Soi Fon isn't known for her patience. If she believes attacking Byakuya or us would be faster than waiting on some cure, she'll do it. Same with anyone loyal to him. If she believes they're wills are gone, she'll see no reason not to kill them if they get in her way, declaring them disposable."

"And there's still nothing we can do without making things worse." Shinji rubbed his head with a massive sigh. "Can't sabotage her mission, can't plant stuff, can't talk her out of it, can't tell anyone what's going on, can't do nothing. Byakuya'll probably attack her Squad and make them his if they confront him. How do we make them stay away? How can we distract them?"

Hitsugaya was getting an idea. "Yumichika."

"Huh?"

"Harpies can scream and sing. Their singing causes people to fight with each other. I don't know what it is, but it sends people into a blind rage. They'll fight with anyone. If we can get Yumichika to sing near them, they'll be too busy arguing to do anything else."

Shinji folded his arms. "You sure about this?"

"You got any other ideas?"

"Not at the moment." Shinji dropped his arms. "What the hell? Let's do it."

"And why would I do that?" Yumichika asked, playing with his hair.

"Because we need you to," said Shinji.

Yumichika didn't feel like it, motivated only by his whims. "I don't really sing, you know. When the mood strikes me, I might, but it's not something I'm really known for."

"I'll strike you in a minute," Shinji muttered. In some ways Yumichika reminded him of Rose but the two were very different. Rose may have come off as haughty at times but he wasn't a narcissist and, though both were approachable, Rose seemed kinder. He had a feeling it would be easier to get Rose to do as they wished than this self-obsessed man.

Remembering how Yumichika was in his dream and what harpies were known for, Hitsugaya decided to appeal to his vanity.

"You look even more radiant than usual today, Yumichika. You really stand out."

He laughed giddily. "Well, I have been having a lot of good hair days recently. And facial days. Is that a thing? Oh, who cares? The point is I'm beautiful."

"Indeed, you are," said Hitsugaya. "It's very noticeable. That's why I thought you'd want to show yourself off a bit. Privileged public sort of thing."

Yumichika stopped messing with his hair, intrigued.

"Everyone should see how beautiful you are. I mean, what's the point in keeping your beauty locked up where no one can bask in it?"

Yumichika started to grin. "You're right. Why, I should show myself off, shouldn't I? My beauty would be wasted otherwise. People should see it."

"Put on a show, if you must," said Hitsugaya. "Treat your adoring public to something amazing. Express how beautiful you feel."

Yumichika's eyes sparkled. "What a marvelous idea," he swooned.

"You know," said Shinji, seeing what Hitsugaya was doing. "The light over by Squad 2 would really bring out your eyes. Not to mention everything else it would enhance. The prefect spotlight."

Excited, Yumichika danced in place, grinning from ear to ear. "I love it! I'll treat my public to the greatest concert they've ever seen!" He zipped off down the road, feathers flying from his clothes.

Shinji caught one of the feathers in his fingers and inspected it. "And no one's noticed anything unusual about him yet? Really? Guess the frontline combat force isn't very observant. Good to know."

"Would you rather they did?" asked Hitsugaya.

Shinji let the feather flutter from his hand to the ground, turning. "I'm more baffled he hasn't noticed. The guy's spewing feathers and he acts like it's nothing but a few stray hairs."

"He probably noticed but accepted it without freaking out."

"I freaked out more going through puberty." Shinji didn't want to think about it. "Maybe he's a birdbrain now and there's something blocking his mind from grasping what's going on. If I started growing feathers, I'd be going for help."

"It must be something about his metamorphosis that's preventing him from getting it," said Hitsugaya, unable to find another explanation. "Byakuya knows he's a vampire and embraced it. Yumichika's probably the same way."

"But he doesn't seem to know he's a harpy. I'm getting the vibe that he hasn't comprehended anything's amiss. Like he's been this way forever. Or that nothing's changed and he's just blind to the changes. Or he just doesn't care about anything other than his beauty, something he feels has only been enhanced by the changes."

"Who knows? Probably won't get an answer if we asked him."

Hitsugaya didn't want to resort to using Yumichika's power but he felt he had little choice.

