Chapter 27:

After the Lieutenant's meeting, both Renji and Kira reported to Byakuya about what was discussed. Byakuya seemed pleased. He was already making plans for that evening. To reward them, Byakuya helped himself to some of their blood, but he didn't require much, having a smorgasbord of donors for himself.

Though nothing had been decided, Byakuya was pleased to know more blood would soon be added to the dwindling supply. With so many people to feed off of, he didn't need to take any more from the blood bank, but he wanted to. Something was driving him to do this.

That evening, Byakuya surprised the guard and easily put him under with a short staring contest. He didn't order him to fall asleep, as he had the previous guard. This one he wanted to help him. Not that he needed it. He just wanted to see him do it for his amusement.

He told the guard to let him into the sickbay and he obeyed, unaware of what he was doing. He told the man to stand still while he broke the Kido protecting the blood and took two bags. He instructed the man to return to his post which he did.

The next morning, Soi Fon gave the guard an earful after the blood was discovered missing and he had no explanation. After Byakuya had left, the guard had forgotten everything. He swore he hadn't left his post and no one entered all night. He couldn't understand how this happened.

Soi Fon promptly replaced him with another guard. This guard, unbeknownst to her, was one of the men Byakuya had bitten. He had plans to remove the blood for Byakuya but was instructed to do nothing so he did as his Captain said and stood guard.

Byakuya drank from one of the transfusion bags with a smile. It was all too easy. There was plenty he could do with his powers but most of it was beneath him. Unless it involved blood, he wasn't interested.

Now that he had the majority of Soi Fon's men under his command, he used them to learn that they were investigating him because empty transfusion bags had been discovered in the trash. The Stealth Force promised to do a better job of hiding them, disposing them in the sickbay where they would be harder to distinguish. Up until their devotion, Byakuya's other servants had been disposing of them in different locations to throw people off the scent just in case they were discovered. Given that the Stealth Force was still able to track him down despite the precautions told Byakuya that most of it was pointless.

Even disposing of the empty transfusion bags in the sickbay wasn't going to work. While it would be easier to hide them, Unohana kept meticulous records of everything going in and out of the sickbay. Even the blood packs were coded in a way only she and possibly her Lieutenant would understand. If missing transfusion bags showed up in their Division, that would just cause further problems.

Byakuya aimed to keep his vampiric nature a secret but knew something of this caliber couldn't stay secret forever. The Stealth Force suspected him and he knew Rukia was also taking notice of changes in her brother. True, none of them suspected him of being a vampire, but their imaginations were just as problematic.

His vampire arrogance was probably spurring these thoughts and actions and, had Byakuya been in his right mind, would have realized this would be his downfall. He believed that even if he was caught, he would rise triumphant. He would stop anyone who stood in his way. He would stop anyone from preventing him from obtaining what he desired.

Defeating the Stealth Force was one thing, but if the other Captains got involved, he would be in trouble. If any of them, for a second, believed he had passed the point of no return, he would not survive the battle.

The calm, rational Byakuya understood this, but the arrogant vampire believed in the outcome that suited him best, whether or not it was reality.

Byakuya wasn't the only one who had been prowling around the Seireitei that night. Three werewolves had chosen to spend their evening far from the forest in favor of the buildings and those dwelling within their walls.

"This is a bad idea," said Hisagi, looking around. "What if someone sees us?"

"It's not like the full moon. We can change back if that happens."

"What do you hope to accomplish, Captain?" Shinji asked, using the title as both a term of endearment and a thinly veiled accusation. "We've already established multiple times that we can't do anything without making matters worse. All we can do is observe until a cure is made."

"We have to keep Byakuya from feeding off any high-ranked Soul Reapers," Hitsugaya reminded him. "If he manages to bite every Captain and Lieutenant, he can take control of the Seireitei. We can't allow that."

"That's why we've been making all those dishes with garlic in it and giving it to people. Why we've been holding more activities outside during the day and keeping people busy so they won't have a reason or opportunity to go near him."

"But we can't make them eat," Hisagi pointed out, after seeing the Soul Reapers avoid the food at the meeting. "We can only provide it, not force it down their throats."

"Having it in the room does help, though. Vampires can't stand the smell."

"Anything to keep more people from going over to Byakuya's side," Hitsugaya told them. "He's already gotten most of the Stealth Force. We can't let him gain any more strong Soul Reapers."

"Then what are we doing out here?" Hisagi asked. "What if he swoops down and bites one of us while we're skulking around? I don't wanna end up like one of those minions. Kira's not the same after getting bitten. He's different and I don't like it."

"And Byakuya'll gain a werewolf servant. Talk about adding to his power," said Shinji.

"We don't know what effect his bite will have on us," said Hitsugaya.

"Yet you want to take that risk."

Hitsugaya hung his head.

"Admit it, Captain," said Shinji. "You want to protect Momo and Rangiku. The two lovelies in your life you can't stand to be without because they're important to you."

"I want to protect everyone. My Squad is like a family. And yes, you're right. Those two are important to me. Even if they annoy the hell out of me, I still care about them."

"That's not a bad thing," said Shinji.

"Bad for us if we end up on the wrong end of a dinner fork," whined Hisagi, looking at the sky just in case a vampire came swooping down.

"I get it," said Shinji. "I also get why we're here. With or without Hitsugaya's desire to help those who are like family to him, it's in our nature to look out for the pack. This mentality is natural and understandable."

Hisagi looked at Shinji. "You're saying we're doing this because it's our natural instinct?"