Given what they knew about the situation, having Soi Fon's Squad figure out the puzzle wasn't an option. Too many people would get hurt. She wasn't likely to leave it alone and ignore the evidence. An investigation was certain. Shinji had tried to take the items from her but she insisted on doing it herself and keeping the items with her. If Hitsugaya volunteered to do his own investigation, Soi Fon would have insisted on keeping the evidence in her possession and still have her Squad work the case. She would even tell him there was no point in having two people do the same investigation but if he wanted to, he could, albeit she would still do one herself, no matter what. Working with her wouldn't work either because she always wanted to do it herself and she would notice if they tried to steer the evidence elsewhere.

This was why there was no other option. They had to stall them since there was no way to stop the investigation or get the evidence away from her.

Rose came to Kensei's office and found him zoning out, rubbing his neck. "Are you ok?"

"No," he said, staring straight ahead.

"What's the matter?"

"I don't know." Kensei gripped the edge of his desk with both hands as if to keep himself from leaping into the air. He honestly had no idea what was happening to him but he was sure he was losing his sanity.

Last night seemed like one very long, very weird dream. A wolf attacked him then Byakuya flirted with him and, as if that weren't weird enough, he found himself enjoying it. Byakuya made him feel so…

"Dammit!" Kensei slammed his fists on his desk and hung his head.

Used to these occasional outbursts, Rose didn't flinch. He almost punched Mashiro for trying to feed him a candy bar for lunch once, settling for screaming at her and crushing the candy bar in his fist instead.

What was this attraction he had to Byakuya? It was getting worse. Before he thought it was the feeling Byakuya gave him he was after. Now he believed it was Byakuya himself. He couldn't understand why. It didn't seem to be a physical attraction, but then what was it? Kensei was having a hard time accepting there could be other types of attraction, mostly because others never occurred to him.

It felt like something in the very core of his being. Something, some connection, was drawing him to Byakuya. Byakuya, his very reason for living.

Kensei stood up, his face red and sweating.

Now Rose was alarmed. "Are you alright? Do you have a fever?"

He was boiling in his skin. This attraction to Byakuya was unnatural. For it to come on so suddenly after one conversation… And last night. Byakuya coming to him on that roof and embracing him. That smile.

Kensei rubbed his neck and started to calm down.

There was another feeling he felt last night: pain. A sharp stabbing pain in his neck. It hurt. Yet, it was a good pain. He liked it but didn't at the same time.

"Rose?" he asked, hand to his neck. "How do you know if you're a masochist?"

Rose leaned away from the desk. "Where is this going?"

"Never mind." Kensei knew there was only one cure for this. He had to find him. "I'm outta here."

Rose followed after him, worried. "Kensei, I think you have a fever. You're not acting yourself and I really think you need to get some water and some rest. Have Hisagi handle the work today."

"I haven't seen that bastard in days. Just leave me alone."

Rose stopped following him. "Just promise me you'll take it easy, alright?" Kensei didn't look back, hurrying down the hall and leaving Rose standing there. Unable to do anything else, Rose left.

Kensei pounded on Byakuya's office door, desperate. No one answered. He tried again, pounding louder.

He needed answers. He needed relief. He needed this whirlwind of confusion and uncertainty to stop. His body ached and burned. His mind was swirling in a funnel. The core of his being told him that Byakuya could stop this. That Byakuya was what he needed. Byakuya was the answer.

"Open up, Kuchiki!" He tried the handle and found it was unlocked so he let himself in.

Byakuya was asleep on the couch, laying perfectly still on his back.

Kensei shut the door and half crawled, half staggered to the makeshift bed. "Kuchiki, I need you. Wake up!"

Byakuya opened his eyes and sat up. He turned around and saw Kensei kneeling at the head of his bed breathing shakily. He adjusted himself so he was facing Kensei and asked what he was doing there.

He had been curious since last night when Kensei successfully managed to throw him off. Knowing what his bite did to a person, Byakuya was curious what effect it would have on the man, given his unusual reaction to his charm. Seeing the strong, confident Kensei on his knees looking up at him with desperation was very amusing to him, silently mocking the man.

"Kuchiki, please…" Kensei begged. "I can't stand it… Please…"

"What can I do for you, dear Kensei?" Byakuya asked, smirking. He was thoroughly enjoying this.

Kensei hoisted himself onto his knees to reach over the armrests of the two couches to put his hands on Byakuya's shoulders. It was mostly to steady himself than making sure he had Byakuya's full attention.

"Whatever you did to me last night… do it again."

Byakuya didn't react, staring at him.

"I don't care what it was or how you feel about it or whatever. I just need you to do it again. Please. Just do it. Do it so I can stop."

This was very interesting from Byakuya's perspective. It seemed his charm and bite were a kind of addiction to Kensei. He desperately needed more. This was a different reaction than the others. While they enjoyed being fed upon, none of them were this desperate, begging on their knees on the verge of a panic attack.

"Very well," said Byakuya in a sinister yet accommodating tone.

Byakuya stepped off the bed and Kensei stood up, holding Byakuya's hand.

He felt once Byakuya did whatever he had done before, it would end this nightmare. It would alleviate the pain and get his mind back in order as well as his emotions. He didn't know what was happening to him but he had come to believe Byakuya could make everything better.

The more he was away from Byakuya, the worse he felt. The more he tried to fight this feeling, the more it broke him. Whatever happened next would fix everything, he believed.

The two men were similar height, making things a little easier and awkward at the same time. In order to get at his neck, Byakuya had to press his chest against Kensei's which made Kensei tense up.

Byakuya put his hand behind Kensei's head to hold him still. "Relax. Don't move."

Kensei stood rigidly and waited. Soon, he felt Byakuya's breath on his neck. Then a sharp pain. Kensei shut his eyes tight and cried out. Byakuya held him close. Kensei hissed inwardly and took several quick breaths, trying to stand the pain and resist the urge to push Byakuya away.

Something was happening to him. He could feel his blood leaving his body but he felt something else. Something within him. Heat and throbbing. And purpose. Longing and a deep, unshakeable bond.

Byakuya was amazing. He wanted to do anything for him. To serve him and love him and just adore him. This man had his respect and so much more.

This connection was unlike anything he had ever felt before and it eased all his uncertainties. He knew where he belonged.

Kensei closed his eyes listlessly and rested his head on Byakuya's shoulder.

Soi Fon stood in front of her men, scowling furiously. "Care to explain yourselves?"

The men said nothing.

Out in the yard, they had been going over their discoveries and planning their course of action when a sudden rage came over them and started arguing with one another. Words were exchanged then fists. It was unprovoked which led to confusion from them and anyone nearby to witness it. Once they calmed down, they found they had no explanation to give their Captain. All they could do was drop their heads and avoid her eyes.

Yumichika had found a nice spot to sing just outside the yard and belted it out, expressing his joy. His voice was magnificent. He loved it almost as much as his looks. His good mood must have affected his vocal cords because he believed he sounded better than usual in terms of song.

His song had no words, just a vocalization with which he expressed his mood. He loved hearing himself, tuning everything else out, which was probably why he didn't notice the fighting in the yard behind him. After a while, he had tired himself out and went to find something to drink to soothe his throat after what he believed to be a successful concert. Hitsugaya would have agreed, considering what it caused the men to do.

"And what is this?" Soi Fon pointed to the evidence they were supposed to be deciphering which had been repeatedly stomped on and torn during the scuffle. When blows were exchanged, drops of blood splattered the ground and the empty transfusion bags. This was a major setback.

"Captain, we can still use…"

"You contaminated it and damaged what doesn't have your blood all over it," she snapped.

The man stepped back in line with the others.

"I still have work to do and cannot babysit you and deal with your petty squabbles," she told them angrily. "You have your assignment. Figure out what this means and find a lead. We are not letting this blood thief go unpunished. Can you at least manage that much?"

"Yes, Captain," the men chorused.

"Then get to it."

Shinji was getting something to eat when Rose tapped him on the shoulder. "Have you spoken to Kensei lately?"

"Not since the other day, why?" Shinji asked waiting for his food.

Rose looked over his shoulder with worry in his eyes. "I think he might be sick or something. He's acting really weird."

"Did he throw a table through the wall?" Shinji asked. "Oh, wait, that would be normal for him."

"I'm serious. He seems distracted and was asking a bunch of weird questions. Relationship questions. Do you know if he has a crush on someone?"

"If he did, you think he'd tell me?"

Rose still looked worried. "He said he couldn't get someone out of his head, in so many words, and it bothered him. Talked about how he never felt that way before and asked for my advice. I told him that it could be an association more than something else. And today he was really red and seemed irrational. Kept rubbing his neck a lot."

Shinji's eyes widened.

"I haven't been seeing much of Izuru lately, either. He looked distracted, too, when I saw him last. Like he couldn't wait to be somewhere else. He was rubbing his neck a lot, too. Maybe there's something going around. It's troubling. I like Kira and everything but lately he's changed. I just can't put my finger on it. Maybe he is coming down with something like Kensei. It's weird."