"In more ways than one, yes. I'm saying that Hitsugaya's desire to protect the pack is indistinguishable from his desire to protect his loved ones. It's that drive that's brought us out here in the first place. Even though we've established that there isn't much we can do until a cure is made, it won't stop that desire to try and help as many people as we can."

Hitsugaya had a feeling that's what was going on and Shinji just confirmed that as a fact. He could see it and possibly felt it himself. Hitsugaya knew they were going around in circles but that's what this feeling drove him to do. Anyone in such a situation would be restless. Anyone told they couldn't help someone they loved would be looking for a way to help despite what they were told.

It was good having someone as observant as Shinji around to confirm that what Hitsugaya was doing was perfectly natural and something he understood. It was comforting.

Hitsugaya's nose twitched. He smelled a familiar scent.

Hisagi's nose twitched, too. "Is that..?"

Worried, Hitsugaya led the pack down the street and into a building. He let his nose lead him but knew without having to look around that he was in one of the barracks. The halls were empty and all the doors were shut, Soul Reapers fast asleep at his hour. There were no lights but the wolves could see just fine.

Hitsugaya stopped and the others did as well. The floor under their paws vibrated dully. Their ears picked up the sound of a creaking floor. Someone was coming their way. Hitsugaya stood his ground but Hisagi took a couple steps back, fearful.

"We're about to be caught," Shinji whispered. "We should run."

Hitsugaya didn't move, looking straight ahead. Something was moving in the dark hall, coming closer. Something tall. Something with wings.

Hitsugaya couldn't smell feathers. This couldn't have been Yumichika.

Hisagi lowered his body with a whine. "It's Byakuya. He's sprouted bat wings and is about to suck our blood. This is it. We're dead. We're gonna be calling him master from now on. This was a terrible idea."

This wasn't Byakuya's scent.

The figure stepped closer and stopped, looking down at them. It stepped into the light, its hands cupping together under their chin.

"Aw, what adorable widdle doggies!"

Hitsugaya's mouth fell open. "Rangiku?"

It looked like her but didn't. That was her face and voice and her body, but it had some new additions. The long rope-like tail swinging behind her was one thing. For another, she had wings. Small bat wings. And on her head were tiny horns which helped keep her hair out of her face.

He couldn't believe it. His Lieutenant had transformed overnight.

Hitsugaya studied her for a moment and identified what creature she had become. "She's a succubus."

Shinji nodded, unfazed. "Oh, that makes sense. I can see that. How fitting."

Hisagi stood up, gaping at her. "A succubus? Oh, that explains a lot."

Hitsugaya was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I told you her scent seemed different."

"And that explains why she seemed better than usual to me. Why she excited me so much."

Hitsugaya looked from one to the other. "But… she doesn't smell all that different to me. I haven't noticed."

Shinji chuckled. "Well, as precocious as you are, you're still young. It must not work on you the same way it does us."

"Oh, yeah."

Hitsugaya glared at them. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Rangiku bent down to pet them, seeing them as tame dogs rather than what they actually were. Hisagi was the first to approach. He licked her face and she petted his thick fur coat with both hands. Hisagi rolled onto his back to let her rub his chest. Shinji just stood where he was watching. Hitsugaya's ears flattened to his head, watching as well but with less amusement.

"You know," said Shinji. "This does explain why the men have been acting weird lately. It's said that a succubus seduces men in their dreams and feeds off their lust."

"Gross," said Hitsugaya.

"Come on, you're old enough to know what love is."

"Lust and love are two different things. Besides…" Hitsugaya grimaced at the sight of Hisagi rolling around on the floor as Rangiku stroked him vigorously with both hands up and down his chest and shoulder. "Whatever goes on in the privacy of their dreams is their business. I don't want to see that."

"Who's a good doggie? Who's a good doggie?" Rangiku cooed at the one under her hands, panting happily.

The white wolf gave a sharp bark and the one on the floor stopped and rolled onto his stomach, looking at the pack leader. It stood up and slinked over to the white one, nuzzling his face briefly before standing at its side.

The white wolf and the succubus looked at each other for a long time before the wolf decided to take its pack and leave. She watched them go, finding something familiar in the way the wolf looked at her with those yellow eyes.

The next day, it became obvious that a presence was affecting the men in Squad 10. Men daydreaming at their desks had to be poked by the women to get any work done. The ones staring into space with pink faces and a lustful look in their eyes were actively avoided by the women who deemed them too freaky to go near. One man sat with a dreamy smile on his face and drool pooling into his hand which he had yet to notice drippling down his arm to the desk he rested on. One woman waved a hand in front of his face and got no reaction.

"This is ridiculous. Can you believe this?"

Shinji glanced into one of the rooms and smirked at a man zoned out with a big smile on his face, women walking in a wide arch around his desk to avoid him. "What can you expect?" he asked. "These guys have been getting a pretty heavy dose from the look of things. You know how guys are."

"I miss the days where they were too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye and daydream without the goofy looks."

Shinji shrugged. "Every guy's different. And hey, if you get enough of those dreams, it can cause that. Or a really good one. Maybe Rangiku's getting stronger and therefore better at this and that's why everyone's like that."

"Some more so than others." Hitsugaya scoffed and marched down the hall towards his office. "It's bad enough she's never around to work but now she has to influence others to do the same? Honestly. They're too distracted to do anything else."

He froze, an idea striking him like a punch to the face.

Shinji raised his brow at the Captain. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

Hitsugaya slowly turned. "I wish I could say I wasn't but…"