Shinji was only half listening, hung up on Kensei's condition. His friend. Could Byakuya have gotten to Kensei?

A woman handed Shinji his order of pork buns and he hardly glanced at them. He had to find Kensei. Rose picked up the order for him and asked if he wanted them. Shinji came back, picked up one bun and put it in his pocket for later, allowing Rose to have the other one.

He followed Kensei's scent to Byakuya's office and knew things weren't looking good for his friend. The scent went outside the building and into another where Kensei was walking down the hall, dragging his shoulder against the wall. He looked unstable.

Shinji went to his side and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Kensei, are you ok?"

Kensei looked up and tried to get his eyes to focus. "Hey, Shinji…"

"Are you alright? What happened?"

Kensei shrugged off Shinji's hand, toughening up. Being pitied was an insult. "I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all."

"Did I just see you coming from Byakuya's place?" Shinji hadn't actually seen Kensei leave the building but he had to phrase his questions carefully to cover the fact he could track scent now.

At the mere mention of Byakuya's name, Kensei began to rub his neck and smile. Kensei never smiled like this. It was halfway between ecstasy and insanity. It sent a chill down Shinji's spine.

"He's incredible," said Kensei. "Truly amazing."

"Why's that?" Shinji asked quietly, jarred but still able to keep his wits.

"I know you said Byakuya was stressed and to stay away to not bother him, but I just had to see him again. I was curious. There was something about him that made me feel… different. Then I…" He started giggling. "Then I just had to see him and get him to do it again to me. I kept coming back and now… Now I feel complete."

Shinji tried not to react, nodding slowly and indifferently. "Oh. Well, that's good, I guess. Good."

"It is."

"Well, as long as you're happy, that's fine. I'll just stay out of your way, ok?" Shinji walked quickly down the hall to escape Kensei's madness. He believed Kensei didn't sense anything was amiss based on how he played it and got enough information to talk to Hitsugaya.

"You're kidding. Really?" said Akon from the metal table he was working at in the lab. "He's got another minion? A Captain, no less."

"I know," said Hitsugaya, clenching his fists. "A Captain's gone over to Byakuya's side. What are we doing?"

That question was aimed more to himself than anyone in the room. They were unable to prevent Byakuya from biting a Captain.

"He should have been eating garlic. Didn't Hisagi give him any?"

"Hisagi said he watched Kensei eat the stuff but that was days ago. He must've stopped. We've been doing our own thing and preparing for the full moon that we haven't been in our offices for a while. He was probably making his own meals or stopped eating. Rose said it looked like Kensei had a fever. I don't watch him every second of the day so I have no idea if he's been eating, but I could not smell any garlic on him."

Akon looked up at Shinji. "Seriously?"

"Can you be more specific?"

"You're eating that in here?"

Shinji looked down at the pork bun in his hand. "I'm hungry."

"In the lab?"

"And?"

"Does the term 'contamination' mean anything to you?"

Shinji stuffed the pork bun in his mouth and chewed slowly, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's. Akon just sighed and returned to his work.

"Kensei's reaction was strange, according to what Shinji told me," said Hitsugaya. "It sounds like Kensei went through stages to get to this point. Even his expression was different when Shinji talked to him. Everyone gets this dreamy look on their face but Kensei looked almost crazed, based on Shinji's description."

"It was pretty freaky," said Shinji, gradually chewing and swallowing the pork bun in his mouth.

"Plus, he kept coming back before actually being bitten. Shinji stopped him and Rose from being bitten in the hall days ago but Kensei's the only one going back to him. I don't get it."

"What's this I hear about a vampire?" came Mayuri's voice.

Shinji swallowed the last bit of the pork bun hard and coughed. Not out of surprise but dismay having the Captain standing right behind them with that yellow grin on his face.

"He's gathering minions? Just as the stories told. But they are not all vampires. That differs from some of the lore. So then it is true that vampires can choose who becomes a vampire and who does not. Fascinating."

Hitsugaya felt a hand on the back of his neck which chilled him as if an ice cube had been placed on his nape.

"I suspected a vampire, of course," Mayuri hissed in his ear. "But its identity is still not yet known to me. But you know, don't you? Tell me, who is the vampire?"

Akon had not yet told Mayuri the identity of the vampire for the same reason Hitsugaya hadn't.

Involving Mayuri wouldn't end well, especially since he admitted up front that he had no intention of changing them back. He was probably planning on torturing Byakuya or finding a way to make him even more formidable. Mayuri still couldn't fathom why Hitsugaya and the other werewolves wished to change back, finding this to be an improvement.

Telling him would only cause a fight. If he went after Byakuya, all his minions would try to stop him and there was a high probability of Mayuri harming them or even killing them. He doubted Mayuri would kill Byakuya's minions but Hitsugaya couldn't rule it out. There was a high chance of them harming themselves just to reach Byakuya, cutting off a limb if Mayuri had them chained. Their irrationality was the main reason Hitsugaya refused to make a move.

"What makes you think we know?" Hitsugaya asked him.

Mayuri's smile expanded. "You come here talking about it often enough. You must know who it is."

Hitsugaya brushed Mayuri's hand off his neck. "If we did, don't you think it'd be easier for us to stop them from making more slaves?"

Mayuri's smile faded, but his yellow teeth still showed. He exhaled lightly and stepped away. "Fair enough."

Hitsugaya could only hope Mayuri believed him.

"I'm far more interested in hearing about your little romp under the full moon last night." The smile was back on Mayuri's face. "Do tell."

"Not much to say. We changed and couldn't change back until morning. So we stayed away from people."

Mayuri laughed. "All but your little Lieutenant friend who threw you in a cage. That's right, I heard about that."

Hitsugaya grimaced.

"And you managed to escape, didn't you? How?"

"We helped," Shinji said, raising his hand in the air. "No point in not mentioning it."

"And how did you know he was there?" Mayuri asked, coming closer to Shinji. "Did you see it happen? Were you hiding somewhere? Was there another way?"

"He called us to him and we came. Big deal."

Mayuri smiled widely, raising both hands in the air as if preparing to grab Shinji but he didn't take any such action. "Marvelous! The alpha wolf in action. I'd have loved to see it with my own eyes. Care to demonstrate?"

"What alpha wolf thing?"

"Come now," said Mayuri, acting as if they were in denial. "I know each wolf pack is a family unite consisting of an alpha wolf who takes charge of the pack. Since he's the one who bit you, that makes him the alpha. A pack is a pack, no matter how you look at it. The method of creation may be different but the roles are all there."

"I know what a wolf pack is. And we do work together but to call him the alpha is…"

"But you recognize him as your alpha wolf. That is what I'm saying. Whether or not you make a conscious decision, you see him as your alpha wolf and act accordingly, carrying out the roles quite well."

Shinji raised his brow, looking from Mayuri to Hitsugaya.

"Haven't you noticed?" Mayuri went on. "Why do you feel the need to inform Hitsugaya every time something occurs? Did he tell you to do this or is it just something you feel you must do?"

Shinji's brows knitted together, considering this. He had been reporting to Hitsugaya even without being prompted to do so. He wanted everyone to be on the same page but was there another reason for him doing this? One he carried out without fully understanding why? It made sense but why did it make sense? Could it be that his reasons were his own and his instincts?

"He calls and you come. Isn't that something?" Mayuri smiled at him. "I think you're acting on your instincts more than you realize. Inside you somewhere, you know he's your boss."

Hitsugaya scoffed. "Then why the disrespect and teasing? That can't be right."

"Your relationship and hierarchy are different from the vampire's. They cannot disobey their master and only live to serve. You, on the other hand, are different. He is not your minion, but part of your pack. As such, he is free to tease you but will always see you as the leader. Leaders get teased all the time. And from what I hear, wolves are very playful. Even the alpha wolf takes part in the fun."

Shinji and Hitsugaya looked at each other, having their own silent conversation. Both suspected that what Mayuri theorized could have some merit to it.

Mayuri grabbed the back of Shinji's neck and tried to hold him in place. "Hold still, I'm taking a sample."

"The hell you are!" Shinji zipped behind Mayuri's back and was held still from behind by Nemu. He saw the needle coming at him and started snapping his jaws at Mayuri's approaching hand.

"Trying to turn me into a werewolf, too?" Mayuri laughed. "Ah, you got some fight in you just like the other one. Just hold still. It's just a little poke."

Shinji transformed into a wolf and shook Nemu free and ran to hide behind Hitsugaya. When they advanced, he lowered his head and growled threateningly.

Hitsugaya stood his ground and threw out his arm to shield Shinji from the other Captain. "Enough. Do you really need to do this? You already took a sample from me."

"I like to be thorough. Besides, he was made into a werewolf by different means. I want to see what this sample can tell me. See what's different."

Hitsugaya was actually more interested in the sheer size of Shinji in his wolf form. This being his first time seeing Shinji as a wolf while being a Soul Reaper himself, he realized just how big he actually was. He could easily ride on Shinji's back.

"I'm going to get my sample one way or another, so you might as well cooperate," Mayuri told him, still holding the needle.

Hitsugaya gave Mayuri a wary look. "No injections. You get your one sample and leave us alone. Got it?"

"Yes, yes."

Hitsugaya stepped to the side, saying to Shinji, "Just let him do it quick so he'll shut up about it."

Huffing, Shinji slinked over to Mayuri and sat down, allowing him to take a blood sample from his shoulder. As soon as it was done, Shinji stood and changed back into a Soul Reaper.

"Thank you," Mayuri said triumphantly, capping the needle and handing it to Nemu while Shinji stuck his tongue out at him.

Akon, who had been watching from the table, chose now to speak up, wanting to revisit an earlier conversation. "You said your friend's acting different from the others who have been bitten by the vampire?" He was careful not to use Byakuya's name while Mayuri was still in the room.

"Yeah," said Shinji.

"You ever consider the possibility it's because he's a Vizard?"

"What could that have to do with anything?"

He shrugged. "Maybe it affects him differently than others. Can't say for certain without conducting an actual experiment, but if he's the only one acting different, then…"

"But he hadn't been bitten yet," said Shinji. "He got infatuated by the vampire after looking him in the eye. Same thing with Rose only he didn't get charmed."

"So two Vizards were looking the vampire in the eye but only one ended up becoming obsessed?" Akon didn't think that made sense. "There's no consistency."

"Which means being a Vizard's irrelevant," Shinji said firmly. "There must be another reason he got all… blech." Shinji hadn't seen the process, knowing only what he had witnessed and heard from others who had seen it. He couldn't come up with a word for Kensei's state either, since it didn't seem like a full-on charm to him. It was more like Kensei couldn't make up his mind.

"Have you ruled out personal response?" asked Mayuri.

Everyone looked at him.

"Come now," he said with a slight chuckle. "I may view things differently but that doesn't mean I don't have an understanding of the subject. His emotional response could just be the result of how he is personally. His mental state, for example. Personal preference. His views and thought patterns. These are all factors to consider."

"You're saying that Kensei's reacting to the charm this way because he's Kensei?"

"Pretty much. That never crossed your mind?" Mayuri sighed as if it were obvious. "Honestly, even I considered it. When conducting an experiment, you must understand that some results are simply based on one in the batch being slightly different and not because they were tampered with. If you do a study on gender, even if everyone's the same gender and age, there will still be differences. Health, hair and eye color, background, height, race, experience. All things you cannot necessarily account for but must be prepared to also access. And some things are the way they are beyond logical reason. It makes no sense yet it gives results."

Shinji thought he knew what Mayuri meant. Kensei always had a temper and even when he was trying to be kind, it didn't always show the way he intended it to. Shinji learned long ago that Kensei meant well but sometimes his pep talks ended up scaring the person more than cheer them up just because of his delivery. If Kensei was suddenly overcome with strange new feelings, he was likely to respond in the way Rose described. Kensei was confused which angered him and since things didn't make sense, his first instinct was to yell at himself until he understood.

Really Kensei was fighting himself and the charm's effects. The charm was working its magic on him but because he didn't understand what was happening, he ended up getting distraught, questioning these feelings and himself, which he likely misunderstood in the first place. If Kensei were like the majority of those Byakuya used his charm on and let it roll off his back and soon forget about it or be mildly intrigued by Byakuya, he probably wouldn't have responded this way.

"But now that he has been bitten, is it safe to say he will be like the rest of those minions?" Shinji asked.

"Who knows?" said Mayuri. "Maybe he is and maybe it's a little of both."

Hitsugaya didn't care about an individual's response to the bite or charm. Byakuya's army was growing fast and Akon still hadn't perfected the cure. They couldn't stop Byakuya from doing what came naturally and survive. All they could do was limit who got bitten. So far, it felt like they were failing.

From this point on, they couldn't allow any more high-ranking Soul Reapers to get bitten.

Hitsugaya's jaw ached, clenching it for so long. He knew they had to do more